“Well, in that case, he’s a saint.”

  “Okay, now you’re lying.”

  “Of course I’m lying. It seems that’s the only way to end this interrogation.”

  “Then just tell me the truth.” Now it was imperative she know. Her character judgment was at stake.

  “I grew up with men like him and my gut tells me he’s as authentic as a three-dollar bill.” Nate finished the rest of his champagne in one long swallow.

  “Your gut?” Kennedy scoffed. “Ever think your gut could be off?”

  “It hasn’t steered me wrong yet,” he stated smugly.

  “Well, it’s wrong when it comes to Phil. He’s the—”

  The second she caught sight of Aidan beyond Nate’s broad shoulders, everything stopped, foremost her ability to speak. It was like hitting a brick wall. Or getting hit by a speeding train.

  Her thoughts scrambled. What the hell is Aidan doing here?

  She must have looked like someone in a horror movie, because Nate immediately shot a look behind him. Then he turned back to her and muttered under his breath, “Don’t tell me—another ex-boyfriend?”

  Kennedy could only nod as she did her best to stop panic from overwhelming her. There wasn’t much she could do about the fear and dread. They seemed content to accept a shotgun role in the unfolding events.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got you.” Nate caught her around the waist and pulled her tight to his side as Aidan closed the last bit of distance between them. “Everything is going to be fine. You’re with me now,” he whispered in her ear.

  Didn’t he get it? That was the problem.

  15

  “Hi, Aidan. This is a surprise.” No lies detected there. “I had no idea you’d be here.” Kennedy wished it didn’t sound as if she was having problems dislodging a boulder-sized obstruction from her throat. She took a gulp of her champagne.

  Sahara. It had to be. It could only be her.

  It was funny, but except for a faint tinge of sadness, seeing him again didn’t fill her with the bittersweet longing she thought it might, considering she hadn’t wanted to break up.

  “I can see that,” Aidan remarked coolly as he looked pointedly at Nate, who now held on to her like a toddler clutching his favorite toy.

  That was okay—she’d heard the bottom ribs were basically for show. And who really needed to breathe? She couldn’t think of a bodily function more highly overrated.

  With her ex and current date acting like two cowboys facing off at a showdown at dawn, it was clear introductions were long overdue. Smiling, Kennedy performed the thankless duty. “Nate, this is Aidan Anderson. Aidan, this is Nate Vaughn, Aurora’s brother.”

  Curt nods of acknowledgment and cool stares were the extent of the men’s responses. Kennedy tried to ease out of Nate’s hold, but his arm remained firm around her waist, not allowing an inch between them. It was funny because when they’d been sleeping together, he hadn’t come across as the possessive type.

  “I didn’t realize you and Aurora’s brother were—so friendly,” Aidan said in a low, growly voice, his meaning unmistakable. “As a matter of fact, I got the impression you barely knew him.”

  Nate’s arm contracted around her waist. Aidan had hit a nerve. He recovered quickly, exclaiming in mock disbelief, “Barely know me? Are you kidding? Nothing could be further from the truth.” He then flashed her an adoring smile. “No, Kennedy and I go way back.”

  Oh dear lord, she was in for it now.

  “Now that we’ve established how well I know Kennedy, how do you know her? I’m usually good with names, but I don’t remember her ever mentioning yours,” Nate said, casually slipping the metaphorical knife between her ex’s ribs.

  Aidan’s eyebrow rose, his gaze briefly meeting hers. “Then you can’t have been around much the last two years. She’s my girlfriend.” Given the sharpness of his tone, one would expect he possessed fangs instead of incisors.

  “Ex-girlfriend,” she was quick to correct. “Aidan and I are not—not together anymore.”

  Kennedy silently fumed at how two intelligent grown-ass men resorted to snark and innuendo at the slightest provocation. Had neither of them ever heard the saying never let them see you sweat? She didn’t find their passive aggression remotely appealing and resented the fact that neither appeared to care about the position they were putting her in. She didn’t wear discomfort well and it didn’t go with her outfit.

