Dare to Kiss (The Maxwell Series Book 1) (12 page)

No sooner had I swung my legs off the bed than my phone chirped again. “Hello.”

“Hey. Are you feeling better?” Warmth slid down to pool between my legs at the sound of Kade’s voice.

“I am. Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”

“I signed out. I thought I would finish working on your car. You want to come with?”

I did, but not to work on my car. “I’m not sure my dad will let me since I stayed home from school.” I got up and crossed my carpeted floor to the window. Trees lined our property along the back. The wind blew, shaking the dead leaves from the branches. They fluttered to the grassy yard below.

“Tell him you’ll be in school, learning how to fix your car.”

I did need my car. I had an appointment this afternoon with Dr. Davis. Dad was going to take me, but if he didn’t have to he could go in to work early like he wanted to. Mary didn’t have a car yet, so she couldn’t help. “I’ll ask.”

“Good. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Then the phone went dead.

To my surprise, Dad thought it was a good idea for me to help Kade as long as I was feeling better. I’d asked why.

“It would be good for you to learn,” he’d said. “Plus you do need your car. And I can get into the club early like I planned.”

After Dad gave me the nod to hang with Kade, I freshened up. I’d fallen asleep in my clothes. My jeans were fine, but my blouse was wrinkled. I opted for a long-sleeved, V-neck cotton T-shirt. With the cloud cover and the cool fall temps, I wanted to be warm. Kade was prompt, showing up within fifteen minutes like he’d said. I grabbed a jacket, my phone, and my purse, then we were on our way.

He navigated through town, and in no time at all, we were traveling on a country road. Two-story colonial homes dotted the road’s edge as we passed.

“How far out of town do you live?” I asked, keeping my gaze out the side window.

“We’re almost there.”

“Did you grow up here?”

He turned right, off the two-lane country road and onto another. Tall trees rose majestically along both sides, the tips of the branches gracefully arching over the road, creating a tunnel effect.

“No. My dad was in the military, so we’ve moved around a lot. This is the first place we’ve lived for more than four years.”

Before I had a chance to ask any more questions, Kade was turning onto a paved driveway.

My jaw dropped. “You live here?” A massive two-story brick home sat with tall oak trees in the background and a lake behind it. A large wraparound porch skirted the house, and the front yard was landscaped with manicured shaped trees, green grass, flowers and bushes. His family must be wealthy. He did say his dad was a psychiatrist.

At the end of the long driveway, he drove past the house, and braked in front of a six-car detached garage. Killing the engine, he jumped out. I had my hand on the handle when my phone buzzed.

Sliding the bar on the screen, I answered it. “Hello.”

“Lacey? This is Coach Dean.” His voice was low-pitched.

“Oh, hi.”
Why was the coach of the baseball team calling me
?

Kade stood in front of the truck with his head cocked to one side, watching me.

I shrugged a shoulder.

“I understand you’re not in school today. Are you feeling okay?”

“A little better now. Is there something wrong, Coach?” I twirled a strand of my hair around my finger.
Wow! I couldn’t recall the last time I had played with my hair
. It used to be a nervous habit of mine. I let go
.

“I was hoping to discuss a few things with you today before tryouts Wednesday.”

“Like what?” I asked. A knot formed in my stomach.
What could he possibly want to talk about
?

“Why don’t you stop by my office after school tomorrow? I’ll see you then,” Coach said. Then he hung up.

Kade opened the truck door, his face tight with worry.

“Who was that?” Kade asked.

“Coach Dean.” Pocketing my phone, I hopped out of the truck. “He wants to see me tomorrow.”

Kade let out a breath as though he was relieved for some reason. “For what?” he asked.

“He didn’t say.” I racked my brain, trying to think.
Was I in trouble? Was he going to tell me I couldn’t try out
?

Kade enfolded my hand in his, and when he did, worry about Coach Dean and why he wanted to see me slowly dissipated. I swore the guy had magic in those large hands of his.

He led me into the garage through a side door. My car sat in the second bay with its hood open. All the other bays were empty, except the last one had a boxing ring set up in it. I yanked my hand away and went over to the ring. So this must’ve been what Kross and Kelton were referring to the other day.

“Kross likes to box,” Kade said, walking up to me.

“Is he any good?” I asked, picking up a glove from the padded floor of the ring.

“Yep. Do you like boxing?”

