The One and Only: A Single Mom Second Chance Romance (Heart of Hope) Ajme Williams (books for new readers TXT) 📖

had been teased a lot as a kid. But Cade took away all my insecurities. Every time he would compliment my body, my heart skipped a beat. He made me feel like I was on top of the world. I had never felt so loved before.

The only issue was that our relationship was a secret, which I was fine with. When we started dating in secret, we had discussed that we would keep it hidden from everyone until graduation. Cade was especially particular about saving me from the hurtful gossip of the rich, popular girls and guys, who would have made endless fun of my weight, looks, and my white trash status. That was the way it was in our school—the rich folks were constantly picking on the kids from the poorer side of the district, that is, kids from the “wrong side of the tracks,” like me. You couldn’t escape the daily reminder of your social status because the school was located right in the middle of two districts—between Grosse Point Park, the rich suburb in Detroit, and X, the industrial part of town where most people were either unemployed and on food coupons. Half the students were from either side of the divide, and the two halves rarely mingled.

Which is why I trusted Cade and his promise that he would do anything in his power to protect me from the rich clique. A few days after meeting in Chemistry class, we had kissed for the first time, under the bleachers after school had ended. That day, Cade swore that he would protect me from the gossip circle because he cared deeply for me. He promised that after graduation, we would be free to openly go out together and date. No one could hurt us then. No one would say anything mean to me because Cade would be there to protect me. My knight in shining armor.

And at last, we had graduated high school. School would start in the fall, sooner than I would like, only because I wanted the magical, beautiful summer with Cade at the lake house to last forever. With no neighbors nearby, it felt like we were the only two people in the world. Every day, he would do or say something cute that I would fall deeper and deeper into the romance of our relationship. I was hooked on to him! I couldn’t imagine that there was a life before this when Cade was not in my life. That past seemed so bleak and distant. I never wanted to go back to that. I wanted to stay here, at the lake house, with Cade forever.

Last night, the way he’d held me in his arms…I knew that he loved me just as much as I loved him. He hadn’t said it yet though—something that the small, insecure voice in the back of my head kept taunting me about—but it was fine. Cade was very charming around everyone, an alpha male that commanded everyone’s attention immediately, but when we were alone, he was really quiet and thoughtful. I loved both these sides of him. I knew that he was shy despite his outgoing personality and that was why he hadn’t said those three little words yet. I hadn’t said them either, to be fair, even though I felt them so strongly in my heart. And all over my body.

And on the last few days of the summer, as I lay on the dock slowly drying off, I marveled at how the cool lake was a perfect contrast to the hot weather. I loved how the sun was seeping deep into my skin, warming up my body, after I had enjoyed the chilly waters of the lake. My eyes were closed, but I could hear Cade splashing in the water. Swimming was his preferred workout and he had been swimming so much over the year that his body was incredibly muscular, like, ripped. His clothes stretched tight across his chest and arms now, not that we were wearing any clothes for more than a couple of hours anyway, this past week. He had also had a growth spurt, which gave me a glimpse of the man he would become in a few months, and I loved what I was seeing! I couldn’t wait for us to grow together, to become adults together. I knew that we were a great pair.

And now, we’re going off to college, I said to myself, smiling. Nothing in the world could banish this smile. My hopes for a life with Cade were coming true at last.

Though my eyes were closed, I could hear Cade haul himself up out of the water and onto the dock, and my smile grew further. The soft thump of his feet reverberated on the dock as he walked towards me. Then suddenly, heavy drops of cold water dripped all over me!

I sat up, squealing in surprise. “Cade!”

He was standing above me and shaking his head vigorously, so that the water from his wet blond hair fell on me.

“Cade, I was trying to dry off,” I laughed and put my hands up to protect myself.

“Oh, is that so?” Cade dropped down to his knees and straddled me. He bent down further and tried to wipe his wet body all over mine.

“Ah!” I squealed and squirmed, feeling the cold of his body and invariably shivering, but also knowing that I couldn’t resist him or his body. The hard muscles, the firmness of his touch on me, and how his body was heating up while he was still wet was like a siren song to me. Any resistance was futile. So, I gave up and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Mm, that’s my girl,” Cade murmured, and bent down to kiss me.

A wave of pleasure washed over me as Cade kissed me slowly, his hot breath on my face. His kisses could be hot and possessive or soft and sweet—and this one was sultry. Seductive. I could feel him hardening