Page 54 of Hushed

She sighed. “It’s fine. I just struggle with charging people more than I would be able to afford for a service. It’s ridiculous, but it’s the truth.”

Kit shook his head. “Not ridiculous. My mother raised me in an apartment above the restaurant she waited tables at in exchange for free rent. I still can’t bring myself to raise the rent on any of the properties I own.”

Kenzie smiled. “So, you get it.”

“I’m still not paying you less than five grand for this work.”

She nearly choked on her water. “That’s way too much.”

“Hey, you haven’t worked with me yet. I might be the biggest pain in the ass you’ve ever worked with.”

She laughed. “I already know you won’t be. It’s the people who want me to give them even bigger discounts that end up being pains in the ass.”

Marissa, who had been quietly talking with her husband up until then, chimed in. “Tell me about it. We did a charity auction for some website services, and they got the package for about a tenth of the price we typically charge. They’re still bugging the hell out of me.”

Kenzie turned and smiled at her. “How many changes did they ask for?”

She laughed. “About nine million. When I told them that any changes after the third round would cost them my normal hourly rate they got so pissed.”

Kenzie winced, and Gage leaned in. “Why do I suspect you do as many rounds of edits as you’re asked for without charging extra?”

She elbowed him again, and he shook his head. “You’re just asking for a spanking at the club tonight, aren’t you, little imp?”

She huffed and shook her head. “Go away. I’m talking to Marissa.”

Marissa grinned. “He’s right, though. If you’re not charging for additional rounds of editing on your work, you’re cutting your rates even further. Not to pile on to these two already busting your chops about it. We just put an emphasis on valuing ourselves around here.”

Kenzie squirmed and swirled the straw in her water, unsure of how to respond. Everyone was right, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear.

Thankfully, the conversation moved on to something other than the way she undervalued her work, and she ended up having a wonderful time over the course of the three-hour breakfast. The group from Club Solitaire were tight knit, but they made her feel like one of them.

When they all left to get in the cars and head back to the club, she was energized and full of life in a way that she hadn’t been in years. It was like being with family again. She snuggled against Gage and closed her eyes for the drive back to the club. When they got to their cabin, he took her into the bedroom and insisted they take a nap before the party that night.

“This was so incredible, Gage,” she murmured before drifting off.

When they woke a few hours later, his hand found her clit, and he patiently guided her to an orgasm before sliding inside her to find his own release. They quietly dressed for the party, and the nerves she’d experienced walking into the club last night were nonexistent as they approached the entry doors.

But as they approached, his cellphone rang, and he squeezed her hand as he held it up. “I need to take this, babe. Go on inside. I’ll meet you there.”

Something about the look on his face had her concerned, but she tried not to focus on all the things it could be.

She signed in at the front desk and went to the bar to wait for him. He was gone for ten minutes, and when he came back to her, it was clear something was wrong.

“Kenz, I’m so sorry, but I need to get on the next flight home.”

She stood and put her hands on his arms. “What happened?”

“I can’t give you the details, but I won’t be in any danger.”

She scowled. That wasn’t OK. How were they supposed to be “all in” if he couldn’t tell her something as basic as where he was going?

“It won’t take me long to pack,” she muttered, stepping around him.

He caught her by the arm before she could get too far and pulled her back in front of him. “Stay here. Catch a ride home with Austin and Patrick as planned. They’re going to New York. I have to go to D.C.”

She liked that even less. But the way he looked at her made her not want to argue. Not because he might get mad, but because he was practically pleading with her to stay.

“And you’re sure you won’t be in danger?”

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