Just a Little Flirt

by Renita Pizzitola

  I drove Cade back to his place but when we got there he turned to me. “Will you stay the night?” His fingers wove through mine. “I still want to talk and really, I just need to keep my mind off everything.”

  Like I could say no after getting his dog hit by a car. “Of course.”

  Sean wasn’t home from work yet but Cade had texted him, letting him know what had happened. His place was dark and he didn’t even bother turning on lights as he led me to his room.

  He plopped onto the bed and pulled me with him. With my back against his chest, he nestled around me.

  “So tell me exactly what the Claudia thing was all about.” He laced his fingers through mine then rested them on my stomach.

  “That day when you took off down the stairwell, I went after you but Claudia stopped me. She told me that she’d convinced Tyler and Thatcher to pursue me in hopes of catching me in some inappropriate work behavior.”

  “Seriously? That’s just…What a bitch.”

  “Yeah. She is. But it wasn’t completely without reason…I may have unintentionally caused some problems between her and her boyfriend. Or ex-boyfriend, I guess I should say.”

  “Getting hurt doesn’t justify hurting someone else in return. Regardless of what happened, there was no excuse for what she did.”

  He’d confirmed what I’d already believed, but hearing him saying it really did relieve me. I’d needed to hear it from someone other than myself. “Well, the worst part was she led me to believe you might have been a part of it too.”

  He rolled me over to face him. “I’d never do something like that to you or any other girl. And I hope you believe that.”

  I nodded. “It scared me, and I didn’t want to believe it but sometimes it’s hard to know what to believe.”

  “I promise, I had nothing to do with that. And those guys are worthless if they did.” He kissed my forehead. “So you went after me that day, huh?” He smiled.

  “I told you I never wanted this to end.”

  “Even if you never made it to me, I’m glad you tried.”

  “Why did you never tell me about your family and the park?”

  “Because it’s hard to talk about.” He rolled onto his back and sighed. “My family donated that money because we used to spend a lot of time in the playroom before my younger sister died.”

  “Oh God, Cade. I’m so sorry.”

  “Remember when I told you I’d been around therapy animals my whole life? Well, my sister’s the reason why. She’s also the person who inspired my mom and me to become handlers. Seeing how therapy dogs helped her, made her smile…I wanted to share that with others like her. But losing Morgan is just one of those things I’ll never get over and it’s hard to talk about.”

  “I’m sorry, I should have known you had a good reason not to. We don’t have to talk about it.”

  “It’s okay. It’s been four years. I should be able to talk about it, but sometimes it feels like it just happened. Morgan was fourteen and I was a senior in high school. She had a condition that kept her in hospitals more than she was out. Weak immune system. We grew up playing in that hospital playroom, but Morgan loved to escape outside. She was tired of being cooped up, unfortunately she didn’t get out nearly as much as she would have liked to. After she passed away, Mom and Dad donated money to build the park for other kids like her. A little piece of outdoors for all those kids stuck indoors. It’s a special place for me, but it’s hard to think that she’s gone.”

  “I’m sorry. I had no idea. I can’t even imagine.” I placed my palm against his chest and he covered my hand with his. “And I feel like an idiot for even complaining about my sister.”

  “Hey, it’s what families do. My sister and I fought but we loved each other, it’s normal.” He wove our fingers together.

  We were quiet for a minute, Cade probably lost in memories while I tried to digest the thought of losing a sibling. My sister drove me crazy, but I couldn’t imagine her not being there. It wasn’t fair how life threw such shitty circumstances at good people.

  Cade broke the silence. “It’s weird not having Scout nudging his way between us.”

  I smiled. “I know, right?”

  “I should probably quit complaining though and take advantage of this.”

  He’d wanted me to help him take his mind off things tonight and that’s what I’d do. “It’d be the responsible thing to do.”

  “I’m a responsible guy.” He flipped on his side. “So you wanna make out?”

