Summer Heat

by Carly Phillips

  “I wanted to discuss your job. Things are changing at Blink, and I won’t be needing an assistant.”

  He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t ask, no longer feeling like it was her business to push him for answers. It hurt her, that she could no longer speak her mind or know what was in the deeper recesses of his.

  Still, she appreciated him letting her know in person, considering he’d already technically fired her. “Don’t worry about me. I was looking for a job before you got here. See?” She pointed to the open laptop on the ottoman in front of them.

  He frowned at the screen. “You don’t need to worry about employment ads. I promised you that no matter what happened between us, you’d have a job at Blink. Whenever you’re ready, go back and Derek will have a position for you.”

  She blinked back tears. “Kade, I don’t deserve that kind of generosity. Kendall shouldn’t have been in your apartment. She shouldn’t have had the chance to take your watch in the first place. That’s on me.”

  He shook his head, his gaze warm and understanding. “Julian being able to get close to your sister? That’s on me. So maybe we call it even?”

  “Yeah. Even sounds good.” Maybe she could say good-bye knowing he didn’t hate her for how things had turned out between them. Heaven knew she didn’t hate him.

  He reached out and touched her hair, curling one strand around his fingers. “I’m glad I had you in my life for a little while, because in that short time, you taught me a lot.”

  “I did?” She couldn’t imagine what.

  He nodded. “You’re everything I never had in my life. You’re loyal, caring, honest. You accept people for who they are, and you’re there for the people who need you. You were there for me.”

  Because she loved him.

  She reached up and clasped his wrist, pulling his hand down and holding on. “You deserve someone who can do that for you. Someone who can give you one hundred percent, and that’s not me right now. It may never be me.”

  “I’m selfish enough to want to pull you away from your twin, but I’m smart enough to know who needs you more. I wish I’d had someone who was there for me when I needed them, so I won’t ask you to choose.” He pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers.

  She sighed, breathing in his masculine scent, soaking in as much as she could of him in this short time she had left. It wasn’t a lot and it wasn’t nearly enough.

  So she was surprised when his lips trailed down her cheek. Unable to help herself, she tilted her head, giving him a silent okay for his lips to press against hers. And when they did, there was no doubt the chemistry between them was still strong. Just as there was no doubt this was an emotional moment, one she wanted to drink in and remember.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close, until she straddled him on the sofa, sex soft and needy against his thickening erection. He slid his tongue into her mouth, and she moaned, reveling in what she sensed was a good-bye neither was ready to accept.

  A smarter woman would break things off now, but she wanted this. She wanted him, and if it was the last time, she was going to commit every moment to memory. His tongue glided against hers, eradicating brain cells with every touch, tangle, and sweep throughout her mouth.

  She edged her lower body closer. He grabbed her waist, holding her down as she rocked her hips, letting desire and waves of passion build between them.

  He pulled back suddenly, meeting her gaze. “Bedroom?”

  He was asking permission, not wanting to overstep. There was no way he could. In answer, she threaded her fingers through his short hair, sliding them against his scalp.

  With a groan, he rose, lifting her along with him.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, helping take her weight off him as he made his way through the room and to the small hallway. “Far door at the end.”

  He followed her instructions and she turned the knob. He walked her in, kicking the door shut behind them. He laid her on the bed and yanked his tee shirt over his head, revealing his bare, muscled chest. She’d reached for her top, but she’d rather watch him undress than get herself to that particular state.

  His gaze never leaving hers, he kicked off his shoes. His khakis and boxers followed. Next thing she knew, he stood over her, completely naked, his hot, hard erection standing at attention.

  Her sex softened, and moisture trickled into her underwear, desire for this man and the pleasure he could bring her overwhelming. Knowing this was their swan song only made things more bittersweet, and she wanted to savor it. He reached for her, hooking his fingers into the waistband of her sweats—minus the splint, she noticed—and pulled them down and off. She rid herself of her tank top and quickly shed her bra, until she was as naked as he was.

  And because of the intimacy they’d already shared, she had no embarrassment lying bare before him, only a deep yearning to feel him pulsing inside her, his gorgeous gaze focused on her as he thrust in and out of her soaking-wet sex.

  He leaned over, bracing one knee on the mattress, and splayed his hand over her lower belly, his gaze hot on her breasts, lowering to her pussy.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said in a reverent voice she’d never heard from him before, and a swell of emotion rose in her throat.

  His hand, a hot brand on her belly, slid downward, his fingers grazing her outer lips, gliding over the moisture gathered there just for him. He slid one finger inside her, swirling around, arousing her beyond reason.

  She shook as he pumped in, then pulled out and held up his glistening finger. “I think you’re wet for me,” he said, licking her taste off his finger with a satisfied moan.

  She’d always be wet for him, she mused, keeping that thought to herself.

  “Please tell me you have a condom,” she said. “Because I don’t keep them on hand.”

  A pleased smile lifted his lips. “I’m so glad to hear that. I think I have one in my wallet. I stuck one in there after we started … you know.”

  She was pleased that, but for her, he didn’t make a habit of carrying them on him.

