“Don’t do anything to hurt your career.”
He was already tugging his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
“Stop.” I covered his phone’s screen with my hand. “We don’t know for sure it was one of your fans.”
“We give an interview in Mack’s Place and two days later it gets vandalized?” He shook his head. “One of my fans must have done this.” He pulled his phone away from my reach. “I’ll put a stop to it.”
“Kade, please don’t damage your career over this.”
“I won’t.” He gave me a tight smile that was probably supposed to be reassuring, but his eyes had darkened. He typed something, then put his phone down and picked up his glass.
“Carlotta told Mason about the comments,” I said. “He’s looking into it.”
“He should have told me. I’ll talk to him later.” Both Kade’s hands were cupped around the bowl of his wine glass. The position looked tense. I got the sense he was trying to keep his anger from showing.
His knuckles were white, making me afraid he might smash the glass. He had strong, capable hands. Nice hands. But there was a small patch of pink, new skin on one of his fingers where he must have burned himself. Occupational hazard, no doubt.
Reaching out, I eased the glass out of his grip. His brow furrowed, but he let me place it on the coffee table next to my own glass.
“It’s okay,” I told him. “I’ll get the café fixed.”
Honestly, I had no idea if anything would be okay. I didn’t know if I’d need a permit to do the repairs. And what if the insurance company refused the claim, or the things they didn’t cover were more than I could afford?
He leaned forward so we were close, his troubled gaze on mine. “Whoever did this could come back. You have to stay at Asher’s place tonight. Or if you don’t want to do that, I’ll pay for a hotel.”
“Not necessary, but thank you. I don’t think they’ll come back.”
“We can’t take the chance.” He cupped my cheeks with both hands. “If something happened to you, I’d…”
Instead of finishing the sentence and saying what he’d do, he leaned closer until he could touch his nose against mine. This close, his eyes were all I could see. Worry simmered there, and he was still a little angry.
I brought my face forward slowly, needing the touch of his lips. I kissed him softly and after a moment he responded, his mouth opening and a soft groan escaping from deep in his throat.
His tongue caressed mine, teasing me with light touches and making me desperate for more. I moved forward on the couch, deepening our kiss.
God, he was such a good kisser. I never wanted to stop.
But what if he had second thoughts and pulled away again?
No, I couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t kiss me like this and stop, I couldn’t stand it.
Clambering onto his lap, I straddled him. He leaned back, surprised, and I leaned with him, not letting him pull away. I pressed myself against his hardness, wishing I was wearing a dress instead of jeans. I wanted to touch bare skin.
“Kade.” I sounded demanding. “I need—”
“I know.” His voice was rough. He lifted me off his lap and my heart sank. As he stood up, I was sure he was going to leave. Once again I’d thrown myself at him and been rejected. Why couldn’t I get the message?
But Kade took my hand. “Come on, we’re going to Asher’s. I won’t let you argue.”
I nodded mutely. Arguing was the last thing on my mind.
Chapter Nineteen
Kade
“I’m making you something to eat.” I led Nat into Asher’s kitchen. “You’ll feel better.”
“I’m not hungry.” She sank onto one of the stools at the kitchen island as though her strength had given out. Now the shock and adrenaline were wearing off, exhaustion would probably hit her hard.
“Eat anyway. Then you can sleep in my bed.”
A hint of a smile lifted her lips. “Where will you be?”
I shrugged. “Perhaps I should take the couch.” Though I was tired of holding myself back, she’d had a bad shock and might fall asleep quickly after dinner. I could wait a little longer.
She sighed. “I’m not throwing you out of your bed. If that’s how it’s going to be, let me take the couch.”
“We’ll argue about it once you’ve eaten.” I didn’t intend to argue at all, because one way or another she’d be in my bed. But the first step was to get Nat fed.
Opening the fridge, I scanned for ingredients. Pasta would do. Quick and nourishing, with plenty of garlic, a splash of wine and cream, and a handful of fresh chives, finished with grated pecorino. Guaranteed to help her sleep.
“Is food your answer for everything?” she asked as I filled a pot with water.
“Absolutely. A full stomach makes everything better.”
She put her elbows on the counter and dropped her head into her hands. “I still can’t believe it happened. Why would anyone flood my café?”
“Someone reacted badly to our engagement. First thing tomorrow, we’ll put out a press release saying we’re not engaged. I’ll have my agent do it.”
“What?” She lifted her head. “You can’t do that. It won’t look good, and you have your career to think about.”
“Your safety’s what matters.”
“It won’t look good for me either.” She tugged her phone out of her pocket. “Which reminds me. I need to tell Emmy the café was damaged.” She punched in Emmy’s number and gave her the news.
When she hung up, I poured her a glass of wine. The pasta was almost ready when Emmy called Natalie back.
“Hello,” she said. Then, “You’re kidding? That low?” She let out a big sigh. “Okay, thanks.”
She hung up and shook her head. “Emmy called Gigi and Butch. They said they’re still willing to buy the café, even with
