I lifted a shoulder. “I make a day of it, and it’s nice to spend some time in the quiet.”
“Wouldn’t you rather be alone?”
His question didn’t sound as though it were driven by any malice but more genuine curiosity. In fact, it was hard to picture Cade being malicious about anything. He was so composed and carefree as though he was here to watch the world pass him by without a single care in the world. Hopefully, the attitude was catchy. I wouldn’t mind some of it in my life.
I thought of Officer Kim and the questions it raised, and I thought of Burke and other cops who were dismissive of my theories. No one seemed to care about my dad, not even my stepbrother, wherever the fuck he was. The more time that passed after Dad’s death, the more my desire to solve his murder intensified. However, I was hit with dead end after dead end, and I’d already pushed away what few friends I had with my ramblings and unwillingness to let it go for even one night so we could go out. When one of them contacted me recently to arrange a catch-up, I got the feeling we were both steadfastly avoiding the topic of my work or my family. Maybe it was just my imagination.
But I didn’t want to be alone anymore.
“Not this time,” I muttered.
Cade nodded, and not wanting to let the conversation lull, I worked my confidence up to ask what could be an uncomfortablequestion, given my broken memories from the other night.
“Cade?” I started.
He hummed, turning his head from the window where the city life was thinning as we moved into the suburbs. The graveyard was on the outskirts of the city, a quiet area bordered by country roads that led to the small towns surrounding our bustling metropolis.
I cleared my throat. “Did you take my handcuffs with you the other night?”
He took a moment to answer, and when I tossed a glance his way, he was smiling, his chin resting on his fist and hair shifting around his face slightly from the air conditioner, and I won’t deny I took a moment to check him out. The urge to pull the car over and trace my fingers along his jawline and down his neck was strong, stronger than I’d admit out loud. While Cade gave off almost gentle-giant vibes, he oozed masculinity and drew me to him, and I wondered what animal lingered underneath that calm façade and if he’d come out to play in the bedroom.
“I put them in your living room,” he said.
Cringing at the memory, I said, “I’m sorry about the other night. If you hadn’t been able to get out of the handcuffs after I passed out, there’d have been trouble for the both of us.”
He shook his head, smiling. “It’s fine. There was no issue, and we’re all good. No sense in worrying about something that didn’t happen.”
Yeah, there are plenty of things to worry about thatdidhappen.
“I enjoyed talking to you at the bar,” I offered, trying to clear some of the awkwardness I felt, and judging by Cade’s face, it was completely one-sided. He didn’t seem bothered in the slightest I had left him handcuffed to my bed while I passed out.
What a fucking disaster of a date.
And for our second date, I was taking him to a graveyard. Ipulled a face.
“What you can remember of the conversation anyway,” he smirked.
I made apfftsound with my lips because I knew he was right and didn’t want to admit it.
CADE
Nikki and I chatted as she drove, and I made a mental note to remind myself to offer to drive back. Just because I was stronger than humans and healed faster doesn’t mean I wanted to be in a car accident. Every time I tried to let the conversation lull so she could concentrate, she’d look at me and smile, and it would be impossible not to return the expression. But she drove like she was playing a cop in a movie and chasing some perp, swerving around corners way too fast, the sound of the tires on the road breaking the otherwise calm silence of the suburbs. She got almost a manic look in her eye when she took off from the lights, and I swear, in her head, shewasin one of the cop movies.
Fuck, she was hot.
The whole wanting to corrupt her because she looked innocent thing, I totally got it. She kept tucking her hair behind her ear as it fell in front of her face because I had taken out her ponytail. What I really wanted to do was bend her over andbunch her hair up in my fist, exposing her neck to me while I fucked her.
Something told me she wouldn’t be up for fucking in the graveyard, so I’d have to be patient on that front. But I figured she’d be worth the wait. She was driven and stubborn but with an element of silliness that made me chuckle.
I wondered if she’d orgasm harder if I tickled her while stimulating her, given how she reacted when I got hold of her foot. I wanted to hear that laugh broken with moans and to feel her nails dig into my arms and shoulders as she completely lost control. Since she was the sort to try to restrainme,I’d need to set the balance of power right.
Demons don’t play submissive well.
My mind wasn’t entirely one-tracked. I was actually paying attention to the conversation.
There was a small parking lot next to a stone church that appeared empty, no sound or light emanating from inside and an eerie hollowness to the open windows. While I’d hardly burst into flames if I stepped foot in a church, I didn’t particularly want to venture inside either. Something about that felt fundamentally wrong like I’d be giving God a big middle fingerha-ha, I’m on Earth, sucker.
Wasn’t my style.
