Free Degrees of Passion by Michelle M. Pillow Page B

table, before hooking her arm with his and leading her towards the door. Sasha looked out the window to see if Kevin was out on the street. She couldn’t be sure exactly what she felt, but it was a combination of fear, anxiety and worry. Not detecting him, she let Trevor escort her outside.
    ‘Can I drop you at the museum?’ He waited on the sidewalk and lifted his hand and, as if by magic, a black town car appeared. Sasha waved at the Kingstons’ driver, knowing he’d been waiting down the block for Trevor. A light snow had begun to fall, drifting and twirling in the air, each flake white and perfect for a brief moment before falling to the dirty, trodden ground.
    ‘It’s just up the street.’ She looked up at him and blinked through the snowflakes hitting her face. The cold stung her nose and she didn’t feel like walking in the miserable weather, but if she didn’t she might not make it on time. ‘Traffic is horrible this morning with the icy roads. I can walk there faster.’
    ‘As you wish.’ He kissed her briefly and she knew that was about all she’d get. She didn’t think anything of it. She had learned never to expect public displays of affection from him – at least not anywhere a camera could see them.
    ‘Will I at least see you before your flight?’ Sasha let a small pout come to her lips as she looked up at him from beneath her lashes.
    ‘I’m not sure. I’ll call you later.’ He briefly kissed her again. ‘Knock ’em dead, Sash.’
    She watched him slide into the backseat of the car and waved as the driver took him in the opposite direction that she needed to walk. The taillights disappeared around the corner. ‘This is so not turning out to be a good day.’

Chapter Four
    ‘I hate today. I want spring. Come on, gods, bring on the warm weather. Give me spring.’ Cold continued to invade her toes and Sasha turned down the sidewalk. The address Collins had given her was nearby. She hugged her arms to her chest, hurrying as quickly as the wet ground allowed. Irritation towards Trevor’s insensitivity and Kevin’s sudden, but brief appearance kept her from dwelling on the miserable weather.
    Hearing a ring in her bag, she reached inside, not breaking stride. A smile crossed her features as she thought of Trevor calling. He’d probably apologize for not telling her, overwhelmed by guilt. It was such a him thing to do. She flipped open the phone and said, ‘That was fast. Miss me already?’
    ‘Well, of course I miss you, or were you expecting someone else?’ Kat’s amused voice answered. ‘Who is he, Sasha? Come on, fess up.’
    ‘No one,’ she lied, not letting her disappointment into her voice. ‘Mom’s been calling again. You know how she gets.’
    Sasha loved her sisters, but there was a reason she didn’t share too much with them. She liked her privacy and space. Growing up the fourth daughter of five, she learned at an early age to value secrecy. Add a meddling mother on top of that many sisters and Sasha well understood her motive for not telling any of them about Trevor or her night with Kevin. In fact, the last time she’d told them about a man in her life had been her prom date, Peter. What an utter nightmare that had been. She could still hear the teasing rhyme Megan had made up. ‘Peter, Peter, came to greet ’er and brought nothing but his peter.’
    ‘Ugh, I understand.’ Kat sighed. ‘She’s driving me crazy, too. She called five times yesterday wanting me to come over and help her pick out colors for a new bedspread she might want to buy next summer. Just because I have an eye for photography doesn’t mean I should be her personal decorator. Have you seen my house? Every wall is as white as the day I moved in. I told her to call Zoe, but she said the tea leaves told her Zoe was too busy with her new job right now. Like I don’t have a life? Hello, I gave them their first son-in-law and I’m the only sister with a kid. Mariah keeps me plenty