Dade spent several hours finding the metal countertop Cora wanted. It took longer haggling with the salesman than he’d have liked. He was in the wrong business, he decided. He needed to sell household appliances and accessories.
Shaking his head, he closed the door and started his van. Grabbing his phone, he punched in Chris’s number and waited until the receptionist tracked him down and put him through.
“Councilor, you’re a hard man to find sometimes.”
“I have a lot of loose ends to tie up before I take Kasey away.”
Dade pulled out onto the street. “You’re not going to tell any of us where are you?”
“Not a chance. I want her for one week to myself for a change, Dade.”
Dade laughed. “Hope you’re taking your running shoes, you know she only moves faster when she’s excited.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll just have to keep her tired and relaxed.”
Dade grinned. “I wish you luck.”
“I expected you are calling about tonight, and the plan for Cora.”
“Yeah, figured you would. Cora would like you to meet us at her place. She’s pretty nervous about the shielding.”
“Understandable, if she’s never done anything like that before.”
“Just tell me it’s going to work. If she drops to the floor when we see him and I have to beat my way through orderlies and doctors to get her the hell out of there, I will.”
“Oh, I’m sure with the rest of us there, that won’t be a problem.” He paused. “I won’t let anything happen to her, you know that.”
“Not if you want to keep Kasey…”
“That’s part of it.” He grinned. “So, are you still in your suck up phase with Coralee?”
Dade shrugged to no one. “I think I’ve moved past that, well I hope we have.”
“On to what?”
“That I’m not exactly sure, it’s hard to tell sometimes…”
“I know that all too well. I almost lost my mind trying to get closer to Kasey if you recall.”
“I do, but the good thing with me is, I can’t blow anything up or fling dishes at people or any of that drastic shit you guys do.”
Chris laughed. “Might be a good thing for you, Cora may be the calm sweetness among us but I have a feeling when unleashed she’d hold her own against any one of us.”
Dade thought of the passionate woman he’d held the night before. “I think you’re right. She’s one surprise right after the other.” He grinned, thinking of the tattoo he’d discovered. “Forgot how to breathe when I saw her all dressed in a business suit this morning.”
“This morning? You were at her house before work, are you stalking her now?”
Dade shook his head and grinned. “No. No I’m not. I’m doing some work in her kitchen.”
“Uh huh, I do work, in the kitchen with Kasey as often as possible...”
“Real work, bro. Ask Doc about the titanium ovens.”
Chris laughed again. “I heard already, can’t wait to see the NASA stove he whined about.”
Dade turned down Cora’s street. “I’m where I needed to be, so I’ll see you when you get here tonight.”
“Here? You’re at Cora’s now?” He chuckled. “You’re pushing past suck up straight into seduction?”
Dade grinned to himself as he pulled into her driveway. “Past that too, just have to try not to fuck it up this time.”
“I wish you luck. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Sounds good.” He flipped the phone shut and turned off the van.
How did he do that? How was he going to ease things from where they were, which at this point he still wasn’t sure where, and take it where he wanted.
Opening the doors, he pulled the metal sheet out. Women he knew, but the woman he wanted wasn’t like any other. Talking to her was easy, it always had been. Maybe not always, there were those times she tied him up so tight in knots he couldn’t even see clearly.
His mind wandered back to the night before. She was more than he’d ever thought she would be. She could take his practiced control and shatter it without trying. A thought raced through his system, if she ever really tried, he’d be without defense. Grinning to himself he decided that wouldn’t be all bad.
He carried the sheet into the kitchen and set it on the table. Turning to unhook the burners, he stopped and looked down at them. So how did he find out what all this meant to her? He knew this wasn’t just sex to him. And Cora wasn’t exactly the type of woman to have casual sex, he grinned again, no man had ever touched her but him. Oh, he liked that a little too much. So, how did he find out where he stood?
“There should be a guide or something.” He muttered to himself as he lifted the plate over onto the other counter. “Idiots guide to understanding women.” He said quietly as he moved the sheet around to bolt down.
“Who would write it?”
Dade almost hit the roof, he jumped so high. Spinning around he clutched his chest and glared at Owen. “Bastard!” He panted and bent down to catch his breath.
