hair until he lifted his head from her breasts to look her in the eye.
“I just closed my eyes and pretended you were Blane.”
And there it was. Maybe not an actual kick in the nuts, but it hit somewhere just as sensitive. Kade clenched his jaw. The sugar-coated venom in her voice was the same fire she’d had earlier. But the thought of Blane’s hands and mouth on her, of Kathleen lying spread beneath him, sent a jolt of burning jealousy through Kade. Guilt was close on its heels.
“And who do you pretend it is when it’s Blane?”
Kade’s vicious insult smothered the fire in her gaze and he watched in dismay as her face visibly paled. Hurt and betrayal echoed in her eyes and now the guilt Kade felt was twofold.
He cursed and stepped back, his arms immediately feeling her loss. “Let’s go.” Taking her hand was necessary for his sanity, an unspoken apology he couldn’t utter. She hated him all right. And that was good. Because that —kissing her, touching her—could not ever happen again. If it did, Kade didn’t think even the threat of overwhelming guilt and regret would make him stop.
CHAPTER THREE
Kathleen’s silence as he drove seemed to accuse Kade. He’d hurt her, which she didn’t deserve, but he couldn’t make himself stop. He felt like he was sliding down a slickened ice-covered hill toward a cliff, desperately trying anything to stop the destruction waiting for him at the bottom. Because that’s all this would be—it’s all it could be. Obsessing over his brother’s girl was about as cliché as he could get and one helluva way to fuck up his relationship with Blane.
But then again, it wasn’t like Kade had ever chosen the easy way.
“Where were you really today?” he asked her. There was a sicko out there, that much was certain. It would be wise for Kade to get back on track. Blane hadn’t called him here to fuck with his girl, but to keep her safe.
“What are you talking about?” she replied.
As if she could lie to him. Kade was a master at lying and as such, he knew how to spot ‘em. “Don’t give me that crap about errands again. I’m not an idiot, princess, and I want to know where you were.”
But she refused to answer. Turning away from Kade, she stared silently out the window.
Kade was cussing a blue streak inside his head, his hands clenched on the steering wheel. Way to go, dick . She’d trusted him earlier today, but that little stunt outside the bar had set things back a whole-fucking-lot, and he had only himself to blame.
Kathleen didn’t speak until they were pulling in to her building’s parking lot.
“You can’t stay,” she blurted, still not looking at him. “Not with me.”
Alarm shot through Kade, but he carefully disguised it when he replied. “You don’t get a say in this, princess.” Hoping to end her little rebellion, Kade got out and shut the door behind him, but he’d been wrong. She was out of the car and met him on his way around to her side.
“I absolutely have a say!” She was furious, angrily poking her finger into his chest. Ouch. “And I don’t want you here. Tell Blane whatever you have to, I don’t care, but you have to leave. I know that you couldn’t give a shit what happens to me, and I know you don’t want to be here. So just go already!”
Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, though Kade didn’t think she realized it. Every word had been like sinking a claw into his skin. She believed he didn’t care, that he didn’t want to be here, and while she was right on that last part, it was for an entirely different reason than what she thought.
Kade pressed his lips firmly together so he wouldn’t speak the words to contradict her, to tell her he was sorry, that he didn’t know what the fuck he was doing, and that he felt like he was drowning.
Turning on her heel, Kathleen hurried away, not looking back until she’d unlocked the door to her apartment. Kade
“I just closed my eyes and pretended you were Blane.”
And there it was. Maybe not an actual kick in the nuts, but it hit somewhere just as sensitive. Kade clenched his jaw. The sugar-coated venom in her voice was the same fire she’d had earlier. But the thought of Blane’s hands and mouth on her, of Kathleen lying spread beneath him, sent a jolt of burning jealousy through Kade. Guilt was close on its heels.
“And who do you pretend it is when it’s Blane?”
Kade’s vicious insult smothered the fire in her gaze and he watched in dismay as her face visibly paled. Hurt and betrayal echoed in her eyes and now the guilt Kade felt was twofold.
He cursed and stepped back, his arms immediately feeling her loss. “Let’s go.” Taking her hand was necessary for his sanity, an unspoken apology he couldn’t utter. She hated him all right. And that was good. Because that —kissing her, touching her—could not ever happen again. If it did, Kade didn’t think even the threat of overwhelming guilt and regret would make him stop.
CHAPTER THREE
Kathleen’s silence as he drove seemed to accuse Kade. He’d hurt her, which she didn’t deserve, but he couldn’t make himself stop. He felt like he was sliding down a slickened ice-covered hill toward a cliff, desperately trying anything to stop the destruction waiting for him at the bottom. Because that’s all this would be—it’s all it could be. Obsessing over his brother’s girl was about as cliché as he could get and one helluva way to fuck up his relationship with Blane.
But then again, it wasn’t like Kade had ever chosen the easy way.
“Where were you really today?” he asked her. There was a sicko out there, that much was certain. It would be wise for Kade to get back on track. Blane hadn’t called him here to fuck with his girl, but to keep her safe.
“What are you talking about?” she replied.
As if she could lie to him. Kade was a master at lying and as such, he knew how to spot ‘em. “Don’t give me that crap about errands again. I’m not an idiot, princess, and I want to know where you were.”
But she refused to answer. Turning away from Kade, she stared silently out the window.
Kade was cussing a blue streak inside his head, his hands clenched on the steering wheel. Way to go, dick . She’d trusted him earlier today, but that little stunt outside the bar had set things back a whole-fucking-lot, and he had only himself to blame.
Kathleen didn’t speak until they were pulling in to her building’s parking lot.
“You can’t stay,” she blurted, still not looking at him. “Not with me.”
Alarm shot through Kade, but he carefully disguised it when he replied. “You don’t get a say in this, princess.” Hoping to end her little rebellion, Kade got out and shut the door behind him, but he’d been wrong. She was out of the car and met him on his way around to her side.
“I absolutely have a say!” She was furious, angrily poking her finger into his chest. Ouch. “And I don’t want you here. Tell Blane whatever you have to, I don’t care, but you have to leave. I know that you couldn’t give a shit what happens to me, and I know you don’t want to be here. So just go already!”
Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, though Kade didn’t think she realized it. Every word had been like sinking a claw into his skin. She believed he didn’t care, that he didn’t want to be here, and while she was right on that last part, it was for an entirely different reason than what she thought.
Kade pressed his lips firmly together so he wouldn’t speak the words to contradict her, to tell her he was sorry, that he didn’t know what the fuck he was doing, and that he felt like he was drowning.
Turning on her heel, Kathleen hurried away, not looking back until she’d unlocked the door to her apartment. Kade
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