Page 25 of Relentless
Chad shook his head. “Cody doesn’t let anyone else drive his boat. As laid-back as he is about everything else, his boat is off-limits.”
“And by the sound of it, he’s headed this way,” Ethan said.
Chad rose and jogged down the steps of the porch. Kara grabbed another doughnut, then pushed the box closer to him. He’d taken two bites of his second when Cody motored up to Sofia’s dock. As the youngest of the male Warwick cousins, Cody had managed to step out of his brothers’ and cousins’ shadows and make a name for himself. Big-time. For the past decade, he’d been one of the hottest names in country music. He had homes in Nashville and Mystery Lake and despite his fame—or maybe because of it—he did a good job of splitting his time between the two.
Chad and Cody chatted for a few minutes. Then Chad turned and walked toward them as Cody tied his boat up.
“What’s going on?” Ethan asked.
“Family float today,” Chad replied. “Get your stuff together and head out with Cody. We’ll meet you out there with our boat later.”
“Family float?” Kara asked.
“How did he know to find us here?” Sabina added.
“I ran into Mitch at Bun Times. Told him we were on our way here,” Chad answered Sabina’s question. Mitch was Cody’s next-oldest brother. And Brad was the oldest of the three.
“The entire family gets together,” Ethan said, replying to Kara. “We all bring our boats and tie up in the middle of the lake. Josh and Sofia obviously won’t be there, but everyone else probably will. Assuming Mitch and Ryan can get away.” Mitch was a firefighter, and they were at the peak of fire season, so who knew if he’d be able to join. And Ryan worked for Mystery Lake PD. As a detective, his schedule wasn’t exactly regular, either.
“Both Mitch and Ryan have the day off, which is why Cody called the impromptu float,” Chad said. “Now hop to, people. Daylight’s wasting.”
He pulled Sabina out of her seat, keeping her hand tucked in his as she stood beside him. She flashed him a quelling look at his dictatorial pronouncement, but a twinkle of excitement filled her expression. Sabina and Kara had been torn from their community when they’d witnessed their mother’s murder. In one night, they’d lost herandall their friends. Now, all these years later, there was very little Sabina liked more than huge family gatherings and community events.
“We’ll see you on the water,” Sabina called as Chad dragged her off the porch and around the house.
“Need any help?” Cody asked, jogging up the steps. He paused, looked at Ethan’s crutches and leg brace, then grinned. “Bet that gets in the way,” he said, with a quick glance at Kara.
“Not as much as you’d think,” Kara shot back before Ethan could answer. Then, dropping a kiss on Cody’s cheek as she passed by, she added, “You help him while I change and get a bag together. It’s good to see you, even if you’re a little bit of a pain in the ass.”
Cody chuckled. “At least it’s a good ass,” he called after her.
“You’ve been reading too many celeb rags,” she called back as she started up the stairs.
When her footsteps faded away, Cody turned to him. An unholy smile lit his lips, and his hands rested on his hips. “Having fun playing house, coz? EvenIwouldn’t mind having Kara as my nurse.”
Ethan shook his head and fought an eye roll. “I have the utmost respect for nurses, but she’s a doctor, asshole. Now help me up so we don’t keep her waiting.”
CHAPTERTEN
The float turned into an all-day—andmuch of the night—affair when she and Ethan offered to host an impromptu barbecue. Within an hour of parting at the lake, the family poured onto their lawn with enough food to feed a small army, including ribs, watermelon, pasta salad, and a huge cake from Bun Times, compliments of Gina. As the night progressed, Cody pulled out his guitar and someone lit the firepit. And Kara learned that while Cody may be the famous singer, he wasn’t the only Warwick with a voice. In fact, most of the cousins could more than carry a tune.
The lively songs and conversations continued around the fire for a few hours. As the night wore on, though, Kara began to wonder if they’d ever leave. She loved the company, and especially the way the family enjoyed one another. But after more than twelve hours of togetherness, she found herself craving time alone with Ethan. They’d crossed a line that morning and while she had no idea how the night would unfold, she knew how shehopedit would unfold.
At ten, people finally started packing up. At eleven, Cody, the last to leave, said his goodbyes. Kara waved to him from the front porch, then turned and walked back inside. Letting the quiet of the night settle over her, she eyed the kitchen. Everyone had helped with cleanup, but a few things still needed tidying before settling in for the night.
“You’re not going to clean this up tonight, are you?” Ethan asked, hobbling up behind her and slipping an arm around her waist. They’d been circumspect about showing affection around the family. But now that they were alone, she leaned back into him as he dipped his head and kissed her bare shoulder.
“I was thinking about it,” she said, tipping her head to the side. He took the hint and started brushing butterfly kisses along her neck. With each touch of his lips, they inched closer to how she hoped the night would end.
“Don’t,” he said, nudging her so that she turned in his arms.
Resting her hands on his biceps, she met and held his gaze. In that quiet moment, memories flooded her mind. His steady presence offering reassurance when she’d been most terrified. The smile he flashed when she agreed to have drinks with him the first time. Their long phone conversations over the past ten months. All the times they’d made each other laugh. And all the times they’d silently allowed the other space to process things they either couldn’t or weren’t prepared to talk about.
His thumb started tracing a circle on the small of her back, and a whole different set of memories buzzed through her body. The giddy feeling in her stomach when he took her hand. The quickening of her heart when he looked at her with unmistakable heat blazing in his eyes. The way her body pulled to his, as if syncing on some level that she’d never be able to explain with science.
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” he asked, his voice low.
She gave a single shake of her head. “On the contrary,” she replied. “I was thinking about attraction. And wondering how I managed to stuff it into a corner, or a box, these past ten months.”
