Chapter 24

Olivia

I needed a jog after the long night we'd had together. Never in a million years had I imagined someone capable of taking me to such a high place, and yet Caden had done it too many times to count. My body ached for more of him, but I wasn't about to bring up sex again. He'd seen me for the whore half the school believed me to be. Just because we'd cleared up the fact that it wasn't our fault that everything went to shit, I still couldn't shake the stigma around him. I wasn't sure I would ever be able to.

"Caden?" I walked into the kitchen and poured me a glass of water.

"You back?" He walked out into the living room as I turned. His black slacks were low on his hips, leaving his upper body on display for me. My body tightened, and I stifled a growl.

"Yeah. Just needed to clear my head." I drank deeply of the water as he moved to stand in front of me. "No touching me. I'm gross."

"Matter of opinion." He slid his hands over my sides and down to cup my butt before leaning toward me. "How are you? You still reeling over the shit with Luke?"

"No. I'm good there. He's an asshole, and I was tired of placating myself to think that I could live without love." I reached up and brushed his hair back before pressing my lips to his. "Are we seeing Jake and his wife tonight?"

"They aren't married yet." He kissed me one more time, stealing my breath with the delicious press of his body against mine. "Come take a shower with me. Let me wash you off."

"That'll only lead to more sex. We were kinda taking our chances last night as it was." I laughed and moved out from in front of him. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted something more between us than a friendship, but I needed to take it slow. My young adult life was a fucking mess thanks to all the shit between us in the past.

"I don't mind. Having a baby with you would be a fine by me. I feel like I’m running late on life’s plans as it is."

His words stopped me. He was hurting. But why?

I glanced over my shoulder. "I don't mind either, but it would be nice to ease into this relationship, wouldn't it?"

"I'll do what you want to do, but I'd rather dive head first and pray like hell it’s everything we know it could be. I'm a romantic, remember?" He shrugged and pursed his lips.

"And by far the sexiest, most loving man I've ever known." I turned and walked back to him to pull him into a tight hug.

He sniffed the air and smiled. "You need a shower, woman. You smell like sex and candy."

"I thought you liked both." I leaned in and kissed him a few times as his strong arms locked around me.

"I love them." He brushed his nose against mine. "You didn't sleep much last night. How about breakfast and a nap?"

"Shower, then breakfast, and then yes, a nap would be good." I kissed him again and moved out of his arms. "You coming?"

"No, you go wash up and I'll get breakfast up here." He popped my butt and growled as I shrugged and walked off.

Could I do this new life with him? Could I not?

"Where are you staying tonight?" I called over my shoulder.

"At my mom's house. You staying with your mom or you want to sleep over with me?"

"I don't know. Let me think about it." I closed the door behind me and stripped as I tried to think through the best plan of action for the evening. I wanted to see my mom, but I knew without a doubt that she wouldn't want to see Caden. I had a lot of explaining to do, and to be honest, I had no clue what I would tell her. We weren't together. Not yet at least.

After a quick shower, I walked out to find a plate of fruit and muffins with a note that Caden was running out to get the Parkmounts to sign the final papers that Annie had faxed to the hotel lobby.

"Annie." I shook my head, sickened by how sweet the bitch had seemed, and all the while, she was screwing my boyfriend. Did she not have one of her own? People were disgusting.

I grabbed my phone and sat down at the kitchen table before dialing Luke.

"Hey, baby. There you are. I was going to call to see if-"

"Stop. Just shut up and listen to me clearly. I know about you and Annie, and you can take your job and your fucked up offer for a relationship and shove it up the crack of your ass. I hope your dick falls off. No! I hope some piranha of a bitch bites it off."

"Olivia. Wait a minute, now. Nothing is going on with me and Annie. I have you, baby, why would-"

"No, you don't. We're done, so honestly, enjoy yourself. Knock yourself out." I hung up and laid the phone down as tears burned my eyes. I wasn't sad about losing Luke as much as I was sickened over being taken a fool. It had been a constant story in my life. One asshole after the next.

I reached out and picked up the note from Caden and took a deep breath. "Who are you? Are you the guy I think you are, or another asshole?"

After getting myself to calm down, I hate half the plate of fruit and a muffin and walked back to his bedroom. It would have been more couth to sleep on my clean sheets, but I wanted the smell of him all around me. It was a comfort I couldn't explain.

I crawled up into the bed and drifted off to sleep with the thoughts of what our children might look like. I was jumping ahead, but I couldn't help it. We'd been waiting far too long to find each other, and we had. Nothing could take that away, right?

****

"Baby. Time to get up." Caden was leaning over the top of me as I woke up from my nap.

"What? Where are we?" I sat up and moved to the edge of the bed as I pushed my hair from my face.

"We're in Houston. We need to get going if we're going to see Jake and Kari." He helped me up and pulled me into a hug. "God, you're so damn cute when you sleep. Did you know that?"

"Stop." I laughed and brushed my hands up his chest and up to his handsome face. His five o'clock shadow only made him more attractive. "We need to check out?"

"Yeah, but I paid for another night for us so we didn’t have to rush today." He leaned down and kissed me a few times. "Let's go see Jake, and then we can figure out the rest later."

"Sounds good." I kissed him once more and moved away to walk toward my bedroom. "I really didn't bring anything too summery. I wish I had-"

"I got you something. Go check it out. Don't wear it if you don't like it."

"What?" I glanced over my shoulder. “You got me something to wear?"

"Yeah, it's just one of those dresses you like." He shrugged, breaking my heart with how good of a man he was.

"How do you know what I like? You sneaking through my closet?" I laughed and walked back to my room, trying hard not to sprint. The soft cotton dress hanging up in my room was blue and yellow, simple, but beautiful.

"You like it?" He moved up behind me and pulled me into his arms. "It just looks like you to me. Beautiful and innocent."

"Innocent? I rode your cock for six hours last night." I laughed and turned my face toward him.

"Making love to me doesn't cause you to lose your innocence. It's just who you are." He kissed my neck a few times. "Put it on for me."

I nodded and moved out of his arms as I pulled my t-shirt over my head. "What size did you get?"

"Your size." He tugged my shorts over my hips and moved to a squatting position as he pressed kisses around the curve of my panties on my ass.

"I'm not going to dinner if you keep it up." He tugged at my hips to force me to turn toward him as I lifted my arms and let the dress fall down to cover me up. It barely hit the tops of my knees and left me feeling beautiful. "I love it."

He slid his hands up my thighs, taking the dress with him, and leaned in to press his mouth to my center in a long string of kisses that made my knees weak.

"And I love you." He kissed me once more and stood up. "Don't even think for a minute that you’re going to your mother’s without me. I'm spending the night in your arms. Period."

"She hates you." I tugged the dress back down and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I love a good challenge." He kissed me and brushed his hand down my hair. "Let me change my shirt and let's go. I can't wait to see Jake, and I know he can't wait to see you."

"He doesn't hate me?" I asked and followed him out into the living room.

"Hell no. He's always been on your side, like a fucking cheerleader in my ear for the last six years." He laughed and warmth engulfed me. We belonged together. I had no doubt.

"Then I owe him a debt of gratitude."

"Just a smile will work. No one gets anything from you but me from here on out." He winked and turned to walk back into his bedroom.

"So bossy." I dropped down on the couch and let out a content sigh.

"You like it."

"That I do."