Chapter Nine
Being back out in the world feels strange.
We’ve spent several days in Kade’s apartment.
It’s been the most intense time of my life. I have, in every sense of the word, been enlightened. And I hold his hand like an anchor. Already this night promises to be ... a lot. I’m meeting his rock star drummer brother and his billionaire cousin. And the private investigator who’s going to start the search for my birth family.
The elevator has a glass wall that looks out over the view as it takes us higher. The doors are about to open and we’re going to be seeing people and making our way through crowds. It’s a million miles away from the haven we’ve been wrapped in. Already, I miss the crazy intimacy of having him all to myself.
Kade has been mobbed once already and several security guards are in the elevator with us.
His driver brought us to the restaurant and we had to be ushered through security.
It’s hard to get used to.
When people see Kade, they don’t just recognize him, they get downright rabid. They swarm around him. They’re in awe.
So am I, come to think of it.
In our own little world, he’s larger than life, but for me . I can handle it. I forget that he’s a superstar because he’s all mine.
Out here, it’s a completely different world.
Women cry when they see him. Hulking men have to block people from grabbing him and trying to touch him. Between the car and the entrance of the building, even though it was only around ten steps, a woman broke through the line. She tried to kiss him and had to be pried off of him.
Which both pissed me off and unsettled me. Who behaves like that?
It’s scary to get rushed like that, and have people wanting a piece of you so badly. Or him , more specifically.
How will we live like this? How will I live like this? Can whatever is happening between us last? Or are our lives too different?
In our bubble of privacy, none of this came up. It was easy. It felt like something was taking hold, as though our hearts and souls were entwining along with our bodies.
But in the harsh light of the bigger picture, I suddenly wonder if our whirlwind connection is just a brief, beautiful distraction from his reality.
And mine.
I don’t know what next week or even tomorrow will bring—we haven’t really talked about that yet, aside from his vague invitation to stay—but this part of his life would be hard to adjust to.
The elevator doors slide open and we’re led out to a top floor foyer, which is full of people waiting in line to get in to the restaurant.
We don’t have to wait. As soon as the bouncer sees Kade, we’re waved through and the guy shakes Kade’s hand and makes a fuss of him, like he’s royalty. Which I guess, in Nashville, he is.
Inside the crowded restaurant, everyone’s outrageously glamorous. They’re funky and hip and gorgeous with a down-to-earth edge. This is the see-and-be-seen glitterati of this town. The rich list. The cool cats and the hotshots. They all know Kade and they yell out to him and slap him on the back as we walk past them and make our way deeper into the room.
Every single person is staring at me.
I’m the new girl, and I’m suddenly very conscious of the fact that Kade broke up with his long-term girlfriend just three days ago. He’s on the rebound.
I’m the rebound.
They’re clearly all curious about the Magic Man’s newest. There are people murmuring like they hadn’t heard the news yet. They’re pointing and gossiping.
Weirdly, I don’t feel as self-conscious as I might have only a few days ago. I’m wearing a wraparound black dress I bought in New York last time I was there, that’s cute and flattering, and my tall boots.
And I feel different.
All that enlightenment has changed me. I lost count of all the orgasms after around Day 2. I can feel the warm, strong clasp of his hand. And more than that. The lingering rush of his gifts. I know how it feels when he comes hard and spills his gushing cum deep inside me, in seedy bursts that overflow. The growling groans he makes when we come together. The sweat and the surge of his big, driving body.
Our bond gives me a forcefield, like I’m floating above the scrutiny and the speculation. He’s mine now.
Yikes.
I don’t know what to think about any of it, or what to expect. I’m completely out of my element, but it feels good. It’s what I’ve been craving for a long time. An adventure. A wild, whirlwind love affair. An alpha male beefcake who can—and has—shown me what white-hot lust feels like.
He’s definitely that.
I don’t dwell on the other half of the equation. The part where he may or may not break my heart because he’s beyond my wildest dreams and I don’t know if it’s realistic to expect all this to be mine.
I try to just glide through it.
