“No, you go ahead.”
Once Kade was finished, he rolled the white cue ball to the head of the table. “You break.”
While he’d been racking the balls, Lexie had chosen a pool stick from the ones lining the wall and rubbed chalk over the tip. “Sure.”
Kade lifted the rack and stepped back. Lexie situated the cue ball on the head spot and leaned over. Kade’s body heated when the movement stretched her tank top across her breasts, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage. To distract himself, he went to pick out his own stick and reined in his libido.
Lexie shot the cue ball down the table. It hit the 1-ball dead-on with a loud crack and the other balls scattered. The striped 10-ball zoomed into a corner pocket, and Lexie flashed Kade a cocky grin. “I got stripes.”
“Lucky break,” he responded.
“Nothing lucky about it.”
“We’ll see.”
When Lexie made two more shots in quick succession, Kade knew he was in for a battle. She sank another ball before scratching.
Kade laughed at her flub, but she just shrugged and said, “I thought you’d like a turn.”
“Sure you did. You might as well sit down now that it’s my turn.”
“Nah. I don’t think I’ll be waiting very long.”
Jibes and a lot of laughter accompanied the rest of the game. When Lexie had two balls left, both of which sat near a side pocket, she re-chalked her cue.
Kade watched as she paced around the table, considering her next shot. She moved gracefully, her hips swaying a little with each step. While she concentrated, she chewed on her bottom lip, which got Kade thinking about kissing her again.
Finally, she said, “Eleven-ball, corner pocket, and the nine-ball in the side pocket,” pointing at each of the corresponding pockets.
“Getting tricky now, hmm?” Kade commented.
“I warned you,” she said in a singsong voice.
“Yeah, yeah. Just take your shot.”
Strains of electric guitar permeated the air as Lexie took careful aim. She thrust her stick forward and the cue ball streaked across the table. It hit the two striped balls, which fired off in opposite directions, each hitting their intended pockets.
Lexie let out a triumphant whoop while Kade groaned in dismay. “Shit! I can’t believe you made that shot.”
“Believe it, babe, ’cause it just happened!”
Kade laughed at her retort, glad that she was having fun. “Yeah, well, it ain’t over yet. Still have to sink that eight-ball, babe.”
In response, Lexie pointed at the far corner pocket with her cue. “Eight-ball, corner pocket.”
Seconds later, Kade shook his head when the black ball dropped into the pocket.
Lexie came around the table and held out her hand, palm up. “Pay up, Kade. Time for me to collect my money and be on my way.”
Kade was having a great time, and he didn’t want Lexie to leave yet. “Not so fast. Let’s go again.”
Lexie’s confident smile flashed as she shrugged a shoulder. “Okay. You must like losing money. If I agree to another game, what are we playing for?”
“Let’s up the stakes,” he replied, stepping a little closer. “If you win, I’ll pay you thirty bucks, but if I win, you have dinner with me.”
Lexie’s breath caught, and she choked a little, making her voice sound froggy. “Have dinner with you?”
“Yeah.”
Lexie planted her hands on her hips in annoyance. “We talked about this, Kade.”
“Lexie, why are you so afraid of a friendly dinner?”
Like a cat, her name being said in the same sentence as the word “afraid” made her hackles rise. If she could, she’d spit and scratch his face.
“I’m not afraid, Kade, I just don’t need any complications at work, or any more in my life, period.”
“I don’t want to complicate your life. I’d just like to show you a nice time. That’s all. But if you don’t have the stones to take a gamble and play me…” His unspoken challenge hung in the air between them.
He’d caught her in a trap. She was all about saving face.
“All right. You’re on.”
He didn’t care about hiding his grin. He was having fun. “Awesome. Let’s get to it.”
Lexie chuckled and racked the balls. Kade broke, and the game was on. The stakes were even higher now, and Lexie approached each shot with painstaking caution. Kade wasn’t taking any prisoners and sank three of his balls in a row, leaving only the 8-ball.
