by Kahlen Aymes
I turned my face over my shoulder, yearning for him, and pressing into him again, my hand grazing down his hip and around the back of his ass cheek to grip him and pull him closer. I was going to treasure every second of our time together, this last few months of working together. I tried not to think about this being our last movie together.
"Mmmm... Cade," I said in a breathless whisper, a soft smile dancing over my lips. His hips surged against mine, the delicious satin of his erection pressing into the space between my legs. The ache was starting, the heat and wetness pooling deep inside of me.
"Baby... God Brook, how do you make me want you so much? I always want you; even when I'm bloody asleep. You'll be the death of me." Hearing his amused, yet delicious words, feeling his arms and legs around me, his nimble fingers pulling and teasing my nipples as he began to play my body like only he could... his desire seeking mine was more than I could resist.
"Uhhhh!" I gasped as he slipped inside me. My body moved with his, urging him on as he filled and stretched me, pushing deeply into me. I arched back toward him to take him in fully and his mouth moved hungrily on the skin of my neck, dragging down to the curve of my shoulder. His mouth opened hotly on my skin to bite gently on my flesh as I clenched around him and pulled one of his fingers into my mouth to suck it gently. I had come to know how much that stimulated him and Cade rewarded me with a low groan from somewhere deep inside his chest. I could almost feel him vibrating against my back.
"Uhhh, you feel so good," he breathed against me, his breath washing over my skin in a hot rush. "I want to get closer, love." He pushed into me again, as his hands roamed over the front of my body. I held my breath because I knew what was coming. He never forgot to touch me, to make sure that he gave me as much pleasure as he possibly could.
"Yes, closer... " I said softly, and pulled away so I could turn toward him. Instantly, my body felt the loss, but Cade gathered me close and lifted me closer, moving so he was sitting up and pulling me with him so that my legs straddled his lap and my knees rested on the bed on the outside of his slim hips. My arms wound around his shoulders, and my hands threaded through his hair as he found my entrance and filled me again. The position was so intimate, allowing deeper penetration as our hips moved into each other and our eyes locked. The strong arms around my hips held me tightly and he moaned and panted with each thrust. The open mouth kisses he was running along the curve of my neck and shoulders left me gasping. My head fell back and the breath rushed from me as the intense tightening in my lower body began to build. He licked and nipped at my tender skin. It almost hurt, it was so urgent, but it was delicious and I wanted more and more.
"Yes... Cade. That's it, baby." Our hips ground and rocked into each other, easily finding the rhythm that had us both gasping.
"Brook... I can't... I can't stop it. Bloody hell, tell me you're with me," he moaned in a low growl. "Oh, God."
That voice moaning my name in the throes of passion were my undoing and I fell apart. I bent my head to find his mouth with mine, his tongue thrust into my mouth and we sucked on each other I fell over into the waves of my orgasm, even as his arms tightened and his body tensed against mine.
Our bodies were still moving together, the tremors still racking through both of us, as our mouths separated and his forehead rested on mine. We were both panting and licking at each other's mouths, our hands stroking each other's hair.
How do I love you this much, hmmm?" Cade continued to kiss me and moved to lay me back down on the bed, his body still connected with mine. Brushing my hair back over and over. "So much," he whispered against my mouth.
I brushed his lips with mine and kissed him gently before I looked up into the beautiful face with wonder. His blue eyes were dark and soft. The sun was just starting to come up and there was just enough light to see his face, his pupils were wide and dilated and he nuzzled my nose with his own. I was so content I felt like purring like a cat. He represented everything I needed in the world. My heart swelled and I swallowed to hold in the emotion.
"You always... amaze me."
He smiled. "I thought you were going to say that I always... make you come." He chuckled softly and kissed the side of my face and then pulled my lower lip in between his to suckle softly. He was so gentle.
I smiled and touched his face. The stubble was getting softer after 24 hours of growth. "Mmmm, you'll get a big head." I laughed. "Oh right. You already have one." I surged my hips against his once more before he pulled out of me and moved to my side.
