Chapter 67
KADENCE
Ididn’t trust it at first, but Blaize felt lighter. It was like she was a different person than the domineering, cold-hearted boss I saw daily. I liked this version of her. She felt at peace and not tense. She had her hand in mine as we walked down the street.
“So, I don’t want to pry, but what changed your mind?” I was genuinely curious.
“Hunter. Surprisingly. She reminded me of something I told her once upon a time ago, and it seemed I was letting my demons cloud my judgement.”
I shouldn’t dig into her past, especially when I wasn’t telling her about my demons tonight. Maybe we had the same ones, just painting different pictures in our lives. “You know you can tell me. I’m not gonna run for the hills, Blaize.”
She looked at me with a forced smile tugging at her lips. “It’s not something I enjoy talking about. I lost my family, and I have to live with the guilt it brings. One reason I was territorial with you here is that I don’t know you. Strangers in my town never bring good things.”
I frowned. “I’m not a bad guy, Blaize. I promise. I’m just trying to plant roots and survive. I had something bad happen to me in New York, and it’s difficult for me to talk about it. I just want to forget about the pain I endured and move on.”
She squeezed my hand. “Well, how about tonight we don’t talk about our demons. We just enjoy this?”
I smiled. “I’d like that.”
We walked in silence for a moment as Blaize led the way.
I was expecting tense silence, but it was comfortable, easy.
There was still tension between us, but it wasn’t as palpable now that we had made progress toward the future.
She was slowly opening up to me, and soon, we would no longer have anything between us causing a rift.
Blaize grabbed my hand and spun me, which caused me to laugh as she pulled me into her arms. I looked into her eyes before stepping onto my tippy toes and kissing her softly. With the several kisses we’ve shared before, this one felt more intimate, personal. I wanted to lose myself in this woman.
We already skipped all the bases in our relationship, but this version of her and us was my favorite.
There wasn’t angry tension or heated glares.
It was just the two of us, sharing a kiss to seal the deal of the start of our future, whatever it might be.
I knew I would not dive in headfirst, but I was in love with her.
She made me feel alive, and I no longer wanted to be afraid of living.
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” I whispered against her lips.
“If anyone is giving out chances, it’s you, princess.” She chuckled. “How many women would give me the time of day after pushing them away?”
“You’re lucky you’re cute.” I laughed.
“I should’ve done it sooner, but I was being an idiot.”
I couldn’t help the laugh which escaped my lips, causing her to glare at me playfully. “You really were.”
“I’m choosing you now, even if I don’t deserve it.”
She didn’t realize how much I loved hearing her say that. For the first time in years, I was being chosen. It took some work, but Blaize finally stopped being frigid and was choosing me.
“So tell me, what is one of your guilty pleasures? Non-sexual.”
She thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know if it counts or not, but hot chocolate. I can make myself sick with how much I can drink.”
“That is surprisingly cute. So if you’re coming with me to Annika’s, why don’t we make hot chocolate before we go to bed?”
“I’d like that.”
I unlocked the door, and everyone was in bed.
Blaize pulled me into the kitchen. She said she had to make it because she made the perfect hot chocolate.
I couldn’t help but smile, watching the domesticated woman coming out of her.
She was this big, bad alpha badass babe who left her mark, but she was showing me the gentle side of her.
I loved the intimacy between us in this moment.
Was it bad that I was scared something was going to happen that took this away from me? I loved this version of Blaize, and I wanted to wrap her up and never let her go.
Blaize poured the hot chocolate, adding marshmallows to it before handing me a cup. “Careful, it’s hot. I normally let it sit for five minutes.”
“Sooo, what do you want to do while we wait?”
A mischievous smile tugged at her lips. “Dance with me.” It wasn’t a request. It felt cheesy, but I loved this part of her.
She pulled me into her slowly, one hand on my hip and the other against my back.
I wrapped my arms around her neck as we swayed gently.
My head rested against her chest as I listened to the sound of her heartbeat.
Blaize’s hand traced gentle circles around my back as I relaxed into her. A girl could get used to this.
And for once, I wasn’t wondering or questioning her. I was here with this woman, enjoying this moment together. It felt unrushed, unguarded, and finally like everything was finally working in our favor.