Kade's Game (The Sterling Shore Series 1.5)

by C. M. Owens

  That is the least of the shit that was said, and I'm determined to make sure my mother doesn't make me blow a fuse. Maybe Dad will help me for a change, seeing as he seems to really have a lot of adoration for Raya.

  When I find her, Mom is talking to Johanna Wright, one of the many bitchy women who spoke poorly to my girl. Fortunately, Johanna is so good at giving insults as compliments, that Raya actually thanked her. It broke my heart. She doesn't deserve this shit. She's too sweet to notice how cruel they all are.

  "Mom," I say, my eyes on Johanna in warning.

  She doesn't miss my menacing gaze, and the bitch in black turns away from my mother to show me the challenge in her eyes.

  "Kade," Mom says, but I don't move my stare.

  "Johanna," I say, not calling her Mrs. Wright the way she prefers.

  She's forty but looks thirty, thanks to heavy plastic surgery. And her husband of choice is one of the most coveted plastic surgeons, second only to Dr. Sterling.

  "Kade," she drawls, sounding bored. "Did your girlfriend enjoy her evening?"

  I accept the challenge. "She did. Most of the time she was busy being fawned over by the men, so I had to stay close. She's a little too young for this crowd."

  First two stabs, talk about her age without talking about it, and point out Raya's beauty and youth.

  If you didn't know to look for it, you wouldn't have seen her flinch. But Johanna's eyes have changed. I pissed her off.

  Mom's eyes go back and forth, and she waits, curious as to what will happen next. She'll stop me if I go too far and stop playing the game. I prefer to be blunt.

  "I see. She does indeed clean up nice. Maybe once she's been around you for a while, she'll fit right in. That should help with the men. You know how they are," she says, smiling artificially.

  Yeah. She just said the rich boys like slumming it. Mistake.

  I stifle my anger, though it's painful to do. "Has she met Frank?" Mom asks, making me bite back a smile. She's helping. Frank is Johanna's husband, who has a loose zipper he seems to lose control of around pretty girls.

  Mom just gave me the opportunity of a lifetime.

  "She did. Frank's been drinking, and he's always so much more charming when he's drinking," I say with a small laugh, noting the twitch that instantly develops in Johanna's right eye. "He was studying her facial structure, said he wished he could duplicate it for some of his clients. Then he proceeded to mention how he was happy to see the larger breasts coming back in style."

  Johanna swallows audibly, and I intentionally let my eyes flick to the small breasts she had implanted just last year to replace her fuller ones.

  I completely embellished that story. Had Frank spoken about Raya's breasts, I might have killed him. But Frank's too drunk to remember what he did or didn't say.

  She opens her mouth, probably to say something about how trashy large breasts are, but Frank staggers in and saves the day.

  "We need to go, dear," he says with bored tone, clapping my back as he nears.

  "Kade," he says, turning his attention to me. "You did good with that one out there. I'm still fascinated by the symmetry of her nose. People pay thousands for noses that aren't anywhere nearly that perfect."

  I'll let him talk about her nose.

  Johanna's teeth make a sound that has me wondering if she'll need a dentist after this. "Let's go, Frank," she says coldly.

  He barely acknowledges her before letting his gaze flicker to my mother, and then he gives her a wink. Mom forces a smile as Frank staggers out, and my fists unclench for the first time since I walked in here.

  "I really hate them," Mom grumbles, relaxing as though she just sat through a suspenseful evening.

  I bypass all the small talk and dig into what I came to say. "Be nice to Raya. She's had a night full of undercutting bullshit. I won't let my family do that."

  Shit. Mom looks hurt. That all came out too harsh.

  "Kade, since when am I like that?"

  Mom was born wealthier than most people in Sterling Shore, but she was raised by a nanny who might as well have been her mother. She raised her to be a grateful, usually sweet person, but this life sometimes hardens you to the point where you lose concern about the emotions of others. I've seen her be cruel, but there's no need to mention that.

  "I just don't want anything else to be said. You hate it when I bring girls around, and you say things like Johanna just did."

  She frowns as she stares at her glass of champagne.

