“You made me waffles?” I asked in semi-shock, looking around at the collection of bowls and ingredients on the counter. “From scratch?”
“Yep. So, what do you want, maple syrup? Blueberries? I think I have some raspberries in the freezer, but I’d need about five minutes to turn them into a quick compote topping if you want them,” he replied, deftly opening what I now recognized as a waffle iron and pulling a large waffle out before pouring more batter. “Hurry up now, I don’t want our waffles to get cold.”
“Maple would be great,” I answered. “Butter too, if you have any.”
“Only organic grass fed,” he said. “You can find it in the fridge if you don’t mind. I slept late myself and need to hurry just a bit if I want to get into the office this morning.”
I found the butter and took it out. “Wow, your fridge looks like it was stocked at a total organic food store or something.”
Kade nodded. “It was. I’m not into a crazy diet of any one type, so I eat gluten, meat, eggs, all that. But I do figure on using whole organic ingredients as much as I can. As a model, do you have any special diet?”
I shook my head. “I think I’m going to be taking a sabbatical from modeling,” I said, smiling as I cut pats of butter from the stick and set them on a small white china plate I found in the glass-fronted cupboards. “Maybe I’ll go to college, like my stepbrother thinks I can do.”
“I think admissions for PSU are closed for the fall semester, but the winter term might be an option,” Kade said, taking it in stride. “Is your agent going to be pissed?”
“Probably, but they’ll understand. We models are supposed to be mentally irregular anyway. If I tell them that I’m only open for limited shoots, they’ll be happy enough. Besides, I don’t have a dedicated contract with them, they just represent me. But Kade, why the fresh breakfast?”
“It’s something I do,” he replied. “I guess afterwards, when you give yourself to me, I try and give myself to you in return.”
“So I can expect waffles every time?” I joked lightly. “You know I don’t need it.”
Kade turned off the waffle iron and got the last waffle out. Setting it on a serving platter, he came over and pulled me into his arms. “You may not need it, but I enjoy it. Isn’t that all we need?”
“Well, that and some new clothes,” I replied, snuggling against his chest. “You said we’d talk about shopping today, but you have work. I understand.”
Kade shook his head. “I didn’t forget. This evening, after work. I’m going to talk to Vince and Monica, set up some stuff on the cases we’re working on, and then be home by six to take you out for the evening. It won’t be the best shops in Portland, but we can definitely hit up the Lloyd Center tonight, it’ll get you started. It has a Macy’s, but sadly the Nordstrom’s is closed.”
I chuckled and snuggled tighter against him. “I don’t need expensive clothes. I have everything I need right here.”
Kade chuckled and whispered in my ear. “Lloyd Center also has a Victoria’s Secret. Not all of the shopping is going to be just for you. Now, let’s have some breakfast. I have a few requests for you for while I’m at work.”
CHAPTER 14
KADE
A fter a busy but relaxed day at the office, where Monica spent the first half hour having me sign paperwork, I was surprised when Dad gave me a call. I closed my office door and put him on speakerphone while I looked over the transcript of the deposition Vince had sat in on. “Hey, Dad, how’s it going back at work?”
“I wish I was back in Catalina,” Dad said with a laugh. “But considering the talk that Layla and Alix had last night, I wouldn’t have it any other way. What magic happened to have Alix call Layla like that?”
I was tempted to tell Dad the truth, but decided against it. It would lead to too many questions that I wasn’t prepared to answer. “I don’t really know, Dad. I was surprised when Alix asked to come with me to Portland, actually. If we didn’t spend most of the night talking, I would be worried, but I think she’s just moving on to a new stage in her life. Can you guess what she wants to do now?”
“What? Please don’t tell me she’s fallen in love with someone and wants to get married. Layla hated her last boyfriend. I can’t say I liked the guy either.”
How close you are, yet how far, Dad. “No, but she was saying she wants to take a sabbatical from modeling, and look at going to college. It was part of why she wanted to come up here, she’s looking at maybe going to PSU.”
