Hooked on the Game

by C. M. Owens

  The day drags on, but fortunately, Kade seems to have pushed aside our morning fiasco. He's back to touching me for no reason, since all Sterling Shore people love to touch.

  After my mother broke out the old pictures of me, I decided to take Kade to town. Most of the people have avoided me - nothing new. I'm the spawn of the conman, after all. The biggest scandal to ever hit this small town is still talked about.

  "People like to stare," Kade says as he threads his fingers with mine, igniting a beastly desire he has no clue exists within me.

  I stare at the connection as he studies all the eyes on us. "You're new in town," I lie, praying no one has the audacity to actually clue him in.

  "I guess I get what they say about small towns now."

  I force a weak smile. He doesn't understand small towns at all. He stops completely, right in the middle of the sidewalk. With his hand still holding mine, I'm forced to stop just as abruptly and stumble into him.

  "What's that smell?" he groans, seeming intoxicated.

  I chuckle loudly as I stare at the vendor just down the sidewalk. I'd know that smell anywhere. "Mrs. Bates's cherry pie. She's won the state fair pie contest for the past ten years with that recipe."

  "Please tell me it's not soy, fat free, or gluten free," he almost whimpers, making my smile perk up even more.

  Sterling Shore is a town for health fanatics; not the hungry. Kade is like a hungry wolf stalking his prey as he abandons me on the sidewalk to go track down the smell that is calling to him.

  I giggle to myself when he almost runs to get in line behind three others. It's odd seeing him in a place like this. He's dressed casual, but he still stands out.

  In his designer blue jeans and his long-sleeved pull-over, he almost fits in, but then you see his stride, his posture, and his amazing, untainted beauty.

  "Raya?" a familiar, gut-wrenching voice says.

  I turn slowly, trying not to let my heart crash into my stomach. The second I meet the brown eyes that stared into mine when he cut my heart out, I fight back all the tears I thought I had finished shedding.

  "Jeremy," I almost whisper, and then my eyes settle on the ornament on his arm. My ex-best friend. "Vickie," I add coldly.

  Her soft eyes meet mine as she forces a sad smile.

  "Hey, Raya. You look really good," she says in a small voice, treating me as though I might break if she speaks too loudly.

  She's wrong. They already broke me once. It's not possible to break me again.

  "Yeah," Jeremy says, scanning me up and down. "You look so... different."

  I glance down at the Colton ensemble I'm wearing. The sleek, deep blue shirt fits perfectly, the stylish tan leather jacket stops at the top of my jeweled jeans.

  "I... made some changes."

  Before I know what's going on, I feel a warm arm around me, soft lips on my neck, and heated breaths stroking me in places they can't even touch. My breath catches in my throat seconds before Kade's incredible lips find mine.

  I lose myself in the unexpected kiss, and one of my hands slides up to tug at his soft, perfect hair. He pulls me closer, making my whole body flame like we've been tossed into the belly of a volcano.

  Just when I'm ready to push my tongue between his lips, he smiles against our kiss before drawing back, leaving me breathless, and then he turns to face the people I've completely forgotten.

  "Sorry," he says, sounding sincere. "Are you friends of Raya's?"

  Did he... why did he... oh. He must have figured out who they are. He kissed me to keep me from looking pathetic and alone. Shit. Now I like him even more. Damn it.

  "I'm Jeremy and this is Vickie," Jeremy says with a slight frown. "And you?"

  "Um... yeah. This is Kade," I say with a grin, relishing the lingering taste he's left on my lips.

  "Colton," Kade says, as if I forgot to mention his last name.

  "As in Colton Fashion industries?" Vickie gushes, her eyes wide and excited.

  "Paul Colton is my father," Kade says with a small smirk.

  His arm snakes around my waist and he kisses my forehead. Jeremy has no idea what Colton Fashion is, but Vickie seems star-struck.

  "We should go, babe," Kade says before pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. "I've got pie, and I'm desperate to eat it. I've also got the perfect wine to go with it."