  To prevent the situation from deteriorating—someone had to be the adult in the room—Kennedy sought to reduce the rising tension. “Nate has been away. A lot. In France. He only recently got back.” Good lord, she sounded like an automaton, her words stiff and disjointed.

  “Yes, and now I’m back, and as you can imagine, Kennedy and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

  Nate’s tone may have been cool, but his statement possessed the heat of a flamethrower’s blast. Aidan’s eyes narrowed. Nate’s arm contracted around her again, practically plastering her to his side. Kennedy worried that if she didn’t hurry and get away from him, he’d transform into an alpha dog and pee a circle around her.

  Aidan’s expression darkened as he turned his attention back to Kennedy. “Don’t forget to tell him all about me, then.”

  Nate made a sound in his throat, and she sensed this had just been turned into a penis-measuring contest, and as every woman knew, no man could stand to lose that.

  “Kennedy, may I have a word with you...alone?” Aidan said, the sentence ostensibly a question.

  Dear lord, why? She was here with Nate. She’d moved on. Why couldn’t Aidan just let it go and move on too? What was the point of dragging this out?

  But what choice did she have? The last thing she wanted was a scene, and right now, Aidan was more than capable of embroiling her in one. Kennedy looked at Nate. “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you get us something to nibble on in the meantime?” she said, praying he wouldn’t give her a hard time. Having to deal with Aidan was stressful enough.

  Nate’s jaw worked as if he were grinding his teeth. It took a few moments, while he faced off in a staring contest with her ex, but eventually his hold on her loosened enough for her to smoothly extricate herself and regain complete autonomy of movement. She held her near-empty glass tight in her hand.

  “I’ll be back,” Nate said, his words sounding more like an ominous warning. But if she’d expected him to saunter off quietly into that good night, she could kiss that dream goodbye. Because he was who he was, he had to get the last word. Or in this case, a kiss, which he planted lightly on her lips.

  Someone growled, and for a moment she didn’t know if it was her or Aidan.

  It wasn’t her.

  Nate was gone before she could impale his foot with her stiletto. The kiss itself, however, had been potent; the jolt it sent through her stirred up too many warring emotions. The euphoric high of coming together versus the precipitous fall back to reality of going their separate ways.

  Damn. Why after all this time was it the same?

  “If this is some sort of joke, I don’t find it funny,” Aidan growled the second Nate was out of earshot. “You can’t honestly expect me to believe you’re dating that guy.” He spit the latter as if it were an expletive.

  Kennedy’s back went up, suddenly unaccountably protective of Nate. “Whether I am or not is none of your business.” Then, attempting to bring the temperature of the situation down, she tagged on a gentle reminder. “We aren’t together anymore.”

  Aidan gave her a pointed look and then shot a glance to the side, the equivalent of rolling his eyes. “Do you want to know how many dates I’ve been on since you turned down my proposal?”

  At this point, she didn’t care to know.

  “Nate is a good friend and he’s going through some things right now,” she said, annoyed at herself for offering an explanation. But she was willing to do and say anything to keep the peace. She took after the let’s not air our personal business out in public side of the family. Her sister, Cheryl, was a whole different story.

  “Right, the poor rich white guy is being sued because his company was caught screwing over people like us. Yeah, I read all about it,” he sneered. “Then, suddenly, you’re his biggest champion. Don’t you get it, Ken? He’s using you. And you’re letting him.”

  That got her back up again. And her chin, which rose perceptibly. “You don’t know anything about my relationship with Nate.”

  Skepticism and disdain didn’t combine for a pleasant sound. Aidan snickered. “What relationship? Last month you were my girlfriend. He’s playing you for a fool, Kennedy. Why can’t you get that through your head? That’s what white guys like him do to beautiful Black girls like you. They’ll use you, then toss you aside. Open your eyes.”

