A Breath of Heaven: El Camino Real (5 page)

She looked satisfied and cut them both a
serving. “Good choice.”

“Can I have some milk to go with it?” He asked
innocently and sweetly. “Please?”

“Yes. God, I can’t believe I’m waiting on
you.” Abby huffed as she got up and poured him a brimming glass full. “Don’t
expect this type of treatment all week, Tallbull.”

“Ah, you love it, you know you do.” Cade
watched her eat for a moment, studying her beautiful face. “I think you ought
to at least date, Abby.” He spoke around a mouthful of the best cake he’d ever
put in his mouth. “Dang, this is good stuff!”

She snatched his plate out from in front
of him. “You were supposed to change the subject.”

“Not so fast.” He grabbed her hand and
gently reclaimed his dessert. “You can break my heart, but you can’t take my
chocolate.”

Abby laughed. “I can see where your
priorities are.” Then, she realized what he’d said. “And I didn’t break your
heart. No way.”

Cade let it go. No use having salt rubbed
into his wound. “Why won’t you at least go out on a date, Abby? Trevor told me
you haven’t gone out with a guy in years. A girl like you needs to be married.
You’re pretty enough.” He reached over and snagged a long dark curl of her
silky hair, twisting it around his finger. “Beautiful hair, big dark eyes.
You’re almost a double for that girl Rachel on the television program Suits.
You know the one?”  

“I don’t watch much TV.” Abby felt
uncomfortable, her heart was pounding in her chest. How was she ever going to
survive him being here? “But I don’t want to marry. I’m too busy to date.”
There, that was a good answer. “My practice is growing, my hours are
unpredictable and I prefer the company of animals to people. Besides, I hear
marriage is overrated. Once the honeymoon’s over, it’s all downhill from
there.”

“All depends on the chemistry, Abby. For a
lucky few, the honeymoon never ends.” Or at least that’s what he’d envisioned with
her. Cade took another bite of dessert. “You’re cynical. Are you hiding
something from me?”

He stared at her so long that Abby began
to fidget in her seat.

“Hiding something?” Hell. Was he psychic?
”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What do you do for sex?”

Whoosh! The air left her lungs. “Pardon?”
She can’t believe he asked her that question!

“What do you do for sex?” He repeated,
looking at her breasts again. “You’re sexy, Abby. A little prickly, but a man
would have a helluva good time taming you. Do you think I ought to give it
another whirl?” Cade was on a mission, make her angry – then she’d jump him and
he would ravish her while she was in her arms. Yea, sounded like a plan.

By now, Abby was quivering from a
combination of anger and arousal. Cade was dynamically attractive, sensual as
sin and putting off some type of pheromone that was driving her slap-dab crazy.
He was flirting with her, by-God! Was he serious? Usually they just sniped at
each other. They’d never exchanged these veiled sexual innuendoes before – and
some not so veiled. Oh, well, it didn’t matter. Even if he was, she could
never, ever let anything come from it. “I think you’d be taking your own life
in your hands if you try.”

“Oh, really?” He stood up. “I’m not really
afraid of you, Abby. Tell me, what do you do when you’re aroused?” He laid down
his napkin. “Do you touch yourself?” He took a step or two toward her end of
the table.

Abby stood up, panic washing through her
bloodstream. “Don’t you come anywhere near me, Cade Tallbull.”

“Do you run your hands over that sweet
little body?”

He was coming closer, stalking her. Abby
retreated. “Excuse me, I need to do the dishes. Why don’t you watch television,
or better yet...” She brightened. “Why don’t you go take a dip in the stock
pond? I put some testicle eating fish in there especially for you.”

Cade shook his head. “Nah, I saw ice on
the pond when I drove up. And believe me, you want me to keep the boys safe.”
He rubbed his package. “You might find a use for them someday soon.” Cade took
another step closer to her. “But we could shower together.” This was fun. “Stop
fighting it, Abby. Stop fighting me. You know you still want me. Admit it.”

Abby wasn’t admitting a damn thing. She
glanced over her shoulder, measuring how far it was to her bedroom door. She
needed a path to a fast get-away. “The dishes can wait till tomorrow. I’m
tired.”

Cade wasn’t giving up. “When you touch
yourself, do you ever think of me? When you rub your little clit and pinch your
nipples, do you ever call out my name? Cade, oh, Cade, I want you, Cade.” He
mimicked her voice.

