Thursday, December 22
Hearing someone call her name from the doorway, Emma rolled over, and sat up to look her stepdad in the eyes. Glancing over at the clock on the wall next, she gasped quickly jumping out of bed. “It’s already five forty-five?”
“Never mind the time,” Ezekiel frowned, raising an eyebrow at her. “Where’s Cade?”
“He’s in my bed.”
“He wandered into your bedroom drunk again last night,” he nodded.
Taking the statement for what it was, she just snorted. “How did you know?”
“Well, you’re in here, for one thing,” he smirked. “But I also found the remains of his late-night binge. That’s what sent me in here to start with. I wanted to see what kind of condition he was in.”
Nodding in understanding, she moved closer to the door. “I didn’t think to check if he’d left a mess on the counter.”
“He did,” he nodded thoughtfully. “So, why is he in your bedroom? Why didn’t you just send him back in here? Crazy acts aside, he’s usually pretty docile when he’s drunk. He would have listened to you.”
“Can we talk about this later? I really need to get back in there to him.”
“No, I can go get him.”
Cringing, she almost looked alarmed. “No, I really need to go get him myself,” she whispered, eyeing her stepdad with concern.
“Why?”
“Well…”
“What is it, Emma?”
“I might have tied him to my bed last night,” she mumbled hesitantly, trying not to look him in the eyes.
“Might have?”
“Okay, I tied him to my bed last night,” she nodded, throwing her hands out in defeat.
Laughing, he shook his head at her. “Why?”
“As a means of keeping him out of the alcohol, and any more troubled he might try to find while still drunk.”
“Sweetheart, you’re the only trouble that boy is interested in getting into.”
“Gee,” she huffed, sounding a little hurt. “I didn’t realize you considered me trouble.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you well know it,” Ezekiel frowned. “Anyway, is keeping him out of trouble really the only reason you tied him to your bed?”
“Well, it might have been a little about payback for his jacking-off on me,” she shrugged, a pink stain appearing high on her cheeks.
“Do you realize how brave that was of you?”
“Oh, I’m certain he’ll retaliate.”
“You’ve probably started a small war.” One that may very well end with Janie and I finally getting that first grandbaby.
“Don’t worry,” she grinned. “We’ll leave the house standing. But I really do have to get in there to him. The last time I checked on him, he was mostly sober, and starting to get angry.”
“Oh boy,” he whispered, fighting to hold back a snort of laughter. “You bettered get in there quick. And good luck,” he added as she passed him to exit the room.
Stopping at the door to her bedroom, Emma stuck her head in just enough to make sure Cade hadn’t managed to work himself loose in the hour and a half since she’d helped him relieve his bladder in a bucket. Boy, had that taken some interesting maneuvering. And a lot of growling from her… prisoner.
Stepping the rest of the way into the room, she grinned widely at him. “You’re awake.”
“Of course, I’m awake.”
“Hungover this morning?” she smirked.
“I drank over half a bottle of whiskey. What do you think?”
“Well, maybe you should stick to the two-beer limit, you normally follow.”
“Never mind that,” he huffed. “This hangover is not as bad as the last one. I drank a ton of water yesterday. What you need to do is get over here and untie me.”
“I don’t know,” she cringed. “You look like you might be thinking about strangling me.”
“Oh, I’m not going to risk possible permanent damage,” he growled. “But I am going to paddle your rounded little bottom.”
“Well, I guess since I’m already in trouble, I might as well follow through with the rest of my plan.”
Eyeing her hard, he shook his head at her. “What are you hatching in that pretty little head of yours, Emma?”
Rather than answering with words, she walked over and pulled the covers from him, tossing them over to one side of the bed. That done, she crawled up on the bed, kneeling over him. When she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his pajama bottoms, he looked at her like he thought she might be losing her mind. “What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.” Several seconds later, after managing to get him to lift his butt, by pushing his face into her unbound breasts, she wrestled his pajamas down his legs and off his feet, leaving him completely naked.
