Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
VIOLET
It’s late enough for me to know his calling it a night is the right move.
But I wish we didn’t have to.
The evening flew by and for the first time in a long time, I relaxed.
No tense anticipation about what might happen next, no worrying about Isaac and whatever he might have planned to get back at me, because he’ll blame me for Cade turning up. Like I magically summoned Cade, or something.
I didn’t even think about The Ghost. Much. There were even times I forgot all about him.
But having Cade next to me in the Uber, his leg brushing mine a shield of heat and flesh there between me and the rest of the world, is special. Appreciated. And I’m not sure I want it to end.
We chat about the terrible show we watched, neither of us wanting to bring up Isaac, and the trip is over faster than I expect.
Cade surprises me again by getting out with me.
“You don’t have to. I’m a big girl now.”
He squints at me. “Nope, you’re definitely under five five.”
I give him a small shove, my fingers coiling in the soft merino on his light sweater. “Thanks for helping me, Cade/”
His dark eyes are warm and serious as they settle on me. “No problem. I like helping you. In fact, there are a lot of things I like when it comes to you.”
My cheeks heat, and I know I should drop my hand, but I don’t.
My gaze flickers down as I suck in air.
He shifts closer to me, his fingers, brushing my cheek as he slides a strand of hair behind my ear, lingering a moment in a way that’s thrillingly unnecessary and makes my heart flip and flop.
“Like how you drop your gaze and get this really cute pink tinge to your skin when someone pays you a compliment.” He shifts a little closer once more, and my pulse picks up. “And your skin actually warms.”
His fingers brush my cheek once more. “See?”
“Cade…” His name comes out breathless, soft.
“And I love how kind you are, how fierce and loyal. How you’ll stand up for yourself. And I also really fucking love how you can put away what constitutes a whole Wild’s pizza and a half in one sitting.”
My gaze flies up at him.
And I tug instead of push, bringing him closer so we’re touching, brushing against each other. “Those pizzas are individual pizzas. They’re made for one. And most people have a pizza and a starter. My starter happened to be pizza.”
“I see.”
I mock glare. “And it’s your fault.”
“Mine?” His mouth curves up, and my heart spins and flips.
“Yours. You ordered six pizzas.”
“I knew you’d try and eat them all. And I didn’t want to starve.”
“You weren’t going to starve. I was hungry. I didn’t even eat my share.”
He laughs softly. “I believe you.”
“You’re a monster.”
“And you’re not.” His smile gets a little bigger, and I think I could stand here for hours and bask in that smile. “I also love how you stand up for your beliefs. You don’t walk away from something you’re committed to. Even if walking’s the easiest thing. You’re good, strong. You know that, right?”
I force a smile because I didn’t feel good or strong in that office. I felt crushed by guilt and weakness. I felt Isaac saw my perverted side and wanted a slice, too.
And that made me weak.
I wouldn’t have done anything.
Willingly.
But Isaac might have forced me.
I shudder at that nightmarish scenario.
“Sometimes…I’m not so sure that’s true.”
Next to us, the Uber sits, motor purring, but I block it out as Cade takes my hand, linking our fingers, and the bottom of my stomach drops.
He squeezes. “I think you need to believe in yourself as much as I do.”
I shiver, looking up at him.
God, he’s a good-looking man. One who’s looking at me like I’m the center of his attention right now, like this is the world, him and I. And he’s also looking at me like I’m a desirable woman.
My heart starts to thump faster, harder.
I desperately want to kiss him right now. Finish that electric kiss that wasn’t a kiss in the office.
If a fake kiss from him could do that to me, what would a real kiss do?
It wouldn’t take much to rise up on my toes, slip my arms around him, and kiss him, inviting him in.
But I don’t. Something stops me.
Maybe because I just broke up with Jack. But I really don’t think so.
It was a long time coming, and Jack’s ego rather than his heart is hurting.
But honestly, maybe I know he wouldn’t be saying any of this if he knew the real me. If he knew all the sordid and depraved things I liked and wanted, if he knew what I was doing with The Ghost…
Cade’s not like that. He’s decent.
And I think I’m learning a little too late decent doesn’t mean boring or staid.
I like him, and he likes an image that isn’t real.
Hell, I need sleep.
I gently pull away, and take a step toward my building.
