Page 7

Brynn then left the back room and told Kade he could go in.
Isla began to tidy up the prep room, but then she became aware of how messy it was. She began to regret asking Kade to come back there because she was rushing to make her space look nice.
“Oh no, no, no.” She cried as an egg fell out of its box and hit the floor.
The girl got down on her hands and knees and began to clean up the sticky mess with a paper towel.
Kade laughed and said, “You seem to like being on your knees.”
Isla stopped wiping and looked up to see the tall, tattooed man leaning against the door frame. He crossed his arms and looked down at the ditzy girl. He was wearing grey sweats and a grey hoodie that matched.
“No, I-I just. I-I made a mess,” the blonde said in a dumb stutter. She felt her throat start to burn with shame; she didn’t want her only friend, who was also very good-looking, to see her like that. He must not think very highly of her.
Isla’s eyes started to water as she put herself down more. She sat down on her knees and tried to wipe some of the flour off her face to make herself look better.
Kade’s eyes got softer when he saw tears running down her cheeks. He didn’t want her to feel bad. He actually thought she looked cute right now, with her messy bun and cheeks covered in flour. It was a beautiful mess. He frowned and turned his lips down, knowing that she didn’t see herself the same.
“Come here,” he said softly.
Isla sniffled, looked at him shyly, and then pushed herself off the floor and wiped her hands on her apron. She slowly walked over to him, still feeling self-conscious about how she looked. Kade’s frown got worse when she hesitated, so he reached out with his long arms and pulled her into his chest.
“Kade!” Isla screamed in shock; her apron-covered middle was now pressed tightly against his chest.
Kade asked in a husky voice, “Why are you crying, pretty girl?” His voice sounded like a low rumble in his chest.
“Y-you’re going to get all dirty. Let go of me, Kade.”
The brutish man grabbed her chin and lifted it so that her eyes were locked on his. Their blue eyes looked like they were looking at each other, but his gaze was much more penetrating—intrusive. Isla didn’t want to breathe because she was so aware of how close they were.
“I don’t care about that,” Kade said in a calm voice, but there was something sharp about it that made the blonde bristle in his arms. “I asked you something, and I want you to answer.”
Isla’s heart beat hard against her chest, like an angry man with a hammer. She wasn’t used to being confronted like that or losing control. But she had to admit that it felt good to have to answer to someone. It showed that he cared. Isla wanted to cry even more because he was being so nice to her. She hasn’t had to deal with a lot of things in her life, so she’s overly sensitive and insecure. She can’t help that she doesn’t know things or that she doesn’t see what other people might see as obvious. But he still cared.
Isla laughed through her tears and said, “This is so embarrassing.” She wiped the salty liquid off her cheeks. “It’s really stupid.”
Kade shook his head and ran his fingers down her back to make her feel better.
“I don’t think so. Tell me.”
“I just… I didn’t want you to see me like this. I’m a mess.” She laughed again, trying to lighten the mood so she wouldn’t cry again.
After a moment, Kade asked, “Do you want me to be honest?”
Isla nodded and bit her lip. She made fists with her hands at her sides, letting her nails dig into her palms and leave crescent moon marks.
“A little flour isn’t going to change my mind about how beautiful you are, inside and out.”
Her pink lips parted when he said that, and her cheeks got hot.
“What?” she asked in disbelief.
Kade went on, “I’ve never met anyone like you, Isla.” “You’re so self-absorbed that you don’t even know you’re the most beautiful girl in the room.”
Isla’s eyes got bigger when his big hand suddenly stroked her cheek. The warmth of his palm made her already hot pink skin even hotter.
“I-I, I d-don’t know what to say,” she said. As he looked at her, some strange feeling rippled through the tides of his oceans. Her blue eyes stared into the depths of his oceans.
“Then don’t say anything,” he said, thinking as he wiped away some of the flour that had gotten stuck under her eye with his thumb.
“Or…tell me you’ll let me take you out sometime.”
Isla’s heart stopped beating in her chest, and her eyes were wide as she thought about what had just been said.
“Take me out? Like a date?”
Kade wanted to laugh at how she didn’t believe him, but he stopped himself and smiled instead.
“Just like a date,” he thought. His eyes were on her lips, but somehow he was able to resist the urge and turn his attention back to the girl who was blushing.
Isla whispered, “I think… I think I would like that,” as she tried not to lean into the hand that was rubbing calming circles on her side.
“Do you think?” Kade teased with a smile that showed off his dimples. His hand moved up her side to her ribs until he got the reaction he wanted: laughter.
Isla laughed as he tickled her and tried to wiggle out of his arms to get away from his fingers.
“No, I want to. I swear,” she said. She laughed.
Kade bent his head down, and his nose brushed against the crevice of her neck very lightly. Her giggles died down a little. She couldn’t stop the butterflies that were flying around in her stomach or the shallow breaths that came from being so close to him.
“I believe you.” He kissed her neck softly and then pulled away all of a sudden. “I’ll come get you at six tomorrow.”
Kade couldn’t stop thinking about her all day.
He was unbearable at work, and he could hardly pay attention during team meetings. He was staring at the clock, waiting for it to strike six so he could get to her front porch.
He raised his wrist to knock on the door of the orphanage, but it opened before he could.
“Kade,” she said, as if she couldn’t believe he was really there.
A child’s scream broke up their moment, and the girl quickly closed the door behind her out of shame.
“Uh, you really came.”
“Of course I did. Didn’t I tell you I would?”
That tone of voice was playful again.
Isla smiled a little, enchanted for a moment by Kade’s dark but charming smile. His brow rose when she kept looking at him, but it only made her notice a few stray hairs that were resting lightly on his forehead.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Huh?” She hummed and blinked, looking confused.
He chuckled softly as he asked the same question again.
“I asked if you were ready.”
Isla said, “Oh!” “Yes, yes, let’s go.”
Kade shook his head in amusement and put his hand on the small of her back as he led them back to his car.
He hurried to open the door for the passenger and smiled at the shy girl, who said “thanks” in a low voice.
He slammed the door shut and walked to the driver’s side of the car. Then he jumped in and slammed the door shut. Kade got into the black Range Rover, buckled up, and started the car. When Isla reached over to mess with the radio dial, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.
When the shy girl saw him staring, she stopped what she was doing and shrank back into her seat.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“Please, go ahead. Don’t mind me,” Kade said as he pulled away from the curb.
He didn’t want to make the poor girl nervous by watching her every move, but it was hard not to. He was interested in her more than anyone else, and he was fascinated by the most boring things just because she did them.