Page 14 of Resisting Temptation (Men of Honor 3)
I think about the way she ran up to me last night and threw herself at me… I was so scared something happened to you, you’re never late. Other than Sawyer and Jaxson, I have no one in my life who cares if I live or die. Which is exactly how I like it, and even though her affection completely surprised me and made me uncomfortable, it had also shifted something in my chest. Something I didn’t think I was capable of feeling anymore.
Then I had to go fucking spaz on her and tell her that her dad should be locked up. Jesus, I still can’t believe I said that. Even if I do hate the guy for what he is and everything he stands for, I shouldn’t have said that to her. I shake my head, getting pissed at myself again. Just tell her about the kid, say your piece and get the fuck out of there.
As soon as I walk into the clearing and see her, I come to a sudden stop. She looks nothing like the girl I’ve come to see in the past week. Instead of strumming her guitar with a beautiful smile, she sits with her back against the tree and her arms wrapped around her knees. Her head is turned to the side, facing away from me, and by the gentle shake of her shoulders I can tell she’s crying. My guilt escalates at seeing her like this, but it’s a good reminder of why it’s best to stay away from her after this.
A gust of wind kicks up as I start over to her, and I notice she’s in a dress and cowgirl boots again. Not really great attire for the weather. I also notice she doesn’t have her guitar.
Not wanting to scare her, I purposely make noise as I approach. Her head snaps in my direction, and my heart fucking swells painfully when her wet, green eyes collide with mine.
She wipes her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. “I’m surprised to see you. I thought you left,” she whispers sadly.
I clear my suddenly tight throat and sit down beside her. “Actually, I leave tomorrow but I wanted to come tell you that I found the kid.”
She sits up hopefully. “You found Aadil? Is he okay?”
“Yeah, he seemed to be. I found him at uh… a place where his mom works.” I decide not to share with her that he was at a bar/whorehouse. “He said he was going to try and come tomorrow night to see you.”
She lets out a relieved breath. “Thank God he’s all right. I was going to go and look for him tomorrow if he didn’t come tonight.”
Panic pounds through every vein in my body after she says that. “Not a good idea, Red. You could end up making things worse for the both of you if you go looking for him. Just stay here. He will come to you when he can.”
She watches me silently for a moment, her sad eyes doing shit to my chest that I didn’t think was possible up until a week ago. “Okay. I’ll wait here for him. Thank you for coming and telling me.”
I nod and an awkward silence settles over us. Another gust of wind kicks up, reminding me I don’t have much time with her. I try to find the right words for an apology but she beats me to it.
“I’m sorry about yesterday, Cade. I did not intend for our conversation to end up the way it did. I shouldn’t have pried.”
Well fuck, that makes me feel even more like shit. I avoid looking at her and instead keep my gaze on the trees in the distance. “It’s fine. Clearly it’s a sensitive subject for me and it always will be, but I shouldn’t have exploded like that.” I know it’s a shitty apology but I’m not great at apologizing.
“I’m so sorry about your sister,” she adds quietly.
I clench my jaw at the pain that slices though my chest. “I don’t want to talk about it, Red. Just let it go.”
She begins to apologize again when a loud crack of thunder sounds through the air and the sky opens up. Fast and heavy rainfall immediately soaks us.
“I guess that’s our cue.” I stand and offer her my hand.
She places her small, soft one in mine and allows me to pull her up. Her white dress is already soaked through and plastered against her body like second skin. I curse my dick for growing hard at the sight and hope she doesn’t notice.
Looking up at me, her seductive green eyes shine bright with a longing that matches my own. But they are also filled with questions, asking me for things I know I can’t give her, but fuck do I wish I could.
Before I do something stupid, I pull her to me and lean into her ear so she can hear me over the rain. “Be safe, Red.” Then planting a hard kiss on her forehead, I turn around and get the fuck out of there. The entire time I walk away from her I have an ache in my chest I haven’t felt since I was fifteen years old.
*
Faith
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I can’t believe I am doing this. I swipe my soaking wet hair out of my eyes and fight my way through the heavy rainfall as I try to find Cade’s camp. Please, God, don’t let me get into trouble… or shot at.
My teeth chatter, making me wish I would have gone back to camp for dry clothes and an umbrella first. I have no idea if I’m going the right way. I can only guess based on the little information he shared with me, on where he was stationed, and the direction he walked from when he came to see me.
I realize that walking around in the pouring rain looking for a naval base is probably not smart. But ever since Cade walked away I haven’t been able to get this sick feeling out of the pit of my stomach. The feeling that I was making a huge mistake by letting him go. I know the kind of man he is and what he believes. I know he does not do more than one night. But something tells me that having one night with him will be better than not having him at all.
