Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

N oel

I didn't have any time to ask him another question. Why? Because Kage captured my mouth, immediately pushing open my lips and thrusting his tongue inside.

If I'd thought he'd tasted sweet the night before, it was nothing in comparison to the hint of coffee and cream mixed with minty toothpaste.

A part of me knew I should push him away, stopping him from pushing every button and fulfilling my greatest desires but that just wasn't going to happen.

As had also occurred the night before, he was getting ready to fulfill my every fantasy.

And damn if I didn't want to allow him to do so.

I slipped one arm around his neck, crushing my hand around the massive cords while he dominated my tongue. He was even more impressive in the light. If that was possible. And the kiss was positively magical.

He was making enough growling sounds a shiver continued to shift down my spine. How could any man be so intoxicatingly gorgeous? The kiss wasn't just a roar of passion but a moment where all time stopped. I'd read about such insanity in the very romance novels I'd mentioned, but to experience it was a freefalling moment.

If only every kiss could be like this.

Maybe it was with this man. Who knew?

As he finally crushed the full weight of his body against mine, a rush of sensations tore through me. He was harder than the night before, if that was even possible. He slipped his arm behind my back, forcing me into a deep arc. When he pulled one of my legs into his hand, bending and lifting it at the knee, I could tell I was swooning.

Kage took his time both with the kiss and with rubbing his hand down the outside of my thigh. Our actions became more intense, the need growing to the point I couldn't breathe. When he finally pulled his lips from mine, I was already panting.

"What about breakfast?" I asked, no longer recognizing my own voice.

"It can wait."

Another nervous laugh bubbled to the surface as he nipped my lower lip, the rugged sounds he was making adding to the sexual tension. The pause in the action only intensified the moment, keeping stars floating in front of my eyes.

Something happened between us at the same time and we suddenly were fighting to get the other's clothes off. I almost ripped his shirt in my effort to yank it over his head. My laugh was still nervous but more from the sexual tension than anything.

As soon as our shirts were off, the fact I hadn't worn a bra seemed to delight him. The next sound he made was a satisfied grunt like an animal in the wild as he cupped both my breasts. When he reached around me, I couldn't figure out what he was doing.

Until he lifted his hand. Oh, shit, his fingers were covered in butter. I wasn't certain whether to be horrified or excited. When he slathered my nipples with the soft goo, I couldn't seem to move a muscle.

He wasted no time dipping his head and I threw mine back. I was pulled into a sweet moment of feeling outside my own body as he sucked on first one hard tip then the other. Goddamn, even the sounds he was making were adding to the fever we were obviously both experiencing.

Why I was pushing at his shoulders was beyond me. I wanted to draw him in closer, to experience every inch of the glorious man.

He squeezed my breasts until I cried out from a flash of pain, his added breathless sounds making me crazy. My entire body was already overheating, my core an active volcano. Within a few seconds, an utter frenzy rushed into the both of us and we started ripping at each other's jeans, both finding it impossible to get rid of the dense material fast enough. The boots were the worst part, my groans matching his as I struggled to yank off the last one.

When we were completely naked, I sensed he wasn't in the mood for wasting any time, especially since he raked his arm across the counter. Gasping, I was terrified he'd toss glass jars onto the floor. He was meticulous in creating a space like he was at everything else. He lifted me from the floor, planting my bottom on the slick counter, not satisfied until he'd tugged me to the very edge.

But that still wasn't enough for the rough and tumble man until he'd thrust his cock deep inside.

"Oh. God." I slapped one hand on the counter, sending the butter flying, my other against his chest. The vibrations searing every nerve ending were white-hot and I could no longer think clearly.

I had no idea how this man knew exactly what I needed, but I didn't care at this point. I was simply enjoying every aspect of what we were sharing. A true fantasy.

He lifted his head, his smile like that of a truly evil man as he pulled out until just the tip was inside. When he plunged into me again, my entire body was jarred. But I loved it, even scratching my nails down his arms,

"You know how to tease me," he huffed under his breath.

"Is that what I'm doing?" I was still out of breath, finding it almost impossible to focus let alone put words together that made any sense.

"Mmmm… Yeah, baby girl. Careful doing that cause I am one bad man."

"So you say. Liar."

His laugh boomed into the kitchen and he pulled out once again, this time slamming into me, pushing me back until I was at a completely different angle. I slapped my hand against the cabinet with one hand, now digging the same fingernails of my other into his arm.

The insanity of how I was perched threw me, pushing me straight into a line of utter bliss. Holy shit, it wasn't going to be long until I came in a rushing orgasm. I couldn't stop panting, which matched the rapid beating of my heart as he pounded into me.

I'd never had a man take me this brutally before. I did what I could to accept and enjoy. I held onto him, almost as if for dear life. As I wrapped both legs around his massive thighs, he lifted his head long enough to grin.

"What's wrong, baby? Afraid I'll drop you?" His deep voice sent another wave of penetrating sensations through me, little pings of electricity that kept me on fire. I was burning so hot, beads of perspiration trickled down both sides of my face.

