“I’m on the pill,” she blurted out, and I widened my eyes. She’d gotten me so lost inside of her, I hadn’t even thought about it.
I pressed my forehead to hers and pushed slowly, whispering, “It’s okay,” as she winced. “Relax, baby. It’s just you and me.” Her stare connected with mine. “It’ll always be you and me,” I promised her.
Her chest expanded, her nipples scraping over my pecs as she pulled in a breath. “Do it,” she urged.
I thrust some more and tensed at how tight she was. I wanted to take my time. I wanted to relish every second of us in my bed, but I wasn’t sure how long I could hold on for. The tip of my cock hit her barrier, and I paused for a second. Once this was gone, there really would be no turning back. But one look down at her had my mind made up, and I pushed my hips forward, breaking through it.
Aria gripped me tighter, her legs wrapping around my waist, and I hated the tears rolling down the side of her face and into her hair. “Baby, we can stop—”
“No.” Her voice was a determined whisper. There was no doubting the word she’d spoken. “Keep going.”
I swallowed and blew out a breath. “Okay, but if it’s too much…”
Her lips pulled up into the sweetest smile, and if I had been standing, it would have knocked me off my feet. “Everything is always too much with you, Cade.”
I grinned and pulled back slightly, then pushed back in. Her breath hitched, but I wasn’t sure if it was the pain she was feeling or the pleasure from my thumb as I pressed it against her clit. The only way to keep her relaxed was to get her to orgasm again. The thought of her pussy pulsating around my cock spurred me on, and I thrust faster.
“Fuck,” I spat, sitting up more and gripping her waist with my free hand as I stared down at her. She was so fuckin’ hot spread out on my bed, letting me take part of her she’d never given anyone else.
Her eyes closed, her hands gripping my biceps, her nails puncturing my skin. “More.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice, so I thrust even faster, my thumb rubbing her clit so quick my arm started to cramp. Her eyes rolled back in her head, her hair a matted mess on her face, and then I felt it. Her pussy clamped around my cock, and I let go. I let go of what I’d been trying to keep at bay. I let myself feel every fuckin’ inch of her as my balls tightened. My head dipped back, the muscles in my neck tensing, my teeth clenching together, and fuck…I’d never felt anything like it. It was heaven and hell all rolled into one. Fire and ice mixing and compounding.
It was everything, and it was all because of the girl beneath me.
Aria.
It would always be Aria.
Chapter Thirteen
CADE
My lips lifted into a smile before my eyes even cracked open. Aria was attached to my chest, her soft breathing echoing around us, and her dark-red hair covering half of my face. Her flowery scent filled my nostrils as I pulled in a breath and moved her hair. I stared down at her, tracking my gaze across her hand covering my chest over my heart, and down to her legs which were on either side of mine, her knee drawn up real close to my cock.
I trailed my tongue over my bottom lip and stirred when I realized I could still taste her on my lips. I wasn’t sure what had woken me, but now that I wasn’t asleep, all I wanted was a repeat of last night.
My hand drifted down her naked back, and down to her ass, my whole palm covering one of her cheeks. I pressed my fingertips between her legs, and just as I was about to feel what I desperately needed, banging echoed throughout the house.
I snapped my hand back as if I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t, and Aria stirred from the impact. She lifted her head a little, but her eyes stayed closed, and when a second round of banging rang through the house, I rolled her off my chest, making sure not to wake her.
A pair of sweats hanging over the chair in the corner were the only things I could grab and yank up my legs as the banging got louder and brasher. What the actual fuck?
Pausing at the doorway, I took one last look at a sleeping Aria then darted down the stairs and to the front door. The banging didn’t stop as I unlocked it, and when I pulled it open, I frowned. “Ford?”
He didn’t greet me. Instead, he barged past me, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. I closed the door and followed him, wondering what the hell had happened. “What’s going on?” I asked, halting just inside the door to the kitchen. “Is Dad okay?” My eyes widened. “Belle? Asher?”
