Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Knox had left for his guys’ trip to Vegas and she missed him. She couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d taken care of her when she’d had her migraine. As an adult, she wasn’t used to having someone around when she was sick. It felt good to know he’d wanted to stay with her. He’d checked on her prior to leaving but she hadn’t heard from him since he’d left for his trip.
And that was fine. That was the way she wanted things between them. Casual. Occasional one-night stands worked for her. They weren’t a couple and he didn’t owe her anything. If she’d come to rely on hearing from him at bedtime, this break was a good reminder that nothing was permanent.
After Jade finished drying her hair, her cell rang and Aurora’s name flashed on the screen.
Smiling, Jade answered. “Hey!”
“Hi! So, do you want to go shopping with me? We can meet up with Nick for lunch when we’re finished,” her sister-in-law said.
“Where is Leah?” Jade wondered if the little spitfire would join them.
Aurora laughed. “I pawned her off on Melly,” she said of her pseudo-mother, the woman who’d taken her in when her oldest brother found her after their father died. She was his father’s illegitimate daughter—the one he’d hidden away, the one who’d grown up in foster care. Linc Kingston had brought Aurora home to his mother’s house, eighteen and pregnant. Aurora and Melly had bonded, and now, Aurora considered Melly to be Leah’s grandmother.
“You know what? I’d love to get out of this apartment. Where do you want to go?”
“The Americana okay with you?” Aurora asked, mentioning the outdoor mall in Manhasset, near where she and Nick lived on Long Island.
“Perfect.” Some fresh air would be good for her.
They agreed on a time, and after getting ready, Jade took an Uber and met her sister-in-law outside Gucci.
On a normal day, Jade wasn’t one to splurge on big-ticket items, but she was feeling off and thought that spoiling herself might make her feel better. She bought a Gucci everyday tote and a necklace with a J amulet on a thick chain at David Yurman.
She tried on and purchased casual clothes because she really wanted to have more time to herself. She considered the items an incentive, to persuade her to hang out at home more often and delegate more. Hell, maybe she’d even hire another planner. Give herself some breathing room.
“And then I found your brother in our bed with a stripper.”
Jade sighed.
Aurora nudged her arm and they paused by one of the stores. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.” She stepped up beside Jade, juggling packages of her own. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Sorry. I’m a little out of it today.”
“It’s okay.” Aurora studied her with concern. “Let’s eat. That always gives me a second wind.” Aurora glanced at her phone. “Nick’s here. Where do you want to have lunch? We can ask him to meet us there.”
“There are only two restaurants in the mall unless he wants to drive us all somewhere else,” Jade said.
“How about the modern Asian restaurant? I’ve been dying to try it. They have sushi and salads with seafood.”
Her stomach churned at the thought, and she pressed her hands against her belly. “God no. No seafood. I’m not in the mood today.” If she even looked at that menu, she thought she’d be sick. “How about a diner? I’d rather eat something bland.”
“Sure.” Aurora glanced at her cell. “I’ll tell Nick to pick us up here, and we’ll go to the one up the street.”
Jade smiled. “Thanks. I promise next time we can go anywhere you want. I’ve just been feeling off since that migraine.”
Aurora squeezed her hand. “No worries.” She texted Nick, and after meeting up with him, they all went for lunch.
* * *
Knox sat in the dark of the gentleman’s club he and his friends frequented when in Vegas. Neon lights provided a multi-sensory environment that he knew would cause Jade to suffer with one of her migraines. And that was the problem he’d been having this entire trip.
Instead of enjoying drinking with the guys, he was worrying about how Jade was feeling. When he ate at the best restaurants, he thought about how much Jade would enjoy the meal. Instead of taking in the ambience, he was thinking about how it would impact Jade. And wouldn’t Asher be pissed to know that? Neither of them had brought up his relationship with Jade this weekend, and that was for the best.
The guys around him were drunk, and though Knox had had his share of alcohol, he could barely feel it. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to go back to his room, even though the show hadn’t even started yet.
“How can a guy look so preoccupied when he’s surrounded by gorgeous women serving him drinks, with the option for a lap dance coming up any minute?” Derek Bettencourt, son of Senator and presidential candidate Corbin Bettencourt and Knox’s close friend, slid into the empty seat beside him.