Page 45 of Chaos & Carnage

Then suddenly she was in front of me. Light blue eyes, golden brown freckles all over her cheeks, a naturally shaped arch to her eyebrows. Her smile was infectious, pure and genuine, dimples in her cheeks. She was perfection personified. Breathtaking. Stunning in a completely natural and understated way.

And now I knew why he didn’t, no, couldn’t share. Now I knew why he’d been hiding her from me. Because I wouldn’t be able to resist just as much as he couldn’t.

Chapter Seventeen

Cade stood watching me, his eyes roaming over my face like it was the very first time he had seen me.

“You ok?” I asked, hiding the giggle as I watched his eyes dart over every part of me.

He seemed shocked to see me, or maybe tonight I looked different. I didn’t feel any different. I was still tired, although not as much as usual. But seeing him there waiting for me at the end of my shift chased away thoughts of tiredness and brought about all the others I shouldn’t be thinking about at work.

“Yeah. Yeah.” He said eventually, his voice low, that deep purr he did already awakening my insides.

Insides that still ached and bristled at every thought of him.

“Shall we go through?” I pointed my thumb over my shoulder.

“Hmmm. Yes.” Cade answered, distracted, but he followed all the same.

Kinobi sat at the cage door when we walked in, standing up when she saw Cade, her tail wagging enthusiastically.

“How’s she doing?” he asked.

“Great. I think we need to think about getting her home. Reckon Demon would be ready to take her?”

Cade turned and looked at me, cocking his head to one side inquisitively, and then the look fading.

“He’s pretty beat up. And still not mobile.”

“She can’t be walked yet, anyway. She’s a long way off from that. And Demon has a girlfriend, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, Ciara.”

“Then she’ll only need to let Kinobi out for the toilet. I think she’ll recover better now at home.”

“If you think so. I’ll make it happen.”

Cade walked towards the dog, offering out his hand. She pushed her nose to him, but then suddenly recoiled, her tail stopping, held still in the air mid wag.

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked me, confusion on his face.

“I dunno.” I really didn’t. I’d never seen Kinobi react that way to him. If I hadn’t known she belonged to Demon, I would have thought she was Cade’s dog.

Cade retreated, his face almost fearful, but as he moved back towards me, I caught the smell on his bike leathers.

“Wait. Where’ve you been?” I asked.

Green eyes stared at me, his eyebrows pulling together, confusion and annoyance across his face. I don’t think I’d ever seen him look annoyed before. Sometimes his face held a darkness I couldn’t fathom, but never angry.

“Nowhere. Why?” he answered a little too abruptly.

“You smell of smoke.”

“Oh. Oh…” he turned to look at Kinobi again. “I was burning some rubbish at the garage last night.”

“You smell different. It must have startled her. Dogs have a powerful sense of smell. But I’m sure you know that.”

Cade glanced over his shoulder, looking back at the dog who watched him from her kennel.