“Really? That’s great,” Dad said, genuine happiness in his voice. “I mean, Alix is beautiful, and I was always happy for her modeling career, but she’s always had more brains than she gives herself credit for. Any idea what she wants to study?”
“Not yet. I think she really got fired up from all the investing and real estate work you’ve been helping her with, and she might be looking at something like that.”
“Well I’m glad to hear it. You know, Kade, Alix impresses me more and more every day. Why don’t you settle down and find a nice girl like her? I’m fifty-eight, and I’d like to be young enough to play with grandkids some day.”
I laughed, leaning back and setting my deposition transcript aside. “Dad, you and I both know there’s only one Alix Nova. Besides, you can’t rush love. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere and smacks you in the face.”
“I know, son. Sorry about that. Listen, I just wanted to make sure everything is okay with you and Alix. I assume she’s staying at your condo?”
“Sure is. She says she’ll be comfortable in the guest bedroom for a while. We’ll play it by ear from there.”
“That sounds fine. Son, I’d love to talk more, but I know you’re at work. When you have some time this weekend, think the two of you could do a group call with me and Layla? I have some big news for you guys, and I’d like your opinion on some things.”
“Of course. Let’s set something up for Saturday.”
After finishing with Dad, I wrapped up my transcript reading and talked the case over with Vince and Monica, knowing there was little on our plate for the rest of the day. It was both the blessing and the curse of being an attorney who spent most of his work representing athletes. I got a monthly cut of their paychecks directly from their teams, which was nice. On the other hand, there was little to do at times when they were keeping themselves out of trouble and focused on their jobs. I certainly handled a few other cases. I enjoyed trial litigation, but at the moment we were in the long pause in between initial filings and actually going to trial. Things were quiet, which I suppose was a benefit to me.
As I was getting my bag to head out, Vince stuck his head in the door. “Hey Kade, can I bend your ear for a minute?”
“Go ahead,” I said, setting my bag down on my desk. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted you to know I got in contact with a towing service in Los Angeles that did what you asked. Alix’s car is at her house now, they took the credit card no problem. Also, I started a background check on that guy you two mentioned. Besides what I already know, he’s one sick puppy. Seriously, Alix was lucky to get away from that asshole.”
“Thanks, Vince. Like I said, keep this off the books, it’s a personal family deal. But I’ll comp you for your time.”
Vince laughed and nodded. “Sure. Hey, if you get a chance, think Alix could introduce me to that girl I talked to on the phone? That Aussie accent, man . . . ”
I shook my head, laughing. “We’ll see. I just wanted to say thanks, and that tomorrow I should have that sound file for you. Alix is editing it down right now, she knows not to cut out anything but the end portion after I knock him the fuck out.”
“I’d have her chop off anything if you threaten him,” Vince commented. “I take it you nailed him pretty hard, you don’t want to be copping to threatening his life too. Even if he deserved it.”
“I don’t think I did, but if so, I’ll make sure that’s clean too. Thanks, Vince.”
“No
problem.”
* * *
After a quick stop on the way home for a little gift for Alix, I parked in front of my condo at exactly five fifty-six in the evening. Holding the package in my hands, I walked up the single flight of stairs to the upper floor where my condo was. “Alix, I’m home!”
What greeted me at the door was arousing, touching, and humorous at the same time. To start with, my condo was spotless. I’m not a dirty man by any means, but there’s a difference between when a single bachelor cleans for living and when a woman cleans with intent. I could see my face in the marble tiles of my entryway, but I barely noticed.
Instead, my eyes were filled with the sight of Alix, wearing her other t-shirt and jeans, on her knees, her hands folded in her lap and her hair pulled back out of her face, looking up at me. “Welcome home, Kade.”
I knelt down and helped her to her feet, touched as she winced from her numb calves and feet. “How long have you been kneeling there, waiting for me?”
“A few minutes. When you said you’d be home by six, I wanted to be ready in case you were early.”
