Page 14 of Worthy (Adrenalin #1)

Chapter thirteen

Maddox

P leasure. That’s all I feel right now. Cade’s lips are just as soft against mine as they were the first time, and it feels so good I can barely breathe. Barely think. If he wasn’t sturdy enough to help me stay upright, I’m sure my knees would’ve given out by now.

He’s kissing me like he’s trying to commit my taste to memory. Touching me like he’s not sure he believes I’m real. For a brief moment I panic that this is too intimate too soon—things could never be meaningless between us, but they aren’t supposed to be meaning ful either—then my body takes over, and I moan my consent.

That sound seems to bring him back to the present, and he pulls away.

“Shit. Sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.” Despite the distance between our lips, his hands still linger on my face.

“I kissed you.” I glance down to where my hand is still fisted in his shirt.

“I…” His gaze flits between my hand and my face, dazed. “Wait, you want this? Me?”

I nod slowly, never taking my eyes from his.

“Oh, thank fuck.” His relief makes me chuckle, but it’s quickly cut off when he presses his lips to mine. Though I feel the tension in his limbs, taste his desperation, he handles me gently, his full, soft lips caressing. Savoring. Claiming. It’s a stark contrast from the crazed desire I was expecting, but if anything, it endears him to me even more.

Cade’s keeping his word, treating me as someone he’s privileged to kiss rather than someone he can get off with. It makes me feel respected and desired as opposed to merely coveted for my looks alone, and to me, that’s the sexiest affirmation I could receive.

***

The rest of the hike is comical. We’re both too high with lust to do much besides look at each other and grin, like we’re smitten teenagers on a first date. And for Cade, who’s never really dated, much less dated a guy, this might actually be his first.

That thought makes me unreasonably happy. To think, he may never have experienced the shortness of breath, the racing heartbeat, when the accidental brush of a hand evolves into clasped fingers, the way ours are now. He may never have felt the butterflies that accompany such an innocent but sensual touch. The selfish part of me hopes that’s true, so I can be his first. So he’ll remember me fondly after the summer ends, long after we’ve parted ways.

When we get back to the car, Cade comes around to my side to open my door, but before I get in, he presses up against me, pinning me between it and his body.

″I don’t want this day to be over.” He brushes his lips over mine.

″Me, either.” I gasp for air .

″I want to take you to dinner, but I don’t want to see anyone besides you tonight.” He plays with a strand of my hair, making me grateful I keep it to my shoulders.

″Not ready to ruin your playboy rep?” I waggle my eyebrows.

″It’s not that.” He shakes his head, an almost pained look on his face. “It’s that it won’t be just us anymore. This town is too curious to leave us be, and I want you all to myself.”

If we were anywhere else, I’d find this weird, a lame excuse to keep me as some sort of dirty secret. Given the quirks of a small town, I think I know what he’s saying.

″What are you asking?” My whisper comes out husky, making his eyes flare with desire.

″Come home with me? We could order dinner and just hang out.”

″What if I cook? It’s probably my turn, since you made dinner the last time we ate together.” I do my damndest to look at his eyes and not his mouth, so I’m not tempted to capture it again.

″Frozen pizzas count as making you dinner?” He seems amused by the idea. “All I did was turn on the oven.”

″You still fed me. Now, it’s my turn to feed you.” I let my fingers slide from his chest to his stomach, and it’s only after I see the mischievous smile on his lips that I realize the alternate interpretation of my words. But instead of being embarrassed by it, I’m intrigued. Turned on .

We stop by Cade’s long enough for him to shower and change, then head back to my house so I can cook dinner. I get out all the ingredients for spaghetti with meat sauce and a side salad, then set a pot of water to boil while I brown the meat.

I’ve never been so grateful for my mother’s cooking lessons in my life.

″What can I do?” Cade asks.

″Chop vegetables for the salad?” I hand him a cutting board .

Cade gets to work dicing peppers and tomatoes while I stir the sauce. We work together silently for a few minutes before he abruptly stills. “I forgot to get wine.”

″Rick keeps a bunch here, it’s over by the bar,” I nod toward the wet bar between the kitchen and living room.

″I should’ve thought of that.” He rubs his head, eyes cast downward.

″It’s no big deal.”

″It is, though? I’m already screwing up.” The knife angrily hits the cutting board.

