by Cate Beauman
Cade’s grin returned as Jeremy left, the door closing behind him. “Gwen, this place is stunning. It’s almost too pretty for an airport.”
She laughed. “It’s supposed to be your passengers’ home away from home.”
“You nailed it.” He held her hand, walking with her to the long countertop, leaning his butt against the glossy marble as he kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips as he nestled her between the V of his legs. “Do you have time for me to take you out to lunch?”
She winced as she glanced at her watch, calculating the rest of her day. She had three hours before she had to pick up Kaitlyn at Kay’s. “I wish I could say yes, but I still have to get to the clinic for the furniture delivery. Then I have to stop by Molly’s to grab the cake concept she mocked up. We’re designing Callie’s baby shower around it.”
His brow shot up. “That must be some cake.”
“Is that a surprise?” she asked, tossing him a wry smile. “Cake design is Molly’s crack. She lives for it.”
He laughed, wrapping her up in a hug. “I guess I’ll see you at dinner then.”
Grinning, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips as she laced her fingers at the back of his neck, loving the thought of their cozy meals together. “You’re still good with grilled pizza and a salad?”
He nodded. “Sounds awesome.”
“I was thinking of mozzarella, prosciutto, and a little jalapeno for our toppings.”
“Sign me up.”
“I should get over to the clinic.”
His fingers wandered into her hair. “Eager to play, are you?”
She grinned because he knew her so well. She’d helped choose the paint colors, flooring, and cabinetry for the new and existing examination rooms, which had been necessary, but not all that much fun. This afternoon was all about the furniture and accents for the refurbished waiting room, as well as the brand-new birthing suite. “Maybe.”
He slid his hands up and down the sides of her white tie-back crop top and matching skirt. “Definitely.”
She nipped at his chin. “I happen to like making places pretty.”
It was his turn to go after her jaw. “And you do a damn great job.”
“Thanks.” She closed her eyes, savoring his mouth against her skin. “The secret’s in the personal touches.”
“Is that right?” he murmured as he feathered kisses along her neck.
“Mmm,” she said as she nodded, letting her palms wander down his shoulders and excellent biceps. “By the time I’m finished, Brad’s clinic will be so comfy and cozy, people won’t want to leave.”
He looked at her again, the desire in his eyes unmistakable. “That’s a tall order for a doctor’s office.”
“Oh, I can handle it.” She tensed when her phone alerted to a text. Reaching in her laptop bag not far from Cade, she snatched it up, reading the screen.
Don’t forget about the mock-up. We need to get things planned for Callie.
Her shoulders relaxed. Molly. Not Liam.
“Still waiting to hear from him, are you?”
She exhaled a quiet breath, taking a moment before meeting his gaze because she didn’t want to talk about this—and for Liam to ruin their sweet little moment. “Who?”
He clenched his jaw, shaking his head. “Don’t do that—look right at me and feed me a line of bullshit.”
She swallowed, seeing the hard light in his eyes, recognizing that they were heading back onto boggy ground. “All right. I need to know what he wants. Why was he here?” It had been four agonizing days since brunch, and there hadn’t been a word.
“I get it.” Gentling his voice, he tucked her hair behind her ear. “I know this is tough on you, but don’t make me dig—not about him. He’s not worth it.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, cupping his cheeks, kissing him. “I’m sorry, Cade.”
He steamed out a breath, leaning his forehead against hers. “There’s no need to apologize. I just hate that he’s a conversation—that he randomly pops up to fuck with your life.”
She kissed him. “I don’t want to talk about him.”
“So, we won’t,” he said, snagging her bottom lip before he dove in.
She hummed in her throat, meeting his hungry demands, nestling herself farther against him, wanting only this. “It’s just you and me. It’s just us.”
His hands went on another journey, down her hips and thighs, then under her skirt to grip her butt. “Damn, Gwen, I can’t get enough of you,” he whispered through clenched teeth, grinding himself against her.
