Fragile Love (Fragile Series, #3) Read online

  “Oh, I understand you have a sweatshirt of mine.”

  Lillian nodded.

  “Can I have it back?”

  She shook her head.

  He blinked sleepily. “I figured, but it never hurts to ask, right?”

  Lillian opened the back door for him. “I’ll come find you in a bit. Keep your door unlocked. And don’t fall asleep.”

  “You’d better hurry, then. I’m fading fast. It’s been a long day for me.”

  “I will.” She watched him walk across her yard into his. “Keep it unlocked!”

  He gave a thumb’s up, and she closed the door, shivering. Even the cats didn’t want to be near the cold air. She scooped up Gray Cat. “It’s freezing out there, isn’t it? You poor, silly, domesticated feline.” The cat squirmed to be free and jumped down from her arms, bolting into the other room. Turning on a little lamp, Lillian retreated into her room. The shower was going in Andrew’s bathroom, and she heard him let out a huge yawn that echoed off the tile walls.

  She washed her face and bundled up in a warm bathrobe. As soon as she heard Andrew shut off the shower, she called out, “Andrew, I’m heading out to Cayden’s.”

  “Have, uh, fun.” He sighed loudly. “I’m hitting the hay. Don’t tell your boyfriend, but he’s going to kill me with these exercises.”

  Cayden really wore him out, she laughed. Now it’s my turn to wear Cayden out. Sitting on the floor in front of her dresser, she opened her lingerie drawer and searched through it. “Where are you?” she asked a particular item, trying to feel for it in the back where the light didn’t reach.

  At last the tip of it touched her fingers, and she gently pulled it out. “Oh yeah,” she grinned, holding the silky nightgown in front of her and looking in the mirror. It barely went down to the bottom of her butt and was low-cut enough that Cayden wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her. “You look good.”

  Nervously, she slipped it on and ran her hands down her body. Dang, I forgot how good this feels. I should wear this more often. Opening her door just a little, she listened for Andrew’s snoring. By the sound of it, he was knocked out.

  I can’t believe I’m about to do this. She ran through the house, pausing by the back door. Coat or no coat? Cayden’s sweatshirt? Quickly, she decided to wear nothing besides this gown. I’ll just hop into his bed really quick. If he’s in there, he’ll be lucky, and if not, he’ll get a surprise. Win-win situation.

  Bracing herself for the cold, she darted into the night and practically flew across her yard. In an instant she was inside Cayden’s house, which felt like a sauna compared to outside. She didn’t hear anything. Locking the door behind her, she tiptoed into his room.

  He was lying in bed, typing something on his phone with a scowl on his face. She poked half her head around the doorway, concealing the rest of her body. Seeing her out of the corner of his eye, he put the phone down.

  “Have you snuck out again?” he asked.

  She nodded, still so cold she was giggling.

  “You know you’re not supposed to, right?”

  Her feet felt like ice blocks, but she was so nervous she couldn’t reveal herself.

  “I happen to like rebels,” Cayden said in a low growl. “Come be rebellious with me.”

  Summoning the nerve, she jumped onto his bed and sat on top of him. His eyes widened so they were nearly popping out of his head. “Whoa! Hey there, sexy-thang!” he exclaimed, immediately putting his hands on her waist. His fingers trailed down to the lace hem. “How long have you had this?”

  “A while,” she said, winking. “I just thought about it tonight.”

  “I’m definitely glad you remembered it.” He wrapped his hands around her, pulling her down on top of him. “Geez, Lil, you’re freezing.”

  “It’s cold out there.”

  “You ran over here, no coat?” He whistled. “Get under here with me.” He threw back the covers and she laid her body along his.

  Suddenly she froze. “Oh, damn.”

  He grinned. “What is it?”

  “Are you naked?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be naked?”

  Feeling her body grow hot against his warm skin, she straddled him and put her hands on his chest. Cayden felt her upper thighs and finally dared to feel under the hem. “Just checking it was for me.”

  “Are these new?” he asked, rubbing her lace panties between his fingers.

  “Maybe.”

