Page 8 of The Broken Note

Kind of like the one I found Cadence in tonight.

At the memory of her scared and running, my knuckles clench and my body tenses with frustration.

I take it back.

She’s definitely not a smart girl.

“I can handle it from here,” Cadence insists. Her words are slow. Her eyes are at half-mast. White teeth sink into her plump bottom lip as she struggles to keep her pain hidden. “I’m—”

“Say ‘fine.” I tilt my chin up. My voice is deadly cold. Chilly. Threatening. “I dare you.”

Other people would shudder.

Other girls would flinch.

Cadey doesn’t.

My tone brings the spark of defiance alive in her. She stops in the middle of the sidewalk and whirls around with a spray of pretty hair and delicate fury.

“I don’t care that you’re following me around, but I won’t have you growling at me and making an already terrible situation worse. If you’re going to be like that, just leave me alone.”

I stand, hands in the pockets of my jeans, as she rips the air from my lungs. With just one flash of her brown eyes, I’m right back under her spell.

Hell.

So much for giving her room.

After taking her virginity and leaving my version of handcuffs on her kitchen table, I figured Cadey would need some space to think.

I gave her about twelve hours.

And it’s all I can damn well give her.

This girl, straight, wind-torn hair all over, a top buttoned to the neck and a flared Redwood Prep skirt at mid-thigh is going to be my obsession for life. The sooner she accepts that, the easier all our lives will be.

I stalk toward her.

She eases back, a hint of apprehension in her gaze. “Dutch…”

I lower myself halfway to the ground.

“Don’t even think…”

One arm closes around her back and the other sweeps her legs out from under her. She squeals in my ears and flails as she loses her balance.

I tuck her into my chest, propping her up against me.

“Put me down!” she yells.

I firm my grip instead.

The way she wiggles is a distraction. She’s rubbing her backside all over me and making my blood hot.

I tighten my fingers on her back to keep my thoughts focused. If I start letting the animal in my pants take over, I won’t be able to stay on task.

“Why was your sister upset tonight?” I growl, my heart beating fast.

I can’t help it.