by Ava Riley
Tessa waited for Susan at the Sea café on 88th Street contemplating not the job she had ahead of her, but Cade. It had been a week since that day at her home and she’d not heard from him once. Apparently, Cade realized the mistake they had almost made. Maybe Rowan was right. Maybe Cade did have a commitment issue, but Tessa wasn’t looking for a commitment. Her intentions had been purely physical at the time. Now was a different story. She had enjoyed her night out with Cade and wanted more time like that with him. Had she given him the wrong impression? Why hadn’t he contacted her? It really bothered her, even though it shouldn’t have. So caught up in her thoughts, Tessa didn’t immediately notice Susan stroll up. .
“Hey, Tess,” Susan said cheerily.
“Hey, Susan. Thanks for meeting me today. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. The sooner we get these dates and times down, the quicker we can get this done. It was so nice of Dominick to throw this in our laps on such a short notice.”
“You’d think we’d be used to him dragging ass on projects by now,” Tessa said jokingly.
The waiter came over and took their order, so while they waited for their food they began to go through the list of doctors that Tessa brought with her.
“Tessa, I really appreciate you asking Dominick to put me on the project with you,” Susan said with entirely too much excitement. “I haven’t been this excited about a job in a long time.”
“Susan, why would you be so excited about this project?” Tessa asked, completely confused by Susan’s reaction regarding this particular job.
“Are you kidding? While you are photographing half naked hot doctors, I get to watch.”
“What? Half naked wha…what are you talking about? They aren’t going to be half naked!”
“Oh, hell yes, they will be. You don’t think they’re going to make money off a calendar with fully dressed hot doctors do you? I did mention that they were hot doctors right?”
“Yes, Susan you did. But I didn’t, you know, I just didn’t realize that they would be…well, you know…half naked,” Tessa respond with a lump in her throat.
Her great day just hit the shit meter in less than sixty seconds. Not only was Cade on her list, but she would have to photograph him half naked. Dear God, just the thought made all the heat in her body pool in-between her thighs. Yes, trouble awaited her in the form of one Cade McArthur. “Tessa, why would you be so freaked about seeing half naked hot doctors? Hell, I’m beside myself. I haven’t seen a naked man in so long I think I forgot what the male species actually looks like under clothes. Okay, well, that’s not entirely true. I do have cable, but I’m talking in the flesh. And I do mean flesh. I’ve seen some of the names on that list and some of those doctors are beyond hot.”
“Susan, seriously, you need to focus.”
“Oh, I’m focused. Did you see that Cade McArthur was on that list? I would give up my first born to be with that man for just five minutes.”
“Susan!” Tessa couldn’t keep the shock from her voice that Susan not only knew of Cade, but that she would even think of him that way. Part of her wanted to jump over the table and totally bitch slap her for thinking of Cade that way. The thought of another woman even looking at him in a sexual way brought on feelings she didn’t realize she had. Tessa had never been a jealous person, but all of a sudden that particular feeling raged throughout her body.
“Oh, come on, Tess. I don’t even have a first born, besides everyone knows who Cade is. You can’t tell me you’ve never seen…”
“He’s my brother’s best friend. I’ve known Cade since I was a kid. Look, I don’t want to talk about Cade.” Tessa rushed the words out hoping to get this meeting over with.
“Oh. My. God! Tess you have to introduce me to him.”
“Well, hello! You are going to be interviewing him; of course you are going to be introduced to him.”
“Oh, hell no. I mean introduce me to him.”
“Look, Susan. Let’s just get things scheduled. I really have a lot of work I need to get done.” The lie slid past her lips with ease, but Tessa couldn’t sit there any longer listening to Susan. She was about to go all spider monkey on her if she kept talking about Cade. She didn’t have to be a psychic to know that Susan was imagining all kinds of things she would like to do with him and Tessa didn’t want anyone thinking of him that way. Except for her, no one else was allowed to think of him that way, damn it.
Chapter 5
Cade sat in Rowan’s living room waiting for him to finish getting ready for their night out. He really needed to get out and relax. He hadn’t been out to the bars since his night out with Tessa and, honestly, he needed to put that whole situation behind him. If it weren’t for Rowan, he would be sitting at home alone sulking. He still couldn’t believe that he had left Tessa’s house the way he had and how things in general were left undone. He hadn’t gotten a chance to explain things to her and he really wasn’t sure exactly what he would say to her anyway; that’s why he hadn’t called her or gone over to her house again. He felt like the biggest idiot and just couldn’t face her. Usually when it came to women, he just didn’t put too much stock in the outcome of a night. He wasn’t egotistical; but if he worried too much about his relationships with women, he’d never get any rest. But Tessa wasn’t just any woman. Over the past two weeks, he’d felt an aching in his chest. He desperately wanted to spend time with her again; he craved her company. He just wasn’t sure what he was going to do about it. Everything inside his head screamed for him to walk away from her and not look back. However, his heart and body and soul ached for her. To hear her laughter, to smell that honey and lilac scent that was specifically Tessa, and to be able to just touch her if even for just a moment. He wanted to touch her in so many ways, but mostly just to feel the brush of her hand against his arm as she told a story, or to feel her breath on his skin as she laughed over a joke. He wanted her company more than anything he ever desired in his life. Cade had to pull himself from his thoughts. If he kept thinking of Tessa, he would drive himself crazy.
