Page 71 of Your Body On My Mind

I had thought it was necessary to be on good terms with the press so they would finally clear up the false assumptions about Kaden, but when it came down to it, it really didn't make any difference. He could probably move to a convent and make a vow of chastity, and they would still write about him screwing the nuns on the altar. The reality and what they wrote about him were so far apart that I was very amused when a new headline appeared.

It was probably what Kaden needed as a reaction from me. Since he had understood that all the negative, slanderous words about him had no influence on me, he was much more relaxed when the newspaper arrived. He also stopped trying to keep the press away from me. This was probably partly because I had taken to teasing them. If they twisted our words anyway, you could start with a lie, couldn't you?

While the press spread false information, more and more locals came to our parties on the beach and got to know the real Kaden. The one who not only made money from the luxury resort but also created good jobs and ensured that the island kept its untouched places among the many tourists.

Four weeks ago I almost left the island, only to change my mind at the last minute. A decision I have never regretted because if I had left, I would not be waking up in Kaden's bed today. I wouldn't be happy to see him for lunch, and we'd spend the afternoon and evening on the beach before meeting Kaia and some friends for dinner. The contract was history– but only because it had been superseded by an official relationship that covered all the points we had already put in writing.

Kaden and I had taken the plunge, only to find that we didn't sink. On the contrary, we were floating on the water and had the best view.

I felt at ease. I felt an inner peace I had never known before and believed, for the first time in my life, that everything was falling into place perfectly and that the end result could only be better. Kaden was seeing a therapist– for me, but more importantly for himself. So I decided to do the same and work through the issues I had ignored for years.

As we grew together and left behind the parts of our childhood and adolescence that still affected us negatively, we soon became the best versions of ourselves– all while sharing our lives and having fantastic sex.

Sometimes I found it particularly ironic that all these issues had been with us almost ten years ago and that the solution was so close at the same time. Because back then I had only seen Kaden as my best friend, not as the man I could fall in love with because he suddenly turned out to be the perfect match for a version of myself I had never even met.

Ultimately, I couldn't even blame him for being silent and repressed. I didn't have to pretend to myself that I would have handled it any differently because in the few days between the realization and my confession to him, I had played out so many scenarios and was still firmly convinced that there was no future for the two of us together. At least not in the way my heart longed for.

And yet, life had proved me wrong– and made me realize that I needed to have a little more faith because everything fell into place as it should have all along.

By the time I returned to O'ahu, I had made rules for myself and broken them one by one. I had fallen in love again with my home and the man who had brought me back. Our deal had fallen through because I didn't want him to have another woman by his side and with his quirks and preferences, he had corrupted me in such a wonderful way that I couldn't even imagine life without him. Kaden's hand and voice had more power over me and what I felt than anyone else had ever had. He could bring me to my knees with the tip of his finger and make me tremble with a murmur in my ear.

Kaden had gone from being my best friend to my master, only to claim the place at my side for himself, not just for a limited time, but forever. The original deal remained. We would marry– the exact date was still to be determined. My birthday, the day we made the deal, or something in between.

Whenever it was, I would let it come to me. Just like everything else that had come up since my return to Hawaii. The job at the restaurant, the management, Kaden, none of it had been actively sought, but somehow it had found me. I was grateful for that. More than that, I appreciated the obstacles fate had overcome for me to make it all happen.

So when my eyes fell on the article in the newspaper, I wiped a few amused tears from the corners of my eyes and thundered the newspaper into the wastepaper basket. Kaden had already read the report on his phone, as he received all of them by email, and I did not want to see the rubbish in my presence any longer.

It wouldn't be long before he returned from his therapy session. There were more important things to discuss than the existence of a journalist who knew no boundaries and would have been better off writing fairy tales than trying his hand at something as ambitious as journalism.

I sat back with a grin. I wondered what the reports would be like when the first information about our wedding leaked. Would they turn it into a Beauty and the Beast story? That Kaden had kidnapped me to force me into marriage? At least that would be entertaining.

As soon as I heard the key in the door, I turned. After therapy, Kaden seemed happy to be back in his own four walls instead of lying on the proverbial red couch and revealing his most intimate thoughts.

He came over to me, put a hand on my neck and pulled me to my feet for a kiss. It didn't last long because a second later he pulled away with a grin.

"I have a present for you," Kaden announced, almost a little proudly.

Skeptically, I raised an eyebrow. We both knew that surprises were not my favorite thing. "What is it?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't keep me guessing.

"My submission."

I tilted my head, not sure what he meant.

"We exchange roles. For one night. You dominate me so I can prove to myself that I can trust you blindly and there's no reason to fear a similar disaster as with my parents."

"Was that your psychologist's suggestion?"

He nodded. "As you know, she works with these things and has experience of the scene herself. She said it might help. Provided, of course, you feel comfortable with it."

If I hadn't seen myself in a role before, it would have been as a dominatrix. I was supposed to dominate someone else– and Kaden? Where would I get the finesse to do that when I had no experience whatsoever and wasn't even sure if I had a spark of dominance in the bedroom?

I felt like I was back in the early days, except I didn't feel the need to read everything the internet had to say about it.

"Do you think I'm cut out for this? I mean… I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Think about it, Nika. Just once, I would allow it– to completely give up control and be at your mercy." To my shame, I found those words alone were enough to make it more palatable.

The way Kaden said it, and that he dangled it in front of me like a juicy steak, made it easier to digest. And he knew it, because all the times I'd wished I could get back at him in kind, this time they could come true.

---