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She giggled. “But you looked?”
Hell yeah, he looked. He cleared his throat. How the hell was he supposed to respond? He decided it was best to just ignore the comment. “Call Rister. I got a mechanic at my place, works mostly on trucks, but he’ll be able to fix it, or at least tell you what it needs. Catch a ride with my guy when he comes with the flatbed and bring your shit. I want you outta the motel.”
“Well, I need somewhere…”
He didn’t even think twice. “I got a place, a small apartment on the property. You’ll stay there.” His body tinged with angry heat and something else. He should have brought her back there three days ago. Now she was falling prey to local scumbags.
“Are ya sure?” She drew in a breath and stared back at the jungle gym. “Be cautious, Cade. I could be some crazy serial killer.”
He clamped his lips. What the fuck was wrong with him? What kind of man would treat a woman the way he treated her? It was fucked up.
“Look, I’m sorry about the other night. Shouldn’t have been such a prick, especially since you helped out my dad.” He sighed. “I’m an asshole sometimes.” It was an honest admission be wasn’t proud of. He expected her to agree, but instead, she laughed. Her eyes crinkled when she glanced up at him.
“Everybody is an asshole sometimes.” She grinned. “Even me.”
Why the hell was she letting him off so easy? She stared back at him without anger or malice. God, where the fuck did she come from?
He smirked. “So you’ll come?”
“How much is the rent? I’m on a budget, so I can only pay about sixty a night.”
“We’ll call it even since you helped out my dad. Consider it a thank you.”
Her gaze softened. He drew in a breath and stood, averting his gaze across the park. “I’ll have Dylan come by with the flatbed for the car at one. Need you to let Rister know you got someplace else you’re taking it to.” He shifted his eyes to her. She must have been watching him the whole time. “You go with Dylan in the truck, and he’ll bring ya back to my place.”
She unfolded her legs, sitting forward as she gripped the edge of the bench. “Okay.”
Without realizing he was doing it, Caden inched forward and lowered his voice. “Just like that?” He raised his brow, and she widened her smile. Oh fuck him, this woman.
“Uh-huh.” She grinned.
He eyed her. Where the hell was her self-preservation? She didn’t know him. And I don’t know her.
“Not worried I might be a serial killer?”
Her nose twitched, and the corners of her eyes crinkled. “Are you?”
“Would I tell ya if I was?”
“Probably not.” She giggled and glanced up through her lashes. “I’ll risk it, Caden.”
His chest tightened from his name on her lips again, and the sweet tone in which she said it. Never in his life could he remember a woman having such an effect on him the way Marissa did. Not good, man. There was something between them, a strong force, electric. Whatever the fuck it was, he didn’t like it. And he liked it too much at the same time.
She stood from the bench and stepped toward him. “Would you like to have lunch with me?”
“What?”
“Lunch.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “At DeeDee’s.” She raised her brows and smiled. “Their onion rings are awesome.”
He snorted. He’d been eating there since he was a kid, though the locals called it Dee’s. He glanced above her head and eyed the greasy pit.
“Ya been eating there a lot?”
“Every day,” she said and then did the most unexpected thing. She reached out, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers. “Come have lunch with me.”
Everything in his mind was telling him to say no. Offering her a place to stay and fixing her car was one thing. Having lunch with her, one on one, was intimate. He eyed her, taking in her stance, waiting eagerly for his response. It had been forever since he’d felt the longing for a woman. He should have said no.
He cleared his throat. “All right.”
