Page 33

Cade hasn’t said a single word the entire ride home. Frankly, I’m surprised he even waited for me since I’m the sole reason he got beaten up in the back of the club. His hair’s a mess, there’s a tiny cut to his temple, and he winces with every turn of the wheel.

He barely acknowledged me when I slid into the passenger seat, and he completely ignored me when I reached for the bottle of water in the center cupholder and offered it to him.

Luke told me Cal and Mark beat the shit out of him before I left, and I don’t know what to do.

I want to help him. I need to help him, but how can I when he won’t even look at me?

I bite the inside of my cheek, hating this. The silence. The distance. He waited for me outside that club, beaten halfway to hell, and now he won’t say a damn word.

Not even when I shift in my seat and whisper, “Cade—”

His jaw tenses, so sharp it could slice through steel.

Fine. If he wants to be stubborn, I won’t push. But when we get back to his place, he’s letting me clean him up whether he likes it or not.

At least Luke sent me home quickly after everything. The kind, caring boss he pretends to be told me to take a couple of days off to recover from the trauma of Cade kissing me.

I wanted to laugh. If only he knew. If only he realized that Cade didn’t just kiss me, but he made me feel things I’ve never felt before.

I shift in my seat, stealing a glance at him, wondering if he even realizes how much he helped me through something that could’ve been the worst night of my life.

Gosh, even admitting that in my head has me bursting in hives of embarrassment. I never ever thought I’d be able to associate Behind Closed Doors with anything other than the tragic reality of my life, but somehow Cade managed to flip that… Again.

He’s been doing that a lot recently and it’s giving me hope. Hope that maybe he’s right. Maybe I can get out of this. Maybe I can get Adley back. Maybe I can be with Cade.

When we finally pull into the apartment complex, he kills the engine and gets out of the car without a word. He moves stiffly around the front, and I sit frozen in my seat, not sure what to do.

Do I follow him? Do I say something?

How the hell am I supposed to break the ice with him after I…

well, after I came on his lap and he got beaten to a pulp because of it.

Heat rushes to my face at the memory. The way he touched me without really touching me.

The way his voice dragged me under, coaxing me toward pleasure like it was the only thing that mattered in the world.

Cade opens the door for me, which surprises me, and as I step out, I mumble a soft ‘thank you.’

He doesn’t say anything back, but I do notice the way his hands curl around the door like he’s angry.

Is he upset with me? I sure as hell would be if I were him.

I duped him. He’s finally seen me for who I really am.

I’m not that sweet girl he tries to make me out to be.

I’m one who works in a club. That’s used to using my body to get what I want.

It doesn’t matter that it was my first time in those rooms. What matters is that I was willing, more like coerced, into doing it in the first place. How could he still want to help me?

He slams the car door shut, the sound echoing through the quiet parking lot.

I walk ahead of him toward the elevator, my arms wrapping around my middle as the night air bites at my skin, a cruel reminder that in all the chaos, I never changed out of the white corset.

My clothes are stuffed in my bag, but I didn’t think to put anything on before rushing out to see if he’s okay.

I reach for the zipper on my bag, but before I can even start digging, Cade takes it from me and drapes his jacket over my shoulders. The warmth is immediate, and his hands linger for a second as he squeezes my shoulders before letting go.

I glance up at him, but he’s already looking away, his jaw tight, his body rigid.

When the elevator dings open, I step aside, waiting for Cade to exit first. He moves past me without a word, his body tense, his jaw still locked. My stomach tightens. He might not be speaking to me. But his jacket? His warmth? He gave it to me anyway.

I follow him in, pressing myself against the side of the small, narrow space.

The elevator was probably built for two, maybe three people, but with Cade’s broad frame and solid muscle, he might as well take up the entire thing himself.

My shoulder brushes against his chest, my hip grazes his thigh, and I swear I can feel the heat radiating off him in waves.

No matter how much I try to keep space between us, every small shift, every tiny movement brings me closer to him.

I swallow hard, keeping my eyes locked on the floor numbers ticking up, counting every agonizing second. When they finally slide open, my shoulders sag with relief as I step out into the hallway.

Sometimes, being this close to Cade is just… too much.

He unlocks the apartment door without a word and steps inside as Stanley comes trotting over to greet me.

“Hey, bud,” I murmur, crouching down to scratch behind his ears, letting his familiar warmth soothe some of the tension in my chest.

Behind me, Cade exhales sharply, the sound rough and exhausted.

I glance up at him and when he catches my eye, he winces before moving toward the kitchen, his shoulders tight as he walks slower than usual, with his body crouched forward.

What the hell did those guys do to him out there?

I study him carefully, trying to read his body language, searching for any sign of what’s going on in his head. I slowly make my way to the other side of the kitchen counter, watching him carefully, waiting for him to look at me.