  I'm still reeling from the mind-numbing kiss. How can I think about pie and wine right now?

  "Yeah. Um... I guess I'll see you guys later," I mutter insincerely.

  Kade guides me to the Range Rover parked at the curb, and I smile to myself, knowing their eyes are still on us. Is it petty to rub their noses in this and make them think I'm dating the prince? Probably. Am I above such a thing? Hell no.

  Kade shuts my door for me and then walks over and puts the pie in the back seat before hopping up front beside me. After he cranks it, he smiles.

  "They're still watching."

  I can't tear my eyes off him long enough to even try to glance at Jeremy and Vickie. I want to play with his tongue ring right now. He has turned my mind into mush.

  He looks over at me, and his eyes change as I stare longingly at his lips. He tilts his head as if he's studying me, and for a second, I swear he's about to kiss me again. Of all the times for it to happen, my phone starts ringing, playing Halestorm's Mz. Hyde.

  Kade laughs when he hears it ringing, and the possible moment is ruined. I could have just imagined it to begin with.

  "Hello," I mutter, trying not to sound as agitated as I feel while we pull out onto the road.

  "Put loverboy on the phone," Josh chuckles.

  "He's not... no. I don't trust you."

  He laughs harder, and Kade tilts his head.

  "I swear I won't say anything to embarrass you."

  I snort derisively, refusing to hand over the phone.

  "If you don't hand him the phone, I'll walk around the house naked when you guys get back."

  Shit.

  "Fine. Play nice."

  Kade snickers as I hand him the phone, and I listen and watch as he greets my brother.

  "Sure," he says. "We'll be back in about five minutes or less. I'd like to eat some pie first."

  I grin involuntarily when his smile becomes infectious. I forget all about Josh and the promise of disaster when all I can focus on is Kade.

  "They've been gone too long," I mumble while pacing back and forth.

  "Your brother is good with guns. Stop worrying," Mom says dismissively.

  I offer her an incredulous gawk. "I realize he's good with guns. That's why I'm worried."

  "They're just shooting skeets," she chuckles out. "Josh isn't stupid enough to shoot him."

  "He'd better not be."

  I feel my whole body relax when Kade's Range Rover rolls up in the yard. Kade is laughing with my brother when they get out, and more relief fills me. To keep everyone from seeing how crazy-strung I am, I clamber back to my room and collapse face-first onto the bed.

  Their laughter carries through the house when they come in. I just press my face into the pillow, trying to get a hold of myself before Kade sees what a freak I've become.

  "Where's Raya?" Kade asks, his voice only slightly muffled by my closed door.

  "She's in her room," my mother says. I can actually hear her smiling. She has too much confidence in me if she thinks I can get a guy like Kade to see me as more than a friend.

  I hear the door, but I don't bother lifting my head. A breath of air gushes through my lips when Kade drops down on top of me and buries his face in my neck.

  "Your brother is one crazy motherfucker," he murmurs against my neck, and I choke out a laugh.

  He laughs, too, but I'm more focused on the fact his body is pressed tightly against mine. I think he's torturing me.

  "You didn't get shot," my brother calls from the living room, making both of us laugh louder.

  "Only because the gun jammed," Kade says back, making me gasp.

  "It's was a joke, R
aya!" Josh says quickly before I can berate him.

  I relax once that's cleared up, but Kade's body, still pressed against mine, makes me tense for a whole new reason.

  "You guys ready for supper?" Mom calls, making Kade sigh.

  "You're exhausted, aren't you?" I mumble into the pillow.

  "You feel more tense than I was the whole time," he teases.

  "I know Josh better than you do."

  He chuckles and then stands up, pulling me with him. I smile as I walk over to my bag and pull out a box I've wrapped for him. Luckily for me, Mom had all the ingredients handy. And though he'll probably laugh at the pathetic excuse for a present, I couldn't let him come to our family's Christmas without giving him anything. After the way he ran after that pie, I decided this gift would be as close to perfect as I could get.

  "What's this?" he asks as I hand it over.

