Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
This bed is fucking comfy.
My eyes open as I adjust myself against the fluffy pillows and duvet, and my leg brushes against Cade’s. I let a smile spread over my lips as I feel him next to me, ready to make this a filthy fucking wake-up. But as I turn my head towards him, I pause.
He’s still asleep, and he looks… peaceful.
His features are softened into something I’ve never seen on him before. It’s as if the weight that’s constantly pulling at him has lifted, and he’s no longer working to hold everything in place. His walls are down, and it’s just him… quiet, and unguarded.
My gaze lingers on his neck, on the red skin where my belt marked him last night, and I take a deep breath in.
He’s fucking beautiful.
I fight the urge to wake him up and drag him under me, and instead slip from the bed, pulling on my pants as I make my way out of his room.
I collect the rest of my clothes on the way downstairs, but my thoughts stay fixed on Cade.
The version of him that’s upstairs right now, unburdened, free of the heaviness he carries with him that causes him to shut the world out.
I really want to see more of that…
But as I step into the kitchen, that illusion breaks.
My man is a messy fucker.
And if I want to spend more mornings in that bed, I need to deal with this chaos.
Dishes are stacked on the counter, books are crammed on every surface, jackets and sweaters are tossed over chairs, and notebooks are scattered across the table with equations and diagrams scribbled on the pages.
As I glance over the papers, I have to reach down and give my half-hard cock a squeeze. His mind turns me on just as much as his body, and fuck if I’m not going to get fully hard at the thought of how all that brilliance is mine to watch unravel.
Turning back to the counters, I shrug it off for now as I tie my hair back and start working through the dishes.
And with every plate I wash, a little bit of order sinks into the mess.
I destroy plenty of things in my life, and I love every second of it…
But fuck if it doesn’t feel good to put some things back together.
“What are you doing?”
I turn just as I lift another plate, but drop it back onto the stack when I see him. Cade stands in the doorway with eyes still heavy from sleep, messy hair, and a bare chest above sweatpants slung low on his hips.
Well, fuck me sideways.
I cross my arms over my chest as I lean back against the counter. “What does it look like? Tried to make coffee but couldn’t find the counter.”
He shoots me a scathing look as he steps into the kitchen, scanning the now mostly cleared surfaces. “Looks like you found it.”
“Looks like I did,” I reply, watching him as he closes the distance between us.
He looks into my eyes for a moment before he reaches around me and grabs the coffee from a cupboard.
I smirk at him as he steps aside and starts the coffee machine. Once it’s set to brew, he turns to face me, and I try not to let my smile fall as I see his guard firmly back in place.
Not that I can’t take it down again.
My eyes drop to the mark on his neck, which is raw and red from where my belt held him last night, and I nod towards it. “Should probably cover that up if you’re going into work today.”
Cade just shrugs and quickly drops his gaze from mine.
Oh, fuck no.
I step into him and grab his chin, tilting his face up until he’s forced to meet my eyes. I stare into him, searching for even a flicker of regret, or any sign that he’s questioning what he let me do, and what he gave me.
But it’s not there.
He just holds my stare with the same defiance he always carries. Then he steps forward and presses his mouth to mine.
My hand falls from his chin to his hips, pulling him tight against me as his tongue pushes past my lips like he’s staking a claim on me.
And maybe he is.
Maybe this is how he shows that he wants something, in that messy, aching, silent way of his.
He may not care about the marks on his neck right now, but he certainly fucking cared last night when he begged me to put them there. The way he gripped me, without saying a word, like he needed the pain just to be able to stay… and to be able to feel anything.
And with each rub of the belt over his skin, and each breath I stole from him, he looked more alive than ever.
The quiet bubbling of the coffee pot fills the space around us, as we both take this rare moment to block everything else out. All I can feel is his warm, solid body against mine as he kisses me like it’s the only thing that matters, and I want nothing more than to just stay right here all day.
And when he softly exhales against my lips, I know he can feel it too.
When our kiss slows, I pull back just enough to murmur against his lips. “Tell me your favourite tree, baby.”
He lets out a short breath through his nose and gently shakes his head. “There’s a member of your club in my driveway.”
I smile, glancing past him towards the front door. “The prospect. Such a good fucking boy.”
Cade raises an eyebrow as he moves to the cupboard and holds up a mug towards me. “And he’s here because…?”
I shake my head at his offer. “Because I told him to come here in the morning.”
He pours coffee into his mug. “You looking for a third?”
White hot anger rolls through me at that thought, and I narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t even fucking joke about that, baby,” I growl, stepping in closer to him. “No one touches you but me.”
He just gives me a look of indifference as he lifts his mug to his lips… but I see it. I see the flicker as something sparks to life inside him, and he stands up a bit straighter. He might not recognize it yet, but I do.
“Caz is a prospect and needs to be on standby at all times,” I say, watching Cade’s lips as he runs his tongue over them after a sip of coffee. “What better way to teach him his time belongs to me now?”
Then his eyes brighten even more, as his gaze flicks to the door. “How long has he been here?”
