“Yep.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you do.” How the hell had Cade made so much money in ten years?
Cade grabbed his phone again. I knew he was dialing Riley. Who else would he call? “Riley, dude, have you spoken to Christine lately?” Cade held the phone away from his ear.
I could hear Riley shouting at him from my spot on the bed.
When Riley finished his rant, Cade pulled the phone back in close. “Calm the fuck down, man. It was just a question.”
I pulled the covers over my chest and piled two pillows on top of each other behind my head to watch the show while Cade explained his theory to Riley that Christine had sent Olivia to make my life miserable.
When they were finished talking, it was clear to me they would be paying a personal visit to Christine early in the morning.
By the time Cade was done shouting back and forth with Riley—most of it in agreement—it was very late. He flipped out the light, climbed into bed, and hauled me against his chest. “Longest day of my life, baby.”
“I know. But worth it.”
“Totally.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
When I woke up the next morning, I was alone again. I could hear the shower running and glanced at the clock. It was early. Way earlier than I would have liked to face the day. I lay back down and waited for Cade to return from the bathroom. No way I would fall back asleep, but I could at least stay warm and covered. The thought of stepping under running water made me burrow deeper.
Ten minutes later, Cade tiptoed quietly into the room.
“I’m awake, honey.”
He came to me and sat on the side of the bed. He wore dress pants and was buttoning up a starched white shirt. “I’m sorry if I woke you, baby.” He leaned over to kiss me. “Go back to sleep.”
“Not gonna happen. Too late.” He set my hand on this thigh and squeezed. “Where are you going?”
“Meeting Riley at six to go pay Christine a visit before she can possibly leave her house this morning.”
“’K. Be careful.”
“I will, baby. I don’t think she’s dangerous. Just a bitch.”
“There’s a lot of that going around.”
“True enough.” He kissed my forehead this time and lifted off the bed. “Arthur will take you to work. I put his number in your phone. Just send him a text when you’re ready to go.”
“Okay. Call me when you have a chance.”
“Will do.” Cade left the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft snick.
I closed my eyes for several minutes and then dragged myself out of bed. As long as I was awake, I might as well get the show on the road. I had a ton of work on my desk.
By seven o’clock I called Arthur, apologized for it being so early, and met him downstairs. He smiled warmly when I apologized again. “No worries, Amy slash Lillie,” he teased with a wink. “I’m used to weird hours. Seven in the morning is nothing, doll.”
I was the first one to arrive on my floor by a longshot and was on my second cup of coffee with a better handle of everything on my desk before Cade showed up. He leaned his handsome self against the doorjamb and grinned from ear to ear.
I smiled. “Talk to me.”
He came in and took a seat across from me. “Well, here’s what we know. That crazy bitch Christine did in fact call Olivia and send her to fuck with you after Riley broke off their engagement. Even without telling her why he was dumping her ass, she figured you had a hand in it.”
“Why did Olivia take the bait?”
“Money.” He grinned broader. “Apparently that crazier bitch, crazier than Christine anyway, ran through every dime she’d squeezed out of me and her entire inheritance in less than four years. She readily took money from Christine in exchange for paying you a visit.”
“That’s fucked up.”
“Oh, it gets worse. Christine bragged about her accomplishment to everyone she knew. And that included a college acquaintance who also knew Luke. Her name is Kim. That woman was slightly less insane and called Luke to tell him what had happened to you. He didn’t even know if you were still with me, but he got another call from Kim yesterday, informing him that you were working in this building under an alias.”
“Jesus.” Talk about being followed.
“Yeah, makes you kinda cringe, right?”
“How did Christine know I was here? Riley didn’t even know.”
“Christine has been stalking Riley. She follows him everywhere. She saw you coming and going. She was in the process of plotting more shit against you. And she bragged about that to the wrong person again. Kim called Luke. Luke sent you that letter. And we nailed Christine’s ass to the ground.”
“How did you get her to talk?”
“That was easy. She needed money too. Without Riley, she’s also hard up for cash, at least the amount of cash she thinks she must have to live.” He rolled his eyes.
“You paid her?” I almost screamed that last word.
“Fuck no. But we said we would. We forced her to admit everything she knew and then left her screaming her fucking head off that we didn’t hold up to our end of the bargain.”
“Is she stupid?”
“Clearly.”
“So, any chance you found out where Olivia is from Christine?”
Cade beamed. “The police are arresting her as we speak.”
I smiled. “And the kid?”
“Hopefully I can pull some strings and get her to her father as soon as possible. She’ll have to go into the system for a few days, but a paternity test will prove Luke the rightful dad. And with the amount of evidence that Olivia intentionally kept her from her father, he’ll surely get custody. That’s all he wanted.”
I blew out a breath and then lifted my gaze as Riley entered the room. “I totally owe you again, don’t I?”
“Yep.”
“What are you two talking about?” Cade asked.
Riley chuckled. “Private inside joke.”
“You have a private inside joke with my woman?”
Now I laughed. “Don’t get your panties in a wad, big guy. At the end of the day, you get the prize.”
