Bad Mouth

chapter Twenty-six


Kade stood outside Val’s hospital door for several minutes, his gut in knots. He was completely lost. Despite his attempt over the past few days, he realized he could never live without her. He’d take her any way he could, even old and frail. She meant too much to him to let go so easily. With a sigh, he pushed the door open.

If he’d expected to see a woman in pain, it wasn’t what he got. Instead, he faced Val’s fury. When she saw him, she swiped up a slender vase of flowers at her bedside table and threw it at him. Her reaction stunned him, and for once, his reflexes failed. The fragile vase struck the center of his chest, shattering against him and dousing his T-shirt. Her eyes flew wide. Apparently, she’d never intended to hit him. He brushed off the glass clinging to his shirt before his gaze returned to her. She was fully dressed and packing a small bag.

He scowled. “What are you doing out of bed?”

Her surprise hadn’t lasted long. She scowled right back, her ire flaring anew. “How dare you? You’ve ignored me for days, and now you think you can come in here and tell me what to do?”

“I haven’t ignored you.”

“Kade, I’ve called you every day. Not returning my calls constitutes ignoring. Now get out of my room. I’ve been released, and I’m waiting for Ezra to come and pick me up.”

“Ezra, is it?” He stalked toward her. She backed up slowly until the back of her thighs met the bed.

“Y-yes. Ezra.”

“He’s not coming for you.”

“N-not?” She peered up at him, her candy-coated eyes liquefying his insides. Her body heat permeated his chest only an inch from her delicious breasts. He slid his fingers into her sexy, blond curls. Her breath hitched, and his ignited with a lurch. His blood surged, bringing heat to his limbs. Her palms rubbed over his chest. Did she realize she was fondling him?

His lips curled into a smile. She looked at her hands and dropped them to her sides. It only made him laugh. If she couldn’t help but touch him, maybe he had a good shot at getting her naked before taking her home, despite her anger.

She shoved him, but he didn’t budge. No way would he leave her alone right now. He burned to taste every inch of her, burned to stroke her pale, supple skin, burned for her.

“I missed you,” he murmured, his eyes searching hers.

She frowned. “That’s your fault.”

“I had a case to solve.”

“That doesn’t stop you from using a cell phone.”

He stroked his thumbs in lazy circles over her temples. Her pupils dilated, and her lids lowered. She couldn’t hide her desire from him. He brushed his lips across hers, earning a soft moan from her. Pressing his thigh between her legs, he slid his hands down to cup her ass, riding her hard against him.

“Tell me no,” he whispered.

“No,” she whispered back, but she didn’t resist. Instead, her lips parted and her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him deeper into their kiss. She pressed her breasts into his chest and tightened her legs around his thigh. He was a goner.

…

Her resolve was shot. Three minutes with Kade, and she was pawing him like an oversexed teen in the backseat of a car. How did he do this to her? Yes, that was her hand stroking him through his jeans and he was certainly happy to see her, from the feel of things. He thrust his hips against her hand.

He groaned with approval into her open mouth and then broke away, his breath heaving. The sound of it and the pound of his heart at the pulse on his throat flattered her. She couldn’t believe she had such a strong effect on him.

“Right there, baby,” he said. He covered her hand with his, pressing harder against his erection. He thumbed the button open on his jeans and lowered the fly.

“Not so fast, Romeo,” she said, her voice raspy with arousal. Now that he was in front of her, she didn’t want to spend her time angry with him, but she couldn’t make it easy for him either, could she?

His eyes pleaded with her. A fine sheen had appeared on his brow. “I’m sorry, all right? Don’t stop.” His expression showed his suffering. Maybe he’d hurt himself as much as he’d hurt her with his absence. She kicked her sandals off, eased onto the bed, and tugged her skirt up. She couldn’t help smiling because he looked like he’d scored the winning touchdown.

“Oh f*ck.” He slid her panties down her legs, his lips planting kisses along the way. He climbed on the bed, kneeling between her legs, and then froze. “Are you—can you do this now? Do you hurt?”

