“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Kenzie said. She extended her hand. “We actually spoke on the phone a few months ago when I was doing the magazine article about your sons.”
Mama Lynn wrapped Kenzie in a warm hug. “Kenzie, welcome to Boulder. We’ve heard so much about you.”
“Not from me,” Zachary teased, his head waving. “I haven’t told them anything about you!”
Westley narrowed his gaze, fanning his own hand at his son. “Don’t pay him no mind. It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Kenzie.”
She smiled sweetly.
“Did you come right from the airport?” Mama Lynn asked.
Zachary nodded. “We were just about to head to the house and get settled in.”
“Are you two staying with Sarai and your brother?”
Zachary shook his head. “No. I rented the house on West Coach Road again.”
Mama Lynn shook her head, her brow furrowed. “I don’t know why you waste good money. You know you two could have stayed with us or your brother. It would not have been a problem.”
“I know,” Zachary said, “but Kenzie’s a nudist, and she doesn’t wear clothes when she’s at home. I didn’t want anyone to be embarrassed by her body parts!” He grinned.
Kenzie rolled her eyes skyward. “Really, Zachary?”
He laughed as he leaned to kiss her lips. “You didn’t find that funny?”
His father laughed with him. “Nothing wrong with being naked. Folks need to get a sense of humor!” the patriarch said with a deep chuckle. “Your mama likes to run around in her birthday suit when there’s no one around too!”
Mama Lynn swatted at the two men. “You both play too much. Ain’t nobody got time for your nonsense,” she chastised. She moved to give Kenzie another hug. “I’m cooking on Sunday, Kenzie. Plan to come for family dinner. I can’t wait to sit down to talk with you more.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
The matriarch reached up to squeeze her son’s cheek. “Stay out of trouble, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She gestured for her husband. “Let’s go, Daddy. We have our ballroom dancing class in ten minutes.”
When the door was closed behind them, Zachary pulled Kenzie into his arms and kissed her. He kissed her like he hadn’t kissed her for days, missing the feel of her mouth beneath his. The moment sent a chill up her spine, and for a brief second, she almost fell into the sensation, forgetting that they were still in a very public place. The moment might have proven embarrassing if anyone had walked in unannounced.
She pulled herself from his grasp. “Mmm,” she purred. “That was very nice, but we need to take it someplace else, I think.”
Zachary hummed into her ear. “I’m ready to take you right on that desk right there!” he said as he slipped a hand beneath the hem of her blouse, his palm caressing her breast.
She giggled softly. “You need to stop. What if your parents come back?”
He nuzzled his face into her hair. “They’re not coming back.”
“Well, your brother might want his office back,” she muttered, beginning to pant slightly.
“He doesn’t. He and Sarai are making out in their corner on the second floor.” He tugged gently at her nipple, the protrusion suddenly hard as a piece of sugar candy. He nibbled that spot behind her ear that always made her purr.
Kenzie wrapped her arms around his neck and plunged her mouth back on his. The kiss was frantic and heated and would definitely have gone further if there hadn’t been a knock on the office door.
Zachary cussed. “Damn!” he snapped as he stepped back, moving his hands in front of himself to adjust the bulge that had risen in his slacks. Kenzie eased around him, pulling the door open. Sarai stood smirking on the other side.
“Hi!” Kenzie said.
Sarai’s gaze swept between the two of them. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but Alexander wanted you to have the keys to the company car. You’re going to need some transportation while you’re here.” She extended the key ring, meeting the look Zachary was giving her.
Kenzie laughed as Zachary took the keys from his friend’s hand. “Thank you,” she said as she ran her hand against his broad back. “We were just headed to the house.”
Sarai nodded. “We will see you tomorrow then.” She was about to turn, and she hesitated. She took a step closer instead, leaning to whisper into Kenzie’s ear. “There’s a key in the top drawer on the left. You can lock the door from the inside, and no one can disturb you,” she said as she turned, tossing Zachary one last glance.