We get to a table and a man is waiting there who I immediately guess must be Gage. He has thick dark hair and he’s gorgeous, in a cocky, arrogant way. You can tell at first glance that he’s exceptionally comfortable in his own skin—and that he has every reason to be. He stands up and even as he shakes Kade’s hand his gaze is on me, taking in details of his cousin’s new ... lover . “Stella,” he smiles widely. “It’s a pleasure.”
“Nice to meet you, Gage.”
Gage takes my hand and kisses my cheek and I feel Kade’s burly arm loop itself around me. “All right, all right,” he says, pulling me closer to him, like he can’t bear for Gage to touch me.
Gage laughs, watching his cousin like there’s something about him he doesn’t entirely recognize.
We take our seats, Kade keeps me close to him with his arm slung protectively around me and his warm, solid thigh flush against mine as we slide into the horseshoe-shaped leather booth. His protectiveness is on overdrive.
I don’t know what I was expecting but I’m not sure it was this. He’s the opposite of standoffish. He doesn’t care that everyone in this room is watching him claim me as his own. Which is ... nice. It makes me believe all the things he said to me even more, not that I doubted him. But he’s practically showing me off.
There’s a commotion by the door and the squeal of girls, who are gathering around someone. Whoever it is pushes through them and as soon as I see him, it’s easy to tell who he is, from Kade’s descriptions.
Vaughn.
People swarm around him but he’s intent on getting to us. His eyes are fixed on me.
I guess the whole family is dying to meet Carmen’s replacement. I remember Gage’s comment. You’re going to have a lot of fans in our family. For rescuing him.
As I watch Vaughn make his way toward us, I’m struck by the family resemblance. Vaughn’s hair is darker, almost black, and it’s shorter than Kade’s but long enough to stick up in wild waves. He’s tall and built, like Kade, but Kade is slightly burlier. Vaughn has more ink. His black shirt is rolled up at the sleeves and his arms are covered in tattoos.
Vaughn arrives at the table, grinning at Kade, like he’s looking for tell-tale signs of something, then at me. “Wow.”
Kade gives his brother a warning glance and it’s entertaining, watching him try to corral Vaughn’s mischief. “Stella, meet my brother Vaughn. Vaughn, this is Stella Bell.”
Vaughn’s blue eyes—so much like his brother’s, rimmed with those thick lashes, but a shade darker, like sapphires to Kade’s aquamarines—are dancing. He has an energetic, roguish vibe. Kade had mentioned once that Vaughn is the wild-child of their band and it’s written all over him, that he crosses every line. He’s doing it now. “Stella Bell,” he repeats, still grinning, as though mesmerized by me. He holds out his hand for me to shake and when I take it, it’s calloused, like Kade’s. Rough from all the drumming he does, no doubt. “It’s incredibly nice to meet you, Stella.” He kisses the back of my hand playfully.
“Behave,” growls Kade, pulling my hand away and weaving his warm fingers through mine.
“Stella, you are my brand new favorite person,” Vaughn says, “because my brother right here has been in a slump of biblical proportions and—”
“Vaughn.” Kade cuts him off. “Shut the fuck up. Stella’s not interested in that.”
I look at Kade’s face. He’s pissed off and ... adorable. It’s cute that he’d be concerned about this. I already know about his ex-girlfriend, and how unhappy he was. He told me. “Oh, I’m interested.” To tease him. Because he cares about what I think and I love this. His gaze meets mine and his anger completely falls away. His tender smile feels like it’s all mine. I’m quietly elated, at his happiness. I can read in his body language as he clasps my hand tightly, that he’s happy. And the reason he’s happy is because of me.
Vaughn laughs and winks at me, like we’re in this together. “You should know that he’s really into you. Kade doesn’t disappear off the map for days on end for anyone . He’s too much of a control freak for that, always checking in to see what kind of trouble the rest of us are getting into because he thinks it’s his job to keep us on the straight and narrow. But who could blame him for the radio silence? Kade, she’s fucking beautiful .”
“Yes,” says Kade. “She is. Now back off.”
Vaughn laughs again, enjoying this. He shakes Gage’s hand, taking a seat. The conversation turns to Gigi and her book club, and Luna and the renovations of their restaurant and spa. We order drinks and their banter is fun, and funny.
