Whisper Cape (25 page)

“I swear I didn't do that on purpose. Addison and I were playing around the other day. She was showing me her martial arts skills and she got the bruises while she was blocking my kicks.”

“Martial arts?” Gerry said.

“Yeah, she’s got a hell of a right cross, too—almost knocked my head off.”

“If the bruises were accidental, then why did you say you deserved to be hit?” Bart said.

“Because, I told her we were through. Christ, I’m an idiot. I was only trying to protect her.”  He glanced at Bart who nodded in acknowledgement, before letting go of Gerry and offering his hand to help Cael.

Cael stood rubbing his jaw. “But now I realize I’m in love with her.”

“You’re in love with her?” Gerry and Darcy asked in unison.

“You sure have a funny way of showing it,” Gerry said as he walked to the bar and sat on an empty stool. Nick was already scooping up ice and placing some in a bag. After handing it to Cael, he poured a double shot of whiskey, placed it in front of Gerry, then poured another for Cael.

Gerry handed one of the glasses to Cael then picked up the other. “Drink, it will ease the sting.”

Cael looked at Gerry, nodded. “Thanks.”

“It'll help me apologize
. Sláinte Mhath.”
They swigged down the contents. “She was cr ...”

“Quite pissed off.” Darcy jabbed Gerry’s side.

Cael sensed Darcy's protection of her friend's pride and admired it. Women never wanted men to know they made them cry. He was even more worried about Addison now that he knew she’d been crying.

“Ah ... fuck,” Gerry mumbled, glancing at Darcy.

Cael placed the ice bag up to his jaw and flinched when he first felt the cold.

“I had to make her angry with me so she would think I wasn’t good enough for her.”

“Bollocks to that. Completely unnecessary, you’re
not
good enough for her—but hey, that’s just my opinion.” Gerry rubbed his red knuckles.

“Why would you think you weren’t good enough for her?” Darcy asked.

“It’s the work I’m involved in. Being a private investigator can sometimes be ... dangerous. Where is she, anyway?” Cael asked, still holding the ice to his jaw.

“I told her to go home. The pole she had shoved up her ass was beginning to irritate everyone. She was arguing about anything and everything.” Gerry barely had time to finish his sentence when Cael dashed out the door and disappeared.

He materialized in Addison’s empty apartment and then teleported to his house, calling out her name as he searched every room, finding them empty as well.

“Addison, where are you?”

If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. He went outside and stood stiff as a board, concentrating on her, but he couldn’t sense her anywhere, which meant she wasn’t close by.

Think, Cael!

Addison knew she'd be safe as long as she wasn't alone, didn't she? Where would a young woman go when she wanted to be around other people and occupy some time? Then an idea snapped into his head.

***

Addie stiffened, but was relieved to discover it was Lieutenant Whelan’s hand on her shoulder. She stood facing him, her hand over her heart; she sighed.

“Lieutenant. You scared me half to death.”

“Hello, Addie. Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“I guess I’ve been a little jumpy lately.”

“What brings you downtown, aren’t you usually working on Saturdays?”

“Yes, but I needed to take some time for myself today. I never get a chance to come down here and shop.” She held up her packages as proof. “What brings you down here?”

“Just work. Listen, let me ask you a question, if you don’t mind. Umm ... you know Darcy pretty well, right?”

“I suppose, yeah.”

“Is she involved with anyone ... I mean, does she have a boyfriend?”

She had to catch her laugh. “Darcy? No. Not presently.”

“Well, do you think she’d be interested in going out on a date with me? I mean ... unless she has some deep repulsion to cops or something.”

“I think you’re safe there. I’m sure Darcy would love to go out with you.

“Really, has she said something? Talked about me?”

“You could say that. Go ahead—ask her out. You’ll have a good time.”

***

Cael hurried down the street just in time to see Addison talking to Lieutenant Whelan and his heart leaped realizing she was safe. He ran up to her, taking her in his arms, not caring if she was still mad at him or if he was interrupting her conversation.

