Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 22

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**
**Chapter 22**

The atmosphere in the house felt heavy once again, thick with unspoken words and lingering tension.

Breakfast offered little relief from the oppressive silence.

Lew occupied the head of the kitchen island, flipping through papers that appeared far from academic. Every so often, his gaze drifted to the windows, as if something outside had captured his attention.

Tylon sat quietly, his eyes glued to his phone, his expression as unreadable as ever.

Caden, on the other hand, was watching me with a careful intensity, as if he were waiting for me to make the first move.

I chose not to engage, and the weight of that decision pressed down on me more than I cared to admit.

I poked at my eggs, my mind elsewhere, until Leo caught my eye and offered a gentle, understanding smile. “Not a morning person, are you?”

“I used to be, before I moved in here,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Caden’s hand froze mid-lift, his cup suspended in the air. “Ouch,” he remarked, the word hanging between us like an accusation.

“Truth hurts,” I replied under my breath, feeling a flicker of satisfaction at the honesty.

Leo chuckled softly, and even Tylon’s mouth twitched, as if it wanted to smile but was too stubborn to let that happen.

“Someone’s feisty today,” Caden observed, his tone teasing.

I ignored him and reached for the orange juice, pouring it into a glass. “That’s because someone’s dodging my questions.”

Leo coughed into his glass, trying to mask his amusement.

Tylon pushed his chair back abruptly.

“I’m heading to the council building,” he announced, his voice casual but his tone suggesting he expected us to behave in his absence. “Don’t break anything while I’m gone.”

With that, he grabbed his keys, slipped on a dark jacket, and exited through the side door without another word, leaving a palpable silence in his wake.

Leo sighed, breaking the stillness. “Well, that’s my cue to tackle the errands I’ve been avoiding.” He gathered the scattered papers, shot me a half-smile, and disappeared down the hall.

This left me alone with Caden, the air thickening between us.

He leaned against the counter, finally meeting my gaze. “You’re still mad at me for thinking I’m hiding something, aren’t you?”

“I know you’re hiding something,” I replied, reaching for my plate with a sense of finality. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

He smirked, that infuriatingly charming grin that made my heart race. “Probably.”

The silence that followed was unexpectedly comfortable, a strange contrast to the tension that had filled the room moments before. Yet, Caden’s eyes remained fixed on me, as if he were wrestling with thoughts he dared not voice.

I rinsed my plate, setting it aside with a sigh. “I’m going out for a walk.”

“Actually,” he said, straightening up, “I was going to find you for training.”

I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. “You do realize it’s Saturday, right? We agreed on weekdays,” I stressed, emphasizing the days as if that would make my point clearer.

“That’s exactly why you’re free,” he replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I groaned, grabbing a hair tie off my wrist and pulling my hair back. “You just want an excuse to have me under your thumb.”

“I heard that,” he called over his shoulder as I followed him out to the back field.

The air was crisp and bright, the kind that made you forget, if only for a moment, that the world was filled with darkness and danger. The grass glistened with morning dew, still damp beneath our feet, and the training mats were already laid out as if he had meticulously planned this.

“What, no basement gym today?” I asked, folding my arms defensively.

“Nope,” he replied without sparing me a glance. “I want you to learn something different today.”

“No leathers?” I countered, glancing down at my casual attire. Caden’s eyes followed, taking in the fitted leggings and tank top I had borrowed from Elise until my first paycheck came through. My sleep shorts felt inadequate in a house full of men.

Yet, I noticed the familiar darkening of his gaze, that look he got when his thoughts strayed into dangerous territory. It annoyed me, honestly.

Just a few days prior, he had kissed me for the first time, a fiery encounter that had left me breathless. That night, when the wolf attacked, he had boldly declared me as “his,” and since then… nothing.

It had been three days, and not a single hint that he was serious about anything beyond that moment. Instead, he seemed perpetually distracted, always busy, rarely giving me the attention I craved.

He thought I was upset with him for withholding information, but the truth was far more complicated. I felt hurt and confused.

Did he genuinely want me? Was I merely a passing fancy? Had he meant it when he had spoken so openly in the courtyard?

“Those will do,” Caden said, snapping me back to reality.

“Did you wake up today and decide, ‘Let’s put Maya through the wringer?’” I asked, pulling my hair into a ponytail.

“Learning fast,” he remarked.

“I have a decent teacher,” I shot back, feeling a surge of confidence.

Then, in a flash, he shifted, spinning us until my back hit the wall of the old garden shed. His hands braced on either side of me, trapping me in a cage of muscle and warmth.

“Overconfident, though,” he murmured, his breath ghosting over my skin.

“Also a trait learned from the teacher,” I retorted, earning me one of his signature smirks.

The world around us fell silent. The rustling of the trees faded, the air thickened, and the space between us buzzed with an electric tension. His gaze drifted to my mouth, and I felt the temperature in the air shift.

I didn’t mean to reach up, but my fingers brushed against his jaw, and he tilted his head slightly, his eyes darkening as his breath mingled with mine.

“Caden…” I breathed, unsure whether it was a warning or a plea.

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Tell me to stop.”

I didn’t. I should have, but I didn’t want to.

As pathetic as it made me, I craved his lips on mine far more than I wanted answers.

He closed the distance, our mouths meeting in a kiss that began slowly but quickly deepened, consuming us both. His hand slid under my top, tracing up my spine, while the heat of his body chased away the chill that had settled in my heart.

When he finally broke away, he didn’t move far. His forehead rested against mine, both of us gasping for breath.

“I keep saying I’ll stay away,” he confessed quietly. “But I don’t think I can.”

“I’m starting to notice,” I whispered, my heart racing.

His resolve shattered as he crashed his mouth against mine once more; this time, our tongues danced together, breaths mingling in a rhythm I never knew I could follow.

His hand, still under my top, unclasped my bra, and he pulled back just long enough to lock eyes with me.

In that moment, I saw a promise—a promise that he was about to turn my world upside down, and I was ready for the ride.

“Take me, Caden,” I gasped, urgency threading through my words. “Now.”

The darkening of his eyes told me he had every intention of fulfilling that request.