Owen grinned. “Door was open.”
“Fuck!” Dade straightened up and looked at him. “You could have called out instead of sneaking in here trying to kill me.”
Owen shrugged. “This way was more fun.” He leaned back against the counter. “Was on my way past and saw your van, thought I’d see what you were up to.”
Dade let out a slow breath and dropped his hand down. “I was going to hook up these burners for Cora, but now I just need to sit down and try to slow my heart.” He dropped into a chair. “Did you close the door?”
Owen nodded and sat down. “Yeah, seemed you were too preoccupied talking to yourself to remember.”
“Was lost in thought.” Dade got back up and lifted the coffee pot to the sink.
“Sounded like a one-sided conversation rather than thought.”
Dade set the coffee maker then turned. “Yeah, it was a bit of both.” He crossed his arms and studied his lifelong friend. “How did you know where Leena was—before you asked her to marry you, I mean?”
Owen smirked. “That whole beginning wasn’t really smooth as you know.” He sat back and studied him. “Why do you ask?”
Dade shrugged and turned to get the cups out. “Just wondering.”
Owen watched him move around the kitchen. “Seem to know the lay of the land here pretty well.”
Dade stopped and turned. “Guess I do.” He motioned with his hands around the room. “I’m just, I don’t want to rush her but this is the furthest I’ve managed to get in, ever, but I don’t know where she stands and it’s driving me crazy. I could do or say the wrong thing then have to start all over again.” He set the cups down and frowned. “Know what I mean?”
Owen’s eyes widened. “I’m thinking you’ve had enough coffee today, Jones.” He smirked. “Why don’t you try telling me what you’re talking about?”
Dade sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I had dinner here last night and was still here this morning.”
“Ah. It’s a little clearer now.”
Dade glared at him. “Is it? Aside from the whole blew me away part, but I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve stayed a whole night with a woman. It’s not a good record.” He shrugged. “I didn’t want to leave. I’ve never felt like that. Being too drunk to leave doesn’t count and this morning was so…right.” He grabbed the coffee pot and poured two cups. “So how do I find out what she thinks, where she is with all this?”
Owen took the cup and tried not to smirk. “Well, you could tell her you love her and take it from there.”
Dade set the cup down hard on the table. “What? Yeah, and have her laugh in my face or worse…”
“Like Cora would ever do that, Dade, use your head.” He got up and grabbed the sugar off the counter. “You don’t think she feels the same?”
Dade puffed out his lips and exhaled quickly. “I don’t know. If I did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Owen turned and put the sugar in Dade’s cup before took a sip and remembered he didn’t drink it black.
“I just feel like I’ve finally gotten next to her, she’s right there in front of me.” He shook his hands in front of him. “And one wrong move or say something stupid and she’s going to vanish again.”
Owen sat down and leaned across the table looking seriously at him. “You are so gone my friend.”
Dade ran his hands over his face. “You think?” He sipped the coffee and ignored the fact that it burnt his tongue. “I’ve wanted her for so long…loved her for so long, Owen, and now that I’m here I just freeze and don’t know what to do.”
Owen rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked back at him. “Telling her all of this would probably be a good next step.” He sipped the coffee. “This is Coralee were talking about, Dade, she’s always been there in your life. Do you think she’s going to toss you your pants and open the door?”
Dade gripped the cup in his hands. “No. Not since I’m the only man that’s touched her, I know she’s not like that, but what if…”
Owen held his hand up. “Back up. What?” Dade just glared at him. “That’s what I thought you said, doesn’t that give you the answers you want right there? I mean how old is Cora? If this was just something fun and temporary, don’t you think it would have happened a long time ago?”
Dade shrugged and frowned at him. “I suppose.”
Owen took another drink and shook his head in frustration. “Look, if I’ve learned one thing from being with Leena it is, you don’t go looking for all the what if’s, you take what’s there and treasure it, then see where it goes.” He smirked. “I’m getting married, Dade, going to be a husband. I’m going to be a father, I could never see any of that coming and you know it.”
Dade sighed. “It’s pretty awesome actually. You come home after all those years and live happily ever after.”
Owen laughed. “That’s close enough.”
