Page 82 of Offside and Off-Limits
“We were,” I say in a small voice, my heart formerly buoyed by the sight of him now taking a nosedive, knowing where the conversation was leading before he got here.
“Have a seat, Mr. Lennox,” Veronica offers, and Cade lowers his bulk into the chair beside me. “Clara was telling me that things have developed beyond a professional relationship between you.”
He slides his eyes to mine, flashing me a small smile. “That’s right.”
“Are you aware that this goes against Clara’s contract? That there’s a non-fraternization policy in there designed for these types of…situations?”
“She told me about that, and I wanted to tell you that this woman isn’t just some fling to me, like Misty was all those years ago in New York.” He turns to me, and my heart squeezes as I see nothing but sincerity in his eyes. “I’m in love with Clara Johnson, and I’ll do whatever I need to protect that love.”
He holds my gaze, and it’s like Veronica, her office, the anxiety over my current job predicament slips away, and it’s just him and me, together, a united front.
It feels freaking amazing.
“Well,” Veronica says, pulling my attention from Cade. “This is certainly a more complex issue than I expected to face when I came to work this morning. Here's what's going to happen next. I need to discuss this with Paul and the executive team. This isn't a decision I can make unilaterally, no matter how compellingyou both are.” Her lips lift into a smile, and I know she can see that what we feel for one another is real.
“When will I know the outcome?” I ask.
“I’d say Monday morning. In the meantime, nothing changes. Tomorrow's Inaugural Bash proceeds as planned, and I expect you to capture footage as usual.”
I nod, my insides twisting like they’re trying to tie themselves in knots. “I guess that’s it then?”
“That’s it,” she confirms.
Cade and I both rise to our feet, and he places his hand lightly against my lower back to lead me from the room.
“Clara? Cade?”
We look back at Veronica.
“For what it’s worth, I’m happy for you both. It’s hard to find love in this cynical world, and by the looks of you, you’ve found it in one another.”
Cade reaches for my hand, and we share a smile.
Monday morning feels like both a lifetime away and terrifyingly imminent, but as Cade's thumb traces across my knuckles, I realize something important has shifted in my life. For the first time in many, many years, I'm not facing an uncertain future alone. Whatever the executive team decides, whatever consequences await me, we will handle them together.
CHAPTER 18
CADE
We parkoutside the sports facility’s ballroom for the Ice Breakers’ Inaugural Bash in our black tie best, me in a black tux with a crisp white shirt, and Clara in a deep blue, flowy dress that’s both sexy as heck and somehow kind of regal. It hugs her just right at the waist and dips low enough to make me forget what I was saying when she pulled the door open at her house. It’s simple, classy, and totally distracting.
She steps out of my car and smooths the skirt of her dress with her palms, looking up at me with anuncertain look in her eyes.
“We’ve got this, Triple,” I tell her as I pull her against me, planting a kiss on her forehead. “And did I mention how incredible you look tonight?”
Her pillowy lips lift into a smile. “Only about seven times.”
“Let’s make it eight. You look breathtakingly beautiful tonight, my love.”
She looks at me like I just handed her the stars. “I love it when you call me that.”
“My love? I only call you that because I’m in love with you.”
She laughs. “That’s a good enough reason, and you look beyond handsome in your tux.”
“Gotta look good for my woman,” I say in a caveman voice, which makes her laugh some more. I look over at the banner that readsIce Breakers Inaugural Bash – Welcome to Maple Fallsin letters so big you could read them from a plane at 30,000 feet. “I suppose we’d better get in there.”
“I suppose we had.” Her expression drops, and I know what she’s feeling. Trepidation. Fear. She could lose her job come Monday, which is so much more than just a job to her. It represents her independence and strength, her journey to reclaim her strength from her CFS and from her manipulative catfish of an ex.
