by S. J. Bishop
"Caden..."
"Don't question me," he snapped. I shut my mouth and let him continue. He locked my other wrist in place then began kissing my neck. The metal from the handcuffs cooled me. I tugged on them, testing their strength. It was as solid as Caden's cock.
His kisses were gentle at first, but their ferocity grew. I lifted my pelvis against his. His cock was as thick as a beer can. It slipped and slid between my dripping wet thighs. The cuffs began to burn instead of cool. My whole body felt like one giant bee sting. The only thing that could soothe me was Caden. I bit his ear. He bit mine back.
"I want to hear you beg," Caden said.
"Please... I can't take it... please fuck me..." A soft whimper escaped my lips.
Caden pushed into me, suddenly filling my cave with his steel. My legs instinctively opened for him, wanting to feel every inch of him. This was what I wanted. What I needed.
He slammed his hips against mine, propelling himself deeper into me. This was no soft and gentle love scene. This was hard. Primal. Urgency filled us both. We undulated together like two waves flowing languidly through the ocean, then crashed together on the shore.
I lifted my hips in time with his, strengthening our connection. I forgot everything that had happened to me today. The tears I'd cried less than ten minutes before were gone. Vanished in a wave of passion. Caden pounded into me again and again. My body clenched and unclenched with each thrust. My muscles tightened and loosened, then tightened again.
"Oh my God!" I cried when I felt my head lighten. A sudden pressure began to eat at me. I felt it run through my toes and up my legs, landing in my core. It was a critical feeling—that life and death were both inside me and about to burst out of my body.
"Caden!" I screamed again. I dug my fingers into his back as my body finally let go. Nothing mattered except this feeling. Nothing except the thud of Caden's heart as it raced against mine. I felt Caden's warmth spill into me, filling me up. Our bodies collapsed in a heap on his bed, exhausted.
"That was fun," I said.
He grinned at me. "Fun doesn't cut it."
I nuzzled my head against his chest and closed my eyes. I was almost asleep when the phone rang, jarring me unpleasantly back to reality.
38
Caden
I rolled out of bed and grabbed my phone off the dresser where I'd left it. I looked at the number and froze. Raina was still lying in bed. She was watching me.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
I considered lying, but that hadn't worked so far. I didn't want to run the risk of sending her away from me pissed. "It's him," I told her, then answered the phone before she could ask anything else.
My voice was rough and angry. "What?"
"There you are," Mr. Asshole said.
"What do you want?"
"I'm calling to see if you've got the money."
I hesitated before saying anything, thinking. I'd hoped for a little more time. I had the handgun ready, but I still hadn't decided on the rifle. The more I thought about it, the stupider an idea it seemed.
"Cat got your tongue?" Mr. Asshole asked.
"I've got most of it," I told him.
"Most? 'Most' isn't exactly what I was hoping to hear."
"It takes time to come up with a hundred thousand dollars," I said.
I heard Raina gasp. She started kicking her legs on the bed and rattling her arms. I took the hint and went to fish the key out of her purse. I had no idea which key it was and held each one up for her while Mr. Asshole continued talking. She finally nodded when I held up a tiny silver one. I uncuffed her and went back to my dresser. I knew it was irrational, but even on the phone, I didn't want her getting too close to this guy.
She was getting dressed. I tried not to watch her as she did. It was too distracting. The curve of her hips... the size of her breasts... every time she breathed, her body moved, and every time her body moved, I wanted her all over again.
I shook my head to clear it and turned away.
"You mean fifty thousand," Mr. Asshole said. "You already had fifty."
Shit. "That's right, but my bank is asking questions."
"What for?"
"I've taken out a lot of cash over the last few weeks. It's not that common."
"Tell them to mind their business. It's your money. You can do what you want with it."
Raina crept over to me and motioned for me to turn on speaker phone. I hesitated then pushed the button.
"I did tell them that. They're getting me the money. I just need another day."
I could hear the agitation in Mr. Asshole's voice. "Remember what I told you. If I don't get the money, I pay a visit to—"
"You'll get the money," I said, cutting him off. I wished I'd left him off speaker. The last thing I wanted was for Raina to hear him threaten her.
"Good. I'll call you tomorrow night. You better have it."
He hung up and Raina looked at me. "Who was he threatening to pay a visit to?" she asked.
Fuck. Of course she'd caught that. She was a cop. She was trained to catch things. I didn't know how I'd expected her to miss it. Instead of lying, I simply didn't answer her.
"Caden," she said, following me to the closet. I pulled out a duffel bag and started counting the money. I'd already counted it a thousand times, but I didn't want to take any chances.
"Are you really going to pay him off again? When will it ever stop?"
"It'll stop. I guarantee it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Her face was flushed. She looked more beautiful than ever. I pulled her to me. She resisted at first, then relented when my tongue met hers. Her hands rubbed the back of my neck. She breathed heavily into me. Her honey scent filled my nostrils, stirring my cock. It had only been minutes since I'd been inside her, and already I was craving her.
She finally broke away. "You never answered my question. Who was he threatening?"
