Boxed Set: Intercepted by Love (The Complete Collection): Books One - Book Six (20 page)

Sunday was spent in a fog of bliss and sex. Andie and Cade did nothing but feed and walk their dogs, played catch and toss with them in the backyard, before it was back up the spiral staircase to Cade’s playroom.

Cade’s text messages to Rob were unanswered, so Andie assumed things were okay with the baby. In any case, Roxanne and Cade’s mom would be moving in soon, and there would be no more privacy for their all day exploits.

When Andie woke Monday morning, Cade was already out of bed. She felt for his warmth without finding it. Hurriedly, she pulled a robe over her nakedness and skittered down the spiral staircase to look for him.

“About time you woke. I have practice and you have a thing called work.” He was in the kitchen whipping up a health shake in his blender. “Are you an eggs and bacon type of girl or hash browns and sausage?”

The way he said ‘sausage,’ all suggestive and teasing had her quivering between her legs again. How did he do this? She had zero self-control, total abandon, and if he didn’t have practice, she’d jump his bones all over again.

Swallowing her drool, she replied. “Actually, I’m a cereal and milk kind of girl. I have some granola I bought.”

“Suit yourself,” he said, coming around the island stovetop and stealing a kiss from her. “I’ve tickets to a Dodger’s game tonight. We’ll get jumbo hot dogs inside toasted buns.”

“Sounds fun.” She squirmed in his embrace, reveling in the heat and spice of his cologne.

His minty breath puffed in her ear, drawing shivers down her spine while he caressed her breasts. “Don’t bother wearing panties. I have box seats.”

“There’ll still be people around.” She leaned against him, feeling weak in the knees.

“What goes on under the stadium blanket stays under the blanket.” He nipped her earlobe. “Sorry, I have to go.”

He poured his health drink into a travel mug. Picking up his gym bag, he laid a sloppy, wet kiss over her lips, and patted her behind. “Be a good girl today.”

Oh, goodness. How was she going to be good when he had her hot and aroused before her morning coffee?

“I’ll try,” she said weakly, but he was gone.

The man was serious about his work, a real professional. She wondered what he would do if he had to stay in bed for a month? Probably go crazy.

She was pouring herself a cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. Strange. The dog walker had her own set of keys. Andie hurried to the door and peeked at the security monitor. A middle aged woman stood outside. Could she be Cade’s mother?

“Hello?” Andie said through the intercom. “Cade just left.”

“That’s fine. I’m his mother and I’m moving in.”

“Oh, sure, let me open the door.” Andie quickly unlatched the heavy wooden door. It opened to reveal a woman with dark circles under her eyes and gray growing at the roots of her dyed dark brown hair.

“Hi, I’m Andie, Cade’s—” She couldn’t claim girlfriend status if he hadn’t told his mother, so she waved her hand and said, “Come in. Cade’s been expecting you.”

“I’m Barbara Prescott, and you must be that chick plastered to his face this weekend.” Her eyes scanned her up and down.

“Plastered? What do you mean?”

“Gossip. Nothing you should be worried about. I’m just glad he finally got through to you. Help me move my suitcases?”

“Sure.” Andie slipped on her sandals and followed Barbara to her car. She wanted to ask what she meant about getting through to her, but she bit her tongue. No use exposing her insecurities around Cade’s mother.

“Has Cade heard when Roxanne’s moving in?” Barbara lifted the hatch of her Prius.

Andie grabbed a rolling suitcase. “Nothing. They probably kept her at the hospital.”

“Course, either Cade’s phone was off or he was extremely busy.”

What was Andie going to say? Admit that she was screwing the brains out of Cade? Her face heating, she rolled the suitcase to the door. “Cade didn’t say where he wanted you to stay.”

“Oh, that’s okay, I’ll make myself feel at home and find a room. Where are you staying?” She followed Andie across the threshold.

“Up there.” Andie pointed to the spiral staircase, then turned toward the great room. “There are some rooms beyond those double doors. Maybe he wants you to stay there.”

Barbara hummed and nodded. “He must be serious about you. What was your name again? Andrea or something?”

“No, Andie.” Andie flushed and shrugged. She hated her true name, so old and dowdy. “Shall we leave your bags over there?”

“Sure, you’re already in his bedroom, so I figure any of the other rooms are fair game.”

His bedroom? The studio above the kitchen was his? He must have been really sure of himself that first night when he brought her home if he gave her his room.

“I hate to run.” Andie glanced at the grandfather clock which was stuck at midnight. “I have to get to work. Is there anything else you need?”

