“Addison, it’s me, baby,” Cade said and felt her struggles increase. His gut clenched at the sound of her hoarse voice begging him to let her go. He tightened his grip on her then dropped his head to her shoulder and whispered to her while she cried in his arms. After several long minutes, she finally wore herself out and became still, her body curling against his, drawing warmth and security from him the way she always had in the past. Cade didn’t know how he was going to fix this, but Addison belonged to him and one way or the other he was keeping her.
Feeling the iciness of her pale skin against the warmth of his arms, he carried her to his truck, opened the driver’s side door, then set her on the seat and scooted her over as he slid in. He knew her well. If she got the chance to run again, she would and next time he might not be able to find her. Starting the engine, he got the heater going then reached for her but drew his hand back when she flinched away from him.
“Don’t. Don’t touch me.” Voice shaking, Addison scooted closer to the passenger door and reached for the handle, hearing the door locks click as he activated them. “Unlock the door, Cade.”
“Addison, we have to talk about this, baby.”
She shook her head, her stomach heaving as she remembered the sight of him with Linda. She swallowed, her throat raw from crying and forced herself to look in his direction, thankful she couldn’t see him in the darkness of the truck. “There’s nothing to talk about. We never said we wouldn’t see other people,” she said, her voice flat and only slightly shaky. “I was just surprised, that’s all.” As the warm air from the vent flowed over her, goose bumps appeared on her skin and small shivers shook her. “I need to go home now. Please unlock the door.”
Smelling the coppery scent of blood, Cade flipped on the overhead light and saw the smears of blood on Addison’s dress and his arms. “Baby, where’s the blood coming from?”
She pressed her hand against her dress. “I cut my hand. I just need to wash it and put a bandage on it.” When he reached for her hand, she twisted away, putting her back to him. “I want to go home now.”
“Let me see your hand.”
“I’ll take care of it when I get home.” She pulled on the door handle again feeling herself losing control in the enclosed space. “Open the door.” She jerked on the handle a couple more times.
“Show me your hand, now, Addison,” he demanded, emphasizing each word.
She looked at him over her shoulder and without thinking she swung at his face. Before her hand could connect with his cheek, he captured her wrist and restrained her. For a fleeting moment she saw something flare in his eyes and she tensed then quivered with excitement.
Locking his eyes on hers, Cade stared at her until she lowered her eyes, then tightened his grip, and growled a warning when she tried to jerk her hand away as he examined it. The cut was on the fleshy part of her hand at the base of her thumb. Deep and still bleeding. He had seen enough wounds to know this one was going to need stitches.
He glanced at her pale face and red, swollen eyes and for the first time since he had known her, he couldn’t read her thoughts on her face. She was shutting him out to protect herself from him, the same way she had shut her father out when he had abandoned her in Rendezvous.
“Dammit, baby, were you just going to sit here and bleed?” Without waiting for an answer, he reached to the backseat and grabbed a box of tissues. Wadding up several of them, he pressed them to her palm then closed her fingers into a fist. “I’ll take you home after I take you to the emergency room,” he said as he started the truck. “We’ll talk at your house.”
“That isn’t necessary. I can drive myself.” Hearing the calmness of her own voice, she was surprised then relieved. She remembered feeling this way as a child, guarded and distanced from the world and the people around her. She had learned at an early age that everyone, no matter how harmless they seemed, wanted something from her. Too bad she had forgotten that lesson for a while and let herself trust Cade.
“You’re in no condition to drive right now.”
“I’m fine. Besides, I’ll need my car in the morning to get to work.”
“I’ll have one of the ranch hands move your car to the body shop in town and I’ll make sure you have a car by morning.” Remembering the damage she’d done to the entry gate, he reminded himself to make sure she had a car with the highest safety rating available.
“My purse is in my car. My house keys and wallet are in it.”
Knowing she was making excuses so she could get a chance to escape, he stopped the truck and backed up. “I’ll get it.”
