The Sterling Boys (The Sterling Shore Series #3)

by C. M. Owens

  Everyone starts laughing, because honestly, that's not something you hear everyday. Raya laughs as a tear drops from her eye, but she just lets it roll down her cheek as she stares up at him, her breathing almost nonexistent.

  "I know naming a wine after you doesn't even come close to telling the world how much I love you, but it's a start. Three weeks ago, I walked into a jewelry store to look for the perfect birthday present. I found numerous things, but one thing really caught my eye. I never knew I was ready until that moment."

  He pauses, and through the microphone, everyone hears his shaky breath. Gasps ring out in unison when he drops to one knee in front of her. A waiter walks up and hands him one of the newest bottles of wine. I can read the label from here: Raya's Love.

  Raya's tears start coming out quicker as she grasps the situation in front of her. It's then I see a sparkling ring tied to a string that is embedded in the cork. I'll be damned. Crafty son of a bitch.

  "Raya, I love you, and I think we both know I'm never going to stop being completely entranced by everything you do. Will you marry me?"

  To us, only seconds pass as Raya covers her mouth, but I'm sure it feels like an eternity to Kade. Finally, through a choked sob and a very painful looking smile, she says, "Yes."

  Kade jerks her to him and holds her as he pulls the cork out of the wine. A girl rushes over to cut the string away from the cork, freeing the pretty and large diamond. Kade pushes it onto Raya's finger, and the kiss that ensues could set a frozen tundra on fire.

  "Wow," Rain says in complete shock, leaning against me while shaking her head. "I never saw that coming."

  Cheers erupt, and I glance up to see Thomas and Paul Colton laughing, possibly even crying. I've never been envious of Kade Colton, but right now, I'd give anything to be that happy.

  My arms tighten around Rain as I allow myself to imagine all the wrong things. There was a time I had considered proposing to Rain. I had it all planned out. But life has a way of kicking someone's ass and crushing their dreams.

  Now she's in my arms, and it's impossible to think of anything but the way I once felt, especially since all those feelings are becoming just as real today as they were back then.

  Raya and Kade both laugh as their kiss grows sloppy and terribly off sync, but they never let go of each other. Several promises of love exchange, and everyone toasts them as Kade drops to Raya's chair and pulls her to his lap.

  Paul takes over the podium as he speaks a little more about the vineyard's new wine and grape. Kade is going to be lost for the rest of the night.

  "Congratulations," I say, holding my wine glass high.

  Kade barely offers me a glance, since he's still sore about getting kicked out of my club, but he mutters a thank you. Raya gives me a more heartfelt thanks, but her eyes never leave the man she loves.

  "I thought you were mad at me, or done with me. You've been so... weird for three weeks," she says while letting her eyes fall to the large ring on her small finger.

  "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to do that. I was... a little nervous you'd say no. It... I'm sorry. I was excited, terrified, and completely impatient for this night."

  She laughs while pressing her lips to his again, and I glance at my watch. I doubt I can handle the overly affectionate couple while also dealing with Tag and Ash. My envy meter is about to burst.

  "I think he just topped your proposal," Wren says, smirking at Tag who frowns.

  "No," Ash says with a grin, kissing Tag's nose. "Kade's proposal was perfect for Raya, and Tag's proposal was perfect for me. Especially since he used Trip."

  "Your kid?" Rain asks, probing for more information.

  "Yeah," Ash says fondly, kissing Tag again, and then they're lost.

  "This is getting hella gross," Rain groans.

  "Ready to get out of here?" I ask, hoping she stands up and relieves me of the torture her ass in my lap has given me. She doesn't even hesitate to get up.

  She staggers, but I've got my arm around her waist and steadying her the second I'm upright. The guys come to squeeze the hell out of her with hugs she can't yet withstand, and I scold them for being too rough.

  "Just like old times," Maverick pouts, cutting his eyes toward me.

  Rain laughs while kissing his cheek, and Corbin scoops her up to carry her bridal style to the car. Mav walks up beside me as I watch Rain and Corbin disappear toward the car.

