Cade knew the little guy was awake. He also knew enough to stay perfectly still until the poor pup calmed down and opened that eye again. He wasn’t going to let his anger rise at the state of the small man’s other eye, or his body for that matter. Being caught in a house that was being swept down an overflowing raging river did not cause perfectly spaced, striped bruises on one’s body. And the pup had them from the soles of his small feet to the tops of his shoulders, on both front and back sides.
The one thing Cade was, was a very patient man. So he waited. Slowly that beautiful brown eye crept open just a tad. The little guy peered at him, taking in Cade’s short dark hair, deep blue eyes, huge shoulders, and the muscled legs straining his worn jeans. Then the trembling started.
“Oh, hell no!” Cade could move fast even for such a big man. He quickly swept the pup up, blankets and all, into his arms and onto his lap. Leaning back against the headboard he gently but firmly held the terrified shaking man.
That eye was closed again, tight. “Come on, sweetheart. Open up. It’s all right. Come on now. You’re safe.” It seemed Cade’s calming tone was working as that beautiful brown eye slowly opened and then slammed shut again.
“My name is Cade, Cade Miller.” He kept talking, hoping to reassure the little guy. “I was part of the rescue team that was searching for victims of the flooding river. We managed to pull you out, and I brought you here to recover. You’re safe now. I promise, no one’s going to hurt you.”
The pup flinched at the word “victim.” No matter now, Cade had decided during the ten hours of waiting for the pup to wake, that the man in his arms would never be a victim again, if he had anything to say about it. Cade was a dominant alpha male. He was over six five with muscles gained from hard work and disaster rescue missions. When he had something to say about anything, it usually happened. With instincts that never let him down, he knew that this small blond-headed man was going to be his for the long haul of life. He just had to wait for the little guy to figure it out.
“Describe safe.” Dirk would have backhanded him for questions, but Bret realized at this point he had nothing to lose. The caning and beating he had taken from Dirk right before the ass had left with his maniac boyfriend kind of broke something deep inside. It was like he was nothing but a body of pain, from head to toe.
“The river was washing everything in its path downstream. We found you clinging to a headboard. My team and I managed to fish you out, and our paramedic checked you over.” Cade could admit the thought of another person’s hands on the pup still bothered him, even if that person was his second-in-command. “Jack felt it was safe to take you home with me to heal up. You have one hell of a black eye, honey. Also, bruises all over, but no broken bones. He’ll be by to check on you over the next couple of days.”
“Hurt?” Bret couldn’t keep the trembling out of his voice. The pain just racked through his body, tightening his muscles, making the pain even worse.
Cade grabbed the bottle of painkillers off the nightstand and popped open the cap before pouring one into Bret’s hand. Glad that he had had the foresight to keep a pitcher of water and a glass on the stand, he helped Bret take a small sip to wash the pill down.
“What’s your name, baby?” Cade asked. He needed to have Tony do a background check on the pup to see what he was up against.
“Bret, Bret James.” The pup snuggled down onto his chest, slowly relaxing, then falling asleep. Cade knew he had been right about the connection between them and felt a peace inside that had never been there before.
Chapter Three
Days later found Cade cleaning up the kitchen with a big pot of soup simmering on the stove. Soon the pup would be waking up and he would be helping the little guy, blanket and all, to the bathroom to let him do his business. Walking was not an option yet, as those poor feet were still so swollen and painful. Then Cade would make sure he had something to eat. Usually after he had eaten, they would settle down together on the bed and talk until the pain medicine took effect and sleep would take the pup.
Bret hadn’t managed to stay awake long enough to try any yet, but they found out both of them liked watching most of the same movies. Although Cade couldn’t stop the shudder when Bret had revealed he liked a good chick flick once in a while. Thank goodness neither was into horror.
The day Bret could sit up in bed somewhat comfortably, Cade had brought in a tray of meatloaf, with mash potatoes and cooked green beans. Of course it included a piece of apple pie.
