Cowboy from the Future (26 page)

She
gave a whimper as he eased a third finger upward.  Her body was completely
opened to him.  Addy tried to move, needing one small brush of his hand to send
her over the edge.

“Shh.” 
He made a calming sound, holding her still.  “Not yet, Addy.  Just give it a
second.”  Cade lifted her higher and her legs automatically wound around his
waist.  “There you go.  Let yourself adjust to me.  Don’t come until I tell
you.”

The
juxtaposition of his tender tone and the erotic command turned her on to an
unhealthy degree.  Her head dropped against his shoulder in surrender.  He
could do whatever he wished, just so he gave her relief.

“That’s
my good girl.  Let me just see how we’re going to fit.”  He squeezed his
fingers apart and she tried to hold on.  “Good girl.”  His voice thickened as
he continued his massage.  “You like that?”

She
nodded desperately, biting down on her lower lip.

“Yeah,
this is going to work just fine.”  His touch was relentless, pushing deeper and
wider, but he was still murmuring gentle words.  “Such a good girl, Addy.  Take
just a little more.  A
little
more, lady.  I want to be sure your first
time is perfect.”

Everything
with him was perfect.  “Cade.”  She whispered helplessly.

Hearing
her say his name seemed to break his control.  Cade snarled in lust and pulled
his hand free.  “I can’t wait anymore.  I’m sorry.  I need you too much.”  The
tip of him brushed her core.  “Are you ready?”

Her
nerves started jangling again, now that they were at the main event.  “Yes.  …I
mean no.”

He
stopped, his gaze jumping to hers.  “No?”

She
tried to concentrate.  “No, not
no
.  Clearly, it’s yes.  Just…”  Her
body was screaming for him, but twenty-eight years was
such
a long time
to wait.  Damn
Dirty Dancing
and its uncompromising view on romance, she
should have practiced more.  What if she was terrible at this?  What if he was
disappointed?  “Tell me what
nynan
means first.”  She blurted out.

Cade
frowned at the non sequitur.  “What?”

“You
say it about me all the time.  I need to know what it means.”

“You
seriously want to discuss linguistics right
now?
”

Addy
winced, feeling a little bad for him.  The guy sounded like he was going to
cry.  He had a colossal amount of patience, but she could feel his strain. 
“Please.”

Because
he was Cade Westin, he actually took a deep breath and did as she asked.  “Alright. 
In your language, it would be something like… ‘The woman is mine.’”  He paused,
considering that translation.  “No, that’s not quite it.  It isn’t possessive. 
It’s the reverse.”  He thought for a moment.  “‘I’m
hers
.’”  He nodded. 
“Yes.  It means roughly, ‘I belong to this woman.’”

Addy’s
nerves melted away.  “I like that.”  She wrapped her arms around his neck.  “Do
you really think you’re mine?”

“I
know I am.”  He watched her steadily.  “I will be yours even if we stop.”

This
time she didn’t hesitate.  “I don’t want to stop.  I’m sorry.  I just panicked
for a second, because I’m new at this.”  She leaned in to kiss him.  “I’m
yours, too, Cade.  Please take me.  I’m so close…”

Cade
thrust into her before she even finished the whole sentence.  There was a brief
moment of pain and then she felt nothing but ecstasy.  The girth of him was
even wider than his fingers had been, stretching her to the brink.  It felt
sooooo
good that her mouth fell open in a silent scream.

“Come
now, lady.”  Cade pushed as deep as he could go and Addy exploded.  Her body
had been starving for this.  For him.  The man really
was
an alien
superhero.  He did things to her that no human could ever achieve.  She gave a
sob of pleasure, hanging onto him as her whole body shuddered.

“Oh
fuck
yes.”  Cade jaw was clenched as he watched her rock against him.  “
Addy
.” 
He broke off in a panted litany of future-words.  She didn’t need the exact
translation to know
just
what he meant.

Replete
and gasping, she slumped against him.  “Wow.”

Cade
was just getting started.  One hand supported her beneath the water, holding her,
while he moved in and out of her spasming channel.  His other palm lifted her
breast to his lips.  Teeth grazed the hard point of her nipple and Addy was
suddenly on the brink for a second time.

“
Cade
.” 
She levered herself higher so he could have better access to the aching
mounds.  “Let me come, again.”  She panted.  “Please.”

Her
demand was met with a hungry growl.  “Adeline, I…”  Cade suddenly blinked,
looking around like he saw something strange.  “Shit.”  He turned, carrying her
towards shore.  “Hang on.”

