Engaging (Alluring Book 2)

by Sarah Curtis

  Before things could get out of control, Gage turned to the officer standing by him. "Officer Cruz knows why we're here. Can you find him?" The cop gave him a suspicious look. "Listen, we don't have much time to waste. She's in bad shape." Gage tilted his head to Roxy. "Please go find Officer Cruz to straighten this mess out." Gage hoped by playing nice things would get done faster.

  His calmness was rewarded when the cop looked down at Roxy, nodded, then took off, presumably to look for Cruz. Gage turned his attention to Mase. "Chill, man, this will get straightened out in a minute."

  He watched Mase relax, and in turn, the cop at his side relaxed a little as well. The cop also didn't look quite as aggressive as he did a minute ago. Hopefully, he realized they weren't the bad guys.

  "You've got a lot of nerve, asking for me Hunter," Gage heard Cruz say, from behind him.

  The cop beside Mase stood up straighter and it also looked as though his hold on Mase grew tighter. This was confirmed when he heard Mase say, "Lighten up, man, I'm not going anywhere."

  "Our friend, Beckett, had to be taken to the hospital. What do I do if he wants to press charges?"

  "I don't give a fuck what you do so long as that asshole ends up behind bars for what he did to Cassie."

  Cruz shook his head then nodded to Roxy. "What have you got there?"

  "She was injured during the fight. I'm taking her to a vet."

  "Okay, go." Cruz gave the cop holding Mase a nod, and the cop let go of Mase's arm.

  Gage started to leave, then stopped. He had one last question. He turned back to Cruz. "You called someone to have all the dogs picked up?"

  "Yeah, called Animal Control, they should be here soon."

  Gage gave Cruz a nod of acknowledgment before heading out the door. He'd call Animal Control in the morning, but for now he needed to get the girl in his arms some help.

  Gage pulled up in front of the ranch house. The sun was just starting to come up, and he was bone tired. He turned toward the passenger seat and the curled-up, sleeping Roxy. Thank goodness her injuries weren't as bad as they seemed. She had been bit low on the abdomen resulting in two punctures and a small laceration that only required a few stitches. She would be okay.

  Gage had also checked in with Cruz while he waited at the vet. Animal Control had come and picked up all the dogs. There had been twenty-two in total, so Cassie hadn't been too far off the mark. They also arrested three of the five known ringleaders of the operation with hopes of picking up the last two, soon. From the amount of information they had received from the ones already in custody, Cruz said, their hopes were high. He also promised to keep Gage posted on any new developments, including his own pending arrest. Gage had chuckled but wasn't entirely sure by Cruz's tone if he'd been kidding or not.

  Gage opened the car door, waking Roxy. She picked up her head, looking at him. He reached over and scratched her behind the ear. "You ready to go meet your new mamma?"

  Roxy shakily got to her feet and gingerly crossed the center console, ending her journey in Gage's lap.

  "I've got you, baby girl," Gage muttered into Roxy's ear as he jumped from the SUV and slammed the door with his foot. Roxy licked him on the side of the face next to his ear.

  Gage reached in his front pocket and pulled out the house keys while keeping his hold on Roxy, being careful of her stitches. The house was silent when he walked in. Even Logan wasn't awake yet. He quietly made his way to Cassie's room and silently shut the bedroom door before advancing to the bed. He set Roxy down at its foot, and she did a turning in a circle move before settling down and going back to sleep.

  He looked down at Cassie. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully, lying on her back with her casted arm up over her head. Some of the swelling on her face had gone down, but the bruising was now more pronounced. It had turned a deeper shade of purple.

  He stripped off his clothes and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. It had been a long night, and he was exhausted. He chuckled to himself thinking back on his younger years, playing shows then staying up until the wee hours and doing that night after night. Now, he couldn't wait to crawl into bed every night, just to hold Cassie in his arms.

