“You walk? Late at night?” She didn’t bother to mask her disbelief.
He nodded. “I have to move, otherwise I’d go crazy.”
A fairly reasonable explanation. Or maybe she just really wanted to believe he wasn’t out with another woman. “I have an Xbox if you need to play video games.”
Crap! Why did she say that?
His sexy smile returned. “Are you offering?”
Saying no, never mind, or that the game system was broken was the best thing. Not offering up access to her apartment at any time. But withdrawing the offer now would make her appear foolish, or afraid. Certainly not eager for his company. Since, ya know, she wasn’t.
Kacey shrugged and tried to appear flippant. “As long as you don’t interrupt my studying.” Who was she kidding? The man interrupted her ability to think clearly. No matter what she was doing, she’d just know he was in her space, breathing her air, looking delicious in a pair of jeans.
“I can connect the system upstairs.”
He was giving her an out; maybe like a wolf hunting his prey, he could sense her fight-or-flight reflexes. His suggestion was a good one, except on the off chance she did take a break during the workweek, she wouldn’t have access to the system.
“Can’t. When I do take a break, it’s with either Netflix or my DVR. I watch Netflix using the system.”
“Are you sure?”
Not at all. “Yeah,” she said with a relaxed laugh she wasn’t sure how she managed. “I mean, we’ve both moved past that night. You’ll just be playing a video game. I’ll barely be here.”
“Cool. Thanks.” Gratitude filled his smooth voice, not a hint of innuendo or ulterior motive. Maybe he had easily gotten over the other night.
Maybe with the help of someone else.
She nodded. “Cool.”
They sat on the couch, Aaron running his hands over his legs and Kacey studying the carpet. The awkward silence filled the space. Silence that gave her mind plenty of time to roam. And, boy, did her mind roam, wandering all up and through the memories of their night together. Normally she didn’t let loose with a guy the way she had with him. Because she’d expected it to just be a one-night stand, she hadn’t held back. And he’d loved it. Maybe she should have been upset that he’d let go before her; instead, knowing she’d made him lose control, especially when he’d tried so hard not to, thrilled her.
He stopped rubbing his leg and placed his hand on the couch. Their pinky fingers brushed. Electric heat shot through her. They both jerked their hands back.
“I should go,” Aaron said.
“That’s a good idea,” Kacey said, though she didn’t want him to go. She jumped up before that thought could really sink in. He slowly rose. Their eyes met, he smiled, her heart thumped.
Kacey spun around and walked to the door. His footsteps followed. They reached for the doorknob at the same time, and the tips of their fingers brushed again. The touch was the spark to the electric tension that had built up over the past few minutes and ignited a line of flames up her arm.
Pull back.
Kacey’s hand didn’t move. Neither did Aaron’s. He slowly traced his fingers over the back of her hand, the featherlight touch throwing more gasoline on the flames burning within her. His long fingers lightly gripped her wrist. Her pulse pounded against the soft pressure of his thumb, and he made slow, easy circles across the vibrating point. Pleasurable circles she felt all over her body and down to her dampening core.
This time her mind didn’t wander over the memories of their night together. They ran directly there. Dashing back and forth over every sensual detail, so quickly that her brain went into overload with longing for more.
He pushed her hair aside and ran his finger across the birthmark on her neck. Her heart drummed, and her breath stuttered. She slowly lifted her gaze to his. His deep, dark eyes were hot with the same memories she couldn’t suppress. She lost all thought of time, space, everything. Only the memory of their bodies pressed together, his lips on hers.
“Good night, Kacey.” His voice was a soft whisper, full of the withheld desire coursing through her.
“Good night, Aaron,” she whispered.
He stared at her lips. A little line formed between his brows. Did he want to kiss her as much as she wanted him to? She clenched her teeth to prevent licking them, prevent herself from being so obvious. Because if he followed up on that silent invitation and kissed her, there was a pretty good chance he wasn’t walking out of that door.
