Hooked on the Game (The Sterling Shore Series #1) (9 page)

His arm comes down to rest over my shoulders, and his hand slides down to be on my arm as he tucks me against him.  I could go to sleep right now.

Tag smirks when he glances our way.  "What about you, Raya?  You coming with us?"

I stiffen against Kade.  I've been so relaxed with him in his house, that I didn't think about how misconstrued this situation might get.  I'm curled into him, his arm is draped around me, and we almost look like a couple.

"Um... no," I say with a quiet, but nervous laugh.

"You going to your family's place?" Wren asks, putting his phone away.

"No.  My family does Christmas next weekend, actually."

Kade tilts his head as I lean up and away from him.  "So soon?" he asks, bemused.

"Yeah.  My stepbrother is a marine, so it's not easy for him to come back on holidays.  Instead, we celebrate when we can.  Mom plans it around his return."

"Then what will you do for Christmas?" Margaret asks, making me feel all the more scrutinized.

"I'll... I might go see a friend or something."

Well, hell.  I didn't think about the fact Kade might not want me in his house while he's away.  He's mentioned Aspen a few times now, but it didn't ever really register that he might be hinting for me to make arrangements to be gone.

"Nonsense," Paul says, swatting the air.  "You can come with us.  We have more than plenty of room.  Tag has a beautiful home up there, and Margaret and I own one as well.  It's always a good time."

I squirm uncomfortably when everyone stares at me.  I want to look at Kade, gauge what he's thinking, but at the same time, I'm scared to know.

"Come on, Raya.  It'll be fun," Kade says, tugging me back to his body.  "Lots of skiing and eggnog."

I breathe out in relief when I hear the sincerity in his tone.  He really is okay if I go.  Do I want to go?

"Talk her into, Kade," Paul says with a smile.  "In the meantime, what about your family?  They live in
Utah, right?"

I nod, unsure where he's going with this.

"How are you getting there?"

"Oh.  I always take the bus.  I'll leave Friday after my last class, and I'll get home Sunday night."

Paul frowns, his brow furrows, and he glances over to a large plaque with numerous keys hanging from engraved perches.  Each one is labeled, but it's too far away for me to see what they say.  It's sad when you have to label your sets of keys because you have so many vehicles.

"Take one of my cars.  There's no sense in you riding the bus."

Crap.

"Thank you, that's sweet, but I can't.  I'll be fine on the bus."

"Don't be ridiculous, Raya," Kade interjects.  "I'll drive you.  I don't have anything going on next weekend."

My heart flutters and crashes at once.  I can't let the Colton Prince walk out of here and see my sad trailer.  I'd be mortified.

"Kade, I'm fine going on the bus.  Shift the subject, please."

Everyone chuckles lightly at my obvious discomfort, but they start talking about plans for
Aspen.  Kade seems intently focused on me, which is making me uncomfortable.

"I've got somewhere to be," Tag says as he stands up.  He glances over to Billy, who is still furiously pounding on his phone.  "Forget it, Bity.  Rene isn't going to
Aspen with you."

He chuckles as he walks to the doorway, and Billy glares at his back.

"Bity?" I ask without meaning to.  That's not a very cool nickname.

"Don't get him started," Wren says while standing up and stretching, making Billy's glower to shift to him.  "I need to get back to Erica.  See you guys later."

Wren and Tag walk out together, and Billy stands.  "For the record, I was texting my friend, Ash.  Not Rene.  Some guy is giving her problems," Billy says to Kade, prompting a small snicker.

"Sure you were," Kade jokes.

Billy rolls his eyes as he storms out, seeming a little dramatic if you ask me.

"You guys always so nice to him?"

"Long story."  Kade seems a little off now, but he motions for me to stand with him.  "We've been drinking for most of the night, so I can get us a driver or we can crash here."

Crap.

"Stay, stay," Margaret says, starting to sound a little drunk as she sets down her third glass since she's been in here.

Wow.  Miss Prim and Proper is getting drunk.

Paul nuzzles her neck before kissing it, and I turn away, blushing.

"Gross," Kade groans, pulling me out of the room while his parents get overly touchy.

