Page 30 of Two Chambered Heart

She trailed off. She’d told very few about her experience in the system. People hadn’t believed her, so she’d stop trying to get anyone to listen. “Anyway, you’re nothing like the men I’ve known. You’re a giver, Kayden. You may have some violent tendencies, but you have a good heart.” She pressed her hand to the tanned skin between his thick pecs.

He didn’t look like he agreed.

She wanted to say more, but she swallowed her words. It was enough honesty for one morning.

“How long were you in foster care?” His question surprised her. She figured Jason would have shared her profile with him.

“Jason didn’t tell you?”

“Just what you said in the kitchen. I’d rather you tell me then read your records.”

“When I was four years old, the fire department pulled me from our burning house. I was told later that it was basically a crack den. I lost my parents in the fire. The authorities didn't investigate the matter much. From what I understand, we lived in a poor part of the city, and I guess the slums aren’t really worth the resources.” She pulled her bottom lipbetween her teeth, using the soreness there to keep herself together before continuing.

“I had no other family or anyone to take me in, so they admitted me into the system. I don’t really remember much from before I was school-aged, but in elementary school, I started getting moved around a lot. Then in high school, it was pretty regular. I’ve been in a lot of homes. When I finally graduated, I was able to go out on my own. So, to answer your question, I guess 14 years?”

“Did you go to university?”

"No, I just worked after finishing high school so I could afford a room in a shared apartment."

“Where did you work?”

“Mostly in bars. Did you go to university?”

“No, we didn’t. Uh, me and Jason didn’t go to school. We ended up starting a business.”

“Is that how you got all this money?”

“We’re entrepreneurs,” Kayden said seriously.

“If that’s what you want to call it,” Corey said, laughing at him. “And what industry is it that you two work in? Drugs, weapons or humans?”

“I don’t think I should be telling you that,” Kayden answered, rolling on top of her and pinning her to the bed.

Corey just shrugged under him. “Who am I going to tell?”

Kayden brushed her hair behind her ear, considering her words. Between the helmet, the swim, the sex and sleeping, she couldn’t imagine the rat’s nest her hair was in this morning, even though he had taken so much time to comb through it last night.

“We work in the pharmaceutical industry,” he disclosed, finally giving her a little information about them, ambiguous as it was.

“Drugs, then,” she smiled.

“Speaking of pharmaceuticals, if you were on the pill, you probably haven’t taken it in a while…” Kayden let the implication hang in the air between them.

“I have an IUD,” Corey confirmed before he could spiral about last night.

“Good to know.” Kayden kissed her neck. It felt very tender. She stretched her body out underneath him and groaned.

“You’re sore?”

Corey blushed. She probably should be used to blushing so much lately, but it still irked her that he could get a rise out of her so easily.

“A little,” she admitted.

“Go take a hot shower. I’ll make some coffee.”

Corey didn’t argue. A hot shower sounded great.

He left her with another kiss to her neck, grabbing the pool towel from the floor and wrapping it around his naked waist. The muscles of his abs stood out deliciously as he moved. He ran a hand through his black hair, pushing it out of his eyes. His body was immaculate, like it had been carved from stone. Corey had to swallow a request that he get back in bed.

---