Bend (A Stepbrother Romance) (14 page)

“How’d it go?” Zach asked when I met him outside.

I glared at him. “Not cool, Zach. You set me up. You used me.”

He cleared his throat. At least he had enough grace to look embarrassed about it. “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to get my ass promoted, same as you.”

I knew that. It was a cutthroat business. But it didn’t make it hurt less. “I thought we were starting to be friends.”

“We are!” he protested. “Come on, Cade, no one will remember this shit a year from now.”

“You aren’t going to win me over with a nickname,” I mumbled, though he kind of was. I’d never had one before.

“How about cheeseburgers? Cheeseburgers soothe all wounds.” He flashed his charming, dimpled smile.

“Fine,” I said, “And no more work tonight. Deal? I’m pretty sure you got what you needed.”

“Deal,” he said, offering his hand to shake it on. I only hesitated for a moment.

I let Zach talk my ear off while we ate, but inside my stomach churned at the thought of my meeting later. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself I’d just stand Keir up. I knew I’d be going to meet him.

I just hoped he hadn’t changed his mind about not hating me.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Keir

Sipping from a glass filled with ice and whiskey, I waited for the alcohol to infuse my veins and calm my nerves. I wasn’t crazy about the bar I’d chosen. The thumping bass of the electronic music was making my head throb in unison. But the VIP area would give Cadence and me a little privacy.
Assuming she shows up
. I couldn’t even watch the front door from where I sat, alone in a booth behind a large security guard and a velvet rope. All I could do was wait. And watch my phone. And wait some more.

“Mr. Sonder?”

The security guard was speaking to me but I barely heard him. Cadence was peering around him, nervously twirling her hair. It hung down in smooth waves—and she’d dressed up, in a black pencil skirt and a blouse that draped low on her chest.
She’s doing this on purpose. Crazy girl still wants me
. She hadn’t even brought her camera.

“Let her in,” I said. The man unhooked the rope and let her pass through, then turned his back on us to observe the room once more.

And to give us privacy. I had a feeling we’d need it.

“Hey,” she said. She was looking everywhere but at me. Poor girl seemed pretty nervous.

I was pretty anxious, myself. I didn’t know what the heck I was doing here, with her. I knew I regretted the things I’d said, or at least, the way that I’d said them in front of her. But could I trust her? I recognized that I may have overreacted. Maybe she wasn’t as conniving as I’d thought. She’d seemed genuinely horrified by the entire situation. Her mother, on the other hand, was definitely a problem. But now was not the time to address that.

Now was the time to address just what the hell she was doing in Denver, and why the fuck I couldn’t get her out of my head.

“Sit down,” I said, indicating the space next to me. She slid into the booth with a tight smile, settling close to my side but not so close that we were touching.

“I shouldn’t have just showed up like this,” she blurted out, “It was stupid, really stupid.” Her voice was small and quiet when she said, “I just wanted my new boss to like me. She’s… intimidating.”

A waitress arrived with a glass of champagne for Cadence, just as I’d requested when I’d been seated. Her eyes lit right up. “Thanks!”

I watched her lips as she took a long sip. “Feel better now?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said, pushing her hair back from her face. “A little.” She stared into her glass for a moment before turning to me. “Why did you invite me here, Keir? You should be angry. I would be. Hell, I am.”

“I don’t give a shit about your blog or the tabloids,” I said, sipping from my glass.

“Your father might.”

That was true. I’d barely considered that. He’d gotten over it pretty quickly after that first headline, but a follow-up less than a week later might test his patience.
And now we know. We aren’t going into this ignorant. We know we’re stepsiblings, and yet here we are…

“Have you spoken to them since our visit?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Mom and I aren’t close. Haven’t been in ages.”

“Why’s that?” I asked. She sounded a little sad about it.

“She’s, uh… hmm.” Cadence swirled her glass. “She’s not exactly the most motherly type.”

There was definitely more to the story there. It wasn’t my business. On the other hand, the woman had married my father.

“What’s her deal, then?” I asked. I had to probe a little more delicately this time. “What does she do? Is she an actress or something? Showbiz?”

“Not really,” Cadence said, “She was into theater for a little while, when she was married to a director. She was a backup singer when she was young, but not for anyone famous.” She tilted her head. “Why? What is it that you really want to know?”

“I want to know what she wants,” I said honestly.

“Maybe they’re actually in love. Did you consider that?” she asked.

“How many times has she been married?”

Cadence gave me a long look, then sipped her drink. I waited for the explosion. “That’s none of your business,” she hissed, struggling to keep her voice quiet. “How would you feel if I shit-talked your father, huh? Maybe he only married her because she looks like a typical LA trophy wife. Maybe he’s going to use her until she ages another few years, and then dump her like she’s nothing and leave her heartbroken. Maybe
I’m
the one who should be concerned.” She slammed her glass back to the table and I cringed, half-expecting it to break. “I know what she is. I know better than anyone else.” She shuddered at that. “But I don’t need to hear it from you. You, of all people, should know what it’s like—”

She cut herself off, but I knew where that was going and it struck me right in the gut. I hid it with a nonchalant shrug. “I don’t have much to say. I barely remember the woman.”

Her face fell. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up your mother. We shouldn’t talk about her.”

I swallowed the rest of my drink and signaled the waitress for another. “Because it isn’t gossip-worthy?” I asked, and she cringed. But it was true. There weren’t any updates on that front—she’d taken off and left me with my father, never to be heard from again. The news never made any big headlines. I still had no idea where she was. And I told myself repeatedly that I didn’t want to know. I even meant it half the time.