“Maybe.” I glanced up at him and shouldn’t have. His lips curled into a sly smile as his gaze skimmed over me. I knew that look. It was the same one he’d had on Saturday night, right before he kissed me.

I didn’t have time to run. The glove fell from my hand when he backed me against the boxing ring. My legs hit the padded base while my head connected with the bottom rope.

My chest rose and fell in rapid succession.

“Do you want to go a round in the ring?” he rasped, grabbing the ropes on each side of my head.

Oh yeah. I would love to go a round—just not in the ring
. “You know I would kick your ass,” I said.

One of his hands got lost in my hair. “I hope so,” he said, his eyes darkening. “But right now”—he leaned down, his lips so close to mine— “I would like to kiss you.”

The cocoons of butterflies in my stomach burst free in a happy frenzy.

Sliding his hand from my hair to the nape of my neck, his lids half closed. “I’ve been dying to taste you again.” His voice was hypnotic, caressing, and if he didn’t kiss me I just might have to punch him again.

“Kade?”

Grinning, his lips brushed the corner of my mouth, then he kissed his way to my ear, where he sucked and nibbled. I arched into him, our body heat igniting an inferno between us.

“What is it with you and ears?” Every hard inch of him molded to me.

“I love the way your body responds,” he breathed.

“Is that one of your lines to get girls to do what you want?”

“Only you, Lace.”

I didn’t have time to squeak out a comeback. His other hand wrenched me to him, and the fire grew in my belly, sending sparks of pleasure lower. Reaching around him, I slid my hands into his jeans at the small of his back—warm, hard, and smooth.

He sucked in a breath and a low groan followed. Snaking his tongue through my lips, he felt his way around slowly, teasing my tongue with his, coaxing me to engage. Pressing in closer, I sucked on his tongue. Growling, he dove deeper into a punishing kiss as though he couldn’t get enough. He tasted all male, all sin. Desire blasted in me, making my brain foggy.

I didn’t hear the footsteps echoing across the floor until Kade broke the kiss.

“Get out, Kelton,” Kade barked, trying hard to control his breathing while he held me tightly to him.

Thank God he was, or else I would’ve collapsed right there. This kiss had been even more intense than the first, and I wasn’t sure I had control of my limbs. As my brain cleared and I tried to get my own breathing under control, Kelton’s laugh doused the flames inside me.

“Bro, you know you have a bedroom up at the house,” Kelton drawled.

If Kade didn’t kill Kelton, I just might. I kept my head buried against Kade’s deliciously scented black T-shirt. He rested his chin on my head, his back to his brother.

“Kelton,” he warned. “I will kick your ass if you don’t get the fuck out of here. And what are you doing home from school?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Don’t move,” Kade whispered to me. “I’ll be right back.” He let me go and stalked over to Kelton, who was leaning against my car, ankles crossed, with one of his cocky grins on his face.

I eased down onto the edge of the padded ring floor.

“I swear, Kel,” Kade said through clenched teeth.

Kelton grinned, raising his hands chest high. “Calm down, man. I have a dental appointment. Remember? I had a few minutes to kill. I came home to brush my teeth since the dentist is just down the road.”

“Then go.”

“Chill.” Kelton started for the door. “Oh, and I thought you would like to know Sullivan is working for Pitt.”

Kade ran a hand through his hair. “Who told you that?”

“I heard it at school. You should probably get Hunt to confirm it with his brother.”

I jumped to my feet.
What was going on? Did this have anything to do with the confrontation at the club the other night
? I joined Kade and Kelton at my car. “Who’s Pitt?”

“Jeremy Pitt runs an organization out of Boston that would put the mafia to shame,” Kelton said matter-of-factly.

A muscle ticked in Kade’s jaw as he looked at his brother.

Kelton glanced at his black-banded diver’s watch. “I gotta run. Have fun, you two.” He walked out.

Kade stared absently at the pristine, painted, gray concrete floor.

I moved to stand in front of him. “What happened between you and Greg?”

“I told you,” he said in a hardened tone. “Old history.”

“Not good enough, Kade.” I placed a hand on his soft cotton T-shirt. “Have you forgotten I’m involved now?”

“Lace, the guy wants revenge for me beating his ass into the ground a couple of years ago. I’m afraid if he’s working for a gang, he has more firepower to retaliate.” He pulled out his phone from his front pocket. He tapped out a text as he paced over to the boxing ring. When he finished, he came over to me. “Come on.” He held out his hand.

