by BJ Harvey
I mean, this is the other half of Cade. The man beside the man. The one person absolutely guaranteed to always have his back because they came from the same freaking egg!
And of course, Cade hasn’t missed any of this.
“Why the hell are you nervous? He’s my brother. He’s just like me.”
“Because he is your brother. You’ve said he’s not like your parents, but he’s never met me. They could’ve told him about me—”
“I’ve told him about you. I’ve told him about how I feel about you, and I told him that I love you.”
I let his words wash over me, experiencing the same reaction that happens every single time he tells me that. Warm. Settled. Right.
Cade’s gaze drifts down to my lips, his eyes heated—no, blazing. “Fuck I love that look on you,” he growls, pushing me backwards, his hips in mine, until I literally hit a brick wall beside the restaurant’s front window.
A thrill rushes through me, loving that I can make him lose his decorum just with the need to touch me and hopefully, kiss me.
I needn’t have hoped because as always, he delivers, crashing his mouth down on mine, his tongue delving between my lips conducting a thorough and deep demonstration of his appreciation.
He pulls back, his touch softening. Leaning his forehead against mine, he looks deep into my eyes and I watch with fascination as they transform from fiery hot to bearably warm.
“Fuck I love you. Doesn’t matter that I’ve told you he’ll love you, you’re still nervous. Shows me that you want him to like you. It means a lot.”
“Stop making me want to jump you,” I grumble. “We’re in public and getting arrested probably wouldn’t earn me Girlfriend of the Year in your parents’ eyes.”
He chuckles and kisses my nose before standing straight again, looking through the window beside us, a shit-eating grin appearing on his face.
“What?” I ask, turning around and pressing back into Cade’s front—and feeling how much he wants to jump me, too—and seeing an exact replica of him, just a little rougher and dirtier, smirking back at us.
Dammit. Well at least it’ll be a memorable first meeting now.
By the time we reach the table where Cameron, Callie, and Jonathan are seated, they’re all grinning at us.
“Was that pre-appetizer entertainment?” Callie says, failing to stifle a giggle as Cade and I come to a stop.
Cade lets go of my hand and moves to his brother, their arms wrapping around each other for a back-slapping, heartfelt hug that brings tears to the eyes, even for a hardass like me. If the sniffles coming from beside me are anything to go by, Callie’s affected by it, too.
“Good to have you safe and home,” Cade says gruffly.
Cam shoots him a grin. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, or hog all the ‘annoying the parents’ action either.”
They both turn back toward the table and look at their sister, Cade reaching his hand out to lace his fingers with mine again.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Callie cries, wiping her eyes. “The baby made me do it.”
“That’s her excuse for most things these days,” Callie’s husband, Jonathan, says, standing up and shaking Cade’s hand before leaning in to kiss my cheek. “Good to see you again, too,” he says quietly. It’s almost like a club. The ‘we’ve volunteered to join the Carsens and we’ve got each other’s backs’ kind of group.
“Cam, this is Abi,” Cade says, releasing my hand to wrap his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side.
“Well I’d hope so,” he says, “otherwise I’d be wondering why you were making out on the sidewalk.”
I can’t help it; I giggle and shake my head at him. He’s just like Cade. That cocky charm and the dazzling—almost overwhelming—good looks that would win even the most challenging woman over. I mean, hell, look at me and Cade.
Cam moves forward and playfully shoves Cade out of the way, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me in for a bear hug.
“That’s it. Cade, we’re swapping places with this one. She’ll never know the difference. Well, except for . . .” He pulls away and shoots me a wink.
“Hey, buddy. We haven’t done that in years, and that was just to trick the nanny.”
Cade reclaims me, jostling with Cam until I’m by his side again. He pulls out a chair for me and once we’re both seated, takes his place beside me, draping his arm along the back of my chair.
Claiming, maybe. Possessive, probably. Hot, definitely.
