Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 103(@200wpm)___ 82(@250wpm)___ 68(@300wpm)
For a moment, I let myself relax into him, enjoying the closeness, the comfort. But then reality creeps in, and with it, the uncertainty. We’ve shared so much in such a short amount of time, and I can’t shake the feeling that everything is moving too fast. But when he shifts beside me, his lips brushing lightly against my shoulder, all my doubts seem to melt away.
I roll over to face him, our eyes meeting in the soft morning light. There’s a look in his eyes that sends a shiver down my spine—something tender, yet fierce, like he’s holding himself back from something he wants more than anything.
“Morning,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.
“Morning,” he replies, his voice rough with sleep.
For a long moment, neither of us moves. The air between us feels charged, like we’re both waiting for the other to make the first move. And then, almost instinctively, Cade leans in, capturing my lips in a slow, deliberate kiss. It’s gentle at first, but the hunger behind it is unmistakable. I respond without thinking, my body pressing into his, my hands sliding up his chest.
But just as quickly as it started, he pulls back, his breathing ragged, his eyes dark with restraint. “Lena,” he murmurs, his voice strained. “I don’t want to rush this, not with you.”
I nod, understanding what he’s saying, even though my body is screaming for more.
“I know,” I whisper, brushing my fingers along his jaw. “I don’t want to rush either.”
We lay there for a few more minutes, our bodies still close but the tension easing slightly. Cade kisses my forehead before slipping out of bed. “I’ll make us some coffee,” he says, giving me a soft smile before disappearing into the kitchen.
When Cade returns, he hands me a mug of coffee and sits down beside me on the bed. I take a sip, letting the warmth of the drink settle me before I speak. “Cade, about last night... What’s really going on with your family’s firm? Why does your brother want you to go back so badly?”
He sighs, setting his mug down on the nightstand. “It’s my dad,” he says, his voice heavy. “The firm’s struggling. Dad’s not able to keep up with things like he used to, and Max is picking up the slack, but it’s not enough. They think I should come back and help out, but I can’t... I don’t want to go back to that life.”
I listen carefully, my heart aching for him. The weight of his family’s expectations is clearly taking a toll on him, and I can’t help but wonder how I fit into all of this. Then an idea sparks in my mind, and I sit up straighter, excitement bubbling in my chest.
“Cade,” I say, my voice soft but determined. “What if I helped you? With my marketing skills, I could organize an event, maybe a gala, to bring back your dad’s old clients and boost the firm’s reputation.”
“I don’t want you in the city,” he says possessively. “I want you with me.”
I laugh. “We could fix up my cabin, and I could live there while we get to know each other better. And who knows... maybe we could both find a way to work remotely, so you don’t have to go back to the city full-time.”
Cade looks at me, surprised, but there’s something in his expression that tells me he’s considering it. “You’d really do that?” he asks quietly. “Why would you help me with all of this?”
I reach for his hand, squeezing it gently. “Because I care about you. And because I think we both deserve the chance to figure out what this is between us without everything else getting in the way.”
For a moment, Cade just stares at me, as if he’s trying to wrap his mind around what I’m saying. Then, before I can say anything else, he pulls me into a kiss—this time, there’s nothing gentle about it. It’s full of heat, of want, and I feel my body responding to him instantly. His hands roam down my sides, pulling me closer, and I gasp as his fingers tease the edge of the blanket, brushing against my bare skin.
CADE
By the time the sun started to peek over the horizon, the storm had long passed, leaving the world outside calm and drenched in a silvery light. Max had left early in the morning, his departure as abrupt as his arrival. We exchanged few words. There was no need—everything between us had already been said. He wasn’t happy about it, but he knew there was no convincing me to return to the city, to take up the mantle in the family business. Not now, not when I was starting to see what life could look like outside of all that pressure.
Now, though, none of that matters. Right now, it’s just Lena and me, her soft curves pressed against my body, her eyes half-lidded with desire. I can’t think of anything else but the way she feels, the way she looks at me like she’s daring me to lose control.