Quit Me If You Can

25. Kennedy

25

KENNEDY

H is face falls with another three knocks at the door. Perfect timing. My face falls too, but I recover more quickly. He stares at me in disbelief. His face! Now that’s the funniest look he’s ever given me.

I decide to mess with him a little so I chirp, “See, told ya. I’ve got a hot date tonight.” I tap his nose, all smug and sassy.

You need to wake up way earlier in the morning to outfox this one, Assassin .

Before answering the door, I remember to slip my robe on. I pay the delivery guy (ha! surprise!) and come back inside with a shopping bag full of hot Chinese food.

“Was that Gary?” he teases. “Hell of a date.”

“Well, at least food knows how to satisfy,” I quip, and I set the bag on the table and start pulling out the containers.

There’s a moment of silence.

It’s strange, because Cade never runs out of snappy comebacks. Dread knots my stomach as I peek around the corner and see him standing by the oak counter bent over the farewell note, reading my words.

Shitshitshit.

Panic seizes me. I should say something, explain, apologize. Anything to defuse the situation. But before I can gather my thoughts, he looks up, meeting my wide-eyed stare with an unreadable expression.

Normally, Cade would launch into a verbose monologue, but tonight he surprises me with just two words.

“Nobody’s quitting.” His voice cuts through the tension like a knife.

I swallow hard, my mind racing. “I…”

“That clear?”

Words fail me as I struggle to find the right response.

That’s the only thing he got from that? That I’m quitting? He still wants me to work for him, despite the ridiculous insults?

I’m not even going to attempt to explain that the note was just for venting and that I never meant to send it. Men don’t understand girl logic. He might rethink everything and fire this crazy woman for sure.

I nod. “Okay… I mean, can I get that in writing?”

Just to make sure I’m not on the chopping block here, I think.

I don’t need to spell it out loud. Cade can read me like a book.

He sets the note back on the counter with deliberate care, then grabs a pencil and starts writing. If anyone understands the importance of ink on paper, it’s him.

“Dearest Kennedy,” he says as he writes, “Thank you for your candid feedback. I’m flattered that my legal incompetence has made such a lasting impression.”

“Cade,” I say, trying to cut in.

“It’s clear you’ve been holding onto this since our split ten years ago, and I can’t blame you for wanting to get a few jabs in.” He glances up at me with a smirk, clearly enjoying this.

“Cade.”

“I’m not done. As for the ‘Worst Lawyer Ever’ title, I’ll wear it proudly. It’s a tough world out there, and if my greatest achievement is making you laugh, then I guess I’m doing something right.” He pauses dramatically. “Best, Cade ‘Lawzilla’ Gladwell.”

I let out a nervous laugh, the tension easing as his unexpected reaction sinks in. “Well, I guess my subtlety could use some work,” I admit.

The corner of his mouth kicks up. “Maybe just a touch.” He continues to write, scribbling one last line. “P.S. Looking forward to your next review. I hope it’s as charming as your last. Because nobody’s quitting.”

He puts the pencil down with a satisfied look.

Cade’s written response isn’t exactly a golden ticket that guarantees I’m safe now. Or in the future. But, for some inexplicable reason, I actually think he’s got my back. At least I’ve got a little keepsake to shove in my top dresser drawer, just in case I need a reminder of how close to perfectly secure I was.

Watching his cheeky wink, I can’t help but break into a grin. “Well, as long as you can handle the heat that’s coming your way, I’d say we’re in business.” Oh damn , I didn’t mean it to sound like that . That was way more suggestive than I intended.

Oh well. Guess I’ll just roll with it.

“Oh, I can handle plenty of heat, Kennedy.” He chuckles softly.

Cade has the sweetest chuckle in existence. It’s been too long since I’ve heard it, and I’ve missed it so much. The way his eyes crinkle up and his lips curve into that charming grin is enough to make me weak in the knees. And his laugh? It makes my heart do little flips, and I can’t help but revel in it.

Sure, this is risky.

Sure, it’s dangerous how much it affects me.

But I’ve got things under control.

I turn back to the food, shaking off the banter and focusing on the task at hand. “Dinner’s ready,” I announce, my voice steadier now. “And before you ask, it’sdefinitely not spicy.”

Strong arms crowd me from behind and I struggle to contain a girlish squeak.

“Here’s how this is going to go down,” he says.

When his hands cup my breasts, I almost drop the container I’m holding on the floor. “Hmm, what?”

What did he just say?

“We’re going to talk,” he rumbles. “You ask me anything you want, and I’ll answer—fair is fair—and then I’m going to pin you against the wall. Any objections?”

Millions of nerve endings are firing at once.

My thighs tense at the memory that rushes through my head.

I turn my head to look at him out of my peripheral vision. His strong hands rest on my breasts possessively, playing with my nipples as if it’s his every right… as if they’re his… as if I’m his.

