Kade chuckled. “To be fair, he handled our joke fairly well.”
Opening her menu again, Lexie studied it. “Right. And whenever Jared gets back, he can recommend something to me.”
Jared arrived before Kade could respond and helped her find something to her liking. By the time she chose something, she’d discovered that Jared was actually very nice and a little more down to earth than she’d thought.
Once he’d taken their orders, she laid her napkin over her lap and said, “I think he’s warming up to us.”
“No, he’s warming up to you,” Kade said.
“Do I detect a bit of green in your eyes?” Lexie teased.
Kade nodded. “More than a little, but I can’t blame the guy. You make my temp gauge light up.”
Lexie laughed. “Oh, my god. I didn’t know you were so tacky.”
“It’s garage talk. I thought it would put you at ease.” Kade waggled his eyebrows. “Just wait. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, sweetheart.”
Chapter Fourteen
By the time dessert arrived, their banter had loosened up Jared, and Kade was pleased to see Lexie enjoying the evening.
Lexie ordered the filet mignon, roasted asparagus, and potatoes. She’d devoured her meal with a combination of proper etiquette and ravenous appetite.
Watching her enjoy her food had increased Kade’s enjoyment of his own. The way she savored her ginger layer cake with wine-poached pears and cream cheese frosting was erotic. She closed her eyes when she took a bite, slowly drawing her fork from between her lush lips.
Damn. He could almost taste the sweetness of the decadent treat mixed with Lexie’s own taste. He wanted to feel her in his arms, and—
Kade put the brakes on those thoughts when his groin tightened. It was hard to control himself around Lexie, but he didn’t want to scare her off. So, for now, he settled for watching her and biding his time.
When the last bite of her dessert disappeared, Lexie laid her fork down and regarded him with a contented expression. “That was amazing. I’m about ready to burst.”
Kade said, “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
She reached across the table to lay her hand over his. “I enjoyed everything; the food, the ambiance—but most of all, I liked spending time with you.”
From experience, Kade knew that alcohol loosened lips and allowed people to say what they truly felt. As he turned his hand over and curled his fingers around hers, Kade suspected that this was the case with Lexie, but he hoped that it was also the truth.
“Same here, honey. I’m so glad you came out with me.”
Lexie squeezed his hand. “Me, too. Thanks for showing me such a good time. I don’t remember when I’ve had so much fun.”
“I’m glad it was with me.”
“So am I.”
When Lexie’s eyes misted over, Kade knew that it was time to leave before she started crying. He stood up and held his hand out to her. “What do you say we get out of here?”
“Great idea.” She took his hand and rose to her feet.
Kade steadied her when she took a shaky step. “Looks like it’s time to get you home,” he said.
Lexie giggled and held on a little tighter. “I guess so. That wine has a sneaky kick to it.”
Kade had only drunk a glass and a half before switching to water. He was glad he’d appointed himself as the designated driver, since Lexie was in no condition to get behind the wheel.
“Whoa, there,” he said, putting an arm around her waist.
Lexie’s eyes were a little glassy as she smiled up at him. “Thanks. I guess I drank more than I thought.”
Kade chuckled as he started guiding her through the dining room, keeping her from bumping into tables along the way. Jared caught up with them, carrying the check portfolio.
Lexie held out a hand to the waiter. “It’s been nice meeting you, Jared. I’ll come back sometime, and I’ll ask for you.” She gave his chest a friendly poke. “Because you’re the guy I want waiting my table. Not Barney, or Vivian, or Edward, just you.”
Where did she come up with those names, Kade wondered?
Jared grinned. “It’s been a pleasure, and I look forward to seeing you both again.”
Kade took out his wallet and gave Jared a credit card. “Jared, you turned out to be a pretty cool guy.” He handed some money to the waiter. “Take this for all the great service tonight.”
Jared stared at the hundred Kade held out to him. “Sir, that’s too generous.”