He was about three feet away and aroused,
heavily aroused. Abby could see the outline of his cock through his jeans. She
stared, mesmerized and confused. Was that for her? “Me? Call your name? Never!”
Lie. Lie. All lies.

“So, you do masturbate, don’t you? At
least I admit that much.” He reached out for her.

And when he did, Abby turned and ran like
the devil himself was after her. She sprinted across the room, down the hall,
into her bedroom and slammed the door. And locked it. Then, she leaned back
against it, clasping her heart, trying to catch her breath. She wasn’t scared
of Cade. She was scared of herself.

Abby Grace King wanted Cade Tallbull more
than she wanted life.

But she couldn’t have him. Ever.

She was just about to step away from the
door when she heard him…

“Abby?” Cade’s whispered voice came from
the other side of the door. She jumped. “Abby?”

“Go away, Cade.” She begged, desperate to
have him – desperate to keep him at arm’s length. 

“I’m going to be in bed just on the other
side of the wall, thinking about you. Listen for me, Abby. You just might hear
me moaning your name when I cum.”

“Oh, God,” she whispered. “I’m gonna kill
him.”

She heard him chuckle as he turned and
went to his door.

“Goodnight, Abby,” he called. “Dream about
me.”

Cade walked into his room with a swagger.
So far, his plan was working. He was getting to her, he could tell. Of course,
he always could. This time seemed different somehow. If he wasn’t terribly
mistaken, he’d seen hunger in her eyes, a sexual hunger directed straight at
him. God, he hoped he was right.

Reaching into his pocked, his fingers came
into contact with something smooth and cool. Dang, the necklace! He’d forgotten
to give it to her. Pulling it out of his pocket, he cupped it in his hand. She
was going to love this. Maybe he’d slip it on her himself. Yea, that’s what
he’d do.

Shedding his clothes, he ambled toward the
bathroom. A shower would feel good. As he walked, he stripped, leaving a trail
of clothes. By the time he was standing next to the tiled shower, he was naked.
Opening the glass door, he flipped on the water and directed the shower head
toward the back wall. While the water temperature adjusted, Cade checked his
reflection in the mirror, trying to decide if he wanted to shave tonight or in
the morning. Hell, morning sounded good to him. He smiled to himself as he
flexed, not really seeing his reflection. Being with Abby again was wonderful,
even if they did bait one another at every opportunity. Oh, he wanted more –
but this was good, a good start. Man’s favorite sport was women and Cade was
ready to play. Only this wasn’t a game with Abby and he didn’t intend to lose –
this was real and the prize was a future together. 

“Tonight’s the night,” he sang,
remembering an old Rod Stewart song. “Spread your wings…” Every word out of his
mouth conjured an image of lying Abby down, stripping her of whatever little
nothing she wore to bed and opening her thighs so he could come inside. “Fuck,”
he groaned, running a soapy hand over his throbbing cock. Leaning his head on
the tile wall, Cade stroked himself, rubbing his balls and pulling on his hard
length as he imagined pushing deep into Abby’s tender pussy. “If only…” he
muttered.

For a few seconds, he gave in, pumping his
cock in his fist. “So close,” he whispered and he wasn’t referring to an
orgasm, he was thinking of the object of his desire – she was almost close
enough to touch.

“Hell!”

Removing his hand, he rinsed and shut off
the water, stepping out of the shower with his cock rock-hard and strutted. He
had better plans for this erection other than jerking off under the spray. If
he had to touch himself for satisfaction, the least he could do was be as near
to her as possible.

In a few minutes he was through, dried and
in bed. Stretching out, he listened. Hot damn, the walls were thin. Cade could
hear her moving around. This could be fun…

“Shoot, shoot, shoot,” Abby grumbled. How
in the world was she going to survive this week? She loved Christmas, but it
was stressful even at the best of times. Heck, she didn’t even have her tree
yet. Add the wedding to the typical holiday madness, spike it with her extreme
dislike of Jase’s choice of bride…why, she’d be lucky if her hair didn’t fall
out from sheer nerves. And now that Cade was in the picture and underfoot,
insanity sure to be just around the corner. It was obvious he was going to do
everything in his power to torment her.

Jerking her sweater off, she shed her
jeans and underwear as she walked. Abby stalked into the bathroom and turned on
the shower. Turning to pick up a towel, she caught a glimpse of her body in the
full length mirror on the back of the door. A spike of shame and sorrow pierced
her heart. Most of the time she could forget, but Cade made her feel things
she’d spent years trying to bury.

