Cade (A Wesley Brothers Novel Book 1)

by Michelle Smith

  I wish I could bury my whole body in the sand right now.

  I let out a long sigh. This is embarrassing. “No. Yes. Ugh, this is so awkward.” I sit down in the sand, running my hands through the soft grains, and after a minute or so, Cade finally wanders over to me and drops down beside me. I brush off the excess sand on my hands, and as he lets out a sigh of frustration of his own, I stick my hand out in a handshake gesture when he settles in beside me. He gives me that gorgeous, confused expression again and then, hesitantly, he shakes it. “I'm Nora Jensen. I'm a legal assistant here on business with Samantha Keel from Maddox & Lockhardt. We're here to help complete the sale of Mr. Zimmer's property with you.”

  His face lights up with realization, but he doesn’t let go of my hand. “Oh.”

  “Yeah. Oh.”

  He strokes his fingers through mine. “So, is that a problem?”

  Is he serious? I look over at him with my own look of confusion. “What do you mean ‘is it a problem?’ Of course, it's a problem.”

  “How, exactly?” He keeps playing with my hand. It’s distracting, but I don’t want him to stop. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I want him to keep touching me, even though it’s wrong.

  “What do you mean, how? It's got to be a conflict of interest or something, and that’s just on a professional level. Besides, I shouldn't sleep with someone I have to work with, let alone someone I just met.” The words tumble out of my mouth before I think to stop them. Great, now I can add another level of awkward and embarrassing to this encounter.

  That cocky grin, the same one from when I first laid eyes on him in the bar earlier, slides back on his face in a heartbeat. “You wanna sleep with me?”

  Of course, that's the only thing he heard. I try to come up with an answer but no words will come out. Judging by the look on his face, my blush is giving me away.

  “Don't answer that.” He runs his hand over mine again. “Look, I don't see anything wrong with it. We’re two adults just having some fun. As long as we don’t let it affect our ability to work together we should be fine. No one has to know what we’re doing, and I'm sure we could keep it our little secret while you're here.” I haven’t looked at him while he’s been talking to me, and after a pause, I feel his warm fingers tilt my chin up. Those blue eyes meet mine, and I know I could get lost in them. “We obviously have an insane attraction to each other, at least I know I have one to you, but I'm not gonna push. If you change your mind, you know where to find me. Come on.” He drops his hand away from my face and stands up, brushing the sand off his pants and reaching a hand out to me to help me up. This time he doesn't pull so hard. It annoys me that I'm actually upset about that. “I'll walk you back to your hotel.” He bends down and retrieves my forgotten bag of food from the sand and off we go.

  The ten-minute walk down the beach seems to take forever, and not long enough all at the same time. The awkward silence stretches until we finally reach the hotel, but then Cade takes my hand in his and pulls me into his body. His hand quickly slides up to the side of my face, and he looks down at me with those amazing blue eyes, never breaking eye contact.

  “I meant what I said. You know where to find me if you change your mind.” All breath leaves my body as he bends down and places a firm, sure kiss to my lips. A kiss full of promises. One to show me what I'd be turning down if I decided not to see him again. Well, at least outside the negotiating room anyway. His lips pull away from mine all too soon, and he hands me the bag in his other hand, walking backward away from me. “Goodnight Nora. I guess I'll see you on Monday.”

  He turns around and starts walking back down the beach. I can’t pull myself to look away so I just stand there, staring at his back until he rounds the corner out of sight. Oh, who am I kidding. I’m totally staring at his ass and the way his tight jeans mold to his firm cheeks. There is no way in hell I’m going to be able to resist this man.

  I push past the lobby doors and head to my room. My phone buzzes in my pocket as I get off the elevator on my floor and I scramble to look at it. For a moment, I get too excited that it’s Cade texting, but my heart sinks when I realize it can’t be. We didn’t even exchange numbers before he left. I open the door to my room, and sit on the bed.

  Unlocking the screen, I see a notification from Hit Me Up. CB sent me a message. My finger hovers over the accept button as I debate if I want to talk to him. Any other time, I would have accepted his chat invitation without thinking twice. But that was before I met Cade Wesley. The idea of engaging in meaningless dirty talk with one man while contemplating sleeping with another one doesn’t sit well with me. I’m not that type.

