Bride & Seek

by Samantha Chase

  “Are you sure?”

  Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned in and kissed her. “Consider it our last hiding place for a while.”

  “As long as you always come to find me, I’m good with that.”

  12

  In Cammie’s mind, they were going to take an extended look at the cabin.

  But they didn’t.

  Cade had incredible self-control, and no matter how naughty of a suggestion she threw at him, he smiled and shook his head and promised they’d get to all of that.

  Later.

  Dammit.

  Once he had left to go back to work, Cammie went to her car and drove home to quickly pack up a few necessities and called her parents just to let them know she’d be away for the weekend. It had been tempting to tell them about her run-in with Preston and Whitney, but decided it served no purpose. They felt bad enough about the entire situation, and being that they’d all moved on, there was no point in bringing it back up.

  She had closure.

  And it felt wonderful.

  As she threw her bathing suit into the suitcase, she stopped and thought about how different her life would be right now if she hadn’t found out about Preston’s affair when she did. How much more devastating would it have been to have found out after the wedding? And knowing what she did now, Cammie had no doubt that Whitney would have made sure she found out about it sooner rather than later, and by this time, she’d be well on her way to getting a divorce.

  “Definitely dodged a bullet,” she murmured and grabbed her robe off of a hanger.

  But more importantly, she never would have met Cade.

  Just thinking about him–spending the entire weekend with him–made her feel so happy. It was a feeling she couldn’t ever remember feeling with Preston. And as much as she hated making the comparison, it was kind of hard not to.

  One man she almost married.

  And the other? Well…it wasn’t hard to imagine marrying Cade. As a matter of fact, it was scary how easily she could picture it and how much she actually wanted it.

  Too soon. It was way too soon to be thinking like that, and yet… it was a thought, an image, that wouldn’t go away. She only hoped she wouldn’t blurt it out over the weekend and scare him off.

  Although, if this whole crazy nonsense she’d been involved in since meeting him didn’t send him running, then he probably didn’t scare easily. If anything, Cade was the kind of man who didn’t back away from a challenge–any challenge. He was a good man and…Cammie stopped and shook her head. He was so much more than she ever imagined. Her schoolgirl crush on a boy she only knew by looks had somehow turned into feelings for a man who was one of the kindest and most giving people she’d ever met.

  And he was hers for the entire weekend.

  Her phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. It was a Raleigh area code, but she didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Cammie! It’s Skylar from Meet Me at the Altar. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

  Smiling, she sat on the corner of her bed. “No! It’s a great time. What can I do for you?”

  “First, we wanted to thank you for the referrals. Your friend Kaitlyn just booked us for her parents’ anniversary party. We also met with Nora Riley, who said she’s a friend of yours. She booked her sister’s baby shower with us and scheduled an appointment to bring her fiancé and her parents to start their wedding plans! So…thank you!”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so excited they all called!” She paused and remembered another referral she had given out. “I talked with Hailey last week. They’re working on a small workshop geared more for the bride and groom's parents, and I recommended Leanna for the desserts. You’ll probably hear from either her or Angie sometime next week.”

  “Wow! You’ve been very busy! I can’t thank you enough,” Skylar told her. “If there’s anything we can do for you or if there’s ever another expo at Emerald Grove, please let us know. We would love to come back!”

  “You will be the first ones I call. Trust me!”

  “So, how are you? Anything new and exciting going on? Did your crazy ex ever leave you alone?”

  Cammie gave her the condensed version of how everything had just ended with a laugh. “I’m telling you, I feel completely liberated, and Cade and I are going to spend the weekend celebrating!”

  “Cade?”

  “The sexy bouncer.”

  “Ooo…yay! That’s awesome!”

  “It really is, and I am deliriously happy.”

  “Good for you!”

  A quick glance at her bedside clock showed it was almost four and she had planned on getting back to the cabin before him. She had a couple of tricks up her sleeve and hoped she’d be able to surprise him.

  “Listen, I hate to cut you short, but I’m meeting Cade for a weekend getaway and need to finish packing.”

  “No worries! Go and enjoy yourself and promise you’ll stop in and say hello next time you’re in Raleigh!”

  “It’s a deal. Take care of yourself and please tell Josie and Leanna I said hello!”

  Once she hung up, she stood and tried to think of what else she needed to pack. Doing her best to gather the rest of her things, Cammie finally closed her suitcase and made a quick sweep of her house, locking everything up before heading out to her car. With a little luck, she’d make it back to the resort and have time to put her plans into effect and also have a few minutes to relax. She didn’t want to experience any part of the cabin without him, but she wanted a few minutes alone to simply marvel and touch everything without Cade thinking she was being silly.

  Twenty minutes later, she thanked the bellman–a lovely young man named Thomas–and closed the door behind him. He’d placed her suitcase in the bedroom while she carried the other bags into the kitchen. Now, hands on her hips, she took a look around and tried to figure out where she wanted everything to go.

