“And stubborn.”
Cash shrugged. “Maybe.”
The parking lot was bright with the overhead alley lights. Jax’s old pickup truck was parked right next to Cash’s black truck.
“I mean it,” his cousin added. “Nobody would think less of you if you asked for help. Tanner and I expect you to ask.”
Cash turned when he got to his truck and slid his thumb over his key fob. “I’ve asked for help. Remember the plane in the field? There was no way in hell I would have been able to fix that on my own.”
Jax rolled his eyes and pulled his keys from his pocket. “You know what I mean.”
Yeah, he did, and that was what made this so much more difficult. Cash didn’t want anyone else to have to clean up the mess in his life—including his father. Especially his father.
Cash may not have to do things alone, but he preferred them that way. Which was just another reason why he and Jade could never be more than a secret fling.
Chapter Nine
Jade circled the block for a third time and called herself all sorts of a fool. It wasn’t her fault that her body had nearly overheated when Cash pressed her up against those boxes in his office. Apparently, she had zero control over her traitorous hormones and clearly hadn’t gotten him out of her system yet.
Why couldn’t she be attracted to an engineer or accountant or someone from another town? Someone who didn’t push her buttons and enjoy the constant verbal sparring? Why did she have to be pulled toward the one man who irritated her, who mocked her fling rules, who was careless and had no qualms about turning her on and then ignoring her?
Jade slowed her car a block away from the white, one-story bungalow. Even his house was attractive. Did he do that landscaping himself? Because she was rather impressed with the mixture of colors and variations of greens in the shrubbery.
And she was totally stalling as she squinted and tried to see his house better from this distance.
Playing with fire. She was absolutely, 100 percent playing with fire. Common sense had long since vanished because Jade shut off her engine and grabbed her purse before she could talk herself out of this.
Haven was such a small town, she purposely pulled in front of a darkened home on this street and away from the lamplight. With her head down and hoisting her purse on her shoulder, Jade marched toward Cash’s house like she had every single right to be there.
His porch light was on, so hopefully she wouldn’t wake him. Perhaps she should’ve called or texted and given him a heads-up on her visit.
No, had she done that, she would’ve worried about his reply.
Considering he’d caught her off guard so many times, she figured it was time for a little payback. This fling, or whatever it was, should be fun and adventurous, spontaneous even. Had she ever had any real adventure in her life? The plane incident didn’t count, considering that was terrifying.
She didn’t stop at the bottom of the steps leading up to the covered porch. Jade marched right up and rang his doorbell like she hadn’t a care in the world. Her heart beat so fast, so heavy in her chest, she wished he’d just answer quickly to get this anticipation over with.
Time seemed to be taking its good, old, sweet time, but likely she waited less than a minute before she heard the click of the dead bolt. In the next instant, the old oak door swung open to reveal a half-dressed Cash. He rested one muscular forearm on the doorframe and offered her a half grin.
“I’d say I’m surprised, but I’m not.”
Jade narrowed her stare. “I can leave.”
Without a word, Cash reached for her and pulled her inside. In the next breath, he had the door closed and her pinned between it and his firm, bare chest. This more than made up for his mocking greeting.
“I didn’t see your car,” he murmured as he barely brushed his lips back and forth along that sensitive area below her ear.
Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head. “I-I parked down the street.”
“Is that right?” He nibbled at her earlobe. “Worried what someone might think if they see you here?”
“Why are you talking?”
More importantly, how was he talking? Her body had instantly picked back up where they’d left off in his office. Yet he seemed completely in control and in no hurry, which seriously grated on her nerves.
Cash eased back and stared down at her with that dark gaze that never failed to make her stomach clench. Only his chest touched hers as he ra
ised one black brow.