Cade: Le Beau Brothers: billionaire Shifter Series BBW mates (Le Beau Series) (8 page)

He made a show of scanning the vintage baseball cards as his excuse for going into the store. If she knew he hadn’t actually needed to go in the store she might kill him. He sensed she was almost to her limit by the look on her face and the amount of sighing he heard.
I had better get moving before she calls it quits.

“I don’t see anything I want, let’s go a little further down the block before we do something else
,” Cade said.

She gave him a real smile this time and took his hand as they left the store. “So, is there anything specific you are shopping for? I could help if I knew what to look for.”

“No, nothing specific. I just wanted to spend the day wondering around the Quarter with my lady.” He gave her what he considered his best smile.

She rolled her eyes at him and they both laughed.

Up ahead was his reason for all the effort. The most exclusive jewelry shop in the Quarter. Nothing but the best for his Anna. Jack Sutton Jewelry at 315 Royal Street would have exactly what he wanted.

He tightened his grip slightly on her hand and steered her toward the entrance. 

She hissed, “What are you doing?” She glared at him.

He looked over his shoulder and shrugged innocently. “What? They have really nice stuff, and my friend, Jack, owns the place
. So I thought we might say hi and enjoy his shop.”

Anna growled and mumbled under her breath, “Jewelry shops are worse than sports shops. The man is going to kill me.”

He realized then, she never wore jewelry in their dreams. Apparently she wasn’t a jewelry girl or a shopping girl.

Cade was already scanning the cases for the perfect item. Not just any piece would do. The ring had to be special and unique like Anna or it wouldn’t do her justice.

The shop owner walked up. “Hello, Cade, how are you doing?”

“Great, Jack.” His glance went to Anna before he looked the owner in the eye. Conveying a wealth of information in that pointed stare. She didn’t seem to be paying any attention to them which was good. If she stayed far enough away he could do this without getting caught.

“I’m looking for a very special gift,” Cade whispered and winked.

Jack discreetly winked back. “How much do you want to spend?”

Playing it casual so he wouldn’t tip her off to a transaction going down, he shrugged. “Money is no object.”

“Okay. Then I have some exquisite, one-of-a-kind pieces over here.” Cade followed him to a high-security case at the end of the counter, and immediately saw the ideal ring that would be perfect for his mate. He casually indicated the ring sliding his black American Express card to Jack concealed under his palm. Before she came into view, Jack quickly slipped the card into his pocket.

Cade moved to a less expensive case to throw her off, pretending to be seriously shopping it. “Anna, can you look at these for me?”

Anna was slowly wandering around the shop and when she heard him call her name she headed back in his direction.

“Which is your favorite?” he asked.

She scanned the case and shrugged. “They are all nice, I guess.”

He wasted a few more minutes randomly looking at things to give Jack time to finish the super-secret sale and slip the card and ring to Cade without being seen.

“I guess there isn’t anything we want here.” He sighed for effect. “Thanks, Jack, I’ll see you around.”

Once on the sidewalk, Anna reached out and brushed her fingers against his cheek
.

He turned his face into her palm and nuzzled it, then kissed the very center. Smiling, he said, “We have some time before I have to meet Stefan. Would you like to take a carriage ride through the Quarter?”

“I would love to. I’ve always enjoyed those rides, and the tour guides are interesting to listen to.”

“Good.” He leaned down and kissed her. Draping his arm around her shoulders, they strolled to Jackson Square to hire a carriage. The drivers waiting for a fair were lined up along Decatur where water troughs were available to the mules.

He led her to an available carriage, and like the gentleman he was, helped her up. Anna scooted over to make room for him to join her while he paid the driver. For some reason he had a private conversation with him that Anna couldn’t hear. The glances the driver cast at her during the secret tête-à-tête made her a little suspicious.

Cade casually hopped into the carriage and acted like he was completely innocent of whatever he was up to. He started pointing out things around them to cover whatever it was he was doing.
He is really bad at being inconspicuous and nonchalant
she mused.

She looked at him skeptically while he did his best to snuggle her against his chest. The driver played it cool, being a perfect cohort in crime and pretended nothing was going on.

The mule pulled them out onto the street, and they started through the Quarter.

The driver turned halfway in his seat. “Let me introduce myself, I’m George and I’ll be your driver today. Are you two visiting our fair city?” he asked.

They looked at each other and both shook their heads.

“Have you taken a ride before?” 

“I have several times,” said Anna. “I never get tired of the stories you guides have to tell.”

“I have as well,
” Cade added.

George gave her a smile. With a nod he turned and faced forward which perplexed her. Normally the driver sits sideways in the seat so they can drive and talk to the passengers at the same time.
What are these two up to?