Barbara held her arms open to give her a hug. “No, I’m good. You’re as sweet and charming as Cade said, and I just want you to know, no matter what happens, my Cade needs a strong woman like you. He really has kept himself away from the kind of women he used to play with. You’re in a different league altogether.”

Andie melted into the hug. “Thanks. He’s a good guy.”

“Now, if we can only figure out what to do with the baby. Cade doesn’t trust Roxanne to raise him right, but I doubt she’d just give the baby up without a fight or a hefty bribe.”

Andie’s body stiffened, and she let go of Cade’s mother. “You mean he wants sole custody?”

“Now, you don’t have to worry. I’ll be the primary caretaker of that little darling. But if you ask me, any mother who can’t give up four weeks of her life to keep the baby safe is not fit to be a parent. I may have made my mistakes, but Cade always came first for me, even if—” She bent her head down and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ah, never mind. I’m not making excuses. I was a horrible mother, but I tried.”

“No, don’t say that. You’re important to Cade.” Andie clasped the older woman’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here.”

# # #

Cade grunted as he failed to complete the last pass. High and wide again. What the hell was wrong with his game? Coach Settles stood at the sideline with his arms crossed and a bulldog jut to his jaw.

They’d let him start the first scrimmage of the two, but with the way he was performing, it’d be a tough call between him and Irvin for the second one.

The coaches called another play, this time in shotgun formation. Cade took the hike, and as the blockers and their pads slapped and thudded, he scrambled for an open receiver.

Joey broke through, waving his hands and Cade drilled it with all his strength and was getting ready to pump his fist on the completion, when a defensive end slammed into him. What the hell? This was a scrimmage, not a real game, and the guy was his own teammate.

Cade’s shoulder crunched on the ground, and the familiar twisting pain tore through him. Before he could sit up, a fight broke out with shouting and shoving.

Coach Settles helped him up. “Go with the medic and ice your shoulder. What the hell got into Sanderson?”

Steve Sanderson was the bruiser who hit him. He was also Todd Irvin’s buddy, although nothing would happen to him. Probably a fine and a dressing down. None of the coaches would sideline the league’s leading linebacker for long, even if this was only training camp.

After the team doctor packed his shoulder with ice, Cade walked to the locker room. It was only a slight strain fortunately, but it meant he wasn’t playing in the afternoon scrimmage.

His cell phone rang as soon as he opened his locker. It was his mom.

“Cade, you’re not going to believe this,” she said without preamble. “I went by Celebrity Highland and she’s gone. Roxanne’s checked out.”

“Wait, is she okay?”

“No one would tell me a thing. She’s just not there, and they won’t tell me if she was still pregnant when she left.”

“Wait, maybe they’re just not telling you. You know, patient confidentiality.”

“I convinced them I’m her mother. She’s not there. You better call Rob and see what he says.”

Leroy peeked into Andie’s cubicle as soon as she settled in. “Boss wants to go over the King David actors. He’s already selected the Bathsheba actress, although he disagrees with you on the choice for Michal.”

“Why? Because my Michal is actually pretty and sweet, and his is a vamp?”

“Something like that. Listen, I know you’re biased toward Michal, but every movie ever made has Michal as the bitchy shrew and Bathsheba as the one he ultimately loves. All the way back to that first movie by—”

“Enough.” Andie held up her hand. “Let’s pick the David actor first and then worry about Michal. David is the main character and the most complicated.”

“I’ll say.” Leroy flipped the headshots from the folder. “Let’s sort them in rank order. I still disagree with you about Declan Reed. He’s in between jobs and really wants it. Besides, Mr. Silver didn’t like the other actor we recommended.”

It figured Declan was in between jobs. Now that she was involved, she’d done some research on his acting, and he just wasn’t as talented as they’d all believed. He tried too hard to be someone else, and right now, he was going around emulating a young Matt Damon.

“Our David should be unique and larger than life. Declan is too small screen for that. He’s a womanizer, yes, but David was more than just a womanizer. David was a lover, and a fighter, and a judge. David could be stern and opinionated, yet wacky and giddy—very emotional.”

Leroy waved Declan’s picture in front of her. “Have you watched this guy’s movies? Or are you basing it on that one Romeo and Juliet role he had when he first got started? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had some personal issue with him.”

Andie collected her breath and fingered the rest of the photos. “Why don’t we set him on the side and rank the rest of the actors?”

