One Funeral (No Weddings #2)(28)

I exhaled a slow breath. We were playing a game of chicken here, and I needed to swerve to avoid the head-on collision.

Without warning, Cade lunged. I fell back, and suddenly, he was over me on the bed, all taut muscle and raging heat, barely holding control. His eyes were so dark with his pupils blown wide, I marveled at how he had any restraint left.

I froze. My mind did too, thoughts tangled in shock.

Braced on his arms above me, he stared down, his eyes boring deep into mine, like he was looking for something buried inside. I wondered what he saw.

Taking a deep breath, I touched my fingers to his forearm. He blinked. And with that one touch, the spell was broken.

He pinched his eyes shut and dropped his body down until it rested lightly on my chest, braced by his arms and legs. Soft lips brushed along my jaw until they landed right below my ear, pressing there for a heartbeat. “You drive me crazy, Hannah. I’m holding back, waiting for us to be ready, but your teasing is killing me.”

Nuzzling my head toward his, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Tell me you don’t love it.”

He growled, nipping my earlobe with his teeth. “You know I do.”

I smiled. “Then I won’t stop.”

“You’ve been rowdier than usual tonight.” He sighed, his hot breath trekking down the side of my neck.

“I blame the wine.”

He pulled back, looking down at me. “Fuck. I don’t know if I should cut you off or open another bottle.”

I didn’t know either. If inhibitions down meant me teasing and him taking the bait, I definitely liked the latter. Even though he’d been holding back physically, especially in the presence of his friends and sisters, tonight’s validation of how badly he still wanted me helped shore up my confidence in us as a couple. Our progress may have only been in small increments, but we were moving forward—toward each other.

I gave him a quick peck on his lips, but when he deepened the kiss, pressing for more, I slid my hands in between us, pushing up on his chest. He broke contact, staring at me, heaving for breath.

Grinning, I tapped his forearm twice, then pointed at the chair, waiting until his gaze followed. “Back to your corner. We’ve got studying to do. This is still my business hour.”

He growled, then peeled his body off of mine and slumped down in his chair.

I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply and stretching as I tried to clear my head.

He exhaled with a hard blast of air. “Fuck.”

My thoughts exactly. I glanced up to see him scrubbing a hand down his face.

“I can’t remember what the hell we were doing with the business stuff.”

I pointed to the list. “You’d taken my notepad hostage for an explanation about men and tampons. This hot-and-bothered thing is all your fault.”

He chuckled, scattering the rest of the sexual tension. “Oh, right. And no, you were the one with the twisted thoughts and random laughter. It’s your fault.”

“Hey, count yourself lucky. I’d also thought about men buying hemorrhoid cream.”

He gaped, eyes going wide.

And I curled into a ball, laughing hysterically.





Two days later, like every other morning of late, Cade strolled into Sweet Dreams almost an hour before we opened, locked the front door I’d left unlocked just for him, and headed straight for his corner of the couch.

Only this time, for the very first time, I stood waiting.

Remaining motionless in the doorway to the kitchen, I watched him toss his black Tumi messenger bag onto the middle of the cushions while he balanced a to-go tray with two Starbucks coffee cups.

He pulled out the cups and placed them on the coffee table in front of the couch. As if sensing my presence, he slowly looked up toward me and straightened his body.

A huge smile brightened his face. “Good morning.”

I grinned, enjoying seeing him caught off guard. “Good morning.”

“Going somewhere?” He arched his brows.

I glanced down at my zipped-up jacket, then back up at him. “Yep. We’re going on a field trip. Grab your bag and coffee.”

He tilted his head, a curious expression on his face. “Okay. I’m game.”

“Chloe, we’re leaving. I’ll lock you in,” I called out.

“Got it.” Her voice was confident. Since we’d begun marketing our cupcakes together, she’d blossomed with additional outings and had pushed for more responsibilities.

The moment Cade and I stepped onto the sidewalk, the cold chill of a ten-mile-an-hour wind bit into my skin. “Shit.” I’d worn too thin of a jacket and made a firm mental note to download a weather app on my phone later.

Cade cast an apologetic glance at his bike.

“Uh-uh.” I dangled my keys.

He snatched them out of my hand. “Awesome. Been dying to drive this baby.”

I shook my head and laughed as I let him open the passenger door for me. When my legs cleared the opening, he shoved it closed.

He rounded the front of the car to the other side, scanning every square inch of her paint and chrome, eyes wide with excitement. By the time he opened the door and slid in, he vibrated like a kid about to open a birthday present. “She’s in pristine condition.”

Nodding, I ran my fingers along the edge of the dash with pride. “Granpop kept Josephine garaged, driving her only on rare occasions.”