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A three-thousand-square-foot guest apartment was also built above specifically for his mother. I’d met her that night only briefly, some bad shrimp on the flight from Michigan to LAX set her back and she was resting in her room when it happened.

“If you never sign a client, I don’t give a fuck.” Cade’s eyes graze up and down my body, leaving a shiver in their wake as he reaches forward to brush his hands down my cheek.

He strokes my flesh in silence as I try to decipher if I’m about to be fired.

“If I don’t make you any money at the agency, I’m of no use to you,” I protest.

My greatest fear tumbles out as Cade’s eyes snap to mine, his fingers moving to the back of my neck, turning me toward him.

“If it makes you feel useless, then fuck it. I’ll burn that fucking agency to ground before you go anywhere. I’ll spend my life figuring out what makes you feel good, baby, and give it to you.”

His hand tightens on the back of my neck as confusion twists with the liquid lust pooling between my legs. The hammering of my heart keeping time with the pulsing in my clit.

I swallow, my cheeks turning to hot coals.

He breaks from our locked gaze for a beat, closing his eyes as though he’s savoring something especially sweet, then latches his us back together with a look. “I’ve noticed your light on in your room at night. Later than usual. I should have asked, but coming to your bedroom door…” He releases a low, growly breath before finishing. “It pains me to be that close, baby. Knowing you are in there, on your bed, wearing your nightgown or the plaid boxers and white T-shirts I know you steal from my drawers. Pains me to know that fabric that once touched me, is touching you.”

The memory of him taking his lusty pleasure against me and his lips tasting like sweet tobacco and minty heaven makes a hot ball of fire burn in my chest. I let go of the moan I’ve been holding back and drop my head into his hand.

“I was sure you were going to ask me to leave,” I whisper to the roof of the car, the depth and rawness of that truth making my throat tighten. “I don’t want to leave your house, but if you wanted me to, I don’t know where to go. Even with the money Mom left, I don’t know what to do without you.”

A sob clutches around my heart and collapses my throat as Cade slides next to me, all the dreams of his hands cradling me against his chest come true. His heart thumps against my shoulder, his warm breath on my forehead as I choke back all the things I know I should say, but won’t.

“Jesus, Lennie.” His voice is thick and desperate. His grip so tight my neck cracks in his hand his other arm around my back, tugging me against him like I might fly out the window never to be seen again. “You’re never leaving. I’ll never let you. You’re all I have.”

“What?” I say. “You have everything.”

“I have nothing unless I have you.” He makes a jagged, grunting noise as his hand sweeps to the front of my shirt, pushing it open and digging his fingers into the flesh over my breast. “I’d give my world a thousand times over to know what it sounds like when you come.”

Everything turns hazy around the edges. The car vibrates and hums as I think of the frustrating nights lying in my bed, knowing he was on the other side of the wall, trying, trying, trying... “Me too.” I mutter, tipping my head back as his eyes lower to mine, brow tight as I slip my hand to his thigh.

“You’ve never come, baby?” He coughs like he’s having a difficult time breathing.

“I’ve tried. A lot. I guess I was saving it for a special occasion.”

“Ohfuck.”Cade’s head falls back on the seat for a breath, then when he re-connects our gaze, there’s fire. “We’re fixing this right fucking now.”

His fingers push inside my bra, bringing my nipple to life as my insides knot. I slide my hand upward, fear banking in my gut as I touch the hardness under his pants.

“Fucking cock’s been waiting for your cherry cunt longer than I should admit.”

“We’re terrible for doing this,” I stutter. “We’re terrible, and I’m terrible-er.”

“There’s no such word, and even if there were, you are not terrible.”

“But what about Mom…”

He kisses away the rest of that thought, licking the seam of my lips until I open, his beard rough on my skin as the heat in my pulsing girl parts makes rational thought impossible. Our tongues meet, hot and wet and I melt into him on the longest sigh. He hardens in my grasp, that low, threatening growl vibrating through his lips into my mouth until I can’t take it another second and I push away, squeezing my eyes shut pushing away the shame.

“Do you touch yourself? When you try to come?” He whispers into my ear as I open my eyes and nod as this gorgeous perfection of a man eases me into the seat across from him, then pushes my legs apart with his foot.

I lean back, hypnotized by the heat and lust in his eyes as he releases his bow tie, unbuttons the top two buttons of his shirt, and rests his shoe on the seat between my legs.

“Take my shoe off. And the sock.”

“What? Why?” I have no idea what’s happening right now. Iwiggle on the seat, the need for friction between my legs making me dizzy and desperate.

“Because I told you to.” He grunts on a sniff, with that sort of upper lip twitch he does sometimes, that tells people he’s not playing.