by C. Sunrise
“Jerk,” she says as she playfully jabs me in the side.
“Sie, you look beautiful,” Kace says as he slowly looks me over from head to toe and back again, making me blush. “I like what you’ve done with your hair.”
That was a good reaction. Right? He doesn’t seem disappointed or freaked out.
“Thanks,” I reply while twirling my braid with my finger. “I decided it was time for a bit of a change.”
“Ugh, get a room, you two,” Jay says as he rolls his eyes and we all laugh.
“I wouldn’t say no to that,” Kace offers, this time making me roll my eyes before we all laugh again.
“Woah slow your roll there, big boy,” I warn, raising my hand. “Your charms may have worked on drunk Whoopsie and hung-over Whoopsie, but you still have to win over sober Whoopsie.” I point at myself with both index fingers.
“Challenge accepted,” he replies with a smirk. “Shall we get going now?”
“Yes, please!” I reply, perhaps a bit too excitedly causing Kace to smile, showing off those gorgeous teeth again.
“Bye, horn-balls, don’t forget to drink some water in between your activities,” I say with a giggle.
“Oh, we will. Don’t you worry about us, we will keep things nice and w-”
“Stop that sentence right there!” I interrupt before Bel shares some details that I just do not want to hear. “Kace, let’s go before she says or does anything else.”
Rebel and Jay chuckle as Kace and I turn and head out the door.
Kace refuses to tell me where we were going for our date. All he would say is that I would remember this day for the rest of my life.
I recognise most of the drive until we end up way out in the country in an area I had never been to before. It’s a nice drive, filled with conversation, laughter, and comfortable silence as we enjoy the passing scenery.
It continues to surprise me just how comfortable I am around Kace. It feels like we’ve known each other our whole lives. I could really get used to this feeling.
The Jeep stops and Kace jumps out before I even have time to take off my seatbelt.
He grabs some stuff out of the back and calls out to me, “We’re here, Kitten, but I need you to wait here for me. I should only be about ten minutes. Then a little hike and we can relax and enjoy our date.”
“Okay,” I reply.
After he disappears down the trail, I sit there enjoying the beautiful forest sights, smells, and sounds of the area. It always feels so good to come out to nature. I know I don’t live in a big town, but it’s still busier and less peaceful than being out here. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, soaking it all in.
It doesn’t feel like long before Kace returns and we start our walk down a beautiful forest trail. We are only walking down the trail for about five minutes before it opens up to a picturesque little lake. Ahead of me is the most remarkable sight I’ve ever seen.
There he stands atop the grassy knoll overlooking the lake, with his gloriously muscular chest and back pressing through his tank top. And those arms, holy hell, those arms! They look strong enough to lift a car.
I would let him pick me up in those arms any day of the week.
The sunlight highlights his bulging muscles, like something you would see in a commercial. I could just stand here and stare at his body all day, every day. The backdrop is breathtaking too.
Then, like he knows the exact thoughts going through my head, he takes off his tank top and tosses it on the ground. If I were staring at his face, I would have noticed the smirk, but alas my eyes were busy objectifying his exposed and perfectly sculpted body.
This man will be the death of me.
“You going to stare at me all day or are you going to come join me, Kitten?” He chuckles, noticing he startled me from my trance. My eyes move from his body to his face, and he shoots me a cocky wink.
“Holy fudge, call nine-one-one,” I mumble, mesmerised by the man in front of me. “I think my ovaries just exploded. Oh God, did I just say that out loud? Idiot.”
My cheeks warm and he smiles, enjoying my Whoopsieness. He reaches his hand out, wrapping his fingers around mine and pulling me up the knoll towards him.
“Smooth, Sie. Real smooth.” I mutter as I reach the top of the knoll. He places his hand on my lower back as I admire the view before me, fighting to ignore the sparks emanating from his touch.
“Wow, Kace!” I whistle. “This is beautiful. How did you find this place?”
“My family owns this land,” he says casually.
“What?” I ask with a dumbfounded look on my face. “This place is absolutely amazing! How? What? Who?” My brain struggles with this new knowledge. “I have so many questions.”
Kace laughs at my confusion.
“Good thing we have all day,” he says with a shrug. “Let’s sit, eat, and talk.” He gestures towards a blanket he laid on the grass. He packed an amazing picnic for us. My stomach is in love and begging me to ask this man to marry me, right here and now.
We talk about everything while we eat. He tells me that his family took over this land many years ago, but they had to leave the country for several years to run his late uncle’s business. He tells a few more stories about his family but somehow keeps things vague. He’s like a great writer—telling you just enough to keep you happy yet leaving enough out to make you want to come back for more.
This bit of mystery just adds intrigue to Mr. Kace Black; that’s right, I finally learned his last name. To be honest, his name, not to mention all the secrecy, makes it seem like he’s part of a rogue gang. But then again, I watch too many movies and read too many stories.
Hopefully, in time he will be comfortable with me and trust me enough to share some of his secrets with me. Until then, I’ll just do what every other rationally thinking person in this situation would do, use what I’ve seen in movies and read in stories to help me fill in the blanks.