  He sighed as the hot spray penetrated to his scalp and thought about his future. He'd never wanted to think about his future before. Cassie had always been a part of that dream, and not having her made the thought of his future bleak. But now that she was his, a future was finally something he could look forward to.

  Gage stopped short as he exited the bathroom. Cassie sat, back resting against the headboard of the bed, Roxy curled in her lap. He adjusted the towel at his waist as he took a step closer to the bed.

  "Who's this?" She asked, softly stroking Roxy's head.

  "How are you feeling?" He sat at her feet, laying a hand on her leg.

  "I'm okay. The painkillers seem to help."

  "Do you need some more?"

  "Not yet. Who's this?" She asked, again.

  Gage rubbed her leg. "That's Roxy."

  Cassie nodded then said, "Why don't you tell me a story about Roxy and what you did last night."

  And so he did. He told her everything and by the end she was a teary mess. "Thank you," she said, a sob escaping before she could stop it. "Thank you for saving the dogs."

  Gage leaned forward, wiping the tears off the good side of her face with his thumb. "Ah, Sunshine, don't you get it? I'd do anything to make you happy."

  * * * * *

  Cassie felt her heart swell, almost to bursting, with love for the man sitting in front of her. She knew he went after Jeremy Beckett because he wanted to, but he had saved all the dogs for her.

  She didn't know how to express all that she was feeling for him, other than to say, "I love you so very, very much."

  She watched as Gage closed his eyes and slowly lowered his head. His hair fell forward, shielding his face. He gave her leg a tight squeeze before picking his head back up and opening his eyes to look at her. "Feels like I've waited a lifetime to hear you say those words and mean them. I love you too, Sunshine, so very, very much."

  * * * * *

  By the end of the weekend, Gage noticed Cassie moving around a bit better. The swelling was gone from her face, but the bruising looked worse and had spread to new areas. The whole right side of her body was purple and every time Gage saw it, he wanted to beat the shit out of Beckett all over again.

  Mase, Jack, and Alexis had all come to visit Cassie as well as Sam, who hovered over her like a mother hen. The only alone time Gage had with Cassie was when they were in bed at night. It was his favorite time. The house would be quiet, and he could hold Cassie close, keeping her safe, protecting her from harm.

  And it was at such a time, late Sunday night, Cassie in his arms, that he said, "I want you to marry me, Sunshine."

  Cassie turned her head to face him and reached up with her good hand to stroke his jaw. He closed his eyes unable to meet hers, worried what her answer would be. Previously, when he had told her they were marrying, he had known she hadn't been ready. Oh, he had been serious about wanting to marry her, he just knew it wasn't something that wouldn't happen then.

  But after all they'd been through, if she wasn't ready now, he wasn't sure if she ever would be. So her answer, for him, was very important. She held his heart and his future in her hands and had the capacity of making him deliriously happy or shattering him with a single word. He held his breath as the seconds ticked by, and she was silent. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears, and he could feel his muscles tensing up as if preparing for a blow.

  She gave him a bright smile. "Yeah, I think I'd like that, now."

  It took a few s
econds for her words to sink in but when they did, a feeling of relief unlike no other, washed through him. He got up from the bed, located his jeans on the floor, and picked them up.

  "What are you doing?" Cassie asked, laughter in her voice.

  Gage looked over at her. She had a smile on her lips, and he couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips as well. In fact, with how happy he felt, he didn't think he'd ever stop smiling. He reached his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out Cassie's ring before crawling back on the bed.

  * * * * *

  Cassie saw something flash in his hand. A sparkle from the moonlight shining through the window. The smile left her lips, and her heart started pounding. She knew what he held in his hand and the meaning behind it frightened her. She had said she was ready, and she had meant it, but that didn't diminish her fear, it only made it stronger. This was a big step to take. This was a forever kind of thing, and she just hoped he realized that.

  He picked up her left hand. "I have been carrying this around for five fucking years, waiting for the opportunity to slip it on your finger."

