*Miss you too.*
He smiled, his tension easing just from texting with Jasmine. He wished he was with her—so he told her.
*I wish I was with you tonight. I need to hold you close.*
*Soon, honey. For tonight, just dream about me.*
*Remind me again why we decided not to see each other tonight?*
*Because we wanted to make sure Hannah was fine.*
*Right. Well, she seems to be so I will definitely see you tomorrow.*
*I wish tonight was already tomorrow.*
*You and me both, babe.*
*Goodnight, Kane.*
*Goodnight, Jaz.*
*******
A high-pitched scream woke Kane up and made him bolt out of his bed.
Hannah.
He ran to her room and flicked the light switch on. No one else was there, apart from her sitting up on the bed.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he sat beside her.
"Just a nightmare," she said weakly.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
She shook her head. "I … I can't remember much now."
"I'll get you some water," he offered.
"No, thanks," she responded, stopping him with a hand on his arm. "I don't want any."
"Are you okay now?" he asked softly.
"Yes," she said, smiling up at him.
She flicked her hair over her shoulder, making him look downwards. He noticed she was wearing a sheer nightie. Funny how she would choose to wear something like that on a cool night when she was all alone in bed. Oh well, it was none of his business. He just wanted to go back to sleep.
"I'm glad you're okay now. Do you need anything?"
"Um … nothing. Thank you."
"You scared me there for a second," he said as he got up to leave.
"Sorry. But it makes me feel better knowing you'll come when I need you."
He gave her a small smile as he left her room, feeling unsettled about the whole incident, especially her last words. He hoped Hannah wouldn't be too needy in the future.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jasmine's heart skipped a beat as she let Kane into the house.
"Hi," he said, taking off his sunglasses and giving her a crooked, sinfully sexy smile as he stepped inside.
"Hi. You're early," she replied, a big grin splitting her face as she closed the door.
"Early? I wanted to be here yesterday, baby."
She laughed as she launched herself at him. They kissed sweetly for a long minute before she pulled away and held his face between her hands.
"Are you okay?" she asked him, scanning his face for signs of stress.
"I am now," he replied as he traced her profile with a finger.
"And Hannah?"
"She seems okay. But she had a nightmare last night. Woke up screaming."
"Really?"
"Yeah, but she was fine after that. Just a bad dream."
Kane kissed her on the lips.
"I told her I'll be staying at my parents' place until she found an apartment," he said.
She frowned. "So she's staying at your house until then?"
"Yes. She has nowhere else to go. I'll help her find a place she can move into."
"Doesn't she have friends who could help her? Why does it have to be you?"
"Jaz, I have to help her after what she's been through. I thought you were just as concerned about her emotional wellbeing as I am."
"Sure. I was concerned about how she would handle the breakup. And you said she's fine with that now. Isn't it better to cut all ties so you can both move on? If you're still around for her, she might keep on hoping you'll get back together."
Kane sighed. "I see your point. I just can't help but feel guilty about hurting her after all her trauma. And I've already promised to help her find an apartment. After that, that's it. Okay?"
She gave him a semblance of a smile.
"You're not jealous that she's still at my place, are you?" he asked, lifting her chin with a finger so she would look him in the eye.
Was she? Okay, irrational as it was, she had to admit she was jealous. She just didn't expect Kane to still have much to do with Hannah after their split. She was under the impression he was keen to make a clean break. It appeared he cared more than she thought. He even offered to house-hunt with Hannah. How long would that go on?
But she could understand where he was coming from. The situation called for it, she guessed. She didn't like his arrangement with Hannah but she could sympathise with her. And it was a only short-term thing, anyway.
"It's fine. As long as you're not staying at your place while she's there," she said with a slight pout.
He chuckled. "No. I won't be home because I'm staying here with you. Rob and Jessa wouldn't mind, would they?"
She thawed and snaked her arms around his neck. "You've been sleeping here for the last couple of weeks already. If they bothered to call home, I could let them know. But I doubt we'll hear from them until they're back from their honeymoon."
"Well, we'll only need to use one room now instead of two," he whispered seductively in her ear.
"Finally," she breathed, her body heating up fast with anticipation. They'd waited so long.
"Finally," he echoed, running his hand underneath her top and cupping her breast. "No bra. I like that."
She giggled. "I don't usually wear a bra when I'm inside the house."
"That's not true. You've always worn a bra," he said with a flick of his thumb over her nipple.
Desire spiked through her and raced straight down to her core.
"It was only because we were trying to hold back," she explained, her words becoming more breathless.
"Ah, I see."
She gasped when Kane lifted her up in his arms and carried her upstairs.
"You're so strong," she murmured before kissing his neck.
"You're a lightweight," he chuckled. "Your room or mine?"
"Mine," she answered, the word coming out like a gush of air.
He pushed her bedroom door open with his shoulder and kissed her hungrily before releasing her on the bed. She crawled up to the middle and clutched his shirt to draw him down to her.
