Grinning, Kade said, “I’ll go change, Lex. Be back in a few.” He pointed at Calvin. “Behave yourself while I’m gone.”
Calvin shrugged. “I’ll try but no promises.”
Kade chuckled and headed for the men’s locker room.
“So, how long has this been going on?” Calvin asked.
Lexie fidgeted with her car keys. “Um, well, not long. It’s just a casual thing.”
Calvin’s right eyebrow arched, and he tilted his head a little. “Lexie. Oh, you’re Kade’s ex-sister-in-law. He’s mentioned you a few times. Sorry about the divorce, but between you and me, you’re trading up.”
Lexie didn’t have time to respond because a guy across the room called to Calvin.
“I better get over there before Brant loses his cool, but I’ll be back to train Kade,” he said before leaving her.
Trying to tamp down her ire over Kade talking about her business with other people, Lexie waited for him to come back. When he did, she pounced. “So, Calvin seems to know a lot about me.”
Kade pretended to play with his boxing gloves. “Oh? What did he say?”
Lexie folded her arms. “He knows I’m your ex-sister-in-law, and he said that I’m trading up. Exactly how much does he know about me?”
Kade took gauze and tape out of his gym bag that sat on a metal folding chair near them. “Not much more than that. He knows what an ass Jason is, so I’m not surprised he’d say something like that. I told Calvin that I felt bad that he hurt you so much, but I promise that was all I said to him. I didn’t air your business, Lexie.”
Lexie pursed her lips as she tried to decide whether to believe Kade. His direct gaze convinced her, and the tension in her shoulders ebbed away. “Okay. I believe you.” Embarrassment stole through her as she realized how much distrust she harbored towards men. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be bitchy or suspicious, but I can’t seem to help myself.”
Sitting down, Kade gave her a half-smile. “I understand, but I hope at some point you’ll see that you can trust me.”
Lexi appreciated Kade being so nice, but would she ever trust a man again? How could she ever hope to find someone to share her life with if she continued to be suspicious all the time?
“I'm trying, Kade. Please have a little patience with me.”
Kade patted the seat next to him and said, “I will. Now, how about helping me get ready?”
Lexie gave him a dubious look but sat next to him. “What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing too hard. I need help to tape my wrists, so it would be great if you’d do it for me since Cal is busy.”
Lexie liked a challenge and learning new things, so even though she was apprehensive, she was also eager for Kade to show her what to do. “Where do I start?
Kade handed her a roll of medical tape. “Have you ever used an Ace bandage on someone?”
Lexie nodded. “I’ve bandaged Jason’s wrists, ankles and knees tons of times over the years.”
“Good,” Kade said. “Start two inches above my wrist and, keeping the tension on the tape even, come down over my wrist. But don’t tape over the bottom part of my palm. Take the tape between my thumb and forefinger and then around my knuckles twice.”
Lexie smiled but didn’t comment further as she concentrated on the task at hand. She followed Kade’s instructions carefully, winding the tape and threading it between each of Kade’s fingers. She enjoyed the process, and also the contact with Kade’s warm skin. A few times she caught him watching her face instead of her hands and knew that he was thinking about their embrace yesterday.
As she worked, Lexie noticed little scars on Kade’s knuckles, most likely from past fights. His hands were large and powerful, and she could only imagine how much pain he could mete out during a match. And how much pleasure if she let him touch her.
His favorite pastime seemed incongruous with his profession and temperament. Of course, Kade was a study in contradiction, so it wasn't all that strange. She liked his nice-guy side very much, but she was curious to see what he was like as a fighter.
“How many fights have been in?” she asked.
“I’ve lost count,” he said. “I started boxing when I was nineteen, which was ten years ago.”
“Wow. That long ago, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“What got you interested in it?”
“Well, when I was about seventeen, I entered my rebellious phase and got into some hot water. You know how it is. I stayed out all night, drank, and didn’t do my homework,” he said.