As soon as he unlocked his door and started to slide out, Addison reached for her door handle and heard the locks engage again. Turning, she frowned at him.
He held up the electronic control. “Childproof locks, baby.” His eyes swept over her. “Put on your seatbelt.”
Frown deepening, she turned away from him and stared out into the darkness on the other side of the window. This time, she thought, she wasn’t going to let him railroad her into letting him have his way. She heard her purse land on the seat next to her then the truck rocked slightly as he climbed in. She heard him pull his seatbelt out then heard it lock into place as he put the truck in gear. Behind them the cold mist glowed red and she knew he had his boot on the brakes, waiting for her to put on her seat belt. Snorting, she grabbed the belt and locked it into place. “Happy?” she asked him sarcastically.
“No, but we’ll talk about that, too, whether you want to or not.”
His voice was determined and she knew nothing would stop him once he set his mind to something he wanted. She tried anyway. “I’ve already told you. There’s nothing to talk about. You’re free to see other people and so am I.”
The truck jerked to a stop, thrusting her forward and causing her seat belt to lock into place. Cade turned to her, a dark green warning blazing from his eyes. “Oh, hell no, baby. I know you well enough to know how reckless you can be when you’re pissed off at me. You belong to me and there’s no way I’m going to let you bring another man between us.”
“I’m not pissed off,” she lied, losing control of her speech, her Irish accent stronger than usual, the way it always sounded when she was upset or pissed off. Cringing in disgust at herself and at him, she wondered why he couldn’t leave her with some of her pride intact. Clearing her throat, she tried again, her tone flat as she told him, “I’m not upset.” Satisfied she had pulled it off, she turned away from him, waiting for him to drive on so they could get this fiasco over with and go their separate ways.
Hearing Addison lie to him, Cade’s temper soared, and the temptation to show her what his life as a Dom was all about was almost overwhelming. Only the knowledge that his plans for her didn’t involve a D/s relationship held him back. He’d decided that he and Addison were going to have the kind of marriage his adoptive parents, Jake and Katherine Ramsey, had had and there would be no drinking, no fighting, and no infidelity. “Fine, then if you don’t want to talk about it, we’ll just forget about it, but, baby, you’re not getting away from me. You’re going to be stuck being Mrs. Cade Ramsey for the rest of your life.”
Twisting around to face him, her cheeks bright red with anger, she glared at him, blue eyes narrowed to slits, her uninjured hand aching to slap his arrogant face. “There is no way in bloody hell that is ever happening, you bastard,” she screamed, her brogue making the words almost indistinct.
“We’ll see.” The clenching in his gut relaxed as he released a silent sigh of relief. Her pale calmness had had him worried. He would rather deal with her anger than see her become the quiet, withdrawn person he had met so long ago. Only Diablo, his father’s meaner-than-hell stallion, had been able to make her smile back then. Diablo and him, he corrected himself. Addison had been chasing after him for over half her life and he had decided to finally let her catch him. “We’ll talk at your house, Addison, but you are not shutting me out. I will promise you this…From now on I won’
t see any other women and you definitely won’t be seeing any other men. You belong to me.”
Obstinately, her chin in the air, she fed him back his own words. “We’ll see.”
Chapter One
April Fools’ Day
The three-carat diamond solitaire on Addison’s finger trapped the sunlight then sent out a rainbow of sparkling colors that reflected off the mirrors in the large main room of her newly opened boutique. Looking around at the racks of clothing and the shelves of accessories, she still wasn’t sure how she had ended up here in Rendezvous with a ring on her finger.
The last six weeks, Cade had spent every available moment with her, overwhelming her with his demands that she go to lunch with him, to dinner with him, to a movie with him, riding with him, dancing with him, and the list went on and on. Every one of those dates ended with her naked on his lap, screaming and gasping with pleasure as he overwhelmed her with his knowledge of the female body. Damn him, she thought. That bastard wore me down and caught me at a weak moment.
