Pretty in the Dark (Dark and Wild #2)

Chapter 7

7

CADE

A t her words, something inside of me snapped.

She wanted me? I would give her me. All of me. The good, the bad and the ugly.

I pounded into her tightness with a ferocity I’d never unleashed before. My hips slapping against her ass as she spread her legs and arched her back, like she was made to take me. It felt like the chains on my self-control had finally broken, and I unleashed every dark part of me I had never shared with her—or anyone.

As my teeth grazed against the sensitive spot on her neck, I knew I wanted to mark her, to have her show the world that she was mine. She gasped just as I pulled her flesh between my teeth, sucking, licking, nipping at the tender skin. I wanted to tattoo my name on her damn soul. Just like she’d done to me.

Her body shuddered. Her orgasm ripped through her just as mine peaked, her pussy fluttering around me. The edges of my vision went dark. And I knew something about coming back to this place.

These bleachers.

This memory.

Every dark thing that had happened in the last five years, everything that we’d been through with each other, it was all in the past.

Because all that mattered was this.

Me and her.

My breaths came out in harsh pants, the knife-sharp cold entering my lungs and cooling the feverish drive that had pushed me over the edge.

Jesus Christ, I’d just taken her out in the open like a damn animal.

And she’d asked me to.

Begged me too. And damn it if I didn’t want to do it again.

My hands gripped her hips tight as she continued moving against me, lingering in the afterglow of her orgasm. Belatedly, I realized I had her pressed against the freezing steel pole that held up the base of the bleachers, hiding us from view. I pulled her against my chest, gently running my hands down her chilled flesh as I tugged her shirt down and zipped up her jacket, before stepping away to allow us both the space to fix our clothing.

I didn’t know what to expect in the frigid silence, but it definitely wasn’t the feel of her warm lips against my cheek, or the purr of her voice in my ear. “I’ll make it harder to catch me next time if you promise to fuck me just like that when you do.”

Dick. Instantly. Hard. Again.

Fuck me, this woman was going to end me. And I’d let her.

I gripped her face and kissed her before I knew what I was doing, her lips parting under mine with a sweet and desperate sigh. The kiss was wild and turbulent. An onslaught of demand and needs that had built up over years and didn’t seem to wane, even with the heady glow of sex in the air from the way I’d just fucked her.

And if we didn’t take a step back, I was going to do it again.

I pulled back. I had to get control. “You never answered my question.”

Her breath escaped her pouty lips in a puff. “I did. I told you I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

“You’re a terrible liar Juniper Wild.”

A delicate brow arched in mild amusement, then she turned and climbed her way through the metal bracers toward the school parking lot and her car. I followed behind her, momentarily distracted by the way her jeans hugged the curve of her ass.

When we reached the track, I put a hand on her arm, stopping her. “Juniper…” my voice was a low warning. She might not understand what was happening, but I knew that behind those beautiful eyes, her mind was working a thousand different angles. I needed to know what she was planning so that I could head her off and keep her away from Edmund Wild.

I had to get to him first. I couldn’t say why, just that I knew, if Edmund lured Juniper away it would be the end of her. Forever.

She shifted, a shadow passing over her features and for a moment, I thought she might try to deflect again, until finally she sighed in resignation and shook her head.

“Alright. It’s nothing I can confirm yet, just a hunch.”

I folded my arms and looked down at her with a small frown. “Spit it out.”

“When I was in Denver, the sheriff was the one who came to tell me about my dad…” There was a pause as her voice caught. “…I mean, Edmund . Shit. I’m never going to get used to that.”

“No one said you had to get used to it.” I watched as she shoved her hands deep inside the pockets of her jacket, looking off into the distance again, her teeth worrying her full bottom lip.

“Yeah, it’s just…” She took a deep breath and released it, as if the thought was a weight in and of itself. “For so long I always wondered what it would be like to have a different father…” Her voice cracked, and something inside of me cracked as well, as I watched her eyes shimmer in the moonlight as she blinked away the tears that threatened to spill. I itched to hold her, but I knew that wasn’t what she wanted—or needed, at the moment.

