Page 19 of Cade

It was a cycle she’d been stuck in since she sent her address to him. One minute she was lusting after him, the next she was sick to her stomach with worry over what he wanted.

April pulled the garlic bread out of the oven and set it on the stove to cool. Her shrimp Alfredo was just finishing, and now all she needed was for Cade to show up so they could eat. Or she could start without him just to show that she wasn’t waiting for him.

Before she could fix her own plate and congratulate herself for that thought, her intercom buzzed with Cade’s voice. Her palms immediately started sweating and she wiped them on her skirt before she pressed the button to let him up.

It wouldn’t take him long. She was only on the second floor, no view, but it was cheaper that way. April rushed to the mirror by the door and took a second to fix her hair before he knocked. She didn’t want to look like she was trying, but she wasn’t going to be a mess, either.

Her heart lept into her throat as he knocked and she had to swallow the lump back down. There was no need to be nervous, she reminded herself as she opened the door.

Cade stood there in his tailored suit looking every inch the businessman. She knew he would be fit under that jacket, not that she’d seen him without one in years, but she just knew. Before her mouth could start watering, she moved out of his way and let him in.

“Thanks for having me over,” he said as he walked past her.

Him standing there, looking like a giant in her small living/dining area, made her feel like shit. She shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t measure up to him.

“Sure. Let me get plates and we can take them to the sofa.” April pointed at the sofa, as though he needed help to find it, and then shook her head at herself.

He made himself comfortable as she put dinner together. It didn’t take long and she carried two plates to the coffee table. “Can I get you wine or water?”

Cade cleared his throat, “water, please.”

She nodded and went to the kitchen, coming back with a bottle for each of them. “Bottled okay?” internally, she groaned. It wasn’t like she had another option unless he wanted tap.

“Thanks,” Cade took the bottle from her.

April took an awkward seat next to him. As they ate in silence, she cut her eyes to him and noticed that he wasn’t relaxing. He sat on the edge of the sofa, holding his plate.

“Sorry,” she said after finishing her next bite. “We probably should have gone somewhere instead. I was just really tired and not wanting to go out.”

“This is fine. The food is really good.” He said it, but he still looked incredibly out of place.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

It was like he had looked around her place and judged it, finding her wanting. Taking her plate to the kitchen, she took a moment to gather her strength before facing him again.

“Where do you want these?” Cade’s voice came from directly behind her.

“Oh,” she squeaked. “Umm, just in the sink is fine. I’ll do the dishes later.”

He nodded. “You made dinner?” he asked as he looked around.

April nodded. “Yeah. Can’t afford to eat out all the time, so I learned to make what I liked.” In college, she’d been frugal, but she still wasn’t much of a cook.

“You learned well. No surprise there. You were always good at anything you put your mind to.”

Was that a compliment?

“It was a compliment,” Cade laughed.

Shit, that was supposed to be an inside thought. “Uh, thank you?”

“You’re welcome. I meant it.”

April nodded and tried to catch her breath as Cade overtook the space. He wasn’t doing anything but existing, but he filled the room with power regardless.

“What did you want to talk about?” she asked.

“A few things, actually. Should we go back to the living room?”

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