Bad Intentions (Hellions of Hade Harbor #1)

by Mila Kane

“Here you go,” I said, entering the spare room and hitting the light switch. Warm light flooded the room. “It’s not much.” “Yes, it is,” Cayden said, so quietly that I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. He’d grabbed the trash bag as we’d passed the hall and now set it on the desk. Was it his clothes? Why would he have his clothes in a trash bag?

“Yes, go. I’m sorry I interrupted your – sleeping – earlier.” He gave me a mocking smile and rested a long, thick arm above my head, leaning on the doorframe and making me feel tiny. “If you want some help getting a more satisfying sleep, let me know.”

“I don’t need your help, and I’d never let you touch me,” I started, flustered all over again. No one ever hit on me. It just didn’t happen. Cayden chuckled, the bastard. “Bug, I don’t do charity. I simply meant I’d point you in the direction of a book or something from the library you can consult. Don’t get worked up.” I scowled at him. “You’re such an asshole, you know that?” “I’m well aware, and our earlier conversation remains true – don’t piss me off or you’ll regret it.”

“I don’t think I will, seeing as you clearly need to be on my father’s good side. In fact, you better not piss me off, or you’ll be the one regretting it.”

“Lillian… you don’t want to go toe to toe with me. You’re too smart for that. You don’t want to threaten me, Freckles, or go to battle against me. You really don’t. You won’t like the consequences.”

Cayden stood in front of the small bathroom mirror, steam curling off his gleaming skin. His torso was bare, and only a white towel swathed his hips. He was staring at his reflection, and his look of concentration gave me a chance to take in the sinfully hot picture he made. Last night hadn’t allowed much time to stare. I might hate the guy already, but I couldn’t deny he was beautiful to watch.

Turned out, I’d only seen a glimpse of it last night. The truth was so much worse. Bruises clustered along one side of his ribcage, with crisscrossed welts overlaying the purple and blue. He had tattoos working down his arms, a couple of them, but I wasn’t close enough to make them out. Most noticeable of all were the thick scars high up on his shoulders and arms, the type that looked like bad stitches made it worse. A mess of white scar tissue sat low on one side, woven into the fabric of his skin. Was it letters? I could make out a few shapes that looked like letters: w-o-r.

only realized I was approaching the room when the water bottle, stuck in the side pocket of my backpack, clicked against the door.

“I-I’m looking for my dad,” I said lamely. He was tense, his hands curled into fists on the countertop. “I–are you okay?” I heard myself say. “Your back…”

“Good day at school?” my dad asked his go-to question to kick off dinner conversation.

“It was fine. Normal,” I muttered, dropping Cayden’s hot look and staring at my plate. “Well, normal is good. Lily is a straight-A student,” my mom bragged to Cayden. “Is that right? Well done, senior year is hard.” I risked a glance at Cayden. He had his mask firmly in place. Cool politeness. My parents were falling for it. “Well, you can get on track, too.” My dad smiled at Cayden. “Hade Harbor is a great school. Of course, your focus should be on hockey, but you’ll still have a much better senior year academically than back in Midnight Falls.”

“Thanks, Coach. Believe me, I mean to make the most of it.” Cayden was laying it on thick, but I wasn’t falling for it. “I’m sure Lily can help you out here and there with some tutoring, if you want. She really is a very smart girl,” my mom chipped in. “Mom!” I stared at her, horrified. Cayden chuckled. “I might just take her up on that, seeing as I’ll be here, anyway.”

“Lily, we wanted to tell you now, before it’s official… that we’ve made a very important decision for our family.” Mom smoothed her hair back. “Honey, I don’t know if you realize, but your father has a very good chance of winning nationals this year. As you know, if he does, he’s got that job at HHU lined up,” she said. I recognized the tactic immediately. Dad took over. “But to win, I need help. I need this guy right here,” he said and nodded to Cayden.

“Cade can’t play for his old school. It’s a waste, and they aren’t going anywhere. And besides, between us, his living situation wasn’t ideal,” my dad continued. I spied Cayden’s fist curling into a ball beside his plate. “So, what does it all mean?” I burst out, the suspense doing terrible things for my heart rate. “It means Cayden’s going to stay here with us, we’re going to foster him…just until the end of the school year.”

“You mean, he’s going to be living here for a year?” I asked, trying to keep the hysteria out of my voice. “Yep, just long enough to win nationals, get a scholarship, and make local history, for both of us,” my dad said, with a megawatt smile. “He’s too old to be a foster kid!” my accusation shot out. My mom gave me a warning look. “Sure, he’s just about aging out. You guys are nearly the same age…but he’s already in a foster situation. It’s unorthodox to start a new arrangement so close to his birthday, but if everyone agrees…it satisfies the school board and means that Cayden can play on the Hade Harbor team.” “But I don’t agree!” I was on my feet now. Panic was tugging at the edges of my mind. I was on the cusp of a full-blown spiral.

