The jeans curved her rear, and skimmed over her knock out legs. On her feet she wore running shoes, her hair was tied back with a soft cream scarf that matched the sweater. She carried a dark red love bite on the back of that creamy neck. Cade’s cock hardened further at the sight of his mark.
“Marly, I think it’s time you meet our guests,” he spoke softly, but his voice carried a ring of steel.
She turned to him, her eyes shadowed, her face carrying a mask of expertly applied makeup. He had never seen her in makeup and he didn’t like it now.
“Rick and Tara Glaston, this is Marly McCall. Marly, Rick and Tara. They’re from Security Unnamed—“
“You two were the ones who rescued the little girl a few years ago.” Marly smiled brightly as she moved forward to shake their hands. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Miss McCall.” Rick was watching her with soft brown eyes, sympathy spilling over in his rough voice. Cade hated him.
“Marly, please.” Her pleasant smile never once reached her eyes, and Cade could see the fine trembling in her slender hand as she shook first Rick’s hand, then Tara’s.
“How’s Sam doing?” she finally asked Tara.
“Bitching every breath,” Tara breathed out, her smile bright in her slender, pretty face.
Tara Glaston was several inches taller than Marly, with short silky red hair, and big green eyes. A scattering of freckles fell over her nose, and she seemed friendly and vivacious.
“That’s Sam for you.” Marly moved back from the group, avoiding the couch like the plague and sitting instead in one of the large chairs on the other side of the room. She took a healthy sip of her drink as Cade frowned over at her.
“Have you eaten anything yet?” he questioned her cautiously, knowing she hadn’t shown up for dinner.
“Of course.” She shrugged. “I was starved, and Marie’s roast is the best.”
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Cade frowned deeper, though, as he watched Marly now. At least her appetite wasn’t suffering. And neither was her thirst. She was drinking like the stuff was pure water.
She leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs as she turned her attention to the news on the television as Brock and Rick began to discuss finding Jack. Cade listened with only half an ear, his attention centered on Marly. She was wired, running on nerves and it made him nervous. Her hand shook as she drank, and her expression was distant, reserved. He had never seen Marly either distant or reserved.
“I want Marly and Cade to stay indoors.” Cade watched Marly stiffen at Rick’s advice. “He knows they’re having sex, and it’s pushed him over the edge. He’ll make his move soon. Until then, let’s be certain we can control as much of the situation as possible.”
Marly’s eyes narrowed, her teeth clenching so harshly Cade could see her jaw knotting as her face flamed in embarrassment.
“He’ll soon learn better, then,” she bit out as she tipped her glass back and swallowed more of the drink.
Rick glanced over at Cade as though wondering how to handle the situation. Cade shrugged. Hell, he didn’t know how to handle her; she had never acted this way. He half expected her to outright refuse any suggestion he made anyway. Rick shook his head as he grimaced in resignation. Evidently, he’d had to handle stubborn women before. So why then was Cade the one who received the disgusted look?
“Look, I know this situation is delicate right now.” Rick leaned forward, his expression so fucking soft and caring Cade wanted to knock the hell out of him. “But we have to be careful, Marly. Jennings isn’t sane. Right now, your best defense is to let him keep believing it.”
Her hand shook, causing her to grip her glass tighter. Cade could see the wild emotions darkening her eyes as she glanced at him.
“No movement in your room, Marly. You don’t leave the house without Cade beside you.”
Marly was breathing with quick, hard breaths. She drained the half full glass then rose shakily to her feet to pour another.
“I don’t think so.” Cade moved in front of her, gripping her hand before she could pick up the first bottle.
“Please.” She kept her head lowered, and his chest tightened at the fear and pain in her voice.
“Drinking won’t help, baby.” She flinched at his soft endearment. She shook her head, and he could tell her control was hanging by a thread. He couldn’t stop the move that had him pulling her into his arms, bending over her as her head lay on his chest, in a gesture of protection.
“I won’t let him hurt you,” he whispered out, agonized. “Not again, Marly.”
