Lexie laughed. “Not now. Tomorrow morning.”
Kade stifled a groan. He was still on a strict deadline and would most likely have to pull another all-nighter. However, he would not turn down the chance to spend time with Lexie.
“Sounds great. Where do you want to meet?”
“Have you ever done the West Loop at Elysian Park?”
“No. I hear it’s nice, though. Easy, but nice.”
“Not the way I do it. Meet me there tomorrow at five-thirty. Bye.”
The way she’d left him no choice but to go amused Kade. Lexie’s moxie was one thing he most admired about her. With a grin, he fell back into bed. He reset his alarm for three p.m. He had a long night of writing ahead of him before his run.
Kade could see Lexie doing warm-up stretches while she waited for him as he drove up the next morning. She was as flexible as fuck, and naughty thoughts jumped into his brain. She grabbed her right ankle and brought it up behind her, and all he could think about was what those legs would feel like wrapped around his waist.
The sun’s early rays shone down on the dirt parking lot, turning it and everything else it touched to burnished gold. He hoped it wouldn’t get too hot before the run was over, or his lack of sleep might see him throw up if they ran too far.
He parked the Mercedes and jumped out. “Morning, Lex. You look more awake than the other morning.”
His blood turned hot as he took in the sight of Lexie in a pair of thigh-length, skin-tight purple running shorts and a matching sports bra. He’d seen her in a bikini a few times and knew she had a sexy, toned body, but she looked even better than he remembered. Her shapely, long legs and slightly defined midsection led up to the swell of her breasts, which in his estimation were the perfect size, just large enough to fill his palms.
Get a grip, he thought as his groin tightened with a small influx of heated blood. His sweat shorts weren’t great camouflage for an erection, so he focused on her eyes. The sun had turned them a warm coffee brown, and he loved the way her smile made them sparkle.
“That’s right. I’m bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to kick your ass.”
Kade grinned as he stretched. “We’ll see about that.”
“Mmm hmm. I’m ready to go, so hurry with those stretches. Daylight’s burning.”
“You sound like an eighties military movie,” Kade said as he started a series of walking lunges. He loved how Lexie watched every move.
“Okay. Ready to do this?”
Kade’s question snapped Lexie out of her thoughts and she nodded. “Ready.”
He gestured toward the trail. “Lead on.”
Forty-five minutes later, they reached the pinnacle of the one steep dirt trail. Even though Kade was in excellent condition, he was still sweating and huffing and puffing from the run Lexie had just put him through. She’d eschewed the easier sections of the trail in favor of the demanding parts. On the wider, safer trails, she’d challenged him to turn around and run backwards, and his thighs burned from the unfamiliar exercise.
“Don’t tell the guys you whipped my ass up that last steep incline, I’ll never hear the end of it,” he panted, sucking in large gulps of air.
Even leaning over, her hands on her thighs and dripping with sweat, Lexie looked as sexy as hell. How ironic that he didn’t have the strength to flirt with her. His legs were shaking like jelly. A wasted opportunity given they were alone, on a mountain, with the most stunning view all around.
She shot him a beaming smile at his inferred compliment. “None of the guys can beat me up this hill.”
His body tightened, and not from the screaming muscles. Disappointment flooded his body. Had she brought other guys up here? “You bring all your boyfriends up here?”
Her face heated, and she gave him her back. “The view up here is amazing,” she said, ignoring his question.
His eyes flicked to the city below, but not for long before they were back gazing at the best view—Lexie.
Speaking of stunning, Lexie, all hot and bothered didn’t help slow his pounding heart. What that girl did to him… if he had the energy, he’d pull her into his arms and…
Maybe not. His legs shook with the effort to remain standing.
He did, however, have the energy to pull off his tank top and wipe his face and neck. Pride came rushing back when he caught Lexie’s eyes following his movements, filled with appreciation and hunger. He raised his arms above his head and stretched. He shot her another quick look. Yup. He loved that she was admiring him more than the city vista below.
