by Hanna Peach
“God dammit, you’re killing me,” he mutters.
We exit the passageway into his bedroom through a bookcase that swings aside. He places me down so he can turn and close the bookcase. For a second the increase in light hurts my eyes, so I close them. When I open my eyes Caden is staring at me. There’s this odd look about him. I’m reminded of the first time I saw snow. I’m sure I had that look about me.
He closes the little distance between us and softly pushes strands of hair from my face. “Beautiful,” he mutters. Then he frowns deeply, his forehead wrinkling between his dark, thick brows.
I reach up to press the creases away with my thumb. “You can’t call me beautiful then give me a look like that,” I tease lightly. “You sour the beautiful.”
This only deepens his frown. “That’s what I do. I sour the beautiful.”
Shit. “That’s not what I meant, Caden.”
He nods. “I was frowning because...” He pauses and growls. “I wish… I could come up with something better than just ‘beautiful’ to describe you. Beautiful doesn’t come close. It doesn’t even come close.”
Oh, Caden. My whole body feels like it’s soaring. He leans in to kiss me again. But I push him away when I remember where I am. We’re in his bedroom and it’s my first look inside it.
His bedroom is simple, masculine. Functional wooden furniture: chest of drawers, cupboard that lines one wall and two matching bedside tables. My eyes come to rest upon his dark wood-framed bed with a navy blue bed set and four thick-looking pillows. Damn, is that a king size?
“It’s huge,” I say.
“I get that a lot.”
I turn to him and there’s a twinkle in his eye. I laugh and pat his arm lightly before I melt against him and press kisses to his face. “You made a joke.”
“You noticed that, huh?”
“You almost never joke.”
He shrugs as he walks me backwards towards the bed. “Maybe I feel like there’s more reason to joke now.”
“Oh?”
“Maybe you’re given me a reason to want to laugh again.”
My heart swells and this warmth bubbles through my body. I don’t know what else to do except to press my lips against his mouth. As our tongues meet and dance together I can feel myself getting wetter and more needy. His hardness is already pressed up against my lower belly. I can’t wait to have him slipping it inside me.
As we kiss, he starts pulling at my clothes, our mouths only detaching once when my shirt comes up above my head. His expert hands peel every layer away until I am naked before him. In more ways than one. He pulls me up and flush against him so that my legs dangle over the floor. He walks us to the side of the bed and sits me on it.
Then he pulls away. “Grab the headboard and kneel on the pillows.”
I lick my lips and obey. My hands curl over the wooden headboard and I face the wall. This is when I notice a black curtain along the wall before me. I raise a hand up to push it aside when his voice calls out, “Stop. I didn’t tell you that you could do anything else.”
I pout but I lower my hand again. He opens a drawer of his bedside table and pulls out two black ties. Kneeling beside me he ties my wrists down to the headboard. He kisses me, deep and wet, before he steps back off the bed and disappears from my view. I hear the rustle of clothing being removed. Then I feel the mattress dipping behind me.
I shiver when I feel his warmth enclosing around my back. He’s naked.
His fingertips graze the edges of my body from behind me, pausing to lavish attention on my hard nipples, teasing me so that my sanity starts to fray. I shift my thighs wider as an invitation. His hand slides down my belly and between my legs. He runs his fingers back and forth across my wetness then dips them inside. I let my head roll back into the crook of his neck and moan into his ear.
He whispers in my ear, “I have a surprise for you, kitten.” He reaches out to the side and pulls at a black silken cord against the wall. The curtains behind the bedhead strip apart causing my mouth and my eyes to fall open further.
It’s a mirror, a long skinny strip of mirror that runs horizontally across the wall. In the mirror I see my face, my lips that are too wide and my whiskey colored irises staring back from deep-set eyes. Over my right shoulder, I see Caden’s face, but just his face in this thin strip of mirror. My view is restricted deliberately.
I realize the surprise. “I want to look into your eyes when we make love.” He’s giving me what I asked for.
He starts to run the tip of his hard cock between my legs, from the sensitive button in front, across my wetness and up along the cheeks of my ass, then he slides all the way forward again. My lips open as I gasp and catch a glimpse of my flushed face in the mirror. I look away instantly.
Caden’s other hand snakes around my waist, up between my breasts until his fingers grip around my jaw. He turns my face so I’m looking directly forward again. I watch his beautiful lips move against my ear. “Don’t look away. You should see how you look when you’re being pleasured. It’s fucking beautiful.”
I shift my gaze so I that I’m looking at my face as he slides his cock inside of me. My mouth opens with a gasp. My tongue is pink and moist and it quivers at the entrance of my lips. My eyes darken to a deep amber and my cheeks flush pink. I look hungry.
He starts to thrust, short shallow thrusts. From this angle his cock is rubbing that wonderful spot along the front of my inner core. His fingers slide from my jaw to my neck in a soft hold. The feeling of being dominated by Caden, being so vulnerable in his strong hands, touches something deep inside me. I realize that I trust him completely with my body, something I never thought I could feel with another man. This is the freedom I’ve been searching for.
I beg, “Please, choke me harder. Take me harder.”
