Beneath Your Beauty Read online

  “This is beautiful,” I complimented.

  Kayden scanned the area with lazy eyes. “Yeah,” she drew out and smiled, her face clearly showing how much she loved her backyard.

  Neither of us had realized that it was close to lunchtime, so Kayden offered to put a little something together. After I poured two glasses of iced tea and Kayden fixed a plate of fruit, pepperoni, and cheese, we went back outside and sat on the deck. Both of us sat in silence while we dug into the food. I glanced over at her every now and again. Even the way she chewed was sexy.

  Since when did chewing become sexy? Sexy chewing? Goddamn, this woman is turning me inside out.

  Kayden eyes were focused on the tree when she said, “Mary is my sister. Well…she’s my dead sister.”

  I didn’t say, question, or comment on anything. I let her tell me her story. In a somber voice, she told me how Mary had started skipping school, begun drinking, and then taken drugs. She’d stolen money from her family, and when she had been caught, she’d then started sleeping around for drugs.

  She became animated when she spoke of her mom and Aunt Sally and how they were always hanging out at the biker bar where they both now worked. She would get a kick out of seeing her mom wipe tables around a crowd of big biker guys. Kayden was thrilled that her mom was happy.

  When Kayden went on to tell me about Jeff and Dalton, all-out mother pride came forward. Furthermore, I sensed a warmth for two boys I hadn’t even met. There I was, sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to hear if they had both gotten into Georgia Tech. That was how much she was pulling me into her story.

  It was her story to tell—her life and what she had and had not accomplished—and I felt every emotion of every part of her layer she was exposing. This fact played with me and confused me, but I didn’t harp on it. I let it flow through me, and I enjoyed the fuckin’ ride. I didn’t know the last time I’d listened to someone talk for almost two hours. When Kayden spoke though, it seemed like only minutes had passed.

  After she ended with what had led her to Ecstasy Pictures, she yawned.

  I put my hand out to her. “Let’s go lie down,” I said softly.

  She looked at my hand and then up at me. “Okay,” she replied in a sleepy whisper.

  My hand enclosed around Kayden’s while my other took the plate that had only a few pieces of cheese left on it. As soon as we entered the kitchen, I placed the dish on the counter.

  I looked at her for direction. “Bedroom?”

  “This way.” She pulled my hand.

  We walked through the living room and down a hallway. At the end, she opened a door to a bedroom colored in shades of mocha and lavender. The curtains were drawn, and I only focused on Kayden, not the décor. She kicked off her sneakers and climbed up on the high bed. I did the same and settled in behind her. I wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her chest. I squeezed, and she let out a deep breath.

  “Why are you here?” she asked quietly.

  I turned her in my arms, and her sleepy eyes came to mine.

  I tapped her head gently. “I’ve seen and heard what’s in here.” I placed that same finger on her lips. “I’ve tasted here.” My hand moved down her body, and I palmed her breast. “I’ve been here.”

  Kayden gasped when I gently squeezed her breast before I let it go. My fingers traveled down over her stomach to land between her legs, and I cupped her sex. She whimpered and pushed into my hand.

  A deep groan rumbled from my chest. “I’ve been in here, and with as much sweetness that oozes from every place, I am not fuckin’ letting you go, Princess.”

  Kayden

  I slowly stirred, hearing a faint ringing in the distance. The warm, hard body pressed against my back, and the arm across my belly, triggered my eyes to pop open. The ringing started again. I reached over, and the arm wrapped around my stomach tightened. The light snore and deep breathing told me he was still asleep. When I reached again, I was successful.

  I hit talk, tapped the speaker button, and answered in a sleepy whisper. “Hello?”

  “Kay, what are ya doing? Sleeping?” Hunter questioned.

  I blinked a few times to clear the sleep fog. “Um…yeah, I guess I fell asleep.”

  “You feel okay?” Hunter asked, concerned.

  I tried to slide out of Steele’s grasp, but I didn’t succeed as his arm constricted around me again. “Yeah, I’m feeling fine. I was just tired. What time is it?”

