Out of Turn (13 page)

And it had been nice. I’d only thought about Blane about a dozen times today rather than the usual fifty or so.

“Good, because I’m starving.”

A short while later, we were being shown to a table in the fanciest restaurant I’d ever been in. I followed the maître d’ to a table in a private little alcove on the second floor. He graciously pulled a chair out for me.

“I’ll do that,” Kade said, taking the maître d’s place as I slid into the seat. He moved my chair forward slightly, then sat down next to me.

“What was that about?” I asked, opening the menu the man had left.

“Didn’t think he needed to see the view.”

It took a moment before I got it, then glanced down and realized what “view” Kade was talking about. “Oh.”

Kade ordered us cocktails and a first course. I wasn’t sure what it was called, something with crab and avocado, but it was good.

“Where all have you traveled?” I asked him, reaching for another bite. I had the feeling Kade had been a lot of places.

“A little bit of everywhere,” he said.

“Tell me?” I asked.

He thought for a moment as he took another drink, then said, “I think you’d like Hawaii.”

“You’ve been to Hawaii?” It sounded incredibly exotic to me, and completely out of reach.

“A few times, yeah,” he said. He went on to describe what it was like, how the moment you step off the plane on Oahu, the warm breeze of the tropics hits you. The way the island was divided into the wet and dry sides, and how when it rained, you could drive over the mountains and see waterfalls.

I was captivated by his obvious love for the place and listened to him talk. He told me a funny story about a run-in he’d had with two huge Samoan guys and I laughed. Our food came, but I barely noticed, eating an occasional bite as I asked him questions and he answered. I didn’t know why he was feeling chatty or when it would stop, so I took advantage.

Dessert was something chocolaty that Kade insisted on ordering for us to share, even though I told him I was full. He took a bite, his eyes sliding closed, and I watched, smiling a little at his obvious pleasure. I’d forgotten what a sweet tooth he had.

“You’ve gotta try this,” he said, scooting his chair closer and holding the spoon to my mouth.

I obeyed, letting him feed me the bite. The decadent chocolate oozed over my tongue.

“Mmm,” I said. He was right. It was worth eating even though I was full. I licked my lips, getting the last of the chocolate, and realized Kade’s gaze was rapt on my mouth.

He scooped another bite and lifted the spoon to me again. My pulse sped up, but I didn’t say anything and neither did he. I opened my lips and he fed me.

I don’t know why he continued, but he did, slowly feeding me bite after bite until I’d eaten the entire thing. He watched my mouth with an intensity that made me acutely aware of his proximity. I self-consciously lifted my napkin, but his hand stilled mine.

Kade leaned closer and his fingers lightly brushed my chin, lifting my head, and his lips met mine.

The touch was electric, as though a shock had gone through me, and I didn’t move, afraid that if I did, he’d stop. His mouth moved gently over mine, his touch maddeningly slow as he lightly licked and sucked on my lips. His tongue was soft, warm velvet.

Only his fingers under my jaw and his lips touched me. The scent of the cologne he’d worn tonight drifted to me, its alluring aroma mixed with his own scent, creating an aphrodisiac that, combined with his kiss, had me clenching my hands into fists to keep from touching him.

When he lifted his head, his eyes finally met mine, their brilliant blue intense beneath long, dark lashes. His face was inches away and it took every ounce of willpower I had to not pull him back for a real kiss.

“Chocolate tastes even better on you,” he murmured.

My breath was shallow and quick, my pulse even more so. The effect Kade had on me was so profound and strong, and something I’d fought for so long. It seemed odd to think that I didn’t have to anymore.

Or did I?

I’d been with Blane, engaged to him, still had feelings for him that couldn’t be flipped off like a light switch, no matter how angry and bitter I was over how it had ended. Where did that leave anything I might feel for Kade?

I felt confused and unsure and excused myself to go to the ladies’ room. I touched up my makeup, reapplied my lip gloss, and tried to regain the peace of mind I’d had earlier. Kade had kissed me before. It didn’t have to mean anything more now than it had then. I was reading too much into it. Maybe because I was lonely, and hurting, and my ego could certainly use some stroking from a man like Kade.

