She grabbed hold of my fingers on her waist and trailed her fingertip over my thumb. “Have you ever measured your fingers?”
I raised a brow as I halted us outside my door. “Measured my fingers?” I asked and pushed my key into the lock. She was still leaning against me, and I liked her pressed against my side. She was Aria. The girl who bugged me to no end growing up, but she was also the girl who I would protect with my life.
“Yeah. Like in centimeters.”
I pushed the door open and helped her over the step, in case she missed it, and then flicked the lights on. She slammed her hand over her eyes and stumbled back into the wall as I locked the door behind us.
“Jeez, Cade, give a girl some warning.”
“Lights are on,” I answered her, and grabbed her wrist to lead her into the kitchen.
“Har-har—oh shit, where’s my cell?”
“Have you checked your pocket?” I asked and sat her on one of the bar stools. It probably wasn’t a good idea to have her sit there while she was intoxicated, but it was the only chairs I had down here. My other downstairs furniture wasn’t due to be delivered until tomorrow.
“Ha, found it.” I filled up a glass with some tap water and turned around to hand it to her, but in the seconds between her last words, she’d rested her head on the counter and was now snoring up a storm.
I stood and stared at her for several seconds, wondering what had changed about her since I’d left for college seven years ago. She’d been ten at the time, and although I was there for her, I was also too busy hanging with my friends and visiting with my baby sister. I’d forgotten about her somewhere along the way, and I wasn’t sure anyone else hadn’t either.
She was the quiet girl in the corner. The one you could trust to sit and wait for you for several hours. The one you trusted not to get into trouble. But was that really who she was? It was a Friday night, and I’d found her drunk at the bar.
I wasn’t sure I knew the Aria in front of me anymore, but that made me all the more determined to get to know who she was now.
* * *
ARIA
My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth, thanks to the dryness of my throat. That, coupled with the banging inside my brain, told me I was hungover. My stomach rolled at the memory of the shots I’d downed, and I groaned and rolled over. My eyelids cracked open a little and closed back up, and it took me a couple of seconds for them to fling open at what I’d seen.
This wasn’t my room.
My room wasn’t gray with an open blind. And I certainly didn’t have a huge comfortable bed at my disposal. Where in the ever-loving hell was I?
I stayed still, so very still I resembled a statue. My ears perked up, and I heard voices. Several voices I didn’t know—voices that made me hyperventilate. I tried to take stock of where I was because I needed an escape plan, one where I could get out of this house without anyone noticing.
Tentatively, I pulled the covers back, thankful all my clothes were still attached to my body. That was a good sign, right?
My cell sat on the nightstand, and I grabbed for it, opening up my messages, about to ask Hope what the hell happened last night. But what I saw had my eyes widening and my brain even more puzzled than it was before.
Hope: Where are you? I’ve searched the bar, but I can’t see you.
Hope: Holy shit. Some teachers are here!
Hope: If you don’t answer me, I’m going to call your mom.
Aria: I’m fine. I got a ride home from Sal. Call you tomorrow.
The grammar and punctuation on my text meant it wasn’t me. Who the hell had sent this, and—
“Aria?” My eyes widened at the rough voice, and I nearly squealed when a knock rang on the bedroom door. “You awake?”
Cade? How the hell had I ended up…
Oh, shit.
The memories from the night before were resurfacing and slapping me right in the face. What had I gotten myself into?
“I…I’m awake,” I croaked out, my voice sounding nothing like my own. I wasn’t sure whether it was because I’d just woken up, or because I’d drunk my weight in alcohol last night.
The door creaked open slowly, and then Cade’s face was in view, along with the shorts and tight T-shirt he’d decided to torture me with today. Could a girl not catch a break? I was over here hungover with breath that could rival a skunk, and he was…well, he was Cade.
“How you feeling?”
I gripped my head and flopped back on the bed. Now that I knew whose house I was in, I was no longer in immediate danger. “Like I got run over by a truck.” His laugh echoed around us, and I hated him even more for the way my ears loved the sound.
“I’m gonna head out and get some breakfast now that my furniture has been delivered. You can take a shower while I’m gone.”
I rolled over and stared at him. Really stared at him. He was taller than he had been the last time I’d seen him nearly five years ago, but the Cade I knew was still in there. This was just a more grown-up, muscular version of him.
“I’d like that,” I murmured.
He took a step forward, but his gaze didn’t move off mine. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I couldn’t have been the only one to feel the tension in the air. Goose bumps sprang over my skin the closer he got, and when he handed me one of his T-shirts and some shorts, my breath stalled in my throat.
I reached forward to take them from him, and my fingertips grazed against his. There wasn’t an electric shock that happened, not like they talked about in the books. It was more of a fizzle that slowly boiled over, something just starting out but refusing to be ignored.
Neither of us looked away, and I didn’t pull my fingers back. Part of me wanted him to let the clothes go and leave the room, and the other part of me wanted him to hook his finger over mine and pull me toward him. But we couldn’t do that. We could never do that. Right?
