by Ava Riley
“It is so good to finally have you in my arms,” Cade whispered as he nipped at her ear.
“Mmmhmm,” Tessa responded, leaning into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent; that musky scent that was Cade’s and his alone.
She slowly slipped her tongue out and traced the vein that ran along his neck. God, he tasted so good and she didn’t want this moment to end. As she kissed along his neck, she made her way up to his jaw, to his chin then finding his lips again. She gently pressed a kiss to his mouth. As much as she wanted to continue their interlude, she quickly remembered she had a job to finish. Damn Dominick and damn this calendar. She would throw it all away to stay here in Cade’s arms. He pulled slightly away from her holding her chin in between his fingers.
“Don’t you have photo shoots this afternoon?” he asked.
“I do.” Damn it, why can’t I just forget the photo shoot. “It’s hard to imagine that I was actually looking forward to them, but not so much now.”
“Hmmm and why not now?” Cade tried to sound unaffected.
He knew exactly why she had been looking forward to the shoots. She’d been avoiding him and when she avoided anything, she buried herself in her work. She always immersed herself in her work anyway, but when it came to uncomfortable situations, she completely lost herself. He knew that she was trying to distance herself from any part of him, because he had been doing the same thing. He’d been working long hours, even taking late appointments. No matter how much he worked though, thoughts of Tessa always consumed his every waking moment. Now, however, after tasting her and feeling the way she responded to him, he knew that she wanted to continue as much as he did. He wanted to scoop her up and take her back to his place and make love to her for the rest of the day and the evening. He wanted to keep her in his bed as long as he possibly could. She looked so damn sexy standing there, her lips swollen from his kisses and he almost couldn’t resist pulling a caveman and throwing her over his shoulder and hauling her off. He had the rest of the day off; he had made sure his secretary hadn’t scheduled any appointments for him in the afternoon with the hopes of being able to spend some time talking to Tessa. He thought for sure he’d have to convince her to give him a chance; to give a relationship with him a chance. He never, in his wildest dreams thought she would have this response to him, but he was damn happy for it and relieved.
“To be honest with you, I was hoping to get my mind off of you through work, but now I’d much rather have my mouth and my hands all over you.”
“I so love how straightforward you are. And I’d like nothing more than to have your mouth and hands all over me also, other than being buried deep inside you,” he said, with a wink. Tessa just shook her head and absently began to caress his chest.
He placed his hands over hers and pressed them to his chest. He wanted her close to him and the heat from her hands sent electricity shooting through his body causing an overwhelming need for her. He pulled her close to him, leaned down and brushed her cheek with a kiss. It felt so good to have her in his arms, but he knew that she had work to do and if she was late she’d never forgive herself.
He whispered into her ear. “Tess, go out with me tonight. Let me take you out; wine and dine you.”
“Really, Cade, I don’t need to be wined and dined…”
“I want to, Tess. I meant it when I said I want to give us a try. I don’t just want to get you in bed, although that would be an added bonus. I really want to spend time with you, getting to know you as a woman. I’ve only known you as Rowan’s little sister, but I want more.”
The man absolutely knew how to make her heart stutter. “I should be done with this next shoot by four. I can be ready by seven.” She didn’t want to give him a chance to change his mind or for her to change hers.
Cade was so happy, he couldn’t help himself, he wrapped his arms around Tessa’s waist and picked her up to bring her mouth up to his. “I’ll be there, so be ready for me,” he said as he gently kissed her. “Now, go take your pictures, but don’t enjoy all those naked bodies.”
“They’re only half naked and how can I not enjoy them?”
She laughed as she got into her car. Before she closed her door, Cade leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.
“I’ll see you tonight then.”
Tessa felt her insides melt from that simple phrase. She would be seeing him again and as much as she looked forward to it, she found happiness in the fact that he was excited also. Cade closed her door and as he strolled off to his car, she watched him walk away from her side mirror. She sat for a moment staring at his backside, not able to pull her gaze from him. He definitely captivated her. Glancing away, she caught the time from the dashboard clock and realized if she didn’t get out of there she would be late. She’d spent too much time with Cade and wouldn’t have time to stop for lunch so she pulled the car out of the parking lot and was on her way. She wasn’t sure how she was going to be able to concentrate on the work that awaited her. Cade’s kisses still lingered on her lips, his taste still on her tongue. Her skin vibrated with electricity where his hands had been. Tessa had never let a man affect her the way Cade had. She took pride in her control when it came to relationships. She’d seen too many people lose themselves to the other person and she vowed never to do that. She’d never met anyone up to this point in her life that she felt even remotely close to giving any control to. With Cade, she was already in deep, any deeper and she was sure to lose herself. She really had to get her head straight, at least for the time being. She had a job to finish today and didn’t need any distractions.
