by Mason Sabre
She let the strong band of his arms comfort her, then she pressed in closer, placing her mouth against the strong pulse just under the surface. She felt Cade tense, but her body had flared to life, responding to the closeness of his. She trailed her lips along his jaw to his mouth, then raised her tear-filled gaze to meet his. Neither of them closed their eyes when she kissed the firm softness of his mouth, the contact an electric jolt to her system. She felt his heart give a resounding thud that matched her own, and without her lips leaving his, she reached up to pull on the knot of his tie, working it down until it hung open from his collar.
He said nothing … did nothing. He stood there stiffly, his hands still behind her back, as she started working on the buttons of his shirt until it was open all the way down, revealing a hard, muscular chest. She’d kissed that chest a thousand times, explored every glorious inch of it, but right then, her heart thundered as if it were the first time. Her fingers danced across his skin … along the smooth muscle to the ring through his nipple. She heard the small catch in his breath, and liquid heat pooled between her legs in response.
Impatient now, she pushed his shirt off his broad shoulders, and Cade released her long enough for him to shake it off and toss it onto the floor. When he came back to her, it was with fire in his eyes, no longer a passive participant. Their roles reversed, and now it was him who was in control. One hand went around her waist to wrench her against him, the rigid length of his erection pressing hard into her stomach and quelling any doubt as to how much he wanted her. The other hand hooked around the nape of her neck to yank her to his mouth—there was an urgency in his movements, his actions that of a man that had been starved for years.
This time, when their lips met, he did close his eyes, his wolf meeting with her tiger in a sacred communion that belonged to them alone. She moaned against his lips, digging her fingers into his back. She should stop. She knew it. Every part of her that remained logical screamed at her to move away, but she was lost—too far gone.
She tried to move back, but Cade was not allowing any of that. He went to protest, but as she began to pull her T-shirt up over her head, he let go of her with an approving growl, and his rough hands went to work on the fastenings of her jeans. Breaths coming short, she kicked off her shoes as he shoved her jeans down her long legs, leaving her standing in just her underwear—exposed and more vulnerable than she had ever felt with Cade. He had every right to push her away….
He did—but only so that he could back her towards the bed. His body came flush up against hers, his arms snaking around her middle to lift her feet off the floor as they walked.
“Wait,” she said when he put her down and her legs hit the edge of the bed. She didn’t want to rush this.
Cade reached for her, his hands cupping her face in that way he loved to do.
“Do you want me to stop?” he murmured roughly.
She placed both of her hands against his chest, not to push him away, but to feel the heat of him there. Just touching him ignited her body, lust shooting through her right to her core. She let her hand slide down, enjoying the feel of the smattering of hairs that went from the centre of his chest to just past his navel. He stood still, breathing hard, letting her explore. When she reached the waistband of his jeans, she undid his belt and slipped her hand inside, reaching for him.
He let out a moan as her hand went around him, his palms cupping her face more tightly as his breathing grew heavier. When he seemed to regain a little control over his mind, his hungry blue stare met hers, the fierceness in its depths making Gemma weak. No one else had ever looked at her the way he did.
His hands slid from her face and travelled down her back to the clasp of her bra. She trembled in nervous anticipation, her breath hitching when he unhooked the scrappy lace and let it slide down her arms. A hungry growl came from deep inside him as his eyes settled on the generous swells of flesh he had just freed. He pushed her back onto the bed, forcing her to let go of him as he moved down her body to capture the stiff peak of one of her breasts in his mouth. She moaned as he sucked it deep in his mouth, her body literally melting under his. She was starving for him.
She tried to move under him, desperate to get his jeans off. She needed to feel all of him … but he wouldn’t let her. He moved further down, trailing his mouth down her stomach, gliding his tongue along her flesh all the way to the edge of her panties. He nipped her skin, bringing about those little gasps and cries from her lips that always drove him crazy. When he hooked his fingers under the elastic band of her panties, she helped him by raising her hips off the bed so he could slide them down her legs. His eyes stayed locked on her body, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he stood and made quick work of removing his shoes and the rest of his clothes.