“You didn’t do your homework? I find that hard to believe.”
“Why? Because I’m a writer?”
Lexi wasn’t sure how to answer without offending Kade. “I guess it’s just that you seem sort of scholarly.”
Kade laughed. “So, what you’re saying is that I seem like a dork or a nerd.”
“Not at all. You definitely don't look like any nerd I’ve ever seen.” Lexie ripped off the tape and smoothed down the end. “I just meant that you seem smart and more like the guy who would be good in school instead of a juvenile delinquent.”
Kade grasped his taped wrist and squeezed, securing the tape even more and testing Lexie’s handiwork. “Well done. Okay, now for the other one.”
Lexi was proud that she’d done a good job and set about taping Kade’s other hand and wrist with zeal.
Kade watched her for a few moments before continuing his story. “I guess it’ll surprise you even more to hear that I dropped out of high school because my grades were terrible, and I didn’t want to do an extra year just to graduate. I thought since my parents were rich, I didn’t have to do anything with my life. I had a nice trust fund. So you see, I could have ended up just like Jason.”
She stopped and looked him in the eye. “But you didn’t. That shows the difference between you and Jason.”
Kade shook his head. “I met Pastor Sal. He changed my life.”
Lexi placed a thick gauze pad over Kade’s knuckles and started anchoring it in place. “How did you meet him?”
“I got arrested for underage drinking and got charged with a misdemeanor. I was fined and also had to do community service, which was when I was assigned to help at the mission. Pastor Sal took me under his wing and straightened me out. He convinced me to get my GED and helped me get into community college. Once all my general-ed classes were out of the way, I transferred to UCLA and got my bachelor’s in journalism.”
“I’m glad Pastor Sal got through to you,” Lexie said.
“Pastor Sal tried to help Jason too. I think Jason tried, but as soon as he got on the racing circuit he became a different man.”
Lexie squeezed his hand. “You tried. That’s all you can do. Besides, it would’ve been a shame for the racing community if you hadn’t gotten into journalism.”
Kade tilted his head a little. “Really? Why?”
“Because you get to the heart of the industry. You don’t paint it all as glamor and fame,” Lexie replied. “You tell it like it is.”
“So, you like my stuff, huh?”
The pride in his voice amused Lexie. “Yeah. I’ve read a book or too. I don’t know much about writing, but I think you have a great voice, or whatever they call it.”
“That’s exactly what they call it, and thanks. I’m glad you think so.”
“I do.” She checked her tape job and thought it looked good. “Does that seem okay?”
“It’s great. Awesome job. I appreciate the help.” He flexed his biceps. “Are you ready to watch Lightning and Thunder in action?”
Lexie rolled her eyes, but inside she was brimming with anticipation. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Standing, Kade said, “As soon as Cal helps me with my gloves, we’ll get this show on the road. Be right back.”
Lexie’s heartbeat thudded as if a rock band drummer was performing inside her chest. Kade had been in the ring for fifteen minutes with a man named BJ. The guy was two inches taller tha
n Kade and his face resembled granite. The size difference didn’t seem to faze Kade, though. He fought with determination and grit, dodging punches and landing blows.
He’d taken his shirt off, and his torso glistened with sweat. Lexi admired the defined muscles of his chest as they rippled with each movement. Hunger washed over Lexie, and she wanted to run her hands over Kade’s slick body. The intensity of her craving startled her, but she didn’t shy away from it. Kade wanted her, he wasn’t hiding his feelings too well, so why should she deny herself pleasure?
Kade landed a hard blow to BJ’s jaw, stunning him. BJ stumbled backwards and shook his head. Lexie let out a little yelp and clapped her hands. Kade flashed her a little smile around his mouth guard but immediately returned his attention to the fight. The bout lasted another fifteen minutes before Calvin declared Kade the winner.
Excited by Kade’s win, Lexie jumped up and down a little and cheered as Kade exited the ring. Calvin congratulated him before Kade walked over to Lexie, who handed him a towel sitting on a nearby stand.