  Moving around the cabin, Cammie placed candles and found the perfect satellite station for music when there was a knock at the door. She opened it and smiled at the platter of fresh fruit and the bottle of champagne. Signing for it, she tipped the server and showed him where to set it up. The bedroom had been her first thought, but then she thought it might be nice to have it outside by their private pool.

  Once she was done, she practically skipped to the bedroom, slipped into her bikini, and carefully wrapped her sarong around her hips. Looking around the bedroom, she pulled back the comforter and moved some of the pillows aside. Then she went and fetched a few more scented candles from her bag. When the room was set to her liking, she checked her reflection in the mirror and smiled.

  Sexy had never been her thing, but for Cade? She wanted to look sexy. Desirable. And as she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to admit she felt pretty damn sexy. She checked her watch and saw it was now pushing five o’clock. A twinge of disappointment hit her that Cade wasn’t there yet. He was supposed to get off of work by three-thirty and she had hoped he’d be here by now.

  She walked out of the bedroom with nothing left to do, went out by the pool, and got comfortable in one of the lounges. The sun felt glorious and there was enough of a breeze that she wasn’t going to sweat. Closing her eyes, Cammie felt herself begin to relax–which is really what she had wanted to happen before Cade arrived, so…everything was going according to plan.

  She hummed softly and simply allowed herself to enjoy the peace and quiet.

  It was five-thirty and Cade cursed himself for the tenth time as he made his way to the cabin. He’d gotten held up with a malfunctioning blower, but when he called around for someone to take a look at it as soon as possible, it seemed like everyone had taken the day off.

  Then he’d had to go home to shower, change, and pack. Unfortunately, that’s when he’d realized he hadn’t done laundry the whole damn week. He didn’t plan on needing a whole lot to wear–he was hopeful for a lot of naked in bed time with Cammie–but he did need to have some of
the basics with him.

  And if that wasn’t enough, he didn’t want to show up at the cabin empty-handed. There was no doubt there would be wine or champagne waiting for them and possibly a small tray of food, but…he wanted something a little more personal. Flowers were the obvious choice, but they were also the easiest, and the last thing he wanted was to be predictable.

  But in the end, it’s what he went for–well, that and he’d made arrangements for them to have a couple’s massage on Saturday and for dinner to be brought to the cabin for them tonight. There was no way he was letting them leave their own private cocoon so soon–not when it seemed like he’d waited forever for them to be there.

  The reality was it had only been a few months, but still…everything about Cammie was different from anything he’d ever experienced or felt before, and he planned on telling her that this weekend. He wanted to tell her he loved her and…she was it for him. Maybe it was too soon, and maybe it was crazy, but…it didn’t change anything.

  She was the woman for him.

  As he opened the door to the cabin, he immediately heard the music playing softly and smiled. It was a nice touch. There were scented candles lit in the living room, and as he made his way to the bedroom to put his suitcase down, he saw the bed turned down and realized he was disappointed not to find her waiting there for him.

  With his luggage tucked in the corner of the room, he went in search of Cammie.

  Not in the bedroom. Not in the living room. Not in the kitchen.

  When he noticed the open French doors leading to the pool, he walked through and found her.

  Asleep on the lounge–right next to a table that held a bucket of champagne on ice and a platter of fruit. Rather than waking her up, he went back inside and found a vase for the flowers and placed it on the table by the rest of their goodies. And just when he was about to wake her with a kiss, he noticed her skimpy attire and felt himself go instantly hard.

  “Okay, stop acting like a sixteen-year-old,” he chided himself as he turned and went back inside to the bedroom. Figuring she might not mind a few extra minutes of sleep, Cade quickly changed into a pair of swim trunks before rejoining her out by the pool.

  When he sat down on the edge of the lounge and leaned over to kiss her, it felt like the perfect moment. She came awake at his touch and purred with pleasure at finding him beside her. Not a bad way to start off their weekend, he thought. When he lifted his head and heard her sigh, he felt all the tension leave his body.

  “Hi,” he said softly.

  “Hi. When did you get here?”

  “Just a few minutes ago.”

  “What time is it?”

  “About five forty-five. Sorry,” he said sheepishly and then gave her the quick run-down of what took him so long. “I hate that I kept you waiting.”

  She shook her head. “It’s fine. I wanted to get here before you and get settled in.” When she went to sit up, Cade gently placed his hands on her shoulders and kept her in place.

  “You look incredibly comfortable, so I want you to stay that way while I pour us some champagne.” Standing, he walked over and did just that, then handed her a glass and sat back down beside her. “To an amazing weekend,” he toasted.

  Touching her glass to his, she added, “To us.”

  They each drank slowly, and when Cade took the glass from her, she looked at him questioningly. Then he stood, gently grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her to her feet. The kiss they shared was soft and slow and sweet. His hands rested on her waist before he gently untied her sarong and let it fall to the floor.

  “The pool is heated,” he murmured against her cheek. “What do you say we try it out?”

  Cammie nodded and let him lead her to the pool steps and then into the water.

  “Ever make love in a pool?” he asked, a slow, sexy grin crossing his face.

  “Can’t say I have.”

  “Wanna give it a try?”

