16. Caden
Caden
I hated meetings.
I’d been on video calls all day. There’d been various security fires to put out the other Langston Hotels around the world.
I hadn’t seen Allie once yet today. Damn, I missed her.
I strode down the hall in the staff area. I could still taste her, hear the sounds she’d made. I shook my head. I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about her. What I needed to do was check in with the security team, and Hugh, who was monitoring the bug.
These damn drug dealers were cunning bastards. I wasn’t going to let them continue to peddle their poison, or hurt innocent women.
Hugh poked his head out of the conference room. His face looked like a thundercloud.
“What’s wrong?” I clipped out.
“I was monitoring the bug. Allie was cleaning the room, and Moreland showed up.”
My chest locked. “She okay?”
Hugh nodded. “But he threatened her. She asked him about the woman who’d been drugged in the Bluff Bar. He accused her of poking around.”
Fuck . “Thanks, Hugh. I’ll check on Allie. I want you and Gretchen to follow these guys. Be discreet. They have a stash of drugs somewhere and it isn’t in their hotel room.”
“You got it.”
“Hugh, don’t let them see you.”
The tall man nodded and strode back into the conference room.
Ahead of me, Allie turned the corner. She was in her civilian clothes—fitted, well-worn jeans, and a gray sweater that made her eyes look silver. My cock twitched against the zipper of my pants.
“Hey.” She smiled. “I heard you had meetings?—”
I grabbed her hand, opened the nearest door—to a supply closet—and shoved her inside. I shut the door behind us.
Then I kissed her.
She made a hungry sound, her arms flinging around my neck. Denim-clad legs wrapped around me, and I cupped her ass.
We were both breathing heavily.
“This is one time I appreciate you being a man of few words,” she panted. “I’ve discovered I prefer a man of action.”
She was okay. Something inside me eased. She was unhurt, smiling, and in my arms. “Blake Moreland threatened you.”
A look crossed her face. “How did you—?” Then she nodded. “The bug. I forgot. I was going to tell you.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Totally fine.”
I kept watching her. She didn’t seem upset or afraid.
“He was an asshole, but I already knew that.” She pressed her hand to my cheek. “So, about being a man of action…you have any more for me?”
I couldn’t stop my smile. My gaze dropped to her mouth.
“You have a sexy smile, Broody.”
“Be quiet.” I nuzzled her neck. “Apart from the ESG, how was your shift?”
“Better now.”
I set her down, then stroked her cheekbone.
“It started well. I won’t lie, I was still riding post-orgasmic goodness this morning.”
Fuck . I liked knowing how much she liked what I did to her. I let my lips trace over the shell of her ear. “I fucked my hand in the shower last night afterward. I came hard.”
She gripped my shirt and her lips parted. “I would’ve liked to have seen that.” She tilted her head back. “You fixed my car.” Her voice was low and husky.
“Yes.” No way I was letting her run to work again.
“That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever done for me.”
Damn . My gut was tight, my cock hard.
“And you left me more chocolate.”
I was done. I couldn’t fight this anymore. I wanted Allie. “Have dinner with me tonight?”
Her face fell. “I can’t. It’s cocktail night with the girls. Tessa organized it.”
“Ah.”
“That’s right. They’re going to interrogate me.”
“Dinner tomorrow? Ollie as well.”
Warmth crossed her face. “I’d like that. And so would he. He’s staying with Tessa’s aunt tonight. So I definitely want to hang with him tomorrow night.”
“He’s a good kid. We’ll have fun.” I ran my fingers down her neck. Her eyelashes fluttered.
“Now I’m all hot and bothered.” She pushed the sleeves of her sweater up.
I glanced down at her arms. There were bruises on her forearm. Dark smudges that were definitely finger marks. Large ones.
White noise filled my head. I lifted her arm gently. “Did I hurt you?”
“What? No.” She looked down. “Oh, that asshole.”
“Moreland.” My tone was measured, lethal.
Her face changed, her hands pressing to my chest. “Caden, stand down. I’m right here, I’m perfectly fine. You just kissed me like the world was ending.”
I felt a muscle tick in my jaw. I was pissed and she was making me want to smile. I dragged in a deep breath. “You didn’t tell me that he touched you.”
“He grabbed my arm. He suspects something, and he warned me to keep my nose out of his business.”
I growled. Moreland was a dead man.
“Hey.” She pressed a hand to my jaw. “Look at me. You can’t kill him.”
“Yes, I can.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I can’t tell if you’re joking, or not.”
I met her gaze and let her see that I meant it.
“No killing. I want more orgasms, and I have plans to explore this.” She waved a hand up my body. “So no killing.”
“No one would ever find out.”
She huffed. “Caden, I’m counting down to the day that he and his buddies are dragged off in handcuffs. That will be justice.”
“Fine,” I grumbled.
“Good. I have to go.” She rose up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to my mouth.
I hauled her back and kissed her properly.
“Well, ah…” She pressed her fingers to her lips. “Now, I feel a little dizzy.”
“Dinner tomorrow night?”
She nodded.
“Allie, I’ll be thinking about you tonight. Call me when you get home.”