  “I like them.” He played with the lace a little more. “But I want them off.”

  “So, take them off,” she dared.

  He didn’t need to be told again. In one swift move he rolled her onto her back, so he hovered above her. Somehow with one hand he managed to slip her panties off, letting his hands roam free on her legs and belly.

  “You’re amazing,” he breathed.

  She felt goose bumps rise on her neck. “You sure about that?” She was self-conscious about her skimpy outfit.

  “You’re beautiful. Hot. Everything I fucking ever wanted.”

  Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips. Her hips rolled down against his, her body shifting to rock against him, rubbing his cock against the place where she was already wet. Fuck.

  Cayden groaned. “Damn, baby.” His thumb rubbed circles against her thigh, and then he let the hand slide upward, fingers tracing up her belly to the underside of her breast. She moaned softly. The roll of her hips grew faster, needier.

  She gasped. “Stop. Damn it.” Except she was sure he knew what she meant. But she hadn’t said it and so his hands stopped, stilling against her skin. Her eyes, half-lidded, snapped open, and she swallowed hard. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

  “I’m only doing what I’m told.” Cayden winked.

  “I wanted you to stop teasing,” she bit back.

  His fingers dragged against her inner thigh. “You mean that?”

  “Damn you.”

  He laughed, and finally gave in, leaning in again to bite gently at her collarbone, mouth moving slowly downward until he could pull her nighty down and catch one of her nipples between his teeth, his tongue quick to follow suit. His other hand dipped between her legs, the back of his index finger pressed against her folds.

  She moaned, and he echoed it. Fuck, she was so wet for him. So ready.

  Cayden stroked his fingers up to her clit, whispering an ‘I love you’ against the valley between her breasts. She said it back, the words mixed up in another soft moan.

  His fingers pressed into her, filling her, and she writhed against them.

  “Tell me what you want,” he said. “How do you want me, baby?”

  “More,” Lily begged. “Fuck. Anything. Just more.”

  He stroked his fingers against her inner walls. “More, like that?” It was meant to be teasing, but he didn’t quite hit the right note. His thumb rubbed over her clit, and he slid another finger inside.

  “Cay...” She didn’t get the rest out, whatever she wanted to say. Her thighs trembled against his, and her body bucked.

  “Let it come. I want to watch you. Feel you come.”

  A surprised gasp escaped her lips and suddenly she was coming, fingers clutching at his shoulders, and he leaned up to swallow the sounds she made.

  When she pulled back, he gave her a moment, let her catch her breath while her heartbeat slowed. But they weren’t done. Once wasn’t going to be enough for her. She wanted him between her thighs. She wanted to watch him come, too. She looked down at him, knowing how she must look—her kiss-swollen lips parted, her hair falling loose around her face, her lace half on her shoulder. “Cayden, I want you to fuck me. I need you filling me up.”

  He rolled her over, so she lay on the bed, and slowly kissed down her body to her thighs, letting her feel his breath across her skin. She squirmed under him. Her hands tangled in his hair and pulled just enough to give him very blatant direction.

  He grinned up at her, and then his mouth was on her, his
tongue sliding between her folds, slow as though he had all the time he could possibly desire, as though he was simply enjoying himself. He flicked the tip of it over her clit, and Lily whimpered. He licked circles around her clit and then rubbed it with the flat of his tongue. She moaned, clutching at his shoulders, his hair.

  She couldn’t get enough of him. Cayden mouthed at her outer lips, feeling the smooth skin and dipping his tongue to trace between them, tasting her wetness and going up, grazing her clit just barely. Lily felt ready to explode again. She whimpered against her bicep, her fingers tugging against her own hair.

  His hand shifted down to spread her open and he pressed in with his tongue pointed, tracing her opening. His tongue moved briefly over her entrance before moving up to circle her clit, lightly, teasingly, not touching, making her needy, desperate, begging, waiting till he could give it all to her. Another stroke of his tongue over and around the sensitive little bundle of nerves and then he flicked lightly over it. If it weren’t for his hand on her hip holding her in place, she would have bucked up against him, chasing his mouth with the low sound of pleasure in her throat.

