Chocolate Croissants
. . .
Ellie
Waking up cold and alone was… not fun.
Definitely wouldn’t recommend it.
My eyes were sore from crying, I was still in my wrinkled shorts and yellow crocheted crop top from yesterday, and I missed my little furball cuddle buddy… and the furnace of a man I’d gotten used to sleeping against.
On groggy legs, I stumbled through the dark room, eager to leave. Opening the door back to civilization backfired quickly—the hallway lights were freaking bright—and I took one step before tripping over something unexpectedly solid.
The world tipped over. I yelped. My arms flailed for purchase as I fell, earning a masculine grunt from the thing I landed on.
A pair of strong arms stopped me from face-planting completely, but I still ended up sprawled over an unmistakably human lap with my eyes squeezed shut.
I peeked one eye open—only to find Whiskey staring back at me from his throw pillow throne an inch from my nose.
He blinked before licking his fluffy paw, unconcerned by my fall.
Risking a peek over my shoulder, I found my butt sticking up right in front of Cade’s face, his surprisingly alert gaze focused on it.
“Good morning to you, too.” His voice came out gruff, spiking my heart rate.
Mortified, I scrambled off his lap onto a plush mauve rug that ran the entire length of the hallway. I scooted backward and bumped into the wall across from him, struggling to make sense of the situation.
Cade sat on the floor, looking way too comfortable leaning against a hard wall with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. His shirt was wrinkled, thick hair slightly disheveled, and the shadow of stubble that darkened his jaw was more noticeable.
I glanced between him and Whiskey with a frown. Cade had been out here all night with my cat?
I shot a look at my little furball. Now he liked Cade?
“Traitor,” I whispered.
One of those fancy silver domes that room service use for food sat on Cade’s other side, but my eyes darted back to the man himself.
“You slept out here?” I asked, even though the answer was obvious. Of course he had. I’d just woken him up with my butt in his face.
He stretched both arms before working the stiffness out of his neck. “The theatre doesn’t have a lock on the door.”
I stared, too tired to understand what that meant. “So?”
His gaze held mine. “So, I’m not leaving you to sleep alone in a room that doesn’t lock.”
I might’ve melted a little, before crossing my arms to stay strong. “That doesn’t change what you said yesterday.”
“I know,” Cade agreed with a sigh. “My mother’s arrival was unexpected, and it threw me off my game. I’m sorry for not handling it better.”
Well, that was convenient for him to say. I squinted, suspicious. “… You’re not just saying this because you don’t want me backing out of the deal, are you?”
“I’m saying it because I hurt you, Ellie. I didn’t think twice about your feelings yesterday, but you’re not arm candy or a prop or unwelcome. You’re…” He paused, as if searching for words, before his lips quirked. “You’re a unicorn.”
I blinked, not following. “… A unicorn?”
His smile widened. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. I like that you’re nothing like the others. Maybe I like it a little too much.”
The last part was mostly muttered to himself, but I still heard it, and heat rose up my neck until even my ears burned. I uncrossed my arms and cleared my throat, completely flustered by the warmth infusing my chest. “Oh. Well, that’s good to know.”
Cade’s gaze remained steady. “I should’ve said that yesterday. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
More of the anger drained out of me. “I get it. Your mom is… Well, she’s a lot.”
“She’s also the last person who should be judging my choices.” He cocked his head to the side. “Vivienne Westbrook is far from a shining example for healthy relationships. She’s between husbands right now, but it won’t be long before she finds her next one. There’ve been at least eight so far.”
I let out a long, quiet whistle. “That’s almost impressive. Is your father still in the picture?”
He shook his head. “He died when Harry and I were young.”
A breath whooshed out of me, and I dropped my gaze to where Cade’s feet rested an inch away from mine. Losing a parent was a special kind of pain—one I related to—and I pressed my toes against his in what I hoped was a comforting nudge. “I’m sorry.”