  I laughed. “Make out? Sure we won’t get busted?”

  “We have the place to ourselves. I may even try to put my hand up your shirt.”

  “Play your cards right and I may even let you.”

  “This is already going better than nine-tenths of my high school years.”

  “What? A stud like you had trouble with the ladies?”

  “My thoughts exactly. But I didn’t have the super sexy arms back then, so you know.” He shrugged.

  I pushed up his shirt. “What about these?” I ran my hands up his cut abs.

  “More like a two-pack. But considering I’m such a great kisser, you’d think it wouldn’t have mattered.”

  I bit my lip to hide my smile. “Very true.” He slipped off his shirt as I continued my perusal. “Well, I feel pretty lucky. I get the whole package.”

  “Um, is this one of those moments where you’re screwing with me again or am I just a huge perv?”

  “I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about.” I grinned. “You’re just a perv.”

  He narrowed his eyes and prodded me in the stomach. “Takes one to know one.”

  I cupped his face with my hands and kissed him. “I’ve missed this. More than you’d imagine. And I hate myself for the way I’ve treated you. I’m sorry about this past week.”

  “You had a lot going on. Just promise me next time you’ll talk to me.”

  “Next time?”

  He tapped the tip of my nose. “Yep. Couples have disagreements. It’s bound to happen. But we’ll work through it.”

  Couple. Funny how happy that word made me.

  Cade eyed me. “Hmm, well that’s good. You didn’t go running and screaming for the door.”

  “Was that a test?”

  “Maybe.” He nuzzled his lips to my neck. “Looks like we passed though.”

  With my head tilted back, I smiled. How did I get so lucky to land such a perfect guy? Funny, sexy, caring. With a track record like mine, it made no sense.

  I shifted so that I laid partially on him and rested my chin on his chest. “Cade.”

  “Yes, Fallon?” His tone was teasing and filled with that playfulness I loved.

  “I like you, a lot, but I was stupid enough to doubt you and, so, I think it should be said aloud.” I drew a little circle on his chest with my finger. “So to clarify, I like you. More than like you. You’re my happy.”

  Chapter 19

  The next day Cade was up early. He spoke softly into his phone. “I’m glad to hear he’s doing well this morning. Thanks for the update.” He pulled a shirt from his drawer. “Okay. Thanks, ʼbye.”

  “Scout?” I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

  Cade turned. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “It’s okay. I have class today. I should be up.”

  “Scout’s doing well.” Cade kissed the top of my head. “I’m going to take a quick shower. I have to be at work in half an hour. Sean already made coffee if you’d like some.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled.

  He headed into the bathroom and I slipped on my shorts, then made my way to the kitchen. Sean stood in front of the sink, rinsing a bowl.

  “Morning.”

  “Hey.”

  He handed me a coffee mug.

  “Thanks.” I poured a cup and added some cream and sugar.

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  I glanced over my shoulder.

  “You haven’t been a
round much this last week and Cade seemed…off. I was kind of worried things weren’t looking too good. I know I give him shit, but, really, he’s a good guy and he deserves the girl who makes him happy.” He placed his bowl and spoon in the dishwasher. “That girl’s you.”

  “He’s a great guy.” I sipped my coffee, while hoping I really was the girl he deserved.

  “He’d have a real hard time handling this stuff with Scout if you weren’t around.”

  I frowned. He wouldn’t be dealing with this stuff if it weren’t for me. “I’m the one who knocked the ball into the street.”

  “Cade said it slipped from his hand.”

  “Yeah, because I pushed him away from me.”

  “It was an accident.” He shrugged. “Thankfully, Scout will be okay. No point stressing over who did what.”

  I raised the mug back to my lips to avoid arguing. It was easier for me to accept the blame than have everyone skirt around it.

  A clean, fresh scent enveloped me followed by Cade’s arms. “Did you want some breakfast?”

