And then he’d left her. Fuck. Had everyone she’d ever loved or trusted left her? No wonder she held herself back.
“After he died, I just fell apart. I hated myself. I started to wonder if it was me, you know? If everyone left because of me? My parents, my aunt, Moira and now Rusty. I couldn’t deal with everything, being a cop no longer held any appeal; I couldn’t trust myself with another partner. Rusty’s family buried his body in Austin, so I moved there. I had some money saved up, but I didn’t feel like I deserved nice things, a good place to live. Rusty was dead, it wasn’t right for me to just carry on.”
“So you started living on the streets. You were punishing yourself.”
“I guess.”
“How long ago did he die?”
“Rusty died ten months ago. I was just living day to day. I didn’t want anyone to find me so I changed my last name and I hid. I planned to just stay that way, another anonymous homeless person until Jacey came along. She was so clueless. I told myself to leave it alone, she wasn’t my problem.”
“But you couldn’t. You felt protective of her.”
“I swore after Rusty died that I wasn’t letting anyone else close.”
Because it hurt too much when they left. He understood her so much better now. Christ, it was a miracle she ever took this job, that she’d ever let him close.
“But Jacey doesn’t know when she’s being rejected. She just kept at me until she wore me down. Then suddenly I’ve got a friend, one who’s hounding me to take up a job as her damn nanny. Could you imagine me as a nanny?” She snorted.
“So why did you take me up on the job offer?” he asked.
She was quiet for a long while. “There were a few reasons, but I guess the main one is that I knew Rusty and Moira would be disappointed in me. I’d given up. I figured I didn’t deserve any better, but that wasn’t what either of them would have wanted. They’d have wanted me to fight. None of this has been easy, you know.”
“No, I imagine not. I’m surprised Gray didn’t pick up that you were using a false name. He does background checks on everyone.”
“Ahh, apparently he did. He was keeping it to himself, giving me time to come clean on my own.”
“Damn interfering bastard.” He should have given Hunter a heads up about her past.
“So now you know it all. Do I still have a job?”
He lifted her from his lap, setting her down on the sofa before he stood and paced. “Do you still want to work at Black-Gray?”
He could tell he’d surprised her. She fell silent for a long moment. “At the moment, yes. I’m not sure it’s where I will always want to be, but I feel like I’m just starting to fit in.”
“When you’re given an order next time you’ll obey it. You’re at the bottom of the chain, right now. Yeah, it was the right decision this time, but whoever you’re partnered with is in charge, got me?”
“I understand.”
He grunted. “I know I’m overprotective. I care about you, Cady. I have since the moment I met you.”
“You wanted to fuck me,” she said boldly.
“Yes, but it was more than that. You were so tough on the outside, so ready to jump on the defensive, but I knew there was hurt in there. Tough but vulnerable, it’s a killer combination.”
His sister had been the same way.
“The job offer was spontaneous, wasn’t it?” she said. “You didn’t really think it through. Didn’t think about how you’d react if I took you up on it.”
“I admit, at first I just wanted you off the streets. It was fucking killing me, imagining you cold, hungry and in danger. It was purely selfish, but I wanted you near me, where I could watch over you. Gray had been on at me to hire a female, so I figured it was the best solution. I guess I had it in my mind that you’d make coffee and answer the phone.”
She snorted. “Do you know how sexist that sounds?”
“Yes, no doubt anyone else would kick my ass.”
“And what makes you think I won’t?”
He grinned wickedly. “Because you like my ass just the way it is.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I’ve seen you checking it out.” He pulled her up into his arms, carrying her into the bathroom.
“What are you doing?”
“You need a shower and I don’t want you taking one without me. You might slip and fall.”
“Hunter.” She pulled back, looking at him seriously. His stomach clenched as he saw the hesitation on her face. He was not about to let her pull away. “I know we talked about this last night, but I’m not exactly looking for a relationship. I’m barely holding myself together.”
He sat her on the bathroom counter, placing his hands on either side of her, trapping her.
“I care about you, Cady. I’m going to say that as many times as I need to. I want to be with you, to see where this relationship could take us. I’m hoping you’re brave enough to admit you want the same thing.”
She bit her lip. “That’s just it, I’m not brave. I’m a coward. I put on this big front, but on the inside I’m scared. If I came to care about you and you left me…”
Fuck.
Did she seriously see herself as a coward?
Hell no.
“Look at me,” he growled. She turned her surprised gaze up to his. Yeah, he knew he sounded like a grouchy bastard, but she needed to know how serious he was.
“You are not a coward. Christ, you’ve got more balls than most of the men I know.”
“I’ve been hiding. I couldn’t face what happened with Rusty, I ran away.”
“And now you’re fighting back, you’re taking back your life. I know it must have been damn hard to move here, to take this job, to put yourself in dangerous situations again where you have to rely on someone else. That took guts, baby girl. You saved Josh’s life. Someone who had been through what you have would be forgiven for freezing, but you didn’t. You are not a coward. Say it again and your ass will pay the price.”