“That’s it? You’re not going to share anything else about Sullivan?” With the anger coursing through me, I dug my nails into my palm, then I shook my head. I wasn’t going to get upset. I didn’t want to go into freak mode for the second time today.
Let it go for now. Concentrate on relaxing. Tryouts are in two days.

“Lace, there’s not much to tell. He and I got into fights. As far as the gang he’s supposedly with, that’s his business unless he decides to make it mine. I’ll address it then. I’ll explain more when I know more. Right now, I would like to show you something.” His expression was soft, yet impenetrable.

I relaxed enough to finally let my breath out, and I unclenched my fists. “I’m not going into your bedroom.”
Although I would like to
.

One side of his mouth turned up. “You’re not. Not today, anyway.”

I almost pouted. “What about my car?”

“We’ll work on your car later. I promise this won’t take long.” His arm was still stretched out. Curious as to what he wanted to show me, I took hold of his warm hand. His touch was electric, sending little prickles of pleasure dancing along my skin. We left the garage through the same door we came in. Instead of going up toward the house, we went left toward the lake.

Chapter 9

T
he breeze carried with it the scent of damp earth as we made our way down toward the lake. A panoramic view made a picture-perfect scene. Myriad beginnings of fall colors hung from the trees surrounding the water that was smooth as black glass. A tangled mass of sticks and leaves covered the ground as the landscape dipped down to a boathouse that skirted the water’s edge.

“What did you want to show me?” I asked. I’d seen lakes before. While this one was nice, it didn’t compare to the ocean-blue water of Lake Tahoe. My family had vacationed there in the summertime. Dad would rent a house for a week. Mom, Julie, and I would hang out and sunbathe by the lake, while Dad and Rob played golf. At night we’d play board games and have a cookout. I blinked a few times to stave off the tears pooling in my eyes.

“You’ll see,” he said as he padded up the wood steps to a small deck that led to a door on the boathouse.

“You want to show me a boat?” I climbed up after him.

He pushed open the door and waited until I went in first.
If Mary could see Kade now, she’d probably kiss him.

Looking around, I realized this wasn’t a boathouse but a man-cave, of sorts. A pool table was the focal point in the middle of the room. A poker table stood in the right corner adjacent to the door, with a refrigerator and a tall two-door cabinet in the far corner. A couch sat in front of the window that overlooked the lake, comfortable fabric chairs at each end.

After shutting the door, Kade crossed to the fridge. “Water?”

“Sure,” I said as I circled around the pool table to check out a large photograph that had caught my eye. The triplets stood behind Kade, who was on one knee, all of them clad in fatigues. The brothers all looked to be in their early teens. Lying on the ground in front of them was a large, dead buck. I smiled. I didn’t like to hunt, but Kade clearly did.
Why was I even surprised? He’d handled my gun that first night like a pro.

“I love that picture. We caught two more bucks that day,” he said, suddenly behind me.

“You guys look so happy.” I thought of Julie and Mom again. Aside from summers in Tahoe, we’d spent winters skiing at Mammoth Mountain. Rob and I used to race each other downhill. He’d always beat me, but I always loved giving him a run for his money.

“How come your dad isn’t in this picture? Does he hunt?”

“He took the picture. We do have one with him in it somewhere in the house. He liked this one so much he wanted to hang it up in here.”

“What is this place? I assumed it was a boathouse.”

He guided me over to the sofa, handing me a bottle of water. I twisted off the cap and took a long drink.

“It was. But my dad didn’t want all our friends trashing the house, so he remodeled this place for us.” He sat down with his water bottle in hand.

I did the same, but couldn’t understand why I felt awkward. “Should we work on the car?” I did have my appointment late this afternoon with Dr. Davis. I absolutely could not miss it, or Dad would have my hide for sure.

“We will. Do you have somewhere to be?” He sat back, angling his body so his left arm rested on the back of the couch.

Oh crap.
My throat became dry. Thankful for the bottle of water, I took another sip.

“Well?” His languid copper gaze moved over me.

“I do. At four thirty.” I couldn’t lie. If I did, I might miss my session.

“Okay. So how’s your arm?”

That was it? He wasn’t going to pry? Or ask what my appointment was for
? I sighed and sat back, mimicking his position.

“It’s not as sore.” The Advil I took this morning had helped
.
I needed to remember to take two more pills before practice.

“Can we talk about what happened on Saturday night?”

Was he asking about the kiss? Or was he remembering what I did to hurt my arm
? “Which part?” I was pretty sure what he was asking, but I had to be certain.

