by C. J. Lake
She dug her phone out of her pocket to check the time. 10:37. Okay, if Mick went straight home after his exam, he should be at his apartment by the time Cady got there. She had to try again to catch him, especially if he was about to hop a plane to Hawaii. Shoot, maybe this excursion to Linda's was a mistake; it might have cost Cady time that she couldn't afford to lose.
Cynically, Cady knew that if Mick left without seeing her and talking to her in person, there was very little chance that a phone call or text message after the fact was going to save them. He'd be five thousand miles away, the intimacy they had been building would be ruined.
She remembered the hurt and anger in Mick's eyes last night when she'd rejected his explanation—and worse, when she'd downplayed their relationship, defining it as some sort of fling. She hadn't meant it, of course. Looking back now, Cady realized that she'd been just trying to save face, in case that was how he felt. But how could Mick possibly know that? How could he read her mind?
God, I've screwed up everything, Cady thought miserably. When she thought back to last night—recalled how icy she had been, how unyielding—she almost shuddered, because that kind of rigidness reminded her of Hortense. While Cady's mother might be brilliant in an academic setting, she was certainly not who Cady aspired to be when it came to relationships. She was too aloof and controlling, almost invulnerable. Hey, maybe Hortense's new boyfriend, Rodrigo, liked that—but it wasn't Cady, she wouldn't let it be.
“Oh, Linda, you know what?” Cady spoke up suddenly. “I'm sorry, I...I completely forgot that I was supposed to meet my friend, Torie, for lunch today.” Seeing that it was only 10:37, Cady corrected herself, “Brunch, really. Anyway...I should go.”
“Oh, okay,” Linda said, picking up the packing tape gun.
“Sorry for the short visit!” Cady threw in, feeling a genuine stab of guilt for bailing on her stepmom after ten minutes (and lying about it).
“No problem, I understand. Go have fun!” Linda said, exchanging a brief hug with Cady, before she headed toward the door. “And don't worry about me, your father said he'd come by after work to help me here.”
With a few more parting words, Cady left Linda's, clutching her phone harder than she meant to, because she could hear the T coming and every moment felt crucial as she hurried to catch it.
~
On her way back to Mick's, Cady tried his cell phone again. Still off? Ugh, this was so frustrating! Surely he was out of his exam by now.
When she finally reached his apartment, she inhaled a quick, hopeful breath then knocked on the door. Her spirits lifted when she heard shuffling on the other side—but then sank again when it was Quinn, not Mick, who opened the door.
To make it worse, Quinn didn't appear very welcoming. “Oh, jeez,” he muttered when he saw her, which was kind of insulting. Then he paid vague tribute to manners, by giving her a nod and greeting her with a bland, “Hey, Cady.”
Feeling uncomfortable, she forced a friendly smile. “Hi, Quinn. Is Mick here?”
“Nope. He's not.”
“Okay...do you know when he'll be back? He didn't leave for break yet, did he?” she couldn't help asking, concerned—even though the very question revealed how much she and Mick were on the outs with each other at the moment. But she was assuming that as Mick's roommate, Quinn was probably aware of that.
He paused, seeming slightly put out. “Listen, Cady, no offense, but you're not going to start up some drama, are you? Because...look, it's none of my business, but come on. The guy's going on vacation. There's gonna be seriously hot Hawaiian chicks everywhere he looks. So just don't get in his head right before he goes.”
Stunned, Cady struggled for a response. In a way, she was sort of offended by everything he'd just said. Yet, on another level, she wasn't sure she had the right to be. Even though Quinn's words were rude and inconsiderate, his tone was calm and reasonable, as though he were asking Cady for a casual favor—for her to cut his friend a break and not ruin his vacation. It embarrassed her a little, and she wondered how much Quinn knew. “What did Mick say to you?” she asked.
“He didn't have to say anything for us all to see the number you worked on him,” he answered vaguely.
“Wait, I—I did not work a number on him!” Cady insisted. When Quinn half-rolled his eyes at that, Cady tried to explain, “Quinn, I care a lot about Mick.”