  "I have my moments, but I don't do that with anyone who isn't doing the same. You've only brought girls like Courtney Hughes around. God knows I can't behave around a catty attitude like that."

  My lips twitch with amusement. "You make it sound as though I've dated hundreds of girls. I just bring them around for functions like this because girls like that can handle it. I don't have time for dating."

  Even though it seems like I'm constantly making time for Raya.

  Her sad smile intrigues me. "Raya is sweet, Kade. She's not like the girls you're used to. Don't hurt that girl."

  I start looking for the knife it feels like she just stabbed me with. Am I that bad? Tag is bad. I rarely get around. Hell, I can't even remember the last time I had sex.

  "I realize she's sweet. We're friends," I say with a shrug, not willing to explain my slight issue with my sudden addiction to the girl waiting on me.

  Her eyes narrow like I'm an idiot for trying to lie. But I'm not getting into this right now.

  "She's not like your father. You have to be built for a transition like this. You have to be able to take the hits and keep getting up. She's fragile, Kade. She's might as well be porcelain."

  I've already thought about that numerous times, but I can't just let Raya slip away because she might not adjust. I hate these kinds of functions, but I also know how to work them. I can protect her until people find a new target.

  "Just play nice. That's all I'm asking," I say on my way out the door, not giving her another chance to make me worry about what could happen.

  When I make it back to Raya, the beautiful smile she gives me is breathtaking, and all my tension dissolves as I move closer. Right now, the only thing I want to do is press my lips to hers and get lost. I can't wait until we reach that point.

  She's stronger than she acts, I hope. Because I'm too far gone to turn back.

  "You ready to kick back with my family for a while?" I ask, sliding my arm around her waist.

  When she leans into me, it all feels so right, like we were molded for each other.

  "Yes. Anything to get off my feet."

  I frown down at her heels. "You should have said something. We could have sat down sooner."

  She smiles up at me, and I forget what conversation we're even having. "I enjoyed all the dancing. It was fun."

  Fun. She had fun. She never even knew these shady people were insulting her. She deserves so much better.

  I went around the party in small spurts during the evening, making sure to return the favor to everyone who had said something. I felt like a damn chick, but Raya couldn't fight these battles. All along, she had fun.

  Relief fills me to know for certain she had no clue.

  I pull Raya to one of the couches in the den, and she comes willingly, letting out a content sigh when she sinks down. I make sure to leave no room between us while ignoring the scrutiny from Tag and Wren. I completely ignore Bity. If he'll screw his own brother's fiancée, there's no telling what he might try with my girl.

  "I'm exhausted," Wren groans, stretching out on the couch.

  Tag and Bity are furiously texting. Both are probably trying to get laid. Raya seems tired, so I pull her closer, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and letting her settle in against me. It's always so natural.

  Dad comes in and occupies his chair, and Greta is behind him with whiskey on a tray. Raya waves it off quickly, and I stifle a grin. She's a lightweight, and she's had her fill of champagne.

  I tak
e the drink, happy to have something to calm me down after my standoff with Johanna. Mom walks in and doesn't slow down. She grabs a drink from the tray on her way to Dad.

  "Thank goodness it's over," she says, exasperated, and then she drops to Dad's lap, making his throaty chuckle emerge while he wraps his arms around her.

  Raya smiles as she watches them. My parents are an anomaly. Being married for this long and being in love is almost impossible in our world. And they're nauseatingly in love.

  "We still on for Aspen?" Tag asks, looking toward my parents.

  "Of course. Is Melanie going to be there?" Dad asks.

  "Mom?" Wren asks, seeming distracted as he pulls out his vibrating phone. "Yeah, she's coming."

  Raya leans into me more as she yawns, and I bring my arm down from the back of the couch to wrap it completely around her, pulling her even closer. I've never been this comfortable with anyone.

  Tag smirks when he glances our way, and I see it in his eyes that he's about to irritate me. "What about you, Raya? You coming with us?"

  He's such a jerk. She has her own Christmas. I know she's close to her family.

  She grows rigid against me, and I almost want to go slap him for making her think about the way we're sitting. She's comfortable with me, but she's still skittish. Does he not see that? He's supposed to be a master at reading girls.