“They’re fine,” Ford grunted, his gaze not moving off mine. “Is she here?”
I tilted my head to the side and crossed my arms over my chest. “What? Is who here?”
Ford laughed, but it wasn’t at all humorous. It was condescending, and frankly, was pissing me the hell off. “Don’t gotta lie to a liar,” Ford said and leaned against the counter. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, but there was no mistaking the belt with his gun and badge attached to it.
He’d become part of Dad’s team four years ago, and that meant part of the family too. They all loved him, but they had no idea the things he’d done for me. They didn’t realize how close we’d become, but that didn’t mean he could barge into my house and start this fuckin’ shit.
“Leave,” I ground out, my nostrils flaring and blood boiling. “Leave now before you regret coming into my house like this.”
Ford raised a brow at me. “You think you can take me?” He pushed off the counter. “Go ahead. Try it, see how far you get.” I stepped forward, about to let loose. “I’ll lay your ass out, but you’ll still be fucked.”
“What?”
“You think I didn’t notice?” He shook his head. “Fuck, Cade. Are you stupid?”
“You’re pushing it,” I warned him, feeling the control I had on my anger slipping.
“Nah.” He strolled over to the other side of the kitchen casually. “That was you last night with her.”
“Don’t fuckin’—”
“Don’t what?” he asked, his flip switching. He was good at what he did, that much was clear. He was acting like nothing affected him, but within a second he’d done a one-eighty. Calm and collected became angry and agitated. “Don’t tell the truth?”
“I don’t need—”
“You don’t need what?” he interrupted, not letting me get a goddamn word in. “You don’t need anyone finding out what you did? You don’t need me to tell you that you fucked up? Huh?” He stepped toward me, his nostrils flaring. “What don’t you need, Cade?”
“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” My hands dropped to my sides, my shoulders slumping. There was only so much I could deny, but there was no way I’d tell him what I’d done last night. It was between Aria and me and had absolutely nothing to do with him. He had no right coming into my house and confronting me about something he knew nothing about.
He pointed at me. “Yeah, you do.” He moved closer to me and blew out a breath. “Jesus, Cade. If I noticed and I’ve only been around you both once, do you think no one else has?”
My breath stalled in my chest at his words. We’d done our best to keep it a secret, and we were sure that was what we’d done, but…what if we hadn’t? What if people had noticed? What if we were so inside our own bubble we didn’t notice the eyes around us, watching and waiting.
Fuck.
“I could see it from a mile away,” Ford continued and threw his hands up in the air. “What the hell are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking…I’m thinking…fuck.”
“I’ve seen that look before.” He let his head drop back and groaned. “That was the exact same look your dad had when it came to Lola. What the hell is it with you Easton men?”
“Don’t compare me to him,” I ground out and stepped forward, now only a few feet away from him. He raised a brow at me but didn’t say anything else. “The difference between my dad and me is I haven’t destroyed a fuckin’ family. I didn’t cheat on my goddamn wife with someone young enough to be my g
oddamn daughter!”
“No,” Ford said, his voice so calm it was making me more irate. “The difference between you and your dad is he didn’t break the law.”
I screwed up my features, having no idea what the hell he was saying. “What?”
“Lola was nineteen. Your little girlfriend—who I’m guessing is upstairs right now—is seventeen.”
“And?” I threw my hands up in the air, getting sick and tired of the way he was talking. He didn’t understand. No one would understand the way I felt about Aria. Hell, I didn’t fully understand it. She had me all out of sorts, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“She’s underage, Cade.”
“No.” I gripped on to the counter. “State consent is seventeen.”
“Yeah.” Ford nodded and moved closer to me. “As long as there isn’t more than a four-year age gap.” He paused, his eyes drilling into mine. “There’s eight years between you.”