She got to the next location, set up and as soon as Susan and the first doctor arrived, she got right to work. Three doctors and she would be done, well on her way to preparing for her date. A date. Damn, she couldn’t remember the last time she had one of those. This wasn’t just any date though, this was Cade McCarthy. And she was going out with him on an honest to God real date. Each doctor, in their own way, was incredibly sexy, but not Cade sexy. She found herself comparing each one to him. She noticed how they carried themselves, slightly cocky, but not confident the way that he carried himself. All three had beautiful smiles, but they didn’t have the same charisma Cade did. She decided at that point that she was in trouble and she didn’t necessarily want to get out of it.
Chapter 8
As soon as Tessa finished photographing the last doctor, she packed up quickly, not even waiting for Susan. She was still interviewing the prior doctor, no doubt grilling him about his personal life. As she passed Susan, Tessa let her know that she was done and that she would call her in a few days. Susan excused herself quickly and caught up to Tessa.
“Where are you off to in such a rush? I thought maybe we could grab a drink to celebrate a great day of work.”
“No, thanks. I actually have plans tonight, so I need to get home and get cleaned up.”
“What? Which one?” Susan asked eagerly.
“Which one what?”
“Which doctor? Andrew? It has to be him. I saw the way you looked at him when he unbuttoned his pants. I thought for sure you were going to jump on him right then and there.”
“Susan, what the hell are you talking about? I was not looking at him that way. Okay, well, maybe just a little, but, no, it’s not him. Look, I’ll call you in a couple days to start putting everything together.”
“Okay, well, even though you are being stubborn and you know I would tell you who I hooked up with, enjoy yourself.”
Tessa quickly packed up her car so that she could call Rowan to inform him that she and Cade would be going out on a date. She didn’t want him to find out through the grapevine and she had no intentions of having a repeat of what happened the last time her and Cade had gone out.
“Little sister! To what do I owe the pleasure of your phone call since I’ve hardly heard from you the past few weeks?” Rowan asked.
“Rowan, you know why I haven’t called much. I’m still mad at you, maybe. You know
I can’t stay mad at you for too long. What kind of sister would I be though, if I didn’t make you suffer a little? Come on, you know me well enough by now.”
“Ha! Ha! Well played, sister. So, how did your shoots go today? I know at least Cade wasn’t there to piss you off. He seems to have been doing that a lot lately. He’s got a knack for it, huh?”
“Um, that’s actually why I’m calling you. I did see Cade today. He stopped by after my morning shoot.”
“He did? Well, what did our boy have to say?”
“Why do I get the feeling you are angry with him, Rowan?”
“I’m not angry. I just don’t know why he’s being such an asshat or why you are being stubborn for that fact.”
“I am not being stubborn, I…”
“Oh, hell no, Tess. I am the last person you are going to convince that you are not stubborn. Who kicked me out of her house and decided not to talk to me for weeks?”
“Okay, maybe I was being a little stubborn, but I had good reason to be. You were being a total ass.”
“By trying to protect you?”
“Rowan, I don’t even want to get into that again. I just wanted to call you to let you know that Cade and I are going out on a date tonight.”
“Thank the gods! Finally! Honestly, Tess, I was getting really tired of dealing with Cade moping around all the time. I’m glad that he finally asked and you actually accepted.”
“What do you mean moping around? I would not say going to a bar to get drunk and pick up chicks is moping around.”
“He was a total buzz kill at the bar. So, yeah, I can honestly say he was moping around.”
“Okay, so he was moping around. But now you are going to sit there and tell me you aren’t freaked out by your little sister going out with your best friend?”
“Hell yeah, I’m freaked out, but honestly I don’t trust anyone else with you other than Cade. I mean, I know he has his issues, hell, we all do, but I know he’s a good guy and wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt you. He’s just as protective as I am when it comes to you.”
“That’s certainly not the response I was expecting, but I’m glad for it. Well, since I don’t have to plead my case, I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know how it went.”
“No! Don’t, I don’t want any details.”
“I never said I’d give you details. I don’t kiss and tell. You should know that by now, Rowan.”
“Tessa Worth! Seriously, I’m not joking. I want the least amount of information. Like I said, I trust Cade with you, but I don’t necessarily like the idea of any guy taking my sister to bed and the fact that it could potentially be my best friend is just a little too weird for me. So, we’ll stick with the, I’m not gonna ask and you’re not gonna tell policy.”
Tessa couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. “Okay, I won’t tell anything. But just so you know, I wasn’t going to tell anyway. Even if you begged me to tell you how wonderful Cade is in the sack. I’ll call you tomorrow, Rowan. I love you, brother.”
“I love you too, sis. And Tess?”
“Yeah?
“I hope things work out for you and Cade, I really do.”
“Thanks, Rowan. Bye.”
