Page 83 of The Obvious Check
“Cade—”
He hums against me, teasing me with just the heat of his breath and a nervous tremor shakes through me.
I want this. I really want this. But my mind starts spinning and panic starts to curl in my stomach.
“I-I think I want to wait.” The words spill out of my mouth before I can stop them, breathless and unconvincing. Cade stills, then slowly lifts his head, his eyes locking onto mine as a knowing smirk tugs at his lips.
“Oh yeah?” His tone is amused. “You want to wait, but you’re okay with making me come twice in the span of ten minutes? Not to mention you dry humping me until you come all over my lap?”
Heat floods my face.
“I’m just not ready for this,” I say quickly, avoiding his gaze.
“Okay?” His brows lift. “It’s not you. There’s just a lot going through my mind. This thing between us, there’s a lot of… logistics that need figuring out before we really take this too far.” It’s a weak excuse. I know it, but if I let him do what he wants, we’ll go all the way, and after everything that happened tonight, I’m not sure I’m in the right frame of mind.
His smirk deepens, and I know he’s not buying it, so I scramble to explain myself without admitting that I’m scared. Scared that he won’t want me after his heightened emotions start to wear off.
“We’ve agreed to get married, but I have so many questions. Where am I going to live when you’re in Atlanta? How exactly is this going to work? What’s Adley going to be to you? Is Stanley going to stay here with me? Marriage isn’t just”—I gesture between us, still unable to look him in the eye—“this. It’s—”
“Logistics,” he repeats, still smiling.
I groan, covering my face with my hands. “Shut up.”
He chuckles and studies me for a long beat, then shifts, his fingers grazing up my stomach, slow and deliberate, tracing lazy circles against my damp skin. His touch is featherlight, but it burns all the same.
“Okay. I understand. You have a point. Logistics do play a big part in this, and I don’t want you to thinkthisis all I want from you. I’m happy to wait.”
I blink, surprised. “You—you are?”
His eyes soften, but there’s still that wicked glint lurking beneath the surface.
“Sav, I’d wait forever if that’s what you need,” he says simply, his thumb brushing over my ribs. My chest tightens at the easy way he says it, like he’s not frustrated, not disappointed. Just happy I’m here.
“Are you sure?” Unease fills my stomach as he shifts, rolling onto his side next to me and then propping his head up on his hand to watch me.
“Yes. I get it, Sav. I don’t want to be just another person who takes from you.”
I swallow, tracking his gaze.
“Take your time and give me what you want, when you want. I’m not taking advantage of you.”
“Thank you.” My voice nearly trembles at the realization that he gets it.
“But just so we’re clear… You can sure as hell take advantage of me as much as you want.”
My breath catches. The way he says it, so casual, so effortless as though he’d give me everything and ask for nothing in return.
Before I can respond, he stands and heads to his dresser. “I do have one request, though.” He tosses me a clean white shirt. “Will you put this on? Because if I have to look at your tits and perfect pussy any longer, I’m not sure I can live up to that promise.”
I giggle, slipping the oversized fabric over my head as he tugs on a pair of boxers and unlocks his door, cracking it open.
Cade climbs into the bed just as Stanley leaps onto the mattress. He circles a few times before plopping down in the middle, perfectly wedged between us. With a sigh of resignation, Cade reaches over to scratch behind his ears. “You’re really killing the mood, buddy.”
When he switches the light off, the soft glow from the streetlamps outside filters through the window. Cade shifts closer, as close as he can with Stanley sprawled between us. His hand finds mine in the empty space, his fingers sliding into place like they were made to fit. His thumb moves slowly over my skin, tracing gentle, deliberate strokes over my skin. Even in the dark, I can feel the way he lingers on my ring finger, circling it like he’s imagining what it would be like to have a ring there.
A warmth settles deep in my chest as I start imagining it too.
“Get some sleep, Pretty Girl,” he murmurs, his voice low and soothing. “We’ve got somelogisticsto talk through tomorrow.”
