Forever Yours, Sir (Doms of Decadence)

by Laylah Roberts

  “You really don’t believe his death was a suicide, do you?” Gray asked as he pocketed the thumb drive.

  “No,” Hunter said shortly. “And his death could be related to this. I want to keep this between the three of us for the moment.”

  “You’re not planning on telling Cady?”

  “Shit. Cady.” Hunter glanced at his watch. Nine p.m. “I forgot to call her. No, I’m not telling her. We don’t know how dangerous this is.”

  “Keeping things from her isn’t a good idea.”

  “It is if it keeps her safe,” Hunter said stubbornly. He hadn’t been able to keep his mother or Angie safe, but he’d damn well keep Cady safe.

  Gray just shook his head before leaving.

  Hunter picked up his cell phone and quickly called her.

  “Cady, hi, it’s me.”

  “Hi, is everything okay? You didn’t come into work today.”

  The concern in her voice really had him feeling like shit.

  “I’m so sorry, baby. I got caught up in some things to do with my sister’s estate and I lost track of time.”

  “Oh, do you need some help? I don’t mind coming over.”

  “Actually, I think I need to do this on my own. At least for the moment. Do you mind?”

  “No, of course not.” But he heard the distance in her voice.

  “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night then,” she said.

  “Tomorrow?” he queried.

  “Barbeque at Josh’s. Did you forget? I can take the bus if you’re too busy.”

  “What? No, I’ll be there to pick you up.” He didn’t like her taking the bus, especially at night. “I’ll see you then. And, Cady, thanks for understanding.”

  “Sure,” her voice softened. “Bye.”

  “Bye, baby, sleep well.”

  Cady lay in her bed, wondering what the hell was going on. She understood needing some space to deal with things; she’d certainly needed it after Rusty’s death. But Hunter had been holding back on her before he’d gotten that phone call this morning, and she couldn’t help but feel there was something more going on.

  She was hurt that he wouldn’t let her in, wouldn’t allow her to help. He hadn’t called her or texted her all day, like he’d just forgotten her.

  This was probably for the best, she told herself. She was growing too attached. They were spending nearly every moment together and that couldn’t be healthy. This was bound to happen, that he’d grow tired of being with her all the time.

  Except none of that reasoning was helping the pain in her chest.

  Chapter Eight

  Cady glanced over at Hunter. He looked tense, thoughtful. His mind was a hundred miles away and she couldn’t help but feel rejected. She was nervous as hell about going to this barbeque and she could have used some reassurance. Instead, she’d barely gotten more than three words out of him since he’d picked her up.

  Her hands tightened around the bowl of potato salad she’d made. It was one of the few dishes she knew how to make; she hoped it was good enough.

  “We don’t have to go, you know,” she finally said.

  “Huh? What?” Hunter turned to look at her briefly before returning his attention to the road.

  “We can skip it, tell the others I wasn’t feeling well or something.”

  He frowned slightly. “Why would you want to do that?”

  “Well, you just don’t seem in the mood to be around other people.”

  Hunter sighed and made an obvious attempt to relax. “I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind. I’ll try to make more of an effort, okay?” He glanced over and smiled at her. “That salad looks good.”

  She shrugged. “I guess it’s all right. I wasn’t sure what else to bring. This is my first barbeque.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.” She shrugged, feeling embarrassed.

  “Didn’t Josh say not to bring anything?”

  She rolled her eyes. Men. “We can’t turn up with nothing.”

  “I brought something. Beer.”

  She snorted. “It’s polite to bring some food, even I know that.” She tapped her fingers against the bowl.

  Hunter reached over and grasped her hand, pulling it onto his thigh. “Relax. You know most of the people there and everyone else is nice, you’ll see.”

  He pulled up outside a small house. The front yard was tidy. It was obvious someone cared about this house a lot. Hunter came around and opened her door, taking the potato salad from her before helping her out. She took the salad back so he could carry the beer and followed him around the side of the house.

