Chapter Seven
Emelise
Eme awoke to find herself half draped across Caine with his arms wrapped around her. Her head was on his chest and as she shifted against him she realized he was already awake. She took a breath to calm her racing heart before she lifted her face to look at him. “Good morning.”
“Mornin’, cher,” he replied and dipped his head to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. “ I could get used to dis.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get your hopes up, Caine. I’m not moving to the compound.”
“I can be patient, Angel,” he informed her and nuzzled her lips. “I tink dat’ll change in time.”
Eme shifted to try to get up but Caine’s arms tightened around her. “Where you tink you’re goin’, cher?” He trailed kisses along her jaw before he moved her onto her back and continued the kisses until he took a nipple in his mouth.
Emelise shuddered and her fingers found their way into his hair. Any thought of getting out of bed fled under the onslaught of desire coursing through her. Soon he had her writhing and whimpering and she’d all but forgotten what they’d been talking about.
Caine
Caine had awakened with the sunrise but for the first time in years he’d had no desire to get up and start working. No, he’d wanted to lay there and enjoy the feel of his mate in his arms. Her scent clung to his skin and had caused his morning arousal to become almost painfully hard. He’d known sex with Emelise was going to be great but he was still blown away by just how intense and mind-blowing it had been. The combination of watching her let go while simultaneously clenching around him had sent him to another plane of awareness for a moment.
Caine had watched her sleep and when he’d felt her stirring he’d smiled. He’d been able to tell she was trying to pull away, trying to create some distance between them, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. He’d captured her lips in a kiss and ran his hands over her body. It didn’t take long for him to ignite the fire in her again and he focused on fanning the flames for as long as he could.
It wasn’t until much later that he finally let her out of bed. She was stubborn and proud, he knew he could only push so far before she pushed back. Still, the fact she was there with him, the fact she’d stayed the night, meant he was making headway.
They showered together-- and damn if that wasn’t a test of his willpower to keep it at just a shower-- before he fixed them both breakfast. “Now, about dat little trip you and Lily just came back from.” He’d waited until they were at the table with plates in front of them.
Emelise groaned. “I know you think it was foolish, Caine, but we were careful and I had to go get my things from storage. Besides, you don’t fucking own me.”
“I don’t just tink it was foolish, I know it was. It’s not about owning you, cher. It was dangerous. Da Red Moon Clan was targetin’ ever’one who was associated wit’ the Pard. Da jaguars from Declan's team, dey infiltrated da Clan and found dat out. Da Red Moon Clan knew who you were. Dey knew what hotel you were stayin’ in. Dey even knew what room you were in. Dey knew when you were at da club, doin’ clean up. You and Lily tink you weren’t followed, but you were. Da ones followin’ you were called back by dere Alpha because he’d decided to attack da Pard’s compound. If he hadn’t called dem back, dey would have forced you and Lily off da road and taken you both. Da Alpha would have used both of you as leverage against us. What would you have done, den?”
“It doesn’t matter because it didn’t happen.” Her chin lifted in defiance.
“It does matter!” He all but growled at her. “If dey had gotten dere hands on you, tings would have gone very bad, very quickly. You’re right, I don’t own you, but you are my mate and I would have slaughtered all of dem if dey’d harmed you. I wouldn’t have spared a single adult member of Da Red Moon Clan. Not. A. Single. One.”
Emelise
When he’d finally let her out of bed she’d felt a pleasant soreness between her thighs. If sex with him was going to feel that good all the time, she was okay with being sore. Because holy fuck, the man had rocked her world and then some. “Breakfast smells really good,” she’d murmured when they sat at the table. She was looking forward to enjoying it and then he’d had to go and ruin things.
Okay, she understood his anger over her and Lily taking off, she really did. He was an Alpha so he felt all protective of them and shit, but he was acting like she and Lily were careless little girls who weren’t capable of thinking for themselves and it pissed her the hell off. Then his words sunk in.
Emelise stared at him. He was serious. He genuinely meant what he was saying. “I’m sorry, Caine.” She realized, looking in his eyes, that she’d nearly driven him crazy with worry about her at a time when he’d needed to be focused. “What happened, with the jaguars?”
