“I know.” Hope stood, her lips pulled down. “I need to go see the counselor too. If you’re going to talk to Mr. Easton, I may as well head in and see her now.”
I nodded, afraid she’d ask why I was going to see Cade. I could cover easily and say it was because of track, but Hope could sniff out a lie like she was a cadaver dog. She had a sixth sense for these things.
We both walked into the school, and I gripped her arm. “I’m serious, Hope. You need to talk to her. Otherwise, you’re not going to graduate.”
Hope’s eyes flashed at me, the bags under them letting me know something else was going on. I’d been so inside my head lately that I’d forgotten all about her. She was my best friend, but I wasn’t treating her like it.
“Next week,” I told her. “Next week, me and you, movie night at my place.”
“Yeah?” Her lips pulled up into a smile.
“Yeah.”
“Awesome!” She high-fived me, and I blinked. We never high-fived. “I’m gonna go sort my life out. Catch you later?”
“You betcha.” I watched as she walked down the hall, waited a second, and then spun around. Cade’s office wasn’t far from this part of the school, so I made it there within a couple of minutes, which would give us twenty minutes until the bell rang for class.
I stopped outside his office. The door was closed, and I wondered if he’d left in the time it took me to get here. What if he was busy and didn’t want to see me? What if—I shook my head. There was no point in me wondering about the what-ifs. I needed to stop overthinking and knock on the door.
Pulling in a deep breath to try and calm myself, I knocked. “Come in!” his gruff voice shouted, so I slowly opened up the door. Cade was staring down at something on his desk, a frown on his face. I stayed silent, waiting for him to look up at me as I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
All of his blinds were closed, so not an ounce of sunlight streamed in the room. The only window not covered was the one on his door, so I slowly turned around and pulled the blind down, then leaned my back against it.
Cade still wasn’t looking my way, but the longer I stared at him, the shallower my breaths became. He had on his shirt and pants, the top button of the shirt undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showcasing his tattoos.
He finally glanced up, his gaze landing right on mine. “Aria.” The way his tongue rolled over the letters in my name had my eyes closing, and when I opened them back up, he was leaning back in his chair.
My hand fumbled behind me to find the lock, and the click of it rang out in the room. His nostrils flared at the sound—his body knew what was going to happen. I pushed off the door, let my bag drop to the floor, and sauntered over to him. He watched each one of my steps with rapt attention, and when I was in touching distance, he reached out for me. I went willingly, not able to deny him. I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to deny him.
“I fuckin’ missed touchin’ you, baby.”
I groaned as his hands gripped my waist, his fingers curling underneath the edge of my T-shirt. “Me too,” I murmured, and pushed my hand through his hair. His head was level with my chest, but he kept his gaze fixated on my eyes. He didn’t look away once as his hands pushed higher, taking my T-shirt with them.
We’d kissed and got a little hot and heavy, but we’d never gone any further than that. Today, though…today I wanted to beg him to touch me in places no one ever had.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he told me, dragging my T-shirt over my chest. I lifted my arms for him to pull it over my head. I lost sight of his eyes for a second, but as soon as he threw my T-shirt on the floor, I looked back at him.
“I know,” I told him, resisting the urge to cover my chest. The black lace bra was covering half of my breasts, but I knew he could see my nipples through the thin material.
“Tell me to stop,” Cade pleaded, his thumbs reaching for my nipples. I groaned as they made contact. “Tell me, Aria. Tell me to stop.”
“I can’t,” I whispered, pushing closer to him.
“Fuck.” He stood so quickly it made my head spin. “Why can’t I resist you?” He didn’t want an answer, and even if he did, I couldn’t give him one. I had no idea why my heart beat faster around him. I had no idea why the thought of him never touching me again made me feel like I would break apart into a thousand tiny pieces.
Cade reached around me, and I widened my eyes as he shoved all the papers off his desk and then placed me on it. He pushed between my legs, his lips connecting with my exposed shoulder. I let my head drop to the side as he trailed a path up my neck. He waited a heartbeat, and then slammed his lips against mine.