“Sure.”
Guilt twisted at her. But defensive proclamations to Mick's roommate were probably pretty useless. “The whole thing was...look, I really need to talk to him. I haven't been able to reach him. Can you just tell me when he'll be back?”
“Talk about what?” a deep voice cut in.
Cady whipped around. Her heart stopped for a second and her attack of nerves came back. Mick was walking down the hall, unshaven and handsome, with cold dark eyes assessing her.
Chapter Fifty-two
Before responding to Mick's question, Cady glanced back toward Quinn. “All right, I'm going,” Quinn said, shaking his head as he grabbed his gym bag. As he moved past Cady and Mick in the doorway, he muttered, “Good luck, man.”
“All right, later,” Mick said, before entering the apartment. Cady followed, shutting the door behind her.
After tossing his keys, Mick turned to face her. His expression was neutral—but he obviously wasn't throwing her any lifelines. Instead, he waited for her to say something.
“I tried to call first, but your phone was off.”
“Oh, yeah,” Mick said, pulling it out of his pocket then. “I forgot to turn it back on after my exam.” He did so now, and set it down on the pool table.
“Okay...well...”
“What's up, Cady?” Mick demanded.
Suddenly the four feet between them felt like a football field. She took another breath, unsure how to start. “Your mom said you're going to Hawaii.” Mick nodded. “So, I guess that was a recent decision?”
“Yep. I texted my dad last night. He said the offer was still open, so...” He shrugged, adding, “We're taking different flights; I'm just going to meet him at the hotel.”
“And you're leaving this afternoon?” she said.
“My flight's at seven.”
“I see. Well...I wanted to say...” Her mouth began to dry up, so she tried to break the ice a bit more. “Have a good trip.”
Now his eyes were hard on hers, his face almost sullen. “Yeah, thanks.” Dismissively, he added, “Okay, if that's all, I've got to pack, so—”
“No, wait!” Cady blurted, almost reaching for him. “There was one more thing I wanted to say—real quick.”
“Fine. What?” There was nothing coaxing about Mick's tone. It was curt and impatient, which intimidated her a little.
“I also wanted to say that...” Wetting her lips one last time, Cady summoned the courage to go all in—to stop half-truthing when it came to her feelings for him. “I'm sorry I didn't trust you. And I'm sorry that I hurt you,” she told him frankly.
Mick didn't deny it, which only touched her more.
“I should have believed you about Juliana,” she went on. “I should have believed what we had was real. Because that's the way that I felt.” Her voice wobbled just a little, and Mick's eyes softened as he listened. “I don't have a good excuse for assuming the worst about you. Or for not just coming to you and telling you what I heard. So...I get why you're mad at me now. And why you can probably never forgive me. I'd understand if you don't want to see me again, and maybe don't even want me to be here right now—”
“Stop it, will you?” Mick cut her off, shaking his head. When she dropped her gaze, he came closer. “Of course I can forgive you,” he muttered thickly. Feeling shy but hopeful, she looked up at him again. Then he murmured, “I can't say no to you, you know that.”
For a moment, Cady was struck and her mouth curved open with a kind of wonder. “Actually... I didn't know that,” she said softly.
They both moved toward each other. Mick's eyes searched hers.
With a possessive kind of tenderness, he brought his hand to her face, settling the heat of his palm on her cheek. “Well now you do.”
Affectionately, Cady touched Mick's chest, resting her hands inside his unzipped jacket. Her gaze climbed from his tee shirt to his mouth. Instinctively, she inched even closer, as he leaned down, and then with her eyes shut and chin tilted up, she felt his mouth on hers. Total bliss...his mouth was hot and slick and intoxicating...how she had missed him...
They had only just begun kissing when Mick gently clasped her upper arms. “Wait, Cady, wait,” he said against her lips. In protest, she curled her arm around his neck, trying to pull him closer, but Mick was firm. “Wait—we need to settle something.”
“What?” Cady whispered, poised to kiss him again, waiting for him to let her.
“Look, if we're going to be together, you have to trust me,” Mick said.
