by Sofia Finn
With a shout, I woke up to an orgasm, only to find it was my own fingers, and not Cage’s, that rested between my leg. My own hand pinching my swollen nipples.
And just like I had so many times before, I went back to sleep and dreamt of him cradling me after and saying, “Good girl.”
The next day was far better than the last.
I came to work with a renewed determination to fucking excel at my job. When Tessa saw me, she rolled her eyes and said, “They didn’t fire you yet, butterfingers?”
But I just ignored her, not wanting to get into a fight on my second day. Luckily, Carole had decided to take over my training. With her clear explanations of everything, I got the hang of it much quicker.
“I did it!” I yelled excitedly to Carol when I got back to the nursing station after prepping and assisting a surgery for Dr. Randy. It had only been a 30-minute circumcision, but I was proud that I had gotten everything right, and even Dr. Randy had complimented me.
“I knew you would,” Carol beamed at me as Tessa rolled her eyes. “I told you, these things just take time to get used to. “
“Well, you were right.”
“Of course, I’m right, sweetheart. Now go to room six and check on Tate Collins. I think he just woke up, and he might need some food brought up.”
“Sure.” I went off smiling giddily, still high off my win of the day. I wanted to do a happy dance. That’s how ecstatic I felt. I wasn’t a failure after all. In fact, I hadn’t messed up the whole day. I also hadn’t seen Cage all day, so there was probably a link there.
“Hi, Tate!” I plastered a smile on my face as I greeted the sullen-looking boy from surgery yesterday. He was awake but looked weak, lying on the hospital bed in Room 4. “I’m Maddie, and I’ll be your nurse today. How are you holding up?”
He regarded me with a gravity that was beyond his years. “Good.”
“Great. Are you hungry? The doctor gave us a list of a bunch of food you can have.”
He shook his head. “Are my parents here?” He asked with an anxious note in his voice.
“Um…no, not yet. Do you want me to call them?”
He shook his head vigorously. “I’d rather you didn’t.”
He looked away towards the windows and quietly asked, “How long do I get to stay here for?”
Get? In my experience, usually, children couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital. The fact that this one wanted to stay concerned me. “Is there a reason you don’t want to go home?”
He shook his head again and fell silent.
Something was definitely going on with him, but he wasn’t going to tell me until I gained his trust.
I sat at his bedside, and he blinked up at me, startled. “Tell you what, you tell me what your favorite thing to eat is, and as long as it’s on the doctor’s recommended list, I’ll go get it for you.”
Tate’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Really?”
“Sure! It’s the special kidney transplant deal we offer here at St. Johns.”
He giggled then. “That’s not a real thing.”
“Of course it is.” I gasped in false horror. “Are you trying to call me a liar, young man?”
He was still giggling, but he shook his head.
“Because I’m not. It’s true. Every day, we pick a very special kid, and then, for the rest of his stay, we deliver one of his favorite foods to him. This month, that kid’s you, I’m afraid.”
Tate didn’t look like he believed me, but he was smiling, nonetheless. Finally, he relented. “Ice cream.”
I nodded firmly. I knew he wasn’t allowed to have sugar, but maybe some diet yogurt would be fine. Or sugar-free ice cream. I think I saw that in one of the vending machines.
“Well, I’ll go check with your doctors and make sure that that’s ok to have, and if it is, then you’ve got one ice cream coming right up.”
I got up, but Tate grabbed my hand to prevent me from leaving. When I turned back, his eyes were soft and shy as he whispered, “Thank you, Ms.”
Jeez. He was so cute my heart just felt like exploding. “Of course, darling. And you don’t have to call me Ms. It’s just Maddie. But only because we’re friends.”
I winked at him, and he blushed before I left.
As I turned the corner leaving Tate’s room, I ran into a large immovable wall that turned out to be Cage Burke.
My heart jumped into my throat, and awareness rushed through my body. I wondered if he heard my exchange with Tate. He hadn’t fired me yet, but I knew some hospitals didn’t like nurses to spend more than a couple minutes with each patient so as not to take time away from other patients. And buying food for patients was definitely unorthodox.
I waited for the hammer to fall, but it didn’t. Cage just continued to stare at me, a fathomless look in his eyes. And then, “Room 2 needs cleaning.”
Then he walked away.
6
Maddie
A week later and Cage Burke was still slowly driving me insane.
Since Carol took over my orientation, things had been going smoother. I mean, I was even surprised at how fast I was catching up. Sure, I still sometimes confused the supplies room for the break room, and there were about 100 more codes I needed to learn. But generally, I was doing really good, and Carol had even mentioned that I’d been scrubbing and assisting like a pro. Of course, that was only when Cage Burke was nowhere in the vicinity.
Whenever Cage entered the room, his woodsy scent and overpowering aura waltzed in too, and I inevitably started screwing up. I dropped equipments, stumbled over my words.
I was a mess.
It was so inconvenient because, for some reason, I really wanted to prove to him that I wasn’t the screw-up he thought I was. And, as if it wasn’t enough that I had to see him at work, he would also show up at my apartment unannounced, usually at the worst possible timing. And it was one of those days.
