More Than Famous (Famous #2) (5 page)

"Uuuhhhh." I flinched against him, and he stilled instantly.

"Brook, what is it?  Did I hurt you, honey?"  His eyes searched my face; his pupils were dilated, his lips swollen from our passionate kisses, and a slight flush to his cheeks. His hands moved to both sides of my face as he brushed my wet hair back.

I felt a sharp pain when he lifted me, and I had no idea what it was from.  My eyes were half-lidded with desire as I bent to take his mouth with mine again.  His arms went around my hips to pull me to him, and I winced again.

"Brooklyn, what the hell?  What's wrong?"

"Nothing.” I shook my head.  “Just hold me, Cade.  Love me, please."

He drew back to look at me his eyes skating across my breasts and then like lightning he leaned forward to look over my body.  Before I knew what he was doing he was standing up, lifting me out of the tub to stand me up in front of him.  I shivered from the removal of the hot water and his body from mine as he turned me to look over the left side of my body.

His face turned to stone, the color draining from his features, then flushing red. 

"
What the fuck?
How did you get these bruises, Brook? Tell me, fucking
now!"

I saw my reflection in the mirror and was shocked to see that I had a bruise on my rib cage and one on my thigh, but I wasn't sure how they got there.  Maybe during the rush through the airport, but I couldn't say for sure.

Cade's breathing was coming in short bursts as he grabbed his pants and threw them on.

"Brook, I'm not going to ask you again.  Tell me or I'll draw my own bloody conclusions.
Tell me!"
he yelled at me.

He saw me flinch, and his face softened slightly as he brought a towel around me.  His hands were so gentle but he was so upset that he was visibly shaking.

I put my hand on his bare chest.  "Cade.  Look at me," his hand came up to cover mine and I saw there were tears in his eyes that began to spill softly to his cheeks.

"Did that motherfucker do this to you?  I will
fucking kill him
for touching you!" His voice was fierce, and I could see the muscle in his jaw working as he struggled to get a hold of himself.

I felt my own tears overflow as I tried to put my arms around him... I started to sob. "Cade, please listen to me.  Don't. Don't shut me out right now." Suddenly his arms closed around me and he cried into my shoulder. My eyes closed as we quietly held each other for a few minutes.

"Brooklyn.  You need to tell me what happened.  Now.  I mean it. Everything." He pulled back and looked in my face; my heart exploded into a million pieces at his hurt expression.

I took his hand, and pulled him into the other room, to the sofa to sit beside me. I reached up to touch the side of his face as I looked in his eyes. I let my thumb brush back and forth on his jaw.

"I told you what happened." He stiffened before I could continue. "Wait," I tried to control my emotions but my voice trembled as I held him.  "Please, let me finish. I don't know how I got these bruises.  Honestly. I mean, maybe rushing through the airport.  Things happened so fast, that I honestly didn't even feel sore until tonight."

I took both of his hands in mine as we sat there, both of us crying silently. The tears on his cheeks broke my heart. The fact that he would get so upset so fast worried me.

"Did he
touch
you?"  Cade asked quietly.

"After I told him I loved you, he tried to kiss me." Cade's hands tightened on mine and I knew I had to try to put it in perspective before he blew it out of proportion. "It was only a kiss, babe.  Yes, he clutched at my body, and tried to pull me to him, but I didn't respond.  I-I turned my face away."

"Brook! You should have told me the minute I got out of that fucking car." His eyes were tortured as they looked into mine.

"I... I didn't want to hurt you like this.  It meant nothing to me, and it's over. You are what matters."  My eyes begged for his understanding. I tried to smile through my tears.  "Besides, how would we have kept our secret with you beating the shit out of David at our first premiere, hmmm?"

His mouth quirked a little at the corner as he listened to my words, but his eyes were full of sadness. He nodded softly.

"Well, I'm still going to bloody kill that little bastard." He raised my hand to his mouth to place a soft kiss on the back of it. "No one kisses you but me... and for sure as hell manhandle you like that… at least while I'm breathing."

My heart swelled in my chest at the tenderness in those words.

"He apologized, afterward.  And Cade, I feel sorry for him.  He really does love me. In his way."

Cade's head snapped up and he shook his head.  "Fuck no, he doesn't. Don't make excuses for him, Brook.  There is no excuse for hurting you or touching you against your will. And, I'm going to make bloody well sure he knows it."

His arms went around me and as his fingers wound in my hair to bring my mouth to his in a gentle kiss, a sharp contrast to how David had been.

"Will you stay with me tonight? We can deal with David tomorrow. Please?" I whispered against his mouth.

I WOKE UP
to the sound of my phone ringing and Cade stirred slightly at the sound as well, flinging his arm over me and pulling me close to his body.  Even in sleep he was gentle, subconsciously aware of my bruises.  I was stiff and sore as I snuggled into him, pressing my lips to his chest and snaking my arm around him. I took a deep breath enjoying the scent of his skin and faint remnants of his cologne all around me.  The warmth from his body seeped into mine as our legs tangled together. 

That song really was annoying.  I really needed to change it.  I had used ‘Flash' by Queen because of David's role in a Marvel flick he’d been in.  I was young and idiotic, and he thought the superhero theme was cool.  It was clear it grated on Cade's nerves like nails down a chalkboard.