I tried not to look at Cayden as my dad stood and pulled me into a hug, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from colliding with his. The darkly satisfied flicker in his gaze chilled me to the bone. He got up, his fit body moving lithely out of the low chair. He came around to hug my mom, whose laugh had a girlish edge, and my father slapped him on the shoulder, the two of them sharing a pleased grin. As he reached me, I shrank back, fighting the urge to run away. “No hug for your new brother?” he goaded me.

“You can do better than that, Lillian. Smile for your parents, we wouldn’t want them to think you’re upset.” He spoke just low enough for my parents not to hear. “I hate you. You’re a psycho, and soon enough I’m sure everyone will see it,” I ground out around a fake smile. “No, I don’t think they will. Most people aren’t that smart…I think it’ll be your cross to bear, and you don’t hate me yet. Not even close.” He leaned away and gave me a lopsided, handsome smile that would have stopped my heart if we’d never met before. Then he spoiled it. “And soon, you will.”

Eric Williams had no idea he’d let the real bad guy into his house, given him a key, and was letting him sleep right next to his daughter. Ambition was a dangerous thing. Williams wanted that job at the world-famous HHU, and that had made him blind to the threat I posed to Lillian. Little, untouched Lillian. I was willing to bet her hesitant touch on her sweet-smelling cunt was the only one she’d ever felt. The guys on the team would never go against Coach’s wishes and try anything with her, adorable as she was. I was under no such restriction. Hell, he was practically begging me to have her, leaving her defenseless and so very close. And Lily herself? She was asking for it, too, with her smart little mouth and mesmerizing eyes. I tensed when I remembered her eyes on me earlier, seeing every pitiful mark and scar on my wretched body. Had she read the word? I wasn’t sure. She probably had. Whether she had or not, one thing was clear… it was time to show her who held the power in our relationship. It was time to put her in her place, preferably at my feet.

I shifted on the bed, getting hard at the thought. I didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with me. I didn’t get distracted by girls. They threw themselves at me and the rest of the hockey team with embarrassing abandon. Teasing smiles and provocative touches didn’t do a thing for me. In fact, they turned my stomach. I didn’t like to be touched. I couldn’t stand it, in fact.

Golden boy, you’re going to pay for the other night. After everything I’ve done for you, you can’t get rid of me that easily. I’ll see you soon. Fucking Jack. I should have killed him when he’d come for me with a knife, but I’d promised myself that I’d never kill–not again. Two deaths were enough to weigh anyone’s soul down. Instead, I’d fought him off, beaten him and gotten the hell out of there before calling Coach Williams. If he hadn’t offered to come and get me right then, I might have gone back and finished good ol’ Uncle Jack once and for all.

Nothing could have prepared me for the effects of reading Lily’s journal. Absolutely nothing. If a twisted sort of interest in my new foster sister had been blossoming in me before, now it threatened to explode into something else entirely. Obsession, pure and simple.

Fuck. I was gonna come. I was going to blow my load on my stomach just from reading Lily’s dream journal, and it was going to be the hardest I’d ever come, I could tell. I stroked faster.

More sated than I’d ever felt–my muscles felt slack as I relaxed on the bed–I lazily fished the only thing I’d taken from Lily’s room from my pocket. I knew she’d wear cotton panties. These ones had tiny microscopes on them. They were cute as hell and worn. They smelled divine. I pressed them to my face and inhaled deeply before using them to clean the cum off my stomach and hand. Starting tomorrow, Lily Williams was going to understand that I finally had something on her. She’d realize that our little power struggle was over, and I’d won. I owned her ass, and now that I’d read her journal, I was looking forward to owning—and enjoying —the rest of her, too. Don’t worry, Freckles, I’m going to make all your dreams come true.

“Here’s what we’re going to do. Nod if you’re listening.” He moved my face up and down in a parody of agreement. He towered above me, looking more terrifying than ever. “You’re not going to say anything to anyone at school about what you saw. You’re going to forget it. Don’t go running your mouth to anyone about the new kid who’s all beat up and scarred. If anyone says anything about that scar…I’ll know it was you.”

“To be clear, I know about California and how guilty you feel about wanting to escape your loving, suffocating parents. I know all about how you resent their smothering love.”

“You read my journal,” I managed to get out.