She watched as Caine rubbed a hand down his face. It was pretty obvious to her that he hadn’t wanted to talk about it just yet, but he’d brought up her trip, which in turn reminded her that the Pard had taken on the jaguars while she and Lily were gone.
“Da Alpha and his lieutenants, da ones who weren’t incapacitated before da fight, dey died. Da Red Moon Clan has a new Alpha and da Pard has a new ally.”
“Did...we lose anyone?” She was finally showing some interest and she was ashamed to realize that beyond using some of the younger males to help her with the club, she’d not given the Pard, as a whole, much thought.
“No, Angel, we didn’t lose anyone. We had some injured, but dey healed fine.”
Emelise breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank Goddess. I’m sorry I’ve been so selfish and self-absorbed. Here I am using some of the younger Pard to help me get the club ready and I can’t even bother to ask about the welfare of everyone else.”
Caine shook his head. “Tink no’ting of it, Angel. You’re not used to bein’ part of a group so dis is all new to you. You’ll do better wit’ time.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. I should get back into the city. I have a lot of work to do. I’m thinking of buying myself a boat so I don’t have to keep asking Remy for a ride. Would you be willing to teach me the route to get here?”
Caine
Caine had watched her from across the table. He’d watched as the realization of what he was saying hit her. She’d really not thought much about the conflict because it hadn’t directly impacted her. Maybe it was also because she wasn’t there with the Pard, she hadn’t grown up there, so it didn’t seem to touch her. When it’d hit her that people died, that the Pard could have lost someone during the fight, he’d seen shame fill her eyes. Given the fact she hadn’t grown up there, she didn’t know or understand what it meant to be part of a Pard, so he didn’t blame her for not giving it much thought beyond the help she was getting from them.
“A boat? You really do plan on stayin’ in da city, eh cher?” At her nod he wanted to growl but sighed instead. “A’course I’ll teach you da route. Dat way you can come and go as you please. Maybe it’ll help you change your mind about livin’ here.”
“Don’t bet on it.”
“A man can hope, cher, a man can hope,” he replied with a wink. “I’ll take you back to da city.”
“Are you sure? I’m sure I can get Remy to do it.”
“I’m sure, woman. I’ll take you back.” He offered her his arm before he escorted her out of his home and down to the docks where several boats were tied up. He helped her onto his boat, got her settled, and headed through the swamp toward New Orleans.
Emelise
Emelise watched him as he headed his boat toward the city. She’d only ever ridden in Remy’s and Caine’s was a little nicer. It had thicker padding on the seats and he’d put a canopy up to shield her from the sun. She could feel the humidity rising in the air and she reached back to pull her hair up off her neck. “It looks like it’s going to be a hot, sticky day.”
“Mmhmm,” Caine said then flashed a wicked grin at her. “I wouldn’t mind someting else being hot and sticky.”
Emelise felt her cheeks head up. “You just had to go there, didn’t you? Careful, Caine, I might start thinking you’re a sex-crazed fiend.”
“When it comes to you, Angel, I am.”
Her blush deepened and she rolled her eyes. He was in a mood, that was for sure. When they finally reached their destination she moved to step out of the boat.
Caine saw her intention and his hand snaked out to gently grab her arm. “Not so fast,” he said and pulled her into his arms. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. His tongue traced the seam in them until they parted and he deepened the kiss.
Emelise moaned against his mouth. Why oh why hadn’t she been faster? Better yet, why wasn’t she just staying right there and asking him to take her back to the compound? No, just fucking no. She didn’t want to play house with him. Once the novelty of things with her wore off he’d get bored and she’d be left alone. At least this way she wouldn’t have to see him every day. “I really need to go, Caine,” she breathed against his lips.
Caine reluctantly released her and stepped back. “I’m not leavin’ til I know you’re safe inside your car, Angel.”
Emelise opened her mouth to argue but she shut it, shook her head, and made her way to her car. She glanced back at him to find his eyes locked on her. He didn’t budge until she was in the car with the door closed. From where she sat she watched him turn the boat around and head back to the compound.
She’d seen the reluctance in his gaze but she was glad he didn’t push her to return with him. They’d had an amazing night and she didn’t want to tarnish the memory with an argument, which would have happened if he’d not backed off. Once he was out of sight she turned her car on and headed for the club. She had work to do.