Chapter 8
eight
LENA
How did my life change so quickly? One minute, I was leaving the city, unsure of what came next, and now here I am, in a remote cabin with Cade, feeling more alive than I ever have.
I watch him from across the room, my fingers tracing lazy circles on the blanket. Everything feels surreal—beautiful, but wild, like I’ve been swept into a current I can’t control.
“I never even knew my uncle who gave me the cabin,” I admit softly, catching Cade’s attention. “Julie, my friend, encouraged me to come. But I’m mostly alone in the world.”
Cade walks over to me, his eyes soft but filled with intensity. He sits down on the bed beside me, taking my hand. “You don’t have any other family?” he asks gently, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.
I shake my head. “Not really. My mom died when I was in college, never knew my dad. This uncle who left it to me, was my mom’s brother. But I never knew him.”
“Now everything’s different,” Cade says, his voice low. He moves closer, his hand sliding up my arm, pulling me against him. “You’re not alone anymore, Lena. And you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself.”
I look up at him, my heart pounding. The vulnerability of his words, the way he’s offering me something so real, scares me. “Cade, I hardly know you,” I say, letting out a soft laugh, trying to lighten the weight of the moment.
His eyes darken with a seriousness that makes my breath catch. He leans in, his lips brushing against my ear. “But I know what it feels like when we kiss,” he murmurs, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. “I know the way your body reacts when I lick your folds, the way you moan when I come inside you. I know what it feels like to be with a good woman—with you. And that’s enough.”
My breath hitches, and I feel the heat between us start to rise again. His words make my pulse quicken, my mind swimming with the intensity of everything we’ve shared. It feels wild, reckless, and yet, undeniably perfect.
I lean into him, pressing my lips to his in a slow, heated kiss. “It does feel right,” I whisper against his mouth. “But what about the cabin? I need to fix it up. I can’t live here forever.”
Cade smiles, his hands slipping around my waist. “In the meantime, you could live with me,” he says, his tone playful but full of sincerity. “We’ll fix up your cabin together. And until then, we’ll figure out the rest.”
I laugh softly, shaking my head at the craziness of it all. “This is insane,” I say, but the truth is, it doesn’t feel wrong. It feels like fate—like everything is falling into place in ways I never imagined.
“Maybe it is,” he agrees, his hands roaming over my back. “But it feels like the best kind of insane.”
Before I can say anything else, he kisses me again, his lips hot and demanding. The tension between us builds quickly, and I can feel the desire bubbling up inside me. This time, though, it’s different. I want more. I want to explore him, to take control in a way I haven’t before.
I push him back onto the bed, straddling him, feeling his hardness pressing against me. He lets out a low groan as I grind against him, his hands moving to my hips, guiding my movements. I can feel the heat rising between us, the electricity sparking with every touch.
“I want you,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss him, my hands sliding over his chest, exploring the hard muscles beneath my fingers.
He looks up at me, his eyes dark with lust and something deeper. “You have me,” he murmurs, his hands sliding up to cup my breasts, his fingers gently teasing my nipples. I arch into his touch, feeling the desire pool low in my belly.
I move against him, feeling the friction between us as he holds me steady, his hands gripping my hips. I can feel him throbbing beneath me, and the anticipation is almost unbearable.
I guide him inside me, taking him in slowly, savoring the feeling of him filling me completely. He groans, his hands gripping my thighs as I start to move, rolling my hips in a slow, deliberate rhythm. The sensation is intoxicating, the way his body reacts to mine, the way his hands explore every inch of me.
His hands move up, cupping my breasts, his thumbs brushing over my nipples as I ride him, my movements growing more urgent. The heat between us builds, the pleasure coiling tighter and tighter until I can’t hold back anymore.
“Cade,” I moan, my head falling back as I move faster, feeling the tension rise inside me.
He reaches up, pulling me down for a kiss, his hands still on my breasts as I move against him, the sensation overwhelming. “Lena, you feel so good,” he groans, his voice thick with pleasure. “I can’t get enough of you.”
I gasp, my body trembling as the pleasure crests, and I let go, the release washing over me in waves. Cade follows quickly after, his body tensing beneath mine as he spills into me, his hands gripping my hips tightly as he lets out a low, guttural moan.
CADE
I’m watching her breathe, the way her chest rises and falls in a slow, rhythmic pattern, her head resting on my chest, her hair spilling over my skin like silk. My heart pounds in a way I haven’t felt in years. The softness of her body still clings to mine, her warmth, her scent—all of it making me realize something. I’m completely obsessed with her.
Everything about Lena drives me wild. Her strength, her beauty, the way she makes me feel like I’m on fire every time she looks at me, touches me, kisses me. I never believed in love at first sight until her. The moment I laid eyes on her, something inside me shifted. This wasn’t some passing fling. It was her—always her. And I’ll be damned if I let her go.
