Page 52 of Paradise in Progress
Nibbling on my bottom lip, I start to crawl into my bed. As I stand on my knees, facing him, a brazen feeling rushes over me, and I reach behind me and pull down the zipper holding my top in place. The material skims down my arms as my breasts bounce free. Tristan’s eyes widen and flare with desire.
“Stay with me tonight?” My question sounds meek, nowhere near the confident woman I was when I forced the man to crawl on his knees to me.
He nods, running a hand through his mussed hair. “I’ll stay with you, but we’re sleeping tonight, Ken. I’ve waited way too fucking long to have this, and I’m not fucking rushing it.”
His admission has my heart sputtering against my ribcage. How long has he been wanting this? Us?
Lying back on my bed, I pat the space next to me, a silent agreement that nothing more will happen. But after everything he’s arranged tonight, I need him next to me.
After stripping down to his boxers, Tristan slides under the covers and wraps his arm around my naked waist as he pulls me to him. Our heated skin meets, and we both let out matching sighs of contentment.
Tonight, I’m falling asleep wrapped in the arms of Prince Nelson, my enemy turned rival turned something much,muchmore.
Chapter twenty
Tristan
The golden glow ofa new day spills in from the open shutters that line Kennedy’s windows. Her gorgeous, naked body is tangled up in my legs as her head rests against my bare chest. For the past few minutes, I’ve been lying here like a creep as I watch the rise and fall of her chest as her soft snores fill the room. She’s breathtaking, which isn’t anything new for me to discover, but there’s something different about seeing her sleeping. Kennedy’s features are softened, and the worry lines have smoothed away, as she’s completely unguarded.
I knew her body was perfect. It’s evident in her outfits how hard she works to keep her physique, like everything else in her life, but seeing her naked…it was even better than I had imagined. Over the years, I’ve thought about Kennedy beneath me as I worshiped her body, and I’ve had my fair share of cold showers. Her passion in the office is sexy as fuck and turns me on in a way I never could have imagined. But getting a real glimpse of her, all of her, was better than any fantasy. The smattering of freckles across her creamy skin is perfect. Hell, even the tiny scar on the inside of her knee adds to her charm.
For so long, I’ve wanted to push her into telling me what I’ve done in my past to cause such pain in her eyes. I never could have imagined the truths she spilled last night. My privilege is clearly showing,because it never dawned on me how desperate she was to fit in. To find her place in a completely different world than what she grew up in. I’ve always had most of everything handed to me. I’ve never had to walk into a room where people didn’t know who I was. I’ve had the privilege of being a Nelson and, selfishly, I never realized the full extent of the meaning behind my name.
Then, there I was, constantly shitting on everything Kennedy worked so damn hard for. I would’ve hated me too—the pretentious golden boy who won everything and everyone.
Last night, I would’ve gladly gotten on my knees and begged for her forgiveness, but then sweet Kennedy uttered those three words.
Crawl to me.
And holy fuck. That was the hottest thing anyone has ever demanded from me. It wasn’t just the weight of those words; it was who said them. Her sexuality oozed from her, and I would have crawled the island just to see her eyes heat with the same desire that coursed through my body. Her innocence caught my attention, but it was her confidence that drew me to her.
Kennedy Reed is an anomaly. She never backs down from a challenge. Instead, she stands toe-to-toe with whomever is making her feel small. Her shoulders square up as if she’s preparing for battle. Her looks are definitely captivating, all that thick copper hair, but it’s her mind that makes her shine brighter than anyone else.
My cell phone ringing breaks the stillness in the quiet room, causing Kennedy to wake. She moves her head until her sleepy, green eyes snap to my face. I’m waiting for the moment when she freaks out about the two of us lying in bed together. But it never comes. Instead, a sheepishsmile spreads across her face as a slight blush creeps over her freckled cheeks.
“Morning, Firecracker.”
She snuggles in closer and turns her head away from me before mumbling against my chest. “Morning, Golden Boy.”
Ignoring my phone, I take time to properly wish her good morning. Slipping two fingers underneath her chin, I tilt her face up to mine. Her head shakes as she hastily covers her mouth with the hand that was resting on my thigh.
“Uh-uh,” she mumbles. “Morning breath.”
“Jesus, Kennedy.” I roll my eyes. “I was eating your pussy like a goddamn delicacy last night. Do you think I give a fuck about your morning breath?”
Her eyes widen with a flash of desire at the reminder. Taking advantage of her state of shock, I remove her hand and lean forward until my lips touch hers. Thick, swollen, and bruised from the night before. Heat swirls through my veins at our connection.
I hope Kennedy doesn’t plan on letting me go, because there’s no way in hell I’m letting her slip past me again.
She melts into my side as she deepens our kiss, fully embracing the connection. Trailing my fingers up her bare back, goosebumps erupt in my perusal, waking something else up beneath the sheets.
The blaring sound of my phone ringing again startles us. Kennedy jumps apart as if we are two teenagers being caught by their parents. Internally groaning, I reach over blindly and feel around until my fingers hit the cool surface of my phone. Bringing it to my face, ‘Dad’ flashes across the sheet.
It’s like a bucket of cold water splashes over us as Kennedy rolls out of my hold.
“Take it,” she says. Her legs escape the sheets as she slips from the bed. “I’ve got to get ready for work anyway.”
I know she’s right and we both need to get ready for work, but after last night, I wanted to steal a few more moments before she freaks out. There’s no doubt in my mind that Kennedy is going to have a mental spiral where she completely panics over her sleeping with her “enemy.”
