Need You Tonight

THIRTEEN





Kade could feel the shudder go through Tessa’s body at his words, and he had to hold back the groan of satisfaction. There were nerves there, anticipation. Her pulse was beating hard at her throat. But he didn’t sense fear in her. He knew he was coming on strong by making her strip out here. She wasn’t his submissive. She probably wouldn’t even know what that meant. But he needed to do something to push her boundaries to see how she’d react. He had no intentions of letting this be their last night together, but he had to make sure she wasn’t turned off or freaked out with how he liked things. Because he could make a lot of accommodations, but smothering his dominance wasn’t an option. He’d tried in the past, trying to convince himself it was something he could take or leave. Epic fail.

But now he could breathe a bit. Tessa had protested out of surprise at first, but as soon as he’d assured her he’d keep her safe, she’d complied. And when he’d mentioned fantasies, she’d gone so hot and wet that he’d damn near spread her out on the hood of the car for a taste. But it was way too chilly for a Whitesnake video reenactment. He needed to get her inside.

He pulled a strip of silk from his back pocket. “Lift your head. I’m going to blindfold you.”

She raised her head, her gaze startled, but she didn’t move away when he fastened the black strip over her eyes. She reached out and gripped his biceps. “I feel like I’m going to fall.”

“Shh, take a breath. The first few seconds can be disorienting, especially in unfamiliar surroundings, but trust that I have you and won’t let you hurt yourself.” He moved to her side and grasped her elbow. “Now walk.”

Tentatively, she put one foot out in front of her and tapped as if to make sure a trap door wasn’t going to open up. Kade bit back a smile. Soon, he hoped to have her trusting him so much that she’d sprint ahead blindfolded if he told her to. But he knew that’d take time and he still didn’t know if she’d agree to see him for more than a two-night stand, so he let her do her little herky-jerky steps forward while he kept her steady. When he guided her inside the cabin, he made sure she was holding onto the door frame, and then stepped back a moment to soak in the sight of her. The cabin was still dark and the moon backlit her form, highlighting every curve in silver.

Never in his life could he have imagined that the girl he’d so lusted over—maybe even thought he loved at one point—would be beautifully naked, waiting for his command, in the same place she’d spurned him after he’d tried to kiss her so long ago. It was a gift he wouldn’t take for granted. If a teenage Kaden Fowler had hopped into Doc Brown’s DeLorean to visit the future, he would’ve never made it back because this vision would’ve made his brain implode.

Tessa reached out to find the other side of the doorframe. “Where are you?”

“Just looking at you, Tess,” he said, taking her hand again and leading her all the way inside. He pulled open the curtains to let some moonlight flood in. “And wondering how best to rechristen this cabin.”

“I have a few ideas,” she said, a shy undercurrent in her voice.

“Tell me.”

She rubbed her lips together. He got the impression that she wasn’t someone who was used to voicing her needs or fantasies. That would change quickly if he had anything to do with it. He wanted to know every sordid thought that had ever gotten her hot. But to her credit, despite her obvious qualms, she answered him. “When we used to come here, even after I’d promised myself that I’d only think of you as a friend, I’d catch you watching me with this look that . . . I don’t know . . . it was so intense. I remember wondering what you would do to me if I gave you the green light. And even though I knew it was wrong, part of me was desperate to know. I’d lie in bed at night and imagine me saying yes to you, imagining what your hands would feel like on me. I’d . . . touch myself and imagine it was you doing it.”

Christ. The words were painting a picture straight out of his teenage spank bank. How many times had he gone home with the same thoughts? Tess saying yes, Tess choosing him, Tess being his. He was surprised he hadn’t developed a chafing problem with as much as he was jerking off that year. “I would’ve given you whatever you wanted.”

She squeezed his hand. “I know. I used you as my emotional crutch. You were more my boyfriend than Doug was after a while, but I wouldn’t grant you the right to act as such. You got the tough stuff without the fun benefits. So maybe the best way to rechristen this cabin is to right that wrong. You have all the green lights you want now. Take what I wish I would’ve given you back then.”

“Tess,” he said, pulling her against him, an ache in his gut . . . and decidedly lower. “Are you giving me your virginity?”

She gave him a heartbreakingly sweet smile. “Second time’s a charm.”

He pulled off her blindfold at that, needing to see her eyes. “I wouldn’t have known what to do with you back then. But I would’ve done my best to make it good for you.”

“I know,” she whispered, her gaze a little wistful.

“If we hadn’t had consequences back then and we were back here for a study session, what would you have done?”

She tugged his hand and led him toward the couch. The furniture had changed, but the arrangement was the same, like stepping back in time, the vortex sucking him through the portal. When they reached the couch, she guided him to sit. Though he wasn’t used to being directed to do anything, in this situation, he was more than happy to oblige. The woman had definite intent in her eyes, and he loved a woman on a mission.

