The Rules Read online

  Cade led me into the party, his hand still at my back possessively. I liked it. I hadn’t brought a purse. There was no need. I had everything I could want at my back. We wouldn’t be eating other than hors d’oeuvres, so even lipstick wasn’t necessary. Besides, I wasn’t wearing any. Cade had sent me back into the bathroom to remove it before we’d left the hotel. After he’d kissed me in that dress, he’d had my pink all over his mouth. And since he claimed he intended to kiss me a hundred times during the evening, I was only permitted lip gloss. I’d easily complied with that request.

  Servers walked by us with various drinks on trays, but Cade ignored them and made a beeline for the bar. “Never know what’s in those glasses. I’m particular about my drinks.” At least that was his intention. We got stopped several times along the way.

  At one point, a man with a beaming smile who looked the same age as Cade slapped him on the back. “Dude. You made it.” I guessed him to be Riley. He looked at me and reached out to take my hand. “You must be Amelia.”

  I nodded. “Most people call me Amy.” I rolled my eyes. “You must be Riley.”

  He let me go and turned back to Cade. “You’re right, man. She’s gorgeous.” He gripped Cade’s shoulder. “You could do worse.”

  Cade cleared his throat. “Riley. Stop while you’re ahead.”

  Riley’s eyes twinkled as he smiled. I had the impression he did that often. He was about six one, maybe an inch taller than Cade. His darker skin made it seem he’d just returned from the beach that morning. His dirty blond hair was the tiniest bit too long, making him look more human than most of the people in the room. But what really stood out were his eyes, a deep penetrating blue that seemed to soak in everything he saw.

  “Gotta mingle, Cade. But find me again in a few, yeah?”

  “Will do.” Cade hurried us to the bar and ordered two glasses of whatever. It seemed like he knew every wine on the planet the way he rattled off names of various Chardonnays every time he ordered. I wondered how he knew what types they had at each location.

  Cade led me back into the throng. He introduced me to various men as we meandered. Interestingly he did not introduce me to many women, only the ones on the arms of one of his buddies.

  “Most of these guys are business associates,” he informed me the next time we were alone.

  I nodded. I felt much calmer after my glass of wine, less intimidated.

  After a few more people greeted us, we headed back toward the bar. The bartender nodded at Cade and handed him two more glasses without a word. Cade handed me one and hauled me closer to kiss my neck. “I need to speak to some people, baby,” Cade whispered close to my ear. “Will you be okay if I leave you here for a few minutes?”

  “Of course.” I leaned my back against the long bar and took another sip of my wine.

  Cade met my gaze head on. “You sure?”

  I nodded and smiled at him. “Go. I’m fine, Cade. I’m a big girl.”

  Seconds after he walked away, a tall, slender brunette who easily could have been a model and carried herself as though she were, squeezed in next to me and took a champagne flute from the waiter’s hand. “It will never last, you know.”

  At first I paid no attention to her, but then I realized she was staring down at me. Even in my heels, I was only about five seven. She towered over me. Her face was hard.

  “Excuse me?” I must have misunderstood her words.

  She angled her head toward Cade, who stood across the room with a group of men, his back to me. “Cade Alexander. Whatever little game you’re playing with him, it’ll never work.”

  My mouth opened, but I just blinked at her.

  She gave a sharp laugh. “He’s not your type.” She let her gaze roam up and down my body, taking in the entire package. “It’s obvious you aren’t from money. I’ll bet my last dollar Cade bought you this dress…and put it on you himself.” She lowered her voice as she spoke.

  I flushed the deepest shade of red, set my wine on the counter behind me, and turned to face the room, determined to ignore this bitch.

  “Cade doesn’t go for girls like you, honey. He’s got tastes that run in a direction you could only dream of. Trust me. I would know.”

  I jerked my gaze to her, unable to stop myself. “Excuse me?” I repeated, regretting my reaction immediately.

