and I love it.”
“What are you two up to?” Cade asks when he reaches us, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into him.
He’s been very tactile today, small touches here and there that tell everyone we’re together. I guess it’s part of the role he’s playing and just a tactic to affirm our relationship to watching eyes. It’s the only logical explanation. That’s not to say I haven’t liked it, but I’d never admit that. I’ve caught him watching his father more than once, almost as if he wants his father to see us together.
Probably just another part of the facade.
“Oh nothing, I’m just filling Abi in on your childhood secrets.”
Cade groans and shakes his head. “Whatever she tells you, it’s lies. All lies. And if it’s true, it would’ve been Cameron’s fault, not mine.”
“Ah, the old ‘it wasn’t me, it was my twin’ argument. My brothers pull that excuse all the time,” I reply.
Callie’s eyes meet mine in solidarity. “So you feel my pain?”
“Totally. Except I’ve also got two more brothers, all of them banding against me.”
“Oh dear God. Just having two brothers were bad enough. Four? Shit . . .”
I giggle, and Cade’s hand at my waist gives me a gentle squeeze, grabbing my attention. “I’ve just got to make the rounds to say goodbye and then we can go if you’d like.”
“Sounds good.”
He turns to his sister. “Do you need a ride home, Cal?”
Her eyes go soft, her love for her brother clear as day. “I’m okay. I came with Mom so I should probably wait for her. But thanks for the escape plan.”
“Always.” He lets me go and steps forward to give his sister a hug, his hand dropping to rub her baby bump. “Look after my nephew.”
“It’s a girl, you know.”
“You need to have another one then to take the pressure off me and Cam and produce another Carsen male.”
“Go away,” she says, shoving his arm with a laugh.
“You want to meet me outside?” he asks me.
“I’ll just visit the restroom and then come find you. Sound like a plan?”
“Perfect.” He rests hand on the small of my back, tipping my chin back with a finger under it before giving me a socially appropriate—albeit borderline—kiss, his eyes smiling.
“See you soon,” he murmurs against my lips, my answering “okay” breathy and totally giving away how much I like it.
I walk out of the bathroom stall to find Cade’s mother waiting for me at the basin.
“Hi,” I say, stepping up beside her to wash my hands. It’s not until I’m drying my hands that she speaks, carrying out her—this time—successful sneak attack.
“Can I be honest with you, Abi?”
“Of course,” I reply, rubbing my hands together under the warm air and trying to ignore my racing heart.
“I don’t like you with my son.”
Well, it seems Cade got something from his mother—the ability to call a spade a spade.
I turn to face her, leaning a hip against the vanity. “No offense, Mrs. Carsen, but you don’t know enough about me to judge me.”
“I know enough and what I know I don’t like,” she says. “I’m also not going to expect that you would listen to me if was to ask you to turn your back on my son and walk away.”
I study her, stamping down my rising anger at her audacity as well as the realization that Cade wasn’t kidding when it came to his parents and their expectations for perfection. “Annabel, I don’t believe I have done anything to deserve your dislike, however I can tell you that Cade and I are happy together.” Well, I’m happy with him giving me orgasms but also with watching movies together, cooking for me, relaxing on the couch . . .
Her eyes narrow on me. “Men like my husband and sons always like things that aren’t good for them. It’s my job to watch out for them and make sure they don’t make mistakes they can’t come back from.”
What does ‘things that aren’t good for them’ even mean?
“But my son has never been
“What are you two up to?” Cade asks when he reaches us, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into him.
He’s been very tactile today, small touches here and there that tell everyone we’re together. I guess it’s part of the role he’s playing and just a tactic to affirm our relationship to watching eyes. It’s the only logical explanation. That’s not to say I haven’t liked it, but I’d never admit that. I’ve caught him watching his father more than once, almost as if he wants his father to see us together.
Probably just another part of the facade.
“Oh nothing, I’m just filling Abi in on your childhood secrets.”
Cade groans and shakes his head. “Whatever she tells you, it’s lies. All lies. And if it’s true, it would’ve been Cameron’s fault, not mine.”
“Ah, the old ‘it wasn’t me, it was my twin’ argument. My brothers pull that excuse all the time,” I reply.
Callie’s eyes meet mine in solidarity. “So you feel my pain?”
“Totally. Except I’ve also got two more brothers, all of them banding against me.”
“Oh dear God. Just having two brothers were bad enough. Four? Shit . . .”
I giggle, and Cade’s hand at my waist gives me a gentle squeeze, grabbing my attention. “I’ve just got to make the rounds to say goodbye and then we can go if you’d like.”
“Sounds good.”
He turns to his sister. “Do you need a ride home, Cal?”
Her eyes go soft, her love for her brother clear as day. “I’m okay. I came with Mom so I should probably wait for her. But thanks for the escape plan.”
“Always.” He lets me go and steps forward to give his sister a hug, his hand dropping to rub her baby bump. “Look after my nephew.”
“It’s a girl, you know.”
“You need to have another one then to take the pressure off me and Cam and produce another Carsen male.”
“Go away,” she says, shoving his arm with a laugh.
“You want to meet me outside?” he asks me.
“I’ll just visit the restroom and then come find you. Sound like a plan?”
“Perfect.” He rests hand on the small of my back, tipping my chin back with a finger under it before giving me a socially appropriate—albeit borderline—kiss, his eyes smiling.
“See you soon,” he murmurs against my lips, my answering “okay” breathy and totally giving away how much I like it.
I walk out of the bathroom stall to find Cade’s mother waiting for me at the basin.
“Hi,” I say, stepping up beside her to wash my hands. It’s not until I’m drying my hands that she speaks, carrying out her—this time—successful sneak attack.
“Can I be honest with you, Abi?”
“Of course,” I reply, rubbing my hands together under the warm air and trying to ignore my racing heart.
“I don’t like you with my son.”
Well, it seems Cade got something from his mother—the ability to call a spade a spade.
I turn to face her, leaning a hip against the vanity. “No offense, Mrs. Carsen, but you don’t know enough about me to judge me.”
“I know enough and what I know I don’t like,” she says. “I’m also not going to expect that you would listen to me if was to ask you to turn your back on my son and walk away.”
I study her, stamping down my rising anger at her audacity as well as the realization that Cade wasn’t kidding when it came to his parents and their expectations for perfection. “Annabel, I don’t believe I have done anything to deserve your dislike, however I can tell you that Cade and I are happy together.” Well, I’m happy with him giving me orgasms but also with watching movies together, cooking for me, relaxing on the couch . . .
Her eyes narrow on me. “Men like my husband and sons always like things that aren’t good for them. It’s my job to watch out for them and make sure they don’t make mistakes they can’t come back from.”
What does ‘things that aren’t good for them’ even mean?
“But my son has never been
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