Flirting With Chaos (5 page)

“No biting.” I rose.

“Where’s the fun in that?” He embraced me, pressing his body against mine and kissing my right cheek, my left, forehead, chin, and finally stopped with a peck on my lips. “I missed you.”

“Sure you did.” I smirked.

“Trust me. It’s been six weeks, three days, four and half hours, one minute, and ten seconds. No, eleven. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen—”

“Stop it.” I groaned.

“Six weeks?” Kaden raised his eyebrows at us. “When was the last time you saw each other?”

Jude collapsed into my seat like he’d been running all day. “I flew to Sarasota to see her during spring break. She refused to come down to Miami because of some geek stuff. And to tell you the truth, that trip didn’t count. We sat in a dusty studio all week, getting food delivered to us. It was uneventful.”

“Uneventful? You slept with a pizza girl and one of the visiting art professors at my school.”

“Only because I was bored out of my mind.”

I lowered onto his lap. “I had to finish that sculpture. It had to be perfect. Let’s not forget that I warned you many times before you flew up that I was obsessed with that project.”

“Regardless, the whole time was geek shit.” He grabbed my fork and started eating. “This is good, Dad.”

“You’re just going to eat my food?” I snatched my fork back.

“Technically, it’s
my
food. Dad planned to cook this for me, but I’ll let you finish the rest.” He placed his hands on my waist, slid them under my shirt, and massaged circles into my skin. The movement soothed away tension that I hadn’t realized was there. He dramatically whimpered. “I’ll just sit here without anything to eat and spoil you with my fingers as I die of hunger. Beautiful Rain, I suffer for you and ask for nothing in return.”

“Isabelle left trays of food for us in the fridge,” Kaden offered.

“I don’t want what the maid left. I’m hungry for what’s on Rain’s plate.” Jude kneaded his fingers into my flesh.

I purred and leaned back into him as he continued to massage me some more. “Fine. I’ll share.”

“You’re so kind.” He moved his hands down to my hips where he kneaded his fingers with more pressure. I fed him a piece of steak and then tossed one in my mouth.

The whole time, Kaden sat back in his chair. An odd expression expanded over his face.

“What?” Jude mumbled in between bites.

“You both are pretty comfortable with each other,” Kaden said. “I had no idea.”

“Rain is my homie.” Jude chuckled. “My home slice. My deuce dog. Down shorty.”

“Please stop.” I scooped up a couple of mushrooms.

“My partner in crime. Rider for life. Sister from another mister. Dog pound mate from the kennel in the sky.”

“Oh God.” I rolled my eyes. “He’s determined to bring back old slang.”

“And is he just going to go on and on like this?” Kaden finished his steak.

“Pretty much.” I smirked. “He’ll do it as long as it annoys me. I haven’t mastered the technique of ignoring him yet. It’s pretty hard.”

“Especially with his hands all over you.” He watched Jude caress me some more.

I didn’t respond to Kaden’s comment. Jude’s touching me was never a big deal. We touched each other with the familiarity of people who’d known each other for all of their lives, because frankly we had. I couldn’t think of a moment in my life where Jude didn’t exist. Every significant situation I’d experienced, Jude had stood there by my side to support or comfort me, enjoy it or suffer through it with me.

He’d taught me how to ride my bike; he had learned years before me. He’d encouraged me to paint, and when I had done oil scenes or watercolors, he’d lied and said it didn’t suck. Even when my period had first come, he’d ridden with me to the store to buy bags of sanitary napkins and tampons. I’d been too uncomfortable to ask Mom or Dad about what to do. They had remained busy arguing, having make-up sex, and arguing again. Instead, Jude had gone online and yelled out instructions from outside the bathroom as I’d stood inside putting tampons in the wrong place and leaving the plastic on. It must’ve been an hour before we’d gotten it right.

“You both are pretty touchy.” Kaden poured himself a glass of wine.

Jude sighed. “Here we go.”

“What?” I finished the rest of the food on the plate. Jude had only left a couple of mushrooms.

“Every now and again when Dad is sober, he gets in the mood to father me,” Jude whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry, by the end of the night, he’ll be back to the Kaden Everett we all know and detest.”

I laughed.

“I heard that.” Kaden displayed his middle finger at Jude.

“That explains why he was doing the whole concerned father act before you walked in. He just called me desperate.” I mock pouted. “Do you think I’m desperate for wanting you to take my virginity?”

“Hell no. I feel honored.” Jude placed his hand over his heart. “And if I’m awarded the duty, I shall serve you and my country to my last living breath.”

I laid my head on the table. “Maybe I am desperate.”

“I told you,” Kaden said. “And I’m serious. You both look like a little couple over there.”

“It’s just friendly touching, Dad. Don’t rush out to call a wedding planner.” Jude patted my leg. I rose and he left his seat. “And why does Rain have to be desperate if she wants me to make love to her? You of all people know how much I care about her.”

“Yeah, but you can’t be the man she deserves.”

Jude’s face creased in annoyance.

Kaden leaned back in his chair, as if daring Jude to say anything else. The kitchen turned quiet for a few awkward seconds.

“So, Kaden, you’re really a great cook,” I said, trying to break away the silence.

“I’m not the man she deserves?” Jude took my glass of wine.

“Maybe I should reword that.” He brushed his fingers through his hair.

“Maybe you should,” Jude countered.

“You both need some sort of clear line.” He pointed at Jude and then me. “You told me you were just friends. Next thing I see is condoms and fondling.”

“Stop it. Let’s not do the daddy thing tonight. The whole ‘I’m your buddy one hour and I’m your dad the next’ spins me around in circles and gives me a headache.” Jude scratched his head.

