WHEN Cade woke up the next morning, he was alone in bed. A smile tugged at his lips as he remembered what had happened the night before. He had made love to her again around three in the morning, and she had responded just as wantonly, with the same passion. His muscles ached, but he was too overwhelmed to care. It had truly been the best night of his life—not because he had claimed Yumika, but because she had been there with him as they shared their first time together. He had been with women before during college, but never with a virgin. And Yumika… she was special.
He yawned and checked the time on his phone. It was almost eight. Only an hour left before their check-out. He got out of bed and slipped on his boxers, then went downstairs to look for Yumika. But she was nowhere to be found. Frowning, he stepped outside, still unable to find her. Panic started rising in his chest.
“Mika?” he called, heading upstairs. He went straight to the bathroom, but she wasn’t there either. He immediately searched for her luggage—but it was gone.
Dread filled him. She had left on her own.
He grabbed his phone from the bedside table and tried calling her—but couldn’t get through. Did she turn her phone off on purpose?
He didn’t waste a second and quickly got dressed, maybe he could still catch up to her. His suspicion that she had left alone was confirmed by the resort staff, who explained that she had gone to the lobby to inform them he was still in the cabin and that they should give him a wake-up call at eight.
As he got into his car, he couldn’t stop thinking about what went wrong. They had made love for the first time last night, and she had responded with equal passion and abandon. Waking up alone in bed was a possibility he had expected, but he hadn’t prepared for her leaving. He slammed himself into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly. It took him a few seconds to finally turn the ignition.
I love you, Cade!
He froze for a moment. Yumika’s confession in the middle of their passion echoed inside his heart. She had confessed—and she must have felt vulnerable doing so.
His heart began to race again. “No, Yumika. I won’t let you get away this time,” he muttered as he sped off, determined to find his wife. He needed to find her—or he would lose her before he even got to hold her again.
SHE HAD been staring at her phone on the table for a while. Yumika fought the urge to turn it back on. She was sure there were dozens of text messages from Cade. She had left that morning while he was still asleep. As much as it pained her to leave, she couldn’t face him. She had stupidly confessed her love for him at the height of her pleasure!
The corners of her eyes burned. She closed them, forcing herself not to cry. He could only offer friendship, and here she was asking for more than he could give. It seemed she hadn’t learned from the past.
From her seated position, she stood and peeked out the window of her office. She winced at the lingering pain down there, between her legs. Her face flushed as she remembered how Cade had claimed her again and again. Her cheeks burned recalling how forward and wanton she had been. She didn’t regret giving herself to him—what she regretted was saying she loved him. That must have freaked him out.
She sighed as her gaze fell on her luggage. Once she arrived in the city, she headed straight to her office. Her staff were surprised to see her carrying her luggage, but no one asked questions. She had nowhere else to go. She couldn’t go to her parents—they would ask too many questions, especially Stephanie. She also couldn’t go home, not with Cade possibly there. Knowing him, he probably drove a hundred miles per hour. Meanwhile, the bus she took back had been slow.
She jumped at the sound of footsteps outside her office. Her heart instantly raced. Before she could reach the door to lock it, the door suddenly swung open—and there stood Cade.
“Cade…” she gasped, stepping back like a caught mouse. “How did you—” She couldn’t finish her question. He walked in, slamming the door behind him so hard that the office shook a little.
“I know you so well. You wouldn’t go to your parents’ house, and definitely not to Steph. You don’t want them asking questions about what happened,” he said. “Why, Mika? Why did you leave?” His voice carried an intensity she couldn’t quite place.
She swallowed hard at his question. “Cade—”
His sudden movement cut her off. In just three steps, he closed the distance between them, forcing her against the wall until she was trapped. Then, without warning, he kissed her hard. She automatically moaned into the kiss. He went deep and intense, and she kissed him back with equal fervor. When they finally broke apart, both were panting.
“Why did you leave?” he demanded. “God knows how much I freaked out when I saw a bus fall into a ditch. I thought you were one of the passengers. I fucking screamed your name like a lunatic.”
She blinked, stunned. “Cade, what are you…”
He took her hand and placed it on his chest. His heartbeat was so strong. “Can you feel that?” he asked her. “My heart still hasn’t calmed down! I thought you were in the accident! For heaven’s sake!” He ran his fingers through his hair as if to calm himself.
She bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry I left you there…”
His eyes darkened as he remembered what she did this morning. He didn’t speak, just stared at her. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. When he opened them again, his gaze softened. “Did you…did you regret what happened last night?” he asked in a soft voice, almost afraid to hear her answer.
“No,” she answered without hesitation. “I don’t regret it.”
“Then why? Why did you leave?”
The corners of her eyes heated up. “I-I don’t want to freak you out more than I already have.”
“I don’t follow. What do you mean?”
She shook her head. “I blurted s-something out, and I know you heard it. The last time I tried to express my feelings, you’d grown indifferent. I don’t want that to happen again. I don’t want you to leave again. I have no other intentions. You don’t have to love me back. I won’t force myself on you.”
Cade closed his eyes and let out another deep breath. Then he looked at her eyes again. “I’m not even freaked out. In fact, I feel overjoyed. I’m happy because you still love me. I don’t deserve it, but you’re still giving me your affection. You’re so forgiving, Mika.”
She winced. “Is that a bad thing? Being so forgiving?”
He cupped her face in his warm hands, and he shook his head. “If it means I can get back into your life, then no, it isn’t. I know I was an asshole back then. I don’t deserve your love. But if you’ll let me, I want to spend the rest of my life trying to live up to half of what you somehow see in me.”
For a moment, she didn’t speak. She wasn’t sure if what he said was true or if it was just her imagination. “What… what are you talking about, Cade?”
“I love you, Mika. I fell in love with everything about you. I need you as much as I want this marriage to be real.”
“Y-You love me?” She couldn’t believe it again. She covered her mouth while staring at him.
He nodded. “When I passed by a bus accident earlier, I couldn’t explain what I felt. I was scared as hell. I jumped out of the car and screamed your name. If the policemen hadn’t stopped me and told me that there was no Yumika among the injured passengers, I wouldn’t have stopped shouting your name. From that moment on, I realized I didn't want to lose you, Mika. You mean so much to me.” His eyes filled with tears as he stared into her eyes. “I know it’s hard to believe because of what I did back then. I ignored you and hurt you in the process. But somehow, I paid attention to everything you’ve said, and it lingered in my memory. I don’t know and I can’t explain why. Maybe, I just…I just love to know little things about you.”
“Cade…” She could barely breathe. Cade loves her.
“I know you won’t believe that I love you, but please, let me show it to you. Let me prove it to you. I am ready and more than willing to meet you halfway now.” His eyes were still glassy as she stared at them. She saw how serious he was.
Yumika suddenly broke into tears. He immediately pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. He let her cry into his chest.
“I know what you mean to my life, Mika,” he continued. “You are the person who gave me the courage to become a true Hernandez. I may have lost my father, but you are my strength. You are the reason why I will no longer turn away from my responsibilities as a Hernandez. I found a reason to fight, and that is you.”
At that moment, she lifted her gaze. Cade claimed her lips once again. She returned his kiss without hesitation, without fear. He broke away only to plant little kisses on her damp cheeks.
“I love you, Mika. I love you so much. Let me show you what you mean to me,” he whispered.
“I love you too, Cade,” she whispered back, pouring out her heart’s content like never before.