Page 43 of Two Chambered Heart

“You’re bleeding.” Kayden pointed at the deep maroon staining her white socks.

Corey looked down at her feet and shrugged. “Oh, yeah. Bound to happen on a long run in new shoes, I guess.”

She must have felt them while she ran, her fortitude and athleticism carrying her through the pain and blocking it out. Kayden knew how everything else became secondary with enough adrenaline and endorphins.

“Let’s go get those cleaned up.”

Kayden peeled off her socks over the kitchen sink, letting the water from the tap warm before washing off the blood slowly oozing from her battered toenails. They would be black for a while before likely falling off.

Corey watched him tend to her, not a sign of discomfort on her beautiful face. Her flush had come down, but the sparkle in her eye remained. He knew she wasn’t used to being taken care of. He was the same. And he liked taking care of her, liked spoiling her shopping, feeding her, makingher coffee. He hadn’t realized he could still be such a devoted caretaker. This wild girl who had somehow found her way into their life had awoken that part of him that had slumbered for so long.

Kayden pressed down on the nail bed, watching her closely. “Does it hurt?”

“Yes,” she said, but made no sound to indicate it was the truth, though he knew it was.

He wanted to keep the hold he had on her toes, keep the pressure there, let her feel that pain and let the aching grow as he ripped off her tiny little shorts and fucked her on the marble countertop. But he withheld. With a will of steel, he gripped his desire and allowed his fraying restraint to hold him back. Already free-falling into her abyss, he knew he needed to take his time with her. He wanted to keep her waiting until she was desperate for him again. He could be patient.

Kayden could see the fire building in her eyes, but he let her go. He grabbed the gauze and wrapped up her big toes instead. He would just have to take care of himself in the shower, like he’d been doing daily since they’d brought her back here.

When he was done, Corey hopped off the counter. Kayden washed the blood out of the sink.

“I’m going to shower,” Corey said to him, invitation dripping from her words.

Kayden gave her a sly smile and just nodded his head.

A muscle in her jaw ticked as she clenched her teeth, taking the rejection, before stalking off to her wing of the house. If she was still unaware of the intensity of the emotions writhing inside him, he wasn’t going to be able to keep it a secret for much longer. He would try though, to stick to his plan. He needed to, if this was going to play out how he wanted.

Chapter twenty

- Kayden -

Kayden finally got the update from Archie after he got out of the shower. The transfer had gone smoothly. The grip on his chest released, and he revelled in the smoothness of his breaths, feeling lighter than he had all day. But between the run and the elevated anxiety, he was drained, and he’d propositioned Corey for a movie.

That’s where Jason found them a few hours later, when he finally came home, whole and in one piece, with not a scratch on him.

Kayden smiled at him, warmed by the comfort of having his other half back in his presence. Jason gave a half-smile back, unable to stifle the secondary joy. But he went straight for the bottle of whiskey in the kitchen, pouring himself a drink. At least he was using a glass this time.

As he slugged back his first drink of the evening, Jason turned his attention to the sunset outside the expansive windows. The warm glow was filtering into the open living space, gilding everything it touched. The credits were just rolling on the TV, and Kayden hit the pause button.

“Everything good?” he said to his brother.

“Yeah,” Jason replied, refilling his glass.

After another drink, Jason opened the fridge, looking inside. Kayden saw him grimace, no doubt at the stock of lean protein and the array of cooked vegetables. From the corner of his eye, Kayden noted Corey watching Jason just as closely as he was. Jason’s exhaustion was palpable.

“Jase, why don’t we order dinner?” he called over.

Jason closed the fridge and sighed. “That sounds far more appetizing than meal plan right now. Pick whatever you want, make it carb-y. I’m going to shower.”

He trotted up the stairs with a barely disguised glance over his shoulder to the girl on the couch, still watching him.

“What’ll it be?” Kayden turned his full attention to Corey.

“I’ll eat anything.”

“Is that so?” Kayden gave her a suggestive look, and she batted his shoulder, a small smile on her face.

“Actually, I don’t know if I can trust you to order dinner now, since you chose chocolate ice cream. Maybe your taste isn’t as good as I thought.”

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