Maria (Made Men 7)

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re all right.” Kayne pressed his hand into her back a tad deeper.

Another thud of her heart.

“Thank you.”

“Here, let me help you with that.” Helping her out of her fur coat, he slid it slowly down her shoulders, revealing her to-die-for red dress.

Maria could see the fire shining through his eyes when he took off her coat. Him quickly turning and giving it to the volunteer coat check didn’t keep her from seeing his X-rated thoughts. She might have had a couple of her own non-PG-13 thoughts herself.

“Shall we?” Kayne asked gentlemanly, holding his arm out for her like how the good guys did in the movies.

Maria took his arm in response, wrapping each of her fingers around his lower bicep and carefully feeling each muscle and the strength he kept hidden that was under his buttoned-up shirt. She could only imagine what he looked like underneath.

Letting Kayne lead once more, they walked through the school to get to where the dance was held in the gymnasium. With each step, they passed a different student’s name adorned on the floor in a gold star to mimic the walk of fame. Then, right as they entered, as if you didn’t know what the theme was already, life-sized letters helped light the gym in front of a backdrop of hills spelling out H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D. In just four short years, not only did the teachers get hotter, but the dances had become good enough for an after party at the Oscars.

Getting to the very back of the gym where they had a perfect view of the dance floor, he stopped. “Now, we wait.”

“For what?”

He laughed. “For it to end.”

“That’s it?” Maria was just now realizing that she had volunteered to chaperone, not to attend it like she used to.

“Pretty much. Other than that, we make sure the kids haven’t snuck in any alcohol or drugs and that they don’t get too rough.”

“Oh, I know.” She smiled, remembering that high school was the last time she could get away from the watchful eyes of her bodyguard. On the very rare occasions when she had somehow managed to sneak away from her suit, the only times she had been able to live a little was at a school dance. Right here, in this gym, during her first homecoming, was when she had first tried alcohol.

In college, it hadn’t been the same. For safety reasons, she had been forced to live at home while her suits took her to and from school where they were free to sit in class with her. The “true” college experience was one Maria could never have.

At first, she had been almost jealous of the girls who had it, but then she remembered that she was Maria-fucking-Caruso and that was better than any crazy, molly-popping college party story.

“You do?” Kayne smiled, obviously not surprised. “What was Maria Caruso like in high school?”

“You know those girls who had the hot pink Motorola RZRs and carried those tiny multi-colored Louis Vuitton purses?”

“Oh, I remember those girls.” Laughing, he looked over at her from the dance floor, his eyes giving her a quick once-over. “So, nothing’s changed?”

“Yep. Not much.” She laughed herself, remembering that circa Paris Hilton era. What a time it was to be young, alive, blonde, pretty, and rich.

Watching the spotlights dance on stage around the DJ, it was beginning to look a bit overkill.

“Jeez, these things are becoming more like prom every year.”

“Yes, they are. Definitely didn’t have anything like this at my school,” he agreed with her in the same tone.

“Where’d you go to school?”

“Blue Park High.”

Maria looked over at him, giving him a once-over herself. She almost couldn’t believe it.

“Surprised?” he asked, raising a brow, knowing exactly what she thought.

“A little,” she admitted, still staring at him.

Attending Blue Park High meant you belonged to the roughest side of Kansas City. It was so bad over there that, not only did the Carusos not claim that territory, but grass didn’t even want to grow there. Blue Park belonged to the little bit of the city that the Lucianos controlled. Hell, it was their home. Going to the Luciano house had been the first and last time she would see Blue Park.

Her interest piqued, she was starting to understand why she might have been attracted to him in the first place.

“So, what was Kayne Evans like in high school then?”

Kayne didn’t answer at first, seeming to think about how to answer or how much he wanted to reveal. “I carried a chip on my shoulder when I was younger and got into a lot of fights. More than I can count, which I’m not proud of. Then I found a teacher who set me on the right path and profession, and now I’m here.”

She could see it. The more he talked, the more she could picture that boy inside of him who clearly drew her to him. That boy growing up on the wrong side of the tracks was still under the surface; he was just dormant under that buttoned-up shirt, slacks, and diploma.