Page 38 of Purr For Me
Stella would know, she’d grown up in the same privileged crowd in LA. Lexie had only walked into it when she’d scored a job on the racing circuit and she’d stupidly fallen under the spell of flashy cars and loads of money. All the wealth and fun and carefreeness—she was like a kid in a candy store. Perhaps if she’d grown up with friends like Kendra and Stella, she wouldn’t have been blinded by the trappings of wealth.
“So what exactly is the situation with Kade. Are you dating? Or have you merely come together because of the need to find Jason?”
There’s the rub.She swallowed and took a long gulp of champagne before saying, “To be honest, I have no idea. At first I thought he’d asked me to work on the Alfa to sweeten me up, so I wouldn’t have Jason arrested. But I told him I wouldn’t, and he’s still hanging around.”
“What’s wrong with that? He’s hot, rich and a nice guy.”
She couldn’t refute Stella’s words. “I keep thinking about Jason. I know he’s done rotten things to me, but if he doesn’t get help for his addiction, he’ll die. I don’t know what Jason will think if he finds out I’m… dating… Kade. I know Kade’s worried, too. I see through his smiles. Hidden in his eyes is guilt. How can we build a relationship before Jason is well? And will Jason always come between us?”
Stella put down her drink. “Don’t get me wrong, I think that’s admirable, but Jason being an addict is not your fault and not your responsibility. You can’t let him emotionally blackmail either of you. His actions are his alone, and he carries the blame. Onlyhecan sort his shit out, and if he ever gets sober, he must know there is no going back after what he’s done. How could you ever trust him again?”
Should she tell them about his phone call? Jason wanted her back, but that was still Jason the addict.
A part of her knew what Stella said was right. She owed Jason nothing. But Kade—Kade was his brother. She hated the look of guilt she saw deep in his eyes sometimes when Kade looked at her. She didn’t want to cause a rift between brothers.
“Well, nothing has happened between us. And I think that’s good until we find Jason. Maybe once this is behind me, Kade and I can see about more.
Kendra raised a glass. “Let’s drink to new beginnings. New beginnings for Jason, and for you and Kade.”
“I’d rather drink to getting my cabin back,” she said dryly.
* * *
The next day, Lexie accompanied Kade to his gym. During breakfast, which had been fun, he’d convinced her to come along to watch him practice.
Upon entering the gym, the scents of sweat, leather, and aftershave reached her. Oddly, it was a pleasant combination. Looking around, it surprised her to see a few women present, and then she thought she shouldn’t be surprised since boxing and fighting were becoming more popular among females.
Everywhere she looked, people were in motion. Several men were punching heavy bags while a man and woman sparred in one of the boxing rings. Almost all the weight machines were in use and several people were jumping rope. Around the perimeter of the large gym was a running track, on which several people jogged.
Her attention came back to Kade when he lightly rested a hand on her shoulder. “Lexie, this is Calvin Nunez, my good friend and trainer.”
A man of Latin descent, who appeared to be in his late forties, smiled at her. Although he was only a few inches taller than Lexie, his black t-shirt with cut-out arms showed off a muscular body, and he seemed to exude power.
“Nice to meet you, Lexie. I didn’t know he was seeing anyone.” He nudged Kade with an elbow and waggled his eyebrows at her. “I see why he was holding out on me. He didn’t want me trying to steal such a beautiful woman away. You’re definitely out of his league.”
Lexie blushed as she laughed. “Thanks, Calvin. Nice to meet you, too.” She didn’t know how to respond to his remark about her and Kade seeing each other since they weren’t officially dating, so she didn’t mention it.
Grinning, Kade said, “I’ll go change, Lex. Be back in a few.” He pointed at Calvin. “Behave yourself while I’m gone.”
Calvin shrugged. “I’ll try but no promises.”
Kade chuckled and headed for the men’s locker room.
“So, how long has this been going on?” Calvin asked.
Lexie fidgeted with her car keys. “Um, well, not long. It’s just a casual thing.”
Calvin’s right eyebrow arched, and he tilted his head a little. “Lexie. Oh, you’re Kade’s ex-sister-in-law. He’s mentioned you a few times. Sorry about the divorce, but between you and me, you’re trading up.”
Lexie didn’t have time to respond because a guy across the room called to Calvin.
“I better get over there before Brant loses his cool, but I’ll be back to train Kade,” he said before leaving her.
Trying to tamp down her ire over Kade talking about her business with other people, Lexie waited for him to come back. When he did, she pounced. “So, Calvin seems to know a lot about me.”
Kade pretended to play with his boxing gloves. “Oh? What did he say?”
Lexie folded her arms. “He knows I’m your ex-sister-in-law, and he said that I’m trading up. Exactly how muchdoeshe know about me?”
