by Kira Blakely
Alan puffs out his chest, raising his chin higher. It won’t cover our vast height difference. “Jade isn’t going anywhere with you.”
“Jade is standing right here,” she pipes up, lowering her hand and scowling at us both. “I think I’m capable of making this decision on my own, gentlemen.” She spears her glare at us both. “I’ll be heading home.”
I’m on her in a moment, trailing her to her car. Alan keeps up pace with me, his shorter legs needing to compensate by marching faster. Ignoring him, I narrow my eyes at the back of Jade’s headful of lively dark chocolate curls, the ends tipped a golden brown. “Jade, we need to talk.”
I come off as a broken record, I know. But this woman is so damn frustrating. What happened to throwing herself on me? She can’t give me five fucking minutes to spell out why I tucked aside every survival instinct to see her myself. I could have easily sent along hotel security, like my buddy and head of security, Nolan, suggested.
No. I made it clear to him Jade was—is—my responsibility.
Catching up to her, I tear her wrist from the door handle, tugging her away from her car. “We need to chat.”
Jade’s eyes spark with her wrathful fire. “Leave me a message then.” She yanks at her wrist, frowning when I don’t release her. My fingers tighten, and Alan steps up, his fists bobbing in front of his face. I’m glad he doesn’t have the derringer. The police held it back as evidence to confirm they matched the bullets he’d fired to scare off the bad guys.
“Jade, give me the word and I’ll toss this guy on his ass.”
I snort. “I’d like to see you try.”
Her gaze flickers to her boss, and the anger softens to annoyance. “It’s fine, Alan. You can go.” She sighs. “No point in both of us wasting our time here.”
“But Jade,” Alan drops his fists, the fight draining from his face and his fists relaxing, “I can’t just leave you…with him.” He hisses the last part, glaring at me.
“He won’t hurt me.” Jade’s conviction has Alan’s shoulders sagging. He raises a hand and mumbles a “goodbye,” shuffling away, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets.
Soon as his Beetle leaves us on the lot, Jade rips her hand free from mine. Rubbing at her wrist, she stares down at her kneading fingers, asking, “Why are you here?”
Wishing she’d face me, I curb a sigh. I’ll have to take her whatever way I get her. “It’s about your boyfriend, Tyler Wagner. Also, our ex-employee.”
Jade snaps her head up, her dark brown eyes narrowing. “He’s not my boyfriend.” She pauses, and then adds, “If that’s why you’re here, to question me about him after…” she trails, and plucks up her train of thought elsewhere, “you wasted your time and mine. I have places to be.”
“I never waste my time.” It’s true. The secret to carrying my workload is multitasking effectively. Like how I lean in and pop open the locks of her car. Rounding her vehicle, aware her gaze follows me, I open the passenger door and scrunch my taller frame into her compact space. Adjusting the seat to give my legs breathing room, I spare a glance at her wide-eyed, open-mouthed shock.
“Get in. Don’t you have ‘places to be?’ We’ll talk while you drive and run your errands.”
“What about your car?” she asks.
I shrug, reaching for the seatbelt and buckling in, the snap of the lock punctuating how dead serious I am. “Though it’s not your concern, I’ll have someone come around for my car.”
“But,” Jade pouts, her brows knitting, her teeth working her bottom lip. She’s deep in thought, considering the dangers I present to her in the car. If she’s picturing how I’ll grope her over the gearshift, she’s got another thing coming.
Reaching to pat the driver’s seat, I say, “We have a lot to talk about, Jade, and now you’re really wasting time by standing out there.”
She slides in as I move my hand back. Closing the door, she starts the engine, and silently backs out of the drive. As soon as we’re on the blacktop, she hedges, “So? What’s so important you’re leaving your car behind?”
I lean back, pretending to be getting comfortable while I’m angling myself to see what her reaction will be to what I say next. “For starters, I’d like you to tell me about Tyler.”
“Tyler?” she echoes, her frown back in full. “I told you, we’re not dating. We haven’t been for three months now.”
“He used to work for us, too. Long before I started. And he was fired.”
