The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (44 page)

“Why
not?” Kadyn asked, glancing at the painting.

“It’s
too beautiful,” I whispered.

“I
know what you mean,” he murmured softly.

I
tore my eyes from the painting so I could look at Kadyn. My breath caught at
his heated gaze. My body swayed instinctively toward his.

Kadyn
leaned his head toward mine. “Let’s call it a night,” he whispered
conspiratorially.

His
tone sent me into a tailspin. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to be alone
with him. I glanced toward the crowded living room, then slowly nodded. My
pulse quickened as I reached for his hand.

Kadyn
led me to the front door where we collected our coats. His thumb drew tiny
circles along the inside of my wrist while we waited for the valet. Neither of
us said a word as Kadyn helped me step into the car.

A
pleasant sort of tension spun between us during the drive home. Kadyn parked in
his usual spot and walked me back to my apartment. He unlocked my door, then
helped me slip out of my coat. “Do you mind if I put some music on?” he asked as
he gently caressed my arms.

I
slipped my shoes off. “No, that sounds good.” My heart was pounding. I could feel
something shifting between us. The gentle ribbing that typically formed our
banter was gone, replaced by something that demanded far more than words.

Kadyn
played with the iPod on my breakfast bar while I hung our coats up. After a
great deal of consideration, he settled on a song. He returned the iPod to the
speaker where I kept it docked. Then he turned and held out his hand. “May I
have this dance?”

I
placed my hand in his. He pulled me close, then gently began to sway. I closed
my eyes and smiled as I relaxed into his chest. “‘Dream a Little Dream of Me.’ Good
choice.”

Kadyn
softly sang the lyrics while we danced. He stilled when the iPod rolled into the
next song. His eyes searched mine as he lifted my chin. “I wish….”

“Wish
what?” I whispered as I pulled back to look at him.

His
eyes fell to my lips. “I wish I could tell you how I feel about you, but I
can’t.”

“You
can’t?” I whispered hoarsely.

Kadyn’s
eyes closed as he gently shook his head. “No.”

“Why?”
I inquired, mustering just enough courage to ask.

Kadyn’s
eyes were full of sadness when he finally looked at me. “Because if you heard
those three words now, you’d run.”

My
heart stalled. “I…”

Kadyn
quickly placed his finger on my lips. “The wrong men have spoken those words to
you and proven them a lie.”

Tears
welled in my eyes.

Slowly
his finger left my lips and trailed down my chin… my neck… and across my
collarbone. Both of his hands cupped my shoulders, then slid down my arms until
his fingers linked with mine. Softly, he whispered, “Please let me show you,
instead.”

My
heart beat skittishly as a single tear slid down my cheek. I took a deep breath
and slowly nodded.

He
brushed the tear away with his thumb, then held my face in his hands as his lips
met mine. I melted into his chest as his hands ran down my neck… across my
collarbone… and settled on my shoulders once more. He eased first one then the
other strap off my shoulders. The dress whispered silkily as it slid to the
ground and pooled at my feet. Kadyn scooped me up into his arms and carried me
to the bedroom as he resumed the kiss.

Kadyn
lowered me to the bed. He sat next to me on the edge of the bed and gently
caressed my face. “You’re not afraid?”

“Terrified,”
I confessed as a chill tickled my spine.

Kadyn
held my gaze as he loosened his tie. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “You must know
the power you have over me…”

My
eyebrows knit with confusion.

Kadyn
ran his fingers across my forehead to smooth it back out. “I would walk through
fire for you, Kri. I would gladly lay my life down for yours.”

My
eyes softened as I reached for his face.

He
quickly captured my hand. His eyes remained fixed on mine as he kissed the palm
of my hand. “What do you want, Kri?”

“You,”
I breathed. “I want you.”

