Kade: Armed and Dangerous

by Cheyenne McCray

  “Yes, there.” She moaned as he filled her, as he thrust up to meet her. She wriggled her body and rode his cock, her breasts swaying as she rocked her hips. “I want all of you, Kade. Deeper. Harder.”

  He grasped her hips, raising her up and down the length of his cock.

  Keeping their bodies joined, he rolled over and brought her under him so that she was pinned beneath him. He plunged into her as she started to close her eyes.

  “Look at me.” His voice was a demanding growl.

  He wanted to see her passion, wanted to see her release. The need in her eyes nearly sent him over, but he held back, watching her as he rocked his hips against hers.

  She gasped and her eyes rolled to the ceiling and he could see her losing herself to the sensations. Her body jerked hard beneath him and she bit her lip to hold back her cries. She trembled, her body quaking with the force of her orgasm.

  Kade pounded into her, harder and harder yet. He loved to watch her, to see her face flushed with desire for him. He braced his hands to either side of her and held off as long as he could, wanting to draw out her orgasm.

  His own orgasm wouldn’t wait any longer and he had to bite back a shout. Just as a powerful climax stormed his body and his cock released his seed, he felt the condom tear.

  Shit.

  His muscles clenched as his body pulsated. He held himself still, unable to withdraw from Kelsey’s body. It was too late.

  He closed his eyes and relaxed between Kelsey’s thighs, not wanting to separate from her.

  What was done was done. It was too important to be with her.

  Kelsey could get pregnant.

  The idea of Kelsey carrying his child gave him a heady feeling. But he wasn’t sure how she would take it.

  “Mmmm,” she said, easing her hands into his hair. “This could be addicting.”

  “I’m already addicted to you.” Kade propped his head on one hand and ran his other over her silky skin, drawing circles around her nipples. “What if I told you the condom tore?” he asked, not taking his gaze from her face.

  Kelsey’s eyes widened and her body tensed beneath him. She dropped her hands to his shoulders. “Did it?”

  He studied her expression, her reaction. “I’m almost positive.”

  “Oh. My. God.” She closed her eyes, and he wished he knew what she was thinking.

  “If you’re pregnant,” Kade trailed his finger down the tip of her nose to her lips, “we could get married.”

  “No—I—no.” Her eyes flew open. “We barely know each other. I can’t marry you just because I might be pregnant.” Her voice trembled as if she was about to cry.

  “We know each other pretty well.” Kade rained kisses on her face, hoping to calm her fears.

  She remained silent, not meeting his eyes.

  And then it occurred to him how eerily familiar the situation was, and he cursed himself for his stupidity for suggesting they could get married.

  Kelsey’s SOB ex had convinced her to marry him in case she became pregnant after he raped her. And that’s what Kade thought of it. Rape. She hadn’t given herself to that bastard with her consent. The son of a bitch had taken her virginity and used her.

  Kade eased out of Kelsey, and sure enough, the condom hadn’t made it. He disposed of it and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry. Everything’ll be fine.”

  “How can you say that?” She covered her face with her hands. “It never occurred to me the condom could tear.” Her voice was muffled behind her palms. “What if it happens again?”

  “The odds are you won’t get pregnant from one time. And the odds are definitely against a condom breaking a second time.” He pulled her hands away from her face and kissed her. She stiffened, then gradually melted against him again.

  She sighed and slid her hands around his waist. “You shouldn’t be here when Trent wakes.”

  “I’ll be back in my own bed when the sun rises.” He kissed her forehead. “And when my son rises.”

  Kelsey smiled faintly and snuggled into the curve of his arm. Rain pattered on the roof as he held her. It felt so good holding her. Like he’d just come home from a long journey to find her there, waiting for him.

  Kade didn’t fall asleep until her breathing was soft and even and she’d completely relaxed. He finally fell into a light sleep, dreaming of babies with sun-kissed hair and chocolate-brown eyes.

  ***

  Kelsey woke alone, the bed cold and empty without Kade. As she stretched, she thought about their lovemaking last night and smiled.

