Lainie knew that better than anyone. "My dad likes him, and I think my mom might be accepting him, too."
Trish hooted at that one. "Well, now that's a shocker. And a blessing. Now if we can just get Drayton to back off and just be your friend, things will be great. Have you heard from him lately?"
Lainie shrugged. "Every couple of days, he calls and begs me to meet him, and I say I can't yet. He hangs up, all flustered and spitting mad. He's really worrying me, Trish. I shudder to think what it'd be like if Cade weren't here. Drayton would be even pushier, I think."
Trish eyed her curiously. "Will there ever be a time when Cade isn't here?"
"I don't know, Trish. He wants me to marry him, but he says he doesn't love me. He says he's incapable of loving a woman. He admits he wants me. And he's made it clear he does." Lainie blushed. "We sort of have a... date planned. For tonight." Lainie shrugged. "Of course, the date is wild sex in the bedroom, and he'll probably try to convince me to marry him somewhere along the line. If we don't get interrupted by Eli. But... "
"Lainie, you're crazy if you let him go. Just crazy." Trish plopped her hands on her hips and pursed her lips at Lainie.
"I didn't say I'd let him go," Lainie said quietly.
Trish went still. "Does that mean... "
Lainie nodded, biting her lip. "I think so. I think I'm going to marry him. Maybe I can even make him fall in love with me... someday."
Trish hesitated at that. "Lainie, listen to me. Don't get your hopes up. I truly believe that Cade already loves you, but if he doesn't, you might not be able to make him. Some men are too damned stubborn and blind for their own good. So if it's the words you need - if you need to hear him say those three little words - you may be in for a world of hurt."
Lainie was dressed now, and she headed for the door. "I know all that. My head tells me to forget it, but my body wants him, and my heart wants all of him, and my mind can't seem to convince the rest of me to settle for second best."
"Cade isn't really second best, Lainie. He's primo male material, good husband material, good father material. He's a little confused, that's all."
"He's not confused. He knows why he doesn't trust women. I can't get him to stop lumping us all together and putting me in the same mold as his idiot ex-wife and his needy, man-chasing mother. And his sister and niece, whose grisly deaths he feels he should've been able to prevent somehow, if only his sister would've confided in him. That gives him another reason to be irritated with women in general." Lainie frowned.
Trish sighed. "I can't solve everything for you today, sweetie, but I can do one thing. I'm baby-sitting tonight. Period. And you're getting laid."
Lainie almost passed out with the blood rushing into her face, but she gathered her purse to her heart and mumbled numbly in agreement, "And I'm getting laid.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
They were only a few blocks from Lainie's house, and Cade was about to burst with anticipation. He'd driven his king-cab truck, and he'd bought an extra car seat so he'd have one in his vehicle for Eli, just in case. King-cab or not, the space was too small. The confines were both constricting and welcome. The effect of the close proximity made Cade want to grab Lainie and eat her alive. He linked his fingers in hers, connecting them across the wide seat, lacing his fingers between hers, warming him inside and out.
Lainie unfastened her seat belt and scooted over next to Cade. She unsnapped and unzipped his pants, and he sucked in a breath but kept his eyes on the road. "Lainie, what exactly do you think you're doing?"
She grinned at him and shrugged. "Nothing. Just drive. We're almost there."
She reached her hand down the front of his boxers, pulled his already hardened manhood free of its restraints, securely wrapped her fingers around the hard length of him, leaned forward, and licked the tip of him. He nearly blasted off with the impact. The combined sight, sound, and feel of her mouth on him were maddening. He reeled with the force of the blood rushing to his pulsating groin, and he sucked in a breath, hissing between clenched teeth. He wrapped her silky hair in his hand. "Stop, Lainie. I mean it."
She held his shaft in one hand and rubbed his jeans-covered knee with the other. Ignoring him, she licked a long wet line from the base of his length to his seeping tip. He veered sideways and nearly wrecked his truck. Good thing they had only a few driveways to go. He could see her house, but it seemed a long ways away. He'd slowed to a creeping pace with her first touch. He wished with all his might he could snap his now-white-knuckled, gripping-the-steering-wheel fingers, and say, "Beam me up, Scottie."
