Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
DRAKE
When I wake, Cadence sleeps nestled inside my arms, puffing hot breaths across my chest until the hairs flutter. She looks utterly content, and I choke a little, rubbing my knuckle across her cheek, unable to believe how good it is to hold her.
Yesterday had so many difficulties, it’s hard to keep track. But since she’s here, I think we’re good.
I hope we’re good because this is how I want to wake every morning from now on.
She looks too peaceful to disturb.
I try to shift quietly so I don’t alarm her, but groan at a shiver of pain before I get it under control. My back hurts worse now than when Arnold hit me last night, high on adrenaline and fear he’d strike out at Cadence instead.
Or because the shame of being whipped like a goddamn kid overrode everything else.
The same embarrassment made me turn down Cadence’s initial offer of help but this time, I’m glad she ignored me.
Her breath hitches and she makes a sleepy snort before blinking awake. She stares at me through heavy-lidded eyes, tousled bed hair looking like an invitation. My cock gives a little jerk of excitement, not caring that my back is on fire or there’s a one-man safety issue downstairs we need to solve.
“Good morning,” she whispers, voice laden with sleep.
“A very good morning.” I pluck one of her hands from where they’re curled against my chest and kiss the knuckles, rubbing the back of it against my stubble-encrusted cheek before returning it to her control. “This is nice. I wouldn’t mind waking to you in my bed every single day.”
I shift again, reflexes not quick enough to stifle my small groan and her face floods with recognition. “Can I get you some painkillers?”
“Don’t worry.” I capture her hand again to anchor her to the spot. “Just stay right where you are.”
“I’m sorry for getting you in trouble.” Her eyes are teary, lower lip trembling as she takes on board the blame she doesn’t deserve.
It makes me think of last night as she aggressively told me where to stick my forgiveness. Apparently, the spirited defence only applies to her mother because here she is, voluntarily doing the same thing she scolded me for.
“None of this is your fault.”
Her wide green eyes slowly blink at me, then she rests her forehead on my chest, hand wandering lower. When her dainty fingers wrap around my rapidly increasing girth, my indrawn breath makes her frown. “Does it hurt if I touch you?”
The idea makes me chuckle. “It does a lot of things to me but hurt isn’t one of them.”
“Well, good. Because it would be a shame to waste such a perfect opportunity.”
Her head ducks under the covers and any physical complaints are soon lost to a deluge of arousal when she tugs down my boxers and her lips fasten around me.
I’m already half erect because of her presence, and my cock pulses with delight as it hardens further with the sweet caress of her mouth.
My fingers slide into her hair, teasing, then gripping harder as she takes more of me, swallowing when I bump against the back of her throat, making white stars explode behind my eyes.
I can’t resist sliding the covers down for the visual feast of watching her work me, the sloppy wet sounds adding to the steady throb of desire until my orgasm builds out of nowhere.
“Your mouth feels so good on me,” I whisper as an ache grips my lower back, spreading in waves until I’m skating along the edge of an impending orgasm.
I try to move her head back, but she swallows me deeper, the vibrations of her gag reflex triggering my release until spurts of hot cum surge down her throat, the ripple of her swallowing triggering another burst, lost to ecstasy.
When she wriggles back to my height, wiping her smiling mouth with dainty fingers, I clean her with my thumb and my tongue, wiping her with my sleeve before my hands explore, dipping down to tease her pussy.
I need my mouth on her, the sweet taste of her flooding my mouth as she rides my face. Ignoring the pain, I lie on my back, pulling her astride me. I adore the flush of her pink cheeks as I tug down her shorts, greedily licking along the seam of her pussy, then spreading her with my thumbs, tongue plunging into her entrance.
“Are you sore? Do you need me to kiss it better?”
She shuffles her knees, blushing crimson now. The contrast with her fair skin and sparkling eyes making my heart pump harder.
When she shakes her head, loose strands of blonde fall across her eyes and I risk the burst of pain to brush them away, wanting to reach every micro expression that even thinks of crossing her face.
“Are you sure?” I lick along her folds again, closing my eyes as the taste fills my mouth, breathing in deep to cement this moment in my memory.
Her hands land on the upper edge of the pillow and I grab her hips, adjusting so I can access all of her, then holding her as my mouth teases, tastes, licks and sucks at her sensitive skin, edging closer to her clit, bracing her as my finger circles her entrance, then glides deeper.
“Don’t stifle those noises,” I scold, coming up for breath when she clamps a hand across her mouth. “They’re sexy as shit. You could make me rock hard with just one of your sexy little moans.”
I smile, my face gleaming with her juices as she peeks down at me, tentatively shifting her hand.
“So much better,” I sigh, setting back to the world’s most enjoyable work. “But since I’m injured, you’ll need to move.”
She tightens, trying to climb off and I grab her hips so tight she can’t shift a muscle. “Nope. On my face. You’ll need to move on my face. ”
The tight clench of her internal muscles the first time she slides up and down sets my brain humming with pleasure.
It’s the sweetest treat in the world to see her lose control, to feel the delicious ache as she fists my hair, the rhythm of her hips gaining speed until a machine gun of soft cries emerge from her throat, and her muscles flutter and convulse around my fingers.
“Eating you is my new favourite breakfast,” I mumble, tugging her back to lie inside the circle of my arms, mind hazy as sleep makes a renewed claim on me.
But the sound of Cadence’s distress jolts me awake. “Your back. The sheets.” Tears slip from her lids as she stares at the blood streaking the white cotton.
“That’s Emily’s problem.” I put a hand over her eyes. “Don’t look.”
She drags it away to reveal a deep frown. “We can’t stay here.”
“Then we won’t.” Even as I try not to move, I can’t stop playing with her hair, brushing it back, tugging the waves flat, failing all attempts to make it obey. “We can leave today. A friend will float us some cash until I get a job, and I can trade in the car for a van.”
I bury my nose in the curve of her neck, inhaling the scent from the soft skin behind her ear.
“We can be one of those annoying couples who post a gorgeous photo every day, hashtag vanlife.”
“An annoying couple and my mother.”
“Her, too.” Cadence relaxes and I understand her fear. “Just because I’ve completely fucked up my great forgiveness speech doesn’t mean I don’t like her. She’ll always be welcome to stay, shitting into a bucket and hoping the next rest area has a public toilet.”
She explodes into outraged giggles against my chest, and I paint the picture with broader strokes.
“I could learn a trade and earn some real money while you complete school—”
“I’m useless at school. You should stay at school while I earn money.”
A doubtful noise drifts from my mouth. “But you’ll only earn seventy percent what I would, so… you do the math.”
Cadence clicks her tongue. “Except I can’t because as I just pointed out, I’m rubbish at lessons. But if you’re worried about earning potential, I’ll become a stripper. That’ll get rid of the gender pay gap.”
“No chance.” I pop my biceps, letting them prove my point.
We fall silent for a while, our breathing synching.
“Can we really go today?”
“Sure. What would we stay for apart from Emily’s cooking?”
She snuggles against me, and I can’t imagine what else I could ever need in life when I have her safely within my arms.