Kadyn
released my hand as he stood. His shirt and pants fell to the floor. He nudged
the clothes aside with his foot. Then he walked to the end of the bed. His
hands caressed my legs as he removed the silk stockings I’d been wearing under
my dress. He reached for my foot and gently began massaging the arch. “I want
all of you, Kri. I’ve never wanted anything more.”

My
entire body clenched as he gently scraped his teeth along the arch of my foot.
He retraced the path with his tongue. “I want you to feel what I feel every
time I look at you,” he whispered huskily. He planted wet, erotic kisses all
the way up my leg. He paused as he reached my hips. Then he hooked his fingers
in my thong.

“Kadyn,”
I gasped as he slid the thin silver lace down my legs. My heart stumbled against
my chest as he stepped out of his boxer briefs. I couldn’t take my eyes off his
beautifully sculpted body.

Kadyn
reached for my other foot. “You have all of the control here, Kri. I’ll stop
the second you say the word.”

I
couldn’t have said stop if I wanted to. My brain stalled the second Kadyn’s
mouth found my toes. I tried not to whimper as he consumed each toe and the
arch of my foot in a provocative kiss.

His
lips forged a trail up my other leg. Heat pooled low and deep when he reached
the top of my leg. He trailed fiery kisses over my hip, then licked and nipped
his way up my abdomen. He bracketed me in his arms and legs as he teased each
breast into a hard peak with his tongue.

My
hands fisted in the comforter as I resisted the urge to pull his mouth closer
to my breasts. I bit my lip in an effort to maintain some level of
self-control.

Kadyn
kissed my neck and lowered his body to mine.

The
feel of his bare skin sliding against mine chased all coherent thoughts from my
mind. I locked my arms and legs around him, suddenly desperate to feel more. “Kadyn,”
I pleaded. I wanted to feel him inside of me…
needed
him inside of me…
but I couldn’t speak those words.

His
hands tangled in my hair as his lips sought mine. His tongue swept through my
mouth, demanding me to let go… to stop thinking… to feel more.

I
arched against him as our bodies aligned. He pressed into me, then somehow
resisted what both of our bodies were begging for. He broke the kiss as he turned
me in his arms, and suddenly my stomach was pressed against the bed. Kadyn
kissed all across the nape of my neck… across my shoulders… up and down my
arms… then down my back. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “How can anyone
be this beautiful?”

I
tried to speak as Kadyn rolled me back over, but he robbed me of all breath as
his tongue stroked slowly between my legs. I was still struggling to breathe as
his tongue pressed lower and more deeply than it had before. “Please, Kadyn...”

He
paused uncertainly. “Do you want me to stop?”

I
wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, so I did both. “God, no, Kadyn. I want you
inside of me. Now.”

Kadyn
smiled as he continued seducing me with his tongue. It wasn’t until I was
shaking and on the edge of tears that he slowly made his way back up my body.
He linked his hands in mine, then forced them into the pillow behind my head.
His eyes held mine as he slowly pushed inside of me.

My
breath caught when the pressure blurred the lines between pleasure and pain. Kadyn
paused as I breathed through the pain. I closed my eyes and arched against him,
encouraging him to press a little deeper. He continued to ease into me, inch by
inch, until he filled me completely. I stilled as I savored the feel of his
body so deeply buried in mine. I suddenly realized how much I wanted and needed
this connection with Kadyn.

Slowly,
he began to move. “Open your eyes, Kri. Look at me.”

His
eyes softened when I looked into his eyes. His hands clenched mine as he
captured my lips. His tongue led mine in the same seductive dance as the rest
of our bodies, slowly stoking my need.

I
wrapped my legs around Kadyn’s as I tried to anchor myself. He moaned as I
arched against him, my body silently pleading for more. He pulled back, then
drove into me hard and deep. He stilled, then slowly pulled back again. I
gasped as Kadyn thrust even harder. Still, I wanted more. I untangled my hands
from his and reached for his back, pulling him against me as he drove into me
once more.

