Page 4 of Purr For Me
“You bet.”
After saying goodbye to everyone, Kade got in his silver Mercedes GT and started it. Driving away, he tried to put the scene with Lexie out of his mind, but he couldn’t shake the image of the anger and hurt in her eyes. Once again, he mentally cursed his brother for fucking up, but this time was different.
Jason hadn’t just given in to his addiction, he’d screwed over an incredible woman like Lexie, and Kade wanted to kick his little brother’s teeth in for hurting her so badly—if he could find him.
He might be a freelance investigative journalist, but he hadn’t fooled himself into thinking he could do this alone. The private detective he’d hired usually helped investigate any piece he was working on. In fact, he had him on a piece right now.
He was also the one who’d uncovered just how bad Jason’s addiction had gotten and the illegal shit he’d done. Nine months ago, he’d fraudulently mortgaged Lexie’s cabin and had absconded with the money.
That’s the reason he’d insisted on Lexie working on his car. He wanted to talk her into letting him give her the money to pay the mortgage, so she didn’t press charges against Jason and have his ass thrown in jail. The money for her cabin and Jason did not get arrested. He still couldn’t understand why she hadn’t gone to the cops already.
She couldn’t possibly still have feelings for Jason?
Well, it wasn’t the only reason he’d picked her. She was hot, and he still wanted her.
The idea of her still having feelings for Jason made his chest ache. He’d always had a thing for Lexie, and he wasn’t deluding himself. There had been a spark between them, but he wasn’t the type to make a move on someone else’s woman, especially one his brother wanted to marry. So he’d never acted on that spark.
If she’d been single, would he have made a move?
She wasn’t his normal type. So sue him; models were a draw card, and he met plenty in his line of work. Magazine journalists were magnets for models looking to get a foot in the door.
While Lexie was hot, a model she wasn’t, but she was still as sexy as sin. Lexie could model in a fitness magazine. She had a body full of sinewy muscles and not an ounce of fat on her.
He smiled. And she had a vicious tongue. He’d never gotten her out of his head. She intrigued and excited him.
For now, he wanted to help her out of the mess his brother had landed her in and save Jason from himself. He admired her resolve to sort it out on her own. Most women he knew wanted his money, usually as much, if not more, than they wanted him. Lexie didn’t give a shit about his money, and that was another very attractive quality.
As he downshifted and turned a corner, the little devil on his shoulder laughed. He wanted her, and when in his life had he ever let something he wanted slip away? He just wasn’t surewhathe wanted from the dark beauty. He certainly didn’t want to hurt her, and she was still the walking wounded. He’d have to handle Lexie with kid gloves and go slow. Making friends with her was a good way to start out.
The absurdness of his thoughts made Kade laugh out loud. When could they ever be friends?
He must be insane to even consider his plan. Lexie would probably see right through it. He wasn’t above offering her the money to save her cabin in exchange for never filing charges against Jason. He wondered if it would be better for Jason to make him face charges. It might straighten him out.
Then his mother’s final words played in his head. “He’s not strong like you. I overindulged him. Promise me you’ll look out for Jason.”
Keeping Lexie on his side so she wouldn’t bring charges would take all his negotiation skills. Despite that, he was looking forward to spending time with her very much.
Smiling at his reflection in the rearview mirror, he said, “Colter, you’re one crazy son of a bitch.”
