Wanting Mr. Cane

by Shanora Williams

  “Yeah. This will probably end by then…whatever this is.”

  He sighed and shrugged. “Maybe it will be for the best. Maybe you’ll meet some college guy who will distract you enough to make you forget about me.”

  I thought on that for a moment, and found myself shaking my head. “I doubt it. I’ve tried getting over you before. It didn’t work. We’re always led here, doing things like what we just did and…I like it, Cane. I like when you teach me and tell me what to do. I don’t think some college boy is going to do it for me.”

  His glassy eyes turned a shade darker, his lips pinching together like my words had taken him to a darker place.

  “But it’s complicated,” I continued. “You were right. We can’t keep doing this while my parents are around. It’s too risky.”

  “Yeah, it is,” he agreed. He studied me briefly before taking a step back. He swept his eyes over me, fixing his shirt. “You’d let me teach you? Dominate you?” he asked.

  “Dominate me? Like BDSM stuff?”

  He narrowed his eyes, smirking. “What do you know about BDSM?”

  “I read. I know there are, like, whips and chains and gags and stuff…” I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I fought a smile. “I don’t think I’d be able to go that far…”

  He stepped forward, holding my waist. “You wouldn’t have to, because BDSM isn’t my thing.”

  “Well, what is your thing?”

  “I like to be in control of situations. I like giving orders. Pushing and testing limits. I love the mixture of pain and pleasure, and because I do, some women think I’m cruel. You wouldn’t be able to handle what I really put out, Kandy.”

  I put a hand on my hip. “What makes you think so?”

  “Because you’re still a fucking virgin,” he rasped on my lips, and chills ran down my spine, trickling down like tiny flakes of snow. “I’d have to break you in several times before we even reached that point.”

  “The dominance?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he mumbled.

  “I want it,” I challenged. “So break me in. I want you to.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can. It’s what I want. Take my virginity.”

  “I can’t. You may know what you want now, but you’re so young, Kandy. You have time ahead of you. Trust me, I’d love to give you what you want, but it would be hard for me to go through with.”

  I started to speak, but he caught my chin and stopped me. “I want to be selfish with you and if D wasn’t my friend, maybe I would, but you and I both know we can’t go that far. It would ruin everything, and the last thing I want to do is ruin you.”

  I was about to speak, but the doorknob jiggled and Cane snatched his hand away, practically taking a leap back and turning toward the popcorn and candy.

  “Hey!” Mom exclaimed with a small smile as she entered. “What are you guys doing? We’re all waiting for you.”

  Cane turned casually, as if he wasn’t at all bothered by the situation. “Kandy said she was getting bored of waiting so I thought I would show her the theater room, give her something to look forward to when she got back.” He smiled. Only a little.

  “Oh, Cane.” Mom continued to smile, and I was glad she hadn’t suspected a thing. I was also glad she couldn’t hear my heart pounding in my chest. “You spoil her, you know that? We could have done without the theater.” Mom focused on me. “Did you tell him thank you, Kandy? He got this room for you.”

  “Mom. Yes.” I tried hard not to roll my eyes.

  Mom looked to Cane for reassurance.

  “She did,” Cane confirmed, and he put on a charismatic smile. A smile that would have made any woman, even my mom, blush.

  And sure enough, she did. “Well, come on!” she insisted. “We have twenty minutes to get there, and I’m starving.” I walked her way and she ushered me out. Cane followed behind.

  On the way back, Mom was a few steps ahead of me so I glanced back at Cane.

  I could tell he was having thoughts similar to mine.

  We’d almost gotten caught again, and it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours. This was a dangerous game. We couldn’t keep playing with fire like this—the only result would be getting burned.

  Though I hated the thought of it, I knew we were going to have to put an end to this soon, no matter how hard it would be.

  26

  KANDY

  Three days passed, and Cane and I could hardly even look at each other. Well, okay…I’m lying. We looked, but we didn’t say much to each other or linger around one another for long periods of time. I guess after almost getting caught again, it put a scare into both of us.

