by Nikki Landis
My heartrate sped up in response.
She was so close I could reach out and touch her, glide my palms over the soft flesh of her arms, trickling up and over her shoulders until they slid down her back and gripped the swell of her ass. My gaze locked on her pink mouth and I could still feel the warmth of her kiss on my lips . . .
Shit. All the blood in my head traveled south. I was painfully hard and fast.
“I didn’t know you were coming.”
She took a step closer as if she could feel the strong pull between us the same way I did. “Leah invited me yesterday.”
The sun peeked through a fluffy bunch of white clouds and I swear the beams of light surrounded Cara in their dazzling glow. I was looking at the greatest temptation I’d ever had in my life and that was saying something with Rae in the vicinity. This was the woman who saved my life a little over a week ago. The same feisty little saint that I wanted to drag into the house, toss on the bed, and make her filthy with hours of hot sex. There was no doubt about it.
Cara was my light, my angel.
She didn’t notice my reaction, turning away when Charlotte called her name. “I’ll be back.”
Nodding, I was unable to answer.
Ghost and GQ were quick to arrive, the fuckers, and snicker at my expression.
“Fuck me,” I whispered, my throat closing up as I tried to gulp down the sudden lump. Cara looked my way and I held back the desire to tug her closer, not really giving a fuck that anyone else was around.
“You’re a goner, bro.”
I ignored Ghost and blinked, my gaze traveling from Cara’s shapely calves slowly upward beyond that nice set of tits straight to the sensual smile resting on her luscious lips.
“Fuck me,” I repeated, and heard Ghost and GQ’s deep laughter.
This girl didn’t know it yet but as my eyes grazed over her slowly from head to toe, stopping to caress every inch of her toned and perfect body, she was going to be mine.
When had I decided that?
Fuck me. I really was a goner.
I tried to remind myself she was engaged, she was with another guy, but it didn’t help. I wanted Cara and I was pretty damn sure she was attracted to me just as much. Before this birthday party was over, I was determined to find out exactly what was between us. Even if I had to corner her in the house alone to do it.
Chapter 9 – Cara
“It’s almost three,” I whispered excitedly to Charlotte and Rae.
“I can’t wait to see their reaction,” Rae admitted. “This is gonna be epic.”
“Agreed,” Charlotte added. “Sophie will be so surprised!”
“What happens at three?” Hayley asked, openly curious. “Presents?”
“Better than presents,” I announced, glancing down at the phone as I felt a vibration. “They’re here.”
Rae grabbed her cell and slid it to video at the same time as Charlotte. “Would you take pictures like me? In case I miss anything?” I asked Hayley.
She nodded, reaching into her back pocket.
I sent a text and let them know they could come on back. We left the gate open on purpose.
About a minute later Elsa and Anna entered the backyard and the party erupted in a dozen squeals of excitement and shouts of surprise. Leah and Sophie were in awe. They held onto one another and giggled; eyes wide as they stared at their favorite princesses.
Elsa flipped her blonde hair back and opened her arms wide. “I heard it was a special girl’s birthday today. Where’s Leah?”
Leah stepped forward and tugged Sophie and another girl with her, nearly bouncing up and down in excitement. “Me!”
Anna clapped and stood next to Elsa. “Wonderful. Happy birthday, Leah!”
Leah was completely awestruck. “Elsa and Anna! You’re my favorite!”
Both ladies laughed, giving her birthday hugs.
“You did good,” Charlotte whispered, pausing the recording. “They’re so happy.”
“Cara.” Rae spun around and I glimpsed tears. “This is amazing. Thank you so much.”
Leah didn’t move from Elsa and Anna as games were played, the girls sang songs from the Frozen movies, and then colored while they wore paper crowns and opened presents. After happy birthday was sang by everyone at the party, cake and ice cream were served. Elsa and Anna left a few minutes later, waving at the girls and hugging every single one before handing out special beaded bracelets.
Leah ran up to Rae, cake icing smeared across her cheek. “This is the best birthday ever!” She hugged Rae as her big brown eyes lit up with pure joy.
Rae placed a kiss on top of her head. “I’m so glad.”
Leah returned to her friends as they climbed up into Leah’s treehouse. The party didn’t show any signs of slowing down as the girls played Frozen and they made up their own version.
“You’ve just made her entire year,” Rae joked as Edge, R.J., and Jake joined us.
“It was my pleasure. Lara and Bree are old college friends. They were more than happy to dress up for the girls. They do these appearances for a little extra cash. It’s wonderful to see how happy they make the kids.”
“Those were your friends?” Edge seemed surprised.
“Yes. Wasn’t it a wonderful idea for them to come?”
He seemed genuinely touched. “That was fuckin’ awesome, Cara. I’ve never seen Leah so excited.”
Rae leaned back into his embrace as he slid his arms around her, her expression tired but happy. “I can’t thank you enough, Cara.”
“Sophie won’t be able to sleep tonight,” Charlotte joked. “These girls will dream Frozen for weeks.”
“I’m sure they will. I would have,” Rae added. “I don’t think Leah will ever forget it.”
