Page 44 of Return to You

He was what she had craved in those dark, lonely hours of the night: a partner. Someone to stand beside her and shoulder the burden of life alongside her; someone to talk to when she wasn’t sure that she was making the right decisions, or when she was one hundred percent sure that she wasn’t.

The only dangerous part was that him being beside her to lean on was a feeling. Not a reality. And she had to remember that.

But, with his soft lips touching her, it was so. Damn. Hard.

She made a decision. Whatever disappointments lay in the future when Kade inevitably bounced, whatever isolation she would have to readjust to…those things were going to be hard as hell regardless. Doing everything in her power to keep her walls up now wouldn’t save her eventual pain. It just wouldn’t.

All it would do was rob her of fully enjoying what was shaping up to be the single most intoxicating sexual encounter she’d ever experienced. She wouldn’t have that.

So, yeah. She’d surrender herself to every good feeling that came her way for as long as this encounter lasted. She’d let it flow through her, enjoy it to the fullest. Then, when the clothes came back on, so would her self-protective armor.

That’s a good plan. Foolproof. Right?

17

Kade couldn’t believe this was happening. He would’ve pinched himself to convince his mind that this was real and not just another fantasy if he could bear to tear his hands away from Ali's body for even one split second. He couldn't, though. That was a nonstarter.

Fuck.

He’d said that he was going to be there for her. That he was going to make up for all the shit he’d pulled and all the pain he’d caused. He’d promised himself that he wasn't going to do this.

And yet, here they were.

He might've been able to do it, too, if it hadn’t been for one thing: Keaton Fucking Savage.

He’d been trying to burn off his excess energy by pummeling the speed bag hanging beside the pool table when he’d seen headlights shine through the basement windows. He’d gone upstairs wondering who it could be since Ali had walked to work. When he looked out the window he’d seen Keaton wrap his arm around her and help her up the walk.

Something snapped in Kade.

As if being around her 24 hours a day, living in the same house, wasn't enough temptation to take down a fucking saint’s resolve, seeing her in the arms of another man was just too much for anyone to take.

So now there he was, in her kitchen, kissing her. Touching her. And there was zero doubt in his mind that before the night was over, he would be making love to her.

He’d broken his promise to himself when it came to staying away from her. Now it became doubly important that he keep his promise not to hurt her. Not that he thought that would be a problem, considering how he felt about her. She was it for him. He was completely gone, head over heels. He wanted to be with her forever; take care of the boys and be a family.

Maybe tonight could be the first step toward that goal. He’d always been more of a physical guy anyway. Maybe his body could tell her how he felt in a way that his words hadn’t been able to yet.

He tore his mouth from hers and kissed his way down her neck. Fuck, her pulse was pounding so hard that he thought her heart might actually beat right out of her chest.

Her whimpers and sighs filled his ears, letting him know how badly she wanted him. Her fingers twisted in his hair as she arched her back, offering herself up like the hottest Creamsicle he’d ever seen. As much as he wanted to lick her until he got to her cream center, he knew he had to make sure they were on the same page.

He straightened and used both hands to brush the hair back that had fallen around her face. She opened her eyes slightly and met his, and the jolt that rocked his heart at that moment was earth shattering.

"I want you, Ali. I want to be with you." Every bit of his heart was in that statement. He was handing it to her on a silver platter, being vulnerable in a way that didn't come naturally to him. “Not just tonight. I want more. I want everything.”

But, at his words, he saw uncertainty flicker in her eyes. He didn't blame her, but it shook him.

“Whoa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. How about you just go back to kissing me and making me feel better?” Her voice was light, the half-smile on her lips teasing him. Underneath her joking façade, he could see the fear in her eyes. She wasn't ready to hear his promises now. She didn't want to hear a lot of pretty talk about what the future would hold. She just wanted him to make her feel good right now. And that, he could definitely do.

He grinned as he tugged the material of her strapless dress down, revealing her perfect, rounded breasts. She looked down as he traced the outline of her nipple. “Does this hurt?”

“Yes,” her voice was threaded with need.

Leaning down, he covered her knotted peaks with his mouth, pulling them one by one into the wet suction. He flicked them with his tongue and nipped them with his teeth. Her hips jerked, pressing her soaking-wet panties against his straining erection. His shaft throbbed in his sweats, threatening to break free of the fabric bounds that held it so tight.

As he sucked on her nipples, he thought about what it would feel like to feel her hands on him. Her lips. And, oh fuck, her inner walls when he finally plunged into her. His head was spinning and his dick ached and throbbed even more acutely than before.

Kade continued to lavish attention on her bare chest as she rocked her sex against his, dry humping, or in this case wet humping him until he was ready to burst. Her hands tugged his shirt up so she could touch his skin. He ducked under it as she yanked it off over his head and shoved his face back into her chest.

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