Lexie snatched it out of Kade’s hand, tucked it into Jared’s lapel pocket, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “No, it’s not. Buy yourself something nice.”
Jared turned deep pink and cast a wary glance at Kade. “Thank you, Lexie. I will. I’ll be right back with your card.”
Kade smiled at the way Jared hurried off. Who could blame him for developing a little crush on Lexie? After all, he’d had one ever since he’d met her. He’d been able to hide it, especially since he made himself scarce a lot once she and Jason had gotten engaged. He’d never cheated on any of his girlfriends, but these past few weeks, he’d learned Lexie was the reason he’d married none of them.
His chest felt like it was caught in a vise grip as that realization hit him. Looking down at the beautiful, slightly intoxicated—wholly intoxicated, woman at his side, the fact that he loved Lexie became as clear as a brand-new pane of glass. Lexie was speaking to him, but he couldn’t focus on her words over the timpani-like heartbeats echoing off his rib cage. I. Love. Lexie.
It was as simple and as complex as that. He admitted that to himself—welcomed the admission. Just like he sought the truth whenever he was working on a story, he also demanded honesty from himself.
He had to find Jason. He owed his brother the truth, no matter how much it hurt.
Knowing that he was in love with Lexie gave him a tremendous charge, but it also presented a whole host of problems, the first of which was that Lexie wasn’t ready to hear that he had such intense feelings for her.
Fuck. Now what do I do? He had no clue how to handle this wonderful, new complication, but for the moment, he knew that he should get Lexie home so she could sleep it off. He was glad when Jared returned with his credit card and receipt. It distracted him from his musings and let them get out of the restaurant.
He kept Lexie upright while they exited the establishment and waited for the car. When the valet drove up, Kade slipped him a fifty and quickly put Lexie in the car. As they drove away, Lexie kept up an amusing recounting of their evening, as though he hadn’t been with her and needed a play-by-play.
Kade didn’t interrupt her because he was enjoying it, but also because it gave him time to think about what came next.
He cursed under his breath that his team still couldn’t find Jason. Trust him to realize he’s in love with his brother’s wife before their divorce was final.
Just then, Lexie went silent before saying, “Pull over. I think I’m going to be sick.”
Lexie groaned and leaned her feverish cheek against the cool surface of Kade’s car. “Just leave me on the side of the road to die,” she croaked.
After puking twice, she was wrung out and felt like fire lived inside her skin. Worse yet, her mind was fuzzy from all the alcohol that was slowly making its way through her system. She was sick and woozy and couldn’t quite retain what was happening.
Someone brushed her hair back from her face and lifted it off her neck. A breeze blew across her skin, refreshing her a little. “That feels nice.”
She recognized Kade’s warm chuckle. “Are you feeling well enough to get going again?”
Any kind of motion made her stomach rebel. “I don’t think so.”
“You can do it, Lex. It’s not far now.”
Cracking her eyes open, Lexie tried to bring Kade into focus, but he was still a little blurry no matter how hard she tried. Thoughts of stripping naked and falling into her bed made her reach down deep for the strength to go on.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Getting back in the car was easy enough, since she was ready to collapse. When the motor started up, she didn’t mind the slight vibration as she lay her head back against the seat. But it wasn’t long after the wheels started turning again that her stomach rolled.
As though from far away, she watched Kade reach across her body to roll the window down. Soothing night air flowed into the car and she inhaled it deep into her lungs.
“That’s it. Just keep taking slow, deep breaths like that.”
With a wan smile, Lexie nodded and followed his advice. She felt better, and her eyes drifted shut. “I don’t want to be sick in your lovely new car.”
She didn’t know how much time had passed before she felt herself being lifted, which roused her. “What’s happening?” Opening her eyes, she caught a glimpse of trees and stars, but then all she saw was Kade smiling at her.
“It’s okay. I’m just getting you inside.”
His strength and kindness were comforting. She lay her head on his shoulder. “All right.”
