Page 65 of Sterling Heat

With her back to me, I check out her ass as her hips sway a bit and her dress floats just above the backs of her knees. That’s a damn sexy spot on her.

“That’s a whole lot of sugar,” Knox hums and I catch him watching Enya.

“Fuck you,” I mutter over Adara’s head.

“You can deduct his swear word from my tab,” Knox hollers to Hudson who is headed toward the house as well.

“You know, typically, I’m the damsel in distress guy.” Clay reminds us of all the strays he’d taken in as a kid, until our dad would give them the boot. Sometimes literally.

“She isn’t in distress.” Enya is one of the most levelheaded people I’ve ever met. She doesn’t need rescuing in anyway.

Stone clears his throat. “Bit of advice…”

Oh, boy. Here we go.

“Don’t fuck this up.” He tips his chin in the direction of the house. “She’s someone you’re only going to get one shot with. And regret it if she walks away.”

Wisdom fills Stone’s voice. He had that once in a lifetime woman, but he’s never acted like he regretted losing her.

“Like a one-hit wonder,” Knox teases, attempting to break the sudden tension around the picnic table.

Clay backhands Knox’s chest. “Dude.”

Stone doesn’t respond to their shenanigans. He only keeps his eyes on me. “Do the right thing.”

He means let them go before I do something stupid like hurt all of us. And yes, I’m including myself in the list because the moment I walk away is the moment I’ll be turned to ashes, burned by the loss of both my flames.

Enya and Adara.

Chapter 20

[Sebastian]

Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I follow Enya home that night, using the excuse that I want to make sure she gets back to her house safely. I’m still unsettled by the noise she heard the other night. Although she’s brushed it off as nothing more than a wandering animal, I don’t believe animals make stomping sounds.

While I didn’t return to her home on Saturday, after staying over the night before, I can’t seem to stay away now that she’s met my family. With Adara on Enya’s chest, we sit side by side on her couch. The television on low volume.

“Why didn’t you tell me your sister had left?”

Enya shrugs and narrows her eyes at the television screen. “It wasn’t like you could do anything about it. She just . . . left. She’s like that.”

Still, I would have been here for her sooner had I known. “What do you mean left?”

“Cadence is . . . flighty. She’s also famous and that means at times she can only think of herself.” An edge roughens her voice.

I shift and rest my arm on the back of the couch. However, my fingers have a mind of their own and I touch the side of her neck with the back of my knuckles, needing to feel her skin, needing to comfort her.

“Tell me more about her.”

“She’s an amazing singer.” Enya cranes her neck to look at me. Her voice drops. “She made my dream her reality.”

Continuing the need to touch her, I brush her hair over her ear, running my knuckles down the column of her throat again. “What dream, baby?”

“I wanted to sing.” Enya sighs and looks away from me, gazing at the television again. “Every little girl dreams of being famous one day, right? Or maybe that was just me. Bright lights. Big city. I wanted to be on stage and sing my songs, breaking hearts, and healing souls.” She chuckles.

I can see her on a stage, lighting up a stadium, entertaining a crowd. “I didn’t know you could sing.”

Enya shrugs again. “I’m not bad.”