Melody
Chapter twenty-seven
Two days later, my cab is pulling up the stone driveway that holds every beautiful memory of my newfound family since I was ten. I notice Kaden’s bike is parked at the end, and I snatch my bag excitedly off the seat.
He wanted to stay at Cornell with me and just drive me home, but I told him it would draw too much attention. Especially if we’re going to have fun with this.
Maybe now I can convince him to give me another ride on his bike. The first time I ever rode one was the night of the party that he picked me up from. I didn’t even get the chance to enjoy it because I was so angry with him…
Thinking of that first kiss still leaves me reeling. How had I never seen his love before then? It was right there in front of my face the whole time.
As the cab stops, I tip the driver before stepping out. Mom is already running down the steps, the front door wide open, before she crushes me in a tight squeeze.
I laugh, hugging her back. “You act like you haven’t seen me!”
“Oh, I missed you so much!” She gushes. “FaceTime isn’t the same, Jellybean.”
“I missed you, too,” I smile. Dad stands in the doorway now, grey streaks running along the sides of his dark hair as he tucks his hands into his slack pockets.
“It’s good to have you home,” he says warmly, taking the steps before smothering Mom and me in a bear hug. “Both of our kids are under the same roof again.”
Kaden steps into view, his dark jeans tucked into his boots and a black t-shirt stretching across his chest as he crosses his arms and leans a shoulder against the frame. My heart picks up at his crooked grin. “Hey, little sister.”
His greeting has heat pooling in my lower belly as my cheeks twinge red. “Hey.”
He steps down, sauntering over before encasing me in a hug as if he hasn’t been staying the night every other weekend in my dorm. It’s all a part of our game, and the excitement has me clutching the back of his shirt in my fists.
His lips turn into my hair subtly, his voice barely a whisper. “You look good enough to eat.”
I swallow, releasing him as I plaster on a smile. “I missed you, too.”
Mom pats my shoulder before wrapping an arm around Kaden’s waist. “We have so much to talk about! Dinner is almost ready.”
“How does chili sound?” Dad asks as we shuffle inside.
I can feel Kaden’s heated stare, his eyes caressing slowly over me. “Sounds fucking amazing…”
“That’s the spirit!” Mom says joyously, unaware that her son isn’t thinking about food right now.
We move into the dining room as Kaden helps Dad set the table.
Mom questions me about midterms and my final project for Botany 101.
Easy conversation flows, the evening full of hearty laughs, and a connection I’ve missed since being away from home.
Kaden’s hand rests on my thigh under the table, his finger dangerously close to the crook as his pinky rubs in slow circles.
Every pass makes me fidget in place, my blood sizzling with something forbidden.
Across from us, our parents remain oblivious.
Mom is rambling about coming to visit during homecoming, and Dad is catching us up on everything that’s been happening with his business.
“Kaden has also been working on something big, I hear,” Dad says with pride as he points his spoon at my brother. “How’s the business with Ivan coming?”
He tenses. It’s faint, but I feel it when his pinky slows on my thigh. “We’re looking to get it up and running soon. By next week.”
Mom’s eyes light up. “That’s wonderful! I hear that asset management is really the way to go. You’ll both do amazing.”
I turn my head. “You didn’t tell me you were going into asset management.”
Kaden chuckles, the sound low and unsure. “Yeah, it was kind of a last-minute thing. We decided a few days ago.”
“Hmm,“ I hum. I’m not mad, but a little communication would have been nice. He knows I’m worried about our future.
Shouldn’t I have been in on his plan?
Mom takes a long sip of her wine, her eyes glossing between us.
“Well, I think it’s a great idea. Maybe, if you have an office space in mind, Melody could help you liven up the building?
Those cubicles always seem so drab. She can throw together a few arrangements and put up some low-maintenance plants. ”
Kaden nods, his gaze flickering to me. “I would love that. Only if it’s okay with you?”
My worry melts away as I place my hand over his under the table. “Yeah. I can whip up something.”
He gives me that crooked smile that sends my heart fluttering wildly. “Your own personal touch to my space. I can’t wait.”
I get caught up in him, absorbed in the sincerity and adoration I see clear as day. All of my anxiety withers away before my very eyes, and I completely forget where we are. It’s hard not to when he looks at me like this—like he’s obsessed with me.
A glass falls, and Mom curses as she spills wine across the table. It snaps us both out of our moment as Dad rises and grabs some paper towels from the kitchen.