  “I’m good.” I smiled at him over my shoulder and he kissed my cheek. “What time do you get out of work?”

  “Noon.”

  Sean walked past us, flipped the TV on and settled on the couch.

  I slipped free of Cade’s arms, rinsed my mug and placed it in the dishwasher. “Want to come over after my lab?”

  He’d never hung out at my place, mostly because he always had Scout to look after, but since he wouldn’t be home tonight maybe it was a good time. It’d also help keep his mind off Scout’s absence.

  He eyes widened a bit. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  “Cool. I’m going to grab my keys and then I can walk out with you.”

  We headed out and Cade walked me to my car. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay. I’ll call you when I get out of lab.” My phone rang in my pocket and I pulled it out. “It’s my mom.”

  Cade gave me a quick kiss ʼbye. I slid into my car and answered the phone. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Fallon, your dad will probably be the one picking you up at the airport tomorrow. You know how much I hate those crowds.”

  “Wait, what? Airport?”

  “Yes, the airport. Haven’t you checked your email? I forwarded you the flight confirmation.”

  “I never got that email, but, Mom, we never talked about dates.”

  “We said you could stay there for the length of the internship and summer school, but you’d have to come home and visit when it was over. The internship ended yesterday, the class today, correct?”

  “Well, yeah, but I figured we’d talk dates before you bought a plane ticket.” I’d actually hoped to stall indefinitely, but figured I’d have to suck it up eventually and visit. “I had no idea you meant the next day.”

  “Honey, I’m sure we discussed this. I’m not sure why you didn’t get the email but I will resend the confirmation. Your flight is at eight in the morning. Please don’t miss it. Your dad will pick you up at the airport.”

  I ground my teeth. How did she just get to make a decision like this for me? I may be her daughter but I wasn’t a child. Right now I wanted to be here for Cade, at least until Scout had fully recovered. My eyes stung because truth be told I didn’t want to be away from him for…Oh God, how long did she expect me to stay home?

  “When’s the return flight?”

  “I can’t remember the exact date offhand. Two weeks from now, I believe. I’ll resend the info. We’ll see you tomorrow.” She hung up and I stared at the phone.

  I banged my head against the driver’s seat and tossed my phone on the passenger seat. Two fucking weeks.

  —

  Thankfully, my lab final was a joke because my brain hadn’t been in the right place since I’d spoken with Mom. The trip wasn’t two full weeks, but it was still ten days. Was it beyond pathetic I didn’t want to be away from Cade that long?

  The knock at my door dragged me from my thoughts.

  “Hey.” Cade stood on the other side looking all perfect and golden. Hot and tempting.

  “Um, so can I come in?”

  “Oh shit, sorry, I’m out of it.” I stepped back. “Thanks for bringing dinner.”

  “No problem.” He handed me the take-out bag and followed me into the kitchen. “Is everything okay?”

  Did I lead with the shitty news? I set the bag on the table and turned to him. The genuine worry on his face tugged at my heart. “My family wants me to go home for a visit this summer.”

  “Oh.” His expression relaxed. “When are you thinking of going?”

  “That’s the thing. We had a bit of miscommunication and, well, my flight leaves tomorrow morning.”

  His eyes widened. “Tomorrow?” He leaned against the counter. “Wow, how long will you be gone?”

  While pulling out the takeout boxes, I peeked over at him. “Ten days.”

  He rubbed the back of his head. “I guess that’s not too bad.” He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than he actually meant it.

  “It’s too long.” I turned and pulled out some plates from the cabinet. “I’ll miss you.”

  Cade pushed off the counter and wrapped his arms around my waist.

  I faced him.

  “I’m glad you said that. I didn’t want to sound like a total sap but I don’t know what I’m gonna do without you around. For the last six weeks, I’ve seen you almost every day. Ten days seems like forever.”

  I smiled at him and he pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me. “If it was up to me, I wouldn’t leave at all.”