“You have lost your mind,” he huffed. “That was a dirty trick. A very dirty trick. There isn’t a woman alive that doesn’t realize how much straight guys like to bury their face in boobs.”
“I like you naked,” she shrugged.
“What are you up to?”
“Like I’ve already said, you’ll see. First things first though. How’s your bladder?”
“I’m good. You were just in here an hour and a half ago. Untie me.”
“I will,” she grinned, turning her back to him. “But first, I must get ready for the day.”
Watching her slowly push her fuzzy pajama bottoms down her legs, he swallowed when the bare globes of her rounded bottom appeared with nothing but a thin piece of red fabric between them. “What are you doing?”
Kicking the pajamas to the side, she turned to face him once more, and slowly started unfastening the buttons on her top. The last button sliding out of its hole, she quickly flashed the top open, then closed, before turning to face away from him once more.
Watching the pajama top slide down her arms and drop to the floor, he swallowed again, jerking at his restraints. “Dang it, Emma, what are you trying to do to me?”
Turning to face him, she flipped her hair back, making sure not to obstruct his view. Eyeing his… manhood where it stood hard and ready between his legs, she grinned. “Oh, I’m not merely trying. I’d say I have succeeded.”
“Then you’d bettered do something to fix it,” he growled, jerking against his restraints despite knowing he wasn’t going anywhere until she untied him.
Pushing her thong off her hips, to the floor, she kicked out of it and placed one foot on the end of the bedframe, spreading her thighs wide, and chuckled when he froze in place, obviously waiting to see what she was going to do next. “Now that I have your full attention.”
“You had my full attention the second you walked back in here.”
“Well, this is just a little added insurance,” she shrugged, running a hand across her shoulders, from left to right, then cupping one breast. “This little striptease is a form of payback, so to speak. I’m hoping you’ll eventually take the right steps, so you’ll actually get to touch me.”
“Oh, I’m going to touch you, alright,” he growled, his eyes now glued to her most intimate, glistening parts. “Just come here and untie my hands. All you have to do is straddle my hips, facing me. I’ll do the rest.”
“Do you really think I’m going to make it that easy for you?”
“You want me too,” he growled. “I can see how… slick you already are. And I’ve not even touched you. Give me a chance, and I can make you so much more so.”
“Of course, I want you,” she huffed. “But the other night, when you found me in my bed, you could have crawled in bed with me rather than jacking-off on me. You could have woken me up. You could have tried kissing me. Instead, you got yourself off and left the room.”
“Emma, I was drunk. And let’s not forget, at that point, as far as I knew, you were into weaselly, little momma’s boys. That’s the reason I was drunk to start with.”
“Well, I guess, now you have something to think about,” she shrugged, turning her back on him.
Watching her rummage through the top drawer of her dresser, he started jerking at his restraints again. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to take a shower, and then get dressed for the day.”
“Then untie me, and let me take a shower with you. I can wash your back for you. And your front. Your legs. Between your legs,” he added with a low growl. “With my tongue.”
“We are not doing anything that is likely to lead to… intercourse.” That said, she quickly disappeared into the bathroom.
“Emma!” he roared behind her.
Walking back out of the bathroom several minutes later, dressed in a matching black bra and thong, with her wet hair piled on top of her head, she just grinned at him, heading for her dresser again. “Once I’m dressed, I’ll untie you.”
“I’m going to get you,” he whispered low, sending a shiver down her spine. She could literally feel his heated stare between her shoulder blades.
“If you mean that the way I think you do, I certainly hope so.”
Minutes later, having fully dressed, including her boots, she squeezed behind the bed, untying the scarves from around his chest and waist. That done, she moved around to untie his right hand.
Realizing she was already heading for the door, he growled, and quickly started untying the other one himself. “Dang it, Emma,” he grumbled under his breath. “I’m going to paddle your rounded little bottom the second I get my hands on you. Then I’m going to lick you till you can no longer scream my name. Maybe then I’ll be able to take you with this steel rod between my legs without tearing you in two.”
Farther down the hall, Emma walked into the kitchen to find Ethan, her mother and Papa Zeke standing against the counter, facing her. “Hi,” she whispered with a small wave.