"I think it's sweet," I giggle out, but he doesn't laugh or even acknowledge what I've said.

"Why do you insist on taking a bus all the way to
Utah?  If it's because you don't want me to go, that's cool.  I was just going to keep you from making that trip alone.  But you can drive one of my cars.  Don't take the bus."

A harsh breath escapes my lips as I decide to come clean.

"Kade, it doesn't have anything to do with that.  My house..." My voice trails off as I look around the glorious foyer we're standing in once again.  "It's not like this.  As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that den was bigger than my mother's trailer.  Right.  Trailer.  It's... It's not something I want to drag you out to see."

His eyes soften and for a fleeting second, there's a glimpse of something so indescribably raw there.

"Raya, I don't care if you lived under the bridge.  Friends don't judge friends based on where they come from.  I'd like to go.  I've gotten used to having you around.  Plus, you've heard a thousand embarrassing stories about me tonight.  It's only fair we level the playing field."

His last little bit makes laughter squeak free from me, and his smile comes out as he wraps his arm around my shoulders.  "Come on.  I'll show you a good room."

Chapter 8

A Prince in a Trailer Park

My fingernails are almost gone.  I've worked them down to nearly nothing during this thirteen hour drive.  We've been good to alternate who drives every three hours, giving the other a chance to nap.  This is the first time Kade has been awake at the same time I am for longer than ten or twenty minutes.

My Friday class got cancelled, and Kade skipped his because he wanted to get us there earlier.  I don't know why I agreed to that.

"Raya, you're making me nervous.  What's going on?" he grumbles, letting the long trip make him cranky.

As I turn onto the next road, Kade reclines back and watches me, waiting on an answer.

In one heavily rushed breath, I answer, "It doesn't matter how many times we tell her we're friends, my mother is still going to try shoving me down your throat.  My stepdad is going to have his beer glued to his hand, and he'll say 'yes, dear' at random times, even if no one has said anything, because he's a zombie most of the time.  My stepbrother is going to be cruel, scary, and completely obnoxious simply because you're a guy who is acquainted with me.  His wife is sweet - too sweet.  She'll ask you a thousand times if you're okay or if you need anything.  That's what has me nervous.  This whole weekend is a recipe to humiliate me and drive you crazy."

His laughter bursts free, and he covers his mouth to smother it when I glare at him.

"Raya, you seriously have to learn to relax."

I sigh out wearily when I see the trailer park just ahead.  I haven't even warned him.  His honest reaction should help douse all these unbidden feelings I keep having for him.

He reclines back, placing his hands behind his head as I turn onto the rundown road.  I keep expecting him to ask what we're doing, but he doesn't.  When I pull into my mother's gravel driveway and stop right in front of the single-wide trailer, parking Kade's flashy Range Rover behind the Ford truck that looks like it's about to collapse, he still remains unaffected.  He doesn't even seem disturbed by his expensive ride being parked so close to something that has more rust than paint these days.  My brother's cavalier is parked in the grass beside my stepfather's truck, and my mom's intrepid is on the other side, next to the porch.

Kade looks around, taking in the scenery.

"This is it," I murmur softly, still waiting on his reaction.

"I'll grab the bags.  You can head on in," he says while climbing out.

That's not the reaction I expected.  I whip around to see if he's turning his nose up in disgust, but instead, he's waving at a neighbor kid who's riding by on his bike.  He's smiling.  How in the world is he smiling?

He's a prince in a trailer park.  Something is amiss.

I slowly get out, still waiting on the shoe to drop.  I'm wondering what's going through his mind.  Has he even noticed the faded white trailer with a rotting porch is my home?

The double layered widows all carry at least one crack or hole from my stepfather running over a rock with the lawnmower.  The inner panels are solid, but that's only because he always replaces them.  He has to.

The lattice that wraps around the underpinning has been chewed up by the neighborhood dogs.  My stepfather doesn't believe in trimming the weeds, so dry stalks stick up around every corner the mower didn't reach during the warmer months.

Now that we're not in the warm air of
Sterling Shore, I regret wearing shorts.  As a matter of fact, it's frigging cold.

"You okay?" I ask curiously, possibly trying to provoke some sort of irritation in his response.  I refrain from releasing a shiver against the cool bite of the wind.