Kace Black. Leader of the most dangerous gang, notorious killer, and womaniser... Hmmm, I don’t know if I like that last part too much though.
“Try to play me and you’ll never walk again, boy,” I say, breaking the silence.
“Ummm?” The confusion on Kace’s face tells me he is probably contemplating taking me to the psych ward too. “What?”
“Sorry, inside voice,” I reply with a shrug. He laughs and tells me I’m a very interesting person, which he says is a good thing.
After we finish eating our food, we lay down by the water and talk more about our likes, dislikes, hopes, and dreams. At some point, we both fall asleep and enjoy a nice, peaceful little nap together. I don’t know if it was the combination of the sun beating on us, our one glass of wine each, and the peaceful sounds of the lake or just the feeling of comfort we have with each other—but I’m not complaining.
I awake a little while later and blush as I notice his arm resting across my body. I carefully roll over to face him, our faces only inches apart.
He truly is a beautiful man with his semi-wild hair, strong facial structure, and a hint of facial hair. My eyes wander down the rest of his body, my thoughts not so pure and innocent anymore. I’m so distracted that, yet again, I don’t notice the smirk spreading across his face.
“Like what you see?”
I jump at the sound of his husky voice. I look up at his face and see him looking at me, proud of himself for startling me.
Asshole.
I clear my throat. “I could get used to this, Kace, especially the food,” I say with a smile. “Thank you for bringing me here. You are right, I’ll never forget this.”
“I could get used to sleeping beside you,” he says, as his eyes not leaving mine. “I would love to bring you back here again sometime. Hopefully, more than once.”
According to Kace, this is the part where my eyes turned icy blue and he immediately recognises the signs that I’m exactly what he thought I was.
He lets out a deep growl, and I growl in return, startl
ing myself. I hardly have time to process what just happened before his lips come crashing down onto mine.
Oh my god! This is even better than in my dream. What is he doing with his tongue? Oh my! I really need to work on my dreams. They are really not living up to reality. Don’t nibble, don’t nibble, don’t nibble...
He nibbles and I lose control of my body, releasing a sound that is half-way between a growl and a moan. Apparently, my growls have the same effect on him that his have on me—a super-charged aphrodisiac.
“Fuck,” he growls against my neck. “You shouldn’t have done that, Kitten.”
He leans into me, deepening our kiss. His power and passion are palpable. He rolls on top of me with one leg maneuvering itself between mine. Clothes start coming off; I’m not sure how, but they just seem to disappear in all the commotion. Maybe the heat is melting them off.
It’s getting so hot out here. Too hot. Why is it so hot?
Hands, tongues, and body parts are everywhere. Exploring. Thrusting. Consuming. Claiming.
His touch is gentle and aggressive at the same time. I’ve never experienced passion like this before. This is it—we’re nearing the point of no return.
This is really happening. I’ve waited my whole life for this moment, and it’s perfect.
He leaves a trail of gentle bites down my body. Then he looks up at me with an evil smirk before pushing my legs open and nibbling on my inner thighs, maintaining eye contact the entire time as my legs twitch with every bite. My hips rotate, silently directing him towards his next target. The anticipation is just about to kill me when I finally feel his warm breath against the thin cotton material that separates us. He places his lips against the fabric and lets out a long, deep growl, sending waves of excitement throughout my body before moving his tongue across the thin barrier—enjoying every second that he teases me.
Finally, satisfied with his little torture session, he tugs at the fabric, ready to remove the final obstacle separating our bodies. And that is when my phone rings. It’s not just any ringtone either, it’s Momma’s ringtone.
Fuck my life. Talk about worst timing ever.
Kace feels me tense up and lifts his head to look at me.
“Do you need to get that?” He asks, not hiding the disappointment in his voice.
“It’s Momma,” I groan. “She usually only calls if it’s important.”
I sit up and reach over and dig my phone out of my bag. I answer it and put it on speakerphone, asking if everything is fine and hoping that it isn’t too obvious that I was just about to experience what would most likely have been earth-shattering gratification.
“Oh, yes dear. I’m fine,” Momma says, and I scowl at the phone in my hand. “I just wanted to call and see if you could come by the house today. I have a special surprise for you.”
“Momma, I’m on a date right now,” I say, hoping that will end the conversation. It had the opposite effect.
“A date!” She squeals into the phone. “Oh, well, you better bring that young man or young woman over with you. You can stay for dinner.” Although I appreciate that my parents are open-minded people and always told me they would support my choice to love whoever I want to love, appreciation isn’t exactly what I’m feeling at the moment.
“Momma, no sane person brings their date over for dinner with their parents on the first date,” I point out. “Are you crazy?”
Suddenly Kace joins the conversation, “I think it sounds like a great idea. This is the perfect way to get to know you and your family better.”
“Was that him?” Momma asks. “Oohhh, his voice is sexy. Now I really want to meet him. Is he as sexy as his voice?”
“Ugh, you are so embarrassing Momma.” I groan, shaking my head. “Mr. Hot Man-Candy is all mine, so keep your paws off,” I blurt out, surprising myself and making Kace laugh.
He goes deep in thought with a ridiculous grin on his face.
Is he turned on by my possessive outburst? Yeah, he definitely is.
