Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
A nnie
Whoa, is it hot in here? I lean against the closed door to the guest room and catch my breath. Being so close to Cade reminds me I am a young woman with needs. Sure, I’ve been happy with my sex toys but having a guy like that, with his big strong hands touch me. . . Okay, Annie, shut that thought down. You aren’t going there with him. He may be a good kisser, but that is all you’re going to find out about him.
I push off the door and head to my room. I grab a pair of pajamas and head to the shower. He even got along well with Daddy, which is odd, because Daddy really disliked Ford and Ford was always trying to impress him. I reach under the sink to a box I have at the back of the cabinet. I take out one of my waterproof vibrators. After spending so many hours with Cade and having his delicious scent filling up the car, I am very needy. It’s probably why I kept thinking about jumping his bones in the guest room. Briar was right, I do need a good banging but it can’t be Cade. Charlie and Finn are together so I would be seeing Cade all the time by default, and that could be awkward. Besides, he’s clearly into puck bunnies or whatever he called them. I think I get the gist. Scarlet was with him for the glamor of his position. She is gorgeous and flashy and dressed all sexy, and that just isn’t me. I’m most comfortable in a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. Boots are more my jam. I can’t even remember the last time I wore a pair of heels.
When the water has heated up enough, I get into the shower and wash my hair and shave my legs. I fill up the bath because I need some serious relaxation right now. I put my trusted old friend to work, thankful it’s a quiet little toy. My eyes shut as I let the sensations of the vibrator take over. My breathing picks up and I think of how strong Cade’s arms are. I think of our little banter in the car. How we were playfully arguing, and how he enjoyed Daddy’s mac and cheese like a little boy who just had his favorite meal served to him. Cade is more than a jock. He's a genuinely nice guy. I don’t know how Scarlett walked all over him the way she did. I picture Cade without a shirt on. I imagine he has a crazy six-pack and muscular arms. They sure felt strong beneath my touch when we were kissing at Fair Shot. I think of how our tongues mingled and danced. I go off like a rocket, breathing hard and coming strong and fast. I try not to cry out though. When I come down from the waves of ecstasy, I am flushed and my pussy is pulsing. I need more. I need the real thing. Damn, this isn’t good. I take a shower and wash my body with soap, but the ache I feel still throbs inside me and I know I’m screwed.
After my shower, I head to my bedroom, finding Rocky sleeping dead center in the middle of my bed.
I laugh out loud. “I missed you too, boy.”
I walk up to him and pat his head. He gets up to make some room for me on the bed. I brush out my hair and slip into a sleep shirt. I toss and turn when I get into bed. The bed is cold and I wonder if Cade is comfortable. I should be freaking out about Ford’s family spending Christmas Eve with us tomorrow, or the fact Mom wasn’t home to greet me after not seeing me since Thanksgiving, but this isn’t the first time Mom hasn’t been around for me. It’s also not the first time I’ve had to spend time with Ford’s parents. Although we were together back then. I also wonder how Ford will react to meeting Cade. Daddy had real stars in his eyes after learning who Cade’s father is. I didn’t want to ruin his cheer with the news his dad is a big ass.
I finally drift off to sleep. I dream of warm green eyes filled with flecks of amber and gold and soft lips spreading kisses down my neck.
When I wake up it’s morning. Rocky is the one licking my neck and not the person who I was dreaming about, which is disappointing.
“Rocky,” I chide. But I begin to laugh because his licks are tickling me. “You silly boy.” Now that he has my attention, he rolls onto his back. I know exactly what he wants. I begin to rub his tummy. “Ford is coming over today, Rocky. You never liked him, did you?” Of course Rocky can’t answer, but I already know he never liked Ford. He wouldn’t pay him any attention and he liked to bite on the hems of his pants. Ford would get pissy, and I always tried to hold back laughter. Now that I look back at my relationship with Ford, I realize it was just physical. Ford is very handsome but we had nothing in common. The fact he’s acting like he wants me back makes no sense.
I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get washed up. I put my hair up in a messy bun and head to my room to get dressed in a pair of light-washed Levi’s. I pair them with a white crop top. Since it’s cold outside, I slip on a flannel shirt and leave it open. I slip on some slouchy wool socks and grab my Bogs and my sherpa jean jacket. I’m sure Cade will be interested in seeing the farm. Most people who have never been on a farm in their life always want a grand tour.
