Before Hadley

by J. Nathan

  She nodded, her eyes carrying a gratitude she wasn’t likely to reveal—at least without a little sass. I was starting to see that was her M.O. “Thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for wanting to hang out with you.”

  She shook her head. “No. Thank you for taking an interest in me.”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond. Her words caught me off guard. Didn’t she have people in her life who took an interest in her? Hadn’t there been guys before me who tried to impress her by using her art? “You ready to get dirty?”

  She rolled her eyes. “If you do it right, you won’t get dirty. But I have a feeling, that’s not your style.”

  I unleashed a cocky grin. “Got that right.”

  Hadley

  He’d taken me to an art studio. A freaking art studio.

  This guy who’d known me for two weeks had taken me somewhere he knew I’d love, when guys I dated for months never once even asked me about my art. Caynan clearly understood it was my thing. Understood it was one of the most important things in my life. And now he was taking an interest. And though he didn’t really want a lesson, he wanted to spend time with me.

  What I couldn’t fathom was why. He was the new guy. The one with the accent and swagger. He had girls falling all over him. I was work. I was stubborn. I was not one to fall for the player.

  Yet there we were.

  Maybe he was into the chase. Into the rush of having someone turn him down, knowing he could have them if he just tried harder. But would I give in? Would I fall prey to his witty lines and sinfully good looks? Or was I so put-off by the rotation of girls surrounding him that I’d never be able to see past it?

  “What do you think?” he asked, halting my internal debate.

  I glanced to his finished product. It looked like something a kindergartener would’ve done by blending colors that never should’ve been blended. I glanced to him, squatting behind it. Streaks of color lined his face, liked he’d forgotten his hands were covered in paint and wiped them everywhere. “Well, it’s certainly interesting.”

  “So it sucks?”

  “Pretty much.” I laughed. “But don’t give up. Maybe finger painting just isn’t your thing. Maybe you’d be better with charcoal or pencils.”

  His eyes clouded with something I couldn’t quite decipher as he climbed to his feet, eyeing me where I sat cross-legged on the floor. “You’re awfully clean over there.”

  My eyes expanded. Shit. I scrambled to my feet, trying not to touch anything. “You wouldn’t.”

  He held up his paint covered hands and inched toward me. “Oh, but I would.”

  I backpedaled, which only made him pursue me faster. “Just remember, we took your Jeep. If you get paint on me, I get paint on your Jeep.”

  He paused for the slightest moment, before moving closer. In my quest to escape him, I inadvertently backed myself against a wall. Caynan’s lips quirked up in the corners as he stopped in front of me, a devilish glint in his eyes. “I’m not worried about my Jeep.” His eyes dropped to my lips.

  Quivers rushed through me. Nervous, excited quivers. Dammit.

  “I’m more worried about you having a good time.” His eyes lifted to mine. “Are you?”

  I nodded, watching his every move. If I kept talking, he wouldn’t touch me. “This was a great idea. How’d you know I’d say yes?”

  “I didn’t.” His eyes dropped to my picture. I’d tried to replicate van Gogh’s famous swirls. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “What?” I looked down.

  “You even work wonders with finger paint.”

  I laughed, feeling totally self-conscious.

  “Do that again,” he implored.

  “What?”

  “Laugh like that.”

  My forehead creased. “Why?”

  “Because it’s one of the prettiest things I’ve ever heard.”

  A shiver rolled through me as I swallowed down hard. I will not fall for this. I will not.

  “And I know this isn’t a date…” His face inched closer to mine. “But there’s something I really want to do.”

  My breath hitched. I didn’t want him to kiss me. Or maybe I did. Shit. “What?” My heart sputtered, though I’d deny it ‘til the end.

  He reached up with both hands and dragged his fingertips down my cheeks, leaving streaks of sticky wet paint dripping down my face. My eyes widened as he burst out laughing.

