Cade’s expression shuttered, but Marly glimpsed an edge of pain and fury in his eyes in that last second that made her breath stutter in her throat. How had she not known, in all these years, the anger he felt toward Joe?
“Don’t make excuses for him. He was a bastard and we all knew it. But he was my Father, I had to put up with him.” In Cade’s voice was years of regret and hopelessness. And pain.
Cade shouldn’t hurt like that. Alone, the emotion carefully hidden beneath the surface, like a dark, angry beast roaring in pain, with no one to hear. That thought had tears pricking at her eyes, at her heart. He had always taken away the pain in her life. She wanted to remove his as well.
Marly looked up at him, seeing a vein of sadness running through his eyes. A sadness he could no longer hide. She moved from her chair before she thought of it, and before Cade could stop her, was cuddling into his lap.
She felt him accept her with a surprised start, his arms going around her, clenching around her as he pulled her close. He buried his face in her hair, rubbing his cheek over the top of her head slowly. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her head on his shoulder, and Marly wanted to cry because it felt so warm, so good to be in his arms.
“I’ve missed you, Cade,” she whispered softly, her lips touching the underside of his jaw. “I’ve missed you so much.”
She felt his hands clench on her. One at her waist, the other at her thigh. The heat of them was like an erotic brand on her skin.
“I’ve missed you too, baby,” he said, his voice rough. “More than you know.”
The material of the shirt had ridden up her thighs, leaving an indecent amount of skin bare. His hand rested there, just below the hemline of the shirt, his thumb rubbing over her skin softly. It was like fire against her flesh, the heat of the caress driving her crazy.
“You’re going to have to stop stealing my shirts, Marly,” his voice was husky, amused as his fingers rubbed the cotton at her waist. “This was one of my favorites.”
She fought to control her breathing, the blood thundering through her veins.
“Maybe I’ll let you borrow it sometime.” She smiled against his chest, tortured by the feel of his big hard body against her, and loving it.
She felt his smile against the top of her head and bent her head back to look up at him. God, he was so handsome, so dark and rough it made her heart beat out of control. His eyes met hers, the color darkening and swirling in a way that made her mouth dry, her knees to weaken.
“You’re so pretty.” His hand lifted from her thigh, those long fingers cupping her cheek as they caressed her skin.
Marly swallowed tightly, then licked her lips nervously as her body weakened against him. He watched her in a way he never had before, his gaze fierce, searing into her very soul as he stared at her. Tenderness reflected in his eyes, but she could also see the hot core of desire. It had to be need. Desire.
“Cade—” She couldn’t bear the need, the longing. She was dying to feel his lips against hers.
His lashes lowered, his gaze centering on her lips. Tension, thick and hot swirled around them, drawing her in, leaving her nearly gasping in his arms. He would have kissed her. She knew he would have. But at that moment Brock and Sam grumbled into the kitchen.
“Dammit, too early for this shit.” Sam made a beeline for the coffee maker, as Brock bumped along to the stove where Cade had left a plate of bacon and biscuits. Neither man appeared awake, or aware. Though they were dressed and trying to fake it at least.
She sighed, her gaze dropping from the still, dark intensity of Cade’s as she glanced over at the brothers.
“Hey Cade. Marly.” Sam nearly fell into his chair, his bleary eyes barely registering life as he glanced at them.
Marly felt Cade sigh roughly. Then he was patting her thigh before his hands grasped her waist to help her from his lap.
“Get it together, you two,” he growled as he came to his feet and finished his coffee with a grimace. “I’ll be in the barn waiting on you.”
Without another word he moved away from the table and left the kitchen.
“Dammit, we have a chauffer driven limousine, more money than any of us can spend, and he still works us like ranch hands.” Sam shook his head, showing his feelings of injustice over that fact. “No cook, and we do our own laundry. That man was a born slave driver.”
Marly smiled, shaking her head at his morose look.
“Cheer up, Sam. At least he doesn’t make you clean the stalls anymore,” she told him as she rose to her feet as well. “See you guys later, I’m going to try for a few more hours of sleep.”
Not that she thought she would get it. Her body still tingled, heat and longing zipping harshly through her veins. But she needed to get away from Sam and Brock. She needed to think about what she had seen in Cade’s eyes, the swirls of emotions, the darkening of desire. It had to be desire.
Cade leaned wearily against the side of an empty stall seconds after entering the barn. A deep, weary sigh exhaled from his chest, and his eyes closed in misery. His body pulsed, hard and tormenting, his flesh throbbing for ease. Son of a bitch, he thought, another second with her in his arms and he would have done the unthinkable, the unconscionable. His hand flexed at his side, the feel of her smooth thigh imprinted there forever. Her skin had b
een warm, supple, textured like the softest silk.
He leaned his head against the wall, shaking it in resignation. There was no denying it any longer. He lusted after Marly, and he had for years, just as Joe had accused him. The dreams were bad enough. The stolen moment in her bedroom last night, criminal. But this, this was more than he could bear. Only a few minutes with her in his arms and he had been ready to throw her across the breakfast table and have her, rather than the cooling bacon and biscuits waiting on the stove.