Hard Edge

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so aroused. For the longest time I’d thought something was wrong with me. Sex with Jeremy was off, no longer fulfilling. But every inch of my body was alive with wanting Caden.

  Caden leaned down and ran a trail of hot kisses along my side, my hip and my thigh. I could hear his breaths and my own racing heartbeat as he tore open a condom package.

  He rolled me onto my back and the mattress shifted from side to side as he lowered himself between my thighs. He kissed each breast and then brought his mouth up to mine. His tongue stroked my bottom lip as he reached down between our bodies. I groaned in pleasure, as his fingers slid between the folds of my pussy.

  His warm breath tickled my lips. “Baby, you feel so good to the touch, so hot and slick.”

  I held my breath as he slid his fingers out. He pushed his hand under my ass and lifted me higher. Propped on an elbow, he gazed down at the core between our two bodies, the place where we were about to join as one. His eyes were fevered with lust as he teased my pussy and clit with the fleshy tip of his cock.

  I tightened my hold on his arms and lifted my hips more to urge him on. He continued to watch as his cock slowly disappeared inside of me.

  I was losing patience with wanting him. “Oh, Cade, please. Please.”

  He kissed me hard and deep as he pushed inside of me. I wrapped my legs around him, to take in more of him. With each pass, he lifted his body in a sweeping motion toward me, digging his cock deeper into places where the sensations nearly overwhelmed me. The friction created by his movements, warmed my clit, massaging it into a frenzy. My pussy clenched against his cock, like fingers holding a massive erection. I didn’t ever want to let go.

  He gazed down at me with an intensity that made me want to melt into a puddle. He rocked against me slowly gaining in speed and in strength. Each time he plunged deeper and my pussy tightened around him. I wanted to feel every inch of him.

  “Oh, Cade, yes, fuck yes,” I cried as my body tightened and then crumbled into tidal waves of ecstasy.

  “Yeah, baby, that’s it. I can feel you come around my cock.”

  My head spun and my entire body heated with the flush of an orgasm. I tightened my legs around his waist and clutched at the sheets to lift my hips higher. The headboard vibrated against the wall as he moved faster and harder. “Fuck, your pussy is tight,” he groaned as his hold on me tightened and he came.

  Caden stopped to kiss me gently afterward. I realized that was something I’d never had with Jeremy. There was never an afterthought of tenderness to seal it up nicely. And somehow, with Caden, it felt like far more than just some pleasant afterglow kisses. There was emotion behind it.

  He lifted his mouth and gazed down at me. “Trinket, not going to lie. You’ve got my head spinning.”

  I reached up and curled my arm around his neck. “Huh, I’m feeling a little dizzy myself. Maybe a tornado picked up the house, and we were just too busy to notice.”

  “Maybe,” he kissed me again. “Or maybe this is what comes from years of wanting each other.”

  Chapter 16

  Caden

  I climbed out of the bed and followed the aroma of butter to the kitchen. Kenna was standing at the stove stirring eggs with her long legs trailing out from my beneath my shirt. She heard my footsteps and smiled at me over her shoulder.

  “Hope you like them scrambled,” she said. “I started with sunny-side up, but the eggs had a different plan.”

  “Funny, so did I.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed my chest against her back. “Just so you know, you’ve unleashed a monster.” My cock pressed against the shirt fabric covering her ass. “See what I mean? I’m pretty sure I’m never going to have enough of you, so you should prepare yourself.”

  “The eggs will burn.”

  “Better them than me.”

  She dropped the spoon as I spun her around in my arms. “But I’m hungry.”

  My hands slid under the shirt. “That makes two of us.”

  Kenna laughed. “Are you going to be talking in puns all morning?”

  I wrapped my hands around her ass cheeks. “That depends, Trinket. Is it turning you on?” I pressed my erection against her belly.

  “It’s obviously working for you,” she teased.

  “Then I’ll have to try a different tact.” I took hold of her hand to lead her out of the kitchen.

  “Wait, or the whole place will burn down.” She reached back and turned off the stove. “Those eggs were going to be tasty too.”

  “Then I’ll make sure this is worth your while.” I led her back down the hall to the bedroom. “This is all your fault, by the way.”

  “My fault? I was cooking eggs,” she protested.

  “It’s got nothing to do with eggs.” I grabbed hold of her waist, and she squealed with laughter as I tossed her gently onto the bed. “And everything to do with the fact that you are so fucking hot.”

  Her brown eyes glittered as she smiled up at me, licking her bottom lip in anticipation.

  “I warned you, Trinket, you’ve unleashed a monster.”

  “I can see that.” She propped herself up on her elbows and looked pointedly at my cock that was rock hard and slick with wanting her.

  “Damn right. And there’s only one thing that can stop the beast.” I knelt down on the bed and took hold of her ankles. I placed her feet on the bed and pushed the shirt, my shirt, up to her waist. “Just so you know, seeing you in my shirt, knowing that your naked skin is rubbing against it—” I reached up and stroked my thumb over the fabric stretched across her breasts. Her nipples hardened beneath the shirt. “Can only lead to one thing.”

