Page 22 of Wild Lies

Laughter sticks in my throat before he goes still, a serious look on his face. Suddenly it’s not funny anymore. The air between us is charged and dangerously thick with everything that is just him and me. Us.

Kade rests between my legs, his hard cotton-covered cock pressing against my bare pussy. Tension sparks between us, sucking out the air and making it near-impossible to breathe. His gaze bounces around my face, searching for what, I’m not sure.

Maybe if I keep trying to pretend that last night meant nothing, it won’t feel as significant.

Who am I kidding? That’s impossible to do when he’s here, all warm and real. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to spend my time in Coldwater enjoying his company. I can have a vacation fling, and then go back to Seattle, forget about Kade and figure out what I’m doing with my life.

And yet, the thought of returning to Seattle doesn’t fill me with any kind of joy.

When the embers of the fire between us are about to catch, my stomach rumbles so loud that I’m surprised they can’t hear it from the main house.

Kade laughs before rolling to my side and resting a hand on my stomach. “Come, let’s go to the diner in town and grab some breakfast.”

“Breakfast?” I ask.

He looks at me with an amused expression on his face before replying, “Yeah. That’s what people tend to eat in the morning.” Kade climbs from the bed, pulling on his pants. “Unless you don’t want to. Which is totally okay.”

I stand, pulling the sheet with me as I shake my head. Rachel and Ollie are hosting a wedding breakfast this morning, but after what happened last night, she texted me to tell me she understands if I want to skip it. Which means, I don’t technically have anywhere to be.

“No. No, I just didn’t think you’d want to. And actually, in hindsight, I don’t know why.”

We meet at the end of the bed, his hands coming to rest on my hips as he stares at me with a soft look on his face. “I want to spend time with you while you’re in town, but only if you want to.”

Without a second thought, I reply, “I do.”

“Then it’s settled.” Kade leans down, dusting his lips over mine before pulling back. “We’re going to breakfast. Go get ready.”

He smacks me on the ass when I walk by, the action sending a jolt through my body and pulling me back to earth. I twist my mouth, excitement running through me before I rein myself back in. It’s just breakfast. I shouldn’t make it more than that, even if in my head I know that I already have.

I come to a stop on the threshold of the bathroom, turning to watch him as he searches the bedroom floor for his T-shirt, the muscles in his back bunching as he does. Leaning against the doorjamb, I say, “I wasn’t expecting you to still be here when I woke up and I thought it would be awkward.” He turns to face me, his head tilted to the side as I continue, “That’s what I was thinking about earlier.”

“Because you’ve never done something like this before?”

I nod, clutching the sheet a little tighter.

“Do you regret it?” Kade asks, his features not giving away a thing.

I shake my head. “No,” I whisper. “It was reckless and so uncharacteristic of me, but in the moment it felt so right. You’re a stranger to me, but at the same time, I feel this connection to you and so I couldn’t regret it, even if I tried.”

Kade crosses the room, coming to stand within touching distance, but keeping his arms by his side. “I’m glad you don’t regret it because I feel a connection too. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”

I push away from the doorjamb and walk backwards into the bathroom. As I close the door, a giant grin slowly slips across my face. I might not have long in Coldwater, but I can get to know the guy who’s stirred feelings inside me that I’ve never felt before.

14

KADE

Chloe and I are seated in one of the old, worn vinyl booths at Big Sky diner. They serve the best pancakes and waffles here. At least that’s the excuse I told myself for why we didn’t go to Chapters and Crumbs, the coffee shop my cousin, Autumn, owns.

The last thing I want is to introduce Chloe to Autumn and scare her off. Especially when Autumn has a tendency to stick her nose in places it doesn’t belong. Autumn can pretend to be clueless all she wants, but we knew what her game plan was when she set Avery, Grayson’s fiancée, up in the apartment above her coffee shop.

Big Sky was the only logical place to go for breakfast if I want to keep from running Chloe out of town. Besides, the last thing we need is someone from the wedding turning up and us having to pretend to be a couple in front of my family. At least here, tucked away in the corner with a view of the entire place, we’re less likely to be seen.

After showering, we stopped by my place on the way to breakfast so I could ditch my suit. I’m much more comfortable in the white T-shirt and black shorts that I usually wear if I’m out running errands in the heat.

“What can I get you?” Doris, our eighty-something-year-old waitress, asks. She’s worked here for longer than I’ve been alive and is a firm believer that whatever goes on within these four walls is none of her business.

Chloe looks up from her menu, flashing her a smile before looking at me. “You go first. I’m still deciding.”