The Neighbor's Son 2: Mind Games (The Forbidden Love Series Book 2) (8 page)

“
Sidney.
H
oney. Where were you? I was starting to
worry. You were gone for a while there,” Kevin said. I shifted my
gaze to him and my mind went blank. Since I still hadn't come up
with an excuse for my absence, I just stared at him with my mouth
hanging open.

“
Yeah,
Sidney. What happened to you?" Cade quipped with a wicked
smirk plastered on his shameless face. "You look really pale, like
you’ve just seen a ghost.” That smart-ass remark earned him another
death glare from me.

Kevin scooted over and
motion
ed for me to sit next to him. “I was
in the bathroom," I said to my unsuspecting boyfriend. "That's
where I told you I was going, remember? Where else could I be?"
When I lie, I make weird hand gestures, my nostrils flare, and my
voice goes up in pitch. This time was no different.

"Are you all right? Was it
something you ate?"
Kevin
asked.

I plopped down next to
Kevin.
"Yes! That's it. The hot dog I ate
must've made me sick. But don't worry. I'm fine now."

"Are you sure? Do you want to go home?"
Kevin pried, rubbing my back and kissing my shoulder. The smirk on
Cade's lips vanished and the flames of jealousy lit up his baby
blues.

"Yeah. I'm sure," I
repli
ed without taking my eyes off Cade.
"What were you guys talking about?”

“
Cade was just asking my
opinion on a life insurance policy his mother is thinking of
buying.”

“
Oh, really? That’s all you
talked about?” I pressed.

Kevin leaned in to kiss the
curve of my neck.
“Yes. Why? What else
could we be talking about?”

“
Yeah, Sidney. What else
could your boyfriend and I possibly be talking about?” Cade
sneered, toying with the beer can in front of him and pretending he
wasn't bothered by what he was witnessing.

I could feel my face
getting flustered again.
I wanted to
scream at Cade. Why are you doing this? Why are you being such a
prick? I kept my mouth shut, but I think my eyes delivered the
message loud and clear. I had my hands clasped in front of me and
couldn't get them to stop shaking. Kevin noticed. "Are you sure
you're okay, Sidney?" he asked.

I twisted my head toward him and gave him a
half smile. "I'm fine. Really." I glanced around and didn't see my
friend or her children anywhere. "Where are Dana and the kids?"

"She had to go," Kevin replied. "Her husband
came home earlier than expected. I don't think she's coming
back."

“
She's not?" I blurted.
"Well, in that case, we're leaving too."

“
Oh no! You’re going home
already?" Cade lamented, his face twisting with faux
disappointment. "But we were all having so much fun chatting and
getting to know one another.”

I roll
ed my eyes at him and turned my attention back to Kevin. “I
only came to this party to help Dana with her kids. Since she went
home and is not coming back, there's no point in me staying.
Besides, my stomach still feels a little queasy. Can we please
go?”

“
Sure, honey.
Whatever you want,” Kevin cooed while helping me
get on my feet.

“
Hey, man.
T
hanks for the info on the insurance
thing. Fascinating stuff,” Cade blurted, his words dripping with
sarcasm. Anger rushed to his face when he saw Kevin curl an arm
around my waist and kiss me on the cheek.

“
Let’s go, Kevin,” I
breath
ed out, scowling at Cade as I turned
on my heel and headed for the door.

“
Feel
better
, Sidney,” Cade shouted. I ignored
him and kept walking. “I hope you recover from whatever it is
you’re suffering from. See you around.”

I could
n't get away from that party fast enough. Kevin walked me
back to my house, but we didn’t talk much on the way there. I
invited him in to tell him I couldn't see him anymore. Poor guy
didn't suspect a thing. Why would he? Everything was going well
between us up to that point. I felt terrible but I had to do it. I
couldn't string him along any longer. It wasn't fair. I made some
tea and sat him down. Just as I was about to drop the bad news on
him, his phone went off. After yelling at someone on the other end
of the line, he told me he had to go. He said something about an
emergency at his mother's house but didn't give me any details. He
was in a hurry so I didn't ask any questions. He told me he'd call
me later and took off. Such was my luck. Sigh.