Cade watched our feet for a moment before lifting his shoulder. “My mother didn’t handle it well, and her later choice in husbands left a lot to be desired. Our grandfather stepped in after she tied the knot a third time. He moved us in with him and our grandmother.”
“Wow. They raised you?”
“It’s something I’ll always be grateful for. They’d lost a son, and we’d lost a father. It helped all of us.” Cade’s eyes flicked back up to me. “What about your parents? Are you close with them?”
I couldn’t resist the urge to tease him a little. “Oh, are you saying your security team didn’t already find out all the dirty details from my past?”
Amusement flashed in his gaze. “There wasn’t time for the full vetting process. I know some, but not your family.”
“Lucky me. Well, there’s not much to tell.” I shrugged, dropping my gaze back to our feet. “I never knew my father, and my mom passed when I was in college after being sick for a long time.”
After a pause, Cade’s bigger toes pushed back against mine. “I’m sorry.”
I managed a weak smile. “Me too. She would’ve loved a trip like this, though. Hopping on a boat and taking off into the open ocean? Neither of us had ever left Westport before.”
Genuine surprise flashed across Cade’s face—like it’d never crossed his mind that someone hadn’t traveled outside the city they were born in. As if it was a foreign concept. And I didn’t blame him; we came from completely opposite worlds.
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, shocked I hadn’t clammed up. Talking about my mom was a heavy thing, but it didn’t feel heavy right now. Talking to Cade was easy.
I checked on Whiskey—who’d fallen asleep on his pillow—before my eyes strayed back to the silver dome on Cade’s other side.
“So, what’s in the fancy room-service thingy?” I asked lightly, going for nonchalance.
A breath rumbled from him—sounding suspiciously like a laugh and confirming I wasn’t fooling anyone—and he lifted the lid. “Apology croissants.”
My nose twitched, latching on to the rich, buttery scent, and I instantly salivated at the sight. The platter consisted of a teetering mountain of flaky chocolate croissants.
My jaw dropped, and I struggled to pick it back up. “How’d you know to get chocolate ones?”
Cade breathed a laugh. “I’m not blind, Ellie. You eat at least two every morning.”
I bit down on my lip to hide a smile.
“I didn’t know you paid that much attention.
” I reached over him to pluck one off the stack and took a huge bite.
It was heavenly. Absolutely heavenly. Swallowing the chocolate-filled masterpiece, I let out a pleased hum.
“Oh my word. You really can’t claim to not be a sweet guy, then do something like this. It’s not very convincing.”
Cade’s dark gaze zeroed in on my lips.
“Every rule has an exception,” he murmured. He lifted a hand to my face, and his thumb steadily wiped chocolate from the corner of my mouth, while his gaze lingered there. “Turns out, you’re mine.”
My brain promptly forgot how to function, and I could only sit there, frozen in shock with the chocolate croissant halfway to my mouth.
Cade boggled my mind further by sticking the tip of his thumb into his mouth and sucking off the chocolate.
I shivered, eyes glued to his lips as warmth slid underneath my skin. “Oh, you are totally forgiven.”
Surprise filled his eyes. “Yeah?”
“Oh yeah,” I whispered, unable to help myself from drawing closer to him like a moth to a flame.
His lips pulled into a smirk, and he leaned closer. “Good, because I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”
That was all the warning I got before Cade’s hand slid around the back of my neck—eliciting a full body shiver—and his lips claimed mine in a commanding kiss that curled my toes.
I eagerly returned it, dropping the pastry to grasp both sides of his stubbled jaw and pull him even closer.
It was hot and urgent and hungry in a way that set my skin on fire.
Cade wrapped his free arm around my waist, tugging me closer as I practically took flight in my hurry to straddle his lap. He kept control of the kiss, while I threaded my fingers through his hair, gripping—yanking. His answering groan only made me want more.
When we came up for air, I was plastered to his front with my knees on either side of his hips. Cade’s touch seared through my skin and into my bones.
