Chapter 18

Cade hauled Avery to him and crushed his mouth to hers. Heart pounding, he ran his hands up the smooth skin of her back exposed by the dress and cupped her neck, holding her to him.

I'm not scared. I'm nervous.

That had been all he'd needed to hear. For a gut-dropping moment, he'd thought she'd put a stop to things. Thought she didn't want what he assumed was an inevitable progression. Didn't want him. He'd never forced himself on a woman, never would, and if he'd had any inkling she wasn't telling the truth, he would've been out the door and in his guest room.

Which reminded him how he was breaking his rules with Avery. With his previous lovers, if they hadn't done the deed at their place, they'd rarely made it past his living room. On the off chance that happened-and he could count on one hand the number of times that had occurred-they'd wound up in his guest room. Never his bedroom.