We've Met Before

14 - June Sixth

KAIA

    Cade and I were on the beach when Gabby and Gale showed up out of no where. Apparently they're staying for a bit in Florida too, and asked if we could keep them company.
    I've known Gabby for about a year now, and she's really sweet. She's definitely not the sort of friend I would've made on my own, but I'm glad I met her along with Jane and Jennifer.
    The four of us are at a beachside restaurant, all huddled in a small, light blue, booth. This place is straight out a movie.
    The structure looks like it was constructed of loosely nailed wood planks. You can see the small bits of sand that are rising from the weary floorboards, and the tangled fishing nets that stow away near the wall.
    I'm snapped out my trance by Gale, Gabby's boyfriend.
    "Cade, you play football right?" He asks, as if he doesn't already know the answer. If you know anything about football, then you know Cade Steele.
    "Yes, I'm the quarterback," He responds smoothly. He takes a sip of the tea he ordered and sets it down forcefully.
    Cade doesn't like being silently challenged. He doesn't like losing control in any situation, which is why I can infer right now that he took Gale's question as a challenge.
     I take my hand and place it on his forearm, he turns to look at me and I mouth 'no.' He purses his lips and rolls his eyes, a roll just small enough for only me to see.
    "Gale plays baseball, he's so athletic!" Gabby gushes, staring at Gale like he's god's gift to women. She's perkier than usual.
    Louder, girlier, maybe even happier.
    She tends to be very enthusiastic all the time. She wakes up and she's ready for anything and everything the world may throw at her. I've observed her relationship with Gale and she seems more at ease when she's around.
     She seems more herself. She's un afraid of being too loud, or too happy, or too glad.
    Gabby is Gabby, when Gale is around.
    Gale smiles at Gabby's comment and kisses the top of her head, holding her hand between his. You can see the visible flush on her cheeks and even I start to smile.
    Young love.
    Cade notices my admiration and places a hand on my naked thigh. He grazes his thumb back and forth against my skin.
    I don't know when Cade and I established this sort of relationship, but I don't think I mind. I've known Cade since I was a baby, since before I learned to walk. He feels so natural, and this feels so natural. He makes me feel alive. He makes me feel like everyday is a new experience. I gallant in the feeling of his sun, of his warmth.
    We continue lightly talking, conversing about school. Cade's ego is elated by Gale's constant questioning on football. Gale is unsurprisingly, a Cade Steele groupie. I've never seen someone be so fascinated with someone they haven't actually met until now.
——
I latch onto Cade's arm, enjoying the small boughs of physical touch we have. He'll play with my fingers, or trail circles around my arm.
Gale and Gabby walk closely behind us, all of us walking towards the beach shore. The sand is cooler now that it's evening, and the sun is beginning to set. Everything is less intense, everything is cooler.
I separate myself from Cade and start to unravel my towel. Gale immediately walks towards me, helping me lay out my towel. He smiles at me, grazing my hands as he takes the towel out of my hands. He props it down and pats it, insinuating me to take a seat.
I do.
Cade lays down beside me, placing his head on my lap. He glares at Gale until he finally stares to look up on me. I give him a short smile before mouthing 'what' at him. He shrugs and continues looking out into the sea.
    Gabby unravels her own towel, placing it down into the sand. She looks expectantly at Gale but he doesn't budge. He stands behind Cade and I, his hands on his hips as he just looks out onto the ocean.
    "Gale, come sit down!" Gabby exclaims, tapping the space beside her.
    Gale gives her a curt smile. "I might head back babe, sorry." He walks towards her and plants a quick kiss on her cheek. Gabby is left shocked, and quite frankly she seems even a bit hurt.
    I give her a sympathetic smile before speaking, "Let's go in the water."
    I don't wait for a response from her. I look at Cade and he understandingly nods before lifting his body up from mine. I grab ahold of Gabby's arm and haul her towards the ocean. She laughs wildly as I manage to playfully shove her into the sea. Her brown hair floats above the water, scattered among all the shaken sand. She splashes me with water and I yelp, tumbling backwards into the water. Our clothes are now drenched and my mouth tastes of salt, but she's smiling, laughing—and it isn't because of some jerk who didn't spend the evening with her on the beach.
——
    Gabby and I are laughing down the halls of the hotel, making jokes about how funny Cade walks.
    "Hey Kaia, look I'm Cade." Gabby walks in front of Cade and I, sauntering with her chest out and giggling.
    I let out a large cackle and Cade rolls his eyes.
    "I don't walk like that," he pouts.
    I reach up to ruffle his hair, at the same time he bends down so I can reach it. He scrunched his nose ever so slightly and I feel a blush creep on my cheeks.
    I let go of his tousled hair and see Gabby watching our interaction. A ghost of a smile whispers against her lips before she stops in front of a hotel room.