He shook his head. “Thank you, Sarai!”
Sarai grinned, and then she closed the door behind herself.
“Are you ready to go?” Kenzie asked, turning her attention toward Zachary.
He grinned. “Hell no!” he said as he rounded the desk and pulled open the top drawer. He pulled the door key from its hiding spot. “I have a personal problem that I need a little help with!” he said as he moved back around to lock the door.
Kenzie laughed. “Well, I guess I need to see what I can do about that!”
* * *
The home on West Coach Road was also a pleasant surprise for Kenzie. The entire family had warned her that Zachary had previously rented the private property for him and Sarai when he had come to train for his last title fight. Sarai had come with him from Thailand, the timing prior to her and Alexander, when family and friends still had questions about her relationship with the two brothers.
The custom-built contemporary sat on thirty-four secluded acres in a private, gated community. The open design featured a spacious kitchen and family room, formal living and dining rooms, two master bedroom suites, and three additional bedrooms. There was also a lower level with a great room, an office, and an in-home gym with a walkout patio.
Zachary had rented the space fully furnished, and the home looked like an interior designer’s showcase. With the incredible views and sweeping landscape that surrounded the property, it bordered on extravagant, and was bigger than her New York apartment and his bungalow in Phuket put together.
Kenzie moved from room to room, in awe that the expanse of pine trees and the mountains that sat in the distance could be seen from every window. Zachary led her to the master bedroom. When they’d deposited their luggage, he pulled her further down the hall to a second master bedroom at the opposite end.
“That’s where Sarai used to stay,” he said, sensing that the question was on the tip of her tongue to ask.
She blew a soft sigh. “This place is stunning!” she said. “And it’s so big!”
He nodded in agreement. “It’s a very cool place,” he said. “But I’m going to have a much better time here this visit!”
“Why is that?”
He pulled her down onto the bed, settling her in his lap as he cradled her close. “Because this time I get to christen all of the rooms with you!”
* * *
Days later Kenzie sat at a corner table in Starbucks, her computer, a notepad, pens, and a stack of loose-leaf paper strewn across the table. She rose from her seat to get a refill on the coffee she was drinking.
She had just pushed the SEND button on a thirty-page proposal that she’d been working on. The project was well out of her comfort zone, but she was excited about it and anxious to hear what Stephanie thought about the pitch.
The idea had come to her the night she’d had her moment with her father, when he’d had a burst of lucidity and had known who she was. The memory of that experience had left her thinking about other families and other children who’d gone through what she’d gone through. It had her wondering about other parents with Alzheimer’s who’d lost touch with the children who loved them, who couldn’t remember the friends and family that had been a part of their past and were desperate to be a part of their future. And from there the story she wanted to write had come.
The prospect of putting so much emotion into words actually scared Ken
zie. She was a journalist, and she dealt in facts and figures. Checking and rechecking, then regurgitating what was already known and spinning it in a different direction required only an investment of time and energy. This project would require so much more. It would be something else entirely.
Kenzie had proposed a full-fledged book about the trauma of the disease and its impact on loved ones. She was proposing four-hundred-plus pages about Kai and his story and the story of others who knew what her hurt felt like. Writing about her experience with her father would leave her vulnerable and open to scrutiny. She didn’t know if she was prepared for what that might mean, but she knew to not write the story would always leave her wondering what might have been.
Knowing that she would have to find others who were willing to share their stories had set the tone for the research that would need to be accomplished. Her proposal had included a plan to make that happen as well. And now she was beyond excited about the work she needed to do. She was motivated to write and excited about how easily the words flowed when she sat back and just let them do their own thing.
The young man behind the counter leered at her. He looked sixteen and pimply, so wet behind the ears that you could still smell his mother’s milk on his breath. He’d been winking and trying to flirt since the first day she’d visited and found the seat in the corner.