“Pizza?”
I turn, and he’s holding out the wrapped box I forgot about, the box I didn’t notice him set on the roof of the Uber when he got out of the car.
I take it and nod. “Thanks again.”
With that, I cross to my door.
I stand on the landing, heart thumping in a different way, one that writhes with fear.
My studio’s door is open a crack, and my vision swims.
I take a breath and try to calm.
It’s probably another game from The Ghost. But there aren’t any new text messages on my phone.
Tucking my phone away, I tell myself he’s upped the ante a little, trying to tease out that fight or flight.
So, I push it open.
Ransacked.
Pictures hang lopsided, my sofa has been pulled apart, bedding is on the floor and my underwear is everywhere.
I can see all that from where I stand.
Heart beating wild, I spin, panic like mad fireflies in my blood.
I go to run down the stairs and slam into someone warm and solid and smelling so familiar I gasp out, clutching as I look up into Cade’s worried face.
“Someone…someone was in my place.”
He looks past me and says, “You’re coming with me.”
Without a word, he steps past me and pulls the door shut with the edge of his T-shirt, like he doesn’t want to smear any fingerprints.
I want to scream that whoever it was wouldn’t leave fingerprints, but I swallow the words down.
He takes my hand and the pizza and leads me back down to the Uber.
“Who would do that?”
“I don’t know.” But I do know. Someone with a grudge. Someone who came close to getting caught trying to force me to suck their dick. Someone like my creepy boss.
“Okay, it’s not that I don’t believe you, but I did see how the councilman looked at you and at me.” He lets out a soft breath, not letting go of my hand as we head back to Manhattan. “But I’ll settle you into my place and then come back to check it out.”
“I need to call the cops.” I stop. “Or maybe I shouldn’t. If it was Isaac, what if he wants to set me up by ruining my career before it begins. He’s not going to do it himself. He’ll hire someone, right? And if I go to the cops, then…”
“I’ll do that for you. I work in IT. You don’t think I know a cop or two?”
I cast him a look. “I don’t know. Do you?”
“Back in the day, before this job, I’d pick up all kinds of jobs, so yeah, I know a few.”
I smile a little, “We don’t even know if it was him. Why would he? He’s ambitious and wants to move on from this job, too. He’s not going to compromise himself.”
“He thought he’d get away with hitting on you, so…”
When we get back to his place, I’m tired, a little uneasy, but no longer scared like I was at my apartment.
“Now,” he says, “let me give you the grand tour.”
I let out a small laugh. “I know your place, Cade.”
He raises a brow. “But have you had the grand tour?”
“I’m not sure.”
He leans in. “It’s like the regular one with more words.” He sets the pizza down as I put down my bag. “You know where everything is, and I do have a bunch of your things I’d hoped my brother would do the right thing about. But…”
“It’s Jack. He doesn’t think of things like that.”
“Jack doesn’t think of anything.” He makes a drink for me. Whiskey and coke and then, cheeks suddenly burning, he pulls out a jar of maraschino cherries from his fridge, adds one, and then grabs what I think is grenadine and glugs in a splash. “You like cherries.”
There’s amusement in his eyes, and my cheeks burn hotter. “I got sick.”
“Then I’ll remove it.”
“No, no.” For some reason, there is a low pulsing heat under the conversation, and I don’t want him to take the cherry. “I’ll eat it.”
He hands me the drink, and though he doesn’t smile, I can feel it there, hovering, like there’s a joke I’m missing.
I take it and have a sip.
He looks at me. “If you don’t want to stay in the room, I have a study with a pull-out sofa.”
“I can stay in there. It’s fine.”
He nods. “I’ll get some sheets. And then I’m going to call my cop friend and go and see what’s up with your place. I’m not sure they can find out who it was unless there are prints, but…” He shrugs. “Hopefully, there are. Is there anything you need?”
“Clothes for work?”
“I’ll get those.”
“I should come.” I almost ask him if the cameras record, but then I realize he doesn’t know about them. “Pick out—”
“Don’t trust my eye?” He grins.
“Let’s just say you can’t go wrong with black.”
Cade laughs. “Have your drink, you’re safe here, and you’re staying until we get to the bottom of it all. Then he holds out his hand. “Keys.”
