Chapter 7
Tasha
What Cade didn’t realize was that I rose to meet my challenger in the face of challenge. I narrowed one eye at him, which he didn’t see, because he’d pretty much stopped looking at me completely.
He was visibly nervous, his fingers twitching a frustrated rhythm on his leg. I thought of Moira’s claim that his problem was in his head, which I could concede in part. The change of scenery had done nothing to improve our odds, but when he was angry, or when his nerves got the best of him, his anxiety crept in. Then he couldn’t say anything correctly.
I thought back to the time we spent together at my apartment. He had arrived angry that night too. But shortly after he’d calmed down, he was like a different person. Easygoing and—dare I say it?—relaxed.
Acting like I changed my mind, I packed the straws, then the books, then the papers. He watched my movements carefully, a look of suspicion on his face. He didn’t know what I was up to. Good. Neither did I.
After I cleaned up my small mess I knew what to do. I had to prove that it was not just a fluke that he could speak when he was close to me. It was the other theory I’d been harboring about his messy speech. Did I put him at ease when I was near?
I scooted closer to him, all but erasing the space between us on the blanket. My heartbeat thrummed in my throat instead of my chest, where it was supposed to be. What I was about to attempt was risky. Exciting.
Necessary,the type A perfectionist inside me argued.
Cade was frowning, watching me warily. I gathered my courage and scootched the slightest bit closer, leaving virtually no space between us save the breath I had just taken.
“I need your help,” I whispered.
I expected his eyes to shutter, but he looked more curious than guarded.
“We won’t use the straws. I won’t make you do silly face exercises.” I dropped my voice to what I hoped was a sensual purr, though there was no hiding the slight waver there. “I want to try something else.”
His light brown eyes dashed to my lips and his pupils widened. I wondered if it was because the sun had ducked behind the clouds or because his mind had gone where mine had.
“It’s purely scientific,” I said, my voice feathery.
His lips flinched, and there was no doubting the hum of attraction. It practically vibrated the ground where we sat. My heart rate kicked up another notch. It wasn’t like this was going to be a hardship. He was ridiculously hot. From the arch of his top lip to his full bottom lip over an angled jaw. The front of his hair had blown over his forehead, dusting his thick brown eyebrows.
“Close your eyes,” I instructed. “And purse your lips.”
His expression went from confused to bland. He shook his head.
“Come on. I’ll even count to three.” Did I have him all wrong? Maybe he didn’t want to kiss me? Briefly, I considered I was using my position of power to manipulate him before dismissing that ridiculous thought. Cade couldn’t be made to do anything he didn’t want to do. Desperate, I added, “Please?”
He shook his head again, but this time his lips quirked as if he were thoroughly amused. He liked to tell me no.
“Fine. Keep your eyes open. On three.”
“Wuh-one.”
The sun came out and he squinted his eyes in challenge. I leaned in the slightest bit closer and licked my lips. “Two.”
He lifted his hand, sifted my hair between his fingers, and rested one broad palm on my neck.
I warmed like sparks were glinting off my skin. “Thr—”
He cut the word off with his lips. Delicious, firm lips that took me under his control.
What was supposed to be a light peck yielding an answer to my hypothesis was instead a solid lip-lock sending tingles over my lips and zinging across my jaw. My fingers curled, clutching uselessly at my jeans as I resisted the urge to thrust my fingertips into his hair and see if it felt as soft as it looked.
He disconnected, tugging his chin away, his eyes opening and landing on mine. I was…speechless.
But he wasn’t.
“Three,” he said.