“What’s
wrong?”  She tried to focus, but his lips were on hers and she forgot there was
even a problem.  The next thing she knew, Cade was lowering her to the ground
at the edge of the hot spring.  “Why are we stopping?”

“We’re
not stopping.”  He flipped her onto her stomach in the grass, pushing her to
her knees.  “I’m never fucking stopping.”

Okaaaaay. 
She let out a submissive sound of desire as he moved behind her.  “But…  Oh
Jesus
.” 
He slammed inside of her again and Addy let out a cry of pleasure.  Inside of
her, she could feel electric sparks coming off of Cade’s manhood as he got
closer to completion.  The Voltyn in him was taking control and she loved it.

Cade
didn’t seem nearly so pleased with their progress.  “Oh Gods, Adeline.”  His face
was buried in her neck.  “You’re so perfect.  Just don’t look at me and
everything will be perfect.”

Wait… 
Addy froze.  What did he just say?

She
turned to look at him over her shoulder, immediately spotting what he was
trying to hide.  Cade’s whole body was glowing now.  Every bit of him.

Her
shocked eyes met his and he cringed.  “I can’t help it.”  He whispered.  “It
never got this bad before.  I just want you so much, that it’s…”

She
cut him off by squiggling free of his grasp.  Cade held onto her for a second,
like he couldn’t bear to let her go.  His fingers frantically tightened on her
hips, his chest heaving.  “No…”  He stopped short and quickly released her, because
he would always care about her needs before his own.  “I’m sorry.  Addy, I’m so
sorry.  I won’t hurt you.  Give me a second and I can be more human.  I swear
it.”

Addy
turned around to face him, both of them on their knees.  “You
are
a
human.”  She said, very plainly.  “Voltyn are humans with some added DNA.”

He
gave a humorless laugh.  “You’re the only one in this
world
who…”

She
cut him off, trying a different tack to get through to him as fast as
possible.  “If I’d been born a Voltyn, would you think I was inhuman?”

Purple
eyes flashed to hers and she could see his brain making a sharp turn.  “Huh?”

“Would
I be less beautiful to you if I was a Voltyn?”

He
slowly shook his head.  “Nothing could
ever
make you less beautiful to
me.  Voltyn or human, you would be
Adeline.
”

“Exactly.” 
Her palm went to his illuminated cheek.  “You’re so beautiful, Cade.  Just the
way you are.  Don’t ever doubt that.  I wouldn’t change any part of you.”

He
gave a choked sound of emotion, dragging her closer.  “Addy.”  He got out,
hoarsely.  One large hand came up to thread through her hair.  “
Nynan
.”

“Mine.” 
She agreed and shifted her thighs, so she was straddling him.  “You are all
mine, cowboy.”  She eased downward, taking him deep.

Cade’s
gaze stayed locked on hers as he moved within her.  “I will never have another.” 
He whispered, stroking faster and faster.  “You are the beginning and end of
all things, Adeline Mulhaney.  When you leave me, you’ll rip my heart out and
take it with you.”

Addy
was too far gone to answer that.  Sparks were flying everywhere Cade touched. 
Literal
sparks
, like from the sparklers that kids played with on the
Fourth of July.  Her skin tingled from the inside out.  She leaned into his
body, trying to withstand the sensual onslaught.  “Please, Cade. 
Now
.”

“
Yes
.” 
The tendons in his neck stood out as he slammed into her one last time.  “Come
now
.” 
He gripped her tight and erupted with a triumphant roar.  “
Addy!
”

Fuck
sparklers, this was a whole fireworks display.  Addy gave a shriek of amazement
as her entire system went into meltdown, again.  She held onto Cade, her body
convulsing in waves of pleasure.  Around them, multicolored flares of
electricity exploded in the air.  It was
so
beautiful.  All of it.  Cade
made it all so beautiful.  Addy sagged against him, boneless and unable to
speak.

“Shit!” 
Cade caught hold of her chin, looking panicked when she went limp in his arms. 
“Are you alright?  Did I hurt you?”

She
shook her head and gave him a damp smile.  “No, of course not.  I’m just happy
and emotional and wrung out and… you know.”  She wiped at her eyes.  “You
know?”

His
concerned expression faded into something infinite and very soft.  “I know.” 
He repeated gravely.  “In your language, I think the word is ‘wow.’”

“Wow.” 
Addy concurred and kissed him gently.  “Are
you
okay?  No side effects
from the extra-glowyness?”

