by C. M. Owens
“Can I help you?” she inquires.
“Mr. Noles asked to have his files brought over from Eleanor’s home,” Dale says, keeping me from blurting out something less eloquent.
“Names,” she says in a no-nonsense way.
“Kode and Dale Sterling,” Dale answers.
“Wait here. I’ll make sure Mr. Noles wants to take visitors.”
The door slams in our faces, and we both exchange a what-the-hell look.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Dale says, laughing lightly. “You’re no longer the rudest person I know.”
Rolling my eyes, I hold onto the heavy boxes of files. It takes forever for her to return, but when she finally does, the files start feeling like they’re boulders.
“Mr. Noles will see you now.”
“How fucking nice of him,” I mutter with a scowl, pissed at the fact it took her over fifteen minutes to get back to us.
She shows us in, and we follow her to a living room where Edward is sitting in an oversized chair, looking a little pale when his eyes land on us.
“Eleanor didn’t want to see you, and we didn’t want your daughters to have to do this, so here’s your shit that you couldn’t come get yourself,” I growl, dropping the boxes to the ground with a heavy thud. Dale drops his as well, looking equally frustrated.
Edward frowns as he stares at them. “I wouldn’t have asked my daughters come see me. I was just… I wanted… Never mind. Thank you for delivering them,” he says coldly.
Dale bristles beside me as my temper flares.
“Tria has been trying to call you, but you won’t answer her. Your ex-wife could have probably used a call from you not too long ago. Yet you can only manage to call when you need something.”
I swear that bastard smiles at me, which has me clenching my hands into fists.
“I see. So you finally noticed my other daughter instead of chasing after the one who was taken. I hope you aren’t just leading her around.”
Of all the arrogant, stupid, brazen things to fucking say.
“As if you have a right to speak,” Dale says curtly, surprising me. “Little late to be acting like you care, don’t you think?”
Edward nods, his lips thinning. “I just feel better knowing Tria has someone. Rain always had someone from the time she moved in with me. Tria never did. It’s… it’s a really good thing… to know. Really good.”
His breaths get lower, quieter, and he sighs while looking down, seeming lost in thought. Dale and I exchange a confused look, and the maid comes back in, looking over at him with a little worry. He notices her and waves her off, which makes me wonder if he’s not screwing her like he did all the others.
“You have two great daughters, no thanks to you,” I say, deciding to kick him while he’s down because I’m cruel like that.
To my surprise, he smiles again. “I’m perfectly aware of that. Glad you finally realized the same thing.”
He has no fucking right to sound smug right now. It wasn’t too long ago his ex-wife was kicking his ass in front of the entire neighborhood.
Then his eyes connect with mine, and for a minute, I see something raw and conflicted teeming within the depths, though I can’t actually name it. When he speaks again, his voice is strained, as though he’s fighting real damn hard not to fall apart.
“Tria has a big heart. Most people can’t see it because she keeps it hidden from the world like a breakable jewel. She gives everything she has to those she loves without expecting anything in return. Even if you don’t deserve it, she’ll offer forgiveness. Don’t abuse that. She needs someone to care about her the way she cares about others.”
He has to be the most confusing fucking person I’ve ever met in my life. Dale shrugs, acting just as lost as I am. If you didn’t know better, you’d believe the selfish asshole cared about his daughter—well, both of them, actually.
I start to speak, but he interjects again. “Rain is strong. So strong. She had to be. She built an extra layer of skin that she needed to endure life, but Tria is so much more fragile. Rain bares her soul, knowing she’s safe from the world, but Tria keeps her emotions locked away, too scared of what rejection might come if she risks it all. But she’ll risk it all with you. She probably already has.”
He’s talking in weird riddles that make no sense to me, and he keeps pissing me off by acting as though he cares.
“I think you two should go,” the maid says when Edward buries his face in his hands and begins to weep. He’s fucking crying?
I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever seen a grown man cry like this right now. His sobs wrack his body, and he doubles over, swaying as though he might pass out.
“Now,” the woman demands, shoving me to get me moving.
Shit. She’s a mean little thing.
Dale and I both leave the house after being pretty much kicked out, confused bigger than dammit. I’m pissed that I didn’t get to lay into him with my prepared rant.
The door slams behind us as the sound of sobbing breaches the home—Edward crying openly and loudly.
“What the hell was that?” Dale asks, his eyes full of horrified fascination.
“Beats the hell out of me. Dude was usually always so unemotional. Hell, I can’t even remember him smiling or frowning. He was always just straight-faced. That… that was fucked up.”
Dale shakes his head as we make our way back to my car, both of us glancing back at the house.
He follows me, and we climb in, sitting motionless and quiet for a minute as we each try to process and rationalize what just happened.
“Think he finally realizes he lost it all? Divorce can sometimes be an eye-opener,” Dale says, sighing gravely.
“Maybe,” I say absently, cranking the car and backing out of the driveway.
I don’t know what’s more disturbing; Edward Noles breaking down and bawling like a baby, or realizing that even he saw his daughter had feelings for me when I was oblivious. I’m starting to think I should have paid more attention.