She moaned softly as he lay on top of her, loving his weight and his hardness. She parted her legs and started rubbing his legs with her feet. He groaned and shifted so she was cradling his hard erection right against her throbbing centre.
"God, you make me so hot," he rasped.
Kane ravaged her mouth, his tongue insistent and probing as his hand delved under her shirt to cup her aching breast.
She started to pant loudly, fresh moisture rushing to her core from the delicious friction caused by the restless movement of their hips.
"Jaz, I've waited for so long," he whispered as he sat up and divested her of her top. "You're so beautiful," he said, staring at her with hungry eyes.
Kane straddled her and slowly, with just the tips of his fingers touching her, he ran his hand along the side of her face as he watched her with blazing blue eyes. His thumb traced the bottom of her lip and she poked her tongue out to taste it.
His smile was carnal as he pushed his thumb in her mouth. She sucked on it sensuously, a thrill passing through her as his eyelids drooped and his nostrils flared.
His other hand got busy. He ran it tantalisingly over her heavy breast before his thumb circled her pebbled nipple in time with her sucking of his thumb. She moaned. She wanted more. More. Much more.
He took his thumb out of her mouth and leaned down on her. His tongue tasted her lips before he pushed it inside. He groaned as she sucked it, much like she did with his thumb. This time, both his hands got busy with her breasts. His fingers tweaked her nipples as his tongue explored her mouth. Oh, he was making her soaked.
Abruptly, he pushed himself up. "Jasmine," he mouthed. He moved to her jeans and unzipped them. Slowly, he undressed her, his gaze intense and lustful on the newly exposed parts of her body.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he said in awe as he caressed her nakedness with his hungry eyes.
"I need to see you, too," she said as she made a move to sit up.
"Oh no, you don't," he replied as he captured her wrists and pinned them above her head. "Not yet."
"When?" she whined.
"After I make you moan some more," he whispered as his lips trailed kisses on her face and down her neck.
Just his words made her want to moan. She made soft noises as he nipped and licked her throat. When he moved downwards to her hyper-sensitive breasts, her breath hitched in anticipation. When he closed his mouth around an aroused nipple, a lusty moan came out of her.
Kane groaned as he twirled his tongue round and round her peak as his fingers paid attention to its twin. He had let go of her wrists, his hands more interested in her breasts, leaving her free to rake his hair.
A hand started moving downwards. Down. Down. Until it reached her hot core. Her hips bucked up when his fingers dipped into her wetness. And when they found her swollen nub and started rubbing, she mewled.
"Kane!"
His mouth left her nipple to kiss her mouth avidly while his fingers continued their delicious ministrations.
Needing to feel him, she groped until she found his impressive bulge.
"Jaz, baby," he panted.
Hurriedly, she unzipped him. With two pairs of hands eager to rid him of his clothes, he was naked in no time.
Her hand found him again as he lay back next to her. She keenly explored the manhood she'd been fantasising about for weeks. He was more magnificent that she'd imagined—and very wet with his pre-come.
"Baby, I'm too close," he croaked in her ear.
"Then come inside me. Now, please."
In a heartbeat he was in position. He hissed as the head of his thick, long cock touched her soaking entrance.
"Kane," she cried, angling her hips for penetration.
With a guttural sound, he pushed in slowly, inch by inch, to let her adjust to his size, or perhaps to hold himself back from coming.
Oh, he felt so incredible, and she was almost there.
"Kane, God, you feel so good," she moaned as she writhed underneath him.
"Oh, Jaz … Jaz … fuck," he said through gritted teeth as his control snapped.
He drove into her faster. Harder. Within a few glorious strokes, she was screaming his name in ecstasy, her inner walls contracting around his beautiful cock over and over.
"Aahhh, Jasmine!" he roared as he erupted inside her.
"Wow, that was worth waiting for."
Jasmine smiled as she stroked Kane's hair. "It certainly was."
He was half on top of her, with his arm tightly around her waist and his head buried in her neck.
He lifted his head to look in her eyes. "You were worth waiting for."
"Kane," she whispered, touched by his heart-warming sincerity.
He pushed a strand of hair off her face. "Of course, now it will be totally impossible to stay away from you. No more waiting ever again."
"Ever?" she teased. "How about when we're in public and we get hot? Surely, we'll have to keep our hands off each other then."
"I'll just haul you to the nearest men's room. You seem to feel at home in them."
She giggled.
Kane covered her with his body and she felt his hardening erection on her belly. She ran her hands on his still-sweaty back, her body responding unerringly to his.
"Right now, I'm in a no-waiting kind of mood," he said in an ultra-sexy tone that made her toes curl.
"That's good. 'Cause I'm in one, too."
"Maybe we can stay in bed for the rest of the day," he murmured in her ear.
"Oh, wait! I just remembered. Faye invited me to dinner at your parents' place tonight. I didn't want to tell her I'd be with you so I said yes."
Kane pushed himself up and gazed at her quizzically. "You're having dinner with my sister and parents tonight?"
"Yes. I think your other brothers will be there too. And Ray, of course."
