by Mia Kayla
“It’s not your birthday or anything,” Cade began, his eyes shining. “But I know you like to blow out candles.”
Angie swiped at her eyes. Any moment, it’d be a full-out water fest because she could never help it.
“Blow out the candles, little sis!” I yelled above the crowd. “Wish for that big ring you want!”
Angie narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger my way. The crowd laughed, and I blew her a kiss.
The sly smirk on Cade’s face widened. “It’s not my birthday, or else I know what I’d ask for.”
Her eyes flipped to his, and her smile dimmed. I knew they had talked about it before. Though they’d only been together for a short time, they were destined for one another, and they both knew that. Marriage was inevitable. And now, Jordan had confirmed that it was on Cade’s radar. I’d have to ask him later about Cade’s timeline.
“Go ahead,” he urged.
She smiled up at him, and in typical Angie fashion, she clenched her eyes shut, just how she’d done when she was a little girl, and then she blew out the candles. The crowd clapped and hollered. Then, Cade tipped his tall frame and kissed her five-foot-two one. He picked her up and hugged her fiercely against his body, and I sighed out loud, practically gushing.
An intense longing surged within me, a longing for what they had, a longing for that forever type of love. But I knew deep in my gut that true love and a happily ever after was not in the cards for me.
Logan had taught me that. He’d never gotten over Camilla. I’d always been the second choice. The rebound girl when I’d thought I was the one.
It was as if I was always forced to play the understudy—second best in the family, second best in relationships.
I gritted my teeth.
Never again. I refused to be anything less than first.
My parents and Nana had left, leaving only the hard-core partiers.
After drinking for a few hours, Jordan and I were alone at the bar while Angie fell asleep in the booth in the far corner.
Cade approached us. “Hey, I’m about to take off in a minute. Kristy will be closing up tonight. Lightweight Angie over there had a little too much fun.” He peered behind him at his sleeping, drunk girlfriend, who was sprawled out on the leather booth on her stomach—legs and arms hanging over the sides.
“You heading out soon?” His question was meant for Jordan, not me. Cade’s words formed a question but sounded more like an order from the deep set of his tone.
“Yeah, going straight to my hotel.” Jordan tipped his beer toward his brother in some sort of agreement.
After a nod of his head, Cade pulled me in and kissed the top of my forehead like I was five. “Stay away from this guy, okay?”
“You should be warning him instead of me.” I winked. “Take care of my baby girl.”
“Always.” His voice softened into a tenderness that was so familiar every time he talked about Angie.
I watched Cade stroll over to the booth. He paused before touching her face, hovering over her for a few seconds before lifting her in his arms.
“He has it bad,” Jordan said behind me.
“Yeah, but she has it worse.” My heart dipped a little, that same longing swelling in my chest.
“I’m happy for him,” Jordan added. “He deserves it.”
“She does too.” I turned to Jordan, a smile heavy on my face. “So, let’s continue this party, shall we? But let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 4
I knew I had to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow because I had a meeting with one of the top investors in the nation—Geovani Tolintino. He could essentially end the bleed of our company if he agreed to sign a lease and rent out our property.
But the haze of the liquor and the handsome male in front of me caused a detour in my plans for an early night.
I’ll get up on time.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t done it before—partied before a very important meeting. All I would need was an extra shot of expresso in my coffee to start tomorrow, and I’d be fine.
I walked out of the bar, arm linked through Jordan’s. “We’re taking this party to the next bar.”
Two cars whizzed by, and a few patrons strolled out, leaving Allswell.
Jordan wasn’t nearly as toasted as I was. My body was warm from the liquor, and I had a good buzz going.
He eyed me, the beginning of a smile tipping up the corner of his mouth. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Staying low-key, remember?” He lowered his baseball cap for emphasis.
I rolled my eyes. “I told you, you’re not that famous; trust me.” I unwound my arm from his and linked our fingers together, dragging him down the street to Clive’s Bar. “I think we should test my theory.”
“I don’t know about that.” He tipped his chin to the wrestler-looking guy trailing us, his bodyguard. “I want to keep Dex’s night uneventful.”
My face scrunched, showcasing how unamused I was. Did the brick wall follow him everywhere? I threw dirty looks his way, and he maintained his composure and distance behind us.
“New plan.” I sprinted down the street, dragging Jordan behind me. I didn’t get very far as he walked at his normally slow pace and weighed a ton. I felt like I was dragging him.
“Fine.” I dropped my hand. My feet clicked against the concrete, the wind blowing past my hair and face and bare arms. I ran as fast as I could in my four-inch heels. I was a pro at that; nothing slowed me down.
I heard him yell my name behind me, but my arms pumped, matching the pace of my feet, racing toward who knew what.
“Christene, come on,” he snapped.
I was smiling so hard, my cheeks hurt.
“Tene!”
When I turned around to see if Jordan was gaining speed, my body knocked into someone, causing me to teeter on my heels.
The burly male, who was three times the width of me, steadied me with his thick hands, one wrapped around my center, the other by my ass.
“Hey.” I schooled my features, lifted my chin, and tried to jerk away, but his hold wouldn’t relent.