  “You have to see your family. It’s okay. It’ll go quick. We’ll talk on the phone, text, have phone sex. The ten days will be up before you know it.”

  With a laugh, I shoved him back. “Smooth.”

  “Like the way I threw that in there?” He grinned.

  I rolled my eyes, while totally pretending the thought of phone sex with Cade didn’t get me all flustered. “Let’s eat before our food gets cold.”

  After we ate, we went to my room and watched TV. I curled into Cade’s side while he propped himself semi-sitting against the headboard.

  “Can I take you to the airport tomorrow?”

  I glanced up. “If you want. The flight is kind of early and I’d just planned on leaving my car there. I really don’t mind driving myself.”

  “I want to. I can pick you up when you come back too.”

  “Okay.” It’d been a long time since I’d had a guy in my life who just wanted to do things for me, expecting nothing in return. It was nice.

  “Do you think you’ll see your ex?”

  “Well, since he’s dating my sister, probably.” I stared up at him, noting the way he hadn’t made eye contact as he asked. “Are you jealous?” I grinned.

  He shrugged.

  “Seriously?” I sat up and gave him a playful shove. “You can’t really be jealous.”

  “The guy was an idiot for ending things, clearly he’s realized that. He’s tried to get back together with you, not once, but twice now. What do you expect?” He shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed by his admission.

  “I don’t want him.”

  “It doesn’t mean he won’t try something with you. You go home, fall into old routines…It’s easy to live in the moment.”

  “Cade, think about it. The last time I was home, I told him to get lost, and I didn’t even have you back then. But now that I do, not only am I completely uninterested, I see how very inadequate that relationship had been. In. Every. Way.” I grinned and scooted myself up, then placed one leg over his lap, straddling him. “I was fifteen when we started dating. What did I know? But now I know a lot of things.” I slid my hands up his chest and over his shoulders.

  His hands went to my waist, his thumb brushing just under my shirt.

  “What I like. What I want. Who I want.” I pressed my lips to his neck, then slowly ran my tongue up it and along his jawline. The
hints of stubble rubbed my lips as I finished with a kiss. “I want you.”

  He pushed my shirt up, grazing his hands up my body then cupping each breast. His thumbs circled over my bra. My eyes drifted closed and I rocked my hips against him. When they opened, I found him watching me. His dark eyes filled with desire and heat, longing.

  I tugged the button of his jeans. “I think tonight should be the night.” With his pants splayed open I moved my body forward again.

  He raised his hips. “Are you sure you don’t want it to be something to look forward to when you get back?”

  “I’ll look forward to the next time.” Pushing up to kneeling, I tugged my shorts open.

  Cade’s hands dropped to my waist, one hand worked my zipper down then he trailed his thumb across my stomach, hooked a finger in the top of my panties and inched them down.

  “Is that a yes?” My stomach bubbled with nervous excitement. We’d gone down this road enough times that I sort of expected his typical suggestion of waiting.

  “Is that what you want?” His gaze lifted, locking with mine.

  “You know it is.” I leaned forward and planted a kiss at the corner of his mouth.

  He turned his head and ran his tongue across my lips, slowly curving along the top, then glided inside. He slipped my shirt off then reached around to snap my bra free. His mouth lowered, sliding along my neck then descending between my breasts.

  I yanked at his pants, needing him naked like five minutes ago. He helped kick off his jeans as I raised my hips and hastily shed what was left of my clothing as well, but before I could move back over him he flipped me onto my back, and reached his hand into my panties while his wet kisses slid over my flesh.

  “Cade?” I panted, praying this wasn’t just one big tease. “Does this mean you’ve finished mapping me?”

  He smiled. “Yeah.” His tongue flicked over my nipple before he took it into his mouth.

  He was going to drive me insane, but I had to know: Where was the invisible X he’d sought out? “What was the last part?” I asked, a bit breathless.

  His hand stilled and he stared into my eyes. “You haven’t figured it out?”