One Funeral (No Weddings Book 2) (14 page)

I glanced back and forth between them, narrowing my eyes. “If you think I’m letting the two of you rake an unsuspecting victim over the coals, you’re delusional. Deal me in, boys.”

Cade pulled his head back, crossing his arms. “Really, Maestro? You play poker?” He shook his head. “I should’ve known.”

I ignored him, getting up and leaving him to his computer, his project, and his research on Mr. Wall Street Journal. I entered the domain of my kitchen to work out my frustration over posturing men, using a thick batter and sturdy whisk and hoping my card-playing skills were strong enough to play with those men.

Much more than money was at stake.

C
ade insisted on picking me up for the card game, his tone making it clear that if I balked, there would be a fight. Not in the mood to deal with his surliness, and more than a bit turned on by his dominant, possessive side, I nodded and climbed on behind him on his custom-built chopper. At night, black paint that had dark purple ghost flames appeared all black, but the massive amount of chrome everywhere gleamed in even the dimmest of light.

When I wrapped my arms around his chest, so many things relaxed into place. The feeling of rightness and safety surrounded me, even though we rode a rocket at fifty miles an hour with the only thing between our heads and unforgiving asphalt being a thin layer of carbon fiber helmet over our skulls.

Cade gave me that unerring sense of safety. In charge, with a strength pouring from him into the air currents flying around us, we both knew he would be there to fight any danger I faced.

Even if said danger wore a suit.

Arriving to the game late, we parked in the small lot in one of the last available spaces, secured our helmets to the bike, and strode inside. With Cade’s arm around my shoulder in blatant possession, we walked through the dimly lit lobby where Daniel and Roy had bonded during their initial meeting. Laughter and deep voices rumbled from somewhere in the back.

As we crossed the room toward the sound, Cade asked, “Ready to play with the big boys?”

I jabbed him hard with my elbow, dislodging his arm.

Cade grunted, scowling.

“I’ve
been
playing. Haven’t you noticed?” I gave him a pointed look.

A grin stretched across his face, his gaze traveling down my body. “Oh, I’ve noticed, Maestro. You play very well.”

When we entered the private room, Cade and I were no longer touching skin to skin, but he was close enough to my side that I felt his heat through my jeans. Two distinct conversation areas, each with low, black leather club chairs, were on either side of us as we walked toward the back. The grouping on the left flanked a brown brick fireplace. A few feet from there began a beautiful carved wood bar that stretched all the way to the back.

The opposite wall had a yellowed patina to the plaster, a backdrop to a line of black-and-white photographs of apparent mobsters. Two matching chandeliers hung from the ceiling, tiny burgundy lampshades covering every bulb. Smaller lamps had been placed on tables in the conversation areas.

At the large game table in the back, three chairs sat unoccupied on the far side, so we made our way around to them. As we pulled out our chairs, Ryan and Daniel, who were seated across the table, made eye contact with us, but didn’t break their conversation. Another two men we hadn’t yet met sat on the other side of Cade.

Roy glanced up while shuffling the deck in his hands. “Cade! Hannah! We almost started without you. Take a seat. Daniel, would you grab their drinks?”

“Yeah, no problem. Hey, guys.” Daniel gave us a quick nod, his newly indigo-tipped Mohawk bouncing, then crossed over to the bar.

“Beer for me, man.” Cade pulled out my chair.

“Do you have water?” I asked Roy.

He chuckled. “Nope. Beer and hard liquor.”

Ready to play with the big boys?
“I’ll have a beer.” No hard liquor tonight; my rusty poker skills needed every alert brain cell I could manage.

Ryan spoke in low tones to the two men next to him. Cade joined in on their conversation as well, offering his opinion about a topic I knew nothing about. Ponies?

When I gave Cade a questioning look, he grinned. “Horse racing.”

Suddenly, a gorgeous woman stepped into the room, throwing her arms up into the air with show-business flair. “I’m here, boys. You can deal the cards now.”

I arched a brow at Cade.

He shrugged and leaned over to me. “Haven’t played with Roy in months. He rotates players into private games on Wednesday nights.”

“Private games?”

Cade nodded. “A few games are going on tonight in different rooms. Sometimes he holds small tournaments.”

“Oh. I wondered how we’d make money with only this many people eating cupcakes.”

“Didn’t you talk volume when you met with him?”

On a sigh, I shook my head. “He and Daniel began talking about the game and Daniel playing, then Roy agreed to buy without details. When I called yesterday, Roy requested four dozen.” Daniel had brought them earlier, and I spotted one of those dozen on the corner of the bar.

“Well, there ya go. You can talk to him before we leave tonight. Find out if he wants the same every week and what his thoughts are for the tournaments.”

Daniel handed our beers to us and took his seat next to Ryan. Roy shuffled the cards one last time then pounded the stack onto the table, his expression turning serious.

“Game’s Texas Hold’em. If everyone hasn’t met, this is Celeste, Hannah, Cade, Bowie, John, Ryan, and Daniel. And I’m Roy.” He waggled his brows and grinned.

Ryan’s attention shifted to me after he nodded to each player at their introductions. His gaze held mine for a few extra beats, his lips curving into a warm smile. Cade noticed and pulled his hand from the table, sliding it over the back of my chair, reiterating his clear possession.

Enjoying Cade’s public claim of me after he’d been so hesitant before, I let the action slide, paying attention to Roy as he dealt the cards with quick flicks of his wrist. When I placed my hand over my cards, however, and slid them toward me, I angled away from Cade, twisting to face him.

