Stolen Desire (The Lust List: Kaidan Stone #3) (9 page)

“You know, I kind of like having you all to myself…” he says, his voice deep, husky.

I give him another kiss. “And you do have me all to yourself. Come swim with me.” I walk down the steps into the warm infinity pool. He smiles down at me and puts his hand on his belt to come in, but then his phone rings.

It
always
rings.

He lifts a finger and pulls his phone from his pocket to check it. Why can't he just ignore that thing for once?

“Dammit. I have to take this.” His expression is serious, and he looks worried. “I'll be right back.”

He strides across the veranda and back into the house, and I push off the wall of the pool and drift to the other side. Small lights are embedded along the edges every few feet, but otherwise it's dark. And the pool's huge, so even though almost the whole party's in here now, everyone's coupling off, with plenty of space between us.

It's amazing in here. The infinity pool is made to give the illusion that it stretches right into the ocean, and I can almost believe it. I can hear the waves crashing in the dark, and I rest my elbows on the edge of the pool and try to make out the sand and ocean below. It'd be a long fall from up here.

“Hey gorgeous,” someone says smoothly.

I jerk to the side, away from the voice, and look up to see Corey in the dim light. He's inches away from me, but I can smell his beer breath anyway. “Um. Hi.”

“Why don't you come a little closer?”

“No, thanks. I'm taken. Kaidan should be here soon.”

Corey chuckles. “Whatever. Be a prude.” He swims away, probably seeking another victim.

I sigh and sink against the pool wall, listening to the waves. I keep my eye on the veranda for Kaidan, but long minutes pass, and he never comes back.

I hear a light splash a few feet away to my left, then giggles. I can see the shadowy form of a couple floating my way.

“Come on. You know you want it,” slurs a girl with a British accent.

“Not right now,” A deep male voice.

It's Trish and Alejandro.

“Come on,” she insists.

“I fucked you four times today.”

“Well
today
is almost over,” Trish says. “The clock resets at midnight.”

“My dick's not a fucking pumpkin.”

“Well it's magic to me, baby.”

I let myself drift away, lest this conversation get even more awkward when they bump into me.

There's silence, then panting. I hear a grunt.

“You like that, don't you?” Trish asks.

Alejandro moans.

“And this? I
know
you like this.”

“Yeah, I like it,” he replies.

“Oh. Should I stop?”

“No! No, keep going.”

And that's my cue to get out of here. I kick my feet to propel myself back toward the stairs. A few other people are starting to get out and get dressed now, too, and that's a great decision. ’Cause this pool's about to be contaminated by a totally different sort of swimmer.

I climb out of the pool and the cool air runs over my skin, making my nipples harden. I'm suddenly very aware of the way my wet bra and panties are clinging to me like a second skin. Where's Kaidan?

And where is my dress? It's just gone. Poof. No longer where I left it.

That's when I see Corey, getting dressed a few feet away next to a tiki torch. His eyes trail over my exposed body, and his mouth turns up in a smirk as he pulls his pants up. I catch sight of
everything
, because apparently he decided to take off his wet boxer briefs and go commando.

My face is burning as he meets my eyes and winks. I glare at him and cross my arms over my breasts until he leaves, heading into the house.

I glance around, but my dress is nowhere to be found. That fucking creeper! Did he take my dress? Who else would? I'm not going to stand around practically naked.

I stalk to the door, dripping as I go. I try to wipe off most of the excess water, but I'm not successful, and I end up just shivering. I go into the house, and thankfully Corey isn't waiting in the ballroom to leer at me some more.

I stop by a bathroom off the main hallway to dry off, and when I walk out, I pause.

Angry voices are coming from a cracked door a few steps down the hall. One of the voices belongs to Kaidan, and I can't help myself.

I walk up to the door, shivering and wet, and I try to eavesdrop.

“Get the fuck out of here, Devon,” Kaidan says, his voice low.

I hear something heavy crash to the floor. “Fuck you,” Devon slurs. “I can be here if I want to.”