“At your house.” He rested the water bottle against his stomach.

My hands became clammy.
If he heard the story, would he look at me differently? Would he run
?

“I haven’t had the chance to thank you for helping me.”

He moved his water bottle from the couch to the floor beside him before sliding closer to me. Every hormone in me sparked to life. He took my water bottle and put it next to his. Then, slowly and seductively, he threaded long, sure fingers through my hair. He gently coaxed me forward as his hand settled on the back of my head. Without thinking, I swung my left leg over his lap. His hands slid down to grasp my hips, and he lifted me. I was now straddling him.

With his hands on my butt, he drew me closer to him. A paper-thin space separated our chests. “Now this is a position that I really like,” he whispered.

I buried my hands in his soft, thick hair.

“Are you taking advantage of me, Lace? Or are you avoiding talking to me?”

“Does it matter?”

He searched my face for a split second before his hands got lost under my shirt. His callused palms scraped along my back, soothing and prickly. Desire flashed in his eyes as he feathered his lips over mine. Gripping the sides of my waist, he lifted me before laying me down on the couch. All of a sudden, I was on my back and he was on top of me.

“Um…Kade?” Every hard inch of him pressed into me, but I did need to breathe.

Rolling off to the side so his back leaned against the couch, he propped his head on his hand then shifted a throw pillow under my head. He slid his leg between mine. His gaze roamed over the length of my body, slowing down in certain areas before making the climb back up to meet my eyes.

“See something you like?” A smile formed on my lips.

He nodded, his tongue wetting his bottom lip. Then he reached under my shirt and lightly stroked the area around my navel. The feeling was tranquilizing and erotic at the same time, and I had a strong desire to guide his hand farther south or farther north. I mentally shook off the fantasy—for now, anyway. I wasn’t ready to take the next step. After all, we were practically strangers.

“So tell me about what happened to you.” Leaning down, he licked circles around my bellybutton.

I gasped.
How was I supposed to concentrate with him making me squirm
?

“Tell me more about your rivalry with Greg,” I said hoarsely. I didn’t want to talk about Greg
or
me. I just wanted him to keep his hands and tongue in motion.

“You’re avoiding me,” he said seductively.

“Is this how you get females to talk? By luring them into your den and having your way with them?”

He lifted his head, dimples flashing. “Only you,” he drawled.

“I have to go,” I said weakly.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have amazing abs?” he said, ignoring my statement. He drew circles around my navel. “I’ve been dreaming about them since I met you in the parking lot that first night. How you had your T-shirt tied into a knot. Your skin glistened.” He peppered kisses up and down my stomach.

“You were checking me out, even with a gun in my hand?” My mouth was slightly open.

“Oh, yeah. Now, I’ll save the gun incident for another time. I want to hear about your attacks. Your dad wouldn’t explain.”

“Kade, I can’t. I’m not ready. And I don’t want people to know.” I was so angry with myself. I had been getting better. I hadn’t had an attack since we moved here, but that one had been one of the worst ones in a long time.

He scooted up, placing a hand on my cheek, staring directly into my eyes. “Lace, I’m not one to gossip.”

“You told your brothers I punched you.”

“I had to when I walked in the house with blood coming out my nose. You’re avoiding me.” He smoothed his fingers over my lips. “I need to know.”

“Why? It’s not like we’re…”

“I want to get to know you.”

“What about Tammy?” After the interaction between them at the Cave, I got the impression he wasn’t into her. Still,
never assume
, my brother always told me.

He laughed. “I was curious why you hadn’t asked about her at the Cave. I’m not dating her. We went out one time last year. Since then she’s been trying to get me to go out with her again. And I’m not interested in her, Lacey.”

Silence hung between us as we stared at each other. The light poured in from the window, showcasing the honesty in his copper eyes, and something more. What, though, I couldn’t quite figure out. I really hoped he wasn’t trying to save me from my inner demons. Only I had the ability to cure myself from the nightmares and panic attacks.

Aside from all that was the million-dollar question:
was I ready to allow anyone into my world
? I’d only known him for a week at most, and during that time I had done nothing but physically abuse him. All of a sudden, Dad’s words blared in my head.
You need to learn to trust. You need to relax.
I didn’t know if I could trust Kade. I didn’t know anything about him.

Reaching up, I traced the outline of his mouth with the pad of my finger, and his eyes drifted shut. “Kade, tell me one thing about yourself.”

