by Amy Cecil
“But Cade, I can’t ….”
He interrupted me and said, “Do not question me on this! It is not open for discussion. Be sure to have you bags packed first thing in the morning.” He moved to the door and opened it, which I interpreted as my cue to leave.
Chapter 20
Caden
I hated being so harsh with Emma, but she needed to understand the severity of this. She also needed to understand that I would do everything in my power to keep her safe. I’ve waited too long to get her back in my life, I won’t lose her now.
After Emma left, I called Hawk. I didn’t know if he was still at the clubhouse and it was just easier to call his cell. It turns out he was already heading to my office – as he answered his phone, he also opened my office door. “Hey Ice, what’s up?” he said as he entered my office.
I clicked off my phone and said, “I’m sure you know that I have spoken with Emma. I’m getting her out of here first thing in the morning.”
“Are you going, too?”
“That was my plan. Why?” Of course I was going, why would he ask me that?
“Well, Ice, just hear me out, ok?”
“What?” I was getting frustrated. What was he thinking?
“I think it would be best if you had Rebel take her. They will be expecting you to be with her, so they will be watching you – especially now that they know the two of you are connected. If Rebel takes her, he can make sure she is safe. He can get her settled and then when we get this shit settled, you can go to her or bring her home. Just think about it. I’m just looking out for you and your girl.”
If I thought logically, he was right. But, if I had to be honest with myself, I didn’t think logically where Emma was concerned. I thought about what he said for a few minutes and finally I agreed. He was right. “Fine, get Reb in here.” Hawk left my office and in a couple of minutes, he returned with Rebel.
“What’s up, boss?” he asked as he came into my office.
“I want you to plan on taking Emma to our safe house in Rome.”
“When?”
“First thing in the morning. Her safety is your top priority. Got it?”
“Got it. I’ll protect her with my life. You gonna be ok here without me?”
I knew why he asked that. As my sergeant at arms, it was his job to have my back. He was my protection. But right now, Emma mattered more. I could take care of myself if I needed to. I mean really, I had 24 other brothers with me. “Yeah, I’ll be fine – especially if I know that Emma is safe. Her safety is my priority. We got enough guys here to take care of the club. Plan on staying with her for a while, until we get a handle on things here. I should be up within the week.”
“Ok Prez. Consider it done. Anything else?”
“Nope, we’re good here. Thanks.” I knew he realized how important Emma’s safety was to me and I knew she would be in good hands, but I still couldn’t help worrying. Our safe house in Rome was the perfect location to keep her safe. It was nestled in upstate New York, surrounded by lots of trees, and bordered up to Delta Lake State Park. Quiet and serene, just what Emma needed.
“Hawk, wait a minute.”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. That was a good call.”
“Sure thing, it’s what I do.” He turned to leave.
“Wait, one more thing. Make sure Rebel takes Emma’s phone. Give him a couple of burners. If Grayson has her cell number, I don’t want him to track her. Nor do I want him calling her, either.”
“You got it,” he said and left my office.
Now that my first order of business was handled, it was time to move on to the next. How in the fuck are we gonna get Brianne out? The guys had some ideas today at the meet, but nothing seemed to be right. There had to be a way, but how?
I sat down at my desk and contemplated all that had happened over the last week and a half. Then I realized, I needed to have Skeeter find out where in their clubhouse they were keeping Brianne. That would be a start. So, I sent him a text with further instructions.
Several hours had passed and I realized that I had been in my office longer than I had intended. I needed my girl. I headed out to the common room, but she was nowhere to be found. I asked Honey and she said that Emma had some packing to do and had gone upstairs. Perfect, exactly where I wanted her.
