Chapter 20 Grae
GRAE
My heart lurched. Stay with Caden? At his house? Where I’d be drowning in his scent and a million other reminders of all the things I couldn’t have?
My brothers scowled at him.
“She should stay with one of us,” Nash snapped.
“Or at Mom and Dad’s,” Lawson added.
“How about I decide where I stay because I’m an adult with a mind of my own?”
Caden squeezed my arm. “Where do you want to go?”
My gaze lifted to his, and I lost myself in the gold flecks of his hazel eyes. I was still fully living that dumb-girl life. “With you. Can I stay with you?”
He dropped a kiss to the top of my head. “Of course.”
My brothers didn’t say a word.
I looked up at the still-smoking house. “They probably won’t let me get anything from inside, huh?”
Lawson shook his head. “They’ll have to assess the structure first.”
My shoulders slumped.
“I’ve got stuff at my place you can borrow for now,” Caden said.
“I can get some clothes from Mads and drop them off tomorrow morning,” Nash offered. “See if they can grab her insulin from the fridge.”
Maddie was at least a couple of inches taller than me, but the items would hold me over until I could buy some new things. And I could always get some more insulin at the pharmacy tomorrow.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
“Come on,” Caden said. “Let’s get you home.”
Home. I wasn’t sure I had that anymore. Between someone lurking outside, the break-in, and now the fire, my house didn’t feel so much like a home.
I let Caden guide me back to his SUV. I didn’t say a word as he helped me up and into the vehicle or as he started the engine. We were completely silent as we made our way back to The Peaks. Even the guard at the gate seemed to get that we weren’t up for chitchat.
Caden’s SUV wound around the darkened roads of the resort until he pulled up to a house I’d never seen before. I knew he’d had one built, of course, but I’d never laid eyes on it until this moment.
Even in the dark, I saw it was gorgeous—a blend of modern and rustic, wood and glass. But the windows on the front had been treated with something that kept you from being able to see inside.
Caden pulled to a stop in the circular drive. Jumping out, he rounded the SUV and opened my door. I took his offered hand and slid out of the passenger seat.
He didn’t release me like I expected. Caden kept a hold of my hand until we reached the door. He unlocked it and ushered me inside, moving to disarm the alarm.
I hovered in the hallway. The place was beautiful but stark. Everything was clean lines; not a pillow out of place. But there wasn’t a whole lot of life in the space.
“It’s gorgeous,” I said.
Caden’s gaze flicked to me. “Thanks.”
I searched the space for any hint of him but couldn’t find one anywhere.
“What do you need? Food? A drink? Sleep?”
I turned back to Caden. “Can I take a bath?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Of course. Come on.”
He led me down a hallway with countless rooms I didn’t have time to peek into. “Here’s a guest suite you can use. It’s right across the hall from my room.” He moved into the large space and to an en suite bathroom.
I nearly gasped as I took it in. The place was massive, with an oval tub under a window that I could’ve swum laps in.
Caden opened a cabinet under the sink. “My housekeeper stocks toiletries. I think there’s some bubble bath under here. Take whatever you want. I’ll leave a T-shirt and some sweats on the bed for you to sleep in.”
I looked up at him. “Thank you. For everything.”
Caden’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Of course.”
Then he disappeared out the door, shutting it behind him.
I slipped off my heels. The cool marble tile was a balm to my aching feet. I crossed to the cabinet and pawed through it until I found some rose bubble bath.
Starting the water, I poured in the soap and waited for the tub to fill.
I shed my dress and underwear, letting them fall in a pile on the floor.
Then I capped my insulin port and set the pump on the counter.
I opened my clutch and pulled out my earbuds and phone.
There were several texts I studiously ignored.
Instead, I turned on my relaxation playlist.
The songs were a blend of instrumental tunes that I could lose myself in and were just what I needed. Turning off the water, I stepped into the bath. The heat had me nearly moaning as I sank into it.
I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, trying to think about anything but the night’s events. Instead, I got lost in my mind and took myself on a hike to one of my favorite spots. Then I planned the perfect trek for me, Caden, and his mom.
The door to the bathroom opened, and I shrieked, my arms flying over my chest. “What the hell?”
Caden’s broad form ate up the space, his gaze flying to the ceiling. “You weren’t answering. I thought maybe you’d drowned.”
“Turn around,” I gritted out.
The second he did, I popped out my earbuds. “I was listening to music.”
“You’re probably going to have hearing loss if you were listening that loud.”
“Will you hand me a towel?” I grumbled.
Caden pulled one of the expertly rolled towels from the shelf in front of him. He extended it behind him without turning.
I pulled the plug and stepped out of the water. It had already gone lukewarm. I must’ve been here longer than I thought. I took the towel from Caden, quickly drying myself, and then wrapped it around my body.
“Okay.”
Caden slowly turned. His eyes tracked over every inch of me. The towel was huge, but I suddenly felt as if I were standing in front of him in nothing but lingerie. He took one step toward me. And then another.
I swallowed hard. He’d lost his suit jacket and had his sleeves rolled up, exposing those toned forearms.
“Are you okay?”
There was an edge to Caden’s voice that had my belly tightening.
“Honestly?”
“Always.”
“It feels like my life is falling apart,” I admitted.
Caden stepped closer, the heat of his body wrapping around me. He reached up, tucking a strand of hair that had escaped my bun behind my ear. “We’re going to fix it.”
“I don’t know if the house is fixable. It doesn’t feel like my safe place anymore.”
He frowned, his hand dipping to my neck and resting there. “Then we’ll build you a new safe haven. A new home.”
I scoffed. “The billionaire would say that.”
Caden shrugged. “It has its perks sometimes.” The gold in his eyes flared brighter. “Things are replaceable. You aren’t.”
His head dipped. He pressed a kiss to my temple. Then a kiss below my ear. My breath hitched. A kiss to the corner of my mouth.
The gold in his eyes was on fire when he pulled back. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
My lungs constricted. I couldn’t inhale.
And then Caden was simply gone. There one second and vanished the next.
What the hell had just happened?