She caressed his hair-roughened face, her heart swelling at the tenderness in his eyes. Even at his crudest, he was sweeter than syrup. “I’ll hurt if you don’t make love to me right this minute. I know you’ll be careful.”

His pained expression softened. “I wouldn’t hurt you, Val.” He smoothed his hands up her legs and pushed her shirt up, then frowned, his jaw clenching.

“Oh, baby. If only I’d—”

She put her fingers over his mouth. “It wasn’t your fault. Kiss it better?”

Kade didn’t hesitate. He lowered his head to the reddened scar under her ribs. It looked worse than it was. The scar was smaller than a dime and would fade soon enough. Luckily, the crossbow bolt had missed everything that counted and hadn’t gone deep. Kade’s lips tickled her belly. He licked his way toward her breasts, where his hand worked underneath the shield of her bra. He spread her shirt open, exposing her to his gaze.

He sighed with pleasure. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Take off your shirt, Kade. I want to see you.” He smiled and obliged.

She sucked in a breath when his chest was bare to her view. Sexy didn’t begin to describe it. He wasn’t bulky, monstrous muscle but had definition that was pure perfection. Sleek strength rippled under his skin as he moved over her, the hottest male specimen she’d ever laid eyes on.

He braced on one arm over her while his other hand wandered, and his mouth blazed a trail along her neck and her breasts. He’d pulled one breast out of the cup and fixed his mouth over her nipple. His fingers moved lower until they brushed the curls at the juncture of her thighs. She moaned and strained her hips toward his touch. He released her nipple with a pop.

“That’s so nice,” he said. He slid those skillful fingers through her folds. “Mmmm, I want to taste you there.”

She wasn’t about to protest. She dragged her fingers through his hair as he lowered along her body. His breath on her tender bits spiraled her anticipation. She quivered with it, spreading her thighs apart for him. After a moment, she looked down at the top of his head. She was panting for his tongue, and he was busy worshiping her with his eyes. She tapped his head lightly.

He looked up at her and chuckled. “Can’t help it. You have a pretty p-ssy, Val.” He cupped a hand under her rear. “And this, too.” He stroked a thumb over her other entrance. She gasped. His face grew tight and strained. “I want to f*ck it. Goddamn. Please, Val, let me f*ck it.” Another hard stroke over her rim sent a jolt of pulsing current to her *. Her inner muscles clenched hard.

She cried out, her hips writhing against the pressure of his thumb. She’d never considered that spot an erogenous zone, but heaven help her, he was turning her on like a reactor.

“Kade!” She reached for his shoulders, pulling and scratching. “Not this time. I can’t wait. Come inside me. Now. Please now.”

He got in a quick taste of her, a long lick and a hard suck at her aching center before he lifted up and pressed at her entrance, squeezing into her tight grip. He kissed her, his tongue exploring the shape of her mouth, the softness of her tongue, the curve of her teeth. And then he filled her with the slow burn of his rigid girth.

“Perfect. Perfect,” he whispered against her lips. “Look at me, Val.” With a grand effort, she opened her eyes. His glowed as they met hers. He plunged into her again and then again, making her body drunk with pleasure. “I want you to see this, to see me. This is me making love to you.”

His words, his gaze, his touch, all drove her over the edge of rapture. She screamed into his shoulder, her legs clamping around his hips, while her body shook with release. He shuddered against her, his teeth biting into the pillow beneath her head. The jet of his orgasm slid onto the inside of her thighs as he relaxed against her. He kept his weight on his elbows. She loved the feel of his face against her throat, his hot breath spreading across her skin.

She closed her eyes and let out a soft moan. “I can’t walk after this. You’ve turned me into a wanton hussy.”

His chest shook against her. Thought it was funny, did he? He shifted to her side and cupped her chin, turning her face in his direction.

“You are the most incredible woman. Come home to my place so I can take care of you while you finish healing.”

“AKA, you want to screw my brains out.”

His brows rose in mock surprise. “Such language. Don’t tell me I’m rubbing off on you already.”