I headed upstairs and turned toward Emma’s room. Her door was slightly ajar, so I took it as an invitation, hoping she was waiting for me. As I walked in I could see that she was diligently packing, just as I’d instructed. Good girl. She didn’t notice me, or she was pretending not to notice me. “Emma?” I said softly. She slowly looked up at me, her eyes fixated on mine. Neither of us spoke, and I found it very difficult to look away from her beautiful body in her little boy shorts and tank top. Damn, she was so sexy. I knew that one of us needed to say something, but I was finding that all I could think about was that I needed her. Since I came here for a reason, that someone needed to be me. I couldn’t be anything more than honest with her. “I need you.” One simple statement that said everything she needed to hear. She didn’t need any further invitation than what I offered, and she came to me eagerly. I placed my hand behind her neck, threading my fingers into her hair, and pulled her toward me with urgency, pressing her body against my own. I couldn’t wait any longer, and I devoured her lips with so much need and intensity it was as if her mouth was my only form of survival. I pulled at her tank top as she lifted her hands over her head, breaking our kiss briefly to remove it. “Tell me you want this.”
Breathlessly she replied, “Yes, I want this.”
My lips crashed down on hers again. The urgency built throughout my entire body and I realized I couldn’t wait any more. I pulled away from our kiss and I took her head in my hands. As I gazed into her eyes, I told her exactly what I needed. “I need to be inside you, Emma, now. After the day I have had, you are like coming home: my solace, my comfort. Now that I have had a taste of you, I can’t get enough.”
She inched closer, inviting me. “Caden, you are all that to me, too. You make me feel safe and protected. It’s always been you and it always will be.” That was all I needed to hear. I guided her to the door. I raised both her hands over her head and pinned them in place with one hand. My other hand stroked her breast. As her nipple beaded to a peak, she began to moan, causing me to become more eager.
I reached for the waistband of her shorts and slid them down just enough so that they rested on her pelvic bone. I glanced down her body and could see the peak of her mound and my mouth began to water. “God baby, you are so damn beautiful. You smell so sexy, are you ready for me?” She nodded. Oh no, a simple nod was not going to work for me. I needed to hear the words. I stepped back slightly. “Tell me,” I demanded.
She looked up to me submissively and softly said with a stutter, “Y-Yes.” I dropped to my knees, kneeling before her and I took in her intoxicating scent. I was at her mercy as I slowly began to worship her. I slid her shorts down all the way to the floor and she quickly stepped out of them. With her incredible sweetness displayed for only me to see, I couldn’t stay away any longer. I leaned down and kissed her thigh, trailing kisses up her to her core. My tongue probed at her clit and I began to lick, running my tongue up and around her. I glanced up at her and I saw that she was watching my every move. My erection began to burn and strain against my jeans. She was still watching me as she began to run her fingers through my hair, pulling me toward her pelvis. I had never seen so much desire in her eyes. She started to moan again and her hips began to move with the same rhythm as my tongue. I continued to lick as her orgasm raged inside her, allowing her to ride it out. Slowly, I stood up and moved to kiss her luscious lips, making her taste herself on me. She didn’t even hesitate. She was on fire, and I couldn’t wait any longer to be inside her. I quickly unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans, lowering them just enough to free my straining cock. She looked down at me and before I knew it, she had dropped to her knees. Holy fuck!
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br /> She wrapped her mouth around the head of my cock and began to suck, hard, hungrily. She stopped briefly and licked me from balls to tip, once, then twice. “God damnit Emma, you are so damn good with your mouth. I don’t know how much more I can take,” I groaned. She continued sucking and licking and I felt my body tense. I was about to cum, but I realized that I didn’t want it that way. I needed to be inside her. I gently pulled her up to me, making her stop, and she gave me a look of disappointment. “No worries, darlin’. I just need to be inside you.”
I carefully guided her back over to the bed. Before she knew any different my body had blanketed hers, rubbing myself on her thigh with my cock. She pleaded, “Caden, please. Don’t make me wait any longer.” Her need was intoxicating.