“Okay.”
“Oh, just like that?”
“Sure. Within reason...”
“I'm being serious here.”
“All right,” she agreed sincerely.
Mick continued, “Understand something: I'm not a cheater.” Cady nodded. “I'm sorry I lied in that text message, and I swear on my life I won't make that mistake again. But I'm not like Wes,” he emphasized.
“I know that,” Cady promised, before tipping her forehead toward Mick's chest, resting it there. With a sigh, he ran his hands up her back. The next thing she knew, their arms were around each other and they were wrapped in a tight hug. Savoring it, Cady thought: Total bliss again. Mick was breathing into her hair, sending warm ripples of excitement through her. “So you'll give me another chance?” she whispered.
“We have to be clear on this,” he said, pulling back just enough to look at her. “You're my girlfriend now.” She couldn't tell if it was a declaration or a question, but she agreed:
“Yes.”
“And that's what you want?”
“Yes.”
“But that means you have to talk to me if you're pissed off or upset with me.”
“Okay. I will.”
“You can't just shove me out in the cold,” Mick warned. When Cady stayed quiet in agreement, Mick's voice became huskier, more intimate. “I'm crazy about you, Cady,” he confessed. “I mean, literally—you drive me fucking insane. That's a compliment, by the way.” Though her mouth curved up, Mick's expression remained intent. “I just don't want to pretend,” he said.
“Me, either,” she nearly whispered, her voice was cracking a bit with emotion.
He sucked in a breath and said, “Anyway, these are my terms. All right?”
“Yes,” Cady replied, enumerating the three items with her fingers. “Trust you. Talk to you. Adore you.”
Mick's head jerked back a fraction. “Adore?” he repeated, hitching his mouth a little.
“I threw that one in...” Cady said playfully—then pressed up against him, standing on tiptoe, drawing him closer until their mouths were barely an inch apart. More seriously she told him, “because it's true.” And finally, with a grunt of surrender, Mick was kissing her again.
Chapter Fifty-three
Kissing Cady again wasn't just a relief—it was arousing as hell. Especially when she eagerly peeled his jacket off his shoulders and moved her mouth hungrily down his throat. Soon her hand was running over the growing bulge in Mick's jeans, making him groan and tunnel his fingers through her hair. “Cady...” he rasped, as she undid his fly and reached inside his boxers. He tipped her face up toward his. “You're so gorgeous...” he breathed.
“I thought you liked blondes,” Cady murmured glibly—though Mick detected a sulk hidden in there.
He almost grinned. “Did that piss you off?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” he uttered roughly, and then was crushing her mouth again.
She made soft little sounds as she kissed him...seductively stroking his dick with her warm, soft hand until he was almost painfully hard and groaning. Then she whispered his name, before she sank down on her knees.
Mick was so turned on, he could barely breathe for a second, as Cady eagerly pried open his jeans and shoved down his boxers...in seconds, he ended up leaning against the edge of the pool table as she took him deep in her mouth. His eyes slid shut and his head dropped back as she sucked him, thrumming his cock with her tongue the whole time, making these moans in the back of her throat. “Jesus, Cady...fuck...” he muttered hoarsely, trying to hold off but it was too hot and he'd missed her too much. He let out a ragged groan as he felt Cady's hands grip his ass tighter, pulling him in, trying to take him even deeper as he came.
Mick was still breathing hard when Cady climbed back up and affectionately pressed her body against his. She mumbled something softly to him. Dazed, his eyes met hers, and he gave her a crooked sort of grin. “You destroy me, babe,” he rasped.
Cady smiled softly, then hugged him. “Never,” she whispered against his shoulder. After a quiet moment, she murmured, “I wish you weren't going away for Christmas.”
Honestly, so did he. Even if it was an awesome trip like Hawaii, Mick would rather be freezing his ass off in Boston, with Cady. “I know,” he said, “but I can't bail on my dad now. That would be beyond shitty.”
“You're right, that's true,” she agreed, hugging him tighter, “but I'll miss you.”