Fear rolled through Gemma as she watched him undress, images of him turning and leaving flashing in her head, making her tremble with the helplessness she felt. She hated not feeling in control. She swallowed hard at the sight of his muscled, beautifully sculptured naked body. Broad shoulders tapered down to a flat stomach and lean hips, hard angles and heavy muscle a vast contrast to the smooth flesh that covered it all. Her eyes travelled lower, to the thick, steel length of him, and her mouth watered…. God, she had missed that perfect body of his.
Nervously, she held out her hand to him, wanting to feel all that delicious male flesh on hers again. His eyes never leaving hers, he leant down and slowly slid his hands up her silky legs, making her heart thud like a drum. She inhaled sharply when he gripped her trembling thighs and parted them, settling himself between them with a growl. Gemma grabbed for him, trying to pull him up her body, but Cade had no intention of moving from where he was. His arm slipped under her to jerk her hips up, and her breath caught in her throat. Without preamble, his mouth found the very centre of her, his tongue darting out to lick and tease the sensitive flesh. Gemma cried out, panting as he ate at her greedily.
Her breathing grew ragged and she shuddered under the erotic onslaught of his mouth, her mind spinning as the world around her became hazy. Cade was relentless, pushing her legs further apart and diving deep, lapping at her until she was crying out his name. She felt her orgasm build, her legs tensing as the pressure grew until she couldn’t hold back any longer. With a shout, she gave in to the powerful climax that ripped through her, her back arching as sheer pleasure rode every nerve cell in her body. Cade crawled up her body, hooking her thighs over strong forearms and thrusting into her as she was still coming. It tore another climax from her, bringing a scream from her lips and a long groan from Cade.
She tried to quicken the pace, but he was in control … moving at his pace until she softened against him. He nipped along her jaw until he reached her mouth, claiming it in a searing kiss that left her mind reeling. She dug her nails into his back, scoring his flesh as she moaned into the kiss. He gave his own pleasure-filled growl before tearing his mouth from hers and dipping his head down to her taut nipples. He drew first the one, then the other into his hot mouth, making her whimper and beg.
“Cade … please …” She had no idea what it was that she was begging for.
He kept up the maddening pace between her thighs, driving into her hard, but steadily. Breathing harshly, he lifted her hips to him, and she moaned as the shift caused him to stroke her at a delicious new angle. Her breasts brushed against his chest and they both groaned, every sense heightened to a fever pitch.
“Fuuuck …” He threw his head back and thrust faster, harder. Gemma sank back into the pillow, her small gasps of pleasure seeming to spur him on and make him move even faster. He felt so damn good inside her. She tightened her legs around his lean hips, locking him in place as he dove into her again and again.
Gemma moved with him, rocking her hips, matching him with every stroke. She reached up and pulled his head down to hers, desperate for the feel of his lips on hers once more. Their kiss was rough, urgent, their tongues clashing in a frantic dance. A low growl reverberated i
n his throat, bringing an answering moan from Gemma.
With an uttered oath, Cade wrenched his head away and buried it in the delicate curve between her neck and shoulder … then bit down. Gemma tensed, gasping, her legs squeezing tight around him as another mind-blowing orgasm ripped through her. His hips shot forward uncontrollably and she clamped down around him just as she felt his own powerful release, his beautiful features drawn tight as he came hard, his seed spilling into her.
He half collapsed on top of her, but stayed propped up on his elbows, making sure not to crush her beneath him. Both of them lay there breathless, their bodies slick with perspiration. Gemma brought her hands to his cheeks, making him lift his head so she could look into his handsome face. His wolf shone in his eyes, a feral satisfaction in them. Unable to stop it, a tear rolled down the side of her face as she smiled at him.
“I love you, Gem,” he said, gently pushing her hair back. “Don’t make me go away.”