“They said love would hit me right in the face.” The man’s breath stank of hard liquor and cigarettes.
Both of my hands pushed at his chest, but before I had a chance to snap some sharp remark, Jordan’s voice echoed behind me.
“Kindly step away from my girl.” He used the word kindly, but the deep set of his tone was anything but meek.
When Dex turned the corner and approached Jordan’s side, the burly man gently placed me on my feet.
“Someone might steal this one away from you. Better watch her more carefully.”
“I plan on it.” Jordan stepped into me, wrapping an arm around my waist, bringing me into him.
When the man was out of view, Jordan turned to face me.
The moonlight highlighted his beautiful face, the sharp lines of his masculine jaw, and the ocean blue in his irises. And he wasn’t a happy camper. “Are you trouble in a beautiful, brunette package? Because it seems as though trouble follows you everywhere you go.”
I raised a finger. “I would have gotten out of that situation if you weren’t here. Don’t worry.” Trouble? Where did he get that? I used to welcome excitement in the form of drama in my younger years, not so much now. “And I’d like to say, I kept tonight pretty tame. Remember Logan? I maintained my composure and was pretty proud of myself. I wanted to kick him in his balls so hard that he and Camilla wouldn’t be able to procreate.” I smiled.
“Yeah, given what you told me, I’m quite impressed by your ability to keep it together.”
“If I didn’t love my sister as much as I do, I would have caused a scene worthy of one of your movies.” I pushed a finger into his chest. “Me, trouble? I think I’m looking at trouble with a capital T. I saw that bar brawl you caused on TMZ.”
“Yeah, that.” He scratched at his temple. “Let’s just say, I don’t like people messing with my family.”
“
I guess we’re built the same then.”
“Must be.” He brushed a strand of hair away from my forehead and tucked it behind my ear, leaning closer, so close that I got a whiff of his masculine cologne.
My eyes flickered to his lips—his delectable, kissable lips. But I couldn’t, I shouldn’t, and I wouldn’t.
“We’ve established we’re both trouble.” I laughed. “Okay, where are we heading next?”
“To cause double the trouble since we’re trouble squared.”
And I led us to our next drinking destination.
Chapter 5
The cars blurred past us, and the sounds of horns honking, sirens blaring, and drunk people laughing on the street filled my ears as I led us toward Clive’s Bar, which was quite the walk down the street. Jordan and I, we stayed completely silent, our buzz slowly wearing off. When I looked behind us, Dex had disappeared.
“So. Logan …” he began.
This was the last topic I wanted to revisit.
“Thank you, by the way. For back there. At Angie’s party.” A nervous laugh escaped me, and I fidgeted with the end of my shirt. “Did you see Logan’s face? Or better yet, how about hers?” I bumped my shoulder against his, trying to diminish my uneasiness. My smile dimmed a little, and I focused on the crowd forming a line in front of Clive’s Bar.
When I’d been with Logan, we’d had sex all the time. Our relationship had not lacked passion, but maybe he thought that was all I was good for. A sudden chill came over me, and I wrapped my arms around my middle.
“Screw him and Camilla,” I blurted under my breath.
I needed a drink—bad.
“I asked about you,” he said, breaking me from my thoughts.
“What?”
The overhead lamppost shone above us, highlighting his five o’clock shadow.
“After that first time we met.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets as we both shuffled down the street to the line forming in front of us. “I thought you were funny—not to mention, extremely hot,” he said with a sly smile. “So, when you went home, I asked Cade about you, and he basically shut me down.”
“Oh.” My normal flirty response got stuck in my throat. “I never did thank you that night, for lending us your jet and arranging everything so we could get home.”
Months ago, my father had needed emergency surgery, and Jordan had gone out of his way to lend Angie and me his jet to fly us home. He had also organized transportation when we landed.
“It was nothing,” he said with a slight smile.
I stopped to face him in the middle of the sidewalk, people moving past us because his comment couldn’t have been further from the truth. “It was everything.” My voice was soft but powerful.
His kind gesture had meant everything. Truly.
Angie and I had been on such high alert after our father’s heart attack that when the doctors found out there was another blockage, we couldn’t function. We’d been hours away from home, and Jordan had saved the day by speeding up our arrival.
His gaze unfocused, he stared at the line in front of us. “Even though I don’t know my real parents, Cade, Wyatt, and my adoptive mom are everything I have. Family is important. I know this as much as anyone.” He turned to face me and pinched the bottom of my chin. “And I love that you’re close with your family.” He paused and then quirked an eyebrow. “But what is up with you and your mother?”
Another topic I didn’t want to visit. I cringed inwardly. “Nothing. Why?” The thought of talking about my mother tempted me to ask Jordan for another cigarette.
He smiled, and the dimple in his chin appeared. “If there had been any more tension in that room between you two, it would have started World War Three.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Does that mean you’re not elaborating?” He lifted a curious eyebrow, but I wasn’t about to elaborate on my mother’s and my dysfunctional relationship.
“Yep.” I flicked his side.
“So, your mother and Logan are non-discussable?”
