Chapter 13
CHLOE
Sunlight spills through the open curtains; it’s warm and impossibly bright, pulling me back into reality.
I don’t think I’ve slept this well in… forever.
My body aches, reminding me of last night and how Kade and I came together in such an explosive way.
If I only ever do this—sleep with a stranger—once, then I’m glad it was with Kade.
I’ve never blacked out from an orgasm before, so that was a first, and something I can unpack as I have breakfast.
I shift under the covers, preparing to get up and head out for something to eat, but a heavy arm swings over my body, coming to rest across my waist, pinning me to the bed. I’m pulled back into a warm, solid chest as I bite my lip to contain my surprise.
Why did I think he’d be gone? For some reason, it never crossed my mind that we’d have the morning after, although, admittedly, I didn’t think much past last night. What do I even say to him? Thanks for the amazing sex but you can go now?
Oh no. What if I’ve completely misunderstood him and he’s actually a stage-one clinger?
Subtly I suck in a breath, rolling my lips together once I’ve emptied my lungs. No. Kade isn’t a creep and like the grown-ass woman I am, I can handle the morning after a one-night stand, even if it will inevitably be awkward.
Suck it up, Chloe.
It’s only awkward if I make it that way. I’m a big girl who can handle facing the guy that gave me the best sex of my life. Hell, he stepped up for me. Twice. The least I can do is not kick him out of bed without so much as a cup of coffee and a thank you.
“I can hear your brain working from over here,” Kade murmurs, his voice thick with sleep. He dusts his lips over my bare shoulder, and I close my eyes, the tension easing out of my body as I revel in the way it feels like he’s brushed away all my worry with the simple act.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, buttercup.” He shifts behind me before moving my hair out of the way and pulling me closer—if that’s possible. “What were you thinking about?”
I rack my brain for something to say that won’t make this more awkward than it needs to be. There’s no way I can tell him that part of me was hoping he’d have snuck out in the middle of the night. “Why do you call me buttercup?” I blurt.
Good one, Chloe. Real smooth.
Kade’s chest rumbles as he chuckles, the husky sound sending a bolt of need to my core as the light dusting of hair on his torso rubs against my back.
“Really? That’s what made you tense up like a steer in a chute?
” When I don’t respond, he continues, “Okay, I’ll play.
Out here, buttercups grow in the meadows and pastures alongside the wildflowers.
They’re one of the first to show up when spring rolls in, all bright and stubborn after hiding under the snow through winter.
When I first saw you, that’s what you reminded me of—this gentle but firm flower.
Especially with the way you were arguing with Wyatt. ”
Oh. That’s actually really sweet and not at all what I would have guessed. I run my hand along his arm, interlacing our fingers. “I thought it was because you couldn’t remember my name at first. That maybe it was what you called all the women you come across.”
His breath dances across my back when he exhales a huff of air. “I remember your name, Chloe.” His voice is low and laced with a hint of danger, as if he might take it upon himself to prove just how well he knows it.
A thrill of adrenaline rushes through me at the thought, and in an effort to distract myself, I turn in his arms, resting my forearms on his chest when he rolls onto his back.
This close to his face, I can catalogue the tiny details I haven’t had time to notice, like the small scar above his left eyebrow or the slight hint of green in his blue eyes.
“I’ve never seen anyone with eyes like yours.”
He doesn’t seem fazed by my change in topic, and I’m grateful for that because the longer I stare at him, the more I want him. I’m a little sore from last night and don’t think I could take him again.
Folding his arms behind his head, Kade relaxes back against the pillows before responding. “I’m unique. My mama has blue eyes, and my dad had green. We’ve always joked that I was the only kid they had that took a piece of both of them.”
“So what you’re saying is that you’re an overachiever? The perfect gentleman, good in bed, one-of-a-kind eyes.” I tick them off one by one on my hand before Kade flips me over and tickles my sides. “No,” I cry out between fits of giggles as I wriggle around on the bed.
Laughter sticks in my throat before he goes still, a serious look on his face. Suddenly it’s not funny anymore. The air between us is charged and dangerously thick with everything that is just him and me. Us.
Kade rests between my legs, his hard cotton-covered cock pressing against my bare pussy. Tension sparks between us, sucking out the air and making it near-impossible to breathe. His gaze bounces around my face, searching for what, I’m not sure.
Maybe if I keep trying to pretend that last night meant nothing, it won’t feel as significant.
Who am I kidding? That’s impossible to do when he’s here, all warm and real. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to spend my time in Coldwater enjoying his company. I can have a vacation fling, and then go back to Seattle, forget about Kade and figure out what I’m doing with my life.
And yet, the thought of returning to Seattle doesn’t fill me with any kind of joy.
When the embers of the fire between us are about to catch, my stomach rumbles so loud that I’m surprised they can’t hear it from the main house.
Kade laughs before rolling to my side and resting a hand on my stomach. “Come, let’s go to the diner in town and grab some breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” I ask.
He looks at me with an amused expression on his face before replying, “Yeah. That’s what people tend to eat in the morning.” Kade climbs from the bed, pulling on his pants. “Unless you don’t want to. Which is totally okay.”
I stand, pulling the sheet with me as I shake my head. Rachel and Ollie are hosting a wedding breakfast this morning, but after what happened last night, she texted me to tell me she understands if I want to skip it. Which means, I don’t technically have anywhere to be.
“No. No, I just didn’t think you’d want to. And actually, in hindsight, I don’t know why.”
We meet at the end of the bed, his hands coming to rest on my hips as he stares at me with a soft look on his face. “I want to spend time with you while you’re in town, but only if you want to.”
Without a second thought, I reply, “I do.”
“Then it’s settled.” Kade leans down, dusting his lips over mine before pulling back. “We’re going to breakfast. Go get ready.”
He smacks me on the ass when I walk by, the action sending a jolt through my body and pulling me back to earth. I twist my mouth, excitement running through me before I rein myself back in. It’s just breakfast. I shouldn’t make it more than that, even if in my head I know that I already have.
I come to a stop on the threshold of the bathroom, turning to watch him as he searches the bedroom floor for his T-shirt, the muscles in his back bunching as he does.
Leaning against the doorjamb, I say, “I wasn’t expecting you to still be here when I woke up and I thought it would be awkward.
” He turns to face me, his head tilted to the side as I continue, “That’s what I was thinking about earlier. ”
“Because you’ve never done something like this before?”
I nod, clutching the sheet a little tighter.
“Do you regret it?” Kade asks, his features not giving away a thing.
I shake my head. “No,” I whisper. “It was reckless and so uncharacteristic of me, but in the moment it felt so right. You’re a stranger to me, but at the same time, I feel this connection to you and so I couldn’t regret it, even if I tried.”
Kade crosses the room, coming to stand within touching distance, but keeping his arms by his side. “I’m glad you don’t regret it because I feel a connection too. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”
I push away from the doorjamb and walk backwards into the bathroom. As I close the door, a giant grin slowly slips across my face. I might not have long in Coldwater, but I can get to know the guy who’s stirred feelings inside me that I’ve never felt before.