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“Ain’t no crush.” Nick insists. “I’m one hundred percent, prime time in love with you,” he says to Cady, mangling the quote from Top Gun with his attempt at a Southern accent.
“Nick, you big stud, take me to bed or lose me forever,” Cady counters.
“Yes, yes, please,” Nick stammers, which makes her laugh.
I like it when Cady laughs. I like that my friends like her. I like her.
Then why do I feel like the other shoe is about to drop?
I’ve been this happy before, with Caroline, and with Robin, my first serious girlfriend. But both those times, it was my father who messed it up for me. With Robin, he decided that she wasn’t good enough for me. Her family couldn’t compare to ours. With time, he convinced me that Robin was only using me for our money, and at twenty-three, I believed him.
To this day, I still can’t be sure if she really loved me for me. And I can’t believe I listened to my father’s vitriol about a girlfriend and let him get away with it. His opinionated pretentiousness, as well as the core of cruelty was what drove my brothers away.
Dalton Steele might have great businesses sense and the ability to make a deal in his sleep, but he’s a shit-bad father.
When we head back to the condo, I find that shit bad father sent me a whole string of texts as well as voicemail message when I was at the beach. I ignore them, and hop in the shower instead, knowing each one will do its damnedest to make me feel like shit.
I know I’ll be the first one ready for dinner, thanks to years of training by both my mother and Caroline. Women don’t appreciate waiting for their man has been drilled in so deeply that when the leaving time is seven, I make a point of being at the door at six-forty.
Just once, I’d like to have someone waiting for me.
But as I step out of my room, I’m surprised to find Cady sitting on the couch, book in hand. “I opened the bottle of wine,” she says almost shyly. “I thought I might need the liquid courage.”
“You’ll knock them dead,” I tell her automatically, even before I get a good look at her. But when I do get that look…
“Wow.” Her dress is black with a sheer overlay and meets over one shoulder. Hair loose, and hanging over the opposite shoulder, so red that it looks like a flame.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her honestly.
“Thank you.” Her cheeks are pink with the flush of colour from the sun she got from our walk. “You look nice too.”
I take my time getting over to her, stopping at the wine fridge for a beer. I hold up the bottle. “Need a refill?”
“I’m good for now, thank you.”
Her scent surrounds me as I sink onto the couch beside her, some heady, exotic fragrance. “You smell amazing,” I can’t help but say.
She makes me nervous.
Cady smiles, which doesn’t help. “After being barefoot all day, it’s going to be tough putting the shoes back on for tonight.” She motions to her high-heeled sandals lying on the floor.
“This might be a shoes and shirt type of place,” I agree, leaning over to pick up one of her sandals. “I have no idea how you can bear to wear things like this. How’s your sting?”
“Better. It’s still red, but the swelling seems to have gone down. She lifts her foot to get a better look at it, but I grab it for a closer inspection.
Cady shifts on the couch when I don’t let it go. “It looks better,” I say, smoothing my thumb over the arch of her foot, returning with both thumbs, pressing firmly.
A groan slips out of her. “Another foot rub?” she asks breathlessly.
That voice, that moan—my cock stiffens just from the sound. “What else would I be doing?” And just like my cock, my voice thickens in response.
“Trying to seduce my feet?”
“Whatever works.” I start on her toes and Cady must like it because she swings her other foot into my lap.
An old girlfriend—I don’t remember her name—taught me how to give a good foot rub and I’ve never been more grateful.
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