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Mattie comes up behind me after a few more books are signed.
“We’re breaking for lunch soon. Then you’ve got another panel to sit in on.” I nod as I sign another book. The day has been busy – I know we owe a lot of the business to Kade’s presence.
When there’s a brief lull in visitors to the booth, he turns to me with a smile.
“You’re famous,” he grins even wider.
“I’m not famous,” I laugh.
“Between all the people that came to see you yesterday and the crowd you’ve got today, I think it’s safe to say you’re famous.” Kade nods seriously.
“I think they mostly came to see you,” I challenge with a tilt of the head.
Kade looks down at himself with a shrug, then looks back to me with a cocky grin.
“That might be part of it,” he jokes.
“Okay, enough flirting,” Mattie butts in. “I’m hungry. Let’s go find food.” I chuckle to myself and follow her down the hall, Kade’s hand finding its place on my hip once more.
The flirty banter and touching along with last night’s bedroom activities and the deal we made has me so confused. It feels like he’s my real boyfriend, but at the same time I know he’s not. I shake my head firmly. I need to get a hold of myself, pronto. But then Kade turns towards me and smiles again, and I practically melt into a warm pool of butter. It’s so nice to be with him, and I’ll enjoy what this marvelous experience has to offer while it lasts.
7
Kade
When the convention wraps up, I pull my phone from my pocket to see that Brandon has texted.
Dinner? it reads.
I quickly turn to Jane to ask if she’s interested. I’m hoping she will be willing to meet up with us tonight so that we can talk.
“Sweetheart, are you hungry? My friend Brandon that you met last night wants to get some food,” I say, pretending that Jane and Brandon are only acquaintances. Of course, that’s technically true since they just met, but at the same time, he’s been inside her. That counts for something, right?
I turn on my best charming smile knowing Jane won’t be able to resist. Watching her bite her lip in thought is far more distracting than I’d like to admit. She releases it before she speaks.
“Mattie and I already made plans to go to that place across the street. Want to join us?” she murmurs. Jane seems nervous to ask, so I step closer and place my hands on her hips, thumbs caressing the roundness of her belly.
“Does she know?” I ask, referring to what happened between us last night.
“Uh. Yeah. I mean, Yes. Is that okay?” The tremble to her voice is sweet, as though she is afraid I’ll be mad at her. I lean in to press a kiss to her temple. If anyone else had told my secret, I would be livid, but I can’t find it in myself to be anything but endeared by this woman.
“Yes, that’s okay,” I assure her, drawing back to meet her eyes. “She’s your best friend, right?” Jane simply nods in confirmation. I smile and lift my phone between us to let Brandon know of our new plans.
“Ready to go, Jane?” Mattie says from behind me. Jane takes a step back before replying to the question.
“I think Kade and Brandon are going to come with us. Is that okay?”
The look of excitement that crosses Mattie’s face is unashamed, but she is calm in her reply.
“It’s totally fine. I can’t wait to meet this Brandon,” she says meaningfully, glancing between the two of us. When I place a hand low on Jane’s back to guide her to the exit, I catch Mattie winking in her direction. Knowing that Jane can be shy, I decide to pretend I don’t notice, but the grin can’t be wiped from my face.
Brandon meets us for dinner not long after we arrive. I love how well Brandon and Jane interact with one another. Jane laughs at his jokes and his eyes sparkle at the sound of her giggles. I’m already imagining how life might be with the two of them in the future. They’re very cozy with one another, and there are heated sparks that pulse in the air between the three of us.
When Brandon and I head to the bar for a drink, Mattie steals Jane for some work off to the side. That’s cool. My friend and I stand at the oak slab, taking advantage of this opportunity. How will we proposition Jane with our potential future relationship? Brandon orders a Rum & Coke and I’ve got a top shelf bourbon cradled between my hands.
“Do you just want to ask?” Brandon says with a shrug. “Be upfront about it?”
“I don’t think it’s the asking that’s the issue. It might be how much we should tell her. I don’t want to scare her off,” I admit.