She bit her lip to keep it from trembling. “I have to,” she whispered miserably. “I—”
Pain and anger flickered in his eyes as he stared at her, then he was pulling away from her, leaving her feeling bereft and alone. He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her, not saying a word–and perhaps that was worse than anything he could have said. She dragged the bedcovers up to cover her nakedness, suddenly feeling dreadfully exposed.
He raked his fingers through his short hair, exhaling heavily. With a curse, he finally said, “If you have to, then what the hell was all this?”
She swallowed down the tears that threatened to spill. “It was a mistake,” she rasped. “I shouldn’t—”
“A mistake?” he asked incredulously. There was no denying the pain in his voice right then, his face creasing with confusion and hurt, a look that seared itself forever into Gemma’s mind. “Love is not a fucking mistake. How can you—?” He shook his head as if getting rid of whatever he was going to say. With another muttered expletive, he grabbed his jeans and jabbed his legs into them, his expression hard as he got up and fastened his belt.
He lifted his head and glared at her.
“This is how you want it?”
Her heart was breaking. “It has to be—”
He gave a curt nod without letting her finish and grabbed the coins that had fallen onto the bed when he’d pushed her back. He plucked out Connor’s penny and stuffed it into the back of his wallet. “This is mine,” he grated and then tossed the rest of the coins on the bed beside Gemma. “You can have those.”
“Cade—”
“You want this over? You can have it. I will never touch you again.” Gemma had never heard him speak to her with such resentment before. “I’ll take you to Shelley’s, but after that, I never want you near me again. Do you understand?”
A sob tore from her throat, and she pulled her knees up to her body, wrapping the blanket around herself more tightly. “I’m sorry,” she whispered despondently.
But he was so far gone, so furious, that no amount of tears were about to melt the piece of ice that had so suddenly formed around his heart. “I don’t want anything from you ever again … and I will give you nothing in return.” He grabbed the rest of his clothes and marched to the door, not looking behind him as he said, “When you’re dressed, I’ll be waiting in the car to drive you.”
He swung the door open and stormed outside, leaving Gemma with her mind swirling and her heart on the floor in pieces.
Chapter 17
Gemma
Stepping over the threshold to Shelley’s house brought a fresh sting of tears to Gemma’s eyes. The drive over had been in total silence, neither of them saying a word. So much tension and anger emanated from Cade as she sat beside him that it was almost tangible. She wished with all her heart that she could take away the hurt she had caused, but she couldn’t fix his broken heart—or hers. He needed a moment to himself, he had said when they arrived, looking straight ahead out of the windshield and refusing to look at her. It was so hard to get out of the car and just let him sit there alone. But it was also hard to carry on sitting next to him. It seemed it didn’t matter where she was, near or far, it hurt. Her heart ached with the knowledge that he was hurting, guilt twisting inside her gut knowing she was responsible.
She had to make herself walk into the house. If she didn’t, she didn’t know if she would have been able to resist the call of his wolf for much longer. And where would that have got them? Back into bed? Back onto the path that was so wrong, leaving everything in tatters. She had to do this.
For him.
“Cade not coming in?” Tom asked as Gemma let herself into the lounge. He was sitting on the sofa bouncing Rachel on his knee, trying to coax her into eating a slice of apple. The little girl’s hair was a tangled mess, her clothes askew, but it was Tom who looked completely frazzled.
“He’ll be in in a moment,” she said. “He said to give you this.” She popped the laptop on the sofa beside him, and as horrible as she felt about them getting into Jessica’s personal stuff, at the moment, it seemed the least of her worries. What she really wanted to do was go home, curl up on her bed and not think about anything—especially not Cade and what they had just done at the cabin. “Can you get through the password protection? We can do everything else from there.”
Tom popped the laptop open, juggling it between himself and Rachel as she strained to get to the keys.
“What in God’s name did you do to your face?” Shelley asked, marching over to her as she came in from the back of the house.
