Brutally Beautiful(21)

“Burying bodies in the backyard again, Dylan? I thought that was my job,” a deep voice rasped behind me, lightly sprinkled with an accent matching Dylan’s. Shit.

Taking a deep breath, I turned around, narrowing my eyes at Kade, standing in front of us, for the third time in three days.

Dylan echoed my thoughts, “Third time in three days.”

The three of us stood there silent. Dylan gaped, open mouthed at Kade. And Kade? Well, Kade seemed to find something intensely interesting in my eyes. His gaze roamed my face as if looking upon a piece of fine art…gazing at each little piece of me…my eyes, my nose, my neck, and landing intensely on my lips.

Raising my cup up to cover my mouth, I drank my coffee and casually ignored him. There were hundreds of emotions zipping through my head, warring with one another; hate, curiosity, shock, embarrassment, need and…God, I wanted to kick myself for it…lust. You could feel the energy surrounding us shift and tighten as his eyes met back up with mine, daring me, fiercely challenging me to look away, or cower, or whatever game he was playing.

I sure as shit wasn’t going to play any game by his rules.

“I forgot my jacket here last night,” he mumbled, still gawking at me.

“It’s on Dylan’s desk in the back,” I said coolly, turning my back on him and walking away indifferent to his plight. And yes, I did swing my hips and walk straighter when I did. With my chin held high.

Walking out into the bar, I spoke with a few tables full of people asking if they needed anything. A few orders later, I was leaning behind the bar with my ankles crossed and back against the counter.

“Offer still stands,” Kade’s voice murmured in a low gravelly tone. A masculine hand leaned next to me on the bar, which my eyes followed up, along his thick arms and across his chest to meet his eyes. He raised a dark eyebrow at me and smirked.

“Are you that desperate, Mr. Grayson? Tell me, what do you get from trying to belittle me?” I asked, with the best poker face I could muster.

“Most girls would jump at the chance to make that kind of money, for such a little thing.” He licked his lips purposely and seemed to move closer to me than what was socially acceptable in my book. And, dear God, his lips? Seriously, why did he have to have such great lips? “Most girls don’t even ask for the money.” His eyes flickered down my neck, giving me a whole once over before returning to my stare.

“See, there’s your problem,” I began to explain, stepping away. “You’re talking about girls. I’m a grown woman. Big difference.”

“Hey, there you are,” Dylan came behind the counter of the bar stepping between us. “Lainey, you’re exhausted, so go home so you can have a good night. Bree will be in later. And Kade? Can you drive Lainey home?”

“No,” I replied calmly, before Kade could answer. “Thanks for the day off, but I could walk myself home. I definitely like the company more.”

Without another glance or word to either of them, I grabbed my belongings from the locker and walked out of the bar. Relief flooded my belly, thinking I was getting away from that idiot.

“Lainey, wait! Wait,” his voice called after me, closing the door behind him. “I’ll drive you home.”

“No thank you, Mr. Grayson.”

The expression on his face was hard to read, but I didn’t care to figure it out. Kade Grayson wasn’t much to figure out, he was just a complete dick.

“Why? What’s your problem?” he asked, like this would be a surprise to him.

“What’s my problem? You’re acting like a bitch, and if I wanted a bitch, I would have adopted a dog.” I walked away from him as he mumbled something about writer’s block and stupid green eyes.