by Mia Jones
She grinned at him. “Good. I hate wasting food. Most of the time, I order from the kids’ menu, but I was hungry today. Just not this hungry.”
“Now, you’ve got me.”
She stared at him from across the table. “Yes, now, I have you.”
Kaden pointed his fork at her plate. “Eat.”
They stayed mostly silent as they ate. Lilah had finished about a fourth of it before she groaned and pushed the plate across to Kaden.
“That’s all you can eat?” Kaden asked with raised brows.
“Yes. My stomach hurts if I overeat.”
“Alright.”
Lilah watched in fascination as he first finished his food and then cleaned her plate. “Holy cow, it’s going to cost a lot to feed you, isn’t it?”
Kaden grinned as he finished his coffee. “I’m six foot five and two hundred and forty pounds. I also do a lot of physical labor.”
“I’m five three and about a hundred pounds.”
“Jesus, baby. I’ll have to watch it, so I don’t squash you.”
Lilah giggled. “I’ll just pinch you if I can’t breathe.”
He stood, tossed some bills on the table, and then reached for her.
Kaden looked both ways as he was pulling out of the parking lot. “Is there anything you need to get done today?”
“Yes. I need to get a present for a friend of mine that works at the hospital.”
“Sure. Where to?”
“Would you hate it if we went to the mall?” she asked anxiously.
He grinned and reached across the console for her hand. “I don’t mind at all. As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters to me.”
Lilah squeezed his hand and looked out her window. She didn’t think he was ready to see the love she had for him. It was too early in their relationship. She also couldn’t prevent her feelings from deepening. Everything he’d done so far made her love him even more.
They spent two hours in the mall before Lilah finally pulled him away.
“I thought you would be getting me out of the place, not vice versa,” Lilah laughed.
“I saw another little teddy in that last store…”
“You’ve already bought me a blouse and a bra and panty set. We were only supposed to go in for a gift,” she complained.
He opened his truck door and then pinned her to the side. “And if I want to buy you a hundred bras, you’re going to let me.”
She grinned and shook her head. “I don’t want you spending money on me…”
Kaden cupped her face with his hands. “This is one of those things I won’t compromise on…”
“But…”
“I promise not to go crazy, but if I see something, I want you to have, I will buy it.”
“That’s sweet, but…”
“I enjoy doing this. Would you take that away from me?” he asked innocently.
Lilah snorted. “That’s sneaky.”
“Yup,” he said, bent and closed his mouth over hers. He lifted his head and stared down at her. “Jesus, woman. You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Lilah gasped, and her eyes misted with tears. She rubbed her finger over his bottom lip. “You make me feel beautiful.”
Kaden hugged her and set his head on top of hers. They stayed like that for a minutes before he lifted her into her seat and snapped her seatbelt.
He was just getting his seatbelt fastened when his phone rang.
Lilah chuckled at the way he answered.
“Kaden. Yeah?”
He narrowed his eyes on her when she laughed. “Shit, fine. We’ll stop by right now.”
He hung up and then drove out of the parking lot. “I’m sorry, baby, I need to stop by the office. I have to sign a few things and make a call.”
“It’s fine. I’d like to see your office anyway.”
He pulled into a glass and gray one-story building. The building seemed to go on forever. Lilah noticed farther down a few large overhead doors were open, and a guy was driving a lift stacked with sheetrock to a waiting truck.
Lilah was a bit shocked at the size of the building and the emblem that said Shaw Construction on the side of the building and truck. His company was much larger than she’d thought, and it was daunting.
She smiled when he lifted her down from his truck, grasped her hand, and pulled her along.
Lilah’s heart seized in her chest when the woman at a large desk looked up. She was stunning, but what bothered her the most was the look of ownership in her eyes when she looked at Kaden and before she noticed her. Then her expression fell a bit and turned brittle.
The woman pulled her eyes from Lilah and smiled at Kaden.
“Why exactly am I here?” he growled.
“Walker wants a conference call, and the files are on your desk.”
Kaden looked down at Lilah. “I’m sorry, baby. It should only take a few minutes.”
Lilah smiled. “It’s no big deal. I’ll just sit out here…”
“No, I want you in with me,” he said and pulled her along to his office. He stopped at the doorway and looked down at her. “Do you want Gloria to get you something to drink?”
Lilah glanced at the woman and cringed. The last thing the woman wanted to do was serve Lilah. “No, I’m good.” She released her breath when the door closed behind them.
“Go ahead and sit wherever you want, baby.”
“I’ll just sit on the sofa.”
Kaden nodded and sat behind his desk. He picked up the phone and dialed before pushing the speakerphone. He rifled through a file as he waited.
“Hey, Carter, it’s me. What was so important that I needed to be in the office on Saturday?” he asked gruffly.
“For one thing, asshole, when have you stopped working on the weekend?”
“I have other things to do,” Kaden said and grinned at Lilah.
“That can only mean a girl.”
“Let’s get to the questions that were so damn important.”
