Keeping Faith (Book 3 in the Red Valley Series)

Chapter 28

It had been almost seven months since he left Faith lying in her bed that night. Nothing was the same, he was a different person, and he hated it. He wanted everything to go back the way it was before he met Faith Matthews, no wait, Faith Jacobs. He snorted lightly, every time he thought about being married, it made him chuckle. No, he had been married. Surely by now, she would have had the marriage annulled. How long did it take to get it done anyway?

Cade looked around the smoke filled room of the Silver Belle. Once upon a time he would have enjoyed sitting here, playing poker, smoking a good cheroot, and drinking some of Belle's finest whiskey. Then he would spend several hours enjoying Belle's luscious body. But no, even after seven long months Faith was as fresh in his memory as if he had seen her that morning! Hell, he couldn't even bed another woman! Every time he would start to get hard, Faith's face would come to mind; and he would go as limp as a wet rag. Tired of the embarrassment, he finally just gave up trying.

Disgusted with himself, Cade threw down his cards and pushed himself away from the poker table. "I'm done." Not paying attention to the other men he had been playing with, he turned and walked to the bar. "Give me a bottle of Belle's best whiskey." Cade reached in his pocket and found a few coins then slapped them down on the bar. He was already drunk and really didn't need to drink anything else but he just didn't give a shit anymore. Maybe someone would shoot him in the back and put him out of his misery. A little while later Cade was sliding into a steaming bath, shutting out the world at least for a little while. He must have dozed off because the next thing he knew slim feminine fingers were easing their way down his chest as soft lips met his in a long slow kiss. He kept his eyes closed afraid if he opened them she would be gone. Cade groaned as he reached up, threading his fingers in her silky soft hair. "Oh God Faith, I've missed you."

The woman jerked back and gasped. "Who in the hell is Faith?"

It was as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water over him causing him to sober instantly. "What are you talking about?" There was no way in hell he was going to talk about his Faith to anyone, especially Belle!

"You know Cade, you've been acting different since you got back, now I know why. Who is she?" Fury filled her body.

He had to get out of there. He stood fast enough to cause the bath water to splash over the rim of the copper tub. Belle jumped back slightly to avoid getting wet. Even as angry as she was, she could not stop herself from reacting to the sight of his naked body as rivulets of water sluiced down his powerful thighs. Liquid heat surged to the juncture of her thighs. The reaction was so intense, she was almost weak in the knees. Her anger for this mysterious Faith was forgotten, at least for the moment.

Cade stood then reached for a towel. Warm fingers touched his back causing him to stiffen. Slowly Belle's hand moved down his back to his waist, then they began to slide around reaching for his manhood. "Don't touch me." He said in a cold hard tone he had never used with her before. He pushed her hands off of him with enough force to cause her to stumble back a step.

"What does that bitch have that I don't?" Her eyes flashed with hatred. She had been working on Cade for years, hell she hadn't even said anything about the way he snuck out of town the last time he'd left! He was hers and only hers. How could some other woman get her hooks into him and so quickly? Well, she would just have to fix that.

Cade whipped around to face Belle, then leaned over her exerting his dominance. "That's my wife you're talking about, and if I ever hear you speak like that about her again, I promise you won't like the consequences!" He turned around searching for his clothes. Coming here had been a mistake, it was just the only place that halfway felt like home, except for the Second Chance. He always came back to McDermott after a job, secretly he hoped that seeing Belle would make him forget about Faith. But all it did was make him miss her more.