One Funeral (No Weddings #2)(4)
In our unique situation, tonight would determine whether or not we could act on our compatibility and chemistry. Could we take things further without destroying what we already had? With how close we’d become as friends and business associates, there was a lot at stake.
As usual, the more I considered what tonight meant for us and the challenges we faced, both individually and together, the more jumbled my thoughts became.
I forced a deep breath into my lungs and focused on the calming things about Cade: his warm smile, those bright blue eyes when they twinkled with amusement, or when they darkened to midnight blue as they heated with desire. Then I remembered his lips on mine, how he made fire arc though my body, between my legs. My body shuddered under the shower spray, and I sighed deeply as I rested my forehead on the cool tile again.
To pull myself out of the unending spiral, I turned the spray to ice cold and squealed from the icy shock before turning it off.
After I applied body lotion and makeup, followed by a quick blow-dry, I had ten minutes left to choose an outfit. Minutes ticked by as I stared at a closet with nothing to wear. I’d already teased him at his club in a black dress I’d bought for our “first” first date, before it had gotten canceled. On instinct, I grabbed a dress I knew looked good on me and quickly put it on.
I didn’t have a spare second to breathe, let alone worry further about tonight. A soft knock at the door ended my race to get ready. I clasped a thin silver necklace graced with a diamond solitaire behind my neck; the piece was a last birthday present from Gran, and I wanted her with me tonight. Her presence in my mind would be like a warm hug if I needed it.
Nervous, I opened the door right as another knock hit it. Cade’s fist hung in midair where the surface of the door used to be.
I exhaled a lungful of air in a big whoosh and blinked. He stood right in front of me, but I only seemed capable of staring into his vivid blue eyes before sucking in a deep breath, which prevented me from the definitive embarrassment of keeling over in my entryway.
“Wow, Hannah. You look incredible.” He leaned a shoulder into the doorframe, as if he needed the four-by-four for support.
Mildly relieved by my similar impact on him, I lowered my gaze and took in his outfit. An open-collared dress shirt, jacket, pants, even his shoes, were all inky black, like he’d materialized from the darkness beyond.
The emerald-green wraparound dress I wore had been my mother’s. Granpop loved seeing her in it, commenting about how it brought out the green in her hazel eyes. I’d chosen it partly because I had my mother’s eyes, but mostly because it made me feel strong and beautiful like she’d been. As I smoothed my hands down the silk covering my thighs, Cade didn’t stop staring. His gaze caressed my skin along with the soft fabric. I took a comforting deep breath. I’d chosen well.
He took a step closer and a single red rose popped in between us. My eyes widened before I laughed and reached out to accept the long-stemmed flower. “Thank you.” I closed my eyes, buried my nose into the crimson petals, and inhaled its fragrance. I set it on the side table, confident the cylinder of water at its base would keep it fresh. But I did pluck a soft outer petal before we left.
Cade tilted his head as he held the front door open for me. “What’s that for?”
I shrugged as we stepped outside. Then I turned, closed the door, and locked it. “Something I’ve done ever since I was a little girl. I love to hold rose petals and make snapdragons sing.”
He laughed. “I can’t wait to hear and see that.”
As we walked down my short front path to the driveway, my gaze landed on a badass black, four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. The beefy tires looked like they could shred pavement, and its menacing front bumper and winch made me think anyone glancing in their rearview mirror would want to get the hell out of the way.
“Wow. You’ve been holding out on me, Cade. And here I thought all you had was a bike.”
His expression turned stricken as we walked to the Jeep. “That bike is a custom-built chopper, which I happen to love.” He leaned down, his voice dropping lower. “But not nearly as much as I love having you wrapped around me on it.”
His warm breath feathering up the column of my neck made me shiver. I swallowed hard as I turned and glanced up at him. “And this?”
“Mase and I co-own the Jeep. He drives it most of the time, but I use it whenever I need to.” He opened the passenger door and held out a hand.
I clasped his offered hand, put the ball of my stiletto on the metal side rail, and slid into the seat.
As the engine roared to life and he pulled out of the drive onto my street, butterflies rioted in my stomach. So much time had gone by since I’d been on a first date that I couldn’t decide if my nervousness stemmed from being out of practice, or if it had to do with my past and my fears.
But then I glanced at the man in the driver’s seat and smiled. This was Cade.
I blew out a deep breath and stared at his profile.
He glanced at me with raised brows. “Whatcha thinking about?”
“You. Me. Us out on a date, finally.”
“And?”
A rush of memories flew by of all we’d been through to get to this point. His text-message teasing. Dinners with his roommate, Mase, and his best friend, Ben. Parties thrown with Invitation Only, the event-planning business that Cade and his sisters owned and I baked cakes for. Quiet stolen moments during said parties where he and I had bonded. Amazing kisses…