Prologue
Leah
“Thanks so much again, Leah. I really appreciate you doing this for me.” Cassie Horton twisted in the passenger seat of my car, bouncing a little as she did. My former college roommate had never done anything low-key in her life. She was the poster child for exuberance.
“It’s not a problem, really,” I replied for the third time, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. “The bar isn’t that far from my apartment, and dropping you off isn’t a big deal at all.”
“Oh, I don’t mean just the ride, though yeah, that’s, like, super-cool of you. But I mean everything. Letting me crash at your place these last few days was a lifesaver. It was so much fun to hang out again, just like back in the old days. You know, with me having fun and watching movies and you with your nose buried in books or the laptop, studying.”
A flare of annoyance rose within me. “Yeah, just like the good old days. Some things don’t change, I guess.”
“That’s for sure.” Cass remained, as always, blissfully ignorant of my sarcasm. Her phone, which was never far from her hand, buzzed its happy little chirp. “Oh, awesome. Kade’s almost there already. I can’t wait to see him! It’s been forever.”
“Hmm.” I nodded as I changed lanes. “He’s a friend of yours from back home in California, you said?”
“Oh, yeah. Well, he was more my brother Andrew’s friend since they were the same age and all. But I was like his little sister, you know? I mean, he’s so freaking hot, and all my friends back home used to ask me why I didn’t just jump his bones, but I didn’t think about him that way, you know? He was always just Kade, the guy hanging around my house or the beach with us. Big ick factor when I thought about anything else.”
“I get it.” I didn’t, really; I hadn’t grown up with any big brothers, blood-related or otherwise. But it was always easier to play along than it was to open up that can of worms. “So, he lives around here?”
“He’s in the Army, and he’s stationed at Fort Lee. But he agreed to drive up here so we could catch up for a little bit.” Cass sighed. “We were supposed to meet last night, but he had some kind of Army emergency, I guess. He had to cancel at the last minute. So he’s coming up now, but you know, Jada and the girls from Kappa Delt are meeting me at the bar, too, so I can go stay with them for the next few days. I hope Kade won’t be too disappointed if I can’t give him all my attention.”
“I’m sure he’ll understand.” I kept my eyes from rolling with the greatest of effort. Rooming with Cassie during our first two years at Virginia Commonwealth University had been fine, but I’d learned quickly that as sweet as she seemed, her agenda always came first. More than once, I’d been burned when she’d made plans for us and then blown me off in favor of a cute guy or her sorority sisters.
It was with that in mind that I’d agreed to let her stay with me for a few days when Cassie had emailed about her trip east. Honestly, I’d assumed it would never really happen, that she’d cancel before the time came. The price I’d paid for my cynicism was that I’d had a chatty guest for three days and nights.
“Maybe.” Her enthusiasm waned briefly. “I just feel bad. He’s making the drive all the way up here, and I know he’s busy, but Jada has plans for us, too.” She bit the edge of her lip. “Oh, here’s the entrance for the bar.”
I just barely made the turn, earning me a long and loud horn blow from the car that had been following close behind me. The parking lot was crowded, and I had to execute a quick maneuver to keep from hitting the back of a Mustang that was backing out of a spot.
“Ooooh, grab that one.” Cassie pointed to it, as though I hadn’t seen it myself.
Since there was a line of other cars waiting behind me, I didn’t take the time to argue. But once I’d come to a stop and shifted into park, I let the engine idle, turning my head to smile at my passenger.
“Okay, well, here you are. You okay with your bags? Do you need to move them to . . . umm, another car?”
“Oh, God.” Cassie was scanning her phone again. “Jada isn’t here yet. She got held up in traffic. Can you wait until she shows up?”
“Cass.” I kept the smile pasted on my face. “Remember I told you that I couldn’t hang out? I have a shit ton of school work to do. I said I’d drive you over and drop you off.”
“Oh, I know, and I know I’m a huge pain in your ass, but I can’t exactly lug all my bags into the bar and sit them on the floor next to me, can I? Come on . . . I’ll buy you a drink. It’s the least I can do after you’ve been so great the last few days.”
I lost the pleasant expression and the nice girl ‘tude. “Cassie, I really can’t. I don’t know what to tell you about the bags. I guess I could take them back home, and then you and Jada could stop later on to pick them up. I’ll be home.”