″Why would you think that?”

″Because you’re cooking our dinner instead of me taking you somewhere nice, and on top of that I forgot the wine. It’s only the first date and I’m already fucking up.” He looks at me with a sad smile.

“It’s our first date, yeah. But isn’t it your first date ever?” I arch a knowing brow in his direction while I stir.

“You know it is.”

“Well, it’s not mine and I didn’t think of wine either, so stop beating yourself up about it.” I point the spatula at him in mock anger.

″I can’t help it. As more of a hookup guy I’m totally out of my element.” He wipes his brow with his forearm. “Serious question, why is casual sex not your thing? I mean, you’re so hot I sometimes forget how to breathe when I look at you, so you must’ve had tons of offers, right? What made you decide it’s not for you?”

I keep my back to him as I shrug. “None of those offers were about me , they were about my body. My image.”

“Is that not flattering? That’s the way women seem to take it.”

“For some people it is. For me it’s kind of insulting how people assume I’m only interested in a quick screw because I fit some visual ideal. ”

“Well, fuck,” Cade mutters. “No wonder you didn’t like me at first. And here I thought it’d be easy to pick up a guy since I am one.”

“Taking notes for next time?” I glance at him over my shoulder.

“What?” His eyes get so big the white drowns out the blue. “No. I just…don’t want to keep screwing up.”

It hits me then, Cade isn’t just dipping his toe into dating, he’s jumping in with both feet, trying to do what he thinks is expected. And he’s nervous.

It’s sweet. And kind of hot.

Setting the spatula down, I step into him and wrap my arms around his waist, bringing us face to face. His is tan and smooth and perfect, except for the tiny little crease between his brows. Whether that’s because he’s beating himself up or confused about what I’m doing I’m not sure, and at this moment, it doesn’t matter.

Leaning forward, I brush my lips against his, hoping to put him at ease. He stands absolutely still, only moving his mouth in response to mine. Though he’s letting me control the pace, I feel the restraint behind the stillness, like he’s just barely holding on. It’s thoughtful. And endearing. And not enough.

I trace his bottom lip with the tip of my tongue and am rewarded with a strangled growl as he finally caves and reaches around my waist to haul me against him, crushing his lips to mine.

What started as a slow burn, turns to an inferno as he devours me, teeth and tongues clashing desperately as we try to get our fill. Apparently, I’m just as desperate for him as he is me because my body is reacting before my mind can catch up.

He grips my ass firmly, tugging me to him in a way that slots our cocks next to each other. The pressure of his body flush with mine takes me from half-mast to full almost instantaneously, the friction so heavenly I can’t stop my hips from rocking back and forth.

″Jesus, Madd,” he heaves. “I’m trying to be good here. I can’t hold back if you do that.”

“Don’t hold back.” I nip at his bottom lip.

″I thought you’d want to go slow. What about dates? What about dinner?” he says through gritted teeth.

″Turn off the stove. Food can wait.”

A wave of lust washes over his face, and I know in that moment he’s done fighting. “What are you suggesting?” He reaches around me to turn off the burner.

″Mmm,” I groan as my hard cock brushes against his. “What do you want?”

″Damn, that feels good.” His head falls back as he groans. “I think you could make me come just like this.”

″I could come like this too,” I grunt. “But I want more.”

″More?” The gleam in his eyes says I’ve piqued his interest. “What sort of more?”

The question doesn’t dull my desire, but it does give me pause. Cade may have an infinite amount of experience with women, but he’s never been with a man, so everything we do from here forward will be an entirely new experience for him, and I don’t know what he’s ready for.

So far, he hasn’t shied away from kissing, and he doesn’t seem to have an issue with feeling our covered cocks pressed together. That doesn’t mean he’s ready to see one, hold one, or take one inside him. If he’s even into bottoming at all.

I should’ve considered this before suggesting things get physical, because pumping the brakes now is likely to send the wrong message, and the guy is nervous enough.

“You tell me,” I rasp, hoping that by giving him the final say we won’t bump into any lines he’s not ready to cross .

“Can we rub our dicks together?” He flexes his fingers on my ass.

“We are,” I whisper in his ear as I swivel my hips.

“I mean without anything between them.”

I pull away and take his hand, leading him to the couch we slept on the first time he spent the night.