The heat from his hands pours into my skin. Did somebody light a fire? I arch more deeply into his touch, thrilling in the sensation of his hands on my body.

Wh-what? Did he ask me something?

“No… yes,” I manage to rasp out, all breathless.

Maybe I’d stop loving him if I knew what he was hiding. But I don’t want to stop.

I want to love him, with everything in me.

I don’t want to know.

The struggle of trying to love someone who you know is keeping secrets from you is exhausting. It’s a constant battle between trust and doubt. Love has a way to changing to hate. Part of me wants to walk away, to stop loving him and protect myself from the hurt that will inevitably come. But another part of me can’t let go, can’t stop wanting to believe in him and trust in our love. It’s a battle between my heart and my mind, and I don’t know which will win.

It’s the way he’s somehow gotten stupidly, unfairly smart with age (and hotter too, sigh), and now he’s in full possession of my soul.

He raises a brow but waits for me to explain.

“I’m done talking,” I say. I drop everything, turn around, and press my lips against his.

“That’s a first,” he rumbles against my mouth.

The funny moment passes quickly. I can read in his eyes that he’s done joking around. So am I. His eyes are filled with meaning and promise. I feel that old, familiar, heated rush through my entire body.

“Cade…” I mutter, making my own wordless pleas. I can’t afford to be hurt by him again.

“I know, baby. Hang on. That night?—”

What night? He called me baby . Again. Each time he does, my heart stops. “I told you I was done talking,” I remind him. “I don’t wanna know.”

I stop talking and press my lips to his.

All the pent-up emotions I’ve been feeling gather in a haze of molten heat and desire for a man I’ve craved and only dreamed of having in my arms again. I loop my arms around his neck, wrapping them tightly around him.

I need more. Want more. I can’t get close enough.

My heartbeat races dangerously when he slides the robe down off my shoulders and tosses it somewhere behind me. It’s just him and me in my fuchsia satin and lace balconette bra and tiniest thong.

He crashes into me again, lifting me up with the force of his kiss.

We’re too desperate to go slow.

We collide into the wall behind us, devouring each other as if our lives depend on it. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I relish the taste of him—that and everything else I’ve missed all these years.

The closeness of his hard body.

The heat radiating from his broad chest.

The confident smile that makes me feel invincible.

The way his strong hands hold me like he’ll never let me go.

Steady beats of pressure mount between my legs, and it’s all I can do not to beg him to fuck me right here, right now.

Against the wall. Against the shelf. Against the fridge. It doesn’t matter.

Maybe I’ve been lost from the moment I saw him again, and now it’s all culminating in a perfect storm, leaving me too weak to refuse him. Not that I want to, though.

He sweeps me up into his arms and starts for the bedroom. The thought of everything that is to come chases away anything else I could be thinking.

He pulls me so close to him, with such urgency, controlling and commanding every part of my body like he owns it. With my lips locked on his, I’m confused by the feeling of him laying me on the bed. Yes, I’m dizzy, but the orientation of the room and the feeling of my comforter are all wrong.

I open my eyes, and I can’t help laughing. “Wrong room,” I manage to say. “This is Harper’s room, my roommate.”

He picks me up again, hoisting me over his shoulder, one hand cupping my ass. “Will your roommate be home any time soon?”

“Not for a while. Let’s lock the door and turn on some music,” I suggest.

He does just that after delivering me to the right bed. Music fills my senses, a soft romantic beat that pulses with my racing heart.

Cade’s hands slide down my satin thong, and he tosses it aside, along with the garter belt.

“Spread your legs for me, baby.”

I do as he says, heart hammering in my chest, heat blazing between my thighs.

He falls to his knees, a primal growl rumbling from deep within his chest.

“You’re such a naughty little girl. Prancing around in your apartment this way, and not even inviting me over.”

“This belongs to Gary, nobody else,” I remind him.

“Kennedy, baby,” Cade rumbles, looking at me with an intensity I’ve never seen before. Like he sees me for the first time. “That’s where you’re wrong.” He grabs a hold of his shirt with one hand, pulls it over his head and tosses it carelessly onto a nearby chair. His tattoos are now fully visible. “You’re mine, and nobody else’s.”

He closes his lips around my clit, sending surges of exquisite pleasure throughout my entire body.

I breathe harder, and I can feel the wetness seeping out of me.

It’s already too much to take.

“How’s that feel, princess?” The tip of his tongue traces my sensitive skin before stopping just short, daring me to close the gap.

“Oh, Cade,” I whimper, feeling light-headed from the intensity of the sensation.

Every nerve is on edge.

“Nothing, baby, nothing will stop me,” he rasps, the evidence of my arousal in his mouth, “from hearing you scream my name, from hearing you beg for my cock.”

I will never beg for your cock , I want to protest, trembling.

