by J. S. Scott
Max’s security swarmed the room, taking the woman from Max’s grasp and leading her toward the door.
“Kade. Don’t. Neither one of them is worth it,” Asha said softly, trying to coax Kade out of going on a rampage. She could see his resolve, and it frightened her. She didn’t want him caught up in her problems.
Asha rose quickly, and put her hand on Kade’s shoulder. “Please,” she whispered into his ear.
“He was going to hit you,” Kade rasped, the breath sawing in and out of his lungs rapidly, as though he were losing control.
“He didn’t. You saved me. Let him leave.”
Her foster father stood in stony silence, trying to move by Kade to leave, but he couldn’t escape Kade’s grasp.
“Fine. He can go. Right after this.” Kade pulled back his powerful arm and slammed his fist into the older man’s face. The force was powerful enough to bring her foster father to his knees.
“You broke my nose,” the older man whimpered, holding his hand to his bloody nose.
Security pushed by Kade and hauled her foster father to his feet.
Glaring at him, Kade said caustically, “Don’t expect me to get you a fucking tissue. You’re a damn coward, and if I had you alone for five minutes, I’d break more than your nose. If you ever get near her again, you’ll deal with me.”
“I thought you were some football hero,” her foster father said with disgust.
“Right now, I’m just a pissed-off man. Get him the hell out of my sight,” Kade told the agents who were holding the man up.
Max had his arms wrapped around Mia, and the room emptied except for them, Kade, and Asha.
“Are you okay?” Kade grumbled, rubbing his hands up and down her arms and scrutinizing her face. “Fuck! I wanted to kill the bastard, but I think you’ve witnessed enough violence in your life.”
“I didn’t see you come in,” she commented softly, still trying to calm down the whole situation.
“I walked in just a few minutes before the bastard raised his hand to you.”
“You’re still fast,” Max said, looking at Kade gratefully. “I wouldn’t have made it quick enough.” He left Mia’s side long enough to hug Asha, whispering quietly, “I’m so proud of you. I know it wasn’t easy to stand up to them. You did great.”
Strangely, it wasn’t all that difficult, but she blushed at Max’s compliment. Maybe she was getting some gumption, or maybe she was just finally able to define the line between right and wrong. “It was past time. Thank you for helping the foster child they were planning on marrying off. I’d like to give you some money to help her.”
Max drew back and shook his head. “Not happening. She’s a sweet girl and she’ll make a wonderful teacher. I’m happy to help her. I’ve already set her up with everything she needs for her education and expenses. She’s fine, Asha.”
“Then I want to set up an organization of some kind. To help other abused women get free. It was something I wanted to talk to you about. You’re a great investor. Can you help me invest the money my father gave me so I can carry on his legacy?” she asked Max hopefully.
“Already done. The foundation has even been named after your father.” It was Kade who spoke this time. “And it’s well-funded at the moment.”
“But I want to do something,” Asha objected. “I want to give something.”
“Harrison set it up and it’s funded by several billionaires. But we could use your volunteer time,” Max told her quietly.
“You set this up?” Asha questioned Kade, her heart thundering as she looked at him. He looked tired, dark circles marring the skin under his eyes and lines of tension showing on his face.
Kade shrugged. “We all did. Max, Travis, Sam, Simon, and I are the primary donors.”
“That’s incredible. I don’t know how to thank you all.” She looked from Mia and Max to Kade, tears of gratitude in her eyes. “But what about my funds? Won’t they help?”
Max grinned at her. “We have other donors lined up. I think you need to invest it for your future.”
“I’ll help you,” Kade grunted.
Max nodded. “You’re good. Maybe better than I am,” Max agreed a little grudgingly.
“I want to learn to do it myself,” Asha commented stubbornly.
“I’ll teach you,” Kade assented. “I’ll just advise while you’re learning.”
Asha nodded eagerly. “Thank you.”