Tessa hung up from Rowan and sped home like a bat out of hell. She had plenty of time to get ready, but she wanted to download the pictures she took today or else she would be thinking about them the whole evening and she didn’t want anything to distract her from her time with Cade. Tessa opened the door to her home and when she walked in she was greeted with a sight she never expected in her lifetime. She stood in shock at what was laid out before her. At her feet was a trail of rose petals that lead from her front door, down the hall and kept going into her bedroom. As she walked down the hall, she bent to pick up a few petals, brought them to her nose and inhaled the fresh scent. She loved the smell of roses and now her home was filled with their aroma. Her mind was a whirlwind. When she reached her bedroom she gasped. There, on her mahogany nightstand was the most beautiful ruby red vase she had ever seen filled with two dozen red roses. The most shocking item in the room, however, was not the roses, but a stunning black silk dress carefully laid out on top of her mattress. Laid on top of the dress was an envelope addressed Bella. Tessa slowly picked it up and recognized Cade’s scent right away. She held it to her nose and inhaled deeply to take as much of his fragrance into her body. Rowan must have let him in. So, Rowan already knew they were going out when she called him. She should be mad at him for playing dumb, but she couldn’t be after walking into a dream she would not have thought of in her wildest imaginations. Tessa opened the envelope and read what Cade had written.
Bella (beautiful), I am looking forward to our time together tonight. Please wear the dress for me. I have something very special planned for our first night out together. I’ll see you very soon.
Cade
She felt a lump form in her throat as she read the short note. Absently, she caressed the dress with her fingertips while the words on the paper danced before her eyes. She felt overwhelmed by Cade’s show of affection. She walked over and leaned in to inhale the scent of the roses. No one had ever gone to such great lengths for her before. She felt her chest tighten while emotions foreign to her consumed her mind and body. This was a new and frightening experience, but one she now relished in. Cade was already turning her inside out and they hadn’t even gone on their first date yet.
Tessa had to bring herself back to the tasks at hand. She needed to download the pictures from today and get ready. As quickly as she could, she took care of the pictures and packed away her camera and equipment. Just as quickly, she showered. As she was drying herself off, she drifted back to the roses. She couldn’t inhale enough of their scent into her nostrils. She gently touched each rose knowing that Cade had put such thought into their evening, even before it started. She grabbed the dress and got ready before she wasted too much time contemplating his actions. He’d been so thoughtful. She would not make him wait.
Chapter 9
Tessa would wear a hole in the wood flooring beneath her feet if she didn’t stop the pacing while waiting for Cade to show up. She had no idea what he had planned for the night and her controlling personality wasn’t doing so well with the situation as it stood. To say she was a little nervous about what was going to take place, was an understatement. She hadn’t been on a real date in so long she’d forgotten what it was like to anticipate the ringing of the doorbell. She’d made herself busy the rest of the day between the photo shoots, downloading the pictures, and getting ready, that she hadn’t given herself time to think of everything that had taken place with Cade in the parking lot. Now, as she waited, she had all the time in the world to dwell on it and it was about to make her crazy.
Allowing her mind to wander, her lips began to tingle and heat flowed through her body. The memory of his kisses flooded every one of her senses. Her body’s reaction just thinking of his lips pressed to hers was proof enough that Cade had burrowed himself into the deepest parts of her soul, a place no one had ever been before. There wasn’t a man before Cade who caused this reaction in her. As she looked around her home, she was reminded of his thoughtfulness. The fragrance from the roses filled her small house. She loved how they smelled so much that she left the petals where Cade had placed them. She didn’t want to disturb anything. She wanted to leave everything just as he left it. She stood in the center of her living room, smiling at the thought of him being in her home and strategically placing the petals and roses where he laid them. She wondered what he had been thinking as he walked down the hall to her bedroom. Her cheeks flushed at the thought of him near her bed. Hell, she would have loved to see him buying the dress for her. How did he explain that to the sales clerk? As she gazed around the living room, she found herself pacing back and forth once more, wearing a path on the hard wood floor careful not to disturb the petals. She wanted him to understand how much she appreciated what he had done; that what he had done had meant
something to her, so she left them just the way he had laid them. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that she left that path leading to the bedroom as an invitation for later. Oh yes, she had every intention of making use of that directional pull later in the night.
The door bell rang, pulling Tessa from her rambling mind and naughty thoughts. She checked herself quickly in the mirror hanging on the living room wall across from the front door. She didn’t normally dress up or wear makeup, so she felt a little self conscious of how she looked. She had always been a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, more of a tomboy. Maybe that’s why her previous dates never worked out. She was blessed with blemish-free skin and never worried about makeup. The guys she’d dated wanted a Barbie doll and, Barbie, she was not. They wanted tall, skinny, dress me up girls who followed in their footsteps and she was none of those things. She took one last quick glance at her reflection. The dress Cade bought her was beautiful and although it accentuated her curves deliciously, she felt like an ugly duckling dolled up. She wanted this night to be perfect, not just for herself, but for him, so she pushed aside her insecurities for the time being. More than anything, she needed to be perfect for him because he had done so much for her already. He could have stopped at showing up at her photo shoot and she would have been happy with his actions. The roses and dress just added icing to the cake. Satisfied as much as she would be with her looks, she made her way to the door and hesitated. All of a sudden her breath caught in her throat and she felt weak in the knees. Cade did that to her.