Chapter 19
TRIA
This is probably the most nervous I’ve ever been. I don’t know if it’s because this thing with me and Kode is finally real, or if it’s because I’m wearing a button-up shirt of his, with nothing else on underneath.
He can win the damn bet. Pete Mercer won’t be able to touch me. As sick as it makes me feel that Kode was hurt, seeing those marks on his fists… Well, it may be wrong, immoral, and possibly twisted, but I love knowing that he fought like that because he was protecting me.
Rain’s number shows up on my phone, and even though I don’t want to answer her right now, I also don’t want her calling while Kode and I are ending this stupid drought.
“Hey,” I say casually, trying not to let my nerves carry over to my voice.
“Finally!” she barks. “I’ve been worried to death about you. Pete was—”
“I heard,” I interrupt, not wanting her to give me the details.
Corbin came over earlier to check on Kode. Fortunately I had clothes on at that time. He gave me the details, including Rain being there shortly after the fight. I hate that she was there for him and not me.
“Then I guess you heard Kode charged in like an idiot and nearly got himself killed.”
I swallow hard against the lump in my throat. Corbin also gave me that gory detail. He also pointed out that Kode might have killed Pete if there hadn’t been a herd there to hold him back.
“I did hear that,” I say weakly.
“I swear. I don’t know what to do about him. It’s like he doesn’t think. We’re not kids anymore, but he can’t seem to stop fighting like he’s one. I’ve been talking to the guys, trying to figure out a way to talk to him without pissing him off. I’m the only one of us that he actually listens to, so it’s up to me to figure out how to get him to stop losing his cool before he gets himself into major trouble.”
I realize she has no idea that she’s offending me, but it’s still p
issing me off. She doesn’t have to do anything with him.
“Kode is grown man, and he’s not the one you’re marrying. Don’t you think it’d be a little odd to show him so much attention when you’re engaged to his brother? Especially given your history together?”
Why did I have to bring that up?
“It’s not like that, Tria. Kode had a thing for me, but he’s over that. My attention toward him is sisterly, not romantic. You know this. Dane certainly knows. But Kode is, well, he doesn’t have anyone besides me and the guys to look out for him. Their parents are great, but they don’t interfere in their lives. I’m good at meddling.”
I don’t know whether to scream at her for wanting to be there for him, or if I want to thank her for being such a good friend to him. This is all becoming a mess. I also want to thank her for acting as though his attraction toward her wasn’t as big a deal as I initially thought. That’s twice I’ve had that downplayed, so it makes me feel better.
“Rain, it’s not on you to fix Kode. Personally, I think you should trust that he has reasons for everything he does. Kode didn’t get this far in life and have the success he has because he’s reckless.”
I realize I’m essentially giving myself away right now, but I don’t care. It doesn’t feel right to hear her criticizing him, even though she’s only doing it out of love and concern.
“You sound very defensive. Considering what an ass he has been to you lately, I assumed you’d be very onboard with me trying to make him change.”
My smile forms without my permission. “People are who they are. They change how they act based on who they’re with. Kode might be different than even you know.”
Yeah, it’s a crappy jab at her, but I’m only human. And Kode is different with me than he is with anyone else. Not because I expect him to be different, but because we’re all different based on who we’re interacting with. I used to bring out the worst in him, but now I get to see a side of him that no one else does.
Kode’s car pulls up as Rain continues talking about his behavior toward me. She just doesn’t understand. No one does. Hell, even I don’t understand.
I stand at the window, watching him as Rain becomes forgotten. Dale and he are speaking, both of them looking rather confused. They weren’t gone a terribly long time, but I managed to get everything packed—since I was incredibly excited.
“Rain, I love you, but I’ve got to let you go right now.”
Kode waves at Dale before he heads toward the house, leaving his car in the driveway instead of pulling it into his spacious garage.
“Fine. Talk to you tomorrow.”
I hang up, put my phone on the windowsill, and just watch as Kode nears the door, my eyes inexplicably glued to him. His black T-shirt fits him just right—not too snug, but not too loose. His jeans hang in that way that has me biting my lower lip as he uses his sexy gait without knowledge.
The door opens, and Kode’s eyes immediately find me standing in the foyer. His smile slowly spreads, and I don’t waste time. Too much time has already been wasted.
I move to him, trying to be sexy, but I’m fairly positive I look too eager to be sexy. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to mind. As soon as I reach him and tug him to me, his lips come down on mine hard.
I want to jump up and wrap my legs around him, but I know he’s hurt, so I rein in the urge. Instead, I start kissing him hungrily, letting him know this game is over.
“Missed you, too,” he murmurs against my lips, grinning salaciously when he realizes he just won. “And you look damn good in my shirt, baby.”
I can’t help but grin, and that just makes me kiss him harder. It’s a rough kiss, one that turns savage and loses all the romantic taste. We’re two sticks of dynamite right now, both of our fuses lit and burning toward an inevitable explosion.
He picks me up by my ass, and I forget about the fact he’s hurt—until he winces and grunts. Apparently he forgot, too.
I jump down, which forces the kiss to separate, and he grins sheepishly at me. “Looks like you’ll be on top,” he says, grinning bigger.
