A nervous laugh titters from me. Dear God, what have I gotten myself into now?
“Hello, you.” My fingers move in lieu of a wave. In truth, I’m simply trembling. “You’re awfully handsome. I bet all the pretty little pooches come sniffing around, just hoping to get a look at that face.” My entire body remains solid as a sheet of ice. I’m not sure what Cade wants from me, but I’m pretty sure I’ve just given it everything I’ve got.
The poor thing lets out a whimper, struggling to get out here and eat me alive while Cade yanks him back into the house. He widens the door and smiles with those glorious white picket fence teeth of this.
“Come on in.” He nods me over while restraining his best furry bud by the leash.
Everything in me wants to “come on in,” but it’s like moving through a pile of hot tar. It just isn’t happening.
“I swear he won’t bite.”
“Well, if you swear.” My voice shakes as I make a mad dash to the sofa and jump on it with my feet tucked underneath me as if there were a mouse in the vicinity. Trust me, there is something far more lethal than a mouse in the vicinity, and right about now, I’d welcome an entire herd of little white snowballs with foot-long tails.
Cade gets down and gives his friend a scratch behind both ears. “Buddy, this is Cassidy—Cassidy, this is Buddy.”
The dog looks over with his menacing, albeit cute, fuzzy little face as if he understands every single word.
“He minds you pretty well.”
“He does. Buddy here is nothing but a gentle giant. He doesn’t have it in him to hurt a fly.”
“Really?” I don’t mean for it to come out as incredulous as it does. “I mean, don’t you want him to protect you? Eat any unsuspecting burglars that might make their way inside?”
Cade belts out a laugh. “He’ll give a good bark if a stranger is at the door, but this little guy would rather lick any thief to death than bite them. Heck, he might help them haul off the TV.” He leans over and hugs the miniature bear, and something about seeing Cade so loving to this lumbering beast melts me. “I’ll put him away. I just wanted the two of you to finally get a chance to meet.” His eyes glow a peculiar shade of turquoise in the light, and I’m transfixed by this beautiful, big-hearted man. “I think it’s important to introduce the people you care about to those closest around you.” He nods as the air clots up in the room, stuffy and full of expectation, before he walks poor Buddy off to this nightly doom. A dog with a room of his own. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Now that’s a city thing to do if I’ve ever heard it.
Wait—did he just say the people you care about? As in me?
Cade comes back and plucks me off the sofa, wraps his loving arms around my waist, and every last part of me swoons right here in his embrace. Cade James is going to make someone very, very happy one day. Tears come, and I’m quick to blink them away.
“I have an idea of what we can do tonight.” His hot lips sink a kiss over mine, and I groan with delight, because for one, I actually think we’re off to a pretty good start.
“I sort of came up with an idea or two of my own, Mr. New York City.” I lean in and take a bite out of his ear. “You still got that leash handy?”
Cade warms my ear with a laugh. “I do, and, believe me, I plan on taking you up on whatever it is you wish to do with it. But first, I thought we could switch it up a bit. You know, take this show on the road.”
“You have a backyard you’re looking to christen?” I bite down over my lower lip just thinking of the raunchy gymnastics that are about to take place.
“I do”—he winces with the slightest look of regret—“but let’s put that idea on hold for a few hours as well. How about you and I head out and grab a quick bite?” His dark brows flex like a couple of crows swooping into flight. It looks vexingly sexy, and my secret spot quivers just begging to kiss him.
“A quick bite, huh? Sure! Let’s head over to the kitchen. I promise, I can make a gourmet meal out of nothing but a saltine cracker and an anchovy. I’m pretty sure the selection in that fridge of yours is a step up or two from that.”
He reels me back in with that heavy look in his eyes, slight lines of concern brewing on his forehead. “I mean it. I want to take you out. Show you off a bit. You’re too beautiful to keep hidden in this tiny house.”
My mouth opens with protest, but the words refuse to come out. We can’t venture out into the free world, what with Piper and Owen running around out there—not to mention that little bitch Ina just clucking around waiting to record our next liaison and upload it to YouTube. There’s no way I’d ever let that happen.