A Jade's Trick (Lilly Black's Jaded Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

didn't meet us at the house...why he was sitting in near darkness...why he had a menu blocking his face.  All of these tricks were designed to hide a certain, familiar smug grin.
    "Playboy," I hiss.
    "Ice Queen," Cain fires back.
     

 
    "Toby...Tol bert ."  I pronounce it with a French inflection, irritated with myself for being so stupid.
    "It's just Tolbert.  Anglicized, I'm afraid," he corrects me.
    Tolbert like the high rise in downtown San Diego? I wonder.
    "My mother's maiden name is Tol bert ," I say.
    "Is it?"
    "Yeah.  I'm from New Orleans.  Just about everyone I know there has a French last name.  Where did you get it?"
    "My grandfather named me, but it's nowhere in the family tree if that's what you're worried about," he says.
    "I'm more worried about being so easily deceived tonight, but I have to give you credit.  I did not see this coming."
    "But it was a pleasant surprise," he says, his eyes fixed and smiling.
    "We'll see," I say as he reaches for the bottle of wine, already chilling in an ice bucket on the table.
    "Would you like some wine?" Cain offers.
    "Would you like to explain why you've had me brought here under false pretenses?" I ask, ignoring his offer, and he pours himself a glass.
    "I wanted to take you out."
    "Usually when a man wants to take a lady out, he asks," I say.
    "And usually when I ask a lady out, she accepts, but I can tell that the usual is going to do me no good at all with you."  I laugh.  He's right, and though I should be pissed at him for tricking me, I'm secretly glad he did.  This way I never have to admit that I wanted to have dinner with him, therefore if he turns out to be exactly what I think he is, I won't have to be embarrassed in front of the universe at large for unrealistically expecting that a man like Cain Ballantyne would actually be interested in me.
    "So I guess Nicole's in on this, too?" I ask.
    "Nicole and my brother."
    "Jackson's your brother?" I knew there was something familiar about him, but I would never have guessed him for Cain's brother.  Cain is a head taller, his hair and complexion are much fairer, and Jackson doesn't have Cain's perfect cheekbones, that subtle hint of a cleft in his chin, or the dimple on right side of his face that shows faintly when he smiles.  Maybe they're half brothers?
    "Caleb.  Jackson is his middle name," Cain explains.
    "Of course it is, Toby.  God, I don't know how I missed that," I grumble.
    "You missed it because you wanted to miss it." 
    "Maybe I missed it because Nicole was so excited to be going on a date with your brother."
    "I doubt that.  Caleb's married."  He pauses for a second.  "To a harpy."  It makes me giggle.
    "That's a shame.  He seems like a nice guy," I say, "but I don't want to talk about your brother.  I want to talk about you and how you can't just go around taking what you want without asking."
    "Forgive me.  Evan Lucien, will you have dinner with me?" Cain asks, playing the consummate gentleman.
    "Well, since I'm already here and in this lovely dress some preposterously generous tipper provided, I suppose I can't refuse."
    "It is a lovely dress, and you look positively stunning."
    "So do you." I say it as if I'm teasing in order to avoid having to properly accept his compliment, but it's still true.  He looks amazing in his perfectly tailored, black suit jacket and a black, cleric-collared shirt, his eyes green in the candlelight.  Cain isn't just handsome.  He's exquisite, and as much as I want to be angry with him over this, I can't even maintain a decent level of irritation as I'm mesmerized by the graceful seduction in every move he makes.
    Our waitress knocks, and when Cain invites her to enter, she goes over today's specials as she looks at him like he's on the menu.  He doesn't notice, looking only at me even when he speaks to her, which I would consider incredibly rude if I were in her shoes, but she's more interested in being in mine, so busy undressing him with her