Remembering the package I had in my free hand, I handed it to her. “By the way, this is for you.”
“What is it?” Alix asked, a smile breaking out on her face. She opened the bag and tilted her head, lifting the pot out. “It’s beautiful, Kade.”
They were. Creamy white petals, soft as a baby’s breath, curved elegantly from stems to be rimmed in deep red. They were rare, they were amazing, and they were for Alix. “I learned about them when I first heard you being called an English rose. I thought it was funny at the time, since you’re as American as apple pie, but it gave me some ideas. As I read casually, I learned a bit about English history.”
“I wasn’t much into English history when I was in high school,” Alix murmured. “I did American as my requirement.”
“Starting in 1455, the House of York and the House of Lancaster fought over who would be the King of England,” I said. “In classic tales, the Yorkists were represented by a white rose, the Lancasterians a red rose. The wars went on and off for thirty years, until in 1485, Henry VII put an end to the wars. His symbol was a red rose with a white center. It’s actually still used as one of the royal symbols of England.”
I pulled Alix close, wrapping my arms around her waist, inhaling the soft scent of her hair. “It’s the Tudor Rose, Alix.”
CHAPTER 15
ALIX
I watched, entranced as the figure skaters jumped and twirled across the ice. They weren’t that high a level, nobody there was ready for the Olympics any time soon, but it didn’t matter, they were still graceful while at the same time athletic. “It’s beautiful, but also so intense,” I said, watching the skaters’ faces which were etched with effort as they tried to maintain position. “I’d never noticed that before watching it on TV.”
I was in the Lloyd Center, one of the biggest malls in Portland, big enough that in the center of it there was an ice rink. I don’t know how expensive it was to run an ice rink in the middle of a shopping mall, but it certainly made for some interesting viewing.
“Have you ever gone skating?” the man behind me asked. I turned, and Kade Prescott, my stepbrother, Dom, lover, and love of my life looked back at me with a twinkle in his dark eyes. We were in public, so we couldn’t be as affectionate as I wanted, but still he did little things to show how he felt about me, like leaning in close or making sure our arms were touching when we leaned against the boards surrounding the rink.
“No, except for one or two skate parties when I was a girl,” I admitted. “You know, someone has their birthday party at the rink, and we all cling to the boards desperately while shuffling around the ice, except for the three people who actually can skate their butts off. What about you?”
“Me?” Kade said with a laugh. “No, never. Would you like to try?”
I shook my head. “Not today, Kade. We came for shopping, remember?”
Kade nodded and pointed across the rink. “Well, there’s our first stop. Macy’s, unless you’re interested in Marshall’s and Foot Locker.”
“I was thinking,” I said, before leaning in to whisper in his ear, “that we’d make sure to make a trip to Victoria’s Secret. Would you like that, Kade?”
I made sure when I said Kade’s name, I said it in that special way that I’d developed that said I was being his sub, and not just his stepsister. We’d just had sex for the first time the night before, but it didn’t matter. I was drunk off of Kade, and I wanted more.
Kade’s eyes lit up, and he let his lips twitch in the beginnings of a smile. “Careful, Alix. I think it would be best if we save that for the last store we go to.”
“Yes, Kade,” I replied, happy. It felt like I could go the rest of my life just with that. Yes, Kade. I didn’t think any other words would ever mean more, or make me happier to say over and over.
“And one other thing, Alix,” Kade said, leaning in. “You’ll wear some of that tonight when we get home.”
I nodded, grinning. “Yes, Kade.”
Shopping was actually easy. With my cover story being that I was taking an extended sabbatical from full-time modeling, I didn’t have to worry about dressing up in name brand things. Still, I did have an image to uphold, if only because I wanted to look good for Kade as well.
It was actually fun teasing him a bit as we shopped. Since in public he had to be my stepbrother, I could show him a little sass, all the while knowing what we were really doing. My favorite reaction of his was when I tried on a pair of Zella shorts, which were pretty short, and while not quite skin tight, they were very form fitting. They only had a three inch inseam, so coupled with my height, it meant I was showing off a lot of leg.