“That was amazing,” she said. “You were great!”
Kade started wiping sweat from his body, and Lexi was jealous of the towel. The urge to touch him almost overpowering.
“Thanks. I do all right.” A cocky look entered Kade’s eyes. He noticed the appreciation in her gaze. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
“I did. Thanks for inviting me.”
“No problem.” A provocative smile curved Kade’s lips. “I’m hitting the shower. Care to join me?”
Despite them being in a public place, Lexi was sorely tempted to accept his invitation. “I appreciate the offer,” she glanced around at the other men in the gym, “but I don’t like an audience when I’m naked.”
Kade chuckled. “Okay, but if you change your mind, you know where I’ll be.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
Kade smiled at her sassy retort before heading to the locker room. He started the shower, and stripped out of his boxing shorts. Stepping under the spray, he let the warm water run over him. It would help prevent his muscles from stiffening up after the heavy exertion.
His thoughts turned to Lexie, and he imagined the way her hands would feel on his wet body. That image sent blood racing to his groin, and he started getting hard.
He wanted Lexie more than he had any other woman, but it wasn’t just a physical craving. Yes, he wanted to get her into bed, but he also wanted to have a real relationship with her.
Jason’s face swam into his head, and he viciously shook it away. This wasn’t about Jason. It was about him and Lexie.
It appeared she was letting her defenses down, but he knew it would take time for her to completely trust him.
To keep an erection at bay, Kade mentally reviewed his sparring match, concentrating on that instead of making love with Lexie. He quickly finished his shower, dressed and rejoined her in the gym.
Chapter Twelve
When Lexie arrived at work the next morning, it thrilled her to find that Zip had finished welding the floorboards on the Alfa. Now she could start the paint job. Excitement zinged through her at the prospect. She hurried to the computer workspace to check on the status of her order. According to the email confirmation, her paint had arrived yesterday.
She also called another vendor concerning some minor hoses, and was pleased to find they would arrive later today. If everything came in on time, and the orders were correct, Lexie calculated that she could finish Kade’s car by next Monday. It was Wednesday now, which meant she had five days to complete the paint job if she worked through the weekend.
She gave a mental shrug. She’d done that plenty of times, and since she had no plans, it didn’t bother her. Plus, detailing jobs didn’t seem like work to her. It was an outlet for her artistic passion.
As she finished writing and sending a thank-you email to the paint company, she saw Tom approaching her with a smile on his face. “Well, you seem chipper this morning. You must have gotten some sleep last night,” she said.
“Some. A little more than usual lately.” He gave her a sly smile. “So, I was driving by Golden Gloves Gym and saw your Jeep there.”
Lexie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why were you going by there? It’s not on the way to work.”
“No, but it is on the way to Marcus’. I had to go by his place to get a circular saw I need to finish cutting down some doors at the house. He borrowed it from me two weeks ago,” Tom replied.
He’d bought a rundown house a few years ago because of its large lot. Originally, he’d planned to renovate it, but one of his buddies, who was a contractor, had told him he’d be better off to tear it down and build a new one.
Once he and Kendra had gotten married, they’d built a house on the property. It was almost finished, but there were still some things that weren’t completed, doors to a few of the rooms being one of them.
He nudged her shoulder. “What gives? Are you guys seeing each other?”
Damn it! Lexie couldn’t believe her bad luck. “Please don’t tell Kendra. I don’t really want anyone to know.”
“We never keep secrets.”
Lexie could believe that. They had the perfect marriage even after their rocky start. Tom had gotten Kendra pregnant, and he hadn’t learned about his son for three years. A huge miscommunication, but it turned out all right in the end. It gave her hope. “Define ‘seeing each other.’”
“C’mon, Lex. This is me you’re talking to. You don’t have to hide anything from me. What’s so wrong with you having some attention from a great guy?”
