against Kade’s chest and gently pushed away from the kiss. “I can’t.”
He looked up at her and sagged against the couch, his mouth hitching up at the corner. “Shit, I
am
an asshole. We’re drinking. I should’ve never done that.”
She climbed off his lap and straightened her skirt. “It’s okay. I didn’t exactly fight you. I’m just kind of a mess right now.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m really sorry. This isn’t my style.”
“Thanks for keeping me company tonight, but I think I need to head back to my room.” She reached down to grab one of the shoes she had kicked off earlier and swayed a bit when the room spun around her. She put her hand on the coffee table. “Whoa.”
“Hey.” He put his hand under her elbow, steadying her. “You don’t need to walk all the way to the other side of the property and wallow in the cabin you shared with your husband. You can stay here.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”
“No, I do,” he said, standing up, keeping ahold of her elbow. “It’s almost morning anyway. I promise I’ll keep my distance. You can sleep it off in my room, and I’ll take the couch.”
She began to protest again, but her unsteady feet and heavy eyelids didn’t offer much support to her argument. And the thought of returning to the bed she and Seth had made love in last night made her heart twist in her chest. She nodded and let Kade lead her to the back of the cabin. He helped her to sit on the bed, then dug through one of the drawers. He tossed her a soft black T-shirt. “That’ll be more comfortable to sleep in than your outfit.”
She held the ball of fabric in her hands. “Thanks.”
He walked back to her and leaned over her. With one quick flick of the wrist, she felt the laces on her corset give. Her hands instantly went to the bodice, holding it tight against her.
He stepped back and gave her a wistful smile. “That should be enough to get you started so that you can get that thing off by yourself.”
“Oh,” she said, a bit sheepishly. “Right. Thanks.”
He bent and kissed her on the crown of her head. “Good night, Leila.”
“Good night.”
He headed toward the bedroom door.
“And you’re not an asshole,” she added. “You’re a great guy.”
He laughed and turned around, sticking an imaginary knife into his chest. “Ouch. That’s like telling a woman she has a good personality.”
“I’m serious,” she said, smiling despite herself. “Any girl would kill to be with someone like you.”
“Any girl, just not this girl,” he said, pointing at her.
“No, not this girl.” She rubbed the place where her wedding band should be. “This girl already belongs to someone else.”
Chapter Twelve
Their room was empty. Empty! Where in the hell could Leila be at nearly four in the goddamned morning? Seth was sweating by the time he jogged up to the main house and headed for the club.
The music in the place had mellowed from the pulse-pounding rock and techno from the night before to the low, sensuous beat of old-school R&B. The club was a ghost town. Two couples swayed on the dance floor as if suspended in some dream. A few others had tucked themselves into the darker corners and were well past the getting-to-know-you stage with their partners. Seth scanned the room, frantic to find Leila and praying she wasn’t one of those in the corner. Though he damn near deserved it based on how he’d bailed on her tonight.
But in his heart, he hoped that what they had was strong enough to keep Leila from hopping into bed with some guy for solace or revenge.
His eyes paused at each auburn head he came across, but none belonged to his wife. He made his way across the mostly empty club and spotted a familiar face sitting at the bar. Not the one he wanted, but one that maybe could help him.
“Hey.” He tapped Ian on the shoulder. “You got a minute?”
Ian paused in his conversation with the woman he was
He looked up at her and sagged against the couch, his mouth hitching up at the corner. “Shit, I
am
an asshole. We’re drinking. I should’ve never done that.”
She climbed off his lap and straightened her skirt. “It’s okay. I didn’t exactly fight you. I’m just kind of a mess right now.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m really sorry. This isn’t my style.”
“Thanks for keeping me company tonight, but I think I need to head back to my room.” She reached down to grab one of the shoes she had kicked off earlier and swayed a bit when the room spun around her. She put her hand on the coffee table. “Whoa.”
“Hey.” He put his hand under her elbow, steadying her. “You don’t need to walk all the way to the other side of the property and wallow in the cabin you shared with your husband. You can stay here.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”
“No, I do,” he said, standing up, keeping ahold of her elbow. “It’s almost morning anyway. I promise I’ll keep my distance. You can sleep it off in my room, and I’ll take the couch.”
She began to protest again, but her unsteady feet and heavy eyelids didn’t offer much support to her argument. And the thought of returning to the bed she and Seth had made love in last night made her heart twist in her chest. She nodded and let Kade lead her to the back of the cabin. He helped her to sit on the bed, then dug through one of the drawers. He tossed her a soft black T-shirt. “That’ll be more comfortable to sleep in than your outfit.”
She held the ball of fabric in her hands. “Thanks.”
He walked back to her and leaned over her. With one quick flick of the wrist, she felt the laces on her corset give. Her hands instantly went to the bodice, holding it tight against her.
He stepped back and gave her a wistful smile. “That should be enough to get you started so that you can get that thing off by yourself.”
“Oh,” she said, a bit sheepishly. “Right. Thanks.”
He bent and kissed her on the crown of her head. “Good night, Leila.”
“Good night.”
He headed toward the bedroom door.
“And you’re not an asshole,” she added. “You’re a great guy.”
He laughed and turned around, sticking an imaginary knife into his chest. “Ouch. That’s like telling a woman she has a good personality.”
“I’m serious,” she said, smiling despite herself. “Any girl would kill to be with someone like you.”
“Any girl, just not this girl,” he said, pointing at her.
“No, not this girl.” She rubbed the place where her wedding band should be. “This girl already belongs to someone else.”
Chapter Twelve
Their room was empty. Empty! Where in the hell could Leila be at nearly four in the goddamned morning? Seth was sweating by the time he jogged up to the main house and headed for the club.
The music in the place had mellowed from the pulse-pounding rock and techno from the night before to the low, sensuous beat of old-school R&B. The club was a ghost town. Two couples swayed on the dance floor as if suspended in some dream. A few others had tucked themselves into the darker corners and were well past the getting-to-know-you stage with their partners. Seth scanned the room, frantic to find Leila and praying she wasn’t one of those in the corner. Though he damn near deserved it based on how he’d bailed on her tonight.
But in his heart, he hoped that what they had was strong enough to keep Leila from hopping into bed with some guy for solace or revenge.
His eyes paused at each auburn head he came across, but none belonged to his wife. He made his way across the mostly empty club and spotted a familiar face sitting at the bar. Not the one he wanted, but one that maybe could help him.
“Hey.” He tapped Ian on the shoulder. “You got a minute?”
Ian paused in his conversation with the woman he was
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