I close my eyes. It’s one thing knowing he’s right, but does he really have to expose my inadequacies in front of everyone?
“Not that Ansel didn’t do a stellar job,” he adds hastily. My eyes open to see him beaming down at me. “Best kidnapper ever, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Maybe you should put me down,” I whisper, feeling self-conscious. “This is weird.”
Samson snorts as he passes us. “Believe me, this doesn’t even enter the realm of ‘weird’ where Cade is concerned.”
“Don’t scare him off,” Cade barks after him before offering me a tight smile.
“Oh, you’ll do that all on your own,” Samson says. “Once he knows your brand of crazy, he’ll go running.”
Cade grumbles. “Fuck off. Don’t give him any ideas.” Then heturns his gaze back to me, his eyes softening. “Why don’t we get you to bed? The doctor said it’s important that you rest.”
I nod against his chest, and then he’s moving again. My eyes roam constantly as he carries me up the stairs and down a long hallway. “Is this where you grew up?”
“Yep.” Cade uses his elbow to open a door before kicking it shut behind us. “Don’t be fooled. There were times when the mausoleum Father stuck me in seemed more welcoming than this place.”
My chest tightens uncomfortably. “I hate him.”
“Join the club. The membership is huge.”
“Cade, you don’t have to stay here with me. I don’t want you to be reminded of the shit he put you through.”
“It’s fine. Wylder lives here now, and I visit often. It’s not the same as it once was.”
“But you don’t have to stay. Really. I’ll be fine.”
Cade leans forward to brush his lips against mine. “If you’re here, then so am I. You’re stuck with me now, butterfly. Better get used to it.”
“I can’t get rid of you, can I?”
“Absolutely not.” He grins, his dimples showing once more. Fuck, he’s cute.
He lays me gently on his bed, fussing with the pillow under my head. “Are you comfy?”
“Considering you’ve put me in a bed instead of on a chair, yeah, I’m fine.”
I sigh and raise my hands above my head. Best to get this over with.
Cade stares at me in confusion. “Umm…what are you doing?”
“Waiting for you to tie me up.”
He cocks his head. “Why would I do that?”
I frown. “Because you’ve kidnapped me? Don’t you want to make sure I can’t escape?”
Cade laughs, sliding into the bed beside me. “Ha, you’re so adorable. This isn’t a kidnapping.”
I roll on my side as he does the same. “Well, it’s not like I can leave.”
“True.” He rubs his nose against mine. “It’s more like a friendly hostage situation. One for your own good.”
“How’d you work that out?”
He brushes the hair out of my eyes. “You’ve got a concussion, for a start. You need someone looking after you.”
“I’m sure I would’ve managed on my own.” Technically, I have Neo, but I haven’t told Cade much about him, let alone the fact that we share an apartment.