I can only imagine the naughty things going through that head of his head, especially based on what we were doing when the phone rang. I blush as I think back to our intimate moment, almost forgetting I’m on the phone with Momma.
“Mister what?” Momma asks, dragging me out of my reverie. “What’s his name?”
“Never mind, Momma,” I reply, holding back a giggle. “I’m ending this call now. See you soon and thanks for ruining my date.”
“Bye, Kitten, see you soon,” she says, and I immediately hit the end button.
I look over at Kace, who has already put his clothes back on, and I can’t help but be a little disappointed.
“Well, looks like you get to meet the parents,” I say with an awkward chuckle. “I hope you are happy.”
“Yes, very happy,” he says before he smirks. “Not as happy as I was a few minutes ago though.” He gently grazes his finger all the way up my arm, sending shivers throughout my body.
God, the things he does to me with a simple look, touch, or even just the sound of his voice. It scares me how much he affects me.
“Okay, let’s get this over with so we can get back to our date,” I concede as I put my clothes back on and fix my hair. He watches me the whole time, no doubt taking in every opportunity to see my exposed body.
Once dressed, we pack everything up and head straight to my parents’ house. It was a quiet drive, but not in an awkward way—much to my relief.
Momma greets us at the front door, opening it before we’re close enough to knock. I have a feeling she was standing near the door waiting for us the entire time, excited to meet my date.
“Hello, Kitten!” She squeals and hugs me as I walk in the door. “Who is this handsome man beside you?” She asks winking at Kace.
“This is Kace,” I say, turning to Kace and mouthing the words I’m sorry. He beams happily. “Kace this is Momma.”
“Hello, Mrs. Daisy,” he says extending his hand. Momma grabs his hand and shakes it. She seems quite impressed by this seemingly small gesture.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says while tipping his head to her. “This is a beautiful home you have here and a very, very beautiful daughter too,” he says and winks at me. “Now I can see where she gets her good looks from.”
“Well, aren’t you a charmer?” Momma says with a big smile. “Please, call me Momma.”
“I have to agree with you. Momma, your daughter is absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous.” My heart stops as the owner of the smooth voice approaches from the hallway behind Momma.
It couldn’t be him, is it? When did he get back?
He walks into the room, and my mouth drops.
Wow, he has changed since he went away. And I like it.
“Oh, um...” I stumble with my words. “Hi, Percy.”
Kace tenses up beside me. I don’t need to look at him to know he is glaring at Percy, who hasn’t taken his eyes off me since he walked into the room.
This could be interesting.
Interesting is a good way to sum up that entire day. However, one thing I know is that there weren’t any signs during our date that Kace would put me in my current situation—in this hellhole. But maybe it was all just part of an act, a ruse to lure me in and make me blindly trust him.
SIX
You need not be a mind reader to know what Kace is thinking right now. Based on the repeated tensing of his muscles, particularly along his jaw and arms, and his squinted eyes, one could guess it’s something along the lines of: Who is this asshole? I’d love to knock that smirk right off his stupid face.
“I’m going to have a lot of fun with this,” Percy says under his breath while looking Kace straight in the eye. Yet, I hear his words loud and clear.
“What did you just say?” Kace asks, curling his upper lip. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who heard Percy.
Percy shrugs Kace off and turns his attention back to me, pulling me towards him and wrapping me in a big hug. I hear Kace t
aking and releasing a series of deep breaths behind me.
“I love your eyes, they look like mine,” Percy whispers in my ear, my breath catching as his fans across my neck. I don’t need a mirror to know that my eyes are green, Percy’s emerald eyes are one of his most captivating features. His dark hair and light olive complexion make his eyes pop, it’s the first thing you notice about him.
I pull away from Percy and take a step back, brining my attention to Kace who seems deep in thought as he stares at me. Reaching over, I squeeze his hand to bring him out of his head. He shakes his head and clears his throat before smiling at me and squeezing my hand in return. He raises my hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on each of my knuckles before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and turning to face Percy.
This whole situation has me very hot and bothered. It’s not every day I have not just one but two hot men competing for my attention.
Is it wrong that I just want to stand here and drool for a while? Would it be wrong to suggest they remove their shirts before they continue their glaring contest?
“Come on kids,” says Momma, eyeing up the boys and shaking her head. Trust Momma to ruin my moment of bliss again for the second time today. “Why don’t you all come in and visit for a few minutes while I go finish getting dinner ready?”
“Ok, Momma, call us when it’s ready,” I say, thinking this could be interesting and that I wish I had some popcorn for this show. I chuckle to myself, earning me looks of confusion from the two glare bears.
Momma heads to the kitchen, and the glaring contest resumes the second she’s out of view. It’s mostly Kace that’s glaring, Percy seems to enjoy egging him on. I don’t think that’s a smart choice on Percy’s part though, Kace is larger than Percy and looks like he could do some damage in a fight. Not that Percy is small by any means, he has clearly been working out since going away to university, but Kace has a few more inches in height and several pounds of muscle on Percy. Again, my train of thought is interrupted; this time by Kace as he pulls me in closer to him, so close that I can feel his muscles as they tense up.