01 Cade Read online

  “I can appreciate how difficult it is for you to be in the Witness Protection Program,” he continued. “But that doesn’t give you the right to be so obnoxious!”

  Riley opened her mouth to spit out a retort, but only thing that came out was a yelp as his hand connected solidly with both cheeks at the same time. God, she hadn’t realized his hands were so big. That really stung!

  And then, finally it was over and Riley was back on her feet. Torn between slapping Cade Cutler across that handsome face of his for what he’d just done, and rubbing the sting from her throbbing ass, she chose the latter.

  She was afraid that if she tried to smack him, she’d be right over his knee again anyway.

  As she stood there rubbing her bottom, Riley thought that she should at least be telling Cade off, but for the first time in her life, she was speechless. The man had given her a spanking! What kind of brute had they sent to protect her?!

  Well, he had probably just set the record for having the shortest career in the history of the U.S. Marshals, Cade thought bitterly. His family would be so proud. Then again, getting fired might be the least of his worries. After all, spanking a protectee was almost certainly on the shortlist of absolute dumbass things to do. Because of what he’d done, it was likely that he might never get another job in law enforcement of any kind ever again. It wouldn’t matter to his supervisors that the dang woman had completely deserved the spanking he’d given her. Cade seriously doubted they would understand.

  Even if Riley Barnett had deserved it, he was still surprised with himself for letting her get to him like that. He’d never done anything like that to a woman before. The idea had never even occurred to him. Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely true, he thought. Ever since he’d seen Sarah Engles, this cute girl he’d had a crush on when he was a kid, get paddled in school, he’d been fascinated with the thought of putting a girl over his knee. And Riley seemed to have an almost unnatural talent for pushing his buttons; she’d been doing it ever since he’d first walked into the apartment. Then she’d made that snide comment about him not knowing how to do his job. That had really hit a sore spot, and before he knew it, he’d found himself dragging her over his knee and spanking that tight, little bottom of hers. He had to admit that it had definitely been satisfying.

  And there was a part of him that felt that the spanking had even been justified. To say that Cade had been shocked when he’d seen the birthday cards from Riley’s family was putting it mildly. She had been in the program long enough to know what to do, and what not to do. That she’d actually been in contact with her mother and sisters had to be the dumbest thing he’d ever heard. He wouldn’t have thought anyone could be that stupid.

  And now, he had to tell the Deputy Chief about it. Shit. Reaching into his jacket pocket, Cade took out his cell phone and flipped it open. Punching in the number, he kept one eye on Riley as he waited for Pete Conner to answer.

  Cade was actually a little surprised that the blonde was still standing where he’d left her. He would have thought she’d run off to the bedroom and slam the door in a snit. Instead, she just stood there rubbing her freshly-spanked bottom, a pout on her full lips. He could see her wince now and then as she explored his handiwork. Good. He hoped it still stung.

  “Conner,” a gruff voice said in his ear.

  Cade dragged his attention away from Riley. “It’s Cutler,” he said. “I’m at Riley Barnett’s apartment.”

  “Is there a problem?” his boss asked.

  Cade glanced at Riley. “You could say that,” he told the other man. “There’s not much substance to her claims that someone’s been watching her, but her identity has been compromised.” Quickly, Cade told him about the birthday cards he’d found, and the fact that she had admitted to telling her family where she was.

  On the other end of the line, Conner swore. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  “I wish I were,” Cade said grimly.

  The other man sighed. “We’re going to have to move her again,” he said. “And she can’t stay at her apartment until we do, which means that you’ll have to take her to a safe house.”

  As his boss rattled off the address for the safe house the Marshals Service had in Puyallup, Washington, Cade automatically wedged the cell phone against his shoulder so that he could write it down on the spiral notebook that he’d taken from his jacket pocket.

  “Sir,” Cade said when the other man had finished. “You might want to have another Marshal meet us there so that he can stay with Ms. Barnett. She and I got off on the wrong foot. I don’t think I’m the best fit to work with her.”