“I’m
fine.  Gods, I am
more
than fine.  Everything about you is a miracle. 
It was my powers screwing things up for a moment.  Back in the water, I saw,”
he hesitated, “more.  That’s all.”

“More?”

“Colors
were all around us.  Like the auras of everyone who’s passed this way still
float in the air.”  He sounded a little confused by the idea.  “I think the
Voltyn energy can do
more
than just create electricity, if I let it.”

“Well,
you should let it, then.  The powers are a part of you, Cade.  You should figure
out how they work.”

He
held her close.  “Before I met you, I wouldn’t even consider such a thing. 
But, now…”  He trailed off and kissed her forehead.  “You change the way I
think.”

Considering
so many of his thoughts needed changing, Addy took that as a compliment. 
“You’re welcome.”  She closed her eyes with a contented sigh.  For once in her
life, everything was perfect.  Here with Cade, she was safe and warm and
exactly where she belonged.  She never wanted to go anyplace except back into
the pool and…

Wait
a minute.

Her
eyes popped open, Cade’s earlier words suddenly coming back to her. 
When
you leave me, you’ll rip my heart out and take it with you.

WHEN.

That
son of a bitch
still
wasn’t planning to ask her to stay.

As
promised on our award-winning website, you’ll be visiting plenty of authentic mining
towns this trip.

But one
hundred and fifty years ago, these picturesque tourist spots were very
different places.

Sanitation
was often lacking.  Construction was always substandard.  Fur blankets were
made from actual animals.

It’s hard
to imagine the hardships of actual frontier life.

Just be
glad you’re staying in our highly-rated and vegan-friendly facilities, Glamper!

Brown’s
Glampling Tours Official Pocket Guide

Deke
arched a brow as Cade hopped down off Madonna.  “Just looking at your face, I
can tell you completely ignored my note and fucked this up.”  He deduced.  “Why
do I even bother helping you, brother?  I should have a drink, and leave you to
your masochism and brooding.”

“Shut
up, Deke.”  Cade turned to lift Addy from the saddle.  “You’re lucky I don’t
beat the ever-loving hell out of you, after what you did to us.”

“What
I
did?  Giving you a golden opportunity to claim your woman, you mean? 
God you just couldn’t be any stupider.”

Deke
might be swearing out insults, but the guy actually looked… good.  For the
first time since his captivity in the Wilderness, his hair was washed and cut
to a halfway presentable length.  His fresh clothes were clean and in the newest
style.  Most importantly, the dangerous red and black shards in his aura had
faded back into the long-absent, serene blue that Cade remembered.  Deke was
finally leaving the horrors of the Wilderness War behind him and returning to
normal.

Addy
had done that.  She soothed all of them.

As
happy as it made Cade to see Deke coming back to the land of the living, he was
still pissed at him, though.  “Your idiotic plan left me all alone with Addy
and a shitload of Outlanders.  Did you even think about the danger you were
leaving her in?

Deke
arched a brow.  “Oh, stop whining.  The girl was fine when I left.  Don’t blame
me if you fucked up.”

Cade
had
fucked it up and that just made him angrier.  “They almost
killed
us, you asshole.”

“You
guys need to stop arguing and appreciate the fact that we’re actually here.” 
Jacobi put in with typical positivity.  He waved a hand around the polis.  “Big
Rock, Cade!  Did you ever think you’d see it?”

No,
he hadn’t.  As a boy, he’d imagined it, though.  He’d heard that Big Rock was
the only place where Voltyn were free and he’d dreamed of living there every
time someone in Shadow-of-the-Gods spat in his direction.  He’d seen himself
walking the infamous streets of the outlaw stronghold with pride.  People
respecting him.  Welcoming him into the stores and saloons.  Having a home
where he was loved.  With children that no one ever hit and a gentle wife with
big green eyes.

That
was another thing Addy did.  She tore down the walls of your reality, so that
everything you’d ever dreamed of was suddenly possible.

Cade
looked around.  Not that this place was living up to the expectations of his
boyhood.  Big Rock was a larger than Shadow-of-the-Gods, with far more
buildings and people.  A trading post for criminals, it boasted a dozen
saloons, three general stores, a laundry, five brothels, and four casinos.  …But
it was still just a grubby polis on the ass end of nowhere.

