Chapter fifty Melody
Chapter fifty
Melody
There’s something warm moving beneath me.
I’m weighed down with drowsiness, my dream coming to me in broken fragments that replay over and over again.
Kaden’s cock in my mouth, the blurred vision of me straddling him as he grinded me down onto his length, and the intense orgasm that followed, had me on the verge of insanity.
I hate to admit it, but I’ve dreamed of him before.
It’s a lingering side effect of our once close connection—the endless nights of pleasure where I wake up with my fingers already buried deep inside of me as Dylan sleeps beside me, unaware that I’m searching for more than what my thin digits can give me.
I would slap a hand over my mouth, shamefully reliving each sequence of my dream Kaden until my peak was reached.
Only to realize that I would never be satisfied even after I gave myself a toe-curling orgasm.
Bitter resentment would wash over me, along with embarrassing post-clarity, before I would yank the covers up in irritation and turn over to bask in my humiliation.
But right now, I’m not feeling that same uncomfortable feeling in my chest. No, I feel…lighter. It’s as if that dream satiated a part of myself that’s always been searching for more, and I can’t complain.
Smoke and leather curl around me, and whatever is below my cheek moves again. It’s been rising with steady motions this whole time, lifting me before gently lowering me. It’s nice.
I nuzzle in deeper, tucking my knees close to me as my body reaches a state of utter bliss and comfort. Is it physically possible to be any more cozy? I feel like I could sleep here for a lifetime…
The thing rumbles below me before something brushes my hair aside.
I’m slow to the realization because my mind is still trapped in the fog, but as a throat is cleared above me, my eyes shoot open.
I’m staring up and directly at Kaden’s thick neck, the black ink snaking around him like a painting.
I shoot up, a trail of drool connecting from the corner of my mouth to an embarrassing stain on his t-shirt.
Oh, fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck!
I know how I am when I get those dreams. I’m insatiable and horny, always waking up to my fingers already fucking me with abandon.
Oh, my god.
Did I do that in front of him?!
He lifts a brow lazily, not giving me a single clue as to what he could have witnessed. “You’re awake.”
I clear my throat, smacking my dry mouth. “Um, yeah…”
I’m partially on him, and my other half rests where I was originally sitting. I must have shifted over in my sleep. I glance at the TV, taking in the ending credits as they roll.
Damn. I missed the whole thing.
“How was the movie?” I ask, side-eyeing Kaden as I sit back up. I’m trying to see if there’s any indicator that I may have touched myself in front of him, but he isn’t giving me anything.
He shrugs. “I still don’t understand the part with the note. Did she ever take him back? It made no sense.”
“That’s because there’s a sequel,” I snort.
He throws his head back, groaning. “This whole series could have been a fucking e-mail.”
“I can’t believe you actually watched it,” I chuckle.
Kaden throws up a hand, pointing to the stain on his shirt. “Well, if someone hadn’t fallen asleep, I would have had someone to torment instead.”
I wipe my mouth bashfully, my nose wrinkling. “Sorry…”
He pats the sofa before rising. “Do you want a sandwich for lunch?”
“Please,” I beg as he rounds towards the kitchen.
He pulls the fridge open, grumbling playfully. “I’m starting to feel like your maid today. Snowmen, hot chocolate, movies, and now I’m making you lunch.”
“You would make a wonderful spouse,” I joke.
His head swivels to me, a crooked smile tugging on his lips. “Then marry me.”
My heart plummets before it spasms, and my chest tightens. My smile fades a little as Kaden continues to make our food. He doesn’t dwell on what he just said, and it makes my reaction feel silly.
A joke.
He was just making a joke, Melody.
I scrub a hand down my face, the events of my dream still plaguing me with every steamy detail when I notice that something is missing. I turn my hand over, my brow drawing as my ring finger rests bare. I blink, the sounds around me fading as a memory slams forcefully through my mind.
Kaden bit down on my engagement ring before slowly pulling it off with his teeth and spitting it behind the couch. I can still hear the distinct sound it made as it danced across the marble—a light twinkling.
My eyes shift to the kitchen, and I see his back is turned to me as he smears two pieces of bread with mayonnaise.
I tilt forward slightly, not drawing any attention to myself as I peer over the backrest of the couch.
There, resting on the floor, sits my ring, shining with the afternoon light from the terrace.
I sit back, my head slowly turning to face my cup of hot chocolate resting on the coffee table.