    "Um, this is my room! Thanks for today, it was really fun! I'll text you so we can hang out again." She opens the door quickly and musters inside before I can even say goodbye to her.
    Cade shrugs and turns on his heel, unaffected by her sudden departure. I jog to catch up with his large strides and we both head back to our floor.
——
    I took a shower as soon I arrived, having to scrub out all the sand that snuck into my scalp and ears. Cade and I are laying next to each other. I'm reading a book, while he's indulging in his own guilty pleasure, listening to me read out loud.
    Cade has always been notoriously bad at reading, but I've never minded. It's allowed to me to read to him. He's propped against four pillows, sitting silently as I read Looking For Alaska.
    "So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane." I say, holding the book over me.
    "You're like a hurricane," he whispers. I pause and turn towards him, arching my neck to see him stare at the wall in front of him. His fingers are playing with my blonde hair but he's not looking at me.
    "Me? I don't think so. If anything, I think I'd be the drizzle, Cade," I laugh, sighing slightly at the end.
    "No, you're a hurricane. I think I've just managed to stay in the eye."
    I have no response to his comment, no questions, nothing. I stay silent, staring at the pages in front of me. I tend to do that a lot don't I? Stay silent?
    "You have so much force and life in you. I admire you, you know that?" He's shifted now to face me, and I cower behind my book. "You're so resilient."
    "Can you order me a crème brûlée?" I mumble.
    My silence is usually willing, but right now —words have been stripped out of my tongue, thoughts have been pulled out of my head and thrown away on the other side of the globe. I can't formulate anything in response to him, but weirdly I don't think he said it to receive a response in the first place.
    "As you wish sunshine, let me just figure out what the number is for front desk." He props himself up on his elbow, reaching for the hotel menu. His muscles taut at the action and I suddenly wish to sink inside a hole. 
    If only I didn't get so visibly flustered.
    He stares at the menu for a couple of minutes, his eyebrows furrowing as he curses under his breath. He hands me the menu. "Can you read me the number. I'm sorry I just can't." He falls back against the pillow with a huff.
    He's frustrated.
    I absentmindedly reach a hand towards his hair, rustling his fingers against his blonde locks. His blue eyes close at the gesture and I begin reading the number outloud.
    He types it into the desk-phone and he starts talking. "Hello?... Yes, Can I have a crème brûlée and a bowl of strawberries?... Room 904... thank you!" He places the phone back against it's handle and braces an arm around my waist. He pulls me towards him, groaning at the feeling. My arms swing around his neck and my head is flat against his chest.
    "Since when do you like crème brûlée?" He whispers in my ear.
    I've actually never tried crème brûlée. I think I was too flustered to think of anything else to say.
    "Since always."
     I feel him smile against my hair and I melt into him.
——
    There's a knock on the door and a shirtless Cade stands up to open it. A young hotel worker appears on the other side of the door, hauling a small cart with two plates on top. Her lips part as she sees Cade. I can see her face redden, and her hands reach her hair. She hassles with her red hair for a few seconds, fixing it, and shoving it behind her ears haphazardly.
    Nice try.
    I stand up in my towel and walk towards him. I attach myself onto his arm and smile at her. The sweetest smile I can possibly muster.
    It would be bad luck if I knocked over her stupid cart.
    She notices me and offers me a smile back.
    "Is this all you ordered sir?" She asks, fluttering her eyelashes wildly.
    "Yes, thank you." He says mindlessly, paying no attention whatsoever to the oh-so smitten girl in front of him.
    She grins. "If you need anything," she pauses —taking a small notepad out from her uniform and scribbling down something on it, "Here's my number. Feel free to ask for anything."
    I feel my blood boil.
    212°.
    I'll tear her apart.
    Limb.
    By.
    Limb.
    I let go of Cade's arm and take the small note she handed to him. I crumble it between my hands and throw it back at her face.
    "That won't be necessary! Thank you! Have a wonderful night." I push the cart into our room and slam the door in her face.
    Cade smiles at me.
    I roll my eyes at him, suddenly irritated at him.
    "What?"
    He shrugs. "What what?"
    I tighten the towel around me and plop down on the bed, wrapping another layer of blanket on top of me. I turn on my side, and face away from him.
    He grabs my hip and turns me back around. He places one palm on either side of my face, dangling above me. His chain hangs on my lips, the cold metal chilling me.
    "How hot do you feel right now?" He asks, his voice husky.
    I frown. "You should've done something yourself to stop her. I'm not your knight in shining armor."
   "Stop what? What exactly was happening Sunshine?" He lowers himself slightly, his tricep and biceps growing as he uses more and more strength to keep himself above me.
    "She was very obviously flirting with you jackass." I spit back, sitting up slightly. If he wants to play, then let's fucking play. The blanket lowers down my body and the only thing between us is my towel.
