Cash raised his brows. “More important than dinner and sex?”
Jade laughed. “Well, I want to go by the hospital to see the baby.”
Cash nodded. “I think I’ll wait until they’re home.”
A group of ladies turned into the hallway. Their laughter preceded them, then faded as they went into the side room.
“I don’t like not touching you,” he whispered.
Her eyes flared wide. “You’ll touch me later.”
“I’m counting on it, Red.”
She offered him another saucy smile. “See you in a few hours.”
Cash let her head out of the hall first before he headed to the men’s locker room. Each time they were in public together or around their friends, Cash was finding that not acting on his feelings was becoming harder and harder.
Maybe he’d need to think more about this relationship thing. Perhaps he should also get a feel for what Jade thought, because he wouldn’t lay his heart on the line again unless he knew it wouldn’t be handed back to him in pieces.
* * *
“And Livie has ordered four dozen petit fours, all white with little blue clouds.”
Jade sipped her glass of wine and sat back in the patio chair as she stared across the table at Cash. He’d made her an amazing dinner of grilled chicken with fresh vegetables and a salad that had nuts and strawberries, and he’d even chilled her favorite Riesling. She knew for a fact he’d had to drive to get this bottle because the Quickie Mart in Haven carried two types of wine: cheap red and cheap white.
“You’re not even listening,” she stated.
Cash sat sideways in his chair with his arm resting on the back. He’d been staring at her weirdly all evening. He hadn’t once cracked a snarky joke or made good on any promise from his blatant texts.
“Is something wrong?” she asked. “Is it your dad?”
He sat up straighter. Any time she mentioned his dad, Cash seemed to jump right out of any other thought.
“Dad is fine, considering.” Cash shifted to lean forward and grab his beer bottle. “Did you enjoy dinner?”
“You know I did. These are some of my favorite things.”
Cash nodded, then took a long pull of his drink. “How were Melanie and Knox?”
Jade set her glass on the table and leaned forward on her forearms. “I literally just spent the last ten minutes discussing my visit and the baby shower Livie and I are throwing this weekend. What’s up, Flex?”
He stared down to the label on his bottle and started picking at the corner that had come loose from the condensation. Jade waited, wondering what was on his mind, but more wondering how she could get back the Cash she’d been with only hours ago.
“Too tired from the yoga?” she joked, hoping to put a smile on his face.
Nothing. He continued to pick at the damp paper.
“Do you ever want something and then, when you get it, your goals immediately change?”
His question threw her off. Something had been eating away at him and she wanted to help. Wasn’t that what friends were for?
“I have a feeling we’re not talking hypothetically.”
Now his dark eyes did dart up to her, and Jade found herself frozen. Whatever he was thinking had something to do with her. The way he looked at her across the table like . . .
No. He wasn’t looking at her like anything. He only wanted her in the hot tub again, that’s all. Cash wasn’t getting emotionally invested.
“I want you to have everything,” he murmured. “Part of me feels like this fling . . . maybe it’s not fair to you.”