Stormy-gray eyes lock on mine, burning and unreadable, dragging me in and stalling time all at once. They flick to my lips, holding for a second too long. I stop breathing, heart hammering, and sway into him.
Is he going to kiss me? Do I want him to?
Yes? No? God, yes. I really do.
“Watch where you’re going,” he grits out, voice low and rough. “Christ, you’re a walking hazard, aren’t you?”
He drops his hands like I burned him, stepping back as if distance might undo the tension we just tied between us. The sudden shift has my mind spinning and irritation flaring.
“Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe I’m only a hazard when you’re around?” I snap out. “Maybe if you’d stop freezing in the middle of walkways, I’d be able to avoid careening into your giant, stupid body!”
“Wasn’t there when you drove into a fuckin’ ditch,” he mutters, bringing my coffee to his mouth so slowly, it borders on obscene. “That my fault, too?”
Before I can respond, his lips wrap around the lid—same place mine had not that long ago, and all I can think is,I wonder if he can taste me.
He tips his head back, throat working on a swallow, and then…
Gags, spraying the drink all over himself. I dodge out of the danger zone just in time, but it’s too late for Kade—my coffee’s already dripping through his beard and onto his gray shirt.
“What the fuck is that shit?” he snaps, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “That’s fucking disgusting! How the hell can you even drink that?”
I laugh so hard, I snort and double over. The sound of him gagging and rinsing his mouth out in the kitchen has me wheezing for breath, but I freeze when I feel it.
“Oh, shit.” Eyes wide, I meet his gaze across the open floor plan and drop my bag on the floor. “Seriously, Kade! Bathroom!?”
“First door on the left.” His hand shoots out, pointing toward the opposite end of the room to a hallway. “Don’t you dare piss on my new floors, woman! I don’t have time to replace ’em.”
I don’t wait—half running, half peeling my hazardous socks off on the way. I can hear him muttering about me being a menace, and I toss my middle finger over my shoulder, making him mutter some more.
When I’m done, I wash my hands in the pretty bronze sink and force myself to breathe though the nerves buzzing through my system. Stepping back, I search for a towel, but there isn’t one, so I dry my hands on my favorite jeans—a pair that make my ass look great but are broken in perfectly.
I check my reflection in the mirror, and quickly fix my hair. It’s down today, my natural curls bright and bouncy under the pretty iron light fixture. My makeup is minimal since I’m supposed to be doing some form of labor or crafts today, and my shirt is a baggy green crop with a Dolly album cover in the middle.
My eyes flick to the closed bathroom door, and I hesitate, gnawing on my lip.
I’m not a model by any standard—my thighs and butt are thicker than my upper body, giving me a pear shape. My boobs are pretty small, and my hair is frizzy most of the time. But I love my freckles, and my eyes have always been my favorite feature, especially next to my red hair.
Yet I can’t help wondering what Kade thinks.
Does he find me as attractive as I find him? Sometimes it feels like he’s flirting with me. Other times, I’m pretty sure he hates my guts—or at the very least, finds me incredibly annoying. I swear I’ve caught him checking me out before—but maybe he looks at every woman that way.
Did he look at Marlee like that?
Groaning, I force the ugly thought away and open the door, leaving the beautiful, but simple guest bathroom behind me.
Kade’s in the kitchen, back turned, phone pressed to his ear. I bite my lip and take in the house while he’s distracted.
There aren’t any furnishings yet, but the bones are incredible. It looks nearly done, like maybe he’s just in the final stages of renovations or something. The kitchen’s complete, and stocked with shiny stainless steel appliances that make my baker heart swoon. There’s a giant range and two ovens that match a massive double door fridge I could fully stock with all my stuff and still never fill.
The walls may be white, but with the dark floors, dark bronze fixtures, and massive stone fireplace—it’s warm and inviting, big enough to pack with all the friends and family a person could have.
I should leave. Grab my things and find Bea like I was supposed to half an hour ago. But if this is Kade’s new place…
The house he moved into for Aurora…
I turn on my heel and quietly explore the other side of the house, peeking into rooms, closets, and cabinets like the nosey little mouse one of my old foster dads used to accuse me of being.
This wing has four bedrooms, but the one I’m standing in is clearly the largest. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows wraps around the far side, with a sliding glass door at the center that opens to the back deck.