He eased his hand away from her wrist. She had a feeling the imprint of his fingers on her wrist would be with her for the rest of the night. With one last, longing look, he opened the door, and went rigid. Reggie stood on the other side, his furious expression a dose of cold water on the moment.
• • •
Aaron would bet two years of his company profits that Reggie wanted to beat the crap out of him. If Reggie had access to Aaron’s thoughts, and how hard it had been to convince himself to walk away from Kacey instead of taking those full, luscious lips of hers in what would definitely have been one hell of a kiss, he’d bet ten years profits.
“What are you doing here?” Reggie’s sharp gaze jumped from Aaron to Kacey and back.
Aaron shrugged. “I just—”
“The water heater is acting up again,” Kacey said. “He asked about hot water.”
The scowl on Reggie’s face lifted, but suspicion lingered in his gaze. “Why didn’t you call me?”
Kacey leaned her head to the side and eyed Reggie as if he’d asked if she knew how to tie her shoes. “I can handle some tenant issues. There’s no reason for me to call you.”
Reggie stared at Aaron. “Cold showers may be good for you.”
Aaron couldn’t agree more. Though thoughts of Kacey while in the shower might still generate steam. “Don’t worry, Reggie. I’m not overheated.” When I’m out of your sister’s presence.
Aaron gave Kacey a grateful smile. “Thanks for checking on the water.”
She shrugged. “No problem. I’ll call the plumber tomorrow to check on things.”
Reggie watched both of them. Aaron didn’t blame him for his suspicion. Though he and Kacey tried pretending there hadn’t been that night between them, completely hiding his attraction was damn near impossible. She was sassy, always ready with a smart comeback to keep him on his toes. And even though their professional wrestling debates from earlier should have warned him, she was one hell of a fan. Watching the match on television with her had been more fun that he’d imagined. He’d remembered her saying that King Rhames was one of her favorites, and as soon as the match started, he hadn’t cared about staying away from her and only wanted to spend more time connecting with her.
She’d wanted him to kiss her. Even though she didn’t lean forward or lick her lips suggestively like some women, he’d seen what she wanted in the depths of her eyes. Now she wore a hurry-up-and-leave expression that proved she was more adept at pretending disinterest when others were around than he was. Aaron’s heart was still pounding and his body on hyper, Kacey-is-near alert.
“I’ll just go back to my place.” Aaron made a move to step around Reggie.
Reggie held up a hand. “Did you ever hook up with that woman again? The one you spent the night with when you first got into town?”
That was unexpected. Reggie hadn’t brought that up since they’d first discussed Aaron’s one-night stand in his office. It took everything in him not to glance at Kacey, a guilty gesture that would surely put Reggie on high alert. He hated lying to his friend. He didn’t do drama, and he would prefer to have everything out in the open, but confessing the truth now was a little too late.
Really, what could he say? “Hey, by the way, Reggie, that woman that I had great, mind-blowing sex with is your baby sister Peanut. Small world, huh?”
Yeah, that would go over well. He’d rather keep his arms and legs intact. “Nah, I haven’t seen her.”
“Descri
be her to me, maybe I know her.” Reggie looked at Kacey. “Or you might know her, Kacey.”
“That’s okay,” Aaron said. “I’d rather not have your sister helping me hook up again.”
“And I’d rather not help him hook up with someone else.”
Had her voice sounded…possessive? He did look at her. Her thick lips were pressed into a thin line. She quickly glanced at Reggie.
“You know what I mean.”
Aaron hoped she meant that she didn’t want him with another woman because she hadn’t forgotten about how good they were together.
Reggie grinned and playfully hit Aaron’s shoulder. “Come on, I can’t believe you’re not interested in hooking up with her. The way you described the sex, I thought for sure you’d be spending most of your nights in town with her.”
Aaron’s face heated. Kacey crossed her arms and glared at him.
“Really, Reggie. Let’s not talk about this in front of your sister.”
