Page 66 of The Secret

“Oh, well, it’s none of my business, although she seemed quite insistent.” I placed the very heavy vase at the end of the kitchen island. They really were stunning. I loved pink roses, a fact I’d suspected he’d remembered from the time we’d walked through a flower market in Riverside Park weeks ago, and my smile was utterly genuine this time. “Thank you for the roses, it was very sweet of you. I’ll take Bell’s to her room.”

“Kit?”

“Yes?” I turned around to find him standing in the same spot he’d been in since I dropped the news about his visitor, two lines creasing his brow.

“I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“I know, you just said.”

His eyes narrowed and his creases deepened. “Then why does it feel like you don’t believe me?”

“I believe you Murray, you told me. But it’s none of my business what you get up to in your private time.” I thumbed behind me, wanting to leave this conversation as quickly as possible so I didn’t have to admit why it had upset me. “I need to go and get Bell for her bottle.”

It didn’t take him long to follow me upstairs too.

“What time are you going out?” He picked up Bell’s bottle from the side table and sat in the rocking chair. I placed her in his arms, having difficulty with the intensity of his gaze being trained on my face, even though I was looking at the baby.

I stood back, making sure there was the minimum amount of distance between us needed for me to meet his heavy scrutiny. “At five, if that’s still okay?”

“Of course it is.” The soft voice he reserved for whenever he was holding Bell echoed around my muddled head. “I’ve got Bell now, you take off or whatever it is you want to do.”

I wasn’t about to argue. I needed to gather my thoughts and I couldn’t do it with him watching my every move. “Thank you.”

I handed him a burp cloth and walked out through the bathroom into my room, feeling his eyes boring into me with every step.

The dress was hanging where I’d left it on the closet door and renewed my sense of determination to shed this entire day like old skin washed over me. I checked my watch; I had time for a very quick run. Grabbing my gear, I laced up my sneakers and took off.

* * *

Kit:I can see my ass!

Payton:Good thing it’s a mighty fine ass then. I’m five minutes away.

I turned again to see myself in the full length mirror. Yep, I could definitely see my ass. I had to hand it to her; this dress was beautiful and fitted perfectly, even if I did have t-shirts longer. With my hair flowing in thick waves over my shoulders hiding the spaghetti straps, it looked like I was wearing even less than I was. I rummaged in my closet, shrugging on my leather jacket when I found it, working to add a bit of edginess to the entire ensemble which included a pair of grey Manolos Payton had loaned me, a key part of the collection she’d bet me earlier. I added one final coat of mascara and a slick of lip gloss, grabbed my clutch, and took off.

Loud laughter was coming from the direction of the kitchen. The boys had arrived at some point while I was getting ready, and given the state of what I wasn’t wearing, I didn’t really want to follow the volume of chatter and subject myself to the watchful stare Murray trained on me earlier. But I also couldn’t leave without telling him.

Kit:Heading out, back later. Enjoy your evening.

I gingerly made my way down the stairs, gripping the handrail because breaking my ankle before I’d even left would not be an ideal start to the evening. I should have carried these goddamn shoes and put them on in the elevator like a sensible person would do. Instead, to pay my idiot tax for the day, I’d taken so long to get to the front door that Murray was already standing there, his thick biceps bulging under his shirt as his arms crossed over his chest.

“You were going to leave without saying goodbye?”

I couldn’t tell whether the inflection in his voice was from annoyance or hurt.

“I didn’t want to disturb you with the guys. Payton’s downstairs waiting for me.”

If the once over from Dasha froze me to my core, the once over from Murray laved every inch of my skin from the inside out until I was a bubbling, conflicted mess.

“You look… beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

I startled as he took my hand in his, staring at me like he was on the verge of saying something until a buzzing started up in my clutch, breaking whatever moment we were in the middle of.

“I need to go. Payton is downstairs.” I closed the door behind me, preventing any plans he may have had to watch me until I got in the elevator, because I had the distinct feeling that’s exactly what he was about to do.

I pressed the button for the atrium, leaning against the mirrored walls, closing my eyes in an attempt to make sense of the confusion jumbling my brain; losing myself in trying to figure out what had been flashing across Murray’s face as he held my hand.

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