“She lives in the exact opposite direction from your place. Her townhouse is on the west side.” Cassie’s voice was filled with exasperated patience, as though she were talking to a child. And I couldn’t help feeling more than a little resentful. Although I knew she didn’t really mean anything, she’d just pointed out that her sorority girlfriends lived on the ritzy side of town. Meanwhile, I was still slumming it in my tiny upstairs apartment in the less-desirable section of Richmond.
“Sorry about that. Maybe you can borrow stuff from her tonight and then stop over tomorrow some time.”
“Leah, pleeeeeease.” Cassie grabbed at my hand, clasping it in both of hers. “Please, please, please. I totally don’t want to go in there and sit by myself. I’ll look like such a loser.”
“I thought your soldier friend was going to be here.” I didn’t have any sympathy for her plight. Sitting alone wasn’t the end-of-the-world tragedy she was making it out to be.
“He will be, but he isn’t yet. Please, Leah. Pretty, pretty please. Think of all the good karma you’ll get. It’ll be enough that you won’t even need to study for your law school thingy.”
I gritted my teeth. “It’s not a thingy, Cassie. It’s a huge exam, and if I don’t pass it . . . well, I don’t want to think about what would happen.”
“Okay, well, sorry. But I’m only talking one drink. Fifteen minutes . . . half-hour, tops. Seriously, Leah, you never do anything fun. Didn’t you ever hear that thing about all work and no play? It’s possible that taking off one tiny hour to relax and have a drink with friends—”
“They’re not my friends, Cass. They’re yours.”
She waved her hand. “Whatever. Just turn off the car and come inside. Set your phone for thirty minutes, and I promise, the second it goes off, you can get up and leave. Don’t even say goodbye if you don’t want to.”
I snorted. “Sure. That’ll make me look like a great person.”
“What do you care? Like you said, they’re not your friends.” She reached for the door handle. “Come on, Leah. Live a little.”
Against every ounce of better judgement—and that was a lot of ounces, believe me—I turned the key and pulled it from the ignition. “Thirty minutes, Cass. Thirty minutes. And then I’m out of here, even if I have to carry in all your suitcases and dump them at your feet in the middle of the bar. Got it?”
“Sure!” She danced a little getting out of the car, and once I’d slammed my door and met her in the front of it, she wrapped me in a quick, tight hug. “You’re the absolute best, Leah. The very best.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I followed her through the door, where loud music and the roar of voices swept over us. I winced a little. The place was packed, body pressing against body. Everyone looked so happy, as if they were all glad to be here. I felt more out of place than ever.
“Do you see any open tables?” Cassie shouted, her mouth close to my ear.
I shook my head. “No, it looks pretty full. Maybe I should just—”
“Cassidy Lee Horton, is that you?” A rich deep voice carried over the buzz of the crowd. I jerked my head around and found the source of the voice . . . the tall, lanky, blond-haired source making his way through the group of people next to us, grinning at Cass.
“Kade! Oh my God, Kade, you are so . . . wow! What did you do, like, bulk up a hundred times over? Look at you. You’re seriously built now.” She stood on tiptoe to hug him, squealing as she did. “You’re not the skinny surfer I remember.”
He laughed, and despite myself, I felt my lady parts shiver. Dear Lord of all hotness, he was . . . I tried to think of the most accurate adjective. A yummy specimen of maleness. Someone I’d love to bounce on. Someone who I suspected knew how to use those large hands with skill and finesse. I could just see his fingers on me, stroking, tantalizing . . .
“Oh, God, I’m such a moron. Kade, this is my friend, Leah Samson. We roomed together in college for a couple of years, and she’s been nice enough to let me crash at her apartment since I landed in Richmond. Leah, this is Kade, the guy who lived to torture me when I was a kid.”
“Hey, Andrew and I didn’t torture you, little bit.” He cuffed her shoulder with a gentle fist. “We were training you for life. Preparing you to be tough.” He chuckled again, lifting vivid hazel eyes to meet mine. Friendly interest morphed into warm admiration. “Hey. Leah, is it? Nice to meet you.” He extended one of those tempting hands toward me. “Kade Braggs.”
Against my better judgement—again—I took his hand and gave a brief squeeze. “Hi.” Oh, that was inspired. More like insipid.
“Look, those people are leaving. Let’s grab their table fast.” Cass darted around me, single-minded in her determination to reach the chairs before anyone else did.
Kade pressed his hand to the small of my back. “We better get over there before she knocks someone out to keep the table. I see that Cass hasn’t lost any of her, uh, enthusiasm.”
