Page 26 of Token

“Oh, and could you do me a favor and be nice to Kennedy?”

Nate stiffened defensively before shouldering off the wall. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m always nice to her.”

Nicewas an understatement and almost laughable, given his sister knew about their past relationship. The brat had wheedled it out of him years ago.

Kennedy was the one who always got prickly with him. The only time he ever saw a real smile on her face was when she was bestowing it on someone else. He received the ones that never quite made it past her lips.

“Oh, don’t get all offended. I simply mean she’s going through a rough patch right now, so just...just, you know, be extra nice.”

“Difficult time? Why? What happened?” he asked, his voice level and interest high.

Sighing, Aurora touched a hand to her ponytail and lowered her voice to a whisper. “You have to promise not to say a word to her...but do you remember me telling you about her boyfriend a few months ago? The one I said she’d been dating for two years and who was head over heels in love with her?”

How could he forget? A week after that conversation, he made up his mind that it was time to return home to New York for good. His team in France were more than capable of managing the business in Europe. They didn’t need him there anymore.

“What about him?” he asked, bracing himself. The guy better not have hurt her.

“They broke up last month.”

Nate released the breath he’d been holding. “And?”

His sister sent him a disapproving look. “You’re terrible.”

“No, seriously, why is she going through a rough patch? Is he the one who broke up with her?” It was hard to imagine that being the case, but why else would his sister want him to beextranice to her? Was Kennedy nursing a broken heart? God, he hoped not.

“No, it’s the exact opposite. He asked her to marry him and she said no, so that was that,” she concluded with a sigh and a shrug.

Nate wasn’t about to examine why learning she was single felt like a huge weight off his shoulders when the five-thousand-pound class-action lawsuit still remained.

No need for a whole lot of self-examination, bud. You want her back in your bed.

That was his dick talking, and he never allowed it to rule his head. Not the one on his shoulders.

“What did you think of the guy?” curiosity drove him to ask.

“Aidan? Oh, I think he’s great. But to be honest, I never saw them making it in the long run. He always struck me as someone who wants a traditional wife. The kind that would stop working the second kids came along, and that’s not Kennie at all.”

Nope, Kennedy wanted it all. The career and the family. She’d told him so all those years ago. When they’d both felt free to talk about their dreams and plans for the future. She’d been about to start her freshman year at Columbia, and Constellation had already made him a millionaire several times over.

“I’m sure she won’t be alone for long. There’s probably already a line of single guys banging on her door.” Some of the married ones too.

Aurora’s eyebrows flattened. “They just broke up, for heaven’s sake. She needs time to grieve. The end of a relationship can be like a death, you know.”

“I hate to break it to you, Rory, but the only thinglikedeathisdeath. It has no equivalent.”

His sister rolled her eyes and muttered, “Okay, fine, whatever. Anyway, like I was saying, be extra nice to her. When she’s around, try cracking a smile or two and then justmaybeshe’ll agree to join us on the rare occasion I want to hang out with you.”

“Very funny.” He was her favorite brother. She loved hanging out with him more than she cared to admit. “And quit trying to paint me as the bad guy. I’ve always been perfectly nice to Kennedy.” There’d been that time when he’d made her come with his tongue. He was pretty sure she’d thought he was being nice then. “The last time I offered to drive her home, she was the one who turned me down.”

“Yeah, but you were kinda crabby about it. Honestly, sometimes I can’t decide if you still have a thing for her, or if, for reasons I can’t fathom, you truly don’t like her anymore.” The last part had her narrowing her eyes at him, her look downright accusatory.

“I don’t have athingfor her,” Nate said, scowling, annoyed at his sister for calling him out. “And I’ve got no problem with her.”

Yeah, that sounded convincing.“I like her,” he quickly amended.

“Then try acting like it.”

Nate bit back a laugh. “Okay, from now on, I’ll be the picture of sunshine whenever she’s around. That work for you?” He’d have to find a middle ground between sexually disinterested and wanting to take her on the nearest surface, be it a floor, a bed, a counter, or up against a wall.

---