Looking around again she still couldn’t believe she had opened this shop. While having dinner with Cade four weeks ago, she’d mentioned that she’d always wanted to open a designer boutique. Within a week he’d had her moved from Dallas to Rendezvous and living in a new house while plans were drawn up for the shop. He’d made sure the contractors did exactly what she wanted, even when she’d made things difficult for him, demanding to know why she couldn’t move in with him and why he wouldn’t make love to her.
When she had informed him Saturday night that she no longer loved him, he had laughed in her face then stripped her down and held her on his lap while his mouth had devoured her lips and his fingers had driven her crazy. He’d stroked over the slit of her pussy again and again, gradually sliding the tips between her labia and stroking over her clit while she shuddered and begged him to fuck her. When he’d lifted his hand and tasted the cream that coated his fingers, growling with pleasure, she’d been nearly out of her mind, moaning with need and begging him to take her.
Cade had arranged her on the couch on her back with one leg on the floor and the other thrown over the back of the couch. Instead of making love to her, he’d kissed her then slowly slid down her body, licking and nibbling on her breasts then sucking them into his mouth as she’d pushed her hot, wet pussy against his jean-covered leg, begging him to fuck her.
She’d tugged on his shirt until he’d sat up, whipped it over his head, and thrown it across the room. When she’d reached for him he’d caught her hands and held them down on the couch by her waist while he continued to suck and lick her pussy. Every cell in her body had focused on him and what he was doing to her with his mouth and tongue.
When he’d slid a finger into her, she’d moaned with pleasure. Gradually he’d added a second finger, stretching her and rubbing over the sensitive walls of her pussy, and her moans had turned into begging. He’d licked and sucked and stroked her pussy and her clit until she screamed his name as an orgasm exploded through her. He’d slid up her body, grasped her chin with his fingers and forced her to look into his eyes.
“Tell me you love me, Addison.”
“I love you, Cade, but I don’t want to so don’t look so pleased with yourself.”
He’d smiled, kissed her again then jumped to his feet. A second later he’d pulled a ring from his pocket and had slid it onto her left ring finger. When she protested, he’d kissed her then looked for his shirt and shrugged into it. She’d grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and followed him to the door.
Cade had grabbed her and lifted her up. He’d smiled then kissed her. “I’ll be back in three to four weeks.
“I’m not going to marry you, Cade.”
He’d chuckled, patted her on the bottom, then told her he’d give her two months to think about it and then he’d meet her at the church.
While she’d been sputtering with indignation, he’d kissed her again then disappeared out the door, reminding her to lock it behind him and turn on the alarm.
He hurt her, and she no longer trusted him completely. In the past she’d never wondered where he was or what he was doing. Or rather who he was doing. But now she found herself almost obsessing over his absence. The fact that he hadn’t even bothered to propose to her aggravated her to no end, even though she knew it was her fault he took her love for him for granted. She’d never hidden the fact that she wanted him. How could she, when she’d been chasing after him ever since the day she’d met him? He’d never had to worry that someone else would come along and take her from him the way she had worried that he would get married before she had a chance to grow up and catch him.
The few dates she’d had in college had ended as soon as the boy realized she and her security team were a package deal. On her twenty-first birthday, she’d given each member of the security team a bonus big enough to retire on and then sent them on their way. By that time, though, she’d been so out of tune with people her age that it had been easier to concentrate on her studies rather than risk trying to have a normal life.
Cupping her chin in her palm, Addison decided what she needed was a way to make Cade stop taking her for granted. She figured she had several weeks to come up with a plan before he returned from his latest assignment.
