Page 61 of Dirty Play

“I said no,” Cade seethes, his hand shaking against my thigh. I want to hold him, make him feel better, but I can’t.

Vince surprises us all when he stands up, slamming his chair back as he looks directly at Cade. “The day you decide to fucking man up and be my big brother again is the day I’ll sit at this table with you,” he says, voice thick with emotion as he turns and walks out the door.

Cade sits there for a moment before standing up and storming out in the opposite direction of his brother, the back door slamming behind him. The rest of us are left in silence.

Fuck.

No one says anything—we don’t move, just wait. Kylie must notice my sadness because she moves to sit next to me and wraps her arm around me.

“Look, it’ll be fine. They’ll both cool off and maybe this will be the push they need to actually sit down and talk about everything,” Kylie says, sensing my obvious discomfort with what just happened. “Why don’t we all go out tomorrow or the next day. It’ll be fun and maybe it’ll help them chill the eff out.”

“They’re both hotheaded,” Shelly says with a smile.

“Yup, just like their mother,” Carson says with a wink as he starts to carry dishes to the kitchen.

Shelly just laughs, swatting him with her towel as he walks by, a big ass grin on her face. “That’s who you fell in love with, Mr. Williams. Don’t start talking trash about it now.”

I stare at these two like I’m watching a movie. They are the exact depiction of what being in love should look like. They have what I’ve dreamed I would find ever since I was a girl. Not only that, but they seem downright happy together as a family. Hell, they really didn’t even blink when Cade and I showed up, hugging him after years away. And they welcomed me with open arms—it’s a feeling I’m not quite used to.

It's also a feeling I’m scared to get comfortable with… What if this doesn’t work out? What if whatever this is between us fizzles out, or he gets bored? What if he doesn’t feel the same way about me?

What do I even feel for Cade? Do I like him? Do I like-like him? Do I…

I don’t finish that thought because I’m not sure I’d know what to do with the answer. Admitting just how strong my feelings for Cade are is something I’m not quite ready to navigate.

Not yet, at least.

Chapter 24

Gwen

When Kylie invited us out tonight, I wanted to say no. The thought of being out with everyone sounded overwhelming because I’m still not quite sure how to act around Cade. Especially after he and Vince had their blow up. So far, nothing has come of it, but they haven’t really talked all that much.

Even with the tension, it’s been a fun time. The bars out here aren’t wild and crazy like the ones back home, just enough excitement to make for an interesting night. We start at a tiny bar in town, where Kylie and I hit the dance floor while her husband, Cade, and Vince sit at a table and glower. Brandon was less than thrilled when Kylie wanted to dance, so I figured what the hell, I’d do it. Based on the looks she’s been getting from her husband, he’s really regretting his decision.

“My brother hasn’t taken his eyes off you the entire night.” Kylie practically has to shout over the music to be heard.

She’s not wrong. Anytime I’ve turned around, his eyes have been on me. Even now, he’s staring, jaw clenched, fisting his drink so tightly I’m surprised the glass hasn’t shattered. He’s trying so damn hard to hold back; he has been since we got here. It’s not like he’s being mean… I can just feel the distance between us. He’s still been sneaking into my room every night since we got here, but it feels like we’ve taken a step back. I’m trying to convince myself to be patient. I’ve waited what feels like an eternity, but I can wait a little longer—I can give him some time to figure this shit out with his family.

That being said… I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t fuck with him.

“Well, my apologies for TMI, but staring doesn’t make me orgasm,” I tell her. “My books do, though.” With a wink, I scan the floor, looking for the nearest single guy, specifically one Cade can see.

“Gag me, and not in a good way. I’m just glad to see that Cade has found someone like you, someone who can deal with his condition.”

“His condition?” I ask, confused as fuck now.

“Yeah, apparently, someone lodged a stick up his ass about ten years ago and no one’s been able to remove it. Symptoms include grumpiness, permanent scowl, unique ability to keep everyone at arm’s length, and my favorite, the aura of pure dickishness that surrounds the man at all times.”

I can’t help the very unladylike laugh I let out at the imagery, but she’s nailed it right on the head. It probably doesn’t help that Kylie and I keep sneaking off to take shots, much to the guys’ dismay, so everything is much funnier than usual. To be fair, we’ve invited the boys to join, but they’re being party poopers.

Cade seems to be feeling much better today, at least physically. He seems like he’s starting to feel more like himself. He let me look at the incisions, and everything looks great, which is a relief.

“I mean, I know he’s all of those things, but when I look at your brother, those are the last things I notice.”

“That’s what makes you so good for him. He needs someone who can look past the act and see through to who he really is. You may not realize it, but you’ve changed him—he’s more like the brother I used to know.”

“Well… if he’s acting more like the brother you used to know, then tell me, how does he do with jealousy?” I ask her, scanning the dance floor again.

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