Kadyn
wedged his hands beneath my back. Then he rolled us over so I was suddenly on
top of him. He captured my lips in a demanding kiss, then gently eased me upright
until I was sitting with my hands resting on his chest. He kept his eyes locked
on mine as he reached for my hips and settled more deeply inside of me. The
tension that had been building within me suddenly began to unravel. The room
spun.

My
head fell back as Kadyn took control of my hips. Pleasure spiraled deep and low
as he moved inside of me. Then, without any warning, he lifted my hips and
slammed deep inside. Stars pricked at the back of my eyes as my body exploded
from the inside out. Kadyn held me as I rode out the waves. Then he gently
eased my hips up and drove into me once more. Kadyn stilled. I gasped as he
filled me with a searing heat. My body clenched, then shattered all over again.

I
collapsed against his chest, completely stunned. I was struggling not to cry as
I clung to him. A million different feelings were coursing through me… relief… happiness…
belonging… contentment… and love. But the fear was gone.

“Hey,
you okay?” he whispered.

I
listened to his heartbeat while I tried to regain my composure. “Yes,” I
finally breathed.

He
grew quiet as his fingers ran softly up and down my spine.

“So
that’s what it feels like,” I mused.

“What?”
Kadyn asked. He began sifting his fingers through my hair. He gently tugged my
hair from the upsweep until it fell over my shoulders and back.

“An
orgasm,” I responded. I giggled nervously.

Kadyn
rolled us over again. He tucked me beneath his body while still buried deep
inside. His eyes met mine. “You’ve never had one before?”

I
shook my head.

Slowly,
he smiled. “Would you like another one?”

It
was my turn to smile. “I’d like at least a hundred more.”

A
single eyebrow rose on Kadyn’s face. “That’s a tall order for one night.”

I
laughed softly. “I don’t have to be anywhere tomorrow.”

Kadyn
chuckled as he pinned my hands back over my head. “We'd better get started
then.”

*
* * * * *

Kadyn
and I managed to track down a real Christmas tree, and it was blinking, in all
of its holiday glory, in front of my sliding glass doors. We had both decided
to stay in DC for the holidays so we invited Cenia and Roger to join us for
dinner Christmas Eve.

Kadyn
set my iPod to cycle through all of my favorite Christmas songs. My apartment
didn’t have a fireplace, so I lit a massive amount of candles and positioned
them all over the house. Between the candles and the lights from the tree, the
place was bathed in soft, twinkling lights.

Kadyn
and Roger grilled steaks on my patio while I baked Alaskan king crab legs.
Cenia tossed a salad, then pulled twice baked potatoes from the oven. We loaded
up our plates in the kitchen, then settled in at my coffee table, since it was
the closest thing I had to a dining room table. After dinner, Cenia and I
sipped on cranberry margaritas as the four of us shared our most cherished Christmas
memories.

Cenia
and Roger left shortly after midnight. Kadyn and I wandered through the living
room, blowing out candles. He blew the flame from the last candle, then
gathered me into his arms. “Merry Christmas, pretty lady.”

I
rolled up to my toes and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Merry Christmas.”

“Would
you like your Christmas present now?” he murmured, kissing me behind the ear.

“Uh…
yes.” The kiss was diverting, but he was crazy if he thought I was going to
pass by an opportunity to get my present early.

Kadyn
lavished even more attention on my neck.

“Okay,
maybe I can wait,” I conceded with a laugh.

Kadyn
chuckled softly as he broke away. He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled
out a thin gold bracelet that was laced with an intricate pattern of sparkling
diamonds.

My
jaw fell open. I hadn’t been expecting such an extravagant gift. The bracelet
was exquisite.

Kadyn
clasped the bracelet around my wrist, then gently kissed my hand.

I
gathered his face in my hands and kissed him thoroughly. “Thank you,” I
whispered breathlessly. I led him to the Christmas tree and pulled a small box
from underneath. I handed him the gift as we settled on the couch. “I hope you
like it.”