"Trouble?" His blond brows furrowed and he glanced around, as if just now noticing that several people were watching them. He leaned in. "Can you not talk here?"

"Understatement," she told him with a faintly apologetic look.

"Then come to dinner with me," he said. "We'll talk there."

"I can't," Kylie said automatically. "That would be very, very bad."

"Worse than talking here?"

He had a point. She looked around, biting her lip anxiously. The crowd began to roar, a sign that Daphne's show had just started.

"I'll have you back before curtain call," he promised.

God, she was so weak. "Come on, I'll show you out," she said loudly. If she left her purse here, no one would notice she was gone, right?

Cade grinned, and her heart skipped a little beat of happiness at the sight of that. "Thank you."

When they got to the front of the concert venue, he raised a hand and a limo driver at the curb nodded at him and moved to open a door. "After you," Cade said.

A limo? "Why is there a limo out front?"

"Because everyone thinks that a limo belongs at the front of a concert instead of waiting in the parking lot," he said with a devilish grin. "Hop in."

This seemed like a spectacularly bad idea, but she seemed to be running low on spectacularly good ones.

So she got into the limo, because it was either that or have a messy confrontation back in the greenroom, right?

Cade got in after her. "Closest restaurant, please," he told the limo driver. Then he turned and looked at Kylie for a long moment. "I have the most intense urge to kiss you hello right now."

Oh. She clamped her thighs together, willing her pulse to stop beating in her girl parts. "You can't kiss me," she told him desperately. "We shouldn't even be seeing each other. Daphne-"

"I'm not interested in what Daphne's doing or saying," he said, his voice curiously flat.

"No, you don't understand," Kylie said. "She was on some bad drugs the other night. She didn't even remember you were there. When I told her, she got really upset and started crying. She still wants you and I know you want her, right? She said she was going to give up the drugs."

"Kylie," Cade told her softly and leaned in closer. "I've known Daphne for years. Ask me how many times she's promised to give up the drugs."

"How many times?" she asked, fascinated by the tanned skin of his jawline, his firm mouth so close to her own. They really, really should have been sitting further apart.

"Dozens," he told her. "Now ask me how many times she's actually given them up for good?"

"How many?"

"Never." He shook his head. "It's always promises with Daphne, but she never follows up on them. Never. And I'm tired of waiting for a day that will never come."

"How do you know it's not different this time?" Daphne had seemed sincere to Kylie. In fact, she'd cried for hours and had been so miserable that Kylie couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Because I know Daphne," he told her. "And I'm not interested in seeing her tonight. I wanted to talk to you." He looked down at her hand on the seat of the limo, and took it in his own. "And about what happened between us."

A warm flush crept up her cheeks. "You mean our evening of spectacularly bad decisions?"

Cade grimaced, but he didn't let go of her hand. "That bad? How drunk was I?"

He didn't know? She tilted her head, considering him. "You don't remember?"

"Only bits and pieces."

"So you don't remember dressing up in my clothes and letting me put makeup on you?"

His eyes got round. "What?"

"Or the part where you cried like a baby and sucked your thumb?"

Cade threw back his head and laughed. To hear his pleasure at her joke made Kylie smile, and she relaxed a little. He shook his head and chuckled at her, then wagged a finger. "For a moment, I thought you were serious."

"So you really don't remember? You seemed pretty sober."

"I've heard that before," Cade murmured. "In college, it used to drive my friends crazy because I'd never really seem that drunk until I fell over and couldn't get back up again. But I'm pretty sure I was loaded."

"You must have been if you took me home," she agreed.

Cade's brows furrowed and he looked over at her. He squeezed the hand in his. "I'm not saying I don't regret things-"

And her heart felt like it was about to shatter into a million pieces of hurt.

"But I regret that I was loaded and I can't remember. Not that I spent the evening with you. And I really, really regret not using a condom. It seems very unsafe." He grimaced. "I'm not normally one to take risks."

"Me either," she admitted. "But you were drunk and then things felt too good for me to protest. I'm on the pill, by the way."

Relief crossed his face. "I saw my physician yesterday. I'm clean."

"I am, too. I haven't had sex in two years, and the last check I had was squeaky clean. That's one question out of the way," she told him, and couldn't seem to stop smiling. "So you really don't remember all that much?"

"I remember this," he said, and with his free hand, reached out and touched a lock of her red-tipped hair. "I remember that it looked like bits of flame against your pale shoulders. And I remember the way you looked when you came, and the way your breasts bounced when I fucked you." The look in his eyes was scorching. "So I remember the important things."

Her breath caught in her throat. Okay, now she was picturing all that, and getting all aroused, too. My goodness.

"And I think I'd really like to see you again," he told her, and lifted their clasped hands to his mouth. He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Sober, this time."

"I'd like that, Cade," she began. "But we really can't. Daphne-"

"Doesn't interest me any longer," he said with a small shake of his head. "Last night just reinforced that she's become someone I no longer know or care to know."

He might have felt that way, but she was pretty sure Daphne had different opinions on the subject. "Daphne's still my boss."

"And she's an old family friend of mine," he said lightly. "So when she finds out I intend on dating you, she's just going to have to get over it."

Warmth flooded through her, and she bit her lip, considering. Could it really be that simple? "I don't know."

"Then let me entice you with dinner," he said, and pointed out the tinted window of the limo. "I sincerely hope you are in the mood for pancakes."

She peered out the window and had to smother a giggle. The limo had pulled up to a roadside waffle joint. "I could go for some coffee at least."

"Great." He released her hand, opened the door, and then waited for her to exit the limo.

Kylie patted her pockets. "I left my wallet back at the concert hall."

