WindSwept Narrows: #2 Cassidy, Abby & Mia

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “Buy? Buy a house? Together? Good grief…when you steam roll over a girl, you don’t pull any punches,” Abby was off the stool, pacing in front of the sofa.

  Cade sighed thickly and continued to pull the chicken apart.

  “Will you at least think about it, Abby?”

  “I don’t want to live with you…” she saw his features drawn into a taut line and raised her hand, one finger up. “I don’t want to live with you because it’s convenient, Cade. I….it has to be because…because it’s good for us. Because we’re happier together than apart.”

  Cade breathed a sigh of relief. He crooked a finger at her, holding her between his knees. “You think I really want to go off and sleep alone tonight, Abby?”

  Abby closed her eyes. It was all happening so quickly. “I…Cade…”

  “I think we could weather your mother, Abby. I don’t think she’s as shocked as you seem to be.” Cade lifted her chin, waited for her eyes to open and kissed her softly. “But I don’t want to traumatize you further…and I only bought three condoms,” he whispered, laughing when color flooded her cheeks.

  “Oh…well…I...umm…should clean up the kitchen,” Abby found a container for the leftover chicken and moved plates to the dishwasher.

  “But you’ll think about it,” Cade came up behind her, his hands on her waist.

  “I will think about it, Cade,” Abby walked with him to the front door, leaning against the open frame and watching the lights of the bike vanish into the night.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Abby arrived early and began the process of opening the canopies, waving at the opposite end where Cassidy was doing the same with her tent. Slowly the employees began filtering in as she worked over the collection of applications. Her chin rested on one palm, frowning over some of the words on an applicant’s form when a familiar sound brought a smile to her face. She lifted her eyes in time to see the large bike cruise right in front of her canopy. He braced the bike in place and lifted the visor to stare at her.

  Abby shook her head and laughed, striding to stand next to him. “You’re incorrigible.”

  Cade had watched her walk around the canopies earlier. She was wearing a dress today with a simple tank top and slight flair to the skirt, a bright red short jacket on top of the silvery fabric. She moved gracefully toward him, her hand on his. He dropped the visor and lifted the helmet, opened the side compartment and held out a tall cold drink. He grinned at the instantly wide eyes and two palms that came up. He didn’t release the drink until she leaned a little closer.

  “You do realize…every time I see you in a dress, all I hear are those hotly whispered words,” Cade watched a fire leap into her gaze. “Are you wearing panties today?”

  “Guess you’ll have to do some research of your own,” she answered saucily, stepping quickly back with the frosty Frappuccino in her hands. “I’ll see you later…thank you.”

  “Fresh coffee delivered by a guy on a bike,” Debbie watched the bike cruise off to the side of the hotel. “Wow…”

  “Yeah…no kidding…” Abby drew in a long drink and sighed. “Yeah…okay…three point five hours of work, people,” Abby brought her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly, the pre-agreed upon message that it was time to open the gates.

  At eleven-thirty, Abby walked the length of the canopies, nodding to people and making sure things were being shut down properly for the weekend. She held a clipped collection of applications in her hand and leaned against an empty desk, waiting for Cassidy to finish talking with one of her people.

  “Got a present for you,” Abby held up the collection.

  “Oh goody,” she took the pages, nodding and taking them to her desk, locking them inside. “I’m sure it’ll make for interesting reading on Monday.”

  Abby stood up when Cassidy stared past her shoulder and moved to her side. “He’s a cutie…”

  “Yeah…” Cassidy sighed. “I think it’s the glasses…and he has this charm…kinda makes a girl squirm, you know?”

  “Completely,” Abby agreed, both girls taking a cautious step back a second later. “What have you been doing?”

  Cassidy felt her brows lift. “He was clean and tidy this morning.”

  Mac dusted off some of the bits of wire and dirt residue. “Running cables. Setting up stations…” he flicked something off his shoulder at the same time both of them yelped and moved to the side. “What? It’s just a bug.”

  “Judging from those expressions,” Cade remarked as he strode up. “I’m gonna guess it’s not a computer bug.”

  “It was a spider! There! Kill it!” Abby ordered, finger pointing to the ground, breathing a sigh when one heavy motorcycle boot came down as ordered.

  Mac looked from Cade to Abby to Cassidy. “That is not a very green reaction.”

  “Bit of advice…girls go green ninety-nine point nine percent of the time and to the extent that nothing with more legs then them are nearby,” Cade offered with a nod. “The other point one percent is at the bottom of my boot.”

  “Exactly.” Abby looked at the expression on Cassidy’s face. “You could have him fumigated.”

  “Hey!” Mac protested, hands working to dust things off him. “It’s just bits of wire and dust…and the occasional…”

  “He could strip here and shake out the clothes,” Cade suggested with a wink that made Abby giggle and Cassidy nod.

  “They don’t need your help, Cade,” Mac growled.

  “Or there is the spacious men’s room,” Cade recommended, chuckling as Mac turned and ran off to the main entrance. “I’ll meet you at the house…want some help closing these down?”

  “Please…” Abby went to work with the others, quickly locking down all the temporary offices.

