The Sterling Boys (The Sterling Shore Series #3)

by C. M. Owens

  It didn't matter that she was in the middle of a book tour. He called and she came. Just like she does every time. I always thought he'd be the one to get her if I didn't. I'm surprised he hasn't made his move.

  The biggest surprise has been last night. I was fully prepared to see her getting mauled by Mav. I wasn't prepared to see her and Kode as cozy as they were. Christ, it was almost unbearable. My fists clench just thinking about it.

  Britt smiles over at me from the group of people she's trying to fit in with, and I slowly let go of my angry surge. It's hard to believe I have a sister. It's sickening to know what she has lived through.

  She ran away more than once from abusive foster families. After two years on the streets, she struggles to communicate with people. One thing I love about her; her blatant honesty. Of course, it's also embarrassing from time to time. She doesn't understand boundaries or proper social interaction.

  She doesn't see it as wrong to ask someone something that's incredibly personal, and she treats it as though she's asking about the weather. I thought I was going to die when she asked Dr. Macklin—her shrink—if he always had an erection while talking to his assistant. His face lit up four shades of red, and it took him a minute of stuttering before he could find a way to deflect the question.

  She asked Maverick once if he always used a condom, because she worried about him possibly having a sexually transmitted disease, based on a limp he had one day. He had to explain to her about falling out of a car, and that being his cause for a limp, but she still proceeded to rattle off facts about condoms as a means of continuing a conversation.

  Maverick walked away while shaking his head and laughing. Me? I told her for the hundredth time there are some things you don't ask or discuss. She's still learning. She's brilliant and clueless at the same time. Socially awkward—that's a gentle way of putting it.

  She seems to be enjoying herself so far tonight, though. And as far as I know, she hasn't rattled off embarrassing factoids or asked prodding questions. This was a good idea, and she's comfortable at my place, since she lives here, too.

  We're all outside, congregated on my patio that surrounds the massive infinity pool I have. It's designed to look as though it's pouring into the ocean from a certain angle. The beautiful beach is just a stairway away.

  The hot tub is loaded down with people, though I don't know how they're tolerating it. It's already muggy out here as it is. I'd rather be in the pool, but I'll wait to rip my shirt off when Rain gets here. I want her to take it all in—make her realize what she missed out on. I don't look like a teen anymore.

  Kode is now sipping his beer, laughing with Dale and Fiona—his fiancée. I've barely paid attention to the conversation around the table. I do know that Kode and Dale are very obviously ignoring Tria, which is slowly grating on my nerves.

  "So, do you want to?" Fiona asks, tugging at my elbow.

  I turn to meet her gaze, feeling like an ass for having no clue what she means.

  "Um, I'm free on Friday for dinner if you are," Tria says, doing what she can to help me out, but I'm still lost.

  Dinner? Friday?

  "As far as I know, I'm free," I murmur noncommittally. Dale roll his eyes as if he's not happy about something. What did I just do wrong?

  "Great!" Fiona squeals while clapping her hands. "I'll have Dale's chef whip something up. I'd love to spend a little more time with Tria. She's so much easier to be around than some people I won't mention."

  Shit. She's talking about—

  "You'd better not be talking about Rain," Kode growls, leaning up on his elbows to glare at Fiona.

  Dale huffs and runs his hand through his hair. This looks like an ongoing dispute that I've been left out of. I know Fiona doesn't like Rain, but I didn't realize she was so vocal about it. None of their girlfriends ever like Rain because they struggle to believe she's just friends with all of them.

  "She's drunk, Kode. Leave it be," Dale grumbles.

  Kode says something pretty foul under his breath, though I only catch bits and pieces about her being a ball-busting hag and something about... camel toe? It earns a hefty gasp from Fiona, so I can only imagine it was crude. She should know better than to stir up Kode.

  Dale covers his grin with his hand and looks away when Fiona finds herself lost for words. Kode flips her off before moving away from the table and heading toward the beach to cool off. Something I always make him do. At least he's saving me the trouble.

  "Damn. I thought that was going to be worse," Tria whispers, seeming relieved that Kode's anger is concentrated on someone other than her.