“Hey, wait,” Mick said, realizing something obvious. “You should come with me.”
“What!” Cady yelped, pulling back to look up at him.
“Yeah, why not?”
She gave a laugh, shaking her head. “Come on, that's...I mean, I can't just come with you. I didn't plan for that.”
“So? Neither did I,” Mick pointed out with an easy shrug. “I just booked my flight last night. It takes about two seconds to book a flight, Cady.”
“I guess, but...”
“Think about it,” Mick coaxed, running his knuckles gently over her cheek, “we'll have such an awesome time together.”
“But...no, I...I'm not packed or anything!”
“C'mon, packing won't take long—if you just shove some clothes in a bag and go. If we forget anything, we'll just buy it when we're there.”
“I don't even know where my bathing suits are,” Cady commented.
“Yeah, I think Hawaii sells bathing suits,” he quipped.
“But—wouldn't your dad mind? If I just horned in on your trip?”
“No way. Why would my dad be mad? You're my girlfriend. Besides he's going to be spending half his time there trying to pick up women, so he'll be busy.”
“Really.”
Mick gave a laugh. “Honestly, I'd much rather hang out with you than be his wing-man the whole time.”
“Please tell me you're kidding right now,” Cady said, that adorable pinched expression forming on her face.
“I'm not,” he replied casually. “My dad's kind of a hound these days.”
Shaking her head, she muttered, “Hmm, I don't like the sound of that.”
“Don't worry; I won't let him corrupt me,” he joked.
“Still.”
Mick couldn't help but grin. Cady wanted to say yes, he could tell. He knew he could get her there. Especially now that their feelings for each other were out on the table.
Still, she tried to go for one last argument. “Well, we don't even know if I can get a flight.”
Damn, that was all she could come up with? Mick thought smugly. Okay, resistance over. His girl was coming with him.
“I'll find you a flight. First let's see if we can get you on mine. Hope you don't mind two stopovers,” he said dryly. “It was all I could get at the last minute. They probably still have some seats open.”
“You think?”
“Sure. Let me look online real quick and I'll take care of the travel arrangements.”
“You will? Okay, what should I do? Of course I'd have to run home and—oh gosh, I can't even believe I'm considering this! It's too...”
“Impulsive?” Mick supplied, reaching over to grab his phone off the pool table. “C'mon, babe, be impulsive for once in your life.”
At that, Cady got a little fired up. “Ha, for once in my life? What about the first night we met? I let you come home with me!”
“Hmm, now that's true,” Mick said, running a hand over his jaw, fondly recalling the memory. “Yeah, that was some good impulse...”
“And what about that night at the hotel, when I showed up at your room?” Cady said. “Wait, I'm seeing a common theme here.”
“Yeah,” Mick agreed, “that it's hot when you're impulsive.”
With a cute tilt of her head, Cady smirked. “No, I meant, the common theme is you. I can't seem to stay away from you.”
Wickedly, Mick grinned, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling Cady flush up against him. “Either way...sounds like you're coming to Hawaii.”
Chapter Fifty-four
An hour later, Mick had finished packing and Cady was booked on his flight. “Oh my gosh, I still can't believe I'm going to be in Hawaii tomorrow morning. Wait—will it be morning there?” she thought aloud.
“I think we're about six hours ahead here, so...middle of the night when we arrive,” Mick answered.
“We'll be so awake by then,” Cady remarked, assuming they would be sleeping a lot of the flight.
“Yeah, I'm not worried about that. I'm sure we'll find something to do in the hotel.” The mischievous glint in Mick's eyes brought a faint blush to Cady's cheeks, and a swell of excitement warmed her chest. This is really happening.
“It's crazy,” she went on. “Considering when I woke up today, I had no idea if you'd even want to see me anymore. And now...” For a moment Mick was preoccupied, flipping through his wallet, double-checking that he had his ID and cash, yanking a phone charger out of a nearby wall socket and sticking it in his suitcase. Cady yammered on, “Well, this will be good, you know, to see if we travel well together.” She only realized how stuffy and uptight that sounded after the words had spilled out.