24. Presley
Chapter 24
Presley
Kade’s hand rests on my inner thigh as we drive back to the ranch. It feels foreign to have a touch that’s both safe and gentle yet possessive on my body. His fingers dig into my skin every now and then like he’s either remembering punching Derek or wanting to punch him again.
I need you. My words on the dance floor ring in my ears. I need you . I can’t believe I said those words out loud, but it was true. I did need him. I do need him. And sitting in the truck with him right now, driving down the dark roads, feels good. Right. Even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
I look down at his raw knuckle and cringe. “You should ice that.”
He flashes me a cheeky grin. “You worried about me, Lemon darlin’?”
I flush at his question, the color of my cheeks answering him. I fix my gaze on his hand and study the marred skin. I debate touching him then decide screw it . I’ve already done so many things unlike myself in the last twenty-four hours, I might as well add more to the list.
I trace my finger over his bones, making sure I steer clear of any open wounds. When we go over a bump in the road, I must hit a sore spot, because he hisses.
“Sorry.”
I pull away, but he grabs my hand before I can get too far, gripping it with reassurance. “Don’t be. It’s just a little sore, but it’ll heal quick. It’s not the first time I’ve punched someone.” His tone is playful, though I wonder if that’s to cover up the emotions that come with those memories.
Kade places our entwined hands on my thigh, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. The truck is silent save the sound of the road beneath the tires and the wind against the windows. I close my eyes, indulging in the sensation of Kade’s hand in mine and the warmth of his touch.
In the quiet, my mind wanders back to the altercation with Derek. I’ve never laid a hand on anyone in my life. I can’t say I want to do it again or that I would normally condone violence, but Derek deserved it. He honestly deserved more than that given the things he said—and in a small town in front of the people I work with, no less.
I’m sure what happened is already being gossiped about and spreading like wildfire. So much for staying under the radar. In a way, I feel free, freer than I ever have before. But that doesn’t mean I don’t regret what happened tonight.
I gently squeeze Kade’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
He looks at me briefly as we pull down a road close to the ranch. The sound of the gravel beneath the tires is now familiar and comforting. I used to find it almost irritating.
“For what?” he asks.
“For what happened and for your hand. Derek has always had a temper, but I didn’t think he’d get drunk, show up here, and make a scene. And I’m sorry he got you involved.”
“First, you have nothing to be sorry for. You can’t control the actions of someone else; only Derek is to blame for what happened.”
He pauses, like whatever he said is applying to more than just this situation.
I watch him swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he continues. “Like I said, my hand is fine. I’m just glad I was there.” He lifts our joined hands and kisses the back of mine so tenderly it almost makes me weep. Who is this sweet cowboy, and where the hell did he come from?
“Kade,” I whisper. “Derek’s not my boyfriend. I mean, he was, but—”
Kade places our hands back down on my thigh as we pull into the ranch’s driveway. “You don’t owe me an explanation.”
“No, I want you to know.” I swallow, willing my now nervous stomach to settle. “We broke up after he cheated on me—on Valentine’s Day, no less. But we were in a band together, which forced me to be around him almost every day, even after the breakup. He’s obviously very angry that I left, and I can explain that, too, if you want. But I need you to know that I’m not with him. He doesn’t mean anything to me, and I’m so sorry that he even came here tonight. The awful things he said he—”
“Presley.” Kade stops me. “Take a breath.” He removes his hand from mine to turn off the ignition, and I see we’re parked in front of the hands’ quarters. He unbuckles his seatbelt before scooting across the bench seat and taking my face in his hands. Then he inhales with me. “Flowers, whiskey, football,” he says.
I can’t help but smile.
“Now you do some.”
“Birds, T-Rex, blanket, stars, horses, marker…lemons,” I finish. My lips curl into a soft grin.
He brushes his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “Feel better?”
I nod, leaning my head into one of his calloused hands, soaking up his strength and comfort and letting it seep into my body. My eyes fall closed as I take in another breath. Then another.
Kade moves the hand on my other cheek down my neck, sliding it back until he’s threaded his fingers in the hair at the base of my neck. I shiver from the sensation on my scalp and open my eyes to find him watching me carefully. When he tugs the hairs gently, a gasp escapes from my parted lips .
“You’re so responsive, Lemon.” He leans in closer so his breath skitters across my face. “ Fuck , I want to kiss you. More than I want anything else.”
I lick my lips, and that feeling I got the first day we met settles in my body. I wanted to kiss him behind Night Hawk, even if I didn’t want to admit it, and now that desire is back and completely overwhelming. I don’t want to imagine what his lips will feel like or taste like anymore—I want to know for real.
But there’s one thing stopping me.
“Presley,” Kade questions. “Did I misread this?”
I place one of my hands over the one he has cupping my cheek. “No, you didn’t. I’m just…” I collect my words. “Out of practice.”
Kade sighs a breath of what I’m assuming is relief, lips tugging at the corners. “Then practice on me.”
I smile back at him, something I’ve been doing a lot more of in the last day. It’s a miracle I’m even smiling at all, especially after what happened with Derek and the things he said tonight. But Kade makes me happy. He puts me at ease. He helps erase all the negative self-talk simply by looking at me the way he does—with so much desire it makes my head spin.
He massages the base of my skull, clearly waiting for my answer. His gaze flicks from my eyes to my lips, and I have absolutely no doubt about how much he wants to kiss me.
“Yes.” I exhale. “Kiss me, Kade.”
In a lighting-fast move, he throws the hat he’s been wearing to the back of the cab and closes the gap. He plasters his body against mine so my back hits the door, my hair brushing the window. When I feel the pressure of his left thumb on my cheek, my mouth parts. He uses the opportunity to connect us further, his lips exploring mine as I let out a small gasp. The grip on my skull tightens as our mouths mold together, and he groans into me, vibrations shooting through my body and lighting me on fire.
