Page 49 of Unofficial

The server drops off their drinks and takes their order. Over dinner, they make small talk about their jobs, he fills her in on his cousins, and the server stops by to ask about dessert. The evening feels like it’s going well.

"Do you want anything?" Kade asks.

Jess's attention suddenly pulls away from him, and he turns to see where she looks. Landry. Damn Landry is here at the restaurant, and he's with another woman. Well, the evening was going well.

"I think we'll just take the tab," he says as his stomach drops.

"Did you know he'd be here?" she asks, her eyes still on the other man in her life.

He shakes his head. "It's not like I found him and followed him on social media. We're not friends. I'm actually kind of pissed to see him here."

Landry looks over to them, and the expression on his face tells Kade everything he needs to know. He's getting back at Jess for being honest with him. His goal is to get a reaction and hurt her, and it makes Kade angry.

"Do you want to talk to him?" Kade asks, his temper barely in check.

"No, I don't want to interrupt his date," Jess says.

Kade quickly signs the receipt, and they slide out of the booth. As much as he wants to reach out and take her hand, he refrains. Being pushy right now won't get him anywhere, but he can't read what's going through her mind. It’s killing him not to know what she’s thinking.

The ride to her place remains silent, and she stares out the passenger side window most of the way home. She doesn't register when he parks in her driveway, and he hurries to open her door and walk her to the front door.

"Are you okay?"

Jess looks up at him. "I'm sorry, I just... I was taken off-guard, I guess."

"He wanted to hurt you."

"How'd he know we'd be there?"

That’s the question Kade asked himself the entire ride to her place. "I don't know. Maybe it was just a coincidence?"

"Maybe he's been seeing other women this entire time, too," she says. "Is it me? Do I do this?"

His hands cup her face. "No. You are not responsible for the bone-headedness of men. It's genetic, and they're currently working on a pill to help eradicate the disease as it's becoming a global epidemic."

For the first time since she saw Landry at the restaurant, she smiles. "Thank you, Kade. Dinner was lovely. I’m sorry I ruined our night."

"You didn't ruin anything," he says and kisses her.

Her body melts into his, just like it always has, and he feels the desire he's had since the last time he saw her kick up three notches. Her body reacts the same way, and he pulls back. She rests her forehead on his chest, and he rubs her back.

"Do you want me to come inside?"

As soon as the words come out of his mouth, he knows they were the wrong ones. She stiffens and backs up.

"No."

"That's okay. I just want to make sure-"

"I have a sixty-day rule, Kade."

His eyes narrow. "A what?"

"Sixty days. That's how long I have to see someone before I'll consider taking them to bed. After what happened with us, I needed to take precautions to safeguard my heart. Make sure someone wants me for me, not just a few rolls in the hay."

Her eyes look into his, and he can tell she expects him to find an excuse to leave or say maybe they should just be friends. Instead, he lets the weight of what she's just said register with him. Words don't come to him, and he just stares at her.

"If you don't want to wait two months, I understand. I figured it would be best to be upfront and honest with you."

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