We give our drink orders to the waitress and order our food, all of us deciding on an array of dishes to share rather than individual servings. Really, Callie wanted everything on the menu, and being ten million months’ pregnant—okay not quite—we decided that yes, we’d love to try everything on the menu, too.
“So the ‘rents,” Cam states, leaning back in his chair. “What’s the plan?”
“What do you mean?” their sister asks, looking between Cade and Cam.
“I hadn’t told Cal about it,” Cade mutters, and all heads jerk towards him.
“Told me what?” Callie snaps.
“Mom and Dad hired an investigator to look into Abi,” Cade explains.
She gasps, her eyes darting to me. “They did that?” she whispers.
“Of course they did,” Cam retorts.
“That’s . . . that’s just freaking insane, though,” she replies, her voice almost at a shrill, crazy-pregnant-lady level.
“That’s Annabel and Cade Senior,” Jonathan remarks, taking a sip of his wine and looking around the table as if to say “you know this.”
“But Abi’s harmless,” Callie says, turning her attention to me. “Sorry, Abi. But you really are no threat to them, whatsoever.”
I grin and put my spare hand—since Cade has trapped my other one between his thighs under the table—in the air in a placating gesture. “I really don’t care much for your parents at this point, sorry to say. So feel free to let loose.”
Trying to pull my hand free—to no avail—I decide that if Cade wants it there, it’s gonna do things while it’s there. I stretch my pinky finger back and up, ever so gently stroking his balls with the tip of it. He jerks at the first touch, and I feel the heat of his glare on me as I continue listening to Callie talk. Not surprisingly, he widens his legs, letting me regain full use of my previously trapped extremity.
I tilt my head and grin wickedly at him. His narrowed eyes meet mine but soon drop to my lips. “Behave,” I mouth.
“Are you two at it again?” Cam jibes.
“You’re just jealous,” Cade retorts, and Cam just grins at him. Fuck, it’s uncanny how alike they are. Not just in looks, but personality, confidence—even the way they sit.
“So did you two ever do that? You know . . .” I lean forward and look between the two brothers, “swap?”
Cade laughs, and Cam licks his lips and smiles wickedly. “That, my dear, I’ll never tell.”
“So how did you find out about the PI?” Callie asks.
“My ex-boyfriend decided to come out of the woodwork for the first time in years and warn me.”
The hand Cade is resting on my leg tenses but relaxes when I rub my fingers over his. “It just served to push me to make a decision I was going to make anyway,” I explain.
“And you’re okay with that?” Cam asks.
“Not with what spurred it, but with the choice I made in response to it?” I turn my head to meet Cade’s eyes. “Absolutely.”
“Those assholes. They did that to Jonathan when I first started seeing him. Well . . .” Callie glances at her husband, “when we finally let them know I was involved with him, anyway.”
“It seems to be their modus operandi. Full background checks on anyone with even a remote chance of being tied to the precious Carsen name.”
“This calls for a toast then,” Jonathan announces, leaning forward to grab the bottle of champagne on the table and pouring four glasses, one each for those of
us not pregnant. Showing she chose her man well, he also hands Callie her glass of sparkling water before holding up his glass. “To all of those investigated by the in-laws,” he says, shooting me a wink. “And to living our lives the way we want, without exceptions.”
“Here, here,” Cam says, and together the five of us clink glasses, a show of solidarity which I bet would have Annabel and Cade Senior losing their minds.
When Cade and Jonathan walk off arguing about who’s paying the bill, and Callie makes her tenth bathroom break—okay, maybe third—Cam shifts into the chair beside me.
“Are you okay?” he asks and my eyes widen.
“Yeah, of course.”
“No, I mean after my parents’ antics. I see you and Cade together and I knew he was into you, but I’ve never seen him that into anyone, so I’d hate it if Mom and Dad got their way and caused trouble.”
I swallow hard to push down the growing lump in my throat. “I’m a tough nut to crack, Cam.”
“I get that, but so am I, and I had to change continents to get away from them. You didn’t sign up for their shit and it would screw with anyone’s head, tough nut or not.”