“What…” I blinked several times as the room started to tilt. My hands shook, and my knees started to give way at his words. That couldn’t be right, it couldn’t be…
“Statutory rape, Cade.” His hand gripped my shoulder, and I didn’t think he was aware he was keeping me upright. “Please tell me you didn’t sleep with her.”
“I…”
“Cade?” Aria’s voice called from upstairs.
“Shit.” Ford let go and paced back and forth. “You gotta break it off with her.” Aria’s footsteps echoed through the house as she came down the stairs. “I’m serious.” His brows pulled down into a frown. “And you better hope she doesn’t tell anyone. Shit, Cade.” His voice lowered. “This isn’t fuckin’ good. Not at all.”
“Oh,” Aria’s soft voice said, and goose bumps spread over my skin. I couldn’t deny the effect she had on me. Part of me wanted to tell Ford to fuck off, but he was only speaking the truth. I’d crossed a line I couldn’t come back from, no matter how much I tried. A line that wasn’t just socially wrong, but legally too. “Sorry, I didn’t realize…”
“No sweat,” Ford said to her and slapped his palm on my back, his warning loud and clear. He didn’t need to repeat himself because his words were still echoing around me over and over again. “I was just heading out.” His boots drummed over the tiled floor, the beat an ominous warning of what could happen if I continued what we’d done last night. “I’ll see you in a bit, yeah?” Ford said.
“Yeah,” I croaked out, too afraid to turn around and see the both of them. Everything I’d worked toward for years was flashing and dissipating in front of my eyes. Statutory rape meant jail. It meant I’d be on the sex offender registry, which would ruin everything. I’d never be able to coach. I’d never be able to teach. It would all have been for nothing. I’d lose everything, and all because I’d given in to temptation and not resisted it.
The door slammed closed as Ford left, and the sound had me pushing away from the counter and spinning to look at Aria. Her soft features drew me in, but as soon as she saw my face, she frowned. “Cade? What’s wrong?”
“I…” I couldn’t get any words out. How the hell was I meant to explain it to her? There was no way I could tell her after last night it was over, not when she was standing there in one of my T-shirts looking like a fuckin’ angel. “I need to head over to Dad’s. Get dressed, and I’ll take you home.”
I didn’t wait for her as I darted out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I grabbed some jeans and a T-shirt then headed into my bathroom. I could hear her milling about in my bedroom as I brushed my teeth and jumped in the shower.
I was being an asshole to her, but it was the only way to end it. I couldn’t give her any false hope, but more importantly, I couldn’t give myself any. If I left anything on the table, there was no way I’d be able to mark that line between us again. I was scribbling it in permanent marker to make sure it could never be erased.
By the time I was showered and dressed, Aria was sitting on the edge of the bed, her head down as she stared at the carpet. Her head snapped up at the click of the door opening, and she stood. “Cade, what’s going on?”
“Not here,” I told her, grabbing my wallet and keys off my dresser. I didn’t say anything else to her as I walked down the stairs and right out the front door. I waited for her on the other side of the door, refusing to meet her gaze. I couldn’t look at her eyes, not when I knew they’d pull me in and not let me go again.
This wasn’t the plan I’d had for the morning after. I was meant to show her all over again exactly how I felt about her. I was meant to ask her to stay in bed with me all day. We were meant to—I shook my head and tamped down my thoughts. It didn’t matter what the plan was. That was before…before I realized just how dangerous us being together was.
She shuffled past me, and I locked the door, then opened up the car. My jaw was tense as I pushed into the driver’s side then reversed down my driveway. The car was silent as I drove to her apartment block, and I didn’t turn the engine off when I pulled up outside it.
“I don’t understand,” Aria said, her voice hitching. “What happened between last night and—”
“I can’t do this.” I gripped the steering wheel harder. “I can’t do this with you. I never should have done anything with you.”
