A Lifetime to Find Love

by Ava Riley

  With shaky hands, she opened the door and there he stood, absolutely gorgeous. She wanted to forego their night out, now that she saw him dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a deep red button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His dark hair hung as it always did, a little messy but it was perfectly messy. His deep blue eyes sparkled and it made Tessa feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. They both stood for what seemed minutes and stared at each other. Time always seemed to stand still when she was in Cade’s presence. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything. For the first time in quite a while, she was speechless and yet there were million things running through her mind that she wanted to say to him. She wanted to tell him how gorgeous he was, how happy she was, how much she appreciated the gifts. She wanted to throw herself in his arms, but at the same time run away as fast as she could. Her mind was a bundle of mixed emotions and she wasn’t sure which ones to follow. Afraid of stumbling over her words, she stood there still and said nothing, waiting for him to make the first move.

  Sucking in his breath, he said, “God, Tess. You are so beautiful.”

  Cade couldn’t help himself. He had to touch her. He had to feel her pressed to the hardness of his body. He needed to inhale her scent into his body. It had only been a few hours since he had her in his arms, since those luscious lips were pressed to his and yet it seemed like a life time. Without anymore hesitation, he pulled her into him.

  “Mmmm, you smell delicious. I knew the dress would be perfect also. Thank you for wearing it,” he whispered against her ear.

  Tessa felt the heat rise to her cheeks, but quickly relaxed and leaned in to him before he could notice. No one, other than Rowan, had ever told her she was beautiful and even with the dress, she didn’t feel beautiful. Her low self-esteem was all thanks to a mother who died while she was young and a father who rarely even noticed her existence. She pulled away from him, her eyes misty. Nervously, she tried to straighten the dress although it didn’t need it. Her fingers trembled as she skimmed the front of the black, silky material. She didn’t know what to say to him. A part of her was embarrassed because she just didn’t see herself the way he apparently did, but another part of her relished the accolades he gave her. She knew she wasn’t unpleasant to look at, but beautiful was never a word that described her. She turned to get her purse when Cade grabbed her arm.

  “What is it? Did I say something wrong?” he asked, as he brushed his knuckles against her cheek.

  “No, not at all.” She hesitated for a moment, then grabbed her purse from the side table by the couch. “Thank you for all of this, Cade,” she said, as she gestured with her hand to the petals laid out on the floor. “The flowers, the dress, it’s all perfect.”

  “It’s just the beginning.” He winked at her as he took her elbow to lead her outside. As they walked to Cade’s car, he gently brushed his body next to hers, needing to feel the contact. It felt as if he would die without the closeness of their bodies. The contact was just enough to send fire coursing through his body. God, she was going to be so addictive, he could already tell. When they reached the car, he opened the door for her and helped her seat herself.

  Cade’s breath caught in his throat when Tessa swung her legs into the car. She had the most beautiful legs he’d ever seen with strong, muscular calves. The dress reached just to the top of her knees and Cade’s mind raced with erotic images that he hoped would become reality by the end of the night. One image he couldn’t shake from his mind, was having those strong legs wrapped around his waist. Cade stood by the car mesmerized by Tessa’s beauty. He couldn’t move, didn’t want to move. He could stare at her for hours on end.

  “Um, Cade, you’re kind of making me nervous the way you’re just standing there staring at me.”

  Not caring for one second that he was ogling her like an idiot, Cade leaned in and gently kissed Tessa’s lips. She tasted so good, he wanted to pull her out of the car and run back inside with her. He wanted to carry her down the hall he’d just journeyed not just a few hours ago. He wanted to toss her on the king size bed that sat in the middle of her bedroom and keep her there for hours. His body ached for it, ached for this woman who made him feel things he’d never felt with another woman before. He didn’t pull her out of the car, although everything within was yelling at him to do it. This night was going to be a special night for both him and Tessa, he’d make sure of that. He wanted Tessa to understand that, to him, she was more than just his best friend’s sister. She was the woman who consumed his thoughts, and he wanted to treat her the way she deserved to be treated. This night was about her and he wouldn’t let his teenage hormones, which seemed to have carried over into his adult life, rule his judgments. He had this amazing woman with him now and he cared deeply for her. “I’d say I’m sorry for staring, but I’m not. You are so beautiful, Tess. I find it hard to take my eyes off of you for even a moment.” He brushed his lips against her cheek and closed the door before she could say anything.

  Tessa felt the color rise in her cheeks once again, which was becoming an irritating re-occurrence and a little awkward. She wasn’t sure how to respond to Cade. He was completely different with her than he’d ever been before. For as long as she could remember, Cade had always been in her life. It had always been in the capacity of a big brother though and now all that was changing. She tried to calm herself and remember that she was the same old Tess and he was the same old Cade. The only difference now, was that they were out on a date.

  A date with Cade! Not just a date, but a date with Cade. What the hell am I thinking?

