“Yes, she certainly is,” Kade agreed.
Lexie blushed a deep crimson. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“So, Lexie Parker, tell me about yourself.” His father focused on her and waited for a reply.
Which didn’t come. Lexie squirmed, obviously uncomfortable beneath his father’s assessing gaze.
“Lexie works at Blink,” Kade said, taking over in the wake of her silence. “She keeps everything around me running smoothly,” he went on. “I couldn’t function without her.”
“He exaggerates,” she said softly, so un-Lexie-like. She usually spoke her mind.
Keith looked from Lexie to Kade and grinned. “Well, I’ll be damned. You found a woman to put up with your—”
“Isn’t that Colton James?” Kade gestured to the far side of the room, where his father’s oldest friend in the investment world stood with his wife. He interrupted before his father could discuss Kade’s issues out loud and in public.
They might be at a benefit for mental illness, but Kade’s quirks and anxieties were his own. He didn’t like or choose to share himself with the world, and he wasn’t about to start now.
His father looked across the room and nodded. “I need to have a word with Colton, actually. I’ll catch up with you two later. Have fun,” he said with a wink before heading for the opposite corner from where they were standing.
Lexie blew out a long, relieved breath, and Kade knew exactly how she was feeling. The air was lighter with his father gone.
But now that they were alone, his mind immediately returned to earlier, when she’d avoided admitting she was his date. “Why did you do that?” he asked her.
“Do what?” She took a sip of her now warm champagne, grimaced, and placed it on the nearest table.
“Why didn’t you want to admit you’re my date?” he asked. “Are you embarrassed to be with me?”
The words came out without prior thought or warning. After all, his father had alluded to him finding someone to put up with him, and the women in his past hadn’t been able to.
“God, Kade, no!” Lexie sounded horrified at the thought. “It’s the opposite, actually. I was afraid your father would think I wasn’t good enough for you!”
He reared back in shock. “Why the hell would you think that?”
Her face turned pale at his gruff tone, her blue eyes lighter against her fair skin. “I… It’s just… You’re you. You’re intelligent, brilliant, really. And I’m … me. I’m not sure if you ever looked at my resume, but I haven’t held a long-term, stable job. And I lost my last one because I was chronically late due to … family issues. And I was only hired because Derek took pity on me, and now I pick up your dry cleaning and order your lunches.”
Kade hadn’t thought beyond his own issues. He’d never had an inkling that his in-your-face assistant, the Lexie he admired, had her own insecurities she hid from the world.
He shook his head and groaned. “Aren’t we a pair?” he asked ruefully.
“Are we?” she asked, her eyes bright, alight with renewed fire and interest.
“Fuck it,” he muttered. “Let’s get out of here.” He grabbed her hand with his splint-free one and pulled her out of the gala, ignoring the stares of people as they passed.
“Kade!” He came to a halt at the sound of her voice, then pulled her into an alcove where they could be relatively alone.
“What’s the rush?” she asked.
“I have the sudden urge to kiss you.” Well, to do more than that, but even he knew he needed to finesse her more than he’d done so far.
Heat flared in her eyes. “So do it.”
As if to back up her words, she rose onto her tiptoes and raised her chin. He met her halfway, pulling her flush against him and covering her mouth with his. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening their connection.
So much for worrying about finesse, he thought, losing himself in her sweetness and desire. A desire so hot it matched his.
His height had her tipping her neck, and he lifted her in his arms, grateful for the weight lifting he did at the gym because he had just one hand to work with. She came willingly, practically climbing him to get closer. He lived and breathed her in the space of this one kiss. Their tongues dueled, mouths devoured, and his body tightened with an all-consuming need.
Noise sounded from down the hall, and awareness of where they were returned to him. He forced himself to break the kiss, touching his forehead to hers. She inhaled deeply, catching her breath, while he did the same.
Finally, she eased back, meeting his gaze.
Her lips were moist and puffy, her eyes glazed with desire. “Kade?”
“Yes?” he asked, still searching for a calm he didn’t feel, along with a way to walk out of that hallway without anyone noticing the hard-on that wouldn’t be going away any time soon.
A smile meant just for him curved her lips. “Take me home,” she whispered in a husky voice that wouldn’t be denied.
* * *
Lexie was bold in her everyday life. She could face off with anyone and hold her own—she’d all but dared Kade to kiss her, after all. And he clearly desired her, as evidenced not just by the way he’d dragged her out of the room but by the hot kiss they’d just shared and the hard ridge of his cock pressed insistently against her core. Even so, it had taken every ounce of courage she possessed to tell Kade she wanted to go home. With him.
One look into his darkened green eyes and her worry disappeared. He was definitely a man on the edge, in agreement with exactly what she wanted. And she had no doubt she wanted him. She’d never felt closer to a man, and she didn’t mean physically, though she was still wrapped around him like a vine on a tree.
He’d opened up to her in the limo, admitting he suffered from certain … disorders. He didn’t need to elaborate. She already understood him so well. But the fact that he’d try to ease her pain over her mother’s illness by stripping himself bare emotionally touched something inside her. She’d told herself she couldn’t have a relationship, and that still might be true, but she didn’t want to walk away from him now.
