“Don’t freak,” he whispered, tickling my navel. “I told you I want to get to know you. But I know it’s a two-way street.”
A few of my muscles loosened. “Tell me something about yourself, other than you like me.” My voice was raspy. This probably wasn’t what Dr. Davis had in mind, but maybe he was onto something with the getting-to-know-you game.
He searched my face. “I have a high IQ.”
My eyes widened. “Really?” I teased.
“You don’t believe me?” His hand inched to my side.
I shrugged. He squeezed. I squealed.
“So you’re ticklish?”
“Kade,” I said in a strained voice. “Please.”
“No. Not until…”
I writhed under him, giggling. “Okay. I…believe…you,” I said in a high-pitched voice.
He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you do.”
“I do,” I said, taking a few breaths. “What’s ‘high?’”
“Like one hundred fifty-five.” He squeezed my waist lightly.
“You mean I’ve been kissing a genius all this time?” I giggled again.
His hand traveled up, covering my breast where he rubbed his palm around my nipple. “You want me more now, don’t you?”
Yeah, I did, but it didn’t have anything to do with his IQ. I shifted my glance between my breasts and his fiery copper eyes. The sensation on my breast had me arching slightly.
“Do your brothers have high IQs too?” I asked, hoping to distract both of us—at least me. It was hard to concentrate and listen to him.
His fingers coasted down my stomach, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
“Yep.” His voice was low. “That’s why they tested out of their junior year at the academy. They could’ve tested out earlier, but my dad wanted them to mature a little bit more.”
“Why didn’t you go to the academy with them?”
He laced his fingers with mine before bringing them up to his warm lips. “When we first moved here”—he set our joined hands on the bed between us—“my mom was living with us. We thought she was getting better. We were all on the mend. We were becoming a family again. My dad had just signed his retirement papers from the Army. He’d decided to open up his psychiatric practice to continue to help people coming out of the military. We’d settled on this area. It’s close to my mom’s family and it’s also close to…” His watery gaze drifted past me.
After several long seconds, I snuggled into him, placing a kiss on his neck. I had no idea what he was struggling with. The sadness in his eyes spoke volumes. I had to do something so my own tears wouldn’t surface. Just hearing about his mom sparked images of my own and, if I thought about her, I was afraid of a flashback or panic attack.
“Kade,” I said softly. “Can you kiss me?” His kisses always took me to a peaceful place—one where I was free of my demons. Maybe I could do the same for him.
In a blur, he was on top of me, planting those magical lips on mine. This time, I controlled the kiss. My tongue explored him, tasting and sucking. I loved the way he tasted—a little hint of sugar and whole lot of spice. He purred, and I almost peeled off my clothes. Then I thought better of it. If I was going to give myself to Kade, I wanted to know more of him. I’d made the mistake of not knowing Brad that well, and look where that got me.
“You taste like sunshine,” he breathed as he lifted his body off mine. He grabbed a pillow and propped it under our heads before lying on his side.
“I’m sorry I distracted you.” I rubbed along the scruff of his rough jaw. “You were distant for a minute.”
“Lace, you can distract me anytime.”
“So you were telling me about the academy and…your…mom.” I slipped my foot between his feet. For two seconds, I considered whether I wanted to hear more about his mother. But he’d already started the conversation, and I had to take the chance. If I freaked out thinking about my own mother, at least he was here. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen one of my episodes. I had to dip my toe in the water, as Dr. Davis had said.
He chewed the inside of his cheek. “I almost went to the academy. A month before I was scheduled to leave with my brothers, my mom got sick. My dad needed help, and I couldn’t leave him. So I stayed.”
“So where is your mom now?” I asked in a shaky breath, tears threatening.
His gaze skimmed over my face. “She’s in a…mental health facility three hours from here.”
Okay, I wasn’t ready for that. Suddenly, my body trembled. Why the crazy reaction? I wasn’t sure.
“Hey, you don’t have to cry,” he whispered.
A tear tumbled down my cheek. He wiped it away.
“Talk to me, Lace.”
“Why…is she…?”
“She blames herself for my sister’s death,” he said in a somber tone.
I gasped as the dam opened and I lost it. My breathing grew erratic. Darkness crept in. A picture of my mom on the kitchen floor with her eyes open, not moving, flashed before me. Oh, my God. I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t go there.
“Lace,” Kade said gently. “Baby, talk to me.”
I wanted to, but anxiety, grief, sorrow, paranoia surged through me.
“Look at me,” he pleaded. “Something tells me this isn’t about my mom or my sister.” He feathered a kiss over my mouth.
Losing myself in his lips, I slowly opened my eyes and met his. I expected to see sorrow. Instead, I saw resignation, as though he’d come to terms with his mom and sister. For a second I thought about telling him about Mom and Julie, but I couldn’t without falling into a panic attack.
“There’s those beautiful green eyes. Do you want to go for a walk down to the lake?”
I shuddered then nodded. The cool air would be a welcome relief. Maybe it would clear the last of the darkness lingering in my head.