Dade moaned into his hands. “I wanted this for so long and now I’m scared shitless.”
Owen stood up and set the cup on the counter. “Pretty good sign that it’s meant to be then. I was never more scared in my life. Could take my old man swatting at me, but to tell the woman how I felt was like pulling my teeth out one at a time. Hardest thing I ever had to do, also the most important thing.”
Dade looked up at him. “I know that was meant to help, but it didn’t work to put me at ease.”
Owen smirked and put his hands in his pockets. “Well I’m still pissed at you for the night I found you unconscious on your couch. I won’t mention how you kissed ass to the women and they fell for it.”
Dade stood and grinned. “I had to make it good with them, they scare me.”
Owen walked towards the door. “Ever do it again and I’ll call them to deal with you, I’m sure they’d make you suffer far more than Doc and I did.”
Dade sobered. “May never touch another drink again.”
“Good.” Owen pushed the door open. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Thanks for your wisdom.” Dade called out to him.
“It’s not wisdom, bro. You just gotta wing it and hope for the best.”
Dade grinned when he heard the door close. Hope for the best? He wasn’t against praying to any that would listen at this point. Sighing, he looked back to the counter. First, get this finished up before Cora got home. Then home to get cleaned up.
He wasn’t looking forward to tonight’s visit to the mental hospital, but he wanted all of that behind them and out of the way.
Cora flew past Leena’s office then stopped and went back. “You’re here, I was ready to go see how quickly I could run through the plant.”
Leena looked up from her desk and laughed. “That would have been a sight in that skirt.” She motioned to the chair. “Sit, you look beat.”
Cora sat down and patted her hair to make sure it was staying put. “I am. This new client has asked for every file you could ever imagine. Every time I come back with one, they want another list of stats or reports.” She leaned closer to the desk. “What I wouldn’t give to have just a teeny bit of the skills you have sometimes.”
Leena smirked. “I think the world is safer without that, I’ve seen your temper when stirred, and it makes Kasey’s look like a mild irritation.”
Cora shrugged and took a deep breath. “I’m so nervous about tonight. Chris is coming to my place before hand, do you all want to meet there?”
Leena nodded. “We can. Don’t worry about what Chris will do, you know he’d never try anything that wasn’t safe.” She smirked. “Well not with Kasey nearby anyways.”
Cora grinned. “It’s the one time I’m truly glad she’s got some control over him.” She sighed and stood up. “I better get back. Can you let Rach know the game plan?”
Leena nodded and sat back. “Hold on, what’s so different about you today, Miss Avery?”
Cora looked down at her outfit then back to Lee. “I’m dressed like a professional?”
Leena smirked. “No. I’ve seen you dressed like this before.” Her eyes widened and she sat the edge of her chair. “Do I need to ask about Dade to get the truth?”
Cora bit her lip and smirked. “Are you happy now?”
“Question is, are you?” She got up and walked around to the front of the desk and leaned back against it.
Cora sighed and smiled at her. “I think so. There’s nothing concrete between us, but things are definitely moving in the right direction.”
“He adores you, you know.”
Cora clasped her hands. “Let’s hope so, because if he walks away, I’ll never be the same.”
Leena rubbed a hand down her arm. “I don’t think he’s going to. You’re far more important to him than anything.”
Cora grinned. “Let’s hope. I gotta go.” She turned and hurried from the room.
Ducking into the bathroom before going back to the office, she ran her hand over her knotted-up stomach. It wasn’t fair, she only had to think about him and her whole body went berserk. Sighing, she smiled at herself in the mirror. She knew how to even it out a little bit in that department.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and thought of him. Reaching deep, she remembered looking at him the night before as his mouth traveled up her legs slowly. She held the image in her mind for a few moments then opened her eyes. There. Now they were on the same wavelength.
She turned to leave and covered her mouth trying not to giggle. Okay one more, that was fair right? She closed her eyes again and thought of him. Focusing she found the image she wanted. He was inside her and arched down running his tongue over a silver ring. She remembered how he had looked moving into her body slowly, and the look on his face when he looked up at her.
A rush went through her. She opened her eyes. Okay that worked a little too well on her end. Taking a few deep breaths, she composed herself and headed back to her office.