  It was like facing the onslaught of a storm and being pummeled by one gust of wind after another, each individual raindrop like a pin piercing her flesh. She’d never seen this side of Aidan before. How many times had he told her how beautiful she was? That any man would be lucky to be with her. But clearly, he hadn’t meant any man, and certainly not a man like Nate; white, wealthy, handsome, and pedigreed. To men of Nate’s ilk, she served only one purpose. Beyond that, they’d have no use for her.

  Within her, a meteoric rise of anger swiftly crowded out the pain of his hateful words. Now she was seething but did her best to contain it—although the urge to throw her drink in his face was strong. Shooting a quick glance around to make sure no one stood within hearing distance, she leaned toward him and whispered, “He was my first. That’s the kind of relationship we have.”

  Aidan’s head jerked back slightly, his eyes widening in the surprise he couldn’t hide. Just as quickly, he narrowed his gaze at her, his lip curled in contempt. “Decided to set your sights higher, huh? Well, the joke’s on you, Ken, because he’ll never marry you.”

  Kennedy breathed deeply through her nose, her throat tight, and her heart simultaneously aching and breaking. Shattered expectations had that effect. “You know what, Aidan? Jealousy and spite isn’t a good look on you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my date. Have a lovely evening.”

  “See you on your way down,” he managed to get in before she turned and walked away.

  Kennedy had no idea where she was going, and tears began to encroach on her waterproof mascara. God willing, it wouldn’t be put to the test.

  “Whoa! Where’re you going? I got us some hors d’oeuvres.” Holding a plate in his hand, Nate stepped in front of her, blocking her path to nowhere.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked softly, concern knitting his brow.

  “Nothing.” She finished off the rest of her champagne and then plucked a bite-sized flaky pastry from the plate and popped it in her mouth. As she chewed, she discovered inside were cheese and spinach. She took another one.

  Nate looked directly into her eyes, his gaze unwavering. “I know you a lot better than you think I do. You’re upset. What did he say to you?”

  It was the ominous hardening of his tone that flipped a switch in her, and she found the perfect person to vent all her frustrations on. The right person, because he was the cause of it. “What did he say to upset me?” she practically hissed. “It wasn’t enough that I had no idea he was going to be here tonight, but if I’m upset, it’s because all you did was make a bad situation worse.”

  Nate appeared genuinely surprised at the force of the anger directed at him. “What are you talking about? I was only trying to help you. And he was the one who started in on me with—”

  “Kennedy!”

  This time her name was uttered in a familiar feminine squeal of joy, saving Nate from the verbal neck-wringing she was about to give him. She wanted to tell him not to breathe easy too soon. This was simply a pause in their conversation, not a cessation.

  Kennedy quickly slapped a smile on her face when she spotted Sahara approaching as quickly as her high heels and formfitting dress would permit.

  “There you are,” her friend exclaimed, flashing a beauteous smile as she shimmied over to Kennedy’s side. “Was I ever glad to see you when I came in.” Embracing Kennedy tightly, she pressed a light kiss to her cheek. “You look gorgeous. That dress on you... Guurrrl, you’re killing it.”

  Kennedy couldn’t have been happier to see her. “Look who’s talking,” she said, gesturing at the singer’s sleeveless royal blue dress, the bodice a daring combination of chiffon with royal blue boning, and a skin-toned underlay, giving the illusion of translucency.

  It was the sort of dress you’d see on the red carpet. Made to be seen, not touched. For show and not convenience. But it looked great on her, displaying a prominent amount of cleavage and a whole lot of leg.

  “Oh, this old thing?” Sahara said coyly, eyelashes fluttering dramatically. “I found this up-and-coming designer in New York—her name’s April Rose, she’s Black, she used to model, is insanely talented, and she’s going to be huge. You may have heard of her husband, Troy Ridgefield?”

  Kennedy shook her head. “Nope.”