  She looked around nervously and then laughed at her own behavior. “I know it’s completely private, and yet…”

  Cade pulled her in close and cut off the rest of her words with a kiss–this time, it was the kind that had little restraint and held all kinds of promises.

  And then–private or not–Cammie surrendered to the pleasure Cade promised.

  It was late–after midnight–and they were facing each other in the massive bed. Dinner had been delivered to the room at eight, and they had dined in the moonlight to an incredible feast of surf and turf and grilled vegetables, followed by a chocolate soufflé. It was beyond decadent.

  Once they’d finished, Cade held out a hand to her and they danced slowly under the stars. It had been incredibly romantic. To Cammie, it almost seemed like a dream. Never in her life had she experienced such an incredible night.

  “What are you thinking?” Cade asked quietly.

  “How incredible you are.”

  He smiled slowly and reached out to caress her cheek. “I’m glad you think that because it’s exactly how I feel about you. I’m still a little in awe of you being here with me.”

  Her eyes went a little wide. “Really?”

  He nodded. “Cammie, I’ve always told you how I’ve felt. I don’t believe in playing games–even though some of the greatest time we spent together was while we were playing one…”

  “Ugh…don’t remind me,” she said with a soft laugh.

  “Don’t think about why we were playing, just the fact that we were playing it together. But…” He shifted and sat up a bit. “As much as I love playing with you and spending time with you, I need you to know…I love you, Cammie.”

  You could have heard a pin drop in the room.

  Cammie scrambled to sit up. “Cade…” Her heart was beating wildly in her chest.

  “Maybe there was a more eloquent way to say it or maybe saying it in bed after making love wasn’t quite the way to go, but…”

  She immediately reached over and placed her finger over his lips to stop him. “It was exactly the way to go,” she said, smiling, and she hated how she could feel tears filling her eyes. “I love you too.”

  Wordlessly, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly.

  “Say it again,” she whispered.

  “I love you.”

  “Mmm…that’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.”

  He chuckled. “Just all day?”

  “Well…maybe all week.”

  His eyes went wide with feigned disbelief. “All week? Boy oh boy, what does a guy have to do…?”

  “Maybe you should say it one more time,” she prompted.

  “Cammie Parker, I love you. And if I have to say it all day, every day for the rest of our lives, then that’s what I’ll do.”

  She gasped and wondered if he realized what exactly he’d said.

  “I would, you know,” he said, his voice low and gruff. “I know now isn’t the right time to start talking about that, but one day, Cammie, one day soon…we will. We’ll talk about it.”

  With a nod, she cupped his face in her hands. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  “It’s a promise.”

  And then there wasn’t anything else to say. Gently, she pulled Cade down on the pillow with her and held him tight. As she drifted off to sleep, Cammie’s last conscious thought was how happy she was that Cade had been the one to find her that first fateful day. And how running away and proved to be the best decision she’d ever made.

  Because it had allowed her to be found and to finally find her happily ever after.

  Epilogue

  Two months later…

  The sun was just starting to go down and Cammie looked around the now-empty tent, sighing with relief–another successful Emerald Grove Events wedding. Today’s couple was young and sweet and so in love that she almost cried twice. All the couples she’d worked with were in love, but tonight’s pair just seemed so much more. It was hard to put her finger on, but it was like there had been something tangible in t
he air…she could feel it.

  Their love.

  Their happiness.

  And it made her smile for their future.

  Kicking her shoes off, she waved to the last of the wait staff and made her way down to the lake. It was going to be a beautiful sunset. Slowly, Cammie walked over to the arbor and gently touched the exotic flowers tucked into it.

  “Now there’s a beautiful sight.”

  Gasping, she turned at the sound of Cade’s voice. “Cade! What are you…?” Her words instantly died in her throat when she saw him. It was a Saturday night and he had no reason to be there. And yet, there he was, wearing a suit and looking like he’d stepped off the cover of GQ.

  He walked toward her, and at the arbor, he broke off one of the white lilies and reached out to tuck it into her hair.

  “Cade…” she whispered.

  Taking her hand in his, he pulled her in close under the arbor and kissed her. It was a soft kiss–the kind that was just enough to curl your toes and have you wishing for more. When he raised his head, Cade cupped her cheek. “How was the wedding?”

  The wedding? He was here, dressed up in a suit and asking about a stranger’s wedding? Cammie cleared her throat. “It was…it was good. Really good. They were a sweet couple and everyone was wonderful.” She studied him. “What are you doing here?”

  He smiled at her, his fingers caressing her cheek. “I was sitting home alone and thinking about you. And then I thought about the weekend we spent here in Emerald Bluff and how much I enjoyed walking around the lake with you.”

  “Oh…” she sighed, melting against him.

  “I knew you’d be dressed up and looking beautiful, so I figured I’d dress up and we could pretend that we were out on a fabulously romantic date–even if it is after a long day of work.” He paused. “I figured if I showed up here dressed casually, we’d look a bit awkward. I imagined us walking along and doing a little dancing on the beach, and I thought you deserved to dance with a man who wanted to look his best for you.”