“When you come here with friends or order it for the shop, do you ever get the kind of pizza you like?”
I’ve known this man less than twenty-four hours, but I think I have him figured out. He’s a caretaker, always making sure the people around him get what they need. He answered question after question at the shop today, handling things that he could have easily passed on to one of the guys. Always taking on the load.
“No,” he bites out, clearly done with this conversation.
“That’s what I thought,” I mutter as I grab another slice. So good. I pack it away, pretending like he’s not watching. No way will I let his stare ruin this magical pizza for me.
Kade’s still staring as I sit back with a sigh, gazing longingly at the rest of the pizza in the pan. I’m too full for more. I meet his eyes and cock an eyebrow at him. I wonder if he’s used to people caving and spilling all their secrets when he glares like that. But I’ve faced down bigger, scarier guys. He thinks he can pressure me?
Nah, time to fuck with him.
I take a deep breath. “What? You’ve never seen a big girl eat before? I will not allow you to shame me for eating.” I shake my finger at him, pleased when his eyes widen and dart around the restaurant. “Just because I have thick thighs and a round tummy does not make me less deserving of pizza.” I have to bite my lip from cracking at the look on his face as I slap the table and raise my voice. “I am a big, thick, juicy woman. And life is too short to not eat the pizza. So fuck salads! Fuck judgment!”
A woman’s “Amen, Sister!” from a few tables down cracks me up.
Kade looks so fucking confused.
“I…” He’s shaking his head as he leans as far away from me as possible in the small booth. “I wasn’t…I would never…You eat whatever you want.”
“Okay,” I say with a big smile as I take a long sip of my water, locking eyes with him. It’s worth the wait to see the realization slide over his face.
“You’re fucking with me.”
I smile bigger and wink at him. “Yep. I owed you.”
He chuckles a little, and despite the laughter in his truck, it still sounds rusty. I decide right then and there to make it my mission to hear it at least once more tonight. He sighs and looks at the pan
“You want any more?” he asks. I shake my head, and he hesitates. “Are you sure? I really wasn’t judging…”
The giggles rock my shoulders as I hold up my hand to stop him.
“Kade, I really was fucking with you. I’m full. That’s all. I love my body. I think it’s perfect. And anyone who doesn’t think so can go fuck themselves.”
My giggles stutter in my chest, and Kade’s eyes slowly travel over my body, lingering at my throat and breasts before meeting my eyes. I swear he mouths the word “perfect.”
A flush travels up my neck in reaction to the heat in his gaze. I’ve seen that look before. And I want more of it. The man wants me, and the feeling is completely mutual. I stare back at him, letting him see the heat, the want in my face.
I’ve never been good at flirting.
I’m more of a hit him on the head and drag him back to my she-cave kind of woman.
Not that I’ve done that very often either. I always tried to keep a professional distance at tournaments, and honestly, it wasn’t that hard. No one really appealed to me, and the last thing I wanted to be labeled as, was a whore. Stupid double standard. But people talk, and the tournament circuit is a small, gossipy world.
But here, with Kade? Well, my dirty thoughts are putting me a little off balance. And he’s my boss. So climbing over the table into his lap is probably not the right move here. But I can’t bring myself to brush off the way I’m feeling. Or even hide it. It’s too interesting, too rare, and I don’t want to. If the last year has taught me anything, it’s that life is too short to hide from the big things. Big feelings, big adventures, big life.
Sue’s approach interrupts the moment. “Can I get you guys anything else?” We both shake our heads no, and Kade settles the bill. I don’t argue. He said it was his treat, and the man can clearly afford it.
As he slides out of the booth, I realize I’m not quite ready for this to end. To go back to my little apartment and stare at the walls. I don’t want to be alone with my thoughts or my feelings. I hesitate but decide to ask
“Kade,” his eyes slide back to me, still sitting in the booth. “Any chance you could take me to a grocery store? I had a couple of things in a cooler for the drive. But…” My words drift off as his face hardens.
He nods and waves me out of the booth. “Let’s go.”
The laughter,the heat at dinner feel like a distant memory. The air in the truck feels heavy and cold, the tension between us snapping tight. The ice coming off of him is really confusing.
“We can skip the grocery store. I’ll go tomorrow sometime.”
“It’s fine,” he bites off, not looking at me.