  “Troy Ridgefield?” she coaxed. “He plays for the Giants.” At Kennedy’s blank stare, she flicked her wrist dismissively and continued. “Never mind, then. Just take my word for it—you’re going to love her when you two finally meet. She was supposed to be here tonight, but her son is running a fever, so... Anyway, I told her I wanted something like the scrumptious emerald green Vera Wang dress Zendaya wore to the Emmys a few years ago, and she came up with this.” The singer made a sweeping ta-da gesture with her hands.

  “Insanely talented is right,” Kennedy said approvingly. “She did a great job in giving it a similar look, while not copying it outright.”

  “Which is what I love about her. She has a trademark style all her own,” Sahara enthused. Then her gaze shifted to Nate, who stood behind Kennedy like a sentinel.

  Kennedy was quick with the introductions. “Oh, Sahara, this is Nate Vaughn, Aurora’s brother.”

  Nate smiled and extended his other hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “The computer genius!” Sahara gushed before brushing his hand aside and throwing her arms around his neck. “Any gorgeous brother of Aurora’s is a friend of mine,” she said, flirting shamelessly.

  After a quick hug, Nate placed his hand on Kennedy’s lower back, the imprint of each finger searing her bare skin like a branding iron. Sahara followed the proprietary movement, her eyes going wide at the sight.

  Her gaze shot to Kennedy’s. You and Aurora’s brother? When did this happen and why didn’t you tell me?

  She and Sahara had fallen into a habit of touching base with each other once a month. Her famous friend’s schedule was crazy busy on a good day. Kennedy had planned to tell her about her breakup with Aidan the next time they spoke, but everything going on with Nate kept pushing all thoughts of her ex to the back of her mind. And her relationship with Nate wasn’t something she wanted to explain to Sahara over the phone, much less via text. That kind of conversation required in-person, eye-to-eye contact, and a modicum of privacy.

  Kennedy ignored the question in Sahara’s eyes, replying innocuously, “Nate agreed to be my date tonight.”

  Unlike their encounter with Aidan, Nate knew to make himself scarce without being told. Smoothly plucking the empty glass from her hand, he said, “Why don’t I get you another drink?”

  Sahara turned and followed his retreating form before turning back to her. “Aurora has a very fine-looking brother. Why am I only learning about this now?”

  “He’s all right,” Kennedy replied in the understatement of the year.

  Grabbing Kennedy by the hand, she pulled her into an alcove several feet away. “Wait—so you’re not with Aidan anymore?”

  “No, we broke up, but—”

  “Oh my god! I wish you’d told me,” Sahara interrupted. “When he showed up without an invitation, I assumed he was with you.”

  Kennedy was stunned. She hadn’t taken her ex as the party-crashing type. “He asked me to marry him and I said no.”

  “Damn,” Sahara softly exclaimed, her eyes flaring wide. “Did he see you with...?”

  Heaving a sigh, Kennedy nodded.

  “Ah, now it makes sense. I thought it was weird when he told me he had to go, since he just got here not even thirty minutes ago.”

  Aidan had left. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  “I saw a side of him I’d never seen before.”

  Sahara grimaced. “I can imagine.” Then a small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. “Girl, you got all these men trying to lock you down. Do you know none of my exes have ever proposed?”

  “That’s because you break up with them before they can. And didn’t you say you begin all your relationships with the I’m working on my career, and I won’t be ready to get married for eons and eons speech?”

  Sahara pouted prettily. “Oh, come on. If you really loved and wanted to marry someone, would you let that stop you?”

  “Did you want any of them to propose?”

  “No, but that’s not the point.”

  Kennedy laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about it. I have a feeling the man you want to ask will ask.”

  “Well, I certainly haven’t met him yet,” Sahara said with feeling. She’d just come out of a yearlong relationship with an up-and-coming singer, and discovered too late that he hoped to use her as a stepping stone. And like most people, Sahara hated being used. Claimed it made her “ragey.”

  “You will,” Kennedy assured her. Beauty, talent, and riches beyond most people’s wildest dreams weren’t a bad starting-off point when it came to looking for a husband.

  Sahara’s expression turned playful. “So, a computer guy, hmm?” she asked, raising perfectly manicured eyebrows.