The Exception Read online

  I nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to slow my heart that was threatening to pound out of my chest.

  “Hey,” Max smirked, his eyes trained on his friend. A hint of mischief danced across his features. “I walked in and saw Kari and grabbed a seat. Wanna join us?”

  I inhaled slowly, trying to get my bearings. I turned ever-so-slowly to my left.

  When my eyes met his crystal blues, I froze. A smile lazily broke out across his face. Chills raced through my body and goose bumps broke out across my skin.

  This man was nothing short of divine.

  His eyes were the bluest I had ever seen—crystal clear pools of cerulean. They were wild, yet elegant, sort of calm, yet lively. They were the kind of eyes you could lose yourself in for hours on end.

  The kind of eyes that could get a girl in trouble.

  His face was sharp and angular; his jaw was strong and square. A slightly bent nose lent a bad boy look to his otherwise perfect face. His short blond hair was cropped close to his head. He was beautiful with a hint of rogue and it was all I could do not to stare.

  I pulled my eyes away, feeling my cheeks heat. As I glanced down his solid body, I knew without a doubt that a guy that looked like this was nothing but trouble. He was too delicious for his own good.

  Or my own good, anyway.

  He gripped the chair in front of him and I imagined his strong hands gripping my hips.

  I have to calm down!

  I felt an urge to look back up and when I did, he was watching me intently. He held my eyes with his own and I was pinned in place, unable to tear my gaze from his. I felt defenseless, completely bared, like he was downloading everything from my brain. I wanted, needed, to pull my eyes away from him, but I couldn’t.

  “Craving Mexican, huh?” He snickered as he sat down at the empty seat next to me, finally releasing my gaze.

  Max laughed and shook his head.

  “And how are you, Kari?”

  “I’m great, Cane,” Kari cooed, batting her eyelashes.

  Cane slowly turned to me, his grin turning wicked. My breath hitched in my throat as he leaned in. I cleared my throat, hoping it would distract him from the thumping of my heart that I was absolutely certain he could hear.

  If there was ever a physical embodiment of sex—it was sitting next to me.

  “Max has apparently forgotten his manners tonight. I am Cane Alexander. And who might you be?”

  I smiled nervously. “I’m Jada Stanley, Kari’s sister.”

  “I have to admit,” Cane said, looking up to Max, “that I was a little pissed about meeting you here. But, all things considered,” he said, giving the slightest nod to me, “I think this is going to work out just fine.”

  I took a sip of my margarita as Cane turned to me.

  “What do you do?” he asked casually.

  I opened my mouth to respond when a set of red fingernails appeared on Cane’s shoulder. His head jerked to the side, taking my attention with it.

  If the woman touching Cane could have gotten any closer, she would have been sitting on his lap. With big boobs popping out of the top of her short black dress, her long blonde hair floating in waves down her back, she definitely wanted attention. And, apparently, Cane was who she wanted it from.

  “Cane,” she purred. “Long time no see.”

  “Hey, Miriam,” Cane said, wearing a cocky grin.

  I felt a little bubble of jealousy wash over me and I chastised myself. Guys like this were my weakness, my Achilles heel. A gorgeous bad boy type with a cocky flair had always drawn me in. But the fact of the matter was simple—I knew better. This was everything I didn’t need to be focusing on, all wrapped up in one hot package.

  “What are you doing here?” Miriam asked.

  “Oh, just meeting old friends. And making some new ones, I think.” Cane turned to me and flashed me a devilish smile.

  “Oh. What are you doing later?” Miriam angled her cleavage to Cane’s eye level.

  “I’m not sure yet. Why? Did you have something in mind?”

  “Maybe. Do you wanna call me later?”

  “Well, no. I don’t even have your number.” Cane shrugged and flagged Julio down. Miriam’s jaw dropped and I had to stifle a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand.

  “You mean you don’t still have my number, baby?” She stuck out her bottom lip and batted her lashes again.

  “I don’t think fucking once warrants keeping your number.”

  I bit the side of my cheek as I looked at Kari, not sure whether to laugh or be disgusted. She was watching the show, seemingly unfazed by the ridiculousness.

  I bet she sees this stuff from him all the time. Just another reason to ignore him, regardless of how wet my panties are right now.

  “Once?!” Miriam nearly shrieked. “We were together four times, Cane!”

  Cane ignored her as he ordered a Corona for himself and Max from Julio. Julio blushed as he headed towards the bar, drink order in hand.

  “Lucky for you, I still have your number.” She smiled sweetly, recovering quicker from Cane’s downplay than I had anticipated. “I’ll just shoot you a text later and you can hit me up.”

  “You do that,” he said, nodding. “Now I’m about to enjoy a meal here with my friends, so why don’t you go find yours?”

  “Oh, okay! Talk to you soon, baby.” She walked away, her head held high despite being clearly dismissed by Cane.

  I was speechless.

  “That was interesting,” Max said, shaking his head. “You can really find the crazy ones, Cane. That girl has no shame.”

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Kari said, rolling her eyes.

