Echo: A Linear Tactical Romantic Suspense Standalone Read online

  Yeah, she was definitely going to need to run into the woods any second now to escape this conversation.

  “Hey.” He reached out a hand slowly toward her as if he didn’t want to spook her—which was scarily intuitive. “It’s okay. Then. Now. You’re always welcome here, Peyton, whether I’m here or not. This is a safe place for you. Always.”

  That definitely wasn’t what she’d been expecting. But before she could figure out how to respond, he continued. “I saw your car on the side of Kingston Road. I took a peek under the hood. Looks like your plug wires came loose. Easy fix. I didn’t have the keys to try, but it should start now.”

  “Oh. How did you know what to look for?”

  Why did the air feel so different now that he’d moved closer? She couldn’t stop drinking him in…all of his six-foot, leanly-muscled self. He was wet, she realized. Had gotten that way fixing her car.

  “You don’t spend years with Baby Bollinger as your best friend without picking up a few details about engines.”

  Right. Of course. Baby—Blake, although no one had ever called him that—was the area’s top mechanic and an absolute whiz with all things mechanical.

  Cade tilted his head to the side. “Mind if I borrow that towel?”

  She handed him the towel, doing her best not to stare as he took it and dried off his hair, then rubbed it along his chest and shoulders. Cade dry and eighteen years old had been gorgeous with his dark brown hair and blue eyes.

  Cade wet and twenty-one, made her heart stutter in her chest.

  “Is that crack in your windshield from today also?” He ran the towel back up over his hair again.

  “No, that’s from a few days ago.” When Dennis had gotten mad and decided to use a baseball bat on it.

  Cade slid over on the swing and dried off the spot beside him before patting it and motioning in her direction. Peyton could no more stop herself from sitting down beside him than she could’ve stopped herself from breathing.

  “And this?” He reached over and touched her cheekbone gently as she sat. “Is this from a few days ago too?”

  Crap. The rain would’ve washed away all her carefully applied makeup. She felt sort of naked without it. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, deciding not to answer his question. She didn’t want to talk about Dennis, not when he was almost in her rearview mirror.

  “I’m really sorry about your dad, Cade.”

  He set the swing gently into motion.

  “Thanks. I don’t know what I’m going to do without him. You may have been the one who first encouraged me with my music, but if he hadn’t insisted I take a couple of semesters off from college and see what I could make happen in Nashville, I don’t know that I ever would’ve taken the leap. I wouldn’t have had the guts to try.”

  He stopped the swing and looked away. “That sounds stupid, doesn’t it? Poor rich boy stuff. It didn’t matter if I made it in Nashville because I was already independently wealthy.”

  She unwrapped her arms from her legs and touched his elbow. “No. The desire to create…I completely understand that.”

  “You still doing all your film stuff?” He smiled at her and resumed swinging. “You had such an eye for it, Peaches. A true gift.”

  “Yeah. I got a full ride to the London Film Centre. I leave in October.”

  He whistled through his teeth. “I’m not surprised. I remember what you could do as a freshman. I’m sure you’ve only gotten better since then.”

  Had he just shifted a little closer? She couldn’t resist relaxing into his warmth—even wet, his big body gave off heat.

  “Maybe after film school, you can lower yourself and do a music video for me some day. Although, I guess having one song on the radio doesn’t mean I’ll have a long-term career in the industry.”

  “But you’re going to stay in Nashville and try?” She turned a little so she could see him. Then he slipped an arm around the back of the swing making it easier.

  “Yeah.” He shrugged; she shifted closer. His arm slid down onto her shoulders. “Aunt Cecelia isn’t as supportive as Dad was. And she now has controlling power over my inheritance until I’m twenty-five.”

  “Will that be a problem?”

  “No, it doesn’t bother me, and she and I came to an agreement. There was something I really wanted to invest in, and she said yes if I agreed not to fight her on other stuff.”

  “What did you want to invest in?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back. They’d been friends once, but she didn’t have the right to ask that now. “Sorry. I shouldn’t ask.”

  He smiled and pulled her closer. “No. It’s okay. You know how Baby’s brother Finn and Zac Mackay just got out of the army? They’re using the skills they learned in the Special Forces to start a survival and self-defense training facility. They’re going to call it Linear Tactical.”

  “Wow.” She didn’t know Zac or Finn personally, but everyone from around here knew of them.

  Heroes.

  “I know I wasn’t in the military like them, but those guys taught Baby and me damn near everything we know about fighting, the wilderness, tactical awareness. When we were growing up, we used to follow them around like puppies. This Linear Tactical thing they’re starting—teaching survival skills to people? It’s important. I can be a silent partner and help them get started.”

  “That’s amazing,” she whispered. “All of it.”

  He was quiet for a long minute. “Dad loved those guys too. He would’ve wanted me to do this.”

  She shifted so she was facing him, pulling one leg up onto the swing. The sadness pouring from Cade over losing his father was almost a tangible thing. “I’m glad you could make your aunt understand that.”

  “It’s not about the money.”

