Page 69 of Resisting Temptation (Men of Honor 3)
Ruth Jean punches at him, coming very close to his nether regions again. He quickly rights her. “Jesus, you’re a dangerous one!”
Still giggling, she gives him a friendly punch on the arm. “Bye!”
“Bye, beautiful.”
She runs back to us and slips her tiny hand into Cade’s big one. “All wight, wet’s go.” My heart completely melts again, and with a smile of my own, I wave goodbye to Jaxson and Sawyer as we head out the door.
Ruth Jean and I are the only ones to get an ice cream, which Cade ends up paying for, no matter how much I try to refuse. Next, we head to the park down the street in comfortable silence, while we enjoy our ice cream. It’s the quietest I’ve ever heard Ruth Jean.
Feeling the weight of Cade’s stare, I look over to see him watching me. I can’t see his eyes through his aviators, but by his expression I’m pretty sure I know what he’s thinking.
I give him a knowing smile. “Jealous of my ice cream, Walker?”
I giggle when his nostrils flare and his expression becomes more strained. Not being able to help myself, I slowly and precisely enjoy my ice cream. I slide my tongue through the soft, creamy chocolate then swirl it around the tip before closing my mouth over it.
The low growl that erupts from his chest hits me right between my legs. The feeling is still so foreign to me after everything that has happened, and I’m shocked he can evoke those feelings in me by just a little sound. Although I shouldn’t be, he’s always been able to make me feel things no one else ever has.
“I told ya, you should have gotten one, big guy.”
Cade glances down at Ruth Jean and clears his throat. “I guess I should have listened.”
“Yup!” she replies, just as she finishes the last of her cone.
Once we reach the park, she starts off toward the playground but I grab her by the back of the shirt to stop her. “Hold up, sweet girl. Let’s get some of this chocolate off your hands and face first.” I clean her up with a dry napkin as best as I can then let her go.
While she runs to the slide, Cade and I walk over to a bench not too far away and I don’t hesitate to sit close to him. “Want some?” I ask flirtatiously, holding my ice cream out to him.
Even though I can’t see his eyes, I swear I can feel the intensity of them. “Be careful how much you push me, Red. You’re fucking lucky we are in a park full of kids right now. That’s about the only thing saving you at the moment.”
I bite my lip to hold back my smile. “Maybe I don’t want to be saved from you.”
His expression becomes somber. “You should be.”
My smile dies and I swallow thickly, hating the way he sees himself. Before I can reply, he reaches up and lightly traces his fingers across my bruise, his jaw flexing in anger.
“It looks worse than it is.”
“You shouldn’t have gotten in the fucking middle of it.”
I let out a frustrated breath, and look away because I don’t feel like arguing with him. His hand threads into my hair at the side of my head and he brings my gaze back to his. “I don’t like seeing any marks on you, Red. Ever. Whether it’s an accident or not.”
My frustration vanishes at his sincere tone. That is something I can understand, because it devastates me to see his scars. Placing my hand over his, I lean into his warm touch and revel in the connection that’s always between us. The one that has never gone away. “I know. Christopher and I talked afterward, and even though it was an accident, and the other kid started it, he’s going to work harder at controlling his actions.” I pause, “Actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, Christopher is finished with his community service now and I want him to have something to do, maybe even make some money since he won’t accept any from me. Is there anything at the gym he could do or help with? I don’t want him going just anywhere and I think it would be good for him to be around the three of you.”
He grunts. “How the hell do you figure that?”
“Because I think all of you can relate a little to what he’s going through. To know what it’s like to make it through some rough times.” Getting to my knees now, I lean over him and throw my ice cream in the garbage, then wrap my arms around his neck, bringing my face only a mere inch from his. His hands move to my hips, and my heart escalates when his fingers grip them firmly. “But most of all,” I whisper, “I think it would be great for him to be around good, strong, honorable men. Men who all lived through hell to save a girl they barely knew.”
His hands move from my hips, up my back and underneath my hair to cup my face under my jaw. “You were hardly a girl I barely knew.”
“You guys would have done it for a stranger and you know it.”
“You hold us too high, Red. We would have done it because it’s what we were trained to do.”
I shake my head. “No. You were all trained with your hands but not your hearts. It all starts here, Cade.” I continue quietly, placing my hand over his strong and steady heartbeat. “You have to have a good heart before you can be trained to fight for what’s right. And you, Cade Walker, have the most beautiful heart out of anyone I know. Even when you’re moody and brooding,” I add with a smile.
“What the fuck have I said about using that…”
I cut off his protest with a kiss; he’s caught off guard for only a brief second before he ends my control. With a low growl, he tilts my head and demands my mouth hungrily. His tongue licks the seam of my lips, seeking permission, and I happily let him in. We both moan at the first stroke of his tongue. My head becomes clouded and my senses overwhelmed by his taste and scent.