“I better,” he grumbled.
Riley slapped him on the back. “You found a good woman, Cade. If only I could be so lucky.”
“Now that you’re moving to Atlanta, I have connections,” I teased.
Cade looked up at Riley. “She does have cute friends. One of them is just your type.”
Riley backed off with his hands up. “Do not fucking set me up with a woman. I’ve sworn off women entirely.” He turned to face me. “No offense. Maybe it’s just rich snooty women. Do you have any regular middle-class friends without a stick up their asses?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
Riley turned and walked out of the office chuckling. “Not gonna happen, guys, but thanks for the thought.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“You sure that’s everything?” I stepped back from the doorway to let Cade pass. He held the last of the many boxes we’d packed up at my apartment that morning.
“Woman, I don’t know how on earth you had that much stuff in that little space.”
“I like clothes.” I shrugged.
He dropped the box and turned to pull me to his front as I let the door shut.
Riley’s apartment was spectacular. Downtown Nashville with an awesome view on three sides. I thought we got the better end of the deal in the house swap.
Cade pulled my hair back so I was forced to look up.
“You have too many clothes. Who needs all that?” A smile curved the edges of his mouth.
“Hardly. You have more dress shirts than I have skirts, big guy.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to go shopping. You have four days off next weekend for Thanksgiving. Did you plan to visit your parents?”
I stared at him, warmth filling my chest. How had I gotten so lucky? “No. I knew it would be too tight after
starting a new job. I planned to see them at Christmas. Guess I better warn them to make space for two.” I smiled at him.
“Guess you better. And we should plan on spending a few days with my family too. My sisters are gonna kill me for keeping you from them.”
“That sounds ominous.”
He shrugged. “I’ll protect you.”
I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. If I needed protection against his siblings…
Cade glanced around at all the boxes. “You gonna put all this shit away, or is it going to sit next to the front door in boxes for weeks on end?”
I shrugged. “Most of it’s wrinkle-free.”
Cade narrowed his gaze. “Are you sassing me, baby?” He backed me up until I hit the back of the couch.
“Never.”
He reached for the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. Next, he popped my bra and dropped it to join my shirt on the couch. Lastly, he grabbed the sides of my yoga pants and wiggled them down my body. “I don’t get these pants you women wear. What’s the point again?”
“They’re comfortable. And you know they’re sexy, so don’t even try to fool me.”
“I don’t like pants at all,” he grumbled.
“And yet, it would be awkward for me to run around town naked.”
Cade met my gaze again, a slow grin spreading wider. “You’re sassing me again.”
“Never,” I repeated. I knew I was pressing his every button, but I couldn’t help myself. He clearly wanted to play. Who was I to stop him?
Cade lowered his face to mine and took my lips. We stood there so long in that kiss, I lost track of time. He made my entire body come alive. By the time he broke free, I was panting.
“You wet, baby?”
“Yes, Sir.” He knew I was.
Cade reached between my legs and stroked one finger through my folds.
I was more than wet. I was totally ready for him. I hoped he didn’t make me wait.
Cade released my pussy and lifted his finger to his mouth. He sucked it clean, moaning around it as though it were a delicacy. And then he took me by the shoulders and walked with me across the spectacular great room until we reached the corner next to the hallway that led to the bedrooms.
I thought he was going to press me into the wall and hopefully fuck me right there. We hadn’t had sex against a wall yet.
I was mistaken. Realization dawned fast when he turned me around and pressed me forward into the corner. Heat rose up my body. “Cade,” I whispered. I wasn’t at all sure I was ready for this game.
“You knew this was coming, baby.” He soothed my back as he arranged me the way he wanted. “Spread your legs farther apart.”
I stepped out tentatively. “You said you wouldn’t punish me for being messy.”
“I’m not punishing you for being messy, baby. I’m punishing you for sassing me.” He turned my face to the wall and nudged my head gently. “Nose to the corner. Nipples to the walls.”
Wetness filled my pussy unexpectedly, making me whimper. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“That’s my girl.” He stroked my head. “Concentrate on your tits touching the walls and your pussy dripping between your legs while I ignore you.” His hand smoothed down my back until he gripped my butt cheek and squeezed. “If you can stand really still and not complain for ten minutes, I’ll release you.”
I held my breath. Holy mother of God. I was aroused. How was that possible? And did I want him to have that sort of ammunition?
My decision was taken from me when Cade suddenly reached between my legs and stroked two fingers through my folds. “Shit, baby,” he whispered as he stepped back. “You leave me with no way to punish you if standing in a corner naked arouses you. I’m going to have to get creative.”
I liked the sound of that. Creative was a good thing. At least I thought so…
“I’m going to pour a nice glass of wine. If you can stand still without moving for those ten minutes, you might get to have a sip before it gets warm.” He chuckled as he walked away.
I fidgeted, unsure I could actually endure ten minutes of this. It wasn’t at all what I had expected. I didn’t feel ignored in the slightest as I’d feared. Nope. I knew Cade was behind me somewhere, staring at my naked backside, his cock at least as hard as my pussy was wet.