  “Your dad loved you. He would’ve wanted you to be part of something you felt was important.” She wrapped an arm around his broad shoulders, rubbing gently, wishing she could massage his pain away.

  He leaned his forehead against hers. “You always understood, Peaches. Even when you were that quiet freshman kid, those big brown eyes took in way too much.”

  She gave a half smile. “Observation is one of those skills that will hopefully make me a better filmmaker. And with you, it was always easy to…listen.”

  Especially since she’d hung on his every word.

  He shook his head. “Watching you watch me out of the corner of your eye made me feel like such a pervert.”

  “What?”

  “For wanting to do this when you were barely fifteen years old.”

  Before she could process what his words meant, his lips were on hers.

  She’d had a couple of boyfriends over the last few years, but this was different.

  This was Cade.

  This was so far out of what she’d ever thought would be in the realm of possibility that she’d never even let herself fantasize about kissing him.

  But if she had, it would’ve been exactly like this.

  Kissing her like he couldn’t get enough of her. Like she was the only thing in his world.

  He touched her cheek again, this time with his thumbs as his fingers slid into her hair at her scalp, tilting her head so he could have better access to her mouth. Her hand came up to his shoulder and pulled him closer.

  She couldn’t stop the little needy whimper that escaped her. It was all she could do not to crawl into his lap.

  But at the sound he stopped, dropping his hands from her head as if she’d burned him.

  Where there’d been only heat…was now only cold.

  Chapter 3

  Five Young & Stupid Years Ago

  He was the worst kind of bastard.

  Cade held his hands up beside his head like he was being robbed at gunpoint, not touching Peyton at all. But the fact was, there was no bad guy here but him.

  She’d just whimpered for God’s sake. Had he scared her?

  He leaned back so he could look in to her eyes, praying he wouldn’t find tears. Fear. Praying he hadn’t done some sort of damage.

  “Peyton. I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair, wanting to pull it. “What the hell am I doing?”

  Why couldn’t he have kept it together? Kept everything gentle and light. Not leapt on her like he was some sort of a Neanderthal.

  This month had been the best and worst of his life. He’d gotten a miraculous career break. One he’d thought might never happen.

  But had also lost his dad—his best friend. The grief threatened to pull him under every time he thought about it.

  He’d needed to get away from everything and everyone in Oak Creek. Even his aunt and all the people who’d meant well at the funeral. Just needed to be alone.

  Or so he’d thought.

  Until he’d seen Peyton’s broken-down POS car on the side of the road. Peyton certainly wasn’t the only one in Sublette County to drive an older Buick, but as soon as he’d gotten a closer look, he’d known it was hers.

  She was back in these woods, like that summer after he’d graduated and thrown all the parties where she’d used to watch.

  And he’d watched her.

  She’d been so damn beautiful, so still and quiet—unnatural for someone her age. He’d wanted to scoop her up, sit her in his lap, and hold her. Watch the party with her. Let her know she wasn’t alone.

  She’d always been so goddamn alone.

  And here she was again. Older, but still alone.

  Talking to her the last couple of hours had soothed his soul. She’d always done that for him.

  He should’ve kept everything friendly and conversational. Kept his hands to himself. She may be a legal adult, but she was still too young for him.

  He definitely should not have brought up how much he’d wanted her even back when she was a freshman. How he’d known she’d had a little crush on him then—had seen those brown eyes watching him.

  Once he’d started thinking about that, not touching her had been impossible. And that kiss.

  One relatively tame kiss had nearly blown his damned mind. His fingers itched to reach for her again, but stopped at her whispered words.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She was sorry? He was the asshole here. “What are you sorry for? I scared the hell out of you because of my lack of control.”

  “What?” Her beautiful face scrunched up.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you, Peaches.” He tried to smile. Wanted to make her understand what that kiss had been about. “I would never expect or demand something from you. I…I have always wanted to kiss you. Even back in that editing suite.”

  “What?” she repeated.

  Yep, that’s right sweetheart. You’re sitting next to pervy-perv.

  Could he be any bigger of a screwup? He normally was pretty good with people.

  “I know. I’m sorry. We were friends, and I shouldn’t have felt that way. You were too young.” He shook his head.

  But she’d always seemed so mature, even on that first day he’d stumbled across her in the editing suite. He’d been looking for a place to take his current love interest for some…chemistry lessons. He’d thought the editing room would be the perfect place.

  Instead, he’d found a quiet little freshman with the biggest brown eyes he’d ever seen. The love interest had been promptly dismissed and forgotten.

  The more time he spent with Peyton, the more he genuinely liked her. She didn’t care who he was, how much money he had, or what sports team he might lead to the state championship.

  But she’d cared about his music. When she’d heard him strumming his guitar one day, then found out he was humming a song he’d written himself… From that day on, she’d been on him to do more with his music. Write more. Sing more. Practice more.

  Because of her, a seed had been planted. His music had grown, developed, morphed into more than a hobby. It had become his passion.

  When he’d discovered the truth—that she kept a low profile because she wasn’t zoned to attend Oak Creek High, he knew he had to keep her secret.