"You're having dinner with my whole family tonight?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes. I did ask if you were going to be there but Faye said you might be busy so she hasn't asked you."
He looked at her blankly. "Why would she think I'm busy?"
"Because Hannah just came back from London, perhaps?"
"Hmm. Perhaps. But why didn't you want her to know you'll be with me?"
"Because I'm not sure what they know about us, and about you and Hannah."
"Faye and Ray know I'm keeping an eye on you to make sure you're safe—and that I'm interested in you. But they don't know I've broken up with Hannah. I've been too busy spending all my free time with you. I haven't shared my plans with anyone else."
"So … are you joining us for dinner?" she asked.
"Of course I am."
"We should watch ourselves tonight."
"Why? I've broken up with Hannah. I'll tell them tonight."
"But …" she hesitated.
"But?"
"But you only just broke up with her yesterday. You can't turn up with a new girlfriend straight away. I don't want anyone in your family to think badly of me," she said in a small voice.
"Baby, my whole family knows I got engaged only because of the baby. But yes, I can see where you're coming from. We'll keep it cool. No touching or anything while we're there."
"Thank you."
"Now no more discussing this. We have better things to do."
He captured her lips and thumbed an already excited nipple.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"Kane!"
"Hello, Faye," Kane greeted his surprised sister. "I can't believe I'm the only one not invited to my family's dinner," he said with a mock glower.
"I didn't forget about you. But Mum said to let you have your time with …" Faye's voice trailed off when she saw Jasmine standing behind him. "Hey, Jaz. I'm glad you could come. Did Kane pick you up?"
"Yes, he did," Jasmine responded shyly.
"Come on in. Everyone's here already."
"Yeah. Everyone including me," Kane said in a miffed tone as they walked inside the house.
"Hey, don't be like that," Faye said, giving him a swift hug. "Mum didn't want you to feel pressured to come so she thought it might be better not to let you know. How are you?"
He caught the unspoken meaning in Faye's question and smiled at her. "Fine. Everything's good."
"Good," Faye responded. "We'll talk more later. I have to get back to making your favourite cherry cheesecake."
"How many are you making? There's more of us tonight. One won't be enough," he called after Faye.
"Kane!" his mother cried as she came out of the kitchen just as Faye went into it.
"Hi, Mum. I heard you didn't want to see me tonight."
"Oh, darling, that's not true. I always want to see you. I just thought you needed time with Hannah since she just came back yesterday. Did you bring her with you?"
"No," he said, about to tell his mother the current situation but she had already turned her attention to Jasmine.
"Hello, Jasmine. I'm glad you could join us tonight."
"Hello, Mrs. Summers. Thank you for inviting me to your family dinner."
"It's a pleasure, dear. And please call me Linda. Faye tells me you're staying alone at your sister's house. Are you enjoying your holiday?"
"Yes, I am. Thank you."
"Well, dinner is almost ready. Kane, why don't you take Jasmine to the games room? The boys are there. Then come to the kitchen. I want to talk to you about something."
"Okay."
He reached out for Jasmine's hand but she gave him a warning look.
"Oops. I forgot," he whispered with a grin.
"Hey, boys," Kane called out as he and Jasmine entered the room where his dad, his three brothers and Ray were playing pool.
"Jasmine!" Dylan exclaimed delightedly. "Great to see you again, beautiful.
"
Jealousy pricked Kane as his brother, the second oldest and almost his spitting image, gave Jasmine a big bear hug that went on for far too long.
"Enough, Dylan," he growled.
Dylan looked at him in surprise.
"You're making her feel uncomfortable," he said.
"Am I, Jazzie?" Dylan asked Jasmine with a flirtatious pout.
Jasmine laughed, which annoyed him even more. Whose side was she on?
"Yeah, Dyl. Don't hog her attention," his youngest brother said, prying Dylan's arms from around Jasmine to pull her into his embrace.
Kane suppressed a sigh. Would this night be all about his two single brothers vying for Jasmine's attention? It irked him that he couldn't lay claim on her tonight.
"Which one are you, Bradley or Riley?" Jasmine asked her present hugger.
"Can't you tell? I'm the best looking of all the brothers."
"Well, there's two of you that look exactly the same," Jasmine chuckled, glancing at the other twin who looked up from texting someone on his phone and grinned at her.
"He's the baby," Kane said dryly, scowling at his brother.
"There's nothing wrong with babies," his brother retorted. "They're cute, cuddly, adorable —"
"Yadi, yadi, yadda," Kane interjected with an eye roll.
"I'm Brad," his brother carried on. "And don't worry about my twin. He's too busy pining for his girlfriend who can't make it to dinner tonight."
"Well, don't get too comfortable holding Jaz. Her boyfriend won't like it," Kane said, keen to put a stop to his brothers flirting with his girl.
"Aww, are you taken, Jasmine?" Brad asked.
"I'm afraid so," she answered.
"You're afraid so?" Dylan asked slyly. "Does that mean you're not exactly happy with your current flame? Don't settle for anything less than me, Jazzie."
Secret Words (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 1) Page 6