6

6

STACEY

“Right, I have a proposition for you,” Lu says excitedly.

I stare at myself in the bathroom mirror, wiping away the condensation from my shower. There are black circles beneath my eyes, probably from my lack of sleep over the last few days. I have a gash on my cheek from where my face smacked into the floor, and I’m certain my pinkie is broken from Chris stomping on it.

This needs to stop.

I just have no idea how to end it. Even if Nora or Kyle would believe me when I told them, I don’t think they’d be able to stop Chris from burying me in the garden. I even contemplated telling Kade a few years ago, because I knew he’d do something about it. But every time he asked me where I got my bruises, I’d lie and say they were from dancing.

I always lie. And I hate it.

“What’s the proposition? And no, I’m not taking your classes when you get back from America. I’m far too busy.”

“You did before!” she exclaims, and I can tell she’s probably throwing her arm around and pacing her bedroom. “Please. I really can’t be bothered teaching a bunch of kids.”

“No.”

She sighs. “Fine. But wait, you said when you get back, not we. Are you not coming?”

“I am. I’m just tired is all. Who’s going again?” I ask, rubbing my towel into my hair to dry it a little then putting her on loudspeaker to brush my teeth.

“Just us I think. Mum and Ewan are there already obviously, and Jason didn’t get time off work. My grandmother is apparently meeting us at the hotel near my dad’s institution, but we’ll see. She never shows up.”

I shouldn’t be disappointed, but I get why Kade isn’t going.

“Your dad’s mum?”

Lu huffs. “Unfortunately. I can’t stand her, and I’m certain my mum wants to punch her in the face every time she talks.”

Her phone beeps, and she’s silent for a beat.

“Oh shit, yeah, my brother just reminded me that him and Dez are fixing the ceiling at the studio tonight. Aren’t you taking the dance class?”

Oh fuck off.

“Awesome.” I sigh. “Yeah, I am. I’m taking over for Tylar’s classes until she gets back from Rome. It’s the advanced class.”

By the time she hangs up, my hair is nearly dry, and my nerves are ready to explode at the thought of Kade being at the studio. I rub moisturiser over all the dark tattoos on my body – most are on my arms, but there are a few on my legs and torso.

Some of them Kade designed for me. They were supposed to be matching. I refuse to cover them up like he did.

I leave the bathroom, quickly making sure the door is locked before getting dressed and sorting my dance bag. I pack my Pleasers and fishnet tights to wear with my bodysuit.

The last time Kade saw me dressed like this, dancing with fire for a competition I never got to participate in, I ended up bouncing over his cock on the studio floor until three in the morning.

Once I make sure the coast is clear, I run down the stairs as quickly and as quietly as possible, managing to escape the mansion before Chris can tackle me into a room.

I’ve never come across someone so messed up, not even when I spoke to Tobias Mitchell on the phone.

My son deserves better, he’d told me. You ruined him.

I mean, he was half right – Kade did deserve better, but I definitely didn’t ruin him. He seems to be happier than ever with his alcohol, drugs and fucking everything around him. He never partied like this before, but now it seems to be all he does.

He seems happy.

So no, I didn’t ruin him. But I did earn a spot on his block list.

I thank the Uber driver that drops me off at the dance studio and climb out of the car. The coldness of the night bites into my skin as I hurry down the steps into the building – then nearly scream out profanities when I slam into something.

Or someone.

His dark brows knit together as he glares down at me, his blue eyes so intense I struggle to look at them.

“Um, sorry,” I mutter as Kade leans down to grab my dance bag, tucking it back onto my shoulder. The hallway is narrow, cool, but having him so close is making the place feel like an inferno. “Is Dez here too?”

He nods once, pulling the cigarette from behind his ear, then eases past me, heading for the exit.

Back to the silent treatment, I guess.

“Where are you going?”

He raises the lighter and cigarette above his head as he makes his way to the stairs.

I glance at my phone screen to check the time and quickly say, “Um, my class doesn’t start for an hour. Do you want me to go to another hall? I need to warm up and run through my routine.”

Kade turns to face me, still walking backwards. He honestly couldn’t look more unbothered as he shrugs. “I’ve seen you dance plenty of times.”

My cheeks heat at the fact he’s speaking to me, even though it means nothing. He spoke to me that night at the manor. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a positive conversation, but it was the first time he’d broken a breath towards me in two years, even if it was only to insult me.

“My music will be loud,” I add. “Very loud.”

