by Lauren Wood
Cade reached up and circled her wrists with her hands. “Communication is not my strong point,” he said roughly. “Maybe I made a mistake, but goddamn it Erin, that was years and years ago. I have never stopped thinking about you, so quit focusing on the past and tell me what you want right now.”
“Cade,” she said as she tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go.
“I’m not making any decisions for you. I’ve told you what I wanted. Now tell me what you want.”
The pendulum on the clock ticked away the seconds that she stared at him. Was that fear? Desire? Confusion? All of the above that he saw in her eyes. He suddenly knew without a doubt that this was the defining moment of her future. If she didn’t stay with him tonight, he would lose her forever.
His heart beat rapidly as he felt her arms relax in his grip. Slowly, he released her, but she didn’t back up. Instead, she stepped closer and ran her finger slightly over his chest. “I’ve always wanted you. Every man I ever dated I did to forget about you. But if we do this, there is no going back. You don’t get to spend a week with me and then leave me. We do this, and we do it right.”
Relief washed over him as he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers. She automatically wrapped her arms around his neck, and he slanted his lips over hers in a sense of urgency. Hers was a taste that he’d never forgotten, and his body had craved it every single day.
He broke away and rested his forehead on hers. “Do you want me to take you on a few dates first,” he asked hoarsely. His body was begging her to say no, but he was going to do this her way. He couldn’t afford to lose her again.
As if she knew the control that she had over him, a slow smile crossed her face, and she reached up and pressed her lips to the pulse that fluttered at his throat. “Normally, I’m the kind of girl that wants to be wooed first. But let’s face it, you’ve been seducing me since the moment I started interview you. You can consider me thoroughly and utterly seduced. I need you tonight.”
It was all he needed to hear. He swept her up in arms and planted her on the counter top. A gasp of shock passed her lips, but then he was bending over her, kissing her recklessly again. Her hands were clawing at his shirt, attempting to bring him closer, and he was slipping her shirt over her head, desperate to touch her skin.
As she scooted to the edge of the counter and wrapped her legs around him, he moaned. “Baby, wait,” he said as he attempted to catch his breath.
She undid the button on his shirt and spread the folds as she scraped her nails over his chest. “I’ve waited too damn long already,” she hissed and arched herself over his hardness.
“Fuck,” he muttered as he reached back to deftly undo her bra. Her large breasts swung free, and he took a moment to admire them.
“Not as perky as they used to be,” she said with a wry smile.
He leaned over and slid his tongue over one rosy nipple. “They are absolutely perfection,” he said as he reached up and pinched the other one with his finger and thumb.
“God, Cade,” she panted as she ran her hands through his hair. “Bed. Please.”
He slid her off the counter, and when she wrapped her legs tightly around him, he carried her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Once they tumbled onto the bed, they began to fight for control. She immediately flipped on top of him and ground her hips over him, but he deftly turned until his weight pressed her down in the bed. Before she could argue again, he shimmied down her body and tugged at her pants. Finally, the only thing left was the red scrap of material someone dared to call panties.
The crotch was already wet. “Erin,” he whispered as he pulled the lace down and traced a finger just outside her mound. She squirmed under his light touch. “You’re so wet,” he said in a strangled voice.
“That’s what you do to me,” she admitted. “As soon as you look at me, I’m ready for you. Please. I’m begging you. Don’t make me wait anymore.”
He easily spread her lips wide and leaned in to lick lightly at her clit. Her legs were already shaking, and he knew she was on the edge. When she was younger, it had been so easy to make her come multiple times. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to see if her body still responded the same way.
Without warning, he shoved two fingers in and attacked her sensitive nub. In clockwise circles, he moved his tongue over and over her again while he curled his fingers inside of her. Soon, her thighs were clenched around his head as her back arched and she shuddered in a wordless orgasm.
He couldn’t wait anymore. The heaviness between his legs ached, and he slid up her body and entered her in one powerful thrust.
Erin wasn’t ready. She’d barely come down from her last orgasm when he entered her, and she threw her head back and nearly screamed. She’d forgotten how big he was, how much he stretched and filled her. “Fuck, Cade,” she gasped as she tried to adjust.
“Just hold still,” he said through gritted. “I’m sorry baby, I forgot how tight you were.”
She couldn’t help it. Although he was trying to hold as still as possible, she needed to move. She needed him to move. “Erin, please stop squirming. You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” he begged.
“More,” she whispered. “Give me more, Cade. Please.”
Whether it was hearing his name on her lips or hearing her beg, he finally withdrew and pushed back in. As he rubbed over that sweet spot inside her, she moaned and arched her hips to match him. It was as if no time at all had passed between them. This was nothing more than a dance that so naturally came to them, and her body moved effortlessly with his.
She lifted her legs higher and gasped when he slid even deeper. The tension built inside her again, and soon, she couldn’t control herself anymore. His lips were on hers, and when the orgasm rocked her body, he swallowed her guttural moan.