“How’s it going?” Ezekiel laughed.
“Well, he’s rather wound up.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Ethan laughed. “We all heard him literally roar your name a little bit ago. Dad had to physically restrain your mom from going in there. At that point, I don’t think she was certain who she needed to help. You, or him.”
“Well, he sounded rather angry,” her mother sighed.
“It’s a good thing he stopped her,” Emma laughed. “Cade was naked, and I’m guessing that was when I went to take my shower. That’s when he got the loudest.”
“Why was he naked?” Momma Jane frowned. “I’ve always taught you not to have sex until you were certain he was the right one.”
“He is the right one, Momma. He always has been, from the moment I met him.”
“Janie, I’ve already explained all this to you. We’re going to have to let them work this out their way.”
Picking that moment to walk into the kitchen, Cade grabbed Emma by the waist and pulled her against him, with her back to his front. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. “Because of the… crowd, you’re safe for now, you little vixen,” he whispered. “But do not doubt it. I will get my hands on you. Payback is coming. You’re mine, and I will have my way with you soon. Very soon.”
Noting the looks on the faces of the other three in the room, she could tell they knew what he was saying. Or they at least had a pretty good idea. “Well, I certainly hope so.”
“Dang it, Emma,” he growled. “If that’s how you feel, let’s go back to a bedroom now. Yours or mine. I don’t care. No, scratch that. Mine. My bed’s bigger than that twin-sized thing you sleep on,” he added, taking her by the hand and turning back toward the door.
“No,” she snorted, pulling her hand out of his. “I’ve already told you, it’s not going to be that easy. And you have work to do. So, you bettered get some breakfast.”
“Dang it, Emma.”
~~~~
Watching Ethan walk out of the kitchen behind their father and Momma Jane, Cade shot a salacious grin in Emma’s direction. One she did not seem to see. She had her head down, finishing the last few bites of her supper. He was fully intending to haul her down the hall to his room the second her plate was in the dishwasher. He knew the reason the other three had left them in the kitchen alone, was to give him a chance to work things out with her. More like corner her.
“Cade, I really do wish you’d stop staring at me like that.”
“Like what?” he smirked.
“Like I’m dessert.”
“But you are dessert, Baby. My dessert.”
“Please, don’t say that. That sounds like something Jeffery Moore said,” she grumbled with distaste.
“Give me a chance, and I can make you forget anything that idiot ever said to you.”
“I’m sure you can.” She took a deep breath, shaking her head to clear the fog his words had created. “However, your staring is making it difficult for me to finish eating.”
“Why is that?” he chuckled, the sound sending a shot of electricity straight to her core. Her nerve endings instantly felt like they were on fire.
Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the bite of food in her mouth before looking up at him to answer. “Because I know what you’re wanting.”
“Oh, I’m going to get what I want.” He shot her such a heated look that time, she nearly turned into a puddle right where she sat. Realistically, she wasn’t certain there wasn’t going to be a wet spot on her chair when she stood up.
“Going by the look on your face, you want the same thing,” he continued with a low growl.
“Truthfully, yes,” she swallowed, nodding her head. “But we need to talk first.”
“About what?” he growled in frustration. “It’s not like we don’t know each other. You’re the only one I want. So, unless there’s someone else for you, I don’t see that there’s anything that should stop us.”
“There’s no one else,” she whispered, appearing quite shy all the sudden.
Rising from his chair the moment she pushed back from the table, he had her plate in his hand with his before she had a chance to pick it up. “Why are you acting so shy now? You certainly weren’t this morning.”
“I was in control of everything this morning.”
Eyeing her thoughtfully at first, he turned to put their plates in the dishwasher. “Are you wanting to be in control?”
“Not really,” she whispered, her eyes dropping to the floor. “At least not all the time. And certainly not the first time.”
“You’re not going to have to be,” he answered, turning back to her once the dishwasher was closed, and taking her face in his hands to look her in the eyes. “As far as control in the future, we can discuss that later. I’m willing to… take turns.”
