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“How do you know it didn’t play out exactly as it was meant to, Caitlyn? Think about the string of events which led to the way the night unfolded. How often do you get deliveries to that neighborhood? How many times have you been placed in a life or death situation?”
“You’re not going to like my answers,” I stared into his gorgeous eyes while I figured out which question to address first. “I’m not sure if things played out the way they were supposed to or not, but I’ve never gotten a delivery over there before. I find myself in life or death situations a few times a year.”
His probing questions revealed a lot more than I had anticipated.
“Jesus,” he looked up at the ceiling and back down again. “You shouldn’t be dealing with those sorts of problems.”
“Tell me about it.” I shifted slightly, wondering what else was on his mind. “So, do you understand now why I can’t just move in and play house?”
“No one is playing.” Kade turned his body toward me and touched my knee. “You can’t even see the tangled mess of what you’ve inserted yourself into. You keep thinking it’s not a big deal, but I’m telling you it is. Can you just humor me and stay here until I can take care of this?”
“I don’t know you. I don’t know your intentions, despite how they might have appeared the other night. I can’t repay you for what you’ve done for me so I really need to go. I’ve got to get back to my life, Kade.”
“I understand what you’re saying, and I understand your hesitation, but you’ve placed yourself in a rather precarious position. It would be so much safer if you let everyone believe you went missing in Devil’s Park.”
“You are twisted.” I laughed, shaking my head. “This guy is just a man, and he isn’t going to waste his time on some nobody waitress from Joe’s Pizzeria.”
There was a moment of pause before Kade spoke, and I could tell he was choosing his words carefully. “Think of how much simpler it is for a man with a ton of power to waste the little blonde waitress from the middle of nowhere town, then it would be to take out a corporate executive or a celebrity of some sort. If you got dropped off the side of Silvermoon Pier tomorrow, who would alert the authorities to find you?”
His words formed ice in my veins. I wanted to believe people would notice, but would they care? Kade was right. “Fuck.” I hit my hands down into my thighs and then cursed several more times. “Ouch! Oh, that hurt.” His mouth quirked up as he realized what I had done, and I shoved his arm. “It’s not funny!”
“It’s a little funny.” He chuckled. “Do you want me to rub your thighs?”
I’d like you to rub something in between my thighs. Oh damn.
Heat pooled into my belly so fast it melted the cold fear away in a flash. I opened my mouth to make a smart-ass comment, and then shut it again. I nodded unable to trust whatever the hell might fall out of my lips. He lifted my legs onto his lap and pressed all along the top of my left thigh, rubbing, kneading, easing stress and tension out of my body in waves. I moaned softly, when his focus changed to the other side. “You-you were serious about your hands.”
“As long as you listen, you’ll get what you want.”
“What happens if I don’t listen?” I couldn’t resist asking, and my mouth dried as I waited for his answer.
“A naughty brat who doesn’t listen to me will find herself punished,” he responded matter-of-factly. “I doubt you want to cross that particular bridge tonight.”
“For the record, I’m not a brat.” I pouted, looking all the part of said brat and quickly changed up my posture.
What the hell did he mean about getting punished?
I wanted to poke at him, and get the answers to all my questions in whatever form that took, but I was also emotionally wasted and lacking the mental strength. All I wanted was to fall asleep in his arms and not worry about whatever else had happened these past few days.
“Be whatever you want to be, but mark my words: naughty brats find themselves punished.”
“Is that why you’re single?” The question tumbled out of my mouth without a filter. I had no idea if he were single or not, and it wasn’t fair to make such an assumption.
“The reason I’m single has nothing to do with the statement I just made. I hold myself to high standards, and I won’t be made to cower just because a woman thinks her balls are bigger than mine. Any woman I allow into my life is held in high regard, but she will follow the rules I outline. She gets my utter devotion and my complete respect. Still, I set a benchmark.”
“It’s fun to push your buttons, Kade. I’m not entirely sure why I find it so enjoyable. Also, I’m not really used to this type of interaction.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “Anyhow, I’m at least one-hundred times stronger than you, at least I think I am, so whatever your idea of punishment is probably wouldn’t work on me.”
“Physical strength has nothing to do with actions and repercussions.” His voice softened. “If you trust me enough to take care of things, and you don’t follow simple rules, then you would submit to a consequence. I don’t want or need to break you in order to keep you safe, Caity-bug. I’m well aware of your newly acquired talent, but if you felt threatened by me, you would have punched a hole in the wall behind me and sauntered right through it by now.”
“I could still do it,” I agreed. His observations were on point. I hadn’t left his care or his company because despite the oddness of the events from the past few days, he had been the first person in a long time who had any interest in my well-being at all.
“It sounds like some part of you trusts me just a little bit. Please stay here until this crap blows over. I’m at a position in my life where having a house guest isn’t going to throw off my schedule. I’ve got flexible hours at my job and I can work from home if I need to.” He laced his fingers into mine. “Your safety trumps everything else.”
“I know you’re concerned about my safety, but my rent is due. I’m over two-hundred and fifty dollars short. I’d have made it in tips if I hadn’t passed out.”
“Does your landlord come and collect your rent or do you have a drop box somewhere?”
I winced, and my stomach dropped at the answer. The truth was, sometimes the landlord collected more than just money, especially in the past when I hadn’t been able to make ends meet. My expression did not go unnoticed by Kade, but he seemed to read way deeper into my body language then I’d thought he would.
