Page 102 of Dreaming at Seaside
Caden’s truck pulled into the driveway behind her.
She couldn’t breathe.
She watched in her side-view mirror as he stepped from the truck in his uniform, looking exactly like he had the first night they’d met. When his eyes caught hers in the mirror, she felt her heart swell. Only this time the sadness in his eyes mirrored how she felt, but she couldn’t let that dissuade her from where she was heading.
His powerful legs carried him one sure step at a time toward her car. Her breathing became shallow, and when he reached for the door handle, she no longer felt like she was a woman who needed to roar.
She just felt like a woman, and that was enough.
CADEN COULDN’T BELIEVE his eyes. Bella was right there, stepping out of her car wearing—holy cow. What was she wearing? Some pink polyester number that hugged her breasts and hips and appeared to be held on by two thin ribbons that tied around her neck. There was a pink satin bow at her waist, and the fabric stopped above her knees in the front and hung to her heels in the back.
“Stop looking at me like that.” She crossed her arms, and her shoulders rounded forward. She drew them back and lifted her chin.
“I’m…Bella…”Come on, say something. “I’m sorry.”
“So am I.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m going to tell you something,” she said with a serious tone. “And I’m only going to say it once.”
Caden touched her arm.
“I can’t think if you touch me.”
That made him smile, which brought a narrowing of her eyes. He stared at his hand before peeling his fingers from her skin.
“I’m sorry. But you’re here. Even if you’re annoyed with me, I’m happy you’re here.” How could he not smile? He’d missed her so much, and here she was, wearing some ridiculous outfit, angry and crazy adorable. The sound of her voice was like a new heart to a dying man.
“I missed your voice,” he admitted.
“You.” She poked his chest. “Hurt.”Poke. “Me.”Poke.
He grabbed her finger and pressed her palm to his chest. She tried to pull away, but he held on tight.
“Darn it, Caden.” Her voice trembled. “You hurt me. A lot.”
“I’m sorry.” He took a step closer and she peered up at him, then lowered her eyes to her hand, trapped beneath his. “I hurt me, too.”
At that, she lifted her beautiful eyes to his, and he could see her struggling to sound angry when he knew she felt as compelled to fall into his arms as he did to wrap them around her and hold her close.
“You waited too many days before you called me,” she said just above a whisper.
He shook his head. “I didn’t know if I should call.”
Her eyes narrowed again. “You should have.”
“I couldn’t be more sorry.” He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, hold her, make both their pains go away, but before he could move, she spoke.
“You’re standing there all handsome and apologetic, and…hot in that stupid sexy uniform, with that look in your eyes like you love me more than life itself, and…”
“I do,” he said.
“You…”
“I do love you more than life itself.”
She clenched her jaw and looked away, and when she turned back, her voice was determined once again. “Oh. Wait. I have…I love you, too, but darn it, I need to finish.”
He smiled. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow, as if she was trying to remember what she was saying. “You let me be strong, but you also make me weak.” She shook her head. “But you don’t reallymakeme weak. You love me in ways that make me feel safe enough to forget I’m strong, and that scares the daylights out of me—even though I love that feeling. I’ve never had that feeling before, but you, Caden Grant…” She fisted her hands in that silly pink getup, and a second later she poked his chest again. “You.”Poke. “Are.”Poke.
