"Sloan thought—"
A low growl filled the room—a warning.
"Stop saying that bastard's name," Cade said. "Not on my land. Not in my home. Not in my bed. He has no place here."
"But—"
"But nothing," The intensity of Cade's fury would have terrified Emily if it wasn't directed at her tormentor. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm nothing like him? All he wanted was an omega to make his breakfast, swallow his lust, and shovel his frustrations onto. But I want you, Emily. You."
It would be so easy to get lost in those words and the flashing depths of his eyes. So easy to give in to his assurances, letting them slip into her bloodstream and feed the seeds of trust and hope in her heart.
But Emily's fears hadn't been built in a day, and her defenses hadn't either. She'd taken her time and reinforced them well, knowing how strong they'd need to be for her to survive in a place that wanted nothing to do with her.
"How can you?" she asked. "You only met me a day ago."
"You say that like time matters."
Now she was the confused one. "Doesn't it?"
"How can you have lived in the Boundarylands for months and still think like a beta?"
Emily had no answer for that, and Cade returned his attention to kissing her neck even more hungrily. There was no way she could continue to hold out against the onslaught of his touch.
But Cade wasn't one to let well enough alone.
"All it took was one breath, and I knew everything about you," he purred against her ear. "How soft you'd feel beneath my fingers, how warm. I could guess how you'd moan when I grazed your nipple with my fingers."
Without warning, he slid his hand under her shirt to cup her breast, thumbing her nipple.
How quickly her body betrayed her, the sharp sound that escaped her lips proved everything he'd said.
Emily's nipple tightened almost painfully, desperate for more. She bit her lip as her breath came in ragged gasps.
"Yes," he growled in victory. "Just like that."
Emily gave up fighting then, arching up, seeking his touch, giving into her own howling need. Vaguely, she was aware of Cade moving her hand to give him access to her breast even while she clung tightly to the shirt covering the rest of her body.
She felt the brush of his rigid cock against her belly through the fabric, and grabbed the back of his head in a wordless plea, pushing it down. Cade was only too happy to take over with his tongue where his fingers had left off, circling her nipple, gently nipping, causing a whirling tornado at her core.
He seemed content to keep it up forever, moving from one nipple to the other.
But she wasn't.
She wanted more. She wanted all of him.
"Cade," she whispered. "Please."
"Please what? Please touch more of you? You know I want to, but you're going to have to show me more of your body first."
Emily pressed her lips together tightly. Goddamn it. She knew she'd done this to herself, making Cade promise not to take anything from her that she didn't freely give.
It had seemed like such a good idea at the time, but now she was having second thoughts. It would be so much easier if he just took what he wanted.
But he wouldn't. He'd made a promise. And it seemed he was going to keep it no matter what.
Which meant that if Emily was going to feel the heaven of his touch again—and you better fucking believe that she was—then she was going to have to give in to hope and trust after all.
Emily pushed through the fear that was raging inside her and, with trembling hands, lowered her fingers down to the row of buttons. One by one, she slowly undid them as Cade watched.
His eyes zeroed in on her slightest movement like a big cat focused on his prey. The intensity in his eyes increasing with every flick of her fingers until all the buttons were undone.
And then all that was left was to unclasp the belt and push the flannel open.
Emily closed her eyes as the cool air of the bedroom washed against her skin. She'd never felt more exposed or vulnerable in her life.
With Sloan, she'd had her hate and her pain to guard her, but with Cade, there was none of that. She wanted him so badly. If he rejected her now, she'd never recover.
But he didn't.
"So fucking beautiful," he growled with a primal ferocity that made the heat in her belly coil even tighter. In a flash, his wide hands spread over the soft mound of her belly, sweeping down to the curves of her hips and thighs.
Without hesitation, he pushed open her knees, throwing her legs wide and tracing his fingers down the folds of her wet pussy.
"So wet," he growled. "Tell me you want it."
With the thick tips of his fingers already pressing against the outside of her opening, she didn't have to ask what he meant. She knew…and she wanted.
"Yes," she begged. "Please, Cade. I want it so bad."
He didn't make her wait another second, plunging one finger into her warm depths, and adding a second on the next stroke.
Emily arched her back as pleasure shot through her, hotter and sharper than ever before. She cried out, and Cade was there, kissing her lips as the pad of his thumb found the nub of her clit.
"This is how it's supposed to be," he whispered, his breath washing against the sensitive earlobe. "You're soft; I'm hard. I'm strong; you yield. There's nothing wrong with you, Emily. You were meant for me."
Dear God, it sounded like the truth.
More than that—it felt like the truth.
Especially when the pleasure inside her grew to levels she didn't even know were possible. The walls of her pussy tightened around his fingers as she came.
She clawed at his shoulders. She screamed his name...just like he'd predicted.
That kernel of trust blossomed into full-blown belief as she found herself desperate and doing the next thing he'd promised.
Begging for his cock.
Chapter Twelve
"Please, Cade, please," Emily pleaded as he licked every bit of her slick from her fingers, unable to get enough. "I need to feel you inside me. All of you."
Cade propped himself up on his elbows, taking in the incredible sight of this beautiful omega offering herself to him, begging him to fuck her.
Just as he'd known she would.
But the moment wasn't what he'd expected—it was so much more.
His blood surged at the sight of her lush breasts with their rosy, sensitive nipples. All he had to do was flick them with his tongue to make her cry out. Then there were her hips, rounded and soft, perfect for grabbing hold of when he plunged inside her.
Even more perfect for bearing pups—a thought that caused his heart to thunder.
For an alpha who'd never given much thought to babies, the thought of planting one in Emily's pretty round stomach nearly drove Cade out of his mind. The need to fill her with his seed while she came over and over again was primal.
Cade stood just long enough to peel off his still-damp jeans and free his cock. It sprang forth instantly, already so hard it ached.
Emily was watching him, her lips parted, the tip of her tongue darting out hungrily. It was possibly the sexiest sight Cade had ever seen.
Oh, he'd give her a taste, there was no question about that—but not until he'd pleasured her over and over and over again. Seeing her succulent body posed like that, on her back and gazing up at him coquettishly, gave him all kinds of ideas.