Bret had looked up with tears in his eyes and said, “Thank you.”
Gently setting the tray on Bret’s lap, he asked, “You like meat loaf with potatoes, baby?”
“I haven’t had a decent meal in a long time.”
The shaky voice pulled at the strings of Cade’s heart. “Well, you won’t have to worry about that any longer. I like a good meal that includes a good piece of meat. Of course, dessert is a must in my book.”
“I like dessert.”
Their eyes met and a quiet understanding passed between the bruised scared man and the rock-solid, force-to-be-reckoned-with giant.
The next day Bret had tentatively asked for one of the books lining the floor-to-ceiling wall of Cade’s bedroom. It was one of the newest of an action adventure series Cade had gotten hooked on.
Cade had handed it to him and asked, “Have you ever read any of these books before?”
“Oh yes, I never can guess what is going to happen next. Before everything happened, I was planning on buying this one. Thank you for letting me look at it.”
Cade sat down on the bed, leaning over Bret with an arm braced over the other man’s lap. “You can read and look at anything you want in my home. If you can’t get it yourself, all you have to do is ask me.”
Cade received a pretty smile and a slight nod to his offer. He was pleased to see that there wasn’t any fear on the man’s face at his actions.
* * * *
Cade found over the next few days his dominating personality meshed completely with Bret’s more submissive needs. Cade needed to touch Bret every time they were in the same room. Thank goodness this matched Bret’s need for Cade’s touch. Under Cade’s calm, firm demeanor, the pup was slowly settling. This was what Cade had always been looking for in a relationship. He would do whatever was needed to keep it, too.
Unfortunately, in the past Cade hadn’t had the time or the will to even try to be in a serious relationship. He hadn’t found many men who could put up with his demanding and dominating ways. The few that lasted past a one-night stand with a hot body had problems with the demands of his growing company. They didn’t like being left alone for days on end. Many had ended up screaming at him, calling him a cold bastard. Jack had been the one, after a night of heavy drinking, to advise him that he should quit stressing. Enjoying a man that caught your eye for a night didn’t make a person a bastard, if they both were up front about it. Jack told him point blank that when he found the “one” he would open up and tell that person all of his secrets, past , present and future. Cade was glad that Jack had been right.
Hearing a truck coming up the long driveway leading to his house had Cade immediately on alert. There were too many questions on the whereabouts of the man that had held Bret captive. Bret had refused police involvement, although Cade was having Tony, the team IT guy, research his special data base for any information on Dirk and Keith. The events the pup had lived through in the last month were enough to give Cade nightmares. The proof was in the condition of his feet. They were covered in scars, newly healed wounds, and fresh bruises, made from a cane. Those poor feet were very sensitive to touch. After the last time Jack had checked them, he had voiced his concern about nerve damage. It was obvious that the guy had been obsessed at finding out how much damage he could inflict without breaking bones. Cade wanted just five minutes with the abusive wannabe Dom.
Opening the side door from the kitchen to the outside porch, Cade let Jack into the house. Setting a
bag of groceries and first aid supplies onto the table, Jack turned to his boss. “How is he doing today?” Jack had been by a couple of times throughout the week, checking on Bret. Not only was Jack a valuable team member, but he was also Cade’s best friend.
“Better. The swelling is going down and the pain seems to have eased. He’s starting to get restless. Thinks he should be up and doing things. He thought I was going to get angry because he is resting and healing instead of earning his keep.”
Jack snorted at that idea. “Hasn’t he figured out yet that there is very little he could do to make you mad at him? It‘s only been a week or so and he already has you wrapped around his little finger.” Ignoring Cade’s raised eyebrow and changing the subject, Jack said, “The preliminary paperwork is in on the numbers for the river disaster.”
Cade had kept up to date with his team on their work in helping the people the swollen river had trapped. Normally he himself would be out there with them. But finding, saving, and taking care of Bret had changed that. Cade knew his team could handle the job alone. Until the pup was up and about, Cade was sticking close to home. And maybe Cade would be cutting down on his active on-site involvement in rescues. After all, he was thirty-two and now had the pup in his life. They would have to see how things went.
