Page 3 of Finding Forever

“This isn’t a meeting. It’s an encounter.”

Cade smiled. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from the seemingly quiet and shy woman in the corner, but this tartness certainly wasn’t it. Something in the way she carried herself—tried to hide herself—had told him to expect timidity, fear maybe. But she wasn’t afraid of him… and he liked that.

“Shouldn’t you be hosting or something?” Her question was pointed, and his smile broadened at her prickliness.

“Nah, I just show up to these things, stay where they put me, smile when I have to, and escape as soon as humanly possible.”

“Isn’t this meant to be one of those family events, to showcase how close-knit the Hawthornes are? A tight, unbreakable unit?”

“Hard to do that when we’re not all here.” He was proud that he’d managed to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Still, that searching look she was giving him made him wonder if he’d been as successful at it as he’d believed.

“One of your brothers isn’t here.” The statement was matter-of-fact.

“Hmm,” Cade made the noncommittal sound while glaring down at the effervescent liquid in his glass.

“And that bothers you?”

“It is what it is.” He shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, not liking the turn the conversation had taken. How had the focus shifted so quickly from her to him?

Strange women who wanted to know too much about Cade or his family made him wary. For good reason. He’d encountered more than his fair share of opportunists who found the lure of the Hawthorne name and wealth irresistible.

It would disappoint him if Fern turned out to be one of those. But it wouldn’t surprise him. Nothing much surprised him anymore when it came to gold diggers.

Still, it would be best to proceed with caution now that his suspicions were aroused.

“Has he missed many of these?” she asked.

“For someone who didn’t want to talk just a minute ago, you’re certainly a curious little thing, aren’t you?”

Her face froze and her mouth clamped shut. She retreated. It wasn’t a physical thing, but she seemed to fold into herself, become diminished somehow and Cade regretted the loss of animation in that serious face.

“Sorry,” she muttered stiffly, her fingers clenching around the stem of the glass.

He stared at her, noting her soft skin, her lush mouth, and found himself inexplicably drawn to her once again. He was bored, maybe that was the draw. Bored, slightly horny, and feeling just cynical enough right now to toss aside his usual caution around potential money grubbers.

She wasn’t his type, but she was different enough to be interesting.

“We don’t have to talk, but there areother, far more satisfying, modes of communication,” he murmured, still maintaining his distance while watching her closely.

Her breath caught.

Held.

Cade braced himself, expecting… something. Over the top feigned outrage, perhaps? Or maybe she’d launch herself at him eagerly?

What he got was a slow, confused blink. Followed by a fascinating expression of almost horrified dawning realization… and then another furious blush.

And silence.

She sucked her top lip into her mouth, then released it, and Cade stifled a groan at the sight of the rosy, engorged lip. And his slight horniness instantly transformed into raging rampant lust.Hewanted to be the one to suck that lip—along with other, more sensitive, parts of her body. Wanted to be the one to leave those parts swollen and straining for more.

Fuck.

He suddenly wanted that very,verybadly.

“Do you mean”—Her voice dropped into a comical, almost theatrical whisper as she leaned toward him and continued—“sex?”

The whiff of her heady perfume mingled with the scent of honey and almond from what he assumed was her shampoo—along with her sudden closeness—made him groan. Mix that with the way his cock lengthened along the inseam of his trousers at the sound of the tame wordsexon a mouth that was at once seductive and incredibly innocent and Cade was a fucking goner.

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