Lina crumpled the letter in her hand. She gritted her teeth, walked downstairs to the stove, and turned on the flames. But then, she stopped. In her moment of anger, she nearly burned evidence of harassment. Wordlessly, she unraveled the letter, went upstairs to their bedroom and placed it under her jewelry box. Maybe, one day, she'd use it.

  Beware of those who love you.

  Six words. Six damn words and it cut so deep.

  Lina already knew that. She already knew she had to? be wise in putting her trust in those that claimed to adore her, for they only wanted to exploit her. She knew this applied to Lawrence and Rina. All along, she thought she was pleasing them by behaving like their perfect puppet. But that wasn't enough. It would never be enough. They wanted to live their youth through her. They wanted her to remain obedient. A pretty bird in their porcelain cage.

  "Do you hate your jewelry that much?" A low voice coaxed.

  Lina's breath hitched. Warm hands settled upon her shoulders. She could feel the heat radiating off his powerful body. His grip was hard. His lips brushed teasingly against her ears. She felt her skin begin to hum to life, wishing his expert fingers would touch her everywhere.

  "You've been glaring at it, dove," Kaden said. "Shall I order new jewelry collections for you?"

  A tempting question, really. Especially for Lina who enjoyed spending money. With a twist of her wedding ring, she knew this gift would cost a fortune. Slowly, he used a long finger to caress her collarbone. His scent smelled too good—enough to make her dizzy with desire.

  "Someone said I should beware of those that love me," Lina explained.

  "A tactic to trick you, and it worked." Kaden's hand slowly slipped to her throat, his fingers curling around it like a necklace. He could feel the quickening of her pulse. Then, he kissed the side of her head and straightened up.

  "From who?" Kaden asked, even though he knew it was the creepy old man. It was time for him to kick the bucket and drop dead.

  "It's not a trick," Lina muttered. "I should truly beware of my grandparents, parents, and family. All of their love comes at a price."

  "Then it is not love." Kaden clenched his jaw. He lifted her jewelry box open with a single flix. Inside were rows of perfectly arranged necklaces. All of whom were lacking blinding diamonds and dazzling gems. Her accessories were plain and elegant, crafted from thin gold lines with small charms dangling from it.

  "I like the simple things in life," Lina informed, grabbing his hand. She knew he was going to be sending her presents.

  Lina tried not to look in the mirror. She could see his black t-shirt hugging his wet body tightly. He just finished taking a shower. And it showed.

  "The simpler it is, like this one," Lina held up a gold necklace with a small pearl. "It suits every outfit."

  Lina settled the necklace back into the box.

  "And this one—"

  Lina placed a hand on her neck, where a simple chain, that she always wore, hung from it. There was a tiny heart on it, with the engraving LY for her name. She remembered finding it in a vintage jewelry store and instantly fell in love with it.

  "Nothing you say will convince me to not buy you more, dove," Kaden dryly told her.

  Kaden slipped the initial necklace out of her hands. He tucked it into his sweatpant pocket.

  "Why did you take the necklace?" Lina curiously asked in a small voice. The necklace was always on her neck and she loved to pair it with other ones.

  "When I need to come and you're not here."

  Lina's heart skipped. He curled a finger under her chin and tilted her head back. He kissed her slowly and lazily. He licked at her bottom lip, earning a soft whimper from her. She was enthralled by his words. She imagined the thin necklace dangling from one of his hands as the other wrapped around his thick member. He thrusted his tongue into her mouth, forcibly and hard. She shivered. Soon, he had her on her feet. In a blink, she fell onto the bed, her body bouncing slightly.

  Kaden gazed down at her body. Darkness swirled from within. He saw her breasts, lovely and round, rising with each shallow breath. He slid his hand from the back of her knee to her thighs. She shivered in delight. He touched her like she was the most expensive thing he owned. She liked that.

  "And what will you do with the necklace?" Lina haphazardly asked.

  Kaden's eyes flickered with danger. He let out a cold chuckle. She shivered in response. He rested a hand on the bed, right next to her head. Her eyes grew wide.

  "What else will I use it for?" Kaden hoarsely asked her, bending down to kiss her again.

