After touching her, if only too briefly, he knew exactly how exquisitely supple her body was. But because he wanted to keep from hurting her worse, he wasn’t going to test those waters again.
She must have been waiting for him. They hadn’t talked much or easily since their chat. Everything between them after that had been stiff—even the meals that they sometimes still took together were awkward—and he hated it. He missed their easy conversations and her warmth. In truth, he just missed her.
He walked over to the couch, snagged the folded blanket off the back, and tucked it around her. She shifted slightly but didn’t wake. A lock of her blonde hair had fallen across her face and, bending at the waist, he gently brushed it behind her ear. Then, for some reason he couldn’t fathom, and without thought, he kissed her forehead. Thankfully, his stupid, impulsive move didn’t rouse her. He straightened quickly, silently scolding himself, What the hell are you doing?
He grabbed the remote and switched off the TV, then headed to bed, determined not to dream about her again.
* * *
A heavy beating filled his dreams. At first, he’d thought it was his heart pounding or the lust powering through his veins at the gorgeous vision of Addie before him. But that didn’t seem right.
When the noise abruptly stopped, it was almost like it had never been there.
He floated in a sea of warmth, images of Addie heating him in the most pleasant ways. Then voices interrupted his fantasy, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. Whispers he couldn’t quite make out, even when they grew in volume. Irritation colored his dream and he strained to get back to the pleasant sight and sense of Addie.
A scream and a loud thump yanked him from his slumber. He sat bolt upright and rubbed at his eyes, trying to orient himself. Sounds of a struggle came from the front room and then another scream had him on his feet and jumping into his jeans. With his heart in his throat and his stomach as hard and heavy as lead, Cade jerked open his bedroom door and dashed down the hall.
“No!” Addie screamed. “Get off me!”
A male chuckle followed. “I love it when you play hard to get.”
Cade stopped just inside the living room, taking in the scene.
A man he’d never seen before had forced his way inside and now had Addie pinned against the wall. He’d somehow gotten her robe open and over her shoulders, which encumbered her movement, and he was now nibbling on her neck as she fought to get free.
“Get off!” Addie shouted as she tried to heave the stranger away with her whole body.
That was enough for Cade. Anger, hot and raw, filled his mind and tightened his fists. Pulse racing and the rush of blood pounding in his ears, he rounded the loveseat and approached the invader in three long strides. Snaking his arm around the stranger’s neck and yanking one arm behind his back, Cade pulled him away from Addie. The man’s free hand instantly clutched at Cade’s arm rather than holding on to Addie, which was exactly what Cade had wanted. He stepped back, dragging the shouting man with him, putting space between them and the woman Cade wanted to protect. The man twisted beneath Cade’s arm, trying to break free, but his movements were clumsy and Cade easily dragged him several feet, and then turned to shove him toward the partially open front door.
Cade glanced at Addie, touching her arm as she righted her robe. “Are you all right?”
His protective instincts surged even hotter when he saw the tears that filled her eyes and streamed down her reddened cheeks. She looked angry and terrified and flustered all at the same time. But she lifted her chin and cinched her robe’s belt tight.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Thank you.”
A little burst of pride warmed his chest at her display of inner strength. Sweet, kind, tender, and strong. This woman was amazing.
A growl from the stranger focused Cade’s attention once more, and he turned as the man got to his feet. Older than Cade had first thought—at least fifteen years older than himself, if not more—years had left their lines on the stranger’s face and gray tinted the hair at his temples. None of that diminished his appearance, however. At least as tall as Cade’s six-foot frame, the man was leanly muscular and looked confident of his abilities. He had the look of a farmer in his jeans and flannel shirt, but Cade sensed power and danger emanating from him.
The stranger’s gray eyes narrowed and instantly zeroed in on Addie, but Cade stepped over to put himself between her and the attacker.
“Well, what do we have here? Addie,” the stranger said, drawing out her name, “are you cheating on me with this…boy?”
Cade frowned at the implied insult, but it was the reference to cheating that sparked a tiny flame of dread in his chest.
“We’d have to be a couple for me to cheat,” Addie said, every word dripping with acid, and Cade breathed a little easier.
“Ah, when are you going to ssstop lying, little girl?”
Addie made a furious sound, something between a growl, a hiss, and a groan.
“You know this guy, Addie?” Cade asked, careful not to take his eyes from the other man.
“Yeah,” Addie said with a sigh. “This is my neighbor, Mark Harden.”
“I’m her man,” Mark clarified.
“You are not my anything!”
“Oh, Addie, after all we’ve been through, how can you sssay that?”
Cade detected slurring in several of Mark’s words, though at first glance, he’d appeared sober.
“We had two dates, Mark. Two! That’s not a lifetime commitment.”
“You waaantted me to come back,” Mark said, taking a wobbling step forward.
Cade tensed. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but Addie definitely didn’t want this guy around.
“You’re drunk, Mark. I never asked you back,” Addie said. “In fact, I asked you to leave. Now, I’m telling you. Go home and