Didn’t she deserve to grab something for herself? Hadn’t she given enough of her life and her time to her sister and mother? Without a doubt, she knew the time would come when her twin disrupted her life yet again, but tonight, while it was quiet and peaceful, she was taking what she wanted.
And she wanted Kade.
No sooner were they back in the limo than Kade pushed a button, and a divider slid up. Between the privacy divider and the tinted windows, they were cocooning in their own world.
Kade pushed another button and spoke to the driver. “Drive around until I tell you otherwise,” he instructed.
His eyes were hot on hers, and a delicious shiver took hold, a premonition of what was to come. The scent of his musky cologne surrounded her, and it was all she could do not to crawl into his lap and make herself at home.
“Lie back,” he said in a deep, seductive voice.
Trembling, she eased back against the far door, and he lifted her legs over his thighs, sliding across the seat until her ass was almost in his lap. Excitement licked through her as his big hand cupped her exposed calf … and worked its way up her leg, his thumb caressing her skin in a slow, deliberate glide.
Arousal, warm and wet, trickled onto her upper leg, and her pussy clenched with desire and need. His finger reached the crease at her thigh, and he traced a line, closer and closer to her aching sex, reaching beneath her panties.
“I can make you feel good,” he said in a thick voice, his teasing finger sliding in a barely there swipe over her clit.
Her hips bucked upward, but he didn’t immediately offer her relief.
“What do you want? I need to hear you say it,” he said.
“More,” she whispered.
He pulled down her underwear, then slicked his finger over the outer lips of her sex in a deliberate tease. He added a second finger as he touched her e
verywhere but where she needed friction the most.
“Kade, please.”
“Please what?” he asked, a determined glint in his eyes. “The words, Lexie, and I’ll give you everything you want and need.”
Who knew he had such a sadistic streak? she thought, the gnawing emptiness growing with every second he waited, torturing her with delayed gratification. His fingers continued to taunt her with deliberate strokes, back and forth, over and over, until her hips rose in time to his ministrations.
“Touch me,” she begged, her voice catching.
“Where?” he asked through a clenched jaw.
She didn’t do dirty talk, but if that’s what it would take for him to give her relief, she’d do it.
“And look at me when you ask.”
He wisped his finger over her clit, not hard enough to satisfy, just enough to leave her emptier than before.
She met and held his gaze. “Touch my sex.”
“More.”
She was near to weeping now. “Touch my pussy. My clit. Make me come, Kade, please.” She begged and waited breathlessly for his touch.
He shoved her dress higher and pulled her panties partway down her legs. “We missed dinner,” he said before lowering his head and swiping at her clit with his warm, wet tongue. “And I’m starved.”
She moaned loudly, and he began devouring her in earnest. He lapped at her juices and took her out of her head, to a place where pleasure reigned and all she could focus on was the feel of his mouth against her sex. She ground her hips against him, the pleasure intense and growing, rising, quickly becoming an inferno ready to explode.
She reached down. Grabbed his hair. Pressed him harder against her sex, and suddenly her orgasm struck, her entire body swept under by its power. Waves pummeled her from all sides, inside and out, her hoarse cries echoing in the back of the enclosed car.
He gentled his touch, taking her down slowly, still licking her, this time gently, until she collapsed, spent, against the uncomfortable door.
He wiped his mouth against her thigh, then pressed a soft kiss to her skin before raising his head and meeting her gaze.
“Delicious,” he said, pulling her panties back up her legs.
Barely able to process what had just occurred, she watched in silence as he righted her dress, smoothing the front down over her legs.
“Good?” he asked.
Her lips parted, but no words came out, so she nodded.
He leaned over, pressing the button he’d touched before. “We can go home now,” he said to the driver.
“Very good, sir.”
Her mouth was dry, and she licked her lips, forcing herself to meet his gaze. Did she say thank you? Or it’s your turn later?
Before she could decide, he spoke her name. “Lexie?”
“Yes?”
“In case you were wondering, it’s soundproof back here.”
Her cheeks flamed as the car sped toward his apartment building, where she was certain more pleasure—hers and his—was waiting.
Chapter Nine
Kade used the time during the ride back to his place to get his breathing—and his cock—under control. He knew Lexie was sweet. He just hadn’t known how much he’d enjoy giving her pleasure and not worrying about his own. He’d needed to hear what she desired. He hadn’t wanted her frustrated, but he did need her begging for something only he could give. She hadn’t disappointed him.
He hoped she never would.
He kept an arm around her after they left the car and made their way to his apartment. Inside, they each kicked off their shoes. Once they were comfortable, he offered her food because, as he’d pointed out, they’d skipped dinner.
She declined. Instead, she pushed him back against the wall and began fumbling with his pants, her need apparently not sated by what he hoped was just the first of many orgasms tonight.
She pushed his slacks down his hips, taking his boxer briefs along with them. He kicked them aside. She gripped his cock in her small hand, gliding her hand down his shaft, tightening at the base before she slid up again, only to swipe at the pre-come pooling at the tip.
He saw stars behind his eyes, need pounding at him, his balls tight against his body.