Judging
from the glares he was receiving from passersby, Voltyn weren’t exactly
embraced by the local community, either.  Cade strongly suspected that staying
in the hotel was going to be a problem.  The innkeeper was not going to be a
happy when he checked in.  Jacobi and Deke had secured them rooms in the nicest
place in Big Rock, which Cade knew was for Addy’s benefit.  The Westins
themselves would’ve slept anywhere.  Having a lady in the family changed the way
they did things, though.

Not
that she’d be with them too much longer.

Cade
closed his eyes briefly.  Addy would be safe and happy when she got back to
Yellowstone.  He knew that.  It was what
needed
to happen.  But when she
returned to her own time, his life would stop.  Just
stop
, with no hope
of it ever starting again.  Every step west brought her one step closer to
leaving.

And
she seemed to be an all-fired hurry to leave.

Ever
since they’d had sex, Addy had been furious at him and she wasn’t even trying
to hide it.  Cade had no idea why.  One second, she was telling him that everything
was beautiful.  (Which it had
been.  Nothing had
ever
been so
beautiful.)  The next she was jumping to her feet and grabbing her clothes in
stony silence.

Whatever
had pissed her off, Cade knew it was for the best.  Any kind of attachment was
doomed and he was already
so fucking attached
to this woman.  The closer
they got, the more it would hurt when the end came.  But that logic didn’t do a
damn thing to cure the sick feeling in his gut as she glowered at him.  He
couldn’t stand it when Addy was mad.  He wanted her happy and smiling and
telling him that she sort of loved him.

Gods
knew, he loved her back.  Adeline Mulhaney was every hopeless fantasy of his life
made real.

Addy
headed up the steps of the hotel, barely glancing his way.  “Deke, why in the
world are you wearing overalls and no shirt?”

“It’s
a mauwat.  You said to buy new clothes, so I bought new clothes.”

“Those
aren’t clothes.  Those are a Dexys Midnight Runner video.”

Deke
looked affronted, even though her words were in some kind of code.  “This is
what they sell here, Addy.”  He gestured to his mauwat, which really
was
pretty
stylish in Cade’s opinion.  “Look around!  Everybody’s wearing it in Big Rock.”

She
rolled her eyes, because he was right.  “In the ‘70s, everyone wore polyester. 
It was still God-awful.”  She waved aside his next protest.  “Don’t worry.  I’ll
take you shopping later and we’ll find something nice for you.  Right now, I just
want to lie down in an actual bed and pretend I’m in a place with more fashion sense.”

“We
got you a room on the second floor.”  Deke frowned as she swept passed,
refocusing the conversation.  “So… He didn’t ask, did he?”

“What
do you think?”  She marched into the lobby, red curls swinging.  “Oh and he
lost my travel guide, too.  Hopefully, you can still remember where Strickland
Geyser is.”

Deke
snorted.  “How many ganta-high dicks that shoot water can there be, even in the
Wilderness?  Trust me.  I can draw you a map.”

Cade
disregarded that.  “Why is it my fault that the Outlander stole your book,
Adeline?”  Granted, he should’ve thought of grabbing the damn thing back from
Quel, but he’d been a little busy not dying.  Besides, a large part of Cade was
happy to see that guidebook go.  He wasn’t exactly mourning the loss of
anything that would help her leave him.

Addy
kept her attention on Deke.  “It was Cade’s fault.”  She assured him.  “I’m
telling you, I’m ready for the aliens to show up at Devils Tower and beam his
ass back to Planet Vulcan.”

“It’s
Vol
tyn
and I’m not a godsdamn alien.”

“All
aliens probably say that, Spock.  Right up until the glowy music starts playing
and Richard Dreyfuss gets on your spaceship.”  She waved a hand towards the stone
monolith that dominated the skyline.

The
grey stone tower was larger than Cade thought it would be, looming even higher
than the buildings in Adeline’s moving pictures.  More than just its massive
size, the
essence
of the landmark impressed him, though.  Cade couldn’t
explain it, but it felt like the rock gave off some mysterious energy.  His
Voltyn instincts were humming, every time he looked at it.

Hell,
they were humming anyway.  Ever since he’d made love to Addy, Cade felt
charged
. 
Being with her had unleashed something that couldn’t be recaged.  At the hot
spring, his whole body had been glowing and he really
had
been able to
see the impressions of auras that people left behind.  Cade couldn’t really
explain that, but he knew it was because of Addy.  She accepted his powers, so
he wasn’t holding them back as firmly as he always had before.  Emotions were
leaking in, weakening his control.  His energy was growing stronger and coming
out in new ways.