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Her nails dug into his chest, and for a moment, just for a moment Cade thought she would loosen up enough to allow him to comfort her. But she pushed away from him instead, her head lowered as she sat back down. She seemed to curl into herself, to retreat from everyone.
Rick glanced at Cade with a concerned frown.
“Marly, I know this is hard,” Tara said softly. “Bastards like this don’t deserve to live, and nice people like you sure as hell don’t deserve the pain. But it’s here, and if you want to live, then you have to help us.”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t cooperate.” She raised her head, staring the woman in the eye defensively. “But I want to sleep in another room.”
“And I understand why.” She wasn’t the least sympathetic to Cade’s cause. “But your life is more important than your pride, or his.”
Marly flashed Cade a hateful look. He almost flinched from the searing look. Never had Marly looked at him like that, challenging, furious. His eyes narrowed on her. He smiled at her, slow and sure, his gaze heavy lidded. He watched her flush with a flare of satisfaction. Yeah, fight baby, he thought. Fight all you want, but when the score’s tallied, we’ll see who wins and who begs.
“Fine.” Marly didn’t sound fine with it, though. Her lips were pressed tightly together, her eyes flashing in anger and determination. He liked that flash. He crossed his hands over his chest and watched her with a quirked smile.
“Okay then, boys and girls. If my hunch is right, we won’t have to wait long on him to make his move.” Rick clapped his hands together in a gesture of finality. “I suggest we all get a good night’s sleep, and get started tomorrow drawing the little prick out.”
Marly’s head turned suddenly.
“What do you mean? Drawing him out?” she asked him suspiciously.
“Well now, baby, what do you think he means?” Cade leaned against the bar as though relaxed and ready. “Sex with me is what draws him out, so we’ll see if we can’t tempt him a little bit.”
Marly was on her feet in a flash, shock rounding her eyes as anger pulsed in her body. Son of a bitch, if she wasn’t the prettiest damn thing he had ever laid his eyes on. Her face flushed, her body tight, tense, her breasts heaving with anger. Like a volcano, boiling and ready to blow, she teetered on the edge.
“I hope to hell you aren’t suggesting what I think you are,” she exclaimed loudly. Cade widened his eyes, smiling in pleasure.
“Well, honey, this afternoon my windows were replaced with bullet proof glass. And you know how much I love leaving the curtains open to stare into the starry skies at night.”
Her face paled, her eyes glittered. It was all Cade could do to hide his shock at the unwilling excitement he saw in her eyes. She was shocked, furious, holding onto her Lora Leigh
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pride and her sense of morality, but he knew that hot little glitter in her eyes for what it was.
“Bastard,” she growled. “There’s no way in hell I’ll let you touch me with the damned curtains closed, let alone opened so some pervert can watch it.”
Fury, blistering and hot vibrated through her body. Her fists clenched, her muscles visibly trembled.
Cade shrugged.
“Tara brought a pretty black wig with her. We can let her—“ He barely ducked in time to escape the flying glass she launched his way.
“Bastard. Fucking creep!” she screamed furiously, her body shaking with rage as she turned on Tara. “Do it, by God. You’re more than welcome to his lying ass.”
She stalked from the room, her body rigid, her face flaming. Cade could only watch her in surprise and arousal. Son of a bitch, that was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life.
“Mr. August, I suggest you refrain from using me in your battles.” Ms. Glaston came to her feet now, staring him down imperiously. “I don’t throw glasses, I throw punches, and trust me, they do damage.”
Cade sighed. He honestly hadn’t meant any harm. This time.
“I was merely going to tell her about your damned plan for you and Rick to do it instead,” he bit out in frustration. “Are all women so damned jumpy or what?”
“Are all men so damned stupid, or is it just you?” Tara snapped. “I’m going to bed myself. I’ve had about as much as this ignorance out of him as I can stand. Reminds me of why I stopped guarding damned men to begin with.”
She stomped from the room as Rick covered his mouth, fighting to hide his grin.
“She always so damned jumpy?” Cade plopped into a chair, staring at the doorway with a confused frown.