She suppressed a little smile, she wasn’t going to make it easy on him by asking what was happening. Instead she closed her eyes, snuggled closer and inhaled the warm, masculine scent of Cade. For extra measure, she thought about how much she would love to gobble him up, in explicit detail, loudly.

She giggled as she heard his heart pounding rapidly beneath her ear. They rode past a variety of venues throughout the French Quarter. As they passed bars, music drifted out of the open doors. Every kind of music was available in New Orleans, the blues, zydeco, jazz, rock. You name it, they had it.

Cade rested his cheek on the top of her head while he caressed her face with his hand. Brushing his thumb back and forth across her cheekbone,
her skin is so soft.
He gathered his courage to offer her the ring.

Taking a deep breath, he tipped her chin up with his index finger so she would be looking him directly in the eye. He almost couldn’t breathe as he held her gaze and gathered his nerve.

He’d planned to wait until tonight. In his mind, they would go to a fancy restaurant with a white linen table cloth and a candlelight dinner. He’d get down on one knee and with her tiny hand in his, look deeply into her eyes and ask her to wear his ring. He wanted it to be very romantic, but he honestly couldn’t wait any longer.

He twirled a tendril of her hair around his fingers, cradled the back of her head while gazing at her.

“Anna.” It came out as a croak. He cleared his throat to try again as he reached into his pocket.

“Anna, I want you to know even if we weren’t destined mates, I would want you, desire you, and love you. Regardless of whether you ever choose to mate with me, I want you to know I still want you
--no--need you in my life. I want you to commit completely to me when you are ready. In the meantime, please honor me by wearing my ring as a promise to you that I will always love you. I knew the moment I saw this ring it belonged to you and no one else. As my heart belongs to you and only you.”

He held out the ring as an offering to her, what he really held there between his fingers was his entire heart and soul. He was putting it all on the line. She had the power to either make him the happiest man in the world or shred him and leave him bleeding on the floor. Holding his breath
, he started to sweat.

She nodded, tears of joy shone in her eyes. She was so beautiful, her hazel eyes sparkling and blazing green. Cade’s hands shook as he slid the ring onto her finger. It was perfect. He took a shaky breath and kissed her like he had never kissed a woman before. Tears rolled down her face.

He pulled back. “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong. I screwed this up, didn’t I?”

She shook her head. “No, babe, not at all. No man has ever treated me like this before. Last time I was given a ring, I was informed I was getting married, not asked. I certainly have never received a promise of love with such eloquence.”

He kissed her cheeks until all evidence of happy tears were erased. “Gorgeous,” he murmured huskily, but he wasn’t looking at the ring, his eyes were fixed firmly on her.

Reaching for her hand, he caressed her skin and played with the ring he had just placed on her finger. It was like stroking satin. She was the most precious thing to him. He felt he was a completely different person than the man who’d walked into the Crescent City Brewhouse and found this beautiful woman sitting at the bar cursing at her phone.

Anna was speechless, she couldn’t believe he had given her his heart completely. She stared at the gorgeous ring. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen in her life. She had no idea how he had known canary diamonds were her favorite, but he had- somehow he had.

The center stone was a huge, bright yellow diamond set into a
dainty white gold filigree band and crown. She wasn’t sure just how large the center stone was, but she guessed close to three carats. Six smaller, brilliant white diamonds ran down each side of the band. The stones were blinding they were so brilliant.  The dainty swirling filigree pattern of the band set off the stones perfectly. No other setting would do these stones justice.

About a block down, the driver pulled to the curb and Cade helped her down. They were in front of Crescent City Brewhouse again, where they had met the very first time, in real life anyway.

Anna smiled broadly at him, and he said, “It all began here, and if it’s all right with you, I would like to order a celebratory glass of champagne here to toast to the most beautiful woman in the world accepting my ring.”

Anna gave him her biggest smile, took his hand, and walked with him into the Brewhouse.

Richie happened to be working. His face lit up as he saw Anna walking in with Cade. Unbeknownst to the humans that frequented the Brewhouse, Richie was also a shifter. He knew that Cade would make Anna very happy, and that was what he wanted most for his good friend.

Wiping his hands on a bar towel, he walked to the corner nearest Cade and Anna. “What would you like?”

“Champagne, Richie, and bring the bottle.”

“What’s the celebration, Cade?” Richie had a pretty good, idea but he thought he’d play along and ask anyway.

“This gorgeous lady has agreed to wear my ring. I couldn’t be happier. I can’t imagine myself without her in my life or what I ever did before she was in it.” Cade was looking into her eyes like a lovesick puppy.