“You always sat in this corner with your knee hiked up,” she said, her voice timid in the dark. “And I couldn’t help but . . . look. And when some moment would pass between us, you’d grab one of the throw pillows and put it over your lap to prop your book up. I knew why you did that. You weren’t always quick enough, so I saw your reaction to me.”

He chuckled, remembering the embarrassment of his defiant hormones. “I was a seventeen-year-old virgin. The thing had a hair trigger around you.”

She looked down at him, her teeth dragging over her bottom lip. As if on cue, Kade could feel his cock hardening. “One of my fantasies back then was to take the pillow away and ask if I could touch you. I’d heard my friends talking about the things they did with their boyfriends. I wanted to know how that would be with you.”

His breath left him for a moment. If she’d asked that back then, he probably would’ve proven that death by spontaneous combustion existed. Boom. Done. Here lies Kaden Fowler.


She lowered herself to the ground, settling herself between his spread knees. Her gaze tracked down to his erection. “Can I touch you, Kade?”

He groaned at the soft plea in her words and pulled his belt all the way out. “Show me exactly what you wanted to do.”

She wet her lips and hell if his dick didn’t flex toward her at the sight. She reached out with pink painted fingernails flashing in the moonlight and tugged down his unfastened pants to his thighs along with his boxer briefs. The cool air of the cabin swirled over him, sending goose bumps along his skin. After getting his pants down past his knees, she took him in her hand, and the softness of her touch nearly pulled another groan from him.

She glanced up at him, all big eyes and long lashes. “Tell me how you like it. I wouldn’t have known then, but I’m not much better off now.”

Kade ran a hand over her head. Usually, he made a point to be with experienced women. They knew what they were doing and were more comfortable with his brand of sexuality. Plus, nothing was hotter than a woman who absolutely owned her desires without apology. But he couldn’t help but be endeared by Tess’s unsure approach. It called to the dominant in him, made him want to tutor her all over again but in things far more base than Shakespeare. He threaded his fingers into her hair, the strands like silk around his knuckles, and guided her forward. “Take my cock in your mouth, beautiful. And keep your eyes on me, I want to watch you as you suck me.”

She shuddered in his grip, her eyes going a little wide at first then dreamy as she obeyed his command and lowered her head. Her gaze stayed on his as her glossed lips parted and slid over the crown. His toes flexed in his shoes at the feel of her tongue tentatively flicking along the bottom side of his shaft.

“F*ck,” he muttered, his teenage ghost possessing him for a moment and stealing his normally unshakeable restraint. He grasped the base of his cock, taming the urge to rush, and guided her down further. “That’s right. You can’t do anything wrong, baby. That feels amazing.”

Apparently buoyed by the encouragement, she grew more bold with her tongue and hands. Before long, she was working him over with steady determination and enthusiasm, bathing him in slow, decadent heat and making his eyes want to roll back in his head. But he wasn’t going to look away from her and break the connection.

Her gaze stayed fixed on his even though he could tell it was a struggle to maintain the intense eye contact. He could see the insecurity there, the exposed vulnerability. The man she’d trusted had hurt her more deeply than she was letting on. There was a kicked puppy vibe that hadn’t been there when he’d known her before. She’d always had cracks in the veneer. Even by high school, she’d lived a harder life than anyone should be expected to. But this was different. It was almost as if she was just waiting for him to tell her that she was bad at this, that it wasn’t doing anything for him. It’d been the same when he’d offered her the job—the knee jerk lack of confidence. She couldn’t see her own strength. It made him want to gather her into his arms and rewind all those years they’d been apart. Change the course.

But before his mind could run away with him, Tessa’s hand slid beneath him, cupping his balls, and her lips kissed the fingers he still had around the base of his cock as she took him deep. Sparkling threads of pleasure raced up his spine. He tilted his head back with an expelled breath, finally breaking the eye contact. “Jesus, baby, you’re better at this than you think. Touch me wherever you want.”

She seemed to appreciate the compliment and used her free hand to follow the slick path back up as she moved toward the tip again. He peeked down through hooded lids as she licked at the head with long strokes. The move nearly undid him because in that moment, he got the real sense that she wasn’t just doing this to make him feel good. She was thoroughly enjoying the exploration.

“You’re like a kid with a new toy,” he teased. “Trying to see how many noises you can get me to make?”

She gave him a pleased little grin. “Three groans and a few sighs so far, if I’m not mistaken. I like that I can do that to you.”

“Mmm, someone likes her own slice of power,” he said, knowing the dominant in him should probably mind but only getting more turned on by the thought. He’d always preferred submissives who were naturally sweet and yielding. But the idea of Tessa trying to wrest a bit of the power and challenging him made his blood race and his cock harder. Maybe he wouldn’t mind that kicked puppy showing some teeth.

She kept her hand on him, stroking slow and steady, but looked up at him. “You made me lose it the other night. I want to do the same for you.”

