Page 40 of Worthy

″Why Cade isn’t acting like himself. He’s practically stopped flirting. Deacon seems upset with him, which I’m guessing is because Cade is no longer acting as his wingman, and he’s looking at you like some abandoned puppy. What happened?” She looks at me pointedly.

″Nothing happened,” I insist.Unless you count a couple of mind-blowing kisses, but as much as I like Ally that doesn’t feel like her business.

″So, he’s acting pussy-whipped without getting any pussy?” Her mouth drops open.

″Jesus, you sound just like Deacon.” I swirl my glass on the bar, recalling the conversation I overheard between him and Cade.

″What can I say, their caveman language has rubbed off on me. But seriously, you haven’t…you know.” She leans in closer, expecting some juicy details no doubt.

″No. We’ve mostly just talked.” I shake my head.

″Mostly?” She arches her brow. Of course, she’d pick up on that.

″Well, he did have to help me down the trail after I sprained my ankle, and he made me dinner and slept on my couch after.” I huff out a frustrated breath since those were details I never intended to share. “But yeah, mostly we’ve just talked.” I sip my drink, not sure what else to say.

″Well, I wouldn’t have expected it, but maybe that’s his kryptonite.” She shakes her head, bewildered. “And here I thought it was dick.”

″What?” Since the last part of her comment was muttered, I’m not sure I heard it correctly, but she clearly assumes I was asking about the kryptonite thing since that’s how she responds.

″Kryptonite. Achilles heel,” she offers when I don’t react. “Downfall. Jeez, I really am adopting their language. Anyhow, I wouldn’t have thought anything could take Cade off the casual sex bandwagon, but apparently conversation does the trick.”

″I haven’t tried to talk him out of casual sex,” I protest.

″That’s not what I mean, and besides, I don’t think Cade can be talked into anything he doesn’t want to do. What I mean is you just talked, didn’t you? No flirting, no games, just talking. And apparently, he likes that, or he’d be staring down the front of that blonde’s shirt. Lord knows it keeps getting lower every time she leans against the bar.” She shudders in disgust.

I can’t say she’s a hundred percent right, although her observation has some merit. Cade did flirt in the beginning, and I know flirting is his way of talking without saying anything meaningful, so he can keep people at arms-length. But we’ve had some conversations that went beyond flirting, and I think he enjoyed those. I know I did. So maybe actual conversation is what draws us together. Well, that and him being incredibly nice to look at.

I look over to where Cade’s standing upright behind the bar, admiring the way his t-shirt hugs his chest just enough to hint at hisphysique without looking glued on. Despite the blonde practically laying on top of the bar to push up her cleavage he has a somewhat bored expression, but that doesn’t detract from his piercing eyes and full lips.

The blonde rocks forward, pushing her boobs almost out of her shirt. I catch Ally’s eye and she dissolves into a fit of laughter, which grabs Cade’s attention, and he excuses himself under the guise of needing to check our drinks.

″What gave you two the giggles tonight?” He rests his forearms on the bar and leans toward Ally conspiratorially.

″The peep show you were getting. I bet if you go back over there, she’ll show her nipples.” Ally smirks.

″I should probably cut them off.” Cade exhales heavily. “They were forward enough before Deacon got them all riled up on sex shots.”

″Sex shots?” My eyebrows shoot sky high.

″Yeah. Shots that are named after sex.” He looks down at the bar top, and I swear I see a little pink in his cheeks.

″That’s a thing? And you know how to make them?” I’m intrigued. A little confused, but intrigued.

″It’s sort of a game we play to mess with tourists. They think it’s hilarious.” He gives a guilty shrug.

″Give him an example. Tell him what they ordered,” Ally commands before closing her lips around her straw.

Cade takes a deep breath and lets it out while shaking his head slowly. “Pink Panty Droppers, Wet Pussys and Quick Fucks. You string the names together in a sentence that sounds raunchy but is actually a drink order.”

″Jesus,” I snort.

″That’s not all.” Ally grabs my arm and leans closer, giggling. “These morons compete to see whose sentence amounts to the biggest order.”

″Who’s winning?” I ask.

Ally nods toward Cade.

″Ok, give me your best order.” I lean closer so I don’t miss a word.

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