  Still, I don’t want to be rude.

  CB: Are you busy?

  Me: Yes, I’m away on business. I’m sorry.

  CB: What a shame. I was looking forward to chatting with you tonight.

  Me. Another time?

  CB: Count on it.

  I toss the phone on the bed beside me, and fall back onto the mattress, rubbing my hands over my face. I’ll deal with CB when I get back home. While I’m here, all I want to focus on is Cade.

  ***

  The car arrives to pick us up from the hotel promptly at eight a.m. Monday morning to bring us to the law firm for our first meeting with Cade and his attorneys.

  Samantha and I spent several hours on Sunday going over all the details we'd need for the meeting, and making sure Mr. Zimmer had arrived safely and on time. I'm not gonna lie. Concentration was a difficult thing. After Cade left me at my hotel Friday night, I climbed into the lush bed and tossed and turned for hours.

  Of all the men in this city, I had to meet him and shove my tongue down his throat.

  I knew what would make me feel better that night, but I fought the urge to satisfy myself. In the end, my willpower was non-existent, though, and I managed to get myself off, even without the aid of my vibrator. I didn’t want to risk explaining it to airport security, so I left it at home. The physical relief made it a little easier to get some sleep, but not enough. Cade Wesley was officially under my skin and there was no way to satisfy that craving unless I had him. Which I absolutely, positively, can not do.

  Maybe.

  That kiss on the beach must have seared my brain. This man, the one I had just barely met, consumed my thoughts. Samantha suggested on Saturday morning she'd take me out for an afternoon of shopping, sight-seeing, and lunch, to make up for ditching me the first night we were here. It was a fantastic time, but I was constantly on the lookout, hoping to see Cade pop up somewhere, unexpectedly. When she settled on Cade's Tavern for lunch because she'd missed it the night before, my heart nearly burst through my chest at the prospect of seeing him again. Let's face it, I would be seeing him again, and not in just a professional capacity. The more I thought about what he said, the more I started to agree with him. I'd only be here for a few days and then, once business was over, I'd never see him again. No one had to know.

  I was hoping to catch a glimpse of him during our lunch visit, but I never did. After Samantha and I parted ways, the rest of the night was spent in a struggle with myself on whether or not I should drop in at his restaurant again, see if maybe he'd be there. After much debate, I decided that was a bit too stalkerish, so I settled on semi-creeper and called the restaurant to ask if the owner was in tonight. The lady on the phone told me Cade didn't work Saturdays.

  So much for my brilliant plan.

  Sunday was spent at the hotel, enjoying a day of relaxation, and pampering at the hotel spa with Samantha after we had finished all our work for the day. Attempted relaxation would be a more accurate description as Cade Wesley is a hard man to put out of your mind.

  Our car pulls up to the five-story brick building, bearing the name Wesley & Associates on the side, with twenty minutes to spare. The driver sent to pick us up opens the door, and I follow Samantha out of the car and into the building. The quaint lobby is busy, but Samantha seems to know her way, and heads straight for the bank of elevators of
f to the right of the entryway instead of stopping at the concierge desk. Several of the staff address her by name and, before I have time to dwell on the fact I'm about to see Cade again, we're whisked into the elevator and ushered up to the fifth floor.

  As soon as the elevator doors slide open, a young, attractive man greets us with a smile. “Ms. Keel? Ms. Jensen? I'm Tyler, Mr. Wesley's legal assistant. Mr. Zimmer will be here in just a bit. Mr. Wesley and Mr. Wesley are waiting for you in the conference room. Please, follow me.”

  My nerves have taken control so it takes a few seconds to realize he said two Mr. Wesleys are waiting for us. I nudge Samantha as we follow Tyler down the corridor. “Two Wesleys?”

  She can hear the confusion in my voice. She lowers hers to reply to my question. “Sorry, I thought I put it in your case notes. This is his family’s law firm. His brother Sloan is his attorney.”

