“That looked intense,” he says, his voice filled with teasing charm.
Despite myself, I laugh, blushing brightly, I’m sure. “It was…” I clear my throat. “Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” he states.
My breath hitches as his eyes darken, filling with naughty intent as he leans closer. My heart begins to waken from its orgasm-induced sleep, beating faster and faster until I’m right back where I started—excited, worried, and ready. He stops as his lips graze mine and our noses touch. Our eyes remain locked, his black to my violet, and slowly, I feel his tongue slide against my bottom lip.
“Ohh…” The moan falls from my lips before I’m able to stop and it propels me. I swallow the tiny distance between us, closing my mouth over his. On his lips, I can taste my previous excitement… so sweet and distinct. His strong arm wraps around my hip and he tugs on my body, pulling me right on top of him. He grinds his hips into me, making me shudder. I realise immediately how aroused I am… that’s all I need to throw caution to the wind and scream ‘fuck everything.’ I grip his face, urging my tongue between his lips. Underneath my bare chest, his skin burns hot and I roll my hips with his.
“You’re not going to catch me like that again,” he groans, pulling his mouth from mine. I squeak as he flicks his hips and rolls me off him. Then, he rears back, kneeling above me. “I’ve thought about this for a long time, believe it or not,” he confesses as his fingers play with the button to his pants. It pops and my heart hammers violently into my ribcage.
“Me too,” I utter, earning a small smile.
In a painfully slow movement, he lowers the zipper and pushes his pants down his thighs. I try not to stare… and fail miserably. I’ve always thought Kade had a beautiful penis, but my memory never did it justice. It was thick and long and clean… quite possibly the most enticing piece of flesh I’ve ever seen, forget abs. In the next heartbeat, he lowers himself over me, settling between my legs, and I swallow hard at the feel of his very tip pressing against my centre.
“You’re so wet,” he breathes on the shell of my ear. “I can feel it already.” He presses a little harder, until his tip passes my lips. His breath catches and the sound sends shockwaves through my body. I nervously flick my tongue over my bottom lip as he reaches between us and nudges my legs wider. His eyes remain on my face as he rubs himself all over me, testing my wetness.
“You ready?”
I nod and a burning sensation radiates at my entrance as he stretches me to my limits.
“Just relax, and you’ll be all right.”
He pushes further. Shit! I wince and clench his arms. Is it supposed to hurt so damn much? I imagine this is what birthing a baby feels like only it’s trying to climb back in to my vagina. Noticing my pain, Kade stops and brushes a stray lock of hair out of my face. His expression is strained, his brows are furrowed and his teeth gritted.
“Are you all right?” I ask through a heavy breath.
“I just pushed myself into your body and you’re asking me if I’m all right? I’m fine, but I really, really want to move.” He shivers and rakes his teeth over his bottom lip. “You feel fucking amazing, better than I ever imagined.”
I flush, regardless of how hard I try not to. “Are you… are you all of the way in?”
He shakes his head. “Not even close.”
“Go quick,” I plead. “It’ll be like ripping off a Band-Aid.”
Kade plants a soft kiss on my lips. “I don’t think this is the same thing, Nine. The slower, the better… the less I hurt you the more rewarding this will be—for the both of us.”
“If you go slow, will it feel good? Like all of the other things you do to me?”
I see sympathy flash in his eyes and that’s all the answer I need. This was going to suck. When I pictured having sex with Kade for the first time, I imagined hard fucking, orgasms and dirty talking… what’s happening is far from that fantasy. Granted, it does feel good and I do want to do this with him, I just expected it to be different. I didn’t think my body was going to let me down.
“It might not feel good this time, or the next time, but it will eventually.”
With another kiss, he slowly inches out before pushing in again, further this time until pain slices through my entire body. I cry out, but am stopped as Kade covers my mouth with his. I breathe rapidly through my nose in an attempt to lessen the pain and it works to a degree, but not enough to make me forget about it entirely. I like the pain, but hate it all at the same time.
