by Xana Jordan
Entrusting Cade
A Wildcat Graduates Novella
by Xana Jordan
Copyright © 2017 by Xana Jordan All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author and or publisher, and where permitted by law. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Ebooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away, as it is an infringement on the copyright of this book. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events or locations or other public venues is entirely coincidental.
Cover design: Tiffany Black at T.E. Black Designs
Editing: A.V.
Proofing: Emma Mack at Ultra Editing Co.
Formatted by: Brenda Wright at Formatting Done Wright
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Other Books By Xana
Sneak Peek – Loving Noel
Sneak Peek – Nixon
Acknowledgements
Keeping Up With Xana
“You did a really good job pulling all this together so quickly,” Cade compliments into my ear, his breath making me shiver as the words fall from his lips. This tower of a man holding me close, hair a deep chocolate brown that matches his eyes, knows exactly what he’s doing when he talks to me that way. His rugged, yet handsomely boyish, face staring down at me, makes me weak in the knees whenever I see him smile at me. He’s so much taller than my five foot five height, that I’m always amazed at just how well we fit together.
“Thanks, but it wasn’t really that hard.”
“Are you serious? It took a lot of work to get all of her high school friends here at the same time when they all live in different places now. Especially on such short notice. You were a machine,” he disagrees, raising my chin up with his fingers. He’s wrong about being a machine, but my phone’s text notification interrupts my argument.
“Noel texted to say he and Xana would be here in just a few minutes. Everyone get in their places!” I motion for people to take their places so we can be ready for when Xana arrives. It isn’t a long drive from the ball field to the restaurant, so they should be here any minute. We were lucky enough to be given one of the more private seating areas they have at Michael’s Steakhouse for her birthday party.
The five of us calmly sit at the table, Cade and I on one side, Gavin, Mallory, and Dillon on the other, making lame, idle conversation. The waitress comes to the table to refresh our drinks just moments before Noel and Xana make their way over to us.
“Surprise,” they yell, emerging from behind a folding screen near the wall where Noel is standing.
Xana jerks her head around to see who is talking, only to squeal when her eyes rest on Blain, Andi, and Jaxon who are in front of the screen smiling. The three of them went to high school with us and were really good friends with Xana, Blain having known her since before they were in school. It’s nice that the two of them have repaired their friendship after the big misunderstanding everyone had our senior year. Mercedes stirring up a bunch of false rumors almost broke Noel and Xana, putting me and Cade in the middle of our best friends. We all learned just how costly rumors can be without proper communication and trust. I’m more than glad that’s over.
She jumps from her seat to wrap her arms around Andi, the two of them hugging one another tightly until Blain interrupts. “Awww, Shortcake. I’m hurt. Aren’t you glad to see me, too,” he teases, trying, but failing, to suppress a grin at one of his best friends. She steps away from Andi to throw herself at him when he leans down to pick her up in a bear hug. “Damn, you’ve gotten lighter since I saw you last. Don’t they feed you?” Her stomach chooses that moment to rumble very loudly once again causing her to giggle. “Are you sure they let you eat at all? That was loud. I even heard that from where we were hiding.” Blain raises his brows and looks to Noel.
Noel holds his hands in the air in surrender. “Don’t look at me. I have to force her to eat half the time.” Xana shoots him a dirty look over her shoulder and Blain sets her down on her feet. She sticks her tongue out at Noel before giving Jaxon a hug.
“Yeah, I’m always the last one people notice,” Andi’s boyfriend and Blain’s best guy friend jokes and picks up the chair Xan knocked over. “Happy Birthday.”
“Awww, you guys! Best birthday ever!” She turns to Noel and he shakes his head, denying credit for the surprise, before nodding in my direction. Eyes open wide and mouth hanging open in surprise, she runs over to take me in a death gripping hug.
Her arms wrap around me from behind, chin resting on my shoulder as she leans over the chair. “Thank you,” she half-whispers into my ear. Reaching up to hug her back my eye catches sight of the sparkle I saw before. Taking hold of her hand, I yank it closer to inspect, and she stiffens behind me.
“OH. MY. COCONUTS! What the hell, Hooker!?” I twist around in my chair to get a better look at her, holding her hand up for everyone, now staring at us, to see.
Her face turning beet red, she gets the biggest shit-eating grin I’ve ever seen her make. Wiggling her fingers in the air, she simply nods while looking at Noel. He’s wearing the same grin as he leans back in his seat, relaxed and content.
“You Hooker! When were you going to tell me this?” I snap my head across the table to Noel, “What did you do? Why did I not know about this, Noel Daniels?” I turn to a chuckling Cade, glaring at him, too. “Don’t tell me you knew all about this and didn’t tell me, either, Cade Matthews,” I warn, but he only smiles more.