"I don’t right now. You wear me out, woman. We've got a big day. We should try to sleep a couple more hours, yeah?"
I turned toward him and he pulled me into the curve of his shoulder, close to his body. "Are you afraid you won't be your normal gorgeous self? Just so you know... it’s inevitable." I smiled and he huffed.
"Whatever," Cade huffed. "And no, I don't give a shit how I look most of the time, but this is a message to the world. I want it to be perfect."
Yes, today was our secret shoot with Harper's Bazaar. We'd done the interview three weeks earlier right after we got to Vancouver and the magazine was sending a crew up to take the photos that would print with it. I smiled at the memory of the interview. It was fucking perfect. When the guy asked me questions, I knew he'd be asking Cade some version of the same thing, and even though we'd been unaware of what he would ask, I knew our answers would be the same or similar, and that was sort of the point. Hey, world... you wanna know? Well, here you go.
Jeanne and Denise had been brilliant, completely taking control of what Cade and I wanted to accomplish. We'd had enough of Pinnacle pushing us apart and after how hurt Cade had been at Comic-Con, I was done playing their games. We both promised to keep our relationship quiet, but I’d promised Cade I’d stop denying it. This was the little positive reinforcement he needed and a very clear communication of what was real. And this was all us.
We wanted this series of photos and the interview to tell everyone what we couldn't say aloud. Our fans had to realize we were together by the chemistry that showed in photos and on screen. Even when we were trying to hide it so they sure as hell were going to get confirmation this time. We were trying to confirm it this time... loud and clear.
Cade's chest rose as he drew in a full breath. He turned and kissed my forehead, leaving them there when he spoke. "Bloody finally."
I closed my eyes. He’d waited patiently for almost two years, and it had caused him a lot of pain. "I love you," I said softly and turned my face into the base of his neck. "I’m sorry I’ve wanted to keep it quiet. It’s just—" I hesitated.
"I know, love. You're going to be so beautiful," he said so softly I wasn't sure if it were real or a dream. "So beautiful."
I pushed up off his chest to look down into his face, my eyebrow raised wryly. "How many times do I have to say it? It's you. You're the beautiful one."
"Brook, when we're taking those photos today, I want you to think about how it felt just now when we were making love. Know that when I'm looking at you, I'm feeling you, thinking of possessing you. Remember how it felt to have me inside you just now. Feel how full my heart and soul are with you. I want it to show."
I sucked in my breath and then tightened my arms around his body as his heart beat beneath my cheek. Again, for the millionth time... his words left me breathless. "Cade," I reached out to touch the strong line of his jaw and run my fingers along it softly, "I always feel it. Every single time you look at me, I feel it. The world feels it, too. It's palpable." My eyes shot up to his, and his gaze was burning into mine. "I still don't understand how I got so damn lucky."
The corners of his lips lifted slightly and my heart thumped in my chest. He shrugged almost imperceptively. "You ran away and I couldn't live without you. You left me no choice but to come after you. No matter how long it took, how much it hurt, there is no choice but to be with you."
My heart thrummed wildly inside my chest as my love for this man overwhelmed me onc
e again.
BROOK WAS FILMING with a scene with Wendy and my stomach clinched. We'd stayed pretty much away from her like the plague. Ever since the plane trip up to Vancouver I'd managed to steer clear of her except on set. She was still trying to get back into Brook's good graces, but she wasn't buying her bullshit anymore.
I'd just come from an appointment with my personal trainer and he had worked my ass off. I kicked off my shoes and ran my hand through my hair, still damp with sweat.
It was late afternoon and Brook wouldn't be back for a couple of hours yet. I was restless. I felt like a bloody prisoner during this film. After the rubbish with the stalker fans in New York we still had to maintain some privacy, and I felt like I lived in this stupid hotel room, even though the studio execs were more reasonable. Sometimes it was tolerable, but other times, I felt like pulling my hair out.
