Releasing Raven [Braden Security 4] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Dale Cadeau

  “Oh, nothing could stop me from meeting him now. From what you’ve told me about him, I can’t wait,” Brad told her with a grin.

  “Well, okay, if you really want to meet him that much.”

  “Oh, I do. But after he leaves, I want you to come over to my house tonight for supper. After everyone left my house, I found that the girls left me with a freezer full of food. So we will just warm something up and maybe watch a movie. What do you think?”

  “Okay to the movie and supper. But remember that you have been warned about my brother. Be here at six, that’s usually the time he stops by.” Raven wheeled herself up to her front door and disappeared inside.

  Brad couldn’t wait to meet Raven’s brother. He would soon put a stop to him browbeating her. Getting into the truck, he moved it to his house and made his way inside, thinking of all the ways he could intimidate her brother and give Raven the upper hand for once. Smiling to himself, he thought maybe he would invite Angel to meet him next time.

  Chapter Nine

  Brad was caught on the phone with James when 6 p.m. rolled around, and was late getting to Raven’s. He noticed her brother’s car in the driveway as he headed to her house. Shit, he wanted to be there when he arrived. Knocking on the door that wasn’t latched properly, Brad could hear raised voices and pushed the door open and walked in. He found Raven and her brother in the living room. Les was standing beside Raven in her chair and pointing at the wheels of her chair. His face was red. Brad also noticed that Raven was almost in tears. Walking swiftly to her side, he crouched down in front of her and took her hand in his and gave a scowl at her brother.

  Les looked surprised at Brad’s abrupt entry, but quickly got his bearings and pointed at Brad. “Who the hell are you? Get out, who do you think you are just walking in my sister’s house? I’m going to call the police.”

  Raven smiled through her tears at Brad, she was so glad to see him. Wiping a hand over her eyes, she told her brother, “This is Brad, and he has every right to be here. If you would stop talking and listen instead, I would have told you about him.”

  Les backed up and straighten his tie. “Well I don’t know him. By the looks of him, I don’t think he is the type of person that you should associate with. Is this some bum that picked you up? He probably knows your connection to me and is trying to get in your good books to get close to me. People all the time are asking for favors and free handouts from me and my friends.”

  “Would you stop it, Les?” Raven pulled her hand from Brad’s and wheeled her chair back so she could see both men at the same time.

  “Please remember this is my house, Les. Brad is welcome and I want him here. You not so much, with your attitude.” Raven looked at her brother with steel determination showing in her blue eyes, drawing strength from Brad now that he was here.

  “I’m just trying to look after you. After all, you are disabled and might not make the best decisions when it comes to men. I know it’s hard to settle for someone just for company. That’s why you should move into a home. You would have all kinds of company.” Les was talking and looking like ice cream wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

  Brad had heard enough from this pompous bastard. Brother or not, he had to learn that he couldn’t talk to Raven like that. Brad stepped forward and grabbed Les by the tie that he had just straightened. He pulled on the tie enough that it moved Les forward before he braced his feet. “Get your hands off me. Raven, call the police, he just assaulted me.”

  “God, Les, knock it off, and Brad let him go. He has a nasty habit of speaking before he thinks. He didn’t mean anything by what he said.”

  Brad let Les go and wiped his hands on his jeans. How could this man be related to Raven? Raven must be adopted. Brad smiled to himself at his thought, that’s the only way that this moron would be associated with Raven.

  “What are you smiling at?” Les hurled the words at Brad. “You don’t know who I am. I can ruin you with one word. Raven is disabled and I have to look after her from people like you.”

  Raven took her chair and rammed it between the two men, who had stepped closer again and were glaring at one another.

  Both men stepped back and now glared down at her. “That’s enough. This is my house and if you both can’t behave, I want you both to leave.” Raven continued wheeling her chair out of the living room and into the kitchen.

  Brad gave Les one more glare and followed Raven into the kitchen. He found her at the table with her head buried in her arms on the table in front of her.