I shrug as I walk to the chair by the kitchen table where my cut is hanging. “I don’t know.” And as I shrug it on, I take another look at him, looking fucking sinful.
I cross the kitchen again and grab him by the back of the neck, kissing him hard as I drag every ounce of him into me so I can get through this day.
“If I didn’t have business to attend to, I’d take you back to bed and fuck you until you forgot your own name,” I mutter as I reluctantly break the kiss.
Cade’s eyes meet mine as he lifts his coffee again, and his lips quirk up in a faint smirk. “And moan yours?”
A half-groan escapes me as my hand tightens at the back of his neck. “Fuck…” I shake my head and force myself to let go of him, dragging my eyes down to that fucking mouth and his bare chest. “I told you I’d be obsessed with you. But I didn’t expect you’d make it this easy.”
And the calm, cool motherfucker just leans back against the counter, sipping his coffee like he didn’t just destroy me.
I adjust my cock through my jeans with a low growl and head for the door. “Be bad today, Doc.”
Cade’s voice follows me out. “Be worse.”
Fuck. So this is what love feels like.
As I step out of his house and head down the walkway to the driveway, Caz looks up from where he’s leaning on his bike, scrolling on his phone.
“For fuck’s sake, man,” he groans. “Why can’t you just get a fucking phone?”
“I have a phone,” I say, swinging a leg over my bike and grabbing my helmet.
“So fucking use it,” he mutters, pulling his own helmet on. “And maybe give someone your number.”
I just stare at him as I start up my bike and rev the engine.
He throws his hands up with a look of exasperation. “What?” he asks, clearly annoyed. I’m not sure why, though. He’s probably only been here an hour or two.
So I put my bike in gear and head out onto the road.
Caz follows me through the streets of Fredericton, staying close behind me. But I don’t head to the clubhouse. Instead, I cut downtown and pull into a spot on King Street.
Caz kills his engine beside me. “What are we doing?”
“Come on,” I say, walking towards the building we’re parked in front of.
“Uh…” Caz catches up to me as I reach the door. “Why are we at a walk-in clinic?”
I ignore him and head to the reception desk. The woman behind the desk looks up with a smile, which promptly vanishes when she sees me. Her eyes jump to my cut, then to Caz behind me.
“I need to see a doctor,” I tell her.
Her eyes dart between me and Caz, then she shifts her gaze to her computer. “Do you have an appointment?”
I glance around the packed waiting room, then at the sign on the wall that says ‘walk-in clinic’ in bold blue letters. “Is this not a walk-in clinic?”
“It is,” she says carefully, quickly looking at Caz as if he might save her from answering this very simple question. “But you can make a same-day appointment, if there’s availability.”
“Well, I don’t care what you call it,” I say with a wave of my hand, needing this to happen already so I can get on with my day. “I just need to see a doctor.”
“Ok,” she says, clicking at her computer a couple times with shaky hands. “It’ll be about a two-hour wait.”
All I can do is stare at her and watch her squirm. Who the fuck has time for that?
“No,” I say.
Caz sighs beside me, and the woman glances behind her like she’s looking for someone to come do her job for her.
“Sir…” she says, turning back to me when no one comes to save her. “We can see if there’s an appointment later in the day, but they fill up quickly and—”
“Ma’am,” I say, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the counter. “I’m here now, and I’m not coming back to the walk-in clinic. And I don’t have two hours to wait.”
Her eyes widen as she stares back at me, not even moving, like she just short-circuited.
For fuck’s sake.
“Fine,” I say, pushing off the counter. “He’ll wait for me.” I tilt my head towards Caz.
“The fuck?” he mutters.
I ignore him, pulling out my health card and sliding it across the desk, and the woman takes it like it might bite her.
“You’ll hold my spot. I’ve got to get to the clubhouse,” I say, turning to Caz. “Frank paid me a visit while I was in holding, and since I couldn’t put a bullet in his head, we need to make a plan for how to do just that.”
The clacking stops as the woman’s fingers freeze on the keyboard. I look at her, waiting for her to do something, but she slowly resumes typing with wide eyes and trembling hands.
“Ok.” Caz watches her type. “So I’ll just… sit here and keep your seat warm…”
“Like a good little prospect,” I say with a smile.
“Reason for your visit?” the receptionist asks in a small voice, sliding my card back to me across the desk.
We both turn to stare at her.
“You need to know that?” I ask, raising a brow as I take my card back.
She nods as she chews her lip and shifts in her seat. “So we can ensure you’re receiving the right care from the right professional…”
“Are we not in a fucking doctor’s office? What’s happening here?” I mutter, glancing around the space again. Then I turn back to her. “The condom broke while I was fucking my man, so I need all the tests to make sure all’s good down there.”
Caz groans, and her cheeks turn bright red.
“You can take a seat,” she says quickly.
I turn and survey the waiting room, pleased I won’t be sitting in it.
“Have fun,” I say, patting Caz’s shoulder on my way out.
“Now would be the time to give me your number,” he calls after me.
“Nope,” I say, pushing the door open. “I’ll be back.”
I’ve got to tell my brothers we’re going to war.