Page 29 of Body Checking
I’m not used to someone showing me affection in public, in front of others. My parents and Sasha don’t count. Especially not Sasha since her form of love is tough love.
“Oh. Um, can I have a Deep Eddy Ruby Red?”
Bryn’s crooked grin hits me in my stomach and she says, “Nice choice, gorgeous. Be right back.”
We watch her walk away. Well, I say we but when I divert my eyes, I find Cade watching me.
“Your friend is very beautiful,” I whisper.
“So are you, Sweetheart.” I gulp and bite my lip to stop it from trembling. “She’s just my friend, Maren.”
“But if she wasn’t at one time, it’s okay. I mean, you don’t owe me anything. I’m nothing and she seems like…like everything.”
“Maren, look at me please.” I slowly raise my head and lock my eyes with his. “Never,ever, say you are nothing. You are everything to me. And I swear to you, Bryn is just a friend. In fact, she’d be more likely to hit on you than me.”
He arches a brow, insinuating what I obviously didn’t pick up.
“Oh…oooh.”I draw out when I finally understand. “She’s a,” I drop my voice, “a lesbian?”
Cade laughs, his deep baritone rolling through my body. “She’s a people lover. Man, woman, she loves them all. But with that said, she and I have never been anything more than friends. We have been each other's wingmen which usually ends with her taking home both the man and woman.”
I let myself breathe a sigh of relief and finally relax. I don’t see any reason why Cade would lie to me. He’s been more than upfront with everything he’s told me. And maybe it was Bryn looking at me in a different light. Maybe she wasn’t judging me, but…admiringme?
Close my eyes and shake that ridiculous thought out of my head.
“What’s that for, Sweetheart?” Cade asks me.
“Just a silly thought.”
Cade leans in closer and says, “Tell me and I’ll let you know if it’s ridiculous.”
“Seriously, Cade. It’s stupid.” His eyes grow intense and his jaw hardens.
“Tell me, Maren.”
My stomach turns but not in fear. It flips end over end, a feeling of want swirling.
“Um. I thought Bryn was judging me at first, but then I foolishly thought she was, you know, checking me out. But that’s ridiculous. Why would anyone look at me like that?”
“Because you’re a goddamn knockout, Maren. And I’m going to be honest with you. I’m getting pretty fucking tired of you questioning your beauty and your worth. Ifyou could only see what I see, you’d understand why I am totally and completely infatuated with you.”
“Cade. Please don’t–”
“I am. More than I should be. But you’re all I think about. You’re on my mind twenty four hours of the day, and if there were more those would be filled with thoughts of you, too. It’s kind of frightening how intense these feelings are. You should probably run instead of sitting here with me.”
He makes me laugh and my heart flutter.
“Okay,” I say in a soft, quiet voice.
“Okay what, Maren?”
“Okay. I’ll stop thinking that way.”
“Good. I want my beautiful girlfriend to bask in her own beauty. Try doing that for me.”
“I’ll try,” I tell him honestly.
It’s going to be a tough task, but I will most certainly work on it. Especially if it makes Cade happy.
