by Elle James
He chuckled. “That hair is attached to my scalp.”
“Shut up and make love to me,” she said through tight lips. “I want you. Now. Inside me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured. Then he grabbed for the packet he’d unearthed from his shaving kit, tore it open and rolled protection down over his engorged cock.
Emily gripped his hips and guided him to her entrance.
Leaning over her, he kissed her and slid into her warm, slick channel.
He felt so good, so thick and hard, he took her breath away.
When he sank as deep as he could go, he held steady, his jaw tight, his face tense, allowing her to stretch and accommodate his size.
Impatient for more, Emily pushed his hips, forcing him to slide out almost to the tip of his cock, then she brought him back in. Soon he set the pace, rocking in and out of her, increasing the speed until he pumped like a piston in a race car.
Emily raised her hips, meeting his thrusts until that tingling started at her center and ricocheted through her nerves out to the very tips of her fingers and toes. She cried out in her release.
Cage’s body tensed, and he slammed into her one last time, driving as deeply as he could go. Then he stopped, his shaft throbbing against her channel as he came.
For a long moment, he leaned over her, his head thrown back, his face tight with concentration. Then he collapsed on top of her, kissed her hard and rolled with her onto their sides, dragging in deep breaths to fill his lungs.
They maintained their intimate connection, Emily draping her leg over Cage’s thigh, loving that they were lying naked in a cabin with no one there spying on them or interrupting what had been the best sex Emily had ever had.
“Wow,” she said and gave a shaky laugh.
“Yeah.” Cage chuckled. “Wow.”
“I didn’t expect it to be that good,” she said and immediately wished the words back.
Cage burst out laughing. “Did you not think I had it in me to make you come?”
She shook her head her eyes wide. “No. I didn’t think I’d have what it takes to get you all the way there.”
“For a smart woman, you can be clueless. You’re a beautiful woman, and you totally turn me on.” His brow twisted. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I came far too quickly. Next time, I’ll take it a little slower.”
“Next time?” Emily asked. “Mmm. That sounds nice.”
Cage swept a strand of her hair back from her forehead and smiled. “What happened to no expectations?”
“I won’t hold you to anything, but I have to admit, I’ve had a change of heart.”
“You don’t want to have a next time?”
“On the contrary, I want a lot more next times, starting as soon as you’ve recuperated from this time.” She grinned and felt him thickening inside her. “I can see that sleep will not be a high priority tonight. And I’m perfectly okay with that. We can sleep when we’re dead.”
“Whoa, sweetheart.” He cupped her jaw and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Don’t say things like that. I’d hate for anything to happen to you now that I’ve found you.”
Feeling powerful, Emily wrapped her arms around him, rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips. “Same here. What’s your stance on women on top?”
He grinned and gripped her hips. “I’m all for equal opportunity.”
Chapter 11
The next morning, Cage woke before Emily and lay for a while enjoying the warmth of her body pressed against his. It was still dark outside, no light shining through the little widows. He checked his watch. As soon as it was light enough, they’d have to head down the hill.
Though it was warm in the sleeping bag with her body next to his, the air in the cabin was chilly. The fire had burned down. He didn’t want to stoke it again as they would be leaving shortly.
Cage carefully slipped out of the sleeping bag without waking Emily and tucked the corners around her to keep her warm. Shivering in the cold, he dressed quickly. As good as the thought of a hot cup of coffee sounded, he’d need a fire to heat it up. All that could wait until they got back down to the lodge where, knowing Gunny, they’d have breakfast already cooked and ready for the staff and guests.
Cage had just pulled a sweatshirt over his head when he heard the squeak of the bedsprings beside him.
“Hey,” Emily said, her voice hoarse from sleep. “No fair.”
He chuckled. “What’s not fair?”
Her brow furrowed. “You’re dressed.”
“You want me to get your clothes for you so you can dress inside the sleeping bag?”
“Mmm, or you could get undressed and join me.”
He shook his head. “I’d love to, but you wanted to get down the mountain as soon as possible.”
Emily pouted. “You had to be the voice of reason so early?”
He laughed. “I tried to get you to cancel your appointments. The offer stands. Do you want me to get your clothes for you?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’ll get up.” She flung the sleeping bag back. Her eyes widened, and she flipped it back over her. “Holy smokes, you could have warned me it was that cold. I bet it’s not even fifty degrees in here.”
“That’s probably a pretty close guess. Seriously, you want me to get your clothes for you?”
“No,” she said and gritted her teeth. “I can do this.” Once again, she tossed the sleeping bag aside and jumped out on the wood floor in her bare feet, grabbed a sweatshirt, and yanked it over her head.
Now Cage wished he would have stoked that fire, so he’d have a little bit longer to enjoy the view before Emily covered her body. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, rubbing her back and arms to warm her skin.
Emily slipped her chilled hands beneath his sweatshirt and pressed them against his chest.
He bent to kiss her lips. “How do you feel this morning?”
She smiled up at him. “Cold, sore…and deliciously satisfied.”
He grinned, smacked her ass and said, “Get dressed the rest of the way, or we won’t make it down this mountain.”
