“Let’s not speak of it now.” Adam put his hand on Cage’s shoulder to reassure him. “Tomorrow we’ll talk more.”
They both undressed and crawled into bed. Cage curled up, putting his back to Adam’s side. Adam stroked his arm and back. Cage sighed, the tension and anxiety melting at Adam’s touch. To a human, they might have looked like homosexual lovers, but their connection as lions, the pair-bond that had formed between them, went beyond sexual. It was a bond stronger than blood, stronger than love.
Adam’s low purr and his comforting touch eased Cage’s troubled thoughts. Within minutes, he fell fast asleep.
Chapter 3
The next morning, Maddie dressed in a yellow shift dress Isis had laid out for her and left the safety of the trailer that had been her haven for two days. Her bladder screamed to be emptied, even as her stomach rumbled to get filled. She hoped to hell there was a toilet at this place. No way did she want to pee in the woods.
Carl was the first person she saw. “Excuse me.”
He glared up at Maddie, baring his teeth. “What do you want?”
God. Someone woke up grumpy. “Is there a bathroom?”
He pointed toward to a Job-Johnny she hadn’t seen before.
“Thanks.” Luckily the unit was free, and she stepped inside. At least the portable toilet was clean, even if it didn’t smell like roses.
When she exited, Maddie tripped over a buried root…and into Cage’s arms.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” she said, feeling breathless at his touch. Her nipples hardened as his dark amber gaze found its way to her breasts.
He licked his lips, and she fought back moan. God, he was so gorgeous. She wanted him to rub his beard against her entire body, leaving no inch untouched. Would his face be as rough as it looked, or as soft as she remembered from the dream? He was so tall she had to stretch when she reached up and stroked his cheek.
Soft.
Her lower body tightened with need as she thought about the dream, and how she felt when he’d sucked her nipples while he’d worked two fingers inside her body. He rubbed the corner of his mouth against her palm, his eyes closing as she caressed his face. His strong hand slid up her thigh, and she gave into her desire, melting against him.
Suddenly his whole body stiffened. His eyes widened, and a low growl emanated as he let her go with a slight push. “Don’t touch me, woman.”
Maddie stumbled back, bracing herself on the Job-Johnny. His sudden change in demeanor frightened her. Some women hid when confronted by something that made them afraid, but Maddie had always been the type to react with anger. “Uh, you grabbed me, asshole.” She straightened the dress where Cage had pulled it up over her hip. The way he’d gone from hot to cold put her off-center. “Where’s Adam?”
Cage curled his fingers into fists. “I’m not your goddamned tour guide.” He sharply turned on his heel and stalked off.
She stared at him as he disappeared behind the big top before erupting into a frustrated shout. It took a couple of seconds for her stomach to stop its jittery dance.
“Girl,” she heard a woman call. She turned and saw Isis the snake dancer waving her over.
Maddie cast one last glance where Cage had disappeared and rubbed her arms to ward off the shiver creeping across her skin. “Hey,” Maddie said.
“Adam is looking for you.” She turned, and Maddie knew there was an expectation she would follow.
Isis led Maddie to a small open area on the far end of the carnival, the opposite side of the parking lot. There were tables set up with folding chairs filled with men and woman of different sizes and obvious backgrounds. Her eyes locked on a large woman with a hairy face sitting with a very tall and broad man. His wide jaw and protruding forehead reminded Maddie of early Cro-Magnon man.
The woman laughed and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist. He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. Adam was at the head of their table. He laughed as the woman said something Maddie couldn’t hear, slapped the giant on the belly, and then tilted her head at an angle to kiss him solid on his wide mouth.
Adam quickly noticed Maddie, and patted the seat next to him. There was a plate of food already there, and she wondered whose seat she’d be taking. Cage’s? She took the seat down one from the full plate.
The bearded woman raised a brow. “This your new stray, Adam?”
Maddie said, “No,” at the same time that Adam said, “Yes.”
The woman slapped the table and laughed, the rich sound filling the empty space around them. “I like her already.” She wiped a greasy palm on her dress and held her hand out. “I’m Marlena.” She stroked her facial hair with her thumb and forefinger. “The bearded lady, obviously.”
“I’m Maddie Granger.” Maddie took the woman’s thick, chubby hand and gave it a squeeze. “Nice to meet you.”