  Not only that, but Kelly and I had bonded a lot more. I never thought I’d catch myself thinking this, but aside from being Cane’s girlfriend—or whatever—she was actually pretty cool.

  She’d come up to our floor and help us pick out which bikini to wear to the beach. She helped make blueberry pancakes with Mom and me, and she’d even snuck Frankie and me a glass of her wine.

  She was cool…but she still wasn’t a good match for Cane. To be honest, she may have deserved better than him.

  I wondered day and night why she stuck around with him after so long. She explained it before, but it still didn’t make sense to me to be with someone who didn’t want to love you—or be in love with anyone for that matter—but they still got drunk together, and she still hugged on him and kissed him.

  I couldn’t even be pissed about it. She was trying…and failing.

  Before I knew it, it was our last day. We’d packed up and cleaned most of what we could in the beach house, and were eventually on Cane’s jet again, flying back to Georgia.

  Something had changed, though. On our way to Destin, Cane had no problem sitting beside Kelly, but during our flight to Georgia, he was sitting in the row behind her, working on his laptop. She was reading and sipping on sparkling water. I had a book glued to my face, but I wasn’t really reading it. I was too busy passing glances between the two of them. Not once had she looked at him, and not once had he looked at her. Now that I thought about it, I realized they’d hardly said two words to each other that whole day.

  We got home when the sun was setting, and Mom ordered Italian for everyone, but mostly to thank Cane for all he’d done for us.

  I sat on a stool at the island counter with Frankie beside me, munching on garlic breadsticks. The beach scene was over, and I was glad to finally be able to devour some bread again and not have to worry about my belly pooch sticking out. Frankie and I had worked hard for our summer bodies, doing strenuous workouts in her backyard, and I was happy it had paid off. Not to mention that my softball conditioning and workouts helped me for the most part.

  “I should probably get going,” Kelly announced as she picked up her handbag from the counter. “I have a lot of work to catch up on, and I promised to meet a client first thing tomorrow morning.” She sighed while walking to Frankie and me. She dropped a kiss on the side of our heads and then went to Mom to give her a tight hug. “Thank you guys so much for letting me join you for the trip. It was just what I needed to be inspired again.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Cane offered, pushing off the counter. Kelly pressed her lips with a simple nod. She still wasn’t talking to him. She said goodbye one more time and then they were walking out the kitchen and going through the front door.

  “You staying the night, Frank?” I asked, hopping off my stool and taking my plate to the sink.

  “Yeah. I don’t feel like calling for anyone to pick me up right now.” She sighed. “The beach was so amazing, Mr. and Mrs. Jennings. Thank you for letting me annoy you for five days straight. I hope I wasn’t too much of a bother.”

  Mom chimed with laughter as Dad let out a hearty chuckle.

  “Trust me,” Dad started, placing his plate on the countertop, “no one can annoy or bother me as much as my own daughter.”

  I sucked my teeth and gave him a soft punch
on the shoulder. “Whatever, dude.” I walked to the exit of the kitchen. “I’ll set up the pull-out for you, Frank.”

  “Okay.” She turned and continued talking to my parents about a boat ride she saw advertised at the beach.

  I walked through the foyer to get to the linen closet. On my way, I caught sight of Kelly standing in front of an Audi.

  She and Cane were standing by the back doors, and someone was waiting behind the wheel. I think it was an Uber driver. Kelly’s face was stern while Cane was going on about something and waving his hands, as if the conversation being held was pointless.

  Kelly stepped closer to him and said something…or maybe she’d asked him something.

  Cane gave her a blank stare and no response, to which she dropped her gaze. She stepped away from him, shook and bowed her head, and pulled the door open to get in the backseat.

  Cane stood there, shoving his inked fingers through his hair as the driver pulled off. Before I could blink again, the car was nowhere in sight.

  Cane stood there for about twenty-seconds, and I watched him. Watched as he dropped his hand to his hip, tipped his head so his face was pointed to the sky, shut his eyes, and inhaled for three long seconds.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  Then he exhaled. He started for our house again, and I turned away, grabbing some fresh sheets out of the closet, shutting the door, and hurrying up the stairs before he could come inside and spot me.