“Man, I’m rethinking my decision to go to work today,” she said. “I’d call in sick, but I don’t have reception on my cellphone.”
He lifted the satellite phone from the table. “You could use this one.”
“You don’t even know how tempted I am.” She sighed. “I can’t. I need to go in to work. I need to see these guys I have scheduled to come in this week. Hopefully, one of them is the one causing us all these problems and we can put this investigation to rest.”
“Are you sure you want to go in?” Cage held out the satellite phone. “All you have to do is call in sick.”
She started to reach for it, and then tucked her hand up close to her chest. “I can’t. My patients need me, and one of them is likely the problem. I want to find that person. I’m tired of living in fear. And I’m tired of putting my friends and family in danger. In between sessions, I’m going to be looking in my files for any red flags that might indicate somebody who’s gone off the deep end.”
“Well, you know you’ll have to get me past the security guards this time, because I’m not going to let you go in there alone.”
She nodded. “We shouldn’t have a problem. They’re open for business during the weekdays.”
“Well, you had your chance.” He placed the satellite phone on the table and turned to her. “And just so you know what you’re missing…” He slid his hands beneath her sweatshirt and smoothed them upward to cup her breasts.
She drew in a deep breath, her breasts rising as he touched the tips of her nipples. “Okay,” she said breathlessly, “you made your point.
He grinned. “Yes, I have, but I’m not through.” His hands slid around her back and down to cup her naked bottom. He lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist. She settled her sex over the ridge beneath his denim fly. “Still wanna get down the mountain fast?” he asked.
She
shook her head. “I can…spare a few minutes.”
He laughed and laid her down on the bed, unbuckled his belt and lowered his zipper. Then he leaned over the side of the bed, fished into his shaving kit, cursed a couple of times and finally came up with a packet He ripped it open, pulled out the condom and rolled it down his already engorged cock.
Cage laughed as Emily quicky guided him into her, setting the pace, fast and furious. She planted her heels on the mattress and met him thrust for thrust. They made the bed squeal with their exuberance. She came first, and he was right behind her, his cock throbbing inside her tight walls.
She inhaled deeply and let it out on a sigh. “You weren’t kidding when you said make it quick.”
“I promise I’ll take my time tonight. Right now, you’d better get dressed. You can’t ride down the mountain half naked.”
He pulled her to her feet.
Emily dressed quickly in jeans and boots and slipped into her jacket. While she dressed, he worked with the potbelly stove to make sure the fire was tamped down enough that he felt comfortable leaving it.
The embers were still warm, but the flames had gone out. The cabin might retain some of its heat for when they returned that night. He looked forward to making his way up here again with her. If she wasn’t so set on going to work, he could spend the entire day there and not worry at all about her stalker. But Emily was right. The sooner they identified the person, the sooner they could put him away.
The ride down the mountain was a little scarier than going up. On the incline, they’d leaned forward. Going down, Cage felt like he was pitching forward. Every time Emily went around a bend that he couldn’t see past he worried until he could see that she was safe again. All in all, it made for a tense ride to the bottom.
The sun was just coming up over the top of the peaks when they arrived at the barn. Jake and Max emerged from inside, dusting straw off their jeans.
Emily shut down her engine and climbed off the four-wheeler. Cage did the same.
“How did it go up there?” Jake asked. “We assumed you had no problems since we didn’t get any calls on the satellite phone.”
“It went well,” Cage said.
Emily nodded, her cheeks turning a soft pink.
Cage had to fight the urge to smile, knowing that if he did the guys would figure out pretty quickly what had happened up in the cabin. As it was, Max was looking at him with a quirk at the corners of his lips. Cage willed the man to keep his mouth shut.
“How did it go here?” Emily asked.
Jake raised his hands palms up. “Fine. Nothing happened. No new spray paint on the bar. No more flower deliveries.”
Emily breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, well, I hate to keep it short, but I’m going to get a shower and change into my work clothes. I have to go to work today.” She turned to Cage. “I’ll only be a few minutes, and you can have the bathroom after me.”
Cage’s gaze followed Emily as she headed toward the house. He trailed her at a slower pace.
“How was roughing it with no electricity?” Jake asked, as he fell in step with Cage. “It got pretty cold last night. Did you guys stay warm?”
Cage nodded; the fewer words he used the better.
Max joined them.
“RJ tells us that Gunny switched out the bunks for a single full-size mattress,” Jake said.
There it was. Both Jake and Max grinned.
“So, which one of you slept on the floor?” Max asked.
“Shut the fuck up.” Cage picked up the pace and left the two jokers behind.
Jake and Max’s laughter followed him.
When he reached the lodge, he went directly to the kitchen. He needed that cup of coffee now, even if he had to run the gauntlet of RJ and Gunny. He was halfway through the dining room, when RJ emerged from the kitchen carrying a couple plates full of eggs, bacon and toast. “Good morning, Cage,” she called out. She turned to lay the plates on the table in front of the Daughtrys. “Can I get you a refill of your coffee or orange juice?”
“We’re fine,” Mrs. Daughtry said. “Thank you, RJ. Go eat your breakfast.”