  There was silence on the other end for a moment, then, “Are you telling me that you can’t handle a simple babysitting job, Cutler?”

  Cade felt himself flush. “No, Sir,” he said tightly.

  “Good!” Conner barked. “Then do your job, or go find another one!”

  Cade’s gaze went to the blonde as he snapped his cell phone shut. From the smirk on her face, it was obvious she’d overheard his boss yelling at him. Great, he thought irritably. Not only was Conner pissed at him, but he was going to be stuck with Riley Barnett for who knew how long. Just great.

  Despite the fact that her bottom was still stinging like crazy, Riley took a great amount of pleasure in seeing the Marshal get berated over the phone. It was obvious that had been what was happening; she had been able to hear the yelling all the way across the room.

  On the other side of the room, Cade was slipping his cell phone back into his pocket. “I’m taking you to a safehouse, so you’ll need to pack a bag,” he told her curtly. “And make it quick. We’re leaving right away.”

  Riley blinked. If he thought she was going anywhere with him after the spanking he’d given her, then he was crazy! “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

  He regarded her for a moment in silence, his jaw tight. “I’m sure you overheard the conversation on the phone. No one else is being assigned to your case, so that means you’re stuck with me.”

  She lifted her chin. “Why do I need to move again?” she demanded petulantly. “You just told your boss that you don’t think the SUV is anything to worry about.”

  His jaw tightened even more. “And I’m probably right,” he said. “But I might be wrong, too. And by telling your family where you are, you’ve made the chances that there is someone after you a hell of a lot more likely.

  Regardless, the Witness Security Program is founded on one fundamental rule - never compromise your identity.

  Yours has been, Ms. Barnett. And since I have no intention of failing on this assignment, you’re going to that safehouse with me, one way or another.” He lifted a brow. “Now, which is it going to be? Are you going to voluntarily pack a bag and come with me, or do I need to spank you until you change your mind?”

  Riley gasped, blushing hotly as she remembered how easily Cade Cutler had put her over his knee and spanked her bottom a few minutes earlier. “You’re a real jerk, you know that?” she said.

  Turning on her heel, Riley stomped down the hall and into her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. She leaned back against it, seething.

  Great, Riley thought miserably. Now, she was going to have to move again. And she really liked it there, too. Not only did she have a terrific job, but she had finally started to make some friends. She’d even had a date lined up for that weekend; the first in over a year. Dammit!

  Not for the first time did she wonder what her life would be like if she hadn’t stuck her nose in where it didn’t belong all those years ago.

  She had been working late one night at the Manhattan financial firm where she was a junior stockbroker when she had overheard a conversation between her boss and some other men. Normally, she wouldn’t have paid much attention, but it had been really late for a business meeting. So without them noticing, she had crept closer to the office to listen to what they were saying. When she had realized they were talking about money laundering, she had imm
ediately gone to the police. The next thing she knew, she was wearing a wire and planting bugs for the Feds.

  At the time, the whole thing had seemed so exciting, like she was a spy, or something. Talking her way into upper-level meetings, skulking around in the middle of the night making copies of incriminating documents, and hacking into her boss’ computer to find evidence had all seemed like so much fun. Especially being fresh out of college like she had been. But then the real world had intruded, and she found herself testifying against not only her boss, but a high-powered mob figure as well. Then it wasn’t fun anymore. Her life had become hell at that point.

  That had been five years ago. Since then, she had been moved from one city to another, one apartment to another, one job to another, one identity to another. And now, it was going to start all over again.

  To make matters worse, Cade Cutler had spanked her! She could still feel every spot on her bottom where his hand had come down. It was a good thing she’d had on jeans instead of a skirt. As it was, she was probably going to have marks, maybe even bruises. She had never been so manhandled in her life! And to think she had actually thought he was cute!