Reggie shook his head and chuckled. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’ve already told Kacey how much of a player you are. She can’t be surprised to hear how easily you charmed the panties off a woman your first night in town.”
Kacey grunted and turned away. “Actually, I’d prefer not hearing about it.” She marched into the living area, her back stiff.
Aaron had earned his reputation honestly. He loved women. But he didn’t want to go over his previous conquests in front of Kacey. Maybe because the sex with her had felt different, special, even if their relationship wasn’t any different than the other no-commitment ones he’d had.
“I think we can stop talking about this now,” Aaron said.
Reggie tapped him on the shoulder. “Excuse her attitude. She’s been that way ever since Dewayne.”
Aaron frowned. “Dewayne?”
Kacey spun around and nailed Reggie with a sharp stare. “Stop it, Reggie.”
Reggie glanced back at Aaron. “The guy I told you about.”
Oh, that asshole. Dewayne. Stupid name for a stupid man.
Kacey’s angry gaze snapped between her and Reggie. “You told him about that?”
Reggie didn’t appear the least bit fazed by the anger in his sister’s voice. “Aaron remembered when I came home to handle that situation. He knows your history.”
“My history has nothing to do with your friend.” Kacey glanced at Aaron. The cool, confident stare she normally gave him was replaced with something else. Vulnerability, maybe a bit of fear. She hadn’t wanted him to know about Dewayne. Maybe due to embarrassment, or because she didn’t like her brother gossiping about her.
No, that drop of confidence went deeper than embarrassment. He’d had that same look whenever a woman accused him of being afraid of commitment. For a brief second, the truth that you’d once let yourself fall in love, and the relationship ended badly, showed in your eyes. He didn’t want to hurt another woman the way he’d hurt Denise. Kacey didn’t want her heart broken again.
Aaron eased toward the door. “I’ll take that as my cue to leave. Thanks again, Kacey.”
He opened the door and hurried out before Reggie or Kacey could say anything more. He was disappointed and frustrated. He didn’t regret his night with Kacey. Hell, no man could regret a night that great. So the disappointment made sense. But the itchy frustration crawling up his spine? That would keep him up all night. He wanted her, but he could see any liaison they had ending in a devastating crash and burn that would be ten times worse than his young-love breakup with Denise.
Kacey’s door opened. “Aaron, hold up.” Reggie’s voice stopped Aaron.
Aaron turned on the step to face his friend. “Yeah?”
“Kacey is going to be pissed that I mentioned Dewayne, but I thought you both needed the reminder.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because I know you. You seduce women without even trying. I don’t need you to hurt my sister.”
Damn, had Aaron’s struggle and frustration been that obvious to his friend? Aaron gave his nonchalant smile and relaxed his body. “Reggie, man, I’m here for the business, that’s all. I’m not going to lay a hand on any of your sisters.”
Reggie’s tense shoulders lost some of their cinderblock hardness. He uncrossed his arms and took a step closer. “Honestly, if it were Monique or even Ashlei I wouldn’t care as much. They’ve got their wild sides, as much as I hate to admit that,” he said with a quirk of the brow. “But Kacey’s different. After that mess she hasn’t been really serious with any guy. I know she’s no nun, and she dates, but she’s a lot more guarded. One day that guard is going to come down. Probably fast and without warning because she’s kept it up for so damn long. That’s great, because I want her to be happy.” His brows drew together, and he stared at Aaron. “But I’d rather see her let it down for a guy who’d treasure her, not a guy just out for fun.”
Reggie’s speech was good, and heartfelt, and full of the type of love and protection any good older brother would give. But every word ramped up Aaron’s frustration. A small part of him knew he could be that guy. But not here, not now. He didn’t want to be the husband in a small town, eventually serving on the PTO and selling wrapping paper to coworkers at Christmas as part of his kid’s school fund-raiser.
“Aaron, you’re my boy and all, but—”
“I get it,” Aaron broke in, the frustration edging his voice. “And, by the way, if I did go after your sister, if I was the guy she let her guard down for, I wouldn’t hurt her. She’s cool, smart, and hardworking. If I had her, I’d treasure her.”