“I know all that,” she nodded. “I’m just nervous.”
“Why are you so nervous?”
“I’ve never actually been…” Stopping, she shook her head and tried again. “Well, let’s just say, you’re the only guy that’s ever seen me completely naked.”
“Yeah,” he sucked in a hard breath, trying to slow his heart rate. “I had suspected that, but thanks for letting me know for certain. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”
“Cade, are you…”
Just then, the doorbell rang, causing her to pause, immediately turning to head for the front door.
“Hang on, Emma,” Cade grumbled, turning to follow after her. For some reason, he felt like he’d been here before. “We need to finish talking. Let one of the others answer the door.”
Already there, she just shook her head, and pulled the heavy, wooden door open.
Finding Justin Tate standing there, he shook his head, cussing a blue streak. “What the heck do you want?” he snarled at the other man. The curly, blonde-headed man had a lean, muscular build, and probably wasn’t an inch over six-foot, but the evil gleam in his eyes told you he was anything but innocent. And certainly not harmless.
Laughing, Tate just shook his head. “Do you greet all the guest at your door like that?”
“You’re not a guest,” Cade growled, pushing between Emma and the man standing on his doorstep. “You’re just a nuisance that’s found its way to my front porch.”
“Well, it just so happens, I’m not here to speak with you anyway,” Justin smirked, turning to look at Emma.
“You don’t get to speak with her,” Cade snarled. “And if you continue to look at her that way, I may very well, put your lights out.”
“I hardly think it’s your place to decide who gets to speak to her,” Justin smirked.
“What do you want to speak with me about?” Emma grumbled, trying to move back in front of Cade. Before he actually tried to murder the guy on their front porch. Sighing when it became obvious, he wasn’t going to let that happen, she just shook her head at him. “You’ll have to excuse him for now. He’s become a bit overbearing lately.”
“Overbearing is putting it nicely if you ask me,” Justin snorted, eyeing Cade with part humor, and part irritation.
“No one asked you,” Cade snarled.
“Never mind that. What did you want to talk to me about?” she tried once more.
“I was just wondering if you might go to dinner with me tomorrow night.”
“No, she is not going to dinner with you tomorrow night,” Cade snarled before she had a chance to answer, literally shoving the guy back out the door. “Or any other night after.”
“It’s hardly your place to decide who she goes out with,” the fool scoffed. “She’s free to make her own choices. And over twenty-one, I might add.”
“And mine,” Cade snarled again. “I’m the only one she’s dating.”
“You?” Justin scoffed. “You’re her stepbrother.”
“I am not her brother. And regardless of your opinion on the matter, she’s off the market. So, take your sorry hide back to your car, and straight off my property.”
“This is your father’s property. You can’t tell me to leave.”
Cracking his knuckles, he took a step forward, managing to push the other man nearly to the porch steps before he paused. “If you check the actual deed to this place, you’ll find that mine and Ethan’s names are actually on it with our father’s. So, in truth I do own this place. And just a word of warning, my father doesn’t like you anymore than my brother and I. More importantly, the only person or thing, I’m more protective of than this ranch is Emma. So, just in case you haven’t realized it yet, you are risking your life. The only reason I haven’t snapped your neck already is because I don’t want Emma to have to witness something like that.”
Finally, moving the rest of the way down the porch steps, just to get farther away from Cade, Justin looked back at Emma once more. “I’ll try talking to you again later. Sometime when he’s not around.”
“Don’t bother,” she sighed, thankful Ethan had made it to the front porch in time to physically restrain his brother. “I was going to say no before he jumped in, to answer for me.”
“Are you seriously with him?” Justin snarled, eyeing her with disgust. “What, you don’t think you’re going to get a big enough piece of the ranch without marrying one of the brothers?”
“The ranch has nothing to do with my feelings for Cade, and you really do need to leave now. Before you have both of the brothers to deal with,” she added when she noticed the furious scowl on Ethan’s face. “Right now, you’re still a breathing fool. If Ethan decides to let go of Cade while you’re still standing there, you’re going to be a dead fool.”