  Then she remembered. The condom tore. Her smile vanished as she slid her hand to her belly. What if she was pregnant?

  The thought heated her, a slow flush of pleasure that eased over her body like warm rain on a summer day.

  A baby. Their baby.

  Kelsey curled into a ball and hugged herself. Last night Kade had mentioned marriage—probably wanting to do “the honorable thing.” But she’d never marry him because he felt he had to.

  A knock jarred Kelsey from her thoughts. She pulled the sheet up to her neck. “Yes?”

  Kade slipped in the door and locked it behind him. He was dressed in jeans and a blue shirt that intensified the color of his eyes. The bed sank under his weight when he sat beside her and gave her a light kiss. His lips were warm and firm, and she couldn’t help remember how it felt having those lips all over her body.

  He nuzzled her ear. “Are you planning to sleep all morning?” Smiling, she slid her arms around his neck. “I missed waking up with you next to me.”

  “I’d like nothing more than to wake up with you every single day.” He smiled and gave a lock of her hair a light tug. “Now get up, before I decide to pull off my clothes and join you.”

  She lowered her lashes and gave him a coy look. “Best idea you’ve had yet.”

  He started to pull back the sheet when they heard Trent’s frenetic chatter in the hallway. He sighed and kissed her forehead. “I’ll head off Taz. You get dressed.”

  She threw the pillow at his back. “Slave driver.”

  After he closed the door, Kelsey put on his robe, grabbed her clothing, and then dodged into the bathroom for a quick shower. For some reason she felt utterly feminine that morning, and instead of dressing in jeans, she wore a silk blouse and a short skirt that flattered her curves.

  When she walked into the living room, Kade’s low whistle caused a thrill in Kelsey’s belly. She thought he was going to kiss her in front of his family, so she dodged away, not ready for that kind of demonstration of affection in front of everyone.

  “Your calendar clear?” he asked after breakfast, when they were alone in the kitchen. Sadie and Trent were gardening and Chuck was feeding the calves.

  Kelsey slipped her arms around Kade’s waist and hugged him. “I’m all yours.”

  “I have something I want to show you.” He slid his knuckles across her cheek. “Then I’d like to take you to dinner afterward.”

  She smiled and brushed his lips with hers. “Take me away, cowboy.”

  Late in the afternoon, they left in Kade’s truck and drove a few miles, past fields of cotton, corn, and alfalfa, past rangeland dotted with red cattle, to empty acreage that butted up to the low mountain range.

  After crossing a cattle guard, they traveled down a dirt road that was little more than a pair of tracks through grass and mesquite bushes. At the end of the road, they parked and climbed out of the vehicle. Kade took her hand and brought her around to the front of the truck.

  He watched her expression. “What do you think?”

  Kelsey took in the rugged mountain that hugged the edge of the property and the high desert terrain. Mesquite bushes were green from summer rains, the earth dark brown from last night’s storm.

  A family of quail skittered into the bushes, their nervous calls a gentle sound in the desert quiet. The air smelled clean and fresh. The sky was a brilliant blue, but outlined by clouds building up over the mountaintops.
r />   The desert beauty was astounding. “It’s wonderful.”

  “This is my land.” Kade released her hand and went back to his side of the truck. He reached in and pulled out a brown tube from behind the seat, then came back to where Kelsey was waiting. He withdrew a set of blueprints, unrolled and spread them on the hood of his vehicle. “These are the prints for the house I’m having built here.”

  He put his arm around her as she leaned closer to get a better look. “I bet it’ll be incredible.” She traced a line with her fingertip.

  “A split-level house.” Kade pointed to the blueprint with his free hand. “Here, on the bottom floor, is where the kitchen will be, the living room, study, guest room, and family room.” He moved the top page aside and showed her the one under it. “This is upstairs. Trent’s room will be here, a couple more bedrooms here and here, and this is the master bedroom. The master has a covered balcony that faces the mountain.”

  “Perfect for enjoying summer rainstorms.” She smiled up at him.

  He trailed his finger down her nose to her lips, and held her gaze with his intense blue eyes. “Perfect for raising a family.”

