shushes his sister and holds up a hand for everyone to be quiet, and I see his face get dark as we hear Peyton yelling, “But you promised! You’re a fucking bastard, Kade!”
Whoa. I look at Cassie who bugs her eyes out at me as if she wants me to do something about it. Uh. I look back at her confused, which makes her bug her eyes even more. What in the world does she expect me to do? I mean, it’s really none of my business.
I guess Brody’s had enough of his brother’s being verbally abused by that bitch because he stands to go out, but at the same time Kade comes back inside. I’m expecting to see him pissed off, sporting “The Look” but he’s wearing his trademark smirk, which makes me bite my lips to keep from giggling.
He comes into the dining room and we’re all just looking at him, no one saying a word until Lucas speaks up.
“Piss another one off, son?”
Kade chuckles as he sits down beside me then puts his hand on my chair back and starts smoothing his thumb over the nape of my neck.
Oh, my.
“It’s my specialty,” he mumbles his eyes on me as he watches me shiver at his touch.
Dear God. Just the man’s thumb on me can make my body crave him. This does not bode well for my future.
~~~
Kade’s now driving me home.
When we finished lunch, the men went and watched football, Cassie and I had helped Carolina clean up, she’d made me promise to come back out to see her soon and we’d had a tearful goodbye, but in a good way. I hadn’t even known I’d missed them all as much as I had or how big a part of my life they’d been, and it feels good to finally breach the wall that I’d put up between us. But now I’m exhausted, just emotionally spent.
When we pull up to the station, I see that the window’s fixed, but now it’s just blank without Papaw’s little motto on it which makes me sad. I turn to Kade and start to thank him for getting it fixed but he’s already out his door and coming around to my side.
When he opens my door, I say, “Thank you for having the window fixed. You can bill me for the cost, but, uh, I’m kinda tired now. Thought I’d take a nap.”
“Didn’t finish what we were talking about earlier,” he replies, holding a hand out and helping me down from his truck.
My adrenaline spikes at his touch (jeez) and suddenly I’m not so tired anymore. We do need to talk and set some parameters to what’s going on with this mad attraction between us. At the station door, we stand for a few seconds until I look up at him. “What, you’re not gonna do the honors of unlocking the door?” I give him a wry look.
He smirks down at me. “Brody has the key. Forgot to get it back from him.”
I roll my eyes and let out a dramatic huff as I dig my keys out of my purse. As we go inside, I inform him, “Well, when you get it back from him, I need it back from you.” He nods, ignoring my snippiness, then locks the door behind him and with a hand at the small of my back, pushes me toward the stairs at the back. Guess we’re going up. When we get upstairs, I take off my coat hanging it on one of the hooks on the wall then throw my purse onto the table underneath. “Okay, talk,” I say, walking over and plopping down into my new chair.
One side of his mouth curls up at my attempt to appear aloof as he sits on the loveseat across from me. Putting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands in front of him, he stares at the floor for a moment before looking up at me. “Been stuck, Mill.”
I take a deep breath, tired of the code he’s been talking in. “Kade, I know you’re all about action and not speaking because you’re a man, on top of being a badass ex-SEAL, but can you just, please, tell me what you’re wanting to tell me?”
His amused look is back but then his eyes narrow and fix on mine, holding them. “Life’s been shit since you, Mill. Had everything and let it get away from me.” He takes a breath and blows it out. “Took it all for granted.
Whoa. I look at Cassie who bugs her eyes out at me as if she wants me to do something about it. Uh. I look back at her confused, which makes her bug her eyes even more. What in the world does she expect me to do? I mean, it’s really none of my business.
I guess Brody’s had enough of his brother’s being verbally abused by that bitch because he stands to go out, but at the same time Kade comes back inside. I’m expecting to see him pissed off, sporting “The Look” but he’s wearing his trademark smirk, which makes me bite my lips to keep from giggling.
He comes into the dining room and we’re all just looking at him, no one saying a word until Lucas speaks up.
“Piss another one off, son?”
Kade chuckles as he sits down beside me then puts his hand on my chair back and starts smoothing his thumb over the nape of my neck.
Oh, my.
“It’s my specialty,” he mumbles his eyes on me as he watches me shiver at his touch.
Dear God. Just the man’s thumb on me can make my body crave him. This does not bode well for my future.
~~~
Kade’s now driving me home.
When we finished lunch, the men went and watched football, Cassie and I had helped Carolina clean up, she’d made me promise to come back out to see her soon and we’d had a tearful goodbye, but in a good way. I hadn’t even known I’d missed them all as much as I had or how big a part of my life they’d been, and it feels good to finally breach the wall that I’d put up between us. But now I’m exhausted, just emotionally spent.
When we pull up to the station, I see that the window’s fixed, but now it’s just blank without Papaw’s little motto on it which makes me sad. I turn to Kade and start to thank him for getting it fixed but he’s already out his door and coming around to my side.
When he opens my door, I say, “Thank you for having the window fixed. You can bill me for the cost, but, uh, I’m kinda tired now. Thought I’d take a nap.”
“Didn’t finish what we were talking about earlier,” he replies, holding a hand out and helping me down from his truck.
My adrenaline spikes at his touch (jeez) and suddenly I’m not so tired anymore. We do need to talk and set some parameters to what’s going on with this mad attraction between us. At the station door, we stand for a few seconds until I look up at him. “What, you’re not gonna do the honors of unlocking the door?” I give him a wry look.
He smirks down at me. “Brody has the key. Forgot to get it back from him.”
I roll my eyes and let out a dramatic huff as I dig my keys out of my purse. As we go inside, I inform him, “Well, when you get it back from him, I need it back from you.” He nods, ignoring my snippiness, then locks the door behind him and with a hand at the small of my back, pushes me toward the stairs at the back. Guess we’re going up. When we get upstairs, I take off my coat hanging it on one of the hooks on the wall then throw my purse onto the table underneath. “Okay, talk,” I say, walking over and plopping down into my new chair.
One side of his mouth curls up at my attempt to appear aloof as he sits on the loveseat across from me. Putting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands in front of him, he stares at the floor for a moment before looking up at me. “Been stuck, Mill.”
I take a deep breath, tired of the code he’s been talking in. “Kade, I know you’re all about action and not speaking because you’re a man, on top of being a badass ex-SEAL, but can you just, please, tell me what you’re wanting to tell me?”
His amused look is back but then his eyes narrow and fix on mine, holding them. “Life’s been shit since you, Mill. Had everything and let it get away from me.” He takes a breath and blows it out. “Took it all for granted.
Similar Books