“Have you tried the chocolate crunch cookies?” he asked as he refilled her cup with hot coffee. “They’re really good! I’m Leo, by the way!”
“It’s nice to meet you, Leo, and no, I haven’t tried them,” Kenzie said smiling. “But it will have to wait until after my wedding. A girl really needs to be able to get into her wedding dress!”
“Oh,” he said, his disappointment acute. “You’re engaged?”
She nodded. “I am.”
“I didn’t see no ring on your finger,” he said as he gestured toward her right hand.
Kenzie smiled as she wriggled the fingers on her left hand. “It’s there,” she said. She gestured with her plastic cup. “Thanks, Leo,” she said as she moved back to her seat and settled down with the fresh cup of brew. She took a sip and then a second, and then she went back to her writing, allowing the words to consume her.
An hour later, her telephone rang. Stephanie’s face popped across the screen. Kenzie plugged her earphones into her ears and answered on the second ring.
“Hey!”
“Hey, yourself! How is that fine man of yours doing?”
“I’m doing just fine, thanks for asking.”
“I know you’re doing good. You’re writing. Brilliantly, I might add! So I’m thinking that man must be working some magic on you. I need to make sure he can keep it up. So, how is my future best friend-in-law doing?”
Kenzie laughed. “Zachary is doing exceptionally well. He’s in full-time training mode, so while he’s working I’m trying to keep busy.”
“I just want it known that I really like when you’re trying to keep busy.”
“So do you think it has potential?”
“I not only think that it has potential, I already have a buyer!”
Excitement widened Kenzie’s eyes. “Don’t play with me. You don’t. Who’s interested?”
“I don’t play, and yes, I do.”
Stephanie spent the next few minutes updating Kenzie with the details of the potential sale of her book. From start to finish, it was everything that she wanted it to be. The advance was significant. The due dates were generous, and the publisher was one of the Big Five, with an impeccable reputation for being supportive of their authors.
“I can shop it around if you want me to, but I’ll be honest, Kenzie, this is a very nice deal. I don’t see us getting better.”
“I agree. So I’m good with it.”
“Congratulations! I’ll call them back in a day or two. I don’t want us to look too eager, plus I’d like to see if I can get you a little bit more on the back end.”
“How did you pull that off so fast?”
“Big things happen when you’re having lunch with the right people at the right time!”
“Well, I am seriously impressed.”
“As you should be!”
Kenzie could sense her friend smiling into her telephone as she continued. “I have to run. I have a conference call in ten minutes. I will catch up with you later in the week.”
“Thanks, Stephanie!”
“You’re welcome! And remind me when we talk to tell you about my date with the editor from Barker Books.”
“You had a date!”
“Girl, he wore a skirt with Brogan work boots! But he gave the best damn head!”
Kenzie laughed out loud. “You are so wrong! How dare you give me a tease like that just before you have to hang up!” Her voice dropped to a loud whisper. “I cannot believe you gave him some!”
Stephanie laughed with her. “I’ll call you! Go share your good news with my new favorite guy!”
* * *
Zachary was working out in the elevated competition cage. His hands were taped tightly as he sparred with someone Kenzie didn’t know. From where she stood on the other side of the weight room, she could see that he was throwing good punches as he dominated his opponent. Alexander and Gamon stood side by side, watching him intently. Gamon and his fight team had flown in the day before, and they’d all been working like maniacs since.
Alexander crossed his arms over his chest as he assessed his brother’s abilities. He was nodding his head approvingly, sometimes leaning forward to get a better view of the two men in a clinch. He would occasionally shout out a suggestion, but for the most part he was there as an observer, allowing his twin to do what he did best. He and Gamon put their heads together and whispered.