Being in Kade’s arms gave her a sense of safety, and she relaxed again. Until another bout of nausea hit her. This time when it kicked in, she was in a strange kitchen, retching into the sink while Kade supported her from behind. Finally, her stomach was empty, and her body calmed down.
While she caught her breath, Lexie looked around a little, but didn’t absorb most of it. “Where are we?”
“My place. It was closer, and I figured the sooner we got somewhere stationary, the better. You need a nice, cool shower and to go to bed.”
Somewhere in the back of her mind, an alarm bell tried to ring, but Lexie slapped it into silence. Kade wasn’t the type of man to take advantage of a drunk woman.
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“I’ll help you undress, but only down to your underwear. The cold water will wake you up enough for you to finish on your own. I have something you can wear to sleep in.”
“Okay.”
At that moment, Lexie didn’t give a shit if Kade saw her naked. All she wanted was to get a shower and then slip in between some sheets. Where that happened was irrelevant to her.
Kade guided her into a bathroom and turned on a light. She was glad that it wasn’t harsh. He unzipped her dress and helped her step out of it. She’d lost her heels somewhere along the way.
She heard the spray of a shower, and then Kade said, “Okay. Here we go.”
As she stepped under the water, her body rejoiced at its coolness. It felt like heaven as Lexie stood there. A sigh escaped her as Kade drew her hair away from her face. She lifted her head, tilting her face up to the showerhead to let it run over her face.
She became alert enough to notice Kade’s arm around her waist, steadying her.
“Think you can take it from here?”
Looking down, she watched the corded muscles in Kade’s forearm flex as he started sliding it away, and was fascinated. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
Feeling a little stronger, she nodded. “I’m sure.”
“All right. I’ll go get you something to wear and just put it on the chair in here.”
“Okay.”
He was gone the next moment, and Lexie leaned against the wall to stay upright. The water eased some remaining nausea and she was loath to move. Maybe she could sleep right there tonight.
The image of herself curling up on the shower floor made her laugh at first, but then it seemed so sad. Tears formed in her eyes, which pissed her off. Suddenly, her bra felt like it was strangling her. Reaching behind her, she fumbled with the hooks and gave up after two attempts.
Trying to take it off like a shirt didn’t work either. It clung to her torso like a second skin.
“Kade! Where are you? I can’t get this fucking bra off!”
A moment later, she heard him enter the bathroom, and he pulled the shower curtain back. Glancing over at him, she saw that he’d changed out of his suit and now wore only board shorts. Even in her drunken stupor, she thought he was red-hot.
“Hi, handsome.”
He grinned, and her heart did a slow flip. “Hi, yourself, beautiful. I want to be clear about this. You’re giving me permission to undo your bra, correct?”
“Yes, please.”
“Okay. If I do that much, will you be all right on your own?”
“I think so.”
He gave a nod and within seconds; she felt the hated garment loosen.
“All right. Holler when you’re dressed. I’ll make sure you get to the kitchen without falling on your face.”
“Such a gentleman,” she quipped.
Kade chuckled and withdrew. The shower curtain fell back into place, and she was alone again. Lexie slid the bra from her body and had the presence of mind to drop it in the shower instead of on the bathroom floor. She peeled her panties off, and they joined her bra.
She looked around for soap and saw a bottle of men’s bodywash on one of the shelves. Better to smell like a man than like vomit, she reasoned. She squirted some into her palm and just ran it over herself since she didn’t have a washcloth or anything. The citrus and pepper scent cleared her head a little and she rinsed.
Stepping out of the shower, she found a fluffy blue towel on the aforementioned chair and dried off. Under the towel lie a pair of pink plaid cotton ladies’ boxers and a matching t-shirt. A wave of dizziness hit her when she went to put on the shirt, and she thought she would have to call Kade again, but it subsided and finished dressing on her own.
“Kade? I’m ready.”
He appeared before her and put an arm around her shoulders. “Come with me.”
