by Ava Claire
“Cade the Philanthropist obviously didn’t work, so we go back to the Cade the world knows and loves. The badass star. Every woman wants to sleep with you, every man wants to be you. Testosterone. A man’s man. Different woman every night of the week. Business as usual.”
Considering the Cade she knew was one that tried to pick her up one night and pursued another woman a few days later, I could see why she thought I was that guy. The player. The stereotypical actor that changed woman like he changed his shirts. But I didn’t want to be that guy anymore...and it stung that she even suggested it so flippantly, like I could turn it off and on as easily as breathing. It was a blow because ultimately, it was the truth.
“Wait, what?” Lisa nearly shot out of her seat. “You want him to play up the douche factor? Pretend he’s some bro-tastic asshole? That’s your expert opinion on what will make Soldier’s Creed a success?”
Missy’s dark eyes burned like hot coals. “I’m just saying we made a mistake trying to pretend that Cade is something that he’s not.” Her eyes shifted to me, and I knew that she was about to say something that would pour salt in the wound. “The Cade Wallace the world knows could care less about kids. He’s not trying to make the world a better place. He only cares about two things. Kicking ass and sex. That’s it.”
I wrenched my gaze from her. I needed to cool down because the anger was taking me down a road that would make me do or say something I would regret. Blood pumped through my veins like molten lava. My throat constricted and my words were clipped and hot. “That’s not who I am, Miss Diaz. And that’s not what this movie’s about.”
“I’ve seen your film, Mr. Wallace,” Missy said, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “If you think anyone is leaving the cinema with any takeaway message besides “’Murica!”, you are sorely mistaken. They don’t care about the message. You’re escapism. A commodity for them to consume.”
The tension in the room was suffocating and Missy and I glared at each other. Her smile didn’t falter, and she didn’t blink. Why would she? She knew she had my balls in a fucking vice, and there was nothing I could do about it. My reaction had given her the ammunition to blow me away.
She waited for me to lose my shit, to prove her point. The darkness in me whispered to give in. To rise up and surrender to the rage. Flip the table and tell her to go to...
I sat back, my breathing normalized. Flip the table? Cuss her out? That was supposed to show her that I wasn’t a guy driven by testosterone? Some one track minded beast who only thought about kicking ass and the next warm hole to put his dick in?
I snickered and pushed back from the table. The sound was like a bullet that ricocheted around the room. You’d think I’d growled from the way Missy stepped backward. Her assistant’s mouth was ajar. Even Lisa looked surprised.
I cocked my head at the door. “I think we’re done here, Lisa.” I glanced over at Missy. “If that’s all right with you?”
She nodded her head slowly. Lisa eased from her chair and tailed me as I strode to the elevator. She didn’t say anything until we hit the ground floor.
“What was that in there?”
“What was what?” I said nonchalantly. I was having way too much fun at her expense.
She let out a blistering scoff. “Cade!”
“I had a choice to make: I could try to convince someone that already made their mind up about me that I was different, or I could cut my losses and just prove to her, and the world, that I am different.”
Lisa stared at me like I’d just spoken a foreign language.
“Don’t act so shocked,” I laughed, holding the door for her. “You should be happy that all of your misplaced belief in me finally rubbed off.”
Her mouth spread into a grin. “Not misplaced. A long shot, maybe. But definitely not misplaced.”
I didn’t even notice the paparazzi as I reclaimed the car and eased into traffic. I had a destination in mind. One person that I wanted to see.
“Where we headed?”
I smiled to myself. “I think I’m in the mood for gelato.”
Chapter Ten
Megan
If I hadn’t just downed a mocha latte and caffeine was fresh in my system, I would have believed I’d passed out at my desk. Cheek coated in slobber. Lost in a fantastical dream.
Cade Wallace was standing at my door.
With a familiar looking pint and two spoons.
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
“Let me guess—” A smirk curved his lips and tugged at my heartstrings. “You’re so happy to see me that you’re speechless.”