  I don't have time to respond to that little tidbit of information because Tyler stops at the door at the end of the hall and gestures for us to go into the conference room. That's when I see him. It's as though my eyes sought him out the minute I walked in. He's wearing a dark, charcoal gray suit with a vibrant blue tie that brings out the aqua in his eyes. His hair is still mussed up the way it was the other night—that just-fucked look I want to be responsible for. Geez, he looks like he just stepped out of a men’s fashion magazine, like one of those sexy-suited guys from the fancy cologne advertisements. Only better. Because, unlike the models in those ads, this one I can actually touch.

  And boy, do I want to touch him.

  He's standing on the opposite side of the table talking to another very attractive man wearing a lighter gray suit, when he looks up and notices we've walked into the room. His eyes lock on mine and for a split second we share a moment. A smile starts to spread across his lips and I force myself to look away, blushing at the thought that those lips have been on mine.

  Cade and the stunningly attractive man, who I can only assume is his lawyer/model of a brother, make their way over to us. I watch him stroll up out of the corner of my eye. Damn, even his walk is sexy. How did I miss that before? The other man introduces himself to Samantha as Sloan Wesley and shakes my hand, flashing me a megawatt smile like the one I got from Cade the night we met. I watch as Cade greets and shakes hands with Samantha, and then it’s my turn. Shit. It didn’t even occur to me he might say something to Samantha about our little meeting the other night.

  Cade reaches his hand out to me, which I nervously embrace in an awkward handshake. “Nice to meet you Ms. Jensen. I look forward to working with you.” He glances over at Samantha and Sloan as they take their seats, a bustling Tyler handing out folders and writing utensils as well as bottled waters. Tyler is efficient, that’s easy to see. “I guess we should join them.” The sound of Cade’s voice snaps me back into the moment and I nod a quick agreement as I turn to walk to the conference table. Before I can even take a step, I feel Cade slip his hand to my lower back to guide me across the room. Instant tingles spread across my entire body. Seriously? He’s barely even touching me and my body is reacting as though he just stripped my clothes off and was about to take me on the conference table.

  Damn. That really sounds like something he should do.

  His hand drops away as we get up to the table and, like the true gentleman I think he is, he pulls out the chair for me to have a seat, and then walks to the other side of the table to sit next to his brother. Right across from me so I have no way of avoiding him. I try to keep my head down, keeping my focus on notepads and laptops and anything other than the blue-eyed man sitting across from me. The one I’m fantasizing about stripping naked and laying out on the conference table buffet-style for my own personal enjoyment.

  See? Piece of cake. I can ignore him.

  Mr. Zimmer arrives a few minutes later with his boisterous personality, greeting everyone by his or her first name. I know he’s met with Cade and his lawyer at least once before, so the familiarity seems normal. Mr. Zimmer is one of the friendliest men I know. After the greetings are finished, it’s down to business. Most of the terms were already hashed out during their previous negotiations, but there are a few more points that need to be re-done, hence the reason for this trip. The first thirty minutes of the meeting go by uneventfully, but as I’m typing away on my laptop, something bumps my foot under the table. I glance up and look around, but no one is looking at me as Samantha rambles on about property and zoning procedures. I go back to my notes, and there it is again. A small but obvious tap against my foot.

  It couldn’t be, could it?

  I peek up at Cade, who is scribbling furiously on the notepad in front of him. Then I notice the small smirk pulling at his gorgeous lips and I realize that yes, it most certainly could be. Is this man seriously trying to play footsie with me? Do grown adults even do that? I try to ignore this strange teenage girl giddiness bubbling up inside and concentrate on what I’m doing, but there’s the bump again. He’s playing with me and despite the fact this is highly inappropriate, I can’t resist.

  I’ve never been a bold flirt but something about this man is bringing out a playfulness in me I didn’t know I had. I don’t know what comes over me, and in a move, most unlike me, I slip off my high heel and stick my foot out until I make contact with his shoe. Thankfully, he still has his leg stretched out close to me under the table or I’m sure my leg would never reach his. It’s one of the “perks” of being a short girl. I run my stocking clad foot over the top of his leather shoe but he’s trying to ignore me and doesn’t react. For a panicked moment, I think maybe I’m playing footsie with the wrong person, but the only other person it could be is Sloan, and he’s too far away from me. I know my short legs couldn’t possibly reach his. Mr. Zimmer is sitting on my side of the table on the other side of Samantha, so I know it can’t be him either.

