When the door swings open, I drag my eyes to the thing that makes Coco snarl like a rabid dog. To my shock, Kennedy is standing there with her fist in the air, ready to knock.
“Hi,” Kennedy says, her eyes sweeping between Coco and me.
“Showed your face, finally?” Coco snaps.
Kennedy ignores her and stares only at me. “Nix.”
Coco points at Kennedy, glancing over her shoulder at me with disdain written all over her face. “You gotthis?”
I know what she’s telling me without repeating it in front of mixed company, and I nod as I hold Kennedy’s gaze. “I got it. You can go, Coco. We’ll be fine.”
Coco steps closer to Kennedy. I can’t see Coco’s face, but I know it isn’t sweet. “You don’t deserve him.” Kennedy smiles up at her, unafraid of the pink-eyeglasses-wearing woman in front of her. When Kennedy doesn’t take the bait, Coco brushes past her, knocking into her shoulder, causing Kennedy’s body to rock backward.
I turn my back, leaving Kennedy in the hallway without a word. I’m cursing under my breath as I stalk toward the living room, trying to control the rage that’s bubbling in my system. She’s behind me, her heels clicking against the floor as she follows me.
“Nix, I’m sorry,” she whispers behind me, but I do nothing. I’m too mad that I’ll say something I regret.
Anger isn’t an emotion I’m used to having when it comes to women. Besides Coco, I’ve never cared about anyone of the opposite sex. I know with Kennedy that I can’t let my emotions get the better of me. I need information. If I blow up now, I’ll never figure out what her game is. I need to play it cool, bide my time, and make her confess all her sins to me.
I take a deep breath and stare out the windows, overlooking the city nightscape. “Where have you been, Kennedy?”
She comes to a stop behind me and places her hand on my back near my shoulder. “I had things to do. I’m sorry I didn’t call.”
“Things to do?” I can hear the aggravation in my voice.
“Yeah.” Her hand slowly sweeps down my back. “Family things I had to take care of.”
I turn to face her, her hand coming to rest in the middle of my chest, and wipe the angry scowl off my face.Lure her in, Nix. Make her comfortable.“Everything okay?”
Her eyes dip to the floor, and her hand tightens in my shirt. “Everything went fine. My dad’s an asshole, but everyone knows that.”
“Why didn’t you call? I was worried.” It’s not a lie, and even though I don’t buy her family story, I want to see how she’ll wriggle her way out of it.
“He has a place in the mountains. It gets zero reception. I tried a few times, but I couldn’t connect.” Her hand slides up my chest and comes to a rest on my neck. “I missed you.”
I leave out the bit about pinging her phone and the fact that I don’t believe a word coming out of her mouth as I pull her into my arms. “I missed you too.” Leaning down, I press my mouth to hers, relishing the taste and feel of her.
Her kiss is sweet and soft with her tongue sweeping lightly against my lips. Mine is demanding and laced with anger as I nip at her bottom lip until she whimpers. Moving my hands to her face, I pull away enough to see her eyes. “You can’t just disappear like that. I thought Hassan got a hold of you.”
“He didn’t,” she whispers without so much as a blink.
I study her face, letting my thumbs glide across her makeup-covered cheeks. “I imagined the worst.”
She places her hand on mine, stilling my movement. “I can take care of myself, Nix. I told you that.”
My fingers press deeper into her skin, my grip growing fierce, and she winces and tries to pull away. “What’s this?” I ask as a purplish bruise peeks through her thick concealer, and I turn her face to the side to get a better view.
“It’s nothing,” she tries even harder, pushing against my chest, but she can’t break my hold.
I lean in, bringing my eyes to the very spot that’s now bare and bruised. My lips are close to hers, and her breathing is ragged and panicked. “What the fuck happened to you, Kennedy?”
“I walked into something.”
My gaze narrows and hardens. “Something?”
“A wall. I walked into a wall. Okay?” She closes her eyes, avoiding me.
“This isnotfrom a wall.”
