Kaden (Recherché series) (9 page)

The last couple of days have been difficult. I’ve juggled hospital shifts and visiting Penelope. Sleep has become a luxury, and honestly I think I’m in a near permanent state of delirium. Luckily I haven’t had any clients, because I’m pretty sure my dick would be non-functional right now.

I leave the hospital at ten thirty after a twelve-hour shift. I went to see Pen after and fell asleep in the chair beside her bed. There’s been very little improvement, but they are planning to take her off the sedatives. The second I step through the glass sliding doors and turn my phone back on, it goes crazy. That’s never good. I see one missed call and a voice message from Melanie, followed by five missed calls from Thor, a text telling me to call him now, and two voice messages. Shit. I call Thor back and he picks up on the second ring.

“Where the fuck have you been?” He growls. No one knows I work at the hospital.

“Busy. Why?”

“Busy.” He huffs a laugh. “You were supposed to see Melanie Myers tonight!”

What? “I see her on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.”

“It is Friday!” He shouts so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear.

I work it out in my head. Shit. How the fuck did I manage to mix up days? “Shit.” I breathe.

“Yeah. Shit. I’ll see you in my office tomorrow morning. Ten o’ clock.” I have shift tomorrow. I fucking can’t, but right now I don’t want to tell him that.

“Okay.” I hang up and decide to drive to his house. If he’s going to fire me then I might as well get it over with.

I sit in my car outside Thor’s house.

I take a deep breath and build up the courage to open the door and step onto the pavement. The downstairs lights are all off, but light spills from the windows on the first floor, Thor’s flat.

I use my key to open the main door and then climb the stairs to the flat. I knock on the door and wait. I’m nervous, but I’m also exhausted and worried. A few seconds later the door opens and Poppy stands there in a pair of pyjama bottoms and a tank top.

“Kaden?” She frowns. “What are you doing here? Are you okay?” Her eyes study my face and I drop my gaze to the ground.

“I need to speak to Thor. Is he here?” Even to my own ears my voice sounds flat.

She nods. “Yeah, come in.” I walk in and she ushers me to the couch. “He’s just in the shower. Do you want a drink?”

“Coffee would be great. An Espresso would be even better.”

“You do know it’s eleven. You’ll never sleep.”

My lips quirk. “At this rate I’m not going to stay awake long enough to even make the drive home.”

“Okay.” She bustles away into the kitchen and comes back a couple of minutes later with the coffee.

“Thanks.”

She takes a seat beside me and scoops her long red hair up into a messy bun on top of her head. “Are you okay, Kaden? You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine, I just…I need to talk to Thor.”

“What do you need to talk to me about that’s so important you have to show up at eleven o’ clock at night, instead of tomorrow like I asked?” I turn at the sound of his voice. He walks into the room wearing only a pair of jogging bottoms, his hair is still wet from the shower and a towel hanging around his neck.

“I can’t make tomorrow.”

He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Kaden, you are pushing your fucking luck tonight.”

I drag a hand through my hair. “I know.”

“I can’t have this, kid.” He drops his hand and stares right at me. “Never has anyone forgotten about a client.”

I suddenly feel exhausted. My life is this fine balancing act with no room for anything to tip the scale. Pen just leapt off my escort side of the scale and right into my normal life, but then if I’m honest I never saw her as a client anyway.

“Penelope Preston had a stroke two days ago.” I say quietly. “I’ve been at the hospital since six this morning, that’s why I forgot about Mel.”

Poppy squeezes my arm. “I’m sorry, Kaden. Is she a friend?”

“She’s a client.” Thor tells her before looking at me. “Why the fuck were you in the hospital for sixteen hours?”

I take a deep breath and drop my eyes to the ground. “Because I work there.” I tell him reluctantly.

Thor laughs and shakes his head. “Unbelievable. I give you a job that pays better than some CEO’s and you’re working elsewhere.”

“I’m a junior doctor.” Silence. He says absolutely nothing.