This was the kind of sex I'd always wanted. Messy and hot.

"Would you?"

Even his deep laugh was sexy, another warm blanket being tossed over my naked body. I should have guessed his answer. He jerked me off the counter, turning in a complete circle while he still thrust deep and hard.

My slight shriek was followed by a strangled moan as I gripped his shoulders, locking my feet together. He spun me around again and I was finally driven into the most incredible climax, a solid wave hitting me in all the right places.

"Oh. Oh. Yes. Yes." I was now clawing his back, wondering if the poor man knew I was likely drawing blood.

If he was fazed, I certainly didn't know since he refused to stop. It was like the man was highlighting his stupendous strength, almost pushing me beyond the limits of what I could handle. But I wanted this moment to last for as long as possible.

As soon as I started to come down from the rafters, he seemed to sense I was losing my ability to hold on. With a solid stride, he was by the table, yanking out one of the chairs. When he sat down, I was shocked how graceful he was. His thick cock was still buried deep inside, throbbing even more than before.

I planted my toes on the floor, finally noticing Max out of the corner of my eye. He couldn't care less what we were doing, simply happy to be rolling on his kitchen bed. I found it funny and as soon as I laughed, the huge man captured my mouth all over again. He didn't stop there, digging his fingers into my hip and lifting me. The way he could hold me aloft with ease was just another testament to how powerful his muscles were.

Or maybe it was all about his resolve.

I had no idea and honestly didn't care. What I knew was his kiss was enough to start another fire, the feel of his cock as it expanded deep inside amazing. Goosebumps popped along both arms, adding to the excitement of the moment. Although he swept his tongue inside like before, the kiss itself was short lived, his whisper dark and husky.

"Ride me, baby."

He didn't need to command me a second time. I rocked hard against him, savoring feeling more grounded and also being able to look him directly in the eyes as we fucked each other. I could swear on a bible the man never blinked. Not once. He was so intent on searching my soul that we were dumped into a beautiful vacuum where all light and sound ceased to exist.

The way time stopped around us gave everything a more sensual feeling. He was allowing me to take my time, enjoying the experience of having him inside. I took full advantage, riding him long and hard. I had my arms over his shoulders, still on my toes as I bucked against him. My pussy was clenching and releasing in a tempered way and I could sense it was driving him crazy.

He was doing his best to maintain some control, fighting his more primal urges. Did the man have any idea what he was doing to me?

The creaking sound of the chair brought me slowly down from the clouds. Suddenly, the scent of food was more powerful than that of the intoxicating man. He was such a man of surprises, fisting my hair out of the blue and jerking my back into the deepest arc I'd ever done.

The shift in the angle was just enough to toss me straight into another raging orgasm. I thought I'd screamed but I wasn't certain of anything any longer.

Kage was a man of control, even lifting his hips from the chair as he added another dimension to our hard fucking.

But I sensed a minute or so later he was losing control, his chest heaving and the sound as if he was being strangled.

What was a very bad girl to do?

I squeezed my muscles, reveling in every sound he made. As soon as he let go of my hair, easing me back into a sitting position, I sensed it was all over.

The rush of adrenaline was high, the heat explosive, and in those few incredible seconds he closed his eyes, allowing a primal roar to erupt as he filled me with his seed.

This man was completely dangerous.

But for all the right reasons.

"Okay, so I think you're going to like these," Kathy said as she clicked her fingers on her laptop.

Days had gone by. Three days since the sun had broken out and Kage had been allowed to leave. I'd been in some crazy kind of fog since then, trying to work on the outline for the new book while searching for a text. It was crazy, completely out of character but the moment I'd met him, I'd changed.

He'd come through with getting my car fixed but his buddy had returned it to me, even washed and vacuumed. I hadn't heard anything from Kage himself. I didn't know whether to be pissed off or just accept that the two full days we'd had were wonderful, but had been just a fantasy and nothing more.

"Hel-lo," Kathy said in a singsong voice.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something else."

"You have been since I got here two hours ago. And you've paced the floor, which isn't like you. Are you certain something isn't wrong?"

"How could it be? I have a new book coming out in two months, a far cry from the publisher's usual eight or ten. I'm in the process of negotiating the next advance and it appears it's going to be for a three-book deal this time. What could be better?"

"Right. That's why you're chewing on your fingernails. Just take a look at the artwork. I knew your great publisher wants a fancy-dancy cover reveal party and my art will likely be shoved into the wind, but I couldn't help myself. And the only reason your book is getting published so quickly is because you were so late in getting it done."

"Thanks so much for reminding me."

"That's what assistants are for."

I gave her a dour look, shaking my head. She was right about Vicky, a woman we'd both called the Ice Queen because of her take-no-shit attitude. While she'd helped rocket my career into the stratosphere, she could be considered a grade-A bitch.