He ran his thumbs over her cheeks. “We’ll take this as slow as you need to, but I’m not going anywhere. I know you’re scared, but baby, I’m not going anywhere.”
“This is a bad idea. You should be running in the other direction. Why would you want to get involved with me?”
He cupped her cheeks. “Because you’re beautiful, sexy and smart. You have this inner core of strength that amazes me. I want to learn more about you. We don’t know each other well and it’s going to take us both a bit of time to trust each other, but I want to show you that you can rely on me.”
“Don’t you have some rule about co-workers getting involved?”
“Nope.” He grinned. “It’s never come up before.”
“Do you really think you can keep our relationship out of the workplace?”
“No,” he said honestly. “But I’ll try not to let my emotions overpower my brain. I probably won’t always be successful and you’ll want to kill me more than once.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that for a second.”
Chapter Six
“I’m going into the office tomorrow,” she said as Hunter changed to another T.V. channel.
“No, you’re not,” he countered calmly.
This was the same argument they’d had for the last four nights. It had been nearly two weeks since she’d injured her ankle and she was going insane. In the beginning it had been sweet the way he’d taken care of her. He’d leave each morning for work, making sure she had everything she needed for the day then on the way home he’d pick up some takeout for dinner. Then they’d spend half the night making love.
But enough was enough. This time she wasn’t backing down.
“I no longer need the crutches, there’s no swelling and the bruising has pretty much faded. I’m going in tomorrow and if you won’t take me in then I’ll just find my own way.”
She glared at him stubbornly as he turned off the T.V. and turned to her.
“You will not.”
“You’re not up to fieldwork.”
“But I can help out at the office. God only knows what’s happened to my filing system.”
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze practically arctic. “I thought you weren’t our secretary.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I’ve got to earn my pay somehow. Maybe I can’t go back out on jobs yet, but I can do other things. Now, will you take me or do I find my own way?”
“I don’t like ultimatums,” he said in a low voice.
She swallowed, a shiver going through her. Damn it, she was not going to cave again. She had caved every other time. All he’d done was speak in that he-who-shall-be-obeyed voice then distracted her by taking her to bed and she’d given in. Not this time.
“Fine, I’ll take the bus then.”
“Like hell you will.” He sighed. “You’re determined to come in, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
Hunter put the remote down on the coffee table. Then he pulled her up into his arms. She curled herself around his torso. She’d grown used to him picking her up and carrying her around.
He set her down in the bedroom, settling himself back against the headboard.
“Strip,” he ordered.
He’d taken the lead role in the bedroom and while he was conscious of her limits, never pushing her too far, too fast, they both knew who was in control.
And they both knew she enjoyed it as much as he did.
Cady slowly stripped off the long t-shirt she had on then moved to her jeans, undoing the button and zipper before dragging them down her legs. She sat on the side of the bed to pull them off her feet before standing once again.
“Now the underwear.”
Off went her bra then her underwear until she was completely naked. He watched her with hungry eyes.
“Turn around.”
She turned until she was facing away from him.
“Part your legs and bend over as far as you can.”
She half-turned, gaping at him. “What?”
“That’s one.”
Damn him. She knew better than to push when he started counting. Blushing with embarrassment, she turned back around and parting her legs, bent over.
“Fuck, that’s beautiful.”
She heard some movement. “Stand and turn around again.”
When she turned back, she saw he’d taken his clothes off. He now lay naked on the bed, his legs spread apart as he ran his hand up and down his thick erection.
Cady licked her lips, watching him.
“Do you want me, baby?” he asked her.
She nodded. His gaze hardened.
“Yes,” she said quickly.
“I want you on the bed on all fours, facing away from me.”
Cady climbed onto the bed beside him, doing as he asked. What was his obsession with her ass tonight? She glanced over her shoulder to find him kneeling behind her.
“This ass is so fucking beautiful. And it looks even better when it’s pink. Lean down and rest your head on the bed. Put that ass right in the air.”
As soon as she was in position, he began smacking her ass, his hand landing on one cheek then the other. At first it stung like a son of a bitch, bringing tears to her eyes and making her gasp.
“Hunter,” she cried out.
“This is for being such a stubborn brat, for daring to give your Dom an ultimatum.”
“You’re not my Dom outside the bedroom.”
“I will always be your Dom when it comes to caring for you.” He continued to smack his hand against her butt. Heat built, making her insides come alive, her clit throb.
“And don’t think I’ve forgotten about that hesitation just before.” He gave her other five smacks.
She groaned as he stopped and moved his hand between her legs, driving two fingers deep inside her as he pinched her clit lightly with the fingers of his free hand.
“Hunter, hell, I need to come.”
“Not yet,” he said, his voice tense. He continued to play with her swollen clit, driving his fingers in and out of her.