Brook's room was next to mine, but we had the entire floor to ourselves. Except for the bodyguards that were posted outside the elevators, we were pretty isolated. Isolation was fine. I didn't miss people that much, but I missed freedom. I didn't blame the fans. They were always respectful. Well, except for those couple of times in New York City, but in general, all they wanted was to talk to us, get an autograph or photograph.
The paparazzi were another story entirely. Those bastards were ruthless and had no respect for anything and there were untrue stories about one or both of us almost daily. All they cared about were hits to their sites, or copies sold. Bloody bastards. I honestly didn't know how they slept at night when they made their living as they did. I'd played around online and it was obvious that most of our real fans wanted us to have peace. Sure, they wanted to know what was going on; they were vested in our movies, I was sure were waiting for confirmation of our “couple” status. So many times when they caught us out or waited for us to come and go from the set and they yelled questions; I just wanted to say, “Yes, we're together. I adore her,” and be done with it. But even then, would the paps leave us alone? Doubtful. My experience with them and any relationship I had in the past said it would only get worse; They'd just be searching for ways to tear us apart with sensational headlines, twisting facts and quotes, printing untruths, and photo-shopping pictures. Part of me felt selfish for wanting to be public about our relationship because I knew it would expose Brook to more.
The intimate details of our relationship were sacred, so we’d decided to keep those between us, but at least we wouldn’t be saying we were just friends or denying our relationship anymore. Frankly, it bloody exhausted me. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to take her out, kiss her in public, and scream from the rooftops that she was mine. And she would always be mine.
I smiled to myself and picked up my guitar, my fingers automatically strumming out chords of one of the melodies that always ran around in my head. I hadn't had time to write anything new for ages and that was a part of my life that I wanted to explore. As a cast, we didn’t have as many jam sessions during this film either. After being apart for three months, Brook and I holed up alone most nights, and the rest of the guys in a different hotel made it less convenient.
My phone started playing Denise's ringtone and I put the guitar in the bed and answered. "Hey."
"Cade, did you get it?"
I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Obviously not since I don't know what you're talking about. What am I supposed to have gotten?"
"Well, it's supposed to be there. What time is it?"
"It's 3:30."
"Well, call me when you get it," she said excitedly. "Oh my fucking God, Cade. It's so amazing. You'll be so happy."
"About what, Denise? Bloody hell!" I laughed in exasperation.
"Oh, sorry. Harper's sent the finals on the pictures and the interview! I had a copy sent to you by Federal Express. They'll verify the content before it prints, but the photos! Oh. My . God! You both look so gorgeous. And if you don't want the world to know you're completely gone for each other, then these are an epic fail. Seriously, Cade. They brought tears to my eyes." Her voice thickened on the other end of the line.
"Are you crying now?" I chuckled.
"Stop teasing me. You'll get it when you see for yourself. It's clear Brook loves you, too. So clear."
My heart swelled and I smiled. "Yeah," I said softly. "Finally."
A knock at the door made me jump. "Hey, someone's at the door, maybe that's it. Hold on."
I opened the door and one of the bodyguards handed me an oversized packet. "Thanks, man," I said and let the door close before moving back to the table in the sitting room and setting it down. "Yes, Denise, I think this must be it." I quickly opened the package and gently lifted out the contents.
There was a cardboard sleeve that was taped on all sides and a manila envelope with the words, Interview: Carlisle/Halloway/Dec. Issue scrawled in black Sharpie. Confidential and Contents under Copyright Conde Nast 2015, was stamped in red across both.
I set the envelope aside and slit the tape around the cardboard with my fingernail. The knowledge of what we were trying to accomplish with these photos made my heart beat slightly faster in my anxiousness to see them. I should wait to open them with Brook, but I was too anxious to see the look on Brook’s face that Denise had just described.
"Well?" Denise said impatiently.