“Pretty much.” Rick grinned.
“She must be hell to be married to,” Brock broke in at this point with a dark look.
“Don’t know, I never asked her ex about it,” Rick shrugged, watching Brock with a frown.
“What are you, if not her husband?” Brock asked. “You sure as hell don’t look like her brother.”
“Brother-in-law. Ex to be exact,” Rick snickered. “And trust me, boy, she has a damned fine figure, but that’s one woman you don’t want to tangle with. She has PMS
every day of the damned week.”
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Cade slammed the bedroom door him as he stalked into the room. Arousal and anger vied for supremacy within him, though his shaft throbbed harder than his fury burned at the moment. This was what he had wanted to protect Marly from. This furious build up of need, the demand that he dominate her, take her, make her affirm his control over her body. And he would. He had tried to do it her way. God knew he had fought the baser instinct that he knew drove him, but he couldn’t fight them any longer. And Marly. Sweet precious Marly was about to learn more about her lover than she had ever dreamed possible.
“Undress.” He kept his voice calm, his body still. He understood this. He could handle himself knowing what was to come. The craziness of fighting it made him unravel.
Amazement crossed her expression.
“I will not,” she bit out, frowning at him furiously.
Cade smile. A slow curve of his lips as he anticipated the night to come.
“I warned you not to deny me, Marly.” He unbuttoned his shirt, pulling it from the waistband of his jeans as he watched her eyes widen. “I had hoped we would be able to put this off until you were more comfortable with me, but I see we can’t.”
He loosened his belt, then pulled off his leather boots. Picking up his boots he set them neatly in his closet, then pulled off the shirt and laid it in a chair beside the door.
“Are you insane?” she squeaked, blinking. “This is no longer a sex game, Cade. Are you into rape too? Strange, I never heard about that one.”
Her bravado was commendable. He liked that about her. She rarely ever backed down, and even though he could see the flare of apprehension in her eyes, she wasn’t balking. At least, not at his anger.
“It never was a game, Marly, that’s what I tried to make you understand.” He locked the bedroom door, then the connecting door. “I tried to warn you, and even after you disregarded those warnings, I’ve tried to take it easy on you. But you’ve pushed me too far.”
“I pushed you too far?” Her slender finger was like a harsh exclamation point as she pointed first to herself, then to him. “Are you forgetting who is in the wrong here?
You lied to me, Cade.”
“I tried to protect you, just as I’ve always done,” he corrected her gently. “Perhaps in the wrong way, but I tried all the same. Now, are you going to take those clothes off, or do I have to tear them off you?”
She blinked, shaking her head.
“I said no.”
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His cock jerked, throbbed as lust kicked him hard in the stomach. She was saying no, and if he thought for one damned minute she wasn’t well aware of what saying that one little word meant, then he would have stopped. But she knew. He knew. He could see it in her eyes, in the way her nipples peaked beneath her sweater. She would deny it until hell froze over, but Marly knew what she was doing. It was her choice.
“Take the fucking clothes off, Marly,” he growled harshly. “I don’t want to have to ruin them.”
Her eyes widened in apprehension. It was a tone of voice he used only when he meant business. One she had never refused in the eight years she had lived under his roof. And it excited her. He could see the excitement in her eyes. Damn her, if he didn’t know better he would swear she had planned this. But her fingers shook when she pulled the sweater over her head, then removed her jeans, all the while watching him carefully. Before going to her, he walked to his window, jerking the curtains opened with a rough flick of his wrist.
The double windows were large, giving a clear view to anyone watching of the well-lit room, and Marly’s nearly naked body. She flinched, but stood her ground. She was exquisite. He stalked her slowly, moving around her as she watched him nervously. Her breasts were rising and falling quickly, the hard little nipples puckered and flushed.
As he moved behind her, he smacked her butt smartly. Crying out, Marly jumped away from him.
“What the hell was that for?” She frowned, keeping her back to him, edging away from him as he moved closer.
“You left your panties on. Take them off.” He kept his voice harsh, his expression closed.
“I’m tired of this—.”