  “It’s six fifteen. I ordered your favorite pizza—black olives and mushrooms with extra sauce. You gonna come down and hang out?” Hunter asked. Just when I was going to say no, he continued, “Jake’s here, and he’s been asking about you.”

  Steele’s arm tensed around me, producing a slight bit of discomfort. Then, he rumbled in a sleepy voice, “We’ll be there in ten.”

  This caused a belly roll of pleasure. I wasn’t sure why it did, but I ignored it.

  “Who the fuck was that?” Hunter growled in his big-brother tone.

  My body went stiff.

  Steele spoke once more, “Kayden’s boyfriend.” Without moving from behind me, he told Hunter, “See you in ten.”

  He pried the phone from my stiff fingers, and pressed End. Then threw it toward the end of the bed, and he nuzzled his face into the side of my neck.

  I didn’t know what to do or say. I was trying to quickly process what had just happened, but with a sleep-fogged brain, it wasn’t working.

  “How was your nap, Princess?” Steele whispered in my ear.

  His hot breath, the smooth whisper of his deep voice, and the warmth of his body initiated another belly roll—a really good one—and I tried to disregard it. It’d been way too long since I had a man pressed up against my back, and this was causing me not to think straight. I wanted so badly to put all this in the ignore file I so neatly had tucked in the back of my head. Along with the contents of the look that had flashed over Steele’s face earlier, when we were with Marco.

  “Boyfriend?” I inquired.

  Steele nestled closer, if that were even possible, and his arms went super snug yet again. “Yes, I told you that I wasn’t letting you go, and I’m not. Plus, we’re in this Marco bullshit together, sweetheart.”

  For these few moments of trying to process what was going on with Steele and me, I’d forgotten all about the Marco shit.

  Crap.

  “Steele—”

  “Shut it, Kay,” he demanded quietly.

  I tried again, “Steele, we need—”

  That was all I got out before he turned me to face him. With his eyes intense and his lips in a firm line, he stared at me.

  “Steele-” I said softly.

  He warned, “Shut it, Princess.”

  Just when I was about to protest, his face dipped close. With his lips lightly touching mine, he informed me, “You’re the first girl I’ve ever actually gone to sleep with and woken up with wrapped in my arms. I like it—a lot. Do you have any idea what that means to me?”

  I watched that look pass over his face again. It was the same one I’d seen in the meeting with Marco.

  Hurt?

  No.

  Anger?

  No.

  Sadness?

  No.

  As those stunning blue eyes seized mine, it hit me.

  Want.

  Steele wanted me.

  Me.

  I took a deep breath to speak, but Steele cut me off before I could get there.

  “Since your pretty little head is trying to process this—”

  I opened my mouth.

  “Don’t.” He put a finger to my lips. “I can see it, so don’t try to lie to me, Princess.”

  When did he develop the ability to read my thoughts?

  Steele’s face relaxed, and his eyes went soft. “It means a lot to me, Kayden, and a whole fuckin’ lot because it’s you wrapped in my arms.” He kissed the tip of my nose and whispered, “And don’t tell me you don’t feel it.”


  This perception I couldn’t file away. It wasn’t because his hot, solid body was pressed into me with the evidence of his excitement pushing against my thigh while his gorgeous face was a centimeter from mine. No, that wasn’t it. It was because he was right. I could feel it. I didn’t want to, but, God, did I feel it.

  I blinked up at him as my mouth opened, but nothing came out. I was not able to find the right words.

  “That’s what I thought,” was all he said before his mouth touched mine, and his tongue slid in.

  A soft, slow kiss quickly turned into a heated one of tangled tongues. Hands started roughly caressing, and grunts and moans filled the silent room. With Steele’s tongue deep in my mouth, his strong hands stroked my body. I put everything in the file and heaved it into the corner of my head for another time.

