Page 35 of Silk Sheets

Staying seated, I smiled as I turned my entire body to face him— all while looking up at him through my eyelashes.

“Why can’t it just work that way forus?”

Temptation, yearning, irresistible lust sparked in his eyes as I got to my feet. I lifted my hand to place it on his chest but he grabbed my wrist to stop me. It wasn’t harsh, or hurtful, but it was definitely tight enough to let me know not to go any further.

“What’s the matter, I can’t touch you?” I stepped closer.

“Not without my permission.”

Footsteps entered the kitchen but before I could turn to see who had entered, Kaden wrapped his hand around my throat, forcing my eyes to stay on him.

“I’m not done speaking to you yet, Dakota.”

His grip was strong as he slightly tilted my face upwards, making me keep direct eye contact with him. It was the first time I could genuinely look into his eyes.

In contrast to his brooding personality and intimidating physical look, his eyes were a soft caramel brown.

“Ah,” I breathlessly smiled. “I’ve made it onto the list of right people, I see,” I humorously said. “I feel honored.”

His head slightly tilted to the right before he brought his lips mere inches from mine, making my heart race.

“Careful.” It was a definite warning. “You can get off it just as easily as you got on.”

I mustered up my last teeny tiny bit of courage and grinned. “Are we talking about the list or…”

A short beat passed before he used his finger to apply pressure to the pulse in my neck.

“Your heart is beating quite fast, pretty girl. Are you nervous? Afraid?”

Now, his words were teasing and I didn’t like it one bit. Because yes, I was a ball of nerves and worst of all, he did scare me.

“No,” I swallowed hard, lying straight through my teeth.

His frightening gaze stayed on me for a few more seconds before he moved his lips to my ear. “Let that be the last time you lie to me.”

Instantly— without a fiber of hesitation in my body, I nodded in understanding. “It won’t happen again.”

He lifted his head, eyes landing behind me before he spoke. “Lei è tutta tua.”

With those being his final words, he left the kitchen and I let out a huge sigh of relief, turning around to see Chase leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Well, he’s a fiery ball of sunshine,” I humorously said, grabbing my glass of water and drinking as much as possible. “And that was scary,” I added in a whisper.

“Kaden is harmless, Dakota,” Chase smiled as he approached me. He put his hand on my lower back, walking me out of the kitchen and toward the living room. The instant warmth of his touch brought my heart rate back down. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”

“Easy for you to say,” I murmured, bringing the glass to my lips.

He had me sit down on the couch and found his place right beside me, throwing his arm over the back of it.

“Aren’t you a little early for your tutoring session with Logan?”

I nodded, then hesitated. “Well, yeah, but I have a few questions aboutthe event.”

TEN

KADEN

“Dakota’s downstairs.”