Fate’s Unseen Shadow (Cager #1)

Chapter 16

16

T he first warm melting feeling of pleasure drew her out of sleep.

Damon’s large hand palmed her breast, plucking her nipple until it was hard and aching.

She arched, pressing her hips back against his thighs, wishing he would give her what she wanted. Him. All of him.

He kissed the back of her neck to her shoulder, his beard scraping along her skin. She expected him to stay there, take it slow, but he slid his hand down her belly to the juncture of her thighs. Ella reached up, holding on to the back of his head as he stroked her over her panties.

“Is this okay?” he whispered, rolling her to her back. His lips brushed over her breasts. His tongue flicked on one tip before using his teeth and creating even more heat.

“Yes,” she moaned, drawing out the word as he spread her thighs.

He moved down, kissing a line along the center of her body to her naval. And he didn’t stop there.

Lower he went, his mouth pressing over her panties, right on her clit. When his warm breath hit her sensitive skin, her legs widened farther. God, that felt incredible.

Damon rubbed his tongue along her slit, still over her panties.

Fisting her hands in the sheets beside her, she moved against the pressure.

“I woke up wanting this.” He nipped at her inner thigh. “Dreaming of tasting you.” He pushed her panties to the side, his tongue taking a long, slow swipe.

“Fuuuuck!” Her head rolled to the side, eyes squeezing shut.

He speared his tongue deep inside before returning to that one spot that caused her body to jerk with each lick. He gripped her thighs, and his soft Mmm hummed against her sensitive skin.

She looked down, never having had a man do this to her.

Damon lifted his head enough to smirk before holding her gaze and flicking his tongue against her clit.

That did it.

That one sexy-as-hell image sent her over. Delicious pulses fluttered throughout her body as her hips rolled against him on their own.

She cried out, not caring how she sounded, but living out the fantasy. How had she missed this her entire life? Because she hadn’t found Damon. That’s how. It wasn’t only the act that turned her on, but the entire package.

“That would be another first for me,” she said with a giggle as she came back to Earth.

“There’s a lot more to go, then.” Damon kissed her inner thigh and then her stomach as he rose over her.

But a specific sound hit her ears, followed by a smell that interrupted the moment.

“Damon?”

“What?”

She sniffed again. “I’m worried. I know I’ve never done that before, but is it supposed to make you hear and smell bacon frying?” Because that’s what she smelled.

He laughed. “That’s Xavier. He’s been here for about thirty minutes already.”

She pushed on his shoulder, forcing him to sit back as she sat up. “He can walk into your house? No call? No warning?” Then it dawned on her. “Oh. My. God. He heard me.”

“I doubt he listened. If he’s here, it’s for a good reason.”

“What reason?”

“I don’t know yet. I opted to start my day with you instead of him.”

She dropped her forehead in her hands. “I’m still embarrassed.” She sighed, trying to get past it, and looked back at him. “Why is he cooking us breakfast?”

“Xavier likes to cook. But if he’s here, I’m afraid our lazy Sunday is probably not going to happen. Sorry.”

Ella trailed a finger down the center of his chest, pondering what it would be like to return the favor from this morning. “That may be your loss.”

“I know it is, and not because of what you’re implying with that look. C’mon. Let’s get some food while it’s hot.”

They took turns in the bathroom, Ella finding an oversized sweatshirt of his to tug on over her thin T-shirt before leaving the bedroom.

“Maybe I can cook for us sometime? I wanted to learn how.” She waited as he pulled a T-shirt over his head. “Are you picky?”

“Me?” He laughed as he draped his arm over her shoulder, guiding her to the kitchen. “I’m the least picky person possible when it comes to food.”

Xavier turned his head as the bedroom door opened, taking one earbud out of his ear. “Did you say something?”

“I told her I’m not picky about food,” Damon repeated.

Ella looked at the floor, praying he’d put those earbuds in before Damon woke her up the way he did.

Xavier smiled. “Don’t lie to her. You hate all the places we try to go to for dinner.” He wore workout clothes, like he’d come straight from the gym.

“Because I like to eat food that’s not hamburgers and chicken fingers, unlike the rest of you. In other words, I like to eat like an adult.”

“If you enjoy steak, I know an excellent restaurant in Tokyo we should try when this is over.” Ella went straight to the counter. “Are these apple Danish?”

“They are. I met with a new tenant yesterday. She’s opening a bakery and gave me these. Her name is Holly.” He grinned at Damon. “You’re right. She is a very happy woman.”

Ella picked up a Danish that looked like it had apple in the center. “Can I go ahead and eat? I’m starving.”

Damon leaned over her and kissed her temple, reaching for his own. “I bet you are,” he murmured.

She elbowed him away, looking to see if Xavier had heard him.

Patting her bottom, he took a big bite of the Danish she held and winked. He’d get tired of her telling him this, but this part of the relationship was another first for her. She’d never been with a man this way, flirty and cute, openly affectionate. It was fun.

Ella sat down at Damon’s small table, studying him as he poured coffee. Xavier stood beside him, the width of their shoulders filling up the length of the counter.

“This isn’t normal, you know. I realize I don’t have much experience with staying over places, but this”—she motioned to the two men with her Danish as they turned toward her—“isn’t normal.”

“What isn’t normal? Breakfast?” Xavier asked, holding up a piece of bacon. “I love breakfast food.” He popped it into his mouth.

“Breakfast is normal. I meant this . When a girl stays over at a guy’s place and then the guy’s best friend shows up to cook them breakfast. Little odd. You have to admit it.”