My stomach dipped and my legs wrapped around his waist, unable to resist touching him. I groaned when his hand reached behind me and undid my bra, then grasped his hair tighter as he pulled his lips off mine and moved to my nipples. He pulled one into his mouth, flicking his tongue over it as he ran his thumb over the other one.
All too quickly he was pulling back, leaving my chest heaving. He didn’t take his eyes off me as he backed away a step, taking his fill. “I need to touch you.” It was part statement, part plea, and there was no way I would deny him.
The bell rang out for the next class, but neither of us moved to exit. Instead, Cade undid the next button on his shirt. My stomach dipped at each one being undone, and when it was finally completely open, he yanked it off and threw it on the floor next to my T-shirt.
“I don’t have a class,” he told me, stepping back between my legs and reaching for my jeans. “But even if I did, there’s no way I’d walk away from you right now.” His one hand trailed up my stomach and between my breasts, stopping on the side of my neck. “No way in hell.”
I gulped as he fingers pulled down the zipper of my jeans, and choked on a breath as his hand pushed beneath my panties.
“Cade,” I moaned. “I’ve never been touched—”
“I know, baby.” He pushed against me, making my back hit his desk. “And that just turns me on even fuckin’ more.”
My back bowed as he ran his finger through my slit, hitting the bundle of nerves I was sure would make me explode within a second. His lips trailed over my breast and moved back to my nipple, lapping at it.
“Fuck, Cade, I can’t…”
“Mmmm, say that again, baby.”
“What?” I asked, looking down at him. I didn’t think he could get any hotter than he already was, but seeing his lips against my skin and his tattoo-covered chest was my undoing.
“Fuck. Say fuck again. You sound so goddamn hot when you curse.”
A blush burned at my cheeks, and I opened my mouth, about to tell him I wouldn’t say it again, but he pushed a finger inside me, drawing a “Fuck,” from me.
“Yes.” He pushed his finger in and out, and I winced at the pinch. “You’re so goddamn tight.”
“Cade…” I wrapped my arms around his waist, searching for his lips with mine. “It’s too much. I can’t…you can’t…”
“Close your eyes, baby,” he whispered, pressing his chest against mine and laying me flat on his desk again. “Feel it. Feel my finger inside you.” He kissed my lips gently. “Feel my lips against yours.” I pulled in a breath. “Feel my fingers against your nipple.”
I closed my eyes and did just as he said. I let myself feel it. I let myself bask in his thumb rubbing against my clit as he pumped his finger in and out of me, widening me with his thrusts. I let myself feel his lips against my skin, and his fingers pinching my nipple.
I let it all in, but I wasn’t sure I’d survive it.
Something started low in my stomach, a fizzle of some kind, and then without warning, I exploded. I screamed his name, but his mouth cut me off, and I forgot about everything with him against me. I forgot about who we were. I forgot about where we were.
“Cade,” I gasped as he slowed his thumb on my clit, my orgasm drifting away. “I can’t even…” I didn’t know what to say. He’d
blown my mind, and I was speechless.
“Say you’ll stay with me on Saturday night.” His finger didn’t move from inside me as my walls pulsated around it. His forehead leaned against mine as he said, “Say you’ll stay the night and let me love you the way you deserve to be loved.”
I heard what he was saying, and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind as I nodded and told him, “Yes.”
Chapter Twelve
CADE
If there was one thing my dad and Lola knew how to do, it was a cookout. I hadn’t been to one where everyone attended for what felt like years, and when I really thought about it, I realized the last time had been when I was a college senior. Back then, Aria hadn’t been in attendance.
Aria.
My cheeks hurt with how wide I grinned. My mind immediately took me back to the image of her being spread out on my desk, half-naked, my lips whispering over her skin, and my fingers between her legs. Fuck. I was getting hard just thinking about it.
