Ue o Muite Aruko

"Only the unknown frightens men. But once a man has faced the unknown,

that terror becomes the known." ~ Antoine de Saint Exupery

SHUT UP, MAN. The billionaire jabbed the power button to shut the radio off. Kyu Sakomoto normally didn't piss him off, but he just wasn't in the fucking mood right now, and his annoyance only grew when he saw how his abrupt movement had caused Kady to jerk in her seat.

"You should've just told me to go to hell," he snapped, "if I'm scaring you that much." Having her make record-breaking jumps in his presence had only been fun when she had been almost as nervous around other men. In some ways, the billionaire had even considered it a matter of pride. When Aidan had told him Kady had stammered a lot the first time he met her, Slade had told the police chief that Kady was worse in his presence, barely coherent and looking close to fainting every damn time.

But now that she had apparently gotten over her anxiety with the other locals, why was it that she still acted like he was Hartland's answer to Norman fucking Bates?

Kady's anxiety grew as Slade remained tight-lipped with anger. He was always in such a bad mood these days, and even though she knew it was none of her business, she couldn't help worrying about him.

The truck sped past scenery that usually held her spellbound, but Kady didn't see a thing, her troubled thoughts focused entirely on her boss.

"Mr. W-Wyndham—-" Kady caught the murderous glare he threw her way, and she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, S-Slade."

And of course she only called him that under threat , the billionaire thought irritably, whereas she probably didn't think twice about calling the youngest Blackwood by his given name.

Kady started wringing her hands as she sensed her boss' growing tension. Oh no. She heard him curse under his breath all of a sudden, and Kady could only gasp when Slade suddenly pulled the truck up at the side of the road.

But before she could ask what was wrong, he had already turned to face her, and the dangerous glint in his blue eyes had her paling.

"Will you tell me one thing?” Slade asked flatly. "Why do you I still terrify you while you've obviously gotten over whatever fears you had with the other guys?"

Her eyes widened. That was what he was furious about?

The billionaire nearly rolled his eyes when he saw surprise flit over Kady's face. So fucking clueless . He had already told her that she was the one girl who could make him jealous and possessive, and while it was the unfortunate truth, she had obviously thought he was only joking.

"You really are different," Slade muttered under his breath.

Kady couldn't help blushing at the words even though she wasn't exactly sure why she felt embarrassed. "I n-never meant to be—-"

Slade's lips twisted into a self-mocking smile. "You think I don't know that?"

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Wyndham—-"

The billionaire winced. "So it's an age thing then?"

Kady was horrified. "No, not at all!" And unable to bear the thought that Slade would really believe she could be that shallow, she knew she had no choice but to speak the truth.

Avoiding her boss' piercing gaze, she looked out of her window as she confessed uneasily, "It's h-how you flirt."

The billionaire frowned. How...he... flirted?

"Do you remember when Farica asked if I was in love with a guy?" Kady heard Slade grunt and took it as a yes. "Well, it was sort of true. There was...there was this guy I used to date. He was literally the boy next door, and although he had always been way, way more popular than me in school, he had always made me feel...special."

Like you, her tone implied.

"He was good at making me laugh, and he would always tell me I was the prettiest girl in his eyes."

"But he turned out to be lying, is that it?"

Kady gave him a small nod.

His gaze bored through hers. "Since I also remember you mentioning that your ex virtually hooked up with your best friend behind your back, I don't exactly find the comparison flattering." Slade paused. "I might be an ass, but I've always been upfront about it."

"Oh."

He waited patiently, seeing her visibly mull over his words, and when her gaze darted back to him, it was as if she was seeing him in a whole new light.

"I'm so sorry." Kady couldn't help cringing as the full truth hit her. "You're absolutely right. You have nothing at all in common with him."

Slade's gaze narrowed. "Then..."

Her brows furrowed. "Then?"

"Shall I take this as a sign you'll stop being nervous around me?"

