Chapter 4
KADE
Gemma wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer, and just like that, every last shred of my self-control shattered.
Her mouth was on mine again, hot and insistent, her fingers digging into my shoulders like she was afraid I’d disappear if she let go. I kissed her back with everything I had, my hands roaming up her sides, under her sweater, finding soft skin that made my blood roar.
God, she was perfect. Warm and real and trembling just a little under my touch. I broke the kiss, trailing my lips down her jaw, her neck, breathing her in—a sweet scent that drove me insane.
“Gemma,” I growled against her skin. “We should stop. This isn’t—fuck, you deserve better than this. Better than me.”
I meant it. She was twenty-three, untouched, full of dreams about building a life in this nowhere town.
And I was…what? A jaded asshole who’d sworn off anything that smelled like forever.
But even as I said those words, my body betrayed me, pressing harder against her, feeling the heat of her through our clothes.
She shook her head, her breath coming in short gasps. “No. I don’t want to stop. I’m sure, Kade. I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Her eyes locked on mine, wide and dark with want, and something inside me snapped loose. Years of holding back, of keeping everyone at arm’s length—it all unraveled in that moment.
I wanted her. Needed her. Not just her body, but her. The way she looked at me like I wasn’t broken, like I was worth the risk.
I kissed her again, slower this time, trying to rein it in. My hands slid down to the hem of her sweater, and I paused, waiting for permission.
She nodded, lifting her arms so I could pull it off, along with the shirt underneath. The sight of her—pale skin flushed pink, her bra a simple white lace that shouldn’t have been so damn sexy—hit me like a punch to the gut.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, my voice rough as gravel. “So fucking beautiful.” I traced my fingers along the curve of her breast, watching her shiver. “Tell me if you want me to stop. Anytime.”
“I won’t,” she whispered.
But her voice held a hint of nerves now, and it grounded me. She was a virgin. This was her first time, and I wasn’t going to rush it, no matter how desperately my body ached for her.
I unhooked her bra with one hand, letting it fall away, and lowered my mouth to her breast. She arched into me with a soft moan, her fingers threading through my hair.
I teased her nipple with my tongue, sucking gently, then harder, until she was writhing on the desk. At the same time, my free hand slid down her stomach to the button of her jeans. I popped it open, unzipped them, and slipped my fingers inside, finding her panties already damp.
“Fuck, Gemma,” I groaned against her skin. “You’re so wet for me. So ready.”
She gasped as I stroked her through the fabric, light at first, then pressing firmer. “Kade… please…”
I lifted my head to watch her face, memorizing every expression—the way her lips parted, her eyes fluttered shut. “What do you need, baby? Tell me.”
“More,” she breathed. “Touch me. Really touch me.”
I didn’t need to be asked twice. I tugged her jeans and panties down her hips, helping her kick them off, along with her boots. She was bare to me now, and I nearly lost it right there.
But this was about her. I needed to make this good, to erase any doubt or pain before it could take hold.
Dropping to my knees in the cramped space between the desk and the wall, I hooked her legs over my shoulders. She tensed a little, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.
“Kade, you don’t have to—”
“I want to,” I cut her off, my voice low and hungry. “I need to taste you. Let me make you feel good.”
Before she could protest, I leaned in, my tongue tracing a slow path along her folds. She cried out, her hips bucking, and I held her steady with my hands on her thighs.
God, she tasted sweet, like honey and salt, and the sounds she made—soft whimpers turning to moans—drove me wild. I licked and sucked, focusing on that sensitive bundle of nerves, circling it with my tongue until she was trembling.
“Oh God, Kade… that feels… I can’t…” Her words dissolved into gasps.
I slipped a finger inside her, gently at first, feeling how tight she was. She clenched around me, and I groaned into her, the vibration making her arch higher. I added a second finger, stretching her slowly, curling them to hit that spot that made her whole body jerk.
“You’re so tight, baby,” I murmured against her, my breath hot on her skin. “So perfect. Come for me, Gemma. Let go.”
She came a moment later, her thighs clamping around my head, pulling at my hair as she came undone. I lapped at her through it, drawing out every last shudder, until she went limp, breathing ragged.
I stood, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, and pulled her into my arms for a kiss. She likely tasted herself on my lips, and the way she moaned into my mouth had me rock-hard, straining against my jeans.