  "Something for you. It's impossible to buy a Colton anything unless you're the Queen of England, but I wanted to get you something."

  He smiles as he sits down on the edge of the bed, but then his smile falls.

  "I didn't even think... Raya, my family hasn't done presents since we were kids. I didn't even think to get you anything."

  "I don't expect anything. Believe me, this is nothing exciting. Open it."

  He seems sad now, like he's let me down. It's adorable, but it's also taking away all my oomph.

  He tears the paper away, and a smile graces his lips when the smell from the box in his hands finally registers. He opens it up to find several packs of various cookies, brownies, and one small apple pie.

  "Seriously? You can cook like this and you're just now telling me?"

  I chuckle lightly and he places the box on the bed before pulling me to him in a hug. I willingly wrap my arms around his waist and breathe him in. Damn, he smells so good.

  "It's perfect, Raya. Thank you."

  I smile a little bashfully, but I just revel in the feel of his embrace. When his soft lips brush my forehead, a content sigh slips through my lips.

  "Raya, I think we-"

  "Come on!" Mom yells, interrupting whatever Kade was about to say. "Food's ready!"

  I pull back to look up at Kade, who brushes my hair from my face with a sweet caress of his hand.

  "What were you going to say?" I ask.

  "It's nothing. We'll... talk later. I'm starving."

  His grin is enough to make any girl dissolve.

  Chapter 10

  Daddy's Girl

  My mind falls to Kade as the guards rifle through my belongings, checking to make sure I don't have anything dangerous. I'm sure they're checking for drugs and stuff as well.

  The last day we woke up at my mom's, Kade was already awake. I was too out of it to know if he groped me in his sleep again.

  It was odd but so much fun to have him with my family. He fit in so well, even through he stood out so profoundly. My mother did everything she could to build me up in front of him. I'm sure it drove him absolutely crazy, but he never said anything.

  I once thought him not to have any manners at all, but I've learned he's secretly a saint with a devilish exterior. He listened to her, let her rave about me, and then he'd glance my way and give me a wink. I think he enjoyed the fact she was humiliating me.

  On our drive home, we stopped at random places and he bought me a few souvenirs to remember our road trip together. I wouldn't have forgotten it even without the mementos. Kade has become more to me than I ever thought possible. Now I just have to figure out a way to tell him without ruining our friendship. I couldn't bear to push him out of my life by trying to press for more.

  Once I've met inspection, the prison guard lets me slip through to the visitor section. Since I was twelve and had to watch my father being hauled away by men in black suits, I've had to come here.

  As always, his award-winning smile is bright enough to outshine the orange jumpsuit. I'm sure he could still charm the hell out of someone in that orange disaster. Most of the women in town openly swooned over him for years before he was locked up by the FBI. Now they swoon in private, as though he's a guilty pleasure.

  A white-collar criminal who conned millions of dollars out of people was caught because he fell in love and stayed in one place for too long. It's hard to be a con with a steady home life. Eventually, you leave a trail.

  "Hello, pretty girl," he coos as he sits down in front of me.

  Physical contact is prohibited, especially with him. They're afraid his daughter is just as clever and crafty as he is, and they expect me to pass him something he could easily find a way to hide from them. All of his visits are heavily monitored to ensure no one is that clever.

  "Hey, Daddy," I murmur with a smile. "How much longer?"

  He manages to look in-control and debonair, despite his prison attire. It's no wonder he was able to con so many.

  "I'll be getting out of here soon. Have you been getting my checks?" he asks as he sits down in front of me.

  I always hate this conversation.

  "I have, but... I didn't cash them."

  He groans while gripping his head. "You tore them up... again, didn't you?"

  Since I turned eighteen, I've been getting checks for two-thousand dollars from him. I always tear them to pieces. I don't know why he keeps sending them.

  My silence answers the question for me.