Trying my damnedest to look sexy, I start undoing the button on his jeans, making short work of the zipper next, as he backs me against the wall.
“Or we can fuck on the counter in the kitchen,” he says hoarsely as my lips start sliding down his neck.
We’re not far from the kitchen, barely out of the foyer.
As soon as his pants drop, I start pushing his black boxer-briefs down, taking only a second to appreciate how good they look hanging just below his hip bones.
“Tria, I can’t fuck you against the—oh shit.”
His words break off into a rasp whisper when I drop to a crouching position and lick the small droplet of moisture from the tip of his dick, shocking him so much that he has to catch his balance on the wall with both hands.
This is the first time I’ve done this for him, and with his body all tense and strained, I’m glad that I’ve held out. It’ll make it all the better.
Just barely taking the head into my mouth, I suck and twirl my tongue, forcing him to work harder not to thrust into my mouth.
“Baby, you’re fucking killing me right now,” he growls.
***
KODE
She’s trying to kill me. That’s all there is to it.
Her mouth is heaven and hell, because it’s so close to feeling good, but she keeps teasing me. Suddenly, she takes me as deep as she can, forcing me to fist my hands against the wall as my knees try to buckle. Then she wraps her hand around the rest, and with dueling motions, she pumps, sucks, and drives me out of my motherfucking mind with unnatural pleasure.
She sure as fuck knows what the hell she’s doing, and I start finding it impossible to hold out much longer. When she does some bizarre, divine, insane combination with her tongue, suction, and the twisting of her fist, my balls tighten, my toes curl until they cramp, and I explode without giving her any warning because words can’t form.
But she doesn’t stop or even react. She keeps sucking me until she’s milked me dry, and my whole body becomes damn near boneless. I can’t breathe. No… I can’t think, breathe, speak, or even move right now.
“Must have been good,” she says while getting up, rising in a slow, sexy way that has me cursing myself for not being able to hold out longer.
I clumsily reach for her, trying to find a way to show appreciation when my body refuses to cooperate. She giggles softly, a sound that warms everything in me, and I finally manage to pull her back to me and kiss her. She grins against my lips, and then she starts pulling me to the bedroom, while I stumble out of my shoes and jeans the rest of the way.
“You need five minutes?” she asks, obviously amused by my damn rubbery legs as I stagger behind her, pulling my shirt over my head.
“Yeah,” I scoff, grinning as she starts slowly unbuttoning my shirt that she is wearing.
Still weak, I follow her into the bedroom just as she drops the shirt and stands in front of me completely naked.
Did I just growl?
She crawls onto the bed, smiling over her shoulder at me, and giving me new fantasies to work with. How the hell did I overlook her for so long? She’s more perfect for me than Rain ever was.
Like a madman, I pounce, eliciting a giggle from her as I toss her onto her back and push her up onto the bed. I settle between her legs and begin kissing down all the soft flesh of her body, making my way down until my breath brushes the part of her body that I’ve been dying to get inside.
She moans, making my cock twitch despite my recent release, and my tongue finds the wet heat waiting for me. She bucks and whimpers, but I wrap my arm over her waist to hold her in place, pushing my face closer as I take my time, teasing and arousing her to the point of making her desperate.
Each flick of my tongue has her begging, and I fight the urge to grin. Tria begging is my new favorite thing.
But I continue my leisure pace, giving her the slow build eve
n as my erection becomes painful. Her sweet taste has me deciding this will become a regular thing, especially when her hands tangle in my hair painfully, urging me to end her writhing need.
When she finally goes over the edge, she calls out my name and holds me to her as she shakes and quivers like she never has before. Her entire body goes limp as I work my way back up her, and she gives me a sleepy, satisfied smile that has me feeling like this is exactly what I’ve been needing.
“Wow,” she mumbles, running her fingers through my hair as she continues meeting my gaze.
I start to reach for a condom, but change my mind. We’ve had these discussions—birth control, tests, all that real shit. I’ve never had a real relationship because I was too busy staying available for the wrong girl.
This thing with Tria and me is as real as it gets.
My lips come down on hers, and she kisses me like I’m the only thing in the world that matters. If I wasn’t already achingly hard, this kiss would have me fully erect and ready to go.
Her tongue dances with mine, making it a kiss unlike any other as we meld together like a unit. Each touch feels so natural, rehearsed, even though it’s not.
I deepen the kiss as I slowly guide myself into her, groaning when the heat and wetness invite me in. It’s more intense with the unobstructed touch, and I slide in effortlessly, enjoying how she doesn’t even question me, even though she knows I’m not wearing a condom.
It’s a trust, a bond like I’ve never had, and it just makes me fall a little fucking harder for this girl who I never saw coming.
When she arches her hips and wraps her legs around my waist, I sink in deeper, until our bases meet, and some primal growl rumbles in my chest. It’s tighter, hotter, and so much fucking better than I ever thought possible.
It takes me a minute to start moving because all I want to do is stay like this, connected and joined. When I do move, the friction almost has me cursing, because it’s too good.
Our kiss doesn’t break, which restricts my movements, but I slowly take her, thrusting in with a gentler motion than I ever have in my life.