I'd just finished promising her I'd never lie to her again. I drew in a breath. "You."
Her face went white. "He'll never lay one hand on you," I growled, keeping my arms around her waist. "I won't let him hurt you."
"You should have told me."
"I just did."
"You should have told me sooner."
"Why? What would it matter? I love you, Raina. I don't want you charging after this guy, trying to take him down."
"That's my job."
"It's my mess. I'll clean it up."
"How?"
I had to fight to let go of her. My fingertips wanted to stay buried in her skin. My hand wanted to feel the small of her back as she breathed in and out. I finally relented and let her free. I walked to my dresser and opened the top drawer. Inside was a shiny, gunmetal gray revolver. Raina's face showed surprise then fear then anger.
"Where did you get that?" she demanded.
"Where do you think?"
"Please tell me that gun is legal."
"Of course it is. I have my license. I bought it legit."
"When?"
"After the first break-in. When I realized what kind of scum I was dealing with."
"And what exactly are you planning to do with it?"
I tried not to look at her like she was nuts. "What do you think?"
"Caden, this is a mistake."
"The only mistake I made was not doing this sooner."
39
Raina
I couldn't believe that Caden had a gun. I don't know why it surprised me so much. If I were in his position, I probably would have done the same thing. Probably? Hell, definitely.
Only it wasn't me. It was Caden. And he was reacting from fear and anger, which was always a deadly combination.
"I need to get some air," I told him and hurried outside. I was feeling nauseous and didn't want to vomit all over him. In his backyard, I took several deep breaths. I couldn't let him do this. I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Mac.
"Forster," he said on the third ring. Us
ually, he answered on the first.
"Mac, it's me." I was trying to keep my voice low so Caden couldn't hear me. I didn't like the idea of sneaking around, but he was leaving me little choice.
"Oh, Raina. What's up?"
What's up? I didn't think Mac had ever uttered those words in the time I'd known him. He was always very professional. Very by-the-book in everything from police procedure to the way he spoke. I heard the muffled sound of voices in the background. I could have sworn I heard a woman say, "Hey baby," or something to that effect.
"Where are you?" I asked.
He hesitated. "Bishop's Pub."
"Bishop's Pub?" I asked, incredulous. Mac had met me there the other day because I'd suggested it. He never went out to bars alone. "Who are you with?"
"No one."
"I thought I just heard..." I hesitated. If Mac was with someone, maybe he didn't want me to know. I didn't want to embarrass him. "I just thought I heard someone talking to you."
"Oh... that's Maria."
"Maria?"
"You remember Maria. Our waitress from the other night."
My mind raced to the last time Mac and I had been at Bishop's pub. I'd ordered orange juice, and the waitress had winked at Mac. She'd been checking him out like he was a hot fudge sundae.
"Oh, Maria!" I said, surprised but delighted. It was time Mac found someone.
"It's not what you're thinking," he began.
"Mac, I don't care about your love life. I'm glad you're finally getting one, but that's not why I'm calling. I need your help."
I heard his voice kick into high alert. "What is it? Is it our guy?"
"Yes. I think I may have a way to get to him, but I need to—"
I turned when I heard the crunch of footsteps. Caden was standing there glaring at me.
"Mac, I'll call you back." I hung up and looked at Caden. I knew he was pissed but wasn't sure he had the right to be.
"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.
"My job."
"It's your job to butt your nose into my business?"
"It's my job to keep people safe. That includes you."
"I don't need you to keep me safe, Raina. I need you to stay alive and healthy. I already told you, I can handle this guy."
"I know you can. But you're not thinking clearly. There are cell towers everywhere. Even if we can't trace him to his exact location, we can trace him to the general vicinity. It might lead to something. Even that doesn't work, we can follow you when you make your next drop and snap him up afterward."
"Absolutely not. What if something went wrong? Then you'd be in even more danger."
"Caden, dammit! You're being ridiculous!"
"Call it ridiculous if you want. I call it taking care of my girl."
I sighed. "Caden, I'm—" The words were almost there. Almost on the tip of my tongue. If I told him I was pregnant, maybe he'd stop acting so foolish. Maybe he'd see that he had to be more careful. He couldn't risk his life. But I just couldn't do it.
"I'm sorry about calling Jax without checking with you first," I told him. "Next time—"
"Next time?" he asked, his face dumbstruck. "There won't be a next time, Raina. If there is, then we're done."
Fuck, did this mean I had to choose between Caden's love or his life? If it came down to it, I'd choose his life. Every time.
40
Caden
Why did I keep picking fights with her? Raina was right; I was stupid.
"I didn't mean that," I said, grabbing hold of Raina and pulling her close before she walked out of my home for good. "I don't care if you run me over with your police car, I'm not going anywhere."
I tried to kiss away the worry line that had formed on her brow, but it only softened it. The line didn't disappear.
"You always were stubborn," Raina said, nuzzling her head against my neck.
I laughed. "You're one to talk."
"I'm not stubborn," she said. "I'm just always right."