  I lowered myself between her legs and pressed my mouth against her inner thigh. Her giggles and smile faded and her eyes drifted shut as her head dropped back. I moved my mouth up her thigh. Her legs parted as I reached her pussy.

  “Relax, baby, I’ve got this.”

  She rested back against the pillows with a long, sensual moan. I slid my hand beneath her ass to lift her pussy higher. My tongue explored the hot, wet folds, stopping to pay special attention to her clit.

  “Cade.” My name bubbled off her lips. The fluttery sound of it made my cock stiffen more.

  “You’re like fucking honey, baby.” I held her ass with one hand and slid my fingers into her with the other. She tightened her pussy around my hand as she brought her legs up. Her thighs pressed against my head. She lifted her hips to writhe against my mouth and fingers.

  “Oh, Cade, yes, more.” She clutched the sheets and braced herself against the pressure of my tongue and hand. “Yes, right there, yes!” My fingers impaled her deeper as the heat of friction warmed her pussy more. “Yes!” Her whole body trembled. I stroked her with my tongue as she came against my mouth.

  Kenna reached her hand toward me. “Now, please, Cade. I want you to fuck me right now.”

  I gazed hungrily down at her as I reached for a condom. Her skin was flushed pink, and her eyes were glassy. She was everything I’d ever wanted all wrapped up in a package that made my cock hard just thinking about it. For so many years, I’d dreamed of being with Kenna, and for so many years, I’d told myself to forget her for good. I’d worked hard to convince myself she wasn’t meant for me. What a waste of some good fucking years. Now I was sure I would never have enough of her.

  I rolled on the condom, and she reached for me. I took hold of her wrists and pinned them above her head. I held her captive with one hand as I settled in between her legs. I stared down at her. “Say it again. Tell me what you want.”

  “Cade, I want you to fuck me right now.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I wanted to fucking hear, Trinket.” I covered her mouth with mine. She wrapped her long legs around me as I jammed my cock into her. br />
  “Your pussy is pure fucking ecstasy, baby.” I held her hands as I thrust into her.

  She moaned as I moved deeper and harder inside of her until I couldn’t hold back anymore. I released her hands, and she wrapped them around my neck and held me as I came.

  There was a long, quiet lull as our heartbeats slowed. I stayed in Kenna’s arms with my face pressed against her shoulder as she stroked my back. We’d spent the morning flirting and messing around like two people just out for a good time, but suddenly the mood had changed.

  I lifted my head and kissed her before dropping next to her on the mattress. I rolled to my side and looked at her. “You all right?”

  Kenna turned onto her side to face me. “Physically, I’m way past all right. But I’m kind of feeling like we opened, for lack of a better term, Pandora’s box. Seems like we’ve really complicated our lives with this new branch of our friendship.”

  “That’s because we were never meant to be just friends.” I stroked her face. She took hold of my hand and kissed my palm.

  “I know you’ve got this whole other life going on, Caden, with motorcycle racing and swimsuit models and—”

  “And you’ve got law school and New York and . . .”

  She pushed up to sitting and combed my hair off my face with her fingers. “Right, I guess we can’t let this get in the way of our lives.” There was a hitch in her voice. “We’ll just pack up after this and head our separate ways. I don’t want to get in your way.”

  I sat up and faced her. “Would you stop with that shit. I wanted this. I wanted you, remember? Even if we both have places to go and things to do after this, I don’t want it to be the end. We just need to work a relationship around our lives. We’ll figure it out.”

  I leaned over and kissed her to wipe away the pout on her lips. A tiny smile flickered back at me.

  “There. Pandora’s Box fucking closed.” I reached up and smoothed her hair back off her face. “We’ll figure it out, Trinket. I promise.”

  Chapter 17

  Kenna

  It was just before dusk on the beach. Most of the day trippers and families had packed up their umbrellas, blankets and ice chests and headed home. A handful of surfers, including the incredibly hot hunk who had my undivided attention, all waited patiently for a good set of waves to break. Caden’s long, wet hair was smoothed back off his face, and the muscles in his chest and arms rippled like the water rolling under his surfboard.

  I pulled my legs to my chest and rested my chin on my knees as I watched him take off on a wave. His powerful arms pulled through the water. Seconds later, he was on his feet, gliding over the wave toward shore. Everything about him was mesmerizing.

  Caden and I had spent the day snacking, talking and falling in and out of bed. I was still tamping down bittersweet sparks of worry, concern about how this time together would end. But between the bouts of uncertainty, I was having the time of my life with Caden. For two years, I had convinced myself that I was in love with Jeremy. Enough so, that I’d accepted his offer of marriage. But now I knew what real love felt like. It meant moments of unexplained dizziness and heart flutters, it meant forgetting your words just seconds after they’d formed in your head, it meant going to sleep thinking about the person and waking up with their name on your lips. Jeremy had represented all the future goals I’d set for myself put together in one handsome package. It seemed I had been more in love with the idea of Jeremy than I had been with the man himself.

  Caden’s bright white smile stood out starkly in his tanned face as he glanced my direction. I waved and blew him a kiss. He spun the board around and dropped down to paddle out for another ride.