“That was… incredible,” she whispered, her eyes hazy with pleasure.
“We’re not done yet,” I said, my voice thick with need.
I stripped off my shirt, then my jeans and boxers, kicking them aside. Her eyes widened as she looked at me, a mix of awe and apprehension.
“You’re big,” she said softly, reaching out to touch me tentatively.
Her fingers wrapped around my length, stroking once, and I hissed through my teeth.
“Easy, or this’ll be over too soon.” I caught her hand, kissing her palm. “You sure about this? We can stop here.”
She shook her head, pulling me closer. “I want you. All of you.”
I positioned myself between her legs, the head of my cock nudging her entrance. She was still slick from her orgasm, but I knew this would hurt. “It might be painful at first,” I warned, my forehead against hers. “I’ll go slow. Tell me if it’s too much.”
She nodded, biting her lip. “I’m on the pill, by the way. Just…in case.”
Relief washed through me, but it wasn’t the gut-deep exhale it usually was.
With other women, that assurance had always been a barrier against complications I never wanted.
But with Gemma? The thought of getting her pregnant—of her carrying my child—didn’t terrify me.
It stirred something primal, possessive.
I wanted to claim her in every way, and that realization shook me to my core.
“Good,” I murmured, though my mind was reeling. “But even if you weren’t… fuck, Gemma, the idea doesn’t scare me like it should.”
Her eyes softened, searching mine, but before she could respond, I pushed forward, inch by inch. She was so tight, gripping me like a vise, and the heat of her enveloped me completely. It was like nothing I’d ever felt—velvet fire, pulling me in deeper. I groaned, fighting the urge to thrust hard.
She winced, her nails digging into my back. “It hurts,” she whispered, tears pricking her eyes.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry.” I stilled, kissing her softly, my hand sliding between us to circle her clit with my thumb. “Breathe with me. Relax. I’ve got you.”
I kept my touches light, building her pleasure again, distracting her from the pain. Slowly, her body adjusted, her breaths evening out.
“Better?” I asked, my voice strained from holding back.
“Yes,” she said, rocking her hips experimentally. “Keep going.”
I started moving then, shallow thrusts at first, letting her get used to me.
The friction was exquisite, every slide sending sparks up my spine.
I’d been with women before—plenty—but this was different.
Deeper. Like she was made for me, her body fitting mine in a way that went beyond physical.
It cracked something open inside me, emotions I’d buried flooding out.
“You feel so good,” I growled, my mouth on her neck, nipping at the skin. “So tight around my cock. Like you were meant for this—for me.”
She moaned, her back arching against the wall behind the desk as I picked up the pace. The trailer creaked with our movements, papers scattering forgotten to the floor. I hooked one of her legs higher around my waist, angling deeper, and she cried out in pleasure.
“Kade… oh…”
“That’s it, baby. Take me. All of me.”
My hand stayed between us, rubbing her clit in firm circles, matching my thrusts. She was close again—I could feel it in the way she clenched around me, her breaths turning to pants.
“Come for me again,” I demanded, my own release building, hot and insistent. “I want to feel you come on my cock.”
She shattered a second time, her walls pulsing around me, milking me. The sensation was overwhelming, like lightning through my veins, and it dragged me over the edge with her. I thrust deep one last time, spilling inside her with a guttural groan, stars exploding behind my eyes.
We stayed like that for what felt like forever, tangled together in the cramped trailer, our breaths syncing as we came down.
Her head rested on my shoulder, her arms loose around my neck.
I waited for the regret to hit—the familiar cold rush that always followed, reminding me why I didn’t do this, why I kept my heart locked away.
It didn’t come.
Instead, I felt…whole. Like pieces of me I’d shattered long ago were slotting back into place.
Gemma lifted her head, her cheeks flushed, eyes warm and satisfied as they met mine. She smiled, soft and trusting, and something in my chest cracked wide open. Not pain, but a flood of feeling—affection, protectiveness.
Love?
Fuck. It was too soon for that, but there it was, blooming unchecked.
I pulled her closer, burying my face in her hair, holding her like she’d vanish if I let go. Terror gripped me—not of what we’d done, but of how much I felt. How deep I’d fallen already.
I was in too deep to walk away, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t want to.