Reggie’s brows drew together, and his lips formed a thin line. Aaron lifted his chin, still frustrated, but a little less so having spouted the words. Before Reggie could answer with more brotherly indignation, Aaron turned and jogged up the stairs.
Chapter 12
Kacey slammed the cordless phone on the bar in Momma’s Kitchen. Just what she didn’t need, a server calling out on Saturday night. She chewed on her lower lip to keep from swearing and stared at the schedule for the day. She didn’t doubt her cousin Deborah’s sick excuse. One phone call to her aunt would prove whether or not Deborah was lying. But rearranging the schedule to accommodate the night’s crowd would only stop Kacey from getting out of there before they opened for lunch.
“Why are you frowning like someone just ripped out your weave?” Monique’s voice came from Kacey’s left.
“I don’t wear a weave,” Kacey said, staring at the schedule. I could take one of the new servers out of training and give her Deborah’s section.
“Then why are you frowning as if someone ripped out my weave?”
“I’d laugh if someone ripped out your weave.” A newbie set loose in the biggest section. That would spell Saturday night disaster. Kacey eyes scanned the list of employees off for the weekend.
A sharp tug at the back of Kacey’s head pulled her backward. “Hey, crazy.” She spun and slapped Monique’s arm. “Why are you pulling my hair?”
“If you’re going to frown, I might as well give you a reason.” Monique’s grin said she enjoyed the hair pulling regardless of the reason. She leaned against the side of the bar next to Kacey. Her long weave was flawless, and her curves were on excellent display with the top few buttons of her white Momma’s Kitchen shirt open and her fitted black pants.
“Deborah called out sick. That’s why I’m frowning.” She turned back to the schedule.
“Damn, that’s really going to screw up the rotation.”
At least Monique understood Kacey’s frustration. “I might have to come in and work.”
“Weekend nights are off for you, remember? This is your last semester, I can’t have you flunking out because you work weekends.” Monique slid the schedule away from Kacey and looked over the spreadsheet.
Kacey frowned and slid the schedule back. “It’s only one night.”
“Moderation is not your strong suit. One night will turn into every night.” Monique slid the paper back.<
br />
Her sister made a very valid statement. Kacey already felt guilty for taking weekends off when school was in. Her momma owned the place, but Kacey had been running the business for the past three years. Keeping the shifts fully staffed, handling the books, and being on top of the orders were all her responsibility. She felt like she was dropping the ball taking off nights when school was in session.
Kacey rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “Ugh, between the short staff and the hateful professor I’m going to lose my mind.”
“We’re interviewing for waitresses today, so get over the short staff thing,” Monique said. “Hateful Professor is stupid. Your thesis idea is great.”
Kacey dropped her hands and placed a hand on her hip. “You’re only saying that because it’s to help this place grow.”
Monique hugged Kacey from the side. “That doesn’t make it less great.” She dropped her arm and stared at the schedule. Before long her arched brows drew together in a frown.
Kacey leaned over and once again glanced over the names of the waitresses off tonight. “I guess I can call Jamelah and see if she can work. I think she can use the extra hours.”
“Or we can just split the section between two others and give a few tables to the girl we hired last week.”
Kacey frowned at the diagram of the restaurant with the location of the tables and the sections they were broken into. “That would work.” She grinned at Monique. “Why am I the one getting the master’s degree? You can run this place.”
Monique laughed and tossed the schedule on the counter. “You overthink things when you’re stressed and feeling guilty.”
“I do not.”
“Yeah. You do.” Monique’s eyes lit up. “You know what you should do?”
“I don’t know if I want to hear you suggestion.”
“You need to get laid.”
Kacey rolled her eyes. “Why is that your solution to every problem?”
“Because sex is a proven cure for stress.”
“Here’s the problem: There’s no one for me to have sex with.”
From One Night to Forever Page 9