“So, Lex, what night is good for you?” he asked as he prepared to take his next shot.
“Cocky, aren’t ya. It’s not over yet. Are you ready to lose thirty bucks?” she countered.
Kade smiled and took aim.
To his surprise Lexie folded her arms under her breasts, pushing them up and giving him a great view down her bra. She was playing dirty.
He inwardly laughed as he took his shot after taking in the show. She barely kept from dropping her head as defeat smacked her in the face. He wouldn’t gloat; that would see her spitting tacks.
Taking a breath, she put a resigned smile on her face. “Guess I better dust off my nice clothes. Congrats, Kade.”
“You sound like having dinner with me is the kiss of death.”
“I’m just wondering at the motive. Why are you so desperate to wine and dine me? I’ve told you Jason’s safe from a jail cell—well, from me anyway.”
Kade gritted his teeth. He wondered at his own motives, too. “I really don’t know. How’s that for honesty?”
Lexie’s mouth dropped open. She closed it and asked, “Where are you taking me?”
“That’s a surprise. What time is good for you?” What the hell was he doing? And why? Why did this woman stir him so?
“Okay. Pick me up at the shop around six,” she said. “I get off at five and I can be ready by then.”
He wanted to high-five someone, but he just said, “Six it is, then.”
On a smile that said she knew he was full of crap, she added, “Say hi to your friend in the band for me. I’ll catch him next time. I’m heading out. See you.”
Kade said, “Ok. Good night.”
He watched her weave her way through the crowded bar, and his groin tightened. He should feel the guilt start about now, but it didn’t.
Just then, his phone rang. When he saw the number, he merely said, “What’s the news?”
“It’s hard to follow a money trail when Jason’s got so much cash. But he is in Chicago. Just not in his usual haunts. No one’s seen him, except a cab driver that picked him up from the airport. He dropped him at a motel near the waterfront, but he left the next day.”
“Damn. Keep looking.”
“The team is working overtime, but it’s as if he’s become a ghost. With no credit card purchases, we’re flying blind. Maybe we should come back to LA and regroup.”
“No. He’s in Chicago. Just find him.”
“Okay. It’s your money.” And the phone went dead.
Suddenly the euphoria over a date with Lexie died. What the fuck was he doing with his brother’s wife? The divorce wasn’t even through, and Jason was fighting his demons on his own.
Jason had once looked up to him. Hero worshipped, in fact. Then he’d had success on the racing circuit, and the fame, money and women went to his little brother’s head. Overnight, Jason become a man Kade didn’t recognize—or like.
If only he’d taken more interest in Jason’s life. But when Jason brought Lexie to visit for the first time before they’d married, he’d had to pull back. The sudden protectiveness and possessiveness she stirred deep inside made warning bells peal.
He should have stuck around. Perhaps he could have stopped Jason’s slide into drug addiction.
He downed a rum and Coke and shook his head. If Lexie couldn’t stop him, then why did Kade think he could?
His mother was right. Jason was weak.
As he made his way out to t
he waiting Uber, he wished he could hold his brother and tell him everything would be okay.
He had to find him before it was too late.
Chapter Six
Lexie looked at herself in the locker-room mirror at work and debated about wearing lip gloss. She wanted to look nice, but not too nice, lest she give Kade the wrong idea. This wasn’t a date. No, this was just dinner with a… What did she call Kade? She didn’t like the idea of continually calling him her brother-in-law—soon to be ex-brother-in-law, she hoped—but could she consider him a friend? She supposed so.
Lexie decided on deep rose lipstick instead of the lip gloss and rummaged around in a small compartment in her backpack for it. It would look pretty, but not sexy. She applied it and a little mascara and looked at herself again. Her dark blue jeans and powder-blue buttoned-down shirt weren’t fancy, but she felt sexy anyway.
Sexy. Why did she want to feel sexy?
“That’ll do,” she mumbled to herself and put her things away.