Carter snorted. “I’m not the one in a hurry. Your secretary is the one that wanted these answered today.”
Kaden sat back with a thunderous look on his face. “I’ll deal with that. Let’s get this over with.”
For the next few minutes, they went over several things that Lilah didn’t understand, so she picked up a magazine about construction and skimmed through that. Her head jerked up when the door opened, and Gloria came in. She went right to Kaden’s side of the desk and leaned over him to set some papers down.
Lilah relaxed when she noticed it was a move that irritated Kaden when he sat back and scowled at Gloria. If the woman thought she was getting to Lilah, she was dead wrong. She was secure in the fact, Kaden wanted to be with her and only her.
Gloria could dream all she wanted. She was not getting Kaden.
Kaden clicked off the phone and signed a few things. He cursed when his phone rang again. He picked it up and talked to what sounded like a guy and then hung up before he called Gloria.
“Jesus Christ, Gloria. Isn’t that something you can take care of?”
Lilah heard her tone, but not her words.
Kaden stood up. “I’ve got to go back to the warehouse. I’d take you with me, but it’s dirty, loud, and a lot of men that I don’t want to have their eyes on you.”
Lilah giggled, making him relax and smile. “Go, I’ll sit and wait. We’re not on any schedule today.”
“I’ll be as fast as I can.”
Lilah sat back on the sofa and waited. It wasn’t long before the office door opened, and Gloria stood glaring down at her.
Lilah pasted a serene smile on her face. “What do you need, Gloria?” She had to bite back her grin when anger physically shook the secretary’s body.
“You know you’re just the flavor of the month, right?”
Lilah raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes. Kaden always comes back to me.”
“How very…mature of you. There is no way I’d le
t my lover be with other women and then try to come back to me. I respect myself too much.”
Gloria hissed. “Kaden has a big appetite. It doesn’t mean anything if he fucks other women when I know it’s me, he’ll end up with.”
Lilah stood, crossed her arms, and faced off with the larger woman. She had to admit the woman probably fit Kaden’s proportions better than she did, but it wasn’t Gloria he wanted. It was Lilah.
“Let’s try a bit of honesty right now. Have you ever been on a date with Kaden?”
“I…”
Lilah held out a hand. “Wait, don’t answer because I already know the truth,” Lilah said. “You haven’t. So why in the heck do you think he’ll start dating you?”
“He’ll see it eventually. He needs me…”
Lilah shook her head. “That’s where you're wrong. There are a dozen people out there right now that can do your job better than you. Everyone is expendable.”
“What does a two-bit hick like you know about? Did you even graduate high school?”
Lilah’s eyebrows rose in humor. She thought just because she had a slight southern accent; she was stupid? “Did you?”
“Hell, yes, I did.”
“What about college?” Lilah asked.
“I didn’t need to for this job.”
“I had to have college for my job, hun.”
Gloria snorted. “For what?”
“I’m a specialized pediatric nurse at the hospital. I had to have six years of college.”
Gloria’s mouth dropped open and then closed. If anything, her scowl darkened. “I don’t fucking care what the hell you are. He’ll get tired of your sweet little ways…”
“Actually, I won’t.”
Both women turned toward the doorway where a very pissed of Kaden stood.
“Oh…Kaden…,” Gloria said.
“Shut up.” Kaden looked over at Lilah. “Are you okay, baby?”
“Yes. This is not a big deal. We were just having a little talk…,” Lilah started.
“Well I heard the last part, and it’s bullshit.” He turned to Gloria. “I’m not sure if I’m going to fire you or not. But I will tell you if you ever speak to my woman like that again, your ass is out of here. I don’t even want you to look at her.”
Gloria took a step toward him. “Kaden, I just…”
“Back off. Lilah was right, you’re expendable, but she’s not. I won’t have her upset by some viper that thinks she has a shot at me.”
Gloria pressed her lips together.
“Kaden,” Lilah started. “I think everything’s been ironed out, and she understands where she stands now. Do you think we can let this go?”
Kaden glared at Lilah and then turned back to Gloria. “Can you be professional?”
“Yes,” she said tersely.
“You ever hang over me again like you did earlier, you're out. Do you get me?”
Gloria stiffened. Then nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Then go back to work,” he barked. He waited until she was out of the room, closed the door, and stalked toward Lilah.
Lilah put her hands out. “Wait, why are you mad at me?”
“Who says I’m mad at you?” he purred.
Lilah giggled and then bit her lip. “So, you’re saying you're not mad at me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Lilah stopped and stomped her foot. “Then, what are you?”
“I’m extremely aroused and want a kiss from my woman,” he growled.
“Well, why didn’t you just say so,” she said and jumped into his arms.
Chapter Thirteen
He kissed her until they were both breathless.
“Jesus, woman.”
Lilah smiled.
“Let’s go to your house and get you some clothes and then head to the store. We can pick up some steaks for tonight.”
“I think that’s a great plan,” Lilah said and stepped back.
Kaden curved an arm around her waist and walked them out of the office. Lilah relaxed when Gloria wasn’t at her desk.
