Page 190 of Beautifully Ruined
I slide my arms around her and kiss her hungrily, forcing myself to back off and make the kiss softer. Then I raise my head. “I promise I’ll always be here to take care of you. I’ll protect you from everything bad because I love you.”
She smiles. “I love you, too. Can we go home? I’m so tired, and I really, really want to curl up and fall asleep with you.”
I slowly grin at her. “Sure, we can. But you’re absolutely batshit crazy if you think you’re getting any sleep tonight…”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
VIOLET
I try to stay awake,I do. But I pass out at some point.
I have vague memories of Cade carrying me up the stairs to his loft, undressing me and putting me to bed. I even remember him curling around me, fully dressed, a furnace I can snuggle against even if it’s a nice temperate summer night.
And then…nothing.
I wake with a start.
The room is dark, and I have no idea what time it is. I might have slept through to the following evening because it had to have been late when we got back, like early hours of the morning.
It smells good in here.
I’m about to head out when I see a dress on a chair and heels next to it. There’s a note with Cade’s writing.
Wear me.
Smiling,curious, I jump in the shower. When I exit, I’m awake completely, and I dry off and get dressed.
Cade is in the kitchen, looking hot and sexy in faded jeans and a blue button down shirt. There’s a tea towel over one shoulder, and he’s cooking. Sort of. He’s heating a pan of sauce, and I can see the paper bag from an upscale Italian restaurant, ragu is written on the lid on the counter.
I stare.
Because there’s also a tray of uncooked fresh pasta. And another container of shaved parmesan. And…oh my…tiramisu—one of the things this restaurant is renowned for.
He must have paid a pretty penny to get this delivered
“Did I sleep through the day?” I ask.
He turns and smiles at me. “Sure did, but it gave me a chance to do this…”
I suddenly take in the rest of his kitchen area. The table is set, and there are candles. And…I swallow hard.
Cade has scattered rose petals.
I immediately go to the light switch and dim it low, and the candles give a warm, romantic glow to the room.
“Sit.”
I do as I’m told, but I lean on the table, taking him in as he stirs the sauce and checks the water for the pasta.
“What’s all this?” I ask.
“Dinner.”
I bite down on my smile. “I mean, Cade, what’s it in honor of?”
“Look, I didn’t want to screw this up, so I ordered in something you’d like, but I got it so I could put it all together myself, like it was just made.”
“But why?”
