“I know,” he sighed, a weary, painful noise that made my heart ache and bloom. Did this really hurt him that much? To the point he couldn’t choose—wouldn’t choose? To the point he would leave us all behind if it came down to it? God, that thought scared the hell out of me. I didn’t want him to leave. I wanted him around forever. I wanted him to always be one phone call or drive away. To be honest, I just wanted him to myself.
Cane leaned forward and stroked my cheek. He wiped a tear away, a tear I didn’t even realize had been shed. “It’s funny,” he laughed, a genuine one that seemed to come from deep within him. “I can handle everything about my job. When there’s a deal that has to be made, I’m down to do it, and I usually come out on the winning side. I’ve traveled all over the world. I’ve met some of the richest men on the planet, sold hundreds of bottles of wine to them in less than five minutes with a good pitch, and it was all so simple to me. But when it comes to you?” His head shook and dropped. His dark lashes touched his cheekbones, and I’d never seen him look more vulnerable than now. “I have no clue what to do with you. Wanting you is a beautiful challenge, Kandy Cane, and though it’s complicated, I don’t want to figure this one out anytime soon. As selfish as it sounds, I want this challenge to last for as long as it possibly can. I love the spontaneity of what we have—the satisfaction I get when I see your smile, and the comfort I feel when your skin touches mine.”
“Oh my God!” A laugh bubbled out of me, and I swiped my tears with the back of my arm. “How is a girl ever supposed to get over you when you talk to her like this?”
He grinned, cupping a hand around the back of my neck and bringing me forward to place a warm, smooth kiss on my cheek. Bringing his head up and pressing his forehead to mine, he said, “I don’t know, but what I do know is that we’re a fucking mess.”
He was so right.
We were a mess.
A wild, beautiful, perfect mess, and that made me the happiest girl ever.
41
KANDY
For the rest of the morning, Cane worked on his laptop while I sunbathed on the deck. He was in the chair beside mine, and every time I rolled over, I caught him staring at me, like he was deep in thought.
“What?” I’d laughed.
“Nothing,” he responded quickly, but gave a boyish smile that proved he was thinking about way more than nothing.
We ate sandwiches on the deck for lunch, and for dinner we settled with ordering pizza, which was more than okay with me. Cane had music playing after dinner, and we pretty much danced the pizza off. He’d twirl me quickly, and I would giggle, and then he’d reel me into his arms, bend me backwards just a little, and place a warm, soft kiss on my lips or the hollow of my neck.
He was so romantic, and when I told him he was, he denied it. Said he was just being himself, whatever that meant.
By nightfall, we were all over each other again. I mean, how was I supposed to resist?
“You’re gonna wear me out,” Cane teased as I gripped his hand and led the way upstairs.
I smiled over my shoulder, making my way to the master bedroom. I couldn’t wait anymore. We’d been teasing and flirting all day, but I needed him again. I wanted to feel his warm body on top of mine, his lips all over me, his mouth in the special places only he was allowed to touch.
Cane shut the bedroom door behind us and then walked around the room lighting the candles he’d had on the night before. He turned to face me after sparking the last one, and pulled his shirt over his head with a small smirk. I was sitting on the bed, my shirt now off, only wearing a bra and shorts.
“You’re eager,” he noted, walking my way.
“I am,” I murmured when he stepped between my legs. His hands dropped to hold my waist, and he tugged me close, both of us releasing shaky breaths. The tip of his nose skimmed over the arch of mine, trailing down to my lips and then up my cheekbone.
“I want to try something different tonight,” he murmured on my mouth.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“I’d rather show you.” He pulled away and told me to turn around and crawl to the middle of the bed. I turned and crawled, feeling his eyes on my backside. He ordered me to stay on all fours, so I did.