  Steele’s leg came between mine, and I shamelessly parted them. He pressed his knee against my core and I whimpered. A hand slowly moved up my thigh to my hip and then went under my shirt. His fingers began to lightly draw a circle around my belly button and a shiver of excitement came over me. He growled into my mouth when my nails dug into his biceps. His mouth moved from mine, and his tongue followed a path down my jaw. The hand under my shirt cupped my breast. I groaned, and he lightly bit the side of my neck.

  With my body on fire, my clouded brain got caught up in Steele. My hands found the bottom of his shirt and went under it. The smooth, muscular stomach under my fingers caused a moan to escape me.

  He kissed right below my ear, and then his husky voice whispered, “Damn, baby, you feel so good.”

  Another whimper erupted from my wanting body.

  Shit…

  With his hands and mouth on me, I was turning into a lust-filled girl. It was one thing in front of the camera. I could have blamed all my moans and whimpers on putting on a show. But, now, I had nothing to blame but my needy self.

  His fingers pulled the cup of my bra down, and his thumb flicked my hard nipple before he removed his hand. In a split second, my shirt was gone, and so was his. His tongue was back in my mouth, and his hand back at my breast. His thumb and index finger began firmly rolling my nipple, and I moaned down his throat. He ended the kiss with a few soft swipes of his lips on mine, and moved down my neck, where he licked my collarbone then descended to my bare breast. Once his hot mouth latched on to my hardened peak, I couldn’t hold back.

  “Oh God…” I cried, arching my back.

  I felt his lips curve into a smile. A flush of embarrassment transferred through me. He lifted my back with one hand and unclasped my bra in record time.

  My hands went to my face. I couldn’t believe what I was doing.

  This isn’t me.

  Steele’s mouth left my breast. Then the heat of his breath caressed the backs of my hands.

  “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

  I shook my head.

  He kissed both hands covering my face. “You need to tell me what’s going on.”

  I shook my head again. I wasn’t used to this. I’d never really had this. Well, I had, but I was younger, and I hadn’t had a care in the world. Now, I had two boys in college, a drug dealer after my ass, and a porn star lying in my bed.

  How in the hell did I get here?

  Two weeks ago, I had been baking cookies for a little boy’s bar mitzvah. This week, I’d done a scene for an X-rated movie and paid a drug dealer.

  I’m going to hell.

  “I can’t do this,” I murmured behind my hands.

  “Do what?”

  I removed my hands. His blue eyes gazed into mine. I hated when he held me with his eyes as if I were the only girl he’d ever seen. It did too many things to my girlie parts, and I couldn’t think straight.

  I closed my eyes and whispered, “Please don’t look at me.”

  Steele chuckled and buried his face in my neck. “Better?”

  “Oh, yeah,” I said sarcastically.

  He kissed my neck, and then shifted his weight to one arm. This produced friction between our bare chests. That was not good.

  I overlooked all body-related contact and all the freaking pleasure surging through my body. With his eyes gazing into mine, I spoke. “We cannot be together, Steele. You’re a porn star and I’m a baker. I live in Florida, you live in California, and that’s like a million miles away.” I tossed my arm out to my side stressing my point. “This isn’t me. I’m a plain Jane that bakes, watches girly movies, and reads. Oh, yeah, did I forget to mention.” My voice rose and I screeched. “You’re a freaking porn star!”

  Steele angled up, and his arms came around me as he brought me up with him. His back was to the headboard, and I was sitting astride him.

  “We can do this. You can do this.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. I put my hands to his chest and my eyes drifted down to watch my fingers flexed on him. It was another, not so good move.

  Shit, I can’t keep my hands off him.

  “Kay, look at me.”

  I lifted my eyes, and his intense stare melted something in me.

  Crap.

  “We can do this. If you think I’m gonna leave you here to deal with Marco on your own, you’re dead wrong, Princess. I’ve already sent an email off to my agent, saying I wasn’t coming back for another two weeks.”

  My eyes went wide and I breathed, “What?”

  “Yeah.” He smiled.