Opening his eyes, he leaned over and kissed me. “I like you.”

My body warmed at his touch. “Of course, you do. I’m a girl and you’re a player.” My fingers glided along his strong jaw.

He groaned softly. “A player? Where did you hear that?”

“Rumor around school.”

“And you believe rumors.” He bit my lower lip.

“Hey. I need that lip.”

He chuckled. “Lace, I’ve never had a steady girlfriend. If that makes me a player, then it does. Nothing I can do about that.”

“Why no girlfriend?” My hands were on the move, feeling hard, sleek muscle through the soft fabric of his T-shirt.

“Most girls are too serious. They want love and all that.”

“And the player, Kade Maxwell, doesn’t do love, right?”

“Does Lacey Robinson do love?” he asked.

“Hell no. I don’t have time for mushy stuff like that. I’m here to make the team, so I can get my scholarship to ASU, and nothing more.” I wouldn’t be opposed to dating. I just didn’t want it to distract me from my goals.

“Wait.” His tone was serious and surprised all of sudden. “You’re not just trying out to prove a point, like most other girls?”

Typical of men. I pursed my lips, and shook my head. “Why would I? Arizona State was scouting me for their college team until…”

“Until what, Lace?”

I turned my head.
Don’t cry. Don’t show weakness.

“Look at me, Lace.” His thumb smoothed over my eyebrow. “Please?”

Blinking, I turned, meeting his gaze.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk,” he whispered. “I’m here when you do. But can I ask you one question?”

I nodded, willing the lump in my throat to go away.

“If you do have an attack, what can I do? The other night, I had no idea how to get you out of your trance.”

“What makes you think you’re going to be with me when I have an attack?” I was surprised my voice didn’t fail me.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight if I can help it.”

“Why? Because of my attacks?” My muscles tensed, overpowering the ache in my chest. “I don’t need anyone’s help, and I’m certainly not anyone’s charity case.” I punctuated the last two words by trying to lift up on my elbows, but he held me down.

“Hey, chill,” he said softly. “It has nothing to do with your attacks and everything to do with that first kiss the other night.”

“English, please?” I asked.

He slipped his tongue inside my mouth, and my core went liquid.
Damn.
He was good.

“I haven’t been able to get that kiss out of my brain,” he whispered against my lips. “It’s imprinted on it. I want to kiss you all day long.”

One side of my brain said,
keep your goals in front of you.
The other side was Mary’s voice.
You need to have fun
. Maybe I could do both. “Kade, I—”

He gently placed his finger on my lips as though he knew what I was struggling with. “Hey, no commitments,” he said. “Just two people getting to know each other. And the last thing I want to do is get in the way of your dream.”

“So you’re not asking me to go steady, Kade Maxwell?”

“To quote a beautiful brunette who has lick-worthy abs, ‘Hell no.’”

We both laughed.

“You forgot ears,” I added.

“That too. So will you allow me to kiss you until the end of the school year?”

Was he prepared to know the real me? Was I prepared to open up to him? Or did I want to get to know him? He was rumored to be a player. Would he break my heart? What if I fell in love with him? I was leaving at the end of the school year. Dad and Mary’s words resonated—
learn to trust, have fun
.

“I have one request.”

“I don’t bargain,” he said, grinning.

“Maybe not, but you’ll like this one.”

He quirked an eyebrow.

“That you give my abs as much attention as you’ve given my ears.”

“I’ll give
any
part of your body all the attention in the world,” he said before kissing me with such intensity and emotion that the wall around my heart cracked open.

His phone vibrated on my leg. He broke the kiss, plucking it out of his pocket. “Yeah. We’ll meet you in the garage.” He tapped the screen. “My friend Hunt is here.”

We both sat up. I smoothed out my shirt. He combed his fingers through his hair.

“So is Hunt here to help you fix my car?”

“Not really. I sent him a text before we came down here. His brother Wes works for Jeremy Pitt. I wanted him to see if he can confirm if Sullivan is working for Pitt.”

The name Sullivan jarred my brain. I didn’t want any part of that rivalry. Greg gave me the creeps. “You know, Kade, maybe we should get to know each other after you’ve resolved your feud with Sullivan.”

His hands latched onto my waist, and he yanked me onto his lap. “Sullivan is not going to do anything stupid. If he does, then he’ll do it to me.”

“Then why did he tell me that he and I were going to have fun? What did he mean?”