  "Always thought you two would end up like them," Rye says, suddenly right beside me as he sips a beer.

  Where'd he get a bottle of beer at a wine function?

  Maverick chuckles as he shakes his head. "I think the entire world thought that," he says, surprising me.

  "Ah, hell. Dane was always too much of a player to settle down with one girl," Wren says, joining us.

  Player? When the hell did I have time to be a player? They'd freak the hell out if I told them I was eighteen before I was ever with a girl. Rain doesn't even know she was my first.

  I'm pretty damn sure my lack of experience was evident during our one night together, but she couldn't have known she was my first. I know I was hers, though, and I should have been her last.

  "Yeah. Girls used to go crazy talking 'bout Dane Sterling," Rye drawls, laughing as he thinks back.

  I don't like this conversation, because I always hated dealing with those rumors in front of Rain.

  "I need to go. I'll see you guys later," I mumble.

  "Something I said?" Rye asks, having the audacity to sound amused as I walk away.

  "Just tired," I lie, cursing the bastard.

  But the second I see Corbin putting Rain down, and her sleepy smile becomes aimed at me, my world stops spinning. I'm in love with Rain Noles all over again, and this time I might not make it out without getting completely broken. I'm not sure you can put the pieces back together twice. I need to put distance between us before she shreds me.

  When Rain reaches for me, I don't hesitate to wrap my arms around her. I suppose putting distance between us is going to be hard if I can't fucking deny myself the right to touch her as much as possible. And I'm greedy, because I can't seem to get enough.

  Chapter 9

  RAIN

  "So?" Viv prompts. She's dying to know if I've had a stroke of genius yet.

  "I've got a couple of things lined up," I say with a grin. "I'll send you some of the rough drafted pages. I've written ten pages a piece."

  "What do you mean? More than one book?" she asks, trying not to sound too hopeful.

  "Three books."

  Surprisingly enough, after just two weeks of being back home, my mind is brimming with new ideas, and I love it. I feel like I'm me again.

  "So you found your inspiration. Thank God."

  Until she said those words, I haven't thought anything about why I'm suddenly bubbling over with new material. Then he walks into my room, reminding me exactly why I'm inspired again.

  "Feel like Chinese tonight?" Dane asks, taunting me with his irresistible shirtless body.

  "Who's that?" Viv asks, whispering as though she's eavesdropping on something scandalous.

  Oh boy. This is going to earn a squeal.

  "It's Dane," I say after cutting the volume way down.

  She does scream, but fortunately, my preparations have paid off and I can barely hear her.

  "Sorry," Dane says as I slowly start cutting the volume back up. "I didn't know you were on the phone."

  "It's fine," I say as he nears me. "It's just Viv about some of my new works."

  I lean back as he pushes my shirt up, and I hold my breath as he checks over the fading marks on my stomach.

  "They're fine, Dane. Don't worry. If they were going to get infected, they would have done so in the first few days. Not two weeks later."

  He shrugs while letting my shirt fall back into place, and then he looks at me expectantly, still waiting on an answer.

  "Chinese sounds good," I say with a dorky grin.

  His smile is rewarding, an
d he thumbs my chin before walking away. I love having him all to myself, but I'm really starting to miss the guys. Dane refuses to let them come over until he's certain I'm healed.

  "So?" Viv prompts impatiently.

  Hell, I forgot she was even on the phone.

  "I had surgery, and Dane has been hanging out with me, checking to make sure I'm okay."

  I aim for casual, but I know it won't work on Viv. Not after that damn tequila-tell-all night. Stupid tequila.

  "Whatever. Spill the truth," she retorts.

  "That is the truth. We've decided to be friends."

  I hate the friend zone, but it's better than what I had with him before. I thought I was okay without Dane in my life, but now that I have him back, I realize what a true wreck I really was.

  "Really, Rain? That's all I get?"

  Chinese... We should go out instead of eating in again.

  "Viv, I'll have to debrief you later."