As we neared the lake, the water gleamed in the last rays of the setting sun. Cold air licked my face. I was grateful for the sweatshirt Kade lent me. I was wrapped in warmth and his scent. I covered my head with the hood then buried my hands in the pockets. We walked in silence until we skirted the edge of the water. At first, I’d thought he was going to coax me into the boathouse—or the funhouse, as I dubbed it. He didn’t. Instead, he grabbed my hand, and we followed the edge of the lake until we were on a trail. The lake had to be two miles around.
Trees towered over us with shades of red and orange hanging from their branches. Birds chirped and a squirrel darted up a trunk in front of us. About half a mile in, we came to an area with a flat rock that sat between two large tree trunks with the initials KM carved into it.
“Let’s sit for a minute.” He motioned to the large stone.
“Your initials?” I asked.
“Yes and no. You know each of our first names begin with a K. So did my sister’s. Her name was Karen.”
“And the hearts?” Like the five hearts stenciled on his truck, there were five etched into the rock.
“My sister loved hearts. She had them embroidered on her jeans, her shirts, even her jackets. She’d told me, ‘Kade, a beating heart is the mystery behind a person. When people hurt, their hearts hurt. When they love, their hearts love, and when they cry, their hearts cry, too. The heart knows everything.’ She was twelve.” He played with a few strands of my hair. “So there are five hearts engraved on this rock representing us five siblings, and I had five painted on my truck. I have her journal tucked away, and every now and then I’ll read it to remember her.”
I swallowed, trying not to lose my composure again. But the meaning behind the hearts was enough to make my own heart cry. We both sat down on the rock. I brought my knees to my chest while Kade draped his arm over my shoulder. The sun glinted off the water, its rays sparkling like diamonds.
<
br /> “How did she die?” I asked softly. I had to know. My reasoning probably didn’t make much sense. It felt like learning the way she died might help me heal a little. I didn’t know how. Maybe hearing someone else’s tragedy might help to mend my broken heart.
“She was accidentally shot,” he said into the breeze.
I gasped for the second time within an hour. Tears dropped again.
He kissed my head. “My dad, since I can remember, has always had guns. He was in Special Forces. He knew how to handle weapons. He got us boys acclimated to guns early on. But he didn’t want his little girl anywhere near them. He would tell her that girls shouldn’t be handling guns. He wanted Karen to stay innocent. Anyway, every time she asked if she could go shooting with him, he’d say no. Then somehow, she got the combination to my dad’s gun cabinet. I don’t know the exact course of events, but my mom found Karen and a friend in the garage. The gun cabinet was open, and my sister’s friend had a gun in her hands. We don’t know if the girl was startled by my mom’s voice, but it went off, and my sister...”
I thought of the loss of my own sister, and the tears continued to flow. I unfolded my knees and rested my head against his chest.
“It’s taken me a while to shed some of the pain. I’m not there yet. I have my bad days.”
I wiped tears from my eyes.
He turned my chin to face him. “Lace, I’ve never told another living soul any of this.”
“Why me?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” Closing the inch between us, he planted a soft kiss on my nose.
“Were you living here when it happened?”
“No. We were living in Texas.”
The sound of leaves crumbling under someone’s feet echoed around us.
“If that’s Kelton…” Kade growled.
“Chill, bro,” a voice said from our right.
“Kross, what do you want?” Kade asked.
Clad in jeans and a gray T-shirt with “Jab, Jab, Hook” on the front in black letters, Kross strode toward us, powerful and self-assured. “Dad has been trying to call you. Where’s your phone?” Kross asked, standing in front of us with his thumbs hooked in his jean pockets.
“I left it in my room.”
“He needs you to call him right away,” he said with a poker face.
“What does he want?” Kade asked.
“How should I know? You’re the one in charge when he’s gone. Are you okay, Lacey?” Kross asked, his blue gaze skating over me.
“Yeah, why?” I replied, sitting up straighter. My eyes and face must be splotchy and red. He glanced at Kade, who was glaring at Kross.
“What?” Kade asked.
“Did you make her upset?” Kross eyed Kade.
“No, man.”
“He didn’t,” I added. It was nice at how Kross seemed to be concerned about me.
“Then why were you crying?” Kross asked.
“Drop it, bro,” Kade snapped.
“It’s getting late. I should get home.” I rose. Twilight was descending, coloring the sky in light and dark blues.
“I swear I’m going to beat the crap out of you and Kelton. I can’t get a moment of peace without one of you interrupting me,” Kade said as he stood.
“Hey, I’m only delivering a message,” Kross said.
The three of us walked back to the house.
“You did well today, Lacey,” Kross said. “I enjoyed our practice.”
“Even when you missed my pitches,” I teased. I was still tickled about that.
“Hey, I was practicing.” He grinned, showing that one dimple.
A light spilled out of the open side door of the garage as we approached. I was actually excited to see my Mustang. Kade had said he put in a new battery, and Hunt and Kross tuned it up as well. The bay door in front of the car was opened when we walked in. Kelton and Kody were leaning against my car. Was something going on?
“Great,” Kade muttered. “The welcoming committee. Dad didn’t call, did he?” Kade pushed Kross.
“No, man. We just wanted to get you two out here.”