“Sit,” I command with a gentle push to his chest. He obediently falls to the cushion, eyes locked on mine.

Standing before him, I tug my shirt over my head and undo my pants, letting them drop to the floor. His gaze tracks the movement, pausing on the bulge trying to escape my briefs. I hook my fingers in the waistband, pausing to admire the way his Adam’s apple bobs in anticipation, then drag them off my hips.

My cock slaps against my stomach and bounces before coming to rest pointed right at Cade. He licks his lips, eyes raking over me. ″Every inch of you is spectacular, Madd. I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful.”

He says it softly, almost reverently, and while it sounds like the sort of line Cade would feed anyone standing naked before him, there’s no trace of insincerity in his gaze. Only awe.

“Come here,” he rasps.

″What about you?” My gaze wanders over his frame.

Cade seems to register for the first time that he’s still fully clothed. He pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it to the floor before standing up to shed his pants. When he sits back down, his erection springs upward and stays pointing toward the sky.

Holy. Crap.

If I thought Cade was beautiful shirtless, he’s a masterpiece naked. Broad shoulders, muscled chest, lean stomach that showcases a smooth six pack, and a sexy V pointing toward his long, thick cock.

He reclines into the couch and beckons me to him, wrapping his hands around the backs of my thighs to help me straddle his legs. Our dicks graze one another as I get into position, pulling a throaty sigh from his mouth as his head falls against the cushion.

“You’re gonna want to see this.” I grin as I settle my weight on his lap, nestling my length against his.

Cade picks his head up and looks at his lap, mouth parting on a gasp when he takes in the view.

I can’t blame him. It’s not the first time I’ve seen another dick pressed against my own, but none of those instances look as good as this.

We’re both rock hard, so much so the skin around our erections seems to be stretched completely taut. Despite similar, fair, coloring, we’re both flushed, the heads a slightly darker pink than the shafts. I’m a little thicker, and he’s a little longer, but we’re otherwise well-matched, so much so, we seem to fit together seamlessly.

Without lifting my weight off him, I rock my hips back and push forward, dragging my length along his. It’s a subtle movement, so minute you wouldn’t notice it if you were focused on anything else, but we’re both engrossed, and even that tiny bit of friction has us shivering with barely contained desire.

“Holy fuck,” Cade groans. “That feels unbelievably good. Like, my toes are tingling good.”

“It feels even better with lube.”

“Have you got any?”

“Not on me.” I shake my head as I repeat the motion with less restraint.

“Me neither.”

Before I can register his intent, Cade leans forward to spit on our cocks, and I smear it between us on the next pass. The effect is instantaneous. We slide together with ease, the moisture enhancing the friction between us.

“Oh, God,” Cade groans as the head of my cock slides along the underside of his length, notching against the ridge of skin below his crown. “I don’t know which I like more, feeling your dick on mine or watching your abs tighten when you roll your hips.”

“Are you an ab guy?” I exaggerate my hip roll so he gets a good view.

“I kinda want to lick yours, so…maybe?” His hands clench around my thighs as I brush along his length. “But I kind of want to lick your cock too, so maybe that’s my weakness.”

The idea of Cade’s mouth on my dick has my rhythm faltering, my balls drawing up tight. But it’s way too soon to finish, so I try to distract myself.

“So, which triggered your bi-awakening? Abs or cocks?”

“Neither.” Cade seems to grit his teeth as I make another pass.

“That’s all I get? Neither?”

“You’ll laugh.”

“I won’t.” I rock my hips again, spreading the precum from my tip along his length.

“Fine.” His throat bobs on a heavy swallow. “Jaws.”

“Jaws?” I parrot back to him. “What about them?”

“A square jaw is the sexiest part on a man’s body, hands down. Especially if it’s got a little scruff on it.” His eyes fall closed as if he’s picturing the perfect jawline, a tiny little shiver rippling up his torso right before those blue orbs snap open and find mine. “Just like yours.”

The heat in his gaze has me ready to rut shamelessly against him, chasing my release like some sort of feral animal. No one has ever looked at me with such naked desire, and it has me ready to act on instinct alone. But this is his first time with a man, and I owe it to him not to rush it. Using willpower I didn’t know I possessed, I slow my momentum and take us both in hand.