  "Um... no," she says with a soft, rattled laugh.

  "You going to your family's place?" Wren asks, putting his phone away and focusing his attention on her.

  "No. My family does Christmas next weekend, actually."

  So she doesn't have anywhere to go? I've mentioned Aspen numerous times. Why didn't she tell me she had no plans?

  "So soon?" I ask as she moves away from me.

  "Yeah. My stepbrother is a Marine, so it's not easy for him to come back on holidays. Instead, we celebrate when we can. Mom plans it around his return."

  I knew he was military, but I sadly have no insight into that field, so I wasn't aware of the holiday situation.

  "Then what will you do for Christmas?" Mom asks, not meeting my gaze. At least she's being nice.

  "I'll... I might go see a friend or something," she says unsurely.

  Friend? What friend? From what I've seen, she doesn't have friends. She never calls anyone or goes anywhere. That's one thing we have in common.

  "Nonsense," Dad says, swatting the air as if he's knocking away her comment. "You can come with us. We have more than plenty of room. Tag has a beautiful home up there, and Margaret and I own one as well. It's always a good time."

  She's sure as hell not staying with Tag. She'll stay in my room if we don't have anywhere else for her.

  She squirms, refusing to look up at me. She doesn't like this much attention, and I don't like her being uncomfortable. Still, I'm not letting this go until she agrees to come with me. I refuse to let her be alone on Christmas.

  "Come on, Raya. It'll be fun," I say, pulling her back to me, and enjoying the way she relaxes against me. "Lots of skiing and eggnog," I add.

  Did she need approval from me? Hell, I would have invited her if she had told me she had nowhere to be.

  "Talk her into it, Kade," Dad says with a smile. "In the meantime, what about your family? They live in Utah, right?"

  She nods cautiously, seeming to weigh his words, trying to read his intentions. I'm glad she wasn't this shrewd earlier. She would have caught the insults if she had been.

  "How are you getting there?" he continues.

  She relaxes again, thinking this is casual conversation. She doesn't realize he has his Dad face on right now.

  "Oh. I always take the bus. I'll leave Friday after my last class, and I'll get home Sunday night."

  Dad's frown matches mine. A bus? A fucking bus? I'm not letting her take a bus all the way to Utah. Has she lost her mind?

  "Take one of my cars. There's no sense in you riding the bus," Dad says, beating me to what I want to say.

  "Thank you, that's sweet, but I can't. I'll be fine on the bus."

  She's crazy if she thinks I'll let her take a bus.

  "Don't be ridiculous, Raya," I say, finally growing irritated. "I'll drive you. I don't have anything going on next weekend."

  A weekend away from Sterling Shore sounds good on its own. A weekend in Raya's world sounds perfect. I'd love some insight.

  "Kade, I'm fine going on the bus. Shift the subject, please," she pleads softly.

  Everyone laughs, but I find no humor in this. I stare down at her, and I can’t help but feel a little pissed. We're supposed to have already crossed this hurdle. After the damn tuna thing, I thought she knew how much I wanted her to have the same comforts I do. Not to mention, it really pisses me off that I'm essentially having to beg her to let me go.

  A weekend stuck at home without Raya doesn't sound fun at all.

  "I've got somewhere to be," Tag says as he stands up, but I barely acknowledge him as I think of how to handle this thing with Raya. He glances over to Billy, who is still typing fervently on his phone. "Forget it, Bity. Rene isn't going to Aspen with you."

  "Bity?" Raya asks, but that's not what I want to talk about. I want to climb inside her head and find out what just happened.

  "Don't get him started," Wren says. I hear him stand, but I'm still not in the mood to pay attention to anything else. "I need to get back to Erica. See you guys later."

  I assume they walk out, but I don't offer farewells.

  "For the record, I was texting my friend Ash. Not Rene. Some guy is giving her problems," Billy says to Kade, prompting a small snicker from me.

  That distracts me just enough. Texting who? All I know is he said it wasn't Rene. He's so full of shit.

  "Sure you were," I say sardonically.

  Bity rolls his eyes as he storms out, acting like a drama queen. When you ruin your brother's wedding, people tend to dislike you and distrust you. No way in hell would I let Bity around Raya without me being firmly placed at her side.

