Page 5 of Blue Collar Hotties

Sure enough: “I got these scars in an explosion three months ago. Saw you notice them just now. Well, we were in a convoy, moving diplomats between cities, and Luis was already gone by then. I was so fucking raw from that…”

I raise my bottle, taking a long sip of cool beer, and feel Cade’s story settle over me like a blanket. Like a steady hand on my shoulder.

This is what it feels like: that miraculous thing that I’ve never had before, not fully. Not even with my big brother, not with his overprotective instincts getting in the way.

Mutual trust. Laying yourself open for another person.

I tip my head up to the stars, breathe deeply, and listen.

…At last.

* * *

“There’s a town on the other side of the mountain pass. I’ll probably head there. Hole up and find work in the area.”

I blink, elbow-deep in soap suds the next morning. We’re in the tiny cabin kitchenette together, washing up our breakfastthings; mugs and plates clink together in the soapy water, and tendrils of steam curl into the bright morning air.

“You’re sticking around?” Damn the shaky note of hope in my voice. Could I be any more obvious? If my brother’s best friend gets even ahintof how badly I want him here, he’ll surely run for the hills. Desperate is not a good look.

Cade grunts, slotting a clean plate onto the drying rack. “That okay?”

“Yeah.”

Yeah.Understatement of the century. I barely slept last night, I was so chewed up thinking about how I’d only just met Cade, and he was gonna leave already.One night, he’d said, so I figured I’d never see him again, and god, that thought stole my breath. I haven’t been this calm, this centered since my brother died, and now I have to give that up?

Am I okay with him sticking around? Is he kidding me?

“You could always stay here a while longer. In the cabin, I mean.”

Nowthat’sa dumb suggestion. Talk about pushing my luck. The veteran might not have minded sleeping out on the deck last night, but that doesn’t mean he won’t want a bed going forward. And am I ready to invite him into mine? Could I ever be that brave? Would he even want me that way?

Cade is silent, frowning into the sink. “I could fix your hot water, I guess.”

He was super grumpy this morning when he saw me boiling water on the stove to wash up with. Kept cursing Luis under his breath. If anyone else insulted my brother like that, I’d ream them the hell out, but I know with Cade it comes from a place of love.

Exasperated love for Luis. I know that sensation well.

“The windows, too,” I point out, because if Cade needs excuses to stay here, hey—I’ve got a whole list of ‘em. “You could fix up the whole cabin! I’ll pay you, obviously, and then—”

“No payment.”

I stutter to a halt. No payment? So what, this man is just gonna fix up the whole lakehouse, the one thatherightly owns, then drive away and leave it to me? That makes no sense.

“You can take the bed,” I offer instead, because no way can he give all that free labor and sleep on the floor.

“Riley,” he says flatly. “Don’t.”

We stand side by side, staring at each other. My fingertips are puckered, plunged deep in the soapy water, and Cade’s squeezing a dish towel tight. His jeans are faded and worn, hugging his muscular thighs, and his dark red t-shirt clings to his strong chest.

God, his eyes are blue. They’re that cool, milky blue, like a glacial mountain lake.

“It’s agreed, then.” Cade reaches out and I go utterly still, heart thumping, but he brushes a fleck of soap suds from my cheek. My skin tingles like crazy where he touched me. “I’ll stay and fix up the cabin, and I’ll sleep on the deck. And once everything is fixed…”

“It could take ages. Months, even.”

Please let it take months.

Cade’s smile is crooked. Are there dimples hiding under that stubble?

---