I rolled my eyes and shoved away the truth as I perched a hand on my hip. I was happy...that’s why my heart leaped in my chest and nerves bundled in my gut. But he didn’t need to know that. Not with the smug look on his face.
“What are you doing here, Cade?”
“Mind if I come in?” It wasn’t a request since he moved forward like a man on a mission, and I had a choice—step to the side and let him pass, or get a pint of gelato all over my blouse. And that would be a waste of perfectly delicious gelato.
I pivoted toward his stride, my eyes shooting to the perfection that was his ass. It didn’t take much to put my head firmly in the gutter. I bit my lip as I imagined what his body would be like without the pesky clothing barrier. Do not go there! Eyes up!
But I didn’t fare much better when he swiveled to face me. And what an unfairly perfect face it was. Strong, angular features. Features that were locked on me. Boring into me like I was the one that was devastatingly attractive. Like it was impossible for him to take his eyes off of me.
My hand rattled as I scooped red tendrils behind my ear. “Y-You still haven’t answered my question.”
“I was in the neighborhood,” he said innocently, which was the first indicator that he was up to no good. “And I heard Tegan’s was delicious.”
I nearly drew blood at the sound of my favorite creamery. Delicious didn’t even brush the surface. The owner used to live in Italy and brought back the method and flavors that she experienced. You could taste the fresh ingredients and passion in every bite.
I eyed the pint like a person that had spotted water after being in the desert for days. “How did you know I liked Tegan’s?”
He shrugged a polo clad shoulder. “Lucky guess.”
I tilted my eyes to meet his. The allure of gelato dulled in favor of the unease of an uncomfortable fact. The city was filled with countless ice cream places and half a dozen of them specialized in gelato. He was an actor, worth more money than I’d see in several lifetimes. He had resources...and he’d used those resources to study me.
“Why me, Cade?” Anger burned my cheeks. “I’m just a teacher. I work all day then I come home and work some more. I might switch it up and drink a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, or devour copious amounts of gelato after a long day of fighting with administrators. I’m nothing special.”
The playfulness drained from his eyes and something soft and disarming took its place. “That’s where you’re wrong, Megan. You are special. At first, I admit I was drawn to you physically. Your hair, your eyes, your body in that dress...” He let out a jagged sigh that made me tingle in a place that would get me in trouble. A delicious kind of trouble.
Crap. I would not be deterred by thoughts of Cade’s eyes devouring me. Or memories of my fingers deep inside while I begged him for more. To take me.
I cleared my throat in an attempt to rein in the lust building inside me. “Look—”
“Let me finish.” The authoritative snap in those three words made my nostrils flare defiantly, but I said nothing more.
“The more I looked at you, the more I felt like I was looking in the mirror. I saw someone that had made mistakes and was guarded, determined not to repeat those mistakes—even if it meant missing out on something great.”
I desperately wanted to tell him he was wrong. That he didn’t know me. But he was right on
the money. I’d been hurt so many times that I was fighting what my heart wanted. My heart wanted Cade...but it wouldn’t be the first time it steered me wrong. So I fought it. I lumped him in with every other guy that hurt me and tossed me aside like I was nothing.
I was tired of fighting.
I unplugged my ears, and let his deep voice wash over me.
“You are special, Megan. And any guy that made you question that, doubt just how amazing you are...” He trailed off angrily, his face hardening to rock.
I smiled on the inside. I’d heard the whole “I’ll beat the crap out of any guy that’s wronged you” spiel before, but this was the first time I felt like my ex’s needed to sleep with one eye open.
“I just want a fair chance at your heart,” he finished. He crossed the bridge between us in two strides. An inch of space remained. I hitched a breath as our eyes locked into place like two puzzle pieces meeting. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t function with him so close. I just wanted to melt into him.
His eyes narrowed in concern. He cupped my cheeks, studying me intently. “Are you all right?”
Words caught in my throat, and I shook my head adamantly.
