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Kylie’s full red mouth just pulled into a brilliant smile, and Cade couldn’t stop staring at her. “I had a hunch, but I didn’t know for sure,” she told the other woman. She picked up one of the cases and set it down on a table, then opened it up and began to pull out small tubes of makeup. “If she treats her clothes anything like her makeup, you should have known better than to take the bet.”
The other woman just shook her head, shoved a five into Kylie’s hand, and wandered away.
Just then, the bartender handed Cade his latest drink. Perfect timing. Cade couldn’t help but head over toward Kylie, newest drink in hand. There was just something about her that was incredibly vibrant that drew him. And even though he knew his reasons weren’t completely aboveboard, he couldn’t stop himself from approaching to say hello again.
Her head was bent over the box of makeup, and she didn’t notice his approach. It gave him a chance to get a good look at her. She was plush all right, her figure rounded, her breasts plump and straining against the fabric of her tight, low-cut shirt, as if she’d dressed to entice him specifically. He loved a fine pair of breasts, and the bigger the better.
He took another swig of his drink. Great, now he was sounding like Reese.
She was real pretty, though. Her makeup was done in a retro style that emphasized her big brown eyes, and her hair was bleached a bright yellow blond with red tips, and drawn into two ponytails that rested on her shoulders. Her bangs were big and curled, and her entire look was “plump beach bunny.” And Cade loved it. She just looked so vibrant and happy. So damn alive.
Why couldn’t Daphne look half as stunning as Kylie? He knew from recent pictures that Daphne was still stick thin, the only curves on her body her fake breasts. Eight months after going to rehab, she still didn’t have the healthy look he remembered.
Then again, if she’d looked half as tempting as Kylie did, would he have waited eight months to see her again? Or would he have dropped everything and demanded that they get back together? It wasn’t just Daphne’s appearance that made him reticent, though. It was everything. It was knowing she was circling the drain and being unable to help her.
But seeing Kylie, he remembered their connection at the coffee shop. “I should have guessed you worked for Daphne when you ordered that coffee monstrosity,” he told her, walking up. He wanted to lean in and whisper it, but that might have made her skittish. “Hello again.”
Kylie turned around and her mouth opened in surprise, forming a perfect red O that made him think all kinds of inappropriate things. She recovered in the next moment, juggling the tubes of lipstick in her grip and sticking a hand out for him to shake. “Hi again! Oh my goodness. I didn’t expect to see you here!”
He took her hand and clasped it in his own, liking that her grip was warm and firm. Her nails were a delicate, girly pink and perfectly manicured. “Pleasure’s all mine.”
A hint of a blush touched her cheeks and she beamed at him. “What are you doing backstage?”
“I’m here to see someone,” he told her, releasing her hand reluctantly and stuffing his hands back into the pockets of his jacket, a habit of his he should really break at some point. He ended up trashing a lot of his jackets that way.
The look on her face turned to one of intense pleasure, and her eyes sparkled. “You’re kidding. Really?”
“Remember? The car?”
The sparkle in her eyes died, and a bright red color streaked up her cheeks. “Right!” she said and turned and began putting down the cosmetics in her hands. “Is she on tour with Daphne?”
“She is Daphne,” he said, still grinning. “Think she’ll like the car?”
Her mouth formed that little O again, and she blinked at him. For a moment, she looked unhappy, but she hid it with a smile. “I should have guessed it was Daph. Men are crazy about her.”
Men? Cade kept the smile on his face, though it was growing difficult. He wanted to ask Kylie if Daphne had a lot of men she was seeing, but that would be pointless to ask, wouldn’t it? He hadn’t seen her in months. If she was dating someone, so be it. Whatever it was between Daphne and Cade, it wasn’t easily categorized. It wasn’t a relationship. It wasn’t exactly just friendship, either. It was . . . well, it was a mess. A big, uncategorizable mess.
Usually he was fine with not giving it a label. But he supposed that had changed after that screwed up night in the cabin. Everything had pretty much changed between them.
“Daphne’s going to be so happy to see you,” Kylie continued, staring down at the makeup she was arranging in the case in front of her.