“You know it’s going to happen,” he says, his tongue barely there, a flickering tease, leaving my clit aching for more. “We both know how this ends,” he whispers.

My breath hitches.

A frustrated heat coils in my chest. I can’t hold back—I tilt my hips to brush my aching clit against his lips. A soft moan escapes me before I can stop it.

Cade inhales sharply but wastes no time.

His tongue licks back down, teasingly circling the sensitive flesh around my throbbing clit, alternating between gentle licks and teasing nibbles. My body is on fire, every short graze of his lips and tongue sending electric sparks through me. It’s a torture I’ve never felt before, and oh , do I welcome every second of it. I’m helpless under his control, unable to do anything but moan and writhe as he continues to bring me closer and closer to the edge. My breath comes in short gasps as he takes me expertly to the very brink of ecstasy.

“How many times have you dreamed of this moment, of me?” he whispers huskily against my skin, intensifying the torture.

“Too many,” I admit breathlessly.

“How often have you touched yourself thinking of my cock buried inside you, and made yourself come?”

I struggle to catch my breath. “Endless… times.”

“Good, because I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve stroked my cock to the thought of you,” he rumbles and fiercely latches back onto my pulsating clit, ravaging it.

All of me is aching to be released.

He grips my clit between his teeth, biting down with just enough pressure to send electrifying jolts of pleasure through my body.

Every nerve in my body is on fire, and I know that any moment now, I’ll be lost forever.

Three more seconds.

Two more seconds.

Ohh …

One more second.

I feel his mouth curving in pleasure against my skin as I let out a loud gasp, my hips bucking involuntarily as he flicks his tongue over my clit, then sucks it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around me, intensifying the assault.

Oh god .

There’s no way to stop this.

I explode, endlessly, it seems.

Every second of it is mind-blowing and intense, and I’m screaming his name as waves of pleasure crash over me.

As I come down from my high, Cade crawls into bed, his lion eyes dark with desire, and pulls me into a tight embrace.

“Breathe,” he rumbles against my lips.

I chuckle, unable to form words.

“Did I make you come too hard?” he asks.

“I think I almost died.”

Cade pulls back, his eyes gleaming with mischief and satisfaction. “Almost isn’t good enough,” he murmurs.

His lips find mine in a searing kiss that leaves me breathless, aching, and shamelessly greedy for more.

He runs his hands up my body, pulling my bra over my head as he goes. All that money on elegant lingerie, and he has managed to strip me down, unwrapping this present in what feels like less than three seconds.

“Jesus, you’re perfect,” Cade rumbles, looking at me.

He lowers himself over me, moving above my grasping hands that are desperate to grab at every inch of his body I can reach. I’ve been dreaming about this for so long.

“You think you’re ready for this cock?” he whispers against my mouth, his voice rough with need.

Oh, I’m ready.

Every rational thought warns me against this reckless decision, but I am powerless to resist the pull. I’m ready for anything he wants to do to me.

Even if it’s only for one night.

I tug frantically at the waistband of his jeans and then his boxers, my fingers fumbling with urgency until they’re pushed down to his ankles.

His stiff length springs free, pulsing with desire and stroked by the dim light filtering in through the curtains. It’s a sight that never fails to ignite a fire in my belly (and lower regions), having starred in countless fantasies and now, finally within my reach.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this,” he murmurs, the heat of his breath mingling with mine.

Glimpses of his real feelings are starting to show, which is almost more infuriating than when he’s kept them so hidden and buried deep. Every word is a strike of electricity down my spine.

And he’s right—I’m ready to beg for his cock.

I curve towards him, trying to close the distance, but he holds back just enough to drive me crazy. “Cade, please, come on.”

It’s a request, no, a plea.

“Shh,” he says soothingly, pressing a finger to my lips. His gaze is intense as he scans my face, reading every flicker of emotion. “We’re not going to hurry. I know you want my cock, baby, but I want to savor every moment. I need to savor every moment. Every single detail.”

I groan in a jumble of frustration and anticipation.

He chuckles more deeply than ever—yes, in that low, sexy signature sound that vibrates right through me. Through my soul. My heart. All the stars in the universe. Cade shifts his weight, trapping me between his thighs while his hand explores every inch of my body, finally resting on my face with a possessive grip.

“Look at me.” His nose brushes mine. “I’m as ready as I’ve ever been. This, with you, is all I can think about.” His eyes bore into mine. “I wanted to use a condom, but I’m not going to. I can’t,” he growls with feral intensity.

Because I can’t bear to do so , his lion eyes tell me.

Because I want nothing to come between us.

Because I need to feel you, all of you.

His thumb glides across my lower lip, his pupils dilated with raw desire and aching need. “Can I fuck you bare, baby? I need you without any barriers between us, skin on skin. Nothing between us. Or else I think I’ll go crazy.”

I know what he means, and crazy doesn’t even cover it.

