Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Damien
Iwould burn the sight of Cadence’s open-mouthed expression into my memory. I might change a few things in that memory, though. Like what was in or around her mouth, but that was beside the point.
I’d rendered her speechless, and that didn’t seem like a simple thing to do. In the few encounters I’d with her, she seemed to be the type who filled silence with the endless prattle of words.
But what could I say? When I heard what happened at the party she attended earlier, I wanted to march down there and set this guy straight. He evidently didn’t know how to treat women with dignity or respect.
Not that I did either, but again. That was beside the point.
I might be a lot of things, but I’d never blame sexual harassment on a woman because of how she dressed. It was clear from how Cadence hugged her body when she’d told Jade, that the scum who propositioned her did so without respecting her boundaries.
And that made me angry.
So angry, I’d left half-moon imprints in my palm and convinced Hudson and the guys to stay back while I dropped the trailer off.
Claiming it would be good for the band’s image to hang out with the fans.
In reality, I’d wanted to be alone with Cadence.
I had an irrational desire to make sure she was okay.
Colton had required some extra convincing, and I had to butter him up, telling him all the girls in the bar were dying to meet him and I’d overheard them talking about how good his butt looked on stage.
But it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. I could charm the pants off a nun if necessary.
Not that nuns wore pants… but… yeah… not the point.
“I…” She started to say something but trailed off.
I’d gone off the deep end a little when I threatened to kick her boyfriend’s ass, but I didn’t regret it.
“No woman should deal with that kind of thing. You’re not responsible for how men objectify you.
Just because some sleazy old guy can’t keep it in his pants doesn’t make it your fault because you’re fucking gorgeous. That’s on them.”
Cadence pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, but I saw the hints of her smile return. “That’s the second time you’ve said that.”
“I’m not blind.”
“Hmm.”
I let my gaze wander back to the bare skin of her thighs, a sight I found myself thickening from. Something about how they looked when she’d pulled up her dress. Like I wasn’t meant to see her beautiful legs, but I got to anyway.
A treat just for me.
“Take your shoes off,” I said suddenly.
“What? Why?”
“They hurt. Take them off.”
“I have to drive home. If I take them off now, they won’t go back on.”
“Then drive home barefoot.”
She scowled at me, ready to fight back again, then relented. “Huh. I wonder why I didn’t think of that.”
Feisty, feisty girl.
I chuckled as she bent over and pulled the strappy shoes off her feet. She leaned back in her seat, visibly relaxing, and let out a sigh of relief.
“That good?”
“Oh yeah. You try walking around on those things.”
“You’d have to get me completely wasted to persuade me to do that.”
“Wait. So, it’s a possibility?”
“Not a chance. There isn’t enough alcohol in the world to convince me to fit my foot into your Thumbellina-sized shoes.”
“Whatever. They aren’t that small.”
“Have you seen you? You’re fun size.”
Her face contorted into another pout, but I didn’t miss how her body leaned toward me.
“At least I’m not a giant.”
“I have yet to hear any complaints.”
“Ew. Gross.”
But I saw the subtle way she pressed her thighs closer together.
“How far away is your bus, anyway?”
We’d made it outside Charleston City proper now.
“We broke down outside of Summerville.”
“Oh.”
“Something wrong?”
“I was just supposed to take Jade home tonight. Driving there and back is another hour at least.”
“Ah, I see.”
“She can’t wait that long for me alone at the bar.” Cadence pulled her phone out of the cup holder. “I’ll tell her to grab an Uber.”
“If she wants to, she can hang with the guys and I can drive you back to the bar. Since you aren’t wearing the proper footwear and all.”
“Aren’t they leaving?”
“Naw, they planned to Uber to the bus after hitting the bar. They won’t leave Jade there alone.”
Why was I trying to prolong our interaction? Up until two hours ago, I’d been determined to not involve her in my life at all. My mouth was doing all the thinking, running nothing through the logical part of my brain.
I’d been relieved when Jade had showed up alone. No Cadence meant no distractions, no temptations.
But…
I’d never admit it out loud, but there had been a good share of disappointment there as well.
“If spending an extra hour with me makes you that miserable,” I said. “I’ll stay on the bus.”
The way Cadence’s eyebrows turned down, creating a wrinkle between them, was pretty fucking adorable. “I’m actually surprised you are volunteering to spend more time with me. Considering this is the first time you’ve talked to me instead of freezing me out with the silent treatment.”