Kady tried - she seriously did try - imagining acting naturally around Slade, and she just couldn't picture it.

Slade wasn't surprised when his little chick slowly shook her head.

"Thought so," she heard her boss murmur, and Kady winced.

Damned if I do, damned if I don't , the billionaire mused.

"Well then..."

Kady couldn't help stiffening when she saw the way Slade was suddenly looking at her with hooded lids. Uh...oh...

"Since you feel that way," Slade said silkily, "I might as well give you a reason to be scared."

WHAT?

But Slade was already leaning towards her, and Kady let out another gasp when his arm shot over hers—-

PLOP!

Her seat fell back, and the next thing she knew, she was flat on her back, and Slade was looming over her.

Oh my God, was he going to kiss—-

His head went down.

Kady gasped.

He was kissing her alright, but his lips hadn't even landed on her mouth or anywhere on her face.

She felt him start to suckle, and Kady nearly screamed.

He suckled harder , and this time her brain completely shut down, her eyes rolling back at the sheer, agonizing pleasure of his mouth suckling on one fabric-covered nipple.

Oh. Dear. Sweet. Je—-

A choked sound escaped her when he suddenly bit her nipple, and she could feel her body starting to writhe.

The heat of his mouth, the feel of his tongue, the graze of his teeth...

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

She felt one of his hands moving, felt his thumb reach her mouth, and her lips began to tremble even as they parted open. One long, hard finger slid in, and she couldn't help it.

Slade's cock throbbed painfully hard when Kady suddenly started sucking his finger. He hadn't expected someone as innocent as her do such a thing, and that it was Kady of all people...

Too fucking hot, and his hunger grew, his mouth sucking so damn hard on her nipple that it had her fingers raking through his hair.

And then she was tightly gripping his head, her writhing body arching to push her nipple deeper into his mouth...

"Slade."

The sound of his name on her lips - unexpected, sweet, and too dangerously arousing - jerked the billionaire back to his senses, and he somehow found the strength to yank away before he ended up taking Kady's virginity in the middle of a fucking highway.

He saw her desire-clouded eyes gaze up at him in hurt confusion, and damn if that didn't make his cock feel trapped in the tightest fucking cage of denim.

"Keep looking at me like that," he growled, "and I fucking swear you won't leave this car a virgin."

It took several seconds before the truth of his words dawned, and Kady shot up in her seat with a gasp, color flooding her cheeks as vividly erotic images started playing back in her mind.

Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.

She turned away from Slade as she clumsily reached for the lever to get her seat back to its normal incline.

What just happened?

She could feel herself starting to tremble, and when she realized how heavy and swollen her breasts still felt—-

Before she could even think of what she was about to do, her gaze had already darted back to him.

Oh!

White-hot desire had turned Slade's eyes into a blazing shade of blue, and when the sight had her unconsciously wetting her lips, Kady saw him suck his breath in even as his nostrils flared.

"I can feel you wanting me," Slade gritted out.

Kady whimpered.

"But at the same time—-" His gaze turned brooding. "You're not fucking attracted to me."

She tried to make sense of what he was saying. She wanted him , he said, without being attracted to him? She turned the words over and over until she tried applying them to him -

He wanted her , Kady thought, and that much she knew was true.

But to say that he was also attracted to her...

He knew the exact moment she reached the same conclusion he had.

"I'm right," he murmured, "aren't I?"

She started to answer, but Slade chose that same moment to nip at her lower lip, and her senses reeled. When he lifted his head again, she had to swallow a few times, and even then, her voice still came out hopelessly dazed. "I guess that makes you...a really good kisser?"

The billionaire didn't have a chance to answer, not with her phone suddenly ringing shrilly between them, and he immediately leaned back. He watched her take her phone out, saw her eyes widen, and he stiffened.

Kady turned to him, saying blankly, "It's Eric."

Humbug.

"He says he wants to meet me tonight."

Fucking Von Humbug.