Kaden Read online

  “Oh, Lord. What?” His shoulders tensed.

  “How many… others have there been since me.”

  He shook his head before answering. “Ry, I’ve always worn a condom, so you don’t have to worry about catching anything. I’m clean.” He moved to touch me, but I slapped his hand away.

  “Good to know, but that wasn’t my question.”

  “Why do you need to know that?”

  “Because I don’t want there to be any secrets between us anymore. I don’t want either of us to hide anything. I don’t want us to give the other a reason to get mad about something that might come out later. Let’s just get everything out in the open now. This way, we can move forward with a clean slate.”

  He tried to straighten in his seat but could only move so much with me still sitting on top of him.

  “Can’t we discuss this after?” He toyed with the hem of my panties, but I slapped his hand away again.

  “No. Answer me or we don’t do anything.”

  “Fine. But this goes both ways. I wanna know how many other guys you slept with, too.” His jaw clenched when he finished speaking, and I couldn’t predict who would be angrier afterward.

  Him or me.

  “Fine,” I said as well. “But you go first.” I rested my hands on the tops of my thighs, my fingernails prepared to dig into my skin if his admission became too painful.

  “Fuck,” he grumbled, craning his neck to the side before focusing back on me. “Since you, I’ve slept with six others.”

  “Only six?” My voice rose an octave in disbelief.

  “Yeah. Why? Should there’ve been more?”

  I shook my head. “No. It’s just the way Linc used to talk it seemed like you hooked up with a different girl every week.”

  “I might’ve made it seem like that from time to time, but there were only six.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know what to do with that information. The number was much lower than I thought it would be, but the knowledge he’d slept with six other females hurt. I tried not to picture him with anyone else, but I couldn’t help it. “Was that stripper one of them?”

  He didn’t try and play stupid. “Yeah. But it was only one time, six or seven months ago.”

  “I hate her now. You know that, right?” He chuckled, then cleared his throat when I glared at him.

  “I get it.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Your turn. How many guys?” He grabbed my waist and squeezed before I even answered. “I don’t know if I can handle any number but zero.”

  “My number is less than yours.”

  “Still…”

  I hesitated at first. Not because I contemplated lying but because I was preparing for his reaction. Like he just said, he didn’t know if he could handle a number other than zero. Not wanting to prolong this any longer, though, I blurted out my answer. “Three.”

  Kaden’s expression morphed in the matter of seconds. His face contorted all while trying to appear unaffected. His nostrils flared and the crease in his forehead deepened. He clenched his teeth so hard, the muscles in his jaw had to hurt.

  “Calm down, Kaden.”

  “I. Am. Calm.”

  His grip on my waist tightened right before some sort of growling noise erupted from his throat.

  “You’re not.”

  “Who?”

  “Who what?”

  “Who did you have sex with?”

  “I didn’t agree to reveal that.”

  “Well, I’m asking you now.” He bit down on the corner of his lower lip, in the very same place that was split. I reached forward to pull the area away from his teeth before he did further damage, but he moved his head back.

  “You’re actin’ crazy.” I struggled to get off his lap, but he held me steady. “Let me go.”

  “No. Not until you tell me.”

  “Why are you so upset?” I asked a question to divert whatever he was thinking, but I only added fuel to the fire.

  “Because when I had sex with those chicks, I didn’t care about them. They meant nothing to me. They were just a way to pass a lonely night. But I know you. You emotionally invested something in these guys, otherwise you wouldn’t let them fuck you.”

  “You’re so eloquent.” I tried to pry his hands off me, but he still wouldn’t let me go.

  “Tell me I’m wrong.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “Really?” His cocked brow told me he didn’t believe me.

  “One of the guys was a one-night stand,” I said.

  He looked even angrier than before. There was no way I could win here, even though this was certainly not a competition I wanted to be involved in.

  I should’ve never opened this door.

  I saw that now.

  32

  Kaden picked me up and set me on the cushion next to him before leaning forward and burying his head in his hands.

  “You didn’t even know the guy?”

  “Did you know all the women?”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “It’s the same thing. What? Because you’re a guy you get to sleep with random girls, but I can’t do the same just because I’m a female?”

  He turned and looked at me, the top corner of his lip curling up. “Exactly.”

  I hopped off the couch before he could stop me, walking several feet away because if I stayed close to him, there was no telling what I’d do.

  “You’re unbelievable,” I shouted, not a care in the world right then I was still standing in only my underwear, my breasts still exposed.

  Kaden stood as well but kept his distance. “Who were they? I need to know. I want names. I wanna know where they live... I… fuck!” While I never intended for him to become this angry when I brought up the subject, it wasn’t my fault he chose to overreact this badly. His expression was one of pain mixed with fury, and when I glanced down at the way he curled his fingers into his palms, I realized how furious he was. But he had no right to be. I remained outwardly calm when he told me about those six skanks, those bitches who probably threw themselves at him day and night hoping he’d chose them. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t as calm as I wanted to be, but at least I kept that shit bottled inside because I had no right to put it back on him. We weren’t together.

