Woof. Woof. Red bounded toward a whirring sound. Cade crawled faster. He tried to stand, but he kept falling. Hand over hand, he pulled himself up.
“Cade. Cade. Thank God. Oh, thank God.” Andie jumped over him, pulling and tugging.
“Miss, miss, don’t move him,” a man’s voice said. “I’m calling in for a rescue sled. We have to put him on a backboard until we check him out.”
“I’m okay. I can walk.” Cade pushed himself to his knees. No way was he going to be a wuss dragged out of there like an invalid. “I got it. I’m okay.”
Shivering and aching, he climbed to his feet and fell forward. Andie caught him, along with the rescuer. The man looped his arm over his shoulder and helped him to the snowmobile.
“My dog, don’t forget my dog.” Cade needn’t have worried. Red hopped onto the bike carrier that the snowmobile dragged.
* * *
“You didn’t pack a change of clothes?” Andie slid the keycard into their room at the ski lodge. It was located at the edge of the resort and included a kennel where they boarded Red. Cade was on massive pain killers and in no condition to drive back to Itasca, so he’d gotten a room for the night.
Cade stood behind her, still shivering in his wet clothes. “You didn’t tell me to. The concierge said they left warm Turkish robes and towels for us.”
She huddled up to him and stroked the side of his neck. “You, me, Turkish robes, sounds decadent.”
No matter how she fought her feelings for Cade, she was sunk the moment he’d said he loved her. Whether he’d remember or was caught in a moment of delirium, Andie figured she’d ride the moment like her mother said.
Cade’s grin split his face wide open. “I’ll take decadent over almost dying any day.”
“I’ll make it up to you. It was my bad taking you on a black diamond trail. Let’s get you in there and warmed up.” She pushed the door open and sucked in a gasp.
The view of the side off the mountain was like a scene out of a movie. The sky was incredibly blue, and the mountain gleamed white over the tops of the trees. Skiers like tiny dots wove back and forth down the steep slopes.
“Are we in the right room?” Andie stepped aside to let Cade in. “This view must cost a fortune.”
“I got it.” His wink was more like a wince, but he managed to quirk a grin at her. “Told you I’m a celebrity.”
“And I told you I’m a nuclear physicist.” She waggled her butt in front of him while she set her backpack on the rack in front of the closet. “Let’s check this place out.”
Andie wandered into the expansive bathroom. Instead of being decked out in marble and chrome, it was rustic, with tiles like glazed pottery, bright turquoise mixed with brown. The fixtures were distressed copper, and the tub had a simulated water pump spout complete with handle.
Horseshoes were tacked over the toilet, and the walls were knotty pine.
Cade massaged her shoulders and pressed his front against her back. “Think you could fall in love with a place like this?”
“Definitely. That tub’s big enough for two.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. She shouldn’t assume he’d want to take the relationship a step further. After all, he’d almost lost his life, and he had to be sore despite the muscle relaxers and pain killers they dosed him with.
“You know what I want?” Cade nibbled his way from her hairline to her ear. “To hear you moan my name, to feel you shudder and tremble deep inside, and to hold you under the blankets and know that you’re mine. When I thought I was going to die, my biggest regret was not losing my money or a stupid game, but not having seen the glow spread over you while I make love to you, over and over, all night long, and missing out on a life with you.”
“Cade. I want you too.” She opened her mouth, and his lips crashed into hers.
Chapter Sixteeen
Cade’s brain hollered for him to stop. What did he know about love and relationships? When had he ever treated a woman as more than a plaything? How would he ever know if he’d be able to make her happy and give her the care she deserved? He wanted to know love, and Andie seemed like a wholesome target, someone who grew up with both parents and wasn’t out to score or play games. But could he be good for her? Or would he end up hurting her, despite his promise?
His body and heart had other ideas. Andie was so beautiful, and not just that, she wasn’t shallow, she was real, caring, warm, and honest. And right now, his hands were full, massaging and teasing tiny moans from her as he fondled her tantalizing breasts. Hurriedly, he unzipped her jacket and shrugged it off her shoulders.
He could no more control himself around Andie than the earth could control the sun. One flash of her fiery hair, one sniff of her happy, sunshiny scent, and he was up and ready, no matter how bruised and battered he was or how many muscles he’d pulled and strained. His cock was likely the only part of his body that didn’t hurt, which was lucky, damn lucky.
Breaking the kiss temporarily, he tore her sweater over her head. His heart and dick jumped at the same time while he lifted her onto the bathroom counter.
Perfect, pink nipples peeked from behind a skimpy black lace bra. Licking his lips, he moved the lace aside and freed one of her sweet breasts.
His tongue was upon her, flicking and sucking as she wound her fingers over his head and pressed him against her. She was hot, so hot and ready, her skin tinged with pink, and her scent sultry and arousing.
He yanked her pants down and sucked in a sizzling breath. Her milky fair skin glowed under the slinky black lace panties. His cock raged, and his balls ached to be inside her.
“Andie.” He placed her hand on his hard on. “I can’t wait.
“Me either, Cade.” She lowered his boxers and shoved her tush to the edge, her legs wide open.