  Whatever they were arguing about seemed bad. I was curious and had hoped he would stick around long enough to tell Dad about it so I could eavesdrop, like I always happened to do. Unfortunately, he didn’t.

  Cane was gone by the time I returned to the kitchen.

  27

  CANE

  It’d been a week since we arrived back in Georgia. I hadn’t heard from Kelly since the night we got back. I knew why she was avoiding me, but I wasn’t up for talking about it.

  I hadn’t seen Derek or the family that whole week either. The day after our arrival, I had to catch a flight to Boston to work out a deal. I stayed in Boston for two days before flying to Washington to meet with a potential investor. I spent the rest of the week there and had flown back in Monday morning.

  It was hot that day. I was catching up on paperwork at the office when Derek had sent me a text message asking if I wanted to meet up for lunch.

  I was now sitting in a booth made of fake red leather at a small breakfast diner, waiting for him to arrive. The place was packed with patrons, the salty scent of bacon floating around, mingling with the sweet, sticky scent of syrup and the thick aroma of coffee.

  It was comforting, to be honest. It reminded me of the days before Tempt, when my sister and I would walk a few blocks together to catch a meal. I’d worked at a fast food restaurant after school and would spend all of my money on her and Mom. I always bought groceries with my money, or new clothes and shoes if they were needed. It didn’t matter if I was broke by the end of the day. They were my family, I loved them more than anything on earth, and I wanted to be a real man who provided for the people he loved, unlike my father.

  I’d ordered coffee, and as I poured my cream and sugar into a mug, the bell above the door chimed and I watched Derek walk in.

  Derek had the kind of build that could intimidate the average man. With his police uniform on and the belt strapped around his waist with weapons clipped to it, I figured only an idiot would challenge him.

  The night he saved my mother, I heard he had to take my father down. My father wasn’t a small man. As a child and even a teenager, I always remembered being daunted by the height and size he had on me, so to know Derek had taken him down—tackled him to the ground and even got around to arresting him while hardly putting up a fight—made me automatically respect him.

  My father was a shitty human being, but he was blessed with muscles, height, and brawn. I was lucky to have gotten the same genetics.

  Derek scanned the restaurant until he found me. He put on a lazy smile and came my way quickly, taking the seat across from me.

  “What’s up, man?” He sighed, immediately grabbing the carafe of coffee and pouring himself a mug.

  “Everything all right?” I asked. Though he’d smiled when he arrived, I noticed the lines around his eyes and the tension in his shoulders.

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just a long fucking morning. Nothing a little coffee and greasy lunch won’t cure.” If I thought my job was stressful, I was certain it had nothing on being a cop. He loved his job, but it wore him out daily. That much was clear.

  I sensed that wasn’t the only thing bothering him. I knew not to budge, though. He’d cave eventually.

  “How was your flight back?” he asked, stirring a spoon in his mug.

  “It was decent. I’ll have to fly again this weekend.”

  “All that flying,” he huffed a laugh. “I bet you’re sick of it.”

  “Not when it happens to be on a jet.” I smirked. “No one to bother me. Quick trips. No phone calls or messages.”

  “Oh, yeah. Not even from Kelly?” He picked his head up and cocked a brow, giving me a stern look like he knew something I didn’t.

  “She’s been busy.”

  “I call bullshit.” He sipped from his mug. “Mindy told me a few days ago that she called Kelly. Said they met up for brunch.” He placed his mug down. “She said she invited Kelly over for dinner, but Kelly declined because she didn’t think you would want her coming around when you two aren’t together anymore.”

  I tipped my chin, locking my jaw. “I see.”

  Derek’s eyes widened, and for a moment they reminded me of Kandy’s, when she was curious but also demanded answers.

  I exhaled. “It’s…a long story.”

  “I’ve got nothing but time, brother.” He sat back, still looking at me. “I thought she was a pretty cool girl. She was patient with you. Seemed like you guys had fun at the beach. What happened between then and now?”