He released me, and I felt the absence of his touch in my chest. An aching pain that didn’t go away. He was being so open, so patient even when I pushed him away. I could give an inch. Just an inch.
I licked my chapped lips. “I’m afraid.”
“Afraid?” He repeated the word, then took a step back. His jaw tightened. “Afraid of me?”
I shook my head slightly, my eyes on the floor. “Afraid that if you broke my heart, it would ruin me.”
The truth was out, and I kept my eyes downcast, just in case he snapped out of it and bolted. My heart nor my pride would recover from that.
But he hooked my chin and forced it upward until my eyes found his.
He wasn’t running.
“I’m not gonna hurt you Megan.” His mouth drew to mine, and I closed my eyes.
“Ahem.”
My eyes flew open.
Not him. Not now.
But I knew without even turning around that it was Mark.
I exchanged a look with Cade and in a blink of an eye he was in between me and Mark. All the muscles in his back were taut, and he seemed taller, if that was possible. More imposing. When I stepped up beside him and saw the way he was glaring at Mark, I was afraid of him. The concept of him beating my ex’s to a pulp was amusing a few moments ago, but now that it had become significantly more likely, it wasn’t so charming.
I didn’t get a word out before Cade growled several.
“You make a habit of just strolling into people’s classrooms?”
Mark didn’t even flinch as he sized up his opponent. “I’m sorry, who are you?”
I knew for a fact that Mark knew exactly who Cade was. The first time I had stayed at his place, we’d Netflixed one of Cade’s first movies, The Last Resort. Mark had spent ninety percent of the film lamenting how under appreciated the action genre was—-and how he’d auto-watch anything with Cade Wallace’s name attached to it.
His fanboy was packed up tight somewhere though because at the moment he was giving as good as he got.
“Why are you here, Mark?” I hissed, stepping between them. Mark blinked at me, remembering there was someone else in the room. Once I had his attention, I nailed him to the floor. “Maybe our last conversation wasn’t clear, but I don’t want to see you during after school hours unless it’s at a required staff meeting.”
“You hear that, Mark? She doesn’t want you here,” Cade snarled and advanced. Mark was athletic and knew his way around the gym, but Cade towered above him in both height and muscle. And from the way Cade’s chest heaved up and down, he was just waiting for Mark to give him a reason to knock him out.
Mark strode forward, happily obliging him. I was pinned between the two snarling men.
“Why are you here? Plotting out your next publicity stunt?” Mark snapped.
“Oh, this guy’s got jokes.” Cade’s voice was low and dangerous. “You seem like a bucketful of fun...I’d hate for your kids to be saddled with a sub while you recuperate.”
“You’re threatening me?” Mark scoffed, locking his jaw defiantly before he flicked his leer at me. “You really know how to pick ‘em, don’t you?”
Fury hit me like a ton of bricks. I trembled from head to toe as I plowed forward, forcing him backward. Cade didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the desire to take my hands, wrap them around Mark’s neck, and choke the life out of him.
Cade didn’t make him retreat, but Mark went back the way he came, his blue eyes registering the only real emotion I seemed capable of inspiring in him these days—fear.
“You would know, wouldn’t you?” I said vehemently. “Because I must have been some kind of stupid to fall for an asshole like you.”
Mark was back in the hall, and shards of the smug jerk I knew and hated glittered through.
I held up a hand before he even opened his mouth. “Don’t speak, don’t even breathe in my direction. Just go.”
He glowered at Cade for one more second, then stomped in the direction of his office. Once he disappeared from view, I whisked back into my classroom and shut the door soundlessly behind me.
“That your ex?”
I held the doorknob tight, and it rattled in my hand. Or was I rattling it?
Tears stung my eyes, but I couldn’t cry now. Not in front of Cade.
I opened my mouth and a croak fell out.
Cade’s solid footsteps sounded behind me and his hand rested on my shoulder.
I shrugged him off, then whipped to face him. “Don’t touch me. I don’t need you to fight my battles. I can handle Mark.”