Kade pulls away from my mouth and I wrap my arms around his neck. “I’m okay,” I whisper, ignoring a hot tear that burns out the corner of my eye. “It’s done? You’re all there?”
Hell, I hope so. I don’t think I can take much more. This guy could jam his forearm in me and I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
“I’m all there, baby.”
“And now we race to the finish?”
Kade chuckles. “Yeah, something like that.”
I love that he’s doing it so much tonight. It reassures me of my decision—all of the decisions I’ve made thus far. He’s a different person than the one he projects on others… and tonight he’s a different person than the Kade who graces me with his presence every day. In this moment, I swear we’re the same in every way. It feels genuine, like we share mutual feelings for each other and, oh god, do I have feelings for him. My whole life I despised the Fortunate I thought I’d be assigned to. Every night before bed, I hoped and prayed that I’d be signed as a kitchen hand or something equally as isolated. When I was made a personal slave for Master Kade Sario, every fibre in my being was repulsed by the thought of him. Then I saw him for the first time. He looked up at me from underneath his brow and settled his dark, mysterious eyes on me. He seemed bored, or at least he tried to be. I saw the way his eyes roamed me, devoured me inch by inch and I’m sure if I listened hard enough, I’d have heard the air being forced from his lungs. He affected me, too. He wasn’t at all like I imagined. He was perfect… intimidating, rude, and demanding, but still perfect nonetheless.
Kade pulls out ever so slightly and then thrusts back in with a groan. Beside me, I feel his arms tremble.
“You feel amazing. If it wasn’t your first time, I’d feel bad about coming so soon.”
I want this to be over, preferably sooner rather than later, but it’s not because I’m not enjoying it. I like having him here… I like feeling the weight of him, draped over me like a silk blanket, and I like how cute he’s being, but the cramping and the stretching is really ruining the mood for me.
I snort. “Men and their excuses.”
“Watch yourself,” he warns, his dark eyes flaring. “I’ll have you in my bed all day and all night tomorrow just to prove you wrong.”
His threat excites me in ways I never thought possible and with that, he shifts his weight and pulls out briefly before thrusting back in. He flicks his hips harder this time, sending an unexpected jolt of heat up my spine. I dig my nails into his skin with a startled breath. It felt… good. It actually felt good.
“You liked that, Nine?” he teases, his voice deliciously rough as he repeats the movement. It hurt, but the sudden pleasure overbears it and surprisingly, I want more.
“Oh, yes.”
Kade props himself on his elbow and hitches my leg over his hip. I wince as he propels himself deeper. Despite the pain, my blood is still burning white hot and I can’t drag my eyes from his. The more he moves, the more I get used to his thickness and length. Eventually, I find myself lifting my hips to meet his, desperate for more of the sweet agony he wants to give me. My fingernails release Kade’s flesh as sex progresses and the pain begins to float away. Every flick of his hips instils a pleasure purer than the last and I don’t want this to end.
“Are you okay?” he asks after a few more thrusts and I wish he hadn’t. I’m in the zone, dammit!
“Yes!” I inhale sharply. “More, please, more.”
I’m panting, burning, and covered in a thin layer of sweat, and I couldn’t be happier. I flick my hips into his and he groans deep, gravelly, and tight. I can see why Fortunates love sex now. I didn’t understand it before, but I see the appeal. To have sex with someone you’re attracted to is uplifting… a beautiful experience. Of course, it’s not as beautiful when the other participant is crying and begging you to stop. Nausea rolls in my stomach as a vision of Thirteen and Vince flashes through my mind. She’ll never experience what I’m experiencing… I doubt Vince took it easy on her. I doubt she begged him for more. My skin cools… maybe I should end this? For Thirteen’s sake? I open my mouth with the intention of asking him to stop… then his wet mouth engulfs my hard nipple.
∞ Kade ∞
“Kade!” she cried out, arching her back.
