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Authors: Jennifer Decuir
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scooted closer. The late evening sun brought out golden flecks in his eyes. He was inviting her to open up. She’d be crazy not to take advantage of a unique opportunity like this. Cady blinked, curious as to his motives. Darting her tongue out to lick the perimeter of her sugar cone, she saw the moment his expression changed from interested, sympathetic even, to hooded and—hungry.
Burke grasped her wrist, holding it steady while he leaned down and pressed his open mouth to her ice cream. His eyes never left hers.
Oh my heavenly Lord!
It didn’t take a very great leap to imagine his mouth in other places. Warmer places that he could melt just as easily. The only physical contact between them was his hand on her wrist—but she couldn’t help shivering.
“Hey, you’ve got your own!” She laughed, her voice shaky, breathless.
“But yours is so good,” he growled.
Working relationship. Theirs was a working relationship. Cady pursed her lips and blew out slowly. Oh, the things she wanted to do to this man!
“Tell me what prompted this ‘ice cream therapy’ field trip.” He let go of her wrist and focused on his own dessert.
“Ugh. Family. It’s nothing. I’ll be fine after a healthy dose of chocolate.” She rolled her eyes and waved her free hand in the air.
He caught her hand in his own, squeezed it before drawing it onto his thigh and holding it there.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t genuinely want to know.” Burke took a couple of largish bites from his ice cream. Cady waited for him to wince when the brain freeze hit, but apparently it never did.
“Sometimes you have to look elsewhere for support. Family can be more of a hindrance when you’re trying to chase down your dreams.”
“Exactly!” She sat up straighter. “I mean, it’s not like this is a surprise to any of them. But suddenly it’s all about them. Chase is upset that I don’t want to live in town. Amanda has made it all about her—I’m leaving her, she says. I’m leaving her to raise her baby all on her own. Really?
“What about ‘We’re so proud of you, Cady’? Or, ‘You must be nervous, taking this monumental next step in your life. How can we help?’”
“They love you. They don’t want to lose you.” His voice was gentle.
“But they aren’t losing me! They’re trying to hold me back. Staying here would be like living in a cage—a roomy cage the size of a town—but a cage, nonetheless.”
“They want you to live the life they’d like for you, not the life you need in order to be happiest.” His voice drifted off, thoughtful.
“They don’t care about my happiness.” Chocolate was no longer working. Disgusted, Cady pitched her ice cream cone in the trash bin beside their wooden bench.
“No, that’s not it. Believe me. Your family loves you. They want you to be happy. They want to be with you. They want to be part of the exciting memories you make. They want to belong in your life.” He let his words hang, while frowning into the dying rays of sun.
Cady shook off the pity, trading it for a healthy dose of shame. Her family loved her. Of course she knew that. From what Burke had told her of his parents, she had no right to complain.
“Are you living your dream? Traveling, I mean? Telling the world about the places you visit? Is that what you want to be doing?”
She studied his profile. His jawline was hard, as though he were gritting his teeth. His nose long and angular. He had eyelashes any woman would envy. And he looked so profoundly sad.
Cady shifted until they were touching, shoulder to thigh. Noticing that he’d seemed to have forgotten about his own melting ice cream, she reached out and tugged it loose, tossing it into the garbage without even looking. Burke turned to face her, his expression mildly confused. Had he forgotten what they were talking about?
“Are you living your dream?” she prompted.
His smile was bitter.
“Funny you should ask.”
She let him set the
Burke grasped her wrist, holding it steady while he leaned down and pressed his open mouth to her ice cream. His eyes never left hers.
Oh my heavenly Lord!
It didn’t take a very great leap to imagine his mouth in other places. Warmer places that he could melt just as easily. The only physical contact between them was his hand on her wrist—but she couldn’t help shivering.
“Hey, you’ve got your own!” She laughed, her voice shaky, breathless.
“But yours is so good,” he growled.
Working relationship. Theirs was a working relationship. Cady pursed her lips and blew out slowly. Oh, the things she wanted to do to this man!
“Tell me what prompted this ‘ice cream therapy’ field trip.” He let go of her wrist and focused on his own dessert.
“Ugh. Family. It’s nothing. I’ll be fine after a healthy dose of chocolate.” She rolled her eyes and waved her free hand in the air.
He caught her hand in his own, squeezed it before drawing it onto his thigh and holding it there.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t genuinely want to know.” Burke took a couple of largish bites from his ice cream. Cady waited for him to wince when the brain freeze hit, but apparently it never did.
“Sometimes you have to look elsewhere for support. Family can be more of a hindrance when you’re trying to chase down your dreams.”
“Exactly!” She sat up straighter. “I mean, it’s not like this is a surprise to any of them. But suddenly it’s all about them. Chase is upset that I don’t want to live in town. Amanda has made it all about her—I’m leaving her, she says. I’m leaving her to raise her baby all on her own. Really?
“What about ‘We’re so proud of you, Cady’? Or, ‘You must be nervous, taking this monumental next step in your life. How can we help?’”
“They love you. They don’t want to lose you.” His voice was gentle.
“But they aren’t losing me! They’re trying to hold me back. Staying here would be like living in a cage—a roomy cage the size of a town—but a cage, nonetheless.”
“They want you to live the life they’d like for you, not the life you need in order to be happiest.” His voice drifted off, thoughtful.
“They don’t care about my happiness.” Chocolate was no longer working. Disgusted, Cady pitched her ice cream cone in the trash bin beside their wooden bench.
“No, that’s not it. Believe me. Your family loves you. They want you to be happy. They want to be with you. They want to be part of the exciting memories you make. They want to belong in your life.” He let his words hang, while frowning into the dying rays of sun.
Cady shook off the pity, trading it for a healthy dose of shame. Her family loved her. Of course she knew that. From what Burke had told her of his parents, she had no right to complain.
“Are you living your dream? Traveling, I mean? Telling the world about the places you visit? Is that what you want to be doing?”
She studied his profile. His jawline was hard, as though he were gritting his teeth. His nose long and angular. He had eyelashes any woman would envy. And he looked so profoundly sad.
Cady shifted until they were touching, shoulder to thigh. Noticing that he’d seemed to have forgotten about his own melting ice cream, she reached out and tugged it loose, tossing it into the garbage without even looking. Burke turned to face her, his expression mildly confused. Had he forgotten what they were talking about?
“Are you living your dream?” she prompted.
His smile was bitter.
“Funny you should ask.”
She let him set the
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