  At his words, she felt her heartbeat settle, the clutching in her stomach eased, and her fear melted away. She remembered his tattoo, his song for her, she looked down at her hand as he slipped the ring on her finger, and the ring he had been carrying around for five fucking years, and knew deep in her heart that Gage was hers, had always been hers, and always would be hers. He wasn't going anywhere.

  Four days later, twenty-two pit bulls were delivered to the ranch house and the headline in the morning paper read, LEAD SINGER OF ENGAGED GETS ENGAGED.

  "This should keep you out of trouble for a while," Gage whispered, in Cassie's ear as they watched the dogs being unloaded from trucks and taken to an enclosed gated area. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, supporting most of her weight.

  She gave him a mischievous smile. "You can only hope."

  He chuckled. Knowing his Sunshine, she was right, all he could do was hope. "We need to build you another kennel. I plan on always keeping you supplied with this many dogs, maybe a few more babies, too. Keep you so busy, you won't have time to get into any more trouble."

  Cassie looked over at Gage, but he wasn't looking at her. He was watching the dog handlers moving the dogs into the pen. "Are you serious?"

  "About what?" He asked, looking down at her, a frown marring his brow.

  "About the babies?"

  He leaned in and gave her a light kiss on the lips, still mindful of her injuries. "Yeah, Sunshine. I can't wait to hold a little girl that looks just like you in my arms."

  "What if we have another boy?"

  "Then I'll let you hold him."

  The two dog handlers stopped working, turning to stare, from the joyful sound of Cassie's laughter.

  Epilogue

  The music started, and Gage's head whipped around to look down the aisle, not wanting to miss even a second of Cassie's entrance. It felt as if he had waited for this day forever. Was silly that his palms were sweaty, and the collar of his shirt felt too tight? He absentmindedly reached up to loosen his tie. He felt something poke him in the back and heard Mase's whispered words spoken to the back of his head. "Stop fidgeting, man, everything's cool. Nothing to be nervous about."

  Ha, spoken like a true bachelor. Gage couldn't wait until the shoe was on the other foot and Mase stood where he was standing, waiting to get married, so he could poke him in the back and tell him to chill.

  Then all thoughts flew from Gage's head as Cassie, on the arm of her father, stepped into view.

  After the incident (that Gage still couldn't think about without getting pissed-the-fuck-off), Laurie had called Cassie's parents, who after learning how injured their daughter was, made the drive from Colorado and stayed for two weeks while she recovered. It had been an emotional time and things were still a little touch and go between Cassie and her parents, which Gage figured was understandable considering the length of the separation and the touchy subject matter.

  Gage watched her pause a moment at the head of the aisle, a vision in a simple gown of the palest yellow, and her beautiful, golden hair falling down her back just the way he liked it. He saw a small smile form on her lips as her eyes swept over the small gathering of their closest friends and family. Gage smiled too, knowing they had successfully fooled the media. All was quiet in the vicinity of their home (yes Gage had finally persuaded Cassie to move in with him). No paparazzi loitered out front, and no helicopters flew overhead.

  Then Cassie's eyes landed on Gage, and her small smile turned into a radiant one. Gage forgot to be nervous. Hell, he forgot his own name. He found himself moving toward her, walking up the aisle until he stood before her. Her father laughed and seeing his job was done, lightly kissed Cassie on the cheek and left to go find his seat.

  Cassie looked up at him with joy written on her face and love shining in her eyes. He cradled her face in his hands, caressing the petal-soft skin of her cheeks with his thumbs. "You are and always will be, the prettiest thing I will ever see." He stared down at her in awe, unbelieving he was about to make his Sunshine, his forever.

  An unexpected lump formed in his throat and a single tear fell from the corner of his eye, surprising him. He gave her a little grin and a small chuckle, knowing he could never express all that he was feeling for her right then. He hoped his eyes did that for him.