I give them to him, and he disappears, phone in hand like he’s going to call an Uber. Then again, maybe he’ll hail a cab. After all, we’re in Manhattan.
Sipping my drink, I kick off my shoes and wander around, standing outside Cade’s door, heart beating fast as I put a hand to the wood.
Then I snatch it away.
As much as I want to snoop, I’m not going to. Instead, I go into the bedroom next door and almost collapse.
It’s huge, the room. When Jack was in here, it seemed smaller, probably because most of his things were on the outside of drawers and closets and he so much.
But now it’s neat, clean. Empty. It smells like beeswax, lemon, and lavender.
And on the bed are sheets, in a natural tone of off white, linen, from the feel. The cover is already on the duvet, and I put my drink down on the desk, then make the bed.
I turn on the lamp, and the room is more than homey.
My clothes are folded neatly on the desk, and I go to the closet. Inside are some dresses and shoes I left.
No way Jack did any of this.
I go to the desk and pick up a T-shirt, smelling it. It’s clean and fresh, and I know Cade’s behind it.
Cade. The unexpected gift of a man who keeps giving.
“What are you even doing?” I ask myself.
Because I don’t know.
He’s intriguing, dependable and as a bonus, I know what he looks like.
Why am I messing with The Ghost?
I know why.
And thinking of…
I text him.
Vi2l: Hi. someone broke into my place. Do your cameras record?
Ghost: Did you want them to?
Did I?
Him having filmed evidence of us, of me? Shit…Put like this, it’s weird, and I’m not even sure he’ll tell me the truth and I don’t know how I feel about it.
Ghost: Not without permission.
I nod.
He wouldn’t have broken in, right? I almost ask, but it’s pushing him the wrong way, so I don’t.
And guilt slithers against my bones at texting him in Cade’s home. So, I put my phone down and put on boy-shorts and a big T-shirt and get into bed with the drink.
It’s a nice night, but I’m bone-deep cold, and I want to warm up.
As I finish the drink, I stare at the wall.
On the other side is Cade’s room. And while it’s weird being here without Jack, I can’t help the horrible thought creeping in.
Could Cade hear me and Jack having sex?
My head turns my libido to humming mode at that.
It’s a hot thought.
I close my eyes and must drift off because the buzz of my phone wakes me.
It’s Lia. “Have you heard?”
I groan, sitting up. “Heard what?”
“That podcast we like, the gossipy one that gets all the scandals before anyone else? They got hold of a recording of Isaac. He’s threating someone with losing their job if they don’t suck him off.
” She paused dramatically. “That’s you, isn’t it?
And you somehow arranged with your hacker boyfriend to release it! ”
I frown. “No. The only person who knows anything about that is Cade, and he doesn’t even know that part.”
“Well, someone knows.”
“And how do you know everything the hacker does before me?” I demand. “Do you have a google alert?”
Lia sniffs. “I’m just good as sniffing out drama. What can I say? I love spilled tea. So, it was you…I knew it.
I pretty much admitted it to her, and I don’t want to lie. “I just thought I had it under control. But this isn’t going to be good for me. It’s career ending.”
Isaac was right about that.
“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”
“Lia…”
“Well, we’re not letting some asshole with a god complex make you give up your dreams, but first, how did the hacker get that recording?” She gasps. “Is he spying on you?”
“I don’t know.” Another lie to a friend. Sort of lie. He’s got cameras in my place, but microphones in my office? Cameras, perhaps? That’s going to too far, isn’t it?
I shiver.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” I end the call.
Now I’m awake. Because these are valid questions.
Where else does he have cameras? Here? Did he get them in here? I look around, but I can’t find them at my place so how could I here? I only guessed at the one in the bathroom because I don’t think he wants to watch me use the facilities…
Does he?
“Gross.”
But he hasn’t hinted at that.
Still…back to Isaac.
If The Ghost was watching him and decided to ruin him, then what does he think of Cade? He saw me with him, made me leave like a jealous lover. Made our time together at the bar all about The Ghost.
And yes, it was hot, but looking back, I…
Shit.
Does he think there’s something going on between me and Cade?
If so, how long before he starts trying to ruin his life?
I shudder.
An even worse thought comes to me.
What if he tells Cade the truth about my fantasies in an attempt to scare him off?