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“Hey,” he replied, his voice even deeper, rumblier, sexier, than I’d remembered.
Sheesh, you’d think he’d been gone for years, rather than days, the way my body was behaving. I was like a cat in heat, fighting the urge to rub myself all over him.
I gripped my seat with both hands, trying to keep myself from doing just that.
“Where have you been?” I asked, figuring we could start with that, then get into the rest of it.
“I needed to ride. Clear my head. Then I got a line on this litter, and road out to pick her up for Elena and Elin. I had to wait a couple of days until they were ready, had their shots, then came back.” Cade rubbed the puppy’s neck absently while he talked, and, I kid you not, I was so riled up I could feel him petting me instead. “Meant to be back this morning, wanted to help move, but when I got into town I heard what happened and stopped at the club. Sledge told me he hired you.”
I nodded, but didn’t want to change the conversation yet. We still had a lot to cover.
“You didn’t call,” he said, and all of my hot and bothered feelings left in one fell swoop.
I surged to my feet and said, “Are you kidding me?”
My hands went to my hips, which were cocked to the side.
“I didn’t call you?” I seethed. “You’ve got to be shittin’ me.”
Cade just watched me, his face annoyingly blank.
“You humiliated me, sent me away like a disobedient child, then disappeared for a week. Of course I didn’t call you. I’m not the wrong one here … I was waiting for you to man up and apologize.”
That last bit made his teeth clench, but I was too pissed to worry about going to far.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
Cade sighed and asked, “Can you take her?”
He held the puppy toward me and there was no way I could say no.
“What is she?” I asked as I pulled her in for a snuggle, laughing softly when she licked the underside of my chin.
“Yellow lab,” Cade replied. “She probably needs to go out.”
I walked to the back door, feeling Cade at my back. We went outside and I looked around. Once I was satisfied there was nothing that could hurt her, or that she could tear up, and that the fence I had was intact and would keep her safely inside, I walked down the steps and set her down. Then I sat on the second step and crossed my arms over my chest.
Cade sat beside me.
“I told you I’d fuck up,” he began, and I leaned back and to the side so I could watch him while he talked.
Shit, he looks hot, I thought, then turned slightly and went back to looking at the dog. I needed to stay strong.
“I don’t know how to do relationships. You know I’ve been with the club for over twenty years. The brothers have my back, and I have theirs; I’ve never known any other way. I was taken by surprise when that shit went down at the barbecue. It was goin’ great, and I was blindsided when Sledge told me what went down. I was fuckin’ pissed that you didn’t tell me, then I was pissed that you and Sledge had conflict. I was torn, so I had to get more info. That’s why I sent you away. I needed time alone with Sledge, and once I found out what went down, I took your back.”
“Then why’d you leave?” I asked softly.
“I’ve never gone against the brothers before. Never had a woman. Didn’t really know how to handle either, so I needed to ride and think it all through.”
“And what did you come up with?” I asked, shifting my eyes back to him.
“I’m in love with you,” Cade stated firmly, and my heart literally leapt out of my chest and in to his hands. “You’re mine, and I’m yours, and no matter what happens, you, Elin, and Elena come first.”
I stopped breathing, then I pinched myself on the leg. Hard.
I’m not dreaming. This shit is real.
“You hurt me,” I managed as I fought back another damn bout of tears.