  The crazy bitch had her hair pulled back in a tight bun, so tight it stretched her eyes outward. Her makeup was overdone, and in my opinion, borderline slutty. She was right. I was nothing like her, and I was proud of that fact, even if it did cost me Cade Alexander in the long run. But that was none of her business.

  She gave me another evil grin. “Use your teeth when you go down on him, honey. He likes the thrill of the bite.” With that, she walked away, her head high, her perfect hips swaying under the long black gown that fit her so perfectly I had no doubt it had been tailor-made for her svelte body.

  For long moments I watched that bitch disappear into the crowded room, unable to move a muscle. A twitch formed in one of my eyes. I finally yanked my gaze to scan the area and found Cade in the same spot.

  As soon as I could move my legs, I made my way out of the room and down the hall. I had no idea how I managed it, but I didn’t cry all the way to the bathroom and into the last stall. Thank God the room was currently empty. I wasn’t even sure why I was upset. Who the fuck cared what that bitch said to me. I was with Cade. She was clearly jealous.

  But she’d also implied she’d slept with him. And that made my skin crawl.

  I leaned against the door and tried to catch my breath. I needed to wrap my head around what had happened and pull my shit together. No way in hell was I going to let that bitch rattle me. Or at least, I wasn’t going to let her know she’d done so.

  I also had no intention of telling Cade. It wasn’t his problem. This was my issue. And I would handle it with my head held high and a smile on my face.

  I caught my breath and gathered my thoughts.

  I remained very still when three other women entered the bathroom. I knew there were three of them because they were talking on top of each other as they came in giggling. Only one used the toilet. The other two stood at the mirror fixing their makeup.

  I didn’t move. I wasn’t ready to face anyone. And I sure didn’t want to make small talk. The only people at the party were rich. I had no way of knowing which ones were snobby bitches like the brunette with the tight bun, but I didn’t want to chance it.

  And I didn’t have to, because suddenly my blood went cold.

  “Can you believe that skanky whore Cade Alexander brought?” The voice was high-pitched and full of laughter.

  The other two women giggled. One of them spoke. “I know. Who does that tramp think she’s fooling? I’d be embarrassed.”

  I swallowed back the bile that rose in my throat, ignoring the tears running down my cheeks. I was not a slut, by any stretch of the imagination. Nor was I a whore. I hadn’t even been with one man yet.

  My hands shook as I covered my mouth to keep from emitting a sound.

  The women continued to trash talk me as they left. Silence followed. Blessed silence. I was totally not welcome at this party. It was ridiculous to think I would ever be welcome by the people in Cade’s world in any way.

  Those women were the epitome of nasty, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have a point. I didn’t fit in. I never would. And to pretend otherwise was insane.

  I took a deep breath, tore off a piece of toilet paper, and wiped my eyes. When I exited the stall, I headed for the sink and glanced at the mirror. My reflection wasn’t fit for anyone to see. And I sure didn’t want anyone to find out they’d gotten the best of me. The damage was irreparable. I prayed no one was in the hall, eased the door open, and stepped out with a sigh of relief, my body turning to head in the other direction, away from the party.

  I took two or three turns, my steps getting faster as I looked for a way out. When I finally saw an exit sign and pushed i
nto a stairwell, I breathed a sigh of relief. Now I just needed to get out of the building, find Arthur, and figure out what to do about Cade.

  As luck would have it, the stairwell emptied into the parking garage. A valet stood several yards away and approached me. “Can I help you, ma’am?” He didn’t comment on the state of my face.

  “I’m looking for Cade Alexander’s driver. Would you possibly know where I might find him?”

  “Of course, ma’am. Just a moment.” He turned and walked back to his podium, made a quick call, and then nodded my direction. “Right this way.”

  I followed him, hoping the walk wasn’t far. My legs threatened to collapse.

  We rounded a corner in the garage, and I saw Arthur coming toward me. His face was scrunched in concern. “Ms. Kensington,” he began as the valet left me in his care. “Is everything okay? I would have come to the front. What are you doing out here?” He glanced past me, probably looking for Cade.