“Oh my god, Kade. That’s amazing.” Poppy beams. I offer her a small smile. “I’m so proud of you!” She throws her arms around my neck. Thor stands behind her with his hands on his hips and his face tilted back towards the ceiling. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I mean him I understand.” She waves in Thor’s general direction. “But me?” He presses her palm to her chest and she looks hurt.

“Ah, come on, Poppy, it’s not like that. This is paying my way through my degree, but I didn’t want Thor to think I couldn’t do both.”

“Which clearly you can’t.” Thor murmurs.

Poppy’s face morphs into a fierce expression before she twists around to face him. “Thor.” Her voice is a low warning, but I watch him bristle under it. Thor the boss, collides with Thor, the guy who is hopelessly in love with Poppy.

“I have a business to run.” He snaps, shaking his head. He turns away from us and braces his palms against the nearby window.

“I’m fine. I’ve been doing it for a year. I just needed to explain myself.”

“And in that year, this has never happened.” Poppy adds. “And it’s only happening now because your friend is ill, right?” I have to smile at her tenacity. Poppy might be overly sympathetic to my cause, because she hates the escort thing. She’s told me before that I’m better than this. The whole doctor prospect is something she undoubtedly approves of.

“Poppy, seriously?” Thor turns around, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“Kaden’s the only one here who’s doing something good with his life beyond just fucking women for money.” She shrugs. “I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

Movement from the hallway catches my eyes before Xavier walks in. “Tell us how you really feel, why don’t you, Poppy.”

Her face blanches. Even Thor looks embarrassed. “Xavier, I didn’t mean…” She starts.

“I know what you mean. And you’re right.” He takes a bottle of water out of the fridge before leaving the room again, slinking back into the shadows.

“Shit.” Poppy hisses under her breath.

“Fucking hell! Well, my night has gone to shit.” Thor says. “I won’t fire you, but take the week off, sort your shit out.” I nod. “Except Melanie Myers. God knows the woman wouldn’t take any fucking replacement for you.” He shakes his head and follows Xavier.

“Oh my god.” Poppy drops her head into her hands and I rub her back.

“He’ll be fine. You know what he’s like.”

She huffs out a breath and flashes me an incredulous look. “Yeah, only now I have to deal with the pair of them stropping around the house.” I laugh. “It’s joyful.”

“At least with Thor there’s an easy way back into his good books.” I say on a smile. She swats at me.

“Any ideas on Xavier?”

“Cigars? It’s all I’ve got.”

“Real helpful.” She rolls her eyes. “So tell me, the lady who had a stroke, she’s a client?” A small frown line appears between her eyebrows.

“Yeah, but not like that. She pays me to go have dinner with her, play bridge…dance. She’s eighty-nine but she’s really independent, full of life, you know?” I smile, but then falter. “Or she was.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine, Kaden, just take a week and ignore Thor. He’s just sensitive.” I’m not sure sensitive is the first thing that springs to mind when I think of Thor. “By tomorrow he’ll have gotten over it and probably sent Maddox to pick up some of your clients.”

“Yeah, I’m good. I don’t want them back after Maddox has had them.”

She laughs. “I hear herpes isn’t much fun.”

Poppy walks me to the door and kisses my cheek before watching me walk down the stairs. “Chin up, Kade.” She calls after me.

“Strip and lay down on the bed, hands above your head.” Melanie instructs the same way she always does. She hasn’t said anything about my absence last Friday but then she doesn’t have to. Her displeasure is loud and clear. I should feel bad, I guess. I should apologise and take it like the bitch she wants me to be, but I’m not in the mood for her dominatrix shit today.

I inhale heavily and look at her. “Why don’t I tie you up instead?”

Her eyes flash and she steps towards me. “Or you could do as you’re told.” Instead of backing down from her, I stand my ground. Our eyes lock and long seconds pass. Slowly the corner of her lip curls. “Are you sure you’re ready for that, Kaden?” She asks coldly.

