Chapter 47
47
DORIE
E ven as relief flooded me, a small part of me hesitated. Could I trust him? Could I trust this? I thought we shared a similar moment just a week ago and then he pulled the rug out from under me.
I pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him. He looked like he was waiting for me to say something—like he was bracing himself for me to push him away.
And he wasn’t wrong. I did feel like I should consider this decision carefully. I wasn’t sure it was smart to jump in with both feet again.
“Kaisen, this can’t just be a one-time thing. A ‘kiss and make up’ moment. If we’re doing this, if we’re really doing this, you can’t shut me out again. I can’t handle being the one who loves you more than you love yourself.”
“Dorie, I—” He stopped, swallowing hard. “I know. And you’re right. I’ve been running from everything. From us. From how much you mean to me. But I’m done running.”
He leaned his forehead against mine again, his breath warm against my skin. “You’re not the one who loves me more than I love myself,” he murmured. “Because I love you more than anything. And that scared the hell out of me.”
I stared up at Kaisen, my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted to believe him. I really did. But a part of me was still fragile, still bruised from the way he’d walked away before.
“Kaisen, you can’t just say things like that and expect me to forget how it felt when you pulled away. I need more than words. I need to know you mean it.”
He didn’t hesitate. He dropped to his knees right there in the middle of the bakery, his hands reaching for mine. His eyes were wide, desperate, and so full of emotion it made my breath catch.
“I love you, Dorie,” he said. “I’m not just saying it because I’m scared of losing you—though I am terrified of that. I’m saying it because it’s the truth. You’re it for me. You always have been. And if I have to beg on my knees for the rest of my life to prove that to you, I will.”
I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Not yet. “You don’t have to beg,” I whispered, my throat tight. “All you ever had to do was ask.”
Before I could say another word, Kaisen stood, his hands still holding mine, and pulled me toward the back kitchen. He didn’t stop until we were standing in the middle of the room.
His eyes locked onto mine, as if he was trying to see straight into me. “Dorie, I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.”
I barely had time to nod before his hands were on my face, pulling me closer. His kiss was different this time—less desperate, less frantic, but no less urgent. It was deliberate, like he was trying to tell me everything he couldn’t put into words. His lips moved against mine with a slow, burning intensity that made my knees weak.
One of his hands slid down to my waist, pulling me flush against him, while the other stayed tangled in my hair. I could feel the heat of him through my hoodie. I kissed him back with everything I had, my hands sliding up his arms. I gently squeezed his biceps, relishing in the feel of him.
He deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing against mine in a way that sent a shiver down my spine. My body reacted instinctively, arching against him.
He pushed up the hoodie and pulled it over my head before dropping it on the floor. I barely had time to register the cool air against my skin before his mouth was on mine again. My fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, desperate to feel him, to erase any space between us. He shrugged out of his tux jacket and let it drop. I pushed his shirt off his shoulders, my hands sliding over the hard planes of his chest.
He broke the kiss just long enough to pull my tank top over my head, his eyes darkening as he took me in. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice rough with need. His hands traced the curve of my waist, sending shivers through me. I reached for his pants, struggling with the button and zipper until they gave way. He stepped out of them, kicking them aside, and then he was back, his body pressing against mine.
I could feel every inch of him, hard and wanting. It made my breath catch. His lips found my neck, trailing kisses down to my collarbone as his hands explored every curve. I leaned into him, letting out a soft moan as his fingers brushed over the sensitive skin of my stomach. He quickly undid the button on my jeans and pushed them down. He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his own filled with heat and something deeper, something that made my heart ache.
“Dorie,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I need you.”
I nodded, unable to form words as he lifted me effortlessly onto the counter. The cool surface against my skin was a sharp contrast to the heat of his body.
I pulled him closer, my legs wrapping around his waist. His hands were everywhere, tracing my curves, pulling me tight against him. He dipped his head and kissed me again.
“Dorie, I love you.”
“I love you,” I said.
“I don’t have any condoms with me,” he murmured even as his hand slid between my thighs. “I didn’t come here with the intention of doing this.”
I paused and leaned back, capturing his face in my hands. “Kaisen, do you plan on having sex with anyone else?”
He chuckled. “Hell no.”
“Well, I’m not going to be taking another man to my bed. It’s just you. Now and always. I’m on the pill, so…”
His eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“Damn, woman.”
His fingertips slid over my folds. His mouth found mine again, his tongue delving deep as his fingers continued their sweet torment. I moaned, arching against him, desperate for more.
“Please,” I whispered against his lips. “I need you, Kaisen.”