  “You’re not going to knock on the front door?”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “No one will be inside. Josh and Mila bought this house for the backyard.”

  As she turned the corner, she could see why. There was a huge deck leading off the back of the house down to a glistening swimming pool. They were high enough to get a magnificent view of the city.

  “Nice, isn’t it? That’s why we come here for barbeques. It definitely isn’t for Josh’s grilling skills.” He said that last bit in a louder voice.

  “Hey, I heard that,” Josh complained from where he stood on the deck in front of a large grill. He had a smile on his face. “Come on up.”

  They climbed the few steps. Cady grinned as she saw Josh’s apron. There was an image of a man with a flaming sausage and the words, ‘Grilling, it’s all fun and games until someone burns their wiener.’

  “We bought him that apron after he almost had an accident,” Hunter told her with a grin. Jaron and Tiny leaned back on the railing. Jaron smiled at her while Tiny just nodded. She saw a man she didn’t recognize sitting at the large outdoor table talking to Connor, Curt and Gray.

  “Glad you guys could make it. Cady, you know everyone except Simon.” He gestured over at the large, dark-haired man sitting at the table. He nodded over at her. She nodded back, feeling slightly intimidated by his cool, dark gaze and confident demeanor. This wasn’t a man to be messed with.

  “Mila, Hunter and Cady are here,” Josh called out, before turning back to the grill.

  Hunter handed Josh a beer and studied the meat Josh was currently charring.

  “Think they’re burnt enough already,” Hunter commented.

  “Nah, I think he’s missed a corner,” Jaron said.

  “Fuck you,” Josh said good-naturedly.

  A woman that Cady assumed was Josh’s wife, Mila approached them with a smile.

  “Hello.” She smiled warmly at Cady. She was tall, nearly as tall as Josh, with long, straight dark red hair and a pale complexion.

  “Mila, this is Cady. Cady, my wife, Mila.”

  Surprising her, Mila stepped forward and embraced her. Cady stood stiffly for a moment before relaxing and returning the hug.

  “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Mila said. “I’ve been dying to thank you for saving Josh.”

  “Hey, I was perfectly capable of saving myself. Although, Cady made things easier,” he acknowledged.

  Mila wrapped an arm around her husband’s waist. “I don’t know what I’d do without this guy.”

  “Find a man who could grill without killing you,” Jaron joked.

  “They giving you a hard time about your grilling skills, honey?” she asked.

  “What skills?” Jaron said. “Every time it’s the same, burnt on the outside, raw in the middle.”

  “Fuck off, asshole. If you’re so good at it why don’t we ever get an invitation to your place?”

  “Because he’d have to disinfect the place before anyone could enter,” Connor joked, calling out from where he sat at the table. “Jaron’s built up an immunity to dirty socks and unwashed dishes, but anyone else would be dead as soon as they entered the place.”

  “A lot you know, asshole. I don’t have dishes.”

  “What do you eat off?” Mila asked.

  “Paper plates,” Jaron said.

  “You don’t.” She sh

ook her head.

  “Yeah, he does,” Connor said. “The only time I’ve been invited to Jaron’s place, I had to sit on a lawn chair, we ate off paper plates and I’m damn sure he had a rat living in his bathroom.”

  Jaron flipped Connor the bird. “It’s not that bad.”

  Mila shook her head. “Oh, Jaron, you can tell you don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “I know,” he said mournfully. “Then I’d have someone to clean up all my shit.”

  Mila jumped for Jaron as he laughed and stepped back, throwing his arms up. “Joking, Mila, joking!”

  She growled.

  “Umm, I bought some potato salad. It’s nothing fancy.”

  Mila turned her attention back to Cady, smiling. “Thank you, I’m sure it’s fantastic. Come with me and I’ll put it in the kitchen and introduce you to Sasha.”

  Cady followed the other woman into the house. A small blonde woman smiled at them as they entered, she was mixing liquid in a jug.