“Oh God.” She clenched down, her pleasure spiralling out of control. “Hunter, I’m going to come.”
“Not yet, you’re not.”
He pulled away from her and she cried out at the loss. Then he spun her over. Moving off the bed, he stood at the edge and dragged her toward him. Quickly moving over to the bedside table, he grabbed a condom and put it on.
Placing himself between her open legs, he grabbed her hips and pulled them up so her ass was in the air as he thrust into her pussy.
Cady cried out.
He pulled out then drove forward, each thrust had her shuddering, her hands clenching at the covers beneath her.
“Play with your clit,” he ordered. “Make yourself come.”
She reached with one hand, rubbing her clit with her finger. “Hunter! Please!”
“Come now,” he ordered.
He seemed to move faster, harder and the added friction sent her flying. The room spun around her, white noise filling her head so she barely heard his own shout of satisfaction.
As she drifted back to reality, he lifted her up, depositing her in the middle of the bed. He collapsed beside her. A warm mouth surrounded her nipple, suckling.
“Oh God, you seriously want more?” she said with a shudder as he moved to her other breast.
He pulled back, chuckling. “Not right now, you’ve exhausted me. But I wouldn’t mind lying here for an hour or two just sucking on your nipples.”
“I know what your plan is and it’s not going to work,” she said, gasping a little as he flicked at her nipple with his tongue.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” he asked.
“You’re trying to wear me out with sex so I’ll be too tired to fight you.”
He snorted. “I have no doubt that no matter how tired or satisfied you are you’ll still find the energy to argue with me. You can come into work tomorrow, but if your ankle starts hurting you are to tell me immediately and you’re not leaving the building without me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sir, yes, Sir.”
She yelped as he rolled, dragging her on top of him. He smacked his hand down on her ass.
“Ow!”
“Go to sleep before your smart mouth gets you into more trouble.”
***
“You wanted to see me?” Cady asked, walking into Hunter’s office the next day. She was kind of surprised he’d called her in seeing as he’d spent most of the day ignoring her. They weren’t hiding their relationship, kind of hard to do when they’d arrived together and everyone knew he’d been staying at her place. She’d taken a bit of good-natured ribbing from the other guys.
“Come in. Lock the door.”
She raised her eyebrows, but did what he’d ordered.
“Hunter, what—hey!”
He stood and strode forward. Grabbing her around the waist, he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he took her mouth in a deep kiss.
When he pulled back, she was smiling. “What was all that about?”
“I’ve been trying to ignore the fact that you’re sitting just down the hall all day,” he said with a groan. “I told myself to wait until after work, but I couldn’t wait any longer, I had to taste you.”
Turning, he walked back to his desk, carrying her. He sat in his chair with her on his lap. He kissed her again, cupping her breasts in his hands, his thumbs playing with her nipples. Moisture coated her folds, dampening her panties.
Hunter pulled back, kissing his way down her neck. “Your skin is so smooth.”
“Hunter, we need to stop,” she said, pulling back.
“Why?”
“Because they’re going to know what we’ve been doing as soon as I step out of here.”
He narrowed his gaze, cupping her cheeks with his hands. “Are they giving you a hard time, baby?” he asked in a deep voice.
“Oh no, don’t you dare.”
“Dare what?”
“You are not going to say anything to them.”
“If they’re giving you a hard time I damn well will.”
“They’re just having a bit of fun, Hunter. I can take some ribbing. Besides, it means I belong.”
“Does it?”
“I was a cop, remember? I know how to put up with some flak. It means I’m one of them.”
Josh had thanked her for saving his ass and even though it had embarrassed her and she’d waved it away, she knew that had bought her acceptance with them all. She’d proven herself. Josh had even invited her over to a barbeque in a few weeks.
“Don’t interfere, Hunter. Bad enough I’m dating the boss, I don’t need him throwing his weight around.”
“All right, I won’t say anything.” He set her off his lap. “Take your jeans and panties down.”
“What?”
“I deserve a reward. You got what you wanted now you’re going to give me what I’ve been dying for all day. A taste of you.”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“Hunter, this is where we work.”
“And right now we’re on a break. Take them down. I’m not going to tell you again.” His eyes had gone hard and she knew she was in trouble if she didn’t obey him.
Reaching for the top of her jeans, she quickly undid them and pulled them down, revealing her red lace panties.
“Very nice, but they’re going as well.”
She tugged them down, baring her pussy to his gaze. Hunter placed his hands around her waist, lifting her onto his desk. His desk was cold beneath her hot skin.
He pulled her shoes off then dragged her jeans and panties off.
“Remind me to buy you some skirts.”
“I don’t wear skirts.”
“You will.”
“I’m not your plaything, Hunter. I’m here to do a job and I can’t do that in a damn skirt.” She was starting to feel irritated. Much as this was turning her on, she wasn’t some damn toy he could play with when he felt like.
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