She moaned her agreement. Because they couldn’t get enough of each other. He’d spent the last four nights in her bed, but sleep hadn’t been their priority.
“I want to be with you every second. I want to be in you every second.”
“Yes,” she whispered, feeling his erection through the barriers of clothing separating them.
“Let me have you.”
She slid her palm over him. “Yes.”
He went after his belt buckle.
She paused, frowning, her breath heaving. “Here?”
He grinned as he pulled on the snap on his slacks, then his zipper. “Right here.”
She felt her eyes go huge. “We’re in a bathroom—at work.”
“Then we should probably make it a quick one,” he said as he stood, lifting her in his arms, hurrying to a stall, and locking them inside.
This was happening. She was doing this—wrapping her legs around him just feet from the toilet. “Cade—”
Pushing her up against the wooden wall, he freed himself from his boxers. “Right here, Gwen,” he repeated, sliding her panties aside, shoving himself deep.
She gasped with the rush soaring through her core, and she no longer gave a damn where they were. “Hurry,” she whispered against his lips. “Hurry, Cade.”
He gripped her hips, holding her gaze as he slammed himself into her, rattling the brand-new partitions.
“Oh my God, already,” she said, stiffening as she felt herself building—the sinful rush of heat just out of reach. And then she yanked his mouth back to hers, pressing her lips to his, struggling to stay quiet as the pleasure overtook her body. “Cade,” she shuddered out, whimpering, trembling, watching him on the edge.
He pumped harder, resting his forehead against hers, jerking as his breathing came in unsteady pants instead of his usual deep groans.
Catching her breath as he caught his, she brushed at the sweat on his temple, grinning as they stared at each other. “I can’t believe we just did this.”
He grinned back. “It’s good practice to try everything at least once.”
She chuckled. “Molly and Callie are never going to believe me when I tell them I had sex in the new airport bathroom.”
His brow shot up. “You’re going to tell them?”
She nodded, smiling smugly. “Absolutely. It’s too good not to.”
His smile returned. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to that.”
“Best friends have very few secrets.”
He cringed. “How few?”
“Don’t worry, big guy,” she whispered, tracing his lips with her finger. “You definitely have stud status.”
He laughed, pulling himself free of her, then set her on her feet. “As much as I regret doing that, I imagine it’s time. The last thing I need is Charlotte walking in on us.”
Gwen fixed her panties and skirt as he buckled himself back up. “That didn’t seem to be a concern a couple of minutes ago.”
He shrugged. “I was in a sex-induced haze.”
She laughed as she combed her fingers through her hair. “Do I look put together?”
He nodded, unlocking the door, taking her hand as they stepped into the main section of the bathroom. “Sexy as hell and satisfied.”
“Oh, I am.” She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “Thank you for…that.”
He grinned, returning her embrace. “You’re entirely welcome
.”
She nuzzled herself against him. “I really need to go now. The movers will be waiting with the furniture.”
He kissed her. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“You’re still planning to stop off at the store before you head home? You have the list?”
“It’s on my phone.” He pulled it from his back pocket, giving it a wiggle. “Diapers, more puffs for Kaitlyn to throw all over the floor, and spinach for our smoothies.”
“My hero,” she said, batting her lashes.
“I’ve always wanted to be a superhero.”
Chuckling and shaking her head, she gave him a final kiss before she grabbed her laptop bag. “Bye.”
He winked. “Bye.”
Smoothing her hair once more, she pulled open the door, then walked down the airport’s busy passenger hallway, casually licking her lips, tasting Cade as she waved to Charlotte. She smiled, loving that they had a sexy secret—that he’d driven her crazy in the bathroom, and now the day would carry on.
Heading out to her Audi, she took a deep breath as she grabbed her phone from her bag, peeking at her screen, trying her best not to worry about Liam’s silent treatment. She had little doubt that he was playing games—making sure that she understood that he still held plenty of the cards whether they were together or not. She shook her head, choosing to focus on her to-do list. She had no control over Liam, but she had control over figuring out where her flooring was.