I decided I wasn’t going to allow myself to ruin the night. I’d been having a good time and getting lost inside my own confusion hadn’t been part of the plan. I’d go back to Kade and just have fun doing whatever he had planned. I’d worry about my state of mind, and my life, later.

Kade had paid the bill by the time I returned, and when he ushered me outside it was into a waiting limousine.

“What’s the occasion?” I asked, as he slid in after me.

“To see the Strip, of course,” he said, moving to the seat across from the wet bar. “Champagne?”

I grinned, delighted at this turn of events. “Absolutely.” Sip champagne while riding up and down the Vegas Strip in a limo with a gorgeous man? Yes, please.

Kade popped the cork and poured two glasses.

“What should we toast to?” I asked as he handed me a flute of the golden liquid. “To the future? New beginnings? World peace?”

Kade smirked at my teasing. “How about to how incredibly sexy you look tonight?”

That made me feel as though I’d swallowed a ray of sunshine and its warm glow was spreading through my body, melting me from the inside out.

I clinked my glass against his. “Ditto,” I said, and drank.

Kade played tour guide and I was wide-eyed with amazement as he pointed out landmarks. We passed the MGM hotel and when I read who was performing there on the sign outside, I let out a squeal.

“Can we go?” I asked excitedly.

Kade shook his head. “Sorry, princess,” he said with a grimace. “I’m banned from MGM for life.”

I stared at him in surprise. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Blane and I came here once a few years back,” he said, taking another drink of his champagne. “He’s banned, too.”

I was dying to ask more, but decided to let it go, especially when I saw the famous
Las Vegas
sign and hurried to snap a photo of it with my phone.

It seemed like barely any time had passed before I realized we’d finished the bottle of champagne and were pulling up to another hotel. Kade led me inside and we rode the elevator to the top floor. It opened into a nightclub that made me wish I had six pairs of eyes, there was so much to see. I abruptly decided that people watching could seriously be an Olympic sport in Vegas.

The club was rocking out to the DJ’s tunes and the dance floor was crowded. Kade found us a spot, and a cocktail waitress took our order and brought us drinks.

You couldn’t really talk, at least not if you wanted to be heard, so I just sipped my drink and watched the crowd. I could feel Kade’s arm around my waist, his hand resting
lightly on my hip, and for a moment, it seemed surreal. If someone had told me nine months ago that I’d be having a fabulous time in Las Vegas with Kade Dennon, I’d have laughed myself silly. But now, it didn’t seem silly at all. It felt right somehow. I was the happiest I’d been in a long time, and I had Kade to thank for it.

“Dance with me,” Kade said loudly near my ear, taking the drink from my hand and setting it aside.

I didn’t resist as he took my hand and led me into the mash of people on the dance floor. It was hot, and crazy, and personal space was nonexistent, but I loved it. The music filled my ears and throbbed through my body. I closed my eyes and danced, moving to the rhythm of the pulse. All the alcohol I’d consumed had left me feeling pretty darn good, a little tipsy but not enough to make the room start spinning.

Kade’s hands settled on my waist and I opened my eyes, smiling up at him. I raised my arms, lifting the heavy mass of my hair off my neck. The heat was making the strands stick to my skin.

People pressed in close and no one seemed to notice or care who they touched. It was just a mass of bodies moving in time to the music. Kade was even closer, one leg insinuated between mine. He caressed the bare skin of my back above my jeans. His touch felt good. Really good.

I let my hair go and rested my hands on Kade’s silk-clad shoulders. The heat from his body soaked through the delicate fabric. The undone buttons exposed the skin that I’d admired earlier, only now it was right in front of me, glistening slightly with sweat. I didn’t think, I just leaned forward
and fastened my mouth to a spot right under the tantalizing dip between his collarbones.

Hot. Salty. Soft. Hard. Sensations filtered through my brain as I pressed against Kade, my tongue licking the addictive flavor of him from his skin. His fingers dug into my rear, dragging me closer until I could feel his arousal against my abdomen. I took this as encouragement and continued on my path, undoing another button or two to give his body the attention it most certainly deserved. Kade’s hands slipped underneath my blouse, settling on my waist before sliding tantalizingly up my ribs. My breasts ached for his touch.

It felt good to be wanted.