It’s unexpected. Here I am, having dinner with two of the most famous rock stars in the world and their investment guru cousin, who, now that I’ve met him, I realize I read an article about him a few months ago in Forbes. The article referred to him as a “young, hot Warren Buffet.”
All three of them are stunning-looking men, with their blue eyes and their thick hair. Their wide shoulders and their long, lean, muscular builds. Every woman in the room is watching them.
They’re also watching me, with a how did she get so lucky? wistfulness.
Another world-famous musician I recognize, a guy called Clay McFlynn, whose debut album has taken the charts by storm, takes the stage. With the company and the music and the views, I feel like I’ve stepped through a portal into another person’s life.
Kade notices that I’ve become quiet as I take everything in. “I’m glad you’re here with me, honey. I always felt like this place was too glamorous for me. It’s nice to be here with someone who does it justice. With you, I almost feel like I fit in.”
His words are exactly the right thing to say, as always. Framing it like he’s the one who’s out of place. And as he gazes into my eyes I’m stunned all over again by how gorgeous he is. His dark, blond-edged eyebrows furrowed in the middle with his concern for me. His eyes that clear, deep, blue-on-blue that kills me just a little more every time I stare into them. That mouth that’s given me such insanely intimate pleasure, even thinking about it makes me go wet.
I’m so in love with him.
And out here in the bright light of reality—or something close to it—it’s disconcerting. I’m far from home in a strange place and all of this is so incredibly new but at the same time has become so incredibly ... everything . He’s become the most important thing in my life.
In a matter of days.
This has all happened so fast it’s hard not to get whiplash sometimes, from the sudden and profound change in the entire direction of ... absolutely everything.
I know I can’t go back to my old life and carry on with ambitions that were never mine. I’ll never be able to settle for anything that’s not totally ... outstanding . And it scares me that Kade Tucker has without a doubt ruined me for anyone else.
Kade, as though he’s reading my thoughts again, kisses my lips softly. I sigh a little as he does this because he feels and tastes and smells so damn good, and at the sound he deepens the kiss, touching his tongue to mine, right here at the table.
When I break the kiss and pull back from him, Vaughn and Gage are both casually half-staring and half-trying-not-to-stare.
Vaughn gives me the thumbs up and even though I can feel my face getting hot, I smile.
“Kade, can I send a picture of the two of you to Travis and Roxie?” Vaughn asks him. “They need to see this.”
“No. You can mind your own goddamn business unless you want my fist to connect with your ugly face.” There’s no heat in his comment, though, and Vaughn grins at him.
The brothers obviously have a close relationship. They’re relaxed and it’s easy to sense that there’s a deep affection between them.
The food is served. It’s a lot of tapas plates for sharing and everything is delicious.
Kade tops up my glass just as another man approaches the table. Gage introduces us. “Stella. Kade. This is Pete Clancy. He’s the private investigator we spoke about. He’s the best there is.”
Pete Clancy is wearing a dark suit. Everything about him is slightly non-descript. He’s hard to describe. You get the feeling that he’d be good at his job of checking things out without anyone realizing he’s doing it because he blends so seamlessly into a crowd. “I don’t know about that but I can do my best to help you with your search, Stella.”
“I appreciate that, thank you.”
Pete pulls up a chair. “Before we start,” he says, “Kade, I thought you might want to know that a Carmen Mills contacted me two days ago. I did some research and found out as much as I could about her. I didn’t take her case but I can tell you that she wanted you tracked. And watched. I wouldn’t usually give out this kind of information but since you’re Gage’s cousin I’m making an exception. She also seemed ... unstable. When I refused to take her case she threatened to ‘send a hit man after me.’”
“What?” The tension in Kade’s question makes me uneasy.
“She wanted a complete and up-to-the-minute report on your whereabouts and also those of ... your guest. Which I’m assuming is Stella. She seems to know that the two of you are together.”
“Goddamn it.” Kade is profoundly pissed off by this news.
“That crazy bitch,” says Vaughn.
Kade’s grip on my hand tightens. “She must have seen something online about us leaving the club on Saturday night.”
“Watch your back, is what I’m saying,” says Pete. “She had a good ten-minute rant to me about how you’d wronged her and you ‘deserve whatever you get.’”
