Need You Tonight (12 page)

She let out a little squeak when he tugged at the elastic and pulled her panties down
over her ass. The skirt slid down to cover her bare skin as he worked her underwear
further down. They were stretched over her mid-thighs when a car turned onto the street.
Headlights flashed over them and she froze. She tried to reach for her panties, but
Kade captured her arms against her sides.

“They’ll see,” she whispered.

Kade lifted his head and brushed his mouth against hers. “They’ll see a guy with his
date. They can’t see anything else. I wouldn’t risk embarrassing you. It’s important
that you know that.”

Her gaze flicked up to his, questioning.

“I like pushing boundaries, Tessa. It’s how I’m built, and I think it’s what you crave,
too. But you have to trust that I have your back. I won’t do anything to embarrass
you or risk your safety.”

The gravity with which he made the declaration had her heart hammering against the
walls of her chest. He’d said he wanted to have kinky fun with her tonight, but she
really had no idea what that entailed. The definition of kinky was so broad and her
experience so slight, that she was getting the distinct impression she’d signed on
for something more than whip cream and fuzzy handcuffs.

But hell if she could find it in her to stop things here. Despite the warning bells
dinging a chorus in her head, she was wild with curiosity. What was this man about?
What put that dark glint in his eyes? And what in God’s name was he going to do to
her?

“I’m not so good with trust,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady as he ran
teasing fingers over the bottom curve of her ass.

“I don’t blame you. All I ask is that you try and let me show you I’m worthy of it.”

His hands roamed, and she closed her eyes, her body already revving for him to take
it further. Maybe they didn’t need to go out at all. She had a perfectly comfortable
bed right on the other side of the door. “I’ll try.”

“Let your panties fall to the ground, then.”

The command sent a zing of forbidden thrill through her, and she wiggled, working
her underwear down her legs as discreetly as possible. When they hit the floorboards
and she stepped out of them, Kade bent and swept them up with swift precision. He
tucked them in his pocket. “Very good.”

She drew her bottom lip between her teeth as the cool night air swirled up her dress
and kissed all the tender damp parts beneath. “Do you want to go inside?”

He took her hand and backed up a step, tugging her with him. “And ruin all the anticipation?
Of course not. I’m here to take you out.”

“But—” She glanced down at her fluttering skirt, feeling as if the whole world could
tell there was nothing beneath.

He brought his hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss to it. “Trust.”

She forced the knot in her throat down and nodded. “Okay.”

But as she followed him down the porch stairs and to his car, she knew he was asking
for more than she was capable of giving. She didn’t even trust herself. How could
she trust him?

ELEVEN

Kade gripped the steering wheel as he guided the car south, leaving the city behind
them. He should’ve been enjoying the car ride. He had a beautiful, panty-less woman
next to him. But Tessa had no idea how much anger was still bubbling in his veins.
He was sick with it. When he’d walked up to her and heard that disgusting excuse for
a human, Doug Barrett, talking to Tessa like she was some dog, Kade had wanted to
reach through the phone, grab the guy by his thick neck, and strangle him.

Even Barrett’s voice still made everything turn to icy rage inside him. He thought
he’d blocked that smarmy voice from his head, but as soon as Kade had put the phone
to his ear, he’d been transported back in time. He’d wanted to let everything he’d
ever wanted to say to Doug from all those years ago pour out. But this wasn’t about
the past. This was about protecting Tessa.

And there was no way he was going to stand by and let Doug tear her down like that.
Tessa had protested that it wasn’t really abuse.
Bull-fucking-shit
. Kade had experienced the wrath of words from his stepfather, that systematic breakdown
of every sense of your confidence and self-worth. That could damage more than fists.
Knowing that Tessa had shirked it off as “how Doug is” made Kade want to tie her down
and flog some sense into her. He recognized the irony of that urge, but it didn’t
prevent it from coming to the surface.

“Where are we going?” Tessa asked, breaking him from his stream of thought and reminding
him that he shouldn’t be thinking about anyone but her right now.

He glanced over at her, the orange of the streetlights streaking across her face as
they merged onto the highway. In the darkness of the car, he could almost see her
as she was all those years ago. Young. Lost. Surrounded by people but alone. Like
he’d been. Maybe they hadn’t changed as much as he’d thought. “Not too far.”

She turned back toward the window, the suburbs now blurring into the darkness. “I
grew up not far from here.”

Me, too.
But he couldn’t tell her that yet. “Is that what made you come back to Dallas after
the divorce?”

She peeked over at him with a small smile. “Yes and no. I came here because I knew
I could count on Sam to give me a place to crash for a while. And honestly, I was
a little freaked out at the thought of living alone. I’d never done that. But I didn’t
know if I would stay. I don’t have any family here or anything. But once I was back,
I felt . . . better. Like I was supposed to be here, so I eventually got my own place.
Sounds kind of ridiculous, right?”