Fuck, I just realized I didn’t have a condom. “Emma, sweetheart, are you on the pill?” She nodded. That was all I needed to hear. With that, I began to thrust into her. I could feel every part of her as her pussy walls began to clench onto me. I slowly started to build momentum, then began picking up the pace. I couldn’t stop my hands from roaming all over her beautiful body.
Her hands grabbed onto my back as she dug her nails in, pulling at me to get closer. We were so close, our bodies molded together. I took my hand and slid it between us, then began to rub my thumb softly over her clit. She cried out, “Harder! Caden, harder! I need more.” I slammed into her, hard, putting myself balls deep into her. Her body began to tense, her walls tightened their hold on me, and finally she let go. “Caden!” I continued to thrust into her as her pussy continued to clench and milk my dick. It was my undoing, and I came harder than I ever had before. We rode out our orgasms together, and after, we lay together for a long time. I was still inside her, and the last thing I wanted to do was to leave her warmth and softness. But I knew I needed to and I slowly slid out of her, watching my dick come out of her pussy glistening with our combined juices. I watched as what I’d left behind slowly dripped down her thighs; it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen.
Finally, I got up and walked toward the bathroom. Sleepily, she asked, “Where are you going?” I didn’t respond, but emerged from the bathroom with a warm washcloth. I gently cleaned her and she purred like a kitten. When I was done, I climbed back into bed, pulled her toward me, and fell into a deep, sated sleep.
Chapter 21
Emma
I woke up early, sweating. It wasn’t hard to figure out why – I soon realized that I was entangled in Caden’s grasp. Ever so quietly I managed to wiggle out of his hold. He didn’t wake, but rolled over with a moan. I stood there and stared at him for a while. He was absolutely beautiful, and I had to pinch myself to convince myself that this all wasn’t a dream. I had dreamt about being with Cade for so long, and finally I was here. I was his old lady.
I went in to shower and when I emerged, Caden was awake. I said, “Good morning, sleepyhead. Sleep well?”
He smiled groggily and said, “Hell yeah.” He paused for a moment; taking in my wet body covered only in a towel, and then said, “Come here, beautiful.” How could a girl resist that? I sauntered over to him and sat down next to him on the bed. He rose up and kissed me on the cheek, rubbing his thumb across my collarbone.
“What time are we leaving?” I asked. Suddenly, he got a worried look on his face. “Caden, what’s wrong?”
He didn’t respond right away, and I was beginning to worry. He rubbed his face with his hands, pushed one back through his hair, and then said, “Emma, I’m not going with you.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He was going to send me off by myself! “What do you mean you are not going with me? Caden, this was your idea, not mine. This isn’t a vacation; we were going away to be safe. Your words, not mine!” I was angry. How dare he do this to me?
“I know, and you are still going away. But you are going with Rebel.”
“But why? Don’t you want to be with me?” I knew that was such a girly thing to say, but I just couldn’t help it. After last night, I just didn’t understand.
“I can’t believe you just asked me that. Are you fucking serious? I don’t even think I should grace that question with an answer. You fucking know better!” he yelled.
“Caden, I’m sorry. But what do you expect me to think?”
“Well if you would let me finish and stop jumping to conclusions, perhaps you will understand why I am not going with you.”
Feeling ashamed now, I replied, “Ok.”
He then continued, “I’m not going with you because you will be safer without me. Grayson and the Satans have tied you to me. They know we share a past. They will have their eyes on me. If I go with you, I’ll be leading them right to us. Rebel is my sergeant at arms. I know you are not familiar with what that title means, but putting it simply, he’s my enforcer. Plus, he excels at staying under the radar. I trust the man with my life, and yours. So, he is taking you to New York. He will stay with you until we settle this ordeal with the Satans. I don’t know how long this is going to take, but I’ll be able to think more clearly knowing that you are far away from here.” He paused for a moment and then added, “Now do you understand?”
“I do, but … I don’t know him.” How could I spend a few days in a house with a man I don’t know? Suddenly I was more scared than I had been before.