Why does he have to look so good?  In nothing more than a Fox Racing shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans, he looks like he could walk down the runway.

"Yeah, why?" he asks, bemused as he pulls out the bags, bringing me back to reality.

I needed one bag, but the prince has two.  Figures.

"Primp much?" I tease, changing the subject while motioning toward his luggage.

Holding the straps to all three bags in one hand, he laughs and shakes his head while closing the back hatch to the Range Rover.  "One of my bags has a nice wine selection.  There's a chiller built in to keep it the perfect drinking temperature.  I started to bring a decanter, but I thought that might come off as a little pretentious."

Chilled perfectly?  Decanter?  Is that another language?

"Pretentious?  No.  We always decant our boxes of wine," I say deadpan, but then a smile creeps up.

My joke is rewarded with his sweet laugh, and I grin my girly smile in response as I stare at him with a whole new appreciation.  I'm starting to forget our very different worlds.

"You really shouldn't have brought wine."

"I'm a guest.  It's customary for the guest to bring the hosts a gift.  I always bring wine.  It's easy, and it's always a big hit," he says with a shrug.

"Yeah, but my family isn't going to know the difference between the service station wine and the ungodly priced stuff you're probably carrying around.  My stepbrother drinks the stuff right out of the bottle.  Just... I don't know... We'll grab a pie tomorrow for you to give them."

He laughs again, making the butterflies within me ruffle.  "They can guzzle my wine.  I promise, it's fine."

Before I can argue any further, the screen-door on the trailer swings open, and my mother's shrill squeals deafen everyone.  She runs down the rickety steps of the hazardous porch to throw her arms around me.

"Finally!  I've missed you so much!" she says with her highest pitch.

"I've missed you, too," I chuckle out.

Kade steps to be in front of my eyes, and over my mother's shoulder, my eyes lock with his.  His authentic smile is so warming, and it blurs the lines all the more.  It suddenly doesn't matter if he's a prince and I'm a trailer-park girl.  I'm falling for Kade Colton.

"And who the hell is this prime piece of perfection?" my mother gushes, ruining the moment between Kade and me as she turns to shamelessly gawk at him.

Her eyes rake over him several times as she takes him all in.  His dark hair sweeps his brow - the perfect bedroom messy as always.  His deep blues claim me, own me, and make me almost forget my name as I stare with her.

"Kade Colton," he says, extending his hand.

Shit.  I was supposed to introduce him.

"Handshakes are for strangers.  If you're coming home with my girl, then you're family."

My mother swats away his hand and wraps him up in a far too intimate hug.  And I thought people from
Sterling Shore had boundary issues.

He grins as he wraps his free arm around her to hug her back, while still clasping the three bags in his other.

I cover my smile with my hand when she lingers.  Then I roll my eyes while going to tug her off him.

"Don't maul the guest.  Let's go in."

She lets go, reluctantly, but before we can make it up the steps, my stepbrother's body fills the doorway.  Gah.  It looks like he's gained thirty pounds of solid muscle.  His marine tattoos are creeping out all over his arms and neck.  His hair is buzzed almost completely, his eyes are bright, but hide jaded scars.  I dread what's about to happen.

"It's about damn time," he says with daring grin as he rips me up from the ground in a crushing hug.

I strain for air as he holds me tighter, and he laughs when I tap his shoulder three times to tap-out.

"Damn.  Lay off the steroids," I grumble as he puts me down.

He chuckles loudly, and then he shakes his head.  "Pure and solid, baby sister.  Pure and fucking solid."

His eyes darken when they trail down to Kade, and I suck in a breath.  Crap.  No one warned him.

"Who's pretty boy?"

I wince and turn to see Kade stifling a grin.  Whew.  He isn't mad.

"This is Kade, my... friend?" I ask rather than say.  "Play nice, Josh."

"I'll play," he says threateningly, forcing me to roll my eyes while pushing him back in the house.

He goes willingly, otherwise I'd be in trouble.  There's no way I could get him to budge on my own.

We left before the sun came up, but already it's starting to descend.  I'm ready to get this weekend over.  I think it's messing with my head because I can't stop looking at Kade.

