by Elle Thorne
Cadence turned to her. “That doesn’t help,” she exclaimed, trying to breathe between bites. She raised a glass of water to her lips and drank sips between coughing fits.
“I hope that doesn’t mean you don’t like the Salisbury steak,” Miriam said, then added, “This just doesn’t seem to be a good night for you, dear.”
“Sure doesn’t seem like it,” Cadence wheezed.
Chapter Three
“That could not have gone any more horribly if my worst enemy had planned it.” Cade tossed her purse onto the bed and leaned her forehead against the wall.
“It sucked. It totally sucked.”
Of course it did. The first guy she’d been attracted to in a long time and…
One, he’s a fucking cop and he’s hunting me.
Two, he thinks I’m a coughing, klutzy mess.
Three… shit. Give me time. I’ll come up with three. And by the time I do, there’ll probably be a dozen more to add to that list.
A knock at the door brought her forehead off the wall.
“Cade?”
She ground her teeth. She was still a touch peeved with Cari.
I mean, jeez, could she have been more obvious?
“Yeah.”
Carina opened the door. “I’m really sorry about tonight. I got spooked.”
You pretty much put a neon sign over my head that said Cadence the Cat Burglar.
She couldn’t say that to Cari. She just couldn’t. It would crush her little sister.
But I’ll have to quit or move. I can’t have such a glaring trail leading to my actions.
Then again, she wasn’t far from reaching her goal. Just a couple more jobs.
At what risk?
Cade pushed that thought away. It wouldn’t serve her to think that way. She wrapped her arms around Cari. “Don’t worry. Just be more careful, okay?”
Cari nodded. Her dark eyes, so similar to Cade’s and Laken’s, were full of tears. “I’m going to avoid him.”
“You can’t avoid him. We’re expected at Laken’s tomorrow night.” Oh, hell no, I’m not going alone. That’s too damned close to a double date.
“I’ve already decided.” Cari’s jaw jutted forward in stubbornness. When she wore that look, there was no changing her mind.
Time to appeal to Cari’s love for their sister. “Laken will be disappointed.”
“She’ll be fine. I’ll offer to take her to lunch the day after.”
Ugh. Why did it have to work out this way? Double ugh. One of them had to go to Laken’s. And it was looking like she was the one.
Chapter Four
If I don’t care about getting to know him better, why am I wasting all this time on my clothes, hair, and makeup?
She parked her car in the parking garage below the apartments and got out, locking the car with a quick chirp.
Good question, and one she wasn’t going to answer.
Nope, not going there.
“Hey.”
She jumped. “Jesus.”
Isaac.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.” She released her grip on her bag, realizing she’s been clenching it white-knuckled tight. “Much.”
“Want an escort?”
She looked around. “Where’s your car?”
“Didn’t bring it.”
Cade cocked her head, eyeing him suspiciously. “Then why are you down here?”
“You’re late. Laken was worried. Told her I’d make sure you made it up safely.”
Cade couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled in her chest and exited her mouth. “She thought a shifter would need help?” She kept her voice low. She lengthened her strides to keep up with his long legs.
“Under certain circumstances, everyone needs help.” He pressed the elevator button.
She couldn’t argue that, and she didn’t know what else to say that would be safe territory. She didn’t want to hear about his job, or how close they were to closing the cat burglar case, so she rode in silence, purse clutched in front of her.
“What are you hiding?”
She whirled, her fear outweighing her anger. “What are you talking about?” She barely managed to get the words out without sputtering.
“Hunter’s block. You used it last night, and you’re using it now. The only time our kind ever use that is when we’re hiding something. So what is it?”
A million things flew through her mind—none of them viable. The top of the list was to tell him she was pregnant and trying to hide the scent so her sisters wouldn’t know. Cade didn’t want to tell him that. Something like that would make him think she had someone else. And that was the last thing she wanted him to think.
“I have my reasons.” That was the only thing she could come up with.
His eyes narrowed. Blue diamantine shards studied her.
She squirmed, shifting from one foot to the other. Then anger seized her. Who the hell did he think he was? He had no right to question her.
“Why don’t you mind your own business, Officer?”
A slight reaction, the tiniest flinch, told her she’d struck a chord.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s not my business. Hard to put the shield away, you know?”
She nodded, still suffused with anger. Cade studied the elevator’s control panel to keep from looking at him. She hadn’t meant to be so abrupt. If he weren’t currently working on solving a series of crimes that would put her in prison, she’d be fine with questions.
He’s Ky’s brother.
For her sister’s sake, she should keep the peace.
And it doesn’t hurt that I find him sexy.
She counted to three to rein in her temper, then forced a smile to her face and turned his way.
* * *
Isaac had been caught off-guard by the ferocity of her response to his question. Then he chastised himself for not ever allowing the cop in him to rest.
When she turned to him with a smile on her face, he knew instantly it wasn’t genuine. And even though she was using hunter’s block and he couldn’t scent her attraction, he could tell she felt a pull. It showed in the way her eyes dilated and her nostrils flared.