The darkness of the club was punctuated by a swirl of lights that spun and sent rays of color over the dance floor, briefly illuminating Kade in shades of neon blue and yellow before plunging us back into the black. I closed my eyes, blocking out the mass of people surrounding us, many of whom were in similar clinches with their partner. Or partners.

The DJ switched tunes and I was abruptly jolted from my hypnotic reverie. I knew this song. It had played on the jukebox the night Blane had come to the bar for me, the night I’d met my three “fairy godfathers.” He’d walked through the door, put me in his car, and then we’d—

I jerked back, horrified. What was I doing? I’d already come between them once over a lie, was I now going to make it a truth? Was I just using Kade to make myself feel better?

“I-I need some air,” I stammered, pulling away from Kade.

The look of confusion on his face made more guilt swell inside me, and I hurriedly pushed through the crowd that now felt oppressive until I was outside.

A high fence barricaded the edges of the roof, but it was blessedly cooler out here and the music was muffled. Couples dotted the roof, though few appeared to be talking.

“What’s wrong?”

I turned. Kade had followed me.

“Nothing.” How could I possibly put into words how confused I was? How much I regretted that I’d come between him and Blane? How every moment I spent with him made it harder and harder to remember why I shouldn’t want him?

“Liar,” he said without heat. He advanced until my back was pressed against the fence, then took my hand in his. The wind blew my hair and he tenderly smoothed it away from my face. “Tell me.”

His sweetness was my undoing, and I broke. “I don’t know, Kade. I don’t know what I’m doing or why. I feel guilty all the time for what happened with you and Blane—” My voice broke at the pain those words produced. “I came between you, you and your brother, and I never wanted that. Please believe me. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Kade whispered. His brows were drawn together in concern as his thumb brushed my wet cheeks. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” I insisted. “It really is. I never should have… have…”

“Been my friend? Is that what you regret?” Kade interrupted.

His eyes seemed to beg me to contradict him, to not deny what we’d built between us.

Did I regret it? If I hadn’t spent time with Kade, Blane never would have had reason to suspect we’d had an affair. We wouldn’t have broken up. We’d still be getting married. Kade and Blane would still be speaking to each other.

My hesitation was too long and Kade’s expression turned cold.

“That’s what I thought.”

“Kade, that’s not—”

“Turn it off, princess. Time to get back to work.”

He was looking to my right now and I looked, too. The guy Kade was supposed to target stood nearby with a small group of people.

“I need you to keep him occupied for the next thirty minutes,” Kade said. “Can you do that?”

I swallowed, nodding. “Where will you be?”

“Breaking into his room, of course.”

Alarm shot through me. “What if you get caught?”

“I won’t. After thirty minutes, excuse yourself to go to the bathroom and leave. Meet me back in the room. The key is in your back pocket.” I felt him slide the card into my jeans.

I chewed my lip in worry. I hated that I hadn’t gotten the chance to answer Kade’s question. “Kade, I—”

“Not now,” he interrupted. His tone was such that I immediately shut up. “Put it aside. We have work to do. Everything else will have to wait.”

I gave a reluctant nod. “All right.”

“Can you cry on demand?” he asked. “That would help.”

That was an easy one since I was already fighting back tears. I looked up at Kade and allowed the tears to leak
out my eyes. For a moment he looked stricken before he schooled his features into a grim mask.

“I’m going to grab you, shake you,” he said. “Try to push me away as hard as you can. I’ll let you go and you head in his direction, but not directly for him. Understand?”

“Yeah.”

“You ready?” he asked, looking slightly skeptical.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Just do it already.”

Kade’s hands closed on my upper arms and he shook me. “Start fighting me,” he hissed. His face hard with anger. I tried to push him away, squirming, but he just held me tighter. “Try harder. He’s watching.” I put all I had into it, twisting to get away from where Kade had me pressed against the fence.

“Let me go!” I demanded, pushing at his chest. His arm was within reach, and I clamped my teeth around it and bit.

“Ow! You bitch!”

Kade released me and I wasted no time pushing past him toward the man, but was careful not to look at him. I hurried, glancing over my shoulder to see Kade was jogging after me. He reached out and I cringed away with a cry.