Page 61 of Son of a Preacher Man

Of course, Kodiak knew exactly what. He figured she’d find out sooner or later. Except he’d been hoping for later. Or better yet, never at all.

Kelly popped out her hip, planting her hand on it, with a toss of her honey-blonde waves. She looked so damn cute when she got angry. “Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you.”

“Can we talk about this after dinner, maybe?” Not doing this here, Snicks. “We have reservations.”

“Fine.” Snatching her purse up, she headed for the door. “Let’s go.”

“Good luck, man,” Leo bid with a snigger.

Following her outside, he feared he just might need it.

While the Uber ride was quiet, Kelly didn’t seem altogether mad. The driver exited Lake Shore Drive onto Michigan Avenue. A smile lighting her eyes, she turned in her seat. “We’re going downtown?”

He just smirked.

The car came to a stop at the Hancock building. Taking her hand, Kodiak held it as they walked across the plaza, Kelly glancing back longingly at the Cheesecake Factory as they passed it. He snickered. Did she really think that’s where he’d bring her on Valentine’s Day? Maybe he wasn’t the most romantic guy in the world, but even he knew better than that.

Slipping his arm around her waist, they entered the magnificent lobby. Travertine and black granite. An icon of the Chicago skyline, the skyscraper housed one hundred floors. Kodiak led her to an express elevator that would bring them straight up to the ninety-fifth.

“The Signature Room?”

She looked positively giddy.

The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Unless you’d rather go to the Cheesecake Factory.”

“No. No, I would not rather.”

Didn’t think so.

The award-winning restaurant, almost as iconic as the building it was in, was classically elegant. Dramatic views of the city and shoreline. Seated at a table for two by the floor-to-ceiling windows, just as he’d requested, Kelly picked up the red rose resting at her place setting and brought it to her nose. “This is lovely, Kodiak. Thank you.”

“So, you’re not mad at me?” The Moët sat chilling in a silver bucket tableside. Filling them each a glass, he handed her one.

She pursed her lips and snickered. “Oh no, I most certainly am.”

His timing perfect—not—the server appeared with the first course of lobster bisque and pull-apart French bread. Kelly slathered two slices with grass-fed butter, topped them with roasted garlic, and gave him one, before tucking into her soup.

While he’d been hoping to postpone this conversation until after dinner, being Kodiak had more important things to talk to her about, he decided it was probably best to clear the air first. “Why? You wanted to do the expansion and now you can.”

“And now I’m obligated to you instead of Stacy.”

Is that it?

He chuckled. “No, you’re not.”

“But you paid her off.”

“Technically, Leo did.” Taking a bite of his bread, Kodiak shrugged. “My name’s not on anything.”

His motives purely altruistic, that’s the way he wanted it.

“Still…”

“Look, Snicks, it’s no big deal. Leo wanted the space next door, and so did you. We went in together to make it happen, all right?”

“But why?” she asked, softly resting the spoon on her plate.

He drained his glass of champagne and poured another. “Why what?”

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