Page 11 of Trouble

“Hmm?” I force my attention to his face, keeping my eyes off the phone, which is, unfortunately, a trigger for me.

He chuckles, but it’s an annoyed sound. “The man never texts, and the one time he does, I can’t even enjoy it.”

“I’m lost,” I admit.

“Declan. He left. Said he’ll meet us at home.”

A strange disappointment sweeps through me. As much as I like Cade, I can’t help but feel some sort of way about Declan. Maybe because he’s opening up his house to me. Maybe because of how good it felt when his eyes were on me…which, I’ll admit, is odd. I’m constantly in the spotlight, under the microscope. And lately, since the issue with Jason, I can’t help but squirm when I’m the center of attention.Yet he’s different, and I don’t have the slightest idea why.

“Should we go?”

Cade leans in, running his tongue over his bottom lip. The man has made it abundantly clear that he wants me, and I like that he doesn’t play games.

And he’s gorgeous.

Blue eyes, easy smile, broad shoulders, and thighs that bulge in all the right places against his jeans as he spreads his legs wider and pulls my chair between them. “Do you want to go?”

What I want to do is lick his lips. Get lost in his touch. Forget my name and my problems and Jason. I haven’t allowed anyone close since him, and suddenly, I want to purge my body of his touch.

Is that a thing? It should be. Maybe Lake and I can dance around her bonfire, and I can burn all the clothes I wore when I dated Jason.

You’d be burning hundreds of outfits.

It’d be worth it, though, if it helped me shake this writer’s block and I’d remember how to write a song again.

I shiver at the thought of never writing another song. Of having completely lost my talent.

Cade ghosts a finger up the slope of my neck, mistaking the reason for the cascade of goose bumps as desire rather than trepidation.

Though that single touch quickly sends all thoughts of my problems scattering. Now my body is buzzing for a completely different reason.

“I think we need privacy.”

He lets out a light laugh, his breath ghosting over me. “Public sex not your kink like Sara?”

My pulse picks up as I scan the group. I’d all but forgotten that we aren’t alone. Shit, I’m in my own little world with this man. He’s intoxicating. “Not quite sure what my kinks are, but”—I suck in a breath, garnering my courage—“I think I’d like to find out.”

Cade’s blue eyes blaze as he shifts in his seat. “I’ve got to get Mel home. You guys going to be okay?”

Brooks nods. “We’re staying at the hotel across the parking lot. We’ll see you back in Boston for the game.”

We say our goodbyes, and as the door to the bar swings shut behind us, muting the noise of the people inside, my thoughts are suddenly impossibly loud. Like that little voice in my head grew so it could be heard over the din of music, and now I’m adjusting to the quiet again.

“My car is here, but since I’ve had a few drinks, we should probably call for a driver.” He pulls out his phone, narrating his thoughts. “Dec’s house is only a few blocks from here, but it’s cold out.”

I can’t help but smile at the way he processes out loud. “I don’t mind the walk.”

Cade looks up from his phone. “You sure?”

“Absolutely. It’ll sober me a bit.”

With a grin, he slides his phone back into his pocket. “Good, because now I can tease Declan about ditching us and forcing us to walk home.”

I snort. “You two have an odd friendship.”

Cade grasps my hand and links our fingers. The connection is oddly comforting. He’s clearly comfortable with physical touch and doesn’t overthink his actions. His personality couldn’t be more different from that of the standoffish man I’ll be living with through the holidays. The man who appears to do nothingbutthink.

Though he didn’t take his time thinking about how to react when that reporter came at me. He acted on instinct alone, blocking the man’s view of me. Though the move was a simple one, it instantly put me at ease. Made me feel safe.

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