“I’m so damn clumsy,” Mom shakes her head before her eyes shift between us. “I figured Melody would have been staying with you, Kaden.”
We both stop, our brains buffering as I squeeze my brother’s hand tightly. This is getting too close to the truth, and I can feel the panic setting in.
“You two haven’t seen each other in months,” Mom continues. “It’s so odd when you aren’t connected at the hip.”
I chuckle nervously as Kaden smooths over the situation with small talk. “We’ve both just been busy.”
She smiles, sitting forward. “I’m so glad to have you back. Both of you.”
Relief spreads, and my shoulders ease. “We’re glad to be back.”
Dad returns, laughing at Mom’s tendencies as he dries up the wine. After all these years, they still seem so enamored with each other. It’s a breath of fresh air, and I find myself hoping that Kaden and I are just the same when we’re old and grey.
“I’m beat,” Dad says as he collects the plates.
Kaden stops him with a generous hand, taking the dishes before tilting his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Melody, help me out with these?”
“Sure,” I say as I follow behind him.
Our parents retire upstairs, Mom kissing our cheeks affectionately with the promise of more time to talk tomorrow. As soon as they’re out of earshot, Kaden’s hands are on me.
My hands are under the soapy water as I wash a plate, and I don’t even realize that there’s a beast hovering at my back until it’s too late. He handles me roughly, turning me to face him as my work is abandoned in the process. His lips find mine, devouring me as my sudsy fingers curl into his hair.
It’s hot and heavy, every beat more intense in its quickness. He’s grinding against me, his cock pressing into my lower belly, before that’s not enough. He hooks his elbow behind my knee, lifting to rest it in the crook of his arm as his hands grip the black stockings I’m wearing.
“Fuck, I’ve been wanting to rip these off of you since you got out of the cab,“ he rasps hungrily as he pulls them apart at the seams.
I gasp, my hands flying to his shoulders as he steps forward and backs my ass into the counter.
I’m fully trapped, up on my toes as my other leg dangles from his elbow.
He fishhooks my mouth with a finger, using it to control me as his dark eyes bore into mine.
“I need you to be quiet for me. If you can’t, I’ll have to gag you. ”
I nod, heat clouding my vision.
His head tilts as he frees his cock. Bare skin slides against me, a dull ache pulling in my core. “I’m going to ruin you while our parents sleep. They’ll have no idea how sweetly you beg for me in the dark.”
“Please, Kaden,“ I gasp. “I need you.”
“That’s my girl,” he praises as he sinks into me. My lips part on a silent scream as I stretch to accommodate him. It takes my breath, making soft whimpers sound in the back of my throat. He buries his face in my hair, his lips dancing over my temple. “Cry for your big brother, Melody.”
He draws back, sweet agony singing its song as he slams back into me. This position is so open, intense, that I can’t even get a proper grip on him. My hands are everywhere, begging for purchase before he snatches my wrists and plants them on the counter beside me.
“Let me fucking take care of you,” he snarls through gritted teeth. “Take it all, pretty girl.”
“Kaden,” I sob, the tears falling as it all becomes too much. My walls are fluttering around him, overstimulation wracking my being as the edge of the counter bites into my ass.
“My good little sister,” he grits as he grabs my cheeks roughly and runs his tongue along my flesh to collect my waterworks. “Fuck, you taste so good when you cry for me.”
He fucks me with abandon, our skin slapping obscenely loud as my brain becomes muddled.
There’s a dull ache beginning between my overextended legs, but it’s lost on me as I bear down.
My pussy clenches like a vice, creating friction as Kaden battles to keep going.
He pushes against that invisible wall, and my body does something it’s never done before.
Pressure releases, taking my breath with it as my vision blanks, and a breathless scream crests past my lips. Fingers are shoved into my mouth, causing me to choke as an embarrassing amount of wetness paints over us.
“That’s fucking beautiful, Melody,” Kaden rasps, as he stares down at our joined bodies with wicked delight. There’s something almost delusional in his eyes, as if he were just given something unexpectedly perfect. “I’m going to make you do it again.”
My cheeks are crimson red as I shake my head. His fingers are prodding the back of my throat, testing my gag reflex as his gaze snaps to mine.
“You don’t have a fucking choice,” he whispers, kissing my temple. “Not when it comes to me, Sunny.”
He pulls his fingers out of my mouth, a trail of saliva connecting to my lips. He shoves his digits onto his tongue, moaning at the taste of me before he extracts them, and his hand dips between us. He finds my clit, using our spit to lubricate as he presses down on me.