“You are so hopeless.” Lisa smiled, and Whitney felt a little better. “Come dance with me. It will be fun.”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, if Ted’s too safe, and Cage’s too dangerous, then maybe you can find your perfect middle guy at a club.”
Whitney looked at the time on her screen. Only six. They would have plenty of time.
“Fine, but don’t expect me to dance well.”
Lisa grinned at her. “After a few drinks, I’m pretty sure you’ll dance just fine.”
Whitney laughed. “We’ll see I guess.”
Chapter Four
Cage sat with Trent, Liam and Finn at a table in the corner of the club, music thumping around them. It hadn’t been on top of his list to go out, but they needed to meet with the brothers to talk about the mounting issues with Los Malos.
Liam’s buzzed short hair made him seem far more severe than they knew him to be. At least the way he used to be. He had only recently found out about his mob family heritage and that the head of the Kelly Clan, Finn, was his brother. Perhaps Liam’s short time with the Kelly Clan had hardened him more than any of his former co-workers realized. Then again, maybe not, given he was with Meg.
Cage suppressed a chuckle. He knew all too well how time could change a man.
“So this Roberto is in charge now?” Liam said, his mouth a firm line.
Trent nodded. “As far as we can tell. There hasn’t been a lot of noise from them recently, but something’s going on with them. They aren’t rolling over just because a few guys got hurt and thrown in jail. If anything, they’re probably more pissed off.”
Finn rubbed a hand over his face and frowned, his green eyes filled with irritation Even if he was taking the Irish mafia out of their illegal ventures, that didn’t mean he didn’t hear things.
“I’m not hearing much these days. Charlie is the best contact we’ve got now,” he said and looked over to Cage.
The help Charlie had offered Ryder during their issues with the Los Malos and Blitz, the dangerous biker from the west, had only increased their contact with the pawn shop owner, who always seemed to have a hand in everything going on.
Olivia, Reed’s wife, hadn’t been too happy with the recent events but was glad that the help had saved her friends. Without it, several women wouldn’t have gotten out the situation alive.
“Ryder’s been talking with him, and all he had to add was that there were a few more containers coming in,” Cage said. He sighed. “He thinks that working with us is ruining his cred around town. He’s getting pushed out.”
Finn nodded. They all knew how easily things could shift if certain people thought they were no longer able to speak freely.
“Maybe I’ll make a purchase there soon,” Finn said and looked to Liam. “Might have some impact.” He smirked at Cage. “Even if we’re getting out of lot of the business, people know we’re not the Allens’ bitches.”
Cage snorted but kept silent. He wasn’t going to let Finn get under his skin so easily.
Liam shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”
Finn leaned back and placed his hands behind his head.
“So what’s the deal?” He nodded to Trent. “You the replacement for my brother?”
Trent shrugged. “Seems like you’ve got a lot going on around here.”
They had been over this so many times Cage was tired of talking about it. He knew what was going on. With Liam working with Finn, and Cage’s knee still messed up, they were down two men. Reed was just trying to make sure they were covered, especially with how unstable the city had been in the past months.
Cage turned away from the men and scanned the floor. They had started to come to this club more and more. If anything, they did it just because they knew there was safety in numbers. The Kellys and the Allens had plenty of enemies, after all.
His gaze stopped on deep red hair that bobbed in the crowd.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said. He clenched his teeth as he watched the pretty redhead move in a steady rhythm against some man. The man’s hands dipped lower and lower toward her ass.
Cage stood, his chair scraping against the floor.
“What the…” Trent started but stopped when he followed Cage’s line of sight. “Fuck.”
Cage looked back to the men. “I’ve got shit to deal with,” he said firmly and strolled over to the dance floor, doing his best to ignore his knee.
The beat thumped through her body as Whitney bounced around. The two shots she’d done had gone right to her head, but at this point, she didn’t really care much. Actually, at this moment, she was trying to figure out how to escape Mr. Grabby Hands without just bolting away.
She jumped when firm hands pulled her into a wall of flesh.
“How about a glass of water?”
With the room somewhat spinning, she looked up into warm brown eyes.
“Cage?” she breathed out. “I… What?”
He pulled on her hand a little. “Water.”
The other man found her other hand, and she pulled back from Cage a little.
“I’m dancing,” she said and turned back to the other man, who grinned at her. She swallowed down the annoyance she was feeling. This wasn’t exactly the situation she wanted to end up in.
She jumped when Cage’s warm body slid behind her. The other man frowned.
“Yo,” the man said and stepped forward, squishing her further against Cage. “You heard her. We’re dancing, bro.”
“Yeah,” Cage said behind her. She could feel his muscles tense and hoped it didn’t break out into a fight, especially if she was between them. “And now she’s with me.”
The man glared at them both and then stormed off to the other side of the dance floor. Relief flooded Whitney as the man departed. She wasn’t interested in wherever he wanted to take things.
“Let’s get you a water,” Cage rumbled from behind her.
