by Jill Sanders
“Are you trying to talk me out of doing what’s right?” she asked, her back straightening.
“No,” Sean said quickly. “I’m trying to see if you have what it takes to stand up. All the way up. Last time, you were so young. If you do this, you can’t run and hide away for another ten years when things take a dark turn and the accusations start to fly.”
She raised her chin again. “I’m not going anywhere.”
After a moment, Sean nodded and smiled. “Good. Shall we begin?”
Chapter Sixteen
It’s no time to play chess when the house is on fire. ~ Italian Proverb
Cade watched Blue race around the yard, sniffing and peeing on practically every blade of grass. He turned when he heard a car drive up his driveway, then smiled when he noticed it was Raven.
He walked around to the side of his house where his driveway was and stood on his porch as she climbed out of her car. Instantly, he could tell something was bothering her.
How was it that he had changed his mind so much about the woman in such a short time? Only two months ago, he’d been angry, hurt, and bitter every time he’d heard her name. Now, when he thought of her, his body jumped to attention for completely different reasons.
“Evening,” he said smoothly as she stopped at the base of the porch stairs, looking up at him.
“Evening,” she said with a slight smile as she shaded the sun from her eyes.
“What brings you around?”
She glanced over when Blue raced around the house. When he noticed the mud on his paws, he tried to stop him from racing to her and jumping on her, but by the time he reached them, it was too late. Blue had left two perfectly muddy paw prints on her clean skirt.
Still, Raven was laughing and hugging the muddy dog as Blue rained kisses over her face.
“Blue,” he scolded, “down.”
“He’s fine,” Raven said, chuckling. “He’s just what I needed right now.” She glanced up at him. “I just got back from your uncle’s office. I’ve officially filed a report about the embezzling.”
“You did?” he asked as she stood up.
Cade snapped his fingers, sending Blue to the front porch.
“I did.” Raven smiled.
“I guess that earned you a beer.”
“I agree the occasion totally calls for one.” She followed him into the house.
He grabbed two cold beers from the fridge, then motioned towards the back door. “Want to sit outside?”
“I’d like that.” She took her beer from him.
“Sorry, I don’t have any fancy cheese or finger foods.”
She shrugged and replied. “I grabbed dinner at the diner before coming over here.”
They sat out on the porch as Blue started racing around the yard once again.
“Does he ever get tired?” Raven asked with a chuckle after taking a sip of her beer.
He smiled. “I was thinking of getting him a friend. When he visits my uncle’s house, he loves playing with his three-year-old golden retriever, Al.”
“Al?” She chuckled.
“It’s short for Al,” he joked as he glanced over at her.
She laughed and then her smile slipped slightly.
“Your uncle thinks this is going to cause a stir around town.” She glanced down at her beer.
“It probably will. After all, it’s big news when the mayor stubs his toe,” he joked, then he sighed. “Do you think you’re up for it?” he asked, suddenly concerned.
She glanced over at him and her chin rose slightly. “I am.” She took another sip.
“Rumors can be hard to outrun.” He glanced off over the yard as he remembered hearing all of the rumors about Raven over the years.
“I tried to leave them behind, but in the end, they were right here waiting for me when I returned.” She took another sip of her beer. “It’s just a good thing these new rumors won’t be about me.”
“That won’t stop people from bringing up your past.”
“No, I suppose it won’t.” She rolled the beer bottle in her hands. “My aunt pretty much threatened to blackmail me today.”
“Oh?” He shifted slightly to get a better look at her. “What’s she got on you?” he asked lightly.
She chuckled, a rich smooth sound that had his body responding.
“Absolutely nothing.” She smiled at him. “She thinks she has something, but at this point, she’s grasping at straws.”
“They’re probably desperate to keep their secrets,” he suggested.
“How did they get away with it? I mean, that much money?” She shook her head. “That’s three hundred thousand a year extra, over their set income. In the city, I doubt anyone would notice, but out here…” She motioned with the beer bottle. “People notice if you’ve got extra money. It’s not like they’ve flaunted it around town. I asked Cal, he claims there weren’t any extravagant vacations. No big purchases such as houses, cars, or vacations.” She shook her head. “Where did it all go?”
“Maybe they still have it?” he suggested.
She shook her head. “I doubt it.” Then she titled her head. “Now, Morgan Roche. I’ve heard stories about her yearly trips to Paris. She certainly wears expensive clothes.”
“Drives a new Porsche SUV too.”
Raven’s eyebrows shot up. “Maybe she is the first one the police should be looking at.”
“If I know my uncle, he’s planning on it.”
“Still, my aunt and uncle aren’t the kind to just sit back and watch someone take money. They knew about it. Had to have known.” She reached down and scratched Blue’s head when the dog sat by her feet.
It was strange, seeing here there, on his property with his dog, looking so relaxed. She looked like she belonged there.
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough now that you’ve filed a police report.” He set his beer down.
She set her almost empty beer bottle down next to his. “Well, I’d better…” She moved to get up but stopped. “Thanks.”
