Page 39 of Dreaming at Seaside
“Dude, let me get her. Trust me. You don’t want those girls seeing you like that. Bella yes, but Jenna? Man, she’ll eat you alive.”
Caden couldn’t even thank him, he was so embarrassed. He banged his forehead against the door, then reached for the buckle on the tool belt to take the stupid thing off.
He heard their giggles before he could get the tool belt off.For crying out loud.
“Oh, come to mama,” Jenna teased.
“You are onehothandyman,” Bella said as she came up behind him and patted his butt.
“Wowza,” Amy said. “I told you that lingerie, leather boots outfit would put a spark in your relationship.”
We needed a spark?What else could he do but roll with it? Caden turned, threw his hands up in the air, and spun around slowly. “There you go, ladies. Get an eyeful, because it’s the only one you’re gonna get.”
“Dude, you’re upping the ante here big-time. How are we supposed to keep up?” Kurt and Leanna followed Jenna onto the deck.
“Well, you know. You’ve already got Leanna, so you probably don’t need to do this stuff anymore. I’m still wooing Bella.” Bella trailed her fingers lightly along his abs, with such a lustful look that he was thankful the tool belt was hanging in front of his junk.
Kurt shook his head. “If you think it ends after you’re together, boy, you’ve been out of the dating scene for too long. I know I was.” He pulled Leanna close, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.
Bella hooked her finger into the belt and smiled up at him. “I love that you came over ready to work.” She lifted her brows and nibbled on her lower lip.
He shot a look at the others.
Tony held his hands up in the air. “I tried, dude.”
“Thanks, man.”
“If you thought we’d miss this, you were sorely mistaken.” Jenna and Amy made no effort to hide their gawking.
“If you’re going to drool over me, you’d better have a few dollar bills ready.”
Bella put her hand flat on Caden’s chest. It was warm and soft, and even with all the people around them, he couldn’t help taking her in his arms and kissing her.
“Hi, sexy,” she said. “Kurt and Leanna were helping me write up some of the stuff I need for the project I’m working on. We can finish tomorrow.”
“No need. It’ll take me some time to get these locks on. Why don’t you guys finish and then we’ll spend time together.”
She ran her finger down the center of his chest. “Will you stay dressed like this?” She fluttered her lashes and nibbled on her lower lip.
Did she have any idea how crazy that drove him?
He glanced at the others, talking among themselves but still close enough to hear them. Being with Bella had calmed his nerves, and he no longer felt embarrassed. It struck him that Bella’s friends had already becomethatcomfortably familiar to him.
He shrugged. “Why not.”
Bella went up on tiptoes and kissed him. “Hot damn! And in case you didn’t get the memo, we’re dating, so you can totally do boyfriendy things.”
He lowered his cheek to hers. “I got the memo and the racy selfie. Do you really think I’d have dressed like this if I didn’t think we were dating?”
Her smile didn’t falter.
“Does this mean you’re committing to seeing only me, or do you plan on dating anyone willing to don a tool belt?”
She drew back and searched his eyes. “I am totally breaking my plan for you, you know.”
“I do know.”But I’m hoping your new plan will include me and Evan.
BELLA HAD A hard time focusing on the marketing pitch and designing the outline for the work-study program with Caden walking around half naked. They’d been trading heated glances that made her feel like a high school girl crushing all over again. Only Caden was not a high school boy. He was one hundred percent man. She wondered what he was like in high school. Was he strong and silent, a little mysterious, the way he was as a man? Or did that come with being a father or simply growing up? Had he been a jock or a studious nerd?