  His laughter was contagious. One, because both of us covered in paint was funny and two, because I’d completely misread the moment. “You do realize two can play the same game?” I reached up and dragged my fingertips across his forehead and chin, leaving streaks of red and blue.

  Something flashed in his dark eyes as I pulled my hands away from his face. A look I wasn’t used to. A look that told me I might not be the one in charge anymore.

  He lifted his hands, cupping my face. His eyes locked on mine. I didn’t even care that his paint-covered hands covered my cheeks. The pull between us grew palpable as if electrical waves encompassed only us, zapping and sparking and drawing us toward each other. His breath came out in spurts. My stomach bubbled with excitement. He inched closer. He was going to kiss me. And I was going to let him.

  Dammit.

  “How’s everything going in—oh my.” Claire walked into the room, stopping short when she found us face to face and covered in paint.

  Instantly, Caynan’s hands dropped from my cheeks and he stepped back from me, both of us laughing awkwardly.

  Whoa.

  And as much as it pained me to admit it, in that moment, with paint covering our faces and an almost-kiss lingering between us, it wasn’t about what hadn’t happened in that room between Caynan and me. It was more about what had.

  Caynan

  I pulled into the empty school parking lot, parking beside Hadley’s red four-door sedan. I turned to look at her, but she’d already turned toward me.

  “Thank you.”

  “You already thanked me.”

  She shook her head. “No. Thank you for trying to change my mind about you.”

  “Is that what you think today was?”

  Her eyes searched my face. “Wasn’t it?”

  I shrugged. “I knew you were into art, and I wanted to do something with you. It just made sense.”

  Her lips twitched. “So, you’ve never taken another girl to an art studio to finger paint before?”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s totally what I do to get girls to like me.”

  She sat quietly, probably trying to decide if it had been the truth. “What are you doing tomorrow night?” Her words tumbled out so quickly, I wasn’t sure she’d actually asked.

  “Not sure. Why?”

  Her eyes dropped to her lap, like suddenly being close to me unnerved her. I wouldn’t lie. I liked that it did. “Would you like to go somewhere with me?”

  “Like a date?”

  Her eyes flashed up. “No! Definitely not a date.”

  “Sorry the idea’s so repulsive,” I teased, though her aversion did nothing to boost my ego.

  Hadley laughed. “No, I just meant it’s more like I need your help with something.”

  I could think of a lot of things I’d like to help her with, but I was pretty damn sure those weren’t the things she had in mind. “Okay.”

  The smile that lit up here face made the afternoon so completely worth it. This girl was the real deal. Sweet yet sassy. Confident yet vulnerable. If I wasn’t careful, she had the ability to make me feel things. Things a guy like me had no business feeling.

  Then I’d be fucked.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Hadley

  I stood outside the Grandview Country Club under the valet overhang, my eyes squinting in the late afternoon sun. Expensive cars pulled up and members jumped out handing off their keys to the eager valets. Thankfully, my green T-shirt, torn skinny jeans, and flip flops deterred any from offering me their keys—though I wouldn’t have blame
d them. I’d been standing there for quite some time impatiently waiting for Caynan who hadn’t shown up yet.

  I had no idea what possessed me to invite him in the first place. It had been rash and stupid. But I couldn’t take it back. I didn’t even have his phone number. Sure, I’d had fun at the art studio. No one besides my parents had ever done something so thoughtful for me. But I wasn’t a fool. I knew it was just his latest attempt to get in my pants. Because what else did he gain from getting me to go out with him?

  The beeping of a horn snapped me out of my head. I expected to find a disgruntled member waiting for his car to be parked, but Caynan’s Jeep passed by, heading toward the parking lot. I hurried over, meeting him half way. His faded jeans hanging low on his hips and his blue shirt accentuating every dip and indentation underneath did nothing to keep my mind focused on the reason we were there—and not our almost kiss. The one I’d spent too much time thinking about.