  "Not at my house. He always behaves somewhat here."

  She nods as I stand up, and Fiona starts in on her about staying away from Kode—not that Tria has a problem with that advice. She apparently has no idea that Tria is trying to make amends with Rain, though. I can't believe Dale puts up with Fiona trashing Rain, considering how protective he is. Hell, I was ready to say something, and Rain burned me.

  The line at my outside bar is ridiculous, so I head in to grab myself a beer from the fridge. I'm stopped when I hear the shrill squeals coming from out front.

  Through the window, I see Maverick and Corbin wrestling with a very feisty Rain. Did they kidnap her to get her here? She looks dressed to fucking kill, so surely she knew she was going out. It's not like they nabbed her out of bed.

  Her short, sexy, form-fitting plum dress is too hot on her. Shit. She wasn't supposed to be this sexy. She never wore anything the least bit revealing. One dress, one time. That was it. And that was on her last day here. How am I supposed to think straight when she has on a strapless dress and high heels meant for seduction?

  Maverick scoops her up and tosses her over his shoulder, making her dress rise up enough to barely show the bottom curve of her ass. Fuck my life.

  Now I know she's most likely wearing a thong or nothing at all. Images flash back of the night I had her, my hands on that same ass, and just like that, I'm hard as a rock. Yep. I'm a damn teenager again. And it's hell.

  ***

  RAIN

  "I'm going to kick your ass," I gripe while ineffectively pounding Maverick's back, wishing he'd put me down instead of keeping me strung over his shoulder. Caveman. "This isn't a club! This is Dane's house, isn't it? Damn you! I don't want to be here!"

  I should have known better when they showed up and demanded I get sexy. Lying assholes. They told me Britt’s party was canceled and they wanted to take me out. But this is Dane’s house. It has to be.

  Maverick and Corbin are ignoring my little meltdown, finding amusement instead of the terror I'm trying to strike them with.

  Maverick just laughs while slapping my ass, offering me the realization that my dress has ridden up. "You bastard!"

  He laughs harder, and so does my other traitorous friend, Corbin.

  Jerks!

  "If you behave and go have fun like a good little girl, then I'll put you down," Maverick says, trying to make it sound as though it's a generous offer.

  I'll have his balls for this.

  "You've got to be kidding me! I can't do this. Take me back home, now!"

  "Chill, Rain," Corbin snickers, earning a glare from me. Well, I try to glare at him, but it's hard to do when you're upside down! "It's just for a little while. You can get drunk and let loose. Dane won't even have time to notice you. It's just a party."

  Just a party? I hate them.

  After calling them a string of terrible names and making several vicious threats to their balls, I finally concede, because they're sure as hell not going to fold. They'll just continue to humiliate me if I don't go in, and this night will only get worse if everyone sees me tossed over a shoulder.

  I can do this. I can face Dane Sterling without going weak in the knees and looking like a fool.

  "Fine!" I bark, trying to swing a foot low enough to catch Maverick in the balls, but he knows exactly how to manhandle me without risking bodily harm. Years of practice.<
br />
  "You gonna behave?" Corbin taunts—from a safe distance, of course.

  I glare at him once again, and earn a throaty chuckle from the asshat. I'll remember this.

  Maverick snickers as he puts me down, letting my feet find the ground once again, and I stagger in my heels. I go to knee him, but he catches it, and rolls his eyes as he pushes it away from his groin. Damn his reflexes.

  He wraps an arm around me while pushing me toward the door, and all that dread knots up in my stomach, distracting me from unleashing my wrath.

  "I'll never play wing woman for you again," I hiss as he opens the door and lets me walk in first.

  "What?" Maverick gasps. "You can't be serious."

  Ignoring his shock, I double check myself in the mirror and try to fix the damage Maverick did to my hair. The music hits a lull, and I hear the distinctly familiar laugh that I loathe. I'd rather endure nails on a chalkboard for an hour than to hear that laugh for five seconds.

  Tria Noles. My demonic half-sister.

  What the hell is she doing here?

