Housebound with the Blackridge Heirs novel Chapter 23

**Change Begins With You — Jayden Collins**

The second month of this tumultuous affair had arrived, and with it, a storm of emotions surged through me. My entire being felt unraveled, as if every thought I had ever clung to had scattered like leaves in the wind. The walls I had painstakingly constructed around my heart began to crack, unable to withstand the weight of his presence.

Caden deepened his hold on me, his intensity washing over me like a tidal wave, until my knees felt weak and my resolve began to dissolve. I found myself questioning why I had ever chosen to remain angry with him in the first place.

His grip on my waist tightened, pulling me closer as he pressed me against the rough surface of the garden shed. The wood creaked beneath us, but in that moment, I was oblivious to everything except the heat radiating between us. My hands instinctively found their way to his shirt, grasping at the fabric as if it were a lifeline, pulling him nearer until the space that once separated us vanished entirely.

In one swift motion, he lifted me off the ground, and the world around us blurred into a dizzying haze. The door swung open, and with a swift flick of his hand, he cleared the worktable, sending tools and debris crashing to the floor. I gasped, a mixture of shock and exhilaration coursing through me as he set me down on the cool, hard surface. His body followed mine, heat emanating from him as he leaned in closer, our breaths mingling in the charged space between us.

“Really?” I murmured against his lips, a laugh escaping me, half incredulous and half breathless. “In the shed?”

He flashed that dark, dangerous smile that sent my heart racing. “You think I’m done with you in a shed?” His voice was low, teasing, yet laced with an underlying promise. “If I have my way, you’ll never leave my bed.”

The laughter caught in my throat, and I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t joking.

“Caden,” I breathed, my tone half admonishing, half surrendering.

He kissed me again, this time slower, more deliberate, as if he were savoring every moment. My fingers wove into his hair, holding him close, terrified that he might pull away. When his tongue brushed against mine, the world tilted, and I realized he tasted like warmth and coffee—like something I hadn’t known I was craving until this very instant.

His hand began to roam, tracing lazy circles along my thigh before finding its way back to my waist. The warmth of his palm seared through the thin fabric of my shirt, sending shockwaves through my body. Every nerve ending ignited under his touch, and I gasped, my heart racing as he pulled back just enough to meet my gaze.

His eyes were no longer the cool blue I was used to; they were dark, molten, alive with an intensity that both thrilled and terrified me.

“You feel that?” he whispered, his voice raw with desire.

“Yeah,” I managed to reply, though I wasn’t entirely sure if he referred to the heat enveloping us or the electric current dancing beneath my skin.

He smiled, a wicked, soft grin that made my insides twist. “Good.”

His lips found mine again, deeper and more urgent this time. His hand slipped beneath my shirt, exploring the curve of my back, urging me closer until there was no space left between us. The sensation of his fingers gliding along my spine sent shivers through me, igniting a fire I hadn’t anticipated.

With a skill that should have alarmed me, he unclasped my bra, his fingers trailing along my skin, sending another wave of chills coursing through me. The friction between us made my thoughts disintegrate, leaving me in a haze of longing. I didn’t know where to touch him first, so I let my hands roam—his shoulders, his chest, the sharp line of his jaw. Every part of him was solid and perfect, grounding me even as I felt like I might float away.

“Are you really—” I gasped as his lips trailed down my throat. “Using a shed?”

He chuckled against my skin, the sound sending a thrill through me. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

“That’s not the point,” I retorted, attempting to sound playful, but my voice wavered, betraying my nerves.

He kissed just below my jaw, his lips brushing against my skin with a tantalizing urgency. “You think I can wait until we’re inside?”

“Caden—” My breath hitched when his hand glided down my side, taking my waistband with it.

The cold air against my bare skin made me shiver—was it from the chill or the way he was still kissing me? In that moment, it hardly mattered.

His mouth left mine, trailing down my neck, teasing that sensitive spot with his tongue.

I moaned, a sound I had never made before, raw and unfiltered. Caden groaned in response, clearly pleased, and used one hand to cup my breast while the other pried my thighs apart.

I gasped, feeling exposed and vulnerable, but when I met his gaze, the kindness and desire reflected in his eyes chased away my anxious thoughts.

“I’m dying to taste you, Maya,” he murmured, and I couldn’t comprehend how those words ignited a fire within me. “All of you.”

With that, he kissed my neck again, pulling my bra away as he twisted my nipple between his fingers.

His other hand began to draw circles on my inner thigh, inching closer to where I desperately wanted him, my body responding with a throbbing need.

I moaned again as his mouth descended lower, taking my other nipple between his lips. The flick of his tongue sent involuntary shivers down my spine, evoking another breathy moan from my lips.

I had never known it was possible to feel this way, but I could feel my body climbing to a height I never wanted to descend from.

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