“I’d love to.” Her eyes widened at her blurted innuendo. “I mean, okay. Sure.”
Kade just smiled and took her to an open, airy kitchen. They passed through it and exited through a French door onto a deck. “Have a seat here.”
With his help, Lexie sank down onto the cushioned deck chair he’d indicated and leaned back in it.
“I’ll be right back with something to settle your stomach.”
“Okay.” Lexie was perfectly content to sit there, looking up at the starry sky. Blinking lights from a plane crossed overhead, and Lexie briefly wondered who was on it. It was a game that she and her grandmother had played when she’d been little.
“Here you go.”
She startled a little at Kade’s voice. He stood holding a tall, frosty glass out to her. She took it from him and gave it a wary sniff. “Mmm. Minty.”
“It’s sweet mint water with a little ginger sprinkled in. You need to rehydrate, hence the water, and the mint and ginger are good for nausea. All natural, and it tastes good.”
“You sound like a commercial,” she quipped.
“Drink the damn drink, Lex,” Kade said, sitting down in the chair next to hers.
Lexie smiled and took an experimental sip. There was a hint of sweetness that kept the mint and ginger from being overpowering. He’d served it over ice, and the combination was incredible. She wanted to guzzle it, but she didn’t want to lose all the minty goodness, so she forced herself to sip.
She pointed at the glass. “That is amazing. Like, you could bottle and sell it. You should sell it.”
He smiled at her, his dark eyes shining. “Nah. They’d just want to mass produce it and pump it full of preservatives and chemicals if I ever sold the recipe.”
“That’s probably true.” Lexie took another sip and returned her gaze to the stars.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
“My grandmother used to say that. I don’t know why, but she popped into my head when I sat down here.”
“Didn’t she live in the Midwest? I think I heard you mention her a couple of times.”
“Good memory. Idaho. Her and Gramps were typical farmers. Salt-of-the-earth people and all that.”
“What exactly brought her to mind?”
“The plane overhead. We’d lay out i
n the yard on warm nights, just talking. She’d tell me stories about when she was young, and when we saw a plane, we’d make up stories about the people onboard. Maybe there was a businessman heading back home to New York from another country. Or maybe a movie star who was going to LA for a premier. Things like that.”
“That sounds like fun, and your gram sounds like a cool lady.”
Lexie took a sip of her drink and smiled. “She was. I miss her a lot. She died when I was seven, and then life took a bit of a dive.”
“You must tell me about it one day, but you need sleep now.”
A huge yawn gripped Lexie and her eyelids felt like five-pound bags of sand were sitting on them. Holding up her head suddenly seemed almost impossible. “I think it’s time for me to turn in.” Her words sounded faint even to herself. She felt the glass being lifted out of her hand, and then she faded into oblivion.
Chapter Fifteen
Voyeurism wasn’t Kade’s thing, but the sight of Lexie mesmerized him. She slept in his small guest bedroom in his guesthouse. The only other furniture besides the full-size bed was a nightstand, chest of drawers, and a plant stand by a large window. Sunlight poured through it, illuminating the beautiful woman slumbering mere yards from his own bedroom.
Her long hair was wild from her tossing and turning, and it looked like she’d been sweating, judging by the way a large lock was sticking to her forehead. The rest of it resembled a rat’s nest, and she was pale with dark smudges beneath her eyes. A light snore emanated from between her slack lips.
A smile curved his mouth before he took a sip of his coffee as he thought even all that hangover-ugly couldn’t hide the fact that Lexie was sexy as hell. Her long, bare limbs tempted him to run his hands along them, and he wanted to tug the top sheet from around her body and feast his eyes on her naked form.
His eyes moved over to the dresser where her borrowed PJs had wound up in a wad on the floor next to it. He’d heard her up once during the night, but when he’d gone to check on her, she’d been back in bed. Apparently, she’d been too hot, and had remedied the problem.
Purr For Me: Bad Boy Autos (Drive Me Wild Book 2) Page 12
