Outsider (Outsider Series) (21 page)

I saw that while we were in the coffee shop it had started to snow. It co
vered the cobble stone
streets in a light white blanket and fell from the sky in endless circles.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said breaking away from Caeden’s hands and twirling in the streets like a little kid, my tongue hanging out to catch a random flake.

Caeden laughed. “You’re more beautiful.”

I stopped my twirling and met his blue gaze, my cheeks flushed from cold, I smiled and said, “Suck up.” Then I resumed my twirling.

Caeden’s chuckle filled t
he half empty street. “I try to
be the least bit romantic and you always shoot me down.”

I stopped and fluttered my eyelashes at him. “If you call that romantic you’re going to have to try harder.”

“You shouldn’t have said that,” he said
.

He came at me and suddenly my legs were swept out from under me. He twirled me around in the falling snow. I wrapped my arms around his neck. Little white flecks st
uck to his black eye lashes making
the blue of his eyes look cerulean. I took one hand from around his neck and pressed it to his scruff covered cheek.

“I can’t believe you’re mine,” I breathed.

“Always,” he said and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was hot enough to melt the snow around us. Normally the thought of the people watching us would have worried me but with Caeden I didn’t care. He made all my other thoughts disappear. He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to mine. His arms still held me firmly. “As much as I’d like to stand here kissing you all night I really am hungry.”

I laughed. “Okay, let me down.”

“Oh, no,” he grinned and I knew I was in trouble. “I’m carrying you all the way there. That’s your punishment for saying I’m not romantic.” He laughed and started carrying me down the street.

“Put me down,” I laughed beating on his chest.

“Nope,” he said, “not yet.”

Finally, after persuasion and fighting him didn’t work, I just let him carry
me
. However, with my arms crossed and a pout on my lips.
He strode purposefully towards his destination. A smile kept springing on his lips, his dimple showing. His blue eyes looked down at me.

“I hate you right about now,” I said.

He grinned. “Hate? I can handle that. Hate is a passionate word.”

“You’re incorrigible,” I said.

We made it to the restaurant after what seemed like forever. But instead of putting me down like I expected he would he maneuvered me so that he could open the door to the restaurant.

A man stood with a stack of menus in his hand. “My word, is she okay?” he asked.

I rolled my eyes.

Caeden grinned. “She fell and I think she hurt her ankle but she was determined to get something to eat. I told
her
I thought she might need to go to the hospi
tal. So, here we are,” he said with a shrug.

I glared daggers at my mate.

“Well, come right this way. Let’s get you seated miss and I’ll get you some ice,” he said striding into the dining room, Caeden trailing behind him with me in his arms.

“Really,” I said, “that’s not necessary. I didn’t even fall,” I whispered the last part.

Since it was late there weren’t many people eating but enough that we received quite many stares.
The man placed our menus down and pulled out a chair which Caeden promptly dumped me in. Once the man was gone with a promise to bring me some ice
for my ankle
I said again to Caeden, “I hate you.”

He grinned at me completely unashamed. “I couldn’t resist.”

The man returned with some ice wrapped in a rag. “Thanks,” I muttered and when he had disappeared around the corner I lobbed it at Caeden. He laughed and caught in his hands.

I chose that moment to look around the Italian restaurant. Everything was terracotta colored and
a
red glow seemed to surround the place. I could smell garlic coming from the kitchen but it wasn’t overwhelming. The waitress came to get our drink order and Caeden handed her the rag of ice. She looked at it perplexed and then left. Obviously news of our grand entrance hadn’t reached the kitchen yet.

I perused the menu and quickly made up my mind. The girl came back with our water and had her notepad at the ready. “Do you know what you want?” she asked.

Caeden indicated for me to go first. “Yeah, I’ll have the
fettuccine
alfredo.”

She wrote it down and turned to Caeden. “I’ll have the same,” he said.

“It shouldn’t be too long,” she said with a light smile and took our menus. I thanked her and then she was gone.

“So,” said Caeden leaning across the table. I found myself leaning closer to him as well.

“So?” I prompted when he didn’t continue.

“Are you still mad at me?” he asked, looking at me with those big blue eyes. I was quickly learning that those blue eyes could certainly get him out of trouble.

“No,” I said. “As long as it doesn’t happen again.”

“I’m not making any promises,” he grinned.

“Then I guess I still have to be mad,” I said with a light smile.

“Too bad,” he said. “But it was certainly worth it.”

I laughed. “I’m glad my torment is your pleasure.”

“What can I say?” he said shrugging his shoulders. “I’m a disturbed kind of guy.”

I shook my head, “And here I thought you were more of the jokester type.”

“Babe, haven’t you ever heard of
not judging a book by its cover?” he said in mock shame, hanging his head.

“Have any tattoos I don’t know about?” I asked.

He laughed. “Nope, my skin is perfectly clear. But you’re welcome to check.”

I looked around the restaurant. “I would,” I said, “but you see that lady over there,” I pointed and he nodded, “I really wouldn’t like to cause her to have a heart attack and die prematurely. That seems cruel. Don’t you think?”

“I guess so,” he replied.

The waitress returned with our food. We had scooted so close to each other across the table that our noses were practically touching. We jumped apart and both gave a nervous laugh. Caeden coughed into his hand to hide his flaming cheeks. It was getting difficult to resist our magnetism. Our bodies were always being drawn together. There was no fighting it. Heck, most of the time we didn’t even realize it was happening.