I laughed again and kissed the tip of her nose. My hands caressed the sides of her body, rolling up and down from the tops of her thighs to the nape of her neck. She closed her eyes and made soft cooing noises.
"No," she finally said, jumping away from me. "I'm not getting into bed with you again until we talk."
I folded my arms across my chest. "Okay. Talk."
Her face went pale. It had been doing that a lot lately. "Are you sick?" I suddenly asked, just as she'd opened her mouth to speak.
"Sick?" she asked. "No. Not exactly. Why?"
I felt my body tense. "What the fuck does that mean? Not exactly? Raina, if something's wrong with you, then I want to know."
"Why? You've already told me you're going to do what you want no matter what I say or do, so what difference would it make if I was sick?"
"For Christ’s sake. I just can't win with you, can I? You're forever judging me. Forever telling me that I'm not good enough for you, no matter what I do."
"What the hell? Where did that come from?"
"It came from you. From the way you look at me. From the way you talk to me. You don't think I'm good enough to be with you."
"If anyone thinks that, Caden, it's you. You're your own worst enemy. You know that, right?"
"Then why do you keep trying to treat me like a child instead of a man?"
"What do you think it is that you're doing? You talk about wanting to keep me safe, but it's like you're living in a fantasy land. How are you supposed to keep me safe day in and day out when I'm a cop? Huh? Are you going to follow me around everywhere I go? Set up a video camera in my bedroom?"
Caden's eyes glimmered when I mentioned cameras in my room. "Please tell me you're not really going to do that," I said.
"Not without telling you, but it might be fun sometime..."
She looked around for something to throw at me. Finding nothing, she kicked at the ground instead.
"Caden, this isn't a joke."
"I never said it was."
"Then why are you treating it like one?"
I sighed. We were going around and around in circles. It was like a Ferris wheel that never stopped. "Raina, I'm tired. Look, if I promise not to meet the creep without telling you first, will that be enough to get you off my back for one lousy day?"
Shit. That was the wrong thing to say. Raina actually charged at me. She slapped her hand against my chest. It barely stung. I grabbed hold of her arms, but she made it damned near impossible to keep a grip on her. She was feisty as hell and willing to tackle any obstacle, even me.
"You're treating my love like a joke!" she screamed.
"I'm not doing anything of the sort."
"You're acting like this on purpose!"
"Like what? What the hell is wrong with you?" I pinned her to the outside wall of my house. "You're acting crazy!"
"I'm acting hormonal!" she screamed.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're PMS-ing?"
"No, you idiot! It means I'm pregnant!"
41
Raina
I bit my tongue. Hard. It was the only way I could stop myself from punching Caden in the face. I'd known telling him I was pregnant was going to be tough, but the way he was looking at me now was only making things worse. He was looking at me like I was a stranger.
"Pregnant?" He repeated the word as though it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Please tell me this is a joke."
I shook my head, fighting back tears.
"When? How?"
I laughed. "Now you have to be joking. I'm pretty sure you know how this whole baby thing works."
"I meant how far along?"
"A little over a month."
"A month!" His face looked like a maraschino cherry. All pink and wrinkled.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"First of all, it's not like I've known the whole time. I only found out, like, a week ago."
"So why didn't you tell me a week ago?"
"When, Caden
? Between the fights we were having and the bad guys I was chasing? Or how about after you told me you were being blackmailed by a murdering thief? Would that have been a good time to tell you?"
"Shit, Raina. This is bad. This is really bad."
My heart started thumping in my chest. "It took me a few days to get used to the idea, too, but once I did—"
"Used to it?! Hell, Raina, I don't want to get used to it at all. Are you nuts? I can't have a baby! I'm a fucking mess! I can hardly take care of myself, let alone an infant!"
"Screw you! It's not like I planned this! You were quite a willing participant, as I remember it."
"How the hell did this happen?"
"You fucked me, that's how."
"Yeah, but I just... I assumed you were on the pill."
"Why would you assume that?" I asked. I couldn't believe how juvenile he was sounding right now.
"Because you didn't stop me when I fucked you without a condom," he shouted. His lips, normally full and luscious, were a dull, thin pink.
"Well, maybe you should have stopped yourself!" I yelled back.
"I would have if I'd known you weren't on anything! Why didn't you say something before I fucked you?"
"It's not like you gave me a lot of time to say anything. Besides, I assumed you were one of those macho guys who didn't use condoms."
"What the hell made you think that?"
"Because you didn't stop me from spreading my legs for you," I yelled sarcastically.
We stood glaring at each other. This couldn't have gone any worse. My stomach was churning. My head was pounding. Neither of us said anything for several minutes. We just stood there, letting the implications of what was happening sink in.
Caden shook his head like he was a dog trying to shake off the water. "Look," he finally said. "It's okay. I'm sorry if I... if I freaked out a little."
He pulled me into his arms, and I let myself relax. Just the tiniest bit. It felt good to press my cheek against his. I could smell his masculinity. A thin film of sweat had sprung up on his skin. I inhaled it deeply, letting it calm my nerves. Caden stroked my back softly, making me feel safe.