Page 27 of A Knotty Bond: The Claiming of Cadence

It wasn’t a lie. I felt drained, but it was more than something a bit of sleep would fix. I was tired of the sneaking around, and the stress. Tired of the half-truths and secrets.

Leo studied my face for a moment longer before nodding. He leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead before tucking me into his side.

“Then let’s go home.”

The thought of not having to deal with the press of people lifted a weight from me, but I knew he’d missed a lot of time at the club lately. I hated thinking I was pulling him away from anything.

“What about…”

I waved a hand, not needed to explain. We could barely walk without bumping into someone, and I was yelling to be sure he heard me even though he was barely a foot away from me.

Leo lifted one shoulder, giving me a lopsided smile before leaning down so his lips were closer to my ear.

“Handling this is what I pay people for. I’m not needed here. Getting you home and comfortable is more important.”

I couldn’t stop my huff, warmth blooming in my chest as I shook my head and let him lead me away. There was no reason to fight the feeling, I wasn’t fooling anyone. Leo had me in the palm of his hand, I’d only been trying to brace myself for the fall, but with each moment he made it harder to believe he’d ever go against what he’d told me from the beginning.

I was his.

All of me.

Forever.

Chapter Thirteen

Leo

Cadence was quiet as we walked to our cars, but it could have been due to the noise in the club. There was a party going on, making it busier than usual despite it being a Monday, but what I’d told her was the truth. I paid people to manage the club so I didn’t have to. She was my focus. I could tell she was upset, and her answer that she was tired was probably true, but I didn’t think that was the only problem.

I studied her again as I held the door for her to slide behind the wheel of her old Toyota. While her expression was softer than it had been when she arrived, there was still something off.

Leaning down, I reached out and turned her face so I could press my lips to hers. Cadence froze, surprised, before melting into the kiss.

She was trembling by the time I pulled away, chest rising and falling with quick breaths. The scent of her arousal flooded from the door of her car, and I pressed my forehead to hers, swiping my thumb across her cheek as I fought back the urge to take her right there in the alley.

“I’ll follow you home.”

My voice was a low rasp, exposing my need for her. She still seemed flighty, and after not getting to see her the past few days, I didn’t want her to run off again. I needed to have her.

Pink tongue slipping out to lick her lips, Cadence met my gaze and gave a short nod. I lingered a moment longer before standing and letting my hand fall.

Her eyes stayed locked on mine as I shut the car door, not breaking away until I stepped back. I could see her hand trembling as she raised the key to the ignition, and I had to push aside another surge of worry that she would run instead of going to my place. Something was wrong, but I didn’t know what it was.

Once the old Toyota started, I walked over to my car and got in. Cadence didn’t pull out until my lights kicked on, and I followed her to my building, more familiar with going the speed limit since I’d been making the trip with her most nights.

She made me a better person. A safer, more cautious person.

A bit of the tension in my shoulders melted away as she pulled into her usual spot and I no longer had to worry about chasing her down. Rolling my neck, I tried to ease the rest of the worry before stepping out of the car and going to Cadence’s side as her door opened.

Big brown eyes stared up at me, so open and trusting it made my heart stumble to a stop before restarting with a painful thump. What my father had discussed earlier still lingered in the back of my mind, and while usually it would cause nothing but fury to know there was someone moving against us, now that I had something to lose, there was unease too.

I shoved it all away as I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to me for another quick kiss before turning and leading her to the elevator. Some of the stiffness that had been between us in the beginning had returned, but I knew the best way to make her relax and forget, even if it was only for a little while. Maybe afterward she’d be willing to tell me what was bothering her.

Cadence let out a sigh as she dropped her purse on the table beside the door and kicked off her shoes. I couldn’t help but smile at how comfortable she’d become in my suite during our time together, and I was hoping it would make it easier to get her to stay. The first couple weeks together we’d been too tangled up in each other for her to even notice anything besides my bedroom, but the fact that she continued to nest here after her heat was over brought a glow of pride and satisfaction.

I wanted this to be her home too. I needed her here.

Wrapping my arms around her from behind, I tucked my nose into her neck, pressing a kiss just below her ear. She shivered as she leaned into me.

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