It’s cold now, but I don’t need it to be warm to know exactly what happened.
Did he fucking drug me?
I wasn’t tired before we sat down to watch the movie…
Anger boils in my veins, making my teeth grind until…
I let it go. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I’m tired of men thinking they can possess and claim without me putting up a fight.
Dylan has already strained our relationship to its breaking point, and with the flurry of text messages I sent him that are still unanswered, he isn’t here to have a say in what I do.
With that being said, I’m also not giving Kaden the benefit.
He can have his little games, but I’ll be leaving here in two days with my fucking will and my dignity. That’s something I refuse to let either of them shatter.
I hate what I’m feeling towards Dylan. It’s starting to morph into resentment over the missed time and empty promises. He treats his job like it’s his first priority, and I’m the second, taking a backseat as he navigates us to the top.
But I don’t feel like I’m on top with him.
I feel like an obstacle that stands in his way, blurring the finish line that would be clear if I just moved.
So, I’ll move. In the meantime, my ‘dreams’ are just going to get crazier. Can’t stop a girl from fantasizing.
Kaden skirts around the sofa, holding up a plate for me. “Your sandwich.”
“Thank you,” I smile, taking it from him. Every ounce of evidence that I’m onto him is wiped away as we eat in comfortable silence.
Meanwhile, I’m acutely aware of my diamond ring resting on the floor behind us, discarded and out of mind.
Tea.
He made me drug-laced tea.
I hold the mug in my hands, the minty scent wafting to me as we stand in the kitchen. My eyes snap to him. “I don’t drink tea.”
He scratches at the back of his neck. “It’s a nice warm drink. I was thinking we could sit and talk like we used to…”
That sounds…good. Even if he does have an ulterior motive behind it.
When was the last time Dylan sat down with me and actually listened to anything I had to say?
I feel as if I’ve been locked up, speaking only during my weekly calls with Kodi to gossip and keep up with her constantly changing love life.
“I would like that,” I smile before resting my mug down on the marble counter and bouncing up. I miss, and the edge cuts into my spine as I hiss.
Kaden sucks his teeth before his warm, big hands grab my waist. I bite back my sound of surprise as he lifts me effortlessly onto the marble. I grab my mug, hiding my face as I take a generous sip.
I did a little research on sleep aids while Kaden was visiting with Dad earlier, out on the terrace. If I’m doing this, then I’m going to have fun with it. He thinks he’s so slick…
“Mmm,” I moan, pulling the rim away from my lips. “It has a metallic taste to it. That’s odd.”
His brain buffers as something passes behind his eyes. “Uh, it’s just the brand I used.”
Good save.
“So,” I bounce on the counter, tilting my head. “What did you want to talk about?”
He chuckles, his lips quirking into that charming half-smile. “Isn’t it obvious? I want to talk about you, Melody.”
My brows rise over the rim of my cup. “Me? What about me?”
He waves a hand. “Everything. I’ve missed six years, and I need a crash course on everything Sunny related. Do you still like roses?”
“It’s my all-time favorite flower,” I muse.
He points at me. “Now, we’re getting somewhere. Do you still hate pulp in orange juice?”
My nose wrinkles. “It’s like drinking hair.”
He runs his hands down his face dramatically. “You killed me with that shit. Dad refused to buy the one with pulp ever again because you wouldn’t drink it.”
I shove his shoulder, laughing. “Okay! Maybe I was a little spoiled back then…”
“Back then?” He scoffs. “You had us wrapped around your little fingers at all times. You ran a tight ship.”
“I’m not as spoiled now…” I trail, my mirth fading a bit.
A humorless laugh slips from Kaden before he can stop it. “You deserve to get what you want, Melody. What one man won’t provide, another will in a heartbeat.”
Fuck. I hate it when he talks to me like that.
I feel like that teenage girl who fell hopelessly in love with him all those years ago.
I feel naive and gullible with my hammering heart and fluttering stomach.
It’s why this is all so dangerous. I could easily slip back in time, softening myself to his charm.
Change the subject.
I take another long sip of my tea. “You’re asking about me, but I’m not the one who went missing for six years. What the hell have you been up to?”
His lips pull over his teeth exaggeratedly. “Pass.”
I shove him. “You can’t do that! Besides, I already have an idea of what your life has looked like for the past few years.”
“Oh, yeah?” He tilts his head. “Enlighten me then.”
