Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh! What the heck was wrong with her? Am I going crazy now?
“Hey,” Cade said, gently brushing her shoulder.
She nearly jumped out of her skin and her trembling worsened.
He moved, but she wouldn’t look at him.
“Addie,” he murmured, “are you all right?”
She nodded at the window beside her, but a choked sob gave her away.
“Oh, honey,” Cade crooned as he scooted across the bench seat. “You’re okay.” His arms wrapped around her.
The thought of pulling away, putting distance between them, floated through the chaos in her head, but she didn’t listen. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut as another sob escaped her lips.
His body curled around hers, blocking out the night, his breath warming her neck as he pulled her closer. “Shh,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re okay, I got you.”
A tear trickled from her closed lids.
Oh, God, she felt sick!
But Cade felt warm, and strong, and solid all around her.
Losing more control of herself with every second he held her, she sobbed again and tried to break out of his embrace.
He didn’t want to get “involved” with her, but every time something happened, he was right there to make things all right again. She needed to stand on her own, because…because…because if she let herself get too close, she’d be a wreck when he left. And he would leave, he had said he would.
But then why was he doing this? This wasn’t in his job description.
Neither was kissing her, but he’d done that, too.
His arms tightened around her. “Sweetheart, don’t run from me. Please…”
It was the “Please” that broke her. Her mouth opened and an incoherent wail ripped through the darkness.
Cade sat back and pulled her into his lap. The ease with which he’d handled her body spoke to his physical strength, but she hardly noticed. All she knew was that, right now, in his arms was the only place she wanted to be.
Chapter 10
Sitting in Addie’s truck with her huddled in his lap, plastered against him and crying, was the last place Cade had thought to end up. But here he was and, oddly, he had no desire to leave. None of his normal urges to run for the hills when a woman got too close seemed to apply to Addie. No uncomfortable fidgeting on his part, no dry mouth, or planning how to get away. All he felt was a burning need to keep her close, make her happy, and protect her.
Addie had buried her face in the hollow between his neck and shoulder the moment he’d settled her against him. A heartbeat afterward, she’d sobbed and her whole body shook almost violently. Waves of heat poured off her, but when her fingers brushed his neck, they were ice cold.
He’d been surprised and impressed by her calm after the attack and during the short drive back to her house, but he knew it wouldn’t last. She was a strong woman, but no one could go through something that traumatic and not be affected.
When it became clear that she was far from all right, his first instinct had been to touch her, to pull her close, and shelter her from the outside world. Moving her small form had been easy, but he had no idea what to do about her sobs or the shock that had quickly ravaged her, except to tighten his hold and let her know she was safe.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” he murmured into her hair, his throat dry and his voice raspy. “He’s not going to trouble you again.”
She nodded, her face still pressed into his neck, tears still flowing, but the tenseness in her body eased a little.
“You’re safe, baby. I promise.”
What else could he say?
His heart pounded in his ears and everything in him screamed to make that bastard pay for this. If he could get his hands on the drunken fool right now, Cade would rip him apart. No woman should ever feel this way. No woman should be assaulted, period! And if he had any say in it, this woman never would be again.
How long he held her—soothing her with his hands and voice like a startled colt—he didn’t know, but slowly, her sobs lessened to soft hiccups. She still trembled slightly, but he could feel her gathering strength.
“I-I’m…” she said, then sniffed, hiccupped, and continued, “I’m sorry… I c-cried all over you.”
He shook his head and another surge of rage for the man who put that sad, vulnerable tone in her voice rocked him.
“You don’t need to apologize to me, sweetheart,” he said, gravel still rattling his words. “I just want you to be okay. Are you…okay?”
She sat back, her lovely, wild hair falling over her face, and nodded, but that wasn’t good enough for Cade. He wanted to look into her eyes; he needed to know how much damage had been done. Brushing her hair back, he cupped her cheek and was again reminded of how small she was in comparison to him.
“Hey,” he said, drawing her red-rimmed eyes to his. “Talk to me.”
She shrugged, but kept her gaze locked on his. “He just scared me, that’s all. I haven’t seen him for weeks and then he shows up out of the blue, claiming—” Rolling her lips between her teeth, she shook her head and her words ceased as she looked away.
His muscles tightened. What did that asshole say to her?
“Go on,” he encouraged, his thumb gently stroking her cheek.
Her mouth tightened. “He said he wanted to apologize, to make things right…”
“Is that why you opened the door?” He made sure to make that a question and not an accusation.
She grimaced and nodded. “I didn’t know he was drunk until it was too late, but I should’ve known…” A little whimper sounded in her throat and her
