The Hard Way

  “A Victrola,” I answered as I joined him.

  Cade snapped his fingers. “That’s right. There was one of these at my grandparents’ house.” He eyed the contraption curiously. “Does it work?”

  “Sure.” I set my cup down before winding up the crank. Then I placed the needle on the record, and a slow instrumental tune came out of the Victrola’s horn. At Cade’s groan, I grinned. “Not a fan of classical music?”

  “No. It’s more about the fact that it’s one of Strauss’s waltzes.”

  Cocking my brows at him, I asked, “You know Strauss?”

  With a snort, Cade said, “Don’t look so surprised, and no, I didn’t learn about him in Harlington’s music appreciation class either.”

  I held up my hands. “I wasn’t alluding to anything.”

  “Yes, you were alluding, as you say, to the stereotype of me being an uncivilized jock,” Cade teased in a snooty-sounding voice.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve got to stop doing that. You really are so much more than a jock.”

  He swept his hand to his heart. “Why, thank you.”

  “So tell me how you know Strauss.”

  “I have waltzed at ten cotillions and three debutante balls.”

  “Wow. That’s quite impressive.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ve never been to a cotillion or deb ball.”

  “No, I mean, haven’t you ever waltzed before?”

  I laughed. “Oh yeah, I often practice my dance skills out in the corn.”

  “Every lady should know how to dance.”

  “But I’m not a lady.”

  Cade smiled. “Yeah. You are.” When I started to protest, he said, “Money and position aren’t what make a lady. It’s what’s inside you that counts.”

  His words and his tone caused the breath to wheeze out of my lungs. Just when I thought he couldn’t surprise me any more with the things he said, he went and said something like that. “Thank you,” I finally mumbled.

  “You’re welcome.” The world seemed to slow to a crawl around us as we stood there staring at each other. The sound of Cade clapping his hands together caused me to jump. “Okay. One waltz lesson coming up.”

  “I’m going to warn you that you’re probably going to regret this. I’m the worst dancer ever.”

  “How can anyone who plays the piano suck at dancing?”

  “I’m not sure how it’s possible, but trust me, it is.”

  Cade laughed. “We’ll see.”

  A tingling jolt of electricity shot through me when Cade took one of my hands in his. After he put his other hand on the small of my back, he drew me closer to him. Even with all the times I had sat next to him while we worked on our project, I hadn’t been this close.

  “Now you put your other hand on my shoulder.”

  “Okay.”

  “Step back with your left foot and then bring your right to the side.” After I followed Cade’s lead, he said, “Now bring your left foot to your right, and then step forward with your right.”

  My mind spun as I frantically tried processing Cade’s instructions. Somehow it managed to click together, and I followed his lead. “Hey, you’ve got it,” he remarked with a smile.

  “It’s not because of me—it must be the teacher.” I glanced up at him and smiled. “Sports, brains, and dancing; you’re really a true triple threat.”

  “You forgot devastating good looks and charm.”

  I grinned. “Does that make you a quintuple threat?”

  “Make it a sextuple threat if you throw in the money.”

  “I should have known you’d find a way to have ‘sex’ in your title.”

  Cade threw his head back and laughed. “Always busting my balls, Prescott.”

  “Yep. Just consider me your Little Ball Buster like Judith in Walking Dead was called Little Ass Kicker.”

  Cade’s brows rose in surprise. “You watch Walking Dead?”

  “Sure I do.”

  “That surprises me.”

  “Why?”

  “I guess I just figured you only watched pretentious stuff like Downton Abbey.”

  “Downton Abbey is not pretentious.”

  Cade grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes that you watch it.”

  “I certainly do.”

  “At least I’m 1 and 1 on picking the TV shows you like.”

  “While you know me pretty well, you have a lot more to learn, Mr. Hall,” I teased.

  “I look forward to you educating me.”