I head downstairs and leave my boots and jacket by the front door before heading to Cade’s room. I knock lightly on the door but there is no answer.
“Cade?” I ask through the door.
I knock a little harder and hear him muttering something.
“What did you say?” I ask. I open the door to Cade lying in bed. The white sheet draped over the bottom half of his body. He isn’t wearing a shirt so his muscles are on full display. I take in the ridges of his stomach from his six-pack.
“What time is it?” he asks.
I blink. He has morning wood. Very pronounced morning wood. I feel a clench between my thighs as I stare at the size of his penis.
“Annie?” He watches me with confusion and then his eyes follow to where I am staring. “Oh shit.” He cups himself. “Sorry about that.”
“Um, it’s. . .seven,” I mutter in a dick-induced daze. “I thought I could show you around the farm.”
“At 7:00 a.m.?” he asks, surprised.
“My father has been up for two hours already. We start early around here,” I explain.
“Sure, just give me five to get dressed,” he says.
I get lost in staring at his chest. At his perfectly defined pecs. I think about running my tongue across his nipples. I bite my lip and realize I have been ogling him. He cocks a brow. “You okay?”
“Me, yeah.” I wave a hand awkwardly in the air. “Totally.” I take a few steps back and connect with the door, spin around, grab the handle, and close the door. But before it’s fully closed, I say, “See you in the kitchen.”
Phew.
Sheesh! That boy is fine. I give my head a good shake to clear out the memory of his physique. It’s unnatural how cut he is.
When I think of the word cut, I wonder if Cade is cut. I blink. That doesn’t matter because he and I aren’t going there.
I head to the kitchen with a new resolve. Just because I am dying to get laid doesn’t mean Cade is an option. He’s proving to be a nice guy and he’s handsome but, nope, I’m not going there. Besides, he’s hurting over Scarlett, and he said he isn’t up for anything.
I get to work frying up some turkey bacon. Dad keeps fresh dough in the fridge because he likes to grow his own yeast and make his own bread. I knead out the dough and form the bread into a baguette I pop into the oven on bake. I wonder where Mom is. She hasn’t been around, even though I don’t think she would be going in to work today. She has a houseful of guests tonight. Ford has a sister plus his parents. With the turkey bacon fully cooked, I place the pan on the side to keep warm and crack some eggs. I scramble them in the pan when Cade walks into the kitchen. His raven hair is messy and he’s wearing a heather gray, crewneck wool sweater that hugs his strong shoulders and a pair of dark jeans that cling to his muscular thighs. I feel myself salivating. He places a big wintery coat on the chair.
“Wow, Annie,” he says. “This all looks delicious.”
“It is, my father’s bread is the best thing ever,” I admit.
We take a seat at the table.
“You look very pretty today,” he notes. There he goes being sweet again.
“Cade, there isn’t anyone around,” I bring to his attention.
“I was just complimenting you. I felt like you looked pretty. Should I not voice what I’m thinking?” he asks.
“I’m not sure,” I reply. He’s sexy and nice. A girl could easily fall for a guy like him.
“What does that mean?” he asks, confused.
“I don’t really know you all that well and this thing between us is fake,” I whisper.
Cade scoffs. “I hate to break this to you, but you know a lot more about me than most of my friends. Everyone thinks my family is perfect because they like to put up that front. Unfortunately, they showed their true colors yesterday at breakfast, so you know I was raised in a shitstorm.”
“Mine is just as dysfunctional. I have no clue where my mother is. I know she didn’t go in to work today. She wasn’t around last night either. I would think after not seeing her daughter for a good month she would want to welcome me home.”
“My dad spends a lot of time out of the house,” Cade says.
“Sounds like my mother.”
Cade gives me a curious look.
It feels almost too intimate. I’m not the type of person who talks about her familial problems. My mother taught me not to air our dirty laundry. “We should eat,” I tell Cade. “You’ll need your strength.”
“For what?” he asks.
“For your tour of the farm,” I tell him.
“This smells amazing,” he says and he breaks off some baguette. He fills his plate with eggs and turkey bacon. “You’re spoiling me, Annie.” He gives me a warm smile that makes my stomach flip. Something tells me Cade and I are not very different. I put up with Ford for too long, knowing he was a douchebag. He put up with Scarlett, maybe wishing she would change.