At her house, Kaden sat down on the sofa and waited for Lilah to pack a bag. “You might want to bring more than one change of clothes,” he yelled.
She poked her head out of the bedroom. “Why?”
“Because you’re not coming back here for a few days.”
“Kaden, are we moving too fast?”
Kaden stood and walked back to her room. He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “If you ask me, you’d already be in my house.”
Lilah rolled her eyes. “We've been together one day.”
“It doesn’t matter to me. Does it to you?”
She held a pair of her jeans up to her chest and faced him. “I’m just afraid if we move too fast, we’ll break apart.”
He walked to her and cupped her cheek. “We’ve both felt it from the beginning. I was just too stupid to grab you then. Now that I have you, there is no way I’m letting you go.”
“What about me?”
“Baby, I’m going to make you so happy, you’re not going to want to go anywhere.”
She turned her head and pressed her lips to the palm of his hand. “I’ll pack several days’ worth.”
He nodded his satisfaction.
They zoomed through the store, filling a cartload of food.
Lilah helped carry in the groceries and set everything on the counter as she pulled it out of the sacks.
She turned to look at him when he came in with the last of the sacks and her bag. “I don’t know where to put anything.”
“Look around. I just shove things anywhere, so it’s going to look like a mess.”
Lilah wrinkled her nose.
He grinned. “I know it’s a guy thing. Can you organize it later?”
“I’d love to.”
Lilah put the steaks in a marinade and then followed Kaden out to the back.
He set the plate of crackers, cheese, and fruit along with a glass of wine for her and a beer for him down. He sat in one of the large loungers and pulled her down next to him. He handed her the glass of wine and set the plate on his lap.
Lilah leaned her head against his shoulder and looked around. She’d never seen a more tranquil place in her life.
“This is really beautiful, Kaden. Did you do this all yourself?”
“Pretty much. I had a nursery do the plantings, but I take care of them.”
She glanced up at him and grinned. “A man of many talents.”
Kaden snorted. “Not likely.”
He waited until they had eaten a bit, and she had sipped some of her wine and relaxed. “Do you want to tell me about you?” He felt her stiffen but then right away relax against him.
“Um…well…I was dropped off at a church when I was a few days old. I was addicted to heroin…”
“Jesus,” he hissed.
“Yeah. Thankfully I don’t remember the withdrawals. The thing I tell myself is my mom loved me enough to give me up when so many just throw their babies away. I’ve had to take care of a few that were found. One was in a dumpster.”
“What the fuck. Who could do that to a baby?”
“Desperate women, I suppose. Anyway, I had a bunch of health issues while growing up, which made it next to impossible to get adopted.” She shrugged. “I did end up with a schoolteacher. She taught me so much. I will always be grateful to her. She died my second year in college, so she didn’t get to see me graduate.”
Kaden kissed Lilah’s temple. “I’m sorry, baby.”
She cuddled into his arms.
“Why did you decide to be a nurse?”
“Because of the ones that helped me when I was in the hospital. They made a massive difference in my life.”
“I’m glad you had them.”
“Me, too. Do you ever go to see your mom?”
Kaden sighed. “I have, but every time I go back, everything’s a little worse than the time before, and I feel like shit for several days af
ter.”
“If you ever decide to go again, I’ll go with you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Just remember, I’m not going to judge you on your childhood, it will probably just impress me more that you could overcome that and make a success out of yourself.”
Kaden walked around the house to make sure everything was locked up after they had cleaned up from dinner. When he came back to the kitchen doorway, it was to find Lilah taking everything out of the cupboards. He didn’t say anything, he turned her toward him, bent over and slung her over his shoulder. He grinned when she shrieked.
“What are you doing?” she yelled.
“It’s time for bed.”
“Couldn’t you have just said so?” she gripped.
“No, this was much more fun.”
She held tight to his belt in back. She wanted to slap his ass to see what he would do, but he took that moment to slide his hand up between her legs and press against the junction of her thighs.
Any fight she’d had left as her desire spiked out of control.
Kaden dropped her onto the bed and pulled off her clothes and then his own. He pinned her to the mattress.
“I have to bring something up. I didn’t use a condom last night.”
“It’s okay; I’m on the pill.”
He nodded. “You don’t have to worry about anything else. I’ve always protected myself.”
“I’ve only been with one man, and it was years ago, so you’re safe also.”
He lowered his head and started kissing and licking her neck.
Lilah tilted her head, giving him deeper access.
He’d move from her neck to her mouth and to her breasts before she felt his hand slide down her midsection. She shuddered deep inside when first one, and then two fingers were worked into her depths.
They were too hungry for each other to wait any longer. He tucked her under him and slid gently into her.
Within minutes they both lost all control. A strangled sob tore from her throat as her climax took her over.
Kaden pumped one, two, then three more times before he followed.
Lilah laid trembling in his arms. He pulled her against his chest and covered them with the blanket before he kissed her forehead.
“You okay?”
Lilah hummed and nodded. “Mm mm, yes.”