  “But I’m not ready for that yet. I like tasting you too much.” He spread her knees apart with his hands, leaned down, and blew a warm breath on her aching sex.

  “Kade.” Her hips rose from the bed, and he answered her silent plea by pulling her clit into his mouth.

  No slow foreplay, no licking and teasing, just an immediate rush for the goal. He nipped at the engorged bud, and waves of pleasure rose, her entire being focused on that tiny place that was bringing such great sensation. He licked and tugged, grazed her with his teeth, until her hips were bucking, and she was grinding against him in search of relief.

  “Oh God.” She cried out, unaware of the words coming from her lips.

  He pushed one finger up inside her, then added a second, and the fullness, along with the pressure on her clit, caused her to shatter.

  “Ooh, I’m coming. Kade!” Her orgasm hit, sweeping her to a place of pure pleasure, as waves of ecstasy washed over her.

  He stayed with her throughout, licking her clit and easing up slowly, bringing her down. Then he leaned over and grabbed his wallet, pulling out the condom and covering himself in record time.

  He met her gaze, a somewhat melancholy smile on his lips, one she didn’t have time to process, when he thrust into her body, and suddenly the nerve endings she’d thought were exhausted returned to life.

  “Oh, baby, you feel so fucking good,” he said through clenched teeth, just as the head of his cock hit a soft spot inside her that had her seeing stars.

  Another orgasm hovered, seconds away, as he plunged deep and withdrew, plunged and withdrew, her entire body lost in both his rhythm and the climax that overtook her and didn’t seem to want to end.

  He began to thrust fast, his sexy face contorted with pleasure. “Fuck. Lexie. Love you.”

  He came with a long, hard groan, and she wrapped her arms around him, holding on for all she w
as worth as he trembled and thrust, riding out and prolonging his pleasure.

  He collapsed on top of her, causing her breathing to hitch. She didn’t care. She wanted to absorb him into her skin, to take everything she could from this one last time.

  He finally rolled off her and rose, quickly disposing of the condom before rejoining her in bed.

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her sated body against his, his words echoing in her mind. Lexie. Love you. Love you. The words circled, everything she’d ever wanted to hear. Everything she needed. Nothing she could accept.

  Her breathing fell into a synced rhythm with his, and she couldn’t help when her eyes grew heavy and she fell asleep in his arms.

  When she woke up, he was gone.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A few days after Kade had made love to Lexie for both the first and last time, he gave an interview to a print magazine, laying out the details of his past, the secrets he was hiding, and his decision to walk away from Blink.

  A week later, he adjusted the tie he wasn’t used to wearing and paced the Green Room of one of the big national morning shows. Apparently the world thought he was on the level of Facebook’s Zuckerberg or Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel. Kade thought it was bullshit, but they were interested in his story. The lawyers and PR people thought it would make for good publicity.

  Kade wasn’t a guy who wore his heart on his sleeve. He’d gone back to being a complete and utter ass, more because he was upset he’d lost Lexie than for any other reason. That and without Blink to go into every day, he was bored and overly focused on things that were doing him no good.

  Like counting tiles on the ceiling as he sat in his doctor’s office for a final set of X-rays on his hand and again here, while waiting to go live on air. And obsessively searching for a watch to replace the Patek he’d lost to Julian because nothing else he found felt quite the same. He’d hired Evan Mann to hunt around local pawn shops to find his watch, and the man had come through. He’d had to pay to get his beloved timepiece back, but he had it on his wrist, and that was all that mattered.

  “Mr. Barnes, we need to get you mic’ed up.”

  He blew out a long breath, rose, and followed the intern to the studio. He settled into the chair across from the morning show host and prepared to speak the truth. It wasn’t the same as talking to a tech reporter who spoke his language.

  This was going to be harder.

  More complicated.

  More emotional.

  And he only hoped he didn’t make an ass of himself on national television.

  * * *

  Lexie sat in the waiting room while the attendants at Maple Hill checked her sister into the residential treatment center three hours from home. She and Kendall had driven up yesterday and stayed in a hotel last night. They’d rented a movie and munched on junk food like when they were little. Lexie was happy to have had a good night with her sister before leaving her alone in this place for God knew how long. Treatment plans took a while to formulate, and the center prided itself on a multipronged approach. In other words, her twin would be here awhile.

  Lexie was waiting to see Kendall’s room and say good-bye. She paced the floor, a morning show droning on in the background. She didn’t pay attention to the screen hanging on the wall until a familiar voice sounded in her ear.

  “Thank you for having me,” Kade said to the pretty blonde morning show host.

  He was clean-shaven and wore an expensive-looking suit that defined his well-cut body, and his green eyes were focused on the woman he spoke to. But Lexie’s gaze was drawn to his hand. He’d pushed up his sleeve, and he ran his hand over the face of a watch.

  His watch. He’d somehow gotten it back. And this interview was causing him stress if he’d chosen to wear it there. Her heart twisted, even as she wondered what he was doing on television.

  “Thank you for doing this exclusive interview, a follow-up to the article written about you in Wired Magazine,” the woman said.

  “You’re welcome,” he said stiffly.