  “Cayden, please.”

  He didn’t pay attention to her, though, his tongue ignoring her clit, his hand squeezing rhythmically at her hip. She gasped his name again, and he slid two fingers inside her. It was an easy glide; she was so wet for him. He licked slowly and firmly at the place she wanted it most. Then he closed his mouth on her clit, sucking and flicking it with his tongue. She thought she was going to die from the pleasure he sent through her body.

  His hands curled around her thighs, holding her open, holding her still as he teased again, tracing lines over her clit, down along her folds to where she was wet and wanting and empty. He drew circles around her opening with the tip of his tongue until she was begging in words that stumbled over each other.

  “Dammit, Cayden. Please fuck me. Please.” Her voice grew loader. “Now!”

  And that was it. Cayden finally listened. He spread her legs wide, and leaned down over her with his fingers under her knees to hold them there as he pressed inside.

  Her arms wrapped around him, dragging him close, and they both groaned.

  She gasped. “Fuck. Yes.”

  He moved inside her with long, slow thrusts, and she met them with the roll of her own hips, taking him as deep she could. Like this, she could look up into his eyes, read the pleasure moving across his face, and knew he wasn’t going to last. She moved faster, harder.

  Time narrowed down to just the two of them, her body arching tight against his own. Her cry was muffled against his mouth as she fell over the edge into orgasm once more. This time Cayden followed, pleasure exploding through him, leaving him panting on her shoulder.

  “One week feels like forever,” she whispered.

  “It won’t always be like this,” he murmured. “Well, the sex, hell yes. But the distance and time away, hell no.”

  They lay there, wrapped in each other’s arms, forgetting about the cold outside.

  “You know,” she muttered, her eyes glued to Cayden’s chiseled face, “this warm light on half your face makes you look like a sculpture of a Greek god.”

  She could see instantly that he was pleased. “I wonder if the rest of me would look like a sculpture in this light, too.”

  “It looks like a sculpture in any light, babe,” she purred, burying her face in his chest and biting his skin a little. “I’m going to leave a mark on your chest. Label you mine.”

  “Really?” When she grinned at him daringly, he hesitated. “I don’t know. Sometimes I work out shirtless.”

  “I have to mark my territory, right?” She kissed his chest, nibbling his skin and tickling it with her tongue, until she felt it was adequate. When she pulled away, they both looked. “Oh, shit!” she said, holding her finger next to the red mark. “That’s bigger than I thought.”

  He burst out laughing. “Too late to fix it now.”

  “I like it, though.”

  “Just to show that I’m very clearly taken?”

  “Obviously. The sexy Los Angeles women need to back off.”

  He turned on his side to face her. “I’m not looking at any women besides you, Lil.”

  “Not even Katharina?”

  “Katharina’s my client. And she’s definitely not my type.” He leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth. “Are you jealous?”

  “No way,” she said out of reflex, but Cayden stared at her. “Okay, maybe a little.”

  “Well, don’t be. You’ve marked me, remember? I’m your property now.”

  She inhaled deeply. The way his sheets and pillows smelled made her feel so cozy.

  “Yeah,” she said, her voice low as sleep began to drift over her. “You’re mine.”

  SHE WAS SO WARM. HER skin felt as good as it ever did in the summer when she was at the beach. She didn’t have to open her eyes to know it was the sunshine that brought so much warmth to her skin; it was a feeling very distinct from anything else. She felt herself smile. The beach, she thought, seeing the ocean and sand in her eyes. I should go to the beach when I wake up. We should all go. I’ll tell Cayden.

  Slowly, she rolled over and let her arm flop down on the other side of the bed. It hit the mattress.

  “Hey,” she yawned, moving her hand around to feel for his body. “Hey, we should go to the beach.”

  She couldn’t find him. Thinking he had inched to the very side of the bed—she was pretty sprawled out, as was her bad habit—she opened her eyes to figure out where he was.

  He wasn’t there.

