Chapter 2

2

On my walk home that evening, the distinct feeling of being followed raised the hairs on my neck.

Whenever I quickened my pace, the footsteps behind me sped up, and when I slowed down, they slowed down too.

As I rounded a sharp corner, I broke into a sprint to lose my pursuer.

A strong hand suddenly caught my elbow.

It was Cade.

The moment our eyes met, all the strength drained from my legs, leaving me dizzy and compliant.

“Why are you running so fast, sweating all over?” he whispered smoothly.

Before I could answer, he casually invited himself up to my apartment.

Once inside, he started exploring my living room without the slightest hint of hesitation.

I stepped into the bathroom for a quick minute, and when I came out, he was holding my large bedside silicone toy.

Cade stood by the sofa with a mischievous grin, holding the toy against his own zipper for comparison.

My jaw dropped, my cheeks burning with a mixture of shame and raw arousal.

“Honestly, you should toss this piece of junk,” he said, catching my eye.

“The size is not even close, and it feels completely fake. Why not use something real?”

My pulse raced wildly as vivid memories of lonely, desperate nights flashed through my mind.

“Why not use...” he purred, deliberately trailing off with a wicked smirk.

Before he could finish his sentence, my phone blared loudly on the coffee table.

It was my store manager, demanding that I return to the pharmacy immediately for late-night inventory.

“A pharmacy calling you back for night shifts?” Cade asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

“Yes,” I sighed, spreading my hands helplessly.

My boss was a notoriously bitter woman who loved squeezing every ounce of free labor out of her staff.

I grumbled under my breath as I rushed back to the store, but Cade followed right behind me.

“What are you doing?” I asked, feeling a strange mix of panic and excitement.

“I did not want you to be alone in the dark,” he winked. “I came to keep you company.”

Once inside, he began browsing through the shelves again, picking up various bottles.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

He did not reply, simply wandering toward the private examination room in the back.

A few moments later, a sharp gasp of pain echoed from behind the partition curtain.

Assuming something terrible had happened, I rushed inside.

Cade was curled up on the small examination cot, his face flushed and his brow dripping with sweat.

“It... it burns like pure fire down there...” he groaned, barely able to speak.

I stared at him in utter confusion until he pointed at a bottle of cooling analgesic muscle rub on the tray.

He admitted he had curiously applied a generous amount to his private area, only to realize the burning menthol sensation was completely overwhelming.

“Can you please help me wash it off?” he begged, his voice trembling. “Please, I am begging you.”

Seeing how much agony he appeared to be in, I realized he must have used half the bottle.

“I... I really should not look at that,” I stammered, staring at the pronounced bulge beneath his jeans.

“Please help me,” he whispered, genuine tears welling up in his eyes.

My soft heart betrayed me once again.

I grabbed a bottle of sterile saline solution and stepped closer to undo his belt.

The moment my fingers touched his waistband, his breathing turned ragged with pure excitement.

My face flushed crimson as the heavy scent of raw male pheromones filled the enclosed space.

I stood there frozen, my mind spinning into complete chaos.

Images of his bold behavior at my apartment and my own lonely nights collided in my head.

Here stood a powerful, gorgeous man, and I was merely providing medical assistance within a pharmacy.

Yet my trembling hands refused to move any further.

“Sit down first,” Cade whispered hoarsely, his tone shifting.

Confused and overwhelmed, I obeyed and sat on the edge of the cot.

The second I sat down, all his apparent weakness vanished instantly.

He grabbed my wrists with crushing strength, spun around gracefully, and pinned me against the mattress.

His hot, ragged breath washed over my face, my neck, and the exposed skin of my collarbone.

“Tell me you like this,” he growled softly, staring directly into my eyes. “Do you dare deny it?”

He cast a meaningful glance down between our bodies, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

His gaze was domineering, possessive, and loaded with unapologetic masculine authority.

Instead of fighting him, a wave of sweet surrender washed over me, making my vision blur with pleasure.

“No... we can’t...” I whimpered weakly. “Please, don’t...”

Cade chuckled darkly against my ear.

“Can’t? Or please, don’t stop?”

His throat bobbed as his gaze locked onto my trembling lips.

“I hear you loud and clear,” he whispered. “Let me give you exactly what you need.”

With a sudden burst of strength, he pushed my thighs apart and pressed his heavy body down onto mine.

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