“Jesus Christ,” Kade mutters. “I knew she had issues but I never expected her to take it to fever pitch.”
“Doesn’t surprise me at all,” offers Vaughn. “She always was a nasty piece of work.”
“I’ll have to beef up our security.” Kade’s mind seems to be working on several levels. “And make it round the clock.”
Pete nods. “Probably a good idea. At least for a while. I’m sure she’ll have hired someone else by now to do the job I turned down. She sounded very determined.”
I’m listening to their conversation in a mild state of shock.
Beef up security? Round the clock? Hit man?
What the hell?
Kade loops his muscular arm around my shoulders, keeping me close, as though he’s already thinking about threats.
I’m sure they’re overreacting.
How crazy can she be?
“I’ll let you know if I hear any more about who she’s hired.”
“Thanks, Pete,” Kade says.
Pete turns to me. “Now, Stella, tell me about your search.”
So here I go. I’m really doing this. “I’m adopted and I’m looking for my birth parents.” It feels weird to say the words. I take the letter the woman from the adoption agency gave me out of my bag and show it to him. “This is all I have. I’ve also written my birthdate and my place of birth down here, which is Charlotte, North Carolina. I don’t know what hospital I was born in, or if I was born in a hospital, but the name and address of the agency are here at the bottom of the page. And my phone number. So this is everything.”
“Can I take a photo of this?”
“Of course.”
He does, and he reads through it. “There’s actually a lot of information here. This shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“Really?”
“I can start on this tonight and get back to you as soon as I’ve got any leads. My guess is that I’ll be able to get you a phone number by the end of the week, if not sooner.”
“Wow.”
I’m really going to find them. In a few days, it’s possible that I’ll be able to make contact with the people who gave me away.
Do I really want to?
Do they want me to? What if I call them and they hang up on me? What if they gave me away for a reason: that they didn’t want me then and don’t want me now.
It’s jarring to think that I’m close to finding out one way or the other. The thought of finding them digs deep, even more than usual. I hate that every time I think about this or talk about it, I feel like my soul has taken a hit.
“I’m sorry to cut this short.” Pete stands up. “If that’s everything, I’ve got another appointment to get to but it was nice meeting you two. I’ll be in touch as soon as I’ve got a lead, Stella.”
“Thank you so much.”
“And thanks for the heads-up about Carmen,” Kade says.
After Pete leaves, Kade turns to me, reading in my eyes that I’m deeply affected by the scenario of finally unearthing some of the information I’ve wondered about my entire life.
He strokes the backs of his fingers along my cheekbone. “You’re going to be okay, whatever happens. Okay? I’m going to be right here the whole time in whatever way you need me to be, and I’m going to help you through it.”
Damn it. My eyes tear up because it’s exactly what I needed to hear, even if I didn’t know that until I heard him say it. “Kade Tucker, stop being so damn perfect, will you?” I joke, swiping a tear away. I don’t want to cry over this. “I’m going to go to the restroom for a second.” I’ve probably smudged my mascara by now.
“I’ll come with you.”
I try to breeze past his concern. “I’m going to the ladies’ room. You can’t come with me.” His eyes are so dark. “I’m fine.”
I get up, and smile at him when he won’t release my hand right away. He doesn’t smile back. His gaze scans the room.
God. Is he looking for her?
Is she stalking us?
Is this dangerous?
But I refuse to be intimidated by some psycho ex.
What kind of person hires a private investigator to keep tabs on a guy who broke up with them?
I don’t doubt Kade. I trust him. But maybe he didn’t make it clear enough to her that he was ending it.
As I make my way to the back of the restaurant, I can’t help checking out the people who stare at me as I walk past them. Are any of them her? Is she watching us now?
The ladies’ room is full of women checking their look in the wall of mirrors.
I find a space. My mascara isn’t smudged. It’s the only make-up I’m wearing besides some lip gloss, which is gone, so I search in my bag for it. When I look up I realize someone is standing next to me.
Watching me.
Not just out of the corner of her eye but glaring at me with razor-sharp concentration.