  She entered the house with a mischievous smile, opening all the windows and patio doors before stopping off in her bedroom. It wasn’t five minutes later when the tap came on the front door. The note from her mother said she’d be out for a few hours.

  Abby opened the door and went back to the kitchen, offering him a tall frosted glass of water. She carried hers around the counter, deliberately keeping out of his reach.

  Cade frowned slightly, but accepted the water with a long drink. “You’re not changed yet.”

  “I got distracted,” her palm flipped absently.

  Cade glanced around the room, one brow up. “Janet?”

  “Off doing Friday things…we have the house to ourselves…”

  “Really…” he made a move around the counter, pale lashes narrowed when she matched his move to the other side. “Abigal…”

  “Hmmm…” But she continued to counter his movements.

  “You’re not going to win this, you know,” he told her without hesitation.

  “Oh? I seem to be doing okay…” she moved around the sofa, agilely jumping the corner of the small table. “I appear to be more limber…and agile…” she dodged his next attempt to grab her, very aware of the fire in his eyes at her game. “And obviously I have more speed and dexterity….”

  “Yes…but I have…” Cade deliberately hit the edge of the table, crumbling to the floor on his back.

  “Cade! Oh my god…are you hurt?” Abby forgot the game, immediately on her knees at his side. Awareness and anger flared in her eyes a second later when his arms clamped around her, pulling her hard against him, a loud and startled yell leaving her lips.

  “I have a superior and devious mind,” Cade concluded smugly.

  “It obviously encompasses cheating…” She squirmed, realizing instantly that the action had a definite and immediate response from the male lying beneath her. Brown eyes widened.

  Pale lashes flew open when his palms left her back to glide over her dress and beneath the fabric. “You aren’t wearing…did you…” He felt his higher brain functions order surrender.

  “Cade…I took them off when I came home…I do not go to work without my britches…” she lowered her head and kissed him. “Not ev
en for you. However…we can’t continue this…”

  “In my training explorations today,” Cade began sexily, nibbling along the arched throat. “I discovered the men’s room in the hotel…”

  Abby went still. “They…you can buy…seriously?”

  “Hey…we’re a socially conscious resort,” he assured her, his fingers tightened and pulling her hard against him. “Christ, you feel good in my hands…”

  Abby shoved the small table out of the way, straightening and tugging at his shirt, pulling it free of his jeans. “This is not…my mother…I love to touch you…”

  Cade captured her mouth, his hand making short work of the band and pens. Flowery and spicy scents cascaded around him when the thick hair fell free. He rolled to his side, climbing to his feet. He tugged his shirt off before reaching down and pulling her up beside him, his hands going to the small buttons down the front of her dress.

  “You make me feel amazing…” Cade bent slightly, trailing his mouth over the half-moons of her breasts above the feminine lace. “And horny as hell…” He growled, lifting her in his arms and heading for her bedroom. He just managed to lower her feet to the floor, his hands trapped against her scalp and mouth ravaging one another when something hard and very solid tapped loudly on the front door.

  “Police! Is anyone in there?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Police?” Abby jumped back with a yelp, hands busily redoing the buttons of her dress. Frantic eyes met the silvery gaze. Cade shrugged. “Just a minute!”

  She ran into the living area, grabbed Cade’s shirt and threw it at him. Abby hastily made sure things were covered up before she pulled the door open.

  “Officer…oh…officers?” She hated the high pitch, clearing her throat and looking from one to the other. “Umm…can I help you?” She glanced around them. The bike was parked neatly…in their driveway. Her car was beneath one carport. The other empty.

  “We had a report that there were screams coming from the residence, ma’am,” one of the officers said politely, trying hard to look around her.

  “I…screams?” Abby’s voice fell dangerously low.

  “May we come in, ma’am?”

  “Abby…let the officer come inside,” Cade was hastily pulling his shirt on, his hands on her waist to move her physically out of the way.

  He knew that tone of her voice.

  “Are you the only two home at the moment?” The officer stepped inside, peering politely around the tidy living area.

  “I…are we…” Abby pulled herself to her full height, even if she was barefoot. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a second.

  “It’s just us, officer,” Cade answered, the ever present half grin in place.

  “And you are?”

  “Abigal Murray and Cade Rollins,” Abby answered crisply.

  “Do you have some identification? Is that your bike outside?”

  “It’s mine, officer,” Cade pulled his wallet from his back pocket, his license offered up.

  Abby crossed to the counter and pulled her wallet free, thrusting her new Washington driver’s license into the waiting palm.

  “Are you the only residents?”

  “It’s my mother’s house, officer. Janet Murray, she’s an instructor at the community college in first year archeology and ceramics and pottery construction,” Abby recited from habit. “Who filed a complaint? Was it that nosy old bat…”

  “It wasn’t a complaint, Miss Murray, it was more a concern that someone was being harmed,” the officer said simply, handing them each back their identification. “I’m sure it was just some loud seagulls, but we have to check things out,” he tipped his hat politely. “Sorry to have bothered you. Nice bike.”

