Cash
I’m mid-orgasm when Jules stiffens with a surprised gasp that is not born of pleasure. Following the direction of her gaze, I glance over to find Kaden standing like a statue, watching us rut like animals.
Fuck.
The band’s set comes to an end, submerging us in unsettling quiet. Kaden clears his throat and turns his back to us, granting me the few seconds I need to finish the job. As I jerk inside Jules, spurting the last of my seed, I’m suddenly angry with Kaden for ruining this moment, despite it being my own damn fault that we got caught.
But when it comes to Jules, I’ll never be able to control myself, and I can see us getting into all sorts of trouble in the future. As I pull out and zip up, I make a mental note to install a lock on my office door, since fucking her on my desk is going to become a midday ritual.
“You okay?” I ask her, keeping my voice low as I pull up her pants.
She rises and turns to face me, and fuck, do I find the flush of her cheeks sexy as hell. Smoothing the burgundy dress-like shirt over her leggings, she darts glances in Kaden’s direction every couple of seconds.
“I’m fine. I just need to find the ladies’ room.” She’s off toward the stairs before I can say a word, winding a path around Kaden in her haste to seek refuge in the privacy of the restroom.
I grab my abandoned champagne flute and take a seat. Kaden pours himself a glass and joins me though he’s apparently avoiding my eyes.
“Not the image I wanted in my head, little brother.”
“Let’s not go into the things we don’t want burned into our minds.”
“Point taken.” He raises his glass toward me before taking a sip. “How is she?” His voice dips, and I don’t have to ask to know he’s referring to Monica.
“She’s handling it about as well as can be expected. I think she realizes it could have been a lot worse. She could have gone away for twenty-five to life.” I tip the flute back, emptying it in a single gulp. “Think you’ll ever forgive her?”
“I don’t know.” He’s silent for a few moments, expression one of contemplation. “I have a child out there somewhere that I knew nothing about. I’ll never get to meet her.”
“Her?”
He nods. “Monica said the baby was a girl. I can’t tell you how it feels to know I have a daughter I’ve never met, and will probably never meet.”
I don’t envy him one bit. “It’s going to take some time to process it.”
He lets out a laugh laced with sarcasm. “I have time. Three years to be exact.”
Three years is nothing for accidentally killing someone, but to Monica it will seem like an eternity. She was lucky to get off with an involuntary manslaughter charge.
We fall into a companionable silence, and that’s one thing I like about Kade—he’s always been good at coexisting without saying a word. I’m thankful for it now as we watch the band pack up their equipment on the first floor.
“They’re really good,” I say, nodding toward Jules’ friends.
“They are. Remind me to thank your girlfriend for hooking me up.”
“You could have given them the gig without dating her.”
He arches a brow in my direction. “You still upset about that?”
“How do you know I’m upset about it?” It’s not like we’ve talked about it. And maybe that’s our problem.
When did we stop talking about shit?
The longer I study my carbon copy, the more I measure the distance between us. I’m not sure when the fissure happened, exactly. Definitely not all at once. Kaden and I grew apart in stages, seemingly insignificant on their own but add them together and the gap is painfully obvious.
“I didn’t know,” he says. “Until now.”
“Fair enough. Just keep your hands off Jules, and maybe I’ll forgive you.”
“I wouldn’t have asked her out if I’d known you had feelings for her.”
Despite everything, I believe him.
“Speaking of your girlfriend,” he begins. “Is she ever going to show her face again?”
I laugh. “That’s a good question.” I still have a lifetime’s worth of things to discover about Jules, but I’d wager a bet she’s never been caught in such a compromising situation before.
Kaden finishes off the rest of his champagne before rising to his feet. “I need to get back down there. I’ll send my bartender in to check on her.”
I nod my thanks as he leaves, and it isn’t long before someone else makes their way to the top of the stairs. I recognize Jules’ friend as her dark eyes zero in on me.
She strides across the loft to where I’m sitting alone, and I can’t read her expression, though her clunky heels meet the ground with purpose. Without so much as a greeting, she takes the chair Kaden vacated, and I sense the weight of her scrutiny on me.
“You guys are really good,” I tell her, settling in for the coming conversation—because I know she’s got something on her mind.
“Thanks. Your brother was really cool for giving us a chance.”
“It’s well-deserved.”
She crosses her leather-clad legs. “I think we both know I didn’t come up here to talk to you about the band’s talent.”
My mouth twitches with the threat of a grin. “Didn’t think you did. Am I in for a twenty-questions session?”
“How about just one?” She leans forward, dashing her pink-streaked wispy black bangs to the side. “Are you going to put Jules first?”
Jesus. This girl doesn’t beat around the bush. “Jules means everything to me.”
She narrows her eyes—not in a threatening way but in a way that says she’s sizing me up. “You sound pretty confident.”
“I’m one-hundred percent confident that I’m in love with her. Does that answer your question?”
“It helps. There might be hope for you yet.” She leans forward, features a swath of seriousness. “Because her ex never did put her first. Jules bent over backwards for him. She put up with so much shit, all in the name of love.” The purse of her charcoal-hued lips gives away her disdain for Jules’ ex.
I already like this girl.
“As far as I’m concerned, Jules is the first word in the book of my life.”
Lesley breaks into a huge smile. “I think we understand each other.”
“I think we do. You’re a good friend to her.” Just then, Jules returns, and behind her, the rest of the band files in, one by one, and the party kicks into gear amidst introductions and handshakes.
Jules and I have the rest of our lives in front of us, and I plan to spend every day of mine cherishing the ground she walks on.