Chapter 14: True Colors

SLOAN

He kisses my forehead and pulls me back to his chest. I’m just about to close my eyes when there is a loud bang at the front door. I jump, but Kade holds me still.

“It’s okay. Do you want me to go check?” he asks.

They knock again, louder.

“I should go, it’s my apartment.”

Kade releases me, and I put a robe on and head for the door. After looking through the peephole, I see that it’s Archie; he looks like shit.

I unlock the door and open it slowly. “What are you doing here?” I yell.

“Sloan, please.”

“What do you want, Archie? You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

“Can I come in?”

I know that Kade can hear everything that is going on, so I let Archie in. “What? I feel like you’ve said enough.”

“You don’t understand. It’s been so much pressure, and I just got in my head. I know I’ve really fucked up, but Sloan, I love you.”

“Please, Archie, don’t say that. It’s a blatant lie.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because you haven’t loved me for a long time. The way you kissed that girl at the bar tonight, you haven’t kissed me like that ever—not at home, in private, and certainly not in public.”

“That’s just sex, Sloan.”

“Oh, my God, please, Archie, just leave.”

“I’m not leaving until you come to your senses,” he insists.

“I finally have. After letting you string me along with fake promises for years, I’ve come to my senses. We’re done.”

He walks me back to a wall and cages me in. “Sloan, if it’s sex you want, I’ll give it to you. I’ll give it to you right fucking now.”

“Stop!”

“Come on, that’s what this is all about, right?”

“Let me go, Archie, this isn’t what I want. I want you to leave.”

“That’s not how our story ends, Sloan. You’re going to stay with me, we’re going to get engaged, and I’m going to get the VP job,” he rambles off like a crazy person.

“Stop, seriously. You don’t care about what I want at all, do you?”

“If you need me to fuck your brains out while we’re doing all that, it can be arranged,” he insists.

“You’re disgusting!” I duck under his arms and try to get away from him, but he catches my arm and holds on hard.

“Archie. Go. You’re drunk,” I urge.

“I’m not going to do that.”

“You’re actually hurting me. Please, let go.”

That was enough for Kade. He comes out of my bedroom and stalks toward Archie.

“Are you kidding me, Sloan? What are you so pissed about? You’re doing the same thing,” Archie half yells, half laughs.

“Let her go before I make you,” Kade says.

Archie twists the skin on my arm a little tighter.

“Archie, seriously, ouch, if you ever cared about me, just leave.”

“You’re mad at me because I kissed some girl in a bar, but you had this prick in your bed?”

Kade gets even closer and gets into Archie’s space before he says, “Let her go.” Kade outweighs Archie by at least fifty pounds and he’s definitely more intimidating.

Archie releases my arm. “You can call your bodyguard off now.”

“Archie, leave, or I’m calling your mother,” I threaten.

“Fuck, Sloan, this isn’t over.” Archie storms out of the apartment.

After Kade locks the door, he comes over to me, where I’ve slumped on the floor in a fit of tears.

He sits behind me and wraps his arms and legs around me. He just lets me cry it out and doesn’t push. Instead, he just holds me through it.

When I finally catch my breath, the first words that come out of my mouth are, “Thank you, I’m sorry.”

“Sloan, I didn’t do anything. You stood up to him, you stood your ground; I’m so proud of you.”

I just sigh. I feel completely defeated at this point.

“Come on, let’s get some sleep. Things will seem clearer in the morning,” Kade says as he walks me to my bed and tucks me under the covers.

He slides in behind me and holds me until I fall asleep.

***

When I wake up, I am still wrapped in Kade’s arms and it feels so comfortable, ~so right~.

I twist in his embrace to look at him, and he’s still sleeping. He looks so peaceful, and his skin is warm. I lose myself in cuddling and nuzzling him, and soon, his arms tighten around me.

“Good morning,” he says.

“Sorry if I woke you up; you’re so snuggly.”

“I’m not complaining; Kade cuddles are at your service whenever you want them.” He smiles sweetly, then kisses my forehead.

“I’ve got to get ready for work; I need to check on things before Marlene comes to the venue,” I explain.

Kade releases me, and I push myself up and realize that my wrist is hurt from last night. When I look at it, I can see bruises on my skin from where Archie’s fingers had gripped me.

“Let me see.” Kade reaches for my hand, checks it over, and asks me to bend my wrist and fingers. “I think it’s a bad bruise. Do you want to get it checked out?”

“I don’t have time but I think you’re right.” I touch my wrist and wince a little. I can’t believe Archie did this to me.

I check my phone and see there is nothing of note except some missed calls and texts from Archie that I’m choosing to ignore for now.

“I’m going to get in the shower really quick. I’ll be right back.” I leave Kade in my bed and make my way to the bathroom and into the shower.

Everything has changed. Archie was cheating. Was he using me to get a job? Is it really just all the pressure? How long has he felt like this? Do I even care anymore? Is there any forgiving this?

I can feel myself starting to spiral, so I take a deep breath and try to shift my thoughts while I finish my shower.

I kissed Kade last night. Wow, I kissed Kade, ~he’s so hot.~ He’s in my bed right now, in his underwear. ~What am I doing here?~

I quickly finish my shower and put on a robe before I go back to the bedroom.

I walk straight over to Kade and lay a fiery kiss on him that he clearly wasn’t expecting but he quickly adjusts and returns my passion, pulling me down to him in the bed.

My hands roam all over his body, and soon, he runs his hands over mine, like he’s getting more comfortable with the idea of being with me.

At least, it seems that way, until he slides his hand under my robe to my ass and he freezes.

“It’s okay, Kade, you can touch me.”

“I love touching you. I’m just trying to get my head right.”

“It’s all right. I appreciate how much you care but I’m really okay.”

He looks a little confused, so I sit up and straddle him. Then, I realize he’s not confused—he’s just really turned on.

I can feel his hard length straining against the fabric of his boxers and I adjust myself so he’s right between my legs.

“Baby…”

I can’t keep myself from rocking my hips just once because I want to feel him, and he lets out a groan. I lean in one more time and kiss him again, then whisper in his ear, “Tonight.”

Then, I get up and finish getting ready for work. Once I’m done, Kade walks out with me and kisses me goodbye.

This kiss is heated and intense, and I know he’s trying to get me back for what I pulled in bed but I’m not complaining. I kiss him back, hard, and he pulls away, leaving me breathless.

“Tonight,” he says with a smirk and taps my butt before walking to his car.