I had just put Ela down for her nap and was ready to get some “me” time, if you get what I mean. It seemed like seeing Cage every day had kicked my once dormant libido into overdrive. The need for constant release had become a new routine.
And so there I was, with my legs spread, moaning as my dildo-shaped vibrator buzzed right at my nub. Then came the knock on the door.
I ignored it the first and second time and would have kept on like that, but I heard his commanding tone through my thin walls, “You better open up this door right now, Maddie.”
Cage.
I’d jumped to my feet then, dropping the vibrator in the process, and righted my clothes.
I cleared my throat. “What are you doing here, Cage?”
“Have you forgotten our deal already?” His voice was raspy. “Or do you want me to get my lawyers ready?”
Must he always bring lawyers into it? “Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’m opening up.”
I removed the deadbolt and turned the latch, swinging the door open. My heart caught in my throat.
He wasn’t wearing his usual business button-down and slacks. No. He’d dressed down like he was going to see a lover. He wore jeans that molded to his powerful thighs, a Grateful Dead T-shirt that seemed stretched to capacity. And to top it all off, he had a leather jacket on. I’d never seen Cage Burke in a jacket before, and could I just say—it was a devastating sight.
His hair was a little mussed as if he had ridden with the top down, or maybe on a motorcycle. Although, it was difficult to imagine someone as controlled as Cage on something as dangerous as a motorcycle. He smelled like wind and cologne, and I inhaled. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that I realized that I was standing in his way.
Although, he wasn’t quite looking at my face. Instead, his eyes went significantly lower towards my chest.
I looked down and gasped. My nipples were almost painfully erect, standing at distinct points and pushing against my shirt in the most vulgar way. I crossed my arms over my chest.
Shit.
“Where’s Ela?” he asked in a
far deeper, huskier tone. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about our last encounter, when he’d had me pressed up against the wall and held me still for the onslaught of his tongue. I wondered if he wanted a repeat. God knows I do.
Stop this, I scolded myself. Have some self-respect.
But even as my mind rationalized, my body only knew to want.
“Um…” I struggled to remember the question he’d asked because the atmosphere was thick with sexual energy. “I just put her down for her nap.”
“Hmm,” was all he said. But the sound made me shiver. It felt like I heard promise in his voice. Or maybe my libido imagined that.
“Are you going to stand there all night like a statue, or are you going to let me in?” he asked.
Rude asshole. “Cage, Ela is going to be asleep for a long while. Maybe you should come back later.” Yes, please go. Please leave so I can regain a semblance of self-control.
But of course, the antagonistic bastard chose to do the exact opposite of what I asked.
“No, I think I’ll stay.” He stepped over the threshold, almost bringing himself flush with my body. Well, if I hadn’t backed away. “That way, the two of us can have an adult conversation while she sleeps.”
“I thought you didn’t like talking to me, Cage.” The bitterness escaped me with no warning as the memory of Cage’s past scorning battled with my desire. “Didn’t you tell me that? Extensively?”
“Well…” He stepped further into my apartment, surveying it the same way he did the previous day. It was as if he was trying to look for any cracks in the façade I’d built. “I don’t like to talk if you’re drunk out of your mind. But you seem to be reasonably sober today. So, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk.”
“Geez, Cage, I’m so honored.” The sarcasm masked the hurt. “I’m so honored that I am finally good enough for you to talk to. That maybe now, instead of glaring at me when I say hello, you’ll maybe shake my hand or give a brief hi or maybe even…Wait, where the hell do you think you’re going?”
Cage was making a bee-line straight for my bedroom.
I chased after him as he threw open the door. “Why the hell are you in my bedroom, Cage?”
“Just making sure everything is on the up and up.” He walked further in, looking at the crumpled-up sheets in interest. “You forget, I lived with an alcoholic for most of my life. I know how good they are at hiding their vices.” He threw open my underwear drawer, picking through my underwear, calm as you please, as if he were sorting through scalpels.
“Are you insane?” I rushed forward and slammed the drawer shut. “You’re invading my privacy. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”
“It isn’t. Taking away a child without the permission of their parent is, though. Do you know what they call it in the law?” He paused to glance at me before saying, “Kidnapping.”
I swallowed. “We weren’t married, so that’s not true. Especially not if the other parent is a threat to the child.”
“Is that what Ben was? A threat?”
I had a flashback of Ben yelling at me, calling me a stupid bitch and a fucking whore for flushing his pills down the toilet. But while the verbal abuse had escalated, it never quite got physical.
I had never told Cage just how bad things had gotten with his brother. I didn’t think he would believe me anyway.
“Ben was an addict,” I said.
He cocked an eyebrow. “So were you.” He abandoned the drawers to begin walking towards the bed, then stopped abruptly with his attention on an object on the floor.
Shit. I hadn’t picked up the vibrator when it had fallen.
Cage reached down slowly and retrieved the item. And then he did something I never thought I would ever see a man do.
He brought the bulbous tip, the part that had been directly on my clit, to his nose and inhaled.
Double shit. That might be the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Especially as his eyes darkened in desire and his voice dropped another octave.