Xavier went back to pulling the bacon out of the pan. “I didn’t know you stayed over last night, or else I would’ve sent a heads-up text. That’s what friends do.”

Ella swallowed her last bite and nodded. “Well, in the future, if you consider you and me friends, I would appreciate that heads-up text.”

He lightly laughed. “You need to talk to your bedmate. He knew I was here before he woke you up.” He sent Damon an accusatory look. “He’s the one that didn’t give a shit.”

Damon shrugged. “You’re right. I didn’t.” He held up an empty cup. “Would you like some coffee, Ella? I bought cream and sugar for you.”

That knocked her back. “You did?”

“Yes.” He pulled the creamer out of the fridge and then the sugar from the cabinet. “Here.”

Ignoring Xavier, she moved around the counter and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you.” She kissed him. No one had ever thought of her that way before.

Damon caught her by the back of the head and stepped forward, guiding her to the other side of the kitchen, then pressed her hips back against the counter. He lifted his head long enough to say, “Xavier, leave,” before returning to the kiss.

She agreed since making out in front of someone made it hard to focus on Damon.

Xavier thumped Damon on the back. “Afraid I can’t do that, brother. I would if I could. Hell knows you deserve a little downtime with a woman like her.”

She smiled against Damon’s lips before looking over his shoulder at Xavier. “Does that mean you approve of me being with your friend?”

“Of course. But y’all will have to reschedule. We have another case.”

After another firm kiss, Damon stepped back. “Let’s fix our plates. I knew he had an important reason for showing up unannounced.”

“Another runaway?” Ella grabbed a few pieces of bacon and a biscuit. She fixed her coffee, still giddy that Damon had thought to get sugar and creamer for her. She’d had a housekeeper restock her refrigerator every Monday and Thursday, so she’d never been without coffee creamer. But Damon, knowing she liked it and making the effort to buy it, was different.

“Yes. This one is tricky.” Xavier studied Damon until he sat down, too. “It’s in Savannah.”

He laid his arm across the back of Ella’s chair. “A little far but not unheard of.”

“It’s not the distance that’s the issue. It’s the age.”

“We don’t do adults.”

“I know. It’s a mother trying to locate her nineteen-year-old son. He went out Friday night with his friends, and they said they couldn’t find him when they left the bar. They’d seen him talking to a woman and assumed he’d gone home with her.”

“Probably did. And if he’s lucky, he’s still in bed with her. Like I wish I were,” he added under his breath.

Ella picked up a slice of bacon, hoping she didn’t sound ignorant and had missed something along the way. “Can a nineteen-year-old get into a bar in Georgia?”

“Fake ID,” Damon explained. “And I guess the police will wait until tomorrow to start the search. He’s an adult, no matter what the mom thinks. Why us? We don’t normally take cases like this.”

Xavier shrugged. “I got a strange feeling. Maybe it’s nothing. I have Ryker on board. He’s taking his bike. But there’s no reason to leave before ten-thirty; we have to wait for the bars to open to talk to anyone.” He snickered. “My next stop is Slater’s house if he doesn’t answer this next phone call. I think he had company as well.”

“Do they do this in return? Bother you when you bring a woman home?” Ella fixed her coffee. “Seems like you’d be more supportive of each other.”

Xavier stretched back in his chair. “They do if it’s important to interrupt. One time, Ryker hacked into my home assistant thing. You know, the device that you can tell to turn the lights on and off or turn on music. He turned the lights on and started playing music at six a.m. when I didn’t respond to a text about a bail jumper pickup. That was last time that woman stayed over at my place.”

She held up a piece of bacon. “I guess I should be happy my morning started with a tasty breakfast.”

“Me, too,” Damon murmured.

That time, she knew Xavier heard it since he looked down at his plate and shook his head.

“What’s the plan?” Damon asked.

Xavier cleared his throat. “I figured we’d ask our questions, pull the videos, and then turn that over to the police. Let Mom know we checked into it. Give her some piece of mind.” Xavier looked at Ella and grinned. “Ever been to Savannah?”

They’d let her go? “Once.”

Damon and he shared a look. “Seriously?” Damon asked.

“Why not?” Xavier asked.

“For a million reasons.” He looked down at her, considering. Finally, he asked, “How quickly can you get ready to leave?”

“Super quick.” Ella stood, but Damon stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

“Hold up.” Damon brought the back of her hand to his lips. “This does not mean you go with me on other cases. Understand?”

She definitely understood that having him give her orders was easier to swallow when he was affectionate at the same time.

“Why today?” she asked.

“I doubt this will end up being anything we can help with. I’m not chasing down nineteen-year-olds the same way. I realize their lives are just as important, but I can’t get locked down in a case and miss helping a child.”

“Understood. No other cases. Give me ten minutes, and I’ll be ready.”

Damon still didn’t release her. He tugged her back to him. “Remember to do what I say when we’re out there. I’m not going to lose you to the stalker or a witch hunt by the Feds if someone recognizes you just so you can see Savannah.”

She cupped his cheek and kissed him. “I will do everything you say. Thank you.”

He smirked. “For letting you go?”

“No.” Brushing her thumb along his temple, she whispered, “For everything. And it’s not just going to Savannah. It’s going with you.” She kissed him again and left. Damon would never know how much she needed him at this moment in her life. He might not believe in fate, but she had to believe. Fate made this entire situation make sense. To turn a horrible point in her life into something good.

And that good was Damon.