Standoff
Page 22
She sighed. He was an Alpha, a worrier and he clearly cared about his family. They’d only been together a few days so she could get past a few missteps until they got used to each other.
“I love you too, Cade. And I forgive you.”
He kissed her softly as the sound of the trees in the wind wrapped around the noise from inside. The beating of hearts soothed her jangled nerves.
“Let’s see the rest.”
He took her back inside, showed her the security offices where Lex’s Enforcers worked and back up to his office. Around a corner and large double doors stood open and she saw her bags.
“This is our room. I’m sure you’ll want to change the décor. It’s been this way since the house was finished ten years ago. On the opposite side of the house from Lex and Nina, by the way. Bulletproof glass on the windows and there are special sensors on the deck. Motion lights, all that jazz. So we get the quiet but it’s locked up tight over here too. I’m giving you one of the Mercedes to drive, by the way. At first though, I’d ask that you be escorted everywhere. We’ll get you to the lab within the next few days. But I want you to myself for a bit.”
“The lab?”
“I assumed you’d want to be there. If I’m wrong, well, you can do anything you’d like. Stay home, work. Whatever.”
Grace leaned into his chest, loving the way his arms automatically slipped around her. “No. I want to work in the lab. I just didn’t want to make any assumptions.”
“You’re obviously qualified, Grace. You did the work with Warren’s virus samples, you’re the logical choice. I spoke with our lead researcher briefly this morning and he’s quite interested in meeting you. We sent the data ahead and he says you took a lot of risks.” He frowned down at her as she looked up into his face.
She shrugged. “I did what needed to be done. I wish it had been more but he had so much security when I finally got access it was hard. I shouldn’t have left so early.”
“Stop that right now. I wouldn’t have met you if you’d waited. You’re mine, fate brought you to me, Grace. You’re where you need to be. Do you want to rest or go back out?”
“Let’s go and meet Nina.” She sighed. The woman needed to know a few things. First that Grace was her Alpha. Second and more importantly, Cade was hers and the time for two sort-of husbands was over. And hell, everyone seemed to really like Nina so she’d have to give the woman a fair shake.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
He smiled and kept his arm around her as he guided her back across the house to where Lex and Nina’s room was.
Nina’s face split into a grin when she saw Cade but she frowned when she caught sight of the tiny, classy, beautiful woman at his side. He had his arm around her like she was a precious and fragile thing. Their bond emanated from them and it hit her square in the gut.
Lex had explained to her that the background check was clean and that Grace Pellini had done a brave thing and risked her life to help them. Nina had to give the woman props, what she’d done scared the hell out of her just hearing it and after knowing what Warren Pellini’s thugs had done to the Enforcer of Great Lakes, it was even more frightening.
Still, Nina felt territorial. This was her house and she’d known and loved Cade longer.
Lex stood and lowered his head to them. “Grace, I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior earlier. It was rude and beneath me and you deserved better. Welcome to Cascadia and to our family.”
Grace touched the back of Lex’s neck and Nina actually growled. She hadn’t meant to, she’d just wanted to think a growl at that miniature Audrey Hepburn and her freaking regal-looking clothing and those damned pearls.
Instead, Cade’s gaze shot up and met hers and Grace finished touching Lex’s neck before standing back and stepping around him to look Nina square in the face.
Well, she might be no bigger than a Hershey’s kiss, but Tiny there was a f**king Alpha through and through. Amber-colored eyes took Nina in from head to toe, cool and assessing.
“You must be Nina. Did you have something to add?”
If she thought she was getting an apology, she was out of her mind. “No.”
“I’d hoped to be surprised. I suppose I’m too old to be surprised anymore.” She turned to Lex and nodded. “Apology accepted. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go make some tea.” Those eyes landed on Nina again. “I could say it was a pleasure to meet you, or something similar but equally false. But we both know that’d be a lie. Instead, let me say, I’m here to stay. You get your rest, the baby needs it.”
She turned on her expensive little heels and left the room, head held high and Nina sort of liked the little bitch.
Cade shook his head. “Nina…”
“Don’t you Nina me, Cade Warden. I was here first. I won’t apologize for watching over my dudes.”
“I’m not your dude. Grace is right, rest up. I’ll see you in the morning.” He turned and left and Lex looked at her with a sigh.
“Beautiful, you know I can refuse you nothing. You know I adore you and the baby you carry. But you can’t go on like this. It’s not good for you or the baby. And she’s not half bad you know. He’s not yours.”
She saw the hurt flash in his eyes and reached up to touch his face. “Alexander Warden, I love you. You. You know of course, Cade and I are fond of each other and the tri-bond was very close for us. But the way I feel about you has never, ever been in doubt. I’m getting stretch marks just for you. I even let you tell your mother tonight about the baby, didn’t I? She’ll never leave me alone now.” Her mother-in-law had the worst case of grandbaby lust of anyone she’d ever known. She had grandchildren already, two of them, and still it wasn’t enough. Beth was greedy.
