She knew.

I could feel the blood draining from my face. Peyton’s words seemed to echo in the room. I couldn't stop looking at her, my eyes locking with hers and begging her to understand. 

"Peyton….” I said.

"Don't even bother." She cut me off right away. "I know everything, Kaden. Every sordid detail. I know about your parents, your hotel, your fake identity. Your plan to spy and seduce me.”

Shit, shit, shit.

"It's not what you think," I said, trying to keep my voice calm and collected, even though my mind was in overdrive. "I swear, Peyton, it's nothing like that. Not anymore. Will you please let me explain?"

"No," she said. "There's nothing to explain, actually. You played me for a fool, Cade." She sighed. "Kaden. Whatever the hell your name is."

"It's Kaden," I said sheepishly. "It's always been Kaden. But my friends call me Kade..."

"I'm not your friend," she hissed when I reached for her, snapping her arm away from my reach. "And don't you even try to touch me. I'm done with this... whatever it was, and I'm done with you, Kaden Pierce."

"Don't say that," I said. "Please, sweetheart, just let me explain—"

"I'm not your fucking sweetheart!" she said. "And you know what, Kaden, just get the hell away from me! Get out of my face. I've had enough lies and betrayal for one day."

I hated myself even more as she spoke. Hated the hurt expression on her face and hated myself for being the one to put it there. How the hell did it come to this? Yes, I expected her to react badly when I told her the truth, but I wanted to tell her myself. Finding out on her own made it ten times worse, because it looked like I was never going to tell her. We were never going to get over this.

What a damn mess.

"I'm so sorry,” I said, holding my palms up. "I wanted to tell you so many times. But it… it’s a complex situation."

“Oh, really?” She folded her arms. “What would you even know about complexity? You’re about as complex as a single-celled organism.”

She was angry, but she was actually listening to me now, her narrowed eyes staring at me accusingly. I kept talking, hoping for a chance to explain myself, and hoping she would understand.

"My parents," I said. "They wanted me to gather intel on your hotel; find something to make it look bad. They have this fucking crazy idea that we're in competition with you, even though I keep convincing them you're not. They convinced me to get the job so I could do it.”

She scoffed. “So you just went ahead and did it like a good little Momma’s boy?”

I sighed. “I didn’t like it. But my parents have done a lot for me. My whole life… everything I have is because of them. I felt like I couldn’t say no.”

“And I was part of the plan, right? Seduce me, get some information, maybe turn me against my family?”

“No.” I shook my head vehemently. “You were never part of the plan. I wasn’t even supposed to go near you.”

“Right.”

I could tell she didn’t believe me.

“Like I said, I honestly didn’t like the plan, and I even finally quit it the other day. I was sick of the bullshit and the guilt. I just couldn’t do anything to hurt you or your family’s hotel—"

"Except tell your parents that my parents are tax evaders, apparently," Peyton finished for me coolly. "How the fuck would you even know about something like that, Kaden? All your snooping around and spying, I presume? Not that the tax evasion shit is even true! I mean, what would you even know about business stuff? Certainly not enough to mind your own!"

"I..." I let out a heavy sigh and stared at my feet. "I'm sorry, Peyton. I never meant to hurt you or your parents. Or the hotel. I tried to come clean so many times, but—"

"But you didn't," she said, her voice flat. "You never told me the truth.”

“I know. I was going to so many times. Even last night, that was the plan. But I screwed it up. You were pretty drunk, and it all went wrong.”

“Last night? Why not tell me weeks ago?” she demanded.

“There was just never a good time.”

“Bullshit. You should have told me from the start. Not just because what you were doing was fucking terrible. But because I had real feelings for you, Kaden. You knew that!"

"I had feelings for you too. I have feelings for you. What we did, what we had… that was real. I promise," I said softly, looking down at her. Her beautiful eyes were brimming with tears. I'd never hated myself more. "Sweetheart, please..."

"I told you not to call me that," she said. "Never call me that again."

"Please," I said. "Please, just talk to me, Peyton. Let me explain more about what—"

"No," she said vehemently. "I'm done talking."

She crossed her arms protectively in front of her body and stared at me, waiting for me to either say something or leave. I considered taking a step closer, but with her body language I knew there was no chance of her forgiving me... yet. I planned on doing everything in my power to get on her good side again.