“I’m okay,” I say, reassuringly. “Cade and I love each other; we’re happy together. In the end, that’s all that matters. Neither of us would ever do anything to jeopardize that.”
“What if they do something else?” he asks, his voice is gravelly, and it’s then I do see a difference between Cade and Cam. They look the same, they even sound the same, and they definitely have the same demeanor, but Cam has a rougher edge than his brother. He’s weathered, the shadows I catch in his eyes speaking of untold demons.
“Then Abi and I will face it together.”
His lips curve up into a slow, knowing smile. “Like the Christmas party . . .”
“What do you mean?” I ask, frowning at him.
“Cade is calculated, probably one of the few useful qualities he got from dear ol’ Dad. He’s been biding his time and waiting for the perfect opportunity to let rip. If I know my brother—and I do very well—then my parents should be bracing themselves for a scene.”
“He wouldn’t?” I gasp, looking over his shoulder to see Cade and Jonathan heading our way, my man’s smile sending a wave of heat from my head down to my super happy parts. Knowing that that beautiful man loves me, and his brother—whom I’ve just met—seems equally as protective of me, I’m grateful for taking that first chance on Cade the night we met, and then again all those months later.
“We’re going to head home. My cankles are killing me,” Callie announces, walking back up to the table, Jonathan wrapping his arm around her waist. “How about you guys?”
Cade holds his hand out for me, lacing his fingers with mine and helping me stand at his side. Then he turns and does this weird handshake-bump thing with Cam, both of them grinning at each other as they do it.
“Jeez, still with the secret ‘Callie can’t know’ hand things?” their sister groans.
The twins stop, turn towards her—mirroring each other with scary accuracy—and mock salute Callie.
She rolls her eyes at them. “On that note,” she says, shooting me a wave, and arm in arm with her husband, walking towards the exit.
“So . . . the Christmas Party?” Cam says waggling his brows.
“What are you talking about?” Cade asks.
“We have to be there,” Cam continues, stating the obvious.
“I know that, Mom made it very clear.”
“So this is the perfect opportunity to stick it to the ‘rents,” Cam explains.
“If I was you maybe,” Cade says with a smirk.
“You are me, just in a boring form,” Cam shoots back, winking at me over Cade’s shoulder.
“You’re a fucker.”
“You know you love me.”
Cade chuckles and grips Cam’s shoulder with a squeeze. “Good to have you back, Brother.”
“Good to be back, and will be even better to watch you put Cade Senior and Annabel in their place.”
There’s a challenge, if ever I heard one.
“Are you going to have my back if I do?” Cade asks quizzically, causing my eyes to snap
“Don’t even need to ask that,” Cam growls. “I’ve got your three, six, nine, and twelve. Anytime you need me, I’m there.” His gaze moves to me again. “That goes for you too, Abi.”
It’s then I know that whatever happens at the Carsen Christmas party, Cade will always have family and best of all, I’ll always have him.
Halfway along South Lakeshore Drive, Cade turns into a parking lot and switches off the ignition.
“Can you walk for a couple of minutes in those shoes?” he asks, looking down at my heel-clad feet.
“What’s going on?” I ask, my brows drawn together.
“It’s been a good night; I want to take a walk to the lakefront with the womanfriend. End the night with a bang.”
“Your night can end with a bang at home, Carsen. I don’t fancy risking lewd public behavior twice in one night.”
He rolls his eyes then reaches across the central console, undoing my safety belt. “Trust you to think I was meaning that kind of bang.”
My eyebrows lift up to my hairline. “Since when do you not think about that?”
He doesn’t answer, choosing instead to jump out and shut the door behind him. Looks like we’re going for a walk in the freezing fucking cold then.
He rounds the hood and helps me out of the car, pushing my hands away and checking that my coat is buttoned. Then, hand in hand, he leads me across the road and onto the lakeshore trail in Hyde Park, stopping at the fence separating the small cliff from Lake Michigan.
“Do you want me to freeze to death? Because this is a very successful method, if that’s what you’re going for.”