The room falls silent as we enjoy breakfast.
“I like preparing food. It calms me.”
Mom comes sauntering into the kitchen wearing a long, peach silk robe. It has lace down the front and her long red hair runs down her back.
“Morning, kids. When did you get in?” she asks.
“Last night,” I reply. She walks over to the table and rips a piece of baguette for herself. She starts to eat it before making herself coffee.
I had put orange juice on the table. “I’m sorry, I should’ve offered you coffee. I don’t always drink coffee in the morning, which I know is weird, but I forget people need it to function,” I say to Cade.
“That’s my daughter, forgetful like her father,” Mom chimes in and she eats more bread as she leans against the counter.
“I don’t always drink coffee in the morning.” Cade winks. “I don’t like the idea of needing a substance to keep me going.”
I think he’s totally lying to Mom, which is the sweetest thing because he’s come to my defense once again. I remember back to the breakfast with his parents. They all ordered café au laits. I’ll need to thank him later for having my back.
He smiles at me.
I smile at him, noticing an odd feeling in my chest.
“Annie, why is your hair in that awful bun. Go brush it out. It doesn’t suit you,” Mom chides. Here we go, it’s let’s put Annie down hour. The fact I have a friend here doesn’t stop her.
“She looks perfect,” Cade responds. He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. The amber in his green eyes feels like warm liquid. I find myself mesmerized. When Mom used to put me down, Ford would agree. They both wanted me to be this perfectly manicured woman who has every hair in place and her nails done all the time, and that wasn’t me.
“Thank you,” I say to Cade.
We finish eating and he stands and takes my plate. “Uh, where should I put these?”
I stand and take them from him. “It’s okay, I got it.”
I rinse the plates and place them in the dishwasher.
Cade and I head to the front door.
“Don’t forget it’s Christmas Eve. I bought you a nice dress I expect you to wear,” Mom calls out.
I roll my eyes, not bothering to answer her.
I grab my coat and Cade grabs his. “That looks really warm,” I say to him.
“It is. It’s Canada Goose, have you heard of it? It’s warm enough for the coldest Canadian winters,” he says. He then puts on a pair of men’s waterproof UGG boots in black.
“I have heard of them, but they cost a fortune,” I say. “Are you sure you want to wear Ugg boots out there? Sometimes the snow mixes with mud.”
“It’ll be fine,” he says.
I slip on my Bogs.
We head out into the fresh cool air. I suck in a deep refreshing breath.
“Wow, it’s really beautiful out here,” Cade says. I see his breath as he speaks.
“I always love coming home to the animals and the farm,” I state.
“I can see the appeal. Although, your mom seems to be picking on you a lot.” You’d have to be in outer space not to notice.
“She’s pissy I brought you home. It interferes with her plan to get Ford and me back together. It’s just her personality. Daddy is like a warm teddy bear and Mom is cold.” I shrug. “Come on, follow me.” I wave and head toward the barns. Cade follows from behind.
“There’s a lot of snow here,” he mutters.
“It’s all part of the beauty of the place,” I say loud enough for him to hear.
“That’s the pond right there. It should be frozen over. Daddy checks it to make sure before we have our skate tomorrow. Feel free to join us,” I say to him.
“I feel like I’m in a Christmas movie.” Cade laughs.
“Although there is no real romance here,” I add.
He catches up to me just as we approach the barns. The barns are open to large fenced-in fields at the back so the cows can graze even though on cold winter days, like today, the workers bring the feed indoors and the cows lounge around.
“I’m about to meet Sally, aren’t I?” Cade says.
I laugh. “You sure are. Sally meets all my friends,” I explain.
“Why?” Cade asks.
“Because she has good senses. She can tell if a person is a good person,” I explain.
Cade looks at me like I may be short a marble or two.
“There are a lot of cows in here,” he notes.
“They’re more comfortable staying indoors when it’s cold. We work hard to keep them as comfortable as possible.”
“That’s cool.”
I open the gate and walk into the area where the cows are hanging out. Some of them are socializing while others have chosen to rest. When I turn around, Cade isn’t following me.
“Um, Cade?”
“I’m not going in there. You must be crazy,” he says, looking fearful.
“According to your dad you’re a badass enforcer. You shouldn’t be scared of some friendly cows.”
“My father doesn’t know anything about me. He trained me to be an enforcer but it’s not who I am,” he counters. I realize I may have touched on a nerve with my comment.