He didn’t stop. He continued to move, but she needed more. She pushed at the bed, and he listened to her silent demand and flipped them over. They both gasped at the sensation of her sliding over him, taking him even deeper, but they didn’t stop. She rocked her hips back and forth, up and down, and couldn’t believe when her body reacted once again.
Higher and higher she climbed. His hands streaked all over her body, touching her nipples, running up and down her sides, caressing her skin. His eyes locked onto hers, and she could see the demand in his eyes. He was close, but he was waiting for her.
Her movement quickened, and he grunted as he slid one hand down and pressed a thumb to her clitoris. The sensations were too much. “Cade,” she screamed as yet another orgasm took control of her body. Only this time, he rode the wave of ecstasy with her. As she clenched her muscles around him, he grabbed her waist and thrust his hips upwards, anchoring her to him, as he spilled himself inside her.
It took her breath away, and she collapsed on him, able to do nothing but be at his mercy as his arms surrounded her and held her.
After a few minutes, she was aware of his fingers working in lazy circles over her body. She propped her chin on his chest and stared at him. “Are you okay?’ he asked.
“Are you worried that I’m about to fall into a pleasure induced coma or that I’m having regrets?”
“Both,” he said, his voice serious. Then a smile broke out on his face as he cupped her chin. “But more concerned about the regrets part.”
“I’m an adult, Cade. I’m at the point in my life where I don’t sleep with men I think I might regret later.”
He frowned. “Maybe we can avoid talking with you sleeping with other men. I’ve discovered that I don’t much like that.”
“No regrets,” she said as she leaned up and kissed him. “What about you?”
“The only think I have ever regretted was leaving you. But you’re here now, and that is all that matters to me. Will you stay the night?”
She nodded. “I have to get up early in the morning, but I can stay.” She unwrapped her legs and lifted herself off him. “I should probably go clean up.”
Cade’s arm snaked out and anchored around her. “Don’t. Not unless it makes you uncomfortable. I like to know that I made you all sweaty and messy.”
“Kinky,” she muttered with a raise eyebrow. Settling in next to him, she rested her head against his chest. Melting into his warmth, she could hear his heart beating. “Good night, Cade.”
“Good night, my love.”
Chapter 4
Cade locked his car and listened as the horn echoed off the parking deck walls. This early in the morning, the deck was virtually empty. He’d been so happy to wake up with Erin in his arms, that he wanted to call out for the day and taste her until she was writhing in his arms again.
But she had to leave, and he couldn’t stand looking at the empty space in his bed. So he went on his run to get rid of some of that built up energy, and now he was going to take a shower at the office and change. But as he got closer to the elevator doors, a shadow passed over him, and he realized that he wasn’t as alone as he thought.
“Good morning, Marquis.”
Cade turned as the Irish accent seeped into his skin. “O’Toole,” he said sharply.
“You didn’t answer any of my phone calls yesterday. I gather you’re having issues with my phone, so I thought I’d take some of the stress off you and meet you in person. I trust you’ve thought over my proposal last weekend?”
He remained calm and collected as he reached out and touched the elevator button. “I didn’t have to think about it, O’Toole. I’ve already given you my answer.”
The Irish mobster reached out and gripped his arm tightly. “I don’t think you’ll like the consequences. Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”
“You invested quite a bit of money into my company six years ago, but I would not be here if it were not for Simon and Grant. They did more than give me money. They backed me one hundred percent of the way, and I will not betray them to you.”
The man dark eyes held a touch of sympathy. “I liked you, Marquis. I really did. The people that I work for aren’t just going to take no for an answer. O’Shea isn’t going to let you walk away. You will give them what they want, whether you do it willingly or not. You would make both of our lives much easier if you simply did what we asked of you.”
Cade yanked his arm away and stepped into the elevator. He held his hand out to keep the door from closing. “Tell me, O’Toole. You have all the money you could ever need. Why do you work for them?”
O’Toole stiffened. “Once you’re in, you never get out. Besides, I want for nothing.”
“Except for true friends. A family that loves you. Peace of mind. Integrity.” Cade stepped back and let the doors close. “I won’t turn into you.”
He had to warn Erin. As much as it would kill him to tell her the truth, it would be even worse if she were caught unawares. It would ruin her career if she ran the story without knowing all the facts. And who knows what O’Toole would do to get what he wanted.
He leaned back and hit his head gently against the elevator wall. He’d tell her tonight at dinner.
* * *
Erin’s hands shook when she saw the headline on the magazine. “Cade,” she whispered as she pressed herself against him. It had been three weeks since he’d told her the news. For three weeks, she’d spent every spare moment she had with him. He did things to her body that no one else had, but there was fear lurking behind every moment.
“The Irish mob? Cade, are you insane?” she’d gasped.
“I didn’t know,” he’d said as he shook his head. “What can I do?”
As far as Erin was concern, there was only one thing he could do. He could come clean. And she’d done just that for him.
New York’s youngest and hottest billionaire defies the Irish mob: Cade Marquis saves hundreds of thousands of jobs by saying no.