“That’s right…I read it all. It was riveting, the best thing I’ve read all year.” I swallowed down my humiliation. I couldn’t let it take over right now. “So, you really came into my room when I was sleeping and looked through my stuff? Are you insane?” Cayden laughed. “Now you’re getting it. I came into your room, poked around your things, and got a little peek into that twisted head of yours. Do you really like that stuff? Is that what gets you wet?”

“So, you like stories where the girl is followed and chased…hunted down and fucked without mercy…” he trailed off and gave a raw chuckle. “It’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it?” He reached up for my glasses. I tried to turn my head, but he brought another huge palm up and laid it like a necklace across my throat. Not pushing hard, but the pressure was enough to warn me not to move. “You dreamed of me, Lily. Did you dream of me touching you like this?” His voice was a rasp. I had the feeling he wasn’t joking around anymore. He was stone-cold serious. My heart pounded so hard, I was surprised he couldn’t hear it. I shook my head, feeling a mulish need to deny everything. No. He can’t know. I can’t face him again if he’s really read that. I didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud until he answered. “But I did read it, and what’s more…I’ve got the photos to prove it.”

“I see you, Lillian. You saw me…and now, I’ve seen you,” he said quietly. “I didn’t see anything,” I whispered. “It doesn’t matter. It’s too late to go back. Now I’ve seen inside.” He tapped a finger to my forehead. “I won’t hesitate to let the whole school, and your parents, know what lies beneath this straight-A exterior. Got it? Don't forget that I'm at the top of the food chain at HHH, and you're at the bottom. Don't make me have to remind you.” “What are you going to do? Hurt me?” I snapped at him, lunging for my glasses, only to have him squeeze my neck a little harder. “Whatever turns you on,” Cayden murmured. “Feel free to let me know exactly what that is, or I can just read about it.” “I fucking hate you,” I swore at him. He nodded. “That’s smart, but it doesn’t matter. You also want me, and thanks to your little dream journal, we both know it.”

“Now that we’ve established who’s in charge here, let’s not be late for school. Before you go, and just to remind you of our relationship, I want you to wear these.”

The next moment, he carefully slid my glasses back onto my nose, making sure the arms sat perfectly on the tops of my ears. My panties came into focus. Yesterday’s panties that had been in the laundry basket. Heat scorched my cheeks as I turned them over in my hands. The scent reached me first. Earthy musk with a hint of salt. Had he…come in them? I had zero experience with what a man’s cum smelled like, but I read a lot. It couldn’t be. Surely not. I blinked up at him. He was watching me with bemusement. “Put them on and get a move on, or we’ll be late.”

“I couldn’t be more serious. From now on, you’ll smell like me, so whenever you move, you’ll remember who owns you.” I shook my head, embarrassment and something else hot and weird moving rapidly in my belly. “No, I won’t do it.” He leaned in and touched my lips with a finger. “It either goes here, here”—he tapped the panties and then moved his finger to my hips, tapping between my legs— “or here. Your choice.”

“You have five seconds to decide.”

“Wait,” I panted, shoving my hand under my skirt before I could question my sanity, and tugging my panties down. They fell to the floor at my feet, and I kicked them off as Cayden continued to count down. I stepped into the other panties, the ones with his damp cum on them, and shimmied them up, flashing him in the process. “One.”

“Don’t be a bitch, Selena. It’s not a good look,” Eve interjected. “Let’s go. It smells like boiled jockstraps in this place,” Winter muttered, casting a suspicious look at the kitchens. “We aren’t leaving until Bug tells me something interesting about Cayden. She’s clearly trying to keep all the gossip to herself. She doesn’t want to give anyone an edge in the competition to score the new Ice God first, but I don’t take no for an answer.”

“That’s funny. I don’t take no for an answer either, do I, Lillian?” Cayden’s deep voice danced across my nerves, making me even jumpier.

Cayden picked up Selena’s lunch tray and handed it to her. “Here you go.” Winter blinked at him, clearly surprised by the move, but grabbed her own tray and stood, getting the message. “Are you sitting here?” Selena asked after a moment of stunned silence. “Looks like it,” Cayden said.

Selena clung on, clearly not believing her eyes. “Um, I’d love to eat with you, get to know you better,” she said, pasting on a winning smile. “There’s a table over on the side where we usually sit.” Cayden had turned his attention to his tray. “I like this table just fine.” Selena hung on, clearly not getting the hint. “But there aren’t any free seats at this table,” she pointed out. I fought a smile as Cayden cracked the lid of his bottle of water, shot a dismissive glance at the resident queen bee, and shrugged. “That sounds like a you problem,” he tossed at her before focusing his attention back on his friends and food.

