I held my arms open and allowed her to fall into my embrace as I held her. I wanted to help her work through all of it. I didn’t want her to live her life believing lies about her relationship versus what a relationship in the BDSM community looked like.
Most of all, it was the moment in which I knew I just wanted to love and protect her for the rest of my life.
Whoa. Love her?This was only our first date and I couldn’t believe my mind was already going there. I especially didn’t want her to think she was a rebound from my previous relationship with Isabella.
I couldn’t help those thoughts though. There was something special about Val. Something no woman had ever shown me. I wasn’t sure if it was her willingness to be vulnerable or how supportive she is. Maybe a combination of both.
“Let’s go back to your place,” I told her before kissing the top of her head.
“I’d like that,” she mumbled into my chest. “Now, it’s your turn.”
Twenty Two
Val
“I swear I don’t normally do this,” I said in a panic. Kaden tilted his head quizzically. “Sleep with your trainer?” He chuckled.
I sat up and covered myself with the bedspread. “And sleep with someone on the first night. Surely, I’ve broken some sort of rule and we can’t train together, now.”
He continued laughing as he watched me sitting here in a state ofwhat did I just do?Sitting back down on the bed, Kaden placed his hand on my back. “Do you regret it?”
“No,” I said playfully, and I didn’t. Kaden was quite possibly the best person I had ever slept with. He paid attention to my needs, our connection was indescribable, and I was kind of ready to jump him again.Summer is definitely going to call me a whore.
Kaden shrugged. “Then I don’t see an issue.”
“I really don’t sleep with my trainers.” The intrusive thoughts took over and suddenly I felt small wishing I could take it back.
He sat there, looking in my direction and I could tell he wanted to ask follow-up questions, so before he could I justblurted everything out. “Mark, my trainer at Revolution, made some passes at me and it felt as if he was using some of the trauma I had with James as a way to gaslight me. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.” I paused, examining his reaction.
“Did he-”
“Oh gosh no.” I cut him off. “Everything I already shared with you is all it entailed.”
“You didn’t report him, did you?” Suddenly Kaden’s demeanor changed. “You should have reported him.”
I couldn’t help but admire Kaden’s protectiveness. “I honestly started to believe that some things James had accused me of, like leading people on, was true.”
He reached over and cupped my hand in his cheek. “If anyone ever makes you feel uncomfortable again, I will decide what we need to do about it.”
I was shocked. Kaden barely knew me from a random girl at the market. Okay, so many that it was a bit of an exaggeration, since we had been working together for a while now. He seemed determined to change that and continued to ask me questions and for the first time in a long time, I felt not only heard, but cared for by someone other than Summer.
Maybe, this is my person.The thought streaked through my brain and I had no idea where it had come from. At first the idea startled me and I couldn’t help but think about how soon it was.It’s definitely gotta be the sex.I snorted out loud and kept myself from bursting out in a complete uproar. That would have been something I couldn’t explain if he started asking questions.
Suddenly, Kaden cleared his throat. “Val?” he began. “This might be too soon, but would you be my date to the UFL’s Banquet? It’s not for a few months, so I’m over-preparing in case the answer is ‘no’. It’s formal, by the way.”
“I have been known to dress up a time or two in my life.” I couldn’t help but laugh at him, not just for his comment, but forhow anxious he seemed as he asked me to go with him. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I clean up quite nicely.”
He raised a brow. “I suppose you looked alright tonight.”
My immediate reaction was to playfully smack him in the arm. “Justalright? I must have done something right to end up here.”
Kaden put on a serious face. “I hope you know I don’t do this either, and I hope you don’t think I used you as a rebound.”
“Well, I didn’t, until you said something.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “If you haven’t figured it out, I’d love to go to the banquet with you.”
He pumped his arm in a celebratory motion.
Ding.