  “Hello,” she said. “You must be Cady.” Reaching over, she offered her hand, squeezing Cady’s firmly as she shook it. “I’m Sasha, Simon’s wife.”

  Brave woman. She wasn’t so sure she’d want to be married to that scary-looking brute.

  Sasha laughed. “He’s not as scary as he looks.”

  Oh God, had she said that out loud? Cady looked at the other woman in mortification.

  “No, you didn’t say it out loud, you just have that look most people have after meeting Simon. I promise, the scary look is just a mask, underneath he’s a big teddy bear.”

  Yeah, maybe with his wife. Cady wasn’t so sure he’d be that way with anyone else.

  Mila grinned. “How about you pour us one of those drinks you’re mixing, Sasha, then we’ll get this food out there. I think Josh is almost finished completely killing the food.”

  Cady helped them carry out the food, gratefully taking the drink Sasha offered her. Hunter appeared at her side as everyone sat at the table. He pulled out a chair and she sat. He sat next to her, his thigh brushing against hers.

  Sasha sat beside Simon who leaned over and kissed the top of her head. Cady observed them silently. Sasha was a complete contrast to her husband, where he was dark and reserved, she was bright, outgoing with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

  “Cady, don’t worry about eating the meat,” Jaron said. “Josh’s next door neighbor is a doctor. He’s used to making house calls.”

  “Hey, that only happened once,” Josh protested.

  “Don’t worry, Cady, I’ve been eating his barbeque for a while now and I’ve only gotten sick half a dozen times,” Connor told her.

  Hunter grabbed the plate of food handed to him, piling some on her plate before filling his own plate. By the time he was finished both their plates were piled high.

  Cady looked down at her plate in dismay. “There’s no way I can eat all this.”

  Sasha looked over and let out a laugh. “These guys forget we don’t eat as much as them.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Mila said. “I out eat Josh regularly.”

  “Bitch,” Sasha replied with a smile.

  Hunter moved next to her, his arm brushing against hers. How could such a simple touch send such heat bursting through her body?

  “You okay?” he asked quietly, leaning in.

  She watched his lips before raising her gaze to his.

  “I’m fine.”

  Cady concentrated on eating, content to listen to everyone around her as they bantered back and forth. It was obvious they’d known each other for years. What must it be like to have friendships like that?

  “You’re not eating,” Hunter pointed out.

  “Oh, I’m full. It was good, though.”

  He grinned. “No need to lie. The salads were great thanks to Mila and Sasha but Josh can’t grill to save himself.”

  She chuckled. “Well, I thought it was great.”

  “Thank you, Cady,” Josh said loudly. “At least someone appreciates my grilling.”

  Hunter sat back, placing his arm across the back of her chair. His fingers brushed against her shoulder, sending shivers of desire along her skin.

  “That wasn’t a compliment,” Hunter told him. “This was her first barbeque, she has nothing to compare this massacre too.”

  “Massacre! Well, it’s your turn next, Hunter.”

  “Bring it on,” Hunter said with a grin.

  Cady sat back and listened to them chat back and forth, the insults flying thick and fast. When Mila stood to start clearing, Gray and Connor got up to help.

  Cady stood up and grabbed some dirty plates, carrying them into the house.

  “Thanks, Cady,” Mila told her. “Just put them on the counter. I’m so glad you could make it today, I’ve heard Josh talking about you and it’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “It was very kind of you to invite me.”

  “I’ve got to say I was shocked when Hunter finally hired a woman. Not that a woman can’t do the job,” she added quickly, “but Hunter’s so protective. You’re brave working with them. If you ever need some female company just give me a call. Come on, let’s go join them.”

  Cady followed her out, taking a seat next to Hunter again. He continued his conversation with Simon who sat on the other side of him, but he dropped his hand down onto her thigh and squeezed lightly. Immediately, her pussy clenched.

  Cady’s breath caught in her throat and she nearly choked on the sip of beer she’d taken. She coughed loudly, gasping slightly. Hunter turned to her with a frown of concern, pounding on her back.