  Brad squatted down beside her chair and put a hand out and brushed the hair covering her face. “I’m sorry. I’ll go and apologize to your brother if you want.”

  Raven raised her head and look sideways at Brad. “No, if anyone should apologize it should be Les, but he won’t. Please just try and get along. He’s the only family I have left, so I guess I give him some slack.”

  Les, who had come up behind them as they spoke, said, “Don’t you apologize for me. You know I’m right. Who is this man anyway? Does he have any credentials?”

  Brad stood up from his crouch beside Raven, and put a hand out toward Les. “I’m Brad Conway. I should have introduced myself when I came in. I work for Braden Security and live in the house across the street from Raven. I have nothing to gain from Raven, except her friendship.”

  Les still looked down his nose at Brad, but took his hand and gave it a hurried shake. “Well at least you have a job. But you can’t criticize me for looking out for my sister, being in the condition that she is in.”

  Brad snatched his hand back “There is nothing wrong with Raven. She is a very independent woman, and from what I know, makes her own way in the world by her writing.”

  “Well if you’re looking for someone to support you, her writing doesn’t make that much and I sure as hell won’t contribute.”

  “God you’re an ass, Les. Brad doesn’t need my money. He is a partner in Braden Security. You know that company that has the large office tower downtown?”

  “Really?” Les looked back and forth between Raven and Brad, “I thought I heard that name before. You have to forgive me for jumping to conclusions, but my sister is very dear to me, and a guy can’t be too careful. Don’t you agree?”

  Brad could see the change in Les right away, after Raven’s words. Oh, he was still slimy, but now in a more used car salesman type. The type that wanted to be your best friend now he knew that a person had money. Brad looked at Raven and she just rolled her eyes when Les wasn’t looking.

  “Okay, now we have that straightened out. Let’s get back to our discussion,” Raven said to Les.

  “Yes, what were you discussing before I got here?” Brad asked Les.

  “Well.” Les look uncomfortable, “I was just asking about the scratch on her chair and how it got there. It’s an expensive chair and I want her to take care of it.”

  “I told you it probably got scratched either in the truck or at the gym. It’s a small scratch, you can hardly see it.” Raven said, looking down at the wheel of her chair.

  “Well that’s okay, I was just overreacting. Let’s get you onto one of the kitchen chairs and I’ll take it out and polish it and made sure it’s okay.”

  Les leaned down to pick up Raven, but Brad got to her first and picked her up and deposited her in one of the kitchen chairs. He watched as Les took the chair and wheeled it out the door.

  “Why is he so concerned with your chair?” Brad asked Raven, as he took a chair beside her at the table.

  “I think it’s one of his quirks, and a crazy thing to do every week, but if it keeps him happy, who am I to stop him? After all, he paid for it. He does this every week. He takes my chair out to his car, polishes it and makes sure nothing is wrong with it.”

  Brad leaned nearer to Raven and put his arm around her. “If it’s okay with you, then I can live with it. But he has to stop talking to you like he was earlier. I don’t think I can put up with that.”

  When Rav
en tried to interrupt, he went on.

  “I know he’s your brother and all that, but you deserve respect and I’m going to make sure that you get it, brother or not.” Giving her a squeeze, he sat back in his chair as Les brought the chair back to Raven. Brad looked at the chair closely, he didn’t see any difference in it, maybe a few fingerprints were wiped off, but nothing else.

  “Here you are, Raven, I checked it out and the scratch is so small, like you said, a person can hardly notice it. Otherwise it’s in great shape. Well I have to be off now. I have a government meeting with the mayor that I can’t miss.” Les seem to be in an awful hurry. Brad started to get up, but Les told him not to bother. Les hurried out, but stopped with the door in hand and, looking back at Brad, said, “Nice to meet you.” Then he left, slamming the door behind him.

  Raven gave a humph and said, “Well that was rude, even for him.”

  Brad had had enough of talking about Les and stood up, bent down and picked Raven up from the kitchen chair.