I moved forward and brought my legs off the side of the bed to stand, but still, he didn’t back away. Without the boots on, I only came up to the middle of his chest, tiny compared to him, but I kind of loved that. I liked the fact that if he wanted to, he could cocoon me in his arms and—
What the hell was I thinking?
“Thanks,” I finally said, and he shook his head at the sound of my voice, almost as if he was bringing himself out of a daze.
“Welcome.” He backed up a step. “Shower is in there. Towels are on the rail.”
“Got it.”
He nodded and exited without saying another word, and I was left standing in the middle of his room, feeling like a fool. I reasoned the only thing that would make me feel better was hot water against my skin and a tube of toothpaste in my mouth. So I did precisely that. I stepped into his newly tiled bathroom—at least I assumed that was why there were still tools in here—and under the huge showerhead.
The water rained down on me like a waterfall, at just the right temperature, and I was debating whether to come here every couple of days just to have a shower. I didn’t think twice about washing my hair, not caring if it dried a frizzy mess.
Once I was out of the shower and dressed in Cade’s T-shirt and my jeans from last night, I sat on the edge of his bed and took a second. I needed to get all my thoughts in order. It was one thing sleeping in his bed at Uncle Brody and Lola’s house, but it was something totally different being in this room.
The air smelled like him, and the little knickknacks dotted on his chest of drawers were calling to me. I wanted to investigate more of his personal space, intrigued by what he liked and didn’t like. The front door clicking closed had me jumping off the bed, afraid he could hear my thoughts from downstairs.
“Aria?” Cade shouted.
“Coming!” I grabbed my cell and my top from last night, then walked down the stairs and toward the smell of bacon.
Cade’s back was to me as he stood in the kitchen, plating whatever he’d bought. “I hope you still like bacon,” he said, not even looki
ng over his shoulder. He could sense I was here, and I wasn’t sure why it unnerved me the way it did.
“I do.” I walked forward, spotting my jacket hung over the back of one of the barstools.
Cade spun around and placed two plates on the counter, but I didn’t miss the way his gaze settled on my chest. His T-shirt was way too big for me, but I’d tied it at my waist. The soft, gray material cocooned my skin, and I couldn’t deny that I never wanted to take it off.
“OJ?”
“Please,” I answered him, my voice rougher than usual. I wasn’t sure whether it was his dark-blue eyes that was causing it or all the alcohol from last night.
He tilted his head at the two plates on the counter, so I stepped forward and pulled myself up onto one of the barstools. I was glad I’d had a shower and found a spare toothbrush because the thought of sitting this close to him unwashed after last night wasn’t appealing.
I dug into the bacon and pancakes on my plate, already knowing he’d gotten it from Sal’s. I could taste a Sal pancake from a mile away.
“You went to Sal’s?” I asked as Cade sat down beside me. There was only a couple of inches of space between us, and I looked down at the gap with a swallow. One move and his thigh would be pressed against mine.
“Yep.” He took a swig of his juice. “I didn’t tell them you were here, though. I assumed your mom would think you stayed at Hope’s.”
I was silent for a couple of minutes, working my way through the food and already feeling better for it. “And Hope?”
“I messaged her from your cell.” Cade turned his face to stare at me. “She was blowing up your cell, and you wouldn’t wake up.”
“Good job I don’t have a passcode on it then, huh?”
Cade shrugged. “I’d have guessed it anyway. You’re pretty predictable.”
“Oh yeah?” I placed my knife and fork on the edge of the plate, not able to eat another bite. “Let’s test that theory.”
Cade laughed and spun on his stool, causing his legs to sit either side of me. I didn’t know whether he was unaware or just didn’t care. “Go on then.”
I pulled my cell out and clicked on to have a passcode then handed it to him. “Try to crack that—” He handed my cell back to me, having guessed the correct passcode. “How the hell…”
“Your birthday. Easy. Everyone uses their birthday.”
“You think you're so clever, huh, Mr. Easton?”
“No thinking about it.” He winked and stood. “I know I am.”
I shook my head, but couldn’t stop the laugh bubbling up. “You’re incorrigible.” I stared at his back as he rinsed off his plate in the sink and placed it into his dishwasher, and then stood to pass him mine.
“Using big words considering you’re hungover,” he said, his dark-blue eyes twinkling as they met mine.
“Are you not used to such words on a Saturday morning, Mr. Easton?”
He groaned and took my plate from me. “I hate when you call me that.”
Leaning against the counter next to him, I crossed my arms over my chest. “That’s your name, isn’t it?”
He didn’t answer me for several seconds. Instead, he kept loading the dishwasher, his large hands moving backward and forward. “Not to you,” he finally said, closing the dishwasher door and standing to his full height. “I’m always just Cade to you.”
His dark-blue eyes swirled with something…something I was sure I was imagining. “Cade,” I breathed out, suddenly aware of how close we were. “I…”
I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but he stepped forward. I had to dip my head back to be able to keep eye contact with him. “Aria,” he answered me, but that one word said so much more than merely my name.
