Rory placed her hand on her heart and batted her eyelashes in his direction. "Quinn, you wound me. I would never dare to set you up." Kade, along with the rest of the guests, leaned forward in their chairs, eager to hear more. "You keep telling me you're not ready for a relationship and I respect that. I do. Besides, wait your turn."
Huh? If this wasn't for Quinn who was she setting up?
"It won't be my turn. Ever." Quinn looked relieved and perplexed at the same time. "So then, pray tell, who is the sacrificial lamb to be led to slaughter?"
Kade smiled at his description as Rory stood up and walked around the table to his side. Oh, crap, oh double crap, he thought as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Kade felt his teeth slam together.
She wouldn't dare. She wasn't that brave.
"Why, who else but one of my favorite people in the whole world? I bought this for my very good friend, Kade Webb." Rory sent Kade a huge smile. As if she could charm him into changing his mind about tossing her from the nearest balcony.
"I just know Brodie will find Kade a stunning woman. I'm counting on her to find someone who'll make him supremely happy."
Dammit, hell, crap.
The room erupted into hoots of laughter and excited chatter. Dammit, hell, crap multiplied.
Kade met Mac's eyes and scowled when his friend raised his glass in a mocking toast. "Welcome to my crazy world, dude."
* * *
Kade really liked his best friend's fiancée and thought it wonderful they were having a baby, but his anger over her stunt hadn't disappeared.
What the hell was she thinking? Had she been thinking at all? He didn't need anyone to find him a woman! And he certainly didn't need his current lover to find him a new love!
If he could get past Mac, he had very strong words for Rory. He didn't allow anyone to play fast and loose with his life and he allowed no interference when it came to his sex life. Rory hadn't just stepped over the line, she'd eradicated it.
From his seat in his low-slung German sports car Kade stared at the still dark windows of Brodie's apartment and ran a hand over his jaw. It had taken all his acting skills to breeze through the rest of the evening, to bat away the wisecracks, to laugh at the admittedly good-hearted banter. Well, everyone's banter except his partners' had been good-natured. Mac and Quinn had teased him mercilessly.
For that they would pay...
Kade was perfectly capable of finding his own woman and he didn't want to be in a relationship. Damned women and their meddling. He refused to have anything to do with Rory's scheme and he refused to feel guilty about her wasting her money. She shouldn't have pulled such an asinine trick in the first place!
And if he found out Mac had anything to do with this, then he and McCaskill would go a couple of rounds in the ring, no holds barred.
Kade massaged his temples. It was past 6:00 a.m. He'd had no sleep. He hadn't changed out of his tux. His head was pounding and he wanted nothing more than to climb into bed with Brodie and lose himself in her. He'd done that last night, he remembered. With Brodie the world had disappeared, and for the few hours they were together, he'd relaxed and forgotten. Forgotten about his responsibilities, his past. He'd stopped worrying about his future. With her he'd lived in the moment, something he usually couldn't do.
He wouldn't start to rely on her to feel like that, wouldn't enjoy what they had more than he should. He'd keep it light, he promised himself. This was a one-time, short-term thing. He wasn't looking for long term and neither was she.
All well and good, he thought, but how was he going to handle this stupid situation Rory had placed him in? He had to tell Brodie. That was why he was sitting in front of her apartment complex at the butt crack of dawn.
Brodie had said this-whatever it was between them-would probably be just be one night. And she'd also said something about sleeping with clients being unprofessional.
But if he didn't take up Rory's offer and didn't allow Brodie to set him up, then he wouldn't be her client. He knew their chemistry was combustible enough for more than one night. So everything would be fine. Either way, he had to tell her.
Rory Kydd, if you weren't a woman and if my best friend didn't love you so much, I would kick your very nice ass all over Vancouver.
Maybe he was overthinking this. Brodie was sensible. Kade felt a bit of his panic recede. There was no way she'd accept the challenge to match him. She'd just laugh off Rory's bid and the money would go to charity...no harm, no foul.
He'd call Brodie later, he thought, when he was rested and clearheaded. He lifted his hand to touch the ignition button. His finger hovered there but instead of allowing the powerful engine to roar to life, he instructed his onboard computer to call Brodie.
What are you doing, idiot?
Yet he allowed the cell to ring and eventually he heard Brodie's sleep roughened, sexy voice. "'Lo."
"I'm outside. Let me come up."
"Kade? What time is it?"
"Early." Kade opened the door and climbed out of his expensive car.
He started walking to the front door and his heart jumped when a light snapped on in a corner room on the top floor. She was awake.
Kade flew up the stairs. As he reached her apartment the door opened and Brodie stood in the dark hall, her hair mussed, wearing nothing more than a hockey jersey. His number. Lust and warmth and relief pumped through him. Rory and her machinations were instantly forgotten; his world was comprised of this woman and how desperately he wanted her.
"What's wron-"
Kade cut off Brodie's words by covering her mouth with his. Without ending the kiss, he picked her up, kicked the door shut with his foot and carried her to her bedroom.
* * *
They were being perfectly adult about this, Brodie decided as she poured coffee into two mugs. Civilized. So far they'd managed to avoid the awkwardness that normally accompanied the morning after the night before.
He hadn't faked any emotion he didn't feel and she hadn't felt like she was being used. They'd made love, slept a little, made love again and then Kade asked if he could use her shower. She offered to make him breakfast. He declined but said he'd take a cup of coffee.
As extended one-night stands went, it was practically perfect. Then why did she feel like she didn't want it to end?
She was just being silly; she was tired and not thinking straight. After she'd had a solid eight hours of sleep, she'd be grateful Kade was so good at this. Brodie frowned. He'd obviously had a lot of practice.
"Are you going to drink it or just stare at it?"
Brodie turned slowly and sucked in her breath. Kade naked was a revelation, but Kade in a wrinkled tuxedo wasn't too shabby, either. Too shabby as in freakin' damn hot. "Uh..."
Kade walked over to her, lifted the cup to her mouth and tipped it. "Coffee, a magical substance that turns 'uh' into 'good morning, honey.'"
Brodie rolled her eyes as he took her cup and sipped from it. "I'd forgotten you were a morning person. It's okay to kill happy, cheerful morning people, I checked."
Kade handed her cup back and walked over to the pot and poured his own. He leaned his butt against her counter and sipped. "You need a shower and six hours of sleep."
"Eight." Brodie pulled out a wooden chair from the table and dropped into it. "And you're the one who woke me up so early so it's your fault."
Kade grinned. "I didn't see you fighting me off. Sorry about your panties, by the way."
"You owe me a new pair," Brodie told him, both hands wrapped around her cup. Such a nice tuxedo...and it fitted him beautifully. The bow tie was gone and his face was shaded with blond stubble. Then she sat up straighter, remembering why Kade was wearing a tuxedo. "The ball! I'd forgotten... How did it go? Did you manage to raise any money from my donation?"
"Uh, yeah. It sold."
"You don't sound too enthusiastic." Brodie cocked her head. "Didn't it make any money at all? I'm so sorry."
"It made quite a bit of money. That's not the problem."
"There's a problem? How can there be a problem with my gift? The guy comes to me, I set him up on three dates and hopefully there's a happily-ever-after."
"It all depends on who the guy is."
Right, now she was confused. "So who is the guy?"
"Me."
She knew it was early and she wasn't a 100 percent awake, but she thought, maybe, Kade had said he was the one she would be working with.
"Please tell me you are joking?" Brodie begged. She knew instinctively that Kade hadn't had anything to do with her donation. So whose stupid idea was this? "Mac? Quinn?"