“Well, sweetheart, I suggest you get to know him – strictly platonically, I might add.”
What could I do? Refuse to go? That would never work. Caden would bind and gag me to make sure I left with Rebel. I had no choice but to agree.
Caden reached over to the nightstand and looked at his phone. “Fuck, it’s 6. We gotta move.” He jumped out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. I watched as his naked body casually walked about my room as if he didn’t have a care in the world. When he got to the bathroom, he poked his head out and said, “Put your bags by the door. I’ll carry them down when I am done. Be done in 10.” He disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later, I heard the shower.
I sat down on the bed, totally drained. The past week and a half had been a total whirlwind. My best friend disappeared, I’d been uprooted from my home, I’d called off my engagement, my life was in danger, and now, I was heading to New York with a man I didn’t know. But Cade said that he trusts him. I trust Cade. I trust Cade with my life. So, if this was what he thought is best, I could do it. I had to. The last thing I wanted to do was to add more to Caden’s plate. I’ve already done enough.
Caden emerged from the shower looking delicious. Oh hell, I wish we had more time – or that I just wasn’t leaving. But it would have to wait. He left my room with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair dripping wet. When he returned, he was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, and his hair was brushed back. It occurred to me that sometimes, it is more arousing looking at a man fully clothed, in the right clothes, than seeing him naked.
“Ready to go, darlin’? he asked as he was grabbing my bags.
“Yep, lead the way,” I said as I followed him out the door.
When we got downstairs, Rebel was sitting at the bar drinking coffee. God, that sounded so good. “Caden, do we have some time for me to get some coffee?”
“Sure, but make it quick,” he replied. I ran into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of the most wonderful thing God had ever created. To my surprise, I found creamer in the fridge. That’s funny … they never had cream before. I always had to use milk. Hmmmm. Honey must have gotten it. Perhaps I was starting to grow on her.
I came back out to the bar and saw Cade and Rebel talking in hushed tones. My guess is that it was club business. I remembered what Cade and Honey told me about old ladies being on a need-to-know basis. So, I plopped myself down in a barstool at the other end of the bar so they didn’t think I was eavesdropping.
A few minutes later, Cade walked over and kissed my forehead. I loved it when he did that. It reminded me so much of when we were kids. He always took care of me then, and he is taking care of me n
ow. “It’s time for you two to head out. You good?”
I replied reassuringly, “I am.” I hesitated for a moment and then said, “Everything is going to be ok. I just know it.” He smiled. He grabbed my bags and headed out the door and I followed. Rebel came up behind us and unlocked the steel gray Durango that was parked by the door. Thank God we were not going on a bike. I had been wondering about that and how that would work. It’s a good thing I don’t have to find out.
My bags were loaded and we were ready to go. Rebel got in the vehicle and I hesitated for a moment. I looked up at Caden, not wanting to say goodbye. I didn’t know when I was going to see him again and I didn’t want to leave him. I kept telling myself that I was going to see him in a few days, but it wasn’t helping. Caden pulled me into his arms and held me close. He bent down and kissed me. Not a little peck, but a real kiss. I melted against him, wanting more, but knowing I was not going to get anything more. I had to leave. He released me and I stepped toward the car, but then I hesitated and turned back. I hugged Caden once more and whispered in his ear, “I love you.” Not waiting for a response, I turned and got in the car. I didn’t need a response; I knew how he felt.
Rebel pulled out and the tears started to fall. I couldn’t help it; the last thing I wanted was to leave Caden. Not now, not ever! “Emma, everything is going to be ok. That’s what I heard you say to Ice, and I know you believe it,” Rebel said, trying to make me feel better.
“I do believe it. It’s just so hard.”
“I know, been in the same type of situation myself. It’s not fun leaving the ones you love, but sometimes it is the best thing for them.” He said this rather sadly, and I made a mental note to ask him about it later. He then added, “Oh, before I forget, give me your phone.”