  Hanging up, I slide off the bed and head toward the living room.

  "Dane," I call, hoping to catch him before he places the order.

  "I was about to ask if we should order two of everything, since you barely touched your food last time. You were too busy devouring mine."

  I round the corner to see him studying the menu, looking too sexy for words. I'd love to stay in and cuddle all night, but the cuddling is killing me as much as it is pleasing me. It's so incredible, but it's just as frustrating.

  "I didn't devour all your food. You just happened to order the things I liked better."

  He snickers but doesn't look up as he pulls his phone out.

  "How about we go out instead? We can grab something on the way to Silk."

  He finally looks up, a small frown creasing his brow.

  "You feel like going out?"

  "Yes. And I want to go to your badass club. You good with that?"

  He thinks about it for a moment, acting as though he really doesn't want to go, but he finally shrugs.

  "I'll get dressed. I need to stop in anyhow, make sure people are still working without the boss there."

  I can't help but grin. That night I saw him at Silk... This time will be different. If I could have sex right now, I'd probably end this little game of ours. Dane has to care about me as more than a friend if he refuses to leave me alone for more than five seconds. He has neglected everything else in his life just so he can be by my side.

  "Does that mean I get free drinks?" I muse, batting my lashes playfully.

  He laughs and comes to place a sweet kiss on my cheek.

  "Drink all you want. On the house."

  I clap my hands, mocking enthusiasm, and I'm rewarded with his throaty laughter.

  "I'll call the guys."

  "Dane's hogging you," Maverick pouts, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Dane chuckles lightly while pulling me closer and kissing my forehead. I nestle against him while the guys try to talk Dale into getting back into the game. This booth is the perfect place in the building.

  I'm still not crazy about the burlesque pole dancers, though.

  The only thing missing is a member of our group, and he's missing because of me.

  "Mr. Sterling," a girl in a pair of suctioned-to-her-ass shorts purrs, breaking me out of my reverie. "Ember said you were here. Can I get you a drink?"

  She lets her gaze drift to me, and in her eyes, I can see her sharpening her claws.

  "Yeah, Vanessa, bring us a few rounds of shots and our usual drinks, too. And add a vodka martini to that as well."

  She gives him her syrupy sweet grin, while putting her hand on his shoulder, and then she leans in to whisper to him. I don't know what she says, but Dane laughs while shaking his head.

  Bitch.

  When she walks off, I exert a hell of a lot of willpower to not ask him what that was about. Dane had a reputation in high school, so I can only imagine it's doubled since then. Look at him. He's gorgeous, rich, so fucking sweet, incredible... I hate my life sometimes.

  Why did I want to go out? I'd rather be torturing myself at home as opposed to being out here in the real world—where other women can remind him what they're offering. At least at home I don't have to compete. I'm so stupid.

  "You okay?" Dane asks, keeping his arm around me and tipping my chin up with his other hand.

  "I'm fine. But I don't think Vanessa likes me very much."

  His laughter is expected. Why did I say that?

  "She doesn't like any woman very much. Don't worry about her. Want to dance?"

  That makes my grin return. Dancing with Dane Sterling. It'll be just as tormenting as having him wrapped around me at home, but maybe the seduction of the dance floor can help me out a little.

  Sex may be off the table for now, but nothing else is.

  The shots return just before I answer, and Vanessa scowls at me as she hands me my martini. I half expect a wad of spit to be floating on the surface, so I elect to skip the martini and go with the shots.

  Tequila. Why does he always get tequila? Damn it.

  I chug the shot, and the guys all cheer me on. Dale, surprisingly, grabs another shot and chugs it rapidly before standing.

  "I'm going to do it."

  While I'm trying to figure out what he's talking about it, Maverick and Corbin roar out in celebration, toasting with new shot glasses and downing the tequila like it isn't an amber devil.

  Dale snickers while hopping down from the elevated area, and lands on his feet near the dance floor. He walks away, his sights set on a pretty redhead with a lot of leg. Well I'll be damned. Dale's back.