Kenzie suddenly flinched as Zachary took a hard hit, the blow knocking him off sides. She was waiting for him to recover, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen. There was a scuttle of noise that filled the room, hushed whispers voicing surprise. Zachary stomped out of the enclosure, moving to talk to his twin. The conversation was done and finished as quickly as it had begun. Zachary gestured for one of the assistants to come help him get the gloves off, and after tossing them across the room, Zachary stormed into the locker rooms. There was no missing the frustration that painted Alexander’s face, the sentiment echoing in Gamon’s eyes.
Sarai suddenly appeared at Kenzie’s elbow. “How are you today?”
“I’m good, Sarai,” Kenzie answered. “Do you know if Zachary is okay?”
“His feelings are hurt. He’s off his game, and he’s not listening to what his training team is telling him to do.”
“What is he not doing?”
Sarai hesitated. She was looking around the room, eyeing Gamon and Alexander, who were still standing in intense conversation. She cut her eyes at Kenzie, and the young woman got the impression that Sarai wanted to say something, but something was holding her back from it.
“Please. Tell me,” Kenzie demanded. “Maybe I can help.”
“The men say that a fighter can have no distractions before a fight. He cannot do anything while he is training that will keep him from staying focused on his end goal. Many times I have heard my father warn the fighters that there are things they should give up if they want to be their very best on fight day. There are some things Zachary needs to give up and he . . . well . . . he is being Zachary.”
Kenzie hung her head in reflection, thinking about Sarai’s comments. She suddenly remembered her father’s last warning to Zachary. Women are a distraction. And they are trouble. You do not need trouble. You are going to be the champion one day. You don’t need trouble, and this one looks like trouble.
When she lifted her eyes to meet the look Sarai was giving her, the woman smiled. “It would only be until after the fight. Now, though, he needs to conserve his energy, and he needs to throw all that frustration into his match. After, it will be like makeup sex, and he will be very happy again! You will both be very happy!�
�
Kenzie shifted her gaze to the other side of the room. Gamon and Alexander were both staring intently. They stared for a brief moment, and then the two men headed into the locker room, following after Zachary. She returned her gaze to Sarai’s face. “Tell your father and Alexander that I’ll take care of him. He won’t have any distractions, and there will definitely be no trouble!”
* * *
Inside the locker room, Zachary was pacing like a wild man. His frustration level was at an all-time high, and he was suddenly second-guessing if committing to a title bout had been a good idea. Not one of his sparring sessions had him looking like a champion. Junior athletes with little to no experience were landing punches they had no business landing. He was so far off his game he looked like an amateur.
His brother and Gamon suddenly moved into the room. Both men were eyeing him with reservation.
Alexander spoke first. “Where’s your head at, Z?” Because you’re not focused.”
“I know. I don’t know. I just . . .”
“You are not fighting like a champion,” Gamon said “You are not fighting like you want this.”
“I don’t know if I do, Gamon.” Zachary suddenly looked dejected.
The other two men exchanged a look.
Alexander nodded his head. “Go home. Get some rest. Be ready to do better in the morning. But I’m going to need you to give me one hundred percent. If you can’t do that, then don’t bother coming back.
“And if I come back, give you hundred percent or more, and I still don’t get any better, then what?”
“Then you have two choices. We cancel, or you get in the ring and get your ass kicked.”
* * *
Standing in the spray of hot water, Zachary couldn’t begin to understand or explain why he couldn’t focus and why his training was so off-kilter. But there was absolutely nothing going right, and he needed to get his act together. Gamon and Alexander had both given him their opinion, and although he knew that he wasn’t following their directives to the letter, he wasn’t doing much wrong.
He was glad the day was over. He needed another opinion to help him work through the concerns and questions he had, and he hoped Kenzie would be waiting for him when he was ready to leave. He thought he’d seen her briefly right before he had started sparring, and then she wasn’t anywhere to be found. But he trusted her, and he knew that she wouldn’t lead him in the wrong direction. He looked forward to hearing her thoughts, to learn what she thought his problem might be.
Perfect Pleasures Page 22