  And then the tears fell. Like a hose that had been bent under the accumulating pressure of the faucet for too long, my face opened up, and I couldn’t hold back another second.

  Arthur took my arm and led me to the car. He opened the door and ushered me inside. Surprisingly, he climbed in after me and reached for a box of tissues. He handed them to me and waited a beat before speaking. “Where’s Cade?”

  “Still inside.” I shook my head. “He doesn’t know I left.”

  Arthur’s face was covered with concern. “I need to let him know you’re out here, ma’am.”

  I met his gaze. I hadn’t really paid close attention to him before. He wasn’t as old as I’d assumed. Maybe fifty. He was handsome. Not gorgeous like Cade, but attractive in his own way. His hair was cut short and groomed perfectly, a tinge of gray starting to bleed into the edges. He didn’t reach for his phone yet, even though he’d made it clear it needed to be done.

  “I know. Just give me a second.” I reached for another tissue and wiped my swollen eyes. I set my head back on the headrest. “I’m such an idiot.”

  Arthur took a breath, hesitated, and then spoke his mind. “I’m no expert, but I’ve worked for Mr. Alexander for many years. I can only imagine the caliber of the patrons inside that party.”

  He hit the nail on the head.

  “Yeah.”

  “This had nothing to do with Cade.”

  I shook my head, tears falling again. Nothing and everything. I couldn’t do this. I didn’t fit in his world.

  “Ms. Kensington?”

  I opened my eyes and met his gaze.

  “Cade’s a good man. The best. He doesn’t put up with anyone’s shit. You need to talk to him and let him handle this. Trust me.”

  I nodded.

  Arthur didn’t say another word. He exited the limo and shut me into the cocoon of the interior.

  It took less than five minutes for the door to whip open again and Cade to fold himself inside. “Jesus, baby. What happened?”

  I cried again. When would these tears let up?

  He let me sob, not caring that I got his suit jacket wet, or his shirt, or his tie. And that made me cry harder. I grabbed his lapels and held on while the river flowed.

  Finally I sat up straighter, and Cade handed me a pile of tissues. I chuckled half-heartedly as I wiped my face. “I’m such an idiot.”

  “You aren’t.” He squared my shoulders to face him.

  I realized the car was moving and lifted my face. The glass partition between the seats had also been raised. Arthur was giving us privacy. “You don’t have to leave just because I did. Go back inside.”

  He furrowed his brow. “What kind of asshole do you think I am?”

  I smiled. “The rich kind,” I joked.

  He opened his mouth, shock making his eyes go wide. “Amelia. I’m not a jerk. I don’t give a fuck about those people inside. I don’t even know most of them. I came here because my best friend is getting married. If his guests can’t extend common courtesy to my date, fuck them.”

  How did he know?

  “Someone said shit to you, didn’t they?”

  I nodded, biting my lower lip before I released it. “It’s done. Leave it alone.”

  “Are you crazy?”

  I shrugged. “Are you?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  I rolled my eyes. “What are you doing with me, Cade?”

  “Enjoying a weekend away?”

  I cleared my throat and rolled my eyes again. “No. I mean in general. I’m a twenty-four-year-old, middle-class girl from the first floor. I don’t fit into your world, Cade.”

  Cade released me and ran his hands through his hair. “Seriously?” He was mad. “You think I care about that shit?”

  The car pulled to a stop, but Arthur didn’t leave his seat in the front. I could see him through the glass barrier and wondered how much he could hear.

  Cade glared at me hard and then yanked the door open and climbed out. He reached back inside for my hand, and I followed him to avoid a scene on the front sidewalk of the most expensive hotel in downtown Nashville.

  Neither of us spoke a word as we made our way to the elevators and then stepped inside.

  Cade’s fury was evident in the way his nostrils flared every time he breathed. He actually scared me for the first time. If he would spank me for wearing panties, what would he do for leaving his friend’s party to cry in the limo?

  When the door opened, Cade squeezed my hand tighter and pulled me inside the suite.

