I force a weak smile. He doesn't understand small towns at all. He stops completely, right in the middle of the sidewalk. With his hand still holding mine, I'm forced to stop just as abruptly and stumble into him.
"What's that smell?" he groans, seeming intoxicated.
I chuckle loudly as I stare at the vendor just down the sidewalk. I'd know that smell anywhere. "Mrs. Bates's cherry pie. She's won the state fair pie contest for the past ten years with that recipe."
"Please tell me it's not soy, fat free, or gluten free," he almost whimpers, making my smile perk up even more.
Sterling Shore is a town for health fanatics; not the hungry. Kade is like a hungry wolf stalking his prey as he abandons me on the sidewalk to go track down the smell that is calling to him.
I giggle to myself when he almost runs to get in line behind three others. It's odd seeing him in a place like this. He's dressed casual, but he still stands out.
In his designer blue jeans and his long-sleeved pull-over, he almost fits in, but then you see his stride, his posture, and his amazing, untainted beauty.
"Raya?" a familiar, gut-wrenching voice says.
I turn slowly, trying not to let my heart crash into my stomach. The second I meet the brown eyes that stared into mine when he cut my heart out, I fight back all the tears I thought I had finished shedding.
"Jeremy," I almost whisper, and then my eyes settle on the ornament on his arm. My ex-best friend. "Vickie," I add coldly.
Her soft eyes meet mine as she forces a sad smile.
"Hey, Raya. You look really good," she says in a small voice, treating me as though I might break if she speaks too loudly.
She's wrong. They already broke me once. It's not possible to break me again.
"Yeah," Jeremy says, scanning me up and down. "You look so... different."
I glance down at the Colton ensemble I'm wearing. The sleek, deep blue shirt fits perfectly, the stylish tan leather jacket stops at the top of my jeweled jeans.
"I... made some changes."
Before I know what's going on, I feel a warm arm around me, soft lips on my neck, and heated breaths stroking me in places they can't even touch. My breath catches in my throat seconds before Kade's incredible lips find mine.
I lose myself in the unexpected kiss, and one of my hands slides up to tug at his soft, perfect hair. He pulls me closer, making my whole body flame like we've been tossed into the belly of a volcano.
Just when I'm ready to push my tongue between his lips, he smiles against our kiss before drawing back, leaving me breathless, and then he turns to face the people I've completely forgotten.
"Sorry," he says, sounding sincere. "Are you friends of Raya's?"
Did he... why did he... oh. He must have figured out who they are. He kissed me to keep me from looking pathetic and alone. Shit. Now I like him even more. Damn it.
"I'm Jeremy and this is Vickie," Jeremy says with a slight frown. "And you?"
"Um... yeah. This is Kade," I say with a grin, relishing the lingering taste he's left on my lips.
"Colton," Kade says, as if I forgot to mention his last name.
"As in Colton Fashion industries?" Vickie gushes, her eyes wide and excited.
"Paul Colton is my father," Kade says with a small smirk.
His arm snakes around my waist and he kisses my forehead. Jeremy has no idea what Colton Fashion is, but Vickie seems star-struck.
"We should go, babe," Kade says before pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. "I've got pie, and I'm desperate to eat it. I've also got the perfect wine to go with it."
I'm still reeling from the mind-numbing kiss. How can I think about pie and wine right now?
"Yeah. Um... I guess I'll see you guys later," I mutter insincerely.