I expected him to give me a piece of his mind. To tell me the proper way to thank someone was to actually say the words ‘thank you’. But care rushed across his face instead of anger.
“I’m a bit old-fashioned, I admit,” he began gently. Why did his voice have to be so gentle? “But that wasn’t me fighting your battles. That was me fighting to keep my cool when I was face to face with someone that hurt you.”
I needed to find some clue that he was a con artist. That he was busting out his acting chops in order to trick me into putting down my walls and letting him in. I saw no smoke. No mirrors. There was only a man who would go to the ends of the Earth to protect me.
A man that I had to kiss at least once.
I vaulted onto my tiptoes and crashed my mouth into his. He tasted like sweat, mint, and surprise. The surprise quickly melted as his arms roped around me, and the kiss intensified. His tongue split my lips as he let out a moan of abandon that made me weak in the knees.
How was it possible that he could kiss me like I’d never been kissed before? Like I was the sweetest thing he’d ever tasted?
I felt like he could kiss me forever, and it still wouldn’t be long enough.
Sneakers echoed in the hall behind us, snatching me from the haze of him. I yanked from his embrace. From his warmth.
I covered my mouth in horror as the separation brought worries screaming to the forefront of my mind.
What if he was just using me?
What if this was all just a game to him?
I swallowed, my hand trembling as words filtered between my fingers. “Y-You need to leave.”
His face clouded with confusion. “What? But I—”
“Please go!” I shouted, my voice broken.
Fight rippled across his face, but he gave me a curt nod and left without a backwards glance.
Chapter Eleven
Cade
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, breathing in the warm night air. I let it fill my lungs with possibilities. Tonight I’d tell her I wasn’t re-upping. I was getting out of the military, and I could finally give her the quiet life she deserved.
Guilt soured the moment, cutting like a knife.
It’s the least you could do after
all the bullshit you’ve put her through.
It was almost ironic that I pulled to a stoplight at that exact moment. Still. Face to face with the truth.
I’d been home for a month, and when I stepped off that bus, I was fully expecting her not to be waiting at all. Joshua Herman had broken the code and written to her, detailing every girl I’d been putting my dick into while I was deployed. When Sophia called me after she read the letter...I shuddered. It had been the first time I’d broken down since Mom died. Her sobs got into my bones and I’d cried, tears, snot and all. I’d made her a promise that I’d do better. She agreed to stay with me under the condition that we never talked about the other women. Ever.
I gunned it when the light changed. My eyes shot to the passenger seat as Soph’s daisies slammed into the cushion, holding on for dear life. I righted them, easing off the gas. I had been good. A nearly stellar record of being faithful. Only two indiscretions since I’d been home: this sexy little blonde who sucked me two ways to Sunday when I went out with my squad a couple of months ago, and a redhead in the bathroom of some bar when I went to Vegas a few weeks back.
And you flirted with the florist, my conscience added accusatorially. The guilt didn’t stick. Winking at a cute brunette instead of nailing her in the stockroom was progress as far as I was concerned.
I smiled to myself, imagining Sophia’s face when I gave her the flowers and told her the news. Maybe I was growing up. Accepting the ball and chain. Deep down, I knew Sophia’s odd behavior was probably the thing that pushed me toward the straight and narrow. She’d been acting weird, not leaving the house, holed up in the bathroom. She’d only let me have her with the lights off, like she didn’t want me to see her.
She was just getting used to having me at home. There was always an adjustment period. My little raven haired firecracker would come back when she saw my face. Saw how serious I was about being a good husband.
I eased into the driveway, shutting off the engine. She’d probably jump in my arms, kissing me and squealing. Basking in her, in my future, I wouldn’t even change the subject if she asked about babies. She’d make a good mother; she was kind and patient and selfless. And when it came down to it, a kid would be kinda cool. Some little smart ass with her dark hair and big blue eyes, and my mouth and throwing arm. My dad was never around, but my kid would know me. He’d never live a day of his life without knowing that he was loved.