Chapter Four: Off Limits

Sora

What. The. Fuck.

Of all things that shouldn’t be happening, this has to top the list.

There is absolutely no way my new client is Kade Black.

The notorious Black sheep of the Black family.

Fuck my life.

I suck in a breath and wiggle away the despair coursing through me, I just need him to play as my boyfriend for now, that’s it.

I stop by his side and he looks more amused than confused that it pisses me off.

“Hey, babe,” I say sweetly, smiling up at the giant beside me.

His lips curve into a faint smile, and I’m scared to my bones that he’ll rat me out so I do the most sensible thing to do in a situation like this.

I subtly pinch is forearm, in silent desperation.

It’s no secret that Kade and Cameron can barely stand each other. And nobody, not even I, knows why and trust me I’ve tried so dearly to pry the answer out of him.

All I know is, the two brothers loathe each other.

If this man hates Cameron as much as Cameron pretends to hate him, then this entire plan might either blow up in my face or work in my favor.

“Babe?” Kade repeats, amused, like he’s tasting the word.

I open my mouth to beg him quietly, but before I can say anything, his arm snakes around my waist and yanks me flush against his side.

A gasp nearly escapes me when he leans down slightly, his lips brushing softly against my cheek.

Holy shit.

My entire body shivers from the— nope, someone must’ve definitely turned the heater lower.

“If you’re going to pretend to be my girlfriend,” he murmurs lazily, “you should know I’m a little possessive.”

God dammit, his voice is even more seductive in person, shit.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Cameron’s voice thunders through the hall.

I instinctively shrink closer to Kade, mostly to avoid the murderous look on Cameron’s face.

Kade chuckles softly besides me.

“I don’t think that’s the proper way to welcome your older brother now, is it?”

Kade chuckles softly beside me.

“I don’t think that’s the proper way to welcome your older brother now, is it?”

He takes off his cap and I immediately regret looking.

Wavy brown hair falls over his forehead, his gray eyes catching the light as he smirks.

God.

No wonder Cameron hates this man.

If Cameron is handsome, Kade is dangerously handsome, Henry Cavill handsome. I want to reach out and trace lines around his face and jawline.

Yup, I’m completely royally screwed.

He’s off limits. He’s off limits. I chant in my head, a client and my best friend’s brother.

“You’re staring, princess,” he teases and I barely hear him over Daisy’s dramatic sobbing behind us.

“Babe, I swear I didn’t cheat on you!” she cries toward Cameron. “She probably paid him to pretend to be her boyfriend!”

My growing smile, turns into a straight line, is this girl actually stupid?

How exactly did I pay Cameron’s brother to be my boyfriend?

“When did this start?” Cam asks, completely ignoring the fact Daisy is still clinging to his leg like a dying Victorian wife.

I glance toward Sandy for help, huge mistake, her attention is solely on Kade staring like she’s witnessing the second coming of Christ while simultaneously having orgasmic dissociation.

Fantastic.

“Three months ago,” Kade answers so casually I almost believe it.

Good thing I never date, it’d been a rollercoaster to explain the time frame.

“Yeah,” I say weakly. “Three months.”

“That’s not possible,” Cameron says immediately.

It wasn’t?

“You were talking about getting into a relationship with Chris Donovan a few days ago,” he continues, narrowing his eyes at me. “And I know for a fact you don’t double date.”

I squint at him. I don’t like Chris Donovan, so why the fuck would I care—

Oh.

OH.

The cafeteria.

I vaguely remember Sandy trying to cover up for me when Cameron asked who I was talking about.

Before I can scramble together another lie, Kade speaks again.

“Chris Donovan?” He sounds almost amused. “Do his parents hate him? Chris already sounds like a fucking pastor’s name and don’t get me started on Donovan.”

A snort escapes Sandy, even Cameron looks caught off guard.

Kade glances down at me lazily, “She never mentioned him,” he says smoothly. “Should I be bothered, baby?”

I roll my eyes at his words before turning back toward Cameron, whose face is practically red at this point.

“The whole Chris thing was just a cover-up,” I say. “I knew you’d freak out about me dating Kade.”

That part, at least, isn’t entirely a lie.

“And trust me,” I continue, glancing briefly at the man still holding my waist hostage, “this definitely wasn’t how I planned for you to find out.”

Kade’s thumb strokes lazily against my waist and I nearly lose my train of thought.