“I was saving it for a big surprise. Today was perfect.”
My sister agreed along with Hayley and Rae. “Sophie found a new best friend and got to meet Anna and Elsa. I’ll never get her back to reality.”
I nudged Charlotte with a smile. “My niece deserves the best. Obviously, that’s fictional princesses and new friends.”
There was a chorus of light laughter.
“That was kind of you, Cara.” At the sound of R.J.’s deep voice, I looked up and into his dark eyes as the breath caught in my throat.
It was like everyone in the vicinity just disappeared. The voices of the others faded into the background. All I heard, all I knew was the mountain of a man who stood in front of me.
“Do you think I could talk to you for a minute?” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Alone?”
“Sure.” R.J. gestured to the house and I followed him inside. “Thirsty?” He seemed to be at home inside the house, and I figured he was probably here often since he was so close to Edge and Rae.
“Water is fine.”
He handed me a cold bottle right from the fridge.
“Thanks.”
“What you want to talk about?” His piercing gaze assessed my expression, lingering just a moment before dragging slowly downward all the way to my toes and then back up again. He didn’t hide the hungry look in his eyes or the open appreciation as his lips widened into a sultry grin.
“I, uh,” I began, losing all track of thought. Why did I need to speak to him again?
“You seem a little confused,” he teased, leaning back against the counter and folding his arms across his chest which did nothing but accentuate the lean lines of his body and the bulging muscle.
“How tall are you?” I blurted, blushing as he chuckled.
“Last I checked I was about 6’4”. Why?”
Yeah, not really important. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
He seemed to find that sentence funny. “I’d have to say the same, darlin’.”
Neither of us spoke for a moment. I opened and closed my mouth several times, completely stuck. When he was near, my brain turned to complete mush. Happened every single time.
“You can tell me anything you know,”
he whispered, pushing off the counter as he stepped closer. The heat of his body invaded my personal space as he stepped close. One finger tilted my chin up until our eyes met. “I need you to tell me something and I want the truth.”
“Alright.”
“Are you in love with your fiancé?”
Blinking, I was surprised that he asked. It was pretty bold. “No,” I answered truthfully.
“You gonna marry him?”
“No way,” I replied, my voice growing stronger. “Never.”
He frowned. “I don’t like the way you said that.” He lowered his head slightly. “Does he hurt you?”
Shit. This conversation took a turn in the wrong direction fast but at least I remembered what I needed to tell him now. “Yes.” R.J. stiffened as his jaw locked. “He’s dangerous. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Out with it, sweetheart.”
“His name is Maxwell Forman, the son of Barry Forman the wealthy businessman.”
“I know who that jackass is.”
Max’s reputation always preceded him.
“He took me to a club last night. A new one he wants to acquire. That’s not important. What you need to know is that Max met with a few bikers last night. I saw the name of their club.”
“Who?”
“Satan’s Outlaws.”
“You’re positive?”
“Yeah. They’re planning something. I’m certain of it. I don’t think their connection is good for Providence.”
“No,” he agreed, lifting a hand to cup my cheek. “You’re under my protection now, Cara. If Max tries to hurt you, I want you to get away and then call me immediately.”
“I’ll try.”
“You’ll do it,” he demanded gruffly. “Promise me.”
“Okay.”
“Good.”
Leaning into his touch, I wanted desperately to feel the affection of a man who desired me and not because he wanted to dominate or own me like a piece of property. “He’s taking me to a gala next weekend. The annual charity ball for Providence at the mayor’s mansion. He goes every year.”
R.J. frowned. “I don’t want you alone with him.” His thumb brushed across my skin. “Tell me you’ll be smart. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’m going to break off our engagement. The safest place to do that is in public.”
“Sounds risky.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “It’s the best option.”
“Tell me he doesn’t –”
Reaching upward, I placed a finger against his lips. “I can’t.”
I was in his arms two seconds later, my head cradled over his heart. Thumping beats raced beneath my ear as he sighed. “Fuck, Cara.”
“I know,” I whispered as he kissed the top of my head.
“Not anymore. Never again. Do you hear me?” R.J.’s eyes held a warning as I lifted my head. “I’m serious. You do what you have to do but you don’t let him near you. Keep a phone with you at all times. I don’t want you stranded without a way to contact me.”
“I promise.”
“Give me your phone.”
I handed it to him, watching as he typed info in and saved it. “I’m in your ICE list along with Rae and Edge. You can reach us all easily.”
“Thank you.”
“Max won’t get away with what he’s done. You understand that, right?”
I did. “Yeah.”
A silent agreement passed between us. Maxwell Forman would answer for his crimes when the time was right. I didn’t feel badly about it. Not at all.
Chapter 10 – Cara
“Hey, Cara.”
I looked up from my desk, shocked to find R.J. standing in my doorway. “You’re at my school.”
He chuckled at my response, holding up a lunch bag. “Technically, it’s my little goddaughter’s elementary. Leah rushed off without her lunch sack. Rae says she has pregnancy brain and can’t get a damn thing right anymore, so she never checked to see if Leah had it until she was already on the bus.”
