Chapter 21: The Broken Note: Chapter 21

I know how to make a woman see stars. I know how to touch her, play her, tease her until she’s begging for more. I know how to whisper my orders in her ear, how to command her body, how to own her in every way possible.

But I don’t know how the hell to plan a date.

At least, not one where the girl actually sits down to eat and enjoys herself.

I shudder at the memory of Cadence screaming at me and then bursting into tears at the candlelit dinner I prepared for her. I hated seeing her cry and I never want to be the reason she cries again.

“She’s not into flowers,” I mumble, scowling as Zane shoves the bouquet at me. We’re sitting in my bedroom, brainstorming the biggest challenge of my life—getting Cadence to go out on a date with me.

“She doesn’t like fancy meals either,” I add. The only time Cadence isn’t biting my ear off is when I’m bruising her lips with my kisses or marking her body with my tongue.

“Shut your mouth and give her the damn flowers, Dutch. It’s a guaranteed win.”

“No,” I scowl. “I tried that. The day of the fire. And again that day in the classroom. She freaked out.”

“Probably because you keep trying to seduce her at school,” Finn says robotically. His eyes are on a book. He turns the page and it makes a crisp sound as it flips to the next chapter.

I flinch. “It’s not like she’ll see me outside if I ask her out.”

“Why not just go to her house then?” Zane suggests. “Do something nice for her there.”

“She won’t let me in.”

“Barge in.”

“Sure. Breaking and entering is real romantic,” Finn murmurs.

“He broke in that night and she still put out.”

I stiffen and slant Zane a dark look.

Finn arches a brow. “Is the point to get her to sleep with you or to get her to like you? Because, when it comes to you and Cadence, those are two distinctly different things.”

“The point is to get her to marry me.”

“Then she has to at least like you.”

Zane snorts. “If that’s a requirement, why do fifty percent of marriages end in divorce?”

“Cadence and I aren’t getting divorced.” Just the thought of losing her makes me want to smash something.

“I’m not saying you’ll get divorced. I’m genuinely asking.” He glances between me and Finn. “Do wives and husbands actually like each other anymore?”

“They always do at the start,” Finn says.

Zane rolls his eyes. “I think Dutch should go big. Plan a trip to France. Take her right up to one of those romantic Ferris Wheel rides and propose to her up there. Girls love that crap.”

“On top of a Ferris wheel, where she can’t run away?” I rub my chin. “I like it.”

“First, you have to get her on a plane to Paris,” Finn points out.

Zane and I exchange looks.

We both open our mouths at the same time but, before we can blurt out what we’re thinking, Finn says, “If you say you’ll ‘kidnap her’, going to cut your guitar strings.”

“Try it,” I growl.

“Cadence is the only one who can murder his guitar and live,” Zane taunts with a laugh.

“She’ll hate you forever if you keep pushing her into corners,” Finn warns.

“Like Zane said, I don’t need her to like me to get her to marry me.”

“So you’ve decided to threaten her?”

“I’ve decided to get her to admit what we’re both feeling.” I scowl. “She’s the one making it complicated.”

“And you’re the one who wants the girl who sees you as a menace to marry you. Cadence isn’t stupid. And she isn’t desperate. You want to strong arm her into falling for you? You can’t go in blazing hot. You’ve tried that. And it hasn’t worked so far.”

“What do you suggest then?” I snarl, frustrated. I’m not asking for their help in creating a son. It’s simple enough to get her into bed. Every time I so much as touch her, Cadence is ready for me. No matter what she says, she can’t deny the chemistry between us.

But I’m totally lost on how to get her to admit she even has feelings for me.

“Be smart about it. You have a secret weapon.”

Zane bounces up from my bed. “What’s that?”

“Her sister.”

I freeze where I stand, thinking it over.

“Dude.” Zane frowns. “Her sister’s thirteen.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I got what you meant,” I mumble.

Zane’s eyebrows hike. “Oh.

That’s actually not bad.”

“You’re good, Finn.”

He shrugs as if it’s obvious. Cocky bastard.

I pick up the phone and DM Viola.

She responds immediately as if she’d been waiting.

“What did she say?” Zane peers over my shoulder.

“Give me a minute.” My brow wrinkles in concentration. “I asked for her number.”

Clicking on the tab, I dial the number Viola gives me and listen to the phone ring.

Zane edges up against me, sticking his ear to the back of my cell.

Finn sits down with his book, but I can tell he’s tuned in because he hasn’t turned a single page.

There’s a long ring.

Finally, it clicks.

A timid voice says, “Is this… Dutch Cross?”

“Hey, Viola.”

“Eep!” She lets loose a girlish squeal. “I can’t believe Dutch Cross is calling me!”

“How have you been, Vi?”

“Good.” She sounds giddy.

Zane makes a circular gesture, indicating that I should hurry it up.

I clear my throat. “Vi, remember that favor you promised us?”

“Mm-hm,” she says eagerly.

After we helped her out with her makeup tutorial, Viola swore up and down that she wouldn’t forget our kindness.

I glance at Finn and then at Zane. Heart pounding, I tell Cadence’s sister. “I’m going to need to cash in on that favor.”