"I'm just pulling them out." My breath left my body as my eyes fell on the top photo. It was Brook and I lying on a bed of flower petals; we were staring into each other's eyes and my left hand was touching her arm. "Bloody hell. Denise... " My words fell off as my hand hesitated over the photo. I couldn't take my eyes off of Brook's face. How in the hell I kept myself from kissing her in the moment this photo was taken, I'll never know. She was so beautiful and the way she was looking at me slayed me. It was so intense and even though there were literally thousands of photos that had given hints to our feelings for each other, they were all times when we'd been trying to hide them. In these pictures, we let them show. We wanted them to show.
Her left hand was resting on her stomach and her forehead was resting on my bent arm that was also holding my own head. The red of the roses was picked up in the velvet bodice of her dress, but her face, her porcelain skin... she was perfect. My heart thrummed in my chest as I glanced at that left hand. The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been to see my engagement ring visible there.
"Caden! What is it?" Denise's voice was panicked. "Is it okay? Cade!"
I cleared my throat and sank down on the bed next to the photo. "Um... it's just... I'm... completely speechless. There are no words."
"Jesus, you scared me." I heard her sigh in relief and I moved the top photo off to the side and shifted through the others. "So they’re good then?"
"More than good."
"Okay, call me after Brook has had a chance to look at them and when you both get a chance to read through the interview. I don't want any hiccups on this project. Jeanne and I have a tight reign on this article and we want it to deliver just what it's supposed to. The Vanity Fair article comes out just before that, so have you seen that interview?"
"Not yet. Was it supposed to be sent like this one?"
"I'd think so. We need to see it before it prints in any event."
"Right."
"How did the horseback shots turn out? I know Brook was adamant about the horse segment," Denise said, and my hands searched through the stack of pictures and found two shots she was referencing. Brook was staring into the lens on both, and the whole focus was the long expanse of her leg and her eyes. Those amazing eyes: so intense. "Really good. One was labeled with a headline, “Fairytale.” I guess that's the headline of the article, yeah?"
"Probably. Listen hon, I have to run. Call me later and let me know if you get the stuff from Vanity Fair."
"Okay, talk to you later, then. And, thanks, Denise. To Jeanne, too." I hung up and threw the phone down, moving to lift one of the photos to look at it more closely.
I grinned widely when I saw the pi
cture of Brook and me on the magnificent black stallion. She had the great idea to do that and Jeanne had insisted it be part of the photo shoot. I remembered how much she loved that horse. I’d have to get an acreage and then see about buying it for her for Christmas.
"Official fuck you to Pinnacle and their ridiculous demands!" Brook had laughed as she said the words. "What better way than to shove it all back in their faces then to have Julia on the back of a horse with Ryan? I love it!"
I was laughing out loud at the memory when the door burst open and the object of my thoughts sauntered into the room. She looked tired, but she gave me a smile as she threw her hoodie down and kicked off her shoes.
"Hey, sexy. What's so funny?" she asked casually and then her eyes widened as she saw the pictures strewn out on the table. "Oh, my God. They're here." She came forward and I pulled her down on my lap as she looked through the photos. "They're amazing."
I nuzzled into her neck and her hair was matted slightly, and there was the faint taste of salt on her skin. "Yes. You're so beautiful in them."
"I'm looking at you. Jesus, Cade. Oh, my God! You're so... hot."
Brook reached forward, pulling down the two pictures that were labeled cover one and cover two. In one, she was dressed in a sexy top and leather pants and practically plastered up against me, my hand resting on the bare skin of her midriff and the other, in the custom gown that they had made for her, in a light off-white, lacy and elegant. It could have been a bridal gown if she had a veil and my heart had dropped when I’d seen her in it. I was dressed in a tuxedo and we were holding hands and staring into each other’s faces. It was intense and conveyed just the message I wanted. This one had been my idea, because when we did get married, the pictures wouldn’t be public.
"That , beautiful," she observed and then ran her hand over the image of me. "You're so gorgeous." She turned in my arms then and laced her fingers through the hair at the side of my head as she pushed it off of my face. "So gorgeous," she murmured against my lips before we kissed deeply, our mouths hungry for each other. I wrapped my arms tightly around her. “My man in a tux. I don’t think I’ll ever recover from that.”