I tossed him a quick smile over my shoulder. “That’s one way of putting it. Single-minded focus on getting her own way might be another.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Kade pulled out a chair for me as we reached Cass. “Beer good for everyone? I’ll see if I can flag down a server.”
“I want a cosmo,” Cass announced. “Beer makes me bloaty.”
Kade smiled indulgently, and I realized that he had a dimple in his left cheek. Damn. Dimples were my kryptonite. There was just something about that little indentation that made me want to run my tongue over it . . . No. I clamped my teeth onto the inside of my cheek to distract myself from the want. He wasn’t for me, and anyway, I didn’t have time for men. Not now. I tried to concentrate on what Kade was replying to Cass.
“Not sure they have cosmos at this place, babe. How about a glass of white wine?”
Cass shrugged one shoulder with a pretty pout. “I guess so. But ask about the cosmo first, okay?”
Kade nodded and stepped away. I watched him snag the arm of a passing waitress, whose body language indicated that she was more than happy to see to all of his needs, drink related or otherwise.
“That’s Kade for you.” Cassie sighed. “Making conquests and breaking hearts at every turn.”
My insides twisted a little. “He’s a player, huh?”
Cass wrinkled her nose. “Well, he used to be, back in the day. He never dated anyone, but he hooked up with a new girl every weekend. We used to call it the Kade effect: he’d turn on the smolder, and every female in a five-mile radius would drop her unmentionables.”
“Talking about me?” The subject of our discussion slid out a chair between us and sat down. “Only sharing the good stuff, right, Cass?”
She smiled, patting his cheek. “I was just telling Leah what a big old man-whore you used to be back home.”
I’d expected him to laugh again, but instead, Kade looked somewhat pained. “That was a long time ago, Cass. I was just a kid then. I’ve been in the army for ten years, and I don’t mess around like that anymore.”
“Sure, you don’t.” Cass shook her head. “Seriously, Kade, you expect me to believe you’ve become a monk, thanks to your training from Uncle Sam? Please. Give me a break.”
He tapped her on the nose. “Not a monk, but not who I used to be, either. And don’t go telling people I’ve just met stories about those days. How would you like it if some dude came over, and you wanted him to like you, and I told him how you used to wet your pants whenever Andrew and I tickled you?”
“Ewwww!” Cassie smacked at his arm. “That’s gross, and you guys were so mean to me.”
They went on talking, reminiscing about people, places and events that meant nothing to me. The waitress came by to drop off our drinks, leaving quickly when she realized that Kade was focused on Cass and wasn’t going to flirt with her. I sipped my beer, only partly listening to them. My mind kept going back to Kade’s words of a few minutes past: How would you like it if some dude came over, and you wanted him to like you . . . He’d been referring to Cass telling me tales. Did that mean I was someone who he wanted to like him? And why the hell should that make any difference to me?
“Oh, my God!” Cassie jumped out of her seat. “I see Jada! Be right back.” So saying, she darted across the room toward the door, where she and a dark-haired young woman whose slouchy sweater probably cost more than my monthly rent met in a swirling hug and too much screaming.
“Jada?” Kade stared after Cass, his eyes narrowing. “Who’s that?”
I heaved out a long breath. “She’s one of Cassie’s many beloved sorority sisters. They’re meeting her here and then taking her home with them.” I smirked. “It’s like a kid exchange, you know? I had custody of Cass for three days, and now it’s their turn.” Too late it occurred to me that maybe I sounded a little bitchy. After all, as far as Kade knew, Cassie and I were close friends.
To my relief, he laughed. “Sounds like a winning deal for you. I love Cass like a little sister, but she can be exhausting. She always was.”
“She’s not that bad.” I tried to back-peddle. “I’m just . . . I’m boring. My life is all classes, studying and working. I don’t think I was a very good host.”
Kade took a deep drink of his beer. “You’re in school?”
“Law school, yes. I have two more semesters left.”
“And you’re working, too?” He looked impressed, and I felt a surge of warm pride in my chest.
“I’m doing paralegal work for a big firm in the city.” I tried to keep the excitement tamped down, but I’d been so psyched to get that job. Not only did it pay well for part-time hours, but it had tremendous potential to lead into a real lawyer job once I’d passed the bar in a little over a year.
“That’s great.” Kade leaned back, gazing at me with those deep hazel eyes. “But it sounds very intense. I guess you don’t get much downtime.”