I take another sip, my body beginning to tingle as the drug slowly starts oozing through my veins. I set my cup aside, spreading my hands in a grand gesture as my lips twitch. “Okay, picture this—”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” he groans.
“—a dark and stormy night—”
“I’m not a super villain,” he laughs.
I pinch his lips together, my body becoming heavy. “Stop interrupting me!”
“Sorry,” he mutters, the sound muffled.
I release him before taking a breath. Relaxation curls around my muscles, slowly taking me down as I ramble. “It’s a dark and stormy night. You’re parked near the curb as you wait for the drop. A sleek car drives by, tossing the bag of rock—”
“How the fuck do you know what rock is?” He scowls.
I slap a hand over the firm set of his lips as I continue. “They toss the bag of rock out the window, leaving it on the asphalt. You get out, collect it, and bring it back to Ivan. In his shady, dark office—”
“That’s probably the only accurate detail so far.” He shrugs.
”—There are men who weigh the drugs and give them out to suppliers.”
“They’re called runners,” Kaden corrects.
I point my finger in his face, becoming slightly loopy. “Were you a runner?”
He blows out a breath. “Yeah, at first.”
I’m definitely loosening up, because I rest my elbows on my knees and cup my face with both hands as I become enthralled by his dangerous life that once made me so terrified it haunted my dreams. “How many people have you killed?”
His head rears. “I’m not telling you that, Melody.”
“Please!” I beg, reaching a heavy hand out to him. “It won’t scare me! I promise.”
He tilts his head towards me, his eyes glossing over my face before he sighs in resignation. “Why can’t I ever tell you no?”
I give him a ditzy smile as my eyes droop. “Because I’m your favorite girl.”
His mouth twitches at that. “Favorite,“ he repeats. “Melody…you’re the only girl.”
The way he says it makes the room feel smaller. I laugh under my breath, but it fades when I see the conviction burning in his eyes. He isn’t teasing. He’s gazing at me with rapt fascination, as if he’s trying to catalogue every flutter of my lashes and facial expression.
“That’s intense…” I trail as the air becomes too thick.
“It is,” he replies simply before leaning over me and bracing his hands on either side of my hips. The inked 0-0-0-1 catches my eye, resting solid and firm in his skin—a mark of the darkness he lives in. “You really want to know?” He murmurs.
My stomach flips, but I nod anyway.
He studies me closely, looking for any cracks in my exterior that could potentially stop him from spouting the truth. “Enough,” he whispers. “Enough that I stopped counting long ago.”
A chill creeps up my spine. I should be afraid. I was in another lifetime, but now, there’s something else lurking under the surface. A longing that I can’t place…
“I only killed people who deserved it,” he says slowly, his eyes shifting to my lips.
“What if someone hurts me?” The question slips out before I can stop it. I don’t know what’s possessing me to dance with the devil, but I’m like a moth being drawn to a flame. The danger is thrilling—different.
And it could also be attributed to the sleep tugging at me more and more with every passing second.
His expression morphs, becoming feral with an ancient edge to it. His jaw tightens as every ounce of softness vanishes. “They wouldn’t.”
“That’s not what I asked,” I whisper as my eyes flutter.
His thumb drifts, barely brushing my shirt, but it’s enough to burn. “I would make sure they didn’t get close enough to try.”
His words bleed the truth, cold and firm. There isn’t an ounce of hesitancy behind him, and for the first time, I truly see just how dangerous he is now. He’s a force to be reckoned with, and I have no doubts he’s killed far more people than he’s willing to disclose to me.
He moves my cup aside, using a hand to push my shoulder back slightly. I didn’t even realize I’d been leaning forward this whole time, my body weighed down by an invisible force. “I think it’s time for bed,” he suggests.
My blink is long, lashes fluttering as I try to fight against the drug. “I’m fine.”
He snorts before scooping an arm under my legs and hoisting me up bridal style. “You can barely keep your eyes open.”
I rest my head on his chest, letting my muscles relax as smoke and leather grip me tightly. “That tea must do wonders…”
A breathless laugh is squeezed from him. “Yeah, it must.”
He carries me upstairs, using a foot to kick my door open before laying me down in my bed. As I release him, that warmth dissipates, leaving me cold and yearning to have it back. I feel safe in his arms.
I can’t even fight the drug now. My eyes remain closed as my mind drifts while Kaden kisses my temple. There’s a hum in my body, like anticipation of his touch is even expected in this state as he lingers over me.
“Good night,” I mumble sleepily.
“Good night, pretty girl.”