Which would be simple if --say-- he showed up riding a big, blue horse.
Addy’s eyebrows rose in astonishment as Cade came charging through the camp on Madonna. She saw him scanning around, trying to spot something in the pandemonium. Or someone. It took Addy a moment to realize that it was her. Cade was looking for her.
In spite of everything, Addy started to smile.
“Cade!” She shouted again, waving her arms. He didn’t glance her way. The guy rode a horse like Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall, but he couldn’t hear her over the noise or see her through the smoke. Shit! Her mind racing, Addy darted back into the queen’s tent, grabbing her backpack from the floor. Where the hell was that state-of the-art bear whistle?
“Human whore.” The queen was on her feet, again. “You and your Voltyn will die.” She struck out at Addy with her overgrown nails, trying to slash at her throat.
Addy dodged to the side, swinging the Glamp-pack™ at the queen’s midsection. The woman doubled-over, clutching her stomach. Clearly, the Outlander wasn’t used to people fighting back against her. At least not the way Addy fought. Maybe if she’d pulled a laser gun, the queen would know how to react, but a designer bag to the ribcage just seemed to piss her off. It also sent the state-of-the-art bear whistle sailing out of the front pocket and onto the floor.
Crap.
There was a pause as both of them stared down at it. Then, Addy and the queen dove for the whistle at the same time, tussling for it. The Outlander didn’t want the damn thing. She only fought for it to thwart Addy.
“I’ll destroy you, human!” She shoved Addy backward and grabbed the whistle for herself, holding it above her head in crazed triumph. “Everything that’s yours will be mine!”
“Stay out of my way or I will kick your ass. In fact, fuck you, I’ll do that, anyway.” Addy kicked her in the head with the heel of her hiking boot hard enough to break the cartilage in her nose.
Kind of a low blow, but so what? Had Bat Masterson given a damn about playing fair? Hell no! He’d just cared about saving the pretty ranch widow from the claim jumpers or whatever. Addy’s pretty ranch widow was hot cowboy with superpowers, but the principle was the same. Wild West badasses fought dirty. Addy snatched the whistle’s pink cord right out of the queen’s hand, scrambling to her feet.
The queen fell back in pain, her hands going to her face. “There’s nowhere you can go that we won’t find you!” She screamed as blood poured down from her nostrils. “My people are everywhere!”
“Then, tell them I’ll see them in Scottsdale.” Addy dashed back through the door, slipping the backpack over her shoulders. She’d even gotten her iPhone back, because she was awesome. “Cade!” He was farther away now, still scanning the burning tents. She popped the state-of-the-art bear whistle into her mouth and blew out the shrillest noise possible. It was very Rose-gets-rescued-at-the-end-of-Titanic, only without the sappy voiceover.
Cade’s dark head snapped around at the high-pitched sound. Lavender eyes locked on Addy and she saw relief enter his expression. He wheeled the horse around, heading straight for her.
Addy grinned, pushing her way through the crowd. “Cade!”
He leaned forward over the neck of the horse, lowering a palm towards her. “Give me your hand!”
He was awesome, too. No wonder they made such a great couple. She reached for him and he seized hold of her wrist. “‘Bout time you got here, cowboy.”
Pulling Addy up behind him, Cade swung her on the saddle. God, he was strong. “Are you alright?” He called over his shoulder.
“Yeah.” She gripped his waist, her body pressed up against his. “Are you?”
“No. I’m fucking pissed off, Adeline.”
“I can see that. Is there anything around here you haven’t set on fire?”
“The horses. I like horses.” Cade sent her a quick glance. “And you, which is taking a shitload of restraint.”
“You can bitch at me later. Let’s just get out of here.” She held tight as he directed Madonna out of camp and deeper into the mountains.
The guy really was a daredevil rider. Kid Shelleen himself couldn’t have maneuvered the horse with more breakneck skill. That didn’t mean she liked seeing the trees whipping past her face, though.
Damn, but she missed her car.