He met my gaze, and I gave him a pointed look filled with challenge. He arched his brows and pulled both hands in front of his chest, holding them up in surrender.

Nodding with satisfaction, I picked up my three cards and leaned back, assessing my hand. A two, a four, and an eight, all different suits. I tossed my cards in. “Fold.”

Cade’s lips twitched, but he said nothing.

The night went on with me losing every hand I played. Cade fared better, but he was still losing to the table.

After our money ran out, we left the remaining players at the table and migrated over to the bar. John, Bowie, and Celeste stood in a group there, hovering around the platter of cupcakes. Bowie glanced up at us as we approached, chewing with a full mouth, even as he possessively grabbed another. He wore a long leather duster, and I imagined that if the thing had inside pockets, he’d shove a few more in there too.

Fighting a smile, I crossed my arms. “Enjoying my cupcakes?”

“Fuck, yeah,” Bowie replied. “What the hell did you put in these things?”

I pursed my lips, glancing up at Cade before looking back at Bowie, smiling. “A secret ingredient to get you hooked.”

Bowie laughed. “Well, count me an addict. Damn. You should trademark these.”

“Thanks.” I beamed, turning back around. Leaning closer to Cade, I nodded toward the end of the poker table where Ryan and Daniel still played. They’d laughed and chatted amicably all through the game. “So what do you think?”

Cade sighed. “Yeah, Ryan’s okay. I’d prefer he deal only with Daniel. Obviously they’ve developed a great rapport, but that’s your call.”

I nodded, thinking the same thing. The longer we’d sat at the table, the more harmless Ryan had seemed. He actually fit in great with the group. And he stopped glancing my way after Cade had put his arm around me, as if acknowledging Cade’s claim and deferring to it.

And as soon as Ryan faded away from being a threat, Cade began to chill, which helped me relax. Once the game was over, we talked with Roy about the orders.

Ryan hung back and then walked out with us and Daniel. “Thanks for inviting me here tonight. I appreciate you guys including me.” Then he gave a chin-up toward Daniel. “And thanks, Daniel, for the tip about the minimum two-week notice for cake orders. I’ll work those timelines into our contracts.”

Ryan stopped on the pavement and pointed to a black BMW while we continued walking. “This is me. Give me a call if you want to talk numbers. Your cupcakes were demolished tonight. If I wasn’t convinced before, I’m sold now.”

I nodded, waving. “We will.”

Cade gave me a quick squeeze with the arm wrapped around my shoulder, and we turned toward his bike. “G’night, Daniel.”

“’Night, guys. See you in the morning.”

Cade handed me my helmet with a pensive look on his face, but then turned and climbed on. The drive home was cathartic, calming nerves I hadn’t realized were buzzing until I settled against him, the cold wind whipping unnamed worries into our wake.

Yet even though the ride felt like an enormous sigh, new tension seemed to manifest out of thin air. By the time he pulled into my drive and we’d dismounted and hung our helmets on his bike, it seemed like we needed to talk.

So we stood there in silence while he stared at the ground. After a few seconds, he raised his face, locking his gaze onto mine. Without a word, he pulled me into his arms, tucking me tight against his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding myself there, letting him know I wanted to be there just as much as he needed me to be.

“Hannah, I…” His voice was gruff, and he cleared his throat before continuing. “I hope tonight was okay. For us. When Ryan showed up at Sweet Dreams yesterday and started flirting with you, I saw red. And I
needed
to be there to protect you, whether or not it was justified.”

A sudden dam of emotion I’d been holding onto burst, and I tensed in his arms. I pulled out of his hold and took a step back, staring hard at him.

I’d kept my mouth shut, being patient and observing his actions, but no longer. I needed to air my grievances. “What I don’t understand is why now? Why did it take the threat of another man hitting on me for you to show I belong to you in front of others?”

His brows furrowed, and he took a step closer, like he wanted to embrace me.

I shook my head, taking another step back as I held my hand up. “No. We need to talk about this. It’s been bothering me. You are very affectionate with me when we’re alone, in private. But as soon as we’re in front of Ben and Mase or your sisters, you back off and act like we’re just good friends. And when they ask if something’s going on between us, you deny it.” I closed my eyes, swallowing hard, fighting tears. “It makes me think you don’t trust us, don’t believe in what we have enough to share it with others.”

By the time I let it all out, my hands shook. I took a deep breath, slowing my thundering pulse.

“Hannah, I’m sorry. I…I didn’t realize.”

“What didn’t you realize?”

He stared at the driveway for a moment, then met my gaze. “I didn’t consciously realize I’d been acting so differently in front of everyone and that it was hurting you. Tonight, when I saw another guy interested in my girl, something primal came to the surface, and I needed to show him you were mine. A part of me knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t sort through the reasons why.”

“You should want to claim me as yours in front of everyone.”

He spoke in a low, sincere tone. “I do. Believe me, Hannah, I do.”

“Then sort it out, Cade. Talk to Abigail about it in therapy; that’s what she’s there for. If there is some issue you’re facing that’s blocking you from being open about our relationship with your friends and family, you need to deal with it.”

“I will. I promise.”

He took a step closer, and this time I let him wrap his arms around me, needing his touch. As his warmth surrounded me, my pent-up tears finally flowed. I swallowed hard, pinching my eyes shut. When a sob escaped, he tightened his hold.

“Hannah, I’m so very sorry. I promise to make sure you feel how much I care about you all the time. Especially in front of my friends and family.”

I nodded. Abigail had cautioned me to trust Cade until he gave me a reason not to. And I would do my best to have faith in his words, even if his actions unsettled me.