If I ever could.

When I didn’t make a move to leave, she finally spoke up again. "By the way, you’re obviously fired.”

Despite the dire situation, I couldn't help but chuckle grimly at that. "That's probably for the best," I said. "At least then you won't have to worry about any workplace sexual harassment claims if you ever want me to fuck you again."

Her eyes widened at my audacious crack. "Excuse me?"

I shrugged and raised a playful brow. I couldn’t help it. “Just sayin’.”

She looked fucking furious as she took several steps forward, her hot little body inches away from my own. She jabbed my chest with her finger and glared at me as she hissed, "There's no way I'm having sex with you ever again, you jackass. I thought I made that clear."

"Clear?" I raised a brow, noticing the flush in her cheeks. “Sure about that?”

I grabbed her waist and she gasped as I pulled her closer. Her tight body was shaking, trembling in my arms, and my lips were so close to hers I could have licked them. I smelled her perfume, an intoxicating scent of roses mixing with her vanilla shampoo. It smelled amazing. I couldn't keep my hands off her, and she wasn't about to stop me... was she?

"You really don't want me to kiss you?" I whispered against her lips, and they parted invitingly. "You don't, Peyton? Don't want me to put my lips right on yours, right the fuck now?"

"Don't," she breathed.

But then she kissed me.

Her mouth was so needy, so inviting. I didn't dare respond at first, because I didn't want to push her into anything. But the way she was kissing me... Desperation and need mixed together to make such an intoxicating cocktail that I just had to have a taste. Just one, and then I'd turn around and get the hell out of here. I'd fucked up. I didn't deserve her.

So one more taste.

Just one.

I kissed her back, slow, painfully slow, tasting those full lips as her tongue darted into my mouth to dance with mine.

"Fuck… kiss me again, Kade,” she moaned, pulling back for just a second.

I felt like I was going crazy. She was a wild little temptress, seducing me even when I wanted to leave her alone and walk away because I'd already hurt her enough. But I found myself unable to move. Unable to do anything else but kiss her back like she'd begged me to do, because she tasted too good. I needed more.

I kissed her again, harder.

Her lips melted against mine and she moaned as she pulled me in. Her fingers hooked into the waistband of my trousers, and she kissed me with such vigor it almost felt like she was going to tear me apart. The next second, her fingers came up and she clawed at my shirt, desperate to get it off, desperate to get me naked.

"Peyton," I groaned. "Sweetheart, please..."

"I'm not your sweetheart," she hissed, peppering my neck with kisses between the words, sucking at my skin.

I didn't dare object.

Next thing I knew, her fingers grabbed my shirt and she tore it off me. I growled, reaching for her dress and pulling at the hem, desperate to get it off her and revel in her nakedness. I pulled and tugged until she let go of me, letting me pull the dress over her head. I almost got her caught in it, forgetting the zipper, but she struggled and got out of it. Then, she stood before me in a set of lingerie so fucking hot it had my mind racing and my cock hardening at the mere sight.

"You wear that for me?" I asked with a grin. She rolled her eyes before attacking me again.

She was like a wildcat, all over my body. She nibbled and sucked and bit me until I was so hard I felt precum leaking into my boxers.

Peyton led me to the bed, pushing me on my back while she took her bra off. Her tits were amazing, those rosy nipples so fucking perfect I wanted to fill my mouth with them. I couldn't get enough of her. I didn't even want to kiss her. I just wanted to fucking stare.

"Take my jeans off," I said in a rough voice, grabbing her hands and placing them on the bulge tenting my pants.

She looked up at me, her eyes wild and blazing as she grabbed my belt buckle and opened it up. She undid the zipper and I helped her get me naked. Once she was done, she practically ripped off the tiny scrap of lacy fabric covering her pussy before climbing on top of me and pinning my hands down.

"Wild girl," I said before she smothered my mouth with a kiss. "What's gotten into you?"

"Shut the hell up," she hissed against my lips.

I did just that.

She moved down my body, kissing a line over my pecs and my navel until her inviting, sweet little mouth stopped at the most dangerous spot, right above the dark patch of hair on my crotch.

"This is what you want?” she asked, looking up at me.

