Chapter 16

Cade

A flash of anger and jealousy roared through me as I stood there looking at Amelia. What the hell was she doing on the phone with Earl?

If I’d been feeling sensible, I’d have considered that last I knew, she’d bolted from her wedding and not even given Earl much of an explanation. But I wasn’t feeling sensible. I was feeling plain territorial. It didn’t matter we hadn’t bridged the chasm of years of regret and longing between us. It didn’t matter that I’d had absolutely no plans to get involved with anyone seriously ever again—because Amelia had been off limits in my brain ever since I’d heard she was engaged. It didn’t matter that I didn’t really know what she wanted—as far as the concept of ‘want’ functioned in a calm, rational manner.

Nothing mattered except what I knew in my heart and soul. Amelia was mine and always had been. No other man had any claim to her.

Her eyes searched my face, a subtly mutinous look entering her gaze. I knew that look. She was stubborn and whatever she thought I might be thinking, she was getting ready to argue about it.

Hot anger, jealousy and pure lust driving me, I caught her hand in mine and yanked her to me. Sliding one hand over her lush bottom, I pressed her against my arousal and slammed my mouth against hers. She gasped, and I dove into her mouth. Our kiss exploded into a wet tangle of lips, teeth and tongues. Holding her tight against me, I threaded my other hand into her hair as I devoured her mouth.

She didn’t hold back, and I loved that about her. Her tongue warred with mine as she flexed into me. Fire roared through me, our kiss getting rougher and wilder with every second. The sound of footsteps in the hallway through the open doorway barely filtered into my consciousness.

“Hey Amelia, are you…”

Whoever was walking into Amelia’s office came to an abrupt stop, just as Amelia tore her mouth away from mine. We broke apart as abruptly as we’d come together. I stared at her, unable to tear my eyes away. Her breath was heaving, right along with mine, and her cheeks were flushed. Her lips were swollen from our bruising kiss, and I didn’t give a damn we’d just given someone a show.

“Wow, sorry for the interruption, but you two just made my day.”

Amelia snapped her head toward the door, just as I did. Janet from the Firehouse Café stood there with a sly grin on her face. Amelia’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, making me want to yank her right back against me. I shackled my urges and tried to slow the banging of my heart.

“Janet, what’s up?” Amelia managed to ask, her voice husky.

Janet glanced between us, her grin never wavering. “Nothing at all.” With a wink, she spun around and closed the door behind her.

I looked back to Amelia. For several beats, we simply stood there. She was so close, I could easily reach over and pull her right back to me. I didn’t. I wanted her so fiercely, yet I needed to get control. I was letting burning lust and raw need drive everything. My control was frayed and the jealousy that sent me crashing into her was still simmering. I forced myself to take a slow breath.

After a moment, I thought I could manage myself. “I, uh…”

Just what did I mean to say? Hell if I knew.

Muddled and irritated with myself for being so at the mercy of her, I stepped back and slipped my hands in my pockets. “I’m guessing you need to get to work. I’ve got a few things to take care of, so I’ll go.”

I started to turn when her voice stopped me.

“Cade.”

I glanced back, arching a brow.

“I didn’t call Earl. He called me,” she said simply.

I nodded and kept my damn mouth shut. I was acting like a fucking fool over her, and I didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” she added.

I realized she was expecting me to say something.

“I don’t have any right to get pissed about Earl, so you don’t need to explain.” I paused, my thoughts spinning back to the day Amelia had walked in at the worst possible moment. It didn’t matter that it had all been Shannon’s doing. I had a glimmer of what she must’ve felt like back then. I was chewed up inside over nothing other than a phone call from the man I knew she’d left.

She was still watching me, and I wanted to step to her and wrap her in my arms and forget the knotted mess of emotions we’d never had a chance to untangle. Now we had that chance, but it was going to take some doing.

“Now I know how you felt that day you saw Shannon trying to climb in bed with me.”

Her eyes widened and her breath drew in sharply. A heaviness filled the space between us, and my heart ached, literally.

“Maybe so,” she said softly.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway again. I marshaled my sanity and stepped to her again. Dipping my head, I dropped a quick kiss on her lips, forcing myself to draw back immediately. “I’m supposed to meet the guys Saturday at Wildlands. How about you meet me there later?”

I figured perhaps we should try to do something normal and maybe that would help. Amelia’s eyes flashed with something and then she shook her head slowly. “I just told Earl I’d meet him for dinner. It’s not a date. I just figured I owed him an explanation for bolting from our wedding.”

Her words might as well have been static for all I could hear with the hot jealousy that shot through me. I couldn’t do this, couldn’t fucking do it. I spun away and stalked out of her office.