As we lie there, still basking in the afterglow, I can’t shake the urge that’s been gnawing at me since the first night we spent together. I want her to stay with me, not just for a little while, not just until her cabin is fixed, but for good. I want to claim her, make her mine in every way that counts. It’s crazy—insane even—but I don’t care.
I reach over to the nightstand, my heart racing with anticipation. Tucked away in the drawer is a ring I’ve had for years—one that belonged to my mother. I hadn’t planned on doing this, not so soon, but the thought of her leaving... I can’t bear it.
“Lena,” I murmur, my voice low and filled with the intensity I can barely contain. She lifts her head, her eyes half-lidded, a soft smile playing on her lips.
“Mmm?” she hums, her fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest.
I sit up slightly, cupping her face in my hands, my thumb brushing over her lips. “I need you to stay with me. Not just for a while... but forever.”
Her eyes widen, and I can see the mix of emotions playing across her face—surprise, disbelief, but also desire. I pull the ring from the drawer, holding it up for her to see. “This was my grandmother’s,” I say softly, my voice thick with emotion. “I’ve been carrying it around, waiting for the right woman, the one who makes everything make sense. That’s you, Lena. From the moment I saw you, I knew.”
Her breath hitches, her eyes flicking between the ring and my face. “Cade... this is crazy,” she whispers, though I can hear the desire laced in her words.
“It’s not crazy,” I say, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. “It’s love. I know it sounds wild, but I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. The way we fit together, the way it feels when I touch you, when I kiss you, when I’m inside you—it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. And I don’t want to wait. I want you to be mine, Lena. Completely.”
Her eyes fill with tears, but there’s a heat between us, a desperate, needy energy that neither of us can ignore. She looks at the ring, then back at me, her lip trembling slightly as she bites down on it.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” I say softly, my voice hoarse with want. “But I need you to know how much I want this—how much I want you.”
She doesn’t say anything for a long moment, but then, slowly, she reaches out and takes the ring from my hand. My heart pounds in my chest as she stares at it, her fingers trembling slightly. And then, with a breathless laugh, she slides it onto her finger.
“It fits perfectly,” she whispers, her eyes shining with a mixture of wonder and lust. “But, Cade... are you sure? We hardly know each other.”
I growl softly, pulling her against me, my lips grazing her neck as my hands move over her body, making her shiver. “I know enough,” I murmur against her skin, my voice thick with need.
She moans softly, her body already reacting to my words, and I can feel the wetness between her thighs as she presses against me. My fingers trail down her stomach, teasing the edge of her folds, and she gasps, her hips bucking against my hand.
“I can’t get enough of you,” I growl, sliding my fingers inside her, feeling the slick heat of her desire. “I need to make you mine.”
Lena’s breath hitches, her hands clutching at my shoulders as she straddles me, her body trembling with anticipation. She’s so wet, so ready, and the way she looks at me—like she’s daring me to lose control—drives me wild.
“I want you,” she whispers, her voice breathless, desperate. “I need you, Cade.”
I grip her hips, guiding her down onto me, watching as her body sinks over mine, taking me in inch by inch. The sensation is overwhelming, and I groan, my hands sliding up to cup her breasts, squeezing gently as she rides me, her movements slow at first, but quickly growing more urgent.
“Lena,” I groan, my hands gripping her hips as she moves faster, the wet sound of our bodies coming together filling the room. “God, you’re perfect.”
She moans, her head falling back, her hands clutching my chest as she moves, her body rolling against mine in a rhythm that drives me to the edge. I can feel her tightening around me, her breathing coming faster, and I know she’s close.
“I’m yours,” she whispers, her voice trembling with desire. “I’m all yours, Cade.”
Her words send a surge of possessive heat through me, and I pull her down, kissing her hard, my hands sliding over her body as she rides me. The pleasure builds between us, and I can feel her getting closer, her body trembling with need.
“Come for me,” I murmur against her lips, my fingers teasing her clit as I thrust up into her, driving her over the edge.
She gasps, her body arching as she comes, her moans filling the room as she tightens around me, her release pushing me to the brink. I hold her hips, thrusting into her one last time before I follow her, the pleasure crashing over me as I spill into her, filling her completely.
We collapse together, breathless, our bodies tangled in the sheets. I pull her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she nestles against my chest, her fingers playing with the ring on her finger.
“I love you,” I whisper, my voice soft but filled with conviction. “I know it’s fast, but I do. And I’m not letting you go.”
She smiles, her eyes shining as she looks up at me. “I love you too, Cade,” she whispers. “It’s crazy, but it feels... perfect.”
We lie there for a while, basking in the afterglow, knowing that whatever comes next, we’ll face it together. The future feels wide open, full of possibilities. We’ll fix up the cabin, we’ll work remotely, we’ll plan the event for his family’s firm.
It’s wild, it’s unexpected, but it feels like fate.