She’s blonde, an inch or two shorter than me, and very slim. Her eyes are a pale shade of gray. They’re piercing and intense. Everything about her is a strange combination of colorless and at the same time sort of harsh. Her whole demeanor is angry. She’s stunning-looking but it’s not the first thing you notice. If there was even a shred of kindness behind her expression, she would be drop-dead gorgeous. She has wide, owlish eyes, but her eyelashes are too long and too dark for her small, pale face. They’re obviously fake and you can’t help wondering why she didn’t do better with this detail, because everything else about her is groomed and flawless. She’s wearing a lot of make-up. Her cheekbones are defined and the lines of her face are angular and almost too sharp, like she hasn’t eaten enough lately and she’s slightly emaciated. She could be a model, except that her aggression completely overwhelms her beauty. It’s clear that her thoughts are ugly and mean, and they beam themselves out of her eyes. I’m wondering if she’s dangerous.
And I know exactly who she is.
Wow, she is just all wrong for him, is what I’m thinking. No wonder he couldn’t love her. Or even like her.
“Can I help you with something?” I attempt, wishing she would stop staring at me like that. My heart is racing. If looks could kill I’d be a bloody pulp on the floor right now.
“Yes. You can help me, as a matter of fact.” Her voice is low but somehow still shrill, and there’s an off-color note behind it. Like something about her is slightly unhinged.
Another girl is standing next to her, I notice. Her bestie, possibly, since they’re standing close and she’s eyeing me up sort of critically. She has long dark hair and she’s stunningly beautiful. Like, supermodel beautiful.
But I’m not interested in being judged by these women. I don’t know what they want from me or what they’re expecting. Yes, I’m head over heels to the point of not actually being able to even think about being apart from my new ... lover , but it’s too soon to call him my “boyfriend” or anything more. Nothing has been decided. I don’t know where we stand. And I hardly want to have a showdown in the ladies’ room with his crazy ex.
“You can stay the hell away from my boyfriend, that’s what you can help me with.”
Wow.
It’s unbelievable, but I look her in the eye because I hate bullies. I was lucky enough never to have been bullied in school, but that was partly because I tend to stand up to their bullshit. I just have zero tolerance for it. “You’re Carmen?”
“Yes.” A shadow of vulnerability flickers. “Did he tell you about me?”
I try to say it gently because she’s obviously devastated and also a loose cannon. “He mentioned you broke up, yes.”
“We didn’t break up . We had one small argument and we were working through it. We didn’t even get a chance to do that before you showed up and now you’re ruining everything.”
Jesus.
“We were about to get engaged ,” she says. “We were shopping for rings .”
“I ...” Shit. “I don’t know if that’s going to happen. But if you’re unsure, maybe you should talk to him about it.”
“I’ve been trying to. But he won’t answer my calls. Because of you.”
“I’m not sure if it’s entirely because of me, or maybe he just feels like he made it clear and he’s moved on. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m leaving.”
“What’s your name?”
I don’t want to tell her my name. She probably already knows if she’s hired a private investigator, and I’m hardly going to give her more ammunition. “I’m leaving now,” I say again.
But Carmen and her friend are blocking my way. “How can you just show up like this and steal my boyfriend and think that’s okay?”
It’s a strange feeling to be face to face with a person who’s clearly walking some kind of line. She’s either suffering from a serious case of denial, or she has some deeper issues I’m not about to analyze. It doesn’t surprise me that someone would go to extreme lengths to keep Kade Tucker, and I get the feeling she would do exactly that, to the point of recklessness. I feel protective of Kade. No wonder he was so unhappy and his family was worried about him. “He made it clear that he wasn’t anyone’s boyfriend,” I say. “I think maybe you should let him go and get on with your life.”
“As if I would let Kade Tucker go without a fight,” she seethes.
I can’t say I blame her for being wrecked over losing him. He’s about as perfect as a man can be. But I can’t help her with that. And I’m done here. “I hope you have a nice night.” I try to walk past her but her bony fingers grip my arm. I yank away from her because her touch is cold .
“Stay away from him. He’s mine .”
Maybe she’s having some kind of breakdown. And this is starting to piss me off. “I don’t think he thinks he’s yours.”
“I’m warning you!” That mad, shrill edge to her voice is becoming more pronounced. “He and I have some things we need to work through and you’re getting in the way of that. I can’t let you do that. Kade is everything to me.”
