But for tonight, he would rest and watch the stars.
Chapter Fifteen
Three days later, Cade had no damn idea what he was doing.
Oh, he was replacing Mel’s ancient artifact of an alternator. It had blown due to its extensive old age and not, as Mel had claimed, because of alien vibrations from its recent abduction. This time, he claimed, they had taken his whole 1972 Ford pickup truck. He’d left it at Beaver Creek when he’d gone on a fishing trip. The next morning, he’d told the sheriff aliens had taken his truck. They’d done an exhaustive search and the truck had turned up later that day in the woods near Mel’s cave.
Mel was certain that the aliens were now abducting precious vehicles, but Cade kind of thought Mel needed to lay off the “special” tonic he took when he was fishing. It was rotgut whiskey. Cade had tried it once, and he hadn’t remembered where he’d left his car either.
No, he totally knew what he was doing with the truck. Gemma was another story altogether.
“I’m going on a run into Alamosa,” Jesse said, picking up his helmet.
“You call if you find anything.”
Jesse nodded, palming his keys. “Let Roger know where I’ve gone. I’ll pick up the new parts to the snowmobile on my way back. And I promise, I’m just looking. If I find the fucker, I’ll let you know.”
Patrick. He’d disappeared the night of Gemma’s accident, and they couldn’t find him. Nate claimed he didn’t have enough evidence to put out an APB. They were stuck in limbo until they tracked him down.
Limbo. That was exactly where he was. He should be halfway to California, but Gemma had changed tactics and he had no idea how to handle her.
“I’m taking Princess Two to the dog park,” Roger said, walking out with his baby thing in his arms. He’d dressed the dog today. In deference to the coming winter, Princess Two had on a pink and white sweater. “And then we’re going to have a nice lunch at Stella’s. Yes, we are. Yes, we are. Is Jesse picking up the snowmobile parts?”
“Yep. We’ll have them this afternoon.”
“Good.” Roger was almost out the door when it opened. “Well, hello, Miss Gemma. You are looking mighty healthy. Princess and I were real upset to hear about your little trouble. Weren’t you, girl?”
Princess answered with a weird little howl.
Gemma stood in the doorway wearing jeans and a light V-neck sweater that showed off the beginnings of the slopes of her breasts. The jeans hugged her hips, nipped in at her waist. The sunlight came through, illuminating her hourglass figure. Cade had been stuffing her every chance he got, feeding her to make up for years and years of harsh diets, and those curves were finally filling out. She looked soft, healthy, and so fuckable his dick threatened to burst free and make a run for her.
Two days of cuddling that sweet body and not sinking in were taking their toll.
Of course, if he’d had his way, he would be on the road and not forced to look at what he couldn’t have again.
She talked to Roger for a moment, and then he left, the door closing behind him. Cade was all alone with Gemma.
“Hi.” That voice went straight to his gut.
Maybe now was the time to talk to her. After he got one little thing out of the way. “You’re supposed to be with Naomi.”
“She’s getting the full smackdown at Polly’s Cut and Curl. I think it sounds horrible, but Polly’s got a whole wrestling theme going right now. A smackdown is a full mani-pedi with a deep hair conditioning, a cut, and a blow out. She could be there for hours.”
Hours. Hours alone with Gemma when he needed to keep his dick in his pants because she wasn’t his and she never would be. He was wrong for her. She belonged with Jesse. Jesse hadn’t fucked up the way Cade had. Jesse deserved a future.
Cade just had to find a way to ease out of the relationship without hurting Gemma.
Gemma walked across the floor, her hips swaying. “Whatcha working on?” She walked into the bay and leaned over, looking into the engine. It put her heart-shaped ass on full display. His hands itched to cup those curvy cheeks.
“I’m replacing an alternator.” The words came out on a high squeak that would have done a virginal schoolboy proud. He cleared his throat. “Jesse’s gone into Alamosa.”
“I know. I talked to him on my way in.” Her head turned back, just a little, a smile playing on those lips that looked so good wrapped around his dick. “Looking for Patrick?”
And she was too smart for their own good. They’d tried to keep her out of the loop. “Nah, he’s picking up some parts.”
She stood back up, crossing her arms under her breasts and shooting him a deeply cynical look. He only caught a tiny piece of the cynicism because her arms pushed her boobs up so they formed a glorious rack. “I’m not dumb, Cade. I know you’re looking for him. I would be depressed if you weren’t.”
He felt his eyes narrow. Shouldn’t she be yelling at him? “I thought you would be mad.”
“I figured out that you and Jesse are different from the other men I’ve dated.”
Since she’d dated insane douchebags, he was pretty satisfied with that. “How?”
She leaned against the truck. “In just about every way, but in this case, you like to take matters in your own hands, so to speak. Most of my other boyfriends, and I use the term loosely, would be happy to have the police looking. You and Jesse want to deal with it on your own.”
“Well, there’s not a lot Nate can do. Me and Jesse don’t have to work within the confines of the law.” Despite the fact that it was chilly outside, his skin was heating up.
She leaned over, closing the distance between them. “Because you care about me.”
Because he was mad about her, thought about her every second of the goddamn day, and dreamed about her at night. Her hand touched his chest, and he had to back away because, damn, he wanted to lay her out on the hood of one of the cars and pound away at her. And he couldn’t because she was fragile and he was leaving.
“Gemma, baby, we need to talk.”
She hadn’t let him have his little talk with her. Every time he tried, she changed the subject or sighed and put her head on his chest and looked generally wounded to the point that he just gave in and held her. Two nights of cuddling her in front of the TV had yielded nothing.
Even Jesse wasn’t listening to him anymore. He’d tried to talk to Jesse, but Jesse seemed as stubborn as Gemma.
She stalked after him, backing him up to where he had no place to go. His back hit the wall. “I saw Caleb today. He cleared me for…everything. I think Jesse intends to make another stop before he comes home tonight. Something about toys.”
Damn. Damn. Damn. Everything. Everything meant sex and stuff. She’d been all horny and kissy and lovely, but Jesse wouldn’t let her play until Caleb gave her the okay. Toys. Sex toys. Dirty little things to use on his girl.
Not his.
“G, you know I can’t stay.” He had to go.
She nodded, her eyes on his mouth. “I know. You’re bad for me.”
“That’s right.” At least she got it. His dick would have to chill out because she was starting to understand. “I’m not good for you, baby.”
She didn’t back off. “No, you’re a bad, bad man. You’re very bad.”
“Gemma, please.” Her hand was on his chest, trailing down to his jeans.
“Yes, Gemma needs to be pleased. Gemma’s had several very bad days.” She pulled at the fabric of his T-shirt.
He tried to keep his hands up. “Bad idea, baby. I’m leaving, remember?”
Those baby blues came up. “Do you have to leave now? You could wait a few days. Don’t you have to give Roger some notice?”