Page 32 of Finding Forever

“Let’s go,” he told her, his voice uncompromising as he turned and squatted again.

Recognizing the futility in arguing, Fern launched herself onto his back. He stumbled slightly as he absorbed her weight but had her comfortably situated in no time.

“Your arse covered?” he asked and she checked the back of her skirt quickly.

“All fine,” she said and he grunted in approval before starting his climb again.

This was fucking torture.

Cade could manage the climb and her extra weight just fine… that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was the feel of her soft, silky skin under his hands, the press of her small breasts with their hard tips against his back, the warm rub of her pussy above his arse, the appealing hitch of her breath right in his ear.

It was damned near intolerable.

This was Fern. His wife. The woman he did not want nor desire. She was all kinds of wrong. Too small, too fragile, tooinexperienced, too anemic and sickly looking… too goddamnedpregnant.

He didn’t want her.

He kept his focus on the path ahead, ignoring her when she asked again if he needed a break.

Yeah, he needed a fucking break… a break away from her constant proximity.

They’d been married just over twenty-four hours and it already felt like an eternity. How the hell was he supposed to endure another three years of this torture?

She made a breathy whimpering sound in his ear, her warm breath washing over his temple and he glowered at the hapless bloke who was descending the steps directly in front of him. The man visibly swallowed and stepped to the side as Cade continued grimly on, not breaking his stride. Desperate to be home and rid of his burden.

Only there was no getting rid of her. She’d still be there, creeping around the place tentatively, ghosting out of each room he entered. As if he were some bad guy she couldn’t stand to be around.

She made another sound, this one resembling a moan—Jesus why were all her sounds so fucking sexy?—and he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked again, expecting her to once again say that she was fine, and hating that she was lying to him.

“I’m…” Her voice husked into his ear, and he bit back his own pained groan in reaction to it. “I’m a little uncomfortable. I’d like to walk for a bit, please.”

He heaved an impatient sigh and eyed the rest of the steps. There were only a dozen or so to go. He figured she’d be able to manage those if they traversed the path slowly.

“Okay.” He bent his knees and loosed his grip on her thighs, allowing her to slide down carefully.

“Thank you,” she said with a wobbly smile, when he turned around to face her again. Her cheeks were flushed, her pupils blown, her beautiful pink lips were parted, as she panted slightly. His eyes lingered on that succulent top lip before drifting south and snagging on the hard points of her nipples.

Fuck, if he didn’t know better, he’d think she was turned on. But that couldn’t be it. It was hot and she was unwell, which would account of the high color and breathlessness.

As for the nipples, well slipping down his back must have created…friction.

He swallowed, trying to alleviate the dryness in his throat as he considered the concept of friction. Parts sliding against one another, generating heat, tension, sensation…

His eyes drifted even further down as he—for the first time—considered how the rub of her sweet little pussy against his back must have affected her. Did she?—

No.

Fuck, what the hell was wrong with him?

He shook his head in an attempt to dislodge the thought from his brain and took hold of her hand.

He needed to get home, where she could go back to being an easily ignored, pale little ghost.

“I haveto get ready for my meeting,” Cade’s voice was a low growl.

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