“Addison. Oh God, Addison, I’m sorry, I’m such an ass. Please forgive me, baby.” He planted little kisses over her mouth and cheeks.

“Cael,” Addison mumbled.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the lieutenant standing there.

“Did something happen? I’ve been worried sick, are you all right? Is she okay, Lieutenant?” He glanced at the lieutenant while keeping her close and protected.

“Yes, she’s fine.” The lieutenant’s eyes shifted, scouring the area, then he frowned and flushed a little. Cael had a sudden impulse to whisk Addison away from him.

“I’m fine, Cael,” Addison said. “We were just chatting. I was doing a little shopping, and ran into Lieutenant Whelan here.”

Cael sensed anxiety from Addison and felt her heart beat against him more rapidly than normal. He realized it was something more than just her being mad at him. He believed there was something she wanted to tell him but didn’t want to say in front of the lieutenant.

“Lieutenant, sorry I haven’t had the pleasure, Cael Sheridan.” Cael eased his grasp around Addison but left his arm around her shoulder, reaching out with his right hand to shake the lieutenant’s.

“Ah, right, you’re the P.I. the chief told me about.”

“Yes, has the chief briefed you on what I suggested?”

“Yeah, he did.” Whelan’s brow furrowed and his voice sounded skeptical.

“So, I take it from the look on your face you agree with him.”

“Yeah, I do. There’s no solid connection to support your theory.”

Cael was perplexed as to why the chief and the lieutenant were so intransigent about the two deaths being unrelated. Anyone could see there was a resemblance between the two women. That fact alone should have their guard up, but he let it go. “You may be right. It was just a hunch, anyway.”

“Well, sometimes those hunches pay off. Addie, I’ll definitely ask Darcy, thanks for the tip. Y’all take care and have fun enjoying the brief sunshine. I hear it’s supposed to rain tonight.”

“Yay, more rain. See you, Lieutenant,” she said.

Cael turned Addison to face him. “Baby, you know I didn’t mean any of those things I said.”

“Then why did you say them?”

“Because I’m an idiot. I thought I’d be able to protect you better if we weren’t involved. After reading your dad’s letter, I started thinking about everything. Addison, I can’t teleport you away from danger when I'm sexually aroused and I was frightened for you.”

“Oh. Well, as you so nastily pointed out, I do have my own powers and I’m learning more about them every day. I think I can defend myself. I don’t need you to be frightened for me, or to protect me.”

She turned to walk away and he took her by the arm, tugging her around the nearest corner. Within seconds, they were in the bedroom at the beach house. He backed her up against the wall with his hands on her shoulders.

“You have no idea what could happen.”

The shock of the abruptness of their travel caused Addison to drop her packages and she raised her arms, shoving her hands against his chest.

“Addison, you can’t possibly believe I meant any of that. It’s all about your safety.”

“My safety, because of my father.”

He searched her eyes. “You know it’s more than that, and you’d be damn stupid to think otherwise. You know I care about you.”

She shoved at him, but he didn’t budge. “Then call me stupid. You don’t need to care anymore. I can take care of myself.”

He grabbed her arms, held them above her head, pinning her back to the wall. “Fuck this, Addison. I will not apologize for caring about you.”

His body pressed hard against her so that she was unable to move.

“Let me go, you’re hurting me.”

“No, I’m not, and I never will, not intentionally.”

You hurt me
, her mind screamed, and he flinched, feeling the pain that emanated from her thoughts.

“I'm sorry. You need to know that. Believe that.”

His lips were inches from hers and he felt the heat. He swung her around, shoved her to the bed, then stretched out on top of her. Still pinning her arms above her head, he nipped at her neck.

“I care about you, Addison. God, I care about you so much and I want you so bad.” Then his mouth covered hers hard, possessively, his free hand roaming over her trembling body. Pushing up the skirt and tugging down her panties, his fingers searched and found her warm and wet. Her moans ignited his already sizzling blood. “Scary bad,” he whispered, as he slipped her blouse and bra up to expose her breasts before tasting them.