Needless things. Things she could never
have. Like a husband, a family and a sex life.

“Don’t even go there,” she chastised
herself. “There’s no use.” Quickly, she went through her bedtime routine. To
get her mind off what couldn’t be, she went over her schedule for the next day.
Bryce Adams was bringing his prize stallion to mate with one of Chris
Farnsworth’s mares. Many breeders were using artificial insemination, but Bryce
preferred the old fashioned way. He thought letting nature take its course kept
his stock healthier and happier. Abby couldn’t help but agree. She knew she’d
be healthier and happier if she let nature take its course, but she couldn’t—she
just couldn’t. Cade must never know she pushed him away because she couldn’t
afford to pull him close.

Sighing, she got out of the shower,
toweled dry, and went to her chest of drawers, pulling out a pair of sleep
shorts and a night shirt. Straightening what remained, her fingers touched a
framed photo. When he’d been asking where his picture was, she hadn’t told the
truth…it was here in her room – in her dresser, so she could take it out and
look at it anytime she wanted to. Many night she’d slept with it beneath her
pillow or held close to her heart. Pulling out the eight by ten, she held it
up, running her fingers over his image. It was a shot he’d given her mother.
Abby had stolen it, not that Amelia was fooled. She knew her daughter too well.
She knew what Abby had given up and exactly how she felt about Cade. Smiling
sadly, she studied his face. He was so handsome, so dear. “God, help me,” she
sighed. “You’ll never know how much I love you.” Tenderly, she kissed the
glass, leaving yet another smudge, for she did this often – most every night.

Replacing the photograph carefully, she
covered it up, then pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and a nightshirt. Padding
to the bed, she glanced at the clock. It was only ten, a little early to go to
sleep, but she could read a while or…something. Spending another moment with
Cade when he was in such an aggravating mood was impossible. Throwing back the
covers, she plumped her pillow and yawned. Crawling on all fours to the middle
of the bed, she plopped down and stared at the ceiling.

Then she heard it.

“Abby Grace…Abby Grace…”

Cade’s slightly sing-song saying of her
name made her jerk.

“Abby?”

She pinched her lips together and pulled
the pillow over her head.

“Abby, I can hear every move you make…from
you slapping the pillow, to the bed creaking, to those sweet little sighs you
make as you nestle down into the covers.”

Abby turned over. If she ignored him,
maybe he’d go away.

“Abby, can you hear me?”

“No!”

“Oh, okay.”

She heard him chuckle.

“Go to sleep, Cade.”

“I’d rather talk to you.” She heard his
bed creak. “Let’s play a game.”

Oh, Lord. “What kind of game?”

“Let’s have phone sex without the phone.”

“I’ve never had phone sex!” Abby tried to
sound scandalized, but she only managed to sound intrigued.

“Awww, you’ve been missing out.” Not that
he had phone sex often, but it had happened. When he’d hook up with a buckle
bunny and move on to the next town, sometimes Cade would keep the relationship
going long distance until it got boring. As much as he adored Abby, he hadn’t
been a monk. For years, he given up – but now, now he wasn’t taking no for an
answer. He knew what he wanted and he knew that no one else did it for him –
only her. If he couldn’t have her, he wanted to at least know he’d done
everything in his power to try.    

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea,
Cade.” Abby had to be careful. He must never catch on to what had happened or
how she really felt. The one thing she dreaded more than anything else was
seeing pity in Cade’s eyes.

“It’ll be fun. I’ll help. You just follow
my directions and listen to my voice.” Cade lay spread-eagle on his bed with
the covers thrown back. Just hearing Abby’s voice and knowing she was lying
there listening to him was a turn-on. Helpless to do otherwise, he ran his hand
over his cock and cupped his balls. “Take off your gown for me, Abby. I’m naked
and I want to know you are too.”

“Cade!” she protested. But the thought of
him, naked, his beautiful male body warm and touchable from the shower made
Abby shiver. God, she was tempted. He couldn’t see her. Besides, this was the
most excitement she’d ever had in bed. Quickly, before she could change her
mind, Abby took off her shirt, pushed down her shorts and trembled. “Okay, I
did it.” God, her nipples were like ice chips and she’d never been wetter.

“Good girl.” Cade smiled. He stroked his
cock. It was still erect and aching. “Okay, listen to me. I want you to run
your hands over your body. Close your eyes, and start at your face. Soothe your
palms down your neck, and on down to your chest. Do it, Abby.”