As Lexie slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out front to wait for Kade, she hoped he wasn’t late. She’d already endured some ribbing from Tom about their outing, and she didn’t want to hear any more. Entering the office, Lexie was relieved to find it empty, indicating that Tom and Marcus had already left for the day.
The clanking sounds of tools and the steady drumbeat of music meant that at least one mechanic was still working. She avoided the shop and went to stand outside the office door. It was a mild evening, with little humidity and no sign of rain. Lexie wished she was heading home instead of going with Kade. It would be a nice night to sit out on her miniscule patio and sip some wine while she watched the sun go down.
It wasn’t long before Kade drove into the parking lot in his sleek, look-at-me silver Mercedes GT and stopped in front of her. He surprised her by getting out and coming around to the passenger side.
“Hi, Lexie. You look nice,” he said, opening the door.
Lexie blinked a few times. She couldn’t remember if Jason had ever opened a door for her. Realizing she was staring at Kade, she gave herself a mental shake and smiled. “Hi. Thanks. So do you.”
She meant it. His jeans rode low on his trim hips and his short-sleeved blue t-shirt showcased his muscular chest and arms.
His smile made her pulse rise a little. “Thanks. Ready?”
“Yeah.”
Kade held the door while she got in and shut it for her. His gentlemanly behavior, which seemed at odds with his tough-guy appearance, flattered her. He slid into the driver’s seat and the fine hairs on Lexie’s arms stood up over his sudden nearness. The car interior seemed to shrink until Kade filled her vision.
He shut his door and the sound jarred her out of the sudden spell he’d unknowingly cast over her. To hide her confusion, Lexie reached for the seat belt and buckled it. When she looked up, her gaze collided with Kade’s, and he smiled.
“All set?”
“All set,” she confirmed.
He put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
Lexie couldn’t help admiring the calm, confident way Kade drove as they headed toward the downtown area of LA. He remained cool even when someone cut him off or tailgated him. Jason had a horrible case of road rage. As a racing driver, Jason thought he owned the road. Riding with him had always set Lexie’s teeth on edge, and his almost constant yelling often gave her a headache. It was a relief to drive with someone like Kade.
As they traveled down the streets, the quality of the neighborhoods deteriorated, which made Lexie a little nervous.
“Where are we going?” she asked. “I don’t know of any nice restaurants down here.”
“Me neither. We’re not going to a restaurant.”
Lexie watched men on the street with a little trepidation. They’d started arguing, and there was a lot of emphatic gesturing going on. “Then where are you taking me? A food truck or something?”
“No. I’m taking you for the best spaghetti dinner you’ll ever have,” Kade said.
Looking around at the dilapidated, graffiti-riddled buildings, Lexie couldn’t figure out where Kade meant. Some sections of the downtown area had seen rebirth since the early 2000s, but there were still areas, especially close to Skid Row, that had improved little. The neighborhood they were driving through didn’t hold much promise.
Soon, Kade slowed down and took a right turn into a parking lot next to a long, squat building. Many of its dingy-brown bricks were cracked, and it needed repainting. Looking it over, Lexie noticed that while the building was rundown, the windows were clean, as was the parking lot. There was no litter, and while the thin strips of grass outlining the far edges of the lot were brown and dried up, they were neatly trimmed. Someone took pride in the place’s appearance.
Kade pulled into a spot between a big, mint-green Chevy truck and a silver Lincoln Town Car and killed the engine.
“Are you going to tell me where we are now, man of mystery?” Lexie asked.
Kade laughed. “We’re at the Little Street Underground Mission.”
Lexie shook her head. “The what?”
“You heard me.”
“You brought me to a mission for a spaghetti dinner? I’ve heard of being a cheapskate, but this takes the cake.” Lexie laughed.
“No, Lexie. We’re not here to eat. Well, not until a little later on,” Kade said. “I volunteer here a few times a month serving meals. I’m on the schedule tonight.”
