Chapter 8
Caden
Shopping. It was one of the things I hated the most in life, but I would have done anything just to spend a few hours, hell, a few minutes more, with Cara. It was unlike me to blow off work, or dismiss Graham’s demanding texts, but for the first time in a long while, I’d found a reason. All five feet and eight inches of her.
Cara intrigued me and intimidated me at the same time. She was gorgeous, smart, savvy and impulsive. She commanded my attention without trying and I felt myself under her spell when she smiled at me and batted her beautiful brown eyes. I wanted to know more about her, her background, what it was like to really kiss her like I’d wanted to the last two times we were together. She had an effect on me like no one else ever had, and I barely knew her.
It scared the hell out of me, but I loved it.
We met again in the lobby, my car already idling in the valet lane as if we were about to escape a bank heist or set off on some crazy adventure.
“Like my outfit?” she joked, sporting the sundress from the night before but still looking incredible.
“You look amazing,” I said as I leaned in. I gave her a gentle hug and then quickly grabbed her hand. “I’m not much of a shopper, but I’m sure we can find a few places around here to get a bathing suit and some clothes. Maybe something you can wear to dinner with me?” I leaned in to her and pulled her close as we walked, allowing our arms to rub together.
“We’ll see,” she giggled. “I’m not making any promises, yet.” She pushed into me harder and laid her head on my shoulder just for a moment. “Let me see what kind of clothes you pick out for me first, then I’ll give you my answer.”
I loved the way she flirted without trying, her mix of sarcasm and fun. She was great at making fun of herself as well as pointing out my flaws in a flirty yet sweet sort of way. I was the last person who should be picking out clothes for a woman, but Cara was about to pull me out of my comfort zone and allow me to make a complete fool of myself.
No sooner had we eased into the warm leather seats of my car when my phone rang. The display read “Graham” and instinctively I hit answer. Graham’s voice blared over the car’s speakers and I fumbled to quickly turn it off and take the call on my phone. It was too late. “Caden, you stud! I just saw you walking out the door with that fine piece of…”
I hit the disconnect button and grabbed my phone quickly looking at Cara, my face blushing in embarrassment.
“Seriously Graham?” I pulled the phone away from my mouth and looked at Cara and lowered my voice. “I’m sorry, he’s…”
“I know, an ass,” she whispered back.
“Listen Graham, I’m headed out for a while today. I’ve sent everything to you via email. You can handle the presentation. I’m taking a personal day.”
“I bet you are,” he cackled into the phone. “Enjoy it, it’s about time you…”
I hung up the phone, regretting I had ever answered.
I immediately apologized to Cara again. “Let’s just forget that ever happened,” I begged.
“So, is that what I am to you?” Cara paused, staring me directly in the eyes without blinking. I could feel my stomach fall and a nervousness take over my body. She was anything but that. The attraction I felt towards her was overwhelming and it was a combination of everything outside of sex. “I’m kidding,” she said, laughing. “I know you’re not like that.”
Without hesitating, I put the car in gear and sped out of the valet lane to shop for the amazing woman sitting beside me.
* * * * *
Cara hollered over the curtain, “I love this one suit, but there is no way I’m paying over a hundred dollars for it.”
“Let me see,” I teased back, fully knowing there was no way in hell she was about to show me. I never understood women in that regard. It was okay to parade around a beach or pool in a bikini, but when trying them on they wouldn’t show the guy they were with. In this case I could somewhat understand. I had barely kissed her, yet I was asking for her to show me her half-naked body in an upscale boutique.
I definitely liked the idea of seeing her perfect body, half dressed, standing in front of me though. The thought made me smile and my mind raced. So far, everything about her was perfect.
In one quick movement, she peeled back the curtain and my heart stopped for second. “You look disappointed,” she joked. “Did you really think I was going to show you?” she giggled and held out the purple bikini. “I really liked this one. Maybe next time.”
“Nonsense.” I snatched the hanger with the bathing suit on it and smiled. “My treat, as is the rest of that stuff you have on your arm.” I nodded at her arm and smiled. “But, tonight, we have some fun.”
“I can’t Caden. We barely know one another and I can’t allow an almost complete stranger to buy me a wardrobe for my ad-hoc trip to the beach. This stuff isn’t me, the fancy dresses and expensive bathing suits.” Cara set the pile of clothes on the bench outside of the dressing room. “I’d never spend this much on myself, ever.”