I let my arms drop from my chest and pressed my back to the counter. He was erasing any distance between us, and part of me wanted to scream at him to stop, but the other part of me wanted him to never let there be any space ever again. He’d been back in town for a couple of months, and in that time, all my old feelings had resurfaced. But I’d realized what I felt back then was nothing compared to what was starting to swirl inside of me now.
“Why?” Cade asked, but I wasn’t sure he was talking to me as he continued, “Why do you make me feel like I’m losing my mind?”
I swallowed at his words, and my body drifted closer to him, already knowing what it wanted. His hand gripped my hip, his fingers whispering to the small portion of skin between my jeans and his T-shirt, and I moaned from the impact. My stomach dipped, and my body begged for more from him.
“I shouldn’t…” He trailed off, and my tongue swiped over my bottom lip on instinct as he dipped down, his face so close I could see every speck of green in his otherwise blue eyes. “But I can’t stop myself.”
Neither of us looked away, the seconds ticking by, and then he pressed his lips against mine. I wasn’t sure what to do at first. My body was frozen, my hands shaking. Cade was kissing me. His soft lips were against mine, and I… I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything.
He yanked himself away from me and took two giant steps back. “Shit, Aria.” He slapped his palm against the counter and pushed his other hand into his hair. “Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
His chest was heaving, but so was mine.
I’d been frozen, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know what I wanted.
* * *
CADE
I’d made a mistake. I’d done something I never should have. I’d crossed a line.
Fuck.
I paced the kitchen, feeling Aria’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t look at her. I’d taken it too far. I’d been lulled by a false sense of security and forgotten who I was, and I wasn’t sure what had tipped me over the edge. Maybe it was having her in my house all alone? Maybe it was because she slept in my bed last night?
Or maybe it was because she looked so goddamn hot in my T-shirt.
“Cade,” her soft voice called, but I shook my head and continued to pace. I’d been stupid, so fuckin’ stupid.
I pushed my hands into my hair and gripped it so much my scalp burned, but at least with the pain, I gained clarity. I never should have brought her back here last night, I shouldn’t have—
“Cade.” Her voice was firmer now, but also closer. “Look at me.”
I inhaled a deep breath and slowly turned to face her. She was so much smaller than me, delicate but resilient, and I’d taken advantage. “I’m sorry, Aria,” I said, collapsing onto one of the bar stools. I hung my head, unable to look at her. I’d always kept my emotions in check, but she had a way of making me lose myself.
“No,” Aria commanded. “I’m sorry.” Her small hand pushed through my hair, and she forced my head back. Her light-brown eyes didn’t move from mine, demanding all my attention. “I should have been clearer.”
“What—”
She pushed herself between my legs, our heads now at the same height. “You took me by surprise.”
“I…” I frowned, not sure what she was saying, but then she slammed her lips onto mine. She wasn’t gentle like I was. She was forceful, demanding, and fuck if it didn’t turn me on.
Her hands drifted to either side of my face, trying to keep me in place, and I let her because, if I took over, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to stop. But then she swiped her tongue over my lips, and all bets were off. She’d woken the beast, and there was nothing I could do to stop him now.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and yanked her closer to me. Her chest pressed against mine as I dipped my tongue into her mouth and drew a moan from her. I could live the rest of my life off that moan alone, but it wasn’t enough. I needed to touch her. I needed to own every inch of her.
“Aria,” I murmured, pulling away slightly. My hands whispered up her back and to her neck as I stared into her eyes. “This is—”
“Don’t say wrong,” she pleaded and let her forehead drop against mine. “Please don’t say that.”
; I swallowed at the emotion in her voice. “Okay,” I croaked out. “Let’s start over.” I pressed my lips to hers, gentle again, and savored every soft touch. I didn’t need to rush, in fact, I wanted nothing more than to take my time.
Aria met each of my kisses with one of her own, and before I knew it, our tongues were twirling against each other, and I was standing. It took little effort to pull her up and hold her at my height, and I deposited her on the counter we’d just eaten at.
The tables were turned, and now I was in control.
“You’re making me lose my damn mind,” I told her, kissing her neck and going lower to her collarbone. She let her head drop back and gripped my waist with her small hands.
“Please,” she begged, but I wasn’t sure she even knew what she was begging for as I made my way back to her lips.
“You want this?” I asked, pressing my lips against hers and then pulling away.
“Yes.” She grabbed each side of my face, her chest heaving with her heavy breaths. “God, I need this so bad.”
I pulled in a stuttering breath and let it back out again. “I’m yours, baby.” I rubbed my thumb over the apple of her cheek, loving the blush rising.
“Say that again,” she demanded.
“Say what?” I asked, my voice a low whisper.
“Baby.” Her nostrils flared as I dipped my finger under the loose collar of my T-shirt covering her chest. “No one has ever called me that.”
“Good.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her flush with my body. She circled her legs around my waist and I groaned as my cock pressed between her legs. There was no way she couldn’t feel it, and from the way her eyes hooded, she liked it. “Only I get to call you that.”
“You’re so bossy.” She laughed, and I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the sound. She was one of a kind, and I wasn’t sure anyone would ever come close to the person she was.
Defy Fate: Fated Duet: Book One Page 9