My chest heaves, breasts pressing against his chest as my hands grip his waist. His lips turn demanding, crushing into mine at a devouring pace. With how gentle he’s been with me today, kissing my hair and holding me while we danced, I thought this would be a sweet kiss. I was wrong. This kiss holds the same intensity of his stare when I’ve caught him watching me. The same intensity I felt last night as he spanked me. He puts his all into it but still makes sure my head is supported as he runs his tongue along the seam of my lips.
I open more for him, and he licks into my mouth as my hands explore along his waist. I like the way his muscles contract and tremble under my touch; it makes me feel powerful. His tongue slowly strokes against mine, rough and hot, and I do my best to keep up with him.
I moan as his minty taste bursts along my taste buds and a guttural sound leaves him. He presses his body further into mine so my back digs into the armrest on the door, and I kiss him harder. When his hand on my neck starts to move south, I exhale into his kiss, letting the feeling of his lips, the masculine smell of him, like salt and leather, invade every fiber of my being.
Kade sucks on my lower lip, both of us gasping for air before he kisses me again. The strokes become firmer and even more demanding. His hand traces over the tops of my breasts and down my ribs, but he doesn’t go low enough to touch my stomach. Tears sting my eyes when I realize that he cared enough to remember what I told him last night. I pull back just slightly, and he nips at my lips, resting his forehead against mine.
Kade’s hand softly tickles my upper ribs before he moves to trace my clavicle. “Is this okay?” he asks, trailing his fingers a little lower.
“Yes,” I say. “Touch me, Kade.” God, I want it.
“Thank god.” He exhales. “And Presley?”
I stare at him through my hooded gaze, waiting.
“You’re not out of practice.” He dives back in before I can answer, his lips attacking mine with fervor as he cups one of my breasts, squeezing and thumbing my nipple through my bra. I moan at the feeling of the tight bud being teased while I drag one of my hands up to rest on the muscle of his shoulder, digging my nails in just slightly. Kade must really like that, because he squeezes my pert breast tighter.
He continues to tease and explore my chest over my clothes, and my body starts to sweat as the truck heats up from our labored breathing and raised body temperatures. I don’t know how long we kiss, but my entire being is screaming for more than just a hot and heavy make-out session.
I pull Kade as close as I can, tugging his shirt from his pants and running my nails along the lower muscles of his abs, my fingertips brushing the coarse hairs of his happy trail.
“Jesus Christ, Presley,” he groans. He kisses down my neck, and his hands drift to the space just under my breasts.
“Don’t stop,” I exhale. The huskiness of my own voice surprises me. I’ve never heard myself sound so desperate and turned on, not even while he spanked me. I feel as if another woman has possessed my body, the kind of woman I’ve always wanted to be but have been too scared to set free.
Kade kisses back up the column of my throat until our eyes meet. It may be dark, but I can see how worked up he is. His lips are swollen, his cheeks are flushed, his pupils are dilated, and the outline of his erection is prominent under his jeans. My clit thrums at the sight of him, and I’m hungry for his fingers between my legs again.
“Tell me where else I can touch you.” His voice, too, is deeper than normal, and it sends shivers up my spine.
“Everywhere.”
He looks stunned for a second, and I understand why. I bring my hand to his cheek.
“I trust you, Kade. You make me feel safe.”
A warm smile lights up his face, and he delicately kisses my nose then my lips, sipping at them as if they’re a fine whiskey. When he meets my gaze again, his eyes are shining with that intensity of his, the same as when I asked him to spank me. It has my body humming, my heart racing, and goosebumps breaking out over my arms in anticipation.
“Can I try something?” He strokes my cheek.
“Will it hurt?” I turn sheepish as soon as the words have left my mouth because I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I liked the pain he caused me last night, and I want to experience it again.
Kade takes his hand from my chest and grips my thigh. “Do you want it to?”
If it was bright in here, he’d see me turn into a tomato in front of his eyes. I purse my lips, my mind racing because I’m unsure of what to say.
Kade lands a gentle smack to the inside of my thigh, and I gasp in surprise. “Don’t think so hard about the answer, Lemon. Tell me: Do you want it to?”
I stare into his eyes and remember I don’t have to feel afraid with him. I can say what I want. “Yes. But I also want to feel good.”
He smirks. “Of course you do.” His tone is teasing, so I swat him in the chest. He grabs my hand and kisses my fingers. “I can make it hurt, Presley. But I can also make it feel better.”
His words strike me in a way I don’t expect. My stomach clenches, and I try to ignore the part of me that says I shouldn’t like this. I should be a normal, boring girl like my mother always wanted me to be. But then again, I’ve never had a normal life, and I never truly wanted to be a normal girl.
I’ve never done what’s expected of me or even tried to fit in with the crowd. Even if my career hasn’t worked out for me, I went against the grain and followed my dreams despite the cards being stacked against me. And yes, I let Derek screw up my life, leading me to where I am right now. But as I look into Kade’s teasing hazel gaze, I realize there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
“Then do it, Kade,” I murmur. “Make me feel everything. ”
My words transform his features into a sweet gaze. His expression is soft and vulnerable, but his eyes are sparkling as if I’ve given him the perfect gift on Christmas morning.
“If anything is too much, Presley—if I touch you in a way you don’t like, tell me to stop. Just like with the spanking, you’re in charge here. Understand?”
“I understand.”
He smiles, running his thumb over my thoroughly kissed lips. “Good girl. Now, give me your wrists.”