CHAPTER VI

Night fell and I couldn’t
sit still. I k
ept pacing around the house,
looking at the clock and wondering when Cade was going to show up.
Even though I was mad at him for talking to Kevin at the party, I
still wanted to see him and finish what we had started in his
mother's laundry room. That night, I cooked a romantic dinner for
two and splurged on an expensive bottle of champagne. I even dug
the skimpiest dress I owned out of the back of my closet and put it
on along with a pair of gorgeous fuck-me pumps I had bought a while
back but never had the courage to wear.

A
s
I sat at the dining room table gazing at the candles and the two
plate settings, I thought back to the things he said to me earlier.
A little voice in my head kept telling me I was being stood-up but
I refused to listen to it. My brain kept making excuses for him not
showing up, but deep down, I knew I was being toyed with. He didn’t
care about me. Never had. I was just one of the many girls and
women he was entertaining himself with while on his summer break
from school. I was angry at him, but I was angrier at myself for
not being able to see through him and his evil mind
games.

When midnight struck, I
knew he was
n't coming. Numb with
disappointment, I dumped the dinner I had cooked in the garbage and
dragged myself upstairs. I caught a glimpse of my skanky dress in
the mirror and felt even more foolish than I did before. I stripped
naked and threw a bathrobe on before stepping into the bathroom to
draw myself a nice, warm bath. After the day I had, I needed that
bath, otherwise, I wasn't going to get any sleep that
night.

I wa
s about to drop the robe and step into the water when a
strong knock on my kitchen door alerted me to the fact that I had a
late night visitor. I let out a heavy sigh and slid my feet back in
their slippers. I knew it was Cade, but I was not in the mood to
see him, let alone do anything with him. The fact that he showed up
that late proved how little he cared about me. He probably thought
he could just pop in any time he wanted and I’d be there ready and
willing to spread my legs for him. Well, he thought wrong. I
fastened the robe ties around my waist and stormed downstairs,
ready to give Cade Fisher a piece of my mind and tell him to get
lost.

“
What
do you want?” I barked after opening the kitchen
door.

“
Why so
angry
, doll?” Cade chirped with that
perpetual lopsided smirk on his face. He stepped inside, not
waiting to be invited in, and immediately wrapped his arms around
my waist. I kept mine crossed over my chest and turned my face away
when he tried to kiss me.

“
What’s wrong, Sidney?” he
asked, cocking his head to the side, his brow
crinkling with confusion. I just glared up at him without
speaking. He looked yummy. Gone were the basketball shorts and
baseball cap he was wearing that afternoon. He was back in his
signature jeans and t-shirt combo and his hair was slicked back. He
also smelled as good as he looked, but I wasn't going to let his
charms or sweet words distract me from the fact that to him, I was
nothing but a piece of easy ass.

“
I waited for
yo
u all night," I finally snapped. "Where
the hell were you?”

“
I’m so sorry, baby,” he
whispered,
nuzzling my neck. “I was about
to come over when my friend Derek called me. He was drunk and
bleeding after getting into a fight at a house party. He asked me
if I could pick him up and I couldn't say no. He sounded really bad
on the phone.”

I rolled my eyes at the obvious lies. “Oh
really? Did it take you all night to pick him up and drive him
home?”

Cade
pulled away from my neck and met my incredulous gaze. “No.
When I got there, I realized my friend was in really bad shape and
needed to see a doctor. Instead of taking him home, I took him to
the emergency room and stayed with him until a doctor saw him and
stitched his forehead up. Afterwards, I took him to the pharmacy to
get a prescription filled and then took him home. That’s why I’m
late, Sidney. I was taking care of a friend in need.”

“
I don’t believe you. You
were probably fucking Valerie or some other skank and forgot all
about me.”