Getting in the driver’s seat, she turned over the ignition and buckled her belt, then punched in the number for Mom’s contact. Backing out of her spot, she narrowed her eyes, smiling when she heard someone pick up.
“Vance Flooring, this is Tim.”
“Tim, this is Gwen Carter from Rebecca Carter Interiors. I’m hoping I can talk to you about some late flooring I’m waiting on.”
“Sure thing, Gwen.”
“Great. I’d like to get this resolved as soon as possible.”
And she knew she would as she pulled out onto Highway 1.
Gwen wiggled her hips as she sang along with the up-tempo song belting through the kitchen speakers. She added a couple of shimmies to her dance while she sprinkled extra mozzarella and prosciutto on the crust she’d heated on the stovetop grill. Glancing Kaitlyn’s way, she grinned as her baby girl babbled and played, scooching herself closer to the pile of colorful blocks on the big pink mat. “You’ve almost got your crawl going on, Little Miss.”
Kaitlyn stopped mid-reach when they both heard the front door open, then close.
Gwen laughed, watching the baby’s face light up as Cade’s footsteps started down the hall. “Who’s coming our way? Is Cade home?”
Kaitlyn kicked her legs, screeching her excitement as he stepped into the room.
He chuckled, grinning down at the baby. “It’s my bug.” He set the grocery sack on the table, then scooped her up as she reached for him. “Here’s my girl,” he said, lifting her to make his growly sounds and go after her belly.
Kaitlyn laughed.
Grinning again, he kept her suspended. “Did you have a good day with Mummy and Kay?”
Kaitlyn babbled her ma-ma-ba-bas, still screeching as she tried to grab the dark aviators pushed on the top of his head.
“You don’t say. It sounds like you’ve been busy.” He settled her in his arm, hugging her as he kissed her forehead, then headed in Gwen’s direction. “Hey, sexy.”
She grinned, kissing him, loving that this was their routine. “Hey.”
“I need another one of those.” Cupping her chin, he gently tugged her back as he held her gaze. “You’ve been on my mind all day.”
Gaining her tiptoes, she hooked her arm around the back of his neck, kissing him again. “Is that so?”
He nodded. “I keep flashing back to the bathroom stall—to how amazing you felt.”
Heat rushed through her belly as she snagged her bottom lip with her teeth. “I’ll never look at that bathroom the same way again.”
He laughed. “That makes two of us.”
She pulled his sunglasses off his head, setting them on the counter as she let him go. “How was your afternoon flight?”
“Smooth—the way I like them.”
“I bet,” she said as she pushed the lid back on the cheese container.
“How did things go around here?”
“Perfectly. The clinic’s gorgeous and cozy, and Brad’s pleased. The waiting room looks great, but I love the birthing suite. It makes my heart happy to know that Callie and Nate will be using it soon—and that Molly and Brad will, eventually.”
“I bet it’s beautiful.”
She nodded with the typical satisfaction of knowing she’d nailed the decor. “I imagine I should tell you that your flooring’s heading to the island. It should be here by early next week—Wednesday at the absolute latest.” She huffed a breath on her fingernails, then wiped them on her shirt, satisfied all over again.
He grinned. “I told you my money was on you.”
“It took a little finagling, but Tim and I got stuff figured out.”
He raised his brow. “Tim, huh?”
She nodded. “We’re buddies now—after he started telling me what I wanted to hear.”
He laughed, shaking his head.
She chuckled, always adoring his smiles—the way he grinned just for her. “Thanks for stopping off at the store for us.”
“No worries.” He snagged a piece of the prosciutto off the cutting board as he studied the pizza. “That looks awesome. I’m looking forward to dinner.”
“I baked the jalapeno into the dough so that we won’t get too much of a punch.”
“Mummy’s a smart one, isn’t she?” he said to Kaitlyn, giving her a bounce as she pressed her fingers against the Nike emblem on his golf shirt.
Gwen smiled. “The salad’s in the fridge. I just need to mix up the dressing. Then we should be good to go.”
