Traction - Dani Rene Page 0,42

never have brought anyone here.

“Alone?”

16

Kayden

There’s shock in her voice. Disbelief that I have never brought another person into my bedroom. Not my friends and most definitely not my past conquests.

“Yes,” I confirm, stepping up closer to her. My hands land on her hips, and I tug her into me. The softness of her body against mine makes me want to deepen the hold. It makes me want to throw her on my bed and have my wicked way with her. But I chastise myself for thinking that. It’s too soon.

Yes, we’ve known each other for a few days, but this closeness is very fucking new. I lean in to kiss her, and she smiles when our lips touch. It’s chaste, gentle, and filled with affection. But Haelee molds to my body, her arms wrapping around my neck as she holds onto me.

“We’re going to be late,” I whisper over her mouth, feeling the grin on her face spread wider. “And if you keep pressing your tits against my chest, I’m not going to want to leave.”

“Maybe I don’t want to leave,” she counters with confidence that makes me smile. This girl never ceases to shock the shit out of me.

“Your mother will cut my dick off if she knows I’ve kept you from dinner because you had me inside your tight body.” Even though my words aren’t filthy, she shivers in my arms.

“I guess so,” Haelee whispers before pulling away, and I already miss the sweetness of her scent. “Grab whatever you needed, and we can go.”

Nodding, I leave her to explore my bedroom and head into the kitchen to find the bottle of wine I wanted to take to her mom. I could’ve stopped at the store to get one, I didn’t have to bring her here, but I needed her to see my home. The place I feel most myself.

Knowing that Haelee loves the place I live in does shit to me. It makes me feel warm, and I haven’t felt like that in a long while. Once I’ve packed the bottle along with a few other treats for dessert into a bag, I head for the bedroom to find her sitting on the bed.

“Ready?” I ask, causing her to practically leap off the mattress.

“Shit, you scared me.”

“You seemed deep in thought,” I remark as I eat up the distance between us.

Haelee curls into my arms and holds me tight. And that’s when I notice what she found on my nightstand. A photo I’d dropped on its front. One taken at my graduation of my dad and me.

“Come on, speedy.” I pull her along and out the door. We walk down the hallway, hand-in-hand. Silence is the only thing between us, and I can feel how many questions she has waiting for me.

They come when we reach the kitchen. “Do you think your dad would’ve liked me?” Her wide eyes shine as she looks up at me. Family is important to her. Even though she’s adopted, I can tell her mom is her life, and her dad, he must’ve been her hero.

“Yes, he would’ve loved you. You’re feisty, and you don’t take my shit.”

She laughs. “And your mom?” Those dark pools lock on mine, and I don’t know how to answer that. My mother is prickly at the best of times. She hates anyone and everyone she doesn’t think fits in her world. Not even her own son fits in her world.

“She’s a difficult one,” I finally tell Haelee. “But we’re not there yet. Let’s get you home and have some dinner. I’m not a fan of talking about my mother.”

As we head back down to the garage, Haelee’s lost in thought, and I don’t bother her. I have a feeling it’s about what I told her about Mom. It’s not a lie, but it’s also a tiny version of the truth.

By the time we pull up to her house, the sun is near setting and the clouds are trickling with droplets that prickle as we race up to the door. Inside, there’s a fire going, and it’s toasty. Even though the weather seems to have turned, it’s not as cold outside, but I can’t complain since I’ve been invited for dinner.

Her mother giving me a chance means a lot. Now all I have to do is just not fuck up dinner. The flavorful scents coming from the kitchen have me inhaling deeply. We find Haelee’s mom at the stove with an apron on, her hair pinned back,