He may have thought this was a good punishment, but I was sure he suffered right alongside me.
Epilogue
Four months later…
I leaned over the best pork rib I’d ever eaten and took another bite. There was sure to be sauce on my face and running down my chin, but I didn’t care.
It was early April, and I was just glad it was warm enough out to have this party outdoors.
Cade sat next to me, straddling the bench seat, one corner of his mouth lifted in an indulgent smile.
“What?” I asked around the bite in my mouth.
“Nothing.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, the only safe place he could avoid getting barbeque sauce on him. His face remained close. “I love you.”
I set my rib down on the plate and wiped my lips with my napkin. “That works out splendidly. I’d hate to think all these people came here to celebrate our engagement and you didn’t even love me.” I grinned.
“Always so snarky.”
A shadow drew my attention to the other side of the picnic table as Riley lifted his leg over the seat and plopped down. “Nice engagement party, Amy.” It had taken some convincing, but eventually I’d managed to talk both Riley and Parker into calling me Amy. Cade was stubborn. I doubted he would ever call me anything but Amelia. “So much more relaxed than the wild fiasco my crazy ex arranged.”
I laughed. I knew Riley was still getting over Christine. Well, perhaps it wasn’t quite accurate to say he was getting over her, but rather the damage she’d left behind. He certainly wasn’t mooning after her. He also wasn’t ready to jump back in the swing of things, either.
“Any new news about Christine?” Cade asked.
Riley shook his head. “She moved back to Virginia last I heard. Probably needed daddy’s money to support her expensive tastes.”
Cheyenne walked up to the table next. I watched her as she approached from behind Riley. Her eyes were a bit wider than usual, and her face was bright. “Hey,” she said as she took a seat next to Riley. “You must be Riley.”
Riley turned to face her. “I am. You must be Cheyenne.”
My friend beamed. I was probably the only one who noticed, but she clearly found Riley interesting. In fact, she leaned her chin on her hand and smiled at him. I’d known for months this would be the case as soon as Cheyenne met Riley. However, Cheyenne had very little clue about my submissive relationship with Cade behind closed doors. Nor would she realize Riley had the same tendencies. Cade had confirmed my suspicions in this arena.
His other friend, Parker, also manifested a dominant nature. I’d met him several times by then, and he was due to show up at our party any moment.
My parents were throwing this party in their back yard. I was glad so many of my friends and Cade’s had made the trip to LaGrange. It made my mom and dad happy to be a part of our happiness, and Cade had been more than willing to travel the distance for a chance to hang out with my dad.
Ever since the two of them had met at Christmas and Cade had charmed the pants off my parents, Cade and Dad had become friends. They’d bonded over sports and beer, which had shocked me initially since I’d rarely seen Cade drink anything besides wine. Apparently he was also a connoisseur of beer.
I smiled at my man as he took another drink from his bottle. This was a barbeque. There was beer. And everyone seemed to be enjoying it.
Riley turned back to Cade and me. “Heard from Parker?”
Cade shook his head. “Not yet. He’ll be here. His flight didn’t land until four. It’ll take him a while to get down here.”
Cheyenne spoke up next. “Ah, the infamous Parker.”
Riley chuckled. “Yeah, once he gets his charismatic self here, I’ll be chopped liver.” He set his hands on the table and pushed to standing. “I’d better grab another drink and find a quiet corner to drown my sorrows in before Parker comes and charms the socks off all the women in attendance.”
Cheyenne’s eyes went wide. “Seriously? You must be joking? There’s no way you’ll be able to convince me someone could one-up you in any department.”
I was shocked at Cheyenne for being so outgoing and flirty. I was also glad. Riley paused to stare down at her, a grin spreading across his face. “Fantastic. Someone has fallen for my charm. Grab a beer with me, and maybe I’ll get you tipsy enough to dance with me later after Parker swoops in.”
“I’d love to.” Cheyenne stood and grabbed Riley’s bicep as they headed toward the coolers.
“Oh Lord. That can’t be good,” Cade muttered.
“Why not?” I glanced at him. “You don’t think they make the perfect couple,” I teased. They were so far from similar it was uncanny.
“Not even close.” He leaned in and kissed my nose. “But then again, you and I weren’t exactly on the same page when we met either, and look at us now.” He reached for the necklace I wore and fingered the figure eight at my neck. Cade had replaced the necklace soon after we’d gotten back together. And he often teased me by checking to make sure it was still around my neck and some crazy person hadn’t come along and yanked it free.
We could finally joke about Olivia. What else was there to do? The woman’s life was a sad disaster of her own making. She’d lost custody of her daughter, who was thriving under her father’s care. Not that I figured Olivia gave a fuck about Libby. She’d shown not one ounce of love for the child the only time I’d met her. I still didn’t understand why she hadn’t given custody to Luke in the first place instead of lying about her parentage for four years. It hadn’t done her any good. Neither Luke, whom we were occasionally in communication with, nor anyone else had heard from Olivia in months. It was rumored she was living with Christine in Virginia. Just as well. They deserved each other.
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