To have her look at him with such sensual hunger, he’d eagerly do this run all over again if he had to. He turned and looked at the city below.
The sun seemed to hold the smog at bay, and the LA skyscrapers stood out against the clear blue sky. Dodger Stadium, other tourist spots, and neighborhoods were visible, but what impressed Kade the most was that if he kept his perusal to the more immediate surroundings, he could almost believe that he lived in a less urban city.
Hundreds of trees, shrubs, and flowers filled the park, through which numerous running and hiking trails and footpaths wound. Many varieties of birds made their homes there, and he’d seen a few rabbits. He’d lived in LA a long time, and he wondered why he’d never visited Elysian Park before now.
“It’s beautiful here. Like a forest oasis away from the city,” he commented.
Lexie moved to stand beside him, also gazing at the splendor before her. “I come here a lot to run and clear my head. It’s a great place to watch the sunrise or sunset. It’s good for my soul, I guess you’d say.”
“I can see why.” He looked down at her. “Thanks for showing me a little of your world.”
“You’re welcome.” She clapped her hands together. “Okay. Rest time is over. Time to head back.”
Kade tied his sweaty tank around his waist. “All right. First one to the bottom has to buy breakfast tomorrow. Deal?”
Lexie rose to his challenge. “Deal,” she agreed and sprinted off.
Grinning, Kade watched her go, taking a few moments to admire her. He didn’t wait long, though, because he didn’t want her to think he was giving her a head start. Lexie was the kind of woman who wanted to earn things on merit.
So, he chased after Lexie, catching up with her. She was moving at a fast clip, but Kade knew she could go much faster. He recognized her tactic; conserve energy so she could make a move for it later. Matching his strides with hers, Kade let her set the pace, content to do the same thing.
The whole way down the path, they kept pace with each other, biding their time. Lexie pointed out other good trails, and they chitchatted a little about Kade’s car. When they had about a quarter of the way to go, Lexie decided it was time to leave Kade in the dust. She gathered herself and shot ahead. Her legs working like pistons, propelling her forward.
Kade inwardly chuckled, not letting her get ahead. He saw her understand that he wouldn’t hand her victory. Deciding to go for it, she ran flat out, redoubling her efforts, but Kade pulled ahead. He watched her eyes narrow as she drew even with him and stayed there for several strides before he left her behind again.
He reached her Jeep, which was closer, and came to a halt beside it. Would she be a sore loser?
Kade held out a fist to her. “Good run. You got some speed, woman.”
With a smile, Lexie bumped her fist against his and, to his delight, stared at his glistening chest as it rose and fell with his rapid breathing. “I do all right.”
He took the tank top from around his midsection and wiped his face. “You do a lot better than all right. You run faster than a lot of guys I know.”
“Thanks. I’ll get you next time.”
Next time? Joy almost choked him She wanted to do this again? “Name the place and time.”
Still puffing, she said, “I’d rather buy you breakfast. Tomorrow morning at the diner?”
Kade nodded. “It must be early like the other day, since I have trai
ning, though. Is that okay?”
“Sure. No problem.”
“Great.”
Without giving her time to think, Kade closed the distance between them. Heat flared in her smiling eyes as he rested a hand on her shoulder. Her lips parted a few fractions when he slid his hand up her neck and pulled her towards him. For a fleeting moment before he pressed his mouth to hers, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her whenever he wanted, every day of the year.
A thrill ran through him at the idea of making Lexie his. He urged her even closer as the kiss deepened. Her bare stomach contacted his, and he groaned low in his throat.
Not the time or place for this. So the next moment, Kade slowed things down. He desperately wanted to get her alone, away from public eyes. He didn’t know how he’d achieve that.
She stepped back and yelped when her side-view mirror hit her between her shoulder blades. “Ow! Shit!”
“Are you okay?” Kade asked.
Lexie waved away his concern. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just didn’t realize how close I was to my car.”
A knowing smile curved his mouth. “I know how you feel. I kinda forgot where we were—again.”