  As I stared into his face, Cade’s expression grew serious. The idea of educating him suddenly seemed to take on a deeper meaning—one of both mental and physical knowledge.

  Cade dipped his head to where our mouths were just inches apart. His breath fanned across my cheek, causing me to shiver. I stared into his eyes, silently pleading with him to go ahead and kiss me. We’d already been down this road before. Since Thanksgiving night, I’d wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on mine again.

  When he finally kissed me, it sent energy humming all over my body. I’d kissed other boys, but it had never felt the way it did with Cade. It was all-consuming of my mind, body, and spirit.

  Considering his experience, it shouldn’t have been too surprising that Cade was a good kisser. What surprised me the most was the emotion behind his kiss. It ran so much deeper than just a physical act, as if he was putting his heart and soul into kissing me.

  Cade deepened the kiss by plunging his tongue into my mouth. It tangled along with mine in a waltz of its own composing. My hand snaked up his back to capture the hair at the base of his neck, and I ran my fingers through the silky strands, marveling at how much softer it was than I had imagined.

  The Victrola ran out of steam, and the only sound filling the room was heavy breathing. At the loss of music, Cade stopped leading me around the floor, and his hands slid underneath my buttocks. He gripped the globes of my ass before hoisting me up to wrap my legs around his, and I molded myself tighter against him. I couldn’t seem to get enough of him—the way his strong arms felt around me, his thick waist against my legs, his broad, muscular back underneath my hands. Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I wanted all of him.

  When we crashed into a chest of drawers, Cade momentarily released my lips to breathlessly ask, “Are you okay?”

  “Mmhmm.” I gazed into his hooded eyes. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

  I rubbed myself against the ridge in Cade’s pants, causing him to groan against my throat. “Jesus, Prescott, if you keep doing that, I won’t be able to stop.” When I did it again, my action was rewarded with a growl.

  Cade’s wild eyes glanced around the room before leading us over to the wide red settee in the back corner. We collapsed onto the smooth velvet material. I widened my legs to allow Cade’s hips between them and his mouth sought out mine in a frantic kiss.

  As our tongues battled against each other, Cade’s hand came to my breast. He kneaded and cupped it over the fabric of my uniform, my nipples hardening under his touch. When he began undoing the buttons of my dress, he broke the kiss to glance at me as if asking my permission. At my nod, he practically ripped the remaining buttons open.

  He gave me a sheepish grin as he pulled me into a sitting position. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay,” I said as I slid my arms out of the sleeves.

  My breath hitched when Cade’s arms snaked around my back to undo my bra. Once it was unhooked, I couldn’t help bringing my arms to cover my chest and keep the bra in place. I hated that in this moment I couldn’t seem to get past my modesty, or my fear that my average-sized chest would turn him off.

  Cade tilted my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look him in the eye. “You sure you’re okay with this, Prescott?”

  “I am, I promise.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  “I’m just a little scared,” I whispered.

  “That I’ll hurt you?” Cade questioned with a woun
ded look.

  I gave a quick jerk of my head. “That you won’t like what you see.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’ve been with so many other girls. I’m afraid I won’t measure up.”

  His expression darkened. “That’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard.”

  I ducked my head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help the way I feel.”

  Cade cupped my face in his hands. “There’s only right here and right now, and there’s no one else but you and me. None of the past, just us and this moment.”

  My heartbeat thrummed wildly at his sentiment. “Okay,” I murmured as I stared deeply into his eyes.

  “And you could never not be beautiful to me. I like everything about you, both inside and out.” At what must’ve been my incredulous look, Cade grinned. “And I’m not just saying that so you’ll let me in your pants.”

  “I know you wouldn’t.” Deep down, I knew it to be the truth. If Cade had really wanted to just screw me, he would have attempted it over the past two months.

  “I wouldn’t be here tonight if I didn’t want to be with you for the long haul.”

  Once again, my heart began to beat so erratically that I felt a little dizzy. “Really?”