Despite herself, Whitney could feel her temper rising. She wasn’t one to be told what to do, even if Cage had helped her out.
“Just because that guy’s gone doesn’t change the fact that I’m dancing,” she said and stepped away from him.
His hand slid around her middle, and she found herself pressed even harder against him.
“So dance,” he said quietly in her ear.
She shivered as his breath brushed the hair on her neck, and she had to take in deep breaths to keep herself calm. Whitney tilted her head back a little to stare at him. The playful smile was on his face, and something in her wanted to wipe it off.
It was like he was taunting her, like she wasn’t capable of being sexy. Well, she’d show him. After all, he was the one who was chasing her.
Whitney swayed her hips from side to side. Her short, black dress clung to her like a second skin, and she knew he’d be able to see down the low neckline as she moved, but for once, she didn’t care. Maybe it was the shots talking, but she’d take the liquid courage all the same.
His hands gripped her hips, and she shivered when he groaned. One of his hands slid up her side, brushing the side of her breast as he continued along. She gasped when his rough fingers arrived at the tender flesh of her arm. She wound her arms around the back of his neck.
She threaded her fingers through his brown hair. His hair was softer than she had imagined. Her eyes closed as she ran her nails along his neck and listened to the rumble it caused.
She shut out the little voice in her head telling her that this was a very bad idea and just let the feeling of the music take over. One night. It couldn’t hurt to trust for just one night. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe everything Lisa had said was right. There had to be more. She wanted there to be more. She couldn’t let the shadow of her parents keep her from ever even really trying to find someone.
This time, when her hips moved, she pressed back into him. She could feel him. She’d have to be stupid not to feel him there. Hard and hot. Whitney could already feel her nipples straining a
gainst the tight black dress, desperate to be touched by those rough hands.
“Fuck,” Cage said and tried to move back.
Whitney turned quickly in his arms and stared up at him.
“Look,” Cage said, staring at her. She could hear the uncertainty in his voice. “I don’t know what’s going on—”
He stopped when she pushed in closer.
“Just do it,” she said.
Cage stared at her. She could feel his soft eyes burning a hole into her. Her tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips.
“Fuck it,” he grunted and pressed her firmly against his hard body.
Softer than she would have thought, Cage pressed his mouth to hers. The loud music and the world around them faded. All she could hear was the thumping of her heart in her ears.
His hand slipped through her hair, and she sighed. Standing with him, being held by him, warmed her. He sparked something in her, and she felt the heat burn through her.
Whitney gasped when his rough hand wrapped around her just above her ass and pulled her closer into him. Her hands traced along his chest, and she reveled at the feel of his hard muscles under her fingers. Everything in her ached to slip under his shirt and feel the heat of those firm muscles.
She opened her mouth to him, and he pushed in with his tongue. Mint. All she could taste was mint, and it was so very him. Fresh.
Whitney pulled herself even closer and hitched a leg up against him.
Suddenly, there was air between them. Cage pulled back slightly.
His breathing was hard, and he shook a little as he spoke.
“Not like this,” he said between breaths and placed his head against hers.
She nodded, not quite knowing what had happened, disappointment washing through her.
“Let’s get that water,” he said and opened his eyes.
She stared at him for a moment. Something about the way he stared at her made her feel as if she’d just been naked in front of him. Whitney took in a deep breath and looked down. Looking at him was harder than she thought. The way he looked at her made her feel more exposed than she was comfortable with. She thought he’d been the one chasing, that she had control, but in just a few short minutes the situation had been reversed.
She turned and hurried from the floor to a table where Lisa was sitting.
“I need to go,” Whitney said.
Lisa frowned. “What’s going on?”
Whitney glanced over her shoulder and didn’t see Cage anywhere. She turned back to Lisa and leaned closer, so she’d be able to hear.
“He’s here,” she whispered.
Lisa leaned back and frowned. Her silver dress illuminated her face as overhead light bounced off the shiny material.
“Who?” Lisa said.
Whitney frowned. Didn’t anyone know what the hell was going on?
“Cage,” she said.
As if she’d conjured him, Cage called to her from the corner of the room, at a table with several other handsome men, his voice nearly swallowed by the club music.
The women turned, and Whitney felt the butterflies in her stomach start up again. Those two shots weren’t going to stay in her for long if this kept up.
Cage watched as Whitney glanced to the door and just hoped that she wouldn’t run. He knew it was a bad idea to dance with her. Everything in him wanted to do more than dance, and that wasn’t what he wanted from her.
Well, it was but not just that. She was different, and he wanted more. He wanted the chance to be with her.
The vet tech from earlier stood next to her, looking confused. He wondered what they’d been discussing.
To his relief, they made their way over to the table.
“That’s the vet?” Trent said from the table.
Cage leaned heavily against the chair in front of him. Moving his knee like he had on the dance floor made it throb, but it had totally been worth it. Holding her in his arms had been all he could think about since first meeting her, when she had stood up for Harley to that bitchy front-desk woman. That short encounter had shown him all he needed to know. He knew that she was his kind of woman. He just needed to convince her of that.