  Cane laughed as he took his drink from the waiter. “The crazy ones are the most fun.” He looked at me and laughed at the look on my face. “No, seriously—she’s not nearly as fun as she thinks she is. And I think four times is a stretch.”

  “I don’t know what to say to any of that,” I mumbled.

  “Don’t worry.” Cane brought the bottle to his lips. “I’d be happy to take you home tonight instead.”

  I was appalled for the second time in as many minutes.

  “Excuse me?” I asked in disbelief, my voice rising. My mouth hung open at his audacity. “I’m not interested in going home with you, thank you very much.”

  Cane leaned in close, his eyes sparkling and his voice just above a whisper. “Don’t act like you don’t want me, Jada.” The way his voice caressed my name made my entire body light up. “It’s your eyes that give you away.”

  I forced a swallow as my brain left me hanging, abandoning me when I needed a quick, sassy retort. We watched each other, neither of us saying a word, until a beeping noise drew his attention away.

  I sagged in my chair with relief, glancing at Max who looked amused. I glared at him and he responded with a laugh before taking a drink of his beer.

  Cane’s eyebrows furrowed as he dug into his pocket. “Excuse me for one second,” he said, swiping his phone and holding it to his ear.

  “Alexander,” he said, sitting upright. “Are you kidding me? That’s impossible.” Cane shook his head with exasperation. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’ll be there in a little while.”

  He shoved his phone back into his front pocket and looked at Max as he stood. “I have to go take care of the mess in Queen Creek.”

  Max nodded, seeming to understand what Cane was referring to.

  A part of me relaxed with relief, while another part of me secretly wished he would stay. I had never met someone like him before, someone that could walk into a room and own it immediately. I knew I couldn’t take it any farther, but I couldn’t help but wish he could have stayed.

  “Kari, it was nice to see you again. Jada, have Max give you my number.” He smiled confidently at me.

  I was flabbergasted, annoyance at his presumptuousness overriding every other emotion. Is he freaking serious? What kind of girl does he take me for? “Excuse m
e? I don’t need, nor do I want, your number.”

  “Are you going to play hard to get? That’s so cute.” He gazed down at me, his eyes daring me to disagree.

  I was incensed and aroused—and mentally berated myself for the latter. Just as I was on the cusp of giving in to my body’s demands, images of Decker and Sarah flashed through my mind, and I tumbled back to reality with a resounding thud. “I’m not playing anything. I don’t want your number, Cane.”

  He studied me for a moment, his forehead creased in thought. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “No, I don’t. I’m not sure why that matters.”

  I glanced at Kari and Max and they were watching us now. And I thought they would be the entertainment.

  I glared at Cane for putting me on the spot.

  “I’m pretty sure you have somewhere to be. And time is ticking,” I reminded him, glancing at my watch for emphasis.

  He let out a deep breath and grabbed his wallet. He tossed a few bills in the center of the table. “I’ll take care of the bill.”

  Bending down, his breath hot on my cheek, he whispered, “I will be looking forward to seeing you again.” I started to respond, but he cut me off. “Oh, Jada. We will see each other again.”

  His words, both a threat and a promise, ignited my core and I shifted in my seat.

  “I’m not sure why you are playing hard to get,” he breathed, his lips so close to my skin that I fought hard not to shudder. “You shouldn’t try to play games with me because I’m not a player. I’m the coach.”

  CANE

  I pulled my Denali quickly out of the parking lot, cutting off some poor fucker in the process. The guy shook his fist at me out his driver’s side window.

  He thought he was frustrated. I just had to leave a very promising dinner to take care of some bullshit my employees couldn’t manage.

  How did I not know Kari had a sister that looked like that? And why didn’t she want my number? Am I slipping? Am I losing my touch?

  I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.

  Why do I even care that she didn’t want my number?

  I thought about it for a few minutes and was left with no answers and a little pissed off. My phone began to ring, diverting my attention. “Howard? What’s going on over there?”

  “We got it figured out, boss.”

  “What was the problem?” My annoyance began to bleed away. There was no sense in being a dick to Howard. He was the best employee I had, besides Max.

  “The utility subcontractor called and said they wouldn’t be able to show up tomorrow. I got ahold of the owner and it’s taken care of. They’ll be here. No worries.”

  No worries my ass.

  “Are you absolutely sure? It is imperative that we stay on schedule on this. We can’t afford any delays at this point.”

  “No worries, boss.”

  I shook my head. It was still odd to hear Howard, who had worked for my father for decades, call me boss. But I wrote the paychecks, so I guess it made sense. “If I don’t worry, who is going to make sure everything doesn’t get fucked up?”

  “Me. Max. I’ve told you this a time or two, Cane—relax a little. Trust us. You are so hard-headed, just like your old man used to be.”

  I blew out a breath and swallowed hard, not wanting to go there. “You know I had you put on this job because it’s the most important one. I want the expansion of Benjamin Estates done on time and with no corners cut. I need you to make that happen.”

  “I’m on it. I’ll bitch out Franklin for calling you. I was on the phone getting everything figured out when he decided we couldn’t handle this on our own.”

  “Let me know if you have any problems. I’ll be by early in the morning to make sure everything is kosher.”

  “Will do.”