“Ahh—”
She grabbed Gemma’s chin before she could think of a reply, tilting it so she could get a better look. Shelley’s much shorter stature meant she had to peer up to see her face. “What happened?”
Gemma pulled her chin out of her grasp. “It’s nothing.”
“Like hell it isn’t.”
Gemma tried to brush it away. “It’s no big deal.” She forced a smile to her lips even though it pained her to do so. She just didn’t want Shelley to pry. She didn’t want anyone to ask anything.
When Shelley’s attention shifted abruptly to Rachel as she started to whine—unhappy at not being allowed to tap the keys—Gemma gave an inward sigh of relief for the small respite. As her friend went over to rescue Tom, she prayed she’d just forget the whole thing.
But when she came back to her, jostling her daughter on her hip, she stretched up on her toes for a better look at Gemma’s bruise. “Do I look daft?” She threw a glance over her shoulder at Tom. “Don’t you dare answer that.”
“Sorry, Mum,” Gemma muttered, cringing at her tone, but she was feeling cornered, and a cornered tiger was not a happy one.
Shelley frowned at her then peered behind her through the still open front door. Cade was still sitting in the car, his hands ploughed through his hair, his elbows on the steering wheel as he held his head. Gemma hugged herself and focused on her feet, her heart feeling like it was slowly being torn from her chest.
Why did she have to be so weak? She shouldn’t have led him on … given him hope.
His scent still lingered on her, cruelly taunting her. She was barely holding herself together, her sanity threatening to abandon her entirely.
Shelley had grown completely quiet, staring at Gemma as if everything had just clicked into place for her. Without saying a word, she wrapped her free arm around her friend and brought her into a much-needed, familiar hug. She didn’t need to ask questions. She knew. It brought all of Gemma’s emotions crashing to the floor in a cascade of tears that wouldn’t stop. Her body ached for Cade–bereft at the thought that she would never get to touch him again. Her tiger roared inside her mind, howling in pain and suffering.
Gemma wiped her eyes when Shelley eventually let her go, taking in a shaky breath and pulling every exposed part of herself back into check.
“I’ll take this into my office, “Tom said quietly, getting up from the sofa with the laptop.
“I’ll be
in soon,” Gemma said dimly as he passed them.
As soon as he had left the room, Shelley plopped Rachel down on the floor and handed her a bottle of juice and a small doll from the collection scattered across the floor. The little girl wrapped her little arms around the doll contentedly and suckled the teat into her mouth.
Once she and Shelley were sitting on the sofa, her friend had enough common sense not to push her for answers about Cade, knowing Gemma would offer her the information once and if she was ready. “Do you think Michael could be the father?” she asked her instead. “I mean. I was thinking about it, and I know how he looks at her and things ... It’s just …”
It was just that he’d be screwed if it was Shelley’s younger brother. “I know. We should find out later today what the baby was mixed with.” So much of Gemma didn’t want to know, but she owed it not only to Jessica, but to that poor little baby, too. It would be the same as trying to deny Connor had ever existed if she didn’t.
“Well, fae or wolf, you assume?”
“Yeah. I don’t think Jessica was seeing someone outside of their group.” Gemma sighed. “I could ask Evie.” The thought of her little sister brought another tremor to her gut. She’d hardly had time to check on her. The first test of her promise to her, and she had failed. Even after Stephen’s death and what she knew Evie was capable of, she’d still tied herself up in her own shit and let her kid sister wallow.
“It’s going to be some god-awful mess,” Shelley said, leaning on her knees. “The whole thing will explode.”
“The best we can hope is that the father is a stray.”
Shelley scoffed, mirroring Gemma’s own thoughts. “Yeah, I could just see that. Jessica getting down and dirty with the local filth? I don’t think so.”
Neither did Gemma. Although two days ago, she would have said Jessica wasn’t the type to get herself pregnant. Showed what she knew.
