Page 31 of A Gift of Time
Chapter Nine
The following Saturday marked four days since Caden had been staying with me. Within that time, we’d talked every evening once I got home from work and had gotten to know each other better. Sometimes it had been small talk, but even the less serious line of conversation had been amazing.
At times, one of us would say something so ridiculous that we’d bust a gut laughing so hard. It felt just like old times… before I’d become too obsessed with my work.
A part of me was thankful for the opportunity to rediscover Caden, to fall in love with him again. I’d been blinded for so long, and my eyes had never been more open as he sat across from me that morning, drinking his coffee and reading a book on his kindle.
In the mornings, Caden’s hair did this thing where the right side flipped near his ear and formed into a little curly Q. As his attention was on the book, my attention was on him, studying the strand of hair and aching to twirl it around my finger like I used to do.
A memory flashed through my mind.
“What are you staring at?” Caden asked in a sleep-heavy voice as the golden light came in through the window, shining on his blond hair.
I’d woken up only a few minutes before him, and I’d been admiring his beauty. We had only known each other for a month, but my heart didn’t seem to register the amount of time. I was already falling for him.
No one had ever captivated me like he did.
“There’s a strand of hair. Right here,” I touched the piece by his ear, “that’s curled in a little Q.” I hooked my finger around it, playing with the strand, as I met his blue-eyed stare. “It’s cute.”
Caden rewarded me with a breathtaking smile. “Cute, huh? Not sure how I feel about that.”
I kissed him then. Gentle and unrushed. His tongue danced with mine, and I moaned into his mouth.
We’d stayed up late the night before having mind-blowing sex, but I already craved him again, just as I assumed I’d forever crave him.
After pulling back from the kiss, I nuzzled my forehead against his, feeling a tingling in my chest, as if I’d finally found the other half of my heart.
“You okay?”
Snapping out of my thoughts, I focused on Caden. “Huh?”
“You were zoning,” he said, creasing his brow. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. You look sort of sad.”
“I’m fine,” I said and took a drink of my coffee, making a face when I realized it was cold. I stood and walked to the microwave to heat it. After I sat back down, I smiled at him. “What do you want to do today?”
“I called the painters, and they’re going to be here around ten-thirty to paint the living room,” he said before hesitating and nibbling his bottom lip. “We’ll need to be out of their way, but it shouldn’t take them too long because they’re just doing the one wall. Is that okay?”
The decorating of my apartment meant nothing to me; it had only been a way to see Caden more. But I knew it’d turn out great regardless.
If I was able to reverse the wish, it wouldn’t matter anyway. We’d be back in our old lives.
“Sure,” I answered, gazing out the window. The sun was out, so it might’ve been cold, but not unbearably so. “We can walk around town until they’re finished. Maybe grab lunch later. It won’t be too hard to find ways to pass the time.”
After we showered—not together, unfortunately—we got dressed. It was fun getting ready with him. We were in my closet, looking through our clothes for the day, and we kept bumping into each other and laughing like school boys.
Once the painters arrived, and Caden gave them more instructions on how he wanted it done, we left the apartment.
Just as I’d suspected, it was cold but not too bad. The layers of clothes helped.
Winters in Scottsdale were always cold, so I was pretty much accustomed to the frigid temperatures. Some of the snow had melted and turned to slush in the busier parts of town—mostly the roads and areas that saw a lot of foot traffic—but the majority of it was still there.
As we walked down the sidewalk, Caden deeply inhaled before turning to me. “I love the smell of snow. Well, more like the smell in the air when it snows.”
“No, admit it,” I said in a teasing tone. “You go around huffing Frosty. Do you also deck the halls with Frosty’s balls?”
His answering giggle caused me to laugh, too.
“You’re so bad,” he said after composing himself. But then, his face reddened and his eyes watered before he busted out laughing again. “Oh my god, I can’t breathe.”
