Page 69 of Gorgeous

Cade shoves at his shoulder, and not lightly.

“I already have my dress,” Anniston explains, “and Theo will wear what the fuck I tell him to wear.” She glances over her shoulder at Theo, smiling. He rolls his eyes and throws open the fridge, rooting around like he doesn’t care one way or another what he wears as long as Anniston is the one to take it off him. “Cade needs a new tux,” she says. “He’s outgrown the one he has.”

I only feel a little annoyed that she knows he has outgrown his clothes.

“And since you agreed to go” —she cuts me a look that I interpret asdeny it and I will cut off your hair while you’re sleeping—“You’ll need a dress, too. Luckily, Cade had already planned to go this afternoon. You can go with him and kill two birds with one stone.” She shrugs her shoulders like she didn’t just sentence Cade and I to awkward hell for the rest of the day.

“I don’t think I can afford a new dress,” I mutter, embarrassed about my financial situation for the first time.

Anniston waves me off. “Please. Cade will take care of it. Right, Gorgeous?”

Cade’s glare looks the opposite of pleased to take care of it. He looks like he would rather punch something instead of flashing Anniston a fake smile and gritting, “I’d love to.”

Theo slips behind Anniston, bending down so his chin rests on her shoulder, and flashes Cade and I a cocky wink with a clear underlying meaning. “You kids behave in those dressing rooms.”

“I’m sorry Anniston roped you into going to this gala,” Cade says. I’ve been staring out the window while he drives, playing an old sign game Ben and I used to play on road trips. It was obvious this was not how we planned to discuss what happened the other day.

The smile I give him is weak. “It’s okay. Sue will be excited. Being seen more in the community is good for business.” Total lie. I’m actually pretty excited to be Cade’s date. I can only imagine how edible he looks in a tux. Cade drums his fingers on the steering wheel, seeming nervous. “I can make something up if you don’t want me to go,” I offer.

Cade veers off the road at my suggestion before correcting, “No, that’s not it. I want you to go.” He rakes his hand through his hair and sighs. “I know how she can be when she wants something. I don’t want you to feel like you have to go ifyoudon’t want to.”

We’re going with awkward, I see.

I place a hand on Cade’s jean-clad thigh. The muscle twitches under my touch, and God I want to squeeze it. “I want to go with you,” I say, my voice seeming loud in the quiet cab.

Briefly, Cade eyes our connection—my pink painted nails on his dark-wash denim—and then … he smiles and covers my hand with his big one. My lungs decide that now is the prime opportunity to stop working. I swallow, staring out at the open road. I’m at a loss for what I’m supposed to say. We still have much to discuss. Cade’s hot and cold attitude with me is still an issue. He either likes me or he doesn’t. I can’t take much more of this push and pull we’ve been doing.

My hand twitches under his, and after a minute, I break the silence, my big girl panties firmly in place. “About that kiss.”

Cade lets out a harsh breath. “I’m sorry,” says the man who checked for vampires outside my window just a few days ago. “It’s difficult for me to be around women.”

I pause, blinking at his hardened jaw. “You seemokay around Anniston.”

That snaps his head around. “She’s different.”

Of course she is. “Why?”

Cade scoffs at my question, and for a minute I think he’s not going to answer me. But then the truck slows, and he pulls off onto the shoulder. He presses the button, and the windows lower before he flips off the ignition.

Suddenly, the granola with milk I had this morning seems like a bad idea. I should have gone with something more substantial. Then maybe it wouldn’t feel like there is a churning vat of nerves in my stomach right now. Cade unbuckles his seatbelt and turns his body to face me.

I press the button on my own seatbelt. “I guess you want to talk.” I make a show of looking out the window at the deserted road leading to the only highway in Madison, not a car in sight. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall passing one on our way either.

“You deserve my full attention.”

Hello, soaked panties.

The fabric makes a sound when my bare thighs slide along the seat cushion to face Cade. If he’s giving me his full attention, the least I can do is give him mine.

“I … uh.” His confession starts out rough, his voice shy with a hint of a raspy quality to it. “I like you,” he tries again, the words spilling out in one breath.

To say I am completely shocked would be a lie. I knew he liked me in his own way. That’s not the issue. The issue is whether he likes meandmy vagina, because there’s a distinct difference. One is called the friend zone and the other is called a boyfriend. Or fuckbuddy. I wouldn’t be opposed to either.

“I like you, too.” I say, watching his hands twist together in his lap. He’s nervous. And it’s causing me to have word vomit. “Ireallyfucking like you.”

Cade’s laugh is low and rumbly. “I really fucking like you, too …” I feel abutcoming on. “But I can’t be with you.” I feel my cheeks pull down into a frown as Cade hurries out, “Not that I don’t want to, because I do.” His tongue slips out, wetting his bottom lip before he bites down and releases it slowly, the motion looking incredibly sexy. “I really fucking do, Breck. I want you to know that.”

I nod like I understand, but I still don’t. What’s the issue? He wants to take my panties off, and I … well, I want to rip his boxers off with my teeth like a rabid dog.

---