“Jesus,” he whispered, dipping his head. “Why now? Why the hell did you have to come into my life now?”
“Better now than never?” But I knew he didn’t feel that way. Guys like Dade believed timing was everything and the timing for us was clearly all wrong.
I stood and crossed the small room to open the door for him. “Thanks for coming to check on me. Our talk helped a lot.”
He hesitated at the door, letting his gaze sweep over my bare legs. “I don’t want to leave, you know.”
“I know.” I didn’t want him to leave either. “But that’s the way it has to be.” I pressed my hand against his chest. “I’ll see you bright and early in the morning. Blueberry pancakes for breakfast?”
He drew a deep breath when he curled his hand around my wrist and brought my palm to his lips. “Sweet dreams, beautiful.”
* * *
Dade left the kitchen door open for me the next morning, so I assumed he was already awake and in the shower.
I moved through his kitchen with alarming ease, like I belonged there, which was ridiculous.
“Oh, excuse me!”
I jumped back when a Spanish lady in her mid-fifties rounded the corner into the kitchen. I rested my hand against my pounding heart, shaking my head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone else was here.” I offered my hand. “You must be Dade’s housekeeper?”
“Yes, ma’am. Sofia.”
Her accent was pronounced, which worried me, since I’d barely passed high school Spanish.
“Dade mentioned you would be here this morning. Charli, yes?”
“Yes.” I flipped the flapjacks before they burned. “I hope it’s okay that I’m making breakfast?” Even though Dade and I agreed that was part of the deal, I didn’t know if I was messing up Sofia’s clean kitchen.
“Of course it is,” she said, gripping her fluffy duster tighter. “Dade made it clear he wants you to feel at home here.”
“He did?” I tried to ignore the little flutter in my belly. This wasn’t my home. I was his employee, not his live-in girlfriend. “Um, that’s nice. Would you like to join us for breakfast?”
“Aren’t you sweet,” she said, smiling. “Thank you, but I’ve already had breakfast.”
“Oh, okay.” Instead of the single serve coffee, I went to the trouble of French press once the pancakes were stacked on the warming rack. “I guess Dade’s still upstairs?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She hesitated before asking, “You stayed in the guest house last night?”
“I did.” I glanced at her over my shoulder. She’d obviously heard about my pseudo-relationship with Dade and wondered if there was any truth to the rumors about me and her boss. “He hired me as his assistant, nothing more. I’m staying in the guest house for a couple of weeks, tops, until all the craziness surrounding us dies down.”
“Uh, that may take longer than you think.” She slipped her phone out of the front pocket of her gingham apron and flashed it at me. “There were pictures of Dade posted at Jimmy’s bar last night. Said you were performing there? Seemed to fuel the gossip about you two.”
I’d been wrong to worry about her English. She could give my mother language lessons.
“Ugh.” I groaned. “I was afraid of that. But honestly, I didn’t even know Dade was going to be there. He just showed up because his friend, Skylar, was performing. His being there had nothing to do with me.”
Sofia’s dark eyes sparkled with amusement when she said, “If you say so, miss.”
Clearly she didn’t believe me and it wasn’t my job to convince her, but I didn’t want Dade to think I’d been the one to plant the suspicion in her mind. “Sofia, there’s nothing between me and your boss. I promise you. I like him as a friend, but that’s all it will ever be.”
“Good morning.”
We both jumped when Dade strode across the room, looking dark and moody. Maybe because of the conversation he’d overheard? But I didn’t think that would set him off. I was just being honest.
“Well, I’ll leave you two your breakfast,” Sofia said, avoiding Dade’s gaze. “Enjoy.”
“Sofia,” he snapped. “Would you mind going out to the guest house? Clean it, wash and change the sheets, and make sure the fridge is stocked, please.”
