Page 24 of Tempt Her

“Yep, we’ll be there.”

“Do you think Silas will bring his parents? I sent them an invitation, too. It’d mean so much to me to have them all here.”

Cade’s pause is long. I fear I’m stepping on toes as she replies, “If I tell you it’s complicated, will that explain it without me sounding like a bitch because I really want to help you if I can.”

Cade’s that kind of woman—she will go to the mat for you, I know it.

“Yeah, I understandcomplicated.” I pause too. “You okay? You know, I’m not a badass like you. I can’t kill with my bare hands, but don’t let my blonde hair fool ya—my cornbread’s done in the middle. I’m smarter than I look and want to help you too.”

I make her laugh; at least I can do that.

“Thanks,” she says. “But I can’t get Silas’s parents to your party; I’m sorry. There’s just a lot going on right now.”

“You mean with Redix?”

It was obvious when I met Cade Bryant and Redix Dean; they’re soulmates. That’s a rare connection like a bright comet across the sky; you can’t forget what you witness.

Then I saw Cade with Silas Van de May this year, and it’s like Cade’s an open wound now, and only Silas can heal her.

“Yeah,” she murmurs, “with Redix too.”

“Girl, do you need me to give Redix Dean a ‘Come to Jesus’ meeting about how fucking amazing you are? Or is it Silas Van de May I need to school? ‘Cuz I’d take a ruler to either of their asses for you.Gladly.”

When I’m talking to another woman and able just to be myself, all my sass comes out. I miss this part of me. I miss so much about me, and Cade makes me feel like I can reach down and pick myself back up.

She laughs again. “I don’t think you, a ruler, or Jesus can fix the mess I got myself into. I’m the only one who can. But thereissomething you can do for me.”

“Name it.”

“Be careful. I can’t say more, but I know you’re smart as hell… and you need to be.” Her next pause is heavy. “Trust me.”

I stare at the clear December sky, and chills shake my bones. Not at the temperature. At her warning. Cade’s a cop telling me something I’ve started to suspect.

I’m not just married to an evil, abusive asshole senator.

I’m married to a criminal.

CHAPTERSIX

I Want To by Rosenfeld

Damn, I hated leaving Stacey alone yesterday in this giant sprawling house.

Sure, folks can say she’s got rich, beauty queen problems, but there’s more going on. And there’s more to her, I can tell.

Yeah, she’s hot enough to melt an ice cream truck. Like it’s hard seeing past her pouty lips and her turned-up nose; not like she’s a bitch. She’s sexy. She’s sweet. And her pretty blue eyes are like a pool you want to dive into on a hot summer’s day. And that hair that swishes past her shoulders? I want to bury my nose in it. And yes, her tits distract me, and her ass is a magnet to my dick. Okay, there’s nothing about that woman that isn’t perfect.

But what draws me to her is her obvious misery underneath it all. It’s so heartbreakingly ironic.

From what Mateo said about her when she was young, girls who look like Stacey are supposed to be the mean ones who ruin you with their gossip.

But she wasn’t mean.

She was one of the rare people kind to Mateo, who wasn’t cruel to him because of his brown skin or Spanish name. It seemed she really liked him. She protected him.

And I see how nice she is, even with the delivery woman, giving her a muffin and chatting like Stacey’s desperate for someone to talk to.

It’s so sweet; it’s fucking sad.

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