  “Hey. Sorry I’m late.” Something changed in his eyes. “My dad had something for me to do before I could leave.”

  “That’s fine. Look, I was thinking. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”

  His forehead scrunched.

  “You’re probably gonna hate it. So if you have something else to do—”

  He reached out and covered my mouth with his hand. “You actually thought, after all the hard work I put in to getting you to notice me, I’d back out?”

  I nodded with his hand still covering my mouth.

  “You silly girl.” He dropped his hand.

  I crossed my arms, unintentionally drawing his attention to my chest. “First of all, I’ve noticed you. That was never the problem.”

  His eyes lifted to mine, his voice dropping suggestively. “Is that so?”

  I cocked my head. “You’re pretty hard to miss surrounded by all your admirers all the time.”

  His bottom lip jutted out in contemplation. “It seems to me, that for the last two days, I’ve only been surrounded by you.”

  Unable to argue his point, I did the only thing I could do. I dropped my arms and led us into the building and through the main lobby.

  Caynan’s gaze lifted to the massive crystal chandelier hanging over the entryway. “Am I underdressed?”

  I shook my head. “We’re not attending my mom’s fundraiser, just helping to set up.”

  “What kind of fundraiser?”

  I clamped down on my bottom lip, unsure how my answer would go over. “It’s to raise money for children with cancer.”

  I watched the information register behind his eyes.

  I hadn’t considered his mom when the invite flew out of my mouth. That’s where my current trepidation stemmed from. I knew he’d either like the idea or be reminded too much of his mom and back out.

  He nodded once. “Sounds good.”

  I exhaled a silent breath, one I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding.

  “What do you need me to do?”

  I led him into the ballroom where busy waiters and waitresses scurried around, setting place settings at large round tables draped in white tablecloths.

  I pointed across the room. “That crazy woman over there is my mom.” I watched as she bustled around, dropping papers down on long tables that lined the perimeter.

  “What’s she doing?”

  “Honestly? Trying to get home as fast as she can. She needs to get her hair and makeup done before she comes back in a couple hours.”

  He gestured to the tables along the wall. “What’s going on those?”

  “Oh, you’re gonna love this.” I walked over to the tables, eyeing the place cards. “This is where the autographed sports memorabilia will go. It’s a silent auction.”

  His eyes rounded. “Will they have any baseball stuff?”

  “Yeah.” I pointed to the place cards in front of the empty spots on the tables. “Signed jerseys. Photos. Baseballs.” I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Do you actually follow American baseball?”

  Something flashed in his eyes, recollection, surprise maybe. “You do realize I don’t live under a rock, right?”

  I laughed. “Sorry. I just don’t know what’s the same for you and what’s different.”

  “Hadley?” My body whirled around. My mother hurried toward us, her fingers pointing all over the room. “I need the decorations to line those walls. Nothing gaudy near those tables. Something bigger near the entrance.”

  I nodded. “Mom. This is Caynan.”

  Realizing for the first time that someone stood beside me, her eyes moved to him. “Oh, hello.”

  He offered his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  Her eyes shot to his hand and then to me. “Nice to see you’ve brought one with manners.” She shook his hand. “Pleasure to meet you. Love the accent.”

  “Caynan’s from England.”

  She smiled. “So I gathered. Listen, I need to get home. I’ll be back in a couple hours.”

  “Everything will be all set when you return, Madame.” I loved pushing her overanxious buttons.

  Her unamused frown told me she was too tired and restless to sass me back. “You sure I can’t persuade you to stay?”

  I shook my head. “The hired help will be out of here before you get back.”

  She laughed. “Then goodnight. Nice meeting you, Caynan.”

  “You, too.” Caynan watched as she hurried toward the lobby. “She’s nice.”

  I nodded. “She is. But when fundraiser time rolls around, don’t get in her way.”

  “Why does she do it?”

  I moved toward the supplies my mother had set up for me in the corner of the room. “She has the time and means to help people in need.” I lifted a shoulder. “Why wouldn’t she?”