Giggling, I shook my head. “I’ll walk you to Leah’s classroom.”
“I know where it’s at but come with me anyway.” A confident smile ghosted across his lips as I stood. “Happy to see me?”
He sure was laying it on thick.
“Maybe.” I lifted my chin and refused to meet that steady dark stare. “How have you been?”
It was only Tuesday. Three days since we last saw each other but it felt like weeks. Not that I would give him the satisfaction of knowing how much I’d missed him.
“Sad and lonely.” He tried to pout, and it just didn’t work.
“You’re too manly to pout. It looks like you’re about to murder someone instead.”
A loud laugh burst from his lips and he shook his head, his palm resting against my back as I approached and walked beside him. Shifting my body, I let his hand fall away, unable to hide a shiver.
“What’s that about?”
“Ask me some other time, okay?”
We walked to Leah’s classroom and dropped off her lunch, pausing by her teacher’s desk to check on her progress. The kids were at morning recess. They would be going to lunch in another hour. R.J. arrived in time to save the day.
Once we were back in my office, he shut the door and flipped the Be Back Soon sign around so no one would disturb us. I had to admit the man was almost annoyingly persistent when he wanted something.
“It’s another time.”
“You’re not going to let it go, are you?”
He shook his head.
Sighing, I leaned against my desk and faced him, swallowing loudly as I summoned the courage to speak the words aloud. Even my sister didn’t know as much detail as I was about to give R.J. I wasn’t sure why I trusted him as much as I did but I felt safe with him. That meant a lot to me, more than I could express.
“Max likes to be rough,” I began, keeping my eyes level with R.J.’s no matter how much I wanted to look away. “He’s controlling and manipulative. Whenever he’s around, he has his hand on my back and it feels like I’m stuck in a prison I can’t escape. I feel like I’m suffocating, and I can’t get air every single time. Lately, it’s gotten worse.” I bit my lip, trying not to cry. “Max shoves me into the walls, yanks my hair, grabs my upper arms.” I sighed, looking down briefly. “You get the picture. He’s always pushing me around and forcing me to do what he wants. I can’t . . . I won’t,” I blubbered, cut off when my voice broke.
R.J. moved slowly forward, picking up both my hands gently and squeezing lightly. “I won’t lie to you. I’m so pissed off right now if he stood in front of me, I’d kick his ass and I probably wouldn’t stop there.”
Despite his angry words, R.J. wasn’t rough at all.
“You’re able to control yourself though and that’s more than Max has ever been able to do.” I thought back to when we were younger and in high school. Max was always controlling. He made all the decisions in our relationship. How did I never see that before now?
“You’re not to blame.”
“I am though, partially. I let him treat me that way.”
“You made a mistake. No one is perfect.”
That wasn’t good enough. Saying it was a mistake didn’t begin to describe what I’d been through.
“It’s more than a mistake, R.J. He’s been abusing me both mentally and physically and I’ve been too stupid to realize it until the last couple of weeks. I’m weak,” I announced bitterly. “No wonder he’s been able to get away with treating me so horribly.”
“Hey,” he growled, and I almost jumped. “That’s not true at all. You’re brave, Cara. You’ve survived a monster. Maxwell Forman is nothing but a bully. He’s bigger and he’s a man so he can get away with pushing you around, at least in the past but that shit isn’t gonna happen anymore.” R.J. tugged me into his embrace, slipping his arms around me until I was completely surrounded by his protective strength. “I don’t want you to see
him anymore. Cut off all contact. It’s not safe and I don’t want him to hurt you again.”
“R.J.”
“Please,” he begged, crooking a finger underneath my chin and lifting it. “Stay away from Max.”
“I have to go to the gala,” I reminded him.
“Only to break off the engagement. Fuck, sweetheart,” he swore. “I’ll mail his ring back for you or I can toss it in his smug face when I tell him to fuck off.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why not?”
“Maxwell won’t ever leave me alone unless he can see I’m serious face to face.”
“Then I’m going to the gala too.”
“That’s a really bad idea. He’ll lose his shit if he thinks you’re there because of me.”
“Don’t care.”
“What about your club? Isn’t that risky?”
R.J. shrugged. “My brothers have my back. We’re family.”
Searching for any hint he was going to back off, I found none. “Fine. You’re going to need a tux.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Now I don’t want to go.”
“Oh, shut up,” I laughed, shaking my head. My smile vanished as I leaned forward and lay my head right over his heart. “Thank you, R.J.”
“Any time, darlin’.”
“MAXWELL IS OUTSIDE.”
I closed the notebook I’d been reading for the last hour, pouring over the notes from several students but one in particular that was deeply disturbing. A suspected child abuse case that came across my desk this morning and it was breaking my heart. Jean was concerned and she had good reason to be. Henry Simpson came to school this week with new bruises and it wasn’t the first time. The teachers noticed and brought it to our attention. We now had an open investigation.
Maxwell had terrible timing as usual.
“Great,” I muttered under my breath. I was hoping he’d give me a break for one night.
“He’s out in that rented limo.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Like he’s some rich ambassador or something. Doesn’t he realize he just looks like a fool?”