“Um…taking a bubble bath.” Wishing you were here with me.
Silence.
I checked the phone to see if he’d hung up or if we lost the connection. “Kade, are you still there?”
“Sorry, I had to run back into the house and jump under a cold shower for a minute.”
“What would you do if you were here?” Whoa! Did I just ask him that? Heat stung my cheeks.
He growled. “Lace.”
The way he said my name, husky and dark, made my nipples hard. “Tell me, Kade,” I said in a low voice, which didn’t sound like me. Bold much?
“God, baby. You’re killing me here.”
“Please,” I said in a pouty voice. “I’m…” A throbbing began between my legs. I imagined him sitting behind me, my back to his front, flesh against flesh. His lips on my neck, tracing a sensuous path to my ear, nipping. I shivered. With his arms around me, one hand roamed intimately over my breast, teasing. My nipples firmed. The other disappeared below the bubbles. Anticipation made me squirm as I imagined his magical fingers blazing a lust-arousing path downward. “I need to feel you.”
“Fuck,” he groaned, breathing heavily. “I’ll pick you up at seven. Then I’ll show you.” Pain saturated his tone.
“Promise?” The throbbing sensation pulsed out of control. Waiting was going to prove difficult today.
“More than promise. See you tonight.” The phone went dead.
I giggled. Where was Lacey Robinson? I’d never acted like that before. I didn’t feel embarrassed. If anything, I was enlivened. Like a cat waking from a yearlong slumber.
I’d called Becca on our way to lunch. She had to help her dad at the Cave that night, so I didn’t feel bad about postponing our girls’ night out. Lunch with Mary and Dad had been eye opening. We ate at a small restaurant in town, Wiley’s Bar and Grill. I’d learned Mary had eaten lunch here a few times since she’d met Mr. Wiley at the farmer’s market. I’d also come to the conclusion that Mr. Wiley—sharp angular jaw and piercing green eyes—was attracted to Mary. Maybe it was the soft peck on her cheek. Or the intimate embrace between them. I had never before seen her with a man. I was happy for her. I’d wanted to talk to her more about her new friend, but Dad had been with us.
When we returned from lunch, I lounged in my room, listening to music until it was time to get ready for my date with Kade.
“Sweet Pea, you look great.” Dad lifted his gaze as I walked into his study. He sat on the couch reading through a file.
“Thanks.” Kade liked the thigh-high boots, so I wore those with black skinny jeans and a pink blouse with a sweetheart neckline. “Kade should be here soon.”
“Have a great time.” The bruise under his left eye had turned a yellowish color.
“Thank you, Dad.” I leaned down and kissed him on the head.
“Sweet Pea, I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
A horn blew outside.
Once I had everything, I flew out the door and hopped in Kade’s truck. As soon as our eyes met, my heart jolted. His honey-brown hair curled around his ears, the glow of the dashboard lights highlighting his strong jaw, and his kiss-me lips were stretched into a grin, showing me those dimples I so loved.
“What’s wrong?” Kade asked. “Did you forget something?”
“Nah. It’s nothing.”
He leaned over and captured my lips in his—warm, wet, and minty. When he had his fill, he backed out of the driveway with a smug grin on his face. “So, I thought we would stop and grab a bite to eat. Afterwards, do you want to go to the Cave?”
I shrugged a shoulder. I wasn’t hungry, and I wanted to continue our conversation from earlier. “Weren’t you going to show me something?” I asked coyly.
“You’re going to kill me before I even get out of your driveway.” He released a breath. “Let’s eat first. I need some energy.” His voice was gruff as he squirmed in his seat.
I smiled. We drove into town, and Kade parked in front of Wiley’s Bar and Grill.
“We’re eating here?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Yeah, why? You don’t like this place?”
I laughed, wagging my head. “I ate lunch here today.” Mr. Wiley might think it was odd I was back so soon.
“The food is good,” he said as he got out of the truck.
When I opened the passenger door and jumped out, Kade’s six-foot frame held me prisoner.
“Don’t tease me in there. I’m barely hanging on as it is.” A muscle ticked in his jaw.
“And if I do?” I challenged. This should be a blast. Besides, it was my birthday. Wasn’t fun supposed to be part of the celebration?
“Lace,” he said, yanking me flush to him. “Do you feel that?” he whispered. “It wouldn’t be cool for me to walk in with a bulge in my jeans.”
I giggled.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asked, still holding me close. “Please, ease up. Just looking at you is tearing me to pieces.”
“Then let’s get out of here,” I suggested.
“I’m food-hungry, too.” He let me go and walked down to a tailor shop right next door, groaning. After a minute or two, he trudged back. “Don’t talk until we’re seated. Okay?”
“Huh?” I had a permanent smile on my face as we entered Wiley’s.
A blond-haired girl glanced up from her podium when Kade and I cut through the waiting patrons. “Hey, Kade,” she said.
“You must come here a lot,” I said. What was I saying? This was the second time within hours I’d been here.
“No talking,” he reiterated.
I batted my eyes as I stuck out my tongue. Okay. I was officially a mean person. The guy was in pain. I shouldn’t be torturing him, but I couldn’t help it. It was entertaining.