She smiled at the older couple and turned to follow Cage into the kitchen. “Everything work out all right last night?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cage responded.
“Did you sleep well?” she persisted.
He stopped in front of the coffee pot and pulled a cup from the cabinet above, pouring some of the dark brew into the mug. He could see the smirk on RJ’s face out of the corner of his eye. “I slept fine.”
“On the floor?” RJ cocked an eyebrow in challenge.
Gunny set a pan on the stove a little harder than necessary. “Leave the man alone, RJ. What they did in that cabin last night is none of your business.”
Cage refrained, but barely, from saying thanks. He was safe from further questioning when Swede walked through the swinging door.
“Hank’s got a contact inside the Colorado Springs Metro Crime Lab. He’s going to get me access to those fingerprints taken from Emily’s apartment Hopefully, they’ve weeded out those belonging to you and Emily. While the state police are going through the criminal records, I’ll see what I can find as far as military records go.”
“Good, let me know how it goes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get a shower.” He escaped the kitchen before RJ could start another round of questioning. He needed to warn Emily before she came down for coffee and breakfast.
He took the steps to the second floor of the lodge two at a time and arrived at the top at the same time that Emily emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. Immediately his groin tightened. She looked past him and then tipped her head toward her bedroom door. Without speaking a word, they both walked inside.
He closed the door behind them, pushed her up against the wall and claimed her mouth. The towel slipped from around her and dropped to the floor.
He growled. “You’re calling in sick, right?”
She slid her calf along the back of his leg, pressing her sex against the top of his thigh and then sighed. “No, as much as I’d like to continue this, I need to get ready for work.”
He smacked her naked bottom. “Tease.”
She grinned. “I’m saving it for one of those next times. Tonight. In the cabin.”
He kissed her again. “You’re on.” He left her room, ducked into his for clothes and paused when he saw his backpack.
“I haven’t forgotten you, buddy. I know you’d love Emily if you were here. Wish us luck today.” He grabbed the clothes he’d need and hit the shower, finishing in five minutes. He towel-dried, dressed and was out in the hall when Emily came out of her bedroom.
She blinked. “Wow, you are quick.”
“I can be when I need to be.”
She slid her hand in his, and they walked down the stairs together. At the bottom, she started to let go but he held on tighter. “Word of warning…everybody knows there was only one bed in that cabin. They’ve assumed that we made use of it.”
Emily’s cheeks heated. “Okay then,” she said. “How about we get our breakfast to go so we don’t have to suffer the inquisition.”
Cage nodded. “I agree with that a hundred percent. I’ve already suffered the snickers.”
Emily grimaced. “Is that going to hurt you where your job is concerned?”
Cage laughed. “I seriously doubt that, especially considering RJ and Jake are now together and Max and JoJo are a thing. They both set the precedent for breaking the rules.”
Emily gave a firm nod and squeezed his hand, refusing to let go. “Coffee and an egg sandwich, and I’m good to go.”
“Let’s do it.”
They marched through the great room and passed through the dining room. Emily waved at the Daughtrys as they hurried by. When they pushed though the swinging door into the kitchen, RJ, Gunny, JoJo, Max and Jake were all there, gathering platters of breakfast food to carry out to the dining room.
“Hold on jus
t a minute,” Emily said. “We want to make up some sandwiches and a couple of mugs of coffee to go.”
“Don’t you have time to join us for breakfast?” Gunny asked.
Cage shook his head. “Sorry. We need to get on the road to make sure Emily’s at work on time.”
“You know,” Emily said, her cheeks bright pink, “traffic and all.”
“Yeah.” RJ winked. “Avoiding us?”
“Not at all,” Cage said, pasting an innocent look on his face.
“Uh huh.” RJ narrowed her eyes for a long moment then sighed. “Spoil sports. Fine. I’ll pour the coffee.”
“And I’ll make the sandwiches,” Gunny offered.
Two minutes later, Cage and Emily left with their sandwiches and coffee cups, after everybody in the kitchen but Gunny graced them with devilish grins.
Once out in the rental SUV, Emily sat back in her seat. Cage slid behind the steering wheel and started the engine. “That wasn’t painful in the least,” Emily said. She shot a glance toward Cage and burst out laughing.
He laughed with her and realized that he’d be in deep trouble if he wasn’t careful. He could very easily fall in love with this woman. As he came to think about it, it didn’t sound like such a bad idea after all.
Chapter 12
Emily smiled all the way into Colorado Springs. Traffic was terrible, but they still managed to get to the VA hospital on time. She even had a few minutes to go through the patient file of her first appointment. Cage settled in a chair in the corner of her little office, prepared to provide her protection, should she need it, with any one of her patients. Emily smiled at his dedication and good looks. She liked having him close as she scanned her notes.
She’d been seeing Scott Chandler once a week for the past month. He had a classic case of PTSD, having been in an intense battle with mortars exploding all around him as his unit had charged a machine gun nest in Iraq. He’d left the Army after eight years of service and four deployments. He’d lost friends in battle, and his marriage was on the rocks. He hadn’t sought help for PTSD until his wife insisted as part of their marriage counseling.
