Chapter 7: The Cat House

KADE

Kade sat in his plush seat with his leg cocked, his ankle resting on his knee. The world around him wavered and vibrated, the effects of his whiskey thoroughly soaking and affecting his equilibrium. He twirled his drink in his hand and watched a blonde Unfortunate get fucked from behind right in front of him, her small breasts jiggling every time the unknown Fortunate thrust into her. She stared at Kade with lust in her green eyes, and he stared back, indifferent. He didn't know when sex lost its appeal. It just did.

A light touch on his shoulder stole his attention, and he looked at the woman who moved in front of him, blocking the carnal exhibition from sight. Kade exhaled, disappointed she was able to find him. Elizabeth Miller's blonde hair fell around her shoulders as she leaned in, carrying the scent of lavender straight to his nose. He loathed lavender.

"What do you want, Elizabeth?"

"Vince told me I'd find you here." She pressed an index finger between his legs and circled her long, red nail against his fly. "Can I talk to you in private?"

He thought about sending her away just for speaking his brother's name…but he was too tired to argue. Too drunk. Exhaling, Kade dropped his glass against the carpet, spilling the amber liquid into the white rug, and rose to his feet. He walked away from the copulating couple and into the next room. It was empty, filled only by a large bed and elegant wall hangings he couldn't focus on.

Elizabeth closed the door and leaned against the wood while Kade pulled at his tie, loosening it.

"What do you want?" he asked again, turning toward the bed.

He closed his eyes, imagining his head on the pillow and his mind far from this hell.

"You." She touched his back, gentle and smooth, before wrapping her arms around him, holding him close. "I miss you."

He opened his eyes and then rolled them. Any other night, he'd tell her to run along. He didn't make a habit of fooling around with an ex-girlfriend, but something about today made him feel some type of way. Stressed? Always. Aroused? Maybe a little. He hadn't felt turned on in so long he couldn't tell anymore.

"Dress off," he demanded with an exhale, not in the mood to peel it from her soft body. "Then get on the bed."

"No wining and dining?" she teased.

"I haven't wined and dined you since I was sixteen."

He yanked off his jacket and threw it to the floor. All he wanted was a quick release, and he hoped it would be satisfying enough to keep him in his bed and Nine out of it. The thought made him pause. Nine out of it? Was having Nine in his bed something he desired? Shaking his head, Kade yanked at the buttons by his wrists.

"Remove your dress," he demanded, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt.

"Can you take me to your home?"

"No."

He pulled at the buttons that lined his torso.

"Is it because you don't want your shiny, new Unfortunate to see us?"

The snarky tone in her voice stilled him. He glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. "You're jealous?"

"Of an Unfortunate?" She laughed once. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm better looking than her."

Kade surveyed Elizabeth's pretty face, full lips, and high cheekbones. He couldn't deny her beauty, but she wasn't on the same level of natural beauty as Nine. She just wasn't.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me," Elizabeth growled, her body tensing. "I'm better looking than her."

She left a bad taste in his mouth. She was such a vain creature, always needing praise and validation.

"Yes, Elizabeth," Kade said on exhale as he unbuckled his belt. "You're beautiful."

He was beginning to regret this whole situation. He didn't have the patience to play Elizabeth's games of vanity. He never did.

She sauntered closer, each step predatory and calculating. "Do you think she's beautiful?"

Kade thought back to seeing Nine for the first time. He looked up from his blueprint expecting a skinny girl with sad eyes and a hunger pang frame. What he got was a shapely woman with hair that reminded him of fire and eyes so violet they rivalled the amethyst he mined. She was a vision that sucked the air from his lungs, a vision that made his father's gift crueller.

Kade grew hard at the thought of his Unfortunate. Every muscle in his body pulled tight, and he clenched his fists, hating her presence had already worked its way under his skin.

"Your silence is deafening," Elizabeth teased, the venom in her tone not slipping him by. "Do you want to bed her?"

Irritated by her game, by his weakness, Kade shoved his pants down his thighs, allowing his erection to spring free. Elizabeth dropped her blue gaze to his painfully hard length and licked her lower lip.

"You tell me if I want to bed her or not."

Cutting her eyes, she stepped forward and pulled at the delicate lace that held the bodice of her dress together. "Well, she's not here. All you have is me."

Kade ignored the possessive tone of her voice. Elizabeth had always claimed Kade as hers, but she knew damn well he wasn't. He was free to do whatever he wanted, whoever he wanted, and no woman could change that.

"All I have is you?"

Elizabeth poured her generous bust out of the fabric of her dress, making Kade's fingers twitch. "That's what I said."

He thought about leaving, about walking away and leaving her here, but he knew he was inebriated enough to later find himself in Nine's quarters, ruining his own plan.

Reaching out, Kade dragged his thumb over Elizabeth's hard nipple. Her breath caught in her throat, and she inched closer, her usual lavender aroma wafting over him. His nose twitched, wishing it was Nine's subtle cherry scent making its way up his nostrils and into his lungs.

Exhaling, he pushed Elizabeth away. "Dress off. Bed now."

She slipped her dress down her petite frame and over her narrow hips, exposing her white lace undergarments. Then, she crawled across the bed, settled her head against the pillows, and spread her legs.