Her mom sighed loudly on the other end of the line. “I know, darling. You’ve told me before.”
“Mom, I’ve got to go. I have an event tonight that I need to get ready for. How about I call you tomorrow, and we can video chat?”
“Your father would love that! Have fun tonight, and be safe.”
“I will. I love you, Mom.” Laughing at her mother, she hung up and shook her head. If there were actual power in the warning that her mother gave her, she’d be the safest woman in all of New York.
She felt guilty lying to her mother, but some plans needed to stay a secret. She had no intentions of telling her mother that she’d planned on seducing her songwriter tonight. That just needlessly opened up a can of words.
Carrying the bags to her large closet, she bit her lower lip when she looked at the dress that she’d hung up yesterday afternoon. If she had her way, Kade would lose his mind when he saw her.
And hopefully just a little of that tightly wound control.
Chapter 9
Kade couldn’t help himself. He was surrounded by raw talent and should have been networking. After all, his contract with Addilyn would be up as soon as they finished recording, and he’d be available for more work. Christopher was deep in conversation with several of the musicians, and he kept glancing Kade’s way, but Kade was distracted. He kept glancing out the window and wondering if Addilyn would actually show.
When a taxi pulled up, he couldn’t help but feel a streak of satisfaction. Part of him thought that Addilyn would bow out. Her open and blatant flirtations yesterday were so unlike her, and he thought that maybe she wouldn’t follow through, but here she was.
Princess was full of surprises.
“Is there a reason that you are glued to the window?” Christopher asked in a low voice as he joined him. “God, Kade, please tell me that’s not America Holden.”
Kade shrugged. “It’s a gathering of musicians. She’s a musician.” He finally got a good look at her as she walked towards the building, and a growl caught in his throat. Christ, she’d be eaten alive if someone saw her in that dress.
“Party’s over. Move them to the bar down the street.” Before he could hear Christopher’s reply, he grabbed a jacket from his closet and raced out to meet Addilyn. She looked surprised to see him hurrying her way, and a gorgeous smile crossed her face.
“I’m sorry I’m a little late. Kade? What are you doing?” She gave him a puzzled look as he wrapped his jacket around her bare shoulders. The green fabric clung to her body and swept low across her back to show her creamy pale skin. It brushed up against her thighs when she walked. She wore a single solitary pearl that rested at the hollow of her throat. She managed to be classy and undeniably sexy at the same time, and she was driving him wild.
“You can’t walk into my apartment looking like that. Christ, I should never have invited you.”
“What?” She pulled back and frowned. “Do you want me to go?”
He laughed hollowly. “No. I definitely don’t want you to go.” The door to his apartment opened, and he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her around the corner. “I just don’t want pictures of you in that dress all over social media.”
Glancing back at his door, he finally saw the last people leave as Christopher herded them out. His friend gave him a warning glance and shook his head, but he left with the rest of the crowd. “Coast is clear,” he muttered. “C’mon.”
When he got her alone in his apartment, he fought against his urge to kiss her until she was breathless. Instead, he slipped the jacket off her shoulders and admired the gorgeous lines of her back.
“I came here for a party,” she teased. “I wanted to talk about music.”
“Really? I feel like all you do is talk about music. Let me get you a drink. Beer? Wine?”
“A glass of wine would be wonderful,” she said with a shy smile. “And I never get tired of talking about music. How could I? It’s an expression of the soul. It’s beautiful.”
“You were what? Twenty-two? Twenty-three when Peter discovered you?”
“I’d just graduated from college. My parents had indulged in my love for music and paid for me to have singing and music classes, but I never thought it would go anywhere. I got a degree in music and figured that I’d teach. I still took some gigs on the side. I did a musical in this small town dairy barn. I played a few open mic nights, and I’d been hired to sing a few songs for a local dance recital. That’s when Peter found me.”
Kade returned with the glass of wine and led her to the couch. Despite wanting to pull her on top of his lap, he tried to keep some distance. “And you just dropped everything and became America Holden?”
“It was a hard decision,” she said quietly as she sipped her wine. “My parents that would support me no matter what I decided to do, but I figured that I wasn’t really pop star material. I thought I might crumble under the spotlights, but Peter told me that he had a talent for choosing stars. I guess that’s what did it. I wanted to feel like I had star potential.”
“And so you became a pop princess?”
“Yup.” She laughed. It was such an innocent sound. So genuine. That was so rare for him to hear. “How did you start?”
“I’m afraid my story isn’t as pretty as yours. What did Peter say to you after I left yesterday?”
“Oh no, you don’t. You can’t keep dodging personal questions. I want to know what got you into the music business and all about that daughter of yours.”
Kade considered lying to her, but that wasn’t fair. She’d opened up to him, so he needed to least tell her some truths.
“I grew up in a bad area,” he admitted slowly. “My parents weren’t quite as loving as yours. They were drug addicts and neglectful. I had a younger sister, and she used to cry at night. I started singing to her to calm her down. The lyrics and the music just came to me. Finally, I started writing them down. Most of them were funny songs to make my sister laugh. I dabbled in rap to try and save face with the kids I went to school with. Everything just grew from there.”
