Chapter Seventeen
Emma
Sunlight filters through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the tangled sheets and across his handsome face. I blink away remnants of sleep as I soak in the way Kade looks in my bed, his dark hair tousled from sleep or the night before, I’m not sure which.
A slow smile spreads across my face as fresh memories of our time takes over my thoughts. My cheeks burn as I think about how I’d acted, and how much fun I’d had. He’s amazing.
Leaning in, I press my lips to his.
“Morning,” I whisper.
“Hey,” he says in a deep, raspy voice that makes my stomach flip flop. His arm, heavy and warm, snakes around me, pulling me tighter into his embrace. But the day won”t wait for us, not even for a moment as sweet as this. With a playful wriggle, I slip out of his hold and sit up, my feet touching the cool floor. I feel ready to take on the day, and like nothing can stop me.
My heart is still racing from the contact with him and memories. There”s a flutter in my stomach, a mix of nerves and excitement that hasn”t settled since last night.
I”m halfway to the bathroom when the sound of the floorboards creaking slightly stops me in place. Turning my head, I find Kade”s gaze fixed on me, dark eyes smoldering with warnings of all the things he wants to do to me as I stand here naked.
I freeze, then bolt.
He catches me in the bathroom and wraps me up in his arms, his muscles flexing as I giggle, and he pulls me close. When he lets me go, I walk over to turn on the shower. Steam begins filling the room, and I step under the hot spray with a glance over my shoulder at him.
The water cascades over my sensitive skin. He steps in behind me, and I lean into him as he pulls me close again. “You’re in a touchy mood this morning,” I whisper.
“I can’t keep my hands to myself. And I don’t want to,” he growls, and I shiver.
But then, despite what he’d just said, he lets me go. And I’m sad.
His hands, firm yet gentle, find my skin, lathering my sweet pea soap over my shoulders, down my arms, across my breastbone and across my body in slow, deliberate strokes. I can hardly breathe; I never want him to stop.
“I can”t get enough of you,” he whispers, his lips grazing my neck.
Any semblance of resistance I had - and let’s face it, I had none - melted away under the warm water and his incredible touch. I glance over my shoulder at him, and our mouths meet.
He deepens the kiss, and my brain stops working. I am lost, utterly and completely, in the sensation of being with Kade.
After we’re clean, with towels wrapped around us, we make our way back to my room.
Kade”s lips move against mine with an urgency that tells me the night before was just the beginning. His hands roam my damp skin, making me desperate for more than just touch. We”re a tangle of limbs and primal need as we edge back toward my bed.
A sharp knock at the door makes us both freeze. “Alex?” I ask, because that’s the single worst thing I can imagine happening now.
But Kade shakes his head. “No way.”
“Maybe they’ll go away?” as I whisper the words - as if the visitor at the front door could hear us - whoever is at the door begins to pound harder. I can tell by the urgency of the knock that they’re not going anywhere until I answer.
I give him a frustrated look. “Hold that spot; don’t forget, because we’re picking this back up as soon as they’re gone.” Slipping into the first clothes I find, I rush to the door, my heart racing for all the wrong reasons.
In the doorway, I glance back at Kade. He’s sitting patiently on my bed, a towel slung low on his hips, his dark eyes watching me intently.
“Stay here,” I mouth and see him nod once in agreement.
As the person at the door pounds again, I call out. “Coming! Just give me one second.” The words come out more strangled than I intend.
I yank the door open, and there”s Ryan, holding a bouquet of brightly colored flowers and a box wrapped in holographic paper. His hopeful smile doesn”t reach his eyes, and I can see annoyance in them, as if he’s upset I made him wait so long.
“Ryan, what—” I say as he thrusts the gifts at me.
“Take them, Emma.”
I don’t like his commanding tone. He sounds like he’s spent all our time apart watching Alpha influencers and now thinks that ordering me around and being rude is the way to my heart. He couldn’t be more wrong.
“Thank you, I guess, but…” I trail off. Unsure what to do, I set them down on the floor by the door as he moves in close as if to bully me with his sheer presence. “Can I come in? We need to talk.” He tries to peer over my shoulder, his brows drawn together.
“Uh, now”s not a good time,” I say quickly, blocking his view. I thought Alex would be the worst person to show up at my door, but sheesh, this is way worse.
His eyes narrow with suspicion as he plants his hand flat on my door as if considering just pushing it open and letting himself in. “Why not?”
“Because... now is a bad time.” I don’t owe him an explanation, and I won’t give him one.
“Emma—” He steps forward, intent on pushing past me and I notice Mrs. Patel shuffling out to check her mailbox while watching us out of the corner of her eyes. Embarrassment leaves my face like a flamethrower, impossibly hot and painful to the touch.
“Seriously, Ryan. Not now.” Mrs. Henderson is slowly walking her trash cans to the curb, even though it’s not garbage day, and I know they’re all just being busybodies. Why won’t Ryan just leave already?
Before I can say a word, he drops to one knee, and I feel my heart stop in my chest.
There’s no way... no one could fail so spectacularly at reading the room, could they?
