by C. M. Owens
He seems... protective. Like he once did. I just want to tell him to come back to bed and finish what I subconsciously started.
His eyes lock with mine, and I willingly stare back, unable to help myself. For eleven years I've fantasized about Dane Sterling. Now he's wearing a towel in my room, and nothing in the past matters. We're not kids anymore. I'm not an inexperienced virgin he has to be careful with. I'm a woman, damn it.
A knock at my bedroom door ices the moment and brings us back to reality. Crap. Who is—
"Hey," Tria says, making my heart stumble to a nearly exhausted halt.
How did I forget about Tria? She was with him. At one in the morning, she was dressed for bed and so was he. They showed up together, and even though I was weak and sick, I distinctly remember Tria's car missing from my house when they rushed me out.
I have to swallow back bile. Now I just want them both out.
"Hey," Dane says, smiling at her.
He doesn't bother to act awkward in his towel either, proving they are incredibly comfortable with each other.
"Sorry to bug you, but my car is still at your place, and I need to go grab some stuff if I'm going to be staying here."
Oh. So they were planning to stay together. In my house. Of course her car is at his house.
"Actually," I interject, trying to sound calm and not at all sick and destroyed, "I'm calling Maverick to come over. If I have to have a babysitter, then he'll do. Besides, he owes me more favors than I can ever really collect."
I smile, keeping the bitterness out of my gaze. These two need to get out of my house. Right now.
"You can call Mav if you want, but I'm still staying. He can sleep in the guestroom," Dane says with a shrug.
Surely he doesn't plan on sleeping with me again. As tempting as it is to find out, I also feel gross. Tria and Dane were together, more than likely in the same bed. No thank you.
"Please, just go. I don't want you here because it's just too... odd. You should take Tria back to your house. I'm sure the two of you were somehow interrupted, and though I appreciate what you did—since I have no idea where my phone is—I just want to relax for a while."
Tria and Dane exchange a look, and then Dane starts laughing. "We were somehow interrupted? Your sister woke me up at one in the morning because she was banging on my door when she couldn't get a hold of you or get into your house. By the way, we need to discuss your pathetic excuse for an entry code."
They weren't together? Tria went over there because she was worried? I'm relieved and shocked.
"I'm staying, so get the hell over it," Dane adds with his beautiful grin.
"I'll be back later, unless Maverick is coming," Tria says with a sneer.
I bite back a grin, since Maverick and she aren't exactly as close as she and Dane.
"Keys are on the table," Dane says while walking toward the bed, keeping his eyes on me.
Damn. I really need to brush my teeth, fix my hair, and take a shower. I spent the majority of the night hurling.
Tria leaves, carrying a small smile as Dane crashes to the bed beside me. He flops back and stares at the ceiling, and I start praying his towel falls apart. I'm pathetic.
"It felt like old times last night. You. Me. Sleeping in the same bed, and then me waking up with a damn painful hard-on."
My eyes almost pop out of my head, and I strangle on air, which prompts his laughter. I know my cheeks have to be sizzling right now.
"Don't act so bashful, Rain. It's not like you never noticed it. And though you avoided discussing it... ever... you have seen every inch of my body. Don't make this weird."
"Weird?" I chuckle nervously, feeling like a thirteen-year-old-girl blushing because a guy said hard-on. I'm such an idiot around him. I write sex scenes for fuck's sake. This shouldn't be embarrassing.
"Weird," he repeats, winking at me. "We used to touch, snuggle, and kiss on each other like it wasn't a big deal. And we were kids. Granted, you never woke me up by stroking my—"
"Okay, Okay," I interrupt, feeling the fever attack my cheeks again, and making his laughter return.
Little by little his laughter tapers off, and I risk a glance at him to see him studying me. After what feels like forever, he seems to decide against whatever he was going to say, and instead asks, "What happened between you and Kode?"
I really wanted to avoid this conversation. I can lie, but he'll know it if I do.