“Think you can make me come, Tess?” he challenged, fingering one of her blonde locks. “I’m pretty good at holding out these days, especially when I put my mind to it.”

A little break in confidence flickered over her face but then she tilted her head. “What do I get if I can make you?”

“Besides a dose of protein?” he teased.

She sniffed.

His mouth curved. More challenge and fire trying to break through her surface. He so wanted to see what happened if it did. “You get to give the next command. Whatever you’d like me to do to you, I’ll be game.”

“And if you win?” she asked.

“Another date. In public.”

Wariness moved over her expression, but she nodded. Agreement made. “Can you move closer to the edge of the couch? I need your pants further down.”

“Whatever you need,” he said, in a tone that he hoped conveyed utter confidence even though he wasn’t so sure. Tessa’s continued stroking already had his blood burning, and he couldn’t remember ever seeing anything quite as sexy at his feet than a naked Tessa McAllen.

He scooted to the edge of the couch, and she tugged his pants down to his ankles. She moved closer and spread his knees wider, then she was lowering her head again. The moment her hot, wet mouth enveloped him, he knew he’d made a sucker’s bet, but couldn’t find it in himself to care. What she’d done tentatively the first time bloomed into full assertiveness, her mouth and tongue working him to within an inch of his control. Her fingernails scored lightly over the tender skin of his testicles and his teeth ground against each other. Sweat broke out on his lip.

He grabbed the edge of the couch cushions, trying to focus. Control over his own release was usually easy for him. He fed off the anticipation and the delayed gratification for him and his submissive. That usually created the biggest payoff for both. But Tess was lobbing grenades at his defenses. When her fingers crept lower, beneath his scrotum and to the sensitive skin of his perineum, he let out a strangled grunt that revealed how badly he was tanking in this challenge.

As if sensing victory, Tess took his cock as deep as she could and then circled his back entrance with the tip of her finger, moving her tongue in the same motion along his length. Her touch was still unsure, as if she’d never tried that before but thought it could be a good idea, and the innocence of it pulled the ripcord on his control. His back arched at that and white split his vision. He moaned her name and gripped her head in his hands, holding her hard as he pumped his hips and emptied inside her.

She made her own sound of pleasure as he came and that only made his utter defeat in this challenge all the more worth it. He held onto her for long seconds after he was finished, enjoying the feel of softening in her mouth. When he finally had the energy to lift his head and slide free, he found Tess looking up at him with stunned wonder.

The unexpected expression had him smiling. “Don’t look so surprised. I think you hustled me with you saying you didn’t know how to do this.”

She licked her lips. “I’ve never done half of that stuff. I just . . . I followed your reactions. And you let me . . .”

“What, baby?” he said, leaning forward and cupping her face.

“Touch you however I wanted. I’m not really used to that. Doug would’ve—” She cringed. “Sorry.”

He frowned. “It’s okay. Say what you need to get off your chest. I don’t want him between us. He’s been there long enough.”

She looked down, as if regretting bringing it up. “He had this weird thing about keeping me like this sweet, proper thing. I’m sure it’s some f*cked up stuff from how things worked out with his mom. But if I ever tried anything, you know, out of the ordinary, he’d get disgusted with me. Tell me that stuff was for sluts, whores, trash, whatever.”

“I’m guessing those words weren’t terms of endearment in his book.”

She snorted. “Are they ever?”

He pushed her hair behind her ears and lifted her face to him. “In my world, yes, sometimes they are. In the circles I move in, a woman owning her desires is not only accepted, it’s f*cking celebrated. I don’t want you to be some overgrown virgin princess for me. If you have a desire, let’s try it. If you crave a certain fantasy, let’s make it happen—even if that means more than just me providing it for you. And I promise you, if I called you my dirty little slut, it’d be a compliment.”


She shook her head in his hands. “I can’t even fathom that.”

“Own what you want, Tess. No judgment here.” He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. “In fact, start now. You won the bet. Tell me what you want me to do to you.”

The words sounded foreign rolling off his tongue, but he’d stand on his f*cking head and sing the national anthem if it’d help her stop questioning herself.

Tess stared up at him, chewing her lip. He expected her to ask him to return the favor and go down on her, which he was more than looking forward to. He could already taste her sexy tartness on his tongue. But there was a devilish curiosity blooming in those eyes that had him holding his breath.

She leaned back on her calves as if she needed space to make her request, and her gaze flicked down to his lap then back up to him. “Is, uh, that spanking thing only for punishment?”

His breath whooshed out of him in one big rush. He had no idea what he’d done in a former life to grant him this gift tonight, but he wasn’t going to question it. “Baby, it can be whatever we want it to be.”

Her lips rolled inward, her nerves rising to the surface, but she nodded. “Okay. I want to try that. Will it hurt?”

His smile was slow. “Only for a minute.”