3. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Spencer
I cannot believe this is happening. Despite the fact that I look completely at ease, my stomach is swirling around anxiously inside of me. I feel like I might actually sweat through this shirt.
I have to share my personal cabin with a guy I’ve never met before. What’s making matters even worse is that I find him incredibly attractive! I can’t talk to hot guys! I’m such a disaster when it comes to stuff like this.
Cade is shorter and thicker than me. He’s got a beard that goes down to his chest that’s got little braids in it. His eyes are the prettiest green color I think I’ve ever seen in a pair of eyes. But he’s not just hot, he also holds himself with a confidence that draws me in.
That’s without even thinking about how intoxicating his scent is! I’m pretty sure he’s some sort of omega shifter. Though I’ve been wrong on guesses like that before. His natural scent has me in a chokehold. It’s something like warm lemon tea. I want to drink it in and let it warm my belly.
Fuck, thinking about him warming my belly has my cheeks heating without my permission. I adjust myself in my seat, ignoring the way my cock is starting to perk up just from that single thought.
As we watch the world blur around us as the train moves forward, I clear my throat. “What do you do?”
Cade looks over at me and smiles. “I’m a customer service manager at a grocery store.”
That weirdly does not surprise me. Cade seems like he would be good at something like that, working with people.
“That sounds awful,” I blurt out, regretting the words immediately. Thankfully, Cade just starts laughing.
“You’re not wrong. Sometimes it sucks ass to work with customers. I’m sure you can imagine the types of people I have to deal with. But I enjoy it despite that.”
“What do you like about it?” I ask, sliding my shoes off and tucking my feet up onto the chair. I lean my head against my knees, watching Cade talk. I like the way he talks with his hands. It’s very cute.
“There are bad apples in every industry but there’s something special about working with the rest. Everyone has to eat so I see all sorts of people every day. And then I get my regulars who always come say hi as they’re shopping or make sure they wait for me even if my line is super long. I just like those little connections, you know?”
I nod my head. “That makes sense. I feel that way about the kids I work with. They’re all really smart and super sweet. Because it’s a private school, they come and help me in the kitchen and with cleaning up after lunch.”
“That’s really interesting. What kind of private school is it?”
“It’s for gifted kids. They’re all super fucking smart. I’m pretty sure one of them is going to be the next President and at least three of them will come up with groundbreaking scientific discoveries.”
Cade grins. “No pressure or anything.”
“I know they’re just kids and they have years to develop. But they truly are special. They all get personalized courses to push them where they need to be pushed, but they also get to pick some classes just because they like the subjects. One kid is taking food science courses and so he gets to come help me cook sometimes. The things he knows are astonishing.”
“Do you have kids that go to school there?”
The question startles me. I look over at Cade who’s watching me. Why is he asking? Is this just curiosity or is he interested in knowing if I’m mated with kids?
I shake my head. “No kids. I love that place but if I ever had kids, I don’t think I would try to get them in there unless they were actually gifted. Not to say my kids won’t be gifted, only that I know the average kid wouldn’t thrive in a place like this unless they truly weren’t being challenged in a regular school.” I snap my mouth shut, realizing I’m babbling and over explaining myself.
“I think that makes perfect sense to me,” Cade says, giving me a soft smile. “Did you always want to work in a school like this?”
“No. I used to work in a high end restaurant and I thought that was what I wanted to do, but I didn’t enjoy it as much. Too much hustle and not enough love of the food, you know?”
“You didn’t want to lose what drew you into cooking in the first place.”
“Exactly.” I say with a soft smile, warming all over as I realize Cade understands me. “What about you?” I ask, feeling just a tiny bit braver. “Wife and kids?”
Cade snorts, shaking his head. “Nah, no kids and I’m not into women.”
I swallow. “No husband?”
“Nope. Haven’t found the right man for me. Not yet, anyway,” he says, giving me another wink.
Damn, why is his winking so sexy? Why does it make my chest feel like it’s hard to breathe but in a pleasant way?
“Me neither,” I say. When he tilts his head in confusion, I explain, carefully choosing my words. “I also haven’t found the right man yet.”
“Oh,” Cade breathes out, giving me a soft smile. “That’s good to know.”
The look in Cade’s eyes makes me hot all over. There’s a tension in the air, charged with something I can only describe as potential . It makes a shiver run down my spine and heat pool in the center of my gut. I pull my arms tightly around my shins, holding myself together so I don’t do something foolish, like make my way over to Cade’s lap.
The tension snaps in the form of someone knocking on our cabin door. Cade raises his brow at me and I flush, quickly looking back out the window. He stands up and opens the door.
“Hey,” Matthew, our personal attendant greets with a wide smile. He’s holding a notepad in his hand. “Would you like me to bring dinner to your room tonight or would you like to make your way to the dining car?”
I look over at Cade, nodding for him to make the decision. “We’ll make our way to the dining car,” Cade tells Matthew.
“Right on! Dinner is served any time between five and eight. If you need anything or have any questions, I’ll be sitting at my little station at the end of the hall.”
“Thank you, Matthew!”
Cade closes the door and sits back in his space. As much as I was hoping he’d want to just stay here for dinner, it’s for the best that we’re leaving. Maybe having other people around will help clear my head.
I take a deep breath, overwhelmed with sweet lemon tea. I shift in my seat. Cade’s scent is intoxicating and it’s making it hard to keep my thoughts straight. Maybe that’s why I’m so flustered. Maybe that’s why my mind keeps dragging itself into the gutter.
Leaning my head against my seat, I stare out the window. There’s rustling in the room and I look over, watching as Cade pulls a book from his backpack. He curls up in his chair and starts reading. I like the companionable silence between us. It’s not awkward and for once, I don’t feel a need to fill the silence with idle chat.
Cade looks up, his pretty green eyes meet mine. He gives me a little smile before looking back down at his book.
Just that glance has my entire body heating. I smile as I stare out the window, watching everything race past us, unable to keep my lips from curling up. I like the way he looks at me and the way he casually flirts. But at the same time, it fills me with anxiety and dread.
I’m not good at stuff like this; flirting, banter, being sexy. I never know if people are actually interested unless they flat out say hey, Spencer, I’d love to maybe fuck you .
Vacations are a time to let down your hair and have a good time. Could I do that with Cade? Could I turn my brain off long enough to enjoy the flirty banter he’s offering?
I’m not sure, but I want to try. What's the worst that could happen? We have some awkward tension that’ll only last as long as the vacation? Then we’ll just go back to not knowing each other when we get back home. No biggie.
The rest of the night is spent together, getting dinner, having more small talk as we get to know each other, before going back to our cabin for bed. I fall asleep to the sound of Cade’s soft breaths and the train pulling us forward.