"Lainie, I'm going to come in your mouth if you do that again. Please... stop... " Cade choked the words out, and his voice broke. Her only answer was an increase of pressure in a slow sensual motion, up, down, once, twice. She held his velvet-steel erection in her grasp and drove him insane.
"Oh, hell," Cade groaned and decided that two could play at this game. Maybe he could get her to stop in another way. He ran his hand between her legs and pushed up her skirt. He found nothing underneath except hot, wet woman. No panties. Holy crap. She's going to kill me.
Turning on the emergency flashing blinkers, Cade slowed to a crawl. He pushed her legs apart, just enough to dip his finger into her heat. He dragged the moisture out of her and used it to lather her swollen folds and stroke her most sensitive nub. She whimpered and slammed her legs closed to make him stop. She sank her whole mouth over the end of him and sucked, hard.
Cade suppressed a yelp of surprised pleasure, withdrew his fingers from inside her, and protected them both by putting his hand under her chin and removing her mouth from his throbbing hardness - a hardness that wanted very much to surge into her hot mouth and release his essence.
He finally reached her house and swung into the driveway. He hit his brakes and pulled up in front of the garage, thanking his lucky stars he'd been smart enough to get himself a duplicate garage door opener. He hit the button, and the garage door went up - too slowly. Lainie sucked his finger into her mouth, repeating the motion she'd used on his penis. She nipped him on the tip of his finger, and he growled a warning. What the hell had gotten into her? He'd been thinking he'd have to convince her to let him have her. So much for thinking she'd play hard to get.
Pulling into the garage, he threw the truck into park. He shut off the engine, picked Lainie up, grasped her at her knees, and spread her wide open for access to her womanhood. He shoved her flat on her back, and her eyes widened with surprise and realization. "Don't play with fire, honey, unless you want to get burned."
Judging by the hot, burning look of desire in his eyes, Lainie figured he meant it. By the heat pooling between her legs and screaming through her body, she knew it was definitely too late to worry about being burned. She was already feeling the heat, and she wanted more. That's exactly what she got.
Cade lowered his mouth to her most sensitive spot, entered two fingers into her core, and sucked her nub into his mouth, riveting her body into a whirlwind of insanity and sending her into manic convulsions. The climax hit her so hard and fast that the only thing she could do was hold onto the dashboard with one hand and the back of the seat with the other and arch into his amazing, talented mouth.
"Cade," Lainie whispered his name as she came down from the cloud of sheer pleasure/pain into which he'd sent her reeling. Louder, panting, she declared, "I love you... I... "
Cade didn't respond. He simply tightened his grip on her thighs and proceeded to finish his task. He continued to pleasure Lainie, until she exploded once again, screamed out his name, and shattered inside and out. The sound of her impassioned voice ripped from her lungs. She floated down from the mountain she'd climbed, and she came back to her senses enough to realize what she'd told Cade.
She shuddered, knowing nothing had changed, or would ever change. At least not the way he felt about her. But she could have this. She could have him, and if that's all she ever had, then so be it. It was more than most women got - passion beyon
d belief. She had no reason to complain.
She smiled slyly and reached for him.
Suddenly, the world filled with chaos, turned upside down, and shattered around them. Sound exploded, engulfing them in turmoil, nearly bursting their eardrums, as if the truck crashed in on them.
Cade heaved himself upward and shielded Lainie with his arm over her face. He used his body to block anything from harming her beautiful, now-trembling body.
Nothing else happened. No movement. No other sound. No attacks came from any direction. Just the initial harsh crack of three sharp shots and glass exploding, followed by confounding silence.
Cade recognized the sharp sounds easily for what they were. He'd heard them many times before. The sounds had come from a gun, and they'd been close - too close. Some maniac had tried to shoot out the back window of his truck, which had dark tinted windows and shatter-proof glass. In his line of work, he never put anything else but dark windows and shatter-proof glass in his vehicles. He'd been shot at one too many times - enough times to know how to protect himself. Danger. He was used to that. But this? He wasn't used to this. He wasn't used to having to protect the people close to him... important to him.
