Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64366 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64366 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“Jamie’s not stupid. It’s a Range Rover. It was written plain as day on the front edge of the hood, right above the grille. And I must say, it’s very fancy. I’m betting your father drove it all the way to his friend Stuart’s house just to show it off.” She looked pointedly at me. “Did that thing really cost almost ninety thousand dollars?”
I winced shut my eyes, willing myself not to give in to the need to defend my manhood to Chase. Mom would probably freak when she found out how much Kage had spent on me, and on top of that, Chase was lame. But, of course, pride won out. “Add a one in front of that number.” I looked at Chase, hating myself when I said, “Plus tax.”
Mom gasped. “You have got to be kidding me. That’s more than we paid for this house.”
Chase whistled appreciatively. “Guess that wasn’t your ride parked at the curb, after all. I ain’t never seen an Escalade that cost two hundred grand, and that was definitely an Escalade. I’d stake my life on it.”
I rushed to the front door and looked out. The curb was empty. “Was it just sitting there?” I asked. “Like was it parked, running, driving by…?”
“It was idling,” Chase said. “It pulled away when we came up, but it was definitely idling in front of this house. Why?”
Jennifer gasped. “Do you think it’s the paparazzi?”
I snorted. “I hope the hell not. If it was, we’re probably screwed.” Then something occurred to me. “Has anyone explained to you guys that no one outside of this house can know about Kage and me?”
“Nobody told me,” Paul said. “I was gonna tell my friends at school that I know him, but I haven’t said anything. You want me to keep it a secret?”
“Yes, please, buddy.”
“Dad already read us the riot act,” Jennifer said. “He said I’d be disowned if I said anything.”
Chase laughed. “You got off lucky. He said he’d castrate me.”
Mom turned away to hide her laughter, but she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“I hope that wasn’t the paparazzi,” Jennifer mused distractedly. “But just in case, I need to go check my hair and makeup.” She disappeared to the bathroom while Mom washed a few dishes, and Paul and Chase investigated the food. I wandered to the bay window at the front of the house and peeked out around the edge of the curtain, watching for any sign of a black Escalade. There was a good chance someone was watching my parents’ house, and Kage and my dad had been gone long enough for me to get worried.
Paul asked me to play a video game with him, and I sat down and lost myself for a while. Finally, the door opened and in strolled the missing joyriders.
“It’s about time.” I jumped up from the sofa and met them at the door, my stomach quivering at the sight of Kage running a hand through his hair to get it out of his face, revealing a heart-stopping smile. Here I was freaking out, and he looked so relaxed… with my dad. Hell, even Dad was smiling.
“That’s a hell of a ride you have there, son.” He clapped me on the shoulder, and I wondered briefly, irrationally, if he meant the car or Kage. “Be sure to keep the oil changed and the tires rotated. Regular maintenance is crucial.”
“Do I need to have the oil changed already? You were gone a long time.” I knew I was showing my apprehension. Now that I was sure the mysterious Escalade hadn’t somehow gotten them, I was worried about what they’d talked about. Had they discussed me? Had they argued? Had Dad said anything embarrassing?
“Don’t worry about it, babe.” Kage kissed me. Right in front of my family, like it was nothing. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it was intimate. He closed his eyes and breathed me in as his lips met mine and his hand pressed possessively against the small of my back. And then he was gone, and I was reeling.
I did a one-eighty spin on my heel, checking to see who’d witnessed the kiss. Everyone, apparently. Five sets of eyes stretched wide, blinked, then looked away… and that was it.
“Food’s getting cold,” Mom announced. “Ice is in the glasses, though it’s melted a bit. Strain it out into the sink if you don’t want watered-down tea.”
We all swarmed the food. Even Kage sampled everything and went back for seconds of his favorites. I smiled to myself when he grabbed the last three lil smokies from the platter.
Jennifer and Chase were surprisingly well behaved. Chase didn’t retire to the TV while the rest of us did the family thing. He hung right with us for a change, and I had to wonder if my dad had given him a talking-to. Or maybe Jennifer wanted to make sure he wasn’t found lacking when compared to my boyfriend. I still couldn’t believe Dad had said that to her.