Scarlet Roses

by Angel Nyx

Caine

  “Caine Bordeaux, you are an asshole.”

  Caine looked up from his desk to frown at the she- wolf standing in his study doorway. “And why is dat, cher?”

  “Why is that? He asks why when he should know damn well why,” Lily growled. “Emelise. That’s why.”

  His frown deepened. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talkin’ about.”

  Lily stalked into the room and stopped when she reached his desk. She leaned forward and propped her hands on top of it so she could look him in the eye. “I’m talking about the fact you keep asking her to stay the night so you can fuck while leaving the impression that the only thing you want from her is sex.”

  “What are you talkin’ about? Dat couldn’t be further from da truth.”

  “Oh really? Then why did she tell me that the only thing you two do when you invite her to stay the night is fuck? There’s no cuddling in front of the television, just food then fucking, which you could get from any tramp in the city. As far as she’s concerned, you two can’t really be mates because you obviously don’t have any feelings for her beyond your leopard wanting to fuck it’s chosen female. Do you have any idea what your insensitive attitude is doing to her? She already believed men only wanted one thing from a woman and when they got tired of it they moved on, so what do you do? You reinforce that belief by not showing her any kind of commitment!”

  Caine’s eyes narrowed at her. “I’ve asked her to move to da compound, even asked her to move into my home, more den once, and she always says no.”

  “And have you told her how you feel about her? Beyond the whole ‘I want to fuck you’ thing?” Lily countered. “Caine, she didn’t grow up with other shifters, she doesn’t know the first damn thing about mates and how intense the connection is between them. You haven’t given her any reason to believe you want her close for more than just easy access to a good fuck.”

  Caine stared at Lily for several minutes while his brain processed what she was saying. “Fuck,” he hissed. “I’ve been givin’ her space, lettin’ her decide when to take tings to a deeper level. I didn’t want to scare her off or make her pull away.” He rubbed his brow. “You’re tellin’ me dat all I’ve done is make tings worse?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. She’s afraid to let a man close because her only experiences with them has taught her they can’t be counted on, and you not committing to her isn’t helping her to change her mind. She thinks you only want her for sex, which means that eventually the newness will wear off and you’ll move on to someone else.”

  He wanted to snarl at Lily for pointing out the stupidity of his actions but he didn’t because he’d needed the wake up call. “Thank you, cher, for not bein’ afraid to point out I’m bein’ stupid.”

  “Don’t thank me, Caine; just make things right with Eme. She loves you, you know. Oh, she might not be willing to admit it out loud, just yet, because she thinks it’s one-sided, but she does love you. And that scares the shit out of her because it makes her vulnerable. It puts her heart at risk of being broken.”

  “I’ll make dis right,” he assured Lily. He had a lot of work to do before Emelise came over for dinner. How had he not realized she would take his reluctance to push for something deeper to mean he didn’t have feelings for her?

  “Good. I’ve got to get out of here before I’m late for work,” Lily said and left.

  Chapter Ten

  Emelise

  Eme packed an overnight bag and headed out to the compound. She’d told Caine she would have dinner with him and she knew if he asked her to stay, she would. Was she a glutton for punishment? She was in love with him but it seemed to her that all she was to him was a good lay. A soft sigh escaped her as she climbed into the small boat she’d purchased. She paid a docking fee to the marina in order to have easy access to the water so she could get to the compound whenever she wanted to. She’d found out that the docks where she used to meet Remy whenever he picked her up was owned by the Pard, and really, she could have kept her boat there but...maybe it was stubbornness on her part that caused her to use the public marina instead.

  At least one part of her life was going smoothly. As long as the references checked out for everyone she interviewed the club would be fully staffed. The last of the stock was arriving the following day and everything was in order for their grand opening in two days. She was cutting it close, staff wise, she knew, but she wanted to be sure everyone she hired was a good fit.

  If only her personal life would fall in line as well. She was still trying to figure out exactly how she’d managed to get herself mixed up in a purely physical situation when her heart wanted more. Better yet, why the fuck was her heart making this difficult for her? Purely physical was better; it meant she wouldn’t have to face a broken heart when he moved on. With a soft hiss of frustration she put the thought out of her mind and headed into the bayou.

  Caine

  Caine was waiting when Emelise arrived. As always she took his breath away with her fresh faced beauty and her carefree attitude towards life. “Hello, Angel.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Did you have a good day?”

  “Hey. Yeah, I did. I’m waiting on the references from two of my interviews to come back and if they come back clean I’ll be fully staffed. I know, I know, I’m cutting it awfully close to the grand opening,” she said before he could comment.

  Caine chuckled. “I had no doubt you would succeed, cher,” he told her as he escorted her to his home.

  “You always have such confidence in me. I don’t get it.”

  “I already told you, Angel, your determination can’t be stopped.” He’d taken what Lily said to heart and he knew Emelise expected a quick meal and then him trying to get her naked but tonight was going to be very different. He opened the door and ushered her inside with a faint smirk on his face.