“Pretty much none,” I agreed. “Cass had to threaten and bribe me into coming in here tonight. I should be at home, studying for a huge exam I have coming up.”
“You’re a good friend.” He reached across to touch my hand where it rested on the table. “I’m sure Cass appreciates it.”
“I’m not really, and I doubt it.” I hadn’t even had half a beer, so I couldn’t blame my loose tongue on alcohol. It had to be the tingle from where Kade’s fingers were currently tracing tiny circles on the back of my hand. “We were more roommates than friends, you know? Cass was always more of a party girl, and I’ve never had time for that. I think I was more frustrating to her than anything else.”
“I doubt that. I can’t see—”
“Kade.” Cass skidded to a stop between us. “Heyyy. Listen, Jada and the girls want to take off. They can’t get a table, and Jada said this place is a dive anyway. So we’re going to head out.” She turned to me. “Can I have your keys to get my stuff?”
“What the hell, Cass? I drove over an hour to get up here after working all day, and you sit with me for fifteen minutes before you bail?”
She had the sense to look chastened. “I’m sorry! I was going to see you last night, and then your plans changed, but I already had this set up with Jada . . . I know, I know, I’m the worst. Do you hate me?”
Kade shook his head, blowing out a long breath. “Of course, I don’t hate you. But I’m annoyed. You inconvenienced me, and you also messed up Leah’s night. That’s not cool, little bit.”
She pouted. “What do you want me to do? Blow off my friends?”
“No. But apologize to Leah.”
Cass turned obediently. “I’m sorry, Leah. I didn’t mean to put you out.”
I hid a grin. “Apology accepted.” Reaching around to the back of my chair, I looped my handbag over my shoulder. “I’ll leave now, too, so you can get your suitcases from my car. How much do I owe you for my beer?”
Kade shrugged. “My treat. Call it a thank you for your kindness to Cassie.”
“Thanks.” I paused, somehow unwilling to leave quite yet. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You, too. Hey, wait a minute. I’ll help you with her bags.” He dropped a few bills on the table, waving to the waitress to show her we were leaving.
“You don’t have to do that.” But I was ridiculously glad that he was walking out with us.
“I don’t have any reason to hang around. Might as well make myself useful.” He touched my back again, but as we began to walk toward the door, he moved his arm around my back, as though he were shielding me from being jostled by the crowd, using his own body to protect me.
I’m as much a feminist as the next person, and I’d be the first one to declare loudly that I didn’t need any man to come to my rescue, but even so, I had to admit that there was something intoxicating about feeling cared for and almost . . . cherished. It was silly, I knew; we’d only just met, and Kade was being a gentleman. But it didn’t stop me from enjoying the sensation.
Once we’d reached my car, I popped the trunk and reached for Cassie’s bags. Kade took them from me, leaving me with only her overstuffed backpack. Cassie herself had her computer bag and purse slung over shoulder. She chattered all the way down the row of cars until we got to the shiny red Mercedes where Jada waited. She had one hip cocked against the trunk, and her arms were folded across her chest in that classic bored-now pose I’d come to associate with the very wealthy. When she spotted us—or more accurately, when she spotted Kade—she straightened. The change in her attitude was nearly palpable.
“Oh, thanks so much for helping Cass bring her bags over!” she cooed. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without you here.” She laid one slim hand with its beautifully-manicured fingers on his arm. “It’s such a treat to have a nice strong man around.”
I waited for Kade to succumb to her oozing charm, but he only gave a brief half-smile—no dimple—and pointed to the back of the car. “Can you open the trunk?”
Jada clicked a button, and the door floated up. I stood alongside awkwardly as he loaded the suitcases. When he reached to my shoulder to take the backpack, he winked at me, as though we were co-conspirators. I liked it.
“I think you’re set now. Cassie, give me a hug, little bit. I’m still annoyed with you, but I’ll get over it.” He wrapped his muscled arms around her and lifted her in the air. “Tell Andrew that I’ll be home on leave later this year, and he better be around.”
“I will. And I’ll be there, too. Love you, Kade. Thanks for understanding.” She transferred her attention to me for a split second, giving me a quick hug. “Thanks again so much, Leah. Good luck on your thingy. I’ll keep in touch!”
I managed a smile and what I hoped was a perky little wave before I turned to walk back to my car. A little song of happiness was ringing in my head, because Kade was walking alongside me.
“So . . .” He slid his hands into the front pockets of his worn jeans. “I’d ask if you wanted to go back inside and get something to eat, but that place was a zoo. It was giving me a real headache.”