My phone chirped and I groaned. I had special little rings programmed in for the important people in my life. That allowed me to know if I wanted to ignore the call altogether. "Speak of the devil."

"Yeah, she's a devil alright. Maybe she wants you to sharpen her horns."

At least Kathy could make me laugh. I took a deep breath. "Wish me luck." Every time I had a conversation that lasted longer than five minutes with Vicky, I wanted a hard drink and a hot shower. She just knew exactly how to get under people's skin. It was an art form with her. "Noel Young."

"Noel, darling. Did you get the edits from your last bestseller?"

"How could your team read through the manuscript that fast?"

"Because they are damn good at their jobs and we don't have time to waste on this. The book release is two months from tomorrow. It must be perfect. Every. Single. Aspect. But I can't get it perfect, including doing a very special foil-edged cover without your help. That help means you need to check your email more often."

"Fine, Vicky dearest. I can do that."

She huffed. Whether or not she knew I was making fun of her wasn't any of my concern. I was having fun doing it. Sue me.

"When will your edits be returned?" Jesus. I could hear her tapping her long nails or maybe a pencil or pen on her desk. The woman had zero patience. She also wouldn't let me get away with the usual excuse of: Well, I was kidnapped and held with other women in a dark prison, tortured for hours on end with no food, little water, and the constant fear of being killed.

Nope.

After the second time I'd broken down in tears, she'd shrunk back, looked me directly in the eyes, and had said, quote, "Get over it."

So I'd sucked in my whimpers, kept them as my own on the sleepless nights where I'd cry myself to sleep during the wee hours of the morning, and gotten my shit together in the daytime.

I rubbed my eyes before making a yapping hand signal to Kathy. She did nothing more than role play how Vicky usually acted when we did a Zoom call. Thankfully, I didn't need to endure that today. Besides, I looked like a homeless girl with mismatching socks, sweatpants that were a little too big, and a man's shirt. I liked men's shirts but all it did was remind me of Kage.

That wasn't a good thing at all at this point.

"Three days. Satisfactory?"

She was so used to me asking for two weeks I thought I'd shocked her a little. "Well, okay then. That's perfect. We'll chat again after you send them back and I want you to look at your calendar for the best dates in the next three weeks or so."

"For what?"

"I want you to come to New York. There are some people I need for you to meet."

People. I hoped that didn't mean she was having a hard time selling my three-book advance or I'd be pissed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Excellent. Incidentally, your agent is a real bitch."

I managed to keep from bursting into laughter. In comparison, Tasha was a true pussy cat. Just roll her over and scratch her belly and she'd be happy. "Talk soon. Gotta run. Tata." I hung up before I put my foot into my mouth. Yes, I was thrilled with my income and how my books were treated, but the woman was worse than someone scratching their nails down a chalkboard.

"Tata?" Kathy repeated. "No one says that any longer. You do know that?"

"Remember, Vicky is old school." I laughed, tossing my phone onto the desk. "Okay, let's see that sexy artwork of yours." As I moved to the other side of the desk, she peered up at me.

"You're really going to hunker down and work on the edits for three days straight?"

"What else do I have in my life?"

Right on cue, my beautiful new puppy thumped his tail, which made Kathy laugh.

"Oh, I don't know. Take your dog to a park. Go hiking. Go sledding. Go find a hot guy."

Why was it when she suggested the last part I found my heart palpitating? "Funny. Art. We're here to work and I always meet my deadlines."

Too bad I was crossing my fingers behind my back.

"See. I think if we do the cover release over a period of a few days we'll really build the excitement."

"I like that idea. Do me a favor, make the red a little more…"

"Like blood?"

"Yeah, exactly like blood."

Kathy sighed. "You are one macabre woman. Do you know that?"

"I'll take that as a compliment. Let's put together something for TikTok as well, but I want to make certain we actually have the final version of the cover in our hot little hands."

"Stop worrying. I know that. I have been your assistant since God was a baby."

"You do know that's not possible?"

She laughed and all I could do was think of Kage. When my phone rang again, the ringtone was thankfully just for any ordinary Joe calling. I had an order I was checking on, expecting a reminder about an upcoming doctor's appointment and was hopeful Kage was calling so I answered it right away.

"Noel Young."

Kathy pulled my attention away by pointing to a banner she'd created. I gave the ‘ok' sign then realized I wasn't hearing anything on the other end of the line. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

I could tell the moment I pulled the phone away from my face that the other end wasn't dead. The same kind of chill I used to get trickled down my spine. There was no chance this was the asshole calling me. He was behind bars awaiting his trial.

Still, I was shaking enough Kathy grabbed my arm.

"You okay?" she asked, shifting her gaze back and forth.

All I could do was nod. "Look, jerk. Whoever you are, this isn't funny. I'm hanging up now and blocking your number." I did just that, feeling much more comfortable.

"Do you want to tell me what that was?" Kathy pushed.

"Nothing. That was a whole lot of nothing."

And I prayed to God it was.