Page 48 of Unofficial

"Did you give the same warning to Landry?"

"Couldn't. He hasn't come in here like you have. Or sent her a damn thing. But he's not good for her. She's not really happy, and she's trying to force it because she thinks you're the reason she's holding herself back. Because of all the pain you caused her. Which is another reason you can't hurt her again. I don't know that she'll be able to recover."

Landry hasn't attempted to persuade her that he's the better choice. Well, that's because he's clearly not. This might be useful information. "I'll be careful with her heart. I promise."

Kade walks to his pickup and drives to Jess's house. As much as he'd love to walk inside and see if she needs any help getting ready, or un-ready, he waits in his pickup. The moment she steps out of her house, he hurries over and guides her to the passenger side, holding the door open for her.

"You look amazing," he says, staring down at the flattering green dress that fits her nicely in all the right places. He really did take for granted how great she looks dressed up. Almost as great as she does lying naked in just a bedsheet.

He shuts the door, hurrying to the driver’s side and climbing in next to her. Everything in him screams to just be near her. The calm to the storm that’s raged within him since she left him in the bar months ago.

"Thank you," Jess says and turns to look at him as he pulls out of her driveway and heads east. "You know I’m a sucker for the steakhouse, so I figured I better dress up and make it worth it."

Winking, he reaches over and takes her hand in his like he used to whenever they drove together. "I could go for a steak as much as I know you could go for the seafood platter."

Her eyes look to their clasped hands, but she doesn't pull away. He chooses to read it as a great sign, and he prays dinner goes well. He only has one shot to remind her of what she loved about him, and he needs to make sure he checks off all the boxes.

Jess laughs as they pull into the parking lot, and he turns to her. "What's so funny?"

"I don't know if I should tell you this or not."

"You can tell me anything." It's the truth. Nothing she could say would change how he feels.

"I don't want to ruin dinner because I really want to eat here tonight."

Lifting her hand to his lips, he kisses and releases it to shift into park. "What is it?"

"This is where I met Landry for the first time. With Lena."

Great. "Really?"

She laughs again. "How absurd is this?" Her laughter grows until she doubles over and wipes at her eyes.

Kade can't help it, and he starts laughing with her. No matter how ridiculous the scenario, her laugh is nothing short of infectious. "I shouldn't laugh at this, but it is pretty crazy."

"I met the woman I saw you screwing in your house and met the guy I'm now seeing," she says and sits back up. "This shouldn't be funny. It shouldn’t be funny at all."

He lets out a breath. "I'd rather you find it funny than anything else. It breaks my damn heart knowing how I made you feel."

Pulling down the visor, she checks the mirror as she wipes her eyes and reaches for the door handle. "Let's go. We don't want to be late."

His hand finds hers again as they walk into the restaurant, and the hostess brings them to their booth. He'd called ahead to reserve a private booth to give them some time to talk without too many distractions.

"Can I get you something to drink?" the server asks after he introduces himself.

"I'll take a beer. Whatever's seasonal and on tap is fine. Do you still like Pinot Grigio, babe?" Kade asks.

Jess's eyes snap to him in surprise. "Yes, please. I'll take a glass."

The server smiles and walks away. "I've been thinking about this dinner all day. I'm craving a T-bone."

"You remember what I drink?"

He smiles at her. "I remember everything, Jess. How you order your wine to match your food. How much you love the seafood platter, but you also love taking a bite of my steak. How relaxed you get when you take a bubble bath, and how much you hate turnips. Which is such an odd vegetable to have such strong feelings for, but it's one of the many quirks I love about you."

She stares at him with such awe. Again, he tested out the L-word, and it doesn't feel as foreign as he thought.

She doesn't say anything, and he decides to let the silence linger. It's by far the least uncomfortable moment he's had the past few months. At least she's with him during it.

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