Jade tightens her hands on the steering wheel.
I rub my beard, taking in the convulsions of her throat. She’s working down something. Another secret that’ll devastate me, I feel sure. Her scowl is infectious. Tired of beating around the bush, I say, “He showed up at the hotel a few days ago.”
“Yeah?” Jade drawls. The casual tone doesn’t work on me. Something’s up.
“Yeah,” I say. “He came and went, but like you, he’s been made aware that he’s never to set foot on Eveningstar property.”
Jade shifts in her hot seat. But I’m nowhere near close to raising to the top temperature of awkward interrogation. She thinks this is getting her hot and bothered; she better wait until I’m finished.
“See, that’s what I don’t get.” I narrow my eyes. “Why would he risk us raining hellfire down on him for a walkabout through the casino? Call me crazy, but I like to rely on my instincts. You know what they’re telling me right now?” I lean toward her, her eyes shifting from the lonely road to catch mine in that heartbeat.
Only this time, her incessant sweetly-scented body soap, wide dark eyes, and her rosy lips don’t lure me into a trap. “They’re telling me you know what’s up, Jade.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Jade
…you know what’s up.
The last part of his statement circles my head, but it’s the predatory gleam in his hazel eyes that forces my gaze from him. The gold in his irises burn hotter in that second, singeing me in a way they haven’t before.
It takes me back to that night—the night I stabbed him in the back and ruined any chances to see how far our chemistry took us. Ripping myself from the past is stickier than I thought, especially when he’s sitting beside me, filling the small, cozy interior of my car with his spiced, earthy blend of cologne.
Damn Cas. Damn him for showing up, and looking so fine while he’s at it. It’s crazy thinking. Cas put his cards on the table, and now that they’re turned over, it makes sense as to why he sought me out after these past two months of radio silence. I still curse him for showing up now and tossing a wrench into the beginning of my new life.
Concentrating on the road, I manage to get us to the supermarket in one piece. The need for retail therapy sweeps over me, and it’s too hard not to give in. There’s also the desire to distance myself from Cas when he’s like this. I certainly wouldn’t want him following me home.
That, too, would be too tempting.
I can see how easily I’d succumb to inviting him upstairs, where I’d finally be able to act out all the Cas-centric fantasies I’ve stored away. It’s a wonder I can park in the packed lot without damaging property. My hands are shaking, and I’m hasty to cover them from Cas’s all-seeing notice.
Cas doesn’t stay in the car; he follows me into the store.
I grab a shopping cart and maneuver it aimlessly. It’s how I end up in the frozen goods aisle, fetching out two tubs of ice cream when I can’t decide on flavors.
“Are you planning to throw a party?” Cas asks, his deep, melodious voice like honeyed tea sliding its sweetness down my throat, warming my belly in a way only he could so simply.
I hazard a peek at him, the ice cream sandwich package in my hand in danger of being crushed in my nervous grasp. “Party?” I squeak. I’m sure I do. My voice is creaky and high…and smacking of culpability.
Cas nudges his chin at my shopping cart of ice cream. “A pity party,” he says, a wry smile lifts his lips.
My bottom lip trembles, fearful a
t what his teasing means for me. Unable to stand it, I swivel from him and hightail it with the ice cream sandwiches, the cool packaging crunching at the corners from my tightening grip. The aisles blur together until Cas clutches my arm and spins me to face him.
I’m breathing hard from the excursion of my failed escape. My chest rises and falls, and my panting fills up the silence between us. Well, that and the intercom message of all cashiers being called up to the registers. It’s a busy day…and Cas is a busy man, and he’s paused his busy life for a good reason, despite what I want to believe. Something serious has brought this larger-than-life man back into my life.
Instead of listening, I’m burrowing my head in the proverbial sand. Or, in this case, the ice cream I’d meant to purchase.
Cas has me backed against the toiletries aisle, and an assortment of tissue paper brands are behind him. Perfect. If the urge to cry grows too strong, I’ll rip open a package and dry my eyes.
“Jade, look at me.”
