Sweet As You

(29) Kathie Jane

Kathie Jane

It took all my willpower not to nag him about the date with Margot Fletcher. Especially when I'm around more often than I intended. It doesn't help that Cade Parkinson is a man of a few words and that the only detail that I was given is it was "tolerable."

I hear the door of my apartment opening and shutting followed by his footsteps. "Kitchen, Cadey," I called out.

"Do we really need to make that much cookies?" He asks as he appears in my doorway in his dark suit.

"Of course." I put my hands on my waist. "I don't want to disappoint my friend on her baby shower."

"Do I have to be with you on this?" He sets the bag of flour on the counter and sidestepped toward the first batch of cookies I've left to cool off.

"Yes. You said you're not doing anything on Sunday." I pointed a spatula at him. "Don't back out on me now."

"I'm not backing out," he protested.

I look down to my phone as I read the first few instructions to make coconut cookies. "Good."

"I can't believe I'm baking for some woman's baby shower," he grumbles.

I laugh. "Well, you better believe it."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Kathie Jane?"

I gave him a scathing look. "I'm better at baking."

He shrugged. "Just trying to make sure nothing is getting burned like the other day."

I gasped as if affronted. "It was an accident."

He raises both hands in surrender. "Okay. Whatever makes you happy, princess." He reaches for the bowl of chocolate chips and started popping them to his mouth.

"Don't eat it all."

"How about the sprinklers?"

"No."

"The icing?"

"I need it."

"Just the dough then?"

"Cadey."

His lips twitched disapprovingly. "I at least deserve a treat for playing assistant."

"You know, this kind of reminds me of something." I grinned.

Cade raised his brows.

"Wait here." I walked toward the doorway with a bounce on my footsteps.

"Where are you going?"

I glance over my shoulder. "I have to get something from the living room."

"You better hurry. Your first batch of cookies is in great danger."

I giggled. "Settle down, you cookie monster."

I grabbed the shopping bag I left in the couch and padded back to the kitchen where Cade was helping himself with the chocolate chips. He stopped when he sees the shopping bag. "There's better be something sweet for me."

"It's more than sweet." I set the shopping bag on the counter and pulled out the pink aprons I bought yesterday.

Cade stares curiously at it.

"One for you and one for me." I held his apron out for him.

He frowns at it. "It's pink."

"Yes, pink. You know, you really as knowledgeable as they say you are."

"It's ridiculous," he pointed out.

"No. It's not. And we're going to wear these aprons," I say bossily.

"I'm not wearing that." He crosses his arms over his chest.

I walked around the counter, stopping just in front of him. "You're wearing this, Mr. Parkinson because I said so."

He shakes his head.

"Yes, you are." I loop the strap over his head and he groaned.

"I'll look ridiculous."

"Nope," I patted his chest, "you look cute."

"Well, that can't be a good thing."

I laugh. "Why not? It was a compliment."

"That's a compliment for puppies," he deadpans.

I tilt my head to one side. "Would you take adorable as a compliment?"

His lips pursed into a thin line. "Kathie Jane, how would you feel if I tell you you're cute when you unfailingly have your way with me?"

I blink. "What?"

He takes a step closer. "You're cute when you're being bossy."

My cheeks heated. I stepped back until the counter pressed behind me and there was no room to back away.

Cade's palms propped on the edge of the counter on my either sides. "How would you feel about that, Kathie Jane?"

I gulped hard, suddenly all too aware of his proximity. He hadn't even touched me but I could feel my skin tingling all over. My hand rested on his left chest on its accord. Or maybe in the back of my head, I wanted it there.

He stiffened at the contact.

From underneath the fabrics of the apron and his suit, my palm felt his heart accelerated. Mine followed in synchrony. Every frantic heartbeat—mine seemingly tries to match it.

Cade's eyes bore into mine, bluer and intense. They scoot down to my nose and to my mouth then flick back to my eyes as if he'd been burned. He stayed still, trying to hold his ground. Then as though he failed, his hand slipped slowly to my waist and spread against the small of my back, coaxing me close.

In one breathtaking heartbeat, I surged forward at the same time he did. His lips touched mine in a kiss that consumed every inch of my body like quick sand. I feel it all the way down to my toes, to my nerve endings and to the fibers of my body I didn't even know existed.

Cade's other hand slipped into my hair and caresses the back of my head as he nudged my lips open.

His kiss was possessive, thorough and authoritative. It scared me how badly I wanted it.

My arms snaked around his neck.

His hand left my head and drifted down to my hips, the other followed suit. He hoisted me up the counter and my legs were wrapped around his waist much more quickly than I could think. Because all that was running through my foggy mind was that Cade is the best sensation there is. 

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