  I look to Maverick and Corbin who don't seem to have the same reaction to the laughter we're drawing closer to. The music kicks back in, drowning out my nemesis's chuckles.

  I grip onto Maverick's hand when we step onto the back patio to see the platinum blonde I knew for a fact I'd heard. I see her, but I don't believe it. She's sitting on Dane's lap like there aren't fifty fucking chairs out here.

  How could she? I know we hate each other, but there was always an unspoken promise that we'd never cross this line.

  Her eyes meet mine, and her laughter falls flat as a touch of anxiety rattles through her eyes. I'm worried my jaw is about to snap off from over grinding my teeth right now.

  "What the fuck is she doing here?" Maverick growls.

  "What the hell is she doing in Dane's lap?" Corbin snaps, coming to stand beside me. "I thought he was trying to make amends."

  "Don't worry about it, guys," I mumble, trying not to let the sickness I feel show in my voice.

  Tria goes to shift off Dane's lap, but his arm comes to rest around her waist when he refuses to let her up. He hasn't even bothered to glance our way. Why is he so cold? He doesn't have that right.

  Soft, sandy blonde hair gets tousled by the wind, drawing my attention away from the unexpected duo, and I smile when Kode's beautiful grin captures my full attention. A sigh of relief slips free from my lips. He won't let Tria even look at me.

  Maverick and Corbin are too nice. They only mess with her if she oversteps a line, but Kode... Kode knows her shady ways. He'll protect me. From her and Dane.

  "Daaamn," Kode drawls as he rakes his eyes over me. "Are you trying to make us all get in a fight tonight?"

  I chuckle lightly while reaching up and wrapping my arms around his neck. He doesn't hesitate to return the embrace, slipping his arms around my waist and drawing me closer. It's then I smell the alcohol on his breath. Shit.

  He chuckles when he staggers a little, and Maverick and Corbin both groan in unison.

  "Dude, really? You swore you wouldn't get drunk around Rain anymore," Maverick grumbles.

  Kode's hand slides down to grab my ass through my dress, and I roll my eyes. Drunk Kode can't keep his hands or lips to himself. Usually it irritates me, but since Dane is extra close to my devil sister tonight, I might actually enjoy Kode's drunken behavior.

  "Kode," Corbin warns when Kode's lips move to my neck.

  "What?" he murmurs softly, pressing a line of kisses all the way down to my collarbone.

  "I've got it," I say, pulling Kode with me as we walk in the opposite direction to stay away from Dane and Tria.

  Kode snickers and stumbles before dropping his arm around my shoulders to stabilize himself. Damn, he's really drunk. Kode really drunk is dangerous for anyone who looks at me wrong.

  I no longer fear for myself if Tria says something; I really fear for her. Crap.

  "I've missed you," Kode murmurs as his lips find the back of my neck and he pulls my back against his front.

  Oh good grief.

  My hair is pushed farther to the side when he gets hungrier for more skin, and I start trying to figure out a way to defuse this situation before it escalates. Maverick and Corbin will step in before long if I don't get Kode under control.

  He grabs a drink from a guy who's handing them out, and I groan when he chugs the beer like it's nothing more than a sip instead of a full glass. Maverick walks up, eyeing Kode warily, and he hands me a glass full of promise.

  "It's a Long Island. You'll need it to put up with him all night."

  Kode starts kissing my neck again with his lips wet from the beer, and he reaches up and cups one breast in his hand, earning a growl from Corbin. I push Kode's hand away, and I quickly put my hand against Corbin's chest to stop him.

  Kode will easily kick his ass. I've seen him in fights. He's brutal, merciless, and damn near crazy when he's drunk.

  "Don't," I mouth pleadingly.

  His jaw clenches as Kode staggers back into me and starts pulling me toward the pool. I just offer an encouraging smile to Maverick and Corbin before downing my drink.

  They're right. I need plenty of alcohol to deal with Kode and his wandering hands. Kode tends to back off when he knows I'm drunk, too. It's as though his protective instincts kick in, and it almost sobers him.