  “Why? You’re not gonna confront them. You’re not—”

  “Don’t tell me what I’m gonna do. The way I feel right now, I could kill them. The image of these faceless bastards with their hands all over you, their mouths on…” Kaden abruptly stopped speaking, his chest rising and falling in quick succession. His skin started to flush the longer he stood there staring at me, thinking God knew what. Well, I had some sort of idea what ran through his mind. “Tell me who they were,” he gritted, taking a single step closer.

  “You only know one of them.”

  His eyes practically popped out of his head. “What?” His voice shot up two decimals. “Who?”

  “I can’t tell you when you’re like this?”

  He was in front of me before I took another breath. “Who?”

  “Promise me you won’t freak out and go after him.”

  “I promise no such thing, Ry. Now tell me who the fuck it was.” His fists clenched over and over, his breathing now unsteady while he waited for me to divulge the information. Thing was, I was playing with him. I hadn’t slept with anyone he knew. He overreacted, just like I knew he would, so in order to get back at him, I made that part up.

  “Brick. Okay? It was Brick.”

  “You fucked Brick? When?” If someone’s body could literally vibrate with anger, it would be Kaden.

  “Last month. I ran into him outside the salon and we got to talking. Did you know he’s a fan of opera?” I cocked my hip and played with a strand of my hair. “And he loves kittens. Isn’t that sweet? And did you know his favorite movie is The Notebook? That’s my favorite movie.”

  Kaden seemed to have calmed but only because he looked thoroughly confused. When I couldn’t ho
ld back my smile any longer, he shook his head, drawing his bottom lip through his teeth.

  “Are you messin’ with me?”

  I nodded.

  “Did you really fuck Brick?”

  I shook my head.

  “Do you want to?”

  I shook my head again.

  “Good, because he’s the one guy I don’t think I can take.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into him, my breasts crushed against his chest. “The thought of you with anyone drives me insane.”

  “Really? I would’ve never guessed,” I said sarcastically. “You know I feel the same way. I’m just better at controlling my outbursts.”

  “For now,” he replied. “But what happens if we run into one of the chicks I…” He stole his eyes from mine for a moment before looking back at me.

  “Then you’ll have to deal with what happens.” I smirked but inside I ranted and raved. I didn’t know how I’d react if I ever came face-to-face with someone he’d slept with. I now know he had sex with that skanky stripper, but I didn’t know it at the time, thankfully. Needing a diversion from my inner turmoil, I leaned in and kissed him but pulled back before he could deepen the connection. “Doesn’t your lip hurt? Because it looks painful.”

  “It’s fine.” He lowered his mouth to mine and traced my lips with his tongue, all thoughts of our discussion fading away.

  “Stop teasing me,” I murmured, twisting my fingers into the strands of his hair. “I missed you.”

  He hoisted me in the air, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. “I missed you more.” Kaden walked us back to the couch, lowering me until my ass hit the cushion, but instead of lying on top of me, he knelt in front of me and spread my legs. “I missed the taste of you.” With his hand in the center of my chest, he pushed me down until my back hit the couch. His warm breath danced over me, the dampness of my panties eliciting a need I hadn’t felt in years. Not since the last time we’d been together. He reached up and squeezed my breast, playing with my nipple until a sting of pain made me twitch on the couch.

  “Take off your clothes.”

  “Not yet,” he responded. “I don’t wanna stop what I’m doing.” Trailing his fingers down my body, he gripped the flimsy material of my underwear with both hands and ripped my panties in half, discarding them like he’d done it a million times before. When in fact, it was the first time, and it was sexy as hell.

  The first flick of his tongue made me forget to breathe. The second forced the air from my lungs and the third had me shamelessly grinding my pussy against this mouth, the friction of his facial hair and the tease of his tongue driving away any errant thoughts I had so I could focus on my pleasure.

  One minute blended into the next, time seeming to stand still yet escape me. Each gyration against Kaden’s tongue brought me closer to the edge, but for as much as I wanted to come, I didn’t want him to stop.

  “Kad….” My words drifted off, my energy to speak obliterated. He hummed in response, his eyes flicking up to mine, the sight of him between my legs the sexiest thing I ever saw. His willingness to please me spoke volumes, especially after the way I treated him, although justified in my opinion, then having to deal with my dad earlier, wearing the reminders on his face and no doubt his stomach.

  The last thing I wanted to think about was having a conversation with my parents about what went down and what my dad overheard, then undoubtedly told my mom. So I focused on the way Kaden made me feel, the electricity he evoked from every cell in my body, the yearning he created with his mouth and now his hand.

  He pressed against my opening, slowly pushing a finger inside me before quickly adding a second, then a third, the fullness causing me to stop moving.

  “Am I hurting you?” he asked, pulling away from me, the absence of his mouth leaving me desperate. “Is it too much?”

  “No.” I gripped his hair and pushed his head back down. A smile tickled the edges of his lips before he resumed his sweet torture. Moments later, the familiar tingling swirled through me, cresting the faster his tongue worked me, sucking my clit until I almost shot off the couch, his free hand holding me in place until he finished.

  I wanted to hold out longer.

  I wanted to revel in the intimacy of his mouth on me.

