The Secrets We Hide (The Four #2) - Becca Steele Page 0,22

turned back around just in time to see Caiden saunter into the room, wearing a pair of black shorts, his torso glistening with sweat, rubbing his head with a towel.

My mouth went dry. Why was it that now we were in the friend zone, my body had decided to react even more strongly to his presence?

I placed the cheese carefully on the island and stood, just drinking him in.

“Hi.” He lowered the towel and threw it around his neck, a smirk curving over his lips as he noticed me checking him out.

“Been working out?” I managed to say. Yeah, I asked the obvious question. I couldn’t be expected to think, not when he was looking like that.

His smirk deepened. I gripped hard onto the edges of the island to stop myself from launching my body at his.

“Yeah.” He prowled towards me, and I gulped as he stopped right in front of me. “You look sexy today,” he murmured into my ear, then kissed my cheek and straightened up, carrying on to the cupboard where he proceeded to make himself a protein shake, never mind the fact that he’d left me helpless, longing for him.

“Cade. What’s going on here?” I ventured. “Is this a game to you? Teasing me?”

He slammed his drink bottle down on the counter and was suddenly back in front of me before I had a chance to blink.

“What’s going on is that I have some shit to work through. In the meantime, I’m reminding you of the facts so you don’t forget them.” Our gazes held, his stormy eyes darkening, reminding me more of thunderclouds at this point in time.

“What facts?” I licked my lips, my voice coming out hoarse.

He planted his hands on the island either side of me so I was trapped by his body, the heat and the sweat from his workout sending memories of nights spent together flashing through my mind like some kind of erotic film reel, making my thighs clench with need and my breath catch in my throat.

“Fact. You want me.”

He leaned closer.

“Fact. I want you.”

I shivered from both his words and his proximity.

“Fact. This one should come as a given, but don’t think I didn’t see the death stares you were giving to Portia yesterday. I’m not interested in anyone else.”

“But she—” I began.

My words died away as he reached out and cupped my jaw, stroking his thumb over my pulse point. “No one compares to you, Snowflake. And that brings me on to my final fact. You’d better not forget this one.”

“What is it?”

“You’re. Fucking. Mine,” he growled against my lips, then gave me a quick, hard kiss before I had a chance to even react to his words. He stalked away from me, swiping his drink bottle from the counter, and disappeared out of the kitchen.

I slumped back against the island on shaky legs, a smile spreading across my face.

Glad we were on the same page.

“Winter!” I spun around at the shout, seeing Weston jogging across the quad, and stopped, waiting for him, before I headed into the Student Union building with Kinslee.

“He’s so hot,” Kinslee muttered under her breath, her eyes raking over him as he drew closer. “I wish he wanted a repeat of our night together.”

“Does he know you want a repeat?” I kept my voice low.

“Yes, but he’s made it clear it won’t happen.” She clamped her mouth shut as he reached us, an easy grin on his lips, and I made a mental note to speak to her later. As far as I was aware, she wasn’t seriously interested in him, but in her words, he was the best dick she’d ever had.

And that was a thought I didn’t particularly want in my head, now he felt like my brother, and I knew he viewed me as a sister. Weird, really, since my relationship with Cade was almost the complete opposite.

I shook off my thoughts, realising Weston was speaking to me. “You ready for me to kick your ass at pool?”

“You think you can beat me?” I returned his grin.

“I’ll catch up with you both later.” Kinslee turned towards the cafeteria door.

Weston stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you both.”

We both stared at him apprehensively. “Yes, I can spare a few minutes. What’s up?”

“Come down to the bar.” He let go of her arm, shoving his hands in the pockets of his slate-grey Alstone College hoodie and heading for the