“What do you do?” he asked.
An expression flickered across her face, so brief and fleeting he hadn’t a clue what it was, then just as quickly, she hid her emotions behind a smile, this time a real one.
“I teach.”
He fought the urge to cock his head. To question her more.
I’m a fool. It’s not questioning if I just ask her stuff normal people talk about.
“What grade?”
She raised a brow.
“Hey.” He raised his hands as if showing a white flag. And it does feel like I’m surrendering. “I’m just asking like a guy… you know… not like a cop.”
“Kindergarten. But it’s winter break now, you know. Christmas and all that.”
“Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? That’s a safe question, right?”
A laugh escaped her, genuine and captivating. He could watch this fascinating woman for days on end.
“Yes, it’s a safe question. Almost done. I’m making a quick run tomorrow for a couple more things. Now that Ky’s a part of the family and all that.”
The elevator dinged and the doors whooshed open, allowing them a view of the hallway that led to each apartment. Wreaths garnished each door, and pine garlands streamed across the walls. They stepped out of the elevator into the alcove, then turned left to go to Laken’s place.
Isaac came to a standstill abruptly. He put a hand on Cade’s arm, halting her. He turned to face her, then pointed above her head.
She turned to look at him as if wondering why he’d stopped her, then she tipped her chin and looked upward.
Her lips parted slightly in surprise.
Chapter Five
“Oh.” Cade’s next word was a whisper. “Mistle—”
His mouth cut off
the rest of what she was going to say. His tongue didn’t seek permission, it invaded with a mission: claim and conquer.
Cade didn’t have the time to be surprised by the kiss. Desire burst through her subconscious urge to construct a wall that would keep him out. Her heart pounded so hard she was afraid his shifter hearing would pick it up.
His tongue’s insistent exploration of her mouth was intoxicating, and his scent, overwhelming with desire, lit a fire in her that threatened to implode. It had been too long since she’d kissed a man, and she’d never kissed a man like this, a man who clicked with her in every way. His bear reached out to her panther, transcending space and the laws of physics.
No!
She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t let her panther reveal who she was to his bear. Cade pushed her panther back, sealing her away from the polar bear that was prodding at her mind’s recesses.
And yet, no matter how much she pushed, no matter how strong her will was, the flames of passion, the aching need inside her, engulfed her in a cascade that felt like swimming up a waterfall.
The heat of his body surrounded her, and his scent, manly and musky with a hint of pine woods, blended with the scent of his desire and filled her lungs. Cade felt like she couldn’t breathe even though she knew oxygen was making its way into her lungs.
Isaac’s hands ran down her sides, pulling her firmly against his body, leaving a trail of heat in their wake, making her nerve endings crave his touch.
Cade’s hands snaked around his neck, touching his short hair, digging her nails into his scalp, and pulling him down with an intense desire to have more of him, more of this.
“Sorry.” A voice interrupted them with the brutality of an ice bucket challenge.
A neighbor of her sister’s, some stranger she’d never met before, had stepped out of his apartment.
Heat of embarrassment replaced the flush of desire she’d felt on her cheeks. She jerked her head from Isaac’s but his hands kept her firmly in place, unable to pull away from his body.
“Merry Christmas,” Isaac said to the neighbor, who’d turned away and was heading down the hallway, a bottle of wine and two glasses in hand.
“Same to you,” the man looked back to say.
“Let me go,” Cade hissed.
“We’re not done.” Blue eyes twinkled with mischief and desire. At the same time, a deep amber glow shone in the depths of his eyes. “You’re not going anywhere, now that I have you.”
Half of Cade wanted to shove against his chest and hurt him and the other half of her wanted him to pick her up and carry her to the nearest bed, table, wall—you name it, she wanted to experience it with this man. She felt what he wanted to show her, even though he wasn’t doing anything deliberate to make it happen. His hardness pressed against her belly, evidence of a desire that made hers stronger.
He two-stepped her backward, without music, pushing her back and back. Unable to do anything but follow, because she didn’t want this to end, Cade let him lead her step after step until the unyielding wall was against her back and his huge, muscular body was pressed fully flush against hers, melding her into him.
Cade melted. She’d read about this, heard about this, but—Ohdeargod—she’d never thought this could happen to her. No, she wasn’t some wilting, yielding, delicate flower…
And yet, this man pressing her against the wall made images fly through her head that were strictly X-rated. Heaven help her, she wanted him. Her panther roared in agreement in the depths of Cade’s mind, demanding to be brought further out of her subconscious, fighting her exile.
She bit her lips. Angels in heaven, was he going to kiss her, or was he going to make her suffer?
And with that thought, she could have smacked herself.
When did I become THAT woman?
He raised a hand, slowly gliding it up, starting at her fingertips, trailing it her palm, then the inside of her wrist. He traced tiny circles on the delicate translucent skin there, making goose bumps everywhere else on her body. Shivers raced up her spine while desire pooled between her legs.
He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers.