Another shrug. I might slap him if he shrugs again.

“I like loud music.”

I stare at his powerful, well-built back as he takes two stairs at a time before I head in. I give Dez a half-smile when he ducks down from the ceiling.

“Alrighty, Rhodes.”

“Hi, Desmond.”

He chuckles. “Don’t start that shit.” He waves a screwdriver at me. “I told that prick my real name in confidence and she told everyone.”

“Tylar would take offence at being called a prick.”

He leans his elbows on the top of the stepladder. “Then she’s the biggest prick of all pricks. And you make sure to tell her that.”

He looks at the entrance and lowers his voice. “She’s not in tonight, is she?”

They obviously aren’t in contact right now.

“No, she’s still in Rome.”

Dez nods, and I can tell he wants to talk about her more, but he taps the metal of the ladders and gets back to work, burying his head in the ceiling.

I quickly pull off my tracksuit and yank my tights on, button my bodysuit at the crotch, then tie my knee-high Pleaser boots. They’re new, and the leather squeaks a little when I move my ankles.

Kade comes in as I connect my phone to the speakers, and I can feel his eyes on my back. It’s distracting me from searching through the notes for my routine. As I glance up at the floor-to-ceiling mirrors that span one side of the hall, I can see him staring at me. More specifically, he’s looking at my legs, dragging his gaze upwards.

He might as well have dragged his tongue over my skin with how hot it makes me.

“Pass the flathead screwdriver,” Dez says, causing Kade to break away from eye-fucking me. “This won’t tighten, piece of shit wiring.”

“Let me try,” he replies in a deep voice, and I try to focus on finding the notes I’ve saved on my phone outlining each move.

The hall is big enough that they shouldn’t cause a distraction, even with the corner of the ceiling hanging down.

I sit down in front of the mirrors, playing “Party Monster” by The Weeknd, and quickly swipe through my notes, then I sink into the splits, each leg straight out with blocks beneath my ankles. Usually, I’d do this without heels, but Kade being here has completely thrown me off what I usually do to prepare for classes.

Flexibility has always been a positive for me. I bend in all ways, which makes it easier to dance, work out and…

Yeah.

I roll my hips forward to deepen the split, leaning down so my elbows rest on the grey wooden flooring.

“Ah, shit,” Dez blurts out, the metal creaking as he jumps down from the ladders. “I need to head, man. Are you good to finish this up?”

Kade must nod or something, because I don’t hear a reply.

I smile at Dez as he gathers his things then says goodbye to us both. Annoyingly, I can hear the joke in his tone as he says, “You two have fun.”

We most definitely will not.

My bodysuit is like a thong and does nothing to hide my ass in this position. My netted tights make me appear more sexual, and my boots are nine inches of red leather that go to just above my knees. Of all the times to be left alone with Kade! I mentally pat myself.

“How long are you going to be?” I ask, keeping my gaze fixed on my phone screen. “Will you still be here when my class begins? I’ll need to turn the lights out and the LEDs on.”

When he doesn’t respond right away, I glance up. He’s walking to the mirrors in front of me to go through his tool bag. He flips a hammer in his palm then checks his phone, staring at the screen before tossing it down.

“I’ll leave before your class starts. You can put the LEDs on now though. I’ll use a head torch.”

Seeing Kade working does things to me. Ewan has been trying to get him to work with his company for years, but he only does the odd job here and there.

University was his plan.

That’s where he’d vanished to, only coming back every now and again and ignoring me in the process. I’ve no idea why he’s home now.

Maybe he quit?

Once the lights are out, and a soft red glow takes over the room, I scroll through Spotify, finding “Skin” by Rihanna. Before pressing play, I finish my stretches and turn to Kade, who’s at the top of the ladder with his head in the ceiling.

“Are you sure you want to stay? This is like… a really slow dance routine.”

I feel my nerve endings catching fire as he lowers his head from the ceiling, his eyes lingering on me for a split second before he goes back to work.

The lyrics are about rough fucking, for crying out loud.

With my ex right here.

I could scream.

I mentally say a prayer for myself as I get into position. It’s not that I’m embarrassed; my classes aren’t for someone else’s pleasure. They’re for body positivity and feeling good about yourself, taking an hour away from real life and escaping reality.

But dancing the way I’m about to in front of him, especially with the way I get into the zone of things, I must say I’m a little nervous.

He’s seen me dancing, but not for a long time.

Hopefully he keeps his head in the ceiling.

