She shook her head, feeling the heavy weight of the braid at her back. Cade loved her hair. He always did. And once, just once she had glimpsed something deep and dark in his eyes as he brushed it late one night. As his hands ran through the unruly mass, slowly, caressingly, she had glanced back at him, and she knew she had seen desire. She could have been certain. Then it was gone, and he hadn’t touched her the same since.
“Marly?” Greg’s voice called through the door as he knocked tentatively. “Are you dressed?”
M
arly smiled fondly at his hesitant voice.
“Come on in Greg, I’m naked as hell and ready.” She laughed as she reentered her room, calling out her standby answer, knowing his face would flush and his expression would be strictly disapproving.
The door slammed into the far wall, causing her to cry out in shocked surprise. Greg was there, pale and shaking in the grip of a madman. Cade’s eyes were so dark they were nearly black, a flush rising along the upper edge of his cheeks, his face tight with fury.
“Cade?” Surprise flowed through her.
“Ready are you?” He growled, his voice low and vibrating with his anger.
Fury seemed to pulse in his body, vibrating along his muscles as he stared at her with stormy eyes.
“Yeah, you better believe it.” She blinked at him in surprise, only barely managing to keep her composure. “Could you let Greg’s neck go, Cade? The closest chiropractor is a quack, and I think you’re hurting him.”
Cade’s hand gripped the back of the boy’s neck, his hands were almost white with the strength of it, and Greg didn’t seem to be breathing very well. Cade looked down at the boy, then released him with a growl of disgust. Greg nearly crumpled to the floor.
“Greg, are you okay?” Ignoring Cade’s fury she rushed to her friend, her arm wrapping around his waist as she led him into her bedroom and sat him on her lacy bed. “Did he hurt you? I’m sure he didn’t mean to.”
Marly cast Cade a furious look. Neanderthal. What the hell was wrong with him? He was staring at her as though he were possessed, fury tightening his body, his eyes narrowed on her, glittering with an emotion that sent her body trembling.
“The boy is fine, for now.” Cade fumed audibly.
She had never seen such an expression of demented anger on his face. He was like a stranger. His dark face set in savage lines, his dark brows lowered over darkening eyes.
“You’ve lost your mind, Cade.” She bit out. “What would cause you to act that way? Don’t you think I’m old enough to have sex yet?”
She wasn’t expecting his reaction. He flinched as though a whip had been laid to his bare back, his face paling beneath his tan.
“God. No. No. We don’t have sex.” Greg was frantic as he shook his head, looking at Cade beseechingly. “This woman is possessed, Mr. August. On my parents’ graves I swear I’ve never touched her. Never.”
Marly’s eyes narrowed on the fear in Greg’s expression.
“Oh Greg, he’s not really going to hurt you.” She rolled her eyes at his terror.
Cade wasn’t going to really hurt him. He should realize that. If Cade wanted him hurt, he would have been lying on the floor broken and bleeding already.
“Marly, shut up. He already has.” Greg pleaded hoarsely. “Please tell him we don’t have sex, Marly.”
She had never heard him use the ‘S’ word as he called it, so easily. He usually stammered over it for an hour before getting it out. Her eyes narrowed on Greg, then turned to Cade. He was breathing harshly, his fists clenched as he watched her with a dark, violent look.
“I was only joking about being naked and ready, as you can tell.” She held her arms out to indicate her jeans, and long sleeved sweater. As she did so, Cade’s eyes went to the strip of bare belly that the raised sweater was showing. Uh oh. The gold ring in her belly button was clearly visible, as was the slender gold chain that wound around her waist and clasped into the ring.
Cade frowned darkly, his fists clenching and unclenching as though he was going to do physical damage. Rather than scaring her, the look excited her.
“Downstairs.” His voice was harsh and grating, his gaze locked on the small ring and its connecting chain. “Downstairs, now.”
He turned on his heel and stalked from the room as Marly watched him with a frown.
“God Marly, what kind of game are you playing?” Greg was rubbing the back of his neck as he groaned out the question pleadingly. “I’m going back to my sister’s. At least there it’s just words. That man is gonna kill me.”
“Cade won’t kill you,” she murmured, still staring at the door. “Do you think he acted interested, Greg?”
“Interested?” Greg’s voice was incredulous. “Marly, you can’t be serious?”