  Suddenly realizing that she’d been standing there for at least five minutes, Riley gave herself a mental shake. Half afraid that the Marshal would come in to check to see what was keeping her and make good on his threat to spank her again, she hurried across the bedroom to the closet and pulled out her overnight bag. Going over to her dresser, she pulled open her underwear drawer and, taking out a dozen pairs of bikini panties, put them in the bag.

  Closing that drawer, she opened the one next to it and picked out a lacy push-up bra before pushing it closed again. Opening the drawer below that one, she took out a pair of shorts and a cami-top, then went to the closet and grabbed several T-shirts and an extra pair of jeans, all of which she packed into the bag. Satisfied that she had enough clothes, she went into the adjoining bathroom to grab her toiletries, and added them to the bag as well.

  Glancing at her reflection in the mirror above the sink, Riley was surprised to see that not only was her face flushed, but that her long, blond hair looked as if she’d just turned her head upside down and given it a good shake. Then again, she reminded herself, she had just spent a good ten minutes draped over Cade Cutler’s lap getting spanked. Brute, she thought as she took the brush from her overnight bag and ran it through her hair.

  Dropping her hairbrush back into the bag a moment later, she zipped it closed, and then left the room.

  Cade was just checking his watch when Riley walked into the living room, and he looked up at her entrance. “It took you long enough,” he grumbled. “I was just about to come in and get you.”

  Riley gave him a glare. “You men are all alike,” she said as she set the bag down on the floor and walked over to pick up her shoulder bag from the chair. “You think that all you need are a toothbrush and a change of underwear, and you’re good to go.”

  If Cade weren’t still annoyed, he probably would have found her assessment of the male half of the species amusing, but as it was, he only stood there waiting impatiently while Riley dug through her purse. She was probably deliberately being slow. God, she was irritating, he thought. And now, he was going to be stuck in some safe house with her. The thought was enough to make his jaw clench.

  Over by the chair, Riley took her sunglasses from her purse and put them on before rummaging through her shoulder bag again. Coming up with her keys a moment later, she announced that she was ready to go.

  Finally, Cade thought to himself as he bent to pick up her overnight bag. Opening the door, he held it open for her so that she could walk out ahead of him. Riley stood where she was for so long that he thought he was going to have to prompt her, but after giving her small apartment one more wistful look, she brushed past him and stepped into the hallway.

  They made their way down the stairs in silence. Once outside, Cade led her over to his car, his gaze automatically checking to see if the black SUV that Riley had said she’d seen was anywhere around. She was looking for it too, he noticed. But it was nowhere in sight. Not that he had expected it to be.

  Neither of them spoke on the drive down to Puyallup, which suited Cade just fine. The less interaction he and Riley Barnett had, the better.

  As safe houses went, it wasn’t bad, Riley thought as Cade pulled into the driveway of a small two-story house an hour and a half later. It was in a crowded part of town with a couple of strip malls and stores just down the street.

  Not a bad place to be stuck. Not that she’d probably spend much time there anyway; the other times, she had been moved within a few days.

  Walking up to the door with Cade several moments later, a thought abruptly occurred to Riley. They hadn’t stopped for a key, and she wondered how they were going to get inside. She was about to ask Cade that same question when she noticed the keyless-entry pad beside the door.

  Riley watched as the Marshal punched in the four-digit code, automatically making a mental note of the combination. Numbers had always come easy to her, which was one of the reasons she had enjoyed being a stockbroker so much. Well, at least that was one thing she could say about the Marshals. They always found her a job related to money and investing.

  Walking into the entryway, Riley stood for a moment to survey her new surroundings. The house was a simple design, with a living room, an eat-in kitchen, and a small room down the hallway that was probably a bathroom taking up the downstairs, while a narrow staircase directly off the entryway led to the second floor. Toward the back of the house, she could see another door that led to the backyard.

  Beside Riley, Cade set down her bag as he swept the house with his gaze. “I’m going to go check out the upstairs,” he told her.

