I’m halfway through wiping down the counter at Beantree during my Wednesday afternoon shift when Cade strolls in with his usual swagger firmly in ce.

    He has his baseball cap on backwards and that stupid heart–melting grin on his face. In his hand is a paper bag from a local burger joint that makes an amazing bacon, feta, and avocado burger. The heavenly smell that reaches me as he nears the counter reminds me that I haven’t eaten since

    breakfast.

    “You have exactly two minutes to clock out,” he says, casually leaning on the counter like he’s here to ce an order and not trying to kidnap me from my job.

    I blink at him before asking, “What?”

    “I’m taking you on a little road trip, Sunshine,” he deres as if it’s already a done deal.

    “I’m working, Cade. I can’t just up and leave almost an hour before my shift ends,” I admonish him.

    “Not anymore, you’re not,” he says as hees around the counter and stands before me, his hands slowly sliding over my hips and to my back where my apron is tied with a messy bow.

    “I have…” I start, but struggle to finish as his sandalwood and cut grass scent wraps around me.

    “I talked to Tessa already, and she’ll cover the rest of your shift,” he continues while he dips his head and kisses me in the crook of my neck as his hands work on untying my apron.

    My eyes drift shut because I’m having trouble concentrating, and my hands instinctively hold onto his biceps for some semnce of bnce. His lips skate featherlight kisses over my skin as I ask in a daze, “You coordinated this?”

    “Semib. /bIt was more of me using all my charm and engaging in some mild bribery,” he says against my skin with humor evident in his voice. As if on cue, Tessa strolls in with a huge grin.

    “Off you go, prettydy,” she says as Cade hands her my apron that he’d untied while rendering my mind useless with his ministrations, She then passes him my bag from underneath the counter with a conspiratory smile.

    “And where exactly are we going?” I ask suspiciously, as I wave to Tessa over my shoulder.

    He raises the paper bag and says, “To eat things with sauce and questionable nutritional value in a ce that has some of the best views around. And not just because I’ll be there,” he ends off saying

    with a cheeky wink.

    I stare at him for a second before asking in a mock–disappointed voice, “You kidnapped me for

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    Chapter 89: La POV

    takeout food? What happened to romantic homemade pic treats?”

    図 40b% /b

    “You’re going willingly, so it’s not kidnapping,” he says smugly, “And that makes it ivery /iromantic.”

    Tessa waves from the back, clearly in on this whole subterfuge. “Go, La. You need sunlight and someone who’ll feed you more than muffins and copious amounts of coffee.”

    Traitor.

    “I hate you,” I mutter to Cade as I grab my hoodie from the hook by the front door.

    His grin grows wider before he says, “You say that now. But wait until you see where I’m taking you.”

    I’m sitting cross–legged on a faded pic nket with some questionable stains on that Cade swears are ‘sentimental dirt stains‘, while holding a cheeseburger that’s already leaking through the wrapper, all while wondering why being around him makes me feel more lighthearted than I’ve been

    all week.

    The view helps, too, I guess.

    From up here, on this look–out point that I wasn’t even aware of, the town looks soft and far away. Thete afternoon sun stretches long shadows across the horizon, painting everything pink and

    gold. Cade is leaning back on his one elbow and sipping from a take–away milkshake cup like we’re

    in some off–brand romanticedy.

    “You gonna stare at that burger all night or…?” he asks as he eyes my burger.

    “I’m trying to eat it without getting sauce on my shirt,” I huff at him.

    “You brought a iwhite /ishirt to a sauce–heavy situation. That’s on you,” he tries scolding me.

    “One, it’s off–white. And two, I didn’t know I would be dragged to a sauce–heavy situation when I

    put it on this morning,” I sass him.

    “It’s soon–to–be–orange if you don’t catch that dollop of sauce escaping from the side,” he deadpans ollime. /li/ol

    I bite down defiantly at that, as hold eye contact with him, seemingly not caring about the sauce I feelnding on myp. The burger’s juices also ooze out when I sink my teeth into it and then

    slowly run down my wrist.

    Cade grins like it’s the highlight of his week, a look of devilment sparking to life in his eyes.

    “Don’t say it,” I warn, reaching for a napkin, already knowing he was about to make some sexual-

    Chapter 89: La POV

    “I wasn’t gonna say anything,” he says innocently, but his voice is full of lies. “But since we’re on the subject…how do you always manage to look hot and mildly feral at the same time when you eat?”

    I snort,ughing despite myself, saying, “You’re disgusting.”

    “And you love it,” he says, waggling his eyebrows at me.

    I pause mid–wipe, teasingly saying, “Maybe just a tiny bit, when I’m desperate for attention.”

    His face scrunches into dismay as he says, “Hey, take that back, you know I’m your favorite,” making me giggle at his silly antics.

    We continue to eat infortable silence for a few minutes that arefortable and calming to the

    soul.

    Then Cade suddenly says, almost absentmindedly, “You know, the room next to mine has been standing empty since we moved it. It echoes quite a lot and is extremely distracting.”

    My hand stills, and I nce at him, but he’s not looking at me, just watching the sky like it holds all  the universe’s secrets in that moment.

    “I mean,” he adds, in a softer voice, “I’m not trying to bribe you with burgers and hilltop sunsets or anything, but…if you know of someone that’s fed–up with their temporary lodgings…” He trails off, not pushing the subject further, leaving it up to me to fill in the nks.

    I don’t respond right away. As I finish my burger, I sit and ruminate over hisment, chewing slowly as if that simple act would bring me rity about what he’s insinuating.

    He shifts closer a few minutester, reaching past me to grab his packet of lightly salted chips, and his arm brushes mine. On purpose or not, I don’t know, and I don’t ask. But I also don’t care.

    But he doesn’t move away after he has his chips in hand, and neither do I.

    After about another 20 minutes, we gather our trash up slowly, as if neither of us wants this afternoon to end any time soon. And just as I’m about to stand, he reaches for my hand,cing our

    fingers together.

    It’s not roughly or dramatically; it’s just his fingers gliding through mine. His skin is warm from being in the afternoon sun so long, and its heat settles the butterflies that try to explode inside me.

    “You’ve got something…,” he starts, and before I can ask what, his thumb on his other hand grazes

    the corner of my mouth.

    It’s not flirty. It’s just a soft, intentional caring act that melts my heart at his feet. ulli/li/ul

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    Chapter 89: La POV

    His hand lingers afterward as his fingertips skate across my cheek, and I get lost in his intense gaze as he concentrates on where his fingers touch my heated skin.

    We’re closer now as, we’ve moved towards each other instinctively, not touching fully, but one final movement away from taking what we both crave.

    His eyes flick to mine as he asks in a low and sultry tone, “You still hungry?”

    All I can do is shake my head before whispering, “Not for food.”

    He pauses at that, his fingers tightening slightly around my wrist before he murmurs, “You sure you wanna say something like that to ime/ii, /iright now?”

    I don’t answer, which is answer enough for him as he leans in, but not all the way. Enough to press his forehead against mine for half a second, and just enough to sear this moment into my psyche.

    Before I know it, he eliminates the space left between us and kisses me like only he can. It’s soft, and slow, and filled with unspoken adoration.

    He doesn’t push for more, though, and after a few minutes of leisurely staking his im on my mouth and my heart, he pulls back slowly, exhales deeply before raking a hand through his hair, and then standing slowly and gracefully.

    “You ready?” is all he asks as he holds his hand out to me.

    There’s no teasing or pressure in his tone, and I can’t quite decide if he’s asking if I’m ready to leave or if I’m prepared to take a leap of faith and move into the room next to his.

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