“I’m always your dad—”

Jude interrupted him, “You’ve barely been in town for eight hours, and you’re already causing a commotion.”

Kaden jumped up from the table. “How am I—”

“Okay. Let’s stop.” I held up my hands in the “time-out” sign. “And for the record, the apple bag and condom situation didn’t happen, so there’s no reason for us to discuss this. That was a momentary instance of insanity. I no longer think Jude taking my virginity is a good idea.”

“Why not?” Jude held his hands out. “Because of Dad?”

A redhead sashayed into the kitchen, dressed in my high school chess club T-shirt.

I glared at Jude. “No, not because of your dad.” I gestured to the redhead. “More because of things like that, and is that my shirt?”

The woman giggled. If I were a bolder person, I would have snatched it off of her.

“You both wear the same size, and she didn’t bring any other clothes when Dad and her flew in.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think you would mind.”

“This is exactly why I’m saying no. You’re a bit insensitive, and you don’t know the concept of boundaries and respect.”

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “Vicky, this is my best friend, Rain, and you already know the cock-blocker over there.”

“Hello, Rain.” Vicky yawned and swayed her hips as she pulled out the chair next to Kaden and plopped down. “What’s the plan for the night?”

Jude stared at me for a few seconds. A neutral mask covered his face.

I wondered what he could be thinking as he bit his lip. I mouthed the words “be nice.”

He winked at me in response, his expression changing from unclear to reasonably-not-pissed. Maybe it was because Kaden rose and left the room. I wasn’t sure if his dad had been annoyed or in a rush to get some fresh air, but I was glad things returned to normal.

They’d been living together off and on for years. The only thing that made the situation work was the fact that Kaden constantly toured during the year. If he wasn’t traveling the country doing promotion for a new solo album, then he starred in small parts for action movies, did a few commercials, or flooded the music gossip waves with a scandal—sleeping with an A-list actor’s wife, getting caught picking up a hooker, or being arrested for a brawl in a night club. Due to Kaden’s behavior, Jude pretty much ignored any parental advice his father had to offer, which pissed Kaden off to no end.

“So, are we staying in for the evening, or what?” Vicky scratched under her arm.

“We’re going to party like rock stars!” Jude rubbed his hands together.

I raised my eyebrows. “We are? And by the way, do you ever get tired of saying that line?”

“Rock stars never get tired of saying that line.”

“You’re not a rock star yet, son,” Kaden called out from another room. “What was that you wanted to talk about with the venue?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jude dipped his finger in a jar of peanut butter and left the kitchen with it. “I’ll be right back.”

And just like that, all had been forgiven between Jude and his dad. Meanwhile, I stayed in the kitchen with the groupie. I almost screamed, “No! Don’t leave me in here with Vicky.”

She grinned at me and scratched around her neck. Icky.
That’s what I should call her
—
Icky Vicky.
Yet Jude and Kaden had both slept with her, or at least Jude was going to before I’d arrived. Being in college away from Jude had provided me with the opportunity to forget who my friend truly was: a guy who stuck his penis in anything that breathed. Now that I had stepped back into his world, I remembered why I’d never considered Jude as the right person to take my virginity.

Vicky dabbed at the leftover juice on Kaden’s plate and sucked her finger. “Are they sharing you too?”

I battled with not scrunching my face. “No. I’m just a friend of the family.”

“Hmm. But not a close friend?”

“I’d say we’re pretty close.”
Closer than you.
“But no sex. Have you already had sex with Jude?” I’d thought he said he wouldn’t.

“When we first landed here, he picked us up. I gave him a blow job in the back of his car. Have you seen it? It’s spectacular.”

Jude owned many cars. I just nodded my head and smiled at Vicky.

“I don’t see how you can be around them and not try them both out. Kaden and his son really are a feisty pair. I bet they’re both tigers in bed and different in their own ways.” She picked up the wine bottle next to us and chugged it. “Jude’s dick is almost as long and thick as this bottle.”

“I’m sure that’s an exaggeration.”

“He’s pretty close, and Kaden’s tongue, for fuck’s sake, is blessed from Buddha. It’s like those blades on top of a helicopter. It just spins and spins and never stops until I’m riding high and squirting all over his face.”

Eww.
Bile rose in my throat. My stomach rumbled. I jumped up and rushed out of the room right before the vomit burst out of my mouth.

Chapter 4

Butt Tickle

W
E
R
ODE
I
N
J
UDE’S
C
AR
, Kaden and Vicky tagging along. Darkness served as my view because a blindfold covered my eyes.
I hate not being able to see.
The sound of an electric guitar flowed in my ears and was accompanied by the deep banging of bass drums. Wind blew through my hair and cooled my skin, since Jude had the top down on his car.

“Are you cold?” he yelled over the music.

“No. I love the breeze, but how long do I have to keep this on?” It must’ve been fifteen minutes by now, which was a long time to sit in a car with a blindfold.

“Be patient, Rainy. We’re here.”

I felt the car stop as the song turned off. A car door creaked open. People cheered around me. Women screamed Jude’s name. Others begged for his autograph. Clicking and snapping of cameras sounded on my right.

I hope no one takes my picture.

I heard Jude’s voice to my left as he ordered somebody to push on forward.

“Where are we?” I asked when he grabbed my hand and helped me out of the car.

“You’ll see when we get there. Just let me guide you.”

“I’m close to taking this blindfold off.”

He tapped my behind. “Behave.”

“What’s up with you Everett men slapping my bottom tonight?”

“Excuse me? What the fuck?” Jude’s voice had a hard edge to it. “My dad’s hand was on your ass?”