KADE
Gemma wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer, and just like that, every last shred of my self-control shattered.
Her mouth was on mine again, hot and insistent, her fingers digging into my shoulders like she was afraid I’d disappear if she let go. I kissed her back with everything I had, my hands roaming up her sides, under her sweater, finding soft skin that made my blood roar.
God, she was perfect. Warm and real and trembling just a little under my touch. I broke the kiss, trailing my lips down her jaw, her neck, breathing her in—a sweet scent that drove me insane.
“Gemma,” I growled against her skin. “We should stop. This isn’t—fuck, you deserve better than this. Better than me.”
I meant it. She was twenty-three, untouched, full of dreams about building a life in this nowhere town. And I was…what? A jaded asshole who’d sworn off anything that smelled like forever. But even as I said those words, my body betrayed me, pressing harder against her, feeling the heat of her through our clothes.
She shook her head, her breath coming in short gasps. “No. I don’t want to stop. I’m sure, Kade. I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Her eyes locked on mine, wide and dark with want, and something inside me snapped loose. Years of holding back, of keeping everyone at arm’s length—it all unraveled in that moment.
I wanted her. Needed her. Not just her body, but her. The way she looked at me like I wasn’t broken, like I was worth the risk.
I kissed her again, slower this time, trying to rein it in. My hands slid down to the hem of her sweater, and I paused, waiting for permission.
She nodded, lifting her arms so I could pull it off, along with the shirt underneath. The sight of her—pale skin flushed pink, her bra a simple white lace that shouldn’t have been so damn sexy—hit me like a punch to the gut.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, my voice rough as gravel. “So fucking beautiful.” I traced my fingers along the curve of her breast, watching her shiver. “Tell me if you want me to stop. Anytime.”
“I won’t,” she whispered.
But her voice held a hint of nerves now, and it grounded me. She was a virgin. This was her first time, and I wasn’t going to rush it, no matter how desperately my body ached for her.
I unhooked her bra with one hand, letting it fall away, and lowered my mouth to her breast. She arched into me with a soft moan, her fingers threading through my hair.
I teased her nipple with my tongue, sucking gently, then harder, until she was writhing on the desk. At the same time, my free hand slid down her stomach to the button of her jeans. I popped it open, unzipped them, and slipped my fingers inside, finding her panties already damp.
“Fuck, Gemma,” I groaned against her skin. “You’re so wet for me. So ready.”
She gasped as I stroked her through the fabric, light at first, then pressing firmer. “Kade… please…”
I lifted my head to watch her face, memorizing every expression—the way her lips parted, her eyes fluttered shut. “What do you need, baby? Tell me.”
“More,” she breathed. “Touch me. Really touch me.”
I didn’t need to be asked twice. I tugged her jeans and panties down her hips, helping her kick them off, along with her boots. She was bare to me now, and I nearly lost it right there.
But this was about her. I needed to make this good, to erase any doubt or pain before it could take hold.
Dropping to my knees in the cramped space between the desk and the wall, I hooked her legs over my shoulders. She tensed a little, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.
“Kade, you don’t have to?—”
“I want to,” I cut her off, my voice low and hungry. “I need to taste you. Let me make you feel good.”
Before she could protest, I leaned in, my tongue tracing a slow path along her folds. She cried out, her hips bucking, and I held her steady with my hands on her thighs.
God, she tasted sweet, like honey and salt, and the sounds she made—soft whimpers turning to moans—drove me wild. I licked and sucked, focusing on that sensitive bundle of nerves, circling it with my tongue until she was trembling.
“Oh God, Kade… that feels… I can’t…” Her words dissolved into gasps.
I slipped a finger inside her, gently at first, feeling how tight she was. She clenched around me, and I groaned into her, the vibration making her arch higher. I added a second finger, stretching her slowly, curling them to hit that spot that made her whole body jerk.
“You’re so tight, baby,” I murmured against her, my breath hot on her skin. “So perfect. Come for me, Gemma. Let go.”