I watch his eyes flash like emeralds and feel his grip tighten on my neck. The pressure is perfect and my head and core rush with tingles and I make a guttural noise to let him know just what he’s doing to me. His thrusts become firmer, harder. His other hand moves my hair to one side and he starts pressing open-mouthed kisses on the back of my neck. Like he did the first night he took me home.
He grips the front of my throat with his large hand. The choke is firm but gentle and I can feel my pulse beating against his palm. His lips find the back of my neck. First in a soft teasing kiss that I feel as tingles in the tips of my fingers. Then his lips part and I feel his wet tongue press against my skin as his hand tightens around my neck.
“Keep your eyes open. I want to see them on me.”
I didn’t realize that my eyes had fluttered shut. When I open them his face is beside mine in the mirror. I watch his eyes darken as he fucks me harder and faster. The fingers of his other hand slide down between my legs to rub my clit while he gives me a firm squeeze around my neck.
Dear God. It’s too much; the totality of him inside me, behind me, all around me and our eyes locked. My body shakes in his hold as I climax. My mouth opens in a scream.
I watch his face shine with awe as he watches the pleasure rack my body. “Look at you come. So fucking beautiful.”
With a deep and final thrust, he climaxes and shudders behind me, his eyes stay open and on mine. I watch his eyes darken to a violent storm-sea-green before his thick lashes flutter like a trapped butterfly. I watch him grit his teeth behind flushed thick lips as he growls.
These intimacies now belong to me.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I have something for you.”
More presents? What did I do to get this lucky?
That evening, I sit up in bed basking in the afterglow of the last few hours. Caden leans across me to reach the bedside table. His eyes are on me and not where he’s grabbing. His arm brushes past my nipple through my thin shirt as he rummages around in the drawer. He grins as I suppress a moan.
“Stop that,” I say.
“Stop what?”
“That.” I whimper as his arm rubs along m
y hardened nipple. “You’re doing that on purpose.”
“Doing what?” He shifts his arm again so that his arm brushes firmly against me again.
“Bastard,” I mumble and I deliberately rub my breast along his arm, causing goose pimples to rise up across my skin.
“Oh, you mean stop doing this?” He pulls back to his side of the bed making me pout at the loss of contact my body has with his arm.
I cross my arms over my chest, hiding my obvious signs of excitement. “This better be a good present.”
“You’re going to love it.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. It’s black… and it vibrates.”
My eyes widen as I gaze at him. Really? I mean, I know I’m needy. But I didn’t think I wore him out too much just before that it would warrant getting me a…
Caden laughs. In his hand he reveals a simple black prepaid flip phone. Oh. Right. Black and vibrates. My burn phone. My tummy flutters with happiness. Now I can call Dixie and Mick. I reach my hand out. Before I can grab the phone he snatches it up out of my reach.
I frown as I reach for it, my hand waving wildly around. “Caden.”
“It’s virtually untraceable. The number is private so anyone you call can’t see the number and call you back.”
“Gimmie.”
“My number is already programed into it.”
I pause. “You gave me your phone number?”
“Don’t say I never do anything for you.”
I sniff. “About damn time. It only took seven months.” I reach for it again. “May I have it now?”
He leans into me and pouts, demanding a kiss. I grin and close the distance between us. I lick across his mouth before I slip my tongue inside his wet lips and massage his tongue with mine. While he’s distracted I snatch the phone away from him. When I pull away he’s the one moaning.
“Finally, I can make expensive overseas calls at your expense.” I smirk at him as I palm the phone in my hands.
He shrugs. “I’m rich. I can afford it.”
“And all those 900 numbers.”
“I’m not scared of you. Do your worst.” He leans in for another long slow kiss. “I’m going to take a shower.”
He slips out of bed and I watch him walk to the ensuite. Even fully clothed in a dark shirt and dark drawstring pants he is a statuesque god. I eye his tight ass as he walks, hypnotized over it until he disappears into his ensuite and the door locks with a click.
I flinch. The tiny click reminds me that there are still things between us that are hidden. But he said he’d tell me… in his own time. And I believe him.
I flip open the burn phone. It’s too late to call Dixie; she’d be at the bar already. So I call Mick. He may have noticed that I haven’t been to the gym in the last few days.
He picks up on the fifth ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, Mick. It’s me.”
“Jesus Christ, where the hell have you been? I been trying to ring you.”
I remember my phone is lost somewhere in the river. “Sorry, it’s dead. Listen, I need to let you know, I’ve had to go away for a while. There are some people after me. If anyone happens to be asking around for me, please don’t tell them a thing. Not about me, or Caden, or anything.”
“That’s what I have to tell you. Caden Thaine. I found out who he is.”
“I know, Mick. He told me. He’s a cop. He’s undercover and you can’t blow his cover. All those photos of me were just surveillance.”
“Ex-cop.”
“What?”
“Kid, he’s an ex-cop.”
My blood freezes. “What are you talking about?” My voice is steady unlike how I feel on the inside. My body prickles in awareness as I hear Caden moving around the ensuite. I force myself not to move.