“I wasn’t giving you the silent treatment.”
“Ha. And I’m a monkey’s uncle.”
“Wow. I never would have guessed. I couldn’t even tell that you were part of the primate family. Or, that you were a guy for that matter.” I wanted to get a rise out of her. Her facial expressions were so animated, so passionate. Each one a window into her heart.
She rewarded my efforts as she crossed her arms with a huff, her face turning slightly crimson in the streetlights. “I’m definitely not a guy, thank you. It’s just a saying.”
I knew this, of course, just by looking at her captivating curves. And I had done my share of studying and imagining how tightly her legs would wrap around my waist. How her soft mouth would open against mine. How her body would tremble pressed against the nearest wall as I entered her. “I know.”
“So… is it safe to say you are past being a dick?”
Was I? Or the better question—should I be? I didn’t know, but if I let myself be honest, from the moment I met her, I craved our interactions. Even when I knew I shouldn’t.
Bad, bad, bad…
“Yeah.”
She let out a sigh. “I’m glad.”
I cleared my throat. “Thanks for doing this for us.”
“I was strong-armed into it. You can thank Jade. She put me up to it. “
“I’ll make sure to give her a big hug when we get back.”
Cadence frowned again and her body tensed just a little. “She’d like that.”
Something about the way she’d said it didn’t line up with her words. Her voice was tight and clipped, and we fell into an awkward silence.
Thankfully, we were only minutes from the bus, and when I finally pulled into the mechanic shop, I jumped right out.
Filling my lungs with the salty, ocean air, I noticed how accustomed I’d become to her scent while driving her car. She had slowly overwhelmed my senses, and after leaving her cocoon, I missed it.
Okay… enough of that.
Wasting no time, I took care of the trailer. The mechanic promised they’d have the bus fixed by tomorrow afternoon with plenty of time to make it to our next gig.
I walked toward the passenger side of the Jeep to tell Cadence I needed to run onto the bus and grab a few things, mainly a change of clothes.
As I approached, I found those electric amber eyes closed. She had fallen asleep on me.
A strange warmth settled somewhere in my chest as I turned back toward the bus. I changed my clothes quickly and ran some water over my face before heading back out.
It made me a little nervous to leave her alone in a place I wasn’t familiar with, defenseless and vulnerable, and looking like a snack.
But not because it was Cadence. I would have been that way with anyone… I promise.
At least, that’s what I told myself as I did everything in my power to not make a single sound as I climbed back into her Jeep. I shut the door and threw my sweatshirt in the back seat, enveloped in the crisp fruity scent of her world again.
I let my eyes roam her sleeping figure, like a man seeing color for the first time. I was getting to see her when she didn’t have her guard up.
Of course, I noticed the obvious things before, like her petite frame, delicious curves, and those striking eyes.
But now I saw much more. Freckles peppered her smooth skin, and she had scars on her knees and elbows, probably from falling as a kid.
Her lips were plump and her mouth alluring, and I couldn’t stop my gaze from following the line of her dress, traveling down her neck, her chest, and over the curves of her breasts.
After everything I said earlier about how women don’t deserve to be ogled because of what they wear—here I was, staring at her like a pervert. But I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. The sight of her cleavage and bare thighs alone was enough for me to get off.
I took a deep breath before adjusting myself in my pants. I couldn’t even be mad, I’d done it to myself.
Getting comfortable in the seat, I drove back through the now empty roads to the bar. Sitting next to Cadence while she slept was oddly peaceful.
I considered driving around the block to make time move slower, but I’d had my fill of being a creep for one night.
I pulled my phone out as I parked and texted Hudson.
Just pulled in. I’ll be inside in a few.
He texted back right away.
Hudson
Cool. Glad you made it. We decided to stay in town tonight and get a ride to the bus in the morning. Hotel is down the street. We’re gonna walk.
I slid my phone into my pocket and looked at Cadence again. I didn’t want to wake her, but I had to. She seemed so serene, resting against the passenger door.
I had this nagging idea that it wouldn’t be terrible if I ever had the chance to wake up beside her.
Or even watch her sleep in the early morning.
Reaching out, I touched her warm, silky skin. A raw carnal desire exploded within me as I caressed her naked shoulder. First with my fingertips, then the palm of my hand as I continued up to the base of her neck.
God damn. I had an undeniable attraction to this woman.
But why her?