Realizing that Rowan was taking too long, he yelled from the living room, “What are you doing, Rowan? You are worse than a woman when it comes to getting ready.”
“Hey, perfection takes time. Just calm down.” After a short pause, Rowan yelled out, “So, Cade. When was the last time you talked to my sister?”
“Not since that day that we promised we’d never talk about it again.”
“Yeah, well about that…” Rowan began.
“No way, Rowan. I am not talking about that night or about Tess with you. You nearly broke my jaw, remember.”
“Hell yeah, I remember, but that was just because I wasn’t prepared for…you know… that whole thing with you and my sister,” he said awkwardly as he walked into the living room.
“Oh and you are now?”
“Not really, but I can tell that you both are miserable without each other and I was just thinking that maybe you should give her a call.”
“It’s not going to happen, Rowan. The last time you suggested one of us call the other, the outcome was not so favorable for me.”
“Cade…”
“I’m not doing it, Rowan, so drop it. Let’s just get out of here. I hear a cold beer and loud music calling my name and I need some down time.”
“Most definitely, let’s go.”
Twenty minutes later, Rowan and Cade arrived at The LaunchPad, their favorite hangout. When on the prowl for hot forget everything going on in the world sex, they found themselves here. Tonight was one of those nights for both of them. Cade so desperately wanted to get Tessa out of his head. The only way he knew to do that was to get a woman, who was not Tessa, in his bed. After making the rounds, Cade found himself standing at the bar, beer in hand and thoughts of her running through his head. He wanted, no, he needed to get her out of there. If he didn’t find a way, he would be mad with insanity.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a brunette walked pa
st him. Tall, slender, her jeans clung to her hips and left little for the imagination. As she passed him, her hips swayed temptingly, calling out to him. Cade found he was following her and knew if he could bury himself deep inside her, he would be able to leave all thoughts of Tessa behind. Slowly, seductively the woman led him down a hallway that led to the back of the bar; glancing over her shoulders with a come fuck me look in her eyes. Before she got too far, Cade grabbed her arm and pulled her into his body. He had no care for where they were. He needed relief, physically and emotionally, as quickly as possible. He pushed her up against the wall and kissed her ferociously, bruising. Her mouth opened to his without hesitation, their tongues dueling. He tangled his fingers in her long hair, taking what he wanted. His hand found its way to her breast; her nipple hardened under the thin cotton material from his touch. Just as quickly, he replaced his hand with his mouth, pushing up her shirt, biting at the peak that pressed against the black, silk bra she wore. Moans of pleasure echoed off the walls, filling the small hallway. He placed a hand behind her leg and lifted it up to his hip so that he could press his erection into her center. He ground against her, her own need evident as she began to rock her hips against his hardness. Pulling away from her breast, he turned her and pressed her against the wall, intent on taking her there, intent on burying himself deep inside her. He pushed her hair away from her neck, placing kisses at the nape of her neck as he reached around, unbuttoned the tight denim jeans. With one hand against the wall, the other in her pants, images of Tessa filled his mind. Suddenly, this woman before him tasted wrong; smelled wrong. She felt completely wrong and the erection he’d planned on burying deep within her quickly diminished. He couldn’t blame this woman. No, the blame lay in the images of Tessa that clouded his mind. This woman in his arms was beautiful and sexy, someone you’d see on the cover of a magazine. She was all wrong; wrong for him though. Maybe a few weeks ago he wouldn’t have given a second thought to having his way with her, but Tessa had already been seared on his soul. He hadn’t realized before this moment just how much he was affected by Tessa’s scent, her laughter, her voice, everything about her moved him. Although he had never tasted her, he knew that she would be sweet on his tongue, not the sour taste that was in his mouth now. Unexpectedly, his stomach clenched with regret. Regret for tasting another woman, for taking another woman into his embrace when all along he wanted one…Tessa. He pushed away from her and moved to the opposite side of the hallway.
“I’m sorry,” Cade said as regret filled the space between them.
“That’s okay.” The brunette walked over and leaned into him, her pants still unbuttoned. “I really don’t mind.”