The tension between her and Kade was almost palpable, and although she wanted to see him, being near him was difficult. “I should go. I’m sure you came to visit Max.” She hugged Mia and kissed Max on the cheek. “Thank you. For everything.”
“We’re family. I know you aren’t used to having family, but get used to it. We’ll be meddling in your business all the time,” Max answered with an arrogance and confidence of a man who planned on being her protector for life.
Mia elbowed Max in the ribs. “But only in a good way,” she rushed to add.
Asha laughed, her joy at having people who really cared about her too difficult to hold inside her. “I’ll work on getting used to it,” she agreed. “Oh. I forgot. Do you have anyone who can help me change my tire? I think it’s flat. I have a spare, but I’m not sure I have the equipment I need to change it.”
“That your old car out there in front of the house with a flat tire?” Kade asked irritably.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“I’ll help you. Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand abruptly and strode out of the house, making her jog behind to keep up.
Asha sighed, knowing she was about to have her second crucial confrontation of the day, except this one wouldn’t just wound her feelings—it would rupture her heart.
Asha stopped abruptly, slamming into Kade’s massive body as they arrived outside, the door closing quietly behind them. He’d halted unexpectedly right outside the door and crowded her against the wall right next to the door. He leaned into her, his chest heaving, one hand against the wall on both sides of her body, effectively trapping her.
“I swore I wasn’t going to do this,” he said in a husky, desperate voice, his eyes boring into hers, his forehead damp with sweat. “I swore I wasn’t going to react when I saw you again. Why the hell should I care about a woman who doesn’t give a shit about me?” One of his hands fisted and slammed against the wooden exterior of Max’s house in a gesture of frustration.
Asha looked up at him, her heart clenching at the exhaustion and torment showing on his face. “I do care, Kade.”
“Bullshit. You left. You didn’t even say good-bye. You never called to let me know how you were doing or if you were okay. I wasn’t even a blip on your radar,” he spat out resentfully.
“There hasn’t been a day, or even an hour, that I haven’t thought about you.” Or a moment, for that matter. Kade haunted her constantly. “I missed you.”
Time stopped as Kade searched her face, as though trying to figure out exactly what she was thinking. “I can tell,” he answered sarcastically. “You tried so hard to stay in touch—”
“I couldn’t, okay!” she shouted at him. “Everything about you confuses me. You waltz into my life with all your kindness and sexy male hotness.” She took a breath and waved a hand at Kade, the aforementioned hot male. “Then you overwhelm me with your thoughtfulness, ply me with food, and then make me climax until I think I’m losing my mind.” She jammed a finger into his chest. “You made me into nothing but female hormones that were always willing to hop onto your…your… testosterone,” she finished awkwardly. “I couldn’t think about anything but you, and I still can’t. So don’t tell me I didn’t miss you. I’ve lost count of how many times an hour I dial half your number and then hang up the phone.”
“Maybe you should have dialed the other half of the number,” Kade said hoarsely.
Asha rolled
her eyes, still on a roll. “I couldn’t. I knew if I did, I’d want to see you even if you didn’t want to see me.” She pushed on his chest, trying to break away from his confinement.
“Then see me, Asha. Please. Because I want to see you,” Kade argued persistently, not letting her break away.
“And then what? We’d just end up having incredible sex,” she accused him anxiously.
Kade’s lips twitched as he looked down at her. “And that’s a bad thing…um…why exactly?”
“Because I can’t think when that happens. There has to be more than just good sex,” she blurted out, still trying desperately to make Kade understand.
“It’s never been just good sex,” Kade retorted angrily. “It’s good sex because there’s more than that between us.”
Asha shuddered as she remembered having relations with her ex-husband, and the lack of emotion, the way she detached herself from the act. She knew Kade was right. Problem was, she couldn’t exactly blurt out how much she loved him, and her concern was how he felt about her. “Is it different for you? I mean…with us?”