  I shrugged. “Apparently spending five days with me made her realize that we may not be a good fit for each other. She said I’m too distant because I don’t want to open up to her about my past.” I swallowed before speaking again. “She also thinks I’m hiding something from her…but I can’t let her know too much about my past, D. There’s—there’s too much. You know all about the shit I went through. I just don’t like reliving it. I feel like she knows enough.”

  “Well, if you love her, you’ll have to tell her one day. Just like you told me to tell Mindy about my situation with the shooting, you have to tell Kelly yours, no matter how hard it might be to relive. You can’t keep that shit from her forever.”

  I shook my head. “That’s the thing. I don’t really love her. Like? Yeah. But I don’t love her. Not like that. I wasn’t head over heels for Kelly like she was for me, and she sensed that, but she stuck around anyway.”

  “Well, if you feel that way, why string her along? Why bring her to the beach and share a room with her for almost a week?”

  “She begged to go, Derek. It’s not like I asked her to. She insisted—said it would be good for us, and a way for us to really get to know each other. Well, she got to know me, and I guess she didn’t like what she got.”

  He sighed with a smile. “You’re a complicated man, Cane. Even I know that. You’re already difficult as a friend. I can’t imagine having to be in her shoes and trying to understand you as a lover.”

  I shrugged. I wasn’t about to tell him the real reason why she didn’t want to deal with me anymore. What I told him was only part of it.

  Our server arrived, and we both ordered hot turkey sandwiches and french fries. Derek’s phone chimed and he pulled it out to check. When he did, he sighed agitatedly.

  “What’s up?”

  He tucked his phone into his back pocket. “Mindy,” he mumbled. “Wants me to pick up dinner tonight since she’ll be working late.”

  “Oh.”

  “She’s
been working late all week, trying to catch up after our vacation. Get this, I went to visit her at the office to bring her some coffee and donuts yesterday, and I saw this guy in her fucking office.”

  I narrowed my brows. “Who was he?”

  “Her fucking boss. He’s laughing with her and shit, giving her compliments about her work and leaning all over her fucking desk. It annoyed the hell out of me, so when she got home, I told her I didn’t like the way her boss was all in her face. She insisted that it was harmless, but fuck that. I know men, and I also know Mindy. She’s too damn nice sometimes and always wants everyone to be satisfied, especially about her work.”

  I laughed. “I highly doubt she wants anything from him, man. Maybe another promotion, but you know her. She loves you too much.”

  “I know, I know. I just didn’t like the way he was acting around her. Something about him irked me. And then he sized me up when I kissed her, like I couldn’t see him through the corner of my eye. He wants her, but if he lays a finger on her, I’ll arrest his ass for assault and break his arm while doing it.” He rubbed his forehead. “We got into a heated debate about it last night. She went to work upset this morning. I’ll have to make up for it somehow.”

  I chuckled. “Picking dinner up will be a start.”

  “Yeah, I guess. Kinda glad we’ll have some time alone soon. We haven’t had time to ourselves in months. Our anniversary is coming up in a few weeks. Going to Paris for the first time.”

  “That’s good for you guys and a great getaway. You’ll love it there, D. There’s a completely different vibe in that city. And it’s so diverse. That’s what I love most about it.”

  “Yeah. I hear a lot of great things about it.” He finished off his sandwich and then took a few gulps of coffee. As he chewed and swallowed, the walkie-talkie on his shoulder crackled and a voice came through. It was low enough for only the two of us to hear.

  He grabbed the walkie and pressed a button, responding to the call, then said, “Ahh, I gotta go. Some break-in downtown.” He slid out of the booth and dusted himself off before standing up straight. “Oh, uh, before I take off, I wanted to ask if Kandy could use your pool this summer? She’s been dying to take a swim since we got back from the beach. Claims she misses the pool and has been nagging that we need to have one built. She talks about it every damn day, and it’s driving me crazy. That girl is not going to be happy until my pockets are inside out , I swear.” I laughed when he did, but the mere mention of her name stirred my stomach, making it feel too small for the sandwich I’d just eaten.