“Stop fighting it.” His breath was warm.
She breathed it in, taking that part of him inside her deeply, letting it touch her soul. Her eyes closed while she relished the upheaval of unfamiliar emotions.
And then suddenly—
—nothing
—cold
—emptiness.
He’d pulled away and propped his hands on the wall, his arms forming a prison that she’d eagerly and willingly be trapped in.
“The next move will be up to you.”
Cade opened her mouth to speak. Okay, not to speak. More like to scream. She was tempted to yell at him, to tell him how little she appreciated the emotional and sensory rollercoaster he’d just taken her on.
Except, by damn, she couldn’t. If she gave in, there’d be a hell of a lot more with him. On one hand, she wanted to kill him, but on the other, she wanted to lead him to a private place and—
—And then a door opened and her sister peeked out.
“There you are. I thought you’d gotten lost.” Laken gave them a curious look.
Isaac dropped his arms slowly, casually, as if what they’d been doing was completely natural.
Cade swallowed so hard her ears felt like they popped. Luckily, before she could think what to say, Laken had already turned to go back into her apartment.
“You.” Cade glared at Isaac.
Then that man did the most infuriating thing.
He laughed.
Her conflicted emotions warred over a response.
Then he walked away; before she could speak, following her sister Laken into her apartment.
What the hell just happened?
Chapter Six
Isaac could barely walk with the erection he had. He tried to think of anything he could to make it vanish before he walked into Laken’s place. He followed Laken slowly, so he wouldn’t look at the furious Cade. Even when she seethed, she was beautiful. Maybe even more beautiful because that lent perspective as to what her face would look like in the heat of passion.
He fought the unexpected sense of loss at not having her in his arms. If she were his mate, he’d have taken her before they came over here—twice, and then again after they went home. Instead, he was left with the hollow feeling she wasn’t completely onboard with their attraction, as if she were fighting it and him at the same time.
She wanted him as fiercely as he wanted her. He knew this without scenting her emotions. No amount of hunter’s block could hide the deliciously female scent that rose from between her legs. If the way she smelled was any indicator, she would taste delicious. His bear roared in agreement.
“Where’ve you been?” Ky asked him as he walked in the door.
Laken gave Ky the look.
Ky clamped his lips into a flat line.
Isaac wasn’t about to dig a deeper hole for himself with Cadence. He shrugged. “Need any help?”
“Nah. We’re good.”
“Sure,” Laken disagreed. “Would you mind slicing tomatoes while I blend the soup? Creamy tomato with fresh basil work for you?”
Isaac’s stomach grumbled.
“I guess that’s a yes.” Laken laughed.
The door closed behind him. He didn’t need to turn and look. He could feel Cade’s presence as if connected to her by electrodes.
“Hey, Ky.” Cade hugged her brother-in-law, then her sister. “What can I do?”
“Set the table, if you don’t mind.” Laken showed Cade where everything was.
She leaned across the table, placing the plates just so, adjusting the knives and forks, giving the mundane task of table-setting more attention and care than it needed. Her hands touched the silverware gently, capturing his imagination.
She’d taken her coat off and was garbed in a pair of black pants that made her hips flare to a delicious apple-shaped as
s. Isaac couldn’t turn his eyes away. Her hair had slipped out of the ponytail high on her head, and dark tendrils lay against her light olive skin in a canvas of contrast.
Her top was fitted, molding to her breasts in a way he wished his fingers could. The toffee-colored fabric hugged her waist as it tapered, then flared back out again where it lay on her hips.
I’m in trouble.
Yes, he sure was. He’d never felt this for a woman. He had no clue it could be so all-consuming.
“What do you say, Isaac?”
He dropped his eyes to the tomatoes he sure as hell wasn’t slicing. “What’s that?”
“How about a beer on the balcony when you’re done with those? The grill’s probably ready for the salmon.”
“Sounds good.”
Ky placed a beer next to the cutting board. “Incentive.”
Isaac made short work of knocking the tomatoes out and avoiding looking at Cade, though her very presence in the room was impossible to ignore when she was so engrained in every cell in his body.
He hustled out to the balcony, inhaling the mesquite wood Ky had added to the fire.
“You’ve got it bad,” Ky said. “Reminds me how it was with Laken. Couldn’t think of anything but her.”
“Now she’s yours.”
“One day, Cade will be yours.” Ky tapped his longneck against Isaac’s and nodded his cheers.
“I don’t think so. They’re very different women. And I can tell you that Cadence barely likes me.”
“That’s not how I see it.” Ky put the water-soaked cedar plank on the grill. “You’d be surprised by Laken. She’s a lot more like Cade than you think. They’re passionate women; they both live for their causes. Find out what Cade’s cause is, and join her.”
Isaac took a draw from the longneck. Even though alcohol didn’t affect shifters, that didn’t stop him from enjoying the flavor. “She teaches kindergarten. What kind of cause could she have?” Collecting colored pencils? But he didn’t voice his thought. He knew it was based on frustration.