  He nodded. “You’re all I need, Avery.”

  I was so overcome by his words that I lunged at him, practically tackling him down on the other end of the settee. I kissed him with everything I had in me, like a dying woman trying to experience every last moment of feeling left.

  My body came alive as Cade raked his hands over me and goose bumps rose on my skin under his fingertips. All my senses became incredibly heightened, from the woodsy smell of his cologne permeating my nose to the way the stubble on his face felt as it brushed against my neck and the slick feel of his tux pants as they rubbed against the tender skin of my inner thighs.

  With one hand on my breast, Cade slid the other up my thigh to come between my legs. He stroked me there, his fingers dancing along my clit, sending moisture pooling. He certainly knew exactly where to touch me to make me feel the most pleasure. Just like with the kissing, it hadn’t been this way with the other guy I’d been with. It had felt good and I had liked it, but it was nothing like with Cade, who had me writhing beneath his touch.

  Cade pushed my panties aside and slid one finger into my wet core. One finger became two, and then he began pumping them in and out of me. I moaned into his mouth as I started to build toward coming. My hips began to buck against his hand, desperately seeking more friction.

  Sensing I needed more, Cade tore his mouth from mine and kissed a trail over my chin, down my neck, and across my chest to one of my breasts. When his lips closed over the nipple and sucked it deep into his mouth, I pinched my eyes shut and cried out his name. He pumped his fingers a few more times, and then I saw stars behind my closed eyes as I came. I have no idea what I said or did in those moments of bliss; all I could do was focus on the sweet pulsing between my legs.

  When I came back to myself, I flicked my eyes open and stared into Cade’s face. After withdrawing his fingers from me, he brought them to his lips. He sucked them deep inside his mouth. I was unable to look away as I watched him taste me on his fingers. More than anything, I wanted his mouth on me.

  As if he read my mind, Cade unbuttoned the rest of my dress and opened it to where I was naked except for my panties, but that was short-lived as he made quick work of whisking them away. “God, you’re so beautiful.”

  With my insecurities once again working in overdrive, I teasingly replied, “I’m sure you say that to all the girls.”

  “No, I don’t, and I mean it when I say it to you.”

  His hands came to my thighs, and he ran his fingers up and down my sensitive skin. He then gripped my knees and pushed my thighs apart. I’d never felt as vulnerable in all my life as I did having Cade staring down at me, especially between my legs. He licked his lips before dipping his head. At the feel of his tongue sliding along my clit, I sucked in a harsh breath. He licked and kissed me before sucking my clit into his mouth. “Oh God!” I shrieked as I clawed the settee.

  As he continued sucking, his tongue swept inside me, sending me shooting straight up into a sitting position. My hips began to rock in sync with him thrusting his tongue inside me. One of my hands came to grip the settee while the other went to his head. I entangled my fingers in the strands of his hair, tugging it when the pleasure grew greater and greater. Sweat broke out along my forehead, and my thighs shook.

  “Oh God!” I shrieked as I once again saw stars. For the second time that night, I found myself floating back down from the stratosphere after coming. Staring up at the ceiling, I swept my hand to my forehead. “Wow,” I murmured.

  Cade chuckled. “You’re welcome.”

  I flicked my gazed to his. “I’m sorry. Should I have said thank you?”

  “Feeling you come around my tongue while screaming my name was thanks enough.”

  Mortification rocketed through me, and it warmed my face and neck. “Don’t be embarrassed. You were so fucking hot when you came,” Cade argued.

  “I was?”

  “Oh yeah, and I love the way you tugged my hair.”

  Feeling bolstered by his compliment and what he had done, I glanced down at his crotch. “So I guess I should…”

  “Repay the favor?” When I nodded, he replied, “I don’t know about that, Prescott.”

  “Don’t you want me to touch you?”

