Page 32 of Relinquish

“How awful. What happened?” The slump of his shoulders is a clear indication that the weight of the world is on his back. I grasp his bicep but don’t say anything else as I wait to see if he’s going to say more.

He steps back, causing my arm to drop to my side. “Let’s go outside.” He tips his head to the security guard.

“Okay.” I nod and follow behind him. When we reach the airlock, we flash our IDs.

Once we’ve been identified, we’re allowed to pass through and exit the building. The cool evening air wafts around us as the sun dips low into the western skyline, leaving streaks of pink and red to highlight the setting sun.

“Like I said.” I jump when he speaks. “She didn’t have health insurance, and by the time she went to the doctor, she was so frail. They discovered she was in the late stages of colon cancer. It was only a few months until she passed.”

“Oh, my God, Cade. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe both of our mothers died of cancer.” I grab his hands. Our pasts are so different, yet so similar–it’s eerie. We stand face to face on the pavement as a couple of cars pass by. “What did you do? Where did you live? With your grandparents?”

He shook his head. “No, my grandparents were no longer living by then. They’d been older when my mother was born, so by the time she died, they were gone. Hell, they might not have taken me anyway. I ended up staying with a woman I’d met right as my mom was getting sick. She helped me take care of my mom when she was at her worst. Stella is an amazing woman. I don’t know what I’d have done without her in my life.”

He squeezes my hands, lets them go, and we walk to the parking garage. “She sounds like an angel. You were lucky she came along when you needed her.”

“You’re right. A lot of the time, I focused on how rough things were for us and how alone I was after she was gone, but it would have been devastating if I didn’t have Stella, Tyrone, and Daniel in my life.”

“Tyrone and Daniel?”

“You remember Tyrone is Sarah’s fiancé?”

“Yes.” So, Sarah’s fiancé is more than a friend of Cade’s. They’d obviously spent several years together as a family.

“She adopted them, and I lived with her as her foster son until I turned eighteen and was able to join the military. As soon as I was able to provide for myself, I thought it was appropriate to leave.”

“That’s me back there.” I point to the back row of the parking garage. He continues to walk beside me until we reach my car.

How did we get here so quick? I don’t want to end the conversation because I’m afraid he’ll never open up like this again. The more I find out about him, the more fascinating I find him. He worked hard to become a man worthy of respect. And although he doesn’t need my approval, I’m proud of him.

“I’m sure they didn’t consider you a burden.” Why did I have to make plans with Rachel? I want to stay here in the cold, graffiti-filled garage and learn everything about him. “Thank you for walking me to my car and for telling me a bit about your past. I’m embarrassed that I’ve bored you with my story of how rough it was to grow up in a home that had everything. You must think I’m a spoiled brat.”

I boohooed about having a chauffeur, a cook, and a gardener while he’d lived with a family he’d barely known after his mother had died. I pull the keys out of my purse and push the button to open the lock.

“Don’t feel bad. I wouldn’t have wanted to live under a microscope as you did.”

I lean against the metal door, facing him. The heat from his body permeates the chill of the air. When his gaze dips to my mouth, my stomach flips. To combat the nervous energy zipping through me, I chew on my bottom lip. Is he going to kiss me? Do I want him to? That’s a stupid question. Of course, I do, but will he? “I’m sorry, but I need to go. Rachel will be waiting for me.”

He rubs his thumb along my jawline, and I forget to breathe. “Thanks for listening. I don’t ever share that part of my past with anyone, but with you, it felt good to talk about it.”

I shove off the car and step toward him. The pull to him is almost magnetic. “I’m glad it made you feel better.”

His pupils dilate as he inhales. “Do you want to know what would make me feel even better?”

“What’s that?” I place my hands on his chest and feel the solid, rapid thudding of his heart under my fingertips.

“Maybe I should show you.” As his head dips down, I stand on my tiptoes and meet his lips. The first soft brush of his mouth against mine made my sex swell with anticipation.

I run my hands over his chest and into his hair. The sensation of his hair brushing against my fingertips makes my knees wobble, and the outside world fades to emptiness–no more whooshing of the tires from the street or the smell of exhaust. As I inhale the scent of his cologne, the only thing that registers is him.

When his tongue sweeps inside my mouth, I moan and thrust mine against his. His hands slide along my waist, and I arch my back, allowing my belly to press against his hard cock. God, it feels like heaven being in his arms. He’s hard. Strong. Perfect. My eyes flutter behind my eyelids, and I moan–again.

He nips my bottom lip. “If you keep moaning like that, you won’t be meeting Rachel.”

I slowly open my eyes to focus as the world rushes back into focus. The parking garage is nearly empty, and a car door on another floor slams shut. I drop my arms to my sides and lick my lips. “You have a point. I’d better be going.” I soak everything about him into my brain–everything from his green eyes to his dark hair. If this is the last time I’m this close to him, I want to remember each detail. I need to go before I fall so hard I crash and can’t put the pieces back together.

He takes a step backward, but his gaze never leaves mine. “Would you be interested in going out with me sometime? I understand we come from different backgrounds, and your family would hate me, but when I’m with you, I feel a connection that I haven’t felt in–well ever. And there’s some smoking hot chemistry between us.”

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Yeah, when I’m with you, it feels like someone has doused me in kerosene, and you’re the match.”

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