Page 68 of Token

Kennedy: Is something wrong?

Nate: Can’t talk now. On my way to a meeting. After work at my place? I’ll send a car.

Kennedy tried not to let her thoughts run away with her, but what was going on? What did they need to talk about—besides how this weekend had been a game changer—and why was he being short with her? She fired off a response.

Kennedy: If something’s wrong, tell me now. That way I can prepare myself.

Nate: Nothing major. Gotta run. The car will be there at 6.

Who was he kidding?We need to talkin no way equated tonothing major.

She had a good mind to tell him she wasn’t free tonight, but that would be petty, and she was saving the petty shit for if or when they passed the three-month mark. But it was cruel of him to send that kind of cryptic message when she still had another six hours to get through. Practically a lifetime.

He had her mind zigzagging in a dozen different directions. She assumed they were exclusive, but they hadn’t actually talked about it since their fake dating moved to real sexing. One could conceivably say they’d done what they set out to do in garnering positive coverage of him. What if he wanted to propose something different?Or, what if sex with her was just an itch he’d needed to scratch, and now that he’d scratched it—many times—he wanted out of their arrangement? It would certainly be an easy way for him to kill two birds with one...big dick.

Chillax! Stop thinking about it or you’ll just drive yourself crazy. He wants to see you tonight at his place and he’s sending a car. Does that sound like someone who doesn’t want to see you again?

Kennedy did as her inner voice demanded: she took a deep breath and chillaxed.

“Have any room in your busy schedule for me?” Aurora’s query, accompanied by a light tap on her open door, was the distraction she desperately needed right now.

Then Kennedy got a good look at her and blinked. Her best friend looked extra something today. The sleeveless white-and-red polka-dot dress she wore could only be described as flirty, and the hip-hugging skirt revealed several inches of tanned bare thigh.

“Don’t you look...gorgeous. Is that new?” she asked, flitting her hand at the dress.

“I bought it Saturday. You like?” Aurora twirled around and sent the tulip skirt fluttering around her thighs.

“It’s beautiful and looks great on you. But—and I ask this with no judgment—what happened? This isn’t...you,” Kennedy finished weakly.

Aurora preferred tailored blouses and slacks, and pencil skirts to dresses, and as far back as Kennedy could remember, her friend was averse to thigh-revealing clothes in workplace settings—with good reason.

“I know, right?” Aurora said, grinning. “But I don’t have any client meetings today and it’s supposed to be hotter than Hades out, and I thought, what the hell.”

Kennedy laughed. “I’m sure no one’s going to complain. And the hair, is that also a new office look?” At work, Aurora usually wore her long straight locks in a loose chignon or an elegant ponytail. She complained it got in the way too much. Today, she wore it loose.

Aurora gave her head a flirty shake, sending her blond hair swaying and curls bouncing. “The hair went with the dress.”

“Are you sure there’s something you’re not telling me?” Kennedy asked, studying her closely.

“Can’t I show off my new dress without it raising your suspicions?” her friend teased. “Now, on the good-news front, Sahara came through. Brittany Faulkner got two backstage passes to her concert.”

“That’s wonderful. You’re better than a fairy godmother.”

“She’s such a sweet kid. It breaks my heart that she’s had to grow up without a mother, but she’s lucky she has such a great dad. Adam’s done a fantastic job with her.”

“Adam has, has he?” Kennedy inquired, her brow raised in speculation. “And how would we know this?”

Aurora made a face. “Oh stop. She’s a great kid and he’s been raising her on his own since she was five. Give the mansomecredit. He’s earned it.”

“All right, fine. He or some overworked nanny and a cadre of babysitters did a good job of raising her,” Kennedy joked.

“You’re terrible,” Aurora scolded playfully. “Anyhoo.What about you? How did things go with my brother? He seemed a little tense at the party.”

Kennedy stared at her best friend and debated what to do next. What to say. It took her only seconds to reach a decision, and then she motioned for her to close the door.

“Okay,” Aurora said with a strained laugh as she turned and pushed the door shut before plopping her shapely ass on the guest chair. “Let me take a wild stab in the dark. You’re sleeping with him.”

“What?” Kennedy sputtered. Aurora’s matter-of-fact tone surprised her more than thenail on the headaccuracy of her statement.

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