"He wanted more. I don't see him as more. I didn't know he felt that way, or I wouldn't have... I don't know. Everything will be different now. The way it was with..."
My voice trails off. I can't say what I want to. I refuse to bring up that terrible letter and the heartbreak I endured. But I want to tell him I understand it now. He handled it like a total jerk, but I understand why he freaked out. You just don't know what to say, and you know the friendship is ruined no matter what.
I've blamed him for destroying us for all these years, but it was really me. I wanted more, and I stole the fun and innocence of our friendship. I'm the one who broke us.
He lets out a heavy breath and drops his head back. "We were kids, Rain. Neither of us knew what we wanted. We were just too young to maturely deal with the situation. We threw away an incredible friendship because we couldn't talk it through."
So he admits that much. Finally.
He's right, though. We were both too immature. I threw a letter in his car, and he starting icing me out, keeping the conversations too casual and never addressing it.
I can't believe he's talking to me right now. Right here. Are we finally going to just move on from this and be semi-friends again?
***
DANE
I won't lie and say that doesn't hurt. I mean, she basically just said she knew I was in love with her, and then insinuated it ruined our friendship. She's being honest, finally. I'm not going to crumble, because I want her to be honest. Instead, I'll play it off; make it no big deal.
Besides, we both did react poorly. She ran off without so much as a word, got colder and colder after she distanced herself from me, and I stubbornly refused to go after her and force her to talk it through with me.
My pride was hurt. I was hurt. But I should have still gone after her, and she should have tried to talk to me as well.
After holding her all night, waking up with her hand on my cock, and then seeing her hungry gaze on my body when I walked out in a towel, I've decided I have to have her in some way. She trusted me with her body once. She can trust me again. Who knows? Maybe we can start from there. I shouldn't want the torture that comes with this path, but I'm no more over Rain Noles today than I was six years ago.
"Sorry," she says after a minute. "I shouldn't have ever... I'm sorry. I get it now. Seeing Kode so hurt... I hate knowing I did that to him. I understand why... I just wish we had handled things differently as well."
I force a small smile, and then I turn to face her, letting my hand come down to caress her cheek. Damn, she feels so good. I'd give anything to kiss her.
"So, can we try to be friends again? You and me?" I ask.
When her bottom lip slides between her teeth to aid in her biting back a grin, I have anything but friendly thoughts. Her grin finally falls free and she leans over to wrap her arms around me in the hug I didn't realize I was holding my breath for.
When her body presses against mine, pulls me in, and just embraces me, I take the first painless breath I've had in six long years. I can't help but smile. Hell, I don't know if I'll ever be able to stop smiling.
"I've missed you," she whispers, sniffling slightly when her emotions try to step in.
I really wish I was wearing more than a towel right now. My plan to seduce her has backfired, since I'm the one left seduced. Not to mention, now I don't want to lose her again. One hug is all it has taken to remind me just how pointless life has been without her. I want more than just a meaningless tryst. I don't want to risk ever scaring her off like I did before.
&
nbsp; "I've missed you, too, Rain," I murmur softly, pulling her even tighter to me, even though it means I'll need another cold shower.
"So friends?" she asks, wiping away her tears as she leans back.
I nod slowly, smiling still, and then I say, "Definitely. And as your friend, I have to tell you that you look like hell. Go get cleaned up."
She laughs as a few more tears trickle out. I wipe a few away with the back of my hand, and she leans in to my touch. I wish she wouldn't do that. It's so hard to deny how much I feel about her right now.
She climbs over me to head to the bathroom, but during the shift, her heated center slides across and my towel falls open, revealing how incredibly turned on she's made me. She stills above me, and I fight back a grin when she turns every shade of red there is.
"I'm... sorry," she releases in a squeak, quickly scrambling to cover me back up, but her frantic hands touch me more than once, making me long for that perfectly smooth stroking she was giving me this morning.