“I feel like you’re skipping a lot,” Addilyn laughed. “But I understand that it’s personal.”
It was personal, and he didn’t want to share it with her. He didn’t want her pity when she heard everything that he’d endured just to survive.
“So tell me about your daughter. What’s it like being a father in your business?” Her tone was sincere enough, and even though he didn’t tell many people about Cadence, or how he came to be a single father, he couldn’t see any reason not to share with her.
“She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Of course, if you had asked me that when her mother was pregnant, I’d have said differently.” He let out a long breath, hoping she didn’t take that the wrong way.
“So you didn’t want to be a father? She was an accident?” He groaned at the word.
“I might not have wanted her before I had her, but as soon as she was born, my heart changed. How could anyone look at that little face and not want her? I had always thought love at first sight was some sappy sentiment that we write about in love songs and poetry, but she was living proof that it was real, because the very moment I laid eyes on her, she had my whole heart.”
“That’s beautiful. She sounds like a special girl. Does she write too?” She leaned a little closer, and he liked that they were getting more comfortable.
“She is a very special girl and super talented, but I can’t get her to write music. She loves books, so who knows. There’s still hope.” He gave a soft chuckle thinking back to the time he’d encouraged Cadence to write a poem only for it to end up a novel.
“You don’t see her mother?” She asked the question slowly as if she was afraid of the subject.
“No, she bailed when Cadence was a baby, and I’ve never heard from her since. I’m not even sure she’s still alive.” He didn’t care if she was either. Anyone who could choose themselves over an innocent baby wasn’t worth
his time.
“Do you think Cadence will ever want to know her? Has she ever asked about her mother?”
The subject had gone on long enough, but he’d entertain the one last question. “No, she’s never wanted for anything, even though I’d like to give her that one day too.” Her head cocked to the side as he spoke those words and he wondered if he’d just scared her away.
Music started to float in from the opened window, and her eyes widened. “Did your party move outside?”
“There’s a few bars downstairs. It’s a big music scene. I love staying here. You get a blend of everything. Pop. Country. Jazz. Rap.”
She sat her wine glass down and reached over to touch his arm. “I didn’t mean to break up your party, Kade. You’re welcome to go down and join them.”
“It’s mostly for Christopher. He’s great at managing his little team of songwriters, but he wants to eventually produce music. I think he’s hoping that Peter will take him under his wing, but for now, he’s constantly scouring for talent. He uses my apartment here because it’s so close to the bars.” Watching her closely, he tried to figure out what she wanted. By now, he’d spilled all of his secrets, and she’d no doubt heard of his reputation, so she couldn’t possibly want a relationship with him.
“Why did you come tonight, Addilyn?” he murmured in a low voice.
For a moment, he saw hesitation in her eyes. She slid her hands over the fabric of the couch cushion and stood. He didn’t move as she paced his rug. “I wanted to feel some freedom,” she admitted. “Isn’t that strange? I’m turning thirty this year, and I feel like it’s been forever since I could breathe.”
Standing up, he grabbed her hips and slowly guided her to the wall. He wanted her so badly that it was actually painful. “You want me to give you some freedom?” he whispered as he leaned down and gently kissed her neck. Her head fell to the side, and she gasped. His hands shook with need as he pressed his hardness against her. Skimming her throat with his fingers, he forced her chin up. She moved her body just fraction against his, and he was lost. When he claimed her mouth, he feared that nothing would be able to stop him from possessing every inch of her body and soul.
Chapter 10
Trapped between Kade and the wall, Addilyn could do nothing more than melt against him. His touch set off a whirlwind of emotions for her, and she was nothing more than a slave to the desire building up in her. As his tongue danced with hers, she dragged her fingers through his hair and tried to pull him down for even more.
"You want this, right?" he whispered raggedly as his hands dragged her shirt up. "Please tell me that you want this."
Unable to say anything, she could only tug at his own shirt in response. It wasn't the first time that she'd seen him half-naked, but it was the first time she was allowed to press the palm of her hands against his warm, supple, skin. Hard. Smooth. God, she couldn't get enough of him.
His hands trailed down her neck, and he kneeled out of reach. When his hands reached for the button on her jeans, she sighed in pleasure and leaned against the wall. Pushing her hips out, she let him slide the material off and shivered.
"Pretty," he said with a slow grin as his fingers trailed the lacy pattern of her black panties. When she spread her legs to give him more access, he groaned. "Damn, Addilyn. I bet you taste so sweet."
Just the idea of him kissing her so intimately, of him tasting her, was enough to weaken her. As her knees buckled, he caught her just before she could slide down the wall. "I've got you, baby. I want you in my bed. I've spent so many nights imagining you beneath my sheets."
Clinging to him as he picked her up, she bit her lower lip. "What was I doing?" she asked huskily.
"Letting me touch you all over. Kiss you all over." He started to climb the stairs. "Moaning my name when I made you come again and again."
In response, she pressed her lips to his neck and let her tongue dart out to taste him. He inhaled sharply, and she realized that she had as much power over him as he had over her. When she raked her teeth lightly over his shoulder, he picked up the pace. Before she knew it, she was air bound. With a small shriek, she fell and bounced on the soft mattress. In an instant, he was on top of her.
