“Why did you say it?” She crossed her arms, folding up like a trapdoor.
I swallowed, tasting bitterness. “Because Alex kissed you. How could I stand by and watch that, when all I want is to be the one kissing you?” A possessive heat curled through my veins. I stepped closer. She retreated until her back hit the railing.
A shallow gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes widened. “Caiden…don’t say things like that.”
I let the words hang between us. “Why? Does it scare you?” I closed the gap until my chest pressed to hers, felt her tremble beneath my pulse.
She whispered, so fragile it gave me whiplash. “We can’t. It’s too risky. And…I’m scared to fall into it.”
My fingers drifted along her arm, trailing goosebumps in our wake. I leaned in, breath hot against her ear. “Stop thinking for once. Let yourself fall. I’ll catch you.”
She whimpered, and my resolve shattered. I claimed her mouth with mine, fierce and unrelenting. The sea spray whipped around us as she returned my kiss, her hands tangling in my hair. The waves roared like a chorus to our frantic rhythm.
I let my hands explore every curve I could reach, memorizing the swell of her waist, the dip of her ribs, refusing to break away. She tasted like longing and salt and something dangerously addictive. My lips trailed down her throat, sucking softly, my grip on her tightening.
She slid her hands over my shirt, fingers grazing bare skin, igniting electric shivers across my spine. I groaned against her pulse: “Amelia…I want you so fucking bad.”
Her name on my lips sent something clattering inside her. She pressed a hand to my chest, eyes glistening with desire and fear. “I…can’t.” Then she slipped from my arms, her retreat a knife twist in my gut.
“What the hell?” My voice cracked with shock and fury.
She backed away, tears shining on her lashes. “Caiden, I’m scared. It’s too much. I know what I said the other night, but I was drunk and sad.” Her voice broke on the last word, cheeks flushed.
I ran a hand through my hair, anger and heartbreak warring in my chest. She was right. Maybe this was madness. “Fine,” I spat, voice hollow. “I’ll fuck off. You do the same.”
I turned without another word, leaving her by the railing, silent tears mingling with the salt spray. Behind me, the sea thundered on, wild and free, our storm left to rage alone.
As I walked away, I felt that frightened little boy trailing my shadow, still weighed down by my father’s endless rejection.Trapped in my own tidal surge, I didn’t know how to find solid ground again.
14
AMELIA
Caiden’s kiss stilltingled on my lips. It was just as heated and passionate as when we were in Shane and Sabrina’s guest bedroom.
I was immersed in Caiden, and the terrifying part was that I liked it. The way Alex kissed me, it was nowhere close to how good the kiss felt with Caiden.
There were so many sparks igniting between us, like an inferno that had been waiting to flood over for a long time. A reckless thrill.
This wasn't just lust; it was something deeper that hummed beneath my skin, a secret symphony only we could hear.
The memory of Alex faded, a pale imitation of the incandescent heat Caiden ignited within me.
I was trying so hard to distract myself with Alex, to show Caiden I was not his to claim, but I was foolish to think that. I was putty in Caiden’s hands. The second he put his lips on mine, I forgot everything that I was holding onto.
I fell, and he caught me, just like he said.
But then he flew away and left me shattered, my wings now torn.
It was all my fault.
I should have known better than to play with fire. The intoxicating danger, the forbidden sweetness. It was a siren song, and I, a fool, had answered its call.
Now, the silence screamed louder than any argument ever could. The ashes of my defiance remained, a bitter reminder of my own weakness, a testament to Caiden's power.
And in the quiet aftermath, I was left to pick up the pieces of a heart he’d so carelessly crushed.
In front of me, the wild horses were breathtaking. But, I couldn’t enjoy the magic of it like I had hoped, with dark thoughts of Caiden swirling in my mind, haunting me in a tantalizing and aching way.