“For what?” I asked with a little trepidation.
“I will flatten each of you if you’re about to pull a prank.” Kade sounded nervous.
I was a bit leery, too, until Kelton’s cocky grin curved his lips, and he winked at me. Kross went to stand next to his brothers. Wow! What a picture. Their blue eyes blazed against their stark black hair. Five o’clock shadows covered their square jaws, and their biceps bunched as they crossed their arms over well-toned chests. Still, they didn’t make my thighs squeeze or my heart beat faster. Nope. Kade was the only one who energized me. I loved his honey-brown hair and how it curled at the ends. How his impossibly long lashes fanned out to frame his copper eyes. How when he grinned, his dimples emerged, softening the ruggedness of his looks. Most of all, Kade had a powerful yet quiet intensity that made my pulse race and my skin break out in goosebumps.
“Lacey, Kross tells us you did well today. I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” Kelton said. “And we want you to know we’ll be rooting for you tomorrow.”
I swallowed, trying to keep my emotions in check. I didn’t want to cry any more today, but these boys were making it quite difficult.
“And,” Kody spoke up, “when you get on the mound, find your zone. Actually, before school tomorrow, get into your zone. Tune out everything around you. Don’t let anything bother you.”
When Kade tangled his fingers in mine, I couldn’t stave off the emotions. Tears spilled over my lashes. I hadn’t had any friends who cared this much since before my life fell apart in California. “Thank you,” I said in between sniffles. “Why all the encouragement? Not that I’m complaining. But I hardly know you guys.”
“Because, Lacey Robinson,” Kelton drawled with his signature smile, “we want to win state this year, and we know we can do it with you.”
My eyes popped out of my head. They had more confidence in me than I had in myself. I had done well that day at practice. I knew I was good enough to make the team if I did my absolute best at tryouts. But winning state?
Kade drew me into a warm hug. “Okay, guys. I think you freaked her out a little too much. We should let her get home.”
I eased away from Kade. “Sorry for all the tears. They’re happy tears, though.”
“We know,” Kody said. “See you tomorrow, Lacey.”
“Yeah, get some rest, girl,” Kross added. “Oh, and I threw your bag in your car.”
“Remember the zone,” Kelton said.
The triplets left the garage.
“Are you okay?” Kade asked.
“Do they normally do this with your—”
“Girlfriends?” Kade finished for me.
“I’m not your girlfriend,” I teased.
“Yes, you are.” He smiled. “You’re a girl and a friend.”
“The genius is becoming literal on me now?”
He laughed. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Letting go of me, he opened my car door. “Your chariot awaits.”
“Thanks for fixing this clunker for me.”
“It shouldn’t break down anymore,” he said bravely.
“Mmm.” I slid into the driver’s seat. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust his confidence. My dad was good at fixing cars, and even he had never lived up to its needs.
Adjusting the mirrors, I turned the ignition and the engine purred. I glanced at Kade, who had a smug grin on his face. I waved as I gave the car some gas, slowly maneuvering out of the garage. Once I was on the road, I pressed my foot down and headed home. The day had been a rollercoaster of emotions. I hadn’t been this emotional since the funeral. I just prayed the only feeling I displayed tomorrow on the field was confid
ence.
Chapter 13
The next day, my sole focus was tryouts. As soon as I got out of bed I started to go through my pitches in my head, and how to grip each one. Index finger to aim my curveball at my target. Space between the ball and my palm on the fastball. Hold the ball slightly off center on the slider, cock my wrist, but don’t lock it. My shoulder was still tender, but I was going to push through the pain.
After I got ready for school, I grabbed my sports bag and backpack then headed downstairs. I’d just stepped off the last stair when Dad’s voice sounded from his office. What was he doing up so early? He normally slept in.
I swung around the bannister and walked down the hall. His voice deepened. Whoa! Who was he arguing with? I normally didn’t eavesdrop, but the rage in his tone kept me planted outside his open door.
“I don’t give a fuck what you guys think. I know what I’m doing.”
I’d never heard my father say the F word before. I stifled a gasp as a knot formed in my stomach. He grumbled before a sudden series of crashes, clangs, and dings filled the room. I dropped my bags and ran in. His glass-topped desk was clear. Everything from on it was strewn all over the tan carpet, including his laptop.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, stopping.
He looked up. The grimace on his face waned. “Oh. I thought you left for school already,” he said. Anger lingered in his tone—I imagined at the caller he’d been talking to.
“I was just leaving. Is everything okay, Dad?” I asked.
“Yeah. Just a disagreement with Eric and the board at the record label.” Dodging the files, pens, binders, laptop, and CDs, he circled around and hugged me. “Don’t worry, Sweet Pea.” His tone mellowed.
“Are you sure?” I asked, returning the hug. I’d never known Dad to argue with Eric. I wasn’t so much worried about his argument as I was about him, though. Maybe he was in the anger stage of his grief.
He let go. “I’m fine. Now, I’ll see you at tryouts this afternoon.” He kissed me on the forehead. “You’re going to be late.”
Dare to Kiss (The Maxwell Series Book 1) Page 18