She seemed so confident, but I could tell there was more to it with a single look into her eyes. She was hurt and scared. She was uncertain. And I'd really fucking let her down... but there was no way I was going to walk away from her. From this. I needed every chance I got to be closer to her, and she was impossible to resist. Especially like this, completely naked and so fucking tempting.

"Yes," I grunted, and she didn't hesitate a second before sucking my cock into her mouth.

I grunted again, barely resisting the urge to lift my hips off the bed and fuck her mouth. As Peyton licked and sucked at my cock I grew harder and harder, increasingly desperate to fill her up and fuck her senseless. 

Obviously, she was right. What I'd done was unforgivable, but it didn't stop this electrifying sexual tension between the two of us.

Every look felt like a kiss, every kiss felt like I was already inside her. And when we had sex... shit, when we fucked I was on top of the world, and she was my queen. I never wanted to touch another woman. Peyton Cadwell was it for me, and damn it, I was going to make her aware of it. Even if she wouldn't listen, she had to feel it when we had sex. I knew she did.

But I couldn't focus on anything at that moment, with her lips wrapping around the tip of my cock and her eyes fluttering open and closed so many times.

"Look up at me," I said, and she shook her head, firmly shutting her eyes while she sucked me off.

I wrapped my fingers around her chin and lifted it gently, making her look at me.

She wouldn't open her eyes.

"Peyton," I whispered. "I want to look into your eyes."

Slowly, she opened them, and I fell in love with her all over again.

She was the perfect mix of sexy and innocent. My perfect girl, all over me, with the head of my dick inside her mouth and sucking me like she was made to do only that. She was perfect. My perfect girl. How could I have ever lied to her? Hurt her? She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any of this.

I was a fucking idiot.

Crippling self-doubt took over, but Peyton wasn't having any of it. She slipped my cock out of her mouth, and it lay against my crotch, so painfully hard I thought I was going to explode. Then she crawled on top of me, her hot sexy mouth on mine again as she rubbed her pussy all over my cock.

"Get a condom," I groaned. "I want to fuck you."

"No," she hissed. "Bare. I want you bare."

"Peyton..." I grunted.

"I'm on birth control," she said in a rush, and then her hands were on my cock and she was sliding me into her, pushing my tip into her pussy and making the sweetest, dirtiest little sounds as I filled her up.

"Fuck," I growled. She let go of me when my full length was inside her. "Fuck, Peyton."

Her pussy felt tight and hot. I waited for her to adjust to my size before I started fucking her, and she grabbed my hands, placing them on her ass and bouncing on top of me with every thrust of my hips. It was an incredible sight, just looking at her on top of me, watching her take it and moaning so loudly for more that it drove me absolutely crazy. She looked stunning like that, so unable to resist her most primal urges. I couldn't get enough.

"Peyton," I groaned. "I won't be able to last long like this. Go slower."

She slowed her grinding movements, and I exhaled as I felt her pussy squeezing me. She looked like she was in some sort of trance, just fucking herself on my cock and moaning, making such sexy sounds with that sinful mouth that I couldn't stop myself.

I wrapped my arms around her and threw her back on the bed, and she let out a surprised yelp as I got on top of her.

"Look at me," I ordered her.

This time, she obeyed.

Her eyes bore into mine as I fucked her, thrusting into her again and again, trying to keep my pace steady. She felt incredible. I was myself, completely and utterly myself when I was with her, and now there were no more secrets between us. I wanted her more than I'd ever wanted anything my whole life. This was it, this was the girl for me.

My mouth opened to tell her just as her eyes shut and she moaned in pure ecstasy.

I felt her orgasm coming, her pussy tightening its grip on me and milking my cock until I groaned and stopped holding back. I filled her up, and she cried out when she felt me coming, her pussy opening up for me as her own orgasm took over. I didn't stop, couldn't stop, until she'd milked my cock dry and sent my mind spinning, and she collapsed on top of me, breathing so heavily I almost thought she was gasping for air.

I caressed her back, my fingers sliding up and down her spine. Her breathing slowed, and she relaxed under my touch.

"Kaden," she finally said, slowly sitting up and looking me in the eyes.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I replied.

"Get the fuck out of my room."