Page 54 of Perfect Alpha

“Whoa, great job with the make-up, Hannah Banana,” Cade says.

God, I hope this works and I don’t end up making myself look like an idiot.

Taking a deep breath, I step fully into view and keep my attention on Aidan. “Do you recognize me, little man?”

“Auntie Victory! No scary nose like Mama.” Some suspicion still lines his little face as he glances uncertainly at Hannah.

“No, angels don’t have scary noses.” I keep a smile in place, looking anywhere except at Cade while my heart races.

He’s standing at the breakfast bar eating dinner, and my body temperature rises at least ten degrees the moment his eyes lock on me. His gaze is a caress, and based on the fire in my core, there must be legitimate sparks flying between us.

A loud clang makes me jump a mile, and I realize Cade dropped the fork he was holding. “Sorry, folks. Lost my grip there.”

Daring to meet his eyes, I find them full of heat and purpose. When he runs a hand through his tousled hair, I can see it shaking from across the room.

“What are you supposed to be?” I ask him sweetly.

“I, uh, I’m… I’m handing out candy,” Cade explains. He’s uncharacteristically unsure of himself as his eyes rake up and down my body. “I don’t… I… don’t need a costume.”

“Nonsense,” Mom interjects. “Kevin will hand out candy at our house, and I’ll stay here with your dad and handle everything. You go ahead with the girls and Aidan.”

“Uncle Cadebesomfing,” Aidan whines despondently.

“Sorry, buddy, I don’t have a costume,” Cade replies, his eyes glued to my chest.

“Sure you do,” I interject. “Come on, we’ll go find one.”

“Twick or tweating now!” Aidan cries.

“Aidan.” Hannah has turned on her no-nonsense mom voice. “I told you, we aren’t leaving untilat leastfive-thirty because the nice folks giving out candy need time to eat their dinner. So, you’re going to sit there like a good boy and eat every bite of food on that plate. We’ll watch the Paw Patrol Halloween special andthenwe’ll go. Do you understand me?”

“Otay, Mama,” Aidan replies meekly.

Winking at Hannah before looping my arm through a speechless Cade’s, I lead him upstairs to his room. He’s rarely at a loss for words, and I’m enjoying myself immensely.

He sits on the bed while I root through the closet, the merciless intensity of his scrutiny making me shiver even from six feet away.

The jeans he’s wearing will do, and I find a plaid button-down shirt that looks rancher enough. Add the cowboy boots and hat that every guy in this part of Montana has, and it will work just fine.

A cowboy doesn’t exactly count as acostumewhere we come from, but there’s no time to earn bonus points for creativity.

Standing between Cade’s spread legs, I pull his T-shirt over his head with trembling hands. Holy shit, his shoulders are even more jacked than I remember.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” he rasps.

“If you ever figure out who your date for the night is, you should tell her.” My voice has taken on a singsong tone as my stomach flip-flops. This game may be more than I bargained for.

“Did you buy that dress for your boyfriend?” he growls.

“What boyfriend? I told you…” I tilt my head, studying him. Is it possible hewasin New York City?

“Never mind,” he grumbles. “I’m used to you teasing me with what I can’t have. But guess what, Victory?”

He stands and I gasp when he grabs my ass and pulls me tight against his hips. “You come here dressed like an angel when you know what it means to me. To us. The time has come to cut the bullshit. Iamgoing to have you. I’m not asking. I’m not begging. I’m telling you. I’m fucking you this weekend, and you belong to me. Got it?”

And I die.

My body is a wobbly mess of jello, and if Cade wasn’t holding me up, I’d melt into a puddle. But I plan to be the one in control tonight, and while he’s always been hard to top, I’ve done it before and can do it again.

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