  I wanted to feel him against me when I came.

  I wanted so many things, but all I could do was rush to the finish line, losing my breath during the buildup and tensing when the bolt finally hit.

  Throwing my head back, I clamped my legs against Kaden’s head and worry for whether I hurt him never formed, my pleasure the only focus. I’d writhed around so much, my back was now flat on the cushion where my backside had been moments ago, Kaden moving further back in order to make sure a part of me remained on the sofa. My legs somehow found their way over his shoulders, and I rested them in place until I was able to regulate the thrumming of my heart.

  Kaden reached forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me to the ground with him before I could protest. He covered my body with his, and when I frowned, he kissed me tenderly.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Why are you still dressed and I’m naked?”

  “You still have your bra on.”

  “Barely.” I clutched him to me when he tried to move away.

  “I can’t get undressed if you won’t let me go.” His lips grazed mine before pressing hard against my mouth. When he pulled back again, his expression was serious. “I’m not goin’ anywhere, Ry.”

  Pretending I didn’t understand why he said such a thing was pointless because he read my reservation all over my face, felt it in the way my body tensed when he moved back from me. I didn’t realize I needed to hear him say that until he did.

  Kaden stood to his full height in front of me, allowing me to stare up at him while he undressed. He grabbed his shirt by the cuff of the neck and pulled it forward over his head, every muscle in his torso and arms contracting together, the sight making me want to tackle him back to the ground. There was a shadow of a bruise on his left side, but the rattle of his belt shifted my focus from the fight he had with my dad.

  “Wait,” I said when he popped open the button of his jeans, unsure of why I stopped him right then. Maybe I wanted to stare at him some more or maybe I just wanted to prolong the inevitable because once we had sex, there was no going back this time. Not for me, at least, and I hoped not for him.

  As if he could read my mind, he repeated, “I’m not goin’ anywhere, babe.” He pushed his jeans down his legs before kicking them to the side, then he removed his boxer briefs, revealing the last part of him. He was swollen and thick, but it wasn’t until he wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock that I released a sound. “I forgot you love when I stroke myself.”

  “I do.” I covered my pussy with my hand before closing my legs, pushing my breasts together with the movement.

  “You wanna play?” The roughness of his voice was silk to my skin, his gravelly tone as if someone had taken a torch to the tip of his every word. Before I could answer, he released himself, pulled me into a sitting position, reached behind my back and unhooked my bra, tossing it on top of his clothes before pushing me back down. “That’s better.”

  I resumed my position as he did his, the both of us staring at each other while we worked our bodies into a fever pitch. In the past, it took a lot of convincing on my part before he’d masturbate in front of me, and the first time he agreed had been the hottest sight I’d ever seen. But it was nothing compared to how he looked right now.

  His throat constricted with every swallow, the corded muscles of his chest twitching, and I wanted nothing more than to touch him, but I didn’t dare remove my hand from my body for fear he would stop as well. Kaden’s eyes were hooded, filled with longing, and knowing I was the reason for his reaction was like a drug.

  “I don’t wanna come yet,” he groaned, stroking his cock faster despite his statement. “I wanna come inside you.” Seconds later, he
tore his hand away from his body and was on top of me in the space of a heartbeat, shoving my arms to the side as he nestled between my legs. “Are you on the pill?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you want me to wear a condom?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you want to feel me bare inside you?” The head of his cock nudged against me.

  “Yes.” Delirious with desire, I had no idea what I wanted to happen next. While it would be smart for us to use a condom, he’d told me earlier he’d never had sex with anyone else without one and I hadn’t either. And I was on the pill, so I was protected.

  I pressed my mouth to his, and when he deepened the kiss, I wrapped my legs around his waist, hooking my ankles and anchoring us together.

  “Do it now,” I urged, latching back on to his mouth, the tip of my tongue gently tracing the split in his lip. He hissed but didn’t pull away. Instead, his kiss turned possessive… aggressive even.

  Kaden surged forward, stopping when he was only halfway inside me. I was right about one thing. His dick not only looked bigger than I remembered, but he felt bigger, too, stretching me, the bite of pain subsiding quickly afterward. “I can’t… I have to go…” I fidgeted beneath him while he took a moment to compose himself before pressing in further until he was completely sheathed. The heat from his body warmed me, the flicker of his hand running from my neck to my collarbone, coming to rest over my heart gave me the chills. “I love you so much,” he professed, rocking into me over and over, the rhythm of our bodies creating the sweetest friction. He moved his hand up and around the back of my head, resting his thumb on the side of my jaw. “I’m never letting you go again.”

  “Promise?” I barely got the word out, the feel of him consuming my every thought.

  “Promise,” he answered. He raised my head and lowered his, our mouths meeting and promising all things unspoken.

  I ran my fingers over his back, loving the way his muscles twitched as he fucked me. “Faster.”

  In one swift move, he brought his legs forward in a kneeling position and threw my legs over his, slamming into me over and over. He leaned forward and teased my nipples, one after the other, sucking, licking, gently biting the erect and tender buds. He fucked me harder and deeper than he ever had before.