“This smells delicious,” I said.

“Oh, it is,” he said.

I took a bite and moaned in pleasure. Caeden laughed. “Somehow,” I said around a mouthful, “everything always tastes better when you don’t have to make it. Don’t get me wrong. I love to cook but sometimes it’s nice not to have to. This is a treat.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” he said taking his first bite.

“Oh, I am,” I said taking a big bite that I could barely fit in my mouth.

He laughed.

“What?” I asked. I realized I had pasta sauce smeared across my face. I wiped it off my cheeks turning red. I shrugged my shoulders, “I never did claim to be lady like.”

“And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Oh sure?” I mocked.

“No, really. I like you just the way you are. You’re perfect.”

I pointed towards his food with my fork. “Just eat so you can stop feeding me lies.”

He laughed and shook his head. “One day you’ll believe me when I tell you how smart, beautiful, and perfect you are.”

“Not likely,” I said, and then laughed. “But I am pretty smart.”

He laughed, its deep sound resonating in my bones, “You make me laugh,” he said.

“I try,” I said with a smile and fluffed my hair.

“God I lo-,” he stopped himself.

“What?” I stuttered. “What were you going to say?”

“Never mind,” he said dismissing his previous statement with a wave of his hand. Had he really been about to tell me that he loved me? Now, looking at his stony expression it seemed impossible.

I scrambled
through
my brain trying to come up with something to ease the awkward tension. I wasn’t used to this feeling around Caeden. “I hope this keeping me away from my studies doesn’t resolve in a big fat F.”

Caeden sent me a thankful look. “You’ll do great, you’re smart. I have no worries, you shouldn’t either.”

“Somehow, I’m still worried,” I joked.

We finished our meal and Caeden paid the bill even though I begged him to let me pay my half of it.

He took my hand and we walked outside. The snow was, if possible, falling harder. I loved the crispness in the air and the feel of the snowflakes on my cheeks. “Thanks for dinner,” I said. “I would have paid for mine. You didn’t need to do that.”

“I know you would have, sweetie,” he said. “But I asked you on a date and that means that I pay the bill. No arguments. I like to spoil you. You’re just going to have to get used to it,” he said with a grin, his dimple appeared. I couldn’t resist it. I had to kiss that
dimple. He grinned when I pulled away.

“Not likely,” I replied.

He squeezed my hand and said, “I always win.”

“I never lose,” I narrowed my eyes.

His smile made his blue eyes tinkle. “There’s always a winner and a loser and I am not about to lose on this matter.”

I laughed. “I think we just like to argue. What are we even fighting about?”

“The fact that you don’t want me to spoil you. I thought that was every girls dream?”

“Not mine,” I said. “I can look out for myself. Remember, I moved around a lot so I had to learn to be pretty independent.”

“But you don’t need to be that way anymore,” he said. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

I looked down at the snow covered ground. “I know that,” I said. “It’s just a lot to get used to.”

“I know,” he whispered and I wondered if he really did.

twelve
.

I must have fallen asleep on the way home because I awoke to Caeden’s arms wrapped around me as he laid me on my bed. I cracked my eyes open and he said, “Hey, beautiful.”

“Sorry, I fell asleep,” I said groggily.

He started taking my shoes off. “I actually thought it was pretty darn cute.”

I groaned and took my hat off throwing it across my room. I felt a slight bounce on the mattress and
then Archie lay down next to me.
Caeden turned to leave.

“Wait!” I called and he paused.

“Yeah?” he said turning.

“Thanks for tonight.”

He smiled. “Better than studying?” he asked.

“Way better,” I said smiling.

He started towards the door. “Wait!” I called again. He looked back at me a full blown grin on his face. Despite being half asleep I stood. I took his face between my hands and kissed him slowly and deeply. “Now you can go,” I whispered against his lips.

“Not yet,” he breathed pressing his lips firmly to mine. My mouth opened under his. When he saw that I wasn’t going to resist
he gentled the kiss.

Gram chose that moment to walk by my room. I heard her footsteps pause and then she spoke. “If you two keep that up I’ll be a great-grandma. You best stop that now.”

Caeden chuckled against my lips. “Love you too Lucinda. Love you too.”

Satisfied she walked away.

“Bye,” said Caeden pressing his lips once again to mine.

“Bye,” I said.

He grinned and left.

I changed into my pajamas and climbed under the covers. For once, Archie gave me my pillow. “Thanks,” I muttered to the little dog. He wrinkled his nose at me and then started snoring. I laughed and in moments was sound asleep.

* * *

A strange white light filled my room when I woke up. I pushed the quilt off of me and cracked the blinds
in the window that was beside my bed. I smiled to myself. It looked like a winter wonderland outside. It couldn’t be more than two or three inches but it was beautiful. It covered the various trees outside my window in a fine dust.

A light knock on my door had me turning. “Hey sleepyhead,” Gram said.

I looked back out the window and startled at the amount of light outside my window. It had to be after first period. “Oh crap,” I said jumping up.

Gram chuckled. “Don’t worry. School’s cancelled.”

“Oh,” I said stopping in my tracks.

“Here,” she said holding out a cup of hot chocolate.

“Thanks,” I said taking it.
I took a sip and let the silky,
chocolaty
, goodness slip down my throat. “You’re amazing Gram,” I said holding up the cup.

“I’m still planning to open up the shop today. Would you mind working too much?” she asked.

“Of course not,” I said.