A wicked thought almost had him creaming. Hooking his index finger, he moved the lace aside and teased her with the tip of his cock.
Andie threw her head backward, her mouth wide open. Her moan was so throaty it drew shivers down his spine.
He was inside her, gloriously wrapped in her wet, slippery heat. Tight, and so snug. She felt so good. Too good.
Her eyes widened, the green clear and pure with joy and lust. He held her gaze and touched the tip of her nose with his. “Andie, this is us, me and you.”
“Yes, us. The first time.”
“First contact, first love. I want to hold this moment forever. Not let you go. Never leave you.”
She squeezed him deep inside, kissing his cock with her walls, and even though he tried to hold still, he couldn’t. He’d never felt this way inside a woman. Never so close, so connected, like he’d given himself and become a part of her—belonged to her.
He moved inside her, reverently, feeling each stroke, a promise, a vow, an oath he’d never let go.
Leaning forward he cupped her buttocks and slammed deeper, clutching her as his body took over, pistoning her into a frenzy of sexy moans and grunts.
She tightened her hands over his shoulders, and he bucked into her with all his might, the pleasure screaming from his cock through his entire body. Every nerve exploded with fireworks, and he didn’t even have to hold back. Andie was clawing and squeezing him with powerful pulses that pushed him right over the edge of extreme ecstasy. He was cartwheeling and tumbling head over heels in an avalanche of glowing white, with Andie’s passion filled face firmly stamped onto his soul.
“Mine,” he cried as he came with the most powerful climax he’d ever experienced. Instinctively he knew why.
He was in love.
* * *
Andie clung to Cade as the spasms echoed in their bodies. She’d never ever expected this earth shattering moment where all the stars had lined up. From almost losing Cade, to finding him alive and not seriously injured, to making love.
Because that was what it was. Love. He’d said it. She was his first love, and oh, how she’d nurture it, protect it, and make sure his heart was safe with her.
S
he caressed him from the top of his head to the surprisingly soft skin at the nape of his neck, unable to get enough of him. His solid shoulders, his chest, the ropes of muscles over his thick neck, and the perfectly hard abdominals.
All hers. All precious.
Carefully, Cade lifted her from the counter and placed her on the surround of the bathtub. He swept her long hair off her face. “How about we try those Turkish robes after a hot, steamy bath?”
“You must be sore.” Now, her gaze traveled over his beautiful body, noting the bruises and scratches.
“There’s only one part of me that’s not sore, at least not yet.” He laughed and turned on the water.
Soon, the tub was full of fragrant bubbles.
“After you,” Cade said, holding her hand.
They slipped in together, and he turned on the jets. He groaned, a smile of sweet contentment on his face. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“I reckon it’s because you fell off a mountain.”
“Is that what a guy has to do around you? Fall off a mountain? If that’s the secret, I’d gladly fall head over heels every day for you.” He pursed his lips, and she met him halfway, kissing him.
Her body was plastered on his chest, and she straddled him as naturally as mounting a horse. As she moved over him, her tongue dipped into his mouth, and the muscles inside of her clenched deliciously, still flexing to the afterglow of his last invasion.
His cock rose under her and jammed between her legs. Holy hot dog on a stick! He was huge, a monster, and he was ready again?
If she hadn’t had him inside a few minutes ago, she wouldn’t have believed he would fit. She grabbed him greedily, her fingers barely closing around him. He was big, like Goliath. A huge warrior, and yet, she had him like putty, a very hard putty, in her hands.
She gripped him harder and felt him tense. His eyes were still closed. Lazily he sucked on her tongue, a smile tugging on his lips.
Backing away for breath, he said, “If you don’t stop, I’m going to have you again, but this time, you’re going to be doing all the work, riding me, riding me hard, and I’m just going to lay back and let you take the reins.”
“Sure thing, outlaw.” She lifted herself and dangled her breasts over his mouth.
Greedily, he grabbed them and sucked and twisted, and he was all fingers and palms and lips and tongue as she sank over him, surrounding him and hugging him to her core.
An exquisite sensation fluttered all over her as the water jets sent millions of tickling bubbles over every sensitive nerve while Cade’s shaft filled and completed her.
He held his hips still, tense as she worked up a rhythm, her hands clutching his shoulders, lifting and lowering herself. Her insides ignited, clenching with tremors building.
Her thighs burned as she bounced up and down, slick and wet over his giant sized cock. But she was giving as good as she got. Cade’s head was thrown back, the veins in his neck bulging, and his eyes closed, his mouth open, panting and groaning.
She could feel him expanding inside her, and she rode him faster, harder. Grabbing his head, she locked her lips on his, invading his mouth with her tongue while he gripped her hips, helping her. His fingers dug in as she ground her clit against his pubic bone. Pressure mounted and she was loving him, crying in surrender, giving up all semblance of control right as she shattered and screamed his name into his mouth.
Cold chills swept over her arms and shoulders while heat blossomed inside, swelling and pulsing in cadence with Cade’s hard, finishing strokes.
“Oh, Andie, Andie, love me,” he muttered into her wet hair, his fingers tangled and his breath in hard, wild rasps.