  “Where are your house keys?”

  Chapter Ten

  Raven was surprise at his abrupt movement, but put her arms around his neck. “The front hall table.”

  Brad carried Raven to the table, picked up her keys, and walked out the door. Locking it behind them, he started toward his house with her held secure in his arms.

  “Aren’t we going to need my chair?” Raven asked as she snuggled closer to Brad, loving the feeling and safety she felt in his arms.

  “No, if you need to go anyplace. I am going to carry you,” Brad told her as he unlocked his door and carried her over to the couch in the living room and set her down gently.

  “Okay, but I don’t want to hear any complaints tomorrow about your back.” Raven teased.

  “You don’t have to worry about that, you’re as light as a feather,” Brad told her as he walking toward the kitchen.

  “Would you like a drink?” I’m just going to pop the lasagna into the oven to warm.”

  “Anything you’re having will be fine,” Raven replied as she looked around his living room, taking in the bare white walls and the big-screen TV, with a few pictures scattered around its base.

  Brad walked back and handed her a glass of white wine.

  “Not much to look at yet,” Brad remarked, as he seated himself beside her on the couch. “I haven’t had time to do anything. The TV was bought by James, so he and the guys could watch sports. Everything else in here is leftovers from my apartment. The new furniture is being delivered next week and I have paint already bought and just waiting for me to start.”

  “Well you’ll be busy in the next week, maybe I can help. I noticed the pictures near the TV, are those of your friends that stayed with you?”

  “Yes.” Brad put his glass down and walked over to the pictures and picked them up and brought them back to Raven.

  Sitting down, he showed her. “Avery and Cyn were always taking pictures when they were here. There wasn’t much for them to do, with having to stay in the house all the time.” Brad pointed at one of the pictures.

  “This one is of all of us except Jared, he took the picture.” Pointing at the picture, he pointed out for her. James and Avery, his wife, Angel and Cyn, his wife, Clay and Laura, his now wife, and last is Stan and Janet, she’s Stan and Jared wife. “It was a cozy time with everyone living here for a while.”

  “Do you miss it, now that you’re alone?” Raven asked as she looked at the faces in the pictures staring back at her.

  “They look like great friends.”

  “They are the best a guy could ask for, you’ll have to meet all of them,” Brad said as he put the pictures down and picked his glass of wine back up.

  “I would like that. Maybe we could have a barbecue some night?”

  The timer went off on the oven. Brad gave his glass to Raven, then picked her up and carried her to the kitchen table.

  “Just sit and I’ll get everything.” Brad walked to the oven and took out the lasagna and put it on the table between the plates he had set earlier.

  The meal was great, but Raven couldn’t wait for it to finish. She had a feeling that underneath their conversation, another was taking place. She knew that she was snatching looks from under her eyelashes at Brad, as he talked and moved his hands as he described different things to her. Raven tried to pay attention, she really did, but all she could think of was having his hands on her.

  Whenever she caught him glancing at her, when he thought she wasn’t looking, his eyes seem to hold a fire deep in them, like he would like her to be the meal. Raven hoped she wasn’t fooling herself with those thoughts. Since the accident, she hadn’t had any desires or wants to be with any man. She had actual though that everything down below her waist was paralyzed. Now with the feeling of moisture in her panties, she could cross that off her list of things wrong with her. Brad was the first man that had gained her attention, he looked at her like she thought a man should look at a woman. She had gotten so used to the pity looks everyone turned her way. Especially from the doctors, when they couldn’t find anything physically wrong with her. She had learned to tune out most people, expecting to see the same thing reflected in their eyes. Putting her napkin down, she finally noticed that Brad had finished his meal and was just sitting there looking at her.

  “Sorry, wool gathering, a bad habit I have.” Raven felt herself blush as she tried to cover up what she had been really thinking about.

  “No problem. I guess as an author, that you must do that a lot?” Brad said as he got up and came to her side, scooping her out of the chair, making his way back to the couch in the living room and setting her down.