I damn near lost it when she was sleep-fondling me. The second her hand went to work, my eyes rolled back in my head, but then I realized she had no clue what was going on. I panicked when I thought I was going to burst in her hand.
"You're making a habit of this," I tease, enjoying how much harder she blushes as her hand brushes my cock once more.
She finally scrambles off me and dashes to the bathroom. I definitely need another cold shower. If she's going to get this flustered around me, being friends will be fun.
Chapter 8
RAIN
"Kade's wine thingy is tonight," I say while shuffling through my closet. Three days. Three long days Dane Sterling has been in my house. It's like heaven and hell are coexisting in the same space.
"Oh?" Dane asks absently, studying the screen on his laptop as he lounges on my bed, his ankles crossed as he subconsciously taunts me with his shirtless perfection. He really does make my bed look really damn good.
"You know you can go home. I'm fine now. And I'm pretty sure you have work to do."
He shrugs, not looking up from his computer screen.
"Nothing that I can't do from here, and I'm not leaving until those marks on you are healed into small scars. Then I'll be able to quit worrying."
I stare at him, debating his true intentions. I realize he wants us back, but why continue to sleep in my bed? We're not kids anymore, so I really don't think this is appropriate. It's sure as hell not good on my heart. I won't mention what other parts of me feel tortured.
"Are you going to Kade's wine party?" I ask, considering his previous response didn't give me any insight as to his plans for the evening.
He smirks as though he has a secret, and then he shuts his laptop as he climbs out of bed. He walks toward me, intriguing me with his enigmatic expression.
"Yeah, but not because Kade Colton wants me there. Raya invited me."
There goes that sharp stab of jealousy. How the hell does he know Raya?
"Oh?" I muse, going for mildly interested.
"Yeah. She used to work for me."
He walks away, leaving that suspended in the air. The imagery of Raya swinging on a pole or burlesque dancing comes to mind, and I get queasy. Normally I'm not a crazy jealous person, but this is Dane. Considering Raya landed Kade—one guy I never thought would focus on anything but his vineyard—I can't help but feel intimidated.
"Raya worked... for you?" I ask, silently cursing myself for how choppy that sounded.
He laughs while nodding. "Yeah. She was a waitress. Kade caused a scene in my club one night, and I had to kick him out. I've barely seen him since then, other than at Tag's wedding, and briefly at Wren's wedding."
Tag got married. That's still shocking the hel—
Whoa. Huh? "You had to kick Kade out of your club?"
He shrugs while grabbing his phone and keys. "Yeah. Long story. Obviously things worked out for him in the end."
He heads toward the door, slips his shoes on, and then turns back to me. "I've got to run home and do some things, but I'll pick you up in two hours to drive out to the vineyard."
We're going together? When did we discuss this?
"Umm," is all I manage to get out before he disappears through the door.
I'm sure my beach neighbors are enjoying the shirtless beauty on my sandy lawn, but they're not enjoying him as much as I am. He's driving me crazy. It's probably a good thing my post-op instructions included no sex for six weeks. I'd have already thrown myself at him otherwise.
It's amazing how good at distracting me he has been. My life was sliced up and a huge chunk of my future was stolen because of my cursed genes. I expected to still be falling apart, but Dane... It's just like before; he makes everything better.
My phone rings, and I glance down to see Raya's name flash across the screen. I answer, curious as to why she's calling me.
"Hey," I say while trying to shake the scandalous thoughts of Dane from my mind.
"Can you ride with me?" she asks, sounding nervous.
"Um..." Crap. I want to ride with Dane. What's she even doing here?
"Please, Rain. Kade is so frigging nervous for some reason, and I'm on edge. If he's this nervous, then the people coming must be intimidating. I could seriously use your help. He wouldn't even let me help with the setup, which makes me feel crappy. I thought I was getting better with all you uppity people.
"I came to Sterling Shore this morning to pick my brother up from the airport, but apparently he got an earlier flight and Kade sent a car to get him. So now I'm still here, and I'm a train wreck. Please," she begs.
