Country Kisses (3:AM Kisses Book #8)(26)
Caila holds out a hand to her. “And you must be the smart one. You university girls never cease to amaze me. Caila Jace.” She shakes each of their stunned hands.
Piper blows out a hard breath, still trying to process it. “So, you do this?” She nods over at the stage. “With her face?”
“Oh, hon”—Caila’s not missing a beat—“I do this with her face and her body.”
We all share a quick chortle, and just like that, everyone loves Caila. It never does take long for her to charm and disarm the masses.
We hang out for another set before hugging it out with my beautiful sis and taking off.
“So, what did you guys think?” I ask as we head toward Scarlett’s car.
Daisy hacks out a laugh. “I think your sister is as amazing as you are. But please, if there are any more heart-stopping surprises in that familial closet of yours, I’m going to need a bottle of aspirin and a heads-up. You don’t have any other pranks brewing in that pretty blonde head, do you?”
“Not a single one.”
“Except for her mystery man.” Scarlett wraps a cool arm around my shoulder. “Even I’m not privy to that secret. So, what gives? Tomorrow is V-Day. Are you planning on letting him ply you with chocolate and roses?”
“Valentine’s is for fools, hon.” I wink over at Piper, letting her know I’m teasing. She’s already let me in on the fact that she and Owen are having a sleepover that starts tonight and ends at some point Monday morning. I think, come summer, I’ll have a vacancy in my dorm room. It’s pretty inescapable at this point to assume otherwise.
“I’m no fool,” Piper counters before drilling her navy blue eyes into mine, and there he is. Cade moves in and out of her features like a watercolor come to life. “And for sure you’re not either. Don’t go getting your heart broken. Think twice before you leap into his bed again.”
“What do you mean think twice?” Scarlett entwines our arms and pulls me in, her ruby lips just as red as her hair and name. “This girl has gotten laid and gotten laid good. I’ve never seen her so ridiculously over the moon. Come on”—she gives my arm a yank as we head toward the parking lot—“give us a name. Just a first name. It’s not like we’ll decode anything major from that.”
I glance to Piper and blush deeper than any part of the ocean can ever be. I’m pretty sure his name would incite more than a riot. There isn’t a heck of a lot of boys named Cade running around Briggs, nor in Hollow Brook. If I offer them a first name, I might as well offer them a last.
“Okay, fine.” Daisy comes up and hooks her arm through mine on the other side, and there’s something satiating about being ensconced by your friends this way. “We have to call him something. Give us a clue so we can come up with a proper nickname.”
A thousand inappropriate thoughts run through my brain. The big trio, those raging muscles of his, that hotter than hell tongue that knows exactly what it’s doing to me in the very best way.
“I don’t know. That boy’s entire body is a weapon he’s not afraid to wield.” My face burns ten times hotter than the sun, and I refuse to look Piper in the eye for the rest of the night.
“Holy crap, Clayton!” Piper jumps in front of me. “You’re still sleeping with this guy?”
“What did you think I was doing? Having high tea with the queen?” I blush again, because Cade specifically said very naughty things concerning that British monarch.
Scarlett and Daisy belt out a choir of laughs, but Piper looks as if I’ve just dismembered her favorite doll. God, if she ever knew it was Cade I’m bedding, she’d look far more ticked off than she ever does now. I’d have to run for cover. I’d have to cross ten state lines just to keep a safe distance from her explosive wrath. Her brother had better watch out, too. I’m pretty sure that good time runs both ways.
“Okay, I got one.” Daisy steadies her sparkling champagne nails in front of us. “How about Pudding Pop?”
“That’s disgusting.” Piper gags as she spews the words out.
Scarlett whips her hair over her shoulders like a flame. “How about Hot Buns?”
“He does have hot buns.” I just might need to take a bite out of one tonight to reaffirm this theory. “How about King of Hearts?” I offer. “Not that I’m in love with him or anything.” I turn so far from Piper I practically have my back to her.
“No!” Piper is the first to decry his quasi-royal standing. “Hot Buns it is. Even though I can’t stand it—it’s a heck of a lot better than something he’s obviously not ready to give you, and that’s his heart.”
“Hey”—Scarlett swats Piper with her purse—“you don’t know that. They could be madly declaring their love for one another nightly. You’re not doing that, right?” She gives a hard sniff my way with that disgusted look on her face as if she could smell my relationship funk from there.
“What? No! We’re just having a good time. Trust me, the L word has never left my lips nor will it. We’re just letting off some steam, having a little f-u-n.” I rock into Daisy and Scarlett, causing us to sway all the way to the car.
Piper pulls me to the side as the girls climb in. She looks ticked, and, if I were to guess, a little bit affronted. “Promise me you won’t get hurt.”