“Like you’d have kept quiet. Besides, I didn’t know what he planned. I just knew he was gonna ask her sometime,” he explains, giving me that trademark smile of his, hoping to weasel his way out of trouble. I’ll forgive him, this time.
Cade’s arm rests on the back of my chair, his fingers playing with the curls of my hair while everyone takes a seat around the table to begin looking over the menu. “I think she liked it,” he whispers behind, his menu hiding him from their view.
“Looks like,” I whisper in retu
rn. His hand slides to land on my knee, just under the hem of my skirt. Pinching my legs tight, I stop his advancing fingers. “Behave.” He slides it a little further up, against my attempts to end his advances, making me forget what I’m reading on the menu.
Leaning over, pretending to see what I’m interested in ordering, he leaves a peck on my cheek. “How can I when you’re dressed like this?” Elbowing him in the ribs, I roll my eyes.
“Stop,” I hiss under my breath. “I mean it.” Shooting him a stern glare, he grins in response, aggravating me further. “You are awful, Cade Matthews.”
“But you like me this way.”
“Don’t you wish.” I attempt a scowl, but end up giggling at his feigned hurt. He knows just how to get to me.
Our server comes into the room to take our orders as we start to catch up. She gets drink and dinner orders from everyone and leaves us to wait for her return. Looking at how happy my very best friend is makes me extremely happy. She’s been through alot, they both have, and I’m so glad they’ve come out all the better for it, although I hope they aren’t rushing into things too fast. I’d hate for them to have problems because of it.
Dinner ends too soon. Not wanting to keep the room unavailable for others, everyone decides to leave the restaurant, going our separate ways. Andi, Blain, and Jaxon are driving back to El Dorado for the weekend and made plans to hang out with Noel, Xana, Gavin, and Mallory while they are there for the weekend. With our friends having already left, Cade, Noel, Xana, and I are the only ones that remain standing by our cars in the parking lot. Cade and Noel are talking about something I can’t quite hear, while Xana continues to smile at him, not having stopped even once.
“Cut it out before I knock that sickening grin right off your face,” I warn, making a disgusted face that causes her to laugh.
“Like you really would. You know you loooove me!” she sings then hugs me. “I’m really happy, Stace,” she tells me, looking over at Noel and Cade for the hundredth time, then back to me. “I can tell you’re worried about this, but please don’t be. It’s just right for us.” The pleading look on her face melts away my worries for now. “It was going to happen eventually, so why do we have to wait? It’s just an engagement.” she reasons. “After all that’s happened between us, I never stopped loving him. You knew that, even when I didn’t.”
“That’s very true. It’s not something I expected to happen so soon, though.”
“I know, but when has he ever been predictable?” She laughs and smiles over at him. “Besides, I kinda like it when he takes charge like that.”
“Hey, babe, you ready to go?” Cade asks as they walk over to the Mustang where we’re standing. “Thought we’d head back to the dorm.”
“Sounds good. I think we’re done here, anyway,” I smile up at him after he pulls me to his side.
Cade and I leave them in the parking lot and go back to campus. It’s not terribly late, but after getting everything organized today, I’m ready to relax. Spending the rest of the evening with him sounds like the best idea ever.
“Everyone had a lot of fun tonight. You did good, babe,” he kisses the top of my head as we sit on my bed watching television.
“Thanks. It did turn out to be a little more eventful than I’d planned, didn’t it? Are you sure you didn’t know he was proposing tonight?” His hold around my waist comforts me, along with the snug way his chin rests on my shoulder.
“I thought maybe, but really had no real clue. He’s been very tight-lipped about things lately.”
“At least they finally got their shit together. I didn’t think he was ever gonna get his head outta his ass and make her see the light. It was killing me to watch her with Jeff The Douche.”
“Yeah, it was no walk in the park, that’s for sure.” Kisses begin to creep up the side of my neck, moving across my jawbone, then down my throat. Damn, his mouth does things to me.
“Are you changing the subject?” I near groan at the sensations overwhelming me.
“Is it working?” he says against my throat, nipping it lightly.
“Maybe just a little.” My arm moves to his head, fingers sliding through the longer hair on top, keeping him in place as I tilt my neck to give better access for his mouth.
“I’d better try harder.” Body twisting sideways, he moves me onto my back, one hand securely holding the back of my neck, the other sliding down my side, under the hem of my sleep shorts. His mouth trails its way along the top of my tank, my back arching in response.
“Mmmm,” my moan makes his face rise to look at mine, eyes filled with intense desire.
“You drive me insane.”
“Ditto.” My breathing increases the longer he stares at me.
“I could kiss you all night.”
“Then show me,” I challenge, pulling his mouth to mine, dying to taste him.