Kade thought Christmas had arrived as she trailed an index finger down his chest, stopping just short of his navel. His erection would soon be clear for all to see, but he just couldn’t seem to care.
“Maybe someday we’ll be at the right place at the right time.”
Kade’s eyebrows rose. Had she just said that? It was as if she’d read his thoughts. It gave him hope that there might be a future for them, but he cautioned himself about pressing too hard. “Maybe we will.”
Their gazes locked and held for several moments before Lexie looked away. “I better get going so I’m not late for work.”
Kade nodded. “Yeah. I don’t want you to get in trouble with Marcus.”
“Right. Thanks for the run. I had a good time.”
“Me too. A really good time.”
They said goodbye and Kade watched her drive away.
Idiot. You should have asked her to your place for dinner. She all but offered to be alone with him.
Now his erection was there for good. One thought of having Lexie in his bed meant it would be a painful ride home to take an ice-cold shower.
Chapter Eleven
Girls’ night, and she couldn’t wait. She was having a night on the town with Kendra and Stella. Tom was babysitting, and they’d decided on grabbing a meal at Kendra’s favorite Italian restaurant near where Kendra lived.
Lexie couldn’t afford the Uber, so Kendra had picked her up. Stella was already at the table when they arrived, with a bottle of bubbles sitting in an ice bucket.
“Are we celebrating?” she asked as she sat down and picked up a menu.
“Are we?” Kendra said with a wink, while Stella giggled.
She looked at Stella. “Have you already drunk a bottle?”
More giggling. “I heard there might be something to celebrate.”
She looked at Kendra’s knowing smile and secretly cursed Tom. He’d been blabbing. “If you are referring to finding Jason, then no. Nothing yet.”
“She was referring to your dates with Kade,” Stella replied. “We know all about the dinner, and I’ve heard a few breakfasts, too.”
“And who did you hear that from, Stella? Marcus, by any chance?” Time to turn the tables. She watched as Stella’s smile faded, and her face turned red.
Stella looked at Kendra. “I’m sure Kendra told me.”
“I only knew about the dinner, not the breakfast. Who told you about that?”
Stella looked at the table. “Must have been Tom.”
Kendra’s eyes were grilling Stella. “I wonder why he didn’t tell me.”
Lexie felt terrible. Stella’s body language stated she didn’t want them to know about her and Marcus.
“Anyway, I’ll only celebrate when Jason’s found. But I’d love a glass of bubbles.” She reached for her glass.
“So, no more news?” Kendra reached out and patted her hand. “Kade will find him. He might not like how Jason’s behaving, but he is his brother and he loves him.”
“I have my P.I. looking for him, too, but I’m running out of money and time. Two weeks—”
“What do you mean, running out of time?”
Whoops. “Promise me not to get mad or judgmental?” They both nodded. “Jason fraudulently mortgaged my cabin at Clear Lake and then took off with the money. I didn’t know, so I made no mortgage payments. The bank is foreclosing in three weeks if I don’t come up with the nine months of back payments.”
“Bastard. Ooh, and here I was feeling sorry for Jason and his addiction, but shit, that is low.” Stella opened her purse and took out her checkbook. “You are not losing that cabin. I know how much it means to you. How much is the loan? You can pay me back little by little. I have more money than I’ll ever need in a lifetime.”
Tears welled in her eyes. Stella’s father was a movie producer, and she had a trust fund the size of Fort Knox. “That’s so kind, but Kade has it covered if we don’t find Jason in time, or if the money is gone when we do.”
“Interesting. You’ll take money from Kade, but not Stella.”
She shrugged at Kendra’s statement. “He’s a Colter. And a Colter owes me. Besides, he’s thankful I didn’t report Jason to the police.”
“And you’re happy with taking Kade’s money?”
Stella knew how to rub it in. “I’m not happy taking anyone’s money, but I won’t lose that cabin. Not when I’ve done nothing wrong.”
The “but you were the one stupid enough to marry Jason,” hung in the air.