“I will. I promise you.” She collapsed over him, breathless and full of awe.
Carpe diem. Seize the day. The best day ever.
Chapter Seventeen
“You can’t have any champagne,” Andie said, swatting Cade’s hand from the bottle. “Remember? The pain killers and muscle relaxers.”
“Is this what it’s going to be like with you?” He readjusted the tie on the luxurious Turkish robe he was wearing.
They’d ordered room service since his clothes had been taken down to the wash, and they were sitting around the table with their surf and turf dinner of lobster and steak.
Andie poured herself a flute and put the bottle back in the ice bucket. “This is what happens when you ask someone to love you. They tend to care about you and want to make sure you stay healthy.”
“Something I’m not used to, obviously.” He picked up a water glass and touched her champagne flute. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.” She leaned across the table and kissed him.
“I love when you do that mother hen bit.”
Cade couldn’t help the smile cracking his face open. He’d never ever had anyone who truly cared about him and not about his bank account. Andie hadn’t taken a single selfie the entire time she was with him. Not that she had a cell phone, but she hadn’t even pulled out an old camera. Instead, she genuinely cared about being with him, not documenting or recording their interactions to replay it with friends or post on her blog.
“Speaking of mother hens.” Andie darted a look at the clock radio near the telephone. “Is it okay if I call my parents? I need to let them know I won’t be home.”
“Good thinking. I never had anyone to call. Would have slipped my mind.” He gave her shoulder a tender squeeze.
“Get used to it, babe.” She winked. “I’ll expect a call whenever you fly anywhere and arrive at your destination. You’ll also have to check in when you’re on road trips or I’d imagine you were in a crash.”
“Worry wart!” He fluffed her robe as she brushed by him.
“My mother’s worse.”
While Andie took her time explaining to her mother what had happened, obviously toning it down quite a bit, since her mother kept needing Andie’s reassurance that nothing had actually happened to her, Cade switched on the TV.
He was flipping through the channels when he came across a sports commentary show. His face flashed across the screen under the byline, “Losing Quarterback Missing, Foul Play Feared.”
What the heck? He switched channels and glanced at Andie. Thankfully, she seemed to be making faces into the phone, trying to convince her mother everyone was fine and in one piece.
He switched to a local newscast to see if anyone had found the missing dogs. Sure enough there was a piece on a crack down on shady rescues. Apparently there’d been a string of dogs mysteriously disappearing and then showing up at a rescue center once a reward was offered.
Andie hung up the phone. “What’s wrong with the rescues? I thought they were helping to find homes for the animals.”
“Most of them are, but let’s see what they say.”
The newscast showed a video of a rescue center where dogs were housed in a big red barn.
“Hey, that’s Fran’s place,” Andie said, her eyes popping wide. “That’s where we got Gollie.”
A reporter stood outside of the rescue. “Authorities raided Fran’s Haven amidst suspicion of dog trafficking. Earlier today, Fran had called the hotline for the five missing retrievers to claim the reward.”
“She found them? You mean Gollie?” Andie grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. “Why didn’t Mom say anything?”
The reporter continued, “Upon further questioning, Fran claims that two men dropped the dogs off and sped away before she could find out who they were. Unfortunately, two of the dogs ran away—a female collie retriever mix and the male Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever who was the original target. The male is said to be worth five thousand dollars as he has sired multiple AKC Westminster champions.”
“Oh, no, that means Gollie’s still missing.”
Cade slapped his forehead. “Poor Red. She ran off with another stud.”
“Stop it. Let’s listen to the report.”
“Police are looking for the two men w
ho dropped off the dogs, while Fran is under investigation for taking money for the dog’s health care, including spaying and neutering, but not having the procedure done.”
“Oh, no!” Andie sagged onto the bed. “That means Gollie’s probably pregnant. She was never spayed.”
The news switched to local sports, and Cade turned off the TV.
“Are you okay?” He crawled onto the bed and lay at her side.
“I’m not okay.”
“I’m sure they’ll find her. Two dogs are easier to spot than one, and the male’s valuable, so everyone’s going to be on the lookout for him to claim the reward.”
Her expression clouded over, and she avoided his gaze. “Yeah, I hope so.”
Cade put his head next to her, face to face, and stroked her hair. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just tired.” She yawned and closed her eyes.
“Okay, let me call the front desk to take away the food and send up toothbrushes and stuff we need.” He dotted a kiss on her forehead and made the call.
After she finished with the bathroom, he brushed his teeth and removed his colored contact lenses for the night. His eyes had been bothering him ever since he’d lost his goggles, and exhaustion made his arms and legs feel like lead. Add to that, he hurt all over now that the painkillers had worn off.
Andie had turned out the light and was already in bed when he returned from taking his medicine.
“Good night,” she said as he crawled in. “How are you feeling?”
“Like a ton of bricks hit me.” He groaned, rolling to find a comfortable position when none existed. “It’ll be even worse in the morning.”
“I’m sorry. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to take you fat biking.”
“You kidding?” He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “I can’t wait for the next time when I’m going to whoop your ass, now that I know how to ride.”
Intercepted by Love: Part One: A Football Romance (Playing the Field Book 1) Page 8