Shaking his head, Cade gently pushed her to the side and walked back toward the bar. He kept reminding himself that she wasn’t Tessa and he’d never be complete with anyone but her. That thought pattern consumed him throughout the night and he was just realizing it. Every time the thought crossed his mind to ask a woman to dance or to buy her a drink, knowing that it could lead to something physically fulfilling, he found himself comparing each woman to Tessa. The poor women had no chance, not because they weren’t pleasing to the eye, but because not one measured up to his Tess. None of them smelled like her, or had that same quirky smile, or made his heart skip a beat from just a simple look. And that thought scared the hell out of him. He needed to get out of this hormone infested bar, get some fresh air, and clear his head. He’d never let any woman affect him the way Tessa did and he hadn’t even slept with her yet. Cade scanned the room for Rowan and found him at a table with a couple nurses from the hospital.
“I’m gonna call a cab and get out of here,” Cade told Rowan as he leaned in close to his ear.
“No way, you are not bailing on me,” he said, sitting up abruptly.
“Rowan, seriously, I need to get out of here and clear my head. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Rowan grabbed Cade’s arm as he started to walk away. “Call her.”
“Who?” Cade asked trying to at least sound somewhat confused.
“Who do you think? Tess! Just call her, Cade, and talk to her.”
With a wave of his hand to dismiss the suggestion, Cade strolled out of the bar. Standing on the sidewalk, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket to call a cab. His phone flashed that irritating red light that alerted him to a missed call. He must have really been out of it tonight because he hadn’t even felt his phone vibrate. He nearly dropped it when he saw that it was Tessa’s call he had missed. Suddenly he forgot why he had stepped out of the bar and his focus was only on the message announcing he’d missed her call. Quickly, he dialed her number before he lost his nerve to do so. He didn’t even check to see if she’d left a message or what time it was. Surely it was a sign that he was to call her; that they were supposed to talk. Rowan was right; he did need to call her. She had been thinking of him tonight, just as he had been thinking of her. His heart began to beat faster and faster with the anticipation of her answering. He decided he would go over tonight; he had to see her and feel her. His body and heart ached to be with her. Finally, on the fourth ring she picked up.
“Hello,” Tessa answered, sounding exhausted.
“Hi ,Tess. This is Cade.”
“Cade? What are you calling me so late for?”
Tessa heard music blaring in the background. Great, he was at a bar and probably drunk. On top of that, he was calling her at a God forsaken hour. None of that ever added up to anything good.
“I just saw that you called and thought I’d return the call.”
“I called you three hours ago, Cade, and I left a message. Did you not listen to it?”
“Sorry, I didn’t,” he stammered. “I just saw you called and thought I’d call you back.”
“Are you drunk, Cade? Is that why you are calling me now?” she asked, then added for good measure, “after weeks of nothing?” Tessa hoped that he heard in her voice how hurt and angry she was that he hadn’t even attempted to make contact with her after what happened between them or what almost happened. Sure, she’d kicked him out of her house, but damn it, he should have at least called her or something. Anything.
“No, not at all.”
Cade wasn’t sure where that had come from or why she would even think that and, honestly, he didn’t care at the moment. He had her on the phone now and planned to have her in bed shortly; just as soon as he could get there.
“Then why are you calling so late, Cade?”
“Like I said…”
“If you would have listened to my message, I said to call Susan and she could schedule you for the photo shoot next week sometime. I’m not sure what your office hours are, so I didn’t want to just schedule you.”
“Photo shoot? What are you talking about?” Cade asked as confused as ever.
“The calendar for the hospital fundraiser. I was selected to photograph everyone, but Susan is the one interviewing.”
“Oh, the calendar, that’s right. I completely forgot about that. Yeah, I can call her…”
“Okay, then I will see you at your scheduled time. Goodnight, Cade.”
“Tess, wait. I was hoping that we could…”
“Cade, it’s late. I’m tired, and you’ve been at a bar drinking and doing God only knows what else with God only knows who, so I have no intentions of talking to you right now. By the way, let me just point this out right now so you’re not confused. Nothing gets under my skin more than a guy calling me in the middle of the night from a bar. It really is a big turn off when the last call is sounded at the bar, that I’m the last call. Goodnight, Cade.”
And with the last word, she hung up. Cade stood on the sidewalk staring at his phone like it carried some kind of virus, feeling more than a little irritated at her. He wasn’t drunk, he hadn’t done anything he shouldn’t have, other than the short encounter with the brunette, and he returned her call. He wasn’t just randomly calling her on a whim of courage he got from a bottle. The woman absolutely drove
him mad. He didn’t know if he was coming or going and this just sent him over the edge. Rowan said to call her and, again, he got the short end of the stick. At this rate, listening to his best friend would get his heart broken. At least this time he didn’t have his jaw realigned.