"I insist on paying. I'm sure they take credit cards." He eyed the sketchy establishment. "Hopefully."

And she giggled again. "Do you not eat at places like this often?"

"I can honestly say I don't think I've been in one since college." The grin he flashed her was so boyish, so charming, that she felt her heart do a funny little flip in her chest. "But I'm looking forward to the experience."

"Because you've missed out on greasy sausage and stacks of pancakes?"

"Because of the company," he said simply.

And just like that, her heart melted a little more. How was it that he always knew the right thing to say?

They entered the diner and sat down at a booth. The waitress brought them both coffee mugs and two plastic menus, and Kylie's lips twitched as Cade considered the meal offerings very studiously, as if he were at the finest restaurant. "What do you recommend?" he asked the waitress.

"That you eat somewhere else," she said, bringing a coffeepot and filling up both of their mugs.

And Kylie got the giggles again.

"But if you're eating here, the waffles aren't bad," the waitress said with a wink at Kylie.

"Two plates of waffles, please," Cade told her.

"Oh no," Kylie protested. "I already had dinner." And the last thing she wanted to do was be the fat girl stuffing her face on an impromptu date with a gorgeous man.

"I insist," Cade said, and the waitress disappeared. He leaned in and added, "I figure if I come down with something toxic, I'll have company in the emergency room."

And she couldn't help the laugh that erupted from her. She shook her head at him and picked up her coffee mug. "You're incorrigible."

"So I hear."

Still smiling, Kylie gazed around the restaurant. It was nearly empty, the only other person a trucker sitting in a booth at the far end of the diner. For some reason, this felt cozy. She glanced at her date and decided to go for the typical "getting to know you" first date questions. Why not, right? "What is it you do, Cade? I'm curious." She took a sip of her coffee.

"I'm a billionaire."

She choked on the mouthful of coffee. Hot, scalding liquid went down the wrong pipe and she grabbed a paper napkin and coughed into it.

"You all right?" Cade asked, leaning in. "Should I fly in a team of doctors to see you?"

Kylie gave the most undignified snort-giggle. "You're horrible."

"I really am a billionaire, though." He gave her a rueful smile.

"Of course you are," she murmured. Because why not? He was already perfect in every other way. Buttloads of cash instead of a working man? It didn't surprise her. "Have you always been incredibly wealthy?"

"Not in the slightest. I grew up in a trailer." He grinned at her surprised expression. "It's true. But I went to college on a scholarship, and met the right people. Graduated summa cum laude, started working at a hospital in the finance department, and met a friend who wanted to patent some new medical equipment. I'd been making the right investments, and so I backed him as an investor partner. He sold his patent for seven hundred million two years later. From there, I supported a few upstart companies and the next thing you know, I have my hands in a dozen other related patents. And medical technology patents are worth a fortune." He gave her a crooked grin. "I try not to let it get to my head."

"Of course not," she murmured, taking a more careful sip of her coffee.

"In all seriousness, I do try to stay a bit humble."

"Uh-huh. How many cars do you have?"

The grin he gave her was perfectly boyish. "Twelve, but I have a friend who is an automaker. So that's an unfair question."

"Uh-huh," she teased, but she was smiling.

"So, what about you? Why makeup?"

Kylie grew silent. How did she explain to a beautiful man who had scads of money that, growing up, she'd never felt attractive or valued, and so she'd learned to make her outside pretty? That makeup had power and it was her way of claiming some of that power? She wasn't sure he'd understand. So she shrugged. "I've always liked makeup."

The look he gave her was shrewd, but he didn't press. "So where do you live when you're not on tour?"

"Malibu." She gave a small shrug. "It's expensive and hot and I'm not overly fond of it, but that's where a lot of the work starts out, so that's where I am. I live with a friend when I'm not on tour."

"And no boyfriend, right?"

"The last one was enough for me, thanks." She grimaced.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to leave me hanging at that, are you?"

She sighed, her cheeks flushing at having to go into detail. "It's a really stupid incident. One I'm not sure you'd be interested in hearing about."

"Well, now I'm extremely interested."

Kylie squirmed in her seat. "There's not too much to tell, really." God, she'd been so messed up when she was with Jerred. How to make their fucked-up, ugly relationship sound decent? "I had a boyfriend two years ago, and we were pretty serious." At least, I was, but he mostly just liked fucking. "We spent a lot of time together and we decided that it would be a good time to move in and test the waters." Jerred thought he would be getting free maid service and a blow job every night if we lived together so he thought it was a good idea. "So I let my apartment go, sold all of my extra stuff, and moved in with him. Unfortunately, I lost my job at a department store as soon as I did. Just bad timing." She shrugged and stared at her coffee.

Bad timing. More like Jerred was constantly trying to get her to skip work. To be late, because it wasn't as important as spending time with him. Then, when she lost her job, it was suddenly her fault.

Cade made a noise indicating she should go on.

Right. "About two weeks after I lost my job, he said I wasn't helping him with the rent." That she was a burden, but she couldn't say that word. It stuck in her throat. "We had a pretty big fight. And a week after that, I came home to find that he'd thrown all my stuff to the curb and changed the locks. I couldn't do anything because I wasn't on the rental paperwork just yet, so I had to pack up my boxes and figure out what to do with myself."

Cade's eyes were wide. "What did you do with yourself?"

"Cried a lot," Kylie said with a smile.

Cade didn't laugh.

She shrugged. "It wasn't so bad. It just . . . taught me a lot about people." That you could never, ever ever be a burden to someone if you wanted to keep their love. "I spent a few days sleeping under a bridge-"

"Under a bridge?" Cade exploded. "What?"