  “Are you okay? Do you need a drink of water?”

  “I’m fine,” she whispered in a harsh voice. “Beer went down wrong.”

  He continued to rub her back and pleasure filled her body, hardening her nipples. Damn, she had to get herself under control.

  Connor asked Hunter a question and he turned away, but kept his hand on her back.

  The rest of the night moved quickly and gradually she found herself relaxing and enjoying herself.

  But eventually everyone started to get up to leave. As Hunter drove them away, Cady stared out the window. “That was fun, better than I had expected.”

  “You were worried about it?”

  “Yeah. A bit.” She’d actually been able to laugh and have fun without feeling guilty. It was freeing.

  “They’re good people. You seemed to get on well with Mila and Sasha.”

  Yeah, they had. Particularly after a few margaritas. Seemed like she was just making friends left, right and center.

  “They asked me to go shopping with them next weekend. I think I’ll go.” She didn’t have to have money to window shop.

  “Good, I’m glad. I might be busy next weekend.” He pulled up outside her apartment building. They walked toward her apartment in silence. Cady waited until they were inside the apartment before questioning him.

  “Busy doing what?” she asked.

  “Hmm?” he said as he grabbed a glass and poured some juice into it. “Oh, just some things to do with my sister’s estate.”

  She frowned. “Didn’t she die months ago?”

  “Yes. But there are some loose ends to tie up.”

  She supposed that made sense, but why did she feel like he was holding back?

  “Are you sure I can’t help? I know how hard this must be, if there is anything I can do—”

  “There isn’t,” he said, interrupting her. He turned away, putting the glass in the sink, looking out at the window.

  “You’ve never really said how she died.”

  “Because I don’t want to talk about it,” he replied, turning around.

  “Fine. I get it.”

  “Get what?” he replied, looking confused.

  “I get the way you want this relationship, or whatever it is we have, to go. I’m to share everything, tell you all the skeletons in my closet, but when it comes to your life then I’m to shut up and understand that you don’t want to talk about it.”

  Hunter ran his hand through his hair. “That’s not it at all—”

  “No? Then how come you won’t talk to me? How come you keep shutting me out? Is it because you don’t want to be with me anymore? Is that it?”

  “What? No.” He stepped forward and took her shoulders in his hands. “How could you think that?”

  “Because you never share anything about yourself, Hunter. It’s not just your sister’s death, it’s your whole past. You know everything about me and I know next to nothing about you. Now you’re completely shutting me out and I want to know why.”

  “Cady, I’m sorry you feel that way, but I’m honestly not doing this to hurt you or to shut you out. I just have a few things to deal with at the moment and I can’t talk about them right now.”

  She knew that if she tried to pull the same thing he’d pester her until he got her to spill every little detail. But other than tying him down and torturing him she had no way of getting this out of him.

  “Got it. You need some space to deal with whatever it is you’ve got going on.”

  He sighed, smiling a little. “Thanks for understanding, baby. I knew you’d get it.”

  No, she didn’t get it. Not at all. Maybe she was being a needy bitch. Maybe other women would let their men just shut them out like this, but Cady couldn’t.

  “I’m tired. I’m going to go to bed.”

  “All right. I’ll be in shortly,” he replied.

  “Actually, I think it would be better if I went to bed alone. You’ve probably got things to do tomorrow and I was planning on sleeping in. I’m beat.” It wasn’t a lie. She was exhausted.

  Hunter narrowed his gaze, but surprisingly just nodded and walked to the door.

  Pain stabbed her insides, she was positive he’d protest, that he’d drag her off to bed and tell her there was no way she was sleeping alone tonight. She followed, holding the door open. He kissed her forehead.

  “Lock the door behind me,” he ordered before stepping into the hallway.

  Cady shut and locked the door before turning and sliding her back down the door until she sat on the floor. She brought her legs up to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees. Tears dripped down her face.

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