He spat out a stream of profanity that would've turned a Baptist minister black and blue. "I'm getting a little tired of this dirty son of a bitch." Lainie shivered beneath him, silent and cold as ice. Cade didn't like it. Not when she'd been so warm, happy and satisfied a few moments ago. Trying to sound soothing - even though he felt murderous - he asked, "Lainie, are you all right?"
"Eli," Lainie whimpered.
"Let's call Chuck. I'm sure she's fine, sweetheart." Lainie nodded into his chest, allowing him to comfort her.
"Let me get out first. Wait here," Cade instructed her. She shook her head and wrapped her arms and legs around him like a vice, holding him to her. "No. You can't. What if he's still out there?"
In this position, with her this close, and practically naked in his arms, she was in danger of his doing what he most wanted to do. He wanted to make love to her. Didn't she know that all he'd have to do was pull himself upward and enter her? He was still hard, and she was open to him. He lay at her threshold, ready, willing and able, and waiting and wanting. It was all he could do to hold back and do the right thing. He needed to console her and reassure her, and himself, that Eli was fine with Chuck and Trish. "He's not still out there. I heard him pull away from the curb. I'm sure he didn't want to be seen by the neighbors." Cade pulled away. "Let me get the door open."
He stepped out when she loosened her death grip on his lower body. He hit the button to close the garage door, cursing himself for not closing it earlier. He hadn't cared who'd see them, but... maybe that hadn't been such a good idea. "Come on, baby. Let's go inside. The coast is clear."
Lainie pushed her skirt down to cover herself and climbed out of the truck, taking his hand in hers. When her feet hit the ground, she went limp, her knees weak and wobbly. Cade swept her up into his arms and carried her in through the kitchen door - one that allowed access to her home through the garage. He didn't stop until he had her on her bed. He came down next to her, and she snuggled up and curled into him. He used his cell to call Chuck and check on Eli. Satisfied that all was well, he turned to Lainie. "Eli's fine. Chuck and Trish will take care of her."
Lainie looked at him with something in her eyes. That something was love... and admiration. Cade might as well accept the love, but he didn't deserve the admiration. Lainie was in love with him, but he hated himself for not being able to love her back... not being able to trust her with his heart. And he was no hero.
"Wait here," Cade whispered in her ear. He rose from the bed, went into the bathroom, and ran her a bubble bath. She could wait there, soaking and relaxing, until he dealt with the police.
The look of sheer adoration, trust and love in her eyes haunted him and made him feel like a louse. He took from her, reveling in the emotions emanating from her very soul, but he remained unwilling to give back. He could care for her and take care of her, and Eli, but caring, trusting, and loving were different things entirely.
Ironically, he did trust her with his child - at least in taking care of her. He had not been able to do that with his ex-wife. Would Lainie someday try to keep him from seeing Eli, if things didn't work out between them? He doubted that she'd do that to him, or Eli. Did that mean that he was being unreasonable? By refusing to get too close to her? Probably, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't change his attitude and stop doubting Lainie, even after seeing the love shining in her eyes. He wanted her with every fiber of his being, and he could show her how much he wanted her. He had every intention of doing so. Eli was safe and sound, and they had the whole night.
Should he ask Lainie to marry him?
Sex first. If he could make her feel good enough and make her lose her mind in passion, maybe she'd agree blindly to marry him. She loved him. She'd said so, but she'd also said she wouldn't marry him without his love in return. Would she change her mind now?
He'd find out. Soon. Right now, he had a mission to complete.
Cade shocked Lainie.