He chuckles. “I’m not trying to knock you off. Although if you’re cold, I’ll definitely enjoy warming you back up again.”
I roll my eyes at him before shooting him my perfected ‘you’re being an ass’ glare.
“Well, I am a doctor,” he says. “I have experience with life-saving procedures.” He moves in close, turning me until we’re chest to chest, my head tilted up to look at his gorgeous face. “It’ll involve a lot of touching,” he says, lifting his hands to cup my cheeks. “It would be done naked, of course, and I’d have to carry out a slow and very methodical examination of every single part of your body.” His nose drops to touch mine, his lips brushing against my mouth as he speaks while his arms travel down my sides and hook around my waist, cocooning me in close.
“Why are we out here, Cade? It would be a lot more romantic in the middle of the day when we can actually see what we’re looking at.”
“I wanted to stop and just take a moment to enjoy our ‘real.’”
How the hell can I not give him that?
We stand there in the ice cold evening air and just breathe each other in. In that moment, the zombie apocalypse could descend on the world and I’d be none the wiser.
“Do you think Cam liked me?” I ask after a few minutes pass.
Cade snorts and shakes his head from side to side slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. “He pretty much said he’s got your back for anything Mom and Dad related. I’d say that’s a guarantee that he likes you.”
“Good. I liked him, too.”
“I’m glad you two get along, but I knew you would. It’s the Carsen charm.”
I jerk my head back, narrowing my eyes. “The Carsen charm?”
“Yeah. Explains how I was able to get in your pants the first night I saw you.”
“Oh,” I say slowly. “You think that was what got you laid that night?”
A devilish grin grows on his lips, his tongue darting out to trace the edge of my mouth. “I’ll bite then. What exactly was it that got me in there with you?”
“Telling me I had nice shoes,” I whisper.
“That was my best pick-up line, I’ll have you know. I’d
never used it before, and it was Thomas who told me to give it a go,” he replies.
I jerk my head back and burst out laughing. “You should know I’ll hunt you down if you leave me.”
He quirks a brow. “Are we talking about level-ten, bunny-boiler stalker?”
“Oh no, like level one hundred, totally certifiable, grade-A clinger.”
“Then I’ll one up you and say I’ll go all über-protective, alpha caveman on your ass and drag you back to my cave if you ever even consider leaving me.”
I giggle and drop my forehead to his chest, my shoulders shaking as I let his warmth spread through me. I meet his eyes and burrow my body in closer to his. “I think I might keep you forever, Cade Carmichael Carsen the Third,” I say with a huge grin.
“There’s no thinking required, Abi-Jane Cook, because I’m not going anywhere. If we can survive controlling parents, miscommunication, out-of-this-world sex that threatens to kill us every single time, and the reappearance of junkie ex boyfriends, as well as your brothers’ walking in on you giving me a hummer, I think we’re gonna do alright.”
“Okay. Can I just ask you to do one more thing for me?” I ask, my face blank. In all honesty, I think my cheeks are frozen.
“What?” he asks, his brows furrowed, his hands tensing on my waist.
“This is all nice and romantic, and I honestly love you for it, but I’m seriously going to die from hyperthermia if I don’t get warm soon, so can you please take me home and warm me up like you promised?” I whine.
He chuckles and pulls me in impossibly close before turning and walking me back in the direction of the car. “Way to kill the moment, Spitfire.”
“I’m sure you’ll let me make it up to you, Carsen. You always do.”
“So what should I expect at this Christmas party then?” Abi asks as I sit on her bed in a tux, waiting for her to finish. She’s standing in her bathroom, her mouth wide open while she brushes on what must be her tenth coat of mascara. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration.
Watching her, it strikes me how weird it is that women need their lips apart to keep their eyes open. It’s giving me an awesome mental picture though, remembering that sexy-as-fuck look she gets when she kneels down with her lips wrapped around my cock, taking me deep while those gorgeous brown eyes of hers look up at me . . .