  I winced as the doors shut behind me, and he released me to stomp across the room. I stood rooted to my spot, waiting for who knew what while Cade headed straight for the bar. He poured himself a tumbler of something brown over ice, probably whatever he’d also been drinking the first night we’d spoken last Friday.

  He surprised me by pouring a glass of wine next and carrying both drinks to the coffee table. “Come here, Amelia.”

  I moved. I admitted to myself I was nervous about his reaction, but I convinced myself he wouldn’t hurt me. Nobody poured a woman a glass of wine so thoughtfully and then slapped her across the room. Right? It would be incongruent.

  Cade handed me my wine as I sat on the edge of the couch, back straight, feet together. I held the glass, not having any desire to consume it. He slumped onto the couch next to me, not quite touching me. A long silence ensued, during which Cade consumed most of his drink. When he set the glass on the coffee table, he turned toward me.

  “First of all, I don’t give a fuck how much money you have or don’t have. Period. Do not insinuate otherwise ever again. Are we clear?”

  I nodded. Oh shit.

  “Good. Second of all, some of those bitches with piles of money think they run the universe, and they’re wrong. They can go straight to hell with their hoity attitudes. I don’t need any of them, and I’d rather be alone than endure a moment of their fake faces and lies. Are we clear on that?”

  I nodded again.

  He took my chin and held it. “I like you for who you are, Amelia. Nothing else. I was attracted to you from the moment I saw you for the way you held yourself. Of course your looks were in play that first day also. That’s human nature. When I saw that thick, brown wavy hair swaying down the hall, those fantastic legs extending beyond the bottom of your straight skirt, and those fuck-me heels you wore to work with your head held high, I swallowed my tongue.

  “But then I got to know you, and I found out I liked what was inside even better. You’re a gem, Amelia. A perfect diamond in the rough. And the fact that you also happen to have a truly submissive side that suits my personal tastes is icing on the cake. Are we clear on that point?”

  I nodded again, swallowing back another tear. And then my mouth moved. I couldn’t stop it. “How many women in that room have you slept with?”

  Cade’s eyes went huge. He dropped my chin. He watched my face. He didn’t speak for so long, I wasn’t sure he’d heard me. And then he bit out, “That bitch.” His jaw twitche
d, and he stood and began to pace the room across from me. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  I had no idea how I revealed so much with that simple question. Apparently a lot.

  Cade stomped around the room. He grabbed his tumbler from the coffee table and made his way to the bar. At the last second, he hesitated and launched it at the wall instead of pouring another drink. The glass shattered, and I glanced back and forth between him and the wall.

  And then he stomped back to me. He took a deep breath and put his hands on his hips. I had to tip back to see his face. “There was only one woman in that room I’ve ever had my dick in. I’ll regret that action until the day I die. It was thirteen years ago. We were drunk at a frat party, and she lured me into her nest. I’ve never told anyone that, especially not Riley.”

  He heaved for breaths. “Whatever venom she spewed came from her diamondback mouth, and you need to wipe her skanky ass from your mind. The only reason I’ve ever spoken to her again was for Riley’s sake. I have no idea what he sees in her, but he’s my best friend, and I’ve tried to smile and adjust my face for years whenever I’ve been around that bitch.”

  I gasped. “The woman I spoke to was his fiancée?”

  “Tall, model, black hair pulled back in a tight bun that makes her face look like it got stretched to pull out her early wrinkles?”

  I nodded.

  “Yep. That’s the one.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah. And now I have to tell my best friend since childhood that his fiancée is a complete fraud.”

  “Oh God.” I stood. “You can’t do that.”

  “Why the hell not? I can’t not do it. I’ve been giving her the benefit of the doubt for years. I knew in my gut she was bad news, but she managed to keep herself from dribbling her shit in my lap for a long time. If she thinks she can treat my date like she did, she’s wrong.”

  I opened my mouth.

  He held up a hand. “I don’t even want to know what she said. I’ve never hit a woman in anger, and I don’t want to start tonight. If you mention a word she spewed, I’m liable to head back to that party and slap the grin off her fucking face.”