“If you’re asking if I’ve ever fucked and felt the way I do with you, the answer is no,” he replied hotly. “You rock my world just as much as I rock yours. Difference is, I’m not afraid of it. Hell, I want to feel that way. It’s exhilarating and exciting, and it makes me feel more alive than I’ve felt in a very long time…maybe ever. And I sure as hell don’t want to walk away from it.”
“Then maybe I’m just a coward.” Asha broke Kade’s gaze and lowered her head. “Maybe I just can’t handle it.”
“Bullshit. That was no coward who just basically told her foster parents to go to hell. It’s taken a lot of courage to do some of the things you’ve done, and you get braver all the time. In fact, I think you’re actually developing a temper.” Kade reached down and tipped her chin up and grinned. “Did you really just accuse me of trying to sway you with sexy male hotness?”
“It’s true,” she told him stubbornly. “Not that you can probably help it, but it’s distracting.”
Kade nodded. “Good. I want to be a distraction for you because you drive me completely insane.” He swooped down and kissed up the side of her neck, nuzzling her ear as he whispered, “Just your scent makes me hard, and all I have to do is hear your voice or see your face and I’m ruined. Let me see you, Asha. Let me show you how good being together can be. Running away isn’t going to resolve this for either of us. It’s not going away.”
Asha shivered at the feel of his warm breath on the side of her face, his lips lightly caressing her skin. She knew he was right, and she’d either have to see this thing through with him or continue running away from it. And she didn’t want to run away anymore, especially not from Kade. She wanted to run toward him, fling herself in his arms where everything in her world felt right, and continue to love him with every beat of her heart like she already did. Being with Kade made her feel alive, too, except he’d actually brought her to life for the first time, breathed life into her. “Yes,” she whispered softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “If you want to see me…then see me.”
Kade cupped her face in his large hands as he answered with passionate conviction, “I already see you, sweetheart. I always have.”
Asha sighed happily as his lips captured hers, opening her mouth to taste him. He tasted like coffee and pure sin, and she savored him. One long, lingering kiss turned into another, until he finally pulled her head against his chest and held her so tightly she almost squealed.
“Thank God,” he growled fiercely, his hands stroking over her back. “I know what you’ve been through, and I know I pushed you too hard, but having you leave nearly killed me. I wanted to come after you, but I couldn’t get past the fact that you didn’t want me.”
“I did want you,” Asha murmured against his chest. “How could you come after me if you didn’t know where I was?”
Kade pulled back, putting a possessive arm around her waist and walked her down Max’s steps. “I knew exactly where you were.”
Asha snorted. “Is there anyone who doesn’t know where I live?”
Kade shot her a grin. “Not anyone who cares about you. And the people who do have some pretty scary influence and connections.”
“I noticed,” she grumbled softly. “My car—”
“Needs to be junked,” Kade interrupted irritably. “The tires are shot and who knows what might be wrong with it mechanically. Couldn’t you have bought something a little newer?”
“It wasn’t in my budget. I’m saving. And there’s nothing wrong with it. It just needs tires,” Asha remarked defensively. “My neighbor checked it over. He said it looked good except for the tires.”
“Was he looking at you or the car when he said it?” Kade grumbled. “Some kid?”
“Tate happens to be about your age. And he knows cars.”
“He’s a jackass,” Kade muttered, leading Asha over to the motorcycle parked in the driveway. “I’ll take you home and have new tires put on your car. And I’m having it checked over mechanically, even though your knowledgeable neighbor already said it’s safe.”
Asha took a breath to argue, but Kade held up a hand and cut her off. “Don’t even start. You can give me this much. Let me know you’re safe.”
She let the breath out and smiled. Yeah…she could. He was trying to help her, and she accepted gracefully. Looking at the motorcycle, which looked like a high-tech vehicle, she admitted ruefully, “I’ve never ridden on one of these.” And honestly, she’d never wanted to.
“Then you haven’t really lived.” He opened the saddlebag and pulled out a helmet as he grabbed his own from the seat.