“And that’s an even better reason. But, if you’d prefer to wear the same sundress to dinner tonight, we could go back to Terrapin and have our first date all over again. Kinda like Groundhog Day.” I waited for a laugh or smile from her and eventually it came. I thought about getting a second chance at our first date and realized I wouldn’t have changed a thing, except maybe prolonging the kiss goodnight.
“Fine, but can we at least be practical?” she said with a smile.
“Sure, I’ll pick some things out of the pile you left over there, but they are my choice.”
“Fine,” she said begrudgingly.
I picked through the pile as she watched and then quickly stopped. “You don’t get to see, yet. Go look around and I’ll meet you in the front of the store.”
Cara pursed and lips and scrunched down her eyebrows in a playful manner as she stared at me and then eventually spun on her heel and started toward the front of the boutique. I grabbed the armful of clothes and met the clerk at the counter.
“Did you find everything you were looking for?” the short redhead girl asked.
“She did, and I’m hoping you can help me out.” I separated my selections into small piles as the clerk watched. “Can you wrap these up together, and then put these in separate boxes for me? And I’ll also take that in the appropriate size. Oh, can you please do me a huge favor and remove the tags for me. I’m going to grab a few other things, I’ll be right back.”
The clerk nodded and immediately went to work, scanning and boxing everything up. I grabbed a few other things that had caught my eye and brought them quickly back to the clerk, hoping I had picked the right size. As the clerk went about her business I looked on, imagining what Cara would look like in each thing I’d selected. I quickly paid for everything and grabbed the bags and small boxes and headed to the door where Cara was waiting.
“I told you to be practical,” she said as she gaped at the armful of bags.
“I was. I bought practically everything, plus a few extra things.” I extended my arm that had a few of the bags on it. “Take the first bag, that’s for now. Why don’t you go to the dressing room and change? I’ll be waiting here.”
Cara squeamishly took the bag from my hand and smiled. “Caden Zahn, I don’t know what to make of you yet. You don’t follow instructions very well, but I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt right now.”
I watched as Cara walked back to the dressing room, making small talk with the clerk.
A few minutes later, Cara emerged wearing the casual violet sundress I had picked out. It was sleeveless and had a what the clerk had called a racerback. I had no idea what she was talking about, other than I knew it was going to show off Cara’s well-toned shoulders and arms.
As she stepped toward me, I couldn’t help but to allow my gaze to go from her feet to her head, taking her all in. She was stunning, yet stunning wasn’t even strong enough of a word for how she looked.
“Oh, no! Is it that bad?” she asked as she stared at me. “You have this look on your face…”
“Bad? No way!” I quickly replied. “I’m sorry. I imagined that dress would look good on you, but I don’t think I was prepared for just how amazing you make that dress look.” I smiled and extended my hand, still attempting to balance the remaining bags.
“Oh good, I was afraid you didn’t like it. It feels amazing, almost like wearing butter.” She smiled. “This is the most comfortable dress I’ve ever worn. Thank you.” Cara pulled in close and kissed me on the cheek and immediately I melted.
Her kiss was so perfectly placed and feeling her lips on my skin was so much different than the kiss I had given her the night before. I felt my heart begin to pump harder as I became aroused, the thin nylon briefs keeping my growing hardness in place but creating a noticeable bulge in the khaki shorts I was wearing.
I dropped my arm with the remaining bags in front of me to cover the spectacle I was creating. It had been so long since I was kissed, in any manner, by a woman. However, this particular woman had already captured every bit of my attention and the attraction was overwhelming. I fought the urge to pull back and then kiss her firmly on the mouth. I wanted that so badly.
Closing my eyes briefly and enjoying the intense feeling filling my body, I allowed myself to smile and then said, “No, thank you.” I knew it was a cheesy response more than a romantic one, but it felt right at the moment. Everything felt right and it was something so simple. “How about we escape for a little while. I know this little spot up in Chix Beach. We can grab a drink and a light lunch and enjoy the weather.”
“Sounds perfect,” Cara replied. “Maybe a little like you,” she whispered under her breath. “Is that when I get to see what’s in the rest of those bags you’re carrying?”
“In time my lady, in time.” I squeezed her hand and led her out to the car. “For now, let’s go to Buoy 44 and enjoy the afternoon.”