YUMIKA was completely full from the complimentary meal the mountain resort had provided for both of them. As they ate, they talked comfortably about all sorts of things. Yumika openly shared what had kept her busy over the past two years, and Cade, in turn, talked about his experiences abroad. She hadn’t expected to feel so at ease discussing their past with him.
The funny thing was, Cade listened with genuine interest. Sometimes he’d ask questions just to get her talking again. By the time they finished eating, the scene hadn’t changed—they were still on the patio outside the cabin, sipping from the bottle of wine that had been provided.
“Have you always dreamed of becoming a car racer?” she asked, curious.
He smiled, resting his head against the headrest. “It was more of a pastime for me. I’ve always loved cars.”
His face grew serious for a moment, and she noticed the sadness in his eyes. “I worked for the company every summer since I was eighteen. It stressed me out so much that I became afraid of the responsibilities waiting for me in the company. Doing drag races was sort of my rebellion against my parents. At that time, I wanted to show them that I had no interest in becoming the company president.”
“What made you change your mind now?” she asked softly.
He looked off into the distance as he spoke. “When I found out that my dad had died, my whole world collapsed. I kept flashing back to all the days and nights he spent building the company. He built the empire with his wits, his guts, and his love for his family. And I…I didn’t do anything. I failed as a son. I failed him.”
Yumika could see the hurt in his eyes. She reached out, took his hand, and gently squeezed it. The gesture seemed to pull him back to the present; he blinked and looked at her.
“You didn’t entirely fail him. You’re here now,” she said simply.
He smiled again and looked down at her hand resting on his. Then, to her surprise, he turned his hand over and laced their fingers together.
“You somehow inspired me to accept my position in the company,” he admitted.
She blinked, taken aback. “What? Me? How come?”
“I saw how determined you are not to give up Coffee n’ Books,” he replied. “I saw the same determination in my father’s eyes before, during the many hardships of the company.”
“Cade…” she couldn’t help whispering his name. “Is that also why you begged the board so desperately not to touch Coffee n’ Books, even though Dad had already signed the agreement?”
He didn’t nod or speak. He just smiled faintly—but she understood what he meant.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and without thinking, she buried her face in his chest.
“Hey, don’t cry…” he chuckled, feeling her shiver against him. His arms wrapped around her, and he stroked her hair, as if soothing her. He let her cry silently.
When she finally pulled away, he cupped her face with both hands. “Are you upset?” he asked seriously.
She laughed softly. “Silly, these are happy tears.”
He laughed and hugged her again. “I thought I said something wrong. You got me scared for a second there.”
They stayed quiet like that for a while, him gently running his fingers through her hair.
“Thank you, Cade,” she whispered.
“No, Mika.” He pulled back slightly, cupping her chin and meeting her gaze. His thumb lightly brushed her cheek. “Thank you. Thank you so much for being so forgiving. I don’t deserve it, but here you are, giving it to me. So…thank you.”
YUMIKA secretly cursed under her breath when she saw the clothes inside her luggage. If it weren’t for the fact that some of the other clothes were hers, she would have thought someone had swapped her luggage entirely. How else could she explain it—her pajamas were gone, replaced with silk nighties. Dreadfully, Yumika slowly lifted one of the silk pieces.
“I can’t freaking wear this to bed with Cade,” she muttered to herself.
Then it hit her. Stephanie! She must have slipped them into the luggage while she was in the bathroom getting her toiletries. Yumika was certain her friend had put her own pajamas into paper bags so she wouldn’t notice.
She muttered a string of expletives at her best friend in her head. Irritated, she grabbed her phone and called Stephanie. No answer. She tried again—still nothing.
Fuming, she sent a text. Minutes passed before a reply came—and it was just a single wink emoji. That made her even more annoyed.
“Stephanie, I swear I’m going to make you bald!” she shouted into her phone as if Stephanie could hear her. Horrified, she looked again at the skimpy garments. She picked one up and examined it closely. Holding it against herself, she stared into the full-length mirror. Cade will definitely think I’m trying to seduce him! Oh God! she thought, panicking.
At that moment, the bathroom door opened—Cade was done using it. She instinctively jumped toward the bed and cursed under her breath. She wasn’t supposed to jump. She should have thrown the nightie back into the luggage and closed it before Cade saw. You’re an idiot, Mika!
She stood up, ready to toss the damn nightie, when Cade spotted her. With wide eyes, she quickly hid it behind her.
“What’s with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said softly, chuckling. He wore a robe and was drying his wet hair with a towel. “What are you hiding back there?” he asked, noticing her secretive movements.
“What? N-Nothing,” she stammered, even shaking her head.
His eyes glistened mischievously. Before she could react, he stepped closer—just one step—and suddenly grabbed hold of what she was hiding behind her. She screamed, struggling to wrest it back. She didn’t care if it tore; she just didn’t want Cade to see it.
And damn, the gorgeous bastard tickled her. At first, she refused to let go, even as she gasped for air from the relentless tickling. But Cade had another idea. Slowly, he pushed her toward the bed. She stumbled onto it while he continued tickling her, and in the surprise, she let go of the nightie.
Cade immediately held it up so he could see.
“I-I can explain!” she blurted out. “It was Stephanie. She sneakily took my pajamas and slipped the nighties into my luggage instead. I swear, Cade. Please don’t be mad. I have no intention of seducing you. And I don’t plan to wear this to bed!” she said, panting and desperate.
For a moment, Cade was silent. He just stood there, watching her, the nightie still dangling from his hand. She couldn’t read him. Was he angry? Disappointed? It felt like forever as she waited for him to speak. Her cheeks were heating up with embarrassment. God, can I just disappear? she thought.
Then he cleared his throat. “So, what were you planning to wear to bed if you didn’t want to wear this?”
She went silent. She let out a soft groan and sat down on the bed. “I swear, I’m going to kill Stephanie when we get back,” she muttered, burying her face in her palms. She heard Cade laugh. Then she felt the garment being tossed beside her.
“I have extra t-shirts. You can wear them,” he said. She looked up and saw the amusement in his eyes. “And for the record, I’m not mad.”
“You’re not?” she asked, surprised.
“Why would I be?”
“Y-You might think that I’m trying to seduce you or something,” she stammered.
“It didn’t cross my mind,” he replied. “I saw the fear in your eyes when I caught you earlier. But curiosity got the best of me, and that’s why I wrestled with you.” She heard his soft laugh again, as if he was remembering what had just happened. He stepped closer and gently helped her to her feet. “Go take a shower so we can sleep. It’s past your bedtime already.”
Only then did she notice—it was already midnight. Her eyes drifted to the nightie on the bed, still lingering like a problem that wouldn’t go away.
“I don’t have anything to wear…” she muttered.
“You can wear my t-shirt,” he repeated. “It’s either mine or that nightie. Your call.” The corner of his lips curved up slightly. Yumika realized he was enjoying her predicament. Her cheeks flamed again.
“I’d rather wear your shirt,” she said.
His smile widened. “Good. Now take a shower. I’ll wait for you.”