He unbuckled his belt, unzipped his pants and shoved them down with his free hand. With her skirt yanked up to her waist and her arms still pinned above her head, Addison let him take her. He thrust into her hard; she opened to him, moved, and rose with him.

“I care about you. Damn it, I care,” he said as he drove himself inside her. He released her arms, she cried out his name, and the unexpected jolt of her nails digging into his back thrilled him beyond imagination as he accepted her sensuous wrath.

“Scary bad,” she huffed back in agreement. “So scary bad.”

Addison trembled under him and he felt her orgasm burst through with his like the rush of a tsunami as he floated into that all consuming swell of ecstasy.

***

Damn him, how did he do that? She should hate him. But she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. If that was make-up sex, Addie was definitely looking forward to more fights with Cael. Well, maybe, if they skipped the ugly parts. She’d never felt anything so erotic before. She rolled over and noticed him rubbing his chin. “What’s wrong with your jaw? It’s all red.”

“Your boss sucker-punched me.”

“Gerry hit you?” Addie covered her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh.

“You don’t need to look so smug about it.”

“Well, maybe you deserved it. It should have been
me
that slugged you. I knew Gerry was upset about the way I was acting, but I didn’t realize he’d be angry with you. He’s usually such a gentle person. It’s hard to imagine him punching you.”

“Well, he did. He knocked me clear across the bar, too, and if my uncle hadn’t been there to stop him, he would have taken a second swing.”

“Huh ... never thought he would do that.”

“It was the bruises.”

“The bruises? When did he see … oh. That’s what he was babbling about.” She stood, repositioned her bra, and pulled her clothes back together.

He looked at her as though he’d just noticed what she was wearing. “Wow, you look ... extremely sexy, by the way.”

“Flattery won’t get you off the hook.”

He raised his brows as he drank in the length of her legs. “Just stating the obvious.”

“I wanted some new clothes. Speaking of new, where are my panties?”

He bent to pick them up, twirled them with his finger, and smiled. “You mean these?”

“Give me those.” She yanked them away from him.

“I like those and I like you. Do you believe now that I care about you?”

“Yes, but I get that you don't consider my personality, shall we say, ideal?”

He blinked and took a step back. “What?”

She glared at him.

How could he have forgotten about the personality dig he’d made?
“Because of what you said about me acting like my flighty friends, which would mean you don’t like my personality.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it.”

“You mean you don’t hate my personality?”

“God, of course not. I love your personality; I just thought it would be better ... safer for you if we weren’t so intimate.”

“Can’t say I like the way you handled it.”

“I needed to make you angry at me so you wouldn’t get hurt. But I guess I screwed up.”

“Yeah, you did. We’re in this together, pal.”

“I’m sorry for deserting you this morning. I won’t do it again, I promise. Forgive me?”

“I’m not sure. First, answer one question.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“What exactly is it about my personality you like?”

“Oh ... well, let me think. First, I said I
love
your personality, and what I
love
about it is you’re smart and witty.”

“Is that all?”

“No. You have a strong right cross and one hell of a back kick.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You’re also courageous, honest, caring, compassionate, self-reliant, beautiful, sensitive, and responsible. And did I say beautiful?”

“I think I heard that somewhere in there.”

“There’s one more, very important quality.”

“What?”

“You’re very, very sexy.” His eyebrows arched up and he smiled, taking her in his arms, twirling her around and making her laugh.

“Okay, okay, I forgive you this time, but in the future—don’t assume you know it all, there are two people in this relationship and ... by the way, beautiful and sexy are not personality traits.”

“Well, neither are back kicks and right crosses, but who the hell cares?” He took her face in his hands and planted his lips possessively over hers.

“Now that I’ve found you, Addison MacKenna, I’m not letting you go. And I’m famished. How about it, are you hungry?”

“Yes, starving.”

Chapter 25

With Cael's arms wrapped tightly around Addie's waist and hers linked around the nape of his neck, they appeared inside a small alcove set back from the same alley they had left from earlier. Addie dropped her arms and glanced around, relieved no one saw them materialize. Somehow, he always managed to find that special little off-the-beaten-path to reappear in. How did he do that?