“Did I interrupt something?” he asked. There was something dangerous in his voice. There was an almost playful quality to it that I’d never heard before, like a cat lazily toying with a mouse right before it pounced.
I felt my face heat up, then told myself I had nothing to be embarrassed about. I was a healthy 23-year-old woman. I had needs just like everyone else, and there was nothing wrong with satisfying them.
“Actually, yes.” I pushed my chin out. “Which is why you should probably go back to your nice little penthouse and come back later when Ela is awake.”
Cage considered the large vibrator for a brief moment, then headed inside the bathroom. After a second, I heard the tap turn on.
What the hell is he doing?
He came back, wiping the tool with a clean towel and holding it up.
He captured me with a firm, commanding gaze. “Get on the bed.”
My heart stopped. “What?”
He didn’t repeat himself; he only gave me more of that smoldering stare.
I hesitated. My common sense said no. Any entanglement with Cage would be a colossal mistake. Not only was he Ela’s family, but he was also my boss. And even more, he didn’t like me. There were probably about 1000 other reasons why it was such a bad idea.
But, as his gaze traveled through my whole body, lighting aflame everywhere it touched, I suddenly couldn’t think of any of them. I felt myself move forward, not completely of my own accord. Because when he used that voice, the same one I heard in my dreams, I felt compelled to give in to my deepest, darkest fantasies.
Well.
I really could do nothing but give in.
It felt like I was in a trance as I slowly laid on the bed, watching him the whole time. Something smooth and animalistic overtook his gaze. My eyes also shifted to the painful-looking bulge between his legs. Lord, He might even be bigger than the damn dildo.
“I’m bigger.”
Oh no, I said it out loud.
My breathing rattled as he made his way towards me. His predatory gaze had descended on my nipples. The silence was broken by a sudden buzzing sound. Cage brought his head down to look me right in the eye. It felt like he was looking into my soul, grasping at all my secrets from their crevices as he slowly brought down the vibrator.
Right on my nipple.
My body jerked, and the burst of pleasure and pain elicited a loud cry.
“Shh,” he ordered. “You don’t want to wake the baby up.”
Yes. Right. Of course, he’s right. But as he pressed down even harder, I couldn’t stop the steady stream of whimpers escaping me.
“So responsive.” His voice was half-teasing, half-awed as he dragged the dildo lower. Every contact the dildo had with my body felt like a nerve ending. I knew the sensation wasn’t just because of the vibrations. It was also about the way Cage looked at me.
His face was closed off, harsh in the lighting with cheekbones that protruded as he ground his teeth. His muscles were also tense, straining to maintain control. He was feeling it as much as I was. And that realization sent my body into overdrive.
I was practically trembling by the time the buzzing head reached in between my thighs. Luckily, Cage didn’t tease me there. He went straight for the nub, holding the tip right above my clit as ecstasy roared through me, arching my spine.
I bit my lip hard to stop a loud gasp.
“No.” Cage leaned forward. “Don’t bite yourself, baby. Bite me instead.”
Just like that, he took my mouth in a ravenous kiss.
I went slightly crazy at that point, grabbing onto his shirt and pulling him to me while moaning like a mad person. I wanted him on top of me, his body pressing into mine. I wanted to cry as he increased the pressure, and it built and built and built. Everything got more intense from then until I couldn’t stand it anymore. Until I begged him to end it or stop.
But I knew I would die if he stopped.
He took one of his long, thick
fingers and thrust it in me, all the way to my hilt.
I exploded.
7
Cage
“Can you pass the salt, Ela?”
“Yes, Cage,” Ela replied with cheer, looking up at me with adoration. Ever since she had woken up to find me there, she’d been in the best of moods, even eating her vegetables without any complaints.
Her mother’s mood was noticeably darker, which wasn’t fair to me at all. After all, I was the one still suffering from a massive hard-on from what we’d just done. She was so sexy during her release. I tried not to think about it, knowing I would lose my mind if I did.
“You’re eating well, Ela,” I said instead.
She smiled and nodded. “Mommy promised me peanut butter if I finished all my veggies today.”
“Ben is allergic to peanut butter.”
“So is Ela. But only in large quantities,” Maddie added quickly as my face turned stormy. “A little spoon here and there doesn’t hurt her, and it’s the only way to get her to take pills. Or some other foods that she doesn’t like. I mean, I never quite thought of telling her monsters will eat her if she doesn’t, which apparently seems to work just fine.” The last part came out in an annoyed tone. She clearly didn’t like the fact that I’d scared her daughter into eating her greens.
“Kids sometimes need a dose of healthy fear to do what they need to,” I replied unabashedly. “And get rid of the peanut butter. It’s too dangerous to have it around if her reactions are as severe as Ben’s.”
“I always kept the peanut butter on the top shelf, far out of Ela’s reach.” Maddie stuck her tongue out at me. I couldn’t help thinking of all the things I could do with that tongue.
I gave her a sardonic look. “You might want to put that tongue back in your mouth before I take it as an invitation.”
She gasped and then closed her mouth quickly.
“Are you going to stay for dessert?” Maddie asked in a tone that made it clear she didn’t want me to.