Page 50 of Down & Dirty

“Yes.”

“I don’t have to.”

“It’s fine,” I exhaled. “I’ll text you the address.”

I could practically hear the smile on his face. “Okay.”

Cory still didn’t know where I lived. But when he’d called about taking me out last minute to a formal event, it made more sense logistically for him to just pick me up than to meet him somewhere or go to his place.

“Okay, I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

“I’ll be ready.”And waiting downstairs in the lobby.

I still didn’t feel comfortable with him seeing the sad, tiny space we called home. It was silly. At this point I knew he wouldn’t judge me for it. But there was some lingering anxiety around it that I couldn’t shake. And since we were just business partners, there was no need for me to show him. We were doing fine just like this.

Elle was all too eager to stay late, once she knew it was for a date with Cory. She even helped me pick out a dress. And given the way Cory was looking at me when I met him outside my building, he agreed with her suggestion.

“You look stunning,” he said, holding the door open for me and offering his hand to help me into his truck.

“You said it was fancier than normal, so I hope this is good enough.” This was the longest dress I had that fit the bill. It was black with a simple halter neck and a long slit up the leg—the unmarked leg. I didn’t think the purple-yellow gash on my knee would make for a very stylish accessory.

Cory paused, his hand on the door. “I told you, you never have to worry about that. Wear whatever you like, because I can promise you, I’ll like it too.”

His smile was more sincere than the cheeky winks that were his trademark, and it made my neck hot.

Everything seemed normal until we got on the highway headed north, and he started to fidget. Before he’d even opened his mouth, I knew something was coming.

“You feeling good tonight?” he asked, his thumb tapping the wheel.

I gave him a long look out of the corner of my eye. “Whatever it is, just spit it out.”

A gust of air huffed out of him. “I wanted to see if you’d be okay stepping things up tonight.”

My gut spun, like being on the teacup ride as a kid with Ronnie at the helm. “What does that mean?” I asked, keeping my voice even despite the spike in adrenaline.

“It means,” he reached across the console, and took my hand. He laced his fingers in mine and squeezed. He hadn’t touched me much since the fight and it felt far too good to be connected to him again. “We got some great shots of us the other night, but tonight I’d like to show up a little... more obviously. There’s going to be press at this event. A red carpet.”

“Ahh,” I sighed, the picture getting clearer. No more hiding in the bushes, this time there’d be flashes in my face.

“Are you up for it?”

When I’d signed the papers, I’d considered this part. But truthfully, I’d been entirely too focused on the reality of spending time with a man I was convinced was nothing more than a shallow jerk. I’d thought the challenge was going to be enduringhim. Now, that I knew better who Cory was, the thing I probably should have feared was upon me.

“Sure,” I answered a little too lightly.

“Skylar,” he said my name so softly, it pulled my eyes up to meet his. He cleared his throat, and I knew there was more. “We also need to discuss...” Hesitating, he gave me a quick glance, a deep curve to his brow. “It would be helpful for the narrative, if we were photographed after. And if that photo showed usgetting closer.”

Now I got it. “You want to kiss me.”

Air rushed out of him in relief. “Yeah. If that would be okay?”

The prospect of kissing Cory had my whole body lit up like the dashboard lights of my Honda Civic when I was seventeen and forgot to change the oil. Traitor.

This was part of the deal, right? I always knew we’d end up here. But that fact didn’t stop me from falling headlong into a metaphorical vat of equal parts jittery nerves and eager anticipation. This felt like taking the complications of our last few weeks and pouring gasoline all over them.

“It’s what you’re paying me for,” I said flatly, trying to cage my racing pulse with a reminder that this was about business. But my irritation with myself made it come out more defensively than I meant, and I winced when I saw Cory’s expression drop before he turned back to the road.

“Okay. We’ll see how it goes.”

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