  I ended the call before tossing my phone on the passenger seat.

  I needed to make sure I was there before the guys in the morning. That’s what Dad would have done. He led by example and that’s why everyone respected him. He kept calm, made rational decisions and didn’t get worked up. Unfortunately for me, my maternal DNA was a little stronger than his.

  Treat me good, I’ll treat you better. Treat me bad, I’ll treat you worse.

  I saw that in a bar in Newport shortly before my world flipped upside down. I liked the little motto that had been carved into a wooden table and it had stayed with me. It appealed to the side of me that was more like her, the side of me that was a pure hedonist.

  Fuck her.

  I tossed my sunglasses beside my phone as I glanced at the clock.

  7:54 PM

  I briefly considered turning around and heading back to the restaurant and to the beautiful brunette that pretended like she didn’t want me. Traffic was a motherfucker and it would be an hour to get back in the other direction, so I continued towards home.

  I zipped through the lanes, weaving in and out of the cars, my driving a little erratic; it mirrored my thoughts. I had spent less than thirty minutes with Jada and now my mind was focused on her?

  What the fuck? This is not how I operate.

  She told me no. I shook my head, a grin touching my lips.

  I jumped off the freeway and meandered through the streets before taking a left into my subdivision. The cookie-cutter houses annoyed me as they always did.

  The idea of it—each house the same but in various color schemes—was the epitome of what I hated. They were just like people, all the same underneath their personal color palette. When you broke ninety-nine percent of people down, they were all assholes. Some people just covered it up a little better.

  I arrived home and walked into my house. The warm scent of baked goods met me at the door. Although Penny was originally hired to clean up and do laundry, over the years she had taken pity on me. Very rarely did I come home on a day she had been by and not find a cake or cookies in the kitchen. She said I needed a mother; I said I would keep paying her salary.

  My phone buzzed in my hand as I walked across the tile floor. “Hey, Max.”

  “Was everything okay in Queen Creek?”

  “Yeah, Howard took care of it. In more interesting news, how’s my girl?” A cheeky grin broke over my face.

  “Your girl?” Max sounded confused. “I don’t know. Did Miriam text you?”

  “Miriam? I mean Jada.” I flopped down on the black leather couch, my thoughts drifting back to her bright green eyes.

  Max chuckled loudly. “I’m pretty sure she shut you down, man. That asshole thing you have going on turns some people off. Shocker, I know, but you should reconsider that. You’ll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

  “Don’t start your southern boy shit with me now. She’s just doing that little passive-aggressive thing some women do. She wants me. It was written all over her.”

  “I thought she may like you, but I’m not sure she does.” His voice was full of amusement, enjoying the fact that Jada didn’t fall all over herself to get with me like women normally did.

  “She does. Trust me, she does.”

  “The most troubling times in my life are when I trust you.”

  “They are also the most memorable.”

  “Speaking of which, I’m not going to Payson with you this weekend. Kari has some movie she wants to go see and I told her I’d take her.”

  “You’re ditching a weekend at my cabin with all of the Coronas you can drink for a weekend with her? I’m losing my faith in you,” I said, shaking my head.

  Max laughed. “You are going to have to find someone else that can stand to be around you for longer than twenty minutes. I know it’s going to be hard, but there are four million people in this city. It should be doable.”

  “What-the-fuck-ever. Everyone wants to be around me. I’m the one that can’t stand people.” I sat up and kicked off my shoes. “Come to think of it, I could be around Jada for more than a few minutes. So why don’t I take her out tomorrow night?”

  “Becau
se she doesn’t like you?”

  “Fuck you. Seriously—let’s do something tomorrow.”

  “First—you need to ask her, not me. Second—did the Cane Alexander just offer to take a girl on a real date? And third—she starts work tomorrow. So I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be a good day, even if she did like you. And I have serious doubts about that.”

  “What does she do?” Suddenly, I was all ears.

  “She’s a realtor. Kari said she’s going back to work for their dad in the morning.”

  I smiled devilishly. “That I can work with.”

  JADA

  I threw on a purple shift dress and a pair of nude heels the following morning, twisting my brown locks into a quick knot on the top of my head. I had overslept after a fitful night’s sleep and being late was not something I was comfortable with.

  I had tossed and turned the entire night. Each time I closed my eyes, Cane’s face flashed repeatedly through my mind. I could hear his laugh, see that sexy as hell smirk.

  He’s having an adverse effect on my life and I barely had a conversation with him!

  Cane’s words echoed through my mind as I tried to sleep that night. “We will see each other again.”

  I slammed my mascara wand onto the vanity.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about him. But, by his own admission, he was exactly what I had to avoid. I had no business thinking about a man that admitted he took the player role to a whole new level. If I were able to separate things, to block off my heart and operate on a purely physical level, there wouldn’t be an issue. I could get his number from Max and have a good time. But that wasn’t me—it never had been. Even before Decker, I had dated a few guys and wrapped my heart up in the relationship way too soon. I wasn’t sure if that was because I was too caring or because the guys I chose were all the same. Regardless, I couldn’t afford to go that route again. I had to guard my heart and pick a different type of guy.