“So what do you think of these for exercise?” I asked him, pirouetting slowly. With my hip pointed to him, I ran my hands over my ass, supposedly looking at myself in the mirror but actually watching Kade over my shoulder. “I’m worried it might bunch in the back.”
Kade chewed his lip, barely reacting, but I could see in his eyes how I was affecting him. “I think they look fine,” he said after a second, gathering his control. It was a struggle for him, which I knew I would so wonderfully be punished for later. “Are you planning on wearing that for anything else?”
“No, but I do know I’m going to need to work out more often now, for stress and to make myself stronger. I’d like to have some good gym stuff.”
“Why do you want to get stronger?” Kade asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He was still in his clothes from work, a coordinating suit set by Hugo Boss that looked amazing on him, although he’d ditched the jacket and tie. Too muscular to wear a slim fit, he still filled out the classic cut pants and shirt in a way that had my blood pumping through my body. “You said on the drive up here you were worried about getting too big.”
“That was before,” I answered. “Now, I need to be stronger, in more control of myself. I know that going to college is going to mean testing my limits, and I’d like to see where those are.”
Kade’s smirk sent warm chills down my spine, as he knew exactly what I was saying. “I’m sure you’ll be pushed to your limits often, but you’ll do just fine,” he answered. “So are you going with the shorts or not?”
“Three pairs,” I answered, closing the curtain on the changing booth again and pulling back on the jeans I’d been wearing. “Then we look at skirts.”
The theatrical groan from Kade outside left me grinning from ear to ear. He played his role of tolerant older stepbrother so well. Or perhaps he was being a tolerant boyfriend, I wasn’t sure, but I knew that for the next two hours, I felt for the first time in a long time like a normal woman my age. We even stopped for a Cinnabon before heading upstairs to Victoria’s Secret as promised.
“Two questions,” Kade said as we looked at the window display, dominated by a large poster of Stella Maxwell in a sports bra and shorts. The company was doing a big push for their workout clot
hes, and I had to admit they were kind of cute. “First, why choose here? The other store had undergarments too.”
“And the second?” I asked, wiping the last of the Cinnabon coating from my lips with a napkin before balling it up. Damn, that was good. If I was to eat those more often, I’d have to exercise.
Kade looked over with a wry little smile. “Why’d they choose that hag bag instead of you for the campaign?”
I couldn’t help but blush at his compliment, and looked at her. She was beautiful, and certainly the VS Angel type. “You’re just flattering me, but I like it,” I said with a smile. “Stella isn’t a hag bag by any measure of the term. She’s quite pretty, I’ve met her twice.”
Kade nodded, keeping his reply to himself. He pointed with his right hand, which held three bags in it, two from Macy’s and one from Foot Locker where I had gotten two pairs of shoes to go with the pair I was already wearing. I needed a new wardrobe, after all.
“And besides, I like them,” I said with a chuckle. “Why are you wearing Hugo Boss with Nikes?”
“Good point. Okay then, well, I’m going to let you do your thing while I go over to the bookstore.”
“Yes, Kade.”
“One other thing,” he said in a low voice. “Pick out two items that you think will be very, very sexy for me. Complete sets. Surprise me. And use my card for this, the PIN is 7794.”
I felt the poke of plastic against my hand and I took the card from Kade. I was only slightly surprised to see it was a Platinum card. “Yes, Kade,” I replied. It wasn’t the money, both of us had more than enough to afford the shopping trip. It was the fact that he was already thinking of me like a girlfriend, and that touched me more than anything else. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“I know you will,” he said, standing back and smiling. “When you’re done, I’ll be in the bookstore.”
I went inside, looking around at the various items. There were a few other customers, but it didn’t take long for one of the clerks to come over. “Welcome to Victoria’s Secret. Is there anything I can help you with today?”
Off Limits: A Bad Boy Romance Page 31