  Chapter 22

  Kelsey stopped breathing. The way he looked at her. The way he mentioned raising a family. Like he was asking a question with his eyes. Nervousness rose within her like a flock of panicked birds.

  “The builder’s scheduled to break ground in August.” He took his arm from her shoulders and focused his attention on rolling the blueprints and shoving them into the tube.

  She took a deep breath and tried to calm the tremors in her hands. No, he wasn’t asking her anything. He was just sharing his plans.

  “What does Trent think of it?” she asked.

  Kade shrugged. “I haven’t told him yet. He’ll miss living with his grandparents, but he’s old enough now, and they don’t need him underfoot all the time. Mom wants to continue watching him when I’m at work. They love that kid.”

  Kelsey nodded. “He’s a wonderful little guy.”

  “Yeah, he is.” Kade returned the tube to the truck. “You ready for dinner?”

  “Absolutely. Where are we headed?” she asked as they climbed into the vehicle.

  Kade started his truck and the powerful engine roared. “There’s a popular place in Douglas that serves excellent Mexican food.” Kelsey smiled. “My favorite. Anytime. Anyplace.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “With anyone?”

  She laughed and buckled her seat belt. “Especially blue-eyed cowboys.”

  When they arrived at the restaurant, it was almost dark. Most of the parking was taken, but they managed to find a space not too far away. The restaurant was located in one of the older buildings in downtown Douglas. “Downtown” consisted of a single street lined with ancient two-story buildings and a historic hotel.

  “Los Dos Hermanos means ‘the two brothers’ in Spanish,” Kade explained as they walked to the door, his large hand engulfing Kelsey’s. “The Garcia brothers opened the restaurant twenty years ago, and then sold it to Montano a few years back.”

  “Montano?” That same sense of unease tickled at her belly. She held her purse a little tighter to her chest. “The mayor?”

  Kade stopped at the door, his hand resting on the wooden handle. “You’ve met him?”

  She nodded. “1 interviewed him a few days ago. I didn’t realize he owned this restaurant.”

  Kade pulled open the door and guided her inside. As they entered the cool interior, smells of Mexican food and sounds of voices, clinking plates, and mariachi music swept over Kelsey.

  The interior was dimly lit, but decorated in splashes of vivid colors. Serapes and sombreros graced the walls, and baskets of colorful gourds were arranged artistically around the room. Pinatas in red, green, and white hung from big metal hooks anchored into the ceiling’s exposed beams. Wood-bladed fans stirred the air, the pinatas dancing in the breeze they made.

  To the right of the hostess station was a larger-than-life plaster statue of a matador, the color chipped and peeling. It stared ahead with sightless eyes where the paint had apparently flaked off.

  “The man sure likes matadors.” She glanced from the statue to Kade. “Has tons of them in his office, too.”

  Kade studied the old matador. “He does?”

  She shrugged. “I saw his collection when I interviewed him.”

  A trio approached them from inside the restaurant, and Kelsey saw that it was John Stevens, Dee Carter-Reynolds, and a good- looking man she didn’t recognize.

  Seeing Stevens reminded Kelsey of the interview she hadn’t finished transcribing yesterday, and she wondered if she should mention to Kade the phone conversation she’d inadvertently recorded.

  “Kelsey, Kade. It’s wonderful to see you both.” Dee smiled and gestured toward the handsome man beside her. “Kelsey, this is my husband, Jake.”

  “Hope Kade’s treating you well.” Jake squeezed Kelsey’s hand in a firm grip.

  “His whole family is great.” Kelsey smiled.

  John Stevens tipped his hat at Kelsey. “Ma’am.”

  “Thanks again for the interview for the feature,” Kelsey said to Stevens, and he gave a shrug of his massive shoulders.

  He turned to Kade. “Haven’t seen you around much lately.” Kade nodded. “Busy as hell.”

  “Saw your folks and your kid at the dance.” John chewed on his toothpick. “That kid of yours looks like he’ll be quite a hellion when he’s older.”

