Defy Fate (Fated Duet 1)

“You think you're so clever, huh, Mr. Easton?”

“No thinking about it.” He winked and stood. “I know I am.”

I shook my head, but couldn’t stop the laugh bubbling up. “You’re incorrigible.” I stared at his back as he rinsed off his plate in the sink and placed it into his dishwasher, and then stood to pass him mine.

“Using big words considering you’re hungover,” he said, his dark-blue eyes twinkling as they met mine.

“Are you not used to such words on a Saturday morning, Mr. Easton?”

He groaned and took my plate from me. “I hate when you call me that.”

Leaning against the counter next to him, I crossed my arms over my chest. “That’s your name, isn’t it?”

He didn’t answer me for several seconds. Instead, he kept loading the dishwasher, his large hands moving backward and forward. “Not to you,” he finally said, closing the dishwasher door and standing to his full height. “I’m always just Cade to you.”

His dark-blue eyes swirled with something…something I was sure I was imagining. “Cade,” I breathed out, suddenly aware of how close we were. “I…”

I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but he stepped forward. I had to dip my head back to be able to keep eye contact with him. “Aria,” he answered me, but that one word said so much more than merely my name.

I let my arms drop from my chest and pressed my back to the counter. He was erasing any distance between us, and part of me wanted to scream at him to stop, but the other part of me wanted him to never let there be any space ever again. He’d been back in town for a couple of months, and in that time, all my old feelings had resurfaced. But I’d realized what I felt back then was nothing compared to what was starting to swirl inside of me now.

“Why?” Cade asked, but I wasn’t sure he was talking to me as he continued, “Why do you make me feel like I’m losing my mind?”

I swallowed at his words, and my body drifted closer to him, already knowing what it wanted. His hand gripped my hip, his fingers whispering to the small portion of skin between my jeans and his T-shirt, and I moaned from the impact. My stomach dipped, and my body begged for more from him.

“I shouldn’t…” He trailed off, and my tongue swiped over my bottom lip on instinct as he dipped down, his face so close I could see every speck of green in his otherwise blue eyes. “But I can’t stop myself.”

Neither of us looked away, the seconds ticking by, and then he pressed his lips against mine. I wasn’t sure what to do at first. My body was frozen, my hands shaking. Cade was kissing me. His soft lips were against mine, and I… I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything.

He yanked himself away from me and took two giant steps back. “Shit, Aria.” He slapped his palm against the counter and pushed his other hand into his hair. “Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

His chest was heaving, but so was mine.

I’d been frozen, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know what I wanted.

* * *

CADE

I’d made a mistake. I’d done something I never should have. I’d crossed a line.

Fuck.

I paced the kitchen, feeling Aria’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t look at her. I’d taken it too far. I’d been lulled by a false sense of security and forgotten who I was, and I wasn’t sure what had tipped me over the edge. Maybe it was having her in my house all alone? Maybe it was because she slept in my bed last night?

Or maybe it was because she looked so goddamn hot in my T-shirt.

“Cade,” her soft voice called, but I shook my head and continued to pace. I’d been stupid, so fuckin’ stupid.

I pushed my hands into my hair and gripped it so much my scalp burned, but at least with the pain, I gained clarity. I never should have brought her back here last night, I shouldn’t have—

“Cade.” Her voice was firmer now, but also closer. “Look at me.”

I inhaled a deep breath and slowly turned to face her. She was so much smaller than me, delicate but resilient, and I’d taken advantage. “I’m sorry, Aria,” I said, collapsing onto one of the bar stools. I hung my head, unable to look at her. I’d always kept my emotions in check, but she had a way of making me lose myself.

“No,” Aria commanded. “I’m sorry.” Her small hand pushed through my hair, and she forced my head back. Her light-brown eyes didn’t move from mine, demanding all my attention. “I should have been clearer.”

“What—”