Huge Deal - Lauren Layne Page 0,48

doorway, then flopped back down again with a groan.

“Get out!” Kennedy snarled.

His youngest brother did the opposite, stepping all of the way into the room, but at least he closed the door.

“Mom and Dad were worried about you. I’ll tell them they were right to worry, because I’m pretty sure Jack’s going to kill you.”

“No, he’s not,” Kate said with a sigh, adjusting her dress as best she could, and then pushing up into a sitting position. “Hi, Fitz.”

She liked Fitz, and he liked her, but his expression was cool as he gazed at her now. “Kate.”

“Don’t look at her like that. She’s not with Jack,” Kennedy snapped.

“Oh, come on—”

“I’m not,” Kate rushed to say. “I mean, I am, but just as friends . . .”

She broke off as she realized she didn’t really have much ground to stand on. True, she and Jack weren’t dating, and she hadn’t cheated on him. But she had come here with him, and just last week he’d kissed her—

“Oh God.” Kate covered her face with her hands.

Kennedy’s hand rested briefly on her shoulder. “Don’t do that. Jack will be fine. He knows.”

She dropped her hands and looked up at him. “Knows what?”

“Yeah, knows what?”

“Shut up, Fitz. Better yet, leave,” Kennedy said, not bothering to glance at his younger, albeit taller, brother.

“What does Jack know?” Kate demanded, more forcefully this time.

Kennedy looked away briefly, then seemed to force himself to look back at her. “I told him I was looking for you.”

“Oh, well, I’m sure he’ll be relieved to know that you found her on her back, with her dress jacked up to her—”

“Fitz.” Kennedy gave his brother his full attention now, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Kate expected Fitz to push, but the brothers had a silent standoff, Fitz’s blue eyes studying Kennedy for a long moment before moving to Kate. Then he shook his head and left.

“What was that?” Kate asked. She and her sister had their own kind of silent communication, but this was a whole other level of mind reading.

“Brother talk.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked lightly. “What did you say?”

Kennedy looked away. “Fitz knows.”

“Well, that’s great,” she said a little testily. “Jack knows, and now Fitz knows. Sure would be great if Kate knew.”

She expected Kennedy to move away, to change the subject, but instead he stepped forward, looking breathtakingly desirable with his hair a mess, his tie askew.

“That you’re mine,” he said quietly, reaching out and gently touching a knuckle to the corner of her mouth. “They know that you’re mine now.”

18

Monday, April 22

Kennedy knocked on Ian’s open door. “Got a sec?”

Ian glanced up. “I’m having déjà vu. Wasn’t it exactly one week ago you came storming into my office with that exact look on your face, brooding about your brother and Kate?”

“You free or not?” Kennedy said, wanting to get this over with before he lost his nerve. He’d been running this conversation over and over in his head for about twenty-four hours now.

Time to get it done.

“Yeah, sure,” Ian said, waving him in.

Kennedy nodded at Ian’s desk phone as he sat. “Can you see if Matt’s free?” He was hoping he’d get lucky and have to say this only once.

Ian picked up his phone and punched the button for Matt’s extension. “Got a minute? Kennedy’s in here looking sulky and weird . . . Yeah, more than usual . . . I know. But yes, it is possible.”

Kennedy rolled his eyes, and a minute later, Matt came into Ian’s office.

“Close the door,” Kennedy said.

“Yes, sir,” Matt muttered, shutting it and then sitting beside Kennedy. He studied him a moment, then looked at Ian. “Damn, you were right. Extra pensive.”

“Should we get Kate in here, too?” Ian asked.

Kennedy forced himself not to react to her name. He knew why Ian asked—Kate was as much a part of their team as the three of them. But the thing was, he was here to talk about Kate.

“She’s not here,” Matt said.

Ian glanced at his watch. “Really?”

“Nope. Hasn’t come in yet. I thought she was just in the restroom, but I’ve gone by her desk, like, five times, and her computer’s not even on. And the phone’s still set to the weekend voice mail.”

Kennedy frowned at this. She hadn’t been at her desk when he’d gotten in or walked by, but he assumed he was just missing her while she was in the kitchen or away from her desk.

She wasn’t here?

“Huh. Okay, well, she’s allowed to be an hour late for