Page 88 of Judas (The Lito Duet #2)

Chapter forty-three

Babalon

“ Y ou’re in a hurry.”

Kace’s observational skills are impressive—not.

Nursing a cup of coffee, he’s leaning against the kitchen counter between the sink and the fridge.

Icy eyes zeroing in on me as they follow me with every foot of space I eat up.

I’m not in the best outfit to go see my daughter in the hospital, but it will do.

Jeans, a tank top like thing that has a braid down the center of the back instead of a strip of fabric, my jacket, and sneakers.

I don’t guess I should be too concerned, it’s not like I’m going to church or a funeral.

With my keys in one hand, the god awful wallet in the other, I snag the door knob and pull on it. Imagine my surprise when the fucking thing doesn’t budge. Kace doesn’t say anything though I feel his eyes boring into my back, waiting for me to say something to him and his dumbass little quip.

Quickly my gaze darts across the door looking for a deadbolt or something but don’t find one other than this odd black box that has an out of place screw in the back of it.

Pursing my lips, I stare at it trying to remember what the damn thing is for then it dawns on me.

An electric deadbolt and the screw? Where the unlocking mechanism is supposed to be attached.

Great.

I did everything I could to avoid Kace this morning.

Right when I thought I would make it out of this apartment without having to truly deal with him, especially since he’s given me space like he said he would.

Unbeknownst to me, he was scheming. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

Sighing, hoping the words I’m about to throw at him don’t come off as a raging bitch because I definitely feel like one.

Turning, my back presses against the door and pins my hands on the knob at my lower back.

“Yes, I’d like to make it there before nightfall.”

Close enough.

“I’ll drive you.”

“No need, you have a busy day today and I can drive.”

“Wasn’t a request, Nadia.”

Irksome, aggravating, maddening, vexations, exasperating.

Is that enough words to explain Kace at this very moment?

At least from my point of view. Always testing me, exerting control, not letting me breathe.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I look at him across the open floor plan and watch as he empties the rest of this coffee into the sink and rinses it out.

His naked back on full display, the muscles shifting just under the skin like a snake's scales would over its own lean and muscular body. Fitting, cause he’s been one the entire time I’ve been trapped within his reach.

I get it, you overgrown coatrack, you want to shoulder everything for everyone else. Pile it up, you can take it.

Rolling my eyes, I push away from the door and go to sit on one of the barstools at the island bisecting the living room and kitchen. Sliding onto it, I brace my elbows on the hard countertop and stare at him as he takes his sweet time—ready to cuss him the hell out.

“If you’re going to be my chauffeur today, at least hurry up. I’d like to get going sooner rather than later.”

“I’m hungry, you’ll have to wait.”

Color me surprised when he doesn’t head to the pantry or the fridge after that.

Guess he’s going to cooperate more than what he led on.

Tilting my head to the side, I follow him when he makes his way around the island—like a tornado he suddenly changes paths.

My heart stutters at his redirection. In a rush I try to jump off the barstool but he captures me and I squeal.

Kace takes my spot on the tall chair and hoists me up and deposits me on the island top. His upper body nestles between my thighs where I can’t close them. Frustrating—I have shit to do. Boy do I wish they were spring-loaded with industrial coils to crush him with.

“Pick something up on the way, since you’re adamant on derailing all of my plans today.”

“Why, when I have food at home?”

“W… what?”

Not answering me, Kace pushes my shirt up and grabs hold of the button on my jeans, raking the zipper pulley down the metal teeth shortly after.

I slap at his hands and shove them away, glaring at the man sitting below me.

His hands then reach under my knees and push them back, tilting me back where I can’t fight the force anymore and crash back on my elbows.

“Kace!”

“That’s more like it.”

“The fuck are you doing!? I have to leave.”

“Told you, I’m eating. Now tell me ‘no’ or shut up and let me enjoy the taste of you.”

Out of his goddamn mind, he is. Tension settles over us where the anger in my cheeks gives way to a flush.

Staring down at me, a smile breaks across his face and I melt like a damned fool.

He’s so pretty. His shitty personality takes away some of the cool-points, but one long look at Kace hasn’t ever been enough.

