“What did you need, Rosalie? Is there going to be a music video filming here next week? Is Beyoncé coming?”
“No, but Oprah magazine has approached me about an article and a photo shoot,” Rosalie said as she sat down in one of the patio chairs. “I think we’ll need to go to Sedona for that week. Will your mother be able to take care of Austin? Would you be able to get time off?”
“You’re a hoot.” Kenna laughed. “I never know what’s next when I’m working with you.”
“You needed some shaking up. Your life was too bland.”
“I have work. I have Austin. It is good.” Kenna looked at the chaos in the rose garden and thought that bland definitely had its good points.
“You’ve needed to get laid ever since I’ve known you.”
Kenna’s head whipped around in stunned disbelief. She knew that Rosalie wasn’t a prude, but seriously?
“Seriously?”
“Yes, I said that, Honey. I’m surprised your girlfriends haven’t taken you aside and laid down the law. So to speak.” Rosalie chuckled at her double entendre.
Kenna’s gut clenched. Jean had said that to her on numerous occasions.
“What, Honey?” Rosalie asked.
“It’s Jean,” Kenna whispered.
“Oh, I wasn’t thinking,” Rosalie leaned forward and patted her hand. “You’ve been holding up so well. Perhaps you should go home,” Rosalie suggested.
“No, this is good. I need to take my mind off it.”
She looked at Rosalie Randall, with her graceful sweep of white hair, and well-done makeup. The woman didn’t look a day over seventy. Kenna shook her head. “Have I told you how much I love working for you?”
“Well, I hope it’s more than that. I hope you love having me as a friend because that’s what I consider you. I consider you my friend. And as your friend, I have to tell you, you need to get laid.”
Kenna threw back her head and laughed. She couldn’t help it. She might not look ninety-two, but Rosalie Randall sure as hell looked regal as a duchess, and hearing her say that Kenna needed to get laid was pretty damned funny. Then to make matters worse, Rosalie arched one elegant eyebrow, and Kenna laughed even harder.
“Kenna, pull yourself together and listen to me.”
She tried. She really did try. She pursed her lips together, clasped her hands in her lap and sat straight. “Yes?”
“I thought there was hope when you joined that dating site. That’s why I had Buddy look into it. He cares about you like I do, so he aggressively bought out Lyle even when he didn’t want to sell. After all that bother, we watched you, and you just sat there like a bump on a log. We could see how many men approached you. It showed that you were opening their e-mails, but you never responded. Then eight weeks ago, a miracle happened, and you responded! I’ve waited four years for the day to come that you actually showed interest in a man, talked to him, spent time with him. I’m ninety-two. I could die at any moment. You have to tell me how that dinner went!”
For just a second, Kenna was confused. What was Rosalie talking about, she and Dex weren’t due to go out on their fancy date until this coming Saturday. Then she realized she was supposed to update her on last Saturday’s dinner at her house. Damn, how had life gotten so confusing?
“Are you going to keep me waiting?” Rosalie demanded impatiently.
“After that heartfelt and dramatic performance? Of course not.” Kenna grinned.
Rosalie gave her a considering look. “Was it Oscar worthy enough that you will tell me how the dinner went?”
Kenna leaned forward and took one of Rosalie’s hands. “I love you.”
“That’s very nice dear. Now talk!”
“Mom made pot roast,” Kenna began.
“Young lady,” Rosalie said menacingly.
“Okay, okay. He brought flowers for my mom. She was over the moon. Gave me the look.”
“What look?”
“The look that I had a good thing on the hook and I better not blow it.”
Rosalie smiled. Apparently, she understood what she was talking about.
“What about Austin?”
“Austin took a bit longer to win over. First, did you know that Austin wants me to have a boyfriend? By the way, that word sucks! I never intend to date a boy.” Kenna made a face.
“I don’t think either you or Austin wants him calling the potential men in your life lovers...”
Kenna shuddered. “’Nuff said.”
“Go on with your story.”
“Even though Austin might want me to have a manfriend, he wasn’t positive Dex was the guy. He had a lot of questions for him. Wanted to know where he went to college, what his degree was in.”
“Was everything smooth sailing after that?”
“Mostly.” Kenna went over to the mini fridge. “What can I get you?” she asked.
“Lemonade.”
Kenna pulled out two bottles of sparkling lemonades, and then got glasses and poured. She handed Rosalie her glass.
“Austin actually asked Dex if he’d ever been married before. When he said no. Then he asked him if he had any kids. I thought Mom was going to choke on her potatoes.”
“Buddy should have forwarded him the report. How did Dex handle the questioning?” Rosalie asked.