Kissing Cade always clouds my mind, yet sets me free all at the same time. It’s like our bodies know what to do without even trying. His forceful, yet gentle, push and pull of my lips mesmerize and excite me, body and soul. I am useless to resist him when kisses are involved.
Letting our oral conversation take its own pace, we spend most of the remaining time we have before curfew making good on Cade’s words, until someone in the room beside us slams their door. Looking over at the clock on my desk, he says, “Looks like that’s our cue,” he laughs. “It’s ten ‘til.”
Pulling me up as he stands, his hands wrap around me when my feet touch the floor. “Too bad it’s almost midnight. You didn’t have time to kiss me all night.”
Leaning forward he kisses me just underneath my earlobe. “I think I made good on my promise.” His thumb glides across my lips as he cups my face. “Your lips are swollen,” his mouth quirks up on the side in a cocky grin.
“Yours are, too,” I stare at his mouth, licking my own in the process.
“At least people will know who we belong to.” His playful, yet possessive side, drawing me to him more.
“Let’s go before I change my mind about staying in my own room tonight.” I tug him, laughing in amusement, behind me as we make our way to the lobby to check him out.
Standing on the steps out front, he holds me tightly, “You haven’t been sleeping well, even though you won’t admit to having bad dreams. Sure you wanna stay here tonight instead of with me?”
“You trying to seduce me, Cade Matthews?” I tease, knowing full well I might not be able to hold my ground right now, his grin wearing me down, little by little.
His smooth lips find the sensitive spot behind my ear, and I lean into his hold, my legs becoming weak with his touch. Forcing myself to resist his advances, I pull away from his mouth. “I’m sure,” I assure him, not quite sure my tone will convince him. “Goodnight Jensen,” I say using my celebrity crush nickname for him. Cade Matthews will forever be my very own Jensen Ackles, just as I’ll always be his very own Scarlett Johansson.
Throwing his head backward, his laugh filling the night air, he sways me from side-to-side. “Goodnight, Scarlett,” his use of nickname makes me smile. His arms moving to hold my hands, he says, “Sweet dreams of me,” and walks away, leaving me standing there, hot and bothered. Damn his sexy ass.
A mostly cold shower and a late night snack later, leaves me missing Cade. Snuggling into bed, wearing one of his baseball hoodies, doesn’t really help soothe my need to be near him. One flick of my hand, the cd player begins playing a Keeley Rose album, its soulful music eventually lulling me to sleep.
“What are you doing?”
“You look so pretty in your new dress. Pink is your best color, baby doll.”
“Where are we?”
The music’s too loud and I can’t tell where we are. The lights aren’t very bright and the room is kinda dark. There doesn’t look like there is anything fun to do here. I’m glad I wore my favorite princess dress that Granny gave me for my birthday. It’s so shiny and has sparkles everywhere on it. I love the silver slipper
s that came with it. It makes me feel like Cinderella.
My head hurts, but I don’t remember hitting it. As I look around the room I can see a television on, but we’re not watching it. I never understand what those things are about anyway. I try to blink my eyes to keep the room from getting blurry, but it doesn’t work. Now my stomach feels funny.
I want to leave, but I can’t. I’m scared. I don’t know who can help me. Where did they go?
“NO! Don’t do that,” I yell but that doesn’t help me.
“Please!” I don’t understand. “Where is Mommy?”
I can’t stop crying. I look around, and I’m somewhere outside. It’s dark. I’m afraid. I can’t find my shoes. I’m so tired, I just want to go home and sleep for a whole day. Why is he here? Where is home? Why can’t I remember how I got here?
Something hits me from behind and I’m knocked to the ground. My head smacks a rock on the ground really hard, and my arms and legs ache from landing on them.
“Where do you think you’re going, baby doll?”
Jerking awake, I look around the dark room, sweaty and almost out of breath, realizing I’m in the dorms, Xana sleeping across the room. She must have come in pretty late. Rubbing my hands over my face and through my hair, I try to remember what I was dreaming about before quietly slipping out of the room and walking to the bathroom.
Standing at the sink, I splash cold water over my face to wash away the sweat I’m drenched in. After staring at myself in the mirror for a long time, I dry my face with the front of my sleep shirt, staring into the mirror, pleading with my brain to remember my dream. They’ve become more frequent over the past few months, and they’re beginning to take a toll. Regardless of how many times I’ve had these dreams, I always wake terrified with no explanation as to why. No matter how hard I try to recall what I dreamt, I simply can’t. I never do.
Noel and Xana have gone back to El Dorado for the weekend, taking Gavin and Mallory with them, leaving just me and Stacy on campus. School is a few weeks from being over, and the entire student body is getting restless. The nice weather we’ve been having only makes concentration that much harder. Numerous parties and social events on campus have allowed us to let out some steam before the reality of finals kicks in. This party we’re going to tonight is no exception.