All she had to do was find one man to beat Declan. How hard could it be? But then, she was being unfair and personal. Vengeful. Truthfully, she should let it go. It wasn’t as if he’d held onto her and made her life miserable. Once they found out they weren’t compatible, he’d let her go, fair and square. A no-fault divorce and nothing on her record. Not even her parents knew they had eloped for that short moment in time in Vegas.

He’d kept his mouth shut and what happened in Vegas had stayed there.

“Okay, let’s prepare a list of pros and cons for Declan Reed.” Andie took out a sheet of paper. “You go first.”

Mid-morning, she got an instant message from Sylvia that Mr. Silver wanted to see her.

“What now?” Andie looked up from the film clips of Declan she was studying. If she had to admit to herself, he’d really grown as an actor, and his compact, spritely build did fit the stereotype for the young David. Not too muscular but neither was he a reed, as his last name suggested.

She stopped by the ladies’ room and headed for Ronaldo’s office. Cade would be at practice, but he could have warmed up with his buddy beforehand. Had they exchanged words or blows over the kiss? What had Ronaldo said? What if he told Cade that Andie had come on to him first?

Sucking in a shaky breath, she knocked on his partially open door.

“Come in, and close the door behind you.” Ronaldo’s voice was flat and his gaze steely.

“Sure, thank you, sir.” Andie babbled as butterflies scrambled in her belly. What had she done now? It had to be about the kiss. Was it possible for a boss to accuse her of sexual harassment?

“Take a seat, and tell me what you have against Declan Reed.”

“What? Who told you? Leroy?”

Had Leroy gone behind her back? How could he do this when he’d told her their decision had to be agreeable?

Ronaldo waved his hand and snickered as Andie took the low leather chair in front of his massive desk. “Not Leroy. He has nothing but good things to say about you. Actually it’s Mr. Reed, your husband.”

“Ex-husband.”

Ronaldo arched an eyebrow. “That’s not what he says. Anyway, we had a very informative dinner last night. I think he’s perfect for the part.”

“Wait, but you told Leroy you wanted us to make our recommendations.”

Ronaldo drummed his fingers on his desk. “It was a test that you failed. You let your personal bias get in the way. Declan says you bragged to him about how you could get him blacklisted in all of Hollywood. Imagine that. You? A research assistant?”

“I didn’t say that.” Sweat broiled under Andie’s hairline. Of course, this was Hollywood. Everything anyone ever said could and would be taken out of context.

“Fine. You didn’t. Just like you didn’t come on to me when I graciously took you to dinner to welcome you to my company.”

“I didn’t.”

He leaned across the table. “I didn’t either, and Cade will believe me over you. We go back a long way, just saying.”

“I won’t come between you two, don’t worry.”

“Oh, I’m not worried. You better get your story straight with Declan. You see, I don’t like people who toy with my buddy. You hurt Cade. I’ll hurt you.”

Goodness gracious. She hadn’t been long at this job, and she was already in deep shit. She tugged at her collar and swallowed. “Am I? Am I still employed here?”

Ronaldo put his hands behind his head and kicked his feet onto the table. “Of course you are. You
are
after all, the world’s expert on the wives of King David and the mating habits of women in ancient Israel. You also have intimate knowledge of the lead actor I’m considering, and the scriptwriter enjoys working with you. Why would I cut off my nose to spite my face?”

“You wouldn’t. Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome.” Her boss tilted his head toward the door in dismissal.

Andie stumbled out of his office and took deep breaths to collect herself. The good news was he hadn’t spoken to Cade about the kiss. The bad news was Declan spreading false rumors about her, claiming they were still married to get an ‘in’ with the role. She’d better come clean to Cade about her past. Not that it was much of anything.

Except she’d once thought she was in love with Declan, and it was going to take all the hate she could muster to keep herself from falling for his blarney-shit again.

You’ve got Cade. Cade’s way better. Cade. Cade. Cade.

“Andie?” Sylvia called as she walked by her desk. “You have an envelope. Looks like it got forwarded here from New York.”

“Oh, thanks. My mom mentioned something.” She took the large mailer from Sylvia, and her heart slammed to the floor.

No. No. It can’t be. A thousand times, no.

Everything swirled around her, the cubicle walls, the carpet, and the voices chattering above her, and then it was black and she wanted to die.

She didn’t have to open the envelope to know its contents. She’d addressed it herself. From Antoinette Marie Wales to Declan Connor Reed. Inside were the divorce papers she’d signed two freaking years ago.

They had been returned to sender and were never filed.

[To be Continued]