He has to duck under the trailer's doorway, and the low ceilings inside only miss his head by about six inches.  He'll be dodging ceiling fans all weekend.

My stepdad is snoring on the recliner, but I'm actually thankful.  I'll do introductions for him later.  Kade needs a break from my crazy family anyhow.

My brother has devoured
one bottle of wine already.  It makes me a little nauseated, considering Kade probably spent a couple thousand dollars on it.  My stepfather has roused from his sleep a few times, but he keeps passing back out.  It's too much effort for him to stay awake.

It's late, I'm tired, and I can't wait to collapse to my old bed.

"Are you okay?" Ginger, my brother's wife, asks for the hundredth time since we've been here.  I warned him. "Do you need anything?"

Kade stifles a grin while giving me a wink, letting me know he completely understands what I meant now.  Her brilliantly red hair bounces in ringlet curls, and her freckles soften her look.

"I'm fine, thank you," he says softly, letting his ingrained manners shine through.

Kade wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I lean into him, feeling the exhaustion settling over me.  A yawn attacks me, forcing my eyes to shut, and when I open them again, my mother's gaze is on me, scrutinizing me with a wry grin.

"I'm ready to crash," Kade says through a yawn.

"Me, too.  I'll show you the guestroom."

Though the trailer is small compared to his house, we still have four bedrooms, which is perfect for tonight.

"Actually, Raya," my mother says, a smile in her voice, "the guestroom is packed full with some of your brother's friend's things.  He needed a place to store some stuff while he moved into a new home.  Kade will have to share your room tonight.  Your bed is plenty big enough."

Josh spews wine from his lips while clutching a new bottle of the expensive drink.  I watch in dismay as the hundred-dollar droplets settle into the grungy carpet.

"You're kidding me!" he says, scolding my mother.

"Absolutely not.  Clean that up," she grumbles.  Then her smile returns as she faces Kade.  "Unless you're uncomfortable staying in the room with my daughter, of course.  I could ask one of the neighbors to put you up."

Kade does well to stifle his laugh.  But I shoot her an I'm-going-to-kill-you glower.  She ignores me, as usual.

"I'll be fine in Raya's room.  She doesn't usually bite."

He gives me a wink, and I swear my knees wobble.  If he had any idea about the things rattling around in my mind... he wouldn't keep talking like that.  His lips look so... tempting tonight.  This is bad.

"Raya?" he says, grinning, forcing my eyes up from his lips.  "Want to show me where to find your room?"

That's not a question he needs to ask me right now.  Not while I'm being a hormonal idiot.  Sheesh.

"Yeah, come on," I mumble, quickly turning my back to him to lead him through the narrow hallway.

He grabs up our forgotten bags, leaving behind the wine, but I turn around and retrieve it before Josh devours eighty thousand dollars in one night.

"He's an animal," I say by way of explaining, motioning to Josh who has his hands up like "what the fuck?"

Kade snickers, and his hand slides down to rest on the small of my back as I resume leading him back to the bedroom.  I need him to stop touching me.

"I can sleep on the floor, Raya," he whispers as we make it inside.

I think about that.  It would definitely make it easier on me, considering I'm on the verge of attacking him.  I wasn't expecting him to do so well with my family.

"No.  It's fine.  We've shared a bed before."

Except we shared a king-size bed instead of a bed that's barely a full-size.  He wiggles out of his shirt almost immediately, and I mentally slap myself when I gape at him.

I shut the door, lean against it, and contemplate just taking in the show while he gets ready for bed.  When he turns to meet my eyes and smiles at me, I snap out of my trance.

"Right.  I should go change," I mumble, quickly dropping to my knees to rummage through my bag.

He chuckles as I dart out the door with a pair of silky short pajamas clutched in my hand.  The Colton pajama line is by far the heavenliest clothing to ever grace my skin.

I stumble to a stop when I hear water running in the shower and my brother laughing with his wife.  Gross.  That's worse than gross.

I decide to head to the other side of the trailer where my mother's room and the guestroom are.  I taste bile when I see my mother straddling my stepfather in the recliner.  His hands are fisted in her dark hair, and the disgusting moans slipping through her lips force me to gag.