Page 55 of Cade

“I make you nervous?” I asked as I brought my lips to his again.

Cade groaned into my mouth, and I could feel him hardening against me, the sensation of his arousal against my own sudden erection making me see stars.

Instinctively, I let my lips wander to his jaw, nibbling, sucking at the flesh until he was practically putty in my arms.

“Fuck yes,” he breathed as he relaxed in my hold.

I pulled away suddenly, taking stock of the look on his face. His swollen lips, flushed cheeks. My blood raced beneath my skin, my stomach tying into knots as I took in the beauty and the aura of the man in front of me.

“The feeling’s mutual,” I said, awestruck.

Cade shook his head, dispelling the momentary lapse of sanity, sliding his hand in mine as he pulled me toward the open door.

“Come in,” he said, his voice catching a little to convey he really was nervous.

A part of me found that endearing. That I could have such an effect on anyone, let alone someone as perfect as Cade.

Inside the house, I was immediately struck with the scent of garlic, butter, and perfectly aged parmesan reggiano. My mouth watered almost instantly.

Not to mention the cozy atmosphere. While there was a fireplace, it looked like it was walled off. Instead of logs, long stemmed metal candlesticks were strewn across the bottom, and I had to appreciate the ornate mahogany mantle that looked like something out of the forties.

The living room itself wasn’t huge, but it was full of character. Little Star Wars figurines, bright, woven blankets, and candles strewn about nearly everywhere, but none lit.

The couch alone begged me to jump in and take a long needed nap. Combined with the scent of butter and cheese, I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven. I stood there like an idiot, while Cade left me to my devices, coming back with a glass of fizzy pink champagne, complete with sliced strawberry at the bottom of the flute.

“Are we celebrating something?” I asked.

Cade smirked. “The opening of Cade’s Cafe, of course.”

“The place seems quite promising.”

“And you haven’t even had the best part yet,” he said as he flung a kitchen towel over his shoulder as he headed into the kitchen, and I followed him without question.

His kitchen was barely a quarter the size of the one in the Rhodes Family home, but somehow it felt more open and warm than any other I’d been in. I took a seat at the island, clutching my drink as I watched him toss food in the pan, manning a couple different pots and pans with ease. The island itself was set for two, complete with little bowls of salad in bamboo bowls that had black painted paw prints on them.

Perhaps there was a time I would have found such a thing kitchsy, or tacky even, but here in Cade’s home, it was cute. Endearing, even.

I watched him in awe, as he moved about his kitchen, watched the muscles in his arm flex as he flipped things in pans, taking sight of his firm ass and the way the dark wash jeans hugged his form.

Was there anything this man couldn’t do?

“I hope you like risotto, because if not, you’re screwed,” he said with a light laugh.

I set my drink down as I swiveled back and forth on the barstool.

“I have many acquired tastes, I can assure you,” I said as I watched him spoon the mixture into a deep, white bowl. “You didn’t have to do this, you know.”

He walked over with a bowl of fresh risotto. It smelled divine, and when he sprinkled fresh herbs on top from a small dish on the island, I realized without a doubt that this man was absolutely perfect, and as he sat down across from me with his own plate, smiling genuinely at me as he picked up his fork, he said, “I know, but I wanted to.”

And at that moment, I knew.

Cade was as good as they came. He was passionate, smart, attractive, and had a heart that was full of so much love it would have been hard for me to not fall in love with him.

Because as I watched Cade blow across the steaming hot food on his fork, I knew without a doubt, I was falling in love with this man.

This man who seemed to make the rest of the world fall away, who seemed to be able to draw out the darkest parts of me and make everything... okay.

“My dad, uh, announced his retirement today,” I said as I took a stab at my food.

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