My breath caught as he pressed against me, filling me completely. I gasped, my fingers digging into his shoulders. He moved slowly at first, each thrust deliberate and deep. The bakery kitchen around us faded away. There was only Kaisen, only us, only this moment.
“Look at me,” he whispered, his forehead pressed against mine.
I opened my eyes, meeting his gaze. This wasn’t just physical. This was something deeper. Something profound.
He moved faster, his rhythm building. I arched against him, my body responding instinctively. Every touch, every movement felt like a promise. A reconnection. A healing.
“I love you,” he murmured against my neck. “I’m not going anywhere.”
My response was a soft moan, my legs wrapping tighter around him. This wasn’t just sex. This was two people finding their way back to each other, reclaiming something precious they’d almost lost.
I pulled him closer. Every touch felt electric, like my body was rediscovering him all over again. His hands gripped my hips. I could feel the desperation in his movements.
My fingers dug into his shoulders as he moved inside me, each thrust sending waves of pleasure through my body.
“Kaisen,” I whispered, my voice catching.
“I’m here,” he murmured against my skin. “I’m not going anywhere. Never again.”
My entire body trembled with need, every nerve ending on fire. Kaisen’s hands gripped my hips as he drove deeper, harder, each thrust sending violent bursts of pleasure through me. I clung to him, my nails raking down his back, desperate to feel all of him.
“Kaisen,” I gasped, my head falling back. “Oh god, Kaisen.”
He captured my lips in a searing kiss, swallowing my moans. His tongue danced with mine, demanding and possessive. I yielded to him completely, losing myself in the taste and feel of him.
One hand slid down to where we were joined, his fingers finding that sensitive bundle of nerves. He stroked it in time with his thrusts. I nearly cried out as the sensations intensified.
“Yes,” I whimpered against his mouth. “Don’t stop. Please don’t ever stop.”
He growled low in his throat and doubled his efforts, driving into me with reckless abandon. The counter beneath us creaked ominously but neither of us cared. Nothing mattered except the feel of his body joined with mine.
I could feel myself reaching the edge, teetering on the precipice of ecstasy. Kaisen seemed to sense it too because he increased his pace even more.
“That’s it, baby,” he murmured hotly against my ear. “Let go for me. I want to feel you come undone.”
His words pushed me over and I shattered with a cry. Wave after wave of intense pleasure crashed over me as he continued thrusting through it.
“Yes, Dorie,” he groaned as my inner walls clenched around him. The intensity of my release left me breathless, my body trembling as I clung to him. Kaisen’s movements slowed but didn’t stop, his breath ragged against my skin. His arms tightened around me, holding me close as if he never wanted to let go.
“Kaisen,” I whispered.
He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his lips brushing against my pulse. “I’ve got you,” he murmured, his voice rough and full of emotion. “I’ve got you.”
I could feel him trembling too. I wanted to stay like that forever, wrapped in his arms.
His mouth covered mine once again. His hips jerked and a moment later he grunted and groaned. He pressed his forehead to mine. I held him tight, my legs still wrapped around his waist as he leaned against me, spent and shuddering in my arms.
“I love you,” I whispered again.
“I love you,” he said. Then he leaned back, a slow smile spreading across his face. “But maybe we could go back to your place.”
I giggled and nodded. “I’ll have to come in early and sterilize this table.”
He stepped back and pulled me off the counter. I grabbed my clothes and began putting them back on. Kaisen did the same, watching me with an amused expression.
I shut off the lights and together we walked out. I still couldn’t believe what had just unfolded in the kitchen. My cheeks burned just thinking about it.
“You following me?” I called out.
He smirked. “Think I’m going to walk away now?”
Soon after, I unlocked the door to my condo and stepped inside, Kaisen close behind me. Rick was perched on the back of the couch like a tiny sentinel. He tilted his head, his green eyes narrowing as if assessing the intruder.
Kaisen let out a low chuckle as he closed the door behind us. “You and I are gonna have to get along now, buddy,” Kaisen said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Rick flicked his tail, unimpressed. He hopped down from the couch and sauntered over to Kaisen, circling his legs with a purr that was more curiosity than approval.
“See? He likes you,” I said with a smile.
Kaisen reached down and scratched behind Rick’s ears. “Yeah, I think we’re gonna be just fine.” He straightened up and turned to me, his expression softening. “And so are we.”
I walked over to him, slipping my arms around his waist. “We already are.”
He kissed the top of my head, his hands resting on my hips. “Good. Because I don’t think I could handle being away from you again.”
Rick meowed loudly, demanding attention again. Kaisen laughed and scooped him up with one hand, cradling him like a baby. “Alright, big guy. I guess you’re part of the deal.”