“I think so, too,” Britt—Dane’s sister—says as she joins us.
Her long red locks are a little wild tonight. I smile down at her Wonder Woman shirt and tilt my head.
“You look… different.”
She smiles and nods. “I found Comic Con. Dane took me. It’s so awesome, and he bought me a ton of comic books that have female superheroes.”
The delight in her voice is so new. Normally she’s so robotic. Now she’s standing here looking like the cutest, happiest girl she can be.
“And he bought her every article of clothing that had her favorite heroines on it,” a familiar voice says from close behind me, seconds before a hard body is flush against my back.
I go stiff immediately, and Rain bites back a grin. I came here because of Kode, but now that he’s so close, I’m freaking the hell out.
“Hey, Britt, Rain.” They both greet him as he leans down to my ear, and in an entirely different, deeper, and sexier tone, he gets against my ear and says, “Tria. You look incredible.”
Breathing… How do I breathe? The air goes where?
I don’t move—mostly because I can’t—and Kode continues talking to Britt who is animatedly recapping the Comic Con experience. His body stays pressed closely to mine until I don’t have the strength to endure it anymore.
“I need a drink,” I say while quickly walking away.
Rain jogs to catch up with me, and she loops her arm through mine. Her cheeky grin doesn’t go with the angry snarl she had a week ago.
“Kode is completely sober and all over you. I love it,” she sighs.
I love it and hate it. I suppose that statement is a testament to our entire relationship.
I don’t bother commenting, and I fight hard to not look in Kode’s direction. The last time we were at a party, he spent the night trying to make me jealous. If he resorts to those tactics, I’ll have to leave. I’m not ready to see something like that.
I should have stayed home.
After tossing back a few drinks, my eyes finally do the unthinkable and shift toward the man I love. To my surprise, his eyes are burning against mine, and he winks at me, causing my stupid heart to do painful things.
“Tria,” Raya says, drawing my attention.
Rain and I both turn to face her, and I look around to see if Kade is anywhere around.
“No Kade?” Rain asks, frowning.
Raya shrugs, trying not to express anything. “He’s still at the vineyard.”
“Is he okay?” I ask.
“He’s… Well, I hope he will be okay. This has been rough for him. He loved Thomas so much.”
She fidgets as though she feels uncomfortable with this topic, so Rain shifts it, telling Raya about Carrie. The way Rain’s face lights up when she talks… I’ve never been so happy for her. Maybe sometimes there’s something good at the end of a major fuck-up.
The party has grown, and now there are twice as many women as there are men.
“You can tell this is Maverick’s party,” Raya remarks dryly, taking in all the sexy, flashy women Sterling Shore has to offer.
The men here seem to be enjoying themselves. Considering the fact I have no control over my urges, I turn to look at Kode. He’s talking to Corbin, not paying any attention to the girl who is touching him.
I grimace when I see her press against him, but then he says something to her I can’t hear, and she gasps before stomping away angrily. Corbin doubles over in laughter, and a small smile graces my lips.
Ash Masters walks up, forcing me to peel my eyes away from Kode as Tag joins him. But before my eyes fully escape, he catches me looking, and he winks at me before giving me that smile that he only ever gives me.
Swallowing hard, I devote all my attention to Ash with strained focus.
“You seem to be the talk of the night,” she drawls, grinning like she has a secret.
I look at Rain and Raya, but they’re both looking at me, too.
“Me?” I squeak, quickly clearing my throat from the embarrassing sound.
Ash snickers while nodding. “Apparently Kode is telling every girl in here that he’s not on the market because he’s in love with you. You don’t even want to know what he’s telling the few girls that don’t take the hint.”
My heart leaps into my throat, and I might possibly stagger a little. Raya steadies me, her eyes brighter now that she has something else to focus on other than Kade’s dark period.
“Oh,” Ash adds, her grin only growing, “and he’s telling the guys here that if they like their faces where they’re at, then they’d better not even look at you.”
Ah, hell. I’m smiling. I’m smiling like a damn fool.