Insatiable (The Edge of Darkness, #1)(48)

“I might kill Barry,” I whisper against Kade’s ear, feeling him shiver.

Kade sighs and drops his head to my shoulder, gripping my hips before lifting me up enough to break the intimate connection. “I’ll do it for you. I have a gun in my bag.”

I laugh, but the way he’s scowling at Barry while he helps me to my feet and fixes my dress, before pulling his boxers up, I have a feeling he isn’t joking.





17




STACEY

Poor Barry has to endure death stares from Kade the entire landing.

He offers us water. Kade ignores the kind gesture but keeps his eyes on him. I accept a glass and thank him, just to make the guy feel better. I can tell he’s been working for Kade for a while and is used to his mood swings. He doesn’t flinch at his abrupt tone, and when Kade tells him to sit down and leave us alone, he gives him a look, glances at me then fights a smirk as he goes to sit down and put his belt on.

While I wipe the mascara from under my eyes and fix my hair, I fight a scoff.

Kade might come across as intimidating and unapproachable, but he isn’t that scary.

He sits with his elbow on the armrest, fingertip to his temple, legs wide open. The white top he’s wearing stretches tight across his firm chest, the fabric ruffled at his shoulders from where my hands were fisting, and I try not to gawk at his build. His ink. His muscular, veiny arms.

I cross my legs and gulp, still studying him.

A dark brow raises, and I’m caught staring. Again.

Instead of blushing and averting my eyes, I narrow them, wondering if we should ignore the fact Barry is here or that we’re descending. We could get this off our chests, this tension and sexual frustration, with one quick fuck. Maybe then we can move past this atmosphere and be civil.

I hold his gaze until he eventually looks away. The pressure of descending has my ears popping and my stomach flipping. Kade swipes at his phone screen, unbothered, while I try not to imagine the plane crashing.

The jet jolts as it touches the tarmac, tyres screeching until it slows to a steady pace. I breathe a sigh of relief. I hate flying, but the worst part is the landing. There wasn’t any turbulence the entire journey, but I did spot a bolt of lightning from afar earlier, which made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Kade only grimaced at me when I asked what would happen if it hit us.

I look outside the small window; take in the pouring rain and the way the wind beats against trees. I flatten my lips and look down at my summer dress.

Finally, Kade breaks the silence as the aircraft carries us to the middle of a private hangar. “We’re not supposed to land until tonight. It’s five in the morning here.”

“An extra day in the States then.”

His phone rings. “You don’t understand,” he says, turning his phone over so he can’t see the caller ID. “My family will check when our flight lands. They don’t know I have this kind of money. We’ll need to stay somewhere until we apparently land on the commercial flight.”

“You’re quite the sneak, aren’t you? Tell them we got an earlier flight from somewhere else.” A shrug. “No biggie.”

“Stop being difficult and listen to me.”

I mouth a fine and shrink into my seat, and he continues. “I need to do something. I’ll drop you at a hotel.”

My eyes widen as I unclip the belt from around my waist. “You visit your dad as soon as we’re supposed to be landing. You’re not a robot, Kade. You have to sleep.”

He dismissively waves me off.

I get to my feet when Barry says we’re good to go. He opens the door and lowers the steps, smiling at me, but drops his gaze as soon as Kade looks at him.

“I’ll send you all the details,” he tells Barry. “Stay close.” Then he glances at me. “And stop smiling at her.”

“Sorry, sir,” he replies, his cheeks going red.

I glower at him. “Stop acting like that.”

Kade raises a brow and turns me towards the steps, then follows me down. “Like what? Barry has been my right-hand man long enough to know not to piss me off.”

My heart jolts in my chest, because does he mean Barry looking at me pissed him off?

“How does he know who I am?”

Kade lights a cigarette, apparently deaf, then hands our suitcases to a man in a suit and thanks him.

It’s dark and a little chilly in the rain, but nothing like Scotland.

Kade offers me his jacket again, which I gladly accept, trying not to inhale too deeply as he shrugs it onto my shoulders.

For someone who claims to despise me, his actions are the complete opposite.

A man nods to Kade and hands him a set of keys.

My eyes widen. “No way,” I blurt. “A Bentley…” I study the mirror-like alloys, gun-metal grey paint and the black-and-white interior. “A sporty Bentley?”

“It’s a Bentley Continental GT,” he says, bored.

“Were there no normal cars left to rent?”

“It’s not a rental.”

My eyes widen even more. “What exactly do you do for money?”

This aggravates him. “Shut up and get in.”



The first two hours of driving with Kade’s playlist are relaxing, to say the least. The seats are comfortable and heated. The car drives smoothly as “Digital Bath” by Deftones plays. I absently watch him, the way he turns the wheel with his palm heel, grips it as he speeds, his elbow resting between us while he smokes .