Page 99 of Blindsided By the Enforcer

“Annie, you’re the only one I want,” he declares

“But how can you be sure? You wasted so much time staying with Scarlett out of guilt, and then we got together. Maybe you want to experience more, we’ll be graduating soon and. . .”

“Annie, I’m in love with you. I know it for certain. I’ve never bonded with another girl like I have with you, you’re my friend and my lover. I crave you all the time. I love the kindness in your heart. I know this has been a whirlwind, but I also know Scarlett wanted me to love her so badly. I could never feel that way about her, and that’s because it took me finding you to fall in love.”

Tears prick my eyes. Every word he says is perfect. I want to believe them so badly because. . . “I love you too, Cade Price, with all my heart.”

He seals his lips over mine and we kiss, we dance, and we laugh. I wasn’t going to let my reservations hang over us in this moment because this is a perfect moment. One I will remember forever. No one has ever done anything so romantic for me before. We dance through the entire CD and then we head inside to drink hot cocoa. Something has shifted between us. I want to embrace it, but I’m scared.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Cade

Admitting this was real meant we didn’t want an end to our relationship. It meant opening ourselves to heartbreak. Annie had been in two unhealthy relationships, and I had spent too much time appeasing Scarlett because of some unwarranted guilt. This thing between us was different. I knew it deep in my core. That’s why I had to convince Annie to take a chance on us because I could read it on her. She had given me her heart and she was nervous. We only had a few days left of break, which we spent in Cherry Hills. Mom loved having Annie around. I showed her around town. She met some of my friends, who were back home for break too. Now it is our last night here before going back to Riverside. It means back to real life. To me training all the time and going to games on weekends. It means less time with Annie and I hate it.

Mom is making herself scarce tonight, but she prepared some of my favorite Asian foods. Annie and I are going to have a candle-lit dinner, followed by some time in the hot tub outside but Mom doesn’t need to know that part.

Annie says she is going to shower. I am setting up the table and warming the food. Mom is dating a single dad from the neighborhood, and she seems happy, which is a relief for me since I will worry less about her. Annie walks into the kitchen. Her hair is blown out in waves. She is wearing an off-white sweater that dips low in the front, showing off her creamy skin and cleavage. Her black jeans are tight and hug her curves in all the right places.

“You are stunning,” I say to her.

I had gone to shower too but it took me less than half the time. “You look pretty hot yourself.” She leans in and kisses me. I’m wearing a quarter-zip sweater that is charcoal and a pair of well-worn jeans. “Can I help with anything?”

“I’ve got everything under control. Would you like a glass of wine?” I ask, holding a bottle of red and white.

“I’ll have the white, please,” she says.

I uncork the white wine and set it on the table, placing all the food on the table at once.

“Whoa, this is a lot of food.” Annie laughs. “You’ll have to tell me what everything is.” She has never eaten Korean food before, and Mom has gone all out on her menu for tonight, making some of my favorite dishes.

“This is mandu.” I point. “They are a thin dough filled with meat and vegetables. This is bibimbap with spicy pork. It’s one of Mom’s specialties. This is nang chang bossam, it’s a thinly sliced pork marinated in a sweet and sour mustard sauce.”

“This all looks so delicious,” Annie beams. I appreciate her taking interest in Mom’s culture. Mom loves sharing her love for Korean cuisine. Scarlett was never interested, and she and Mom didn’t get along so well.

We start eating. I feed Annie off my fork. We laugh and drink wine.

“I ate too much.” Annie giggles. She is tipsy and so damn beautiful.

“You take my breath away, you’re so beautiful,” I tell her and she blushes.

“That’s the wine talking.” She smirks.

“No, baby, it’s not. How about we head out to the hot tub? I’ll show you just how beautiful I think you are.”

“I’d like that very much, but I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“You won’t need one for what I have planned. There should be a robe in the bathroom connected to your room,” I say. “I’ll go slip into my robe and meet you at the back door.”

The back of the house is made of floor-to-ceiling windows that are also sliding doors. The hot tub is built on a deck just outside the door. I go to turn on the outdoor heaters before going to get my robe on.

I’m eager and take off my clothes, discarding them to the floor. I wrap the robe on me and meet Annie at the door. Her robe is so large her body is drowning in it, but it will keep her warm when she gets out of the tub.

“You ready?” I ask.

She nods. “I’ve never been in an outdoor tub.”

“Well, the view is beautiful at night and you’re in for a real experience.” I open the door and tell her to hurry and drop her robe and enter the hot tub because the weather is no joke. It’s freezing out here.

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