The vocals start, and I lie back, raising one knee so my heel drags on the laminate, then the other, alternating for the introduction as my back arches off the floor. I flip onto my front, flicking my hair and leisurely, sultrily sliding up to sit on my haunches while my hands roam my body, my hips moving all the while.

Kade stays in the ceiling while I keep going, working up a sweat by the time I get to my feet. I slowly walk around the pole, then pivot around it twice, one hand exploring myself as the other grips the cold metal. My eyes lift to the mirrors, and I nearly stop moving.

He’s no longer in the ceiling – Kade’s leaning his elbows on top of the ladder, watching me as I slide my back down the pole to squat, twirling my hips as I descend.

I wrap my long ponytail around my fist. “Stop looking at me.”

He shakes his head.

I roll my eyes and keep going, trying to focus on my routine. But I can’t. He’s staring at the way my body moves to the beat, the rhythm of how I sway into each word she sings.

I abruptly stop and put my hands on my hips, facing him with a scowl. “You’re distracting me.”

Both his brows raise as he points at his chest. “Me? You’re the fucking distraction here.”

“I told you it was a slow song. If you don’t like it, then leave or pay attention to your work.”

I ignore whatever he mutters under his breath, stopping the song and putting it back to the beginning before I get back into my starting position on the floor. I’m far too hot, and I’m desperate to remove my tights.

The music takes hold of me, and this time he keeps himself busy while I do the entire routine, then a second time. On the third, I hear him huff and fold away his ladder. I don’t stop as he tidies up the corner, and I don’t look at him while I’m air walking on the pole as he walks right past to pack up his things in front of the mirror.

Rihanna stops, The Hills starts automatically, and I’m a panting mess on the floor, star-fishing while I attempt to cool down. Kade, in his navy-blue top and shorts, stops at my feet. His dark hair is messy, hanging over his forehead; a tattoo curls up from his collarbone, and his arms look stronger than before.

Kade’s blue eyes are burning into me.

“What?” I snap, still panting as The Hills get into the chorus.

“Base is going to message you.”

I sit up, perching on my elbows and crossing my legs at the knee. “And?”

Kade’s gaze drags up and down my body before his Adam’s apple works in his throat.

Hm, I’ve licked that throat.

“He wants to fuck you. Don’t bother.”

God, I should not be smirking right now. I also shouldn’t feel a tightness in my chest. Not because Base wants me, but because it seems to annoy Kade. A guy who apparently hates my guts and thinks I’m dead to him.

I tilt my head. “I wasn’t going to – not that it’s any of your business.”

He scoffs. “Not old enough for you?”

I sigh and get to my feet, still nowhere near his height even with my heeled boots on. “If you have something to say, then get it over with.”

Kade steps forward, his expression serious. The defined lines of his face are highlighted by the red LEDs, his eyelashes long and dark, the vein in his neck more noticeable the closer he gets.

“You want me to get it over with?”

I nod.

“Fine.”

He slowly eats up the distance between us, and my heart beats harder in my chest. My breathing becomes laboured, deeper, especially when he takes my hip and my throat, backing me up against the mirrored wall.

“I have plenty to say to you, but all I can think of is how sick you make me.”

I give him a teasing smile that touches my eyes. “That’s all?”

“I hate you.”

“Yeah?” I manage to respond, even as he closes the infinitesimal distance between us. We’re almost chest to chest. “Not as much as I hate you.”

His thumb strokes the side of my neck, and he might as well have shoved his face between my legs and sucked on my clit with how wet it makes me.

His jaw ticks. “Stay away from Base.” His grip tightens on my throat, and my eyes flutter with the sensation. “I don’t need you poisoning his mind as well.”

My knees shake, but as he goes to release me, I stop him, pressing his hand to my throat. It’s not the same as when Chris does it, and it feels good – a replacement for usually being terrified.

“You like that?” He stresses his words by cutting off my oxygen momentarily.

All I manage is a nod, and his eyes flash with something dark and sinister.

As he applies pressure to my throat, his thumb to my pulse, I remember what he said and decide to fuck with him. “I must admit, I’m tempted.” My voice is strained. “Base looks the wild type in bed.”

Lie. He knows I’m lying too. One, Base wants my best friend, and two, he’s Kade’s best friend. And three, I have no interest in the Russian Scot.