“I’m so sorry,” Cadence said, resting a hand on my forearm. I looked at it there, her fingers covering the dark lines of my tattoos. Her touch warmed me, in more than one way. “I know it’s not the same, but my father’s gone. He’s been gone for a long time.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“Car accident. I was too young to remember.” She looked sad. I didn’t want her to be sad. This wasn’t what we came here to talk about.

“I’m sorry, too, for what it’s worth,” I said. “Let’s not talk about our parents anymore.” I covered her hand with mine. “Or work. Let’s not fight.”

“Okay,” she whispered, her fingers tensing. She smiled. “When I can hear the song?”

I raised my eyebrows. “It’s only halfway done, but I could play it for you now.”

Her smiled broadened, lighting up her face. Hell, it lit up the whole room. “Right now?”

“Well, back at my room. I’ll need my guitar.”

“Oh. Your room.” She let her hair fall forward as if it could hide her blushing cheeks. “That’s probably not a good idea.”

“Probably not,” I agreed. “Something might happen.”

“Yeah. Like in that office. That shouldn’t have happened.” She released a shaky breath and clasped her hands together in her lap. “I’m glad we could talk tonight, but we shouldn’t be alone with each other.”

“You’re right. Who knows what I might do?” I slid closer to her on the seat, aligning my thigh with hers. “I might want to kiss you again.”

“Our parents are married, Keir,” Cadence said, her voice strained. Her chest rose with a deep breath.

“That’s their problem,” I said, leaning in close. “They don’t need to know about how I’d slide my hands up your skirt if I got you alone. Actually…” I rested a hand on her knee and slid my fingers just a short ways beneath the hem. “We don’t need to be alone for that. We’ve got enough privacy right here.”

“Keir,” she protested, straightening the skirt out. All she managed to do was cover my hand. I pushed my fingers higher.

“What?” I asked. “Your skin is so soft, here.” I curled my fingers against her inner thigh. “I remember it well. In fact, I can’t stop remembering it.”

“Someone might see,” she whispered, casting her eyes around us. No one was all that close, and the table offered enough protection. Besides, the security guy wasn’t letting anyone but the waitresses past, anyway. I slid my hand a little higher.

“And so warm,” I said. She gripped her glass tighter. “I remember that, too. How warm you were here. How hot you were…” My fingers skimmed her panties—just a tease of a touch. “Right here.”

Her eyes closed for a moment and she inhaled slowly, trying to keep herself composed. She clamped her thighs tight around my hand, as if that was going to shield her.

“We can’t,” she said. She was beginning to sound like a broken record.
Time to shut her up
.

“Can’t do this?” I leaned over and kissed her, softly, just for a moment. “No more?” I kissed her again, harder this time. She tried to follow me when I broke away. Her thighs squeezed my hand tighter. “Tell me you weren’t imagining this when you flew out here.”

She bit her lip. “I wasn’t.” It was a lie. Her eyes dropped when she said it. When she looked back up, it was at my lips.
Thought so
.

I wrapped my free hand around the back of her neck and kissed her with all the urgency I’d been holding back. She tasted so good, and the sweet pull of her lips were going to undo me completely. I wiggled my fingers against her panties, damp now with her arousal.

What the fuck am I doing?
She was coming back to my room. That fact had been solidified in my mind since the moment she stumbled out from the crowd and into my arms. Kissing her in the office had felt incredible, and I stayed hard as a rock throughout the show. Not that that was unusual in and of itself. But I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Even with a flock of hot girls practically flashing their tits at me from the front row, all I could think about was Cadence.

She was right—she should never have come. Because now I was sunk.

She finally gripped my wrist and pulled my hand free from her skirt.
That’s it, she’s finally come to her senses
. But she only broke our kiss to say, “I want to hear the song, Keir.”

“Yeah,” I breathed against her neck. I couldn’t stand up and leave just yet. My leather pants were too tight and the things that I got away with onstage weren’t necessarily appropriate in a public setting. “Good. You’ll like it.” I wasn’t really talking about the song, and she knew it, and she wanted it.Something felt different compared to the last time. She’d been much more confident when we first hooked up. But I could chalk it up to the whole stepsibling thing. It was weird. That didn’t matter—not to me. I didn’t give a shit what anyone said.
I’m invincible.

But she wasn’t. The thought nagged at me as I paid our bill and led her outside to the waiting car.
She’ll be fine
, I assured myself as we slid into the backseat.
People will forget about us before we’re even done with each other
.

Still, I squeezed her knee and asked, “You nervous?”

“Yeah,” she said, biting her lip. She reached out and ran her fingers through my hair.

I took her hand and kissed her palm. “Don’t be. I wouldn’t hurt you, baby.” Not on purpose. Part of me knew that this was so fucked up, there was no way either of us would be getting out unscathed.

But I couldn’t think about getting out of anything right then—I just wanted to get in. I wanted to crawl inside of her as far as I could. I wanted to own her, just like the last time.

And judging by the way her eyes glistened in the dim light of the back seat, it was what she wanted, too.

═ ♪ ♫ ♪ ═

I saw her in the dark delirium below

Shining, flashing, sparkling in the shadows she glows

One tattered soul pulled into a hazel thrall

One eye’s forgotten what the other recalls

I hadn’t been nervous about singing a song in front of anybody in at least a decade, but I felt something close to it singing for Cadence that night. The song was hers. It was important that she liked it.

“That’s as far as I’ve gotten. It needs another verse, at the very least.” I took my foot down off the coffee table and lowered my guitar.

“I loved it,” she said. Her eyes glistened.
Oh, man, no tears, please
. But none fell when she rose from the couch. “So, how does a muse work?” she asked. She ran her hand up my guitar’s neck.