I just laugh, but then Dane Sterling swoops in to acquire the scowling blonde.
“You totally left me hanging,” she scolds.
“Baby, you invited the neighborhood. Not me. It’s every man or woman for themselves at this point.”
He smiles that lopsided grin that has her wobbling beside me. Lost in his thrall, she forgets she’s even mad and pulls him down for a very socially unacceptable show of affection. I start feeling weird standing next to them when the heated kiss leads to sounds of wanting more.
Cursing her silently, I walk away with no armor to shield me from the stormy wrath of Kode. Corbin. Hell yes. Corbin knows what’s going on, and he’s keeping it quiet. Plus, he has very handy muscles.
Never thought I’d see the day where I was intentionally going to see a Sterling for help. Then again, I never thought I’d be spending hours upon hours in Kode Sterling’s bed.
Corbin grins widely the second he sees me coming to him. He apparently knows what’s going on.
“You think I can protect you?” he asks, his eyes glistening with flakes of humor.
“I was kind of hoping.”
He laughs while shaking his head. “I’ll do what I can, but no promises. Kode has more determination than me.”
Crap.
“How mad is he?” I ask quietly, still unable to find the blonde hair of the devil himself.
“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him since the rumor mill went wild inside the party. But he has had some fairly attractive offers. I know that much. Jamie gave him his number.”
Laughter escapes me before I can help it. Jamie Burton is one of the most gorgeous men in Sterling Shore, but he’s also very much dedicated to men.
“Tria,” Olivia Preston says, an odd look in her eyes that seems like concern, or disappointment, maybe. Does she know, too?
“Mrs. Preston,” I say with my ingrained greeting manners.
Why are so many older socialites here?
“I’m not usually so forward, and I know it’s not any of my business, but after all your poor mother went through with Edward, I expected so much better from you.”
The blood drains from my face. What has he told them?
“I feel as though I should apologize, but I have no idea as to why, Mrs. Preston. Could you explain exactly what I’ve done to encourage you to be so forward?”
Forced eloquence is my specialty. Years of training have me resisting the urge to shake her and make her spit it out when she takes much too long to answer. Finally, she sighs and spikes my blood with ice.
“Rygan Clanton is a good man. He has horrible choices in women, but I would have assumed you’d treat him better than the others.”
Corbin chokes on a laugh, but quickly clears his throat to recover. His eyes look anywhere but at me, as though he has caught on. But I’m lost.
Rygan is Rye’s father—a hermit who rarely leaves his home since his wife’s death years and years ago. Somehow he manages to snag very young women—usually younger than his son—but they always cheat on him, and they often do it without discretion. Most of them openly chase after Rye, but he never messes with them. That would be so gross.
But what the hell does it have to do with me?
“Um… I’m sorry, Mrs. Preston, but what’s going on?”
She tsks me as though she’s disappointed in my denial. “Sweetie, Rygan has had numerous women go after the younger version of himself. Most of them are gold-diggers, but you… Why on earth would you be so cruel to such a gentle man?”
It’s then the dots connect, and my anger slowly begins to boil. That bastard!
I’ve been following Rye around the party, playing directly into Kode’s hand, underestimating the evil genius he is. Now I look like all the opportunists who go after the senior Clanton and then try to take on the sexier junior Clanton.
In my moment of silent outrage, I’m left open to another attack from her. “Rye never sleeps with the women who chase him and bed his father. He has too much self-respect and class for that. I realize he looks like a rough brute, but he’s a very attractive man with plenty of untainted offers.”