You Drive Me Crazy novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: His Bed

We went back to the estate because my son was asleep there.

Amos had put him in the guest room with a night-light shaped like a tire.

Eli lay on his stomach, one arm flung out, a toy wrench still in his fist.

I stood in the doorway for a long time.

"Leave him," Amos whispered from the hall. "He's down for the night."

"I should take him home."

"Wake him and he'll be a bear till noon."

"Amos"

"Stay," the old man said. "Cade's got the room at the end."

He said it so gently that I understood he knew exactly what he was saying, and what he was not.

He limped off to bed.

I stood in the hall in a three-year-old black dress, with my heart going.

Then I walked to the end of the hall.

I didn't knock.

The room was dark except for the moon on the floor.

Cade stood at the window in his shirtsleeves, tie gone, one hand on the frame.

He turned.

"You said one night," he said hoarsely.

"I changed my mind."

"Mara"

"Don't talk about it. Don't make a speech. I said I'd never forgive you, and I haven't."

"I know."

"But I want you. I've wanted you for seven years, and it's made me stupid and mean."

I crossed the floor and stopped in front of him.

"Tell me you don't want this," I said.

His eyes closed for a moment, and when they opened they were black.

"I can't."

"Then take me to bed."

He kissed me.

His hands found the zipper at my back and slid it down, slow, so slow I thought I would scream.

The dress fell around my ankles.

I stood in my plain white bra and underwear.

He drew back and looked at me in the moonlight.

"You're not allowed to be this beautiful," he said.

"I'm a mechanic."

"You're the best thing I've ever seen."

"Stop talking."

"You stop me."

I pushed him back onto the bed and climbed over him.

I undid his shirt button by button, kissing each new inch of skin.

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