I nodded in agreement. “I know. Too much talking and too many people.”
“Exactly. Is there some place else around here that would be quieter? A spot with good food? I know that you have to get back home and study, but you’ve got to eat, right? And I do, too. If you eat with me, I won’t feel like I wasted a trip up here.”
I knew what I should’ve said. I should’ve very nicely said, thanks but I can’t. My notes for the exam danced in the back of my eyes, mocking me with the review I’d yet to complete. I was painfully aware that eating with Kade wouldn’t really be enough. I’d want more, and I couldn’t have more. Not yet. There was a plan, and there were steps in that plan. None of them involved meeting a hot guy who was in the Army and letting him distract me from the goals.
I knew all of that, and yet I heard myself saying, “I don’t know of any restaurant that isn’t going to be packed on a Friday night. But if you don’t mind home-cooked food, we can go to my apartment, and I’ll make us dinner.”
Kade’s hazel eyes went wide with surprise. “No shit? I mean, are you sure? I’d kill for a home-cooked meal. I can’t do much more than boil water, myself. But I don’t want to mess up your night, if you had plans.”
I laughed. “The only big plans I had involved merger and acquisition agreements. And you’re right, I do have to eat. I was going to toss together some pasta with fresh veggies. If you want something more substantial, I can stop at the grocery store on the way home.” I prayed that he was okay with pasta; my grocery budget was pathetically meager, and it had already been stretched this week by Cassie’s presence. I hoped like hell Kade wouldn’t suggest buying something outlandish like steak.
“Pasta sounds incredible.” He grinned. “If you’re sure about this, then I’m absolutely going to take you up on it. And you can put me to work as a chef’s assistant. I’m damned good at taking orders.”
I tilted my head. “I like that in a man.” And then I felt a blush spread over my face and down my neck. “I mean . . . sorry, that came out wrong.”
Kade’s answering smile was broad, and that dang dimple popped out. “I’m not sure that there’s a wrong way for that to come out. Don’t worry, you didn’t offend me.” He brushed my upper arm with his fingers. “Can I follow you home?”
“Hmmm?” I was distracted by his touch. “Oh, sure. I’m only about ten minutes away, and it’s all back roads.”
“I’m parked one row over. I’ll watch for you to pull out.” He dug into his back pocket and retrieved his phone. “Do you mind giving me your address, just in case I lose you?”
“Not at all.” I rattled off the number and spelled the street name.
“Awesome.” He tapped it into his mapping program. “I’ll see you there, then?”
“Yup.” Still, I hesitated. “I . . . I just wanted to say that I don’t make a habit of inviting people I don’t know well home with me. This is not my norm.”
“Leah.” Kade laid his hand lightly on my shoulder. “If you’re not comfortable with this, it’s okay. I understand. I know I’m just a friend of a friend—or whatever Cass is to you—and if you were my sister, I probably would tell you that you’re crazy for inviting someone you just met into your home.”
“No, I want you to come over.” I stumbled over my words, anxious that Kade didn’t misunderstand me. “I just didn’t want you to think I’m some skank.”
“I don’t. I wouldn’t.” He leaned forward. “I don’t have expectations beyond great pasta and conversation.” His finger slid up my neck, cupping my cheek. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t . . . interested.”
My heart was pounding against my ribs, but I managed to cover Kade’s hand with mine as I stood on tiptoe. I was shaking a little, but I felt bold and brave as I brushed my mouth over Kade’s lips. It was a kiss, yes, but only by the broadest definition. Still, it was a huge step for me, the girl who never took chances, to kiss a virtual stranger.
“I don’t have expectations either, and I shouldn’t be doing anything tonight but reviewing confidentiality clauses and non-competition agreements. But . . . there’s nothing wrong with a dinner between friends of friends, right?”
“Not a thing.” Kade ran his hand down my arm, linked our fingers and squeezed. “Not one thing.”
“Okay.” I whispered the word. “I’ll see you there.”
I climbed into the driver’s seat and watched in my rearview mirror while Kade stalked to his own vehicle. As I started my car, I had the oddest sense of excitement mixed with an unsettling sense that I was doing something that was potentially life-altering.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I chided myself as I eased onto the road, conscious of Kade just behind me. “It’s just dinner. I can afford to take a few hours off every once in a while. And after all, a little pasta and conversation isn’t going to change anyone’s life.”