We followed the hostess, walking past tables with families and couples at others. Some guy shouted from the bar in the far left corner. I glanced over to find a football game on the TV screen.
“Watch your step,” she said over her shoulder, gesturing to the floor.
We climbed a set of stairs. Where was she taking us? We’d passed the main dining room. We banked left at the top of the landing.
The hostess kept going. Clearly, she was in no hurry. Finally, she stopped in front of a set of closed double doors. “In here.” She nodded at Kade. Then she left.
“What’s going on?” I peered up at the sexy beast, and shouldn’t have.
Sparks of fire shot out of his eyes as though he wanted to burn me to the wall. Without a word, he opened the door.
“Surprise!” several people shouted.
I jerked my head toward the room. The triplets, Becca, and Hunt mingled around the brick fireplace. Coach Dean and Mary stood near a white linen-covered table that had a buffet of various finger foods. Shock and excitement surged through me. I’d suspected something, but this wasn’t it. I considered Mary. She smiled and winked, her pink-blush cheeks sparkling in the dimly lit room.
I swung my gaze to Kade who was now showing me his dimples. Thank God. Heat pinched my cheeks as I thought of him in pain a minute ago.
“Happy Birthday!” He placed his hand at the small of my back as we walked in.
“Oh, my God. Coach Dean?” Why was he here? He stood tall and proud, wearing pressed khakis with a plaid oxford-cloth button-down shirt.
“Wait. Where’s my dad?” I whispered.
“Behind you, Sweet Pea.”
Spinning around, I ran into his arms. “Is this why you took the night off?”
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Lacey,” he said. “I just couldn’t get here before you.”
After Dad let me go, I mingled with everyone.
“I thought you had to help your dad,�
� I said to Becca, who always looked like she stepped out of one of those expensive boutiques in Beverly Hills. She wore a cream-colored cami under a jade-colored lace top and a black miniskirt with knee-high black boots.
“I did. Now I’m here. Happy Birthday.” She hugged me. “We’re going to have a good time tonight at the Cave.”
“You look great, by the way. I love the outfit,” I said.
“We’ll get you in a skirt yet,” she said, her long lashes sweeping down then up as she skimmed her gaze over me. “Although you look great, too.”
“Was Tyler invited?” I asked. “Have you talked to him?”
“I called him this morning. His shoulder is killing him.”
Becca and I hung by a doorway that opened into a private dining room. Kade, Coach Dean, and Hunt huddled in front of the fire, talking as though they were discussing something top secret. Dad, Mary, Kross, and Kody chatted by the food table.
Kelton swaggered up with his bottom lip sucked into his mouth, his blue eyes appraising Becca and me. “Christ, girls. You two know how to make a guy squirm, don’t you?” he drawled.
Becca and I exchanged looks, rolling our eyes at the same time.
He hugged me. “My brother is the luckiest fucking guy alive,” he whispered in my ear. “Happy Birthday.” He kissed me lightly on the lips.
“Kade is going to have a cow.” I kept my hands at my sides.
“I think he is,” Becca said, matter of fact.
I peered around Kelton and locked eyes with Kade. He had one of his blank expressions, although the area around his eyes twitched.
“Nah. I warned him,” Kelton said.
He might have, but something told me Kade didn’t like his brother kissing his girl.
Kross and Kody made their way over to us. Both wore faded jeans. Kross had on a white button-front shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Kody had a plain, dark-blue cotton shirt that brought out his blue eyes even more. The major difference with Kody was that his nose was swollen, and he had the beginnings of black eyes, which seemed to be a theme among my close family and friends. First I’d given Kade one. Then Dad had one from his fight at the club. Now Kody.
“You’re hogging her,” Kross drawled.
“Happy Birthday,” Kody said. “You’re officially an adult.”
I’d stopped being a kid the night the lights were off.
Mr. Wiley sauntered in. His green eyes stood out against his dark hair and his unshaven jaw. “Dinner will be served in a moment. Why don’t you make your way into the dining room?” he said, waving his hand at the open doorway next to Becca and me.
I stole a glance at Mary. Her dark eyes were fixed on our host like she wanted to eat him for dinner. I almost giggled. I didn’t want to embarrass her, though.
Becca and I went in first. “Lacey, please sit at the head of the table,” Mr. Wiley said as I walked by him.
There was only one chair at the head at the far end of the elegant-looking table. Red linen covered it, with five chairs along each side. A small arrangement of carnations and lilies sat in the center, the fragrant smell permeating the room.
“I’ll let Kade and your dad sit next to you,” Becca said.
The group wandered in. Mary lingered at the door, talking to Mr. Wiley. Kade smiled as he sauntered over to sit down on my right. Dad followed with a glass of water in hand and sat on my left, and Coach took a seat next to Dad. Everyone else found seats. Mr. Wiley rattled off the menu selections, while three waiters entered and surrounded the table. One poured water. One placed breadbaskets on the table. The other took drink orders.
The conversations flowed. I bounced my knee under the table. While I enjoyed having everyone here celebrating my birthday, I really wanted to spend time getting to know Kade more. I moved my foot to the right until I found Kade’s leg. He gave me a lopsided grin and snaked his hand under the table and onto my knee and squeezed.