    He lowers himself impossibly closer to me. His chain falls down between my breasts. He takes a look at my tits, his eyes lingering down my body —the body he could conveniently grab ahold of any second now.
    And worst of all, something I wouldn't object to.
   "Flirting? Didn't care enough to notice," He whispers. His hand falls to the hem of the towel near my thighs, lifting slightly. A tingle simmer all along me, deepening into my skin, hunting my dirty thoughts. I bite my lip from the feeling. My breath quickens and my head lightens.
    "How far do you want me to go?" He asks, stopping his hand.
    Keep going. "Do your worst."
    He smiles. A show-stopping, Cade Steele kinda smile. The sort of smile that had the hotel worker mesmerized. The same smile that has me under him, aching for him.
    Maybe I'm playing a game I shouldn't be playing. I said I wanted to play, but frankly I've always watched the game from the sidelines. I've owned a friendship with Cade, but never anything like this.
    I've never had anything like this at all.
   Nobody's ever wanted me like this.
   I've lived off second-hand stories, and hand-me down experiences. I've tasted this desire through the mouths of others.
    Cade's fingers trail my towel up my thighs excruciatingly slow, lowering his head down as his hands tread up. He stops at the inside of my knees. He leaves a small, delicate kiss on my left leg. His tongue wallows over my skin, leaving my mouth dry and wordless.
    "So soft," he whispers.
    He continues a path of kisses up the inside of my limb, biting down slightly once he reaches my inner thigh. A small yelp leaves my lips, a moan escaping my teeth near the end.
     I feel my heat pulsate when he brings his head down between my thighs. He looks at me for a few seconds, silently asking for permission.
    I nod breathlessly.
   "Words, Kaia," he orders, his eyebrow quirking up at me.
    I struggle to form a single syllable, my mind over reveling over the feeling of his lips so close to my cunt. "Continue," I breathe out.
    "Tell me what you want. Do you have any idea the things I could do to you?" he groans. A dangerous smirk graces his sculpted face. "I could fuck you seven different ways and I still wouldn't get enough of you."
    I gulp, swallowing the confidence I don't have. "I want you between my legs."
    He smiles.
    His perfect, white, crystal teeth shine even in the dim lighting. He brings a finger to my folds, parting them slightly before his mouth encompasses my clit and I let out gasp. My hips instinctively charge upwards from the stimulation.
He holds my hips down with force, continuing his rhythm. My hands extend out onto the sheets and I dig my nails into the linen fabrics. He moans into my warmth and the vibration tunnels through me and escapes through my lips. I emit a loud moan and he begins to smooth his tongue over me at a faster pace. His hand wanders farther up the towel. He takes one of my breasts through his hand, finding my nipple and tugging at it between his fingers. His hand continues to palm my breast, feeding further into the insatiable need I have to rapture while his mouth is on my heat. He brings an open palm to my breast and slaps it. The sting seethes into me and I let out a cry.
    Not one of anguish, but one of unadulterated pleasure.
    His other hand digs into the sides of my hips as I squirm around him, struggling to keep still. I feel my core tighten as he continues sucking and folding his tongue over my clit.
    I relinquish the sheets and I grasp onto his blonde hair. I tug at the strands and I hear a guttural moan exude from him.
    I hear him speak against me. "Come for me, Kaia."
    His command sends me over the edge as I release all the built up energy I've accumulated in the last seven minutes. I scream a moan and he raises his head, catching my lips amidst my noise. My lips clamp around his, my hands wandering over his hard chest. His chest is heaving, and his heart is pumping.
    "Can you taste how good you are?" He whispers against my mouth.
    "Mhmm," I groan, too breathless to give him a full response. I can taste the salty-sweet coating on his tongue. I'm able to acutely taste every single piece of myself on him, and I feel powerful.
    I can feel the beads of sweat collected on my forehead fall against my brow, lowering down onto my cheeks and hanging above my lips. Cade's tongue slips out of mine, exiting to lick the sweat off the top of my lip. He continues kissing me, clasping at different areas of my body.
    It's like he's memorizing every inch of me, every crevice, every corner and line of my body beneath him.
    "Tell me what else you want?" He asks, a mischievous glint running through his ocean eyes.
    "Wouldn't you like to know?" I whisper.
    I want him. I want all of him.
    But I don't think I'm ready for anything beyond today. I'm also growing tired. My eyes are closing in on themselves.
    If whatever this is, leaves you this exhausted then how exhausted does sex leave you?
    Cade notices my drooping eyelids and he releases my lips. He lays down beside me, draping an arm under my body —drawing me into him. I indulge and dig my head into his chest. I can hear his heart from this close. I can hear his panting breath.
    I can hear his whispers.
    "Too beautiful for this world."
    I smile against him, and for the first time...
   I don't have trouble believing him.