The hand that was on my hip is travelling up my side, burning a trail in its wake. Every touch from him is scorching; every touch goes straight to the coiling sensation that begins at the base of my spine. Our chests rise and fall in rhythm as we wait for the other person to speak, to fill the silence. Our bodies are so aware of each other, remembering all the times we’d been joined as one.

Seventeen minutes until class starts.

I must be insane, because although I want to slap Kade and call him every name I can think of, I also want him to lift me into his arms and fuck me senseless. I want all his anger pushing inside me. His rage. His harsh words against my ear as he makes me scream his name.

“If you’re going to do something, then hurry up.”

“I don’t want to go near you,” he replies, lowering his forehead to mine, his dilating eyes showing his lie. “I can’t stand you.”

His fingers tighten around my throat, and my pussy clenches.

My hand drops between us, feeling the hard ridges of his cock through his shorts. He’s so big and thick, just like I remember. My heated body also remembers, and it tenses along with Kade’s, a hiss dropping from his mouth as I squeeze the length of him.

I tilt my head, whispering in his ear, my lips grazing the shell, “If I disgust you so much, then why are you hard?”

He uses his grip on my neck to push me harder against the glass. “It means nothing.” Kade’s face comes closer to mine, his breath hitting my lips as his thumb presses just underneath my breast. “It’s a lie.”

He doesn’t stop me from rubbing my palm up and down the length of his cock through the material of his shorts. He twitches against my hand, and his breaths hit my cheek as they become heavier the harder he gets.

Kade’s grip grows tighter on my throat; his other hand stops at the strap of my bodysuit, and he curls his fingers under it and drags the strap down my shoulder with haunting slowness. My breast bounces free as the material slips beneath it.

Reaching under his waistband, I take his hard cock in my hand. He’s warm, smooth and the veins are as thick as ever. The same veins I’ve traced with my tongue once upon a time. “Does this make you sick, Kade? To have me touching you this way? Is this a lie too?”

He swallows, but the way he moves into my hand tells me he’s lying when he replies with gritted teeth, “Yes.”

I continue stroking him, swiping away the bead of wetness from the tip and lifting my thumb between us, so he can see me lick the precum.

His lips part gradually, his eyes heavy as he watches my tongue run up my thumb. I close my eyes to revel in the taste and lower my hand between us again, wrapping it around his thickness.

A moan slips from my lips as he pinches my nipple, my underwear drenched from the sting. Kade thrusts into my hand, breathing the same air as we both gasp.

My other hand fists the front of his top. “Will I stop?”

Right now, as he nudges my nose with his, pushing himself into my fist with a deep groan, I think he might kiss me. His lips are close to mine. But even though I’m touching him, I will never let him kiss me again. I slant my head to put distance between our mouths.

He grabs my jaw and shoves his thumb into my mouth, pressing on my tongue, before lowering his head and taking my nipple between his teeth. He sucks so hard, I think I might explode.

Kade sucks my breast into his mouth, his tongue circling my nipple as he fucks my hand. It’s enough to make me see stars in the room full of red.

His thumb slides from my mouth. I breathe, “You—”

Before I can finish what I’m about to say, the main entrance of the studio opens, and the sound of my girls chatting echoes down the hallway.

Kade stiffens and swears to himself, yanking away from me. He steps back to put distance between us as he stuffs his hard cock back into his shorts and grabs his phone from the floor.

When he sees how tented he is, he tucks himself up into his waistband, shakes his head at me and huffs as he drags a tattooed hand through his messed-up hair and down his face.

He looks mad – fuming. His jaw clenches, dark brows lowering to a scowl. His eyes follow my fingers as I pull the strap of my bodysuit back onto my shoulder, concealing my breast.

Everything within me is on fire, tingles reaching my toes.

“Relax,” I say through deep breaths, like it hadn’t made me feel alive – as if I hadn’t been asleep for two years and only just awoken from our temporary connection. “It means nothing, remember? It’s a lie.”

Kade shakes his head, glaring at me before walking out.

A text from Base pops up on my screen, asking if I could talk Luciella into a threesome, because it seems to be his last resort to getting what he wants. I kindly decline. Then I open Kade’s contact and try not to look at all our previous messages.

Me: You left your screwdriver here.

I lift the tool and flip it in my hand as my students walk in. One giggles that Kade Mitchell looked at her, and her friend mentions how angry he was, which only made him appear hotter. Another girl fans her face like she’s close to passing out.

My phone dings, informing me the message has bounced back, and I roll my eyes with a tut.

Still blocked, it seems.