“No, you’re fine.” Cash stood, and by the hitch in his voice, he’d been crying too. Gods, she loved this man. “What’s up?”
“My kids want to invite everyone over for pizza and a sleepover to celebrate,” Aron said. “I realize it’s Easter, but we’d love to have Clover over.”
“Please, Dad, can I go?” he captured his father’s hands as he vibrated with anticipation. “It will be so fun.”
“Sure.” Cash smiled. “I didn’t make any Easter dinner plans. I don’t have a toothbrush or a change of clothes for you, though.”
“No worries,” Aron’s wife said. “He can borrow clothes from my boys, and with all my kids, I buy toothbrushes in bulk.”
“Ok, great.” Cash shook Aron’s hand. “Thanks, man. I’ll pick him up before school in the morning.”
“Sounds good.” Aron and his family left, but before Clover followed, he hugged his dad’s waist.
“Thank you.” He let go and hugged Sable. “Love you. See you tomorrow.”
“Love you too,” Sable and Cash chimed together, and while it wasdefinitelytoo early to be dreaming of such a future, Sable couldn’t help but wonder if they’d be saying I love you to more kids one day.
“He’ll have a blast,” she said, sad that the night was ending. She didn’t want to go home alone, and that crappy apartment felt painfully empty now.
“He will, andto be honest, I’m glad he has plans.” Cash’s voice turned dangerous as he stepped behind her. His chest pressed suggestively against her spine, and when he gripped her hip, a small gasp of arousal escaped her lips. It amazed her how the man’s voice alone could turn her on.
“Because I feel like a hunt of our own.” He kissed her throat, and Sable’s core tightened at his meaning. “How about it, Sable? I keep what I catch?”
“Yes, sir.” Anticipation coated her words.
“Good girl. Now run.”
Sable calmly left the museum so as not to draw attention despite her fear that the entire building could hear her heart thundering. It beat a wild rhythm in her chest, the muscle slamming against her ribs as if it couldn’t bear being contained. It wanted its freedom. It longed to reach out and take hold of the man it loved, and unable to endure the erratic pulse any longer, Sable exploded into a run.
She angled for her apartment. But even though Cash was Fae, he didn’t possess the jumping power an Easter bunny had. Her legs would carry her from rooftop to rooftop with ease, but Cash would eventually catch up with her, making their first encounter happen in her bedroom. She’d done nothing to spruce up the place since it was supposed to be temporary, and itseemed a sad atmosphere for such a monumental moment in their relationship. She considered running to his house, but then a wicked idea circled her mind. She’d spent weeks casing this museum. She knew where the cameras were aimed, but more importantly, she knew where they weren’t. Inside was a fortress, but the gardens didn’t have valuables among the greenery. Surveillance focused mostly on the entrances to the garden and the building. The center had intermittent cameras for basic security needs, and Sable knew where each one sat. If she was careful, she could move through the dark and luscious plants as a ghost.
Slowing her pace, she climbed up a neighboring building, and then using the lampposts and trees, she jumped across the street until she landed in a blind spot. Rolling behind a blooming bush to avoid detection, she slipped deeper into the garden, wondering if Cash would find her back there. He couldn’t use the security system, which was a blessing for the finale he had planned, but was her Fae soldier the hunter his words claimed he would be?
Sable jogged across the short grass and jumped for a thick tree branch, using its height to evade another camera. A thrill ran through her as she slipped from shadow to shadow, and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. As much as she longed for Cash to find her, she prided herself on her invisibility. She was a thief and a damn good one at that. Cash would never find her. She might have to leave him a clue, otherwise this would be a long?—
“Look,” a predatory voice spoke from the blackness. “A rabbit in my garden.”
Sable yelped as Cash’s outline stepped into view. How the hell had he found her so quickly?
“Run, little rabbit, run,” Cash growled, and that was all the warning he gave before he lunged for her.
This time, Sable’s yelp was a scream, and she took off in the opposite direction. Still careful to remain in the blind spots, lest she give his co-workers an embarrassing show, she raced toward the roses at the rear of the property. If she could just jump behind them, she could lose him as she climbed into the trees, but before she reached them, heavy footfalls sounded behind her.
With a half-terrified, half-exhilarated laugh, she dove for the bushes, but as she flew over the leaves, a powerful arm captured her waist. Cash yanked her against his chest as they fell, twisting at the last second so that his back hit the ground instead of hers, but before she had the chance to admire his chivalry, he flipped her, pinning her to the lawn.
“I’m disappointed, little rabbit. I thought you would be much better at escaping me,” he said.
“You haven’t seen anything, yet,” Sable challenged as she kicked him off. His surprise gave her a head start, and she crawled out from under him, scrambling on her hands and knees over the grass. Before she reached safety, Cash captured her ankle and yanked her backward. She screamed softly as he pinned her kneeling below him, his hands taking liberties she only pretended not to like.
“Face it, Sable,” he whispered in her ear. “I told you I keep what I catch, and I’ve caught you now. You’re mine, do you hear me? Mine.” He gripped her jaw and forced her to look over her shoulder at him. “This is my mouth, and these are my lips.”
“Yes, sir,” she moaned as he yanked her against him. Even through her pants, the contact was too much to bear, and she slowly rocked against him, forgetting that she was supposed to flee the hunter. She didn’t want to run anymore. She’d been caught, and it was the sweetest capture known to mankind.
“This love is mine.” He slid his hand down her throat to her heart before cupping her breast. “And this pussy is mine.” Hishand continued its exploration until his fingers slipped between her legs. “And I don’t share what’s mine, so now’s your last chance to leave. If you don’t want mine to be the only cock you’ll fuck from this day forward, you should run, because once I’ve had you, I’m not letting you go. The soulmate bond is growing out of control, and if I sink inside your beautiful cunt, I’ll be forever yours. You’ll never be free of me, so if you don’t want me for the rest of our immortal lives, run, little rabbit. Fight me and run.”
Sable bucked suddenly against his hold and scrambled to her feet, bolting across the grass before slowing enough to turn around. Cash’s stunned expression almost made her giggle. He assumed this was her rejection, but nothing was further from the truth. She didn’t need him to sink between her thighs to know she belonged to him. No, she’d escaped his restraint because of his words that night on the couch, and she wanted to put his boasting to the test.
“You told me you had tastes I would enjoy.” She said as she slowly stripped out of her shirt and pants, leaving him gawking at the sight of her undergarments, and she was thankful she’d had the foresight to wear the matching lacy set. “So, this is me running, but not from you. I’ve been yours since the moment you first shook my hand, and I will be yours until the day I draw my last breath. I’ll never run from your love, but this hunt isn’t over yet.” She turned so he might appreciate her thong as she readied to flee. “You told me not to judge how well you could fuck me. I think it’s time you keep your promise.”