Blond hair I’ve had my fingers tangled in, features I’ve dreamt about since the day he disappeared, then the changes—they’re characteristically him. Him as in Havok.

I was awake for far too long last night, fighting with myself over what to do.

How my heart longs for someone who doesn’t exist anymore.

Tears soaked silently into my pillow when I thought about the parts of the man I’d never get to meet.

Remembering the younger version of him in that photo Ra sent me.

All of the expressions I’ve seen come across his face while we butted heads and I tormented him in Darkwater.

Broke my own heart again reminiscing over what could have been.

Long shifts at the prison, watching him get older while serving his sentence, dedicating my life to that hell hole just so I could see him every day.

Then I remembered promising myself that I’d let him go.

I was lying to myself when I thought I could do it then, now though? Now’s the time.

He was right, the man I fell for all those years ago is dead.

This is the version of him I have now. Similarities exist, of course, it’s the way he fights for everything he has that pushes me but makes me feel so secure.

I’m not going to change overnight, by no means, but I’ll eventually let him in.

Allow this Havok side of him to love me just as hard as the inmate who stole every part of me.

Choosing not to protest, I lay back on the unforgiving countertop and lift my hips. He doesn’t hesitate either, interpreting the motion the exact way I intended. Kace’s fingers finish with the zipper then dip behind the waistband of my jeans to slide them off my hips and down my legs.

“Like this?” He asks, bringing my knees to my sides with my jeans still trapped around my lower legs. “Or do you want to be on your stomach?”

Take your life back, Nadia.

I have to tell myself a few times over. Nightmares surfacing at the question.

He won’t hurt you like this, he’ll replace it all. One try at a time.

“S.. stomach. Kace?”

“Yeah, babygirl?”

Nimbly, Kace turns me over where the front my hips are digging against the corner of the countertop, toes barely scraping the floor— my bare ass offered up on a plate. Warm air caressing my skin, when it tightens from an adrenaline induced chill, I hear Kace’s breath shake.

“D… damnit.”

Every fiber of my being is telling me to run and hide, to get the hell away from him, to put space between me and anyone who looks at the scars cut into me.

His fingers glide along the globes of my ass, over each one, making me flinch.

The lightheadedness is starting to take hold and I don’t know if I—-

“I love you.” His words soften, then I feel the gentleness of his lips against my skin.

“I love you.” This time another scar.

“I love you.” Another.

“I—“ Kace keeps going until he’s said it a hundred times I fear. At least that’s the way it feels to my heart. He’s seen me fall into a tonic state, he sees me fight him at every turn, limits his touch, and now works on erasing each scar one declaration at a time.

Trailing up to my spine, he stops there and gives me a moment to collect myself before speaking.

My chin rests on the surface of the too cold granite, some of the tension has dulled, leaving me raw to emotion.

But, I’m still wound tightly and not in the way either of us wants me to be.

I don’t want to be the broken thing that’s sprawled out before him, I want to be everything I was before the rape and all of the good things I have become since then.

“What were you going to say, baby?”

“I… if I say stop, you’ll stop. Right?”

“Every time.”

Against my better judgement, I nod and he seizes his opportunity.

Lifting me up, Kace turns me on my side instead of keeping me on my stomach.

Like we were both testing one another to see if there is enough still existing between us.

The position is a bit awkward but doesn’t look like he cares when his hot mouth meets my sensitive skin.

Long swipes of his tongue punctuated by quick flicks of its skilled tip over my clit before drawing it between his lips.

Holding me open with his thumbs, his ravenous licking and sucking continues. The bluntness of his tongue dips into me over and over then trails back to my clit, setting a pattern that he quickly abandons just to keep me on the edge.

Closing my eyes, I start to squirm on his mouth, feeling the whiskers on his top and bottom lip scrape at me.

It’s heady, the contrasting sensations and I fucking love it.

So much so the new tongue lashings drag desperate moans out of me.

Legs trembling as the release I want—no, the release I crave—creeps closer, liquid heat pooling low in my belly.

“K… Kace,” his name a plea on the crest of my lips.

“So… pretty when you say my name like that.” Fucker swirls his tongue around my throbbing clit every few words to egg me on.