Holding Strong
Page 79
Amazing sex around the clock. He shook his head, not about to share details on that. “She called that douche foster brother of hers.” And then had bad dreams that she’d combatted by wringing him out with pleasure.
Lifting his shirt to wipe sweat off his face, Cannon asked, “How’d that go?”
“I’d like to kill him, that’s how.”
While they walked, Denver told Cannon everything he’d heard while listening in on the call.
“So what do they want her to find?”
Shaking his head, he admitted, “Cherry says she has no idea.”
“You don’t buy it?”
Thinking of the day ahead, he said, “She’s holding back, but I don’t know what or how much.” Not her body. Not her affection for him. But...something. “I’ll get it cleared up with her later. Last night, she was just too stressed to talk about it.” And she didn’t trust him with the truth.
“There’s a cure for that, you know.”
“Yup.” He grinned. “She was still asleep when I left.”
“Your place or hers?”
“Hers.”
Cannon went quiet, which made Denver tense.
As he’d just told Cherry, Cannon made it clear how he felt about any of the guys going for a casual hookup with his sister’s roommate. But Cherry was more than that to him. More than a mere hookup. More than anything casual.
How much more, he didn’t know yet. They hadn’t really had time to figure it out.
But Denver knew what he wanted involved far more than a quick lay. Hell, he’d already had a sexual marathon with her, and it only whet his appetite.
He planned to spend every night with Cherry, so it’d be best for him to work this out with Cannon right now. “If you’re still against me staying the night—”
“No, I’m not.” Two women strolled past, blatantly eying them. Not that long ago, they’d both have appreciated the female attention.
Not so much now.
Cannon pretended not to see them and Denver just nodded.
After they were out of earshot, Cannon continued. “If it was Yvette, I’d have found a way to stay over, too. Actually, I’m relieved my sister and Cherry aren’t alone at the house.”
“I’m glad you get it, because Cherry doesn’t.”
“She doesn’t want you there?”
“She does.” For sex. And just when did he start complaining about that? “Thing is, she’s worried about me. Like she thinks Carver might hurt me or something.”
Cannon’s commiserating grin came slowly. “Ouch.”
“Yeah.” Kids kicked a ball in their direction. Denver loped a few steps past Cannon, caught it, and tossed it back to the boys. “The thing is, she expects me to lose my cool.”
“Sorry, but it happens.” His thoughts traveling back to a bad memory, Cannon murmured, “When that fucker tried to grab Yvette...”
Denver stayed quiet, knowing it was still tough for Cannon to think about everything his fiancée had gone through. Yvette was awfully sweet, mostly quiet and very contained. She hadn’t had an easy time of it, but with Cannon she was a very happy lady.
“I like to think of myself as controlled, too,” Cannon said. “But that day I totally lost it.”
Unsure what to say, Denver kept quiet. Under the same circumstances...well, he just didn’t know. So maybe Cherry had reason to fret after all.
They’d just about circled around to where Cannon had started before he spoke again. “What are you going to do?”
A shrug didn’t really convey the frustration smothering him. “Try to get her to open up. Level with me.” Love me.
No, screw that thought. He wanted her to stop keeping secrets from him more than anything else. Before he’d think about getting too emotionally involved, he had to be able to trust her.
Almost as if Cannon had read his thoughts, he asked, “And until then?”
“I’ll watch over her, keep her safe.” As any good man would do. But he’d also keep trying to figure her out.
“What if she gives you reason to think her old foster brothers are a serious problem?”
“I won’t let them be a problem, not for her.” Never again. He had a feeling they’d already caused Cherry enough grief to last a lifetime.
As he followed Cannon to his car, Denver checked his watch. Talking about Cherry made him want to see her. He could probably squeeze in a quick visit, but for reasons he didn’t want to examine too closely, he decided against it.
Lifting his shirt to wipe sweat off his face, Cannon asked, “How’d that go?”
“I’d like to kill him, that’s how.”
While they walked, Denver told Cannon everything he’d heard while listening in on the call.
“So what do they want her to find?”
Shaking his head, he admitted, “Cherry says she has no idea.”
“You don’t buy it?”
Thinking of the day ahead, he said, “She’s holding back, but I don’t know what or how much.” Not her body. Not her affection for him. But...something. “I’ll get it cleared up with her later. Last night, she was just too stressed to talk about it.” And she didn’t trust him with the truth.
“There’s a cure for that, you know.”
“Yup.” He grinned. “She was still asleep when I left.”
“Your place or hers?”
“Hers.”
Cannon went quiet, which made Denver tense.
As he’d just told Cherry, Cannon made it clear how he felt about any of the guys going for a casual hookup with his sister’s roommate. But Cherry was more than that to him. More than a mere hookup. More than anything casual.
How much more, he didn’t know yet. They hadn’t really had time to figure it out.
But Denver knew what he wanted involved far more than a quick lay. Hell, he’d already had a sexual marathon with her, and it only whet his appetite.
He planned to spend every night with Cherry, so it’d be best for him to work this out with Cannon right now. “If you’re still against me staying the night—”
“No, I’m not.” Two women strolled past, blatantly eying them. Not that long ago, they’d both have appreciated the female attention.
Not so much now.
Cannon pretended not to see them and Denver just nodded.
After they were out of earshot, Cannon continued. “If it was Yvette, I’d have found a way to stay over, too. Actually, I’m relieved my sister and Cherry aren’t alone at the house.”
“I’m glad you get it, because Cherry doesn’t.”
“She doesn’t want you there?”
“She does.” For sex. And just when did he start complaining about that? “Thing is, she’s worried about me. Like she thinks Carver might hurt me or something.”
Cannon’s commiserating grin came slowly. “Ouch.”
“Yeah.” Kids kicked a ball in their direction. Denver loped a few steps past Cannon, caught it, and tossed it back to the boys. “The thing is, she expects me to lose my cool.”
“Sorry, but it happens.” His thoughts traveling back to a bad memory, Cannon murmured, “When that fucker tried to grab Yvette...”
Denver stayed quiet, knowing it was still tough for Cannon to think about everything his fiancée had gone through. Yvette was awfully sweet, mostly quiet and very contained. She hadn’t had an easy time of it, but with Cannon she was a very happy lady.
“I like to think of myself as controlled, too,” Cannon said. “But that day I totally lost it.”
Unsure what to say, Denver kept quiet. Under the same circumstances...well, he just didn’t know. So maybe Cherry had reason to fret after all.
They’d just about circled around to where Cannon had started before he spoke again. “What are you going to do?”
A shrug didn’t really convey the frustration smothering him. “Try to get her to open up. Level with me.” Love me.
No, screw that thought. He wanted her to stop keeping secrets from him more than anything else. Before he’d think about getting too emotionally involved, he had to be able to trust her.
Almost as if Cannon had read his thoughts, he asked, “And until then?”
“I’ll watch over her, keep her safe.” As any good man would do. But he’d also keep trying to figure her out.
“What if she gives you reason to think her old foster brothers are a serious problem?”
“I won’t let them be a problem, not for her.” Never again. He had a feeling they’d already caused Cherry enough grief to last a lifetime.
As he followed Cannon to his car, Denver checked his watch. Talking about Cherry made him want to see her. He could probably squeeze in a quick visit, but for reasons he didn’t want to examine too closely, he decided against it.