“Nah, I think there’s always something comforting about the town where you grew up.
Even if the years you spent there weren’t the happiest ones, it’s like a place seeps
into your blood. I’ve seen some beautiful cities in the world, but nothing feels quite
like home.”

“So you grew up in Dallas, then?”

He pulled onto a barely there side road. If its location hadn’t been seared into his
muscle memory, he would’ve never been able to find it in the dark. “No, T-t-tess.
I grew up right outside it. Just like you.”

He gritted his teeth at the verbal tic. God, was driving down this road with Tessa
like driving back in time? First Doug, now this. Was all his old shit going to rise
up and take him under? But the way he stuttered
Tess
seemed to register with her, and she pulled in a breath. Her focus darted from his
face to the tree-choked dirt road. If she was harboring any fears about him being
a sociopath or something, now would be when she would freak out. Dark road. Alone
with some stranger. But instead she braced her hands on the dashboard and leaned forward,
squinting at the clearing in front of them as if to verify she was seeing it for real.

“Kade, how do you know about . . .” Even in the dark he could see her pulse thumping
hard at her throat. “
Kade.
”

She turned to him then, her gaze roving over him—every feature, every nuance. He could
almost hear it all snap into place for her, like elastic popping her memory into action.
He pulled the car into a spot between the trees and cut the engine, bracing for her
reaction.

“
Kaden
?” she whispered, so many emotions crossing her face he couldn’t pick a dominant one.

And at that simple question, all the confidence he carried around with him day to
day fell away. He felt awkward and tense and unsure. “Hey, Tess.”

1996

“Where the heck is this place? I seriously feel like we’re about to star in a teen
slasher movie,” Tessa said as branches started to poke at her from the open window.
She reached out to roll up the window.

Kaden grinned. “B-b-better hope you’re a v-v-virgin then. That’s the only ones who
survive crazed killers in the woods.”

Her jaw fell open and she shoved him in the arm. She could already feel the blush
heating her face. “Ohmigod, I cannot believe you just said that.”

He shrugged, but his grin remained in place leaving him looking as unapologetic as
possible. “What? I didn’t ask y-y-you if
you
were a virgin. Just reciting the rules of h-h-horror.”

She harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest, secretly enjoying that she and
Kaden had developed some weird sort of bond over the last few weeks where they could
talk about anything. Not being friends in “real life” seemed to open up the honesty
gates. “You know, you haven’t stuttered all afternoon. And now you start talking about
virginity and you’re all tongue-tied. You’re trying to tease me but making yourself
nervous, so joke’s on you.”

He glanced her way as he cut the engine. “And you’re beet red.”

“So.” She pulled her compact out of her purse and hurriedly dusted her nose with powder,
trying to cover up her flushed state.

“So, we’re even. And now I know I’ll be safe studying out here. Chainsaw guy will
go after you first. You’re prime bait and m-m-much prettier.”

She straightened at that and snapped her compact shut. “You did
not
just call me the sacrificial slut.”

He laughed as he pushed open his door and climbed out. She scrambled to follow him.
But by the time she got out of the car, he was already making his way to a little
cabin that sat at the edge of a clearing of trees. She hitched her book bag over her
shoulder and hurried to catch up.

“I’ll have you know, Mr. Jump to Conclusions, that I would be safe as a lamb in those
movies. Just because you think you know—”

He turned abruptly, surprising her and causing her to stumble into him. He grabbed
her arm, keeping her upright, and nailed her to the spot with his gaze. “
Good.
”

“What?”

“I’m glad you haven’t. That prick doesn’t deserve that from y-y-you. Wait for b-b-better.”

Her lips pressed together, and she shrugged her arm from his hold. “I hate when you
do that. You don’t even know him. If you did, you’d know that it was his decision
to wait because of his religion. He’s being a gentleman.”

Something hateful flashed through Kaden’s blue eyes, but instead of saying what he
was thinking, he turned away to head toward the cabin again.

“Oh, no, don’t hold back now, Kaden.” She stalked after him. “Say what you were about
to. I can take it.”

“No. It d-d-doesn’t matter.” He unlocked the big padlock that was securing the cabin
and shoved the door open with a loud creak. The rickety wood banged against the wall.

She followed him in, dropping her bag by the door and then kicking it closed behind
her. Dread was curling in her like smoke. She probably didn’t need to hear whatever
it was that he had to say, but she couldn’t stop herself from demanding to know. “Tell
me.”

He whirled around and tossed his school bag onto a worn brown leather couch. “If you
think Doug’s a gentleman, then he’s an even better liar than I thought.”

She crossed her arms, prepared to argue, but Kaden wasn’t finished.

“He’s feeding you a line of b-bullshit because it’s what you want to hear. You don’t
see past the preppy, golden boy mask. None of you do.
Oh, look he can throw a ball and drives a BMW and is soooo dreamy
,” he said, using a mocking girly voice. “I’m in the locker room with these dudes.
There’s nothing golden about any of them. You know what they talked about last week—including
your gentlemanly boyfriend? How many b-b-blow jobs they scored at Tyler Brogan’s house
party. Apparently, Delia Johnson from Harmoor High has the brightest and longest-lasting
lipstick. Hard to wash off.”