  “Yes, it does happen a lot. When I hear or see something in real life that might make a good story, or fit into one I’m working on, I seem to zone out.”

  Halfway back to the kitchen to get their wine glasses, Brad turned with a twinkle in his eyes.

  “And what were you thinking about? I would like to know, what feeds your appetite for writing.” Brad disappeared into the kitchen, where she could hear him pouring more wine.

  Well Shit. She thought she had covered her laps. But she could tell by that remark that he had probably read all the signs she had unconsciously been sending out all through the meal. Why was she kidding herself, maybe she wanted him to know? After all she had been lost in thought, most of the time thinking about his hands, yummy body, and his unique Brad scent. Brad had had to repeat himself more than once when she had gotten so lost in her thoughts.

  Brad returned with a sly knowing smile on his face, as he carried their two wine glasses and put them on the table. Sitting back beside her, he made a show of nestling into the sofa and exaggerated his moves, moving one arm around the back of her and pulling her to his side. When she was snuggled by his side, he took his other arm and put it around the front of her, encasing her in his arms. With a little laugh, he scooped down and kissed her nose.

  “I’m glad I’m not the only one. I couldn’t wait for the meal to finish so I could hold you.” Raven didn’t say anything, but looked back at him, her big blue eyes full of wonder.

  Brad took her chin in one of his hands, tilting it up. “I want to be with you. And while this is nice, I would like us to be skin to skin. If that’s not what you were thinking about, tell me now? Because I think after I start kissing you, I will want, no, will need, to taste all of you. “

  Raven wet her dry lips, gathering her courage, which made Brad moan as he watched her.

  “No, you’re not wrong. I was thinking about the same thing. But I want you to take the time to think clearly, it’s not going to be the same as all your other times. My legs are paralyzed. I will try to participate as much as I can, but to tell you the truth, I haven’t made love to anyone since my accident. It’s been a long time, and you will have to do most of the work. Are you okay with that?”

  Brad moved his lips just above hers, so that she could feel his breath on her lips. “I know it won’t be like be
ing with other woman. This is going to be special, because it is you. And to me, you are special. And as far as me having to do all the work, it will be my pleasure. I don’t think I would last too long, if you participate too much. For this first time, I just want to savor every part of you.”

  Brad moved down and devoured her lips, trying to tell her what she meant to him through his kiss. He thoroughly tasted her whole mouth, shivering at the feel of her tongue as it touched his, as well as her unique taste. Brad knew at that moment that he could spend the rest of his days, with this special woman and never get tired of her or her taste.

  Raven pulled her arms that were trapped between them and wrapped them around his neck. She couldn’t help a moan from escaping her as she got her first real taste of Brad.

  Pulling him even tighter to her, she felt his chest flatten her nipples that were taut and just begging for him to pay them some attention.

  Suddenly Raven felt herself being lifted off the couch, with Brad still kissing her. She just held tighter to him as she felt him walking them both down a hallway and into a room. Next, she felt a soft bed on her back and Brad covering her from head to toe with his body. She loved the feel of his hard muscles pushing her into the bed. When Raven felt him starting to raise off her, she grabbed his shirt back and pushed him back down. He got her message and snuggled back down to her, their kisses getting even hotter if that was possible. Finally, both gasping for breath, their lips parted, and Raven looked into eyes that look like warm chocolate. She only got a minute to look as he put his lip back down, but this time he kissed her neck. Raven gasped as she felt a little bite then a warm tongue came out and smoothed the sting.

  Brad lifted the top of his body a bit off of her, and she could feel his hand moving to the buttons on her blouse. As the buttons came undone, he raised himself more, so finally when the last button was undone, she could feel his hard length pushing down on her mound. Raising her head, she watched as he parted the blouse and ran one of his hand down her middle from her throat to the top of her jeans. She watched his hand intently, as it moved along her skin. He moved slowly, like he was trying to savor her skin through his hands.