Page 19 of Reputation (Tempt)

“You really like her.”

“Of course I do. She’s a good kid. I like all the kids I care for.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Brooklyn’s different.”

“What can I say?” I asked, returning yet another dress to the closet. “She’s special.”

“And her dad?” Kendall asked, knowing we’d had a tumultuous past.

“Doesn’t annoy me as much as he used to,” I conceded, my back still to her.

“I’m sure this helped,” she teased, picking up the Birkin from my dresser and admiring it.

“It definitely didn’t hurt,” I said, still shocked that Nate had known it was my birthday, let alone… The magnitude of the gift was staggering.

I mean, it was theexactbag I’d coveted. In theexactcolor I’d wanted. I’d been saving up for it. Waiting for it.

And this one had come straight from the Hermès store. It wasn’t resale. It was brand-new. AndNatehad given it to me.

But as nice as the gesture was, the shift in our relationship was due to more than a designer bag. After Nate had told me about the naked nanny, I’d had more compassion and understanding toward him. And he had followed through on his promises—forgoing emails unless it was about Brooklyn’s schedule.

He no longer mentioned his asinine house rules; it was almost as if they ceased to exist. Though, I never went in his bedroom—that was still a rule I adhered to. And while he respected my time off, I was no longer relegated to the guest room like a piece of furniture. He’d invited me to join him and Brooklyn for homemade pizza nights—just the three of us. And we’d had a dance party—or two.

Kendall stood, going over to the closet. “What about this?” She held up a dress, clearly avoiding my question. “It’ll look great with your Birkin.”

“Everything looks great with my Birkin,” I said, studying the dress. “But that definitely has potential.” I held it up to me.

“You’re going to look hot. You always do.”

“Thanks, but I wasn’t going for hot.”

“I know, but…” She rolled her lips between her teeth. “I just figured with all the sexy single dads…”

I rolled my eyes. “Nah. Not interested.”

“When was the last time you even went on a date?”

“My life is too hectic right now.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “You always say that.”

“Maybe things will be different after my next competition.” I hadn’t told her it would likely be my last. I didn’t have the energy to get into the drama with my dad. And even if I did, I didn’t want to burden Kendall with it. She already had enough going on.

“Mm-hmm.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve heard that before. Anyway—” She stood. “I should get going. I’m sure you need to get ready.”

A glance at the time had my pulse quickening. “Yikes! Nate will be home soon.” Sooner than I’d realized.

I walked her to the front door, giving her a big hug. I ran back up the stairs and showered, quickly styling my hair and doing my makeup. Finally, I slid into the dress Kendall had suggested, pairing it with my Birkin bag. Evaluating my reflection, I was pleased with the result.

When I went downstairs, Nate was waiting in the kitchen, sipping a beer. He glanced up when I approached, his eyes lingering on my legs.

“Hey.” I set my bag on the counter.

“Hey.” He grinned, clearly pleased by my choice of accessory. “You look nice.”

“Thanks.” I tried not to preen. “Are you ready?”

“Whenever you are.” He gestured toward the door to the garage. “Jackson’s outside.”

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