“Olivia?” Cade called out, and she heard his key turn the lock. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she managed, and pushed herself away from the door just as it swung open. Her hair, so carefully coiffed only minutes earlier, hung in her face, and there was a lipstick stain on the wall beside the door. Great.

He stepped inside, concern clear in his dark eyes. “What happened?”

“Phoebe missed you,” she said dryly, and tried not to drool.

He was wearing a suit, dark slacks and a jacket over a snowy white shirt. His already bronzed skin was a shade or two darker, making her wonder if he’d been working outside this week. He lifted a hand to her face, the crisp white cuffs of his shirt sliding back to reveal his watch, and why was that so goddamn sexy?

“Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, his fingers warm on her cheek, and she shook off the sudden wave of lust to answer him.

“Just my pride,” she admitted. “And possibly your drywall.”

He looked at the wall, chuckling at the bright smear of pink before turning back. “I’ve been wondering if I should add a pop of color to the entry.”

He was staring at her mouth, and she fought the urge to dash for the nearest mirror. “Is it smeared too badly?”

“Just enough,” he murmured, and the feral lust in his dark eyes made her breath stutter in her throat. “It’s just smudged a little. Do you need a minute to fix it?”

“I can do it in the car.”

“Well, then.” He held out his arm.

The old-fashioned and courtly gesture made her heart sigh a little, even as the look in his eye made it pound. She slid her hand in the crook of his elbow, then started when a plaintive meow sounded at her feet.

She down at the cat, now winding her way between Cade’s ankles. “Sorry, Phoebe,” he said, and gently nudged her aside. “This date is humans only.”

Phoebe let out an offended yowl and turned to walk slowly away, her tail high in the air, the feline equivalent of a lifted middle finger. Cade watched her go, amused, then turned back to Olivia. “Shall we?” he asked, and escorted her out through the door.

* * * *

Olivia knew Sadie and the others would want to hear the details of the date, so she tried to pay attention to where they went and what they ate and the things they talked about. But she was very much afraid the only answers she’d be able to give to those questions were “a restaurant”, “food”, and “stuff”, because all her attention was on Cade.