He picked her up from the bed, stripped her naked, and deposited her in the filled-to-the-brim-with-suds and candle-encircled tub. She sank into a vanilla-scented heaven and stared up at him. He stared back, and then sighed and left her there. She blinked, and then grinned widely. This she hadn't expected. This was thoughtfulness. This was romance. This was a loving gesture. He swore he didn't love her and never would. He vowed he couldn't. But if that were the case, then why did he do all this for her? It wasn't necessary. He had to know a seduction wasn't needed. He had to know she was ready for him, and willing, after the scene in the truck. Her smile faded. Maybe all the things he did for her didn't mean the same to him, as a man. Maybe it was just a nice gesture.
Oh, how she wished he could feel more, because right now she simply burst with love for this man. She had to try to win his whole heart and make him feel even a fraction of what she felt for him. If only...
After dealing with the police, Cade came back into the bathroom, just as Lainie finished rinsing her body. She threw back the curtain, and he saw her in all her naked splendor - all her curvaceous glory.
She blushed pink all over and tried to cover herself with a towel, attempting to hide the one small inch-long stretch mark practically hidden anyway beneath the triangle of curly hair covering the place he most wanted to be right now - the place where he wanted to bury himself, burrow in for several hours, and spend the night in ecstasy. Pure lust engulfed him, and he wanted to plunged into her and fill her with his seed once again.
The thought stopped him momentarily. He wanted more children. With Lainie. Good Lord. He was getting in deep, thinking that way - thinking of permanence and family in such terms. He didn't even know if she'd marry him.
Well, he'd just have to convince her, that's all.
Cade strode over to Lainie and took the towel from her hands. He held his hand out to her, beckoning silently for her to step out onto the rug in front of the tub. He dried her, sliding the soft towel down her body, over her curves, and then up from her feet to the apex of her thighs. He stopped at the juncture of her womanhood and pushed her legs apart to slide the towel in between them and caress her. She bit her bottom lip, held her breath, gripped the wall with one hand, the sink with the other, and waited.
Cade watched her. Her eyes remained closed. She looked as if she were in deep concentration, and her breath caught when he touched her intimately. It was all he could do not to pick her up and slam his pulsing erection into her waiting body right then and there - the body wrapped around him, all pink and warm from her bath. He wanted desperately to soak up the heat they generated together, but he wanted more to take it slowly, pleasure her, pleasure himself, sink into her, draw it out, and enjoy a long, sensual ride. If only he could, without losing his control.
He tossed the towel aside, lifted her nakedness into his arms, and carri
ed her to the bed. She reached over and switched off the lamp he'd left glowing and casting a mysterious shadow over their bodies. He flipped it back on. "Leave it on. I want to see you. All of you."
Cade's voice was so gravelly that Lainie barely recognized it. Well, at least he was as affected as she was. Not that she didn't know that he was already. The hardness behind his jeans felt so good, pushed up against her soft femininity. He covered her nude body with his still-clothed one, his weight pressing her into the bed, the contrast of the textures sending chills up her spine.
She released a halting breath, and then his mouth covered hers, oh so softly, oh so gently, the touch of his lips at first no more than a whisper. She opened for him, and he delved into her, the kiss branding her, telling her he wanted to devour her whole.
She couldn't blame him. She wanted the same thing. She pulled her mouth from his, sucked in a breath, and then nibbled on his chin. The pupils in his eyes turned darker than any shade of black she'd ever seen. Indescribable. Magnificent.
She reveled in the power she held over him, even if she couldn't control his heart. She'd learned enough of what he enjoyed to pleasure him in bed, and if that was all they'd ever have, she'd go for it. She'd give him what he wanted and take what she wanted in return.
She licked his neck all the way from his collarbone to his lips, and then she stuck her tongue in his mouth. It was the only time she felt aggressive towards Cade - the only time she felt that she could control anything - when he let her take over the pace of lovemaking. She pushed him over, rolled on top of him, and wrapped her legs on each side of him. Her scratchy voice sounded husky even to her own ears when she told him, "I want you as naked as I am, Cade. It's not fair. All those clothes you have on."
His eyes widened, and he hissed. She ran her fingers up his chest, along his rib cage, then back down to where she could grip the tail of his shirt, tug it from his jeans, and pull it over his head. She reached her hand back down to him, dragging her fingertips lightly over the hard lump in his jeans.
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