This wasn't the man who'd teased her before. All of their innuendos and flirting, all the heated glances, and sly touches came down to this. The air was thick with tensions that Addilyn was afraid that might both go up in flames.
With ease, he unsnapped her bra and tossed it aside. The cool air puckered her nipples, and he made a low sound of approval when he gently pinched them between his fingers. "Perfect," he muttered. Leaning down, he licked one gently before raking his teeth over it.
"Oh," she cried out and pulled his head away. "God, Kade. Believe, me. The foreplay isn’t necessary. I'm so ready."
"Really?" His hand reached down and stroked her damp panties. The touch was almost too much, and her hips lifted off the bed. Embarrassed, she tried to pull away. If he made her come before he even got her naked, she'd never live it down. It felt like a power play, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want him to know how much hold he had on her.
"So wet," he muttered in a ragged voice. Shimmying down her body, he practically ripped her panties down her legs and forced her thighs apart. Even in the dark, she could see the intensity of his glare as he slid a single finger over her and gently brushed her clit. Crying out, she reached up and gripped the pillow under her head.
"Kade," she begged. "Please."
"Fuck. I love the way my name sounds on your lips. I want to hear it again, Addilyn." Leaning down, he pressed his mouth to her heated center and slid a finger deep inside her. It just took a second. Two strokes of his fingers as he searched for her sweet spot, and one long slide of his tongue over her bud. He wanted to hear his name again, and he succeeded. As the orgasm washed over her, she whimpered it over and over again.
"That's it, Princess," he whispered. "Again. All night."
He tried to lean down and taste her again, but she brought her foot up and pressed it against his shoulder. He stroked her calves, but she wouldn't be swayed. He'd seen her at her most intimate moment, and she still hadn't gotten him naked. Pulling herself up, she faced him on her knees and kissed him. As he wrapped her hands around her hair and deepened the kiss, she attacked his jeans. Pushing them down his thighs, she freed his cock and wrapped her fist around it.
Hard. Throbbing.
Grunting, he thrust into her hands. Feeling like she'd regained some control, she grinned. "Want my mouth around you, Kade? Did you ever think your princess would do that?"
"Trying to play dirty? You forget that I'm bigger than you." His threat was weakened by the fact that he reveled in her touch for a few more seconds before pushing her back down on the bed. Finally naked, he hovered over her. "Give me a second to get a condom."
"No." She grabbed him. "I'm on the pill, and I'm clean. I want to feel you, Kade. All of you. If you're--" Swallowing hard, she thought about all the women he'd been with.
"I'm good," he said huskily. "And I thank God for that."
Addilyn shuddered as he pressed at her entrance. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she raised her hips, and inch by delicious inch, he slid inside her. As she cried out, he pressed his forehead against her. "Fuck, baby. You're so tight. I just want--"
Digging her nails into his back, she knew exactly what he wanted. "I'm not fragile, Kade. Fuck me."
They were the magic words. He was everything that she'd fantasized about and more as he slid deeper and deeper inside of her. He held nothing back, and Addilyn reveled in every hard and fast stroke. Their skin was slick was sweat, and there was no part of her body that he didn't touch and caressed. He rode her through her second orgasm, and when she thought she wouldn't survive anything else, the desire mounted inside her again.
When she pushed at his shoulders, he grabbed her hips and rolled them over, so she sat astride him. She managed to take him even deeper, and from his moans, she knew that
he was close. She tried to set a new pace, to go faster, but he gripped her hips and anchored her in place.
"Kade," she said weakly as she tried to fight against him.
"I need to feel it again, Addilyn. One more time. Give me one more."
It was a battle that she lost. As he pressed his thumb against her clit and leaned up to take a nipped in his mouth, she fell against him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held them both upright with one arm and stroked her again and again as she rode him. Shuddering against him, she felt completely helpless. Both never wanting it to end and so desperate to reach the end, she thought her body might snap, but finally, with a scream, she bowed her back and gave him exactly what he wanted. The orgasm was so strong that she felt like nothing more than a ragdoll when he threw her under him. The bed slammed against the wall with those final thrusts, and she finally heard the sweet sounds of victory.
Her name filled the room as he shuddered inside her and collapsed.
She had no idea how much time past. Minutes. Hours. When her heartbeat finally slowed, and she could breathe again, she practically purred as she reached up and pressed her hands against his back. Smiling happily, she traced the tattoos on his arms. "What do they mean?"
Kade pulled back and frowned. "What does what mean?"
"Your ink. Didn't you get them for some particular reason?"
"Usual reasons. Drunk. Lost a bet. Though it looks cool." His voice was almost cold as he rolled way from her. Puzzled, she pushed herself up on her elbows and stared at him.
"Okay," she said slowly. Hoping that maybe his distance was part of her imagination, she reached for him, but when he slid from the bed, she felt like he'd just doused her with a bucket of ice water. "Kade?"
"Sorry, Princess. I've still got some work to do on your album. You're a great fuck. I feel very relaxed.”
My Last First Kiss: A Single Father Secret Baby Novel Page 105