  “Thanks…we like it,” Cade nodded, closing the door and very quickly grabbing Abby around the waist, holding her firmly in place. “You are not going on that patio and screaming. We…are going out…and searching for our own place. Preferably with no neighbors,” Cade said firmly, lifting her by her waist and carrying her to the bedroom. “Change. Now.”

  Silence where Abigal was concerned was not a good sign. On the upside, the appearance of the police managed to very quickly solidify his stance on a place of their own.

  He looked up at the opening door, Abby framed the center in bra and panties, her hand up and warning. “For the record, I am furious.”

  “Gee…I’d never have known…” He winced for the door frame the next instant. His sigh thick when the front door opened. “Janet…”

  “Police?” She said the single word with an arched brow.

  “Seems your neighbor felt the urge to have them investigate the…noise…”

  “There was no…” the bedroom door was flung wide once more. “We didn’t…we weren’t even…ohhhh!”

  “I have strong door frames,” Janet responded to his wince and the slam.

  “We’re going to look at houses,” Cade mentioned casually, watching her closely.

  “You’re good for her…and to her…I saw that the other day,” Janet commented honestly. “I’ll miss her…”

  “We won’t be far, Janet…”

  “Her father won’t be happy.”

  “Either way I answer that comes out wrong…either I care and make us miserable or I don’t care and I’m heartless and selfish,” Cade shrugged.

  “It’s hard to see your kids grow up…and choose their own paths,” she nodded her understanding. “Where are you looking?”

  “Between here and the resort. We both work there, so it just makes sense,” Cade felt his inner kid wince when she bent down and picked up a red foil packet from the floor near where he had fallen. He took it without a word, sliding it into his pocket.

  “I’m off to the studio…have fun,” she told him with a wink. Striding past the bedroom with a loud tap. “I’m going to the studio. Have fun, sweetie.”

  “Okay…” Abby came out of the bedroom, still frowning.

  “Call me if you’re not coming home tonight,” Janet pointed a finger at her with a wink before she entered the studio at the side of the house.

  Abby groaned and strode into the living area, heading for her purse and dropping her keys and phone inside. It was then the silence hit her. She looked up to see Cade staring. Abby quickly checked her zipper and then her top. Everything was neatly tucked where it belonged.

  “Cade?”

  “I have a biker babe,” were the first words out of his mouth, taking in the long black jeans, short heeled boots and silver tank top. He took a step forward and lifted the black cap from her head, dark brown tresses falling around her shoulders.

  Abby sighed. “I hoped that would last longer than my band and pens.”

  “Naw…but it is sexy,” he leaned down and kissed her. “Let’s go browsing.”

  Abby had gotten used to mounting the bike, adjusting the helmet while he swung his leg over the wide leather seat. She remembered Darlene’s comments and decided he really did have a nice tight behind and very long legs. She watched his moves, his feet firmly planted before he offered her his palm. Her hand slid into his immediately. She stepped onto the chrome foot rest and easily moved into place behind him. She was glad he couldn’t see her blush.

  “Okay, Abby?”

  “I’m good…you told her, didn’t you?”

  “I told her we were going looking at houses, yes,” Cade admitted, turning the key on the bike.

  “We’re a couple…”

  He listened to the words as if it was just dawning on her and she was trying the words on for size.

  “It’s a funny feeling,” she said after a while. “Not a bad feeling…just different…new…I don’t know the rules for being a couple, Cade.”

  “I’ll think on that one,” he said with a chuckle. “I got some addresses off the computer this morning and punched them into the GPS…”

  “We have GPS?”

  “Hey, lady…remind me to explain just what this bike doesn’t have…”r />
  “Have you had it long? The bike?”

  “This one, a little over a year. I’ve ridden most of my life.”

  “Doesn’t it get a little wet sometimes?”

  Cade only sighed. “Here’s one coming up here…this was the most interesting looking.”

  Abby didn’t mind the helmet, but viewing the world through the visor was a strange color. She reached up and raised it carefully, curious eyes taking in the large deep blue grey house. She could smell the ocean still. Her hands undid the helmet, handing it to Cade before using his shoulders to steady herself and swing her leg over to the ground.

  Cade couldn’t stop the grin at her gestures and movements. His girl was a quick study. He watched the taut behind of her jeans as she walked toward the double doors of the house. He was off the bike a few seconds later, phone out and fingers scrolling through the notes he’d made. He saw Abby pull one of the real estate sheets from the container, reading as she wandered along the path to the back of the house.

  He was waiting for the question. And he wasn’t disappointed when he walked around the empty house to see her peering into windows.

  “It’s beautiful, Cade,” Abby backed up on the wide wooden deck. The back of the house was a half oval. “I’ve never seen a…round walls before…”

  “Vaulted ceiling in the main room…modern, stainless kitchen…private beach,” Cade read from the page on his phone.

  “Cade…we never talked about affordability,” Abby knew how much she made. She knew how much Cade could possibly make. “This is beach front property…” She glanced at the paper in her fingers and the price listed on it.

  “You don’t think we can afford it?” Cade moved to sit on the wide stone wall surrounding the deck. “I can probably get them to come down on the price. It’s been on the market for over a year.”