said… awful things…” My eyes saw nothing as my mind replayed that horrible scene in Blane’s office. Ishuddered, pushing the memories away. “And that was it. I haven’t seen him since. At least, not until last night.”
“So this is my fault,” Kade said.
I couldn’t decipher the look on his face. “No, it’s not,” I said firmly. “I told Blane the truth and he chose not to believe me. If he can’t trust me about something that serious, then he doesn’t love me. Maybe he never really did.”
And that was the first time I’d voiced that fear aloud. It had swum darkly in my mind for weeks and I’d been afraid to face it. Doing so now, uttering those words, felt freeing in a way. I could handle it. I didn’t fall apart at the thought that Blane had never really loved me.
“I don’t know if that’s true—” Kade said, skeptical.
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” I broke in, interrupting whatever he was going to say. I didn’t want to hear anyone defend Blane, not even Kade. “What’s done is done and there’s no turning back.”
“Princess, listen to me,” he said, reaching over and lightly grasping my tightly fisted hand. “People make mistakes. Trust me. I’m the king of fucking up. But I don’t believe that Blane never loved you, and I’m willing to bet he still does.”
Anger flashed through me and I jerked my hand away. “If he loves me so damn much,” I spit out, “then why did it take him three months and someone trying to kill me for him to come talk to me? Apologize?”
Kade put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Hey, I don’t know why he does what he does. I’m just saying. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”
I was immediately embarrassed about lashing out at him. “I’m sorry,” I said, pushing my fingers through my hair. “I’m not mad at you. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Hey, no apology necessary. Give me your worst. I can take it.” His telltale smirk was back.
I thought about asking Kade why he’d chosen to be absent all this time, too, but decided against it. I didn’t want to bring up that painful argument we’d had the last time I’d seen him. It was too nice having him here, his easy company making me forget the gnawing anxiety in the pit of my stomach.
“Let’s get out of here,” Kade said abruptly. “Go see a movie, do something.”
I hadn’t seen a movie in months. That actually sounded pretty good. Normal.
“Okay,” I said with a smile. “Let me grab my shoes.” I set our plates in the sink and slid my feet into flip-flops.
“Princess, as much as I enjoy the view, I’d appreciate not having to beat the shit out of someone tonight.”Kade’s long-suffering drawl had me glancing at him in confusion. He pointedly looked at my chest. I looked down.
Oh.
My cami with no bra left little to the imagination. I hadn’t even thought about it and now I was embarrassed. I had the kind of breasts that made my going without a bra extremely noticeable, not to mention tacky, but the thought of putting one on over my bruised ribs had me thinking twice.
“I’ll just throw a shirt on over this,” I said.
“Ribs hurt?”
I nodded.
“Let me see.”
That had my alarm bells jangling, but I didn’t resist when he lifted my shirt on my injured right side and raised my arm. I held the fabric to cover my breasts while he inspected the bruises that I knew would look worse in the morning.
“That has to hurt like a sonofabitch,” he observed. His fingers gently touched me, brushing over my abused skin.
I couldn’t answer. His nearness and his touch made my breath freeze in my lungs. I watched him, but his eyes were fixed on my injury, his dark brows drawn together in concern. I waited for him to make some sexual innuendo as usual, but he surprised me.
“You’re lucky you didn’t do more than bruise them,” he said, dropping his hand and moving away. “You don’t have any padding. Your ribs are right under the
“So this is my fault,” Kade said.
I couldn’t decipher the look on his face. “No, it’s not,” I said firmly. “I told Blane the truth and he chose not to believe me. If he can’t trust me about something that serious, then he doesn’t love me. Maybe he never really did.”
And that was the first time I’d voiced that fear aloud. It had swum darkly in my mind for weeks and I’d been afraid to face it. Doing so now, uttering those words, felt freeing in a way. I could handle it. I didn’t fall apart at the thought that Blane had never really loved me.
“I don’t know if that’s true—” Kade said, skeptical.
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” I broke in, interrupting whatever he was going to say. I didn’t want to hear anyone defend Blane, not even Kade. “What’s done is done and there’s no turning back.”
“Princess, listen to me,” he said, reaching over and lightly grasping my tightly fisted hand. “People make mistakes. Trust me. I’m the king of fucking up. But I don’t believe that Blane never loved you, and I’m willing to bet he still does.”
Anger flashed through me and I jerked my hand away. “If he loves me so damn much,” I spit out, “then why did it take him three months and someone trying to kill me for him to come talk to me? Apologize?”
Kade put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Hey, I don’t know why he does what he does. I’m just saying. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”
I was immediately embarrassed about lashing out at him. “I’m sorry,” I said, pushing my fingers through my hair. “I’m not mad at you. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Hey, no apology necessary. Give me your worst. I can take it.” His telltale smirk was back.
I thought about asking Kade why he’d chosen to be absent all this time, too, but decided against it. I didn’t want to bring up that painful argument we’d had the last time I’d seen him. It was too nice having him here, his easy company making me forget the gnawing anxiety in the pit of my stomach.
“Let’s get out of here,” Kade said abruptly. “Go see a movie, do something.”
I hadn’t seen a movie in months. That actually sounded pretty good. Normal.
“Okay,” I said with a smile. “Let me grab my shoes.” I set our plates in the sink and slid my feet into flip-flops.
“Princess, as much as I enjoy the view, I’d appreciate not having to beat the shit out of someone tonight.”Kade’s long-suffering drawl had me glancing at him in confusion. He pointedly looked at my chest. I looked down.
Oh.
My cami with no bra left little to the imagination. I hadn’t even thought about it and now I was embarrassed. I had the kind of breasts that made my going without a bra extremely noticeable, not to mention tacky, but the thought of putting one on over my bruised ribs had me thinking twice.
“I’ll just throw a shirt on over this,” I said.
“Ribs hurt?”
I nodded.
“Let me see.”
That had my alarm bells jangling, but I didn’t resist when he lifted my shirt on my injured right side and raised my arm. I held the fabric to cover my breasts while he inspected the bruises that I knew would look worse in the morning.
“That has to hurt like a sonofabitch,” he observed. His fingers gently touched me, brushing over my abused skin.
I couldn’t answer. His nearness and his touch made my breath freeze in my lungs. I watched him, but his eyes were fixed on my injury, his dark brows drawn together in concern. I waited for him to make some sexual innuendo as usual, but he surprised me.
“You’re lucky you didn’t do more than bruise them,” he said, dropping his hand and moving away. “You don’t have any padding. Your ribs are right under the
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