Page 5 of Wild Lies

Signaling to the bartender, I wait for him to reach me. “Can I get a neat whiskey, please?”

“Sure. You good with any brand?”

I nod, not sure I have it in me to formulate a spoken response.

The bartender doesn’t seem to mind; instead, he turns to Kade and asks, “Do you want anything?”

Kade shakes his head and leans back in his seat. “Nah, I’m good, Titan.”

Neither of us speaks once Titan has left. We’re just two strangers sitting next to each other at a bar. Nothing more. But I feel him there like I’ve never felt another person before, not even my ex. The air between us feels like it might break if I breathe too hard.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as Kade rests his palms on the bar and pushes himself up. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Chloe.”

He’s leaving?

Confusion has me blinking up at him.

I shouldn’t want him to stay, but I do. God, I do.

“You don’t have to go. Unless you want to, of course.” Stop talking. “I could do with the company and…” I bite my tongue, putting a stop to the stream of nonsense before I can divulge my entire sorry story of a life to what is essentially a stranger.

Kade eyes me up, like he’s considering making a break for it. Weighing up whether he really wants to deal with the “crazy lady” sitting in front of him.

For reasons I cannot fathom—but am grateful for nonetheless—he drops onto the stool and picks up a napkin, twisting it in his hands.

“Okay, I’ll stay.” He pauses, turning to look at me before asking, “What are you in town for, Chloe?”

I like the way my name sounds on his lips and how it feels like a gentle caress in his deep baritone.

Held under his spell, I’m only vaguely aware of Titan placing my drink in front of me before he walks off. My sister and her husband-to-be, Oliver, have comped the wedding party drinks tonight. It would explain why Ollie’s frat bro of a groomsman thought it would be a good time to shoot his shot with me again. He must be a glutton for rejection.

Exhaling heavily, I take a sip of the whiskey, lamenting in the burn as it travels down my throat. When I feel the warmth settle into the pit of my stomach, I answer Kade’s question. “My baby sister—technically my only sister—is getting married the day after tomorrow.”

“At the Hartlands’ Ranch,” he replies, filling in the blank.

“Yup.” I pause, searching for the right words before settling on, “I’m sorry about this morning. I just picked the first place that came up on the GPS when I said the name.” I swirl my glass, watching as the amber liquid almost reaches the rim.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

I shift in my seat, turning my body toward him. “That guy you were with seemed pretty upset about it.”

Kade chuckles, mirroring my position so that his legs sit on either side of mine. Excitement flutters in my stomach, and a sense of safety blankets me before I drag my eyes away. Something about that simple move feels meant to be.

“That’s my brother, Wyatt, and anything to do with the Harts upsets him. He’s”—he pauses, looking for the right word—“delicate.”

Now it’s my turn to laugh, because the guy I just saw and the one at the ranch looked anything but delicate. “I’ll take your word for that.”

The laughter dies on my tongue as I meet Kade’s eyes. There’s a gleam in them, one that calls to me like a siren to a sailor. Suddenly, it feels like we’re the only two people in the room, and the longer we go without saying a word, the more charged and suffocating the air becomes.

Without breaking eye contact, Kade leans in as if he’s aware of just how loud it is, even if I’m not. “How long are you in town for?”

“Twelve days,” I reply, my tone almost breathless. For my sister’s wedding. Which I am expected to be at with my now ex. I can’t wait for the disapproving looks and snide remarks when I show up all alone.

He licks his bottom lip, and I follow the movement of his tongue, fascinated.

Twelve whole days. I can step back into the girl I used to be for twelve days. Right? The one who kept her mouth shut and did anything to keep the peace. For Rachel, I can.

“And what do you plan on doing during your stay?”