I smiled and rolled my eyes. “That’s not even a word.”
He shook his head. “Evasion. Okay, note made. I guess I’m getting nothing.”
My hand found his again. “Nope, that’s where you’re wrong. You are getting something. Another round of drinks from moi.” And I pulled us to our drinking destination—Clive’s Bar.
Chapter 6
Drink after drink and laugh after laugh, we kept pounding the beers back. Minutes and then hours ticked by, and my body buzzed from the liquor that coursed through me. We talked about our love of music and our favorite shows. Actresses and actors who were hard to work with and those who were nicer than they seemed online. I wished I had a recorder, so I could replay our convo for Nana because I knew she’d be interested in the Hollywood gossip.
Soon, my words slowed, my vision blurred, and, yeah, conversing was harder to do.
“You’re drunk, and you’re not driving home.” Jordan’s voice rang in my head as my eyes fell shut.
We were outside now. The brisk air brushed against my bare skin, but my body temperature was elevated from one too many drinks.
My arm was slung around his neck. His arms were wrapped around my waist, but he shifted his stance.
Me, drunk? That was funny. He wasn’t in much better shape.
“Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”
“Oh, soo,” I slurred, “you’re going to take me home now. After all you said about Cade making me off-limits and your conviction to listen to him.” I leaned into him, pushing my chest against his side. “I’d love for you to break the rules and take me home.” My voice was seductively low, all inhibitions gone.
Jordan sighed, hesitating.
He smelled good. Really good. Like all-man, sex-god good.
I wrapped my other hand around the back of his head and dropped my head in the crook of his neck. “Am I not up to par with all the models you’re used to dating? You’re bruising my ego here.”
“Fuck, Tene. We can’t.” His voice sounded low and tortured. His breathing hitched. “He said I’m not ready.” His voice was whisper soft, and my mind was so mushy that I didn’t question what that exactly meant. His hands wrapped tighter around me, and the heat of our bodies pressed against each other. “We just can’t. I promised.” The ache in his voice was evident, no doubt mirroring the ache in his blue balls from earlier.
I brushed my nose against his. “I promise I won’t tell,” I said, my voice husky. My rule about no complications flew out the door in my uninhibited state.
“Christene … “ his voice pleaded with me, “… don’t start something I can’t finish.”
He turned and led us to the SUV at the end of the block. I was vaguely aware of Dex walking behind us. When we got to the car, Jordan pushed me against the side, steadying me next to him so he could open the door. His whole body was pressed beside mine, his hard flesh against my softness.
I peered up. The blue in his eyes was highlighted by the moon shining down on us. They flashed to my lips.
“We just … we can’t.” He opened the door and glided me in.
Somehow, the more he said no, the more I wanted him.
His driver shut us in, and his bodyguard hopped into the front of the car.
“What’s your address?” Jordan asked.
I pinched my fingers together by my lips in a lock-it-up motion and giggled.
“Christene …”
When more laughter escaped me, he motioned to his driver. “Take us to the hotel.” He reached for my purse, grabbed the keys inside, and tossed it to Dex. “Bring her car to the hotel.”
“Mmm.” I ran one red-painted fingertip down his chest. “So, you’ve had a change of heart.”
“No, I just think you need to sleep it off and sober up.”
“I’ll sober up faster with drunk sex.”
When I slipped my hand underneath his shirt, he stiffened. In the next beat, he grabbed my wri
st, held it between us, and slid a few inches away.
Damn this man and his self-control, but the thing about Christene Armstrong was that she loved a challenge. Especially when it came in a hot and handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed, alpha actor package.
We entered through a tunnel, and darkness surrounded us. We were in the garage of the hotel, some sort of back entrance. Before I knew it, Jordan’s bodyguard was escorting us inside an elevator and into the penthouse suite. He held us back before we entered and did a full sweep of the room.
When the door shut behind us, I kicked off my shoes and admired the Presidential Suite of the Rosendell Grand Hotel. Floor-to-ceiling windows walled one side of the room, which overlooked my breathtaking city. I walked to the window and pressed my nose against the glass.
“I think I can see my apartment from here. And Callie’s Coffee Shop, and there’s Allswell …”
I always knew that my small town was beautiful. But from this view, from the little twinkle of lights from the neighboring building that I recognized, it was breathtaking.
“I love Rosendell.” Words spoken out loud and mostly to myself.
“Me too,” Jordan replied, a water bottle in hand. “It’s this quaint town with little pockets of character everywhere. It’s no wonder Cade made this his permanent location.” The way he leaned against the bar, ankles crossed, and hair untamed with that water in his hand, it was as if he’d stepped into a commercial selling water. All he needed was his shirt off and maybe to pour the water over his head, shaking the droplets from his hair.
Commercial?
Yeah, right. What I was picturing was more of a porno.
I strolled to the couch, tucked my feet under my bottom, and fell to the cushions, patting a spot on the couch.
His mouth curled as if on the edge of laughter.
My eyes were tired, my body was tired, but my mind and libido were wide awake.
He strolled back toward me, unsteady in his swagger, and handed me bottled water. “Drink this.”