I fix my stare from over his broad shoulder to his face, his mouth in particular. I can’t make it all the way to his eyes. Besides, I’m fascinated when he moves his lips to speak. Too bad they form the words I dread.
“Are you involved with Tyler in any way?”
“No,” I breathe, shaking my head shortly. “I told you that. I told them that, too.”
Cas has my chin in his warm, calloused hold. He tips up my head, his stare locking on mine, searching my face. Everywhere his eyes touch sparks hot. In the span it takes him to speak, my face feels as if I’ve stuck it close to an open furnace.
“The men who tried to abduct you...” He doesn’t even lower his voice. Cas steps into me, and the world falls apart this time. We’re not standing in the middle of a grocery store; we’re in our own private bubble—just the two of us. But it’s fragile, and the tiniest, sharpest point of reality can end it for us.
“What did they say?” Cas smooths his thumb up to my bottom lip, his gaze flicking down to where he strokes gently. “What did they say to you, Jade?”
I swallow hard, dashing my tongue out to wet my lips from habit, only to remember his thumb is right there.
Cas pushes into me; we’re flush now, our bodies aligned. Any closer and he might as well help me hook my legs around his middle, angle my clenching pussy to his hard shaft, and fuck in the store.
“Jade, tell me,” he says my name again, his head lowering slightly. A few more inches and we can kiss.
“They were l-looking for Tyler, I think. T-They thought I was his girlfriend.” I pause to control my stammering, my skin prickling, and my heart pounding. It’s a last-minute decision to share the next part. “They knew my name. They said they were answering to their boss.”
Cas mutters something. It’s too soft to catch as the sounds around us bleed back into my attention. Our bubble pops, and I recall myself. Only Cas still hasn’t crash-landed to the real world. His unseeing, weighty gaze pierces through me. “I see,” he says finally, his tone ponderous.
Without warning, Cas steps from me, dropping his hand and taking his heavy warmth from me. “Let’s go,” is all he says before turning and heading for the end of the aisle, toward the front of the store.
I should let him leave, but my feet move after him. My sneakers slap the tiled floor, covering the distance his long strides have swallowed in my momentary hesitance to give chase.
Cas looks out of place in his fancy business suit. This neighborhood is middle-income suburbia, and he’s a tall, dark, chiseled poster boy for the elite.
He’s waiting for me outside, slowing down his fast gait. I can’t allow him to slither away again. What has his features crumpled in consternation? It must be something I’ve told him. I abhor the thought of his leaving without straightening out this mess. The last thing I want is Cas hunting down Tyler and hurting him, and thus entrenching himself deeper into my life.
I’m grateful to him for showing up. But Cas’s reappearance reminds me of how easily this man is able to hurt me. I’ve given him that power. The shitty part is I have no clue how to take it back. Or if I want to take it back.
Until I can get that sorted, we need to head our separate ways—again.
“Listen, you don’t know Tyler. I dated him long enough to know he gets in and out of trouble.” I sigh, the exasperation heavy and burdensome. It’s a wonder that Tyler continues to mess with my peace. It’s not enough I cut him out of my life. Now his ghosts are muscling their way into my world.
“Whatever he’s done, he’ll soon run and take the trouble with him.” I hug my arms around my middle. It has nothing to do with the brisk spring temperature, and everything to do with how Cas stares at me. Like he doesn’t believe a word of what I’m saying. “Trust me. Tyler’s up and left me enough times to hide out from his personal crapstorms.”
Cas turns to take in the bustle around us. It’s a Friday evening. People are stocking up for the weekend, and we’re having a staring match outside the entrance, offering up a show for the masses.
Cas’s squinting glance, his stern brows, and his tense jaw fill in what he isn’t telling me. I haven’t put him at ease.
“I’ll be fine,” I add, unconvincingly.
“Will you be?” Cas snaps his head to me, those bright brown-green eyes taking me in. His eyes are a blend of spring grass green, rows of golden flax whispering on a summer breeze, and hints of freshly turned earth. Together, the triad of colors inspire hope. Except when he looks disappointed in me, like right this moment. “I can’t trust that.” Because I can’t trust you.
