real truth. “I had this crazy idea that I needed to sleep with someone before I left Montana, okay? I didn’t want to land in California a virgin. I mean, how embarrassing would that have been? Small-town, virginal Montana girl hits sophisticated San Fran. But you turned out to be the wrong guy. Somehow, I offended you, so here I am, apologizing. Can’t we just put it behind us and move on?”
Dex leaned in to Cady. “That’s an interesting take on what actually happened.”
“What are you saying? Do you think I’m lying?” she asked, her voice rising.
He turned to her, moved closer, his face just inches away from hers now. He smelled so damn good that Cady wanted to capture his scent and put it in a cake. His smooth cheeks were begging to be stroked, his hair asking to be ruffled.
“If you think I was offended by that kiss”—he lowered his voice to almost a whisper—“you have no fucking idea, Cady.”
Cady tried to breathe but something was squeezing the air from her lungs. It must have been the lack of oxygen that was making her skittish. “The memory of that night must be so terrible. I mean, you cross the street to avoid me now. And you never come into Cady’s Cakes. I’m nice, you know. I have lots of friends and my customers love me.”
He studied her face so intently, so intimately, she started to throb down low.
“You actually don’t remember much about that night, do you?” he said.
Cady’s knees felt wobbly. Damn her high heels. “I… I was scared witless about leaving Glacier Creek and I may have had a little too much to drink.”
“Exactly how I remember it.” Dex’s eyes became hard. “So how’d things turn out with Simon Ford?”
Cady had to think for a minute what Dex was talking about. “Simon? What’s Simon got to do with this?”
“You left with him, didn’t you?”
Cady rolled her eyes. “He gave me a lift. He dropped me off in Napa Valley and drove on to Los Angeles. What’s this about? You think he was my boyfriend or something?”
“Well, wasn’t he?”
“Hell, no. He’s a sleazeball around women. Always has been, but I knew that. I just really needed a free ride. All the money I had saved up was for my tuition. You think I was defenceless or something? Were you worried about my honor, McCoy?”
She wouldn’t tell Dex that her honor had been well and truly intact until her second year at the institute, when she’d dated a guy from Florida who made exquisite choux pastry. After six months, Cady had discovered she liked his baking much better than she liked having sex with him, so she broke it off.
“You telling me Simon didn’t try anything? You were safe?”
“Of course I was safe. I’ve known him since first grade. He tried to kiss me back then and I punched him in the jaw.”
Dex dropped his gaze to the wooden bar, spun his empty glass around.
“I can’t believe you are still thinking about this, Dex. Why are you still thinking about this?”
He met her gaze, his eyes dark and intense. “Because that night, when you kissed me, Cady Adams, I kissed you right back. You were drunk so I stopped, but I kissed you, Cady. How come you don’t remember that, huh?”
The bar fell silent. All Cady could hear was a strange buzzing in her ears. All around her, people’s lips were moving but no sound was coming out.
What?
“Hey, Cady.” Captain Sam Gaskill’s voice snapped her out of her brain fade. He sidled up next to her. “This piece of mint bar is damn good.”
“And the mini lemon meringue pies?” Laurel said dreamily, appearing at his side. “Divine, girlfriend.” Laurel held up her palm for a high five and Cady gently slapped hands with her.
“Thanks.” It was all she could manage to say. Her head was spinning. She grounded herself, tried to appear normal.
“That was a wonderful speech about Russ, Sam.”
“What she said.” Dex stepped forward, putting his hand out to Sam.
“Rookie,” Sam said, nodding.
The two men
Dex leaned in to Cady. “That’s an interesting take on what actually happened.”
“What are you saying? Do you think I’m lying?” she asked, her voice rising.
He turned to her, moved closer, his face just inches away from hers now. He smelled so damn good that Cady wanted to capture his scent and put it in a cake. His smooth cheeks were begging to be stroked, his hair asking to be ruffled.
“If you think I was offended by that kiss”—he lowered his voice to almost a whisper—“you have no fucking idea, Cady.”
Cady tried to breathe but something was squeezing the air from her lungs. It must have been the lack of oxygen that was making her skittish. “The memory of that night must be so terrible. I mean, you cross the street to avoid me now. And you never come into Cady’s Cakes. I’m nice, you know. I have lots of friends and my customers love me.”
He studied her face so intently, so intimately, she started to throb down low.
“You actually don’t remember much about that night, do you?” he said.
Cady’s knees felt wobbly. Damn her high heels. “I… I was scared witless about leaving Glacier Creek and I may have had a little too much to drink.”
“Exactly how I remember it.” Dex’s eyes became hard. “So how’d things turn out with Simon Ford?”
Cady had to think for a minute what Dex was talking about. “Simon? What’s Simon got to do with this?”
“You left with him, didn’t you?”
Cady rolled her eyes. “He gave me a lift. He dropped me off in Napa Valley and drove on to Los Angeles. What’s this about? You think he was my boyfriend or something?”
“Well, wasn’t he?”
“Hell, no. He’s a sleazeball around women. Always has been, but I knew that. I just really needed a free ride. All the money I had saved up was for my tuition. You think I was defenceless or something? Were you worried about my honor, McCoy?”
She wouldn’t tell Dex that her honor had been well and truly intact until her second year at the institute, when she’d dated a guy from Florida who made exquisite choux pastry. After six months, Cady had discovered she liked his baking much better than she liked having sex with him, so she broke it off.
“You telling me Simon didn’t try anything? You were safe?”
“Of course I was safe. I’ve known him since first grade. He tried to kiss me back then and I punched him in the jaw.”
Dex dropped his gaze to the wooden bar, spun his empty glass around.
“I can’t believe you are still thinking about this, Dex. Why are you still thinking about this?”
He met her gaze, his eyes dark and intense. “Because that night, when you kissed me, Cady Adams, I kissed you right back. You were drunk so I stopped, but I kissed you, Cady. How come you don’t remember that, huh?”
The bar fell silent. All Cady could hear was a strange buzzing in her ears. All around her, people’s lips were moving but no sound was coming out.
What?
“Hey, Cady.” Captain Sam Gaskill’s voice snapped her out of her brain fade. He sidled up next to her. “This piece of mint bar is damn good.”
“And the mini lemon meringue pies?” Laurel said dreamily, appearing at his side. “Divine, girlfriend.” Laurel held up her palm for a high five and Cady gently slapped hands with her.
“Thanks.” It was all she could manage to say. Her head was spinning. She grounded herself, tried to appear normal.
“That was a wonderful speech about Russ, Sam.”
“What she said.” Dex stepped forward, putting his hand out to Sam.
“Rookie,” Sam said, nodding.
The two men
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