She’d promised to stay over at my house tonight, but part of me wondered if it was a good idea. She was seventeen, and my student, but damn if I could resist the temptation when it came to her. She had me tied up in knots I couldn’t undo, no matter how much I tried. I was crossing boundaries I had no right to cross, but I couldn’t stop.
She was my kryptonite, and I had no cure.
I picked at the label on the beer bottle, my gaze swinging around the backyard. Asher and Belle were running around chasing each other, Dad was manning the grill with Sal next to him, and Lola, Jan, and Aria were in the kitchen. I couldn’t see her from where I was, which made getting up from the table and walking away from Dad’s team—Jord, Kyle, Ryan, and Ford—all the easier.
The guys didn’t look my way as I crossed the yard and walked past Dad and Sal. They were talking about some case they were all working, which meant I didn’t have a place in their conversation. I was used to hearing them talk about cases since I moved in with Dad when I was fifteen. They’d trained and worked together. They were a family, anyone from the outside looking in could see that.
But they weren’t my family. Not really. They’d been there for me when I needed them, but only one person in this house knew what had happened while I was away. I was keeping a secret from them all, much like Aria was. She’d shared hers with me—through no choice of her own—but I hadn’t told her mine. Maybe tonight would be the night I confessed what happened. Maybe I could confide in her and strip myself bare the way she had with me.
I heard her laughter before I stepped into the kitchen, but I hadn’t been expecting her to be walking into the living room. Jan and Lola were preparing some side dishes, paying no mind to me as I moved through the kitchen.
I caught sight of Aria as she headed for the stairs, and I drifted toward her. If she knew I was following her, she didn’t give any indication as she went up the stairs. Her ass swayed with each of her movements, and I groaned at the sight.
My stomach dipped as I got to the top of the stairs, and she finally looked back at me. “Are you following me, Cade?” She raised her brow and propped her hand on her hip. I’d never seen her in a dress before, not since she was a little girl, but fuck, she looked hot.
“Maybe I am.” I stalked toward her, the beer bottle hanging from my fingers. “What would you say to that?”
She bit down on her plump bottom lip as her gaze tracked over me. My light-denim ripped jeans hung low on my hips, and my black T-shirt showed both tattooed arms.
“I’d say…” Her chest expanded on a breath as I closed more of the distance between us. There were only a few steps separating us now, and she backed herself against the wall between the bathroom and my bedroom.
“What would you say?” I asked, taking another step. I leaned my arm on the wall above her head, not an inch of my body touching hers. Her lips parted, and her tongue swiped along them, calling to me, begging me to touch them.
“I’d say…” She reached her hand out and flattened her palm against my stomach, her fingers trailing over the contour of my abs. “You can always follow me.”
“Yeah?” I couldn’t stop my hand from grasping her waist, and my fingers connected with the skin showing there. I had no idea what kind of dress this was, but it was calling to me on all sorts of levels. “What would you say if I touched you?”
“Touched me where?” she whispered, her eyes flaring. She was thinking about the other day too. I could tell from the way she shuffled on the spot, and I’d bet my bottom dollar her panties were soaked.
I whispered my fingers across her hips and bent down a little to lift her dress. The dark material bunched in my hand, and then I was between her legs, a grin spreading across my face because I’d been right.
From this position, I could feel the scars on her thighs, and I hesitated. In my office, I hadn’t pulled her jeans down far enough to touch or see them, and part of me had forgotten.
“Cade,” her soft voice pleaded, and she locked her thighs around my hand, stopping my momentum but keeping me there. “I’m sorry.”
“No.” I shook my head and pushed my body flush with hers. “You don’t need to say that, not to me.” My eyes stayed focused on hers, not willing to look away. “You never have to apologize for the scars you hold, whether I can see them or not.” I pulled in a breath and clutched her thigh. “They’re a part of you, and I don’t want to change that.”
“But—”
“Aria?” I yanked myself away from her at the sound of Jan’s voice. Her footsteps followed a second later. “Are you coming to help, or what?”
