Chapter 164 - Call Me
Chapter 164 – Call Me
Lina shivered at the sudden dip in temperature. She rubbed her forearms. Instantly, she felt more warmth. Kaden wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his heated body. She shifted her head to him, surprised.
"Are you cold, dove of mine?" Kaden murmured.
Kaden pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. Her chilly cheeks flushed. He smiled upon her skin and shifted back. Cute.
"Let's get you home, dove," Kaden added in a tender voice.
Lina's heart fluttered from his kind gesture. She simply nodded her head. Finally, she realized how badly her feet were aching from standing in heels. When tomorrow came, they were likely going to be sore.
"I'll see you later then, Linlin," Atlantis warmly told her. "Call me when you get back."
Kaden's entire body grew tense. He let out a harsh breath. This man should die earlier than anticipated. Maybe tomorrow, he'd wake up in the middle of shark infested waters. Or maybe before the sun rose, Atlantis would be buried alive.
"You changed your number," Lina pointed out.
"Oh, my new one—"
"This freezing night will give you the flu," Kaden told her. "You've just recovered. Come, let's not stand here any longer."
Before Lina could respond, Kaden bent and scooped her into his arms. She was startled. Her head shot in his direction. Her legs dangled over his arms. Instantly, the pressure on her feet was gone.
"You seemed to be in pain," Kaden stated.
Lina couldn't believe he saw through her facade. She tried her best to hide it in hope of continuing the conversation.
"Now, let's go home, dove," Kaden muttered.
Kaden didn't give her the time to say goodbye. He instantly whisked her away. And thanks to her height she could barely peer over his broad shoulders. But Kaden could feel it. Atlantis' threatening stare.
Kaden simply smirked. The man could look all he wanted, he would never get the girl.
– – – – –
"So," Kaden said in the car. "Lanlan?"
Lina naively blinked. Did he want her to call him by a nickname too? He seemed to dislike it before so she didn't use one for him.
"Shall I call you Eden from now on?" Lina asked him.
"Yes," Kaden grumbled.
Lina peered over in his direction. He was silently sulking. His brows were knitted. His sharp jaw tightened. He shot a brooding glare to every car on the road. This was too cute for her innocent heart.
"And no more Lanlan," Kaden added.
Lina's lips parted. She expected a worse reaction than this. Kicking off her heels in the car, she leaned closer to him. She stared at his expression carefully. She had never seen him sulk like this. She wanted to memorize the features to heart, in case she never saw it again.
"Keep on looking at me like that and I'll pull the car over," Kaden informed in a tense voice.
Lina's mouth dropped open. She was agasted. How shameless could one man be in one night?!
"And close your mouth whilst you're at it, unless you'd like something in there."
Lina clamped her jaw shut. She decided to focus her attention outside of the window. A few minutes later, he rested a hand on her thigh. She held her breath. His touch was warm, but so was her skin. She wanted his fingers elsewhere. His thumb rubbed sensual circles on her sensitive skin.
Lina pressed her thighs together, hoping to hide the heat that grew in between her legs. He sharply breathed in.
"You're killing me here." His voice was thick and hoarse.
Lina dared to take a peek. His eyes were glued on the road, but she could feel the intensity from here. Licking her lips, she tried to not react. His fingers were long. And she had clamped them right between her legs.
"I—"
"Don't."
Lina said nothing again. She realized no matter what she did, it was a temptation. Her voice. Her scent. Everything.
"Tell me about something. Anything." Kaden eventually said. "Give me a distraction, dove."
Lina rattled her thoughts for something to say. She saw on the GPS that they were still thirty minutes away from his house.
"I met Atlantis when I returned from the mental institution," Lina began. "Atlantis' grandfather is good friends with Lawrence."
Kaden was annoyed. Well, she was telling him something. But it just happened to be the perfect distraction from his desire.
"I grew up with him, until I graduated from high school two years early," Lina explained.
"Why didn't you tell me about him?" Kaden asked.