“After Harper Lexington became a cop he took his mother’s maiden name. Harper Boone. About three years ago he just snapped and attacked one of his team members. Almost killed him. He only became Caden Thaine after he left the force. That’s why we couldn’t find this information on him earlier.”
“What? No, but why would...” My protest disappears as my throat squeezes tight at the sight of Caden Thaine’s large frame in the door in my periphery.
Everything slows. Caden isn’t a cop anymore.
He lied to me.
He’s still lying to me.
Why?
Why is he doing this?
I can barely hear Mick’s frantic voice over my heart thudding loud in my ears. “Jesus Christ, tell me you’re not there with him. Kid, he’s unstable. Get the hell away from him.”
“I have to go,” I manage to say. “I’ll speak to you soon.”
“Shit. You’re there with him aren’t you? Get out. Get the hell−” I don’t hear the rest. I let the phone close shut.
“Kitten?”
I spin. “Oh, I didn’t see you there.” The lie just rolls off my tongue. It surprises me how calm I can appear even as my insides are tumbling and my mind is whirring on overload.
He steps further into the room towards me. My neck prickles and I want to back away from him, but I force myself to let him walk up to me and smile down at me and slip his large hands around my waist. “Don’t you have to do work this evening?” I say.
He gives me a half-smile. “I’ve worked every day since we arrived here. I thought I could take the rest of the day off. Spend some time with you. What do you want to do?” he asks, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.
This small sign of affection would have been so welcome even just ten minutes ago. Now it just confuses me. Who do I believe? Should I confront Caden about this new information? Should I let him know I’m aware he’s not a cop and I’m not under Federal protection as he has inferred that I am? Is there a reasonable explanation for his attack on his teammate? Or… will letting him know that I know put me in a precarious situation?
Should I just run? Escape now while he’s oblivious to my insight into his lie?
His kisses have started to trail down my hairline towards my neck. “I can think of something we could do… or things I could do to you.” Despite the confusion pooling into my stomach, my skin flushes like a fever at his wet mouth marking my skin. Stupid body.
Caden lied to me. Caden isn’t a cop anymore? Why would he lie to me? Why would he keep lying to me?
The same reason he has always lied to you…
Now I’m fucking angry. He fucking lied to me. Again. This is going to stop. Right now.
No, I’m not running. I’m sick to all hell of running. And I’m sick to hell of all these goddamn lies. A buzz of anger rumbles under my body. I push him away from my mouth, hard. He flinches and frowns at me. “What’s wrong with you?” It’s the first time I have rejected his advances.
I’m going to confront him all right. But I’m not doing it empty handed.
I force a smile to my face. “I saw a shooting range downstairs. I remember seeing it when I walked around yesterday.”
“You want to do some target practice?” Caden’s frown deepens at me. Is that a suspicious look in his eyes? I need to keep myself acting normal. Just for now.
“Yes,” I say, thankful that my voice is becoming steady again. “I thought I should keep my practice up seeing as Jacob is getting closer to finding me. You know, just in case I need to defend myself.”
“You don’t need to defend yourself. You have me.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “You scared I’m a better marksman than you?”
Caden chuckles and it reverberates through my whole body, sounding like a rumble of thunder. “What do we have here? A kitten who thinks she’s a tiger?” He leans down to nibble at my ear. “I’m not scared of you.”
Maybe you should be. I push him back away from me. I don’t want his lips on me. Any affection towards me makes it hard to keep my anger hidden. And I need to stay calm and in control. I need him to believe that nothing’s wrong. “So how about it then?” I ask. “A little friendly competition?�
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“What’s the competition?”
“A round each. One point for every bullseye. Highest scorer wins.”
“And what do they win?”
“Name your prize.”
“You, naked and bound to my bed.”
I flush with heat then with annoyance. “You don’t need to win a competition to get that.” I give it to you anyway.
“You’re the only thing here worth fighting for.” There’s a seriousness in his eyes as he says this. I study his face. He isn’t lying about his feelings for me. I don’t doubt that anymore. So why is he lying to me about this?
I clear my throat. “And if I win−”
“Sorry, but you won’t win.”
I scowl at him. “When I win−”
“So confident for such a little thing.”
“I want you to answer my question honestly.”
“What question?”
“Whatever question I decide to ask.”
“That’s not fair. You have to name your question now.”
“I thought I wasn’t going to win?”
“You won’t.”
“Then what does it matter what question it is?”
He lets his eyes roam over my face. “Okay.” He leans down to my mouth and sucks my bottom lip into his. Inside a war occurs between my lust and my anger.
Hurt him.
Kiss him back.
My body floods with heat. One thing’s for sure. My body will always be on Caden’s side. When my lip pops free of his, he mumbles against my mouth. “You’re on.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
In the downstairs of Caden’s mansion there’s a small shooting range, a single lane with glass-paneled sides. At the end is the target, a black silhouette with bullseye rings on white. A cabinet hangs on one wall containing several pistols and bullets, and next to it on the wall are hooks holding earmuffs and plastic goggles.
I struggle to steady my breath. Under my skin my shock over what Mick has revealed to me has turned to an icy cold rage. Caden is still lying to me. He lied to me again – and after what we went through. After how far we’ve come.