It’s true: Cade’s touch, his voice, his words, his very presence are all so intense. Overwhelmingly beautiful. But so damn maddening. I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of insanity just by being near him. One wrong move and I will topple over.

I nod, breathless, unable to form words.

“No, baby,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my jawline. “I want to hear you say it.”

I’m dying to catch my breath.

“Yes.” The thought of anything keeping us apart fuels my response. I don’t think twice. Without hesitation or doubt, my words spill from my lips. “I’m on birth control. Fuck me bare.”

He nods, lips brushing against mine. The stubble on his chin scrapes against my skin. “That’s my naughty, naughty little girl.” He teases me, sliding his hard length through my wet folds agonizingly slowly, kissing me harder, and making me wait.

Inch by inch, he pushes in.

I cry out at the intrusion.

I tighten and clench around him when he slides all the way in, reminding me how well he fills me. My body is made for his. It feels like I’m being invaded by pure steel, long, sharp, and unforgiving.

Once he’s fully inside me, he halts.

“You look so fucking pretty while taking every inch of my cock.”

“Please move,” I urge—no, full-on beg—him.

Cade chuckles, and his warm breath tickles my ear.

“Move, Cade, please ,” I plead more desperately, unable to wait any longer, my hips writhing against his. Not that it’s making much of a difference. He’s got me pinned, and there’s not an inch of wiggle room.

With a mischievous grin on his lips, he presses his forehead against mine. Then finally, finally I feel his muscles tensing, responding to my plea and giving in to my request.

He begins to move, slowly pulling out before pushing back in again.

I scream out his name, I can’t help it. It just bursts out of me.

His growls fill the room as his body shudders through the rise and fall. He grunts as his body convulses with each thrust.

We move together at a frenzied pace, with an intense urgency, consumed by an insatiable hunger and lost in an uninhibited beat. The bed sheets twist and tangle beneath us as we lose ourselves in the feverish rhythm. Our bodies move in perfect sync, with wild desperation, our moans and gasps filling the room.

We’re loud. And we don’t care.

He fucks me recklessly and passionately, takes me hard and fast, his hips slamming into mine with each thrust. His hands grip my waist tightly, and his fingers dig into my skin as he pounds into me.

“Jesus Christ, you feel very fucking perfect. You were made for my cock.”

I wrap my legs around him, pulling him closer as I meet every single movement. Our bodies are slick with sweat and we give in to our most primal desires, absolutely glorying in every intense moment.

Suddenly, he stops mid-thrust and stares into my eyes.

His breath comes out in ragged gasps.

“We’re going to do this every day,” he says, “I’m going to fuck you every damn day. Clear?”

Actually, I’m quite fine with that. “Clear.”

“You’re the prettiest thing I ever laid eyes and hands on, baby. I have missed fucking you, so much. It drove me insane not being able to be with you, to make you come, to hold you, to laugh with you… to love you.”

I didn’t know I had more nerves to fire, but yes, I do.

His words are pure bliss and pure torment.

His voice is straining with desire and need, and I can feel his intense gaze burning into me. “Cade, I…” My voice trails off as his hands tighten around my waist.

His gaze is intense as he holds me absolutely still. He breaks the silence, but not the intensity. “You’re mine,” he declares, and he slides his cock deep into me before stilling himself inside of me, buried to the hilt. “You belong to me. From now on, I am the only one who will ever touch you. That clear?”

He’s as possessive as ever, and I’ll be damned if I don’t want to answer every one of his rhetorical questions with a breathless “yes.” If this were a cross-examination and I were the key witness for the other side, he’d still get every last confession he wanted out of me, even if I pretended to put up a fight (which, let’s be real, I wouldn’t).

His words sear through me like a branding iron. It’s a constant battle between love and hate, and I’m not sure which will win in the end.

“I know,” I whisper, lost in the moment. I feel completely surrendered to him.

Lips on mine, and tongue in my mouth, he resumes his thrusts.

With each thrust, I am getting closer to the edge. The buildup is almost too much to bear, but he keeps pushing me towards an inevitable rapture until finally, with a loud cry, I come onto his cock.

Feeling me climax, Cade follows shortly after, his body shaking against mine as he finds release. I feel his hot seed filling the deepest part of me.

The intense sensations leave us panting and trembling in each other’s arms.

Our breaths are ragged as we come down from our high together.

Cade collapses next to me and pulls me close to him. After we catch our breath, we slowly untangle ourselves. I’m still in shock and disbelief, lying there next to him, breathless, with every nerve in my body still tingling. We rest there for a while longer, smiling at each other, basking in the afterglow of our lovemaking. Eventually, we get up to clean ourselves, and we don’t stop to touch, laugh, or steal a kiss—like we used to, back when we didn’t think twice about it.

He stays the whole night, his arms wrapped tightly around me.