Kenna took a sip of her lemonade and her gaze warmed. “He took it great. He didn’t talk down to Austin, he talked to him like an equal, and he didn’t get frustrated. He made it part of the conversation. He asked Austin questions, too. I ended up finding out about Denny’s girlfriend, and I didn’t even know he had one.”
“Sounds like he knows how to talk to kids.”
“He’s a natural,” Kenna concurred. “Then Austin found out that Dex played baseball when he was at UNLV. That was even cooler then him being a SEAL if that was possible.”
“Does Austin know what he wants to study? What he wants to be when he grows up?” Rosalie asked.
“Austin is a whiz when it comes to anything mechanical. Most of the kids he hangs out with like video games, he’s the one who likes pulling apart the game counsel, or motherboard and dinking with it. He’s been changing the oil on my car, and the spark plugs for the last three years. He said being a mechanic or a computer repair specialist won’t allow him to take care of me in my old age, so he’s going to become a mechanical engineer.”
Kenna wiped the film off her glass of lemonade. The condensation looked like tears.
“Darling girl, what is making you sad?”
“Why would a fifteen-year-old boy be thinking of taking care of his mother in her old age? That is so wrong.”
“You’ve raised a great son.”
“Well he needs to be selfish,” Kenna said vehemently. “If he wants to be a mechanic or a janitor, that’s what he should do. I could care less about how much money he makes.”
“Or a baseball player,” Rosalie threw in.
“Yeah.”
“Or a SEAL.”
Kenna jerked her head. “Well, wait just a minute. They get hurt.”
Rosalie laughed.
“Dinner went well?”
“Really well.”
“Did Dexter kiss you?”
“Of course not.”
“Why do you say it like that? He had you over at his townhome, didn’t he? You’re a beautiful woman. Are you saying he didn’t kiss you then?”
“He didn’t.”
Rosalie looked so disappointed that Kenna immediately rushed to reassure her. “He flirted a lot.”
“He did?”
“Yes.”
“Did you like it?”
Kenna rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she sighed. “He’s annoying, but he’s really funny.”
“And handsome,” Rosalie said slyly.
“Yes,” Kenna agreed.
“You like him.”
“Yes.”
“You should go out with him again. Not just to visit those damn shelters,” Rosalie said forcefully.
/> Kenna cleared her throat. She felt her face redden.
Rosalie set down her glass on the table and clasped her hands together. “You are going out together. You’ve been holding out on me.”
“We have a date on Saturday. And then he’s invited Mom, Austin, and me over to his place on Sunday for a barbeque.”
“This couldn’t be going any better than if a screenwriter wrote it,” Rosalie enthused.
“As a matter of fact, he said to invite you.”
Rosalie’s eyes got wide. “I knew I liked that man. But that’s just not possible. I have Buddy coming over for dinner on Sunday.”
Kenna considered things for all of a second, but she knew that Dex had said he was inviting some of his team and their families over as well. “Have Buddy come as well. I was going to come pick you up, but this way he can drive you.”
Rosalie clapped her hands. “Oh, Kenna! This will be so much fun.”
The dogs must have heard the claps because they raced up the stairs and Kenna and Rosalie found themselves with laps full of poodles.
The maid came up carrying a bouquet of lilies. Rosalie held out her arms.
“No, Mrs. Randall, they are for Kenna,” she said as she placed them on the table. Rosalie snatched up the card, a sparkle in her eye.
Kenna,
I’m sorry about your friend.
― T
“Who’s T?” Rosalie asked.
Kenna sneezed, then sneezed again. Her eyes began to water.
“Are you allergic?” Rosalie asked.
Kenna nodded.
“Take these inside,” Rosalie told the maid. She handed the card over to Kenna. “Do you know who ‘T’ is?”
“I don’t know.” Kenna sneezed again. “I’ll ask around the hospital tomorrow. But it’s weird they were delivered here.”
The new director came bounding up the stairs. “Mrs. Randall, do you have time for us?” he asked sweetly. “Of course, we would love it if you would bring the dogs. The maid said you have a cat too, right?”
Kenna and Rosalie burst out laughing.
Chapter Seven
There had been no fights at the other missions, and Kenna’s instincts had been right, no other facility needed money more than the Union Mission. On the drive between each place, she and Dex traded notes, and she was fascinated by the level of detail he took in at each shelter.
“I’ll want to go back to each one and look at their computers. I know you’re going to want to check out their financials, but I want to see how antiquated their systems might be.”
“It won’t be a problem at Lundquist, that place was slicker than snot,” Kenna said. “They have the money rolling in.”
“Yeah,” Dex agreed. “Why did Rosalie have them on her list to begin with?”
“I’ll have to ask her. But I think Herbert sniffs out money.”
“I think you’re right,” he said as he turned into her driveway.