“For?” he asked, watching her closely. There was so much he’d miscalculated about her. He was beginning to question everything, since his libido wanted to take over his mind where she was concerned.
“For listening.” She ran her hands over her legs. “Darby’s a good friend and all, but…” She shrugged. “She’s just too busy at the diner to really listen.”
He held in a slight wince. There was no way he wanted to be stuck in the friend zone. Not when his body reacted quickly every time that she stood close to him, and especially not when he thought of kissing her every single time she nibbled on her lips.
“Is that what we are?” he asked in a low tone. “Friends?”
Her eyes met his and she sucked her sexy full bottom lip between her teeth. His body reacted again, instantly.
She surprised him in the next moment when she stood up and moved over to straddle his hips. His hands instantly went to her waist.
“I think we’re beyond just friendship.” Her eyes ran over his face before she leaned in and kissed him.
“Raven,” he warned, feeling his body instantly react to her closeness. The soft sexy scent of her skin and hair drove him absolutely crazy. His hands started to move over her as she continued to kiss him, forcing his dick to respond with each soft moan.
Her hands moved quickly over him, starting in his hair, heading down his neck, then pulling his jacket off his shoulders. All he could do was follow her lead, since he was so caught up in her demands.
Then she shifted over him, and he felt the rest of his control slip.
“Raven, don’t start something you can’t finish,” he warned as she reached for his jeans. His hands covered hers as their eyes locked.
“I intend to finish,” she purred next to his ear. “The question is…” She took his earlobe between her teeth and nibbled, causing his dick to jump against her. “Do you?”
For the next few moments, his body took over completely. He lifted her in his arms a
nd somehow managed to push the back door open and get through it with her in his arms. All the while, Blue trailed behind him and snuck in before he kicked the door shut.
They landed on the sofa in a heap, their mouths never really leaving one another’s as clothing was pulled, pushed, tugged, and, in the case of the sexy red pair of panties she’d been wearing, ripped off.
When he covered her pussy with his mouth, he knew there was no going back for him. Just feeling and watching how she reacted to his touch had him growing even harder. He enjoyed lapping at her while she tensed, moaned, and gripped at his hair. The sexy sounds she made encouraged him on.
He had only a brief moment to appreciate the view of her spread out on his sofa before he slid on a condom and pumped into her. The rest was a blur until he felt her legs wrap around his hips, holding him as she cried his name out.
Moments later, as he looked down at her red hair fanned out on his sofa cushion, her pink lips held between her teeth, and those damn sexy eyes glued to his, he followed her over the edge.
“I hadn’t planned on doing that,” she said, a few moments after he collapsed next to her.
“From where I’m lying, it looks like you knew exactly what you were doing,” he managed to say, breathing in the scent of her hair and enjoying the way her soft naked body felt against him. “From how good you feel next to me, chances are, I’ll know exactly what I’m doing right back to you… soon.”
She chuckled as she turned slightly to look over at him. “Honestly, I did just come here to talk.”
Reaching up, he brushed a strand of her fiery hair away from her face. “I’m thankful,” he said honestly. He leaned over to kiss her. “I do have a bed.” He rested his forehead against hers.
She smiled. “Oh?”
“If you want to stay?” he suggested as his hands circled over her ribs, slowly moving lower.
She narrowed her eyes slightly then sighed. “I should get back,” she said, but when he slid a finger into her heat again, he watched her resolve fade away, replaced by desire.
He slid off the sofa, gathered her in his arms, and carried her towards the stairs. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“I’ve never been carried upstairs before,” she said with a slight sigh.
“I’ve never carried someone up these stairs before,” he admitted just as he reached the top of the landing.
When he stepped into his bedroom, she lifted her head and glanced around.
“Nice,” she said.
“I’ll show you around… later.” He leaned down and kissed her again. He wanted her again. Stopping at the foot of his bed, he figured this time, he’d go slow and enjoy as much of her as she’d give him.
He let the kiss continue as he slid her body down his. The friction from their naked bodies had him heating even further.
When she tried to pull him onto the bed, he took a step back.
“This time, I want to go slowly. Savor you.” His eyes ran over her. He was thankful she wasn’t the shy type who’d try to cover herself. Instead, she stood in front of him, confident, while she ran her eyes over him.
He knew that he spent enough time in the gym and doing drills for work that he shouldn’t be ashamed of his physique.
He was too enamored by her soft lean body, those perfect perky breasts, to think about himself, anyway. Reaching up, he brushed the back of his hand down her pale perfect skin and watched as her eyes slid closed on a soft moan.
“So perfect,” he said when he brushed a finger over her nipples and they peaked. “So responsive.” He smiled slightly when a soft moan escaped her lips. “Do you like that?” he asked, brushing his hand over her again. She nodded in response, her body swaying. He continued to trail his hands and fingers over her, working his way downward. His hands snaked over her ribs quickly and watched for all signs of arousal from her.
