Sweet As You

(17) Kathie Jane

Kathie Jane

Knocking on his door, I was half-expecting him not to be home. But when the door swung open and Cade graces my line of sight sporting his dark pristine suit, there's a delighted squeal that vibrated in my throat. "Good morning, Cadey."

"Morning," he murmurs, his hand clutching an apron. "You need anything?"

"I just want to give this back." I handed over the tumbler. As much as I want to keep it (badly), I can't declare an ownership to it yet.

He shakes his head. "Keep it."

"Really?" I bit my lip and resisted the urge to do a little happy dance.

His brow twitched. "Don't dance in the hallway."

"I wasn't gonna," I trailed off, trying not to blabber having caught red-handed. "Thank you. I was really looking forward to keeping the cute tumbler."

"It's just a tumbler."

"The thought makes it everything." I rolled my shoulders.

Cade made a sound close to a chuckle. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Is that an invitation?"

"Depends."

My lips tweaked up. "Depends on?"

"Whether you have or haven't eaten breakfast yet."

It was a not-so cheerful invitation, but I take my chances. "Okay. What are we having for breakfast?"

He opens the door and steps aside without another word – his version of inviting me in, I think. He leads me to his kitchen that honestly smelled amazing from a blend of coffee, vanilla and loads of chocolate. The air probably had way more sugar today than I had this week.

"Sit." He pulled a chair, gesturing me in before placing plates on the table. He poured my mug with vanilla coffee. "I hope you like pancakes."

"Everybody loves pancakes, silly." I giggled.

Cade nods, laying down stacks of pancakes on the table. He casually walks to the other side as soon as I was seated, unaware of how thoughtful it was of him. To his right is a laptop he's got his eyes locked on as if finding fault at something flawless. He pushed his eyeglasses up when it slipped slightly down his perfect nose. I stare at his cheeks, where the dimples are supposed to be when he smiles.

"What?" He asks without lifting his gaze off the screen.

I blink. "Nothing," I answered quickly. "Don't you have work today?"

Cade pointed at the pancakes on the table. "Eat."

I pursed my lips. "Bossy."

He shakes his head, turning back to his laptop. "I have work."

"Yeah, I just realized that. You obviously do have work." I took two pancakes to my plate and examined. It was mostly chocolate chips.

"Chocolate chip pancakes," he says as if reading the wonder in my face. "Here." He nudges a chocolate syrup to my direction.

I shake my head and smiled politely. "No, thank you. I can manage without chocolate syrup."

Cade shrugged and left his laptop for a moment to serve himself some of the pancakes and slather them with chocolate syrup.

I watch in fascination as he impales a slice and managed to keep the dripping chocolate syrup from the table and from his impeccable shirt. Like he'd done it all his life.

He arches his brow questioningly.

"You have the most unquenchable sweet tooth," I remarked.

Cade lavishes more syrup to his pancakes. "There's nothing wrong with that."