  Cade groaned. “Of course I want you to touch me.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  “I’ve been rock hard since we were dancing. The feel of your hand or your mouth…” Cade’s rolled his eyes shut. “Fuck. I don’t want to come before I get inside you.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  Cade brought his lips to mine. When I tasted myself on them, I fought the urge to pull away in disgust. This was all so new to me. As I experienced the emotion behind the kiss, I realized the intimacy of the connection. I couldn’t possibly refuse him.

  Cade stared down into my face, his eyes searching mine. “Are you sure about this, Avery?”

  I knew how serious he was since it was one of the first times he’d ever questioned me and not called me Prescott.

  “Somewhere in the back of my head, there’s a voice screaming at me to slow down, saying this is all happening at warp speed. It’s too much too fast and too soon.” I brought my hand up to brush against his cheek. “But in spite of all that, I want nothing more than to be with you.”

  He nodded. “I want to be with you, too.”

  I gave him a small smile. “Then let’s be together.”

  Cade’s reply came in the form of sweeping off his pants. After taking his wallet out of his back pocket, he produced a condom. It didn’t surprise me that he was prepared; guys like him always carried condoms. The thought of Cade being one of “those guys” caused a tug of discomfort in my chest. He said to ignore the past and only think about the here and now, so that’s what I’ll do.

  When Cade started to put the condom on, I looked away. Something about the act made me feel shy and slightly embarrassed. Once he finished, he dropped back down onto the settee before climbing on top of me. We lay there for a moment, skin on skin, while the rush of our breaths of anticipation were the only sounds in the room.

  Cade pushed his hips between my legs. At the feel of the head of his shaft against my opening, I bit down on my lip and sucked in a breath. I tried to steady my emotions for what was about to happen to me physically. It was a big moment—one of the biggest in a woman’s life. I was ready—well, as ready as I could ever be.

  Sensing my apprehension, Cade kissed me tenderly. When he slid inside me, I whimpered at the burning, stretching pain. Cade immediately froze. His frantic gaze met mine. “Are you okay?”

  For a moment, I couldn’t find my breath. Finally, I replied, “Yeah.”

  He then pulled out and eased back into me again. I could tell the restraint
he was showing by not slamming into me like he clearly wanted—needed to. After a few more slow and steady movements, I swept my hand down his back to cup one of his butt cheeks. “I’m good, Cade. Show me how you like it.”

  He grinned. “We’ll need to work up to that, babe.” He did increase his pace. I grew to like the way he felt as he moved inside me, the way we felt so connected, two bodies merged into one.

  While it felt okay, it certainly didn’t feel good like when he was touching me with his fingers and tongue. When I felt Cade straining to keep going for me, I whispered, “It’s all right. Go ahead.”

  My words were all he needed. With a satisfied groan, he came. A smile lit up my lips when he called out my name. We lay entwined in each other’s arms for several minutes. I made slow sweeps along his back with my fingertips. With my eyes closed, I floated along in a dreamlike world, and I couldn’t help thinking about A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Prince Oberon’s magical flower that blossomed the unlikely romances in the play. Cade and I were certainly an unlikely romance. On the surface, we had so many differences, but in the end, they just seemed to bring us together.

  Cade finally broke the silence by asking, “You okay, Prescott?”

  “I’m more than fine.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  I exhaled a satisfied sigh. “I think I could stay like this forever.”

  “At least until one of us has to pee,” Cade quipped.

  I smacked his arm playfully. “Way to ruin a moment.”

  Cade chuckled. “My bad, but you should know I’m not one to do the mushy emotions.”

  I pulled my head up off his chest to pin him with a stare. “Maybe you didn’t do all that before, but I’m going to expect more from you in the emotions department.”

  He smiled. “For you, I’ll try.”

  Returning his smile, I replied, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Before I could lay my head back down on his chest, Cade said, “One second.”

  He then eased himself off me and got off the settee. “If you’re going to the bathroom, you better cover up. It might be late, but someone could still see you once you step out of the nook.”