He
wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

Deke
spared the giant pillar a confused glance, clearly having no clue what Adeline
was talking about with her complaints about aliens.  Since the woman was
impossible to understand most of the time, he quickly gave up and went storming
after her.  “Addy, wait.  You can’t just…”  The door slammed shut behind him,
cutting off whatever he said.

Cade
was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear it anyway.  He set about unpacking the
supplies from Madonna’s saddle.  “Where’s the stable around here, Jake?”

“Up
passed the church.”

“There’s
a church in this polis?”  That didn’t seem likely, considering all the lawless reprobates
that lived there.

“Up
passed the abandoned, burned-out shell of where the church formerly sat.”  Jake
corrected.  For once, his blue eyes were serious.  “Ya know, there will never
be another woman for you, Cade.  Addy’s it.  She was made especially for you
and you don’t even see it.  That girl is supposed to be
yours
.”

“I
see it.”  Cade focused on the horse.  “You think I’m blind?  I’ve seen it from
the fucking beginning.  But, I also see that this isn’t her time.”  He tossed
one of the bags at Jake.  “She belongs someplace better.”

“Her
time has a lot of amazing shit.  No doubt about that.”  Jake agreed, slinging the
saddlebag over his shoulder.  “But, how is it better for her?  If Addy goes
back there, she has nobody to take care of her.  Who the hell is going to look
for her the next time she gets lost?”

Cade
hesitated.  Jake had a point.  Addy said she had no family.  When she returned
to her time, she would be alone and the woman got into more trouble than any
six normal people.  It was amazing that she’d survived this long.  The gods
must truly look after their miracles or she’d have been dead fifty times over.

“There
are men in her world.”  Cade finally muttered.  Just saying the words had his
teeth grinding, but he forced them out.  “She will pick one and he will be her
family.”

Fuck.

That
imagined human male existed in another century and Cade would
still
find
a way to kill the bastard if he touched Addy.  The thought of her loving anyone
else had his powers sparking, heating the air.  She was supposed to be
Cade’s.

“Addy
could’ve already had a man from her world, if she wanted.  Instead, she stayed
a virgin until she met
you
, moron.  You think that’s going to just…?”

“How
do you know she was a virgin?”  Cade interrupted hotly.

Jacobi
rolled his eyes.  “Because, I’m not an idiot.  She was a virgin and now she’s
not.  I mean how much more obvious…”  He paused, when Cade just glowered at
him.  “Four gods, Cade,
tell
me you knew she was a virgin.  You
had
to know.”

Cade
kept glowering.

“You
didn’t know?  How did you not know?”  Jake shook his head, like he was suddenly
a world weary older brother.  “What you don’t know about girls is
a lot
.”

“I
figured it out eventually.”  Cade muttered.  “Not that it’s any of
your
fucking
business.  What does her virginity have to do with anything?”

“It
has to do with the fact that she doesn’t want just any guy.  She wants
you
. 
She picked
you
.  And when a lady like that picks you and you
let
her, you have a responsibility towards her afterwards.  You taught me that,
Cade.”

“Damn
it, I’m not…”

Jacobi
cut him off.  “What if she’s pregnant?  Did you think about that?”

Cade
scrapped a hand over his face.  Why was Jake making this harder for him? 
Didn’t he see that it was already ripping Cade apart?  “She’s not pregnant.”

She
couldn’t be, right?  It was only one time.

…But,
now his mind was racing with the possibility.  Shit.  He hadn’t used anything. 
He
always
used something.  He hadn’t even thought of it with Adeline. 
Or maybe there had been some tiny part of him that ignored the contraceptive,
because Addy was… Addy.  His wife in his mind and heart, if not in reality. 
She was the one who was
supposed
to have his baby.

Those
boyhood dreams drifted back.  A loving home, and a smiling woman, and happy
children.  The family Cade had always wanted was right in front of him.  How
was he supposed to let that go?

“You
don’t know she’s not pregnant.”  Jake persisted. “Are you willing to take the
chance on sending your own child away?”

“
Yes
.” 
That part wasn’t even a question.  Every instinct in Cade’s body told him to
keep the baby safe, no matter the pain it cause him. 
Protecting the child
was
all that mattered.
  “I would want my son or daughter
far
from this hellhole.  Being a Voltyn here means hatred and scorn.  I won’t have
that for them.  Addy’s world is a far better place for a baby to grow.”  There
was no choice.  He ran a palm through his hair, hating that he had to give up
everything he wanted most.  “Besides, what kind of father would I even make?”