Cade lay awake for a while, not relaxed enough to sleep. They’d solved the issue of the flowers but not the note with it. It was like every time they solved one piece of the puzzle, another presented itself.
The house creaked and he smiled at the familiar sound. It was warm and comforting to be back in his own place, safe and warm with Quinn and Mogs. The note could wait. He needed a nap.
“Dinner! Hurry up!” Quinn bellowed at him.
“I’m coming!” Cade yelled back, irritated and not bothering to hide it.
How did nap and order food turn into Quinn cooking again? Cade had woken up to find himself alone and Quinn downstairs clattering around in the kitchen. He was going to have to talk to Quinn about this. He rubbed his hair to dry it off, taking his time because this was his house and why shouldn’t he? Maybe he took a bit longer than he should, though, because he heard Quinn stomping up the stairs.
Quinn appeared in the bedroom doorway, a scowl on his face. “Didn’t you hear me?”
“I heard,” Cade muttered.
“What’s your problem? Aren’t you hungry?”
Was Quinn really that oblivious? “I asked you for takeout and a night in your arms. I wake up. You’re not here. You’re downstairs cooking.”
Quinn blinked at the tirade. Cade felt a little guilty but not that much.
“I wasn’t cooking,” Quinn said calmly.
Cade hated it when Quinn used that tone on him. “I heard you.”
“No, you heard Tormac cooking because I told him I wasn’t cooking tonight. I’ve been up for fifteen minutes. Long enough to order food and bellow at Tormac.”
“But you yelled ‘dinner’ at me.”
“Just to get you moving.”
Cade started to feel stupid. “You’ve ordered takeout?”
“I did. Thai.”
Cade sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too.” Quinn made no effort to come closer. “Why did you think you couldn’t trust me?”
“You weren’t here when I woke up.”
“Is that all?”
“I had a nightmare,” Cade admitted.
Eric had been forcing himself on Cade, who couldn’t move. The dream seemed to go on and on for hours, and he’d been begging for his Daddy to wake him up, but Quinn just left him to Eric’s mercies. He’d woken up with tears on his cheeks, wanting to scream, and sucking his thumb to calm down. Quinn not being there had been the last straw.
Cade spilled out the dream and before he’d gotten to the end, he was in Quinn’s arms, wrapped up so tight he could barely breathe, but he was safe again.
“I’m so sorry,” Quinn murmured over and over. “I’m here. You’re safe. I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”
Cade couldn’t help the few tears that squeezed between his lashes, more from relief than anything else.
They stayed locked together until the doorbell interrupted them. Quinn jumped like always, and Cade giggled.
“Stay here,” Quinn ordered.
Cade nodded, wrapping his arms around himself as Quinn strode out.
“Tormac, can you get the door? Cade and I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Sure, what the hell was that noise?”
Cade heard Quinn mutter, “See, it’s not just me.” He grinned. He loved that abomination of a doorbell.
Quinn came back in, shut the door, and took Cade into his arms.
“I’m all right,” Cade assured him.
“I’m sure you are but I’m a show, not tell, kind of guy.” Quinn looked down at Cade. “I’m going to put you on the bed and show you that Eric doesn’t have you anymore, boy. It’s you and me.”
“The dinner?”
“It can wait. You’re more important.”
Quinn undid the towel Cade had around his waist, dropping it unheeded to the floor. Then he led Cade to the bed and laid him down so gently Cade had to blink back the tears. Quinn undressed as Cade watched. His Daddy was huge and muscled and would keep him safe forever.
It wasn’t how Cade expected their first time. In his imagination, Quinn had thrown him up against the wall and rammed that thick cock into him. He wanted that, one day. This time Quinn whispered in Cade’s ear about how special he was as he prepared him, thick fingers driving him to distraction. Cade didn’t know whether to focus on his words or his fingers. Both. Neither. He begged for Quinn to stick his cock in him, and Quinn did, slowly again, and Cade focused on that, because his Daddy was never going to hurt him like Eric had. His climax was like plunging into a clear spring pool. It took his breath away, but it cleared the last remnants of the nightmare. Quinn waited until Cade had come then he buried himself deep inside Cade and shuddered his way through his own orgasm, Cade whispering how much he loved him in his ear, because Quinn wouldn’t be able to focus on it then.
Chapter 14
Quinn
Quinn woke to humming and purring. He cracked open one eye to the lovely vision of the long line of Cade’s back and his neat ass. Cade sat nude on the bed, his tongue peeping out the corner of his mouth while he sketched Mogs, who was stretched across the bottom of the bed. It was daylight outside, and sunlight striped the bed, bathing Mogs’s fur as she basked.
Quinn couldn’t resist the temptation to sweep his hand down Cade’s spine and cup one ass-cheek. “Morning, boy, are you making a liar out of me?”
Cade looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Hey, you’re awake. What do you mean?”
“I usually sleep lightly. Yet here you are drawing, and I slept through it.”
“I bought new pens to leave in my nightstand. I want to draw.”
Cade seemed to hold his breath as if he expected Quinn to tell him it wasn’t permitted, but Quinn said, “That’s cool. How long have you been awake?”
“Ages. I thought you were never going to wake up.”
“Yesterday wore me out,” Quinn admitted. He sat up and rasped his bristles over the soft skin on Cade’s shoulder.
“Hey!” Cade protested, but he shivered a little so Quinn did it again.
“You’re mean, especially as I can’t do that to you.”
Quinn chuckled. “Not mean, just devious.”
Cade turned so they could kiss, which started chaste but quickly got a little bit out of control.
“How are you this morning?” Quinn asked, when breathing became a necessity.
“My ass aches,” Cade grumbled with a slight blush Quinn found adorable.
“Good,” Quinn said, not remotely apologetic. He’d used his boy hard the previous night, and Cade had loved it. They’d made love three times, until their cocks sent up white flags of protest. “What are you planning to do today?”
“I’ve got to talk to my manager about the UK tour.” Cade grimaced. “We booked it to get away from Eric, and now there’s no need to go.”
Quinn had been thinking about that, too. He knew Cade had to go. It would cost too much to cancel now, but the thought of being away from his boy made him feel sick. He always needed to be by Cade’s side. “Maybe a change of scene would be good, though. You’ve had a rough time.” At Cade’s speculative look, he said, “What are you planning?”