  As he headed for the steps, Riley wandered into the kitchen. She had been too nervous that morning to eat much of anything for breakfast, and now that it was nearing late afternoon, she was starting to get hungry. Hopefully, the pantry was stocked.

  But both the pantry and the cabinets were empty, much to her dismay. Her brow furrowing, she opened the fridge, but besides an old carton of baking soda, it, too, was empty. Great, she thought.

  Hearing Cade’s footsteps behind her, she turned to frown at him. “There’s nothing to eat,” she said as he walked into the kitchen.

  He shrugged. “We’ll get pizza delivered.”

  Riley looked at him in surprise. “Three times a day?”

  He shrugged again. “Why not? What’s wrong with pizza?”

  “Nothing, but no one could eat pizza that much,” she protested. Admittedly, she liked pizza a lot, but even she didn’t want to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. “Besides, I have to eat more often than that, anyway. If I don’t, then my blood sugar gets too low, and I get grumpy.”

  Cade lifted a brow at that, but before he could say anything, she continued.

  “Can’t we just run to the store and go shopping?” she asked.

  His mouth tightened. “What part of witness protection don’t you understand?”

  She sighed. “Then how about you go to the grocery store?”

  “And leave you alone?” he asked incredulously. “I don’t think so.”

  Riley folded her arms. “They call it a safe house because it’s safe, right? And you said yourself that I’m not in danger, so why can’t I stay here while you run to the store?” she demanded. “It’s not going to take you any more than thirty minutes, tops. I’ll be fine.”

  When Cade made no reply, she took that to mean he was giving the whole thing some thought, so she added, “You won’t like me when I’m grumpy. Trust me.”

  He shook his head with a sigh. “Okay, I’ll go to the store,” he agreed. “But only if you promise to stay put.”

  She made a show of looking around. “Where would I go?” she said.

  Cade gave her an annoyed look. “Just do it, okay?” he told her. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”

  Riley followed hi
m to the door, quickening her steps to keep up with his long strides. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I want?” she said.

  He turned to face her. “I was just going to get some peanut butter and a loaf of bread.”

  She opened her mouth to protest, but then changed her mind. Cade had agreed to go shopping for her; she supposed she should at least be gracious. And besides, she did like peanut butter. “Okay,” she said. “But make sure the peanut butter is the reduced-fat kind. And that the bread is one-hundred percent whole wheat.”

  Cade’s mouth tightened, but he said nothing.

  “Oh, and get some skim milk, too,” she added as he turned the doorknob. “And yogurt. Maybe a box of cereal, too. Anything that’s whole-grain.” She paused. “And some fruit and vegetables.”

  He lifted a brow. “Anything else?” he asked dryly.

  She thought a moment. “Chocolate,” she said, and then added, “Maybe you should write all that down.”

  “I got it.” He opened the door. “Remember, stay put. And don’t open the door to anyone.”

  After Cade had left, Riley considered unpacking, but then decided it would just be easier to live out of her suitcase. Wishing she’d remembered to bring a book or two with her, she went into the living room and grabbed the remote from the coffee table. Flopping down onto the couch, she turned on the television.

  Surfing through the channels didn’t take her long since the house was only set up with basic cable. Darn it, she thought. She should have asked Cade to stop at the video store on the corner and get some movies while he was out. Then again, maybe it was a good idea that she hadn’t. He’d probably come back with a bunch of action movies that had lots of stuff blowing up and no real story. Still, watching a movie or two would have helped to pass the time.

  Suddenly, an idea came to her. Why not go to the video store herself?

  Because Cade told you to stay put, a little voice in her head reminded her.

  He’d also told her that she wasn’t in any danger, Riley pointed out. And besides, it was only a short walk to the video store. She’d seen on in the strip mall down the street. Come to think of it, there was a bookstore, too. She could grab a couple of videos and some books, and still be back well before Cade. And if he didn’t like it, well, then that was tough. He might be able to drag her off and uproot her whole life all over again, but that didn’t mean she had to be bored the whole time they were at the safe house.