“That’s where you’re wrong.” Tag’s tone cooled significantly, and McKenna braced herself for the impact of what would come next. “It’s about sex, darlin’. That’s all it has ever been about.”
She couldn’t have steeled herself for that if she wanted to. His words stung, but more importantly, they pissed her off.
Taking a deep breath, she swallowed the pain and anger as best she could, “Thanks for the tour, Tag. Don’t worry, I know the terms of our agreement. I’ll make sure I get Luke’s blessing before I write my final article,” she said through clenched teeth. “If I write anything at all.”
With that, she calmly opened the door and gently shut it behind her, resisting the urge to slam it, and fighting the tears that threatened to fall.
Stupid tears.
By the time McKenna got home, she was over the hurt, and she was on her way to a good pissed off. During the cab ride home, she had plenty of time to think. Maybe not plan like she wanted, but more than enough time to realize exactly where she had gone wrong.
Once inside her house, McKenna dropped her purse on the table in the foyer and put her laptop down on the kitchen counter before venturing to the cabinet where she retrieved a wine glass.
If she wasn’t so worried about doing something incredibly stupid, she would bust out the vodka. But, she knew better than to immerse herself in hard liquor when it came to drowning her sorrow. Instead, she would settle on a glass of her favorite red and a phone call to the one woman who would know how to make it all better.
“McKenna?” Whisper greeted when she answered the phone. “Is everything all right?”
“No.” That was the only answer she had for that question. No, everything was not all right. Nor was she sure it ever would be again.
“Where are you?”
“At home,” McKenna answered reluctantly.
“I’m coming over. Don’t move a muscle until I get there,” Whisper said quickly.
“Wait.” That wasn’t why McKenna had called. She didn’t want to pull Whisper away from whatever she was doing.
“Nope, no waiting. I’m on my way.”
The phone disconnected, and McKenna stared down at the screen that showed her the call had, in fact, ended.
True to her word, ten minutes later, Whisper was banging on the front door, and McKenna was running to answer it. The second she opened it, her friend walked right in bearing gifts in the form of two more bottles of wine. McKenna grinned. Leave it to Whisper to make sure she was taken care of.
“Where’s Anna?” McKenna asked as she trailed behind Whisper on the way to the kitchen.
“She’s... out.” Whisper’s curt answer was her way of saying she didn’t want to talk about it.
Without asking, which McKenna totally expected, Whisper pulled out another wine glass, filled it full and then refilled McKenna’s before hopping up onto the center island counter and turning the full brunt of her attention on McKenna.
“I want every last detail, and if you leave anything out, I’ll know.”
McKenna smiled. She couldn’t help herself.
Pulling out one of the bar stools, she plopped down and proceeded to tell Whisper – minus a few minor details – exactly what had happened over the last week. By the time she was finished, Whisper was staring back at her with her mouth hanging open.
“What?”
“You fell for him.” It wasn’t a question, and McKenna knew she didn’t need to answer either.
It was that obvious.
But she lied anyway. “I did not fall for him.”
“Bullshit. You went off and fell in love with dreamy lawyer man. What were you thinking?” Whisper was laughing, but that didn’t make McKenna feel any better.
What had she been thinking?
“It’s not like that,” McKenna stated firmly, pushing her empty wine glass toward her friend so she could refill it.
“It is so like that.”
“No, it’s not. It’s just a job.”
That got Whisper to laughing so hard, McKenna thought she might just fall off the countertop.
“Honey, sex is never a job for you. No matter how you try to spin it or what you tell yourself.”
Ok, so maybe that was true. McKenna had experience; she’d even done some crazy shit in her lifetime, but no, when it came to sex, she didn’t do it casually. Ever.
Which is why she was so surprised she had gone and given in to Tag. Ok and maybe surprised wasn’t the right word for it either. From the moment she laid eyes on the sexy, laid back lawyer, McKenna had wanted him with a ferocity that she didn’t even recognize.