I can almost hear her pouting, and it forces me to stifle a laugh.
"Fine," I groan, even though I hate being around her and Kade when I'm alone. The two of them are that sweet, madly-in-love sort of couple that makes a person gag. Of course I could just be strangling on my own envy.
"Thank you," she squeals, and I actually do laugh.
"You look sore or something," Raya says as we get out of the car.
I forgot how far away the vineyard is, and that long ride wasn't good on my three-day-old surgery. Neither was Raya's driving. Damn, her driving could make a thrill-seeker tense.
"I am sore. I had surgery the other day. Nothing major," I murmur absently, glancing around at all the gorgeous decorations that are set up outside, and ignoring the pang of misery that tries to strike.
I have to stop thinking.
"Kade!" Raya yells happily, and I start preparing to vomit.
His brittle, forced smile is... odd. Kade always melts when he sees her. What's going on?
"Hey," he says as he reaches us, but it feels like he doesn't want to be here right now.
Raya seems to notice, but she brushes it off, forcing her composure to remain intact. The girl has a hell of a poker face.
"It looks so beautiful. I wish you had let me help," she says with a smile that could slay a man.
But Kade is... uh-oh. He looks... Surely he's not...
"Thanks. I should go. I've got... stuff to do. See you in a while," he says before pressing a quick kiss to her cheek and taking off.
I watch her hold it together, but it takes every ounce of strength she has. Kade was so cold. He's never been cold around Raya.
"What's his problem?" I growl, glaring at my cousin's back as he walks away.
I should go slap the hell out of him.
Her lip trembles as she looks to me, her distress almost tangible.
"So it's not just me," she says sadly, holding back tears as she watches Kade shift through the mess of caterers and servers.
"What's going on?" I ask softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I wish I knew. I thought I was overreacting, but he's been... off for over three weeks now. Gradually it's been getting worse, like he can't even stand being in the same room with me. He didn't even bother to mention my brother's early arrival to me when I left to go pick him up this morning. When I called, he muttered an
apology and made up an excuse to get off the phone. I'm trying not to read too much into it, but..."
She lets her voice trail off, but her words continue even with the silence. Is Kade really over Raya? I never thought he'd fall in love, but after seeing them together for so long, I never thought he'd let her go.
"Want to grab a drink?" I ask, feeling helpless.
"There's a face I've missed," a deep, sexy voice says from behind, interrupting Raya before she can answer.
We both turn around and she smiles warmly at the man of my dreams as he pulls her to him for a hug. Dane's arms fasten around Raya with familiarity, and I really don't like the fact that it's making me jealous. Raya loves Kade—the kind of love that makes others nauseated but so frigging envious. But if Kade... I'll kick his ass if he's done with her, and I'll kick Dane's ass if he's after her.
"How's the club doing?" she asks as she leans back, her poker face back on as she pretends all is right with the world.
"Thriving. Ember's having a party next week. She wanted me to bring her invitation to you," he says, passing her a sealed envelope.
Raya takes it, offers his hand a squeeze, and then turns to me. "I need to go find my brother, but I'll catch up with you in a minute."
She gives me a knowing wink that I really don't appreciate. How could she possibly know? No one knows about Dane and me.
She's gone before I can argue, and Dane's arm comes to rest around my shoulders. He smells so damn good. And as always, a suit makes him look like a divine creature that mere mortals should bow to.
"You feel tense," Dane says, snapping me out of my accidental thoughts.
After six years, we shouldn't be able to find the comfort level we have in just three days. And after six years, I shouldn't feel like dissolving into a puddle every time he smiles. But all I can see when I look at him is the boy I fell in love with so long ago. I don't see the rift that tore us apart; not when we can be us again.
"Um... Kade is acting weird around Raya. It just has me worried."
That's mostly true, so my eyes don't do their freaky blinking thing.