  No, it’s undoubtedly Cade’s foot. I’m sure of it. Rubbing on the top of it isn’t working, so I decide to take it up a notch. I rub to the top of his shoe and slip my foot under his pant leg, slowly stroking his ankle and making my way higher. My foot barely reaches him, so I scoot closer to the edge of my seat, glancing around to make sure the others at the table aren’t paying attention to me. They’re still engrossed in the paperwork, so I strain my leg further until I feel it slip up his shin, close to his knee. The fabric is getting tighter the higher I go, and just as I get to the top of his knee, the table lurches forward. I feel the strong sensation of eyes watching me now. I pull mine up from their fixed position on Cade’s hands, to see the other four sets of eyes peering at me and I realize my boobs are pressed up against the edge of the table and I’m sitting at an odd angle in my chair. The weight of my body pressing against it trying to reach Cade has sent the table scraping across the floor at least an inch, drawing all the attention to me. I drop my foot and sit back straight in my seat, adjusting the chair back to its original position.

  “Are you okay Nora? What are you doing?” Samantha’s trains her eyes onto mine, her brows scrunched up in confusion. She’s waiting for the answer I’m so desperately trying to come up with.

  Looking around the table, all eyes still on me, I struggle to think of something good. “Oh, uh, I dropped a pen and I was trying to reach it with my foot. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.” That’s believable, right?

  “I’ll get it.” Cade chimes in and I look up and watch him scoot his chair back, and practically crawl under the table to retrieve my imaginary pen. The others go back to talking, as if it isn’t unusual for there to be a man now crawling around under the table as they continue to conduct their meeting. It’s then I feel Cade touch me. He grips my ankle, sliding his warm palm over my foot and slipping it up my calf. His touch is whisper light as it slides up my knee, then under my skirt and across my thigh. I hold my breath, waiting with anticipation as his hand slips higher, but when he hits the mid-point of the inside of my left thigh, his touch is gone, and seconds later, he’s out from under the table
and sitting back into his seat. The others spare him a quick glance as he takes the pen in his hand and slides it across the table to me.

  Where in the hell did he get that thing?

  Both Cade and I choose to behave ourselves, so the rest of the meeting is mundane at best. Both sides agree to mull over the new plans for a few days before making any decisions so my work, for the most part, is done. At least for the time being. It takes just a few minutes to pack up our stuff to head out of the office. It excites me even more than I want to admit that Cade and Sloan offer to accompany us to the lobby. As we ride down in the spacious elevator, me in silence while the others chatter away, Cade is standing right beside me, and it’s just now I notice how freaking delicious he smells.

  Jesus, he even smells like the sexy cologne ads.

  It’s a crisp, clean scent that makes me want to grab hold of him and just lick his neck just to see if he tastes as good as he smells. I’m betting he does. Of course, that makes me think of licking other things, and I can feel my cheeks heating up as I try to get my wayward thoughts under control.

  When the elevator doors swing open, the lobby is swathed in afternoon sunshine and I instinctively reach for my sunglasses, which are typically perched on my head, only they aren’t there. I realize I must have forgotten them in my rush to pack up.

  “Sorry, I think I left my sunglasses upstairs.” I address the group as a whole, but it’s Cade who speaks first.

  “No problem. I can take you back up to get them.” Sloan nods in agreement and Samantha tells me she’ll wait there for me in the lobby. Cade and I walk back over to the bank of elevators. When the doors open, my nerves jolt at the realization we are about to be alone for the first time since our make-out session on the beach. He gestures me in, then steps in behind me, reaching across me to press the floor button. It’s impossible not to smell him since he’s so close and the heady aroma makes me weak in the knees. I’m expecting some sort of awkward conversation—or at the very least, a hot make-out session—but I don’t get either. Instead, we ride in silence back up to the fifth floor.