“You’re going to have to get out of the car for us to have any fun.”
Spinning my head to look out my window, I see Cade standing outside smiling at me. “What? I didn’t think you’d be here so early.”
He looks incredible in jeans and a grey dress shirt. How does he do that? He’s casual but sexy at the same time.
And I’m whatever the opposite of that is.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks before opening my car door.
“I guess,” I say tentatively as I put up the window and turn off the engine. “Where are we going?”
“Are you hungry? We can get something to eat,” he suggests when I step out of the car.
“Not really, but if you are, we can.”
“I’m not, so cross eating off the list.”
I want to ask if he would want to show me his club, but I keep that idea to myself. Something about the way Alex reacted earlier hints at that being an issue of some kind.
“We could go for a ride. Then you’d be able to definitely say you’re a red Jag kind of girl. You already are, but that would make it official.”
He slams my car door shut and guides me to his car on the other side of the parking lot. So now I become a red Jag girl. Not sure how that’s going to look.
“So, other than sitting in a red Jag, what does a red Jag kind of girl have to do? I feel like I should have studied or something. Is there a handbook? Maybe that would be good for me to look at first,” I say, hoping my jokes sound as funny as they do in my head.
But Cade isn’t smiling. In fact, he looks like he’s sizing me up like animals do with their prey. Oh, God. He is an ax murderer!
Just as we reach his car, he stops and leans in to kiss me. “You don’t have to do anything but be you. Whatever that is, that’s what a red Jag girl does as long as you’re in the car. Easy, right?”
When his lips touch mine, I can’t think of anything but how good he kisses. Gorgeous, has a hot car, and an incredible kisser. God, is there anything wrong with this guy?
If so, I don’t want to know. Not right now, at least. Let whatever his flaws are come out later after I’ve enjoyed this night.
An hour later, he pulls into a parking lot and points at the white building in front of us. “What do you think of doing something other than riding around for a while?”
“Is this where you live?”
“Yeah. I figured we could hang out for a while, but if you want to go somewhere, just tell me and we’re there.”
Again, I consider mentioning his club, but since it’s only nine o’clock at night, it’s highly unlikely the place is busy yet. I may not be a club kind of girl, but I do know things don’t start happening until much later in the night.
“No, we can hang out. That’s okay. This place looks nice. Do you live on your own?”
Cade turns the car off and nods. “Yeah. Sometimes I tell people I live with Alex, but you get the truth. It’s just me.”
I want to ask why he lies about a thing like that, but he jumps out of the car before I can and then a few seconds later, he’s at my door opening it for me. Maybe he was kidding? Does he really tell other people that?
Instead, I ask what seems like a more obvious question at this moment as I crane my neck to look up at the enormous building looming in front of me. “What floor do you live on?”
Maybe that’s why he’s in such good shape. Walking up twenty flights of stairs each day would make anyone look good.
“One of the upper floors. Wait until you see the view from the balcony. It’s what makes living here all worth it,” he says like the beautiful surroundings, professional landscaping, and gorgeous building aren’t enough.
“Oh. I bet you have a lot of very successful neighbors.”
Cade shakes his head and grimaces. “Actually, I have a lot of old neighbors who complain and make up ridiculous rules at the HOA meetings. The last one I went to some lady raged on and on about someone’s Christmas wreath being a choking hazard for like a half hour. I haven’t been back since then.”
I can’t tell if he’s serious, so as we walk into the main lobby, I look at him and smile. “Really?”
He nods but returns my smile. “I wish I was joking. This building wasn’t like this when I bought the place. I figure I’m young enough to wait them out, though, so maybe in a few years it won’t be bad. Or maybe I’ll move. For now, the view from the balcony makes it all worth it.”
I look around for a stairwell, but Cade guides me toward a bank of elevators that I silently thank God for. As the doors close, I watch him press the button for the fifteenth floor, and then the elevator starts moving up.
“This is a very smooth elevator,” I say, suddenly nervous and needing to make small talk.
For a moment, Cade doesn’t say anything, but then he laughs. “Yeah, I guess it is. I never noticed that. I think I’m usually so preoccupied about just getting to my place that I don’t pay much attention at all to the ride.”
He likely thinks I’m the most boring person in the world to pay attention to the smoothness of the elevator ride in his building. I couldn’t argue with him if he did. So much for the ride in the Jag making me a red Jag girl. I bet the other women he brings to his home don’t comment on the smooth elevator ride up.
I feel something against my pinky and look down to see him taking my hand in his. When I look up at him, he gives me one of his all-too-sexy smiles that make me feel like my insides are melting.
“You don’t have to worry, Hailey. I’m not an ax murderer, and this is just us going to hang out. Honest.”
His touch calms me, but I still have to make a joke. “You know, I think only real ax murderers say they aren’t ax murderers. Non-ax murderers don’t say anything about not being one.”
His smile broadens, and he leans down to kiss me, taking my breath away this time as the elevator stops at the fifteenth floor. “Point taken. Now if you see any wreaths, don’t eat them, okay? I hear they’re dangerous.”
We walk down the hallway to his apartment as one thought fills my head. How is it possible this man is single?
God, I really hope he’s not an ax murderer.
He opens his front door and says, “Welcome to my world. Excuse the mess. The maid hasn’t been here this week.”
No sooner do those words leave his mouth, Cade stops and turns around to face me wearing a look so earnest I’m not sure what he’s going to say. “I don’t have a maid. That was more of a joke than anything else.”
“Oh, okay. I don’t either, so it’s not like I’m going to look down on you for having to straighten up your own mess.”
“Good. Well, come in and relax. I’ll get us something to drink. Alcohol or no?” he asks as he walks into another room.
“No alcohol, thanks.”
I quickly scan the living room he’s left me in. Open to the dining room with an actual table and chairs set that doesn’t look like it’s ever been used as anything other than a place for Cade to drop his mail, this room contains a sectional that takes up most of the space. The walls are painted a tan color that doesn’t clash with the black couch or the dark wood tables. It looks like a normal room a person would expect from a grown man.