45. Millie
CHAPTER 45
Millie
“What underwear have you got on?”
“No comment.” I twirl my hair around the curling wand, trying to keep an air of nonchalance about me as Elodie continues her inquisition.
“Oh, you are soooo doing the nasty tonight.” Her laugh comes out more like a squeal.
“Enough.” I groan, grabbing my purse from her hands. “It’s our first proper date, I’m sure Caden’s going to be nothing but a gentleman.”
“With you looking this hot?” She fans the tiered skirt of my dress. “I should hope the fuck not.”
Say what you like about Elodie Anderson, she’s my forever wingwoman & biggest cheerleader – a true girl's girl through and through.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She smirks, knowing full well that leaves plenty on the table. “I won’t wait up.”
The heels of my cowboy boots click as I walk towards the front door, smoothing my hands over the lace bodice of my dress. There’s a nervousness in me as I throw my denim jacket over my shoulders, reaching for the door handle.
I want Caden to like what he sees.
I want him to take one look at me and forget everything he knows about being a gentleman.
I step out into the warm haze of the early evening, as the soft breeze loosens my curls. Either I’m on heat, or Caden looks ten times hotter than usual. He’s waiting for me with a bouquet of wildflowers in one arm, the other hand raking through his hair as he leans against… the golf cart?
“What’s with the golf cart?” My face screws up with confusion.
“Oh, that?” He smirks, as if he’s aware of some joke I’m not in on. “To get us to our date.”
“I thought we were going for dinner?” I’d be happy with any sort of date, but if this is some sort of elaborate prank, Caden might not live to see tomorrow – especially given the extensive grooming regimen I committed to ahead of this date.
“We are.” He leans in towards me, leaving behind a tender kiss on my neck as he hands me the flowers. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” A blush heats my cheeks, distracting me from the issue of our transportation momentarily. I run my hand down his chest, taking him in slowly as I notice every detail, from his black button-down to the perfectly fitted Wranglers, and the rich scent of sandalwood that lingers after his kiss, drawing me in.
“And by beautiful,” his voice is a mere whisper against my ear, “I mean I’m this close—” he holds his thumb and index finger half an inch apart, “—from tearing this pretty little dress off with my teeth and fucking you right here for everyone to see.”
“Caden!” I try to push him away, but he’s already pulling me into him.
“Judging by the fire in those amber eyes of yours, you’d like that. Wouldn’t you?”
I can’t deny that the thought of Caden claiming me as his own in plain sight, without a care for who’s watching, turns me on.
“Are you taking me on this date or what?” I roll my eyes, accepting whatever fate I’m in for as I hop up onto the bench of the golf cart.
“Yes, ma'am.” Caden seats himself beside me, resting one hand on the steering wheel, the other on my bare thigh.
We cross the main road and wind through the guest lodges, pulling up at the fence line where Caden jumps out and unties a wooden gate. I’ve never been this far down the riverside, but I think I can confidently say that there are no restaurants around here.
“I’m starting to suspect that you might be leading me to my death,” I huff. “Care to tell me where we’re going?”
“A wise soul once told me that patience is a virtue,” Caden replies. “You’ll see.”
I’ve got no choice but to be patient, given that we’re making our way to the date on a vehicle with what I presume is a max speed of 10km per hour – and even that feels generous.
“I am being p—” The words stop dead on my tongue as we finally make it through the dense thicket to a small clearing right on the riverbank .
The trees form a crescent moon backdrop to the open space, warm fairy lights hanging in soft loops between them. There’s a picnic table covered with a plaid rug, the benches adorned with plush cushions and thick faux fur blankets. Caden carries an insulated picnic basket to the table, setting out stemmed glasses, dinnerware, and a single taper candle secured in a rustic wine bottle.
“How did you…” My sentence falls off as I catch Parker walking towards us, a campfire burning behind him. There are two Adirondack chairs facing out toward the river, the mirror image of Mount Braid reflected on the still water.
“I can’t take all the credit.” He drops a couple of notes in Parker’s hand, pulling him into a hug before throwing him the golf cart keys. “I paid Parker a small sum to help me out and keep watch on the fire while I was gone. Chef Raph took a bit more convincing, but the Bison Lasagne is all thanks to him. I was merely the project manager for this date.”
“Lasagne?” My jaw drops, belly rumbling. “That’s my favourite.”
“You think I don’t pay attention?” He snakes his arms around my back, peppering kisses along the nape of my neck. “I’ve been taking notes for longer than I care to admit.”
“Caden, this is too much. You didn’t have to do all of this, I’d have been happy with a burger in town.”
“No, Millie. It’s not too much, it’s not even close to enough.” His next inhale is deep, breathing me in. “You deserve the whole damn world.”
I gulp, struggling to believe that someone would do something this thoughtful for me. I’ve gone through life without even a dusting of romance in my encounters with men. Being treated like this feels foreign.
“Here’s to our first date, Millie.” Caden pours me a glass of red before raising his own glass in my direction. “To us.”
“To us,” I repeat, clinking his glass and taking a long swig as I turn over my shoulder to look out on the water. There’s something vulnerable in this moment, a nervous excitement in my gut telling me that if I let myself fall, this could be it.
I want to fall.
To give in to whatever this is.
Us .
We float through conversation, time irrelevant as he takes me from laughing until I can’t breathe, into deep conversations about what we want out of life, then back to pure flirtation as the dirtier corners of my mind take over.
“I love the way you see the world, Adams,” Caden muses.
“Hmm?”
“Just hearing you talk, understanding the way you think about things, it makes me fall for you a little bit more every time.” He starts clearing the table, packing up our dishes and leftovers. “You’re beautiful, there’s no doubt about that. And your body is incredible. But your mind? Fuck , that’s what turns me on the most.”
I hang on his every word.
We’ve barely touched the wine, but being around him is just as intoxicating. I feel different somehow, more free, like there’s a version of myself that was reserved only for him, and I get to give into it now.
Rolling back my shoulders, I sit myself on top of the picnic table, my legs hanging over the edge as I take in the ever-changing view. It’s so quiet out here, save for the hushed sway of the pines as the wind moves through them, evening falling over the mountains.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” I let out a calm sigh, contentment warming my cheeks.
“So fucking beautiful,” Caden replies, closing the distance between us in deliberate strides. He cups my face in his palm, tilting my chin up towards him as his eyes bore into mine, wild with their own storm. “You have no idea.”