He climbed off the bed and held out his hand to me. “We have to get out of here. If we don’t, I won’t be able to stop myself.”
He’s right.My body felt like it was at the point of no return, but I knew what he was saying was true. If we went any further, if I let him fuck me now, we’d probably never leave his apartment.
I rearranged my clothing and pulled my underwear back into place. “Okay,” I said, but I felt rejected and it stung.
He helped me off the bed before I smoothed the wrinkles out of my clothes. I was at a loss for words as we walked out of the bedroom. In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten about the guy sitting just a few feet away. My cheeks heated, and I started to sweat, feeling his eyes on me as we walked out the front door.
As soon as we stepped outside, Kayden placed his lips on my cheek, pulling me closer. “I can’t wait to show you the beauty of New Orleans.”
From this moment on, my life would never be the same.
My fate was sealed.
I thought I’d liked him before, but now…I knew it for sure.
Kayden Michaels had my heart.
8
Sophia
New Orleans
DANGER was staringme in the face—the same sign that Kayden sent in a photo during his tour of the city. My mind was consumed by a haze of lust and disbelief after what had just happened in his bedroom.
Kayden had had his mouth all over my body less than thirty minutes ago, and I didn’t want it to end. I couldn’t stop thinking about his rock-hard cock and the pleasure I felt from his mouth and large hands.
Kayden leaned against the wrought-iron fence separating the street from the streetcar platform, pulling me against his body, and my body complied with his not so subtle coaxing. My head lolled back and rested on his shoulder.
I couldn’t stop staring at the sign, even though I knew it wasn’t meant for me. Should I heed the warning? Kayden had already pushed me beyond my comfort zone within ten minutes of being in his presence.Am I out of my league with this man?My thoughts were interrupted when his lips brushed against my temple, and his thumb caressed my arm. The gesture was filled with love and adoration, and it took my breath away. I closed my eyes and became consumed in the feeling of his skin upon mine. I jumped when the streetcar whistle sounded to alert the waiting crowd of its nearness.
I turned my body, wrapped my arms around his neck, and stared into his eyes. I was mesmerized by the color and depth. The green center was trimmed in a brassy brown hue, resembling a turbulent ocean during a storm, and I was drowning in them.
“You told me your eyes were brown,” he said, “but they’re filled with gold and green flecks in the sunshine.”
“No one has ever noticed that about my eyes before.” I was in shock that he noticed the complexity in my eyes as I had with his.
“I want to know all of you…every spot on your body,” he said.
I swallowed hard, and my mouth became dry as the words flowed through my ears and permeated my thoughts. I got lost in the possibilities that his statement held.
“Come on, babe. The streetcar is here,” he said as he maneuvered my body toward the red and yellow streetcar.
The streetcar was crowded, but we found an open bench in the back. The wooden seats were small and caused every inch of our sides to touch. His hand rested on my knee as he turned his body to look out the window. As the car glided down the tracks, Kayden pointed out city landmarks and told me stories about the Big Easy. The street was lined with long and thin shotgun homes in all the colors of the rainbow. Beads leftover from Mardi Gras clung to the electrical lines like a jeweled necklace decorating Canal Street.
Kayden’s touch never broke from my body. He touched every inch of my uncovered flesh as the car shook and lurched to our final destination—there was electricity between us. The car stopped abruptly and brought me back to reality.
“This is us,” he said as he stood and held out his hand for me.
I rested my fingers in his palms as he helped me stand. He secured me under his arm as we started to walk down the busy street. The people of New Orleans were as colorful as the buildings.
“There’s Bourbon Street,” he said, pointing across the street.
My eyes followed his finger to a long, narrow street filled with people. I had heard about the decadence that can be found in New Orleans, but nothing prepared me for what awaited. My eyes grew wide as my feet touched the edge of Bourbon Street.
The street was lined with burlesque shows and clubs, and girls stood in the doorways dressed in thongs and pasties. Their bodies convulsed rhythmically up and down the doorway, trying to tantalize the crowd to attend the show inside, and everyone was vying for business.
Kayden squeezed my hand as he studied my face.