  Vanessa returns with another tray of shot glasses, and Corbin eyes her very abundant cleavage. She ignores the rest of the table as she leans in too close to Dane, giving him a full view down her shirt even though his arm is clearly wrapped around me.

  This is why I have so many guy friends. Women can be bitches.

  Right now is one of those moments where you really want a pie to shove in someone's face. It'd be the perfect pie moment.

  "You staying until closing tonight? My car is messing up again, and I could use a ride," she says very suggestively, letting her voice carry over the music.

  Two pies.

  I start to slide away from him, before I stupidly climb over the table and break out my badass, but Dane keeps me close to him.

  "I'm staying with Rain tonight, so I won't be going that way. But you could get Ember to give you a ride. She lives close to you."

  Demonically possessed people probably look less frightening than she does right now. After a quick death-glare, she walks away, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

  "Damn, Dane. Piss off the ones that don't look that good," Corbin chides, teasing Dane, who laughs.

  "We were going to dance," Dane says, tugging at my elbow.

  He normally takes her home? He knows where she lives?

  This shouldn't piss me off so much, but it does. Dane Sterling destroyed me once. I thought I was ready to put it all behind me, but I can't. I still love the bastard, and... I have to stop this.

  I'm not eighteen anymore, so I can't keep pretend as well as I once could. I dealt with all the heartbreaking tales of Dane's conquests back then—because the whole school talked about their prince and his wicked ways—but I can't do that now. Maybe I'm not as strong as I used to be.

  "Actually, Mav gets the first dance," I say with a smile, glancing toward Maverick whose eyebrows go up.

  "Me? Hell yeah. Every time we dance I get girls flogging me afterwards."

  Maverick hops out, and Dane tilts his head in confusion as he slides around for me to get free. He holds his hand out for me to take in a gentlemanly gesture, and I do so, never meeting his eyes.

  "Something happen that I missed?" he asks as I stand up, keeping my hand locked in his.

  I force a smile while looking up into his eyes. "Nothing. Mav usually gets the first dance. It's just our thing. We'll dance later."

  He doesn't look convinced,
and it makes me wonder if my eye did its twitchy thingy. "Yeah. Sure," he says tightly.

  I walk around him, and Maverick hops down from the elevated area and reaches up for me. I drop into his arms, laughing lightly when he refuses to put me down. He carries me all the way to the dance floor, and then he proceeds to make an absolute fool out of the both of us.

  I just dance, not caring about rhythm, style, or even my dignity. I have to clear my head, and my boys are always good for that.

  "I'm cutting in," Corbin says from behind me, twirling me around and jerking me to him.

  I giggle as he swings me around, and we dance like kids on the playground for at least two songs. That's when Dale abandons his candy and swoops in to fill the third slot of my dance card.

  He dances a little more normal, but still nothing serious. I can't help but burst out laughing when he does a jumping fist-pump thing, because it's so unlike him.

  As we all act like idiots without a care, my eyes stray up toward the booth to see Vanessa sitting on the table, her legs close to Dane's lap, as she capitalizes on my absence. I pretend not to be watching, but my eyes never leave that booth.

  Dane doesn't look happy or flirty. In fact, he looks a little pissed. Whatever he says to her makes her back up with a frown. She quickly removes herself from the table and practically runs away.

  When Dane looks down to me, I quickly jerk my head away, pretending as though I haven't been watching. Shit. What just happened?

  ***

  DANE

  I'm going to fire Vanessa the first chance I get. Fucking shit.

  Everything was fine—better than fine. It was the best time I've ever had at Silk until Vanessa ruined it. I was about to have Rain in my arms, and I was going to take advantage of the seduction my club dishes out.

  Gallbladder surgery... I don't even know what the limitations are. I've been checking her incision regularly to see how she's healing, because I don't know what questions to ask.

  I'm scared to attempt anything too physical, simply because it could hurt her.

  Right this second I'm thinking of getting very physical. I want to throw her stubborn ass over my shoulder and haul her out of here. We shouldn't have come out.