“I’m ...” The look in her eyes makes me pause. I say it sort of gently, “I’m not in charge of Kade’s decisions.”
“Go back to wherever you came from and leave him alone.”
I exhale a disbelieving—and slightly terrified—huff. “I’m going back to my table.”
“Did you hear what I said ? Kade and I are meant to be together. He was getting ready to propose to me when you showed up! He’s practically my fiancé and I’m not letting you steal him! So back the fuck off. I mean it. Leave . Now. Tonight.”
Wow. I’m trying to stay calm and not provoke her. “I don’t think Kade feels the same way. Go and talk to him if you want to. It’s up to him to decide who he’s with.”
“I’m warning you. You’ll regret it if you don’t take the advice I’m giving you right now.”
I’ve had enough of this. She’s freaking me out. I push past her and get to the door, making my way back through the crowded restaurant. It looks different now. More crowded, and darker. When I glance behind me to see if she’s following me, I can’t see her.
I get to the table where Kade, Vaughn and Gage are standing now, talking to people. Kade sees me and immediately notices the look my face. “Stella. What’s wrong? You’re white as a sheet. What happened?”
“I just ... ran into someone.” God. My heart is racing.
“Who?”
I don’t even need to say it. “Can we go now?”
“Of course we can.” Kade’s expression gets very dark. His gaze scans the room and his arm loops around me protectively. “That evil little bitch,” he mutters.
Gage and Vaughn have heard the conversation. “Let’s go,” says Vaughn, and we’re starting to head toward the door when the two women approach us.
“Hi, Vaughn.” It’s Carmen’s dark-haired friend, eyeing him up much more brazenly than the situation calls for. She’s flirting with him, but he’s lost all of his playfulness. His expression is almost as furious as Kade’s.
“Amber,” he says coldly, and it couldn’t be any clearer that he’s exceptionally unhappy to see her.
Carmen’s tears have smudged her make-up. She frowns when she sees Kade’s arm firmly around me. “Kade.” She’s demure now and has lost most of that psycho-killer edge. “You won’t answer my calls. I wanted to talk to you. Why won’t you talk to me?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. Leave us the fuck alone.” Absolutely scathingly. Kade is the kindest, most perceptive and empathetic person I’ve ever met. He’s also a big, jungle-cat alpha male, and his brutal aggression gets everyone’s attention. A crazy hatred is practically radiating off him in waves.
So he did make it clear to her that things between them were very much over. And he’s doing it again now. There’s really not even a shadow of a doubt for her to cling to.
Gage signals to some of the security guards and they swarm around us.
Carmen’s crying now. “ Please , Kade. I miss you so much. I know we can work it out. I love you.”
He doesn’t even give her a backward glance as the security ushers us out, blocking Carmen and Amber and preventing them from following us.
“You’ll regret this!” Carmen shrieks. “ Both of you!”
We don’t say much on the ride back to Kade’s place.
Vaughn and Gage had their own rides and, even though the fun vibe of the evening had been shattered, they were charming and sweet as they said goodnight to us. They insisted that I meet Gigi and Luna as soon as we can make a plan and I told them I would love that.
Which I would.
But I can’t think too far ahead.
I’m rattled by the twisted-ex-from-hell confrontation.
Kade seems more rage-filled than rattled, and it has ground all conversation to a screeching halt. It reminds me that we’ve only known each other for a few days and also that the bond between us feels like it’s forged in invisible steel. The combination is confusing me and twisting my emotions into knots. I don’t know how to feel.
Kade makes a few phone calls about bodyguards and whatnot in the car and by the time we get back to his house there are already noticeably more of them.
I hate this. I’m glad I’m not famous.
We’re being stalked.
We take the elevator back up and just as we’re stepping back into his apartment, my phone pings with an incoming message. I’ve been in touch with my parents only by text and I’ve talked to Summer once but I should probably call both of them at some point and assure them that I’m still breathing.
As I’m reaching into my bag to get my phone, something falls out.
A small black velvet box.
Kade leans down to pick it up. He’s quicker than me.
“What’s this?” he asks.
I try to reach for it but he moves it out of reach.
