Page 72 of Bad Love

Did I ask Kendall if her kid was amute?

Did I ask heranythingabout herkid?

Guilt blurs withdiscomfort.

"Are you taking transit?" Anita asks, jerking my attentionback.

"Nah, I got aride."

The kid follows me out the door and stops by the curb. The babysitter drops another sentence that sounds less kid-friendly than "oh my" as she spots myMaserati.

The town car I call on a moments’ notice is more practical for day-to-day, but I prefer driving my car when I can. It’s the one indulgence I gave myself from my modelingearnings.

I hit the button for the doors, and I hear an indrawn breath. I glance back to see Rory watching the door of my yellow Maserati as if he expects aliens to leap out athim.

His gaze scans the black leather interior, landing on the backseat. "Where do Isit?"

"Shotgun. It's you and me,kid."

Something tingles in the back of my mind. Don't kids have car seats orsomething?

I debate, realizing I'm screwed on that front and Kendall probably didn't think aboutit.

He slides in and buckles his seatbelt, settling the backpack between his calves on the floor and craning his neck to peer over the top of thedoor.

I drive more carefully than I've everdriven.

Women look over and check me out. It's not new, but when they see Rory, their gazes turn to moltenheat.

"Cute kid," one says at a light. "Cutedad."

The light changes before I can correctthem.

Go figure. Women think I'm more attractive with a kid while I thought Kendall was less. It’s ignorant. Hell, my grandmother was a single mom. There's no reason I should've freakedout.

I’ll prove to her I’m not ignorant,Iresolve.

Which I want to dowhy?

Because I want her to like me. It’s the simplest answer, and the most concerning. It has nothing to do with the fact that she made me come hard enough my jaw still aches and everything to do with the fact that I likeher.

That’s why I freaked out in that meeting earliertoday.

Sure, I don’t like men who won’t respect women in business. But I lost myshit. It took everything I had not to punch a wall, not to mention one of thoseexecs.

But then she crawled into my lap, shutting down my fury as if she’d turned a hose on it. In its place, desire sprang up as if I’d been suppressing it for months. When she pressed that sweet mouth to mine, drowning me in her peach taste and smell, and ran her palms up mybody…

I wasdone.

I wanted to tell the driver to take us on a never-ending loop of Manhattan. Maybe throw Jersey in for goodmeasure.

The desperate quickie was both hot and the most unsatisfying experience of my life. Because it left me fuckingstarvingforher.

We get to Kendall's place, and as I cruise around for a public parking spot that costs less than a hundred a day, I push that from mymind.

When we reach Kendall’s door—it's a fourth-floor walkup that makes me think I should hit the gym more despite my six-pack abs—I go to use her keys, but Rory offers his. I tuck mine away and watch him unlock thedoor.

"How old are you, Rory?" I ask as we goinside.

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