Outlanders were probably following them, but none of them could keep up. Or maybe they just figured that Cade was about to die without any mutant-y assistance. It wasn’t such a wild guess. He and Madonna were clearly trying to reach eighty-eight miles an hour and travel through time the Marty McFly way. Addy squeezed him tight and just hoped her death was quick and painless.
Eventually, Cade slowed the horse to a more sustainable pace, but they were still going way too fast for her peace of mind. Hours passed. Just when Addy was pretty sure they were going to ride forever, Cade finally stopped.
Addy carefully opened one eye. Holy cow, had she actually lived through that? Maybe Rushmore’s holy presidents were watching over her, after all. She let out a long breath and glanced at Cade. “If this cowboy thing doesn’t work out for you, have you considered a Derby bid?”
They were in a secluded area, with a natural hot spring bubbling in front of them. Around the edges of the huge pool, grass grew and the snowdrifts were held at bay. Thick blankets of steam from the heated water drifted over everything for a hundred feet in all direction. Everything inside the oasis was fifteen degrees warmer. It was beautiful. …And very, very tempting to her sore muscles.
Cade jumped from the saddle and turned to lift her down. “We’re resting here for the night. I’m in a bad fucking mood, so don’t talk to me until I calm down.”
“Knowing you that could take another sixteen hundred years.” She arched a brow as he set her on the ground. “Why are you mad at me?”
“Women should never ask that question. It just gets them in deeper trouble, because you should already know.”
She refused to smile at his snarking. “I hate it when you turn my own words back on me. It’s just petty.” She shook her head. “Seriously, what’s the matter?”
He slanted her an angry look, removing the saddlebags with agitated movements. “Did you or did you not make a deal with the Outlanders? Me for you?”
“Is that what this is about?” She rolled her eyes. “First of all, I technically traded you for an iPhone. And secondly, they were planning to turn you into a delicious Voltron stew if I didn’t agree. What did you expect me to do? Place a takeout order?”
“Voltyn. And I expected you not to be a godsdamn idiot! Did you seriously think I would want you to make that fucking deal?! Ever?”
No, but she wasn’t going to admit that. It would just get him angrier. “You weren’t around to consult. I had to make a choice.”
“If it’s a choice between me and you, then it is you, Adeline. Always. There is no fvreing choice!”
Addy didn’t feel like arguing, so she tried to derail his rant by knocking him off balance. “I don’t appreciate you using that kind of language around me, Mr. Westin.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I think you’ve forgotten that I’m a lady.”
Cade gaped at her like he had no clue what to say to that prissy complaint. She actually saw his pupils dilate in total mind-blowing disbelief. It was kind of adorable. Addy couldn’t quite contain her smile, as she watched him try to catch-up. For half a second, she almost thought he was going to apologize.
Then his eyes narrowed. “You’re fucking with me.” He accused.
Addy made a “tsk” sound. “Still cursing.” She chided and headed closer to the water. The hot spring was fascinating and mysterious, shining with an otherworldly blue. After testing to make sure it wasn’t boiling, she leaned over to take off her boots and dangled her feet into the pool. Ahhh… She let out a blissful sigh. Sonic bathhouses were fine and all, but nothing would ever beat bubbly water.
Cade wasn’t done with his lecture. “Would you be serious for once?
Outlanders are dangerous. You can’t make deals with them, because they won’t honor them. Why would you do something so stupid?”
“I told you, I didn’t have a choice.”
“How in the hell did you not have a choice? You could’ve just said no.”
“They were going to cook you, moron. Of course, I was going to give them whatever they wanted.” She unzipped her jacket, shrugging it aside.
“But, it’s not what I wanted. You are my family, Addy. I would never choose myself over my family. You didn’t need to ‘consult’ with me to know that, so why would you agree to something so insane?”
No one had ever called her “family” before and actually meant it. Maybe because she’d never met her family until she walked into Cade’s saloon. “You know why I made the deal.” She said quietly.
“Remind me.”
Did he just need to hear the words? She turned to look at him over her shoulder. “Because, I’m in love with you.”
Cade stopped yelling. His temper slowly faded, replaced by a new kind of intensity. “Sort of.” He reminded her, lavender eyes burning hot. “You said you sort of love me.”
