Mom’s eyes light up. “That’s wonderful! I hear that asset management is really the way to go. You’ll both do amazing.”
I turn my head. “You didn’t tell me you were going into asset management.”
Kaden chuckles, the sound low and unsure. “Yeah, it was kind of a last-minute thing. We decided a few days ago.”
“Hmm,“ I hum. I’m not mad, but a little communication would have been nice. He knows I’m worried about our future.
Shouldn’t I have been in on his plan?
Mom takes a long sip of her wine, her eyes glossing between us. “Well, I think it’s a great idea. Maybe, if you have an office space in mind, Melody could help you liven up the building? Those cubicles always seem so drab. She can throw together a few arrangements and put up some low-maintenance plants.”
Kaden nods, his gaze flickering to me. “I would love that. Only if it’s okay with you?”
My worry melts away as I place my hand over his under the table. “Yeah. I can whip up something.”
He gives me that crooked smile that sends my heart fluttering wildly. “Your own personal touch to my space. I can’t wait.”
I get caught up in him, absorbed in the sincerity and adoration I see clear as day. All of my anxiety withers away before my very eyes, and I completely forget where we are. It’s hard not to when he looks at me like this—like he’s obsessed with me.
A glass falls, and Mom curses as she spills wine across the table. It snaps us both out of our moment as Dad rises and grabs some paper towels from the kitchen.
“I’m so damn clumsy,” Mom shakes her head before her eyes shift between us. “I figured Melody would have been staying with you, Kaden.”
We both stop, our brains buffering as I squeeze my brother’s hand tightly. This is getting too close to the truth, and I can feel the panic setting in.
“You two haven’t seen each other in months,” Mom continues. “It’s so odd when you aren’t connected at the hip.”
I chuckle nervously as Kaden smooths over the situation with small talk. “We’ve both just been busy.”
She smiles, sitting forward. “I’m so glad to have you back. Both of you.”
Relief spreads, and my shoulders ease. “We’re glad to be back.”
Dad returns, laughing at Mom’s tendencies as he dries up the wine. After all these years, they still seem so enamored with each other. It’s a breath of fresh air, and I find myself hoping that Kaden and I are just the same when we’re old and grey.
“I’m beat,” Dad says as he collects the plates.
Kaden stops him with a generous hand, taking the dishes before tilting his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Melody, help me out with these?”
“Sure,” I say as I follow behind him.
Our parents retire upstairs, Mom kissing our cheeks affectionately with the promise of more time to talk tomorrow. As soon as they’re out of earshot, Kaden’s hands are on me.
My hands are under the soapy water as I wash a plate, and I don’t even realize that there’s a beast hovering at my back until it’s too late. He handles me roughly, turning me to face him as my work is abandoned in the process. His lips find mine, devouring me as my sudsy fingers curl into his hair.
It’s hot and heavy, every beat more intense in its quickness. He’s grinding against me, his cock pressing into my lower belly, before that’s not enough. He hooks his elbow behind my knee, lifting to rest it in the crook of his arm as his hands grip the black stockings I’m wearing.
“Fuck, I’ve been wanting to rip these off of you since you got out of the cab,“ he rasps hungrily as he pulls them apart at the seams.
I gasp, my hands flying to his shoulders as he steps forward and backs my ass into the counter. I’m fully trapped, up on my toes as my other leg dangles from his elbow. He fishhooks my mouth with a finger, using it to control me as his dark eyes bore into mine. “I need you to be quiet for me. If you can’t, I’ll have to gag you.”
I nod, heat clouding my vision.
His head tilts as he frees his cock. Bare skin slides against me, a dull ache pulling in my core. “I’m going to ruin you while our parents sleep. They’ll have no idea how sweetly you beg for me in the dark.”
“Please, Kaden,“ I gasp. “I need you.”
“That’s my girl,” he praises as he sinks into me. My lips part on a silent scream as I stretch to accommodate him. It takes my breath, making soft whimpers sound in the back of my throat. He buries his face in my hair, his lips dancing over my temple. “Cry for your big brother, Melody.”
