The Cursed Series, Parts 3 & 4 (Cursed #3-4) - Rebecca Donovan Page 0,152
I chase after him.
We can’t get downstairs fast enough. Kaden ripping his shirt off along the way. Kicking his shoes and leaving them where they land. He turns toward me when we enter his room. All he has to do is pull a tie, and I’m bare to him. His breath hitches at the sight of me.
The urgency that possessed us earlier eases into tenderness and patient exploration. Love is whispered into every kiss, within each brush of a hand or euphoric caress. I would wait an eternity to share this with him. He instills a belief in me that I have a place in this world, that I can be a part of something more than the life that depletes me every day in Sherling. I just have to hold on to this light of hope for one more year …
The door creaks open, and I instinctively grab for the covers. Kaden shoots up to shield me.
“Shit. Sorry, man.” The guy at the bedroom door chuckles. But I’m unable to discern if it’s embarrassment or amusement.
The door closes, but the latch doesn’t quite catch.
“I knew it!” he calls from the other side of the door.
“Damon, give us a minute,” Kaden projects calmly but with a severe undertone. The muscles along his back are corded, the limits of his constraint being tested.
“Meet you downstairs,” Damon calls back.
I finally take a breath when I hear his footfalls on the steps.
Kaden reaches for his shorts, pulling them on quickly as he moves to shut the door and secure it. “Was not expecting him,” he says, appearing frazzled. His face is flushed and jaw set. “Are you okay?”
I nod, searching for the wrap dress. Kaden picks it up from the floor, offering it to me with an apologetic expression.
“Who was that?”
“Damon Thorne. He went to college with Niall. A couple years behind him. You didn’t know he was staying?”
I shake my head, not recalling hearing his name. But my sole focus has been seeing Kaden. I may have missed the mention of him.
“He’s been staying in the pool house,” Kaden explains. “We’ve hung out most nights, so he probably didn’t think twice about coming in like he has all week. I never think to lock the door.”
“Oh,” I say, securing the dress in a tight bow.
Kaden walks over to me, resting his hands on my hips. “Are you sure you’re alright? We were covered. He didn’t see anything.”
“I know,” I say quietly, realizing just how close he was to witnessing more than us lying in a sedated embrace, my body draped over Kaden’s, the sheet slung low on my hips. But it’s the moment that I miss, lost in our bliss. I’ll never get it back, and that’s what burns more than anything.
Kaden kisses me affectionately. With my hand firmly grasped in his, we walk downstairs into the open living space. Damon is leaning against the counter, a tumbler of something dark in his hand. If he were polite, he would offer to come back another time. But the mischievous gleam in his eyes lets me know that he’s the type who believes he’s above manners. The world is meant to cater to his whims, not the other way around. There are many of his sort on the island; I’m all too familiar with the type.
“You lied.” Damon smirks, his eyes shining with mirth.
“Damon, this is Faye,” Kaden explains before the rude man can say another word.
The arrogance shifts, and Damon’s features become softer. “Well, don’t I feel like an ass? I should’ve knocked.” His dark eyes appraise me as if taking in a piece of art, and his smirk molds into a genuine smile. “And now I understand what you were going on about. I’m sorry for barging in.” He dips his head in apology.
I shift my eyes away from his gaze. He’s strikingly handsome in a mysterious sort of way. The severe angles of his cheekbones accented by a thin nose and arching brows. When I first saw him in the doorway, the shadows dancing along his face made him appear sinister. The menacing smirk didn’t help either. But now, as I steal glances of him from beneath my lashes, my cheeks emblazoned with embarrassment, I recognize that he isn’t as he first appeared. He presents more playful and captivating.
Kaden keeps ahold of me, tightening his grip as Damon peruses appreciatively.
“Do you need more time alone?” Damon offers. “We can catch up tomorrow.”