Lexie looked at the ugly building and then back at Kade. “No wonder you said don’t dress fancy.”
Kade’s smile didn’t dim as he took the keys out of his ignition. “I promise you that in two hours, you’ll be sitting down to some fine Italian dining.”
When he got out of the car, Lexie just sat there for a moment.
“C’mon, Lex! There are hungry people in here who need us to serve them.”
Lexie glanced at the building again, and then turned her gaze back to Kade’s expectant expression. How amazing for a man who has it all, to want to help those who have nothing. Definitely different to his brother. Jason considered no one but himself. Like a block of ice cracking in the sun, her heart warmed. This was the type of man a woman would be proud to have at her side, to share her life with. Whoa, where did that thought come from? But she couldn’t help love that he wanted to share this with her. He really seemed to be trying to prove he was not his brother—nothing like him, in fact.
She’d already told him she would press charges, so perhaps he really did just simply want to impress her. Get to know her. He’d guessed money didn’t impress her, but this softer, kinder side to such an alfa male was intoxicating. She felt her face flush with heat. Kade could have almost any woman he wanted. Did he really want her?
She looked into his handsome face and decided perhaps she’d see where this lead—but cautiously.
“You certainly know how to impress a lady. I love this idea. You are full of surprises.”
“I hope that’s a good thing?”
Lexie said, “I guess we’ll have to see. Let’s go.”
She started for the sidewalk in front of the building, but Kade caught her arm. “The kitchen entrance is this way. It’s quicker.”
His warm hand on her skin made Lexie’s heartbeat leap. “Okay. Lead on.”
Kade released her and strode toward the back of the building. They reached an ugly brown door, and Kade shot her a grin as he turned the handle. “Prepare for bedlam.”
“I’m sure I can handle it,” Lexie said.
Kade opened the door and motioned her inside.
For the first time today, Lexie looked forward to tonight—the man by her side too big a part of that happiness for her peace of mind.
Chapter Seven
It was almost ten p.m. when Kade dropped Lexie off at Bad Boy Autos to pick up her car. He drove up to the office and cut the engine.
“Admit it. You had a good time tonight.”
Kade watched her closely,
and Lexie couldn’t hold back a smile at his smug statement. “It was interesting, to say the least.”
Kade shifted in his seat to face her a little more. “C’mon, be honest. You liked it.”
Lexie crossed her arms over her stomach and nodded her head. “Okay, yes, I had a good time. I didn’t realize ministers could be so funny. Pastor Sal is hysterical, and I love the way he and Elouise razz each other.”
“Yeah, Elouise keeps her hubby in line,” Kade said. “They liked you, too, especially Elouise. She thought we were a thing until I explained the situation.”
Lexie said, “She said the same thing to me, but I set her straight right away.”
“Good. We don’t need any misunderstandings. I told anyone who asked that we were just friends,” Kade assured her. Easy does it. He didn’t want to look too closely at why he didn’t say “she’s my sister-in-law.”
Lexie looked out the windshield at the darkened garage as she pondered his words. “Friends. Are we, Kade?”
“Would that be so terrible?” He wished he knew what she was thinking.
“I’ve just never thought of you as more than Jason’s brother.” Something flickered in her dark eyes, but Lexie didn’t elaborate.
His left shoulder lifted in a nonchalant shrug. “I know, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get to know each other a little better while you’re working on my car.”
Toying with a zipper on her bag, Lexie said what Kade had been expecting for days. “You never wanted to know me better when I was married to Jason. I thought you blamed me for his behavior.”
Caught. What could he say to that? He opened his car door and got out. She smiled as she realized that he was coming around to open her door.
When he did, she alighted, but he blocked her path.
“Lexie, I don’t think you believe men and women can be just friends.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she couldn’t respond for a moment. “What? Why would you think that?”
Purr For Me: Bad Boy Autos (Drive Me Wild Book 2) Page 6