His eyes locked with hers as she moved closer. Her cheeks were still flushed from the dance floor, and the red only seemed to spread the closer she got. Cage couldn’t help but love the sweet look on her.
“You remember Lisa,” she said quietly. She glanced over to him and then to the other men at the table.
Cage nodded to Lisa and turned back to the men.
“Trent, Liam and Finn,” he said and pointed to the men.
They all offered her polite nods.
Cage grabbed a glass of water from the table and handed it to Whitney. “You should cool off.”
Whitney took the glass and glanced back down.
“Fat chance,” she mumbled.
His heart thumped loudly in his chest. Maybe he actually had a chance. He had to stop doubting himself and just go for it. Sometimes you just had to make the move.
“How about I take you home?” he said.
Her gaze shot to him, the pretty green eyes alluring, and Cage had to stamp down the desire that raced through him at the sight.
She opened her mouth to say something but stopped.
“Hey, baby,” someone purred in his ear.
Cage turned just in time to watch as Sheryl slid up beside him, her large breasts on full display and pressed firmly against him.
“I was thinking you could take me to that place we like to go.” She winked
His stomach lurched at the timing.
“Well,” Whitney snapped. He winced at the anger in the simple word. “Looks like you don’t have time for that ride,” she said. She shot him a burning look.
The other men at the table watched in silence, their expressions rather blank.
“No,” he said quickly and tried to move away, but his damn knee wasn’t cooperating. “It’s not like that.”
Whitney looked between them, and everything from earlier was gone.
“It’s fine, Cage,” she said stiffly and set the water down.
He watched as she walked away with her friend and felt the dull ache of rejection seep in.
“It’s fine, baby,” Sheryl whispered in his ear. “I’m here.”
Cage clenched his fists. “And like I told you the last time you called, I don’t want that. Not from you. Not anymore.”
He moved stiffly to the closest chair and sank into it.
Cage looked up and found her glaring back at him.
“Whatever,” she hissed. “It’s not like I think your crippled ass would even be able to perform. I was just offering you a pity fuck.”
She turned quickly on her high heels and stomped away.
Cage bit down the rage.
“Well,” Finn said after they sat in silence a moment. “I think that went well.”
Chapter Five
Cage jumped at the sound of banging, trying to remember where he was.
Clarity returned, along with a piercing headache. He was at his place, in his own bed.
“Can’t sleep all day,” Trent said, banging on the door again.
Cage rolled over in his bed and groaned. Maybe all those shots last night weren’t such a great idea. He knew it was a bad idea when Finn was the one leading the way. Finn might be leading the mob away from shadier shit, but that didn’t make him any less a prick. He probably enjoyed seeing Cage flame out in the club.
Cage kept his eyes closed as he tried to block out the light from the window over his bed. Right then, he would have given anything if someone came along and gagged the bastard banging on his door.
The door hit the wall as Trent threw it open.
“No time to wallow in your pity party for one,” he said.
The dresser squeaked as Trent pulled it open.
Cage opened an eye and tried to ignore the throbbing.
“Fuck off,” he grumbled and rolled back over.
The only thing he wanted to do was sleep off the massive hangover he had and try to forget about the two massive rejections he’d just suffered. It’s not like he never got turned down, but two close together was much.
In truth, what Sheryl said shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did. She was good at that sort of thing, picking out a person’s weakness and playing on it. There he was, running over her words until he couldn’t stand to think it anymore, even though he knew from his time on the dance floor with Whitney that he was more than ready to perform in bed.
Really though, he cared less about Sheryl and more about Whitney. Things had been going well. He felt the connection and knew she had as well. Now, she just thought he was the same old Cage and probably wouldn’t give him the time of day.
“Get up,” Trent said and slammed the drawer shut. “We’ve got some snooping to do.”
Cage rolled back over and frowned. “Reed said I’m off.”
Trent smirked at him. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said sarcastically. “I didn’t realize you’d had your balls shot off as well. Nobody mentioned that to me.”
Cage flipped him off and sat up.
“Besides,” Trent said, walking over to the door. “When have you ever listened to your older brother?”
The door clicked shut behind him, and Cage shook his head. He had to admit that Trent certainly knew how to get a person going.
As quickly as he could manage despite his throbbing head, he got ready. It had been a while since he’d had an assignment, and it felt good knowing that he might be of help.
When he stepped into the living room, he was feeling much better. Although, with the smell of eggs in the air, he wasn’t likely to last long.
“Breakfast is on the table,” Trent said and nodded behind him.
Cage grabbed a piece of toast and choked it down. He figured something absorbing all that stuff in his stomach ought to help fight his nausea.
“What’s the plan?” he asked and took a seat on the couch.
Odd as it might seem, he actually hated all his furniture now. Before, it had always been about comfort, but nothing was all that comfortable now, as it was all so low to the ground it was harder to get out of. Cage shifted a little and stretched out his sore leg.
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