The flooding river had reached its highest point yesterday and the cleanup would start now that the waters were receding every day. Their job was to rescue and retrieve, during and shortly after the event. Cade didn’t envy the cleanup crews one bit. The public didn’t realize what the fury of water and mud could do to homes, trees, and people. Smells from chemicals, sewage, and animals were atrocious. And the sights could blow a person’s mind.
Jack handed Cade a folder. Taking it, he sat at the table reviewing the names of the rescued, missing, and deceased. He knew more names would be added as the river water went down. Under the column listing the dead, he found the name Dirk Lawson. That settled that question. But there wasn’t anyone in any of the columns with the first name Keith, who had encouraged and seemed to get great satisfaction from Bret’s abuse and humiliation.
“Is there anything else significant?” Cade asked, closing the file.
“No, we still have a couple of more days of search and rescue then we’ll wrap things up. The local departments know their stuff,” Jack answered while taking the first aid supplies out of the bag.
“Alright. I want the whole crew here for a meeting sometime next week. Then we can get back to the day-to-day assignments,” Cade instructed, knowing Jack would take care of the details.
A thump and a cry came from the bedroom. Cade quickly went around the table and was just behind Jack as Jack reached the bedroom first. Kneeling down, Jack went to help the blanket-wrapped man on the floor. Bret scrambled out of his reach and shoved himself back against the side of the bed. Tears of panic and pain seeped from underneath tightly closed lids.
“Don’t touch him.” Pushing Jack aside, he reached for the pup. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you back to bed.” Calmly and carefully, he cuddled the bruised body close for a moment.
“I just wanted to be out there by you,” Bret tried to explain. Brown eyes surrounded by thick black lashes pleaded for Cade's understanding. Since everything had happened, he was experiencing panic attacks. The only thing that seemed to keep him calm was Cade’s touch.
“Okay, we’ll go out on the couch.” Sweeping him up, Cade went and sat on the couch, settling the little guy on his lap. As far as he was concerned, that’s where Bret belonged and he didn‘t care what anyone thought about it. It seemed Bret agreed as he buried his face as close to his neck as he could reach with their height difference.
“Bret, this is Jack Woods. He is my second on the rescue team. He was there when we pulled you from the river. You may not remember him but he’s been here a couple of times checking on you. The pain pills had you pretty woozy most of the time.” No answer came from his neck area. “Say hello to Jack, pup.” He had found out quickly that calm and firm worked best with Bret.
“Hello, Jack,” was the muffled reply.
“Hey, Bret. Nice to see you’re up and about. I am a paramedic. Would it be alright if I check how your injuries are doing?” Jack might have addressed Bret, but the question was really for Cade.
At Cade’s nod, Jack proceeded to carefully check Bret over. The swelling in his feet had gone down quite a bit, but the bottoms were a gross black and blue of bruises that were starting to turn green. Cade tenderly used his finger tips to move Bret’s face so Jack could examine his eye. It took a little coaxing to get him to actually open it so Jack could see if the pupil reacted to light the way it should. Cade had learned from Bret that a piece of wood in the river was actually responsible for the injury.
Cade was so proud that the pup answered all of Jack’s questions. He knew Bret would need to mentally heal from both the river disaster and his painful experience with Dirk.
“Looks like you are healing just fine. Bret, is there any pain in your abdomen area?” Jack asked.
“No, I’m just a little sore all over.”
“I think it’s a little more than sore, Bret,” Jack reprimanded.
And just like that, Bret’s face was buried into Cade’s neck again. It seemed it would take some time for the little guy to handle any form of confrontation. Cade decided he would give the pup all the time he needed.
Okay, he knew he was being a complete wuss. But the pain and injuries were what they were. He was sitting on this giant bear of a man, feeling completely safe for the first time in over a month. Bret just wanted everything and everyone to let him be. Damn, how had he gone from being raised in a normal family, living a normal life, to being beaten weekly? Then to top it off he had had to survive a raging, flooding river. Just, damn.