“Lacey, have you been following my orders this weekend?” Coach asked.
Dad cocked his head as he glanced my way.
“Yes, sir. I’m resting and I haven’t practiced. I go back to see the doctor on Monday.” I met Dad’s gaze as I replied to Coach.
The muscles around Dad’s eyes loosened. He probably thought I had gotten into more trouble.
“Good. I want to see a note from the doctor saying you’re clear to pitch on Friday,” Coach added.
“So, Coach, did you find out who broke into Lacey’s locker?” Dad asked.
All heads swung to Coach.
“No one is talking,” Coach said as he patted his mouth with his napkin.
Kade and his brothers didn’t look dismayed. Dad, on the other hand, pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking his head slightly. Maybe Coach would never find out who’d done it. Given what the guys had told me last night, I wasn’t going to hold my breath waiting. I just had to make sure I was on guard during the second round of tryouts.
For the next hour, we ate a seven-course meal. Food hadn’t been on my mind when I walked in, but when the aroma from the chicken and beef filtered into the room, my stomach perked up. I took small bites of my chicken parmesan, eating slowly, savoring the delicious taste. Although I had debated whether to devour my food like the boys were, I didn’t want to seem too anxious to get out of there. Becca moved the food around on her plate like she wasn’t hungry. Mary kept making eye contact with Mr. Wiley every time he entered the room. When the plates were cleared, Mr. Wiley carted in a large rectangular cake with Happy Birthday, Lacey scripted in frosting.
After everyone sang Happy Birthday, we got up to stretch. Mary helped Mr. Wiley cut the cake on the cart. Kade went down to the end of the table to talk to Hunt.
I was about to use the little girls’ room when Coach cornered me. “Lacey, I heard that the fight the boys got into revolved around you,” Coach whispered. “I asked you the other day if anyone had confronted you about not playing ball. Do you want to change your answer?” His grimace had me cringing. He knew I was lying, or at least not telling him everything.
“Is that why you’re here?” I asked. I wasn’t ready to have this conversation. I wanted to enjoy my birthday. Fear and anger had no place in my world tonight. Plus Dad was here. I didn’t want him to know anything about Greg or Aaron.
“Kade invited me. I thought it would be good to see how you were doing. And I want to make sure I don’t have any trouble this year.”
“Do you go out of your way to visit each of us?” I found it odd that he was there. Actually, extremely weird—Coaches didn’t attend birthday dinners of students they hardly knew. Did they? And why had Kade invited him?
“I do what I think is best for the school’s sports program. I want you in my office first thing Monday morning. Between now and then, I want you to think hard about your answer. Have a nice birthday,” he said. Then he was off to mingle with the adults.
Jeepers. Thanks for spoiling a great day.
“We’re all going over to the Cave, now,” Becca said. “We’ll see you over there. Okay?”
“Sure. I guess.” My mind was stuck on the conversation with Coach and why Kade had invited him.
Kade touched the small of my back. “Are you ready?”
I was more than ready to blow this place. But the Cave had no appeal to me tonight. One person consumed my thoughts.
“Bye, Dad.” I waved. “I’ll call if I’m going to be late.”
He nodded and Mary waved. Coach didn’t say anything. As we were walking out, I kept my fingers crossed that Coach wouldn’t share any details about Greg or Aaron with Dad.
The scent of rain hit me as we made our way to the truck. I glanced up at the sky. A lone cloud passed in front of the full moon before several more drifted in. In a matter of seconds, the moon disappeared.
“He called the house today and talked with Kody and me. Kody explained the fight between him and Greg and Tyler. Then I got on the phone. He asked about you. He seemed worried, so I asked him if he wanted to join us for dinner. That way he could see you were fine. Mary and your dad said it was okay.” He merged into traffic. “Why? What did he say to you?”
“Nothing much. I have to meet him on Monday morning. He wants to know if someone threatened me in so many words. I don’t want to tell him. I’m not a snitch.” Plus I didn’t want to fuel the fire with Aaron and Greg. Not when I was trying to keep Kade away from them.
“You need to be honest with him. He won’t run to Aaron and reprimand him. If he knows, he’ll be watchful, that’s all. He’ll only step in if he has to.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I know. Let’s forget Coach. Remember, this is your day. I want you to focus on what I’m going to do to you tonight.”
At that moment, everything I worried about fell away. My stomach flip-flopped and the ache I’d had earlier between my thighs came roaring back. “And that would be…?” I swallowed.
“Nope. I want you to use your imagination.”
“So you’re going to tease me all night in a club full of people?” I asked.
“Who said we were going to a club?”
I glanced out the side window. The two-story colonial homes lining the country road told me this wasn’t the way to the Cave.
Chapter 19
Fifteen minutes later we were in Kade’s kitchen. He grabbed a Coke out of the fridge, popped the top, and guzzled it as though he had just walked a mile in the hot desert.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
After we established that the Cave wasn’t on his agenda, Kross had called. Kade had been on the phone with him until we parked in the driveway.
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