He opens the box. Inside is the diamond ring Theo gave me. “What the fuck is this?” I flinch a little at his question. It feels sort of hard-hitting.
We’re both on edge. “It’s ... the ring. I told you. I got proposed to. By my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend ?”
“My ex boyfriend, Kade. Obviously.”
“You still have the ring ?” There’s a wild flare in his blue eyes I haven’t seen before.
“I—”
“I thought you said no.”
“I did say no.”
“Then why do you still have the ring?”
I don’t know why he’s getting so riled about this. “He wanted me to keep it for a while. In case I change my mind.”
Kade spears me with a blue glare. “Are you thinking of changing your mind, Stella?”
“No.” His reaction is so over the top.
“But you kept the ring anyway, just in case?”
“I haven’t seen him again since then, after that night, to give the ring back.”
A hot pause. “Are you going to see him again?”
“I mean, eventually, I might—”
“You might ?”
I almost laugh a little because this is so overblown. “Kade. The only reason I might see him is to give him back the ring. I only kept it because he asked me to. I felt bad about it, that I’d turned him down. He asked me to hold onto it for a while, to make sure I was sure, and I felt like it was the least I could do. After disappointing him like that. I don’t know why I have to even explain all this.”
Our first argument.
It occurs to me that it’s all about them . The people that came before who might try to threaten our very-new bond.
But now that we’re back in our bubble, those threats feel farther away. Buffered and like they belong in the past, not here and now. I can read that his fury is all about his wild concern that something or someone might come between us.
And there’s something shockingly endearing about his reaction.
He cares , so much.
And so do I.
Both of us have baggage. His baggage happens to be a fraction more psychotic than my baggage but we’re both sort of feverish about guarding and protecting this sudden whirlwind of a relationship.
“Are you having second thoughts about turning him down?” There’s so much intensity to him, and also a deep, unmistakable note of panic, like if I did happen to have the slightest bit of indecision over it, it would break his heart.
“No.” As if I’d go back to Theo after this. After Kade freaking Tucker. “Not a single one.”
He’s glaring down at me warily, looming over me with his wide shoulders and his pumped-up muscles, reminding me again of how big he is. And how beautiful. He looks wild and worked up. His thick hair frames his face off-handedly, artfully mussed up. “Good. Because I’ll fucking kill the fucker.”
There’s a strange rush that comes from his jealousy. I like that he’s in knuckle-dragging mode. It’s turning me on. And so is the shape of his mouth and its pissed-off glower. “Of course you will.” I might be teasing him. Baiting his lust even more.
“I don’t want you seeing him again.”
My panties go wet and I suddenly feel ... voracious. For him. All the stress of the night has us both fired up and I can feel that fire pulsing inside me. “I don’t want to see him again.”
God.
I want to provoke him in a different way, by showing him how much he means to me. I want to feed on his over-the-top beauty and take it inside. I want to drink it. I don’t actually even recognize myself right now, or how much I need him. All I know is that I’m feeling it. Hard. I’m starving for what he has to give.
I take his hand, walking backwards as I pull him toward the couch. I’m coy about it but he’s watching my eyes. For a second I wonder if he’ll pull his hand away, but he doesn’t.
“The person I want to see and think about is you.” Gently, I push him back so he’s sitting. “And there’s something I’d like to try ... if you’ll let me.”
More glowering.
“It has to do with you and ... what I want to do to you. Right now.”
The faintest hint that he’s starting to relent.
“If you’ll let me, that is.” I climb onto him, straddling him. He’s so much bigger than I am and my smallness makes me feel powerfully feminine. And sexy. I love the way he’s looking at me right now, like he wants to eat me alive but also like he absolutely loves me.
I take the small box out of his hand and place it on the table next to us. “I told you already. I wasn’t in love with him, even before I met you.” He’s still glaring at me. His eyes flash with his own fire and I can see there his jealousy, his anger, his protectiveness, his raging lust. “And now that I have met you, no one could really compare to ... well, this .”
I lean closer. Very softly, I brush my lips against his.
He doesn’t kiss me back. He’s testing me. I can sense that he’s just as ravenous as I am—or ten times more so, and his fury is sort of daunting—but that he’s holding it, waiting for me to tell him what he wants to hear.
