CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
BELLA
“You got a hole in one?” I asked over the phone, my voice laced with genuine surprise and a touch of awe. Cade was breathless, his words tumbling out fast and nearly crackling through the connection, like the excitement was too big to contain. “At the par three course?”
“Yep, the first one in my lifetime.”
“Wow,” I breathed, sinking back against the kitchen counter, the cool granite pressing into my lower back.
My mind raced to picture it. There stood Cade on the green, the sun glinting off his club, the ball arcing perfectly through the air before dropping into the cup.
It was such a rare feat, the kind of story golfers chased for years. He had a right to be so excited.
“You should have seen that shot, Bella. It looked like something you’d see one of the pros do.”
I pulled the phone from my ear and switched it to speaker, setting it on the counter amid the scattered bottles of bleach and cleansers. The kitchen smelled sharp and sterile, a far cry from the fresh, pine-scented air of a golf course. “Did you have to buy drinks for everyone?”
“Small price to pay. And they gave me a plaque.”
I smiled, imagining it. “Well, I’m very proud of you.”
“Thanks.”
He still sounded elated, like a little kid who’d scored the winning goal in his first soccer game. There was something endearing about it, and I felt closer to him, like I was peeking behind the curtain of his polished life.
“What are you doing right now?”
“Cleaning.”
I scanned the kitchen. The sink gleamed from my earlier scrubbing, but the grout lines between the tiles were still grimy, stubborn stains mocking my efforts.
Today felt like a great day to tackle that, and there was nothing like a deep clean to clear the mind, especially after the whirlwind of the past few weeks.
Being with Cade had upended my routine in the most exhilarating way, but my apartment bore the evidence: dust bunnies in the corners, a faint mustiness in the air.
“I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t deep cleaned in ages.”
“Sounds thrilling,” he teased, his voice warm, familiar.
“Adulting, you know. Kitchen’s first, then the bathroom.”
I grabbed a sponge, dipping it into the soapy water, the suds foaming up satisfyingly.
As I scrubbed at a particularly stubborn spot near the faucet, my thoughts drifted.
How had this become my life? Mornings filled with texts from Cade, evenings tangled in his sheets, and now, casual phone calls about his triumphs.
It felt surreal, like I’d stepped back into a version of the world I’d lost years ago, but better, because it was with him.
“Want some company?”
His warm tone told me once he came over, we wouldn’t get any cleaning done at all. A flutter stirred in my stomach, heat blooming low and insistent. I sank onto the cold metal kitchen chair, crossing my legs as if that could quell the sudden ache. “Company?”
“I’m close. I can come over.” A smile lit his voice, and I pictured the undoubtable mischievous glint in his eyes
“Don’t you have to get back to the office now?” I pictured his sleek desk, loosened tie, hair askew, dick hard...
Oh God, I want more...
“It can wait. I’m the boss, remember?”
I smiled, warmth blooming in my chest and pooling between my thighs. “I could never forget.”
He laughed. “Be there in twenty.”
I set the phone down, eyeing the countertops.
Twenty minutes to clear the sink and calm the buzz in my veins.
I grabbed a sponge and hurried around the apartment, giving the place a once-over before I rushed into the bathroom to touch up my hair, mascara, and lipstick.
I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard, but I didn’t want to look unkempt either.
And when my doorbell rang a few minutes later, I was pulling my hair into a low ponytail.
“Nice,” Cade said when I opened the door. His gaze traveled up and down my paint-splattered old sweatpants and white T-shirt. “No bra.”
I grinned. “Good of you to notice.”
“Just what I want to see after this.” He held up what I guessed was the ball that made the hole in one.
I stepped aside to let Cade cross the threshold into my apartment, the faint, familiar scent of his sandalwood cologne brushing past me as he drew closer.
In an instant, he swept me into his arms, his embrace pulling me in like a rushing tide.
His lips met mine, urgent and hungry, and I melted into him, my fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt.
With a gentle nudge, he eased the door fully closed with his foot, the soft thud barely registering.
We stumbled together toward the center of the room, my heart pounding as hot and all-consuming desire flared, drowning out the world.
Our kisses stretched on, each one unraveling me further.
His tongue teased me, his hands roaming my back, pulling me flush against him.
I could feel the hard length of him pressing into me, a promise that sent sparks racing through my veins.
God, how does he do this? Turn a simple visit into something electric, something that made me forget everything but the feel of him.