He sucked hard, so hard he was sure it hurt. When he was certain her nipple couldn’t take any more, he released it and consumed her mouth with his own, tasting every inch of her. Kade liked the way she tasted—forbidden, dangerous, and beautiful. Her walls clenched him and he shuddered, slowing his pace. He wasn’t going to be able to last much longer, but it was okay this time. Nine would be sore and no virgin comes on their first go. Kade increased his pace again, ready to bring it home so he could work on healing her. Abandoning her mouth and dropping his forehead against hers, Kade moaned, digging his fingers into her thigh. He wished he could be inside her pussy all night. It never felt like this, even with Elizabeth. With her, it was just sex, but with Nine he felt like he was giving her something to hold on to… hope, maybe. Although he couldn’t give her absolute freedom, he could give her endless orgasms and companionship.
“Oh, god,” Nine panted, shutting her eyes.
Kade gritted his teeth, desperate not to let himself go and fuck her into the mattress. Fuck, he wanted to. He wanted to press her knees to her chest and hit it so hard she lost her breath… and he would, eventually, just not tonight. He told her he’d be sweet to her and give her the love she deserved. Then he promised her he was going to fuck her hard, to show her exactly how crazy she made him.
He felt it in his balls first, the tightening, the unbearably pleasant sensations that started there and spread up his shaft. The pressure was intense, too much for him to handle. A heavy breath fell from his lips and Nine’s entire body tightened at the sound.
“Are you—”
He covered her mouth with his hand to avoid another question. He knew exactly what she was going to ask. “I’m gonna come.”
Her gorgeous violet eyes widened, and he tracked the red flush from her cheeks right down to her bouncing breasts. Unable to help himself, he drastically picked up his pace, thrusting into her a lot faster and harder than he intended. It wasn’t to hurt her, or to help him come quicker. He just wanted to feel the velvety insides of her pussy before he came and left her alone for the next few days. Then it was over. He came, harder than he ever had, and he rode it out until his body quivered at the mere touch of her soft walls. With trembling arms, he lowered himself, careful not to drop all of his weight onto her smaller frame. Kade let his fingers slip from her perfect lips before covering them with his mouth. He kissed her softly, letting his tongue caress instead of fuck. As the effects of orgasm began to wear off, he realised what’d just happened. He’d taken his Unfortunate… he’d taken her virginity. There was no coming back from that. He pulled his mouth from hers and looked down at her. She smiled sleepily up at him.
“That looked intense,” she teased, using his words against him.
“It was.” He smiled, a genuine smile. He couldn’t remember the last time he smiled a genuine smile before Nine came into his possession. The gesture had lost all meaning a long time ago.
“Now what?”
In thought, he raked his teeth over his bottom lip. He should tell her to clean up and go to bed… he should get up and have a shower without a word… but he didn’t want to.
“Now, I clean you up and then we sleep.”
Cautiously, her eyes flicked between his. He didn’t like that she always thought he was playing some kind of game, then again, why wouldn’t she? Kade was a Fortunate, the face of her nightmares.
“You’re not going to tell me to leave?”
Her words pierced his chest and it took a lot of effort not to flinch. Was that how she saw him? She thought he’d just kick her out after using her? No. That wasn’t him… that wasn’t the real him. “No.”
He grew accustomed to having her in his bed… he’d never been a snuggler, but she was just so soft, warm, and welcoming. He pulled the pillows to the fireplace because he couldn’t stand the thought of sleeping in his bed without her. The drugs, he was going to smoke them until he passed out… passing out was the only thing that’d stop him from walking to her room and carrying her back to his. Then she came to him… because she couldn’t be without him. She didn’t have to say anything, but they were on the same wavelength. Nine was the only girl Kade had wanted to be with and it was more than just physical. He could trust her… she was going to help kill his father, after all.