Lexie glanced around to see if anyone was listening. There were usually ears everywhere in the garage. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”
Tom nodded. “Right. How about the office? Marcus isn’t here right now.”
“Okay. I don’t want him to know anything about this.”
Following Tom, Lexie didn’t know what she’d tell him once they were alone. She didn’t want to talk about it, not yet. How could she explain it to Tom when she didn’t understand it herself?
She sat down in a chair by Tom’s desk while he closed the office door.
Once seated, Tom asked, “So, what’s going on with you and Kade?”
Lexie laughed and made a helpless gesture. “I really don’t know.”
“Are you guys spending a lot of time together?”
“We had dinner that one night, and breakfast a couple of times, and we went running in the park yesterday.”
Tom leaned back in his chair and played with the right sleeve of his overalls. “Okay. Are you just trying to get along with him while we’re fixing his car? Or is it his money you have your eyes on? Kendra told me about the cabin.”
Lexie shook her head. “It started as a way to see if he knew where Jason was, but it’s not like that now. And,” she hung her head, “I did consider that it might be a good idea to keep him around just in case I needed the money for the cabin.”
“You don’t need him to keep your cabin, I’m happy to help. I don’t like the idea that you think you’re beholden to Kade—you should be free of all Colters if that’s what you wish.” Silence fell between them, until Tom shifted in his chair and frowned at her. “Are you gonna tell me what it is like, or am I supposed to read your mind?”
“I’ll admit that when you first told me to work on Kade’s car, I thought Kade would be a great backup plan if I couldn’t find my money. I knew he would pay his brother’s debt if it kept him out of prison.”
“Blood is thicker than water. Of course he wants to help his brother.”
“He is a good guy.” She sat up straight. “I was wrong for treating Kade like crap just because he’s Jason’s brother, so I apologized, and he asked me to dinner.” Lexie looked away from Tom. “We had a good time. He took me to the mission where he volunteers, and we helped serve dinner to the poor people in the neighborhood.”
Tom’s forehead furrowed as he leaned forward and rested his elbows
on his desk. “He took you to a soup kitchen for your first date?”
The mixture of disbelief and anger on Tom’s face was priceless, and Lexie couldn’t hold back a laugh.
Tom’s expression relaxed into a smile. “Okay, you got me. Ha ha. Where did he really take you?”
“Oh, that’s where he really took me. He surprised me and showed me a different side. He said it would help me think about something else besides Jason, and he was right.”
Confusion filled Tom’s eyes. “So, you ended up enjoying it?”
“Yeah. I thought he was crazy or being condescending, but he’s actually very perceptive and knew it would work.”
“I see. And you saw him a few times since then.”
Lexie rubbed her hands nervously over her thighs. “That’s right.”
“Okay. What were you doing at his gym this morning?”
“He invited me to watch him box. It was a lot of fun, and he’s really good.”
Tom picked up a pen and toyed with it. “Do you like him? Like, romantically?”
Their heated embraces rose in Lexie’s mind, and warmth rushed through her body. “Uh, yeah… I think I do.”
A doubt-filled smile crossed Tom's face. “Are you sure? I mean, doesn’t it bother you he’s Jason’s brother?”
“Yes. It’s strange, but I think I deserve a bit of happiness, and Kade is making me happy.” Lexie sighed. “Looking back, I see now that I always had to be the responsible one while Jason had fun and got famous. It’s like I was his shadow. Towards the end, he treated me more like an inconvenient employee and took it for granted I was willing to accept whatever crumbs of affection he decided to give me.”
Tom’s right fist tightened around his pen. “I’d like to beat him senseless for the way he treated you.”
Lexie would love to see that, but her bitterness was fading. Maybe that was because of Kade’s positive opinion of her. It seemed to have taken root and bolstered her self-esteem. Thanks to him, she was seeing that Jason was the unworthy one, not her.
Purr For Me: Bad Boy Autos (Drive Me Wild Book 2) Page 10