“I…” Aria shook her head and cleared her throat, backing away from me and toward the stairs. “I’m coming, Mom.”
I quirked my lips and winked as I whispered, “Not yet, baby.”
“Cade!” she whisper-shouted, her eyes widening. “Stop it.”
“Who are you talking to?” Jan asked, and then her face appeared. “Oh, hey, Cade. What are you doing up here?”
I pointed my beer toward the bathroom. “Waiting for Aria to finish up.”
Jan’s gaze batted between the two of us, and she frowned. That frown said so much more than I was willing to admit, but Jan quickly schooled her features. “Come on, food is ready.”
I didn’t look at Aria again as I walked into the bathroom and waited for a couple of minutes for them to be back downstairs. That had been close, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel bad for it. I couldn’t bring myself to care one bit, because all that mattered right now was Aria and me. All I cared about was when I would be able to touch her next, and when I would be able to hear her soft voice again.
By the time I made it into the backyard, everyone was sitting around the table. Asher and Belle were either side of Aria. Ford took the open seat next to Belle with Jord next to him. Jan was next to Asher and Sal with Dad next to them, which left one open seat between Lola and Kyle. I was on the opposite end to Aria, but maybe that was a good thing. Maybe if we were kept apart for a little while, I wouldn’t be so obvious.
Conversation flowed between everyone as we passed around bowls of sides and meat Dad had grilled, but it wasn’t until I heard Belle say, “Do you have a girlfriend, Cade?” that I nearly choked on the potato salad in my mouth.
“Wh-what?” I couldn’t help but flick my gaze to Aria before looking at Belle, but Aria was too busy staring down at her plate.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” Belle repeated and rolled her eyes at me.
“I…erm…”
“Oh snap!” Jord shouted. “Little sister has just outed you.” I blinked at him and his small Afro that was faded from his neck up.
“Outed me?” My pulse quickened, and I kept my gaze on anything but Aria. I’d missed half of the conversation, so I wasn’t even sure what was going on.
“You got a secret girlfriend we don’t know about, son?” Dad asked, and I turned to look at him. His brows were raised, waiting for my answer, but I wasn’t sure what I should say. All eyes were on me, but
I’d never squirmed the way I did right then.
“I…I’ve met someone.”
“You have?” Lola asked, her hand gripping on to my arm in excitement. “Tell us all about her.”
“She…” I swallowed and pushed some food around my plate with my fork. “She’s different.”
“Different how?” Lola asked.
“I…” I blew out a breath and pushed my hand through my hair, pulling on it to try and distract myself, but it was no use. My gaze moved to Aria, and her eyes were focused on me. The light-brown orbs were pulling me in, and nothing I did could make me look away. “I’ve never felt like this before. It’s different with her. Just…more.”
“More?” Lola asked, but her voice was far away. I was in a land of my own where only Aria and I existed. A world where no one cared she was seventeen, and I was twenty-five. A world where it didn’t matter that she was my student. A world where love trumped everything, and rules and regulations didn’t matter.
“Yeah…more,” I repeated to Lola, and finally looked away from Aria.
Lola’s smile was so big I was sure it was going to break her face. “Are you in love with her, Cade?”
I didn’t answer her. I wasn’t sure what I felt, but there was no way I was going to admit anything to Lola when the woman I couldn’t stop thinking about was sitting at the other end of the table.
“Leave the boy alone, Lola-Girl,” Sal grunted. “He don’t wanna talk about his fluffy feelings ’round a table full of men.”
“Yeah, Mama,” Asher said, his small voice trying to sound deeper than it was. “We men.”
Lola laughed. “I know you are, honey.” Asher puffed his chest out at her words. She leaned toward me and whispered, “I hope I get to meet this girl soon.”
I nodded and stared back at Aria, finding her gaze right away. It was on the tip of my tongue to blurt out she’d already met her, but…I couldn’t. We were keeping secrets from everyone, and all it reminded me about was the secret I was keeping from Aria.
Defy Fate: Fated Duet: Book One Page 14