She couldn’t help herself. Following his
command, she ran her fingers over her skin. It felt so good. It was almost like
he was in bed with her. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend Cade was
touching her. God, she’d give ten years of her life to know what it was like to
be loved by Cade—even if he was worrisome.

“Talk to me, Abby. What are you feeling?”
He hungered to know, to feel, to imagine.

“A headache coming on.” Not true, but she
couldn’t let him know the truth. It would be like arming a nuclear missile.
She’d tried to sound sarcastic. But her voice was too breathy, he had to know
how he was affecting her.

Cade smiled. “Believe me; this will make
you feel better. An orgasm is the best headache medicine in the world. Touch
your breasts, Honey. Cup them and rub all around, but don’t touch your nipples,
not yet.”

“Hmmmmm.” She sighed, she couldn’t help
it. Her breasts were sensitive and what she was doing felt so good. Round and
round her areolas she went. Abby wanted to touch her nipples. She wanted him to
touch her nipples.

“What color are they?”

“Pink, a deep rosy pink.” She answered
before she thought. Cade groaned.

“Pull them for me, tease them, play with
them.”

“What are you doing?” She asked with desperation.
Abby needed to know, she wanted to see him in her mind. “Tell me, Cade.” She
begged, following his instructions, caressing her breasts. She wished they were
bigger. If they were bigger, it might make up for…

“You know what I’m doing,” he answered.
Cade was pumping his cock, working it from root to tip. “I’m pretending my hand
is yours. You’re stroking me.”

“God,” she moaned, writhing. The idea that
he imagined it was her touching him – turned her inside out. She couldn’t be
still. Her hips lifted off the bed, and she was clenching and unclenching the
muscles of her sex. Abby was so turned on, she wanted to cry. “Cade!”

“Put your hand between your legs, Abby.”
Damn, his imagination was working overtime. He could almost see her pink sex,
how creamy she was. A little landing strip of dark down guided his eye and cock
to paradise.

Abby opened her legs wide. She slid her
fingers into her slit. Damn, it felt so good. She couldn’t talk, she could only
whimper. “Uh, uh, ummm.”

Cade strained to hear every word she said,
every moan she made. “You sound so sweet.” He was fisting his cock faster and
faster. With his other hand, he gripped the sheet. If he didn’t hold on to
something, he’d be out of this room and in her bed faster than a wink. Never
had he wanted a woman more. “That’s it, Baby. Rub your little clit. Put your
fingers inside that tight little hole. Don’t you wish I was lying beside you?
Don’t you wish it was my cock filling you up?”

“Please! Yes, God, yes!”

He heard her call out. He could hear the
squeaking of the bed springs as her body writhed in ecstasy. Mercy, he was
about to cum. He didn’t want to do it alone. “I can’t stop, Abby. Swirl your
fingers around your hot button for me, milk those sweet nipples. Let me hear
you say my name. Cum for me, Abby. My cock is about to burst!” He bucked his
hips and imagined he was plunging deep into her wet heat. He wondered if she
could hear the slap, slap, slap as he took his self-pleasure. “God! Yes!” He
was right there…right there.

“Cade! Oh, Cade!” she screamed his name as
she shattered and shook.

Cade groaned. “Abby!” he bellowed as his
release erupted out, coating his hand and her baby blue sheets with powerful
jets of his seed.

Abby lay there panting, sweating, her
heart pounding like she’d run a marathon. Through the wall, she could hear Cade
breathing hard as well.

“Thanks for getting me off, Darlin’,” he
drawled, not wanting her to know how much this had touched him – not yet
anyway. He felt raw and vulnerable – needy. 

Abby’s ire went up. Why did he have to
ruin it? But instead of a snappy come-back, she felt the back of her eyelids
begin to burn. “Whatever.” Wasn’t this just effing fantastic? The only way she
could have sex with a man was with a wall between them.

Knowing Abby and how she felt about him,
Cade had practiced up on his sarcasm and disdain. She never failed to hold her
own with him. He imagined if he tried to hug her, it would be like embracing a
bramble bush. She might be as beautiful as a rose, but beware the thorns.

And then he heard it. A hiccupped sob.

“Abby?” Another one. Louder, this time.
“Abby!” He heard her get off the bed. “Dammit!” He thought they’d had fun.
Heck! He scrambled around, cleaned his cock and pulled on a pair of lounge
pants. Well, he’d just see about this.