“Get your wasted ass out, before I make you.” Kaidan's voice is rising.

I should walk away now, but I want to know what's going on, and Kaidan probably won't tell me later. So I do the wrong thing and step closer to the door.

“You won't even listen,” Devon yells.

“Some girl told you she was our half-sister, and you believed that bullshit? You're dumber than I thought.”

“I’m telling you, Mom didn't die. She had another kid.”

“Mom's dead! And that bitch is lying to you. Probably trying to get money from us.” Kaidan yells it, and something else crashes to the floor. I jump away from the door, my heart thumping wildly. A con artist pretending to be their half-sister?

“She doesn't
want
our money. And she
looks
like her, Kai.” Devon's voice sounds distraught, like he really believes what he's saying. “She looks just like Mom.”

“Get the fuck out,” Kaidan says again. “You're wasted again. Let Charles drive you back to your place. Maybe when you're sober we can talk about this. Don't you give a dime to that girl until we do.”

“This is dad's house. Not yours. I don't have to get out.”

“You need help. Again. Understand? You are a failure. Again! I swear to God, if you don't get help, I will find a way to make you. Before you kill yourself. Now get out.”

The door swings wide, and I'm caught. Kaidan blinks at me, and then his eyes narrow.

Devon laughs. “And another one sees you for what you really are.”

Devon pushes past Kaidan and me and disappears down the hall toward the front door. But the door doesn't slam, so it seems Devon is refusing to leave after all.

Kaidan and I just stare at each other as he clenches and unclenches his fists. A chair’s been knocked over, and papers are strewn across the floor behind him.

Kaidan's gaze trails down my bare skin, lingering on my soaked bra and underwear where they cling to me. The veranda doors open, and everyone walks through, laughing.

His eyes turn flinty, and he grabs me by the arm and drags me a few steps down the hall.

I wince. “You're hurting me.”

His expression is cold as he looks down at me. “Get some clothes on. Do you know what you
look
like?”

His words are laced with disgust, and my mouth drops open. Before I can respond, Kaidan turns around and storms past his friends, back out to the veranda.

His friends grow quiet as the door shuts behind him, and they dart looks at me, like they're trying to figure out what I just did to piss him off.

Heart in my throat, I flee to the foyer and run up the nearest staircase. I don't want to be here anymore. The night's ruined. Why does Kaidan have to
be
like this?

My eyes are burning when I reach the landing and the party room at the top of the stairs. Low music is playing up here, and the black lights are on, casting a weird glow over the white couches. I went up the wrong staircase, so I have to cross through the party room to get to the hall where my room is.

I belatedly realize Devon and Corey are in here, right in my path. They're sitting on two white chairs positioned across from each other, but they don’t see me yet.

Devon snorts a line of coke and stands up. “Gotta take a piss. Don’t do it all,” he says, sounding irritated. Then he’s heading out of the party room toward the hall.

Corey eagerly snorts a line off the glass table, and as he does it, I try to scurry past without being noticed.

But he sees me. He jumps out of the chair to block my path. “Hey, sexy.”

I stumble back and find I'm pressed between another lounge chair and a couch. He takes a step to close the gap between us. I can smell the beer on his breath, see his bloodshot eyes.

I fold my hands across my chest, feeling even more exposed than before.

Corey touches my arm and runs his hand up and down it. I try to jerk away, but I'm trapped between him and this stupid chair, with nowhere to go.

“Kaidan doesn't want that shit up here. And he doesn’t want Devon doing that here.” My voice is shaking, and I hate myself for feeling afraid.

Corey lets out a low laugh. “That's
Devon's
coke. You know he used to be in a band with my cousin? Never had a stick up his ass like Kaidan. And he knows how to share. Why don’t you do a line with me?”

“No. Now move out of my way. I need to—”

“You're gorgeous.” He touches my arm again, and I try to move around him to get away, but he shoves me against the couch.