  "You guys always so nice to him?" she asks, seeming confused.

  She doesn't know what a prick he is, so she assumes we're all being jerks. That's not my story to explain, and quite frankly, I'd rather know why she doesn't want me to go with her. She hasn't even mentioned it to me before tonight.

  "Long story," I say flatly, motioning for her to come with me when I stand. "We've been drinking for most of the night, so I can get us a driver or we can crash here."

  I suddenly wish this house was a fraction of the size so I could tell her there was only one room and we'd have to share.

  "Stay, stay," Mom cheers, sounding too damn drunk. At least she's in her happy drunk mood.

  Dad kisses the side of her neck, pulling her tighter to him, and I fight a gag reflex. Seriously?

  "Gross," I groan, dragging Raya out of the room with me as I escape the disgusting exhibition.

  "I think it's sweet," she giggles, but now I have her alone, and my mind is wrapped around one thing.

  "Why do you insist on taking a bus all the way to Utah? If it's because you don't want me to go, that's cool. I was just going to keep you from making that trip alone. But you can drive one of my cars. Don't take the bus."

  I'm doing my best not to sound offended that she doesn't want me there. I may not like it, but I can accept it. But I refuse to let her ride a bus when I have four vehicles.

  Her whole stance changes as she lets out what seems to be a painful breath. Hesitance weights her eyes, but she finally speaks.

  "Kade, it doesn't have anything to do with that. My house..." Her voice trails off as she looks around, seeming to examine the house for some reason. "It's not like this. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that den was bigger than my mother's trailer. Right. Trailer. It's... It's not something I want to drag you out to see."

  My chest tightens to the point of painful. She's embarrassed? What have I done to make her think I'd judge her over a damn home? Maybe this is the barrier that's holding us bac
k. If I can jump this hurdle, then maybe those walls will fall away and she'll start letting me closer.

  If that's the only reason she doesn't want me going, then there's absolutely no reason for me to go without her for a whole weekend. I'd prefer not to deal with withdrawals if I don't have to, and I'm pretty sure I'd end up in Utah after not having her for a day.

  She stares at me, seeming so exposed and vulnerable as she waits for me to react.

  "Raya, I don't care if you lived under the bridge. Friends don't judge friends based on where they come from. I'd like to go. I've gotten used to having you around. Plus, you've heard a thousand embarrassing stories about me tonight. It's only fair we level the playing field."

  She lets a small laugh escape, and then she nods. Thank God. Now I don't have to stow away in the trunk.

  Chapter Nine

  A Bit of Normal

  She can't have any fingernails left. I keep hearing her gnawing away nervously, and it's making me tense. In fact, it's making me worry about what she thinks might happen. Is there something she's not telling me?

  When her class got cancelled, I decided to skip the only one I had, because I couldn't wait to get here and see her in her element, hoping this would be the weekend things between us change.

  She has to come to me. That's the only way this will work. She's a runner, so I have to wait until she's ready.

  But if she doesn't stop acting like a tightly wound string that's ready to snap, I'm going to need a massage to work the tension out of me. And her sexy little ass will be the one I make give me a massage. Hmm... That's actually not a bad idea.

  "Raya, you're making me nervous. What's going on?" I grumble, not meaning to sound so annoyed. But now that I've thought about her massaging me, I have my fourth most painful erection of this trip.

  She turns onto another road, and I lean back to watch her, studying her, and waiting for her to calm the hell down and explain what has her so rattled. She looks at me with nervousness in her eyes, and then she speaks so fast, that I struggle to keep up with the words.

  "It doesn't matter how many times we tell her we're friends, my mother is still going to try shoving me down your throat. My stepdad is going to have his beer glued to his hand, and he'll say 'yes, dear' at random times, even if no one has said anything, because he's a zombie most of the time. My stepbrother is going to be cruel, scary, and completely obnoxious, simply because you're a guy who is acquainted with me. His wife is sweet—too sweet. She'll ask you a thousand times if you're okay or if you need anything. That's what has me nervous. This whole weekend is a recipe to humiliate me and drive you crazy."