Page 39 of All Our Ghosts

Kadence hums, burying her face in my neck in protest. The gesture makes me laugh. She’s coming out of her shell and I’m beginning to see the light in her through the cracks in her mask.

“C’mon, pretty girl,” I chuckle, nudging her up. “Let’s get you back to the apartment and get you warm.”

She lets out a soft whine, “but I’m warm right here.” Finally she lifts her head, grinning down at me.

I sit up, wrapping my arms around her, careful not to let her lean backward over the edge of the bridge. “You’ll be warmer in bed,” I grin and lean in to nip at her jawline, “and it’s a hell of a lot more comfortable to lay on than this wood.”

“Who says you’re laying in my bed tonight, Nash?” Her voice drops to a sultry whisper that makes my cock tense.

I lean back again, taking in the sight of her darkening eyes. The bright green now a small ring around the black.

“Do you want me to?” I ask with a raised brow.

She taps her chin like she’s thinking. “We’ll see,” Kadence says after a moment, another grin forming across perfectly plump lips.

I narrow my eyes at her for a moment, nodding slowly, “We’ll see, huh?”

“Mhm,” she hums, leaning back into me so our lips are barely touching. I feel the tip of her tongue dart out, wetting her bottom lip before gently running over mine. Again, my cock twitches below her which only eggs her on as she rolls her hips.

A groan settles in my throat as my head tips forward, our foreheads resting against each other, “You’re going to be the death of me, Kade.”

“Maybe, but not tonight,” she whispers as her hands cup my face, forcing my eyes back to her own. My hands fall to her hips, causing them to stop the gentle roll she had started,

“Take me home?” She presses her lips to mine, softly and so sweet it feels like my insides are turning into a puddle.

I pull back, both of us breathless. “Let’s go.”

Kadence climbs over me, careful not to lose her balance as she teeters on the edge of the bridge. She smooths out her clothes, wrapping her jacket further around her as the night air hits the exposed skin of her stomach from where her tank top has ridden up.

I can’t help but stare for a moment before standing. Her skin is perfect and it looks soft. Right now I want nothing more than to get her back to the apartment and explore every inch of her body with my lips.

I wrap my hand around hers and lead her back through the forest, at one point using my phone flashlight to help guide us as the trees became thicker. I don’t miss the six missed calls that flash on my screen from Cole.

I already know what that conversation is going to consist of. Cole will assume the worst, no matter what my so-called excuses are, and once again I’d feel like a child being reprimanded. Truth is, I’m sick of it. Cole always has a way of finding the worst in me, especially lately. Ever since I got out a month ago and even after Becca, things haven’t been the same between us. No matter how much we force our normal relationship in front of the club.

Deep down, I want to be better. I know I’m better than the trailer I sleep in and the way I drink liquor like it’s water at the slightest inconvenience. I know I have issues to work through. That’s nothing new for me.

My gaze falls down to Kadence as she holds onto my hand, her grip tightening as the ground beneath us grows softer. Atone point she holds on with both of her hands, resting her head against my arm as we walk back to the bike.

There’s something about her that stirs up feelings within me I haven't ever felt. Her being around makes me want to be happier.

I hold the bushes back for her, letting her go first out into the clearing where my bike is still parked. I help her with the helmet before throwing my leg over and settling into the seat. I hold out my hand, helping to hold her steady as she climbed on. Chills race down my spine as she scoots in behind me, her hands finding their way under my shirt. Her nails trace along the contours of my abs and I suck in a breath at the feeling.

I hear her chuckle against my back, knowing full well she’s doing it on purpose. Trying to get a rise out of me and it’s working. She runs them around my waist, the tips of her fingers digging into the top of my jeans. I haven’t even had a chance to get the bike started before she starts to terrorize me.

My hands fall over hers, stopping her from going any further to the hard length in my briefs. “Darlin’, you keep touching me like that, we aren’t making it back to the shop.”

I glance over my shoulder, seeing a mischievous grin spreading across her cheeks that are quickly turning pink. Her bottom lip finds home between her teeth and the moonlight lights up her eyes again. It takes everything in me to not bend her over the leather seat of my bike and take her right here, but something tells me that she isn’t ready for that yet.

There’s something she’s still hiding. Tonight was the first time I’d actually seen her. Felt her be anything other than nervous and small. She looks alive and I want to be the one to keep her feeling that way because it looks gorgeous on her.

Her fingers lock over my abdomen under my shirt to keep her hands warm. For once I don’t mind the frigid feeling of a woman’s fingertips tracing my skin. Her touch leaves a trail oftingles that shoot up my spine and course through me, sparking something that feels foreign.

I rev up the motorcycle, letting it rumble beneath us. I can feel her hips wiggle behind me, the vibration proving to be too much for her.

Good,I think. I want nothing more than to trace every inch of her body and feel her tremble and writhe beneath me. Something in me knows that she’s different. She isn’t the same as the lunas who hang around the club. They’re easy and I like to play with my food.

Kadence is something else. Something deeper and I’m just not sure what that means.

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