For a long moment, he doesn’t. He keeps his head down, bracing his hands against the counter, his broad back rising and falling with each slow, sharp breath.

When he finally lifts his head, his green eyes meet mine, and the sight of him nearly knocks the air from my lungs. All I see is anguish and I want to say he’s conflicted. That maybe he’s already decided to give up on me, but he doesn’t know how to tell me.

“Cade, I—”

He groans, cutting me off with a sharp raise of his hand, his head hanging lower. “Don’t. Please, Sav. Just… don’t.”

My breath catches.

That tone. That exhaustion. It guts me. And all the insecurities I have come roaring back, slamming into me like a tidal wave. I knew this would happen. I knew that once he saw me like this, once the high of whatever this thing between us faded, he’d see me for what I really am.

A girl who has nothing to offer. A girl who doesn’t belong in his world.

I swallow the lump in my throat and take a small step back, already preparing for the inevitable.

“I’m sorry about everything tonight,” I say, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I completely understand if you want me to leave. I know it’s not—”

“Jesus, Sav.”

His voice is sharp, almost pained, as he grips the counter so tightly his knuckles go white.

“Do you really think I’m angry with you?” His gaze snaps to mine, burning with something I can’t quite name.

I hesitate, my fingers twisting in the fabric of his jacket still draped around my shoulders.

“I…”

“I’m not,” he rasps, his voice raw.

I cross my arms, watching Cade like I’m waiting for a bomb to go off. “Are you sure? Because you’re looking pretty angry, and I get it. You got beaten up because of me.”

“I didn’t get beaten up. Sure, Luke’s guys threw a few punches, but they have terrible form and the best way to win in a fight is to let your opponent think you’re down.”

“Wait, so you aren’t hurt?”

“No.”

“Then why—” I look down at his still crouched form.

He inhales a deep breath, then blows it out in a low laugh, shaking his head. “I’m going to be honest with you, Sav, and I hope it doesn’t freak you out.”

I tense, my stomach clenching with nerves. “Okay,” I say slowly, already bracing for the impact of whatever words are about to come out of his mouth.

This is it. The moment it all falls apart.

Living here.

Being with Cade.

I never even got to accept his wedding proposal, which I assume is rescinded now.

It was stupid to think any of it could ever be real. Just as hopeless a dream as getting Adley back. He tilts his head up, his gaze burning into mine, and when he finally speaks, it’s the last thing I expect.

“I’m two seconds away from blowing my load in my pants.”

My mouth falls open.

What?

“Because feeling you use me like that…” His jaw flexes, his hands gripping the counter so tightly his knuckles go white. “It riled me up so much, I can’t even look at you without thinking about all the things I want to do to you.”

His eyes flick up, locking onto mine for a second before he curses and drags them back down again. His head tips back, a low growl vibrating in his throat. “I knew I shouldn’t have looked again. Fuck .”

I blink, still trying to process what just came out of his mouth.

“I’m sorry?” I squeak, unsure what else to say.

“Now I’m sure you can understand this isn’t exactly how I want to come in front of you for the first time,” he grits out, his voice strained with frustration. “So if you don’t mind, I think I need to take a very, very cold shower.”

I just stare at him, my brain short-circuiting. His brutal honesty is… commendable? Maybe? But I can’t stop the heat creeping up my neck, or how my thighs clench at the way he’s looking at me.

Uh. What’s the correct response here?

“O-okay,” I mutter, my voice embarrassingly high.

“Thanks,” he grumbles, running a hand through his hair before stalking past me toward his bedroom.

And just like that, I’m left standing in the middle of his kitchen, still wearing his jacket, still in the damn bodysuit, with nothing but the lingering scent of him and the absolutely devastating knowledge that I just made Cade Bright, the most self-disciplined, composed, utterly fantastic man I’ve ever met, so turned on, he had to walk away before he embarrassed himself.

Holy. Shit.

The apartment is quiet. So quiet that my thoughts get louder. The only sound in the room is the steady stream of water coming from the shower. The shower Cade’s about to walk under and… think about me?

The thought makes my stomach tighten and my breath hitches in my throat. I should probably go to bed and pretend I didn’t hear what he said, but I can’t. All I can think about is him beneath the spray, his hands braced against the wall as water droplets drip down his body.

I’m two seconds away from blowing my load in my pants.

It riled me up so much, I can’t even look at you without thinking about all the things I want to do to you.

I shudder. It’s not just his words; it’s the way he said them. Rough, raw, and desperate… for me .

My hands curl at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as I stare at his door. Should I leave him alone? Does he need space to get himself under control?

But selfishly, I want to be the one who soothes him the way he’s soothed me. I want to make him feel the same way he made me feel. I want him to know how much I want him to.

I’m going to marry Cade. I have already decided that before all of this and if anything, this has only proven how far he’s willing to go for me.

Now I need him to know how far I’m willing to go for him.

And that’s when my legs move before my brain can stop them.