Cade cupped my face with
both hands. “First of all, I’m not seeing
Valerie anymore. I haven’t seen that girl since the night we
ran into you and your date at the movies. And for your information,
I didn’t sleep with her that night or any other night for that
matter. After the movie, I drove Valerie home and told her I
couldn’t see her again. I was jealous as fuck after seeing you with
What’s-His-Face. Fucking Valerie would've helped relieve a lot of
the stress and frustration I was feeling that night, but I didn't
touch her. I couldn’t get you out of my mind, Sidney. I was angry
at you for the way you ended things between us the other night, but
I couldn’t bring myself to be with anyone else.”

I saw sincerity in his eyes
and
also heard it in his voice. “Why
didn’t you call?” I asked.

“
I don’t have your number,
remember?” Cade chuckled before stealing a sweet, lingering kiss
from my lips. “I can’t believe you thought I was blowing you off.
How could I blow you off for anyone else? I mean, look at
you
, woman.” He claimed my mouth again
while his hands slid down to cup and squeeze the globes of my ass
over the fabric of my robe. "I fucking love this booty," he giggled
against my lips while sneaking his hands under the back of my short
robe. A breath hissed in his throat when his hands glided up the
back of my thighs and reached my bare buttocks.

“
You’re
not wearing anything under that robe," he blurted after
pulling back. A pair of perfect dimples framed his mischievous
grin. "Nice. Did you just get out of the shower?”

“
No.
I was about to take a bath when you knocked.”

Cade pulled his hands out
of my robe and took a step back. “A bath? Why didn’t you say
something earlier, woman?
"

"What are you doing?" I
asked when I saw him pulling
his t-shirt
over his head.

"I could really use a bath
after my drunk friend
spent the night
drooling on me,” he said, handing me the crumpled t-shirt and
sauntering past me like he owned the place.

I scoffed at his audacity and shut the
kitchen door. Did he just invite himself to my bath? Clutching the
t-shirt in my hands, I followed him into the living room. “Where do
you think you’re going?” I asked.

“
I’m go
ing to take a bath. You should join me,” he shouted, climbing
up the stairs and undoing his belt buckle.

I just stared at him with
my mouth hanging open. "Who does he think he is?" I mumbled
to
myself. “Umm…Excuse me?" I yelled
before he disappeared from view. "I didn’t say you could
stay.”

He ignored me and kept on walking. “Man! And
to think I was going to miss bath time. Damn you Derek and your
stupid, bleeding forehead.”

I climbed
up the stairs and followed the trail of clothes
he left behind. His sneakers, his socks, his jeans, and finally his
boxer briefs, formed a perfect straight path that ended just
outside the open bathroom door. When I made it there, Cade was
already climbing inside the tub. I only caught a short glimpse of
his bare behind, but holy crap! It was magnificent. Hard, round,
and just the right size. I had felt it before but hadn’t really
seen it up close and personal until that night. His entire body
really was a work of art. I just stood there, admiring it and
wondering how many hours a day he spent at the gym every day to get
a body like that.

Cade lowered himself in the
water, making
some of it spill out and
dribble down to the mat. He leaned back and draped his arms over
the ceramic edge. His devastating, sideways smirk made another
appearance. “Well? Are you going to join me, Ms. MacDougal or are
you going to stand there all night and watch me bathe?”

I narrowed my eyes at him,
fighting
back the smile that was
threatening to crack my face. He was driving me nuts and I was
loving every second of it. Since he loved to play games, I decided
to play a little game of my own as well. After dropping the t-shirt
on the floor, I took a few steps inside the bathroom and stood at
the opposite end of the tub from where he was lounging. Without
taking my eyes off him, I began undoing the ties of my robe. I took
my sweet time, enjoying the anticipation building in Cade’s face.
His twinkly eyes darted from my face to my hands and back to my
face and he couldn’t stop sucking that damn lower lip into his
mouth. I snuck a peek inside the water and noticed his anticipation
was not the only thing growing in that bathtub. Hello! His friend,
The Beast, was alive and ready for some action.