When he cupped her butt with one hand and her sex with the other, her eyes flashed open.
“Cade,” she reached for him. The moment her fingers touched his chest, he knew that if she touched him anymore, he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
“Let me.” He took her hands and guided her to sit on the edge of the bed. “I want to taste you again,” he said, kissing her. This time, he trailed down her body with his mouth until he settled between her thighs.
Feeling her respond to him was like icing on top of a very sexy cake. She twisted, moaned, and gripped him until he felt her convulse under him and tasted her sweet release on his tongue.
Only then did he slide up her lax body and enter her once more. Moving slowly at first, he watched as she built up once more, enjoying the way her eyes turned an even lighter shade of greyish blue.
Her long hair was laid out over his sheets, and her nails scraped his sides, urging him onward while her legs wrapped around his hips.
This time when he felt her convulse around him, he allowed himself to fall with her.
He woke sometime later when her breathing quickened. He could tell instantly that she was dreaming and debated waking her. Instead, he pulled her closer and soothed her by running his hands slowly over her shoulders and arms.
When she settled down, he kissed the top of her head and settled back down next to her.
Unfortunately, now that he was awake, his mind ran over the enigma he was holding in his arms.
Raven Brooks.
From what he’d heard about the woman his entire life, she was not only popular in school, but she’d also been not a little selfish. Then again, everyone he’d heard that tidbit from had also asserted that she’d been guilty of starting the fire all those years ago.
How many people in town had tried to persuade everyone else that she was guilty? Shortly after the fire, there had been a mob of people calling for her arrest.
His uncle hadn’t been sheriff at the time, but he’d stuck his neck out for Raven. Cade knew that it was probably due to the fact that he’d been the one to find her that following morning.
Over the years, he’d tried to get more details from Sean about the circumstances that morning, but his uncle’s story had remained vague.
How many people had been out searching with hope about the possibility of loved ones being found safe?
They’d been out there that morning looking for Reggie. Every step Cade had taken over the charred ground, he’d prayed that he’d find his brother alive.
With each step, however, he’d known the reality of the situation. He’d found countless dead animals lying in the ash and soot.
Then he’d gotten the dreaded call from Sean. Of course, everyone had been excited about the girl who had lived. Out of the more than two dozen people who’d still been missing at that point, she’d been the only one to be found alive.
At first, every news station within a thousand miles had focused on Raven Brooks. How the courageous young now-orphaned seventeen-year-old had survived the horrors that had consumed everything she loved, including her boyfriend of almost a year, Reggie Stone, whom had been found less than a quarter of a mile away from the cave. He’d found out a few years later that the fire had started in the direct center between the two of them.
For years he’d believed that this fact held some significance. He’d wondered if something had happened, sending the two running in different directions, Raven to the safety of the cave while his brother had rushed off in the other direction.
His uncle painted a picture of his brother heading towards the cave. Towards the fire. But in his heart and his head, Cade questioned this.
He hadn’t realized he’d remained awake for the rest of the night, pondering, until he noticed the sunlight streaking into his bedroom.
Thankfully, he had the day off from work. He patiently waited until Raven stirred before finally shutting out all the questions. When her body pushed gently against his, his mind went in the completely opposite direction and stopped working all together.
Letting his body take ov
er, he slowly let his hands roam over her, waking her up more quickly.
“Morning,” she moaned as he placed a kiss on her bare shoulder.
“Morning.” He trailed his mouth down until he covered her breast with his lips.
Her hands pushed into his hair, holding him where she wanted him.
This time when he slid into her, he kept the slow pace, enjoying the feel of her morning softness.
“I hadn’t planned on staying the night,” she said when they lay together, their breathing leveling.
“I’m glad you did.” He rolled them over. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve showered with someone?” he asked, pulling her off the bed.
She chuckled as she followed him into the bathroom. She stopped just inside his bathroom door.
“My god, I thought your bedroom was huge,” she said, looking around.
When he’d built the place, he’d designed the main bedroom and bathroom to be big enough that he wouldn’t ever feel cramped.
“I like my space,” he said with a shrug as he turned on the water in the shower.
She chuckled and walked over towards him. “Your shower is as big as my current bathroom.”
He pulled her close. “I take it you’ve moved into the east building then?”
Her wince and look of guilt had him sighing.
“How about I take the day to help you move?” he suggested.
“I don’t…” she started, but when he gave her a look, she nodded. “That would be helpful.”
He pulled them into the shower and, for the next half hour, enjoyed showering with a sexy redhead.
Chapter Seventeen
When fire is applied to a stone it cracks ~ Irish proverb
Raven couldn’t believe she’d actually slept with Cade. Let alone spent the entire night wrapped in his arms. Then she remembered the shower they’d enjoyed together and smiled.
Cade and Blue were in Cade’s truck, following her. He claimed he was on call that weekend and couldn’t afford to be without his own vehicle.
She didn’t mind. The drive back up to the resort gave her some time alone to think.