Everything inside Tessa went cold. She’d missed that party because her foster parents
gave her a ridiculous ten o’clock curfew. But Doug had said it had turned out to be
lame anyway. “It’s just talk. Doug’s friends—”

Kaden scoffed. “Right. His friends. He’s the knight in shining armor amongst all the
assholes he hangs around with. Sure. You g-g-go on believing that.”

“You don’t understand,” she said, hearing the feeble protest in her voice. “We haven’t
slept together because Doug’s been the one to keep things that way. I’ve never told
him no. If he wanted . . . any of that, he could’ve had it. From me.”

Kaden’s expression darkened, and he crossed the room. He stopped just short of her
personal space, pushing his too long hair behind his ears and looking down at her
with pleading eyes. “Don’t, Tess. There’s better out there. W-w-wait for that.”

Her throat constricted, an unfamiliar feeling welling in her. Usually when she looked
at Kaden, she had a number of urges—to cut his hair shorter, to put him in clothes
that didn’t make him look like such an outsider, to make him take a breath so he wouldn’t
stumble on his words. But right now, she had a hard time focusing on all the things
she wanted to change about him. In fact, in this moment, she kind of didn’t want to
change one single thing—particularly the way he was looking at her.

“Kaden . . .” It was all she could say. She couldn’t remember the rest of her intended
reply.

But saying his name broke the spell. He shook his head and turned away. “This is my
stepdad’s hunting cabin. He never uses it anymore, so no one will see us here. And
this will be quieter than trying to study with Gibson and my stepdad lurking around.
Get your chapter questions out for the next test. We should have an hour or so before
it gets too dark out here.”

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her ears. This was getting dangerous. She
wasn’t supposed to be thinking anything about Kaden or wishing that he hadn’t walked
away. He was the exact kind of guy she could never let herself be interested in. Her
foster dad would take one look at Kaden with his long hair and black clothes and declare
him a devil worshipper or something. But even knowing that, she couldn’t help the
next question that fell from her mouth. “Did you wait for someone special?”

The question was loud in the dead silent cabin. Kaden’s back was to her, but she didn’t
miss the way he stiffened. Finally, he sighed and sank onto the couch, his expression
resigned when he looked up. “We both know I’m going to be safe from serial k-k-killers
for a long time.”

“Kaden,” she said, frowning at his bitter tone and sitting in the chair across from
him. “You’re going to find—”

“D-d-don’t.” He moved his attention to pulling his books out of his bag. “Let’s not
play that game. We’re sitting in a cabin in the middle of the freaking woods because
you can’t even be seen with me in public without risking your sparkly Ms. Popularity
status getting revoked. No matter w-w-what I do, no one in that school will ever see
me as anything other than the former fat kid with the stuttering problem. That label’s
been applied with super glue and you know it.”

“It’s so stupid,” she said, twisting the silver promise ring Doug had given her round
and round on her finger. “No one looks past the surface. At my last school, I wasn’t
this
. It was a private school with kids from families with stupid wealth. I’m talking
the kind of money that would make Doug’s dad look middle class. All the cliques had
been together since nursery school. When people found out I was a foster kid, I was
viewed as the freak. Rumors went around that I’d been sexually abused. So, of course,
that got translated into everyone saying I must be easy because I had issues. The
family that was fostering me decided those rumors must be true since I started hanging
out with the smoking behind the bleachers crowd, and they ended my placement because
I was a bad influence on their younger children. Tessa McAllen, the very first virgin
slut at your service.”

He stared at her a little wide-eyed. “Seriously?”

She pulled her ponytail tighter, surprised she was even admitting all this. She’d
never told anyone about her life before here. “When I moved in with the Ericsons,
I decided to become someone totally different so I wouldn’t get moved again. They
wanted an obedient, church-going good girl. And so I am.”

“Even if that’s not who you really are?”

She shrugged. “I don’t even know what parts of me are real anymore. But life has been
a lot easier since I came here, so I don’t plan on going back to the other version.”

“The v-v-version that would’ve hung out with someone like me.”

She sighed at his snide tone. “I
am
hanging out with you.”

“No, Tess, I’m tutoring you while we hide from your friends. There’s a b-b-big difference.”

“You make me sound like such a shallow bitch.”

He lifted an eyebrow as if to say
if the shoe fits
.

“You just don’t get it. In a year, you’ll get to go to college where all this popularity
crap won’t matter.”

“And so will you.”

“No. I won’t. My grades aren’t strong enough to get a scholarship, and when I turn
eighteen, my time with the Ericsons is done. There is no college fund waiting for
me.”

A wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. “What do you mean your time is done?”

She pulled her legs onto the chair, tucking them underneath her. “They foster hard-to-place
older kids. As soon as I graduate, they’ll foster someone else. I’ll get a little
financial aid from the state, but not enough to manage anything more than community
college while working a full-time job.”