Page 26 of These Dangerous Fates

“Fuck,” he mutters against my mouth before pulling away. “Is this too much? Do you want me to stop?”

He’s breathing as fast as I am. Just under my bra, his thumb rubs back and forth on my ribs, and my mouth answers his question before I even have time to think about it.

“Don’t stop,” I breathe.

Those violet eyes flare with heat and he gently pushes me down on the bed, his gaze never leaving mine. When he positions himself so he’s straddling my hips, fear plows through the haze of lust he’d built in me. Ice floods my veins, extinguishing the fire, and I freeze. It’s no longer Cade sitting over me. My nightmares become reality, and it’s Sam staring back at me, pushing me into the bed before he forces himself on me. I can’t breathe, each breath gets stuck in my chest. I can’t move. All I can do is lay under him, frozen in terror.

Cade pulls back. “Hey,” he whispers. “Don’t do that. Don’t go there. Stay with me. ” He brushes hair from my forehead and searches my eyes.

There is no way I can mistake those purple eyes for the muddy green ones that haunt my nightmares. His touch remains gentle, soft strokes on my skin that creates goosebumps wherever he touches. I blink, clearing the nightmare from my mind.

“That’s right, love,” Cade breathes. “It’s me. I won’t hurt you.”

His words soothe some of my fear. I swallow and nod my head. When was the last time I ever felt anything good? Determination sweeps through me. No more. I won’t let Sam rule my life anymore. Forcing the remaining fear aside, I try to bring back all the things Cade made me feel.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asks gently.

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head vehemently.

He slowly leans down, giving me time to change my mind. I don’t. He kisses me again, drugging me into the euphoria I so desperately want.

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” he says with his mouth hovering over mine between kisses.

Shivers travel over my body as his voice, husky and breathless, settles along my skin. He kisses me again, but doesn’t linger on my lips. He moves to my jaw and peppers kisses along my neck. His thumb finds my nipple and rubs it through my bra. It’s pure instinct when I whimper and arch my back, seeking more contact.

One corner of his mouth pulls up in a smirk as he pinches the peak between his thumb and middle finger.

“Fuck, Cade,” I say breathlessly, my chest rising and falling as I gasp for air. My hands grapple with the sheets and I ball them in my fists.

“You like that?” he says, his face buried in my neck.

I can’t answer his question, especially as his mouth closes over my other nipple through my shirt. The heat from his mouth soaks through the fabric, and his teeth gently bite down. My hands land on his head, and my fingers tangle in his hair. It feels so fucking good, and the only sound I can make is a strange mewling noise.

Cade lifts his gaze, desire glazing his eyes. “Do you want me to keep going, love?”

“Yes. Please, yes, yes.” I barely recognize my own voice. It's so breathy and husky. But I need him to continue. There’s an ache building between my legs. An ache I haven’t felt in such a long time. It’s foreign and exciting, and I need him to keep fanning the flames.

He moves his hand down my abdomen. Nerves ignite, but they aren’t entirely unwelcome. It’s a mix between uncertainty and excitement. His fingers tease the skin above my leggings with soft, gentle brushes back and forth. The desperation to feel his touch lower is driving my hips up, and I’m not even ashamed. I need this. I want this.

Instead of diving into my leggings, he runs a finger down my center over the leggings. It’s not enough pressure. He’s so close to where I need him to touch, but he’s holding back. The teasing drives another whimper from me.

“So fucking wet, I can feel it through the leggings.” Cade’s eyes glitter and he smiles seductively.

He bites my nipple again, harder this time, and I moan. The whisper of pain shoots straight to my core and my inner muscles clench around nothing. My body lifts off the bed, begging for him to continue.

Just as he hooks a finger under the top of my leggings, the door opens. We both whip our heads in that direction, breathing as if we’d just run miles, only to see Malakai saunter in. He pauses as his gaze roams over the scene on his bed and a slow grin spreads across his face. Oh gods. My cheeks heat, and I try to wiggle my way out from under Cade.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Malakai drawls, a soft growl lacing his words.

“I think he wants us to put on a show, love,” Cade says as he returns his attention to me. “What do you say? Should we keep going?”

Let him watch? My gaze travels over Malakai’s body and lands on his hips, where his erection is tenting the front of his sweatpants. He runs a tattooed hand down his bare chest—when did he lose his shirt?— and grabs himself through his pants. A quiet moan leaves his lips, and the sound settles low in my gut, making more liquid heat pool between my legs. Do I want him to watch? Do I want Cade to continue?

I clench my thighs together, and the slight pressure is good. So good. But it’s not enough.

“Keep going,” I rasp, and the heat in my cheeks fans higher.

Cade laughs darkly and he slowly teases my pants and underwear down my hips. In seconds, I’m laying on a bed with no pants and a man straddling my legs. Too exposed. I’m way too exposed. My heart stutters in my chest and I swear the world starts spinning. When his gaze travels over my torso and down to my pussy, I instinctively try to cross my legs.

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