5. Cade
Chapter 5
Cade
“Oh.”
The small sound escapes Grace as she stares up at me with wide, soft eyes. She looks surprised, and I can’t blame her.
“You don’t have to, Cade,” she says gently. “I was just joking. We all were.”
She’s leaning against me already, and the scent of her envelops me. I swallow hard. I can’t remember if Grace always smelled this good and I just forgot, seeing as she was younger and our friend’s baby sister, but if she has always smelled this good then damn I’m glad I forgot.
It’s been driving me crazy all night.
She smells like the perfect spring day. I don’t know how any man’s supposed to resist that. The fact that this William guy resisted it enough to go and fuck some other woman is beyond me. I wasn’t impressed with the man from the jump but I didn’t know he was downright insane.
“I don’t mind,” I say gruffly.
Grace smiles. “You sure?”
I nod.
She takes my hand and leads me out onto the dance floor.
I really don’t dance. At all. I can’t lead properly. But if Grace minds, she doesn’t let it show. She just starts doing her thing, and I match my movements with her as best I can.
Turns out, it’s better than I thought. Strange, but not too hard.
“Look at you go.” Grace smiles up at me. “We’ll make a dancer of you yet.”
“Don’t count on it.”
“Aww, but now that you’ve danced with one woman all the other women are going to want you to dance with them too.” Grace winks and twirls around, her skirt flaring up.
She is in a damn cute skirt. She’s still got her heels on too, which is impressive. Although she’s probably only kept them on because this floor is sticky with alcohol and who knows what the hell else. I’d give her my shoes to wear instead if they had a chance in hell of fitting.
What the hell is wrong with you? I ask myself. There’s being a gentleman, like I was raised to be for women, then there’s just being weird.
This is why I keep to myself and keep my damn mouth shut.
“Even if I could dance,” I point out, “I wouldn’t want to.”
“I can hear hearts breaking all over the county.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” I’m not exactly the most social of people. Women aren’t climbing over each other to get to me.
I don’t want them to, anyway.
Grace rolls her eyes like I’m using false modesty, but she drops the subject. Thank god.
It’s easy, in a way, to dance with her. To attune to her body. It feels hot in this room and not because of all the other people in it. Every time we press together, I feel like I can’t breathe.
She’s beautiful like this. Not that she’s not beautiful the rest of the time but especially right now, flushed and happy. She’s so gorgeous that it makes my chest tight.
Her exuberance is beautiful. She’s so happy . So full of joy. Grace should always look like this. She should always be this happy.
That fucker who broke her heart is lucky we decided to be merciful. Easton should’ve taken the crowbar to him and not the car.
I pull Grace in close, just to feel her against me. To feel like I’m protecting her. I’m not good with words, but maybe if I hold her she’ll understand how valuable she should feel. How happy she should feel. How happy I’d like to make her.
I stumble on my next step. That’s a weird thought. Maybe not weird but definitely intense, more intense than I’d expect.
Grace presses herself against me, her body molding against mine like it was made for me. Like she was made for me.
I get my arm around her to keep her close. Grace sways with me. I know I should push her back a bit, lead her into a new step. Another spin. But I can’t.
She smells so good . Sweet and refreshing. I want to bury my nose in her neck. Hell, I want to bury my mouth between her breasts. Between her thighs.
My breath comes in hotter and shorter. Grace’s eyes are blown wide and dark. She’s breathing heavy too.
I try not to react, but I can’t help myself. She’s beautiful and smells amazing and is so close.
We cling to each other, mouths open, so close to—to something I don’t dare name. I feel like I’m losing sense. I don’t care that we’re in public, I don’t care that we’re strangers in a way. I just want her, so bad, I want to have her, I’m aching and hard from wanting her.
I sense something out of the corner of my eye. A flash of movement. I look up, instincts screaming at me like a cowbell ringing in my head.
There are other Alphas here, some in a relationship or mated, some not. I can see several over by the bar, and they’re all staring at Grace like she’s got a target on her back. They all look starving.
I get it, I feel starving too. Starving for Grace. But nobody else gets to have her.
A few of the Alphas move closer, their gazes roaming over her. I can see them sniffing the air, trying to catch her scent. I wrap my arm around Grace and glare at them, a growl starting up in the back of my throat.
“Cade?” Grace murmurs. She sounds a little off. Not tipsy and having fun like she did before. She sounds distant. Fuzzy. Confused. “I feel… why do I feel so hot…”
She tugs at her clothes, like they’re confining her. She’s even more flushed now, but she’s also sweating. Her scent is stronger. Palpable. I can taste it on my tongue.
“I just feel so hot, why is it so hot in here?” Grace sounds upset now, distressed.
My heart hammers in my chest and rage roars within me at the idea of her being uncomfortable. Or, worse, scared, which is how she honestly sounds.
I don’t understand why she’d feel so upset, or why she’s confused. Or why I’m so turned on. The Alphas are still approaching, staring at her like—like—
It all snaps into place.
Grace is an Omega.
Holy fuck.
I stare down at her as she presses close to me, tears in her eyes. She has no idea. We all thought Grace was a Beta. She has to be a Beta, that’s what everyone’s always said. That’s what she’s said. I didn’t know it was possible for an Omega to present this late but that has to be what’s happening.
Fuck.
I have to get her out of here.