Page 75 of Heartless
The smile he gives me is flat, but his hands squeeze mine before he pushes to stand. “Take the Tylenol and get some rest.”
“Where are you going to sleep?”
“I’ll take your bed,” he says over his shoulder. “I can wash the sheets tomorrow.”
And then, he’s walking away, leaving me holding a pill, a drink, and the tattered remains of my ego. In a bed that smells like him and makes me wish he were here with me.
“Cade?”
He stops just as his hand wraps around the door handle. “Yeah?” he replies without even looking at me.
“Will you stay?”
His body goes eerily still. No part of him moves. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was dead.
Actually, come to think of it, I wishIwas dead after blurting that out like some dork with a crush on the hot, grumpy single dad who just told me I’m too complicated for him. I should have more pride and shouldn’t put him in such an awkward position. But here I am, asking him to stay.
He turns, brow low, expression tight. “Stay?”
“Yeah...” I bite my lip, crumpling a little under the intensity of his scowl. “Just for a bit. Just to chat. Or something.”
He stares at me for a few beats, a glimpse of shock darting across his hard features. He did not expect me to ask him to stay.
But with a firm nod in my direction, he takes quiet steps back to the bed.
And he stays.
18
Cade
Lance:Can I swing by and practice with you one day this week?
Cade:Sure.
Lance:Wednesday?
Cade:Sure.
Lance:Will the nanny be there?
Cade:Fuck off, Lance.
Lance:Lmao. So angry all the time. See you on Wednesday!
* * *
“Tell me about young Cade.”
I’m sitting as far away from Willa as I possibly can. If I could build a wall of pillows down the middle of this bed, I would. Not that it would stop me from dragging her underneath me.
Terrible, horrible, no good, unbelievably bad idea.
Even her questions I don’t want to answer aren’t helping distract me from the nearness of her. The smell of her.
The fucking temptation of her.
“Um.” I clear my throat. “I dunno. Not much to tell.” Propping my hands across my stomach, I chance a peek over at her.