“And I sort of do.” Addy pulled her shirt over her head and started unfastening her belt. “…Maybe a little bit more than sort of.”
Cade freed Madonna from her saddle so she could graze and headed closer to Addy. The electric glow of his palms was brighter than she’d ever seen it. “Come here.” He rasped, all his attention fixed on her breasts. It was a wonder the lacy cups of her least-favorite bra didn’t ignite under his stare.
“Oh, I’m not that easy, cowboy.” Addy stepped out of her pants. Her eyes stayed on his, inviting him closer. “Have you ever tried swimming?”
“No.” Cade edged forward. “It’s considered… primitive.” He let out a shuddering breath as she tossed her least-favorite bra aside. “Don’t let that stop you, though.”
“I won’t. Speaking as someone who owns a Jacuzzi: Primitive can be wonderful.” Addy slipped out of her underwear and stood before him naked. “You’re going to build us a fire tonight, right?”
Cade was so mesmerized he would’ve agreed to build her a rocket ship. “Anything you want.” He whispered.
“Good. Then, I don’t have to worry about freezing to death, later.” Addy waded into the hot spring, gliding under the surface. Jesus, it felt good. When she was younger, she’d gone through an “Ester Williams phase,” so the water was her second home. She surfaced five yards out, slicking her hair back from her face. “Now, are you done being mad at me?”
“I could never stay mad at you, Adeline. It would be like holding a grudge against the sunlight.”
She smiled at that uncharacteristically poetic response. He was totally flirting. And very, very handsome. It occurred to her that this was a stellar place to stage a seduction. “Then why are you still on dry land?”
“Because, I’m very content right here watching you.”
“Joining is better than watching.”
“I don’t see how anything could be better than this.” His mouth curved. “Besides, I’m not as odd as you are. I have no idea how to swim. I’m not getting in that water.”
“Sure, you will. I’m seducing you and we can’t have sex if you’re waaay over there.”
He stared at her for a long moment, digesting that idea. “You’re seducing me?”
Addy arched a brow and drifted backwards enticingly. “I’m trying to. You’ll have to tell me how I’m doing.”
Cade surrendered so fast it was almost funny, which meant she must’ve been doing okay. “When I drown,” he muttered, yanking off his jacket, “take the horse and head that way.” He pointed to the left. “You’ll hit the trail to Big Rock in about six gantii, understand?”
“Sure. What’s a gantii, again?”
“Gods, you drive me fucking crazy.” He stripped off his clothes even faster than he rode a horse. “You’re the only virgin in the world who could pull this off.”
“Nonsense, we’re a crafty bunch. It’s how we stay virgins.” Despite her cheeky words, Addy blinked at the sight of him, her seduction plan faltering. Cade’s body looked like it was carved from rock. Tanned rock. Crap. Bad enough she’d never done this before, but now she was attempting to seduce a guy who could’ve easily dated two Playboy bunnies at a time.
“What’s wrong?” He asked seeing her face. “Is it my hands? Addy, I’m sorry. I can’t stop the Voltyn…”
“No, it’s not the glowing thing. I like the glowing thing. It’s just…” She trailed off with a sigh. “Are you deliberately being this gorgeous just to add some pressure to my seduction scheme?”
He scoffed at that. “The last thing I want to do is make it harder for you to seduce me.” Once Cade made up his mind to do something, he didn’t hesitate. He walked into the pool without faltering. It was only about six feet at its deepest point, so his head was well about the water. “Believe me, things are already hard enough.”
Addy snickered. “Funny.
“I thought so, but having a sense of humor is pretty new, so I couldn’t be sure.” He stopped when he reached her and arched a brow. “Actually, this swimming thing isn’t so bad.”
Still unsure, Addy floated backwards. “Told ya so.” From the beginning, her feelings for Cade were strong and certain. He was the one. She was positive about that. But she was nervous, now that the moment was actually here.
Cade followed her small retreat, the light from his hands illuminating the water. “So, we’re naked and in the hot spring. I’d say your seduction plan is off to a good start. Now what are you planning to do?”