  Emelise

  Eme saw the smirk and arched a brow at him. What was he up to? That smirk said he was plotting something, she just wasn’t sure what. Knowing him it was something devious that would leave her weak and sweaty. She stepped into his house and blinked. Or maybe not. There were several vases of roses scattered about but the real surprise was the fact they weren’t alone. “Mamere Eulalie? Eliza? What are y’all doing here?” she asked because there, seated around the living room, was her grandmother and cousins, including Mia, Gage, and their infant son, Elijah.

  “I invited dem to dinner,” Caine told her once he got the door closed behind them.

  “You did?” She gave him a puzzled look.

  “A’course I did. Dey’re your family, we should have family dinners from time to time, don’t you tink?”

  “Excuse us a minute,” she said to them and opened the door to drag him back outside. “What are you up to Caine Bordeaux?”

  Caine shook his head. “I’m not ‘up to’ anyting, cher. You’re my mate, dat makes dem family, not just part of the Pard.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. “I tink it’s high time I show you dat dis between us is someting real, someting more den a physical attraction.”

  Emelise stared at him a moment. “Oh,” she said softly. She swallowed a sudden bout of nerves. “Okay, then. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, Angel,” he murmured and gave her a quick kiss before he escorted her back inside.

  “Sorry about that,” Emelise said. “It’s really great to see all of you.”

  “Ever’ting okay?” Eulalie asked her granddaughter.

  “Yep. I was just a little puzzled by the sudden invite since this was a first for him.” She was still a little thrown by his admission.

  “Not to change da subject... okay, I lied, it is to change da subject,” Mia said, an amused look on her face, “But are you lookin’ forward to da grand openin’ of your club? It’s da day after tomorrow, right?”

  “Yes it is. I’m excited and a little scared because I have no idea how it’s going to go.”

  “You know we’ll all stop in to support yo
u, or almost all of us,” Eliza said. Her younger children wouldn’t be able to go because it was a club that sold alcohol.

  “I know, and you have now idea how much your support means to me. It’s so crazy too because it was just me and Mama for so long, the realization that I have family who support my dream is a bit...staggering. After Mama died I didn’t think I’d ever have that kind of support system again.”

  “Well, you’re stuck wit’ us, cher,” Beau told his cousin.

  Eme grinned. “I’m good with that.”

  “Stuck wit’ me, too,” Caine growled in her ear. “Who’s hungry? Dinner’s done.”

  They all sat at the large table and once again Emelise found herself caught up in their conversations. She loved listening to them talk bout things going on in their lives. Having Caine there to be part of it made it that much more right, that much more perfect. Not that she was willing to let that secret out. Nope, she was keeping that to herself, for now at least.

  Caine

  Caine listened to their banter and realized he enjoyed having her family there. It had taken a few minutes for them to relax since he was their Alpha, but as soon as one of them started really talking it was like the floodgates suddenly opened and soon the table was buzzing with all their chatter. When he glanced over at his mate he couldn’t hide the pleased smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. She looked so happy with her family there enjoying dinner with them. This was what Lily was talking about. The happiness he saw in his mate’s eyes while they had dinner with her family made him realize that he had been focusing more on the physical aspects of their relationship than the emotional one. It was time that changed.

  It was fairly late when the Rousseau clan finally left, leaving Caine and Emelise alone. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Dis was a good night,” he said and kissed her temple. “I liked seein’ you so happy wit’ your family around.”

  Emelise smiled up at him. “I really enjoyed them being here. Thank you for this, Caine.”

  “You don’t need to thank me, Angel. I was happy to do it. Let’s go to bed, I want to hold you.”

  Emelise

  Emelise’d had so much fun talking with her family that she’d not even notice how much time had passed. At some point they’d all moved back to the living room and begun a game of charades, which she really sucked at, but she still had fun with it. It wasn’t until little Sophie was falling asleep where she was curled up on the sofa that everyone finally headed back to their own homes.

  She’d cleaned up while Caine showed them out then turned to watch him. He’d shown her a different side of him, one she hadn’t realized existed. He knew how to have fun and he was wicked good at charades. “If we ever play that again, we’re doing it as partners,” she said with a laugh. They’d ended up on opposite teams, men versus women, and the guys had smoked them at it.

  Caine chuckled. “Deal,” he’d said and pulled her into his arms.

  She’d leaned into him with the expectation of some steamy kisses so when he’d said he wanted to hold her she was startled. “Just hold me? Really?”

  “Yes, just hold you,” he replied and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You drive me crazy, cher, but tonight I just want to curl up wit’ you in my arms and fall asleep knowin’ you’ll be dere when I wake up.”

  Her heart skipped a little at the thought. “Okay then,” she said and smiled at him. “Let’s go to bed.” She didn’t doubt his attraction for her, she could smell it, but it meant so much to her that he was willing to put the physical aside sometimes just to be with her.

  Once in the bedroom Emelise changed into the lounge pants and tank top she’d brought to sleep in, not that she usually got to do so, but she liked to have it close when she woke up in the morning. She crawled into bed. The pajama bottoms Caine tugged on hung low on his hips and made her mouth water. Morning. She could wait until morning. Then they could get all sweaty and shower together to clean up before she had to leave.

