Page 24 of Hideaway

Ninety-seven.Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine. One hundred.

She broke through the water with a gasping breath. The events of the day had been banished to the farthest recesses of memory, and she felt centered once again. The bath having fulfilled its purpose, Kara stepped out and wrapped herself in the plushest towel she had ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Relaxed and dry, she slipped into Cade’s sweatpants and sweatshirt feeling properly cozy. Kara emerged from the bathroom in a haze of steam and found Cade casually sprawled across the bed.

“Feeling better?”he asked.

“Yes, thank you. I made use of your bath.”

“And I’m sure it was never better used. This is a great look for you,”he remarked, gesturing to the all too long sweatpants and baggy shirt.

“Yeah, I’d heard frumpy chic was trending,”she answered with equal sarcasm.

“I think you’d look lovely in anything you wore,”Cade complimented with sincerity, his voice tinged with emotion.“So which side of the bed do you prefer?”he asked, patting the space beside him.

Kara looked at him in shock, hoping that he had no expectation of her sharing his bed.“I think the floor will be fine, thanks. If I could just borrow a pillow, maybe?”she responded, the anxious wariness creeping back into her voice.

Cade mentally smacked himself in the head. Kara had just been assaulted, and he was bastard enough to be suggestive about their sleeping arrangements.“I apologize. I was trying to lighten the mood and ended up coming off as a complete prick.”Cade nearly jolted out of the bed in contrition and gestured for her to make use of it without him.“I have more than earned a night of sleeping on the floor. And I’ll even forsake a pillow as an act of repentance.”

“It’s all right, you don’t have to tread so cautiously because of what happened with Jace. And I’m happy to sleep on the floor. You did save the day after all, and I don’t want to displace you from your own bed.”

“You get my bed; I get the floor. That’s the end of it, Kara,”Cade stated somewhat sternly.

Kara didn’t have the mental capacity to argue with him at that moment, so she obediently crawled into bed as he began to get situated on the floor.“Pillow?”she called as she threw a grey silk cushion as hard as she could toward where he was standing. It hit him straight in the face, causing him to stumble backward slightly from the surprise impact, an astonishing feat considering her inability to aim. Kara grinned sheepishly as he glared at her.

“Attacking an unarmed man, Miss Caine?You should be ashamed,” Cadechastised, his face the perfect picture of disappointment.“I have half a mind to take you to task for insolence,”he added seriously, holding the pillow poised as a threat. A man so practiced with intimidation looked fearsome even when weaponizing a pillow.“I suppose, given the lateness of the hour, I will let you off easy tonight. For future notice, I would advise you not to initiate a pillow fight unless you’re prepared for battle. I like to play rough, and I like to win,”Cade teased, a smile cracking through his intense exterior.

Kara couldn’t help but laugh at his unexpected silliness. The man was gorgeous when he smoldered, but he was stunning when he actually relaxed and let a smile replace his usual scowl. She begged her overactive heart to slow its pace before she passed out from the depth of emotions she refused to name.

“Well, the hard floor awaits,”Cade said as he went to turn out the lights and head for the floor with a light blanket taken from a chair in the corner and the pillow Kara had so graciously bestowed.

Kara glanced guiltily at Cade in his makeshift bed on the floor.“Are you sure you don’t want me to take the floor?”

“Go to sleep, Kara,”he answered without looking up.

“You don’t look very comfortable.”

“Well, I am used to sleeping naked, but I can muddle through for the sake of propriety.”

That comment silenced Kara easily enough. To be honest, Cade found sleeping fully clothed to be damned irritating. He preferred nudity. For both parties. After some deliberation, Cade found the boldness to request a small compromise.“Would you find it terribly uncomfortable if I removed my shirt? I’m a rather hot sleeper. The bottoms remain, I promise.”

“I suppose, as my eyes will be closed, it doesn’t much matter what you’re wearing,”Kara responded, trying not to sound flustered at the idea of Cade removing clothing.“But keep your pants on,”she added hastily, afraid he would take her attempt at sounding casual as an invitation to undress entirely.

“Yes, ma’am,”he answered teasingly as he reached for the neck of his shirt and pulled it smoothly over his head, tossing it on the bed. It was his wicked intent to walk over to her, naked chest in full view, and retrieve his shirt in the morning. Her expression of abashed arousal would be his entertainment for the day. With smug satisfaction, Cade attempted to settle into his bed for the night. The hard floor was truly unbearable, but the ultimate sacrifice was that such a beautiful girl was lying in his bed alone and un-fucked. Cade closed his eyes tightly and tried to concentrate on something other than the plethora of ways he could be occupying his bed’s companion.

Kara stirred restlessly in the unfamiliar bed. The pillows felt too soft and the smell of Cade lingered on the sheets, arousing feelings far removed from drowsiness. She stared at the ceiling, replaying the events of the day. The violent images that came to mind didn’t merit revisiting ever again, but she couldn’t erase them, hard as she might try. Jace had earned a lifetime role in the cinema of Kara’s memory. And, much to her chagrin, she was still forced to share a house with the asshole, eating meals with him, running into him in the hall, falling asleep a mere floor away from where his own room stood. The fact that Cade didn't have the full trust in his associate to allow her to sleep alone made Kara uneasy. She stretched out fully to feel the cold emptiness beside her. Having a bed to herself had never bothered Kara before, but suddenly she didn’t want to share a bed alone with her fears.

“Cade?”she timidly probed the silence.

“Yes, Kara?”Cade answered, sounding entirely awake.

Kara took a deep breath.“Come to bed, please? Just to sleep. I’d rather not be alone at the moment, and there really is too much room in this ridiculous bed for you to be sleeping on the floor.”

Cade took a moment to savor the essence of her request. She didn’t ask for the one thing Cade wanted to do with a woman in bed, but somehow her plea made him feel more satisfied than sex had in quite some time. Kara’s vulnerability evoked a tenderness that Cade hadn’t known he possessed; he attempted to stifle those stirrings of weakness as he rose from the floor and slipped into the empty side of the bed. Kara remained turned away on her side, and Cade watched the rise and fall of Kara’s chest as her breathing regulated to a more relaxed pace. The outline of her body was masked by the bulk of his damned sweat set, but she still made a beautiful addition to his bed. He longed to touch her, not sensually, but to alleviate any tensions that remained after her ordeal. Cade reached a tentative hand to her back.“May I?”he asked softly.

“Okay,”Kara whispered in permission, a small tremble to her voice.

Cade placed both of his hands on her back and began to gently knead the tension away. In spite of herself, Kara moaned as his fingers pressed against her sore muscles, her body unfamiliar with such luxurious care. It seemed Cade was skilled with his fingers in every respect.

“Where’d you pick up this skill?”she asked after several minutes of relaxed bliss, surprised that such a rough man could be so delicate with his hands.

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