  "Raya, I've told you over and over; that money isn't bad. I've earned that. I've been consulting with banks and other businesses since I was recruited as a CI for the FBI. I've even created new security protocols for them. It's a lucrative business. They took every cent I conned from people when I was convicted. It's clean, Raya. Believe me. I'm getting out after barely serving six years because I've been so damn good. I just cracked a case that has been baffling the New York White-Collar division for years. It's clean money."

  He's only getting out of here because they couldn't convict him on more than one solid charge. One mistake took my father from me. Though he still lost all the money he had - supposedly - they couldn't link it to anywhere. My mother wouldn't have touched it even if they'd let her keep it.

  Ray Drivel is a con. He can make you believe the sky is actually the ground with just a couple of words. He's that good. He knows ten languages, can fake any accent with ease, and can bend your mind to his will if you're not careful. There's no way he's convincing me that money is clean.

  "Let's move on. I brought the cards. What are we playing today?" I ask while pulling the deck from my purse.

  As I start to shuffle, he answers, "Twenty-one."

  I smirk and nod as I start dealing.

  "When I get out of here, I plan to move close to your college. I was hoping you'd consider living with me."

  He never stumbled while saying that, but he's good that way. I wouldn't think he's a bit nervous, except I see that fear of rejection in his eyes. I'm his weak spot. I'm the reason he was caught to begin with. Mom always says he only shows vulnerability with me.

  "I'll consider it, but... I kind of really like where I'm at right now. I'd like to see... how it goes, I guess."

  He grins when he sees my blushing cheeks, but then his smile falls flat as a look of horror crosses his face.

  "You're living with a guy? No. How long have I been in here?"

  I let a laugh out while dealing the cards. He picks his up, still frowning, letting his eyes prompt me to answer.

  "Yes, I'm living with a guy, but it's platonic. I'm eighteen. A lot happens in six years."

  His frown grows and he slumps in his seat, seeming too defeated. "Hit me," he mumbles. I wait to see if he needs another card, but he waves me off, his posture still sagging.

  Then I take a card for myself, keeping a stoic face. He sighs before turning his cards up. Twenty. Of course he has twenty. But, there's one thing I learned from Ray - how to win.

  "Twenty-one," I murmur with a grin.

  "You cheated," he accuses, as always.

  "You never taught
me any other way to play," I say while shrugging, prompting him to laugh.

  I keep control of the deck as we continue to play several hands, all of which I win without him catching my slide-of-hand - even though he knows I'm doing it. If he didn't want to lose, then he shouldn't have left me ingrained with the skills.

  We talk as we play, and I fill him in on the highlights of my life between school and my bizarre living arrangement.

  "I'm not going back to the life, Raya," he says suddenly, killing our casual conversation.

  I look up at him, praying I can believe what he says. "I hope you're right."

  He sighs out hard as he searches for the right words. "I'll be working with Brody, just as I do now, and I'll still be conning, but it'll be legal. Believe it or not, the FBI has more cons working for them than they do agents." He chuckles, which makes me smile as well. "It's actually more of a rush to con cons. It takes more strategy, which makes it more fun. I have numerous jobs lined up, as I've already told you. Everyone wants Ray Drivel to make their shit untouchable."

  Amused, I mutter, "And who says crime doesn't pay?"

  He laughs, but it's a sad laugh; a laugh I understand. He only lost six years of his life to pay for the millions he stole, but those six years had a lot of life to lose. My first date, my first dance, my prom, my graduation, going off to college... he lost his chance to be a father for some of the most important years of my life. And... he lost Mom.

  "I love you, Raya. You know that, right?"

  It's rare he says those words, even though I know he wants to say them all the time. I smile as I look up from behind the ace and king. "I love you, Daddy. But you suck at this game."

  I put my cards down, and he chuckles a more heartfelt laugh that warms my soul.

  Too soon my time with him ends, just as it always does. "How did you get here?" he asks, possibly prying to see if I let Kade drive me.

  "I borrowed some money from Mom when I went to see her."

  He frowns again. "You'll take her money but not mine? You're just like her. She always tore up my checks, too. I assumed it was because she hated me."