“How was it?”
He responded by sweeping her up in his arms and kissing her senseless. God, holding her felt good. He’d been so sure he was going to die up there and never seen her again.
“I take it it went well,” Kris laughed when they broke apart. “And Teague isn’t sporting a black eye or any broken bones, so that’s good.”
“It went okay.” Nate tucked her protectively into his chest. “I’m still not a hundred percent comfortable with flying, but it’s one of those things I have to ease back into, I guess.”
“It’s a good first step.” Kris brushed her lips over his jaw. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks.” He flashed a quick smile. “Does that mean we can go now? No need for you to be alone with the dou—uh, Teague—in that tiny aircraft. He’s notthatgood of a pilot.”
He glared at the blond, who was waiting for Kris in the plane.
“Nice try.”
Nate’s shoulders slumped. “Had to give it a shot.” Then he remembered what Teague said and straightened up, narrowing his eyes. “Before you get on that plane…tell me when, exactly, did you two make out? And who’s the better kisser, him or me?”
* * *
Kris was still flyinghigh (no pun intended) from her time with Nate and Teague when she and Gloria left for their Roger-mandated “bonding time” the next day. Once she’d assured a grumpy Nate that he was a superior kisser to Teague—whom she’d have to kill for telling Nate about their ill-advised makeout session all those years ago—she’d had a blast. Teague was a fantastic pilot, and after they left the private airfield, they’d all gotten dinner at a restaurant that served some of the best seafood in the city. Teague had split after that, and Kris and Nate had gone back to her house, where they’d had multiple rounds of mind-blowing sex.
As usual, Kris’s father had been holed up in his study and had missed Nate’s coming and going. Gloria, on the other hand, had spotted him on his way out, and now she glared at Kris in the backseat of their Uber like Kris had stolen her favorite Hermès Birkin.
Kris ignored the Stepmonster and examined her nails.
Hmmm, might need to get a touch up at the spa…
“I’m surprised you and Nate have lasted this long.” Gloria’s drawl carried more bite than usual now that Roger wasn’t around.
“Why is that?” Kris asked, bored.
She and Gloria hadn’t been able to agree on whose car to take for their oh-so-wonderful bonding sessions and had settled on a private Uber to take them to the spa. Not a regular Uber either, but an Uber XL, so they could sit as far from each other as possible.
Usually, these car rides were filled with nothing but the sound of the driver’s music of choice and theclack-clack-clackof Gloria’s talon-like nails as she e-shopped Nordstrom on her phone, but it appeared the Stepmonster was in a chatty mood.
Lucky Kris.
“You’ve never been able to hold on to your men.” Gloria clucked. “So disappointin’, darlin’. If you’d only come to me, I could give you a few tips.”
“Thanks, but I have no desire to learn how to dig for gold. I have my own.” Kris let out a deliberate yawn. “Excuse me, but Nate kept me up all night, and I didn’t get a lot of sleep.”
Gloria’s smile turned nasty. “I’d just be careful your boyfriend doesn’t go straying on you. That would be a tragedy.”
Her Southern accent had all but disappeared—Krisknewthe other woman played that shit up. According to the background check she’d run on Gloria when the Stepmonster first started dating Roger, Gloria had been born in Georgia, but her family moved to Washington when she was nine. That whole Southern belle thing was basically a fraud.
Whatever. Kris had bigger fish to fry than the Stepmonster’s Dixie delusions.
Gloria was acting so smug because she thought Nate was unsatisfied with his relationship and stepping out on Kris, per his now-canceled hotel engagement with the redhead.
If you only knew…
Kris was tempted to spill the truth about Nate’s “interest” in Gloria, if only so she could knock that triumphant smirk off the woman’s overly glossed lips, but that would be a huge tactical error.
There’d been a brief period when she thought she and Gloria might get along—before she met the woman. But the moment they laid eyes on each other, it had been animosity at first sight, with Kris seeing right through the redhead’s fake smile and fake boobs and fake (or at least overplayed) accent, and Gloria looking Kris over like she was her competition in a Miss Georgia pageant.
Which wassoinappropriate, considering Gloria was marrying Kris’s freakin’ father. Then again, Gloria was only a few years older and a few dozen IQ points slower than Kris.
“I’m not worried,” Kris said coolly. “You focus on your relationship, and I’ll focus on mine. There are still a couple of months left until the wedding.” A tight smile. “Wouldn’t want anything to go wrong before The Big Day.”
“Oh, nothing’s going to go wrong.” Gloria fiddled with her engagement ring—on purpose, no doubt. “Since we’re dispensing advice, I’d caution you to be careful with your spending, darlin’. I’ve been talking to your father, and he’s not happy. I’d hate for anything to happen to your trust fund.”
Kris was over this conversation.
Gloria was getting desperate if she was trying to threaten Kris’s trust fund, which was rock solid and would come into her possession in less than two years.
“Once I get my trust fund, I’ll buy you a new perfume,” Kris said as the Uber rolled to a stop in front of their destination. “Eau de Desperation doesn’t suit you.”
She thanked the driver, exited the car, and sauntered toward the spa without a backward glance.