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Asha looked up at him, her heart clenching at the exhaustion and torment showing on his face. “I do care, Kade.”
“Bullshit. You left. You didn’t even say good-bye. You never called to let me know how you were doing or if you were okay. I wasn’t even a blip on your radar,” he spat out resentfully.
“There hasn’t been a day, or even an hour, that I haven’t thought about you.”Or a moment, for that matter.Kade haunted her constantly. “I missed you.”
Time stopped as Kade searched her face, as though trying to figure out exactly what she was thinking. “I can tell,” he answered sarcastically. “You tried so hard to stay in touch—”
“I couldn’t, okay!” she shouted at him. “Everything about you confuses me. You waltz into my life with all your kindness and sexy male hotness.” She took a breath and waved a hand at Kade, the aforementioned hot male. “Then you overwhelm me with your thoughtfulness, ply me with food, and then make me climax until I think I’m losing my mind.” She jammed a finger into his chest. “You made me into nothing but female hormones that were always willing to hop onto your…your… testosterone,” she finished awkwardly. “I couldn’t think about anything but you, and I still can’t. So don’t tell me I didn’t miss you. I’ve lost count of how many times an hour I dial half your number and then hang up the phone.”
“Maybe you should have dialed the other half of the number,” Kade said hoarsely.
Asha rolled her eyes, still on a roll. “I couldn’t. I knew if I did, I’d want to see you even if you didn’t want to see me.” She pushed on his chest, trying to break away from his confinement.
“Then see me, Asha. Please. Because I want to see you,” Kade argued persistently, not letting her break away.
“And then what? We’d just end up having incredible sex,” she accused him anxiously.
Kade’s lips twitched as he looked down at her. “And that’s a bad thing…um…why exactly?”
“Because I can’t think when that happens. There has to be more than just good sex,” she blurted out, still trying desperately to make Kade understand.
“It’s never been just good sex,” Kade retorted angrily. “It’s good sex because there’s more than that between us.”
Asha shuddered as she remembered having relations with her ex-husband, and the lack of emotion, the way she detached herself from the act. She knew Kade was right. Problem was, she couldn’t exactly blurt out how much she loved him, and her concern was how he felt about her. “Is it different for you? I mean…with us?”
“If you’re asking if I’ve ever fucked and felt the way I do with you, the answer is no,” he replied hotly. “You rock my world just as much as I rock yours. Difference is, I’m not afraid of it. Hell, Iwantto feel that way. It’s exhilarating and exciting, and it makes me feel more alive than I’ve felt in a very long time…maybe ever. And I sure as hell don’t want to walk away from it.”
“Then maybe I’m just a coward.” Asha broke Kade’s gaze and lowered her head. “Maybe I just can’t handle it.”
“Bullshit. That was no coward who just basically told her foster parents to go to hell. It’s taken a lot of courage to do some of the things you’ve done, and you get braver all the time. In fact, I think you’re actually developing a temper.” Kade reached down and tipped her chin up and grinned. “Did you really just accuse me of trying to sway you with sexy male hotness?”
“It’s true,” she told him stubbornly. “Not that you can probably help it, but it’s distracting.”
Kade nodded. “Good. I want to be a distraction for you because you drive me completely insane.” He swooped down and kissed up the side of her neck, nuzzling her ear as he whispered, “Just your scent makes me hard, and all I have to do is hear your voice or see your face and I’m ruined. Let me see you, Asha. Let me show you how good being together can be. Running away isn’t going to resolve this for either of us. It’s not going away.”
Asha shivered at the feel of his warm breath on the side of her face, his lips lightly caressing her skin. She knew he was right, and she’d either have to see this thing through with him or continue running away from it. And she didn’t want to run away anymore, especially not from Kade. She wanted to run toward him, fling herself in his arms where everything in her world felt right, and continue to love him with every beat of her heart like she already did. Being with Kade made her feel alive, too, except he’d actually brought her to life for the first time, breathed life into her. “Yes,” she whispered softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “If you want to see me…then see me.”
Kade cupped her face in his large hands as he answered with passionate conviction, “I already see you, sweetheart. I always have.”
Asha sighed happily as his lips captured hers, opening her mouth to taste him. He tasted like coffee and pure sin, and she savored him. One long, lingering kiss turned into another, until he finally pulled her head against his chest and held her so tightly she almost squealed.
“Thank God,” he growled fiercely, his hands stroking over her back. “I know what you’ve been through, and I know I pushed you too hard, but having you leave nearly killed me. I wanted to come after you, but I couldn’t get past the fact that you didn’t want me.”
“I did want you,” Asha murmured against his chest. “How could you come after me if you didn’t know where I was?”
Kade pulled back, putting a possessive arm around her waist and walked her down Max’s steps. “I knew exactly where you were.”
Asha snorted. “Is there anyone whodoesn’tknow where I live?”
Kade shot her a grin. “Not anyone who cares about you. And the people who do have some pretty scary influence and connections.”
“I noticed,” she grumbled softly. “My car—”
“Needs to be junked,” Kade interrupted irritably. “The tires are shot and who knows what might be wrong with it mechanically. Couldn’t you have bought something a little newer?”
“It wasn’t in my budget. I’m saving. And there’s nothing wrong with it. It just needs tires,” Asha remarked defensively. “My neighbor checked it over. He said it looked good except for the tires.”
“Was he looking at you or the car when he said it?” Kade grumbled. “Some kid?”