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.”
Chapter 9
Cara
I seriously had no other explanation, other than that I was dreaming. This is the stuff that Prince Charming was made from. Which reminded me again that it meant he was too good to be true. I was torn between completely letting myself go and enjoying it, or running before I found out what he was hiding underneath the charming facade.
Sure, this could end in disaster, like things had with LJ, but I’d resolved to put LJ from my mind for the rest of the weekend. I just needed to focus on enjoying myself because after the hell LJ put me through last week, I needed this break.
As we parked at Buoy 44, he opened my door as usual.
“Would you like to sit outside?” Caden motioned to the deck. Bright blue umbrellas matched the blue of the ocean, and were positioned over picnic tables that made the restaurant even more endearing. I wondered why I had never been here in any of my previous visits.
“Absolutely!” I turned to him and locked my eyes with his.
The salty breeze blew a few strands of hair across my face, and gently pushed them back behind my ear.
“You are so beautiful,” he said quietly.
Everything in me wanted him to kiss me, standing right there in the parking lot. I could tell he was feeling it too, but then he grabbed my hand and turned to lead me to the entrance instead. Feeling disappointed, I followed along.
The inside was the typical nautical-themed restaurant, and the waitresses and waiters were friendly and all wearing smiles, though not as large as the one that seemed like it was now permanently tattooed on my face. As we followed the hostess toward the outdoor area, I could feel the other patrons watching us. No doubt they were looking at this gorgeous man, with his broad shoulders and confident walk and wondering how I had gotten so lucky. If possible, my smile broadened even more as I allowed them to envy me, and they didn't even know the half of it.
My dress blew slightly in the breeze as we stepped through to the patio, and I smoothed it down, feeling the butter-softness of it again. I didn't remember ever having such a simple dress that felt so good on me. I would have never bought it for myself. I would have never let a man buy it for me before now, because it went against my theory of being practical with money, and would have made me feel bad. However, Caden seemed to really enjoy being able to buy the clothes for me, in a way that I didn't feel like he would ever want anything in return.
Caden allowed me to take my seat before sitting across from me at the picnic table, and he thanked the hostess. Turning his bright blue eyes to me, he smiled as he shook his head, “Cara, I don't know what you do to me, but I like it.”
I blushed in response and said, “Caden, you make me feel things I've never felt with anyone before. It honestly makes me nervous. I feel like there's so much I don't know about you.”
“Ask me anything. Let's get to know each other. But, first,” he nodded toward the waiter headed our way, “let's start with one of their famous cocktails.”
Caden ordered two “summer punches” and some shrimp skewers while I watched the waves roll in to the shore and then recede. The motion of the waves always relaxed me, but not even the waves could quench the anxiety and desire that I felt sitting across from Caden, who had once again taken charge of ordering for us.
I realized that while I was staring off in to the distance, the waiter had left and Caden was watching me, his eyes twinkling in the sun as I turned back to him. I had to think of what I wanted to know, other than everything. I started with, “Where did you go to college?”
“I went to UNC. Go Tarheels!” He laughed. “I was there on a track scholarship. The 400-meter was my best event, but once my sophomore year hit, I lost my steam. I was no longer placing, and I lost the scholarship money. I wasn't sure what to do with the General Business degree I was going for, so I added Marketing Management as my minor. I took out a student loan, got a job at a factory counting screws for money, and the rest is history.”
“Wait, you counted screws?” I chuckled, imagining him sitting with hunched shoulders counting smalls crews all day.
“Yes. I worked for SCO, the Screw Company. They sold screws for automobiles. My job was to constantly inventory the amounts of screws we had available and let the more important people order more when we needed them. I even got my special forklift license,” he added the last sentence in a bit of a country accent. Somehow him having a lower level job and paying his way through school made him even more attractive.
Our drinks and appetizer arrived, and Caden ordered the fish tacos for us both, and then turned back to me. “Do I get to ask you questions, too?”
“As long as they’re appropriate,” I quipped.
“How do I get you to trust me?” he asked. “I can tell you're holding back. I want to know all of you.”
“Wow. It's that obvious?” I wondered aloud, but mostly to myself.
“I want to know how to get Cara Lauren to let go. How to allow her to have a good time.”
He was waiting for an answer that I didn't know how to give. I mean, obviously I was reserved with this man that I had just met, but I realized that it was more than that. I had picked LJ because he was safe. He wanted simple, and I could give him simple, but also show him things he hadn't had before. I was different from the pretentious girls LJ had known from law school. Laidback, in touch with the part of him that wanted something bigger than the paperwork the law required. I also had lived a few years in the luxury of a six-figure salary, thanks to a job in sales right out of college, where spending wasn't an issue. I didn't have to try to impress him, and I had no guard to let down. In a sense, I didn't realize it, but I’d felt comfortable with LJ because I felt a bit superior to him. I think that's why I was so hurt when he left. How could he leave me, who was better than anyone he'd had? I gave him everything. However, the one thing he wanted, I never had given him, and Caden picked up on that. I wasn’t quite ready to admit to that, though.
“What do you mean? I'm having a great time. It's just that I barely know you,” I automatically responded.
“I can't tell there are still walls that need to come down. And, I will be here waiting for when they do. That fool of an ex-boyfriend must be on the same level of my ex-girlfriend.” He looked in my eyes as if he was looking right through me. Luckily, I was saved by the arrival of our meals.
“Wow, I guess we need to at least start on the shrimp,” I observed, as we hadn't even touched our appetizer yet.
“Yeah, I guess we should,” Caden agreed, reaching for my plate to serve me some of the shrimp, in addition to the fish tacos. My mom had not raised a girl to eat like a bird, so I had no trouble digging in to the fresh seafood.
“Wow. This is delicious,” I noted after a bit of the taco. I was never a fan of slaw on tacos,
but the vinegar and pepper in these tacos made for the perfect balance of spice and bitterness.
“The fish tacos here are renowned,” he raved, “even Jonathan Gold flew here from L.A. to try them. He wrote an article naming them the best fish tacos on the East Coast.” Did Caden really just say that he followed a food critic? Either he had the psychic abilities to know all I cared about in life, or he was so in tune with my world that it was crazy.
“You certainly know the way to this girl’s heart,” I teased, taking another juicy, and messy, bite of the taco.
“I work so often that when I do get a chance to eat out, it’s always alone. What else is there to do but critique and find the best food in town, when it’s your only companion?” He looked down at the food, with only a touch of sadness in his eyes.
Suddenly, there was a bellow from just inside the door, “Caden, you dog! I've been looking for you everywhere!”
It was Graham. How had that fool found out where we had gone?
“Graham,” I heard Caden clear his threat, and looked over to see why Caden had stopped mid-sentence. Trailing behind Graham was LJ. My LJ.
My heart jumped in my throat, stopping the air from entering in my lungs. I could feel my face start to get flushed, and I couldn't even think. What was he doing here? Why was he with Graham?
“I believe you know this lad,” Graham said, jabbing a thumb toward LJ. “I overheard him at the front desk, asking for you, Cara. Once he told me his story, I knew I had to help him find you.”
Graham winked at me, purposefully avoiding Caden’s glare. Caden looked at me, his eyes full of confusion, and then, in an instant, full of clarity as mine filled with tears.
“LJ,” I started, but I couldn't finish. I looked back at Caden with the hope that he could read the apology in my eyes as I pushed back my chair. “Excuse me.”
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