  Cade slid into the driver’s seat and started the car while Tessa rambled on in her mind. She felt his eyes on her and shifted uneasily in her seat. When she turned to look at him, Cade was sitting there just smiling at her. He leaned in and kissed her lips gently before putting the car in drive. Tessa let out a small, strangled laugh. It seemed as though Cade was going to put his lips on her at every possible opportunity and she was happy for it. Just the thought made her relax and she began to enjoy his company.

  “What’s so funny?” Cade asked.

  “Nothing, just enjoying the fact that you can’t keep those delicious lips off of me.”

  Cade laughed out loud. It was a deep, heartfelt laugh. “Tess, baby, I will never tire of how open and honest you are. It’s one of your many wonderful attributes. And I plan to be putting my lips on you as much as I possibly can.”

  “So you like my attributes do you? I’ll have to keep that in mind,” she said, her voice like honey laced with a seduction she didn’t realize she had.

  ****

  An awkward silence filled the small sports car as they made their way to the destination Cade had chosen for them. She didn’t do silence well and he seemed to be deep in thought. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking and at that moment would give anything to know just a smidge of what was in Cade’s mind. She could hear him mumbling under his breath, but couldn’t make out his words. She needed noise or conversation; anything to break the silence, but at some point she had forgotten how to participate in an intelligent verbal exchange. Every time she thought of something to say to Cade it seemed ridiculous and unimportant. She always felt she was wasting time by not doing or saying something even if it wasn’t life changing, but now she wanted all her words and movements to have purpose. She didn’t want to ruin their already perfect night before it truly got started by blurting out something unintelligent. Not being able to take the silence any longer, she asked the only safe question she could think of.

  “So, where is it that we are going all dressed up?”

  “It’s a surprise. You’ll just have to wait.”

  He reached over and put his hand on her knee. She felt electricity shoot through her entire body. His fingers gently caressed circles around her knee. She never realized how erotic it was or how such a movement could make her head swim with visions of her and Cade doing very naughty things. He had perfect hands. His fingers were lo
ng and slender. The tips of his fingers were soft against her skin. She was a hand girl. A man had to have hands that were, well, like Cade’s. She wasn’t superficial when it came to looks, okay, maybe she was a little superficial, but she couldn’t even begin to count the times throughout her life that she had turned down advances from other men based solely on the simple fetish of hers. She would not be turning down Cade’s though. She was more than enjoying his hands and lips on her and loved how he couldn’t stop himself from placing either on her. Oh yes, she welcomed both. She shifted in her seat so that she could face him. His hand shifted with her, never breaking contact.

  “Come on, Cade. Just tell me at least what restaurant we are going to.”

  “What makes you think we are going out to eat?” He couldn’t help himself. He found teasing Tessa entirely too easy.

  “We better be going to eat. I haven’t eaten anything all day since someone almost made me late to my afternoon photo shoot. Cade McCarthy, you had better be taking me to get something to eat or you can just turn this car around and head back to my place right now.”

  Cade’s laughter replaced the silence that had been so evident only moments earlier. Tessa always brought out the fun side of him, which didn’t come out very often. Years of medical school and then setting up and running his own practice had turned him into a fuddy duddy, as his mother liked to put it. He wasn’t unhappy, he just let his practice consume him to the point that unless he was hanging out with Rowan, or at The LaunchPad, he didn’t take the time to just laugh.

  Pulling himself together, Cade asked, “Do you know Joe’s Crab Shack on the boardwalk?”

  “We are not going to Joe’s dressed up like this, Cade. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Shack, but we are definitely overdressed for that place.”

  Gently caressing her inner thigh, he softly whispered, “You will just have to be patient and trust me to see where we are going.”

  Chapter 10

  Cade pulled into the parking lot that sat caddy corner to the boardwalk and turned off the car.

  “Cade, seriously, we are completely overdressed for Joe’s. I am not going in there looking like this.”

  With that smirk that always got Tessa’s heart pumping, he leaned in to brush a kiss on her cheek. “Looking like what, Tess? You are absolutely beautiful.”

  Cade quickly exited the car and came around to Tessa’s side before she could get out. He took her hand, as he helped her out he brought her knuckles up to his lips so he could taste her again. Leaning in close to her ear, he whispered, “Trust me Tess, that’s all I ask. This night is about you. Do you trust me?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Good. I thought we could take a walk on the boardwalk before we eat. I want to enjoy the view,” he said with that sexy voice that she was growing to love as his gaze locked on to hers. His voice always made liquid heat pool between her thighs.

  Tessa started to pull her hand free of his as they began to walk, but it only caused Cade to intertwine their fingers and hold on tighter. She enjoyed the feel of her hand in his. She felt safe with him. She never felt that way with anyone. She’d never been in a relationship with someone that she trusted enough to participate in such an intimate act. Most people would think nothing of holding hands with someone, but to Tessa, the gesture held more intimacy than the act of sex itself. Placing her hand in another’s spoke volumes of the trust she had in the person to also be the one holding her heart. For her, it meant giving up control and placing everything important to her in his hands, literally.