Strong, gentle hands ran up and down his back, soothing the tension away. That deep voice with softly spoken words brought Bret back to the present.
“Bear, can we go to bed now?” he asked. Yeah, he was being a wuss.
“You tired, sweetheart?” Cade asked.
“No, I just want you to take me back to bed.” He didn’t care that Jack was still here. He wanted his bear to take him back to the bedroom where they could be alone together. He wasn’t ready to face anyone else yet. He needed Cade’s touch.
Chapter Four
Being carried around by Cade didn’t seem degrading or wimpy to Bret. In fact, he could live the rest of his life in this man’s arms. This time, as he was being laid on the bed, he reached his hands around Cade’s neck, pulling him down on top of him. In typical Cade fashion, he didn’t crush Bret. Instead, he tried to hold himself away. But Bret had other ideas and wasn’t letting go. He wanted, no, needed, this man to be close.
Cade angled his body to the side to keep his weight off the pup. But Bret tightened those arms around his neck, bringing his face a hair’s breath away from their first kiss.
Cade put his hand on the back of Bret’s neck to hold the pup back. The crestfallen look that passed over his pup’s face almost stopped his next words. But Cade had to know the pup understood what he was getting into when that kiss happened. There would be no going back once this started.
“Baby, if we start this, know now I won’t ever let you go. You will be mine. I am a possessive, dominating, demanding man. There will be no one else for either of us. I will want to know where you are at all times, what you’re doing. I will more than likely be touching you all the time when we are together. I will be your center, as you will be mine.”
Cocking his head to the side, with a small frown between his eyebrows, Bret asked, “If I don’t agree to something, what will happen?” This was a deal breaker. He would take no more abuse from anyone in this lifetime.
Cade smiled. “I’ll listen to your concerns. We discuss it and then a decision is made.”
“What if I don’t like the decision?” Bret countered.
“Unless there’s a chance that it harms your well-
being or safety, it’s negotiable,” Cade stated.
Bret’s warm brown eyes stared into deep blue eyes, assessing and making a decision. “Okay.” He then reached for a kiss to seal the deal with his bear.
The kiss started off with a slow slide of lips meeting, touching. Then the pressure increased until it deepened and their tongues met. Cade rolled to his back, carefully bringing Bret over on top of his body. He knew the pup’s poor bruised skin wouldn’t be able to handle the intense lovemaking he would like to give him. That would have to wait for another time.
Cade was now glad that Bret hadn’t been able to stand clothing against his skin as he pulled the ever-present blanket from between them. Cade’s large hands gently explored the pup’s back and the round mounds of his buttocks. They were tight and firm, just the way he liked them. Parting them, he ran his fingers down the seam and over that tight rosebud.
Gently thrusting his hips forward, he slid his straining jeans-covered erection against Bret’s bare skin. The friction was enough to test his resolve to take this slow and easy. Reaching over to the side drawer of the nightstand, he fished out the tube of slick. Popping the cap open and squeezing a generous amount on his fingers, he started rubbing it over that treasured pucker. Slowly but surely it loosened. Slipping one finger in up to the knuckle, he stopped to let his pup adjust. The pup just kept on kissing him, that tongue exploring his tongue, his teeth. Then Bret started sucking on his tongue, bringing goose bumps up along Cade’s arms. No one had ever been able to do that with just a kiss before. Cade quickly slipped another finger in, pumping them both in and out. Still the pup kept kissing and started exploring with his fingers. Those tentative fingers brushed Cade’s shoulders down to his chest, petting the mat of dark curly hair. Exploring further, they found a tight nipple and pinched it. Moving things along before he exploded in his jeans, Cade added a third finger. He then scissored them back and forth to make room, knowing how large his cock became when he was aroused.
Bear's Pup [Rescue for Hire 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 2