“Wanna explain?” I ask. “I don’t know much about hockey. Your dad said something about being the fighter. . .”
He nods.
“It’s a role he wanted me to play. I prefer a clean game.”
“I can see that about you. I mean, wanting to play by the rules,” I tell him.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“Good. It was meant as one. Now, I need you to move your legs and follow me,” I urge him.
“But there are so many cows,” he howls.
I chuckle. “Live on the edge.” I extend my hand to him because he really does seem terrified.
He gives me his hand and takes small steps.
“Yes, baby steps, that’s good,” I encourage. “For a big hunk of a guy,” I add, muttering.
“I heard that,” he notes dryly.
“You are, in fact, a big guy,” I bring to his attention.
“I know, but the cows are so much bigger,” he cries.
“Dude, they eat grass not humans,” I retort because he is acting like he’s walked into a tiger’s den.
He huffs, “You’re a pain in the ass.”
“I heard that.” I laugh.
“You were supposed to.”
“Oh, there’s Sally.” I drop his hand and walk quickly toward her. She’s chilling with Stella.
“Hey, wait, get back here,” he calls after me.
“That’s what you get for calling me a pain in the ass,” I sass him. I pat Sally’s head and she licks my hand.
Cade makes his way over to us slowly as I pat Sally’s head. “Sally, this is my friend Cade. He just told me I’m a pain in the ass.”
“Are you trying to get me killed?” Cade asks.
I pull Cade a little closer. I take his hand and pat Sally’s head with it. She moves her head into his touch. I’ll be damned.
“Annie, I’m not breathing right now,” he says as I use his hand to pat Sally.
“Wait right here. I’m going to bring over some feed.” I take off, grabbing as much hay as I can hold.
“Annie, get back here. This isn’t funny.”
Just as I am walking up to them, Sally moves her head up and licks his cheek. Cade is frozen still. “If I piss myself, you better not laugh at me,” he says, his voice shaking.
“Cade, she loves you. Holy shit. I can’t believe this,” I walk up to Sally and Stella and share the feed I brought between them. “See, they aren’t interested in mauling you.”
“Honestly, they are kind of cute,” he suddenly says, surprising me.
Sally turns to Stella. She makes a low-pitched moo sound. Cade stumbles backward and lands on his ass.
“Oh no, are you okay?” I turn and offer him a hand. He gives me his hand and a zap of electricity runs through my body. Despite the cool temperature, his hand is warm and his skin is rough and calloused.
“I don’t know. Am I still alive?” he asks.
I help him to a standing position. “You’re just fine, you big baby,” I tease. I wipe some of the straw off his jacket.
Again, the kiss we shared enters my mind. That was so unlike me. I don’t go up to guys I barely know and lock lips with them.
He takes hold of my other hand. Our gazes lock. Having him this close to me causes the air to shift between us. Something heavy and wanting replaces the cold air. My heart picks up pace and my lips want the taste of his again. I lick my lips.
Sally let’s out a soft moo again and Cade jumps. “Geez.”
Whatever spell came over us is broken. I blink.
“Why does she keep making that sound?” he asks.
“A low moo is a sign of contentment,” I explain. “She’s probably happy to see me and she seems to like you.”
“How can you tell all that?” he asks.
“Because I grew up around the cows. They all have different personalities. Some are friendlier than others. They love to socialize and hang out with their friends. My dad is really big on ensuring they are comfortable and have a lot of space. It’s so relaxing to be around them,” I say.
“Relaxing, huh?” he repeats like he doesn’t believe me.
“Give yourself a few meet and greets. You’ll see how they grow on you,” I tell him.
“You seem like a straightforward honest person. I like that about you, Annie, but I don’t see myself getting used to being around cows.”
“Okay, well, why don’t you hop the fence over there,” I suggest. “I’m just going to hang out a few more minutes. I want to hand-feed a few of them and say hello. Things will get busy later. I won’t have a chance,” I tell him.
He hops the fence like I suggested and I watch him visibly relax. I need the space away from him because I don’t know what just happened, but having Cade close to me made it feel like there was a magnetic pull drawing us together. I wanted to kiss him so bad. That’s a big freaking problem.
“Sally, I’m in big trouble,” I tell her.
Again, she lets out a soft moo. I could swear she agrees with me.