Page 10 of Cruel King

“I need no such advice now.” Katherine’s eyes roamed down my front. “Now, may I dispense some fashion advice?”

I shook my head. “Oh god, let’s not. This was a joke. Wait, can I raid your closet?”

Katherine’s eyes glittered with delight. “It would bemypleasure to get you out of that ridiculous dress.” Her fingers went to my hair. “And please … let me get you in with my stylist.”

“I like the purple.”

Katherine sighed, as if I were such an inconvenience. “If you say so.”

“You’re such a snob.”

“Yes. That’s why you like me.”

“It is.”

We went back upstairs with the champagne as Katherine dressed me like I was her rag doll for tonight. It kept my mind off of what was coming next. I’d have to figure out what to do about Gavin, but not yet. Not quite yet.

4

GAVIN

Work dragged the rest of the day. It was impossible not to anticipate going out that evening and watch the clock tick slowly by. By the time five o’clock rolled around, I practically vaulted out of my top-floor office.

The building was located across the street from Kensington Corporation. I crossed the street in a hurry and was about to enter the building when Court Kensington stepped outside with Sam Rutherford. Sam was an attorney for Court’s company and had turned our trio into a quartet after hustling us in our weekly poker match a few years back.

We’d taken to getting a beer after work before we left for our respective homes. Court back to English. Sam to his wife, Larkin St. Vincent. And me … to my empty apartment. A fact that had only started bothering me in the last year. Well, before that, I’d always been sure to keep a steady flow of women in it.

Sam clapped me on the back. “So, you heard.”

I glared at Court. “Does everyone know but me?”

Court shrugged. “Pretty much.”

“You’re all assholes.”

Sam laughed. “Why? Should we have told you?”

“I don’t even know why I put up with your shit.”

“Because we’re your only friends,” Court said. “Now, tell us what happened.”

“Nothing happened,” I said as we entered our usual pub.

Court ordered a round, and we sank into seats at the bar.

Sam gave me a disbelieving look. “I remember when I saw Lark for the first time.”

“You were engaged to someone else, dick.”

Sam held his hands up. “Yeah, but I still knew something was there.”

I shrugged. I didn’t want to talk about this. I didn’t even know how to begin to discuss my feelings on the matter. Whitley had left. She’d left and madeherfeelings perfectly clear. I didn’t know if she had been lying all along when she said that we could try this out or if she’d just panicked.

“Let’s forget about it. We’re all going out tonight. I don’t want her to run back to California because of you idiots.”

“Fine. Fine,” Court said. “We’ll see how it goes tonight.”

You and me both.

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