“Condoms are in the bedroom,” he told her.
In reply, she sank to her knees.
Holy fuck.
That, he hadn’t expected.
She didn’t hesitate either. She slid her mouth over his cock, slowly but surely, enclosing him in wet heat. One hand gripping him, she began to suck, pulling him deep and easing off, teasing him with her tongue and sliding back and forth along his shaft.
His hands came to her head, and he began to pump his hips, taking care not to push too hard too fast. He didn’t need to worry. She picked up a perfect rhythm on her own, working his cock, doing exactly what he liked, reading him as if they’d been together for a while.
His balls ached, and he was seconds away from coming, so he pulled back, easing out of her eager mouth. “No fucking way am I coming this first time without being buried in your pussy.”
Her eyes glazed over, and she nodded in eager agreement. He placed an arm beneath her elbow and helped her up. Grasping her hand, he pulled her to the bedroom, where his large king-size bed waited.
As if choreographed, she turned, and he knew to unzip her dress, exposing the long lines of her back before letting the garment fall to the floor. He traced a finger down her spine and she shivered. He then pulled her underwear down, kneeling so she could step out of them.
He couldn’t resist cupping one soft globe of her ass in his hand, squeezing tight. She moaned, turning toward him, bringing him face-to-face with her luscious rounded breasts and darkened nipples, already tight with desire. A glance lower and he saw her neatly trimmed pussy, glistening with need.
“Beautiful,” he said, referring to the whole package, as he undid the cuffs on his shirt.
Her cheeks flushed but she didn’t duck in embarrassment. She merely reached out and began unbuttoning his shirt, unfastening each one until she slid the garment to the floor.
He stripped off the rest of his clothes. “Come on,” he said gruffly, pulling her onto the bed along with him.
He paused to pull a condom from the nightstand and roll it onto his aching member. Then, knowing he couldn’t brace both hands on the mattress with his bad hand, he rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. She braced her legs on either side of his hips and settled herself above his straining cock.
“I’ve wanted this since I first laid eyes on you,” he admitted, surprising himself.
An appreciative smile lifted her lips. “Same here.” She met his gaze, her eyes a smoky blue as she slowly lowered herself onto his thick, straining erection.
“Come on, you can take me.”
She let out a husky laugh. “Umm … you’re bigger than I imagined.” She blushed and settled herself onto him completely, taking him to a heaven he’d never thought existed.
Her inner walls cushioned him tight in moist heat, a perfect fit. Before he could think, she started to move, gliding up and down on his shaft. He couldn’t breathe, could only get lost in the perfection he found inside her body.
Needing to touch her, he grasped her hip with one hand, holding on as she rode him, her hot sheath clasping around him. Up and down, grinding as their bodies collided, meshing together, melding. Heat flooded him, and his heart pumped hard inside his chest, his body close to soaring.
“Not coming without you,” he said, holding back despite the blood boiling in his veins.
Her cheeks were flushed, her lips parted, sweet satisfaction on her face.
He glanced down, his gaze taking in his cock, slick with her arousal, being swallowed up by her body.
“Again,” he muttered, entranced by the sight.
She bit down on her lower lip and pushed herself up, revealing his long length before she dropped down on him once more. “Oh God, I’m close.”
&nbs
p; Her words took him by surprise, inflaming his need even more. “Then come,” he ordered.
At his command, she clenched her thighs tighter and pitched forward, her pubic bone hitting his. She cried out, the beginning of her orgasm crashing over her, and she rocked harder, grasping his wrist, holding on as she rode out the waves. He watched her, a vision as her breasts bounced and her body trembled, all for him.
“Kade!” His name on her lips triggered his release, and he came harder than ever, his entire body overcome by swells of ecstasy the likes of which he’d never known.
* * *
Lexie sat in bed with Kade, eating freshly delivered pizza right out of the box. For a man who liked his desk immaculate and his closet hangers just so, she was surprised he didn’t mind the crumbs in his bed. She was equally surprised by how at ease she felt with him after. He’d helped her off him, accompanied her to the bathroom to clean up, where they’d ended up sharing a fast shower, quick only because their stomachs were growling from the lack of sustenance all evening.
He’d lent her a tee shirt, declined her offer to leave, which she had to admit set her heart fluttering again. As if the amazing orgasms he’d given her in the car and in his bed, weren’t enough to have her smiling wide.
“I love cheesy pizza,” she said, placing the crust down and wiping her fingers on a napkin. The garlicky scent smelled like heaven to her.
“Me too.” He grabbed a napkin of his own.
She glanced over. His hair was a mess, but he was the sexiest thing she’d ever laid eyes on. “You know, I’m surprised you don’t mind … the mess.” She gestured to the box and balled up napkins.
He stilled.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“No. I need to explain.” He threw all the garbage into the box and placed the cardboard onto the floor before turning back to her. “Where do I begin?”
She curled her legs beneath her and clasped his hand in hers. “Wherever you’re comfortable. I’m listening.”
He ducked his head, not meeting her gaze as he began to speak. “I wasn’t the easiest child, and I mean that seriously as well as literally.”
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