“Need a hand?”
She shook her head. “I think I’m all set.”
“It sounds like we have some time to play,” he said to Kaitlyn, bringing her back over to the play mat.
Gwen smiled again, listening to them playing as she put the grocery items away, then grabbed the balsamic vinegar and olive oil from the cupboard.
“Come get it.” Cade held up Kaitlyn’s bold butterfly rattle, giving it a shake. “You can do it.”
Kaitlyn scooched her way forward.
Cade moved farther back. “That’s a girl. Come on now. I know you’ve got a crawl in there somewhere.”
Chuckling, Gwen walked to the fridge for the greens.
“Gwen. Gwen!”
Hearing the urgency in Cade’s voice, she whirled, automatically starting toward the mat. She froze, pressing her hand to her heart as Kaitlyn moved across the floor on hands and knees.
“She’s crawling.” He grinned, the pride in his voice unmistakable as he moved the rattle faster to keep Kaitlyn’s attention. “She’s doing it.”
The baby fell, then got back up, moving to Cade, eventually falling into his lap.
“You did it!” he shouted in chorus with Gwen.
He grabbed Kaitlyn up, standing and dancing in a silly circle, laughing with Gwen, celebrating her daughter’s success.
“You’re a crawler.” Gwen pressed noisy kisses to her baby girl’s cheeks. “She’s a crawler.” Beaming, she kissed Cade’s cheek next.
“You did it, Bug.” He bounced her in his arm, then gave her a small toss in the air, making Kaitlyn scream in delight. “You’re officially a mover and a shaker.” Then he set her back on the mat.
Kaitlyn gained her hands and feet again, rocking back and forth.
Cade wrapped his arm around Gwen’s waist, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as Kaitlyn found her rhythm again, heading for the toys. “I can’t believe we have a crawler.”
Gwen’s smile returned as she sighed. “She’s growing up so fast.”
“She is. Look at her go. She’s got it
.” His smile dimmed as Kaitlyn reversed direction toward the living room. “Right about now, I’m realizing that we’re never going to sit down again.”
Gwen laughed, hugging him, delighted that she’d shared this precious moment with the man of her dreams.
Chapter 24
Gwen rested her legs on Cade’s lap while she lay on the big, comfy couch. “Right there,” she moaned as he pressed his thumbs into the bottom of her foot.
Pushing harder, he rubbed in slow circles. “Like this?”
“Mmm.” She closed her eyes, sighing, savoring his touch. “This is exactly what Saturdays are for. Movies, vegging, and foot massages.”
He moved to her opposite foot, pressing his thumbs just below her heel, repeating the same slow circles. “Or at least until Kaitlyn wakes up from her nap.”
“Yes.” She sighed again, letting her arm drop over the side of the cushion. “I’ll never take ninety quiet minutes for granted again. This crawling thing is no joke.”
Kaitlyn had officially been a crawler for two full days. Now that her little girl was mobile, she wanted nothing to do with staying still. Today alone, they’d chased her around for hours. From the moment Kaitlyn had opened her eyes, she’d been ready to move.
Cade chuckled. “She’s into everything.”
“Right? I thought I’d rocked the babyproofing game.” She grinned as Cade winced. “I guess not, huh?”
He shrugged. “You got the major stuff—the outlet covers, the cabinet and drawer locks. Although, I think I’m going to cry with joy when the baby gates get here on Monday.”
She laughed. Kaitlyn certainly had an attraction to the stairs. They’d spent the majority of the morning distracting her from her new fascination. “I should’ve ordered them sooner. I guess I didn’t realize we were going to go from zero to one hundred with no warning.”
He jerked his shoulders again. “She’s her mother’s daughter—determined, driven. She knows what she wants.”
Gwen grinned, loving Cade’s assessment. “Well, this is great.” She wiggled her toes. “I definitely appreciate the foot rub. It feels like it’s been a decade since I’ve been to the spa.”
“So, book an appointment. I’ll keep an eye on Kaitlyn.”