“I’m still working on it.”
“Can I make a suggestion?”
Addy shook her head and slipped out of range. “My seduction, my rules.” She tried to look thoughtful as she eased through the water. “Step two needs to be something foolproof, because you’re not great at taking hints.”
“I’m learning fast.” Cade’s purple eyes followed her, tracing her movements. “Come here.” He repeated and his dark voice had her insides dipping.
Addy went with her instincts. Cade had said Voltyn didn’t know how to play, but she was betting it was just what he needed. “First, you’ll need to catch me…”
She didn’t get to finish that challenge. Cade reached for her and she quickly ducked under the water. She popped up on the other side of him, laughing.
His head snapped around as she surfaced. “This isn’t fair, Adeline.” He warned, but she could see he was intrigued.
“Oh, poor baby.” She pouted for him. “You want to quit, because you can’t swim?” She splashed farther away, evading his grasp. “I’ll go easy on you.
Cade nonchalantly shifted position. “No. I mean it’s not fair to you.” He somehow boxed her in just by moving two steps to the right. Addy glanced at him in surprise and he arched a brow. “And I won’t go easy, lady.”
In that second, she saw the predatory instincts that made Cade’s ancestors super-soldiers. He was seeing this game with an overlay of strategic geometry that eluded her. “How’d you do that?” She demanded, her heart pounding with desire and feminine awareness.
“I’m Voltyn and you’re a tiny, helpless human. You really think you can get away from me?”
“Nope.” He was going to capture her as soon as she moved. They both knew it. “But, the whole point is to get caught… eventually.”
His head tilted, waiting to see what she’d do next. “One Missa-sippy.” He taunted.
Addy grinned at the dare and tried to fake left to circle around him.
Cade’s reflexes were way better than hers. He was already blocking her mad dash. Those massive, glowing palms seized her, swooping her up. “Two Missa-sippy.”
She gave a laughing squeal as he dragged her closer. On second thought, it really was hard to play with a Voltyn. Cade was focused on victory and not so concerned about prolonging the fun.
“Three Missa-sippy.” He fin
ished smugly, as she ended up plastered against his chest.
“Hang on!” Addy pushed the hair from her eyes. “Seducing you is supposed to take more than three Mississippis. Next time, you should let me escape.” Since both of them were about to win, she really didn’t mind, though.
“I’ll never let you escape.” His arousal brushed her stomach and Addy stopped laughing. Cade made a soothing sound at her nervous jolt. “It’s alright, Addy. Don’t worry. I can be soft with you.”
“Really? Because you’re not feeling soft.” He felt big and hard. But, also kinda… nice. He dipped his head to nuzzle her temple and she slowly relaxed, again.
Yeah, this was very nice.
“That’s a good girl.” Cade murmured as he felt her tension fading. He took his time, kissing his way down her throat and then back up again. “You’re safe. You don’t ever have to be scared of me. Gods, you always smell so pretty.”
“No small feat in a world without shampoo.”
His teeth grazed her ear. “Getting any inspiration for the third phase of the plan yet?”
“Aren’t you taking over?”
“Oh no. You’re the primitive seductress. I’m just your beguiled victim.”
Addy smiled at that, regaining her confidence. Cade was holding her, but she was still in control. That was the perfect combination for success. “Primitive seductress, huh? I like that.”
“Not as much as I do. Believe me.” His lips found hers, drinking deep.
“You know electricity and water don’t mix so well.” She teased, coming up for air. “If you succumb to my charms, there’s a chance your Voltyn powers are going to electrocute you.”
“I’ll take my chances.” Cade hesitated. “Wait, did you just say Voltyn and not Voltron? I think that’s the first time you… Holy shit!” He broke off with gasp as Addy’s fingers slipped under the water and curved around the length of him. “Addy.” It sounded like a prayer. “Don’t stop. Gods, don’t stop.”
“I’m not going to stop.” She tossed his own words back at him, because it was actually funny when she did it. “Tell me what you like and…”
Cowboy from the Future Page 20