Anna sat quietly watching the exchange between the two friends. Her heart thumped wildly. She couldn’t believe how happy she was. It was amazing how life could take a turn.

It was 3:30 in the afternoon. They returned to the hotel after a joyous celebration with friends at the Brewhouse. That meant he had only
thirty minutes to get to the meeting downstairs with Stefan and the lawyers. It was killing him to even think about leaving Anna’s side. With the mating not completed, his wolf was nervous and pacing. For a shifter who had found his mate but hadn’t completed the ritual, it was downright uncomfortable to be any amount of distance apart.

Her room was on the
twenty sixth floor, and the meeting was in a boardroom on the third floor. Twenty-three floors apart. He hoped since they would be in the same building, the discomfort wouldn’t be too bad. Not like being miles apart, still he wanted this meeting to be short, like fifteen minutes short. Then again, maybe she would come along to the meeting?

“Cher, would you like to join me downstairs?” He hoped her answer would be yes. Even though he felt a bit selfish wanting her to sit in a meeting with lawyers completely bored just to ease his own issues. 

She glanced at her laptop. “I was really hoping to spend some time on my new client’s project. If being there is important to you I’ll go, but if not, I’d rather get started on their branding.”

He actually turn red, this was the first time she had seen him blush. “Of course, you have work to do as well.”
Forgive me, mon amour.

Her eyes softened.
Silly wolf, there’s nothing to forgive, especially when the request comes from your desire to be with me. I prefer to not be apart as well, but eventually we do need to rejoin the world.

He brushed his fingers along her cheek before turning to the bedroom to change for the meeting. Minutes later he emerged in a tailored black silk suit, crisp white shirt and royal blue tie. He was HOT!  Man, she loved a man in a suit.

She bit her lower lip as she looked him slowly up and down before she finally met his eyes. He let out a low, sexy growl. “Keep looking at me like that and I’ll never get to the meeting.” 

She gave him a saucy grin and chewed on her fingertip as her eyes and her thoughts heated. She was imagining peeling the suit off him slowly as she licked and nibbled the exposed flesh being revealed.

He moved so fast she didn’t see him take a step. Suddenly he was right in front of her wrapping his strong arms around her and yanking her into his hard body as he buried his face in her hair.

The suddenness of his reaction knocked the breath right out of her. “Cade!”

“I can’t think straight when you fantasize like that! Wicked woman, sending me to a meeting hard as a rock, you did that on purpose. You’re killing me here.”

She ran her fingertip down his chest provocatively, playfully. “Well, then I guess you’ll hurry back as quickly as you can.”

He let out a frustrated groan and took possession of her mouth, plunging his tongue deep, savoring her for a few seconds before he had to tear himself away. “I expect you naked and in bed when I return.” A playful expression spread across his face and a wicked gleam shone in his eyes.

“Oh, I’ll be here, I’m just not sure I will be in the bed though.” She couldn’t help sending him an image of her wet and soapy in the shower.

He gave her a look promising retaliation when he returned and walked out the door.

Shortly after Cade left to meet Stefan, Anna heard a knock on her door. She thought Cade was back and had forgotten his keycard.

He wasn’t.

Tim stood in the door frame. Before she could slam the door in his face he blocked it with his foot and pushed his way in.

Taken by surprise, she stumbled back and fell into one of the dining room chairs.

“What are you doing here?”
she demanded. “You’re not allowed to come near me. Get out!” Her pointed finger jabbed toward the door as she stood again.

Tim shrugged. “I need to talk to you.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Her eyes were blazing and had gone dark. Tim was too stupid to notice. “You are completely insane.”

He acted as if he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. “Anna, I was wrong. I miss you so much, and I want you back.”

She was speechless for a moment. She couldn’t believe what this idiot had said. Did he actually believe she would take him back? Oh, Hell to the NO!

He tried to grab her left hand. “Where did you get that ring? Did HE give you that, you slut!”

Anna burst out laughing, she wasn’t going to respond to the ring comment. “You don’t want me back. The only reason you’re here now is because you’ve seen me with another man. A very handsome man. And you can’t stand the idea I’m with someone other than you. Cade’s good looks and amazing body make you look like a container of leftover food left to rot at the back of my refrigerator, growing slimy and covered in ugly mold. Not only is he major eye candy, but he’s a wonderful man, something you’ll never be.” She leaned closer to Tim and wrinkled her nose. “You even smell like rotten food. Show a modicum of pride and shower once in a while.”

Anna’s laughing at him triggered something in Tim. He clinched his fists and turning a unique shade of red. 
In a haze of rage, he stumbled to the door and flipped the security lock.

Anna started to panic, she was locked in and he looked completely crazed.