Kendra stared at the message. Was the man an absolute idiot? Was he really so greedy that he couldn’t see every time she made a public appearance, Tess was that much more likely to be outed?
Beneath it was an email from Garrett asking her to call him, saying it was urgent. There was also a text that said nearly the same thing.
She wanted to ignore him. He’d called his brother, for fuck’s sake! The big baby. She wanted to let him suffer. But she couldn’t. It might be business. It might be something else with the press. He did say it was urgent. She texted back.
What do you need?
Then she added, Is everything all right? Ellis is on his way.
She was just about to call him when Dee returned, so she shoved the iPhone back in her bag.
‘You OK?’ Dee asked.
Kendra flopped down on the sofa and shook her head. ‘It’s a mess, Dee. I’ve made such a complete fuck-up of the situation.’
Dee handed her a Diet Pepsi and settled in next to her with her iced tea. Kendra could never remember being at Dee’s house and not finding her friend with her perpetual glass of tea close at hand, even if she was drinking something else too.
‘When Garrett told me that you were going to be Tess for him, I was shocked that you’d even considered the position after everything that’s happened,’ Dee said. ‘I was worried about you. I couldn’t decide if you were very brave or very stupid.’
Kendra forced a smile. ‘I’m leaning pretty heavily toward the stupid side right now. When I found out that Garrett was Tess Delaney, I should have turned around, walked out the door, and never looked back. I should have run away fast. But no! I was so damn sure I could handle anything he could throw at me. And I could have. I could have if …’
‘If you hadn’t slept with him?’ Dee said.
‘No! I mean well, maybe … But –’
‘Ken.’ Dee stroked her shoulder. ‘I know you. You don’t mix business with pleasure. You’ve never had sex with any of your clients, have you?’
‘Of course not!’ Kendra tried to be offended at even the idea, but then she had broken the number one rule by jumping Garrett before they even got back to his house.
‘Is this situation any more difficult than any other you’ve ever dealt with as K. Ryde?’ Dee asked.
Kendra huffed. ‘It’s a waltz in the park. This barely qualifies as a problem compared to some of what K. Ryde’s had to face.’
‘So what are you so uptight about? You already know what you have to do. OK, it may not be ideal having to spend so much time with Garrett, but I’m sure you’ve had more unpleasant tasks.’ For a second, Kendra thought she was going to offer that wicked smile, but Dee was nothing if not diplomatic. She remained neutral, for which Kendra was thankful. ‘Besides, Garrett’s an all right guy, actually, once you get to know him. Though I guess you have gotten to know him, haven’t you?’
‘Shut up, Dee,’ Kendra growled.
Dee was first and foremost her best friend, and the situation had now transformed itself into girl time. ‘So come on, Kendra, tell me and, be honest, because I’ll know if you’re not. Why did you have sex with Garrett if you dislike him so much?’
God, she hated it when Dee cut to the chase. She slugged back half her soda for courage. ‘He looks like a slightly wilder, taller, darker version of Ellis. I mean, who could not like that about him?’
‘People can look really good and still be such assholes the thought of fucking them is repugnant.’ Dee observed. ‘But Garrett’s not one of those people, Kendra. Admit it. You two just got off on the wrong foot.’
Kendra glared at her. ‘He hurt you.’
‘That wasn’t his intention. In fact, his intention was the opposite.’
‘Yeah, well, good intentions are bullshit, Dee. You know that.’
‘Ken, why did you have sex with him?’
Kendra found her heart suddenly in freefall at the very thought of being naked in Garrett’s arms. She shut that picture out of her head as quickly as she could. ‘He’s fun to work with, and he’s not arrogant, not like I thought he’d be. And really –’ She bit her lip. ‘How could I not be intrigued with a man who looks like he came straight from one of my wet dreams and writes the most amazing romance ever? I mean, what’s that all about? What man writes romance? What man knows the heart of a woman well enough to do that? Clearly he isn’t gay, and I’ll vouch for the fact that he knows what to do with the equipment.’ She fanned herself with her palm. ‘Jesus, does he know what to do with the equipment.’