“You knew I’d be against it and still did it?” Cameron snaps. “What the fuck, Sora? My brother?”

My jaw nearly drops to the floor, against it? How did I miss this controlling part of Cam?

It’s so infuriating how he feels he can control my love life, when he couldn’t believe when I told him about his cheating bimbo. Double standards.

“I’m sorry,” I say slowly, “did I miss the part where my love life suddenly became your business?”

Cameron’s jaw tightens instantly. “You know exactly what I mean.”

“No, actually, I don’t.”

Kade smiles giddily, clearly entertained by the bickering between us. Asshole.

“You disappear for years,” Cameron says, now glaring directly at his brother, “then come back and start dating Sora behind my back?”

Kade shrugs lazily. “Was I supposed to take permission from you? Last I checked, Shadow here is an adult.”

Shadow?

Cameron’s expression darkens immediately. “That’s… you don’t deserve her.”

“And you do?” Kade asks, chuckling.

I look between them, we are literally couple of steps away from the stage but I can feel the death stares coming from Cam wrapping around my neck.

“Sora,” Cameron says, dragging his gaze back to me, “you know what he’s like.”

“And what exactly is he like?” I ask coolly.

Kade smirks beside me. “Careful, brother,” he murmurs. “You’re about to hurt my feelings.”

I heave a sigh before prying myself away from Kade’s side and walking toward the podium.

“We aren’t here to discuss my love life,” I say sharply, motioning between Cameron and the still kneeling Daisy. “We’re here because your girlfriend cheated on you and somehow turned this into me being secretly in love with you.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Which is fucking ridiculous, by the way.”

Daisy wipes at her fake tears aggressively. “Because it’s true!”

“Oh my God, give it a rest,” Sandy groans from somewhere behind me.

“No,” Daisy snaps, glaring at me. “You’ve always been obsessed with him! Ever since high school you’ve acted like no girl was ever good enough for Cameron.”

“That’s because none of them were,” I shoot back instantly.

Cameron’s expression changes slightly, something unreadable flashing across his face before disappearing just as quickly.

“What I meant,” I say tightly, “is that every girl you date somehow treats you like garbage and you just let them.”

Daisy scoffs loudly. “I never treated him like garbage.”

“Sure cheating is just your love language,” I fire back. “See? We’re both making observations tonight.”

Cameron glares at me before crouching down to Daisy’s level, helping her to her feet gently.

His entire expression softens as he wipes at her tears.

My chest constricts so hard, I’m fighting back tears from spilling.

“It’s not your decision to make, Sora,” he grits out. “I want to marry Daisy and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

What? I stare at him blankly, stare at the way he looks at her and I can feel the air in the room closing in on me the second he gets down on one knee, slipping the ring into her finger.

Daisy immediately buries herself against his chest with another dramatic sob while glaring at me over his shoulder.

God, I’m so stupid.

“You can’t seriously still want to marry her after hearing all that,” Sandy says incredulously.

Cameron’s jaw tightens. “I trust my girlfriend.”

Kade steps beside me, gripping my wrist firmly but not hard enough to hurt.

“I see nothing’s changed, brother,” he says coldly. “Still a piece of shit.”

One second I’m standing there trying not to fall apart and the next, Kade is lifting me into his arms bridal style and carrying me straight out of the ballroom.

I’m too numb to even protest.

I don’t know where we end up.

All I know is that the second we’re alone, the heat crawling beneath my skin becomes unbearable, my dress feels too tight, too restrictive, I can’t fucking breathe.

Kade sets me down carefully before crouching in front of me, for the first time since his arrival, the amusement is wiped off his face.

He wipes at my cheeks quietly and only then do I realize I’m crying.

Shit.

“I’m okay,” I choke out, quickly wiping at my face. “Thank you for back there and I’m sorry for putting you on the spot.”

A soft sniffle escapes me despite my efforts to stop crying.

Pathetic.

Kade reaches up, tilting my face so I’m forced to look at him.

“You’re not okay,” he says quietly. “And that’s… not okay. My brother can be fucking blind sometimes.”

A weak chuckle leaves me as I brush his hands away from my face.

“You don’t know anything about Cameron.”

“Fine,” he says after a moment, leaning back against the couch like he hasn’t just watched my entire life implode. “If you say so. But I need something from you in return.”

Should have known it wouldn’t be free.

“What?”

Kade’s gray eyes hold mine for a second too long before the corner of his mouth lifts slightly.

“Be my girlfriend.”