Chapter One
April Fools’ Day
The three-carat diamond solitaire on Addison’s finger trapped the sunlight then sent out a rainbow of sparkling colors that reflected off the mirrors in the large main room of her newly opened boutique. Looking around at the racks of clothing and the shelves of accessories, she still wasn’t sure how she had ended up here in Rendezvous with a ring on her finger.
The last six weeks, Cade had spent every available moment with her, overwhelming her with his demands that she go to lunch with him, to dinner with him, to a movie with him, riding with him, dancing with him, and the list went on and on. Every one of those dates ended with her naked on his lap, screaming and gasping with pleasure as he overwhelmed her with his knowledge of the female body. Damn him, she thought. That bastard wore me down and caught me at a weak moment.
Looking around again she still couldn’t believe she had opened this shop. While having dinner with Cade four weeks ago, she’d mentioned that she’d always wanted to open a designer boutique. Within a week he’d had her moved from Dallas to Rendezvous and living in a new house while plans were drawn up for the shop. He’d made sure the contractors did exactly what she wanted, even when she’d made things difficult for him, demanding to know why she couldn’t move in with him and why he wouldn’t make love to her.
When she had informed him Saturday night that she no longer loved him, he had laughed in her face then stripped her down and held her on his lap while his mouth had devoured her lips and his fingers had driven her crazy. He’d stroked over the slit of her pussy again and again, gradually sliding the tips between her labia and stroking over her clit while she shuddered and begged him to fuck her. When he’d lifted his hand and tasted the cream that coated his fingers, growling with pleasure, she’d been nearly out of her mind, moaning with need and begging him to take her.
Cade had arranged her on the couch on her back with one leg on the floor and the other thrown over the back of the couch. Instead of making love to her, he’d kissed her then slowly slid down her body, licking and nibbling on her breasts then sucking them into his mouth as she’d pushed her hot, wet pussy against his jean-covered leg, begging him to fuck her.
She’d tugged on his shirt until he’d sat up, whipped it over his head, and thrown it across the room. When she’d reached for him he’d caught her hands and held them down on the couch by her waist while he continued to suck and lick her pussy. Every cell in her body had focused on him and what he was doing to her with his mouth and tongue.
When he’d slid a finger into her, she’d moaned with pleasure. Gradually he’d added a second finger, stretching her and rubbing over the sensitive walls of her pussy, and her moans had turned into begging. He’d licked and sucked and stroked her pussy and her clit until she screamed his name as an orgasm exploded through her. He’d slid up her body, grasped her chin with his fingers and forced her to look into his eyes.
“Tell me you love me, Addison.”
“I love you, Cade, but I don’t want to so don’t look so pleased with yourself.”
He’d smiled, kissed her again then jumped to his feet. A second later he’d pulled a ring from his pocket and had slid it onto her left ring finger. When she protested, he’d kissed her then looked for his shirt and shrugged into it. She’d grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and followed him to the door.
Cade had grabbed her and lifted her up. He’d smiled then kissed her. “I’ll be back in three to four weeks.
“I’m not going to marry you, Cade.”
He’d chuckled, patted her on the bottom, then told her he’d give her two months to think about it and then he’d meet her at the church.
While she’d been sputtering with indignation, he’d kissed her again then disappeared out the door, reminding her to lock it behind him and turn on the alarm.
He hurt her, and she no longer trusted him completely. In the past she’d never wondered where he was or what he was doing. Or rather who he was doing. But now she found herself almost obsessing over his absence. The fact that he hadn’t even bothered to propose to her aggravated her to no end, even though she knew it was her fault he took her love for him for granted. She’d never hidden the fact that she wanted him. How could she, when she’d been chasing after him ever since the day she’d met him? He’d never had to worry that someone else would come along and take her from him the way she had worried that he would get married before she had a chance to grow up and catch him.
The few dates she’d had in college had ended as soon as the boy realized she and her security team were a package deal. On her twenty-first birthday, she’d given each member of the security team a bonus big enough to retire on and then sent them on their way. By that time, though, she’d been so out of tune with people her age that it had been easier to concentrate on her studies rather than risk trying to have a normal life.