“It looks…fancy. Is it fast?”
Kade pulled a leather jacket out of the saddlebag too, and closed the door. “This is a BMW touring bike. Not as fast as my racing bike, but fast enough,” he answered with a boyish grin. “Here.” He held up the jacket so she could slip her arms inside.
“It’s over seventy degrees today,” Asha argued, not really crazy about the idea of putting on a leather jacket while Kade was in a short-sleeved maroon t-shirt, jeans, and black biker boots. She was attired much the same, except she was wearing sneakers rather than boots.
“It’s lightweight and it isn’t for warmth. It’s protection,” he told her adamantly.
She sighed and put her arms into the jacket, letting it swallow her upper body. It obviously belonged to Kade. “It smells like you,” she said dreamily, his scent surrounding her.
“Sweetheart, if I hear you say something like that in that fuck-me tone of voice again, I’ll be compelled to make you come right here in Max’s driveway,” Kade threatened, his words a grunt of warning.
Asha’s gut clenched in reaction, a pulse of electricity flowing from her belly to her pussy. Her panties dampened as she pulled the lining of the jacket to her face and inhaled, but she stayed silent.
“Woman, you’re pushing my buttons,” Kade cautioned in a low, vibrating voice as he rolled up the sleeves of the jacket and zipped it.
She was swimming in the coat, the material coming down to her thighs. It was way too warm, but she didn’t complain. Asha reveled in the way that Kade was watching out for her, protecting her. “So what do I do?” she asked, slightly intimidated by the large motorcycle.
“Hold on,” Kade told her jokingly, but went through the basics.
Once they were situated on the motorcycle, Asha wrapped her arms around Kade and scooted up against his back.
“Tighter,” Kade ordered huskily. “And don’t let go.”
The helmets had Bluetooth, and Kade had already explained it, but the sound of his voice in her ear still startled her.
Once the bike was in motion, Kade didn’t have to tell her to hold tight. She started with a death grip around him, but tried to relax and stay neutral in position like
he’d asked her to do. Most of her fear fled as she experienced Kade’s competence at riding. His motions were smooth and fluid, and he rode with a confidence of a man who had been riding for a very long time.
“You okay?” Kade asked quietly.
“Yeah,” she breathed softly. “This is great. Can we go faster?” Asha trusted Kade, and the feeling of freedom she felt from riding in the open air was exhilarating.
She heard Kade chuckle. “No, we can’t, my little speed demon. I’m doing the speed limit. I’m carrying precious cargo.” He hesitated for a moment. “We can get on the freeway. I know a place where we can go faster safely.”
“Yes,” she agreed readily. “Go.”
The speed on the freeway was heady, and Asha clung to Kade, enjoying the ride with unrestrained abandon.
“I’m getting off at this exit,” he warned her after they had gotten out of the city, letting her know they were going to slow to a stop.
“Where are we?” she asked curiously.
“You’ll see,” he answered mysteriously.
After driving for about five minutes, they arrived at what looked like a large arena. Kade stopped at the gates and punched a code into a panel, waiting until the gates opened enough for them to slip through. They moved down a narrow passage that opened into a large, paved racetrack.
“Do you know who owns this?” she asked inquisitively, excitement in her voice.
“Yes. Quite well. He happens to be my brother. This is Travis’s track. He races cars as a hobby. He’s a damn good driver.”
“He doesn’t seem like the type to do anything like that,” Asha answered, stunned that a conservative man like Travis had a dangerous hobby.
“One of his few quirks,” Kade answered jokingly. “You ready? We aren’t doing anything crazy. And if you get scared, just tell me.” He pulled the bike onto the track and started to pick up speed.
“Okay,” Asha agreed, her heart accelerating with the motorcycle. The track was composed of long straightaways where Kade accelerated quickly and had them flying down the linear areas, and slowing down for the corners. Nevertheless, Asha was laughing with pure delight as he sped down the track, making her feel like she was flying.