I press my lips together and roll my neck to the side, resenting the off handed insult. “I’m sure.” I say quietly.

She smiles before she swings her arm back and slaps me clean across the cheek. My head snaps back and a sting radiates across her face. “Get angry.” She moves to slap me again, but I catch her wrist, halting her. “Take what you want.” She all but growls in my face. I’m not an angry person… “Or should I tie you to the bed and make you my bitch again? Maybe you like it?”

Something moves and shifts inside me. What feels like weeks of pent up frustration and stress surges to the surface and my usual control slips away. Before I even register it, my hand slams around her throat and I shove her back several steps until she’s pressed against the window. She doesn’t want me to kiss her, so that’s exactly what I do. I take. My lips slam over hers so hard I hear her head hit the window. I thrust my tongue past her lips, and she meets me, fighting me, egging me on. My pulse hammers in my ears and heat engulfs my body. Using my free hand I shove my hand up under her dress and cup between her legs.

“Take, Kaden.” She moans against my mouth. “Don’t ask permission.” I shove her underwear to the side and slam two fingers inside her so hard that I feel her flinch away from it.

Her breath hitches, and her hands cling to my bare shoulders as I fuck her with my hand. She rips her mouth from mine and her lips part on a silent moan. I kiss over her jaw, inhaling the scent of the perfume on her skin. My cock is rock hard, pushing against the material of my boxers. Removing my fingers from inside her I grab the crotch of her underwear and yank, tearing the thin lace apart. I release my hold on her throat and pull her forward a step, reaching behind her and unzipping her dress. The material falls to the ground and she steps out of it. Her underwear is red lace and it might as well be a rag to a bull. I groan and step forward but she slips away from me, moving over to the bed. She sits on the edge of it and slowly spreads her legs wide. Her tattered underwear does nothing to cover her pussy. She traces her manicured fingertips delicately between her legs.

“What do you want to do to me, Kaden?” Everything. I want to do fucking everything to her.

“Get on your hands and knees.” I tell her, my voice husky and desperate sounding. That sly smile pulls at her lips and she moves, doing exactly as I said. She looks so hot bent over like that. “And don’t you fucking move.” I go to my discarded trousers on the floor and take out the condom I always keep in the pocket, sliding it over my cock.

I hear her breath hitch when I step up behind her, and again when I brush my fingers over her lower back. I slap her arse and she moans. Fisting my dick, I trace the head backwards and forwards across her wet pussy. By the time I’m done, I’m trembling and so is she.

“Fuck me!” She orders and I huff a small laugh.

And simply because she wants me stick my dick in her, I don’t. I brush my fingers over her pussy, running my fingers through the moisture and dragging it up over her crack. She’s shaking, her breathing erratic and staggered.

“Do you like it in the arse, Mel?” I ask, pressing my finger against her hole. I’m assuming she does, because she seems awfully fond of doing it to me.

“Do it! Put your finger in my arse, Kaden.” She demands. I apply more pressure, sliding my finger in to the knuckle. I’ve never been much into arse play. I once tried to do anal with a girlfriend, because what seventeen-year old boy isn’t into that? She cried, I felt like a dick. It was horrible. But the way that Mel reacts when I press inside her is anything but horrible. A tormented moan of pleasure falls from her lips and she pushes back against me, seeking more. I pull out and push back in and am rewarded with her little moans each time. My dick feels like it’s about to rip out of it’s own skin it’s so swollen. I manage to hold out until the little sounds she’s making push me over the edge and I can’t take it anymore. I pull my finger out of her, grip her hips firmly and thrust inside her, slamming in balls deep in one thrust. She chokes out a gasp and her pussy clenches around my cock like a vice. Her fingers clench into the sheets and her head falls forward, allowing her dark hair to fall around her face. I pull out and thrust back in and pure pleasure rips up my spine so fast I worry for a second that I’m going to come. I pause, groaning as I wait it out. When I move again, she tosses her head back, bowing her back and allowing me to slide deeper.