“And taken,” I say through gritted teeth. “I already told you.” I try to push him away, but he laughs and grabs my arms, shoving me off balance.

I fall sideways and land on the couch.

Adrenaline shoots through me as Corey climbs on top of me, pinning me down. He straddles me, and for the first time, I'm truly afraid of what he plans to do. I dart a glance at the hall, wishing Devon would come back, but he’s nowhere to be seen.

“Get off me.” I push Corey, but he lets all his body weight fall on me.

I shudder as his tongue finds my neck, and I claw at him. “Get off!”

“You're just a replacement,” he says into my ear. “Kaidan doesn't care about you.”

He’s too close, his breath hot on my neck, and I feel him grow hard beneath his jeans. I suddenly can't breathe. I should scream, but I can't find my voice. I fight against him, but the adrenaline makes me weak and shaky instead of strong.

“You don’t need Kaidan. I’ll show you what you’ve been missing out on.”

He tries to kiss my lips, and I manage to free one of my hands and scratch a hand down his face.

He jerks back, rubbing his face. “Fucking bitch!”

“What the hell is going on?”

Corey whirls, and I see Kaidan standing behind him, his face contorted with rage.

Kaidan grabs Corey by his shirt and sends him crashing to the floor. I sit up on the couch, shaking, paralyzed as I watch.

Corey tries to scramble to his feet, but Kaidan slams a fist into his face and knocks him flat on his back. He lands another punch, then another, and blood floods Corey's broken face.

He finally manages to get out from under Kaidan. He throws a punch, but it grazes Kaidan's arm, and he doesn't even flinch. He grabs Corey by the front of his shirt and slams him into the glass table.

The table cracks, and the leftover coke seeps through the cracks, pouring onto the carpet.

Corey's nose is gushing blood, and Kaidan punches him again.

Devon shows up, eyes wide. He shoves himself between Corey and Kaidan. “Stop! Kai, stop! You'll
kill
him,” Devon slurs. “I'll get him out of the house. Okay?”

“He deserves to fucking die,” Kaidan's voice is low, furious.

“Yeah, he probably does. But you can't do it.” Devon holds his hands up to fend Kaidan off, protecting Corey. “I'll get him out of here.”

Kaidan's hands are balled into fists, and a vein pulses in his neck. I think he might try to beat the shit out of his twin next, but he seems to be struggling to stop himself. Whatever's going on here between Kaidan and Corey goes way beyond a line of coke. It goes way beyond what Kaidan saw happening between me and Corey just now, too.

Kaidan steps out of the way. “Get him the fuck out of my house now. Both of you. Out.”

Corey wipes a fist across his bloody mouth and looks right at me. “Can I take her, too?”

Kaidan lets out a growl and lunges for Corey again. Devon gets between them and shoves Kaidan away. He keeps pushing until Kaidan and Corey are separated by a good three feet.

“Don't let him get to you. We're going.” Devon lets go of Kaidan and goes back to grab Corey by the sleeve. He pushes him toward the stairs. Corey doesn't meet Kaidan's eyes as he wipes at the blood on his face and stumbles down the stairs.

Devon casts a longing glance at the coke spilled on the floor.

“Get out.” Kaidan repeats.

Devon reluctantly rips his gaze from the spilled coke and jogs toward the stairs after Corey.

My breathing is heavy as Kaidan turns to meet my eyes. “Everyone else is gone. You're free to go with those two if you want.”

Tears prick my eyes. “Why would I
want
to?”

“It sure looks like you wanted to.”

I'm shaking, but I force myself to stand and face him. Even though he's terrifying me. “No.
No.
I came up here to get my clothes. Corey pushed me down on the couch. He was acting like… I think he might have…” I trail off. My brain won't let me even consider it. Or say it: that one of Kaidan's
friends
might be the sort of person to rape a girl. But Corey clearly isn't one of his friends.

“What, Hayley? He might have
what
?” Kaidan's almost shouting at me. “Didn't I tell you to put some clothes on?”