“We’re definitely breaking the Cuddle Code,” I whispered in warning.
His lips curved against mine with a smirk. “I’ve never been a fan of that code.”
He pulled me right back into another kiss, quickly deepening it as my head spun.
“Are you kidding me?” A new voice shattered the moment, and I jerked back from Cade—but his arms didn’t let me go far.
Harrison marched down the hallway, scowling at both of us.
“That manifestation-loving nut woke me at five in the morning for a couples massage with Maddie. Then she sent me on a wild goose chase to find you, only your cabin was empty. When I finally hunt you down, you’re making out in the hallway like a couple teenagers? Give me a break.”
“What do you want, Harrison?” Cade asked shortly, not bothering to hide his annoyance while I sat frozen on his lap.
It shouldn’t feel like we were caught with our hands in the cookie jar. Cade and I were pretending to be engaged, and engaged couples made out with each other all the time. It was perfect for the plan.
So why did I feel like we’d been caught red-handed?
Harrison muttered a few colorful words, glaring at Cade. “Dr. Lovejoy wants you both to go to the spa for a couples massage. Good luck. I barely survived the torture.”
I frowned. “Shouldn’t you be relaxed after a massage?”
“If only it were that simple,” Harrison grumbled, rolling his shoulders.
“That woman was there the whole time and kept digging into our relationship goals and future. How am I supposed to know which vegetable represents our love life? It’s gotta be a trick question.
If I say eggplant, she’ll just think I’m overcompensating. ”
My brows slowly rose the longer he spoke, and Harrison’s scowl deepened.
“Whatever,” he muttered, already turning in the opposite direction. “Just go to the spa after you’re finished sucking face. I’m going back to bed.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Cade called after him, earning an agitated wave from his brother.
Cade and I shared a glance, alone again, and I had the strangest urge to giggle like a schoolgirl. I wanted to kiss him again—to pull another groan from his throat—but the moment had passed.
So, I slowly slid off his lap, clearing my throat. “I guess we have a date with Dr. Lovejoy, then.”
Cade’s eyes drifted down to my lips. “I can get us out of it.”
I grinned like an idiot, tempted to say yes. But we needed to get back on track. Keep our eyes on the prize.
“I should get Whiskey back to our room,” I said, checking on my cat. He was still snoozing next to us, completely oblivious to the life-changing kiss I’d just experienced. “Plus, it’d be a shame to turn down a massage, right?”
“That depends on what else Lovejoy has planned for us,” Cade said dryly. “Come on. We can drop off Whiskey on the way to the spa.”
That didn’t leave me much time to get ready, and I was pretty sure my hair looked like we’d just been making out—because we had just been making out.
We got to our feet, and I picked up the tray of chocolate croissants before realizing another dilemma. I couldn’t carry both the platter and Whiskey, so I held the croissants out to Cade.
“Can you hold these, please?” I asked, and he dutifully took the platter. I quickly freshened up as best I could on short notice—redoing my braid and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “Okay, I think I’m ready. Do you mind carrying those to the spa?”
Cade didn’t answer immediately. His gaze darted between me and the scrumptious mountain of flaky, buttery goodness.
Looking at them made me salivate again. Unable to resist, I snagged another croissant off the stack and took a bite, and Cade’s brow lifted. “… You want to bring these with us?”
I swallowed my mouthful before answering. “Of course. Did you expect me to leave them behind?”
“I thought you’d just eat a couple.” He glanced at the still mostly full platter. “Not all of them.”
I stared at him like he’d just grown a second head. “If you didn’t think I’d eat them all, then why’d you get an entire mountain?”
“For dramatic effect,” he answered smoothly, followed by a teasing smile. “I shouldn’t be surprised, though. Not after you drank a mug of straight chocolate at that café.”
“Hey, that was a mocha.”
I conveniently left out that mochas were basically chocolate, but Cade didn’t seem to mind. He was too busy holding the croissant platter steady while also pulling me into another breath-stealing kiss.