“What the—” I blurt out, feeling like I’m losing my mind. This can’t be happening.He pulls a small velvet box out of his pocket, and it shines in the sun, mocking me.
“Emma Riley,” he says, but I’m not having this.
“Ryan, get up,” I hiss, glancing around at the little audience that’s gathering outside my home.
“Will you marry me?” His words ring out clearly, and they feel like a punch to my gut.
“Are you insane?” My voice is barely a whisper, my heart thunders in my chest. “I never—I don”t—”
“Come on, Emma. We”re perfect for each other.” He”s pleading now, the ring sparkling in the sunlight as he shifts the box.
“Perfect? Ryan, we”re not even friends anymore.” My hands shake as anger boils up inside me. This isn”t romance; this is a warped sense of entitlement. He still feels owed... me. He thinks he should get to have me, and I’m not interested.
“Is that a no?” His face hardens and there”s a bitterness in his tone that sends shivers down my spine.
“Yes, that”s a no!”
The ring box snaps shut, the sound echoing as my neighbors all try to look busy. They might as well be vacuuming the grass or inspecting their headlight fluid in their vehicles.
His jaw clenches and he stands abruptly, stepping back as if distancing himself from the rejection.
“Fine,” he says, the word sharp as a knife. “Your loss.”
My heart races, not from the proposal, but from the fear of what comes next.
The door to my apartment barely closes when Ryan”s hand is on it, pushing back with a force that has me stumbling backward. I nearly fall into the kitchen, terror flooding my whole body.
“Ryan, stop. Get out of my house.” My voice cracks, betraying the fear that”s spiking through my veins.
“Stop?” He laughs, a harsh sound that grates on my nerves. “After you just humiliated me out there?”
He takes several steps toward me, and I scurry back until the cold quartz of the kitchen counter presses into my back. His face is inches from mine, his eyes blazing with an emotion I can”t quite place. It”s not the gentle Ryan I once knew—no, this man is a stranger.
“I embarrassed you?” I say, my voice stronger now. “You”re the one who proposed in front of the entire neighborhood!”
“Because I thought—” His words cut short, his mouth snapping shut as his gaze slides past me. His body goes rigid, like he”s just been doused in ice water.
I turn my head, following his stare, and that”s when I see Kade.
He stands there, exuding a calm authority. His dark hair is neatly combed, and he doesn”t look like a man who’d spent the night in bed with me. The way his arms are crossed over his chest, muscles outlined beneath the fabric of his shirt, doesn”t just speak of casual strength—it screams for Ryan to go ahead and continue that line of thinking. He looks like he’s itching for a fight.
For a moment, time stands still, and I forget to breathe. Kade’s intense presence feels protective. Defiant. And so, so reassuring.
Ryan follows my gaze, looking between Kade and me, the pieces coming together in his mind. His features contort with anger and something else—a realization that he”s lost control of the situation. Lost control of me.
Heat flushes my cheeks as Ryan”s gaze snaps between Kade and me, confusion etching deep lines across his forehead. “Why the hell is he here, Emma?” His tone is sharp, accusatory.
I open my mouth, but words lodge in my throat—stuck. I”m a deer caught in headlights, heart pounding against my ribcage. Then Kade steps forward, dark eyes locking onto Ryan”s with an intensity that commands silence.
“Someone tried to take advantage of Emma last night at the club,” Kade says, his gravelly voice steady and unworried. “I stayed on the couch to make sure she felt safe.”
Relief washes over me like a gentle wave. I nod, silently thanking him for the lifeline. Kade”s lie isn”t just convincing; it”s perfection.
Ryan”s anger deflates slightly, replaced by a hint of guilt. But before he can respond, Kade”s towering presence inches closer, and the room seems to shrink.
“Ryan, I”m going to ask you to leave now,” Kade”s voice is a low rumble of controlled power. He doesn”t raise his voice, and he doesn”t need to. The message is clear: this is non-negotiable.
My pulse thunders in my ears, not just from fear, but from something else—a wild, electric thrill that zips through me each time Kade asserts his protectiveness.
“Fine,” Ryan says like a petulant teenager, his bravado crumbling under Kade”s unwavering stare. He glances at me. “Your brother is going to hear about this.”
“Fine. Tell my brother that Kade slept on my couch because I was afraid. I’m sure he’ll think you’re a real hero.” I can see the doubt creeping into his eyes. Kade hasn”t moved, hasn”t spoken another word, but his presence still fills the room.
“Get out, Ryan.” I point toward the front door, as if making sure he knows which direction to go to get the heck out of my life.
“Emma—” Ryan starts, but then Kade shifts. It”s a small movement, barely noticeable, but it”s enough. Enough to remind us both that he”s not just my brother”s best friend—he”s a force to be reckoned with.
“He’s letting you stay here until I’ve had enough. And I’ve had enough. I suggest you go now,” I say.
Ryan hesitates, glancing at Kade one more time before storming out, slamming the door behind him. The moment of silence that follows is deafening.
“Thank you,” I whisper, folding my arms around myself. Kade closes the distance between us and pulls me into his arms. And I realize there’s nowhere I’d rather be.