“At least there’s one decent Colter.”
She agreed with Kendra’s sentiment. Kade was a good guy—so far. “I just hate that Kade’s got to clean up Jason’s mess. And I must let him because Jason’s probably sniffed the money up his nose.”
“I suspect he’s used to it. Jason’s been the problem younger brother all his life.”
Stella would know, she’d grown up in the same privileged crowd in LA. Lexie had only walked into it when she’d scored a job on the racing circuit and she’d stupidly fallen under the spell of flashy cars and loads of money. All the wealth and fun and carefreeness—she was like a kid in a candy store. Perhaps if she’d grown up with friends like Kendra and Stella, she wouldn’t have been blinded by the trappings of wealth.
“So what exactly is the situation with Kade. Are you dating? Or have you merely come together because of the need to find Jason?”
There’s the rub. She swallowed and took a long gulp of champagne before saying, “To be honest, I have no idea. At first I thought he’d asked me to work on the Alfa to sweeten me up, so I wouldn’t have Jason arrested. But I told him I wouldn’t, and he’s still hanging around.”
“What’s wrong with that? He’s hot, rich and a nice guy.”
She couldn’t refute Stella’s words. “I keep thinking about Jason. I know he’s done rotten things to me, but if he doesn’t get help for his addiction, he’ll die. I don’t know what Jason will think if he finds out I’m… dating… Kade. I know Kade’s worried, too. I see through his smiles. Hidden in his eyes is guilt. How can we build a relationship before Jason is well? And will Jason always come between us?”
Stella put down her drink. “Don’t get me wrong, I think that’s admirable, but Jason being an addict is not your fault and not your responsibility. You can’t let him emotionally blackmail either of you. His actions are his alone, and he carries the blame. Only he can sort his shit out, and if he ever gets sober, he must know there is no going back after what he’s done. How could you ever trust him again?”
Should she tell them about his phone call? Jason wanted her back, but that was still Jason the addict.
A part of her knew what Stella said was right. She owed Jason nothing. But Kade—Kade was his brother. She hated the look of guilt she saw deep in his eyes sometimes when Kad
e looked at her. She didn’t want to cause a rift between brothers.
“Well, nothing has happened between us. And I think that’s good until we find Jason. Maybe once this is behind me, Kade and I can see about more.
Kendra raised a glass. “Let’s drink to new beginnings. New beginnings for Jason, and for you and Kade.”
“I’d rather drink to getting my cabin back,” she said dryly.
The next day, Lexie accompanied Kade to his gym. During breakfast, which had been fun, he’d convinced her to come along to watch him practice.
Upon entering the gym, the scents of sweat, leather, and aftershave reached her. Oddly, it was a pleasant combination. Looking around, it surprised her to see a few women present, and then she thought she shouldn’t be surprised since boxing and fighting were becoming more popular among females.
Everywhere she looked, people were in motion. Several men were punching heavy bags while a man and woman sparred in one of the boxing rings. Almost all the weight machines were in use and several people were jumping rope. Around the perimeter of the large gym was a running track, on which several people jogged.
Her attention came back to Kade when he lightly rested a hand on her shoulder. “Lexie, this is Calvin Nunez, my good friend and trainer.”
A man of Latin descent, who appeared to be in his late forties, smiled at her. Although he was only a few inches taller than Lexie, his black t-shirt with cut-out arms showed off a muscular body, and he seemed to exude power.
“Nice to meet you, Lexie. I didn’t know he was seeing anyone.” He nudged Kade with an elbow and waggled his eyebrows at her. “I see why he was holding out on me. He didn’t want me trying to steal such a beautiful woman away. You’re definitely out of his league.”
Lexie blushed as she laughed. “Thanks, Calvin. Nice to meet you, too.” She didn’t know how to respond to his remark about her and Kade seeing each other since they weren’t officially dating, so she didn’t mention it.
Purr For Me: Bad Boy Autos (Drive Me Wild Book 2) Page 9