  “Can’t imagine Trent ever being a hellion,” Kelsey rushed to say as Kade’s expression went flat. “He’s just full of energy.”

  “How’s your feature?” Dee asked Kelsey, her green eyes sparkling.

  “Terrific.” Kelsey smiled. She couldn’t help like Dee. “The information you provided has been invaluable.”

  “You just missed Sal,” Dee said to Kade. “John was bullshitting with him at the bar when we got here.”

  “I’ll catch up with him at the station,” Kade said.

  After Stevens and the Reynoldses said their good-byes, the hostess arrived. She was beautiful, with high cheekbones, dark hair, and skin like flawless beige silk. Her name tag read ISABEL.

  As they followed the hostess through an archway to a nearby booth, Kelsey wondered if Kade noticed the woman’s beauty and how slender she was. The insecurity that had developed during the five years of Davis’s emotional abuse crawled up her throat, threatening to surface. Threatening to suffocate her. Why couldn’t she let those old feelings go?

  When they reached the booth, Kade slid next to Kelsey on the padded bench. Isabel left them with two menus. “Buenas noches,” she said in a lilting Hispanic accent.

  Kelsey watched the hostess leave. She was so elegant, the gentle sway of her hips probably as natural to her as breathing. She’s gorgeous, Kelsey thought, and then realized she’d spoken the words aloud.

  “Who?” Kade glanced up from his menu.

  “The hostess.” She picked up her own menu and chanced a look at him.

  He gave her that slow, sexy smile that made her knees tremble. “You’re the most beautiful woman here, and I bet you don’t even realize it.”

  Warmth eased through her, but she shook her head. “You’re a good liar, cowboy. But I think I’ll keep you around.”

  He took the menu from her and captured her hands in a movement so fast she caught her breath in surprise. “Kelsey, I’ve never lied to you and I never will. That’s one thing you can count on.” The intensity of his gaze trapped her, and she didn’t know how to reply. He brushed his lips over hers, and then released her hands. “Don’t ever forget that.”

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  They decided what they wanted, and then Kade ordered in Spanish from Dora, their waitress, who wore a flowing red skirt and a white peasant blouse with colored ribbons woven around the neckline and sleeves.

  Dora left, then returned minutes later with their iced teas and a basket of tortilla chips that were so
hot they burned Kelsey’s fingers when she put a few on her plate. This time she didn’t make the mistake of dipping one into salsa before asking for the mild version.

  When the platters of food arrived, they were heaped with beef tacos, cheese enchiladas, Mexican rice, refried beans, guacamole, and sour cream. Kade’s food vanished, while Kelsey managed to eat less than half the contents of her plate.

  “No, I’m stuffed,” she said when Kade said she needed to eat more. “If you’re still hungry, you finish it.”

  She grabbed her purse and excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. Her sandals clicked on the tile as she walked through the archway, past the matador at the front entrance, and through a door marked BANOS.

  The hallway was dark, and she blinked to adjust to the dimness. There were three more doors, and she went into the one labeled SENORITAS. After using the facilities, she washed her hands and touched up her pink lipstick.

  When she finished she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her brown eyes were warm and expressive, her honey-blond hair flowing in soft waves to her shoulders. Maybe Kade was right, she was pretty. She’d let Davis’s verbal assaults eat at her for far too long, and it was time she let them go.

  When she returned to the table, Kade had paid the bill and was ready to head out into the night.’

  With his arm around Kelsey, Kade opened the front door and led her out of the restaurant. As soon as they stepped into the warm night, she stopped and wound her arms around his waist. Her fingers brushed the gun at his side and she froze.

  “Why do you have your gun?” she asked, her voice muffled against his shirt.

  “Just my line of work, honey.” He nuzzled her hair. “I always carry it and usually a spare.”

  “Oh.” She tilted her head and gave him a worried look. “I keep forgetting what a dangerous job you have.”

  “Don’t worry so much.” He rubbed her shoulders and all he could think about was getting her alone. “What do you think about heading up to Bisbee? There’s a nice bed-and-breakfast we can stay at. A good friend of mine, Nicole, owns it.”