“What? What are you talking about? What—”
“You don’t need to keep asking questions,” I told her, my voice gruff as I cut her off. I needed to do this quick and easy, like ripping off a Band-Aid. “It’s over. We had fun, end of story.”
The air swirled in the car, the temperature dropping with each one of my words. I couldn’t witness the anger on her face, but I could damn sure feel it.
“We had fun,” Aria repeated. “Wow.” The click of her belt rang out like a shot. “How fuckin’ dare you.” I could hear the emotion in her voice, but the anger was at the forefront. Good, I wanted her to be furious, it’d make this easier. “How dare you take my virginity and—”
“I didn’t take it, sweetheart.” I laughed and wanted to punch myself in the face. There was no easy way of doing this. It wouldn’t end well. Nothing would end well. “You gave it to me freely.”
“You’re a dick,” Aria said, but her tone was at a complete contrast with her words. “I hate you.”
“Good.”
“Look at me.” I kept my gaze fixated on a couple of parked cars, not willing to give her my eyes. If I did, she’d see how full of shit I was. She’d see through my act within seconds, and there would be nothing I could do about it. “Look at me!” she screamed, and I closed my eyes. She’d never know how deep my heart was cracking. She’d never understand how much my soul was evaporating. She’d never know how much I loved her. She’d never hear the words coming out of my mouth. She’d never—
“You promised,” she whispered, the anger making way for sadness, and I gripped my steering wheel tighter. I could barely breathe with her sitting next to me while I was doing this, but it was for the best—for her or me, I wasn’t sure. “You promised it would be you and me always. Those were your words, Cade.”
I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t answer her, because I had nothing to say. I had promised her that. I’d promised her I would always be there, but now I was destroying it. I was shattering it because I was scared of what would happen.
“You’re a coward,” she announced with a little more steel in her voice, but I could still hear the sadness ebbing away. The passenger door snapped open, and as she slammed it closed, I looked over at it, seeing her back and wishing I could get out of this fuckin’ car and wrap my arms around her. I wished we could be what I wanted us to be…
But we couldn’t.
I couldn’t tell her what she meant to me. I couldn’t do anything but watch her walk away.
* * *
ARIA
I tried to keep my head high as I walked across the lot and into the apartment building doors, but I couldn’t stop the tears streaming down my face. The dam had broken, and it was n
ow unstoppable. I desperately wanted to turn back and see if he was looking at me, but I wasn’t willing to let him see my heartbreak. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, not after what he’d just done.
“I didn’t take it, sweetheart. You gave it to me freely.”
I hiccupped a sob as his words echoed around in my head, and as soon as I was in the building, I leaned against the wall to steady myself. I was out of his view now, and could finally let myself feel everything. He was right, he hadn’t taken it, I’d given it to him because…because I loved him. I’d let him have a part of me I’d never given to anyone else, and he’d shit all over it. He’d torn apart everything I thought we were in only a few words. He’d taken a piece of my heart without my permission, just like my dad had.
I covered my face with my hands and tried to catch my breath, but nothing I was doing was working. I was falling apart piece by piece, and the only person who could put me back together wasn’t here anymore. How could he do that? How could he shatter it all and not even look at me as he was doing it?
“No, no, no, no,” I murmured over and over again, not quite believing what had happened. Only an hour ago, I was curled up on top of him, his large hands gripping me like he’d never let go.
But he had.
He’d let me go, and didn’t think twice about it.
My cell vibrated in my pocket, but I didn’t move to answer it. I couldn’t face speaking to anyone, not right now. So I pulled my hands off my face and looked through blurry eyes as I took the stairs. Each step was harder to take than the last, but there was only a few until I would be in the safety of my apartment and alone.
I pushed my key in the apartment door and dragged my feet as I entered. I wasn’t aware of anything around me as I shuffled down the hallway. The door to my bedroom was in sight, relief on its way, silence and loneliness calling to me like a moth to a flame.
Defy Fate: Fated Duet: Book One Page 16