“If your dad had been someone else.” I finished for her, giving voice to the pain that she couldn’t. Her eyes burned through me as she realized I understood everything she was trying to say without letting it consume her.

“I used to think that about my mom.” Half of a laugh bubbled up from somewhere, and I shook my head. “Hell, I thought about it with my dad sometimes too, but honestly, it was more my mom for me. What would my life have been like if she’d stayed? What would my dad have been like?”

She licked her lips and shifted nervously. “Yeah, I guess that would be hard to deal with. At least I had my mom for a little while.” Her gaze was full of sympathy and understanding as she gained some control over the emotions that were threatening to break free. “I’m sorry, Cade. I didn’t mean to sound uncaring.”

“You didn’t, pretty girl. I just meant that I get it. And it’s ok to wish and wonder about those things. But you can’t dwell on it, or you’ll spend so much time wishing for what could have been instead of focusing on the here and now .” I rocked back on my heels, ready to put the topic we’d ventured upon to rest. “You think the sheriff has information on Edmund?”

She nodded, breathing warm air into her cupped hands, then we both moved toward the parking lot once more as I shortened my stride to match hers, grabbing one of her hands and tucking it inside the warm pocket of my jacket. The night was near-freezing, and the temperature was dropping faster. I felt like an ass for keeping her outside for so long.

“Like I said, it’s just a hunch. But they were close and I found…” Her voice hesitated and she gave me a sidelong glance.

“Go on. What did you find?” We were nearly at her car now, and I made another mental note to get her snow chains ready for the winter roads.

“Well, don’t be mad, but I found a file that was filled with a bunch of criminal records, most of it your dad’s.” The words spilled out of her lips in a rush, and for a brief moment, the old anger and rage threatened to creep in, my hand involuntarily gripping hers tighter. But then I felt her hand squeeze back, her blue eyes searching mine with worry, and I quickly released my grip, rubbing my thumb along the back of her hand in reassurance.

“I’m not surprised. Edmund had tabs on just about everyone in this city. My dad would definitely have been one of them.”

“Yes, but how? He wasn’t their lawyer. There’s no reason he should have had that kind of information on hand.” She pulled open her car door and slid inside, as she started the engine and the old VW roared to life with a sputter into the chilly night air. I was honestly impressed that it even managed to do that. I added a full tune-up to the maintenance checklist that I was mentally building, of things the car needed before winter was fully upon us.

“You think he was getting paid to feed him this information?” Once the question left my lips, I realized how much it made sense. There wasn’t much in this city that the sheriff didn’t know about, and the power that Edmund had over people, had to come from somewhere other than just his money. Information was often a better source of currency than dollar bills.

She looked off into the distance, as if contemplating my words. “I’m not sure.” Her voice sounded hollow for the briefest of moments, before her eyes snapped back to mine with a determined look that I recognized immediately. Whatever information the sheriff had, Juniper wasn’t going to stop until she had it. “But he’s the only other lead I have. I need to talk to him soon.”

Not before I do, pretty girl. I smiled and leaned down, brushing my lips over hers, but before she could give into the kiss, I straightened. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

“What?” Confusion marred her features as she looked up at me. “Since when do you get to tell me you’re coming over?”

“Since now, pretty girl. Text me your alarm code.” I slammed her door shut and jogged to where my Bronco was parked and waiting. If she was smart, she’d do what I said, although secretly I hoped she would defy me, just to give me a reason to teach her a lesson again.

She rolled down her window and called out just as I was opening my door. “You aren’t the boss of me, Cade Black! And you can’t come over. I have plans!”

“Yes, I am, pretty girl. And yes, you do. With me.” I winked as I climbed into my car, and she sped away with a grin, shaking her head. I had no intention of going another night away from her. But first, I had a meeting with a certain city sheriff to get to.