My mind flashed to our first night together, the way he’d looked at me like I was the only woman in the world, and a shiver ran down my spine.
But beneath the heat, a whisper of doubt crept in. Was this too fast? Too intense?
I’d spent years rebuilding my life from the ground up, scraping by, guarding my heart after everything with Dad.
And now, here was Cade, sweeping in like a storm, making me want things I hadn’t dared to dream of in so long.
Stability. Adventure. Love, even? The word hung in my thoughts, unbidden, and I pushed it away, focusing instead on the way his lips trailed fire across my skin.
Finally, I pulled back, breathless, my cheeks flushed, pulse racing. “I’m still supposed to be cleaning,” I murmured, half laughing, though my body screamed for more.
“I know, but don’t you deserve a break too?” His thumb brushed my cheek, and the touch was so tender it sent a chill down my spine.
“Maybe...”
His lips found the edge of my jaw, trailing a line of slow, deliberate kisses that set my skin alight.
Each one was a spark, traveling from my jawline to the sensitive curve of my ear, then back again, his breath warm against me.
“You can either clean,” he murmured, his voice a velvet tease, “or... come with me to Park City.”
I pressed harder against the wall, the shock of his words grounding me even as my heart leaped. My next words were barely a whisper. “Park City?”
“Mm-hmm.” His lips hovered near mine, close enough that I could feel his heat.
“As in Utah?” I asked, my mind spinning. Memories flooded back of childhood winters in Snowmass, the rush of wind as I carved down slopes, and the laughter echoing off the peaks. I hadn’t skied in years, not since everything fell apart.
He kissed me again, softer this time, but no less electric, his hands framing my face like I was something precious.
“The weather there’s perfect for skiing,” he said, “and it’d be a shame to miss it.
” His eyes locked onto mine, searching, and in them I saw a promise of stolen moments, of laughter in the snow, and of us, together in a way we hadn’t been before.
I leaned into him, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw, my heart pounding with the thrill of what might come next. “You’re trouble,” I whispered, but I was already imagining the two of us carving through powder under a wide Utah sky.
“Guilty,” he replied.
“Are you sure you can leave town right now?”
“I’m the CEO. I own the whole company. Work follows me wherever I go.” He squeezed the soft flesh above my hip, and a delicious thrill of anticipation and desire coursed through me. “Say yes.”
“You’re crazy,” I replied. “This is crazy.” A spontaneous trip with Cade Weston?
It sounded like a dream, the kind I’d stopped allowing myself after years of scraping by, counting every penny.
But here it was, offered freely, and the pull was undeniable.
What if this was the start of something real, something that could heal the fractures in my life?
Cade put his mouth against my ear again. “Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.”
It was a tantalizing proposition and one I had no trouble admitting felt irresistible.
I’d never been to Utah or that part of the country, though I’d heard and read plenty about it.
And despite having skiing lessons every winter as a kid, I was rusty at best. Still, I missed it.
Plus, who doesn’t want to go to Park City with Cade Weston?
“I don’t have a whole lot of winter clothes,” I said, stalling, though my resolve was crumbling. My closet was full of sundresses and bikinis, not the heavy coats and thermal layers needed for a ski trip.
He shrugged. “So what? We can buy some when we get there.”
“And how will we get there?”
He gave me an incredulous look. His brow furrowed as if I should instinctively know the answer to this question. “The jet.”
Of course. A private jet. Another reminder of the chasm between our lives, yet also a bridge he was offering me. No crowded airports. No layovers. Just us.
“But where will we stay?”
“My place.” He grinned like someone incredibly pleased to share this information. “Did I forget to tell you I own a place in Deer Valley?”
I stared at Cade, mouth agape, a laugh escaping despite myself.
Deer Valley was an exclusive enclave known for its luxury chalets and pristine runs minutes away from downtown Park City.
Of course, he owned property there; it fit him perfectly, another piece of his empire.
The thought of waking up in his home, surrounded by snowcapped peaks, tangled in sheets with him.
.. this is overwhelming and terrifying all at once.
But as he looked at me, waiting, his expression open and hopeful, I felt the last of my resistance melt.
I just have to leap.
“All right,” I whispered, my voice steady despite the whirlwind inside. “Let’s go to Park City.”
His face lit up, and he kissed me again, deep and triumphant, sealing the deal. As his arms wrapped around me, I let go of the doubts, embracing the unknown.
For once, crazy felt right.