  Lina closed her eyes. She sighed into his mouth that filled her with delight. Soon, he lowered himself onto her. She liked the tightness of his hard body on hers. She felt small and weak, caught in his trap.

  "As an accessory?" Lina timidly said.

  Kaden groaned, the sound deep from his chest. Kissing her was driving him crazy. Her sweet scent filled his nostrils, her soft noises slipping into his ears. He was going insane.

  Suddenly, Lina tried to slide higher on the bed. He thought she was trying to flee. He grabbed her wrists, pulling back with dark eyes.

  "You get me hard and then try to run?" Kaden grunted, pressing deep upon her stomach.

  Lina couldn't breathe. She felt his hardness against her stomach. She could even feel the twitch of the powerful member.

  "I was… uhm…" Lina didn't know what to tell him. She was hoping to search for a condom in his nightstand.

  Kaden seemed to understand what she thought. The next second, his eyes became violent pools of ink. A heavy feeling settled over her.

  "If we're going to do it, we're doing it raw," Kaden decided in a low growl.

  Lina couldn't even speak. All she could do was shakily nod her head. Giving her consent. She didn't care how they did it, as long as they did it. Satisfaction filled his gaze. He pecked her gently on the lips again. She rolled her hips, feeling his pulsing erection.

  Without warning, he slid his hand into her hair. He yanked her head back, causing her to gasp with the sting. But the pain left when his wet lips found her throat. He kissed her, his mouth hot and searing. She was beginning to see stars. Finding her pulse, he suckled on the spot.

  "Where did you learn to do this?" Lina panted, her eyes rolling back.

  Lina could feel his smile on her skin. He tightened his grip on her hair.

  "Books."

  Lina was confused. She was distracted by his other hand. He pulled the straps of her dress off of her shoulders, until it pooled at her waist. Then, his fingers skillfully disappeared under her skirts, pulling down her panties.

  "B-books?" Lina echoed in a small voice.

  Kaden released her hair to cup her breasts through her bra. He glanced down and nearly groaned with delight. She was in white lace. His favorite. But the part that sucked the air from his lungs? Her milky legs, soft like marshmallows.

  "The kind you find at the bottom of the shelves, like a dirty little secret," Kaden hoarsely told her.

  Lina was lost in his distraction. She could feel her entrance gathering with wetness and warmth. She wanted him and all he did was kiss her.

  Kaden slowly unhooked her bra. She shivered at the coldness nipping at her skin. With a flick of his hand, her bra was on the floor. She pressed herself deep into the bed. He was fully clothed, in his t-shirt and sweatpants, fresh from the shower. But here she was, braless and pantiless. She was at his mercy.

  "Too fucking beautiful for this earth," Kaden softly sighed.

  Lina could feel the blush travel from her face to her chest. If it were possible, his eyes became even more intense. His attention swept across the color on her chest to her breasts. He looked at her like she was a work of art to be marveled at.

  "You're every poets' wet dream, do you know that, dove?" Kaden's voice was heated, as he looked at her in a way that licked her from head to toe.

  "Though, I'd kill anyone that gets to look." Kaden's thumb stroked one of her orbs. She yelped, her lashes fluttering. He gently squeezed her other breast, her breathing growing shallow.

  Soon, Kaden bent his head and took a nip into her mound. She cried out, her hand on his shoulder, attempting to push him away. He let out a rough noise, pulling his head back only to suck and lick the other one. He gave her equal attention, causing her to squirm with pleasure.

  "K-Kaden… this feels wrong," Lina stammered out.

  Kaden responded by swirling his tongue on her tight and perk orb. She suppressed a moan and rolled her head back. It felt wrong but felt so good. She couldn't explain it, except her entire body was screaming for him.

  Screaming for his hands to touch her everywhere. Her breasts, her stomach, her thighs.

  Lina wanted his fingers inside of her and his mouth on her.

  Lina couldn't deny her desire for Kaden. He had unlocked a sensual, sexual side to her that she didn't know existed. Kaden was her sexual awakening & hell, she was wide awake.? When she was with him, she craved his touch. Everything but Kaden faded into insignificance.

  And with the barely setting sun, she knew, they'd do it all night long—until her throat was hoarse and she could no longer scream.