  He also knew he had to keep away from her, despite the way he caught her looking at him some times. Dating him? That would have brought more attention than she’d wanted. Otherwise, make no doubt about it, he would definitely have dated her—respectfully and chastely, of course—until she was older.

  But he’d forced himself to stay away.

  “You wanted to kiss me even back then?”

  Shit. It sounded even worse when she said it. He propped his elbows on his knees, stopping the swing. “I know. I’m sorry. You’ve always brought out this protective instinct in me. And passion. Evidently, being away from you for three years didn’t curb that.” God. He was making this worse. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

  “You didn’t scare me.”

  Right. He rolled his eyes. “I pounced on you.”

  “It was unexpected, but I promise I wasn’t scared.”

  He studied her, trying to decipher if she was fully telling the truth. Her eyes met his without any touch of fear. But…

  “You’re still too young.” An adult, legally, but still too young.

  She laughed, but there was nothing humorous about the sound. “I’m not young. I’m not sure I’ve ever been young.”

  She was right—she’d never been flighty or silly like other young girls. She’d always been so solid. Focused. He looked at the bruise marring her delicate cheekbone and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “An old soul.”

  He needed to leave. Old soul or not, mature or not, he needed to stay away from her. He was about to stand when she reached out and grasped his hand.

  “I’m not afraid of you, Cade. And I’m not a child.” She blinked like she couldn’t quite find the words. “I want this. I want you.”

  He couldn’t stop staring at her lips. She was telling him she wanted him.

  He had to get out of here.

  She slid her fingers into his hair, her thumb touching the top of his ear so impossibly gently. A shudder ran through him. “Stay with me here tonight.”

  He closed his eyes. Like he’d always known, fighting himself was hard enough. There was no way he could fight them both.

  He moved his hands to her waist and had her draped over his lap a second later, her chest flush with his.

  “I could no more turn down that invitation than I could stop my next heartbeat.” He kissed her softly, gently nipping at her bottom lip. “I have to be back in Nashville tomorrow.”

  Shit. He didn’t mean that as cold as it might have come across. But he felt her smile against his lips. “I have to be in London in a few weeks. We both know this isn’t permanent.”

  “At least not right now.” Maybe not yet. This wasn’t their permanent time, but it could still be special. Everything about it would be special. He’d make sure of it.

  He kissed her, taking his time at first—nibbling along her lips, trailing his fingers through her thick mane of brown hair. But it wasn’t long before he was deepening the kiss, pulling her up more fully against him.

  When his fingers touched the cool skin of her taut belly, they both sucked in a breath. He watched her eyes, making sure this wasn’t moving too fast for her, as his hands slid up to cup her breasts. He couldn’t hold back the groan at the feel of her nipples against his palms.

  He kissed along her neck, reaching for the buttons of her shirt. She slid it back from her shoulders as soon as it was loose, and he unhooked her bra, freeing her completely to his eyes.

  He just stared. At her face, her breasts, the way her chest and shoulders rose and fell with each little breath.

  “You’re so damn beautiful, Peaches.”

  He had to be closer. When she gripped his hair and pulled him toward her, his lips zoomed in on her throat once more. He reached for her shoulders and leaned her back—those breasts a perfect offering for his mouth.

  And he feasted.

  Every time she sighed, he wanted to take her higher. Those little moans were about to drive him crazy.

  But when she started grinding against him, head thrown back, eyes closed, his control nearly snapped. He moved his leg, setting the swing into motion, bringing her down harder on him.

  She rewarded him with a stuttering gasp he didn’t even think she was aware of. He moved his mouth back down to her breasts, nipping and sucking and devouring, but making sure he thrust up against her with his hips every time the swing reached the right position.

  God, he wasn’t going to make it inside of her at this rate. But he wasn’t sure he cared.

  He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her down hard against him as the swing thrust their hips even closer.

  “Cade.” Her voice was hoarse. Sexy. “I—I…”

  She was close, the movement of her hips becoming wilder. He wanted her to let go. Wanted to see her face as she lost control.

  “Yes, Peaches. Don’t hold back.”

  He placed his leg down hard on the ground, stopping the swing and pulling her down harder to grind against him. He slid his fingers into her hair and covered her mouth with his as she cried out over and over, riding him.

  He decided right then and there he wanted to hear that sound as often as possible—wanted to see her lose control as often as he could.

  Maybe now wasn’t their permanent time. But damn it, there would be. However long he had to wait. However often he had to fly to London.

  It might not be right now, but they would be together.

  He rubbed her back gently as she lay slumped against his chest.

  He knew the exact moment the post-orgasmic haze started to fade. Tension crept into every muscle and she began to ease herself back.

  “Cade. I’m so sorry that I…” she faded off, not looking at him.

  He never stopped rubbing her back gently. “That you came on my lap and it was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen? I hope that’s what you’re about to say.”

  She peeked up at him. “But what about you?”

  “Well, one, don’t you dare think that wasn’t super-hot for me too, because it was. And if that’s all you want to do tonight, that’s more than fine.”