  That was when I lost it. “You cannot stay here for two weeks,” I stated irately. I kept on going quite loudly, “You are not my boyfriend, and I can deal with Marco myself. I am not going to let you treat me like a child, and I’m sure as hell not going to let you tell me what I’m going to do.” I finished with a huff, and I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Ha! I told him.

  I watched as the fire building in Steele, filled his cool, crystal blue eyes.

  Oh shit.

  Just before he was about to open his mouth, a key jingling in the front door sounded. Both our heads swung to the bedroom door.

  “Hunter,” I whispered as I tried to reach for my shirt.

  I was not successful as his footsteps down the hallway grew closer, and Steele enclosed his arms around my back and held me tight to his chest.

  I started to squirm. “My—”

  Then, Hunter’s and Spencer’s voices filled my bedroom.

  Hunter began, “What in the fuck?”

  “Hey, guys.” I returned in a calm voice as if I wasn’t sitting half naked on a man.

  Spencer gasped. Then, Spencer being Spencer, he totally embarrassed me when he fangirled. “Holy shit! Oh my God!” He pointed a finger at Steele.

  Hunter cocked his head, looking at Spencer as if he’d lost his mind.

  “Holy fuck! You’re Steele Waters, the porn star,” Spencer squealed like a little girl.

  Hunter’s angry eyes came to mine.

  Steele quietly said, “Fuck.”

  And I froze.

  Kayden

  There were times in life—and I’d had many—when I wanted to seep into the cracks of the floor. And this was one of those moments. The only problem was, I was straddling Steele, so naturally, my feet were not on the floor. But I wouldn’t have minded melting into the mattress and becoming one with my bed.

  Hunter was gawking at us as if he’d just caught his only daughter naked in bed. Then, Spencer was bouncing on his heels as if he’d just met his hero. I was dumbstruck, and Steele appeared to be as cool as a cucumber.

  “Dude, you’re my idol,” Spencer said in awe.

  My thoughts were confirmed, and I let out an exaggerated puff of air. This was becoming way too awkward, and I’d had enough. “Could you both please leave?” I asked in a snippy tone.

  Hunter crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the doorframe. Apparently, he was not moving, and his eyes bored into both of us.

  Steele took in Hunter’s stance and decided it was his turn to ask them to leave. “Guys, can you give Kayden and me a minute?” he asked in a fi
rm tone.

  His request worked.

  Hunter grumbled, “I’ll be in the living room.” He pulled Spencer down the hall with him. As they disappeared we heard, Spencer excitedly talking. “Shit man, Kayden’s fucking Steele Waters.”

  Hunter groused, “I know, dickhead.”

  As I was trying to unscramble my brain to process this, Steele twisted and lifted us off the bed. I had no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist. Arms still latched around his broad shoulders, I hung on. Steele took four long strides to the door and slammed it shut.

  Before I knew it, my back was against the cold white wooden door, and his mouth was on mine. Even with all that had just happened, I automatically melted into the kiss.

  My body couldn’t seem to say no to Steele even if my brain screamed, No, no, no!

  His kiss was slow and gentle with his tongue exploring my mouth as if we had all the time in the world. Clearly, Steele didn’t care that we had company. I, on the other hand, was freaking out. He lifted his mouth from mine, but not before placing sweet little kisses on my swollen lips.

  Steele’s forehead rested on mine as he questioned, “You wanna tell me about your…male friends?” The term male friends came out between clenched teeth.

  This somewhat pissed me off, but it also turned me on. My stomach flipped.

  Damn female hormones.

  My breathing still slightly heavy, I answered, “First off, you just came into my life a day ago—”

  Steele spoke over me, “And I plan on staying in it.”

  “Quiet. It’s my turn to talk.” My pissed off tone caused his lips to twitch, fighting back a smile.

  He shifted us, and his erection grazed against my core.

  I held in my moan. “Can you put me down, so I can get my bra and shirt on?”

  He smirked. “No.”

  “No?” I returned with a snap of my head.