  The night was absolutely beautiful and perfect for a walk. He led them to the end of the boardwalk and stopped. Cade turned and leaned his back against the railing and pulled Tessa into the shelter of his arms. She felt so right in his arms, so secure. He gently pushed aside a tendril of hair that was caught by the breeze coming off the ocean and tucked it behind her ear. He felt the goose bumps form on her skin, from just the simple act of brushing his fingers against her skin.

  Cade misunderstood her reaction to his touch as her being cold and he pulled her tighter to him. She felt the hardness of his body and reveled in the feel of him against her. Cade was strong in so many ways. His body was the physical reflection of what laid inside him and she shivered at the thought of that strength. He was disciplined, controlled and everything she wasn’t. What a pair they made. They stood there, for what seemed like a lifetime, just enjoying the night. The warm ocean breeze was gentle against her skin as the stars above sparkled like diamonds, dancing in the night sky, a dance meant only for lovers. Cade’s cell phone broke the silence of that amazingly perfect moment. He quickly answered it before it rang a second time.

  “Hello, Patrick. Great, we’ll be there shortly. Thank you.” And, with that he hung up and pulled her back into his arms.

  Tessa pulled away from him as much as he would allow and glared at him. Cade was definitely up to something and she grew tired of waiting to find out. She needed food, which became apparent to all within a five mile radius when her stomach growled.

  Cade laughed. “I guess that means you are ready to eat.”

  Not embarrassed at all, Tessa replied, “Cade, seriously, if you don’t feed me soon I might start gnawing at my own arm.”

  He smiled and pulled her closer once again to nuzzle her neck. “Let’s go, everything is ready.”

  “Where are we going? I’m not really one who has a lot of patience. You should know that by now.”

  “It’s just a short walk. Remember, you said you trusted me.”

  They walked back toward the car, but when they got to the end of the boardwalk Cade pulled her onto the sand. Tessa looked at him puzzled. She knew it was futile to ask him any questions. He’d proven already tonight that he wouldn’t be answering any of them anyway. Walking in the sand with heels on was not a task that Tessa wanted to embark on, so she quickly shed them. Just as quickly, Cade grabbed them out of her hands.

  “Let me carry those for you.”

  “Yes, because they are so heavy,” she teased. “You are my knight in shining armor. The bearer of those things that weigh me down.” She placed the back of her hand to her forehead as if she were going to faint.

  “Watch yourself young lady or you’ll be getting a swat on your backside.”

  The thought of his hands on her backside almost made her forget she was hungry. As they got closer to the water, Tessa could smell the most scrumptious scent she’d ever inhaled . Her stomach steered her in the direction of the food. Tessa’s breath caught in her throat and she stood mesmerized. Under the boardwalk, just below where they had been standing just a few moments ago, sat a small round table, draped with a white linen tablecloth and beautifully set with two candles lighting the night. In the center of the candles, were two beautiful red roses, a reminder of what he’d left in her home earlier. Cade made everything absolutely beautiful. Tessa suddenly felt Cade behind her lightly brushing up against her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her to him.

  “Do you like it?” he asked.

  “It’s beautiful, Cade.” Tessa waited a moment to work out the lump in her throat before she spoke again. She turned in his arms. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”

  Cade gently stroked her cheek and sealed his mouth to hers for a quick taste. He would never get enough of her and he would take every opportunity presented to him to take what she would give him.

  “Tess, doing this for you is no trouble at all. It is my pleasure. I hoped you would like it.”

  “I love it.” Tessa’s stomach spoke up once again and they both began to laugh. “As beautiful as it is and as much as I would love to stand here thanking you over and over again, I think my stomach is going to win this battle. The food smells wonderful by the way.”

  Cade pulled out Tessa’s chair then sat across from her. Patrick, one of the doctor’s who helped Cade out with his practice from time to time, helped Cade set everything up for tonight. Cade was not known
to go to such great lengths to impress a woman. So when he asked Patrick for his help, he quickly obliged.

  “Cade, I don’t know how you did it, but this is absolutely wonderful.”

  As Cade poured their wine, Tessa dug in. She was not shy about her appetite and Cade couldn’t take his eyes off her long enough to eat his own meal. He had been nervous about the whole night, but mostly about this. He wasn’t sure how Tessa would react. She was a simple woman, a no fuss kind of girl. He knew that she would never want to go to a fancy restaurant, though if he had taken her to one, she would have been polite about being there. For that very reason, he decided to bring the fancy restaurant to her, so to speak. Joe’s Crab Shack definitely wasn’t high class, but the food was amazing, better than any restaurant in Long Beach. Seeing the expression of pure bliss on her face made him glad he chose to set the night up the way he did. The night was perfect; the sounds of the ocean, the way the moon danced upon the sand, and the company were all mesmerizing. He couldn’t have asked for things to being going any better. Tessa’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.