He put an arm protectively around her and steered her away from the magazine stand. The air was chilly, but it was nothing compared to the fear that iced over her bones. “What do you think is going to happen now?” she whispered.
Cade kissed the top of her head. “Don’t go anywhere alone,” he said softly. “And keep the gun I gave you in your purse at all times. More than likely, this will be too public for them to retaliate. They’ll simply deny it and move on. Timothy O’Shea usually keeps a cool head about him. But O’Toole is a loose cannon.”
Erin nodded her head. They’d talked at length about this, but she didn’t know what she would do if something actually happened. She’d just finally gotten Cade back. She couldn’t lose him now.
A month ago, O’Toole had revealed what he really wanted from Cade. It wasn’t his money. Cade now had inside information on Simon and Grant, and O’Toole’s boss, O’Shea, wanted to bring Simon and Grant down.
But it was more than just Cade’s loyalties to the company. Thousands of workers would have lost their jobs, and Cade wouldn’t have that on his conscience. But Erin wasn’t content with Cade just saying no. She wanted to protect him and reveal the dangers of the Irish mob. It wasn’t just violence. Businesses were at stake. People’s jobs were at stake.
He walked her to her apartment and pulled her close. “Tomorrow, we’ll tell our parents,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her.
She melted into his embrace. “Tell them what?” she teased. “That you give me three orgasms every night? That I strip naked for you and give you lap dances at the dinner table?”
Cade groaned. “Keep talking like that, and this block will see just how many orgasms I can give you,” he hissed.
What would he tell their parents? She was more curious about that than she was about their reaction. He didn’t talk much about their future.
“Stay inside today,” he said with another searing kiss.
“Keep doing that, and the tabloids will tell my mom before you do,” she said as she pulled away. He gave her one last longing look before he turned and walked away.
He made it two steps before the bullet rang out. “Erin,” he screamed as he turned, but the bullets weren’t for her. Fear forced her into action. As he fell to his knees, blood seeping through his shirt, she pulled the gun from her purse.
She couldn’t lose him. Not now. She didn’t even hesitate as he aimed the gun at the large man on the corner. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. She fired until she realized the gun was no longer spilling bullets. She fired until it was just a clicking noise. She fired until someone finally wrenched the gun out of her hand.
The man was on the ground, not moving, but she didn’t give a damn about him.
“Cade,” she screamed. The world stilled as she spun raced towards him. He reached up to touch her cheek, but the blood was coming out too quickly. “Hang on,” she muttered as she stripped off her jacket and pressed it to the wound on his side.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“Shut-up,” she snapped. “You say the worse things.”
He managed to laugh, and she smiled. “You can tell me how you feel when you’re not bleeding out on the side-walk. And when that happens, I’ll tell you exactly how I feel about you.” Tears were flooding down her cheeks, and she leaned down and pressed her lips to hers. “If you die, Cade Marquis, I will tell your father that you took my virginity when I was nineteen.”
But his eyes were closing, and she began to rock back and forth. He would live. He had to live.
Please.
* * *
The response was overwhelming. She’d wanted to keep it a small affair. Cade wanted it that way, but more than just family and friends wanted to come out. Business associates from all over the country demanded to be there, and before she knew it, the whole thing was just out of control. Every seat in the church was taken.
She couldn’t believe that it would end like this. She’d been in love with him ever since she met him, and it took a bullet for her to realize it. For her to realize how much time they had wasted thinking they knew what the other was thinking.
Cade had only wanted what was best for
her, and Erin thought he was ashamed of her. Instead of embracing the unexpected love, years of silence and heartbreak had separated them.
Too late now, she thought as she walked slowly down the aisle. She couldn’t go back and change the past.
But as she saw his eyes light up with love and awe, she knew that their future was going to be filled with love.
O’Toole was dead. O’Shea put as much distance between him and the investor as possible, and they hadn’t heard more than an apology from him in the past year. Apparently he realized that the printed word was more powerful than money and blackmail.
Cade had pulled through with surgery. Rather than finding out over dinner, her mom and his dad had learned the entire truth of their affair at the hospital. They’d surprised her with a roll of their eyes.
“It’s about time,” her mom had snapped. “I thought I was going to have to lock you two in the room together to get you to admit your feelings.”
Three weeks later, he’d slipped a ring on her finger. She’d glared and grumbled. Of course they loved each other, but that didn’t mean they could make it work. He was neat. She was messy. She wanted a smaller house and dogs. He wanted a bigger house and another car. She wanted two kids. He wanted five.
But he refused to take the ring back, and she realized that she was never going to take it off. Cade Marquis was hers. And even if they bickered and fought for the rest of their lives, he belonged to her and her alone. Just as she belonged to him.
Her dress trailed behind her as she finished the walk. Her stepfather leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I thought it would be weird to give you away to my son,” he admitted with a smile. “But there is no one else I’d rather see you with.”
She blushed and reached out to take Cade’s hand. Breaking tradition, he leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. “I love you, Erin.”