“I love you too, Cade. And I forgive you.”
He kissed her softly as the sound of the trees in the wind wrapped around the noise from inside. The beating of hearts soothed her jangled nerves.
“Let’s see the rest.”
He took her back inside, showed her the security offices where Lex’s Enforcers worked and back up to his office. Around a corner and large double doors stood open and she saw her bags.
“This is our room. I’m sure you’ll want to change the décor. It’s been this way since the house was finished ten years ago. On the opposite side of the house from Lex and Nina, by the way. Bulletproof glass on the windows and there are special sensors on the deck. Motion lights, all that jazz. So we get the quiet but it’s locked up tight over here too. I’m giving you one of the Mercedes to drive, by the way. At first though, I’d ask that you be escorted everywhere. We’ll get you to the lab within the next few days. But I want you to myself for a bit.”
“The lab?”
“I assumed you’d want to be there. If I’m wrong, well, you can do anything you’d like. Stay home, work. Whatever.”
Grace leaned into his chest, loving the way his arms automatically slipped around her. “No. I want to work in the lab. I just didn’t want to make any assumptions.”
“You’re obviously qualified, Grace. You did the work with Warren’s virus samples, you’re the logical choice. I spoke with our lead researcher briefly this morning and he’s quite interested in meeting you. We sent the data ahead and he says you took a lot of risks.” He frowned down at her as she looked up into his face.
She shrugged. “I did what needed to be done. I wish it had been more but he had so much security when I finally got access it was hard. I shouldn’t have left so early.”
“Stop that right now. I wouldn’t have met you if you’d waited. You’re mine, fate brought you to me, Grace. You’re where you need to be. Do you want to rest or go back out?”
“Let’s go and meet Nina.” She sighed. The woman needed to know a few things. First that Grace was her Alpha. Second and more importantly, Cade was hers and the time for two sort-of husbands was over. And hell, everyone seemed to really like Nina so she’d have to give the woman a fair shake.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
He smiled and kept his arm around her as he guided her back across the house to where Lex and Nina’s room was.
Nina’s face split into a grin when she saw Cade but she frowned when she caught sight of the tiny, classy, beautiful woman at his side. He had his arm around her like she was a precious and fragile thing. Their bond emanated from them and it hit her square in the gut.
Lex had explained to her that the background check was clean and that Grace Pellini had done a brave thing and risked her life to help them. Nina had to give the woman props, what she’d done scared the hell out of her just hearing it and after knowing what Warren Pellini’s thugs had done to the Enforcer of Great Lakes, it was even more frightening.
Still, Nina felt territorial. This was her house and she’d known and loved Cade longer.
Lex stood and lowered his head to them. “Grace, I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior earlier. It was rude and beneath me and you deserved better. Welcome to Cascadia and to our family.”
Grace touched the back of Lex’s neck and Nina actually growled. She hadn’t meant to, she’d just wanted to think a growl at that miniature Audrey Hepburn and her freaking regal-looking clothing and those damned pearls.
Instead, Cade’s gaze shot up and met hers and Grace finished touching Lex’s neck before standing back and stepping around him to look Nina square in the face.
Well, she might be no bigger than a Hershey’s kiss, but Tiny there was a f**king Alpha through and through. Amber-colored eyes took Nina in from head to toe, cool and assessing.
“You must be Nina. Did you have something to add?”
If she thought she was getting an apology, she was out of her mind. “No.”
“I’d hoped to be surprised. I suppose I’m too old to be surprised anymore.” She turned to Lex and nodded. “Apology accepted. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go make some tea.” Those eyes landed on Nina again. “I could say it was a pleasure to meet you, or something similar but equally false. But we both know that’d be a lie. Instead, let me say, I’m here to stay. You get your rest, the baby needs it.”
She turned on her expensive little heels and left the room, head held high and Nina sort of liked the little bitch.
Cade shook his head. “Nina…”
“Don’t you Nina me, Cade Warden. I was here first. I won’t apologize for watching over my dudes.”
“I’m not your dude. Grace is right, rest up. I’ll see you in the morning.” He turned and left and Lex looked at her with a sigh.
“Beautiful, you know I can refuse you nothing. You know I adore you and the baby you carry. But you can’t go on like this. It’s not good for you or the baby. And she’s not half bad you know. He’s not yours.”
She saw the hurt flash in his eyes and reached up to touch his face. “Alexander Warden, I love you. You. You know of course, Cade and I are fond of each other and the tri-bond was very close for us. But the way I feel about you has never, ever been in doubt. I’m getting stretch marks just for you. I even let you tell your mother tonight about the baby, didn’t I? She’ll never leave me alone now.” Her mother-in-law had the worst case of grandbaby lust of anyone she’d ever known. She had grandchildren already, two of them, and still it wasn’t enough. Beth was greedy.