Chapter Eleven
Nine
My damp hair sticks to my skin. The room is dark, the only light is provided by the screen on his desk. It lit up minutes ago, but Kade has made no move to check it out. I don’t expect him to, I suppose. He’s breathing heavily into the nape of my neck and the arm he has draped over me is almost crushing my ribs. He sleeps like a baby, but I can’t. I’m feeling too… overwhelmed to sleep. After we had sex, Kade took me to the bathroom and we showered. Neither of us spoke… instead, we enjoyed the silence. He washed me from head to toe, allowing me to rest my body against his. It was strange… I didn’t know if we were silent because he simply didn’t want to discuss what happened or if we were happy just being together. In bed, he pulled me into him, wrapping his arms tightly around me. Soon after, he fell asleep. He didn’t say anything about tonight, but he didn’t have to. I felt it… I felt how much he cares for me. Kade is dark, he’s difficult, and he’s cold… but it’s only to protect who he is at his core and I want him… in more ways than I already have. I close my eyes. Stop. He is a Fortunate. You suffer because of him. I will myself to stop thinking about him, but the harder I try, the harder he forces his way in. He’s demanding and aggressive, but he cares about me. He cares about how much water I drink when I’m only allowed to have two cups a day. He cares about the food I ingest when I’m only allowed the sludge and stale bread. He wants me to be comfortable, to shower regularly and to sleep in a large bed with blankets that keep me warm... and I don’t know if it’s because he wants me to look nice when I represent him and his house at parties... or if he actually cares about my well-being. Could he care? Can Fortunates actually feel compassion for another life? The others might not, but Kade does.
I lay for a little longer until the annoying urge to pee begins to nag at me. With a sigh, I roll out from underneath Kade’s arm. He barely twitches an eyebrow. I guess he’s a heavy sleeper. Naked, I slip out from underneath the blanket and immediately the cold air sticks to my skin, propelling me to move quicker. Using only the light from his computer, I tip-toe as fast as I can all the way to the toilet. After I go and flush, I step back into the main room. Kade still hasn’t moved from his spot, even after the toilet fills itself with water again. I wish I could sleep half as well as him. I’m such a light sleeper even the sound of a chirping cricket in the distance can wake me up. Now that I think about it, I can’t sleep when there’s light, either. I need to it be dark and silent in order to sleep well. I cross the room on the tips of my feet all of the way over to his computer. Surely, there’s a switch somewhere that can turn this screen off? Paying no attention to what’s on the screen, I run my fingers around the glass frame, looking for an obvious button.
Nothing.
I lean closer and that’s when the words on the screen catch my attention. It’s a message, from his dad about the mine and Unfortunates. None
of my business. I straighten my spine and turn away from the screen. I want to ignore it, I really do, but I can’t. Dammit! I turn back to the computer. What does the mine have to do with Unfortunates? My index finger twitches toward the screen, but I pull it back, jamming it between my legs. I shouldn’t do this. Kade will hate me if he ever finds out, but god, I need to know what’s going on. I need to know!
I tap the message in the bottom left corner and it opens up.
Kaden,
It turns out our mine situation is a hell of a lot more complicated than I thought. I saw the videos. Those collapses are no freak accident! What have you done? If word gets out about this, we are screwed! I never should have trusted you with such an important position. Unfortunates we presumed dead are living in one of our mines? They’ve had YEARS to establish themselves. They’ve killed Fortunates and Moderators and have kept the Unfortunates for themselves. DO NOT send out anymore Unfortunates. I don’t want their numbers to increase. Our only option is to blow the mine sky high. That is your last job before I give the position to your brother. Clean up your mess, find a good cover story and never speak of this again.
And Kade, for your sake, you’d want to hope you had nothing to do with this.
M. Sario.
At the bottom, there’s a small map of the mines. It’s not far from here, just across the lake, over the fence and on the other side of the small mountain. You could make it there in a day, or two, depending on circumstances. Holy. Shit. Unfortunates have sought refuge in one of the Sario mines and are killing any Fortunate or Moderator that enters? How badass is that? I can’t help the smile that spreads across my lips. This is ground breaking… a rebellion? Fighting for freedom? Excitement bubbles in my chest and I close the message. Unfortunately, it disappears off the screen all together.