  “This is your first live interview since you revealed the fact that you were accused of date rape when you were in college.”

  Lexie flinched, shocked at the public conversation.

  A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Falsely accused.”

  “Yes. And we’ll get to that in a moment.” The woman leaned in closer. “I wanted to ask you first, why did you make the accusations public now and step away from any association with Blink, the company and app you helped put on the map?”

  “What?” Lexie shouted at the screen, grateful it was early and she was alone in the waiting room. He’d made that awful accusation public? Why?

  Kade ran his hand down his freshly shaven face. “Because the company is on the verge of a huge IPO, and this is the kind of information and potential scandal that can ruin the business and hurt my partners and friends.”

  Kade squared his shoulders and met her gaze, but the way the camera focused, Lexie felt like he was looking directly at her when he answered. “I wanted to take the power away from anyone threatening to use it against me or the people I love.”

  She let out a small cry, memories of him buried inside her body and saying those words to her surfacing now. Suddenly it became clear. One of the reasons he’d walked away from Blink, the company he loved and had created, was because of her. Julian had used Kade’s weaknesses against him, and she had been one of those weaknesses. Because he loved her.

  And that’s why he’d walked away after they’d made love. So she didn’t have to choose between her twin, who needed her, and the man she loved. Not that she’d told him as much.

  God, what was wrong with her? He needed her too. And it was about damned time she stood up for herself and what she needed. She needed Kade, and she wanted to be by his side while he was going through this hard time. She wanted to support him and to take care of him.

  She opened her purse and searched for her cell phone because she had changes that needed to be made.

  “On that note, I have a surprise guest who has something she’d like to say to you,” the woman interviewing Kade said.

  Lexie stiffened and, holding the phone in her hand, lowered herself into a seat, her gaze glued to the screen.

  A woman about Kade’s age walked across the stage.

  “What the hell is this?” Kade sprung to his feet, fury evident in his expression. “I didn’t sign up for an ambush.”

  “Mr. Barnes, I assure you, this is no such thing. Lila Mills has something she wants to say to you.”

  Lila. The woman who’d accused him of date rape? Lexie’s stomach churned at the drama unfolding.

  “Ms. Mills, you called us shortly after this interview with Mr. Barnes was announced. Can you tell Mr. Barnes and our audience why?”

  The attractive brunette smoothed her skirt and met Kade’s gaze head on. “I wanted to apologize for accusing you all those years ago and to state publicly that you didn’t rape me. What happened was consensual.”

  Lexie blinked, glued to the screen, as, she was certain, was the rest of the audience.

  Kade’s eyes opened wide. “In other words, you lied.”

  “Yes.” She ducked her head, clearly ashamed.

  “Why are you coming forward now?” the host asked.

  Lila swallowed hard, her cheeks a deep red. “Back when it happened, I was petrified of my father’s anger. I came home late, past curfew, and he could tell immediately what I’d been doing. It was easier to agree when he asked if I’d been forced.”

  And then you took money to keep quiet, Lexie thought, disgusted.

  “What about a few weeks ago when Julian Dane looked you up and asked you if you’d come forward if he needed you?” Kade leaned forward in his seat, pressing the woman. “You were only too happy to go against me again.”

  Lila glanced down at her hands. “I know. He offered me a lot of money, and God knows, I’m broke. But … when I heard you’d given up your company and
walked away from everything to do right by your friends … I couldn’t live with myself any longer. I couldn’t continue to lie.” She shook her head, tears in her eyes.

  Real or forced, Lexie didn’t know. Lila had vindicated Kade. That’s all Lexie knew, heard, or cared about.

  With shaking hands, Lexie returned her focus to her phone and dialed, getting her father on the line. “Dad?”

  “Lexie, is your sister settled?” he asked.

  “Almost, but…” She drew a deep breath. “You need to be here. Kendall is your daughter and I … I have somewhere else I have to be,” she said, painful guilt lodging in her chest.

  “Lexie, you know I can’t leave your mother,” her father said, his tone adding to her shame in asking for her own life.

  She blinked back tears, forcing out the words that should have been said a long time ago. “No, it’s not that you can’t leave Mom, it’s that you won’t. There’s a difference.”

  Stunned silence ensued, so Lexie continued.

  “You can get full-time help or find a good place where Mom will have the best care. But once I say good-bye to Kendall today, I’m finished being her full-time caregiver, Dad. I can’t do it anymore.” The weight on her shoulders was still leaden and painful.

  She felt guilty, but she knew she had a right to her own life. She’d always be there for her twin, help her if she needed it. But she couldn’t put her before Kade. Not if she wanted a life with him. And there was nothing she wanted more.

  Assuming Kade still wanted her.

  * * *

  Over a week had passed since Lexie had seen Kade on morning television and laid down the law with her father. To her surprise, he’d taken a step back and realized the burden he’d put on his daughter. He’d immediately gotten busy interviewing live-in aides in order to keep her mother comfortable at home. Lexie gave him that time, remaining available to her sister, visiting twice a week. She didn’t want to pull too far back until her father could really take over. Afterwards, Lexie would visit as often as she could reasonably do so. She’d never abandon her twin.