I pushed the hair from my eyes and looked at the clock and it said Noon, which would make it 4 AM in L.A.  I hated the jet lag involved in traveling the world.  It was exhausting.  I didn't want to move and I sure as hell didn't want to answer that phone call.  After the scene yesterday, what could David want?  He'd made his position perfectly clear.

My brow wrinkled as I considered the possibilities.  I suppose I should find out. My phone tinged as the message was left.

Ugh!
  I closed my eyes.

I'd never seen Cade as pissed as he was last night when he'd discovered what David had done. An involuntary shiver ran through me at the memory.  He'd been so furious, I wasn't sure what he would have done to David had he been anywhere in the vicinity.  Lucky for everyone involved, he hadn't been.

Cade definitely wasn't a violent person, so this side of him took me by surprise. I knew he still would want to confront David at some point, but I didn't know what good it would do.  Cade's feelings had been a mixture of anger, frustration and pain at knowing that David had touched me at all, and worse, tried to kiss me. 

My heart ached when I saw the tears on his cheeks.  He had been so tender with me later, touching me with kid gloves... making sure I knew he would always treat me with respect, love and reverence. 

My face flushed with color as I remembered the several hours that followed and the passionate, yet gentle, lovemaking he'd lavished on me, always careful not to hurt me. 

He just wanted to hold me so there would be no chance of any further pain, but I'd begged him to finish what we started, and then we couldn't stop for hours.  We were both full of want from the separation and the out-of control emotions from earlier in the evening.

I smiled to myself.  He'd turned me into an insatiable wanton woman whenever he touched me... sometimes with only a look or even a memory.  I couldn't get enough of his body and hands, and his beautiful voice always making love to me with his words; and, his perfect mouth.  I blushed at the knowledge of how easily he could make me want him and with such amazing intensity.

"What are you thinking about with that sexy smirk on your face?" Cade's hand came up to brush my cheek gently, then raising my chin so he could place a kiss on my mouth.

"Last night.  You.  Always, you..." His hold on me tightened slightly as did mine on him.  "I never want to move. You feel so good. I love being with you. Will you forgive me for losing it last night?  When I found out what he'd said to you... that he touched you, I just went crazy.  I'm sorry, my love.  I never meant to yell at you." He kissed the top of my head that rested on his shoulder.

"I know.  I understand.  I love that you care about me that much. Having Cade Carlisle jealous over me is sorta hot." I smiled.

"Hmmph!” He snorted.  “Are you kidding, Brooklyn?  I’m so furious I can't even put it into words.  I still want to beat him to a bloody pulp." He tensed as he said it.

"Cade." I said gently, and placed my folded hands on top of his chest to rest my chin on them as I looked in his face.  Moving made me wince a little and his brow dropped over his eyes and he drew in his breath.

"That bastard, Brook.  My blood is still fucking boiling.”

"Babe, I know and I love you for it. It's so sweet." I smiled up at him.

"Sweet?" His brow raised and his mouth quirked. “It’s bloody sweet?”

"Yep. There’s no need to go after David or for you to get hurt in the process."

"You think I'd get hurt?  Pffft!  Fuck that." He was agitated as he moved from beneath me to sit up on the side of the bed.

"I didn't mean he could hurt you, physically, babe.  He could do damage in other ways. We don't need the wrong type of publicity right now."  I moved up behind him and wrapped my arms around him and snuggled up close to his back.  I nuzzled into his neck and his hand came up to cover mine in front of his body.

"I know, but I can't let this go without saying something, Brook."

My phone went off again, and I started.  Cade knew the ring tone and stiffened in my arms.

"He’s got a lot of nerve calling you after yesterday." He stood up and walked into the bathroom, leaving my empty arms wanting.

"Cade, please don't pull away from me.  I know you're upset, but don't let this come between us, okay? It's over." I waited in silence and my mind pictured him in the bathroom with both hands resting on the vanity before he decided how to answer me.

"Cade?"

He came back out with a towel around his waist. "I don't know. How do you want me to feel, Brooklyn? The thought of him trying to kiss you is bloody bad enough, but to put his hands on you against your will... Bloody hell!"  I could see the color rush into his face as he spoke. "I can't stand the fucking thought of it, let alone the reality that he could bloody well convince you to leave me." His hands went to his hips, and his head dropped as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Still on my knees, I reached out a hand to him.

I watched the conflict cross his features until finally he took my outstretched hand.  I tugged him to me until he sat on the bed and then I crawled into his lap.  His arms circled around me immediately as I settled in close to him.

"That isn’t going to happen, so what can I do to make you feel better?  What do you need to happen?" My hand traced patterns on his chest as he held me, and he sighed, but he didn't say anything right away.

"I don't understand you, Brook.  You should want me to pound the shit out of him."

"The truth is he does care about me, and I can understand his feelings to a point.  You've got me, he lost me to you and he has to be hurting.  I thought he was over it, but he was only pretending to be my friend because he thought he’d be able to win me back."  I reached up to kiss the underside of his jaw. The stubble rough against my mouth, but I liked it.  He was oozing sexuality without even trying.

“I knew it.”

"David knows now that there is no chance I'll ever leave you, Cade.  I told him flat out, okay?" 

He took my hand off of his chest and took it to his lips where he placed a wet kiss to the palm, his eyes never leaving mine.  He took a deep breath and smiled.

"Okay, babe.  So I won't kill him then, but he and I are going to have a few choice words between men, yeah?"