Page 20 of Cade

No one made the world fall away around me quite like this man, and that made me feel both alarmed and... hopeful.

Weston turned his head only slightly, smirking at me before turning to Mitchell, shaking his hand firmly.

“Good to meet you too, sir,” he said politely, with that same decadent smoothness that made my insides melt.

“Mind if I get some pictures of you for the paper?” Mitchell said with a grin that was far too mischievous for my liking.

Oh no, I know that look...

“Of course, just tell me where you’d—”

“Cade you can stand here, and Mr. Rhodes—” Mitchell had gone into photographer mode as he ordered about, pointing to the spots and structuring his photo. My blood ran cold, and a part of me wanted to murder him.

“You can stand here,” Mitchell said with a smile as he placed me next to Weston.

I shot him a murderous gaze, if only to let him know I knew exactly what he was doing. He and Dawson were so meddlesome sometimes, but I knew I wouldn’t refuse him. Whether or not he really was going to use this photograph for the paper or not, I knew Mitchell did in fact need photos for the paper, which would no doubt be running an article on this fundraiser. Not to mention, I would look like an asshole if I protested, and I didn’t want Weston to think I was an even bigger asshole.

Why does that bother me?

Sure, we had spent the night together, but Weston had been more than clear it didn’t mean anything to him.

I didn’t mean anything to him.

Except, it did mean something to me, but I couldn’t show that. At best, I’d just look like an overly needy stage five clinger, which is just as bad if not worst than being an asshole.

So if it meant nothing to him, I should act as if it meant nothing to me, too.

No, I wouldn’t let my inner clinger out in front of Weston Rhodes, the man whose gaze made my damn cock twitch from just his proximity, and certainly not in front of the firehouse gossipers, and a meddling photographer.

So I swallowed my pride and my feelings as I stood where Mitchell directed, on the left in front of the banner. There was a small modicum of space between Weston and I, which I pretended not to notice.

Even though I could feel the heat steaming between us...

Mitchell snapped his picture, taking a moment to review it before looking up with a smile and winking at me.

I’m totally going to murder him for this later.

“Okay, that’s good, but this time I’m going to need you two to get a little closer. A little more... comfortable,” he said.

Dawson giggled in the background, and Gina smacked him.

“Of course,” Weston said smoothly as he scooted closer to me, leaving just a hair of space between us. The scent of his cologne invaded my airways, and made my stomach do a little flip.

I’m so fucked.

“Cade, move in a little bit,” Mitchell instructed, and my jaw immediately tensed. Yet I did as Mitchell asked. The movement put Weston and I side by side, and I had to fight the desire to look at him.

To look up into his beautiful gem-like eyes and fall under his spell yet again.

But I didn’t have to look at him to fall under his spell, apparently. Just being close to him was enough.

Just as Mitchell set to take his picture, Weston’s smooth, velveteen voice purred in my ear, “Such a good boy,” and I knew I was was absolutely doomed.

CHAPTER 13

Weston

“Thanks, Mr. Rhodes,” the photographer said, but I could not entirely focus on the paparazzi at the moment. Growing up under my mother’s socialite arm meant I could pose and smile and deal with photographers in my damn sleep, even on my worst days.

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