  Caynan

  The ballroom looked amazing. Hadley wasn’t just artistic with charcoal and finger paint, the girl could create elaborate life-sized images with nothing more than tulle, ribbon, and portable LED lights.

  “Ready to get out of here?” She grabbed a backpack filled with supplies from under one of the tables.

  I took the heavy bag from her and swung it over my shoulder. Her appreciative smile immediately sent my mind searching for ways to see it again. “Stand right there.”

  “What?”

  I held up my palm, stopping her from moving. Then slipped my phone from my pocket and held it up. “I just want to get a picture of you and your work.”

  She tilted her head, a mix of amusement and embarrassment filling her eyes.

  I walked over and switched the view so we could see ourselves on the screen. “And me.” I leaned my head into hers and smiled, snapping a couple pictures before pulling away. “Now I’ve got proof you hung out with me.”

  She nudged me with her elbow. “Don’t go ruining my reputation.”

  I laughed, realizing her sarcasm was a cover. A way for her not to like me. But she did. I could see it in her gazes when she thought I wasn’t looking. In the smiles she tried to hide when I said something funny. In the way her body jumped any time I brushed by her. Oh, yeah. I was chipping away at her tough exterior, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

  “I should probably get your number.”

  I lifted my brows. “Don’t you think we’re moving a little fast?”

  She leveled me with those pretty eyes. “If something had come up tonight, I had no way of getting in touch with you.”

  “You mean like when you were trying to uninvite me?” I didn’t give her a chance to respond. I handed her my phone and let her call herself so we had each other’s numbers. “You sure you don’t want to stick around for a little bit?” I asked as she handed me back my phone.

  Her head recoiled. “You want to stay?”

  My eyes scanned the room. Couples in fancy clothes had begun to arrive, and none of them paid us any attention, regardless of how underdressed we were. “Sure. I’ve never been to anything like this before.”

  Hadley paused, her eyes searching my face for an ulterior m
otive. “And you want to start tonight?”

  I grinned. “If it means I get you for a little while longer, absolutely.”

  Hadley

  “Dance with me.”

  I looked up at Caynan who’d just returned from the men’s room. “What?”

  He ticked his head toward the dance floor. “They’re playing our song.”

  I paused, listening to the instrumental ballad traveling through the speakers. “How do you know? There aren’t any words.”

  He reached down and grabbed my hand. Tiny goosebumps popped up all over my arms as he laced our fingers and pulled me to my feet.

  I glanced down at my T-shirt and jeans then out at all the well-dressed couples gliding gracefully across the dance floor.

  “Come on.” Caynan tugged me toward the dance floor, weaving us through the dancing couples before stopping in the far corner. He turned to face me. I tried not to look into his eyes, so close and penetrating, but my options were limited as he lifted our joined hands, slipping his other hand around my waist and pulling me flush against the hard plains of his chest. Good God. I placed my free hand on his left shoulder and before I even realized it, we were dancing. He was actually good, moving me slowly around in the small area. I lifted my eyes, only to find him staring down at me. “See? I knew you could do it.”

  “Me?” I laughed, trying like hell to hold his gaze. “I was worried you’d step all over my feet.” I could feel the vibration of his low snicker as his chest bounced off mine. “Well, thanks for doing this with me,” I said.

  His voice dropped suggestively. “There are a lot of things I’d like to do with you.”

  A giant ripple rolled through my already anxious body. It would’ve been a miracle if he didn’t feel me quiver with aftershocks. “I’m sure there are.”

  Surprise filled his eyes. “You do realize you’ve got a dirty mind, don’t you?”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t have to.” He leaned down, lowering his lips to my ear. His breath fluttered over the skin on my neck as his voice lowered again. “I’ve got a confession to make.”

  You’d think they turned up the air conditioning the way my body responded with chills and quakes. “What’s that?”