“Not that I have any basis for comparison, since I’m so new at all this ...” I kiss him again, touching my tongue to his lips as I begin to grind against the hard ridge of his gigantic, throbbing erection through the layers of our clothing. “... but I don’t think anyone could compare to this either.”
I untie the wrap of my dress, opening it, easing it off my shoulders until it falls away.
“I haven’t thought about him or anything else since the second I walked away. I’ve been busy, see. Very busy. Thinking about someone else. Feeling for someone else. Having all my magical firsts with someone else.”
I unclasp my bra and let that fall away too and at this point I’m wondering who is this nympho doing a striptease and what have you done with shy, always-doing-what-she’s-told Stella Bell? But then I forgive myself because this is Kade Tucker we’re talking about and also I’m too damn hot for him to worry about it.
“And I’ve realized something.”
I unbutton the top button of his shirt.
“There’s another first I’d like to try. I mean, if you don’t mind.”
His dark curiosity is there, behind his quiet awe and his cool-hot silence.
“It’s something I really, really want to do. To you. I’ve never done it before and I just feel like ... I need it.”
I undo another button. And another.
Until his shirt is open.
I feather my fingers through the pelt of hair on his chest and I lean in to kiss his nipple, taking it lightly between my teeth.
He flinches and—there it is, his surrender—he exhales sharply and grips me with his iron-strong hands, watching me now with a worshipful severity.
I move further down his body, fingering his belt buckle. Undoing it. Unbuttoning his jeans and slowly unzipping him.
“I want to suck on you,” I murmur, licking his arrow line of hair. “I want to make you come like this.”
Yikes. What am even saying?
I don’t care. I do. “I want to taste you.”
“You’re a dirty little angel.” His voice is rasped and I feel a small thrill of triumph that I’ve broken through. He’s going to let me do it, I can tell. He’ll give me anything I want. His jealousy has distilled itself into uncut, hundred-proof lust. “How bad do you want it, sugar pie?”
“ Bad .”
“You want me to fuck that sweet little mouth.”
“Yes. Please. ”
His movement is slow, his gaze lazy and hot as he pushes his jeans lower, taking out his enormous cock like an offering. Oh my God. It’s hard as steel and dusky, with ridged veins running the length of it, textured and silky. The broad tip leaks with moisture and I lick my lips because he’s just so beautiful. So outrageously male and absolutely mouth-watering. I reach for him carefully but some primal craving has taken hold in me and I can’t wait a second longer. I want to taste him with a fever I don’t even recognize.
My fingers curl around him and I touch my tongue to the slit, licking him. Another surge seeps onto my tongue and I drink it. He tastes milky and salty, and I love this. It’s a strange, obsessive kind of hunger. I want mouthfuls of him. Easing my lips over the head, I suckle on him like he’s sugar-coated. I take more of him. And more. He’s so big I can’t take all of him but I use my hands to gently squeeze and rub and explore.
“ Oh, f-u-u-uck ,” Kade growls and I can sense that he’s totally at my mercy. I can tell that what I’m doing to him is deeply, profoundly pleasurable, to the point that he can barely handle it. His fingers weave through my hair. “ Fuck, I’m going to come. Oh, hell, you feel too good .”
I love that I can give him this. I love that this big, powerfully-built rock god is entirely slayed by the touch of my tongue and the tender play of my mouth. The carnal need to take him higher becomes everything, until I’m feasting on him, sucking strongly and taking him as deep as I can. It’s then that he groans like his heart is breaking. His cock surges, flooding my mouth with pumping bursts of warm, thick cum and I drink him thirstily. It’s his magical, seedy essence and I want all of it. It’s nourishing me in a way that’s completely life-changing.
Kade Tucker is mine. He’s inside me and I feel full and perfect and owned.
His breathing is heavy and it takes him a while to recover. I lick and kiss his barely-softened cock. He pulls me up to him, lifting me and carrying me to bed. He peels off my clothes and wraps his big body around me, staring into my eyes, kissing my face sort of reverently. I feel so safe.
“Unicorn girl,” he whispers.
“Magic man,” I whisper back.
“I love you.”