  They must have said something, for after a few minutes of gazing into them, she reached up with her hand, brushed his tear away, then got up on her toes to give him a light kiss on his lips. "Let's say we go make me Mrs. Gage Hunter."

  Gage liked that idea a lot.

  He started at her toes. This first time, as man and wife he wanted to worship her.

  She giggled. "That tickles."

  He looked up from her feet. She lay stacked up on a few pillows, legs slightly spread, gloriously naked. He gave her a smile. "Hush." Wisely, she clamped her lips closed.

  He became fascinated with her ankles. He rolled his tongue around the tiny, rounded bone before nibbling his way up her leg, pausing to lick behind her knee. Her inner thigh was temptingly soft, and he couldn't help but rub his cheek along it before diving into what he really wanted. Her pussy. He licked through her folds, relishing in the fact that it was all his. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, feeling his cock throb, begging him for entrance. But he would wait. He wasn't nearly done with her yet, and he wanted this to last.

  Her body came off the bed as he reached her clit and sucked it between his teeth, and he grabbed her ass, keeping her raised as he feasted. He felt her try to squirm, and he squeezed her ass, telling her nonverbally to keep still.

  "Gage, please. I need more than just your mouth."

  He did like to hear her beg. He dropped her down to the bed and got up on his knees, towering over her. He took his cock in his hand as he stared down at her flushed face. "What do you want, baby? My cock?" He asked, giving it a few pumps. He watched her eyes glaze, and she licked her lips. God, she was killing him.

  He dropped to his hands, planting them on either side of her head and buried his face in her neck. "Tell me where you want it, baby."

  He heard her moan and that was sexy as fuck, too. "Inside me."

  Before she could finish saying the word me, he was plunging in deep. He heard her moan again and thought he heard a whispered, yes. He captured her lips, kissing her deep as he thrust into her three times before stopping, planting himself to the hilt.

  She broke away from his kiss, panting as she said, "Please don't stop."

  He didn't move. He stared down at her, taking in her beauty and savoring the feel of her surrounding him. Then he moved,
but slowly, memorizing this exact moment so he could keep it close to his heart, always.

  "Look at me, Sunshine," he said, as she started to close her eyes. "I want you to watch me come. I want you to see what you do to me." He thrust into her a few more times, building them up. "But I'm going to watch you shatter first. God, I love the look on your face as you come. It's fuckin' beautiful."

  No more time for words, he was close. He reached between them and fingered her clit. She went wild. He watched her come. And it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

  He felt her getting drowsy, her body becoming heavy as it lay draped over his, but there was one more thing he wanted to do before she fell asleep. He gave her a light tap on her ass. "I need to get up."

  She rolled off him, getting up on an elbow. A lock of her hair fell over her face, and he tenderly tucked it behind her ear before standing from the bed.

  "Where are you going?"

  He looked over his shoulder, giving her a grin. "Not far." He went to the dresser and pulled a box out of the top drawer before making his way back to the bed. He set it in front of her and climbed back in, gathering her back into his arms.

  "What did you do?" She asked, eyeing the box suspiciously.

  "Open it."

  He watched her carefully tug at the bow and open the lid. He heard her gasp, not because inside was some over the top, expensive, piece of jewelry or the keys to a new car. No, she gasped because nestled inside the box was something unexpected.

  * * * * *

  Cassie plucked the cheap, plastic hair clip out of the box. "Where did you find this?" She shook her head in wonderment. "Why would you even keep this?" She looked at the pink bit of plastic she held in her hand and remembered she'd had tons of them that she had worn to keep her hair out of her face.

  Gage chuckled. "I don't know if you'd believe it even if I told you, but one day while on the road, I was missing you so bad. I'd finally broken down and tried to give you a call. It was the same day I discovered your line had been disconnected. I went to put on a pair of boots I hadn't worn since the last time I saw you, and I felt something inside. It was that hair clip," he said, pointing to the clip in her hand. "It was as if fate were telling me not to give up. I kept it in my pocket and it made me feel like you were near.