  Ironically, the only way to sober Kode is for me to get drunk.

  "Keep 'em coming," I call over my shoulder to the boys as I nearly reach the bottom of the glass.

  Kode starts kissing down my jaw line, running his tongue along the same trail, and I almost shiver. Damn. It's been a while since I was touched like this. A long while. At least a year... or more.

  He turns me swiftly, and before I know what's going on, his lips are on mine, and his tongue sweeps inside my mouth, shocking the hell out of me. This isn't usually... He doesn't normally kiss me like this even when he's drunk.

  He confuses my moment of shock as permission to continue, and he moans as his tongue delves deeper. His grip on my ass tightens as he draws my center closer. His other hand moves to be in my hair, and he deepens the kiss in front of absolutely everyone.

  The kiss is broken abruptly when Kode is thrown back by Maverick who quickly steps between us. "Don't, Kode. Just go sober up."

  The party almost stops as everyone turns their attention to us. Damn it.

  "Fuck off, Mav. All she has to do is say stop and she knows it," Kode growls. "She was kissing me just as much as I was kissing her."

  "Because she doesn't want to risk pissing you off," Maverick hisses.

  "That's bullshit, and you know it. I'd never hurt her."

  "You're drunk," Corbin chides, stepping closer to help out.

  If I don't do something more than stand here—stunned and stupefied—this is going to get bad.

  ***

  DANE

  I can't believe my son of a bitch brother has been all over Rain since she got here. She never pushed him away, either. And that kiss? Who the fuck forgot to tell me this was going on?

  I had to walk away the second his lips touched hers and she didn't push him away. I almost knocked Tria out of my lap during my mad dash for the house. I dread going back out there.

  The music stops, and the yelling outside makes me rush toward the doors. What now?

  "Fucking move, Mav!" Kode roars.

  What the hell just happened? Maverick got pissed, too? He did something about it?

  "Kode, listen. You only do this when you're drunk. Don't do this right now. This is Britt's party."

  Dale stands up from our table and makes his way toward the standoff. Rain is shaking her head, standing protected by Corbin and Maverick who are keeping Kode away.

  I'll fucking kill my brother if he stepped over some line. How did I miss it?

  I start to walk to them, but before I can get my ass in gear, the first, loud punch is thrown. It connects with Maverick's jaw, and then another connects
with Corbin's. A slapping splash rings out, and my heart sinks when I see it's Rain who was just knocked into the pool.

  Fuck! She can't swim!

  I dive in while the guys fight, but before I can find her, she finds me, clawing like a terrified cat that's drowning as she clings to me. I push against the bottom of the pool, and shove off to drive us to the surface.

  The night air finds us the second we surface, and she coughs and sputters while gasping for air. Shaking violently, she latches onto me tighter. I leave Dale, Corbin, and Maverick and decide to let them deal with Kode. When Rain presses her face against the crook of my neck and squeezes her legs tighter against my waist, I almost groan and curse. Shit.

  It's been so long since I held her, touched her like this. I thought I was going to come apart at the club when I kept her from falling and she put her hands over mine. Now? Now I'm damn near unraveling, and like a jerk, I take my time wading through the pool, knowing she won't let me go until I get her out.

  "Fuck," Maverick spews, drawing my attention to Kode who has passed out. Thankfully.

  Corbin and Dale try to scoop him up as Maverick shakes his more than likely throbbing fist. When I reach the stairs of the pool, Rain doesn't let me go. Once we're out, she still clings to me. To keep her from showing everyone her phenomenal ass, I wrap my hands under her and veer toward the house.

  "Where are your towels?" Tria asks, sounding a little panicked.

  "Bathroom. First door on the right. I'll take her to get some dry stuff on," I say softly, gently moving my hands up to her back once we're out of view from the party.

  She clings to me, remaining silent. I know when she's this quiet that she's embarrassed.

  "Rain? You good?" I ask, swallowing hard when her breasts press harder against me and her grip tightens.

  She just nods against my neck, and all the years of my past come back to me. All I want to do is curl up on the bed with her, even though we're dripping wet, and hold her close.