Movement across the street drew her attention as three women stepped out of the bakery and she recognized Valerie Jones and her best friends Delia and Jamie Sue. They looked at her shop before crossing the street, with Valerie leading the way, her steps full of purpose. Delia and Jamie Sue, trailed behind her. The three of them had been trying to make Addison’s life miserable ever since Valerie had decided it was Addison’s fault Cade stopped dating her. Of course, in a way it had been her fault as she’d made sure Cade heard about how much Jimmy Burrows loved Valerie. She’d also made sure Cade caught Valerie with Jimmy in the back seat of his car. From the sour expression on Valerie’s face, Addison figured she’d heard the news of her engagement to Cade and she was here for some payback.
“Here comes my comeuppance,” Addison said to her assistant, Marcy Thomas.
Marcy saw the three women approaching the door of the shop and grimaced. “I hate when they’re in town. Thank goodness they all live in Dallas now and they don’t come home very often.”
“Actually, I’ve been expecting this for a very long time.” Flipping her long, reddish-gold fishtail braid over her shoulder, Addison leaned back on the velvet-covered stool and tried to appear relaxed.
The old-fashioned bell above the door rang as the three women, dressed in outfits that just screamed slut alert, stepped into the shop. Valerie sent a scornful look at the high-end designer clothing and accessories then sniffed with disdain, while behind her Delia and Jamie Sue copied her actions. Hiding her grin, Addison quietly told Marcy that watching them was like walking through the fun house at the carnival and seeing multiple reflections of the same ridiculous thing. Marcy smothered a giggle as Valerie clomped over to the counter where they were waiting.
“Well, well, look who we have here, ladies.” Valerie smirked, her voice grating. “If it isn’t Addison Matthews. So tell me, Addison, are the rumors true? Did you really catch Cade with his pants down on Valentine’s Day?”
Delia and Jamie Sue giggled. “It’s about time she caught on, don’t you think?” Jamie Sue asked Valerie with another giggle.
Addison smiled then said, “Hello, Valerie. The clearance items are on a table by the door. You should take a look at them on your way out.”
“Well, really, here I am trying to do you a favor and that’s the way you treat me?” Valerie pursed her thin lips as she examined her long red fingernails.
Cheap manicure, Addison thought as she placed her perfectly shaped and polished fingertips on the glass counter then smiled when Valerie glared at the ring on her finger. Relaxing her shoulders, she held out her foot and admired the new, cream-colored Louboutins she had bought the previous day. Her father may not have wanted her but he had do
ne two things for her before leaving. First, he had made sure she would receive not only his money but the estate her mother had left her. And then, ironically, he had made sure she knew how to protect herself from people like him and Valerie. With Valerie, all she had to do was stay calm and wait her out because Addison knew anytime she showed up it was to have her say and cause trouble.
“You think you know everything,” Valerie spit out, her voice venomous.
“Well, not absolutely everything,” Addison told her. “But still, quite a lot.”
Lost for a response, Valerie’s mouth opened and closed, then she sputtered, “Well, uh, Cade and his brothers and the whole town of Rendezvous have been laughing at you and keeping you in the dark for years.”
“So, you’re here to enlighten me. How unusually kind of you, Valerie.” Addison hid her smile when the insult went right over Valerie’s head.
“Yes, well, you need to know that the night you walked in on Cade with Linda wasn’t the first time he’s been with another woman since he started dating you.” Valerie sneered then added jealously, “If you think that was the first time then you’re a fool!”
“Well, it is April Fool’s Day,” Addison reminded her.
“What?” Valerie screeched, stumped with confusion until Delia nudged her and gave her a go ahead look. “Cade Ramsey is a Dom. You don’t even know what that is, do you? Do you even know what a sub is?”
“A sandwich?” Addison guessed, raising her silky brows. Even she, as protected as she had always been, had heard the term before. Besides, everyone, even her best friend Jenna, was reading erotic romance these days. She just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
“No. Not a sandwich!” Valerie rolled her eyes. “That just proves how clueless you are. A Dom is a man who needs to be in control of his woman, especially when he’s fucking her. And, a sub is a woman who does whatever the Dom tells her to do.”
To Love and Obey [The Doms of Club Mystique] (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 2