Page 58 of Perfect Alpha

Hannah walks up to every door with Aidan and has a brief conversation with the people who answer because, well, thisisSmall Town, Montana.

Cade uses the opportunity to splay his palm across my stomach, imprinting the heat of his big hand on my core while I lean against him. I wiggle, trying to move his touch lower.

“You’re too much,” Cade laughs. “I’m not fingering you on the sidewalk.”

“I think it’s agreatidea,” I insist, pressing my ass against his cock.

“Victory,” he growls. His phone vibrates in his pocket, but for once, he ignores it since he’s so into being with me instead.

It’s a damn nice change to be his focus again.

Completely oblivious, Hannah links her arm through mine while we head across the street to start on the next row of houses. “So, Victory, tell us how things are going with the smoking hot surfer dude Vince.”

All the blood leaves my body as my stomach drops to my feet. I know exactly what she’s trying to do, and while I love her more than anything, I have never wanted to pin her down and tape her mouth shut more than I do right now.

She has no idea that things between me and Cade are solid for the first time in years. When I risk a glance over my shoulder, his face is an impenetrable mask, effectively slamming a door in my face.

Icy cold distance fills the space between us and grows by the second. I’m terrified to answer but terrified to let things get worse, too.

“Hannah,” I mumble, but she’s completely in her own world, drunk off the happiness of her kid enjoying the night.

“It must be soglamorous to live and date in New York City,” Hannah enthuses. “I mean, you have hot guys fighting for your attention. I was so happy to hear you’re giving Vince a chance. Isn’t it great that Victory has a new boyfriend, Cade?”

“Hannah, I donot,” I snap, but it’s too late.

Cade’s body is rigid, and when I slow down to walk beside him, he speeds up and walks to the next door with Aidan.

“Hannah, shut up,” I hiss. “Please, for the love of God, shut up!”

She’s my best friend in the world, so Cade is going to believe that she has the inside scoop. And she does, but she’s taking her embellishing liberties way too far.

“What?” she asks innocently, her eyes sparkling. “Couldn’t you tell how jealous he just got? It’s working like a charm. If he knows he can lose you for good, he’ll admit that he’s in love with you, and you’ll finally get back together.”

“Oh, God,” I groan. “He is not in love with me. And he’s not even going to look at me if you keep it up.”

“I know my brother,” Hannah insists stubbornly.

Cade is on the phone when he walks down the driveway with Aidan, and my heart sinks when his part of the conversation reaches my ears. “Yeah, man. I’ll head over as soon as we take Aidan home for bedtime.”

There’s a long pause, and Cade’s next sentence makes my body temperature drop to frigid. “Sure, you can invite Britt. I’ll get her to forgive me. I’m pretty good at apologizing when it suits me. See you soon, Gavin.” When he looks at me, that fucking smirk is back in place.

The rest of Halloween passes on autopilot, and when we get back to the Fenway house, I try to pull Cade aside. Surely there has to be a way to salvage what we were just about to rebuild.

“Victory, there’s nothing to talk about.” He’s refusing to meet my eyes, and his body is taut with tension.

“Cade–”

“It was nothing, okay? Don’t sweat it. I don’t even remember all the shit I was saying. Being horny makes me crazy sometimes.”

“That’s not true.”

Cade didn’t even come, so clearly expelling semen wasn’t his motivation. He wanted to makemecome. That’s not something you do if you don’t care about the person, especially when you’re not getting anything in return.

“It is true. Besides, you haveallthe hot city guys fighting over you, so nothing lost, right? Don’t worry, you’re off the hook.”

He might as well have slapped me, and I stumble backward, tears filling my eyes. I promised I’d never cry over Cade Fenway again, and yet here we are. There’s a glimmer of hurt and remorse in his eyes before he shutters it.

Aidan chooses that moment to run outside and hug me. “You stay Auntie Victory?” he asks hopefully.

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