"It's been almost two years since I last contacted him. We lost connection when he went to university in Wraith," Lina murmured. "As my university schedule grew hectic, I eventually forgot about him."
"There was Everett and now there's Atlantis," Kaden noted to himself.
"There was never Everett or Atlantis as a competitor if that's what you're asking. Atlantis is a good childhood friend to me, that's all," Lina stated.
Good childhood friend.
Kaden's expression dimmed. So history was repeating itself. God damn it. Even their names were similar. He gripped her thigh tighter. To remind himself that she belonged to him. To remind him of who's car she was sitting in, of whose arms she was in, and whose bed she rested on.
Even so, in their first life, the same happened. Lina was in his embrace, but men vyed for her heart.
"Tell me more," Kaden murmured.
"Atlantis got bullied a lot for being an illegitimate son… at the same time I was bullied for being overweight," Lina said. "W-we uhm… kind of looked out for each other. He'd beat my bullies into a pulp."
Childhood friend, huh?
Sounds like someone had a crush.
Kaden kept that comment to himself. He let her continue, but his feet pressed the gas. They zoomed through the street, causing her to yelp with fear. The angrier he was, the faster the car.
"K-Kaden—"
Kaden's expression grew dark. Atlan in her first life. Atlantis in her third. Ah, how could he leave out the second one as well? Just as he thought about it, two timid hands grasped his wrist.
"Kaden, I'm scared."
That was all it took.
Kaden realized what he was doing. He instantly eased down on the pedal. The car came to a normal speed. She let out a shaky breath, her fingers clutching his wrist tightly.
"I'm sorry," Kaden said. "I didn't mean to."
Lina simply gulped. "I don't want to die so young."
Kaden glanced at her briefly. "It's a good thing you have that mentality."
Lina said nothing. She went back to his wrist and noticed the lack of a watch. Perhaps she could give him one…
"Now tell me more," Kaden murmured. He squeezed her thigh softly. Reassurance. He hoped it would work.
Lina's fingertips trailed the vein from his knuckle to his forearm. He let out a soft groan. This time, he squeezed her thigh as a warning. She stopped.
"Atlantis was rejected by his family, despite being the only son of the Medeor Chairman. He grew up with his mother's maiden name, thus, no one knew his true identity," Lina said.
"Intriguing…" Kaden murmured. Information that could be used against Atlantis. Perfect.
"All the students knew was that he had a powerful father, one that neglected him. This was evident during school events where neither his mom or dad were present," Lina continued.
Lina noticed they were reaching their destination soon.
"Seeing as he's back in the city and Medeor Corporation's Chairman is retiring, we can only assume Atlantis is here to take the position of his father, which means—"
"Medeor Corporation owns a pretty large amount of shares in Yang Enterprise," Kaden suddenly said.
"Yes—"
"You won't need his help to become Chairwoman," Kaden told her. "My shares should suffice."
Lina was instantly offended. Did he think she was only friends with Atlantis because he might inherit his father's shares?
"That wasn't my intention!" Lina shot back.
"I know, dove," Kaden reassured. "But as your husband, all I want to do is help you."
Lina frowned. Why did she feel like the bad guy?
"I want to spoil you rotten. Let me dote on you, dove. Let me give you all that I own," Kaden softly said.
Kaden glanced at her. She was staring intently at him with a disapproving scowl. His expression became more gentle.
"Dove—"
"I want to get to my position from my hard work, not yours," Lina told him.
"Alright," Kaden relented. They had reached their house.
"But just remember," Kaden told her. "Whatever's mine is yours. Whatever help you need, you'll be given. Don't you dare hesitate to reach for my hand. Do I make myself clear?"
"Clear as crystal, Eden."
Kaden smirked at her words. He stopped the car and turned to her. Reaching over the seat, he crashed his mouth to hers. Her eyes grew wide, but he kissed her tenderly. Before she could even respond, he pulled away.
"Now, time for my dessert," Kaden husked.