  Caden’s phone was sitting next to the bowl of grapes I’d carried out to the beach. It buzzed with a text. I glanced at the phone but decided to disappoint my curiosity and ignore it. Seconds later, another text. My curiosity tapped on my shoulder like an annoying, persistent pest. A third text. I let my gaze sweep down over the phone. For a fleeting second, I saw the picture that had come through. I’d only needed the quick glance to recognize that it was a picture of naked breasts, an extremely nice pair at that.

  “Damn you, curiosity,” I muttered to myself. I, of course, had no idea who had sent the boob selfie. I had no doubt that Caden had a long list of women friends. I was betting on the swimsuit model just because they were exceptional breasts. It was a cold splash in the face. Yet, I couldn’t be angry at Caden.

  The picture had flustered me enough that I hadn’t noticed Caden had ridden his board into shore. He was carrying it under his arm as he tromped toward me with that same sparkling smile plastered across his handsome face. I had to force my lips up to return the smile.

  Caden jammed the end of his board in the sand and dripped cold water onto the towel and me as he sat down. “Best waves yet,” he said as he reached for his shirt. He wiped off his face and glanced at his phone as he combed his wet hair back. He tossed the shirt away and reached for the phone. He kept it hidden behind his leg as he looked at it.

  “Anything of interest? It’s been buzzing like crazy.” I decided a little fishing wouldn’t hurt.

  He put the phone down. “Nothing too important. What should we do about dinner? I’m fucking starved.”

  “Not sure,” I said curtly, even though I hadn’t planned for it to sound that way. I stared out at the water pretending to be interested in the other surfers. I sensed Caden staring at the side of my face.

  “You saw the picture, didn’t you?”

  I took a deep breath. “O.K. yes, but I wasn’t being nosy. It’s just my eyes sort of drifted that way because, well, because the damn thing was going off like crazy. I thought it might be something important. Which, apparently, it was, because sending a flash shot of boobs is not just an everyday text.”

  “It’s not?”

  I looked over at him.

  His smile returned. “I’m kidding. They belong to Shelly, a woman who I sometimes hang out with. She got a boob job, and she was just showing them off. I’m sure she sent a group text. That’s just the way she is. It’s no big deal, Trinket. Besides, there is only one pair of tits on my mind right now.” He looked pointedly at mine. “I’m thinking we should go inside so you can flash them my direction.”

  “Damn, you’re just as smooth as a bowl of cream, Caden Stratton. Here I am sitting stiff and a little pissed at the naked picture on your phone, and you manage to morph it into dirty talk and a suggestion that I strip for you.”

  He leaned on one elbow and squinted up at me. “Did it work?”

  I sat and stared out at the water for a few seconds, then jumped to my feet. “Fine, but I’m only going to enjoy it a little bit.”

  He got to his feet and picked up his board. I swept up the towels and took off at a run. He was behind me the second I stepped inside the beach house. I tossed the towels at him with a scream and ran toward the hallway. He grabbed my hand and stopped me.

  “Told you I’m not ever going to have enough of you, Trinket.” He pressed me up against the hallway wall. “Never.” His skin was cool from the ocean as he closed in on me, trapping me between his hard body and the wall.

  “Your shorts are wet,” I said between breaths.

  He continued to kiss me as he reached down and untied his shorts. They dropped to his feet. His erection found its favorite place between my legs. “Now it’s your turn, baby,” he growled against my mouth.

  I reached between us, unbuttoned my shorts and pushed them down to my feet. I stepped out of them and kicked them out of the way. He pressed his forehead against mine. “Trinket, I don’t want that fucking condom between us. I want to feel you, all of you.”

  I peered up at him. “I just saw a half naked picture of a woman on your phone. I’m on the pill, but—”

  “I always wear a condom. Always.
But, with you, it’s different, Kenna.”

  I looked up at him with an unmistakable dose of skepticism.

  He straightened. “You don’t believe me.”

  “Just wondering how many girls you say that to.”

  He dropped his arms and stepped back. “Only you. But I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t believe me either.” He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his hand.

  “Listen, buddy, you don’t slam a girl up against the wall, ask her to drop her panties and then walk away.” I pulled him back to me. “You finish what you started, Caden Stratton.” I kissed his mouth. “No condom. If I can’t believe you, the only man I’ve ever truly wanted, then there’s no hope for me or my heart.”

  “The only man you’ve ever truly wanted?”

  “That’s right. So my entire happiness is in your hands. No pressure.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands wrapped around my ass, lifting my feet from the ground. I swung my legs around him. He braced my back against the wall as he pushed his cock inside of me. A guttural sound of erotic pleasure rolled up from his chest. It made me ache even more for him.

  I knew I was getting myself in deep and falling hard for him, but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop it.

  Chapter 18

  Kenna

  I carried the grilled cheese sandwiches outside. Caden was sitting on one of the two lounges drinking a beer and watching the water. Moonlight made the surface of the ocean look like shiny black slate. A pale gray, ghostly looking mist loomed in the distance.