  Alarmed, she bolted upright, looking frantically in every direction. The sun was happily streaming in from the window beside the bed. A glass of water sat on the bedside table. Her nightgown was draped on the pillow next to her.

  “Cayden?” she called, projecting her voice so he could have heard it anywhere in the house. Having been jerked awake so suddenly made her mind spin in extreme directions. Did he go back to Los Angeles suddenly? Is it past lunchtime? Did something bad happen? Did he leave me? Where’s Andrew? He’s still alone at home! Oh, shit!

  She pulled the nightgown over her head in a split second and ran through Cayden’s house, looking for him in every room. He was nowhere. Cayden can take care of himself. I have to go see about Andrew!

  Flinging the back door open, she started to jump down the steps and run over to her place, but stopped. The day wasn’t just a nice, sunny day. It was exceptionally bright. And she was wearing this silk nightgown that barely covered her butt.

  Now is not the time to look sexy, she told herself. Put on one of Cayden’s shirts.

  There’s no time! yelled her other inner voice, and she listened to that one. What if Andrew had fallen and hit his head? She couldn’t waste time finding one of Cayden’s shirts to cover up her thighs!

  Just make a run for it. Throwing all these thoughts aside, she slammed the door behind her and darted across the yard onto her back porch, her feet moving so fast they barely touched the ground. Without stopping, she pushed against her door with all her body weight and almost skidded to a stop.

  Cayden and Andrew, in the middle of doing one of his stretches, stared at her, their eyes as big as dinner plates. Andrew was sitting on a gym ball, bouncing very slightly up and down. Both guys looked her up and down before bursting into laughter.

  “Good morning to you, too,” Andrew howled.

  Cayden let go of Andrew’s leg to cover his mouth as he laughed—and also to conceal the redness that was rising to his face.

  “Did you sleep well?” Cayden hooted. Andrew slapped him on the back, almost crying from laughter.

  Lillian couldn’t make herself move. Her eyes flickered back and forth between the two guys, who were half-blind from laughter and half staring at her nightgown.

  “Lillian, I didn’t know you owned—”

  “Don’t even go there!” she warned.

  Andrew snorted.

  Cayden’s e
yes rested on her chest. “I mean, not complaining or anything, Lil.”

  “You’re more than welcome to join us for exercises!”

  “Hey, man,” Cayden’s voice deepened, turning to look at Andrew intensely. “Quit staring at my girl.”

  “It’s hard not to.”

  The humor in Cayden’s eyes was obvious, but there was still a hint of seriousness. “Don’t make me kick you in the balls.”

  “Cripple me further, why don’t you?”

  “Is that a dare?”

  The adrenaline finally kicked in and Lillian sprinted down the hall to her room. “Hey, Lillian,” Andrew called, “could you make some breakfast in that get-up?”

  “Dude!” She heard Cayden boom, followed by some muffled banter. Feeling so embarrassed she was shaking, she collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes, focusing on taking deep breaths until she had recovered enough to put proper clothes on.

  At last she got the nerve to come out, and emerged back into the living room. The guys were finished with their fake arguing and were back to work on Andrew’s physical therapy. Cayden was deep into an explanation about how one of the stretches was good for the hamstring, but stopped when she sheepishly walked in.

  “Don’t even say anything.” She held a hand up at him. “I’m just going to make breakfast for us like the good woman I am.”

  “Don’t be sexist, Lillian,” Andrew said with a smirk. “You know I would make breakfast if I could.”

  “Then consider this a special gift from me to you.” She walked into the kitchen and absentmindedly gathered a smorgasbord of breakfast foods onto a couple of trays. Her mind would not leave the nightgown incident; she was mildly obsessing over it, but the humor of it all was setting in. As she waited for the coffee to brew, she thought about what it looked like from a third-person point of view and giggled to herself quietly. Amelia would have found it hilarious. That’s like something out of a sitcom! she would have laughed.

  Balancing one tray on each arm, she carried breakfast and coffee into the living room. Cayden stood and took one from her, setting it down gently on the coffee table. He and Andrew, too preoccupied by the food to make any more jokes about what had happened, thanked her and dug in.