“That was something,” Eve muttered in her food. “Someone needs to knock Selena down a peg and remind her that she doesn’t rule shit around here,” Asher said. He glanced over at me. “Was she mean to you, Lily?” Cayden tensed beside me. I shook my head. Asher nodded and went back to eating. As Eve’s brother, Asher might be the Ice God I knew the best, but that didn’t say much. I pretty much stayed out his way. That being said, I knew that he looked out for me a little, as an extension of his sister.

“So, Bug, what’s it like sharing a bathroom with this guy?” Marcus said, giving me a grin. I shrugged. “Come on! You’ve got to have the inside scoop. Rumor has it he doesn’t shower with any of us because we’d be too intimidated by the sight of him naked to perform in a game…is that true?” I coughed with surprise at the topic, and water went down the wrong way. I kept coughing, my face turning hot. A large hand landed hard on my back. “Breathe,” Cayden murmured. I sucked in a long, slow breath, trying to ignore the desperate urge to cough. I continued to take long, deep breaths as the coughing spell subsided. Cayden’s hand stayed on my back. Not smacking it anymore, just resting there. His palm was huge, spanning the entire space between my bra straps. Everything about the guy was just big.

The Ice Gods were deep in conversation, laughing and joking as they ate. All except one. Cayden’s eyes met mine, sending a shiver through me like a lightning strike.

“Where were you last night, Lillian?” Lillian. I was starting to recognize his different levels of crazy. When he used my full name, he was annoyed, and serious.

“At Eve’s house, where else? I know you’re new here, but you might have noticed that I’m not exactly Miss Popular.” My eyes flashed my irritation at him, but he seemed immune to it. “Anyway, didn’t Asher already mention it? He was there.”

“Got a little crush on your best friend’s brother, huh?” I flushed with embarrassment. Of course, I knew Asher was hot, but he was the closest thing to a brother I’d ever had, considering how close I was with Eve. I’d never seen him that way. “What thoughts are going through your pretty little head right now? Tell me or I’ll make you.” Cayden’s voice was a low growl. I forced a scoff. “He’s like a brother to me, if you must know.” “A brother? Like me? Am I like a brother to you?” Cayden raised an eyebrow, some of his tension fading.

His words stung. I knocked his hand away, staring bloody murder at him. “Give me my painting!” “Fine, after you give me something.” “What?” I pushed against his chest, needing some air. Being so close to Cayden made it hard to think.

My back hit the trunk of a tree. He’d been herding me, and I’d fallen for it like an idiot. Now, he caged me against the bark with both hands. “I have to admit that reading your journal last night, and knowing my cum was touching your cunt all day yesterday, has been on my mind.” His shocking words stole away my breath. I could only stare at him, stunned. “So, as payment for distracting me all day, to get your assignment back – I want a taste.” “A taste?” I nearly squeaked. It was more innocent than I’d imagined and more shocking. He nodded, leaning down, brushing his lips against mine. “A taste,” he repeated, using one hand to cup my jaw and hold me in place as he sealed my lips with his.

When I gasped against his lips, overcome by the onslaught of feelings, his tongue pushed inside my mouth, sliding along mine, wet, and urgent, melting me into his arms.

My first kiss was with Cayden West. No. This guy was dangerous, a bully, a psycho. I couldn’t just stand here and let him take whatever he felt like from me. He was threatening me. He read my journal! My teeth found their way around his lower lip, and I bit down before I could overthink it. The taste of hot metal filled my mouth, and Cayden jerked back. “Fuck,” he sighed and touched his mouth. His lip was bleeding, the sudden red a shocking sight on his tanned skin. He traced a fallen droplet with his thumb and slid his index finger back and forth over the cut.

His blue eyes fell to mine and narrowed. “If you think that’s going to stop me – you’re wrong.” His bloody hand lashed out and pressed against my neck, circling it like a tight necklace, while his knee slid between my legs, nestling at the apex of my thighs. It was like I’d mounted his knee, and I couldn’t move off it without his permission. “Nothing will stop me, you should understand that now…it’ll save you a lot of time later.” With a soft growl he leaned in, tightening his grip around my neck, just hard enough that my head spun a little. “Am I doing it right?” he wondered against my skin, his bloody lips brushing my mouth. “Does it feel like you dreamed?”

He kissed me mercilessly, even when spots burst in front of my eyes. I could only breathe through my mouth; his lips denied me all but the briefest gasps of air. I swayed into him, my body warm and weak. He held me up like the unmovable object he was, unbreakable, while I lost my goddamn mind. His thigh nudged against me, his knee right under my pussy. My skirt was rucked up by his leg, and his movements rubbed against me just right. I was so wet. I felt like I was floating, and only his touch tethered me to the world.