  Caine

  Caine had watched her change and had silently groaned. It was going to be hard falling asleep with her without letting his hands wander but she deserved more from him than just lust. She deserved love and love wasn’t always about fucking. It was about just being together, holding one another, being close as they drifted off to sleep. He wasn’t going to screw this up.

  He slid into bed with her and opened his arms. When Emelise curled against him he pulled her closer and tugged the sheet up over them. “G’night, Angel,” he growled in her ear.

  “Goodnight, Caine,” she replied. She gave him a sleepy smile before she sighed and relaxed in his arms.

  Caine caressed her side as she slowly drifted off. Watching her sleep he couldn’t help but wonder, and not for the first time, what he’d done to be so lucky as to have this amazing, stubborn, strong woman in his arms, in his life. Whatever gods were watching over him, he was thankful to them for bringing her into his life. “I’ll do whatever it takes to show you dat what we have is real, dat I’m not goin’ anywhere.” He whispered the words before he finally let his own eyes close as sleep dragged him into oblivion.

  Chapter Eleven

  Emelise

  A whirlwind of activity flitted around the interior of Scarlet Flux. In ten minutes the doors would officially open for the first time and Emelise was making sure everything was perfect. She kept fearing that something was going to happen to throw things off, or some glitch was going to pop up to ruin the evening, and it turned her into a bundle of nervous energy.

  “Eme, relax, you’ve got this, girl,” Lily said, watching her best friend run around frantically. “The place looks great, people are already lined up outside waiting to get in, the performers are ready to go, everything is going to go smoothly.”

  “But what if something doesn’t? What if I’ve forgotten something?”

  Lily looked at Caine as if to say ‘Do something.’

  Caine moved to his mate and gently gripped her arms. “You haven’t forgotten anyting, Angel. Ever’ting is in place. Take some deep breaths. Dat’s my girl. Now, don’t you feel calmer?” he asked when she did as he suggested.

  Emelise closed her eyes and took several slow, deep breaths to calm her racing nerves. “Yeah, I do. Thanks, baby.”

  Caine brushed his lips across hers. “Dat’s what I’m here for, to help you wit’ anyting you need,” he told her.

  Eme touched his cheek. “Okay, it’s show time.” She nodded at the band. As she headed to open the doors and cut the ribbon, they started playing.

  Derrick

  Derrick Winton wanted to surprise his wife, Angie, for their anniversary. She loved blues and when he heard there was a new club opening up on Decatur he knew he had to take her to it. He escorted her in and chuckled at the grin that lit up her face.

  “Oh, honey, this place is great,” Angie said. “You always find just the perfect way to surprise me.”

  “I try, love, I try.” His gaze moved around the club when it fell on a face that had the color draining from him.

  Angie saw the look on her husband’s face and frowned. “Derrick? What’s wrong?”

  “I feel like I’ve just seen a ghost,” he said after a moment.

  She followed his gaze and blinked. “That young woman, she looks a lot like...”

  “Adelaide.” Angie knew about his first love, his high school sweetheart who suddenly took off, without a word, in their junior year of high school. It was like she’d disappeared off the face of the earth and she’d never once contacted him to explain the reason why. Looking at the young woman who looked so much like his first love he had a very troubling thought. If she was the age he had a feeling she was, he had a daughter he'd known nothing about. “Maybe this is why she left.”

  Angie slipped her arm around her husband. “Let’s go talk to her. But let me do the talking. You’re likely to fall all over yourself,” she teased to try and help him to calm down.

  Derrick looked at his wife and sho
ok his head. “You know me too well,” he said. “Okay, you do the talking.” he added.

  Emelise

  “Excuse me, Miss? Do you happen to be related to an Adelaide Rousseau?”

  Emelise turned at the question. There weren’t that many people outside of the Pard who knew that. She arched a brow at the older couple standing in front of her. “”Yes, I am. She’s my Mama. How do you know her?” Maybe they went to school together or something and the woman wanted to know if her mother was there too.

  “I think...I think I might be your father.”

  Eme felt like she'd had the wind knocked out of her and had to lean against the bar behind her. Of all the things she’d been expecting to hear, that wasn’t one of them.

  Caine, noticing his mate’s distress, moved to her side immediately. “What is it, Angel?” he asked and eyed the couple in front of her.

  It took several seconds for Emelise to get her mind to function enough to respond. “I...I need...I need to find Lily, I need her to take over a moment.”

  Caine motioned to Remy. “Go get Lily, she’s upstairs,” he said and watched his lieutenant rush off. “She’ll be here in a minute, cher.” He slipped an arm around her and it tightened at her shaking,

  Lily

  Lily was upstairs in the VIP section enjoying the music and the festive atmosphere. “Can you believe how busy this place is? If she keeps getting business like this, she’ll be rewarded for her efforts in no time,” she said to her mate.

  “That woman has a damn good head for business when it comes to a jazz club, that’s for sure,” Declan agreed. He spotted Remy headed their way and cocked a brow. “What’s up?”