“Not anymore.” Cade leaned back in his chair tiredly. “She’ll be sleeping with me. She’ll be staying with me. She’s mine now.”
Silence thickened in the room. Cade knew that the other two men were well aware of the implications to his statement. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed wearily.
“Uh, Cade,” Sam ventured.
Cade shot him a warning look.
“You two were so hot to convince me how much I want her. Well you were right. I did, and I still do. Starting today, Marly will find out just how much.”
It wasn’t a decision he was entirely comfortable with. To be honest, becoming Marly’s lover scared the hell out of him. He was terrified to take her, walking a precipice he wasn’t certain he could maintain. He loved her, loved her enough to try to give her what she needed first, and to pray to God nothing pushed him over that thin edge that separated the man and the monster.
He watched as Brock and Sam exchanged a speaking look. They too understood, and Cade was furiously aware of the fact that they had most likely been looking forward to this for a while.
“She’s mine. No games,” he warned them both quietly. “She can’t handle them, and I won’t force it on her. I’ll give her what she needs for as long as I can. Then, it will be Marly’s choice.”
Marly’s choice. He wanted to bite his tongue, because truth be told, he may not have the strength to give her a choice at all. Marly had heard tales of his sexuality, but not the more explicit, damning stories that only hinted at the truth of a lifestyle that he shared with his brothers.
They had made a pact years ago, had sworn by it, and truth be told, found great pleasure in it. It was exhilarating, seeing a woman he had claimed being touched by the brothers he loved. Sharing in the ultimate intimacy of bringing a woman to peak together, often despite her hesitancy in accepting it. Cade had never questioned that aspect of their sex lives, until now. He had protected Marly from it all her life, and he knew she would never accept the act of affirming his bond with his brothers in that way. She would never lie before the three of them, accepting the pleasure they could bring to her body.
She saw love in the black and white haze of sexual need and possessiveness. Not that Cade wasn’t possessive. He would kill a man, outside of his brothers, if they dared touch her. But the thought of watching her, dazed and filled with lust, the sole recipient of, love, not just for her, but each other, was nearly more than he could bear. It was also something he knew he would be forever denied with Marly.
“Marly’s not as timid as you think she is, Cade,” Brock offered quietly, his voice low and charged with excitement.
Cade shook his head. “No, Brock. I won’t do it to her. I can’t stand the thought of her horror if I tried. She won’t be with us long now, let me have her while I can.”
The other two men lowered their heads. They knew Cade’s love for Marly went much deeper than did their own. She was loved, desired and needed by all three of them. But she was Cade’s heart.
“Where is she now?” Sam finally asked.
“Asleep for now. She was awake most of the night after I passed out from that damned shot Bennett gave me. She finally went to sleep after I woke up.” Curled in his bed, her hair tangled around her body like living silk. He had to fight to control the urge to go to her now.
“So what do we do from here?” Sam asked him slowly.
“We keep Marly safe and let your commandos do their job.” Cade told him firmly. “We’ll all three stick as close to the house as possible, and make certain the bastard doesn’t get anywhere near her.”
Cade could feel his fear for her crawling through his body. He leaned his head back against the chair, closing his eyes and fighting the need to take her and run. To get her the hell away from the ranch and the danger he could feel was closing in on her.
“Cade, go easy on her,” Sam said carefully, his concern for Marly now that Cade had made his decision to take her to his bed uppermost in his mind.
“Too late, Sam.” He shook his head wearily. “You know me, man.” He opened his eyes, staring at him with an edge of anger. “She’s too damned innocent for this. For me. But it’s what she wanted, and what you helped push at me. Now both of you can live with it.”
He rose from his chair, steeling himself and beating back his own concern.
“Get out of here now. Check with the boys we left up on that damned hill and make sure they’re okay. I want to know the minute they see anything. Keep the chopper ready, and stay on standby. I want this bastard the minute he pokes his head out of whatever hole he’s hiding in.”
“He hasn’t come back to the cabin. Bret’s still there, and he hasn’t seen anything yet.” Brock shook his head. “Somehow, the bastard knows we’re onto him.”
“Call Bret. Tell him to gather those fucking pictures up and get the hell back here. Better yet, you and Sam head out in the chopper and pick him up. You get the pictures yourselves. I don’t want to risk anyone unnecessarily. He knows we know about him. It will make him more dangerous.” Cade stood to his feet, walking around the desk. “The house is still locked up, make sure you lock the front door as you leave.”
There was no mistaking the intent in his voice, and Cade knew it. He had been pushed too far, tempted too long, and now his fear for Marly was the breaking point. There was one way, and one way only to tie her to him, to be certain she stayed at his side where he could protect her.
“Cade,” Sam said hesitantly. “Be careful of her.”
He stopped; staring at his brother for a long, tense moment.
“I’ve always been careful of her, Sam, because I loved her. It’s the one and only reason I never touched her after she came of age. It’s too late for warnings now.”
He strode quickly from the room, his body driving him to Marly, his desire for her reaching the breaking point. He needed her. He would take her. And he would take her now.