He doesn’t say it, but it’s clear.
I cross my arms. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not your responsibility—”
“But, you are.” Cas steps in, fire burning the disappointment, leaving the ashes of irritation in its wake. “You are my responsibility so long as the hotel and casino’s security remains at risk of Tyler Wagner.”
“I’m not his girlfriend!”
“I didn’t say that you were. Don’t fight me on this, Jade. You’re coming with me.” Cas locks his jaw, his expression withering any direct argument. Good thing he’s so practiced at pushing me away.
I shake my head, silently veering around him, or trying to. Cas grips my elbow and draws me into him. I don’t struggle; I glare up at him, communicating how upset I am.
“I’m taking you to the hotel.”
Freeing my tongue from the roof of my mouth, I snap, “Does that mean the ban is lifted at the supposed cost of my life? Oh, thank you, Cas. How freaking magnanimous of you.”
“It’s for your protection.”
“Are you listening to me?” I yank at my arm. That doesn’t work, so I beat a fist over his chest. “I don’t want you to protect me. I’ve done fine without you up until this point. The big bad world hasn’t killed me yet.” I barely give notice to the looks we’re receiving. Some shoppers have even stopped. One lady is on her phone, speaking urgently, her expression twisted in horror.
Having no desire to sit in the police station again, I lower my voice and lean into Cas, opening my fist, and palming his heart. “Let me go, Cas. Please.”
“I can’t,” he says, his voice strangled, his eyes flashing. They narrow and his frown deepens. “And if you don’t want me going to the police to file a report about the watch you’ve attempted to steal, you’ll hand me your car keys and follow me quietly.”
I jerk from him as if he’s struck me. Appalled doesn’t come close to the stinging ache icing its way through me. My tongue coats with a film of bitterness. It takes everything in me to reach into my back pocket and drop the keys into his waiting hand.
“Thank you,” he says.
“Fuck you,” I growl.
Cas’s dark blond brows swoop down lower. “You’re upset now, but things will change. You’ll see this is for the best…for the both of us.”
“I can’t believe you,” I muster up, spitting the words out. “Is that what makes you sleep at night when you lord your
power over others?”
He marches me to the car, his hand gone from my elbow, though it might as well remain there. The strong tether to him is unbreakable and strengthening by the second. “We’ll go to the hotel,” he says when he slips in beside me, folds his big, muscled body behind the steering wheel.
“Then what?” I mutter, dreaming up the worst. He’ll fix me with manacles and force me into indentured servitude. That thought takes a kinky spin in my mind, complete with a sexy maid costume. I have to it shut down when the sticky warmth between my legs grows to be uncomfortable.
Clenching my thighs, and grinding my teeth, I sulk silently.
“Then?” Cas’s voice booms through the car. It’s not as loud as I imagine; we’ve been sitting in the silence too long. Cas starts the engine of my Toyota, his determined gaze swinging to me. “Then we’ll be getting married, Jade.”
CHAPTER SIX
Cas
“Casimiro Felix, I will not marry you.”
Jade’s eyes blaze, her tone adamant. Her pretty, plush lips curl up to reveal her gritted, white teeth, her nostrils flaring, and her whole body turning to face me, straining against the seatbelt.
She’s beautiful even in her wrath.
Her breasts heave under her knit cardigan. Her light-wash jeans mold to her thighs like a second skin, and her sneakers aren’t like her usual fancy footwear, but her laces are neon pink and green, showcasing a bit of her sassy personality. In that moment, all I want to do is harness the friction sparking between us and fuck our frustrations out.
“Did you hear me?” Jade snaps, leaning over the gearshift, closing the short gap parting us. “I’m not going to marry you.”
Despite the disappointment lancing my heart at how quick she shoots down my idea, I acknowledge her reaction is normal. Pulling into the wooded lot of the Eveningstar, I drive past the hotel and casino’s public parking into the parking garage’s more secure top level for hotel management. As soon as I have her sedan parked, I confront the glower she’s burning into my head.