Her hands went to his face, stroking his jaw on either side. A warm surge of emotion seized her breath. She never thought she would think it of a vampire, especially this vampire, but he was a good man. He might believe himself some kind of barbaric hater of humans, but his actions had shown otherwise. At the core of him, he simply couldn’t stand the thought of any innocent, human or vampire, violated by cruelty. And he’d been risking his life to put an end to it in the only way he could.

“Kade, I don’t care how angry you are or how guilty or how sad or how anything you are. Don’t you ever abandon me like you did the last few days.”

He frowned. “I never abandoned you.”

“Could have fooled me. You left me alone.”

“Ezra was here every night.”

“He’s not you. Do you want him to take your place?”

Kade growled, his brow creasing with anger. She smoothed her hand over his forehead.

“He’s good company, but I didn’t want him. I wanted you, Kade.” Those must have been the right words. He melted against her, his hands sliding around to hold her close.

“I wanted you, too,” he said against her shoulder.

Thank God. She’d had doubts about his feelings for her. He hadn’t said he loved her, but his words and actions were enough for her right now.

He kissed a trail along her collarbone. “I guess we should get out of here before I wear you out again.”

She ran her hands over his back and shoulders and then through his hair. “It feels so good to touch you.”

She’d missed him like crazy. Even after spending nearly every waking minute with Kade since the day they’d met, it nevertheless surprised her how deeply he’d imbedded beneath her skin. Their intense physical attraction had been instant, but the gradual unfolding of her feelings for him had only grown as she learned more about the man beneath the facade.

“Goddamn, you turn me on,” he said. By now she was getting the hang of how to read him. This was his way of telling her how much he cared for her.

“Well, your language hasn’t gotten any better.” She pulled his hair until he lifted his head away from her throat. “This time apart has been bad for you.”

He laughed and then sat up and slid off the bed to grab his shirt from the floor. “Guess you should move in with me. Somebody’s gotta keep me in line.”

He didn’t look at her, but tension stiffened his movements and his lips formed a hard line. He kept his head down while he donned his shirt and buttoned his jeans. Was he seriously asking her to move in? Her heart leaped and skipped a few times before her brain righted itself. She’d call his bluff.

“I will then, and right away, too. I don’t think anyone else is up for the job.” She kept her tone light but her eyes on him. He froze with his hands at his fly and then turned to her.

He cocked his head. “Will you now?”

“Were you asking?” She sat up, hanging her legs over the side of the bed. Her pulse raced. She had to be insane to even consider this. They’d met only a week earlier, but her heart didn’t give a damn about time and it pounded against her ribs at the idea of being this close to him every day.

He half shrugged. “Testing the waters.”

She grabbed his hand and tugged him closer. “The waters are warm, Kade. Hot even.”

He stepped between her dangling legs and gave her a kiss to end all kisses. And then his cell rang.

She groaned in frustration. “Why are you so popular?”

“Jealous?” He pulled out his cell and slid it open instead. “This better be good, a*shole.” She could barely hear the raspy voice on the other end.

“Traitor!” she called loud enough for Ezra to hear.

Kade grinned at her but listened intently. She slid her sandals on and straightened her skirt out while she waited for him to get off the phone. He walked toward the window, murmuring into the cell, with his free hand balled into a fist hard enough to turn his knuckles white.

This had to be bad. A hit of nervous adrenaline made her feel shaky. She stepped next to him at the window and rubbed his back as much for her comfort as his. He glanced at her, his expression bleak, and pulled her against his side.

“Ezra, I have no choice. They’ve thrown down a gauntlet. I will answer it, but you don’t have to. None of you have to.” He listened to Ezra’s answer and apparently didn’t like it. “They’ll kill all of you for treason if I lose.”

He listened a little longer and then his shoulders slumped. “I’ll meet you in five hours. If you die because of me, you bastard, I’ll never forgive you.”

Kade called his merry men after that, but when his next call went to Ptolomy, her heart wedged into her throat. Whatever had happened was beyond bad. He was gathering backup.