It was the middle of the day, but Dex got out of the car anyway and walked up with her to the front door. “Do you want to come in for something to drink?” She was flustered. “Iced tea, or water, or something?”
He stroked his finger along the side of her cheek as he smiled down at her. “Nope, just walking you to your door. All part of the service. I’ll see you tonight at six.”
She stood there dazed as she watched him get back into his jeep.
When she got into the house, it was empty.
She called her mom.
“Where are you guys?”
“I dropped Austin at Denny’s. He’s spending the night. I’m going to get my hair done.”
“Mom, I’m not sleeping with Dex.”
There was a pause. “Kenna Leigh, I did not think you were going to sleep with Dex. This is your first date with the man.” She could hear the indignity in her mother’s voice.
“It’s our second date,” she corrected.
“I don’t care. I did not raise a daughter who would sleep with a man so soon.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“She would wait until the third date.”
Kenna choked out a laugh.
“You’re nuts.”
“I’m going to be late for my hair appointment. The gray is showing, and that mess needs to be cleaned up before tomorrow.”
“Mom, I need a favor.”
“What?”
“Can I text you pictures of dresses? I have to go to the mall and get something to wear for tonight. Dex says he’s taking me someplace nice.”
“What?” she shrieked. Kenna pulled the phone away from her ear. “You didn’t tell me you had to go shopping. He’s taking you someplace nice? Dress nice? Shit, Kenna. I’ll get my hair done tomorrow morning. I’ll meet you at the mall.”
Kenna relaxed. Her mom was a great shopper, this would make her life so much easier. It would cost her more, but it would definitely be easier.
***
Thank God Austin wasn’t here to see this. He’d know that she was nervous and cared. Plus, she needed to bury the dress in the closet so that her son never saw it.
She looked in the mirror again. She hadn’t had time to go whole nine yards, but she’d used more than twenty dollars’ worth of products thanks to her mother. Obviously, Miss Penny was holding out, because the woman knew beauty tricks.
“You want your hair to be touchable, so use this mousse, it smells good and will keep your hair in place,” her mother had said.
The woman at the beauty supply store had picked out a shampoo and conditioner that would complement the mousse. Hell, on the hair alone she was spending as much as she did on the shoes! And the shoes were gorgeous.
Kenna tugged on the straps of her electric blue form fitting dress and slipped on the silver sheened shoes. She turned to peer at the back of the dress, it fit perfectly. It was low, really low, but not too low. Her panties didn’t show. Only because she’d bought really skimpy panties to wear with the dress. She took a deep breath.
“You can do this Kenna Leigh,” she told herself.
She grinned. She looked good. Sexy even.
The doorbell rang. Her palms were sweating.
Get it together woman!
She smiled wide into the mirror. Perfect, no lip gloss on her teeth. She walked out of her bathroom and went downstairs.
One deep breath. She opened the door and stared.
Dex was wearing a suit. Navy blue of course. He was gorgeous!
“Um, hi. Would you like to come in?”
He didn’t say anything, he just stood there.
“Dex?”
“You’re a knockout.”
“Would you like to come in?” she asked again.
“Where’s Austin?”
“He’s spending the night with a friend,” she answered softly. “It was Mom’s idea.”
“I love your mother, but we need to go. Because if I come in, we’re not leaving.” His voice was low and husky, and she felt it all the way to her toes. “And I don’t want that right now. I want an evening of torture.”
“Torture?”
“Yeah. You. Wearing that dress. Wearing those shoes.” He reached out and lightly caressed her hair. “Looking like you do, sitting next to me at dinner. That’s the best kind of torture I can imagine, and I don’t want to miss a minute of it.”
Kenna couldn’t help her smile. He hadn’t seen the best part yet.
“Poppy, do you have a coat? It’s supposed to get a little chilly later tonight.”
She turned to get her jacket on the newel post and smiled when she heard his sharp intake of breath. She went back to him, and Dex’s eyes were glittering like brown diamonds, as his hands reached for her coat.
He didn’t say anything as he helped her into her jacket. Kenna looked up at him, and before she had a chance to say a word his mouth descended.
One warm hand reached beneath her coat and trailed down her naked back, and she moaned into his kiss. His tongue plunged, and all thought of her dre
ss fled. She wound her arms around his neck, arching high to capture the taste of Dex Evans.
Hot, wet and carnal, the kiss was unlike any other in the history of the world. Up and down, his hand tracked a line of fire along her spine. His short hair was thick and silky under her fingers, and she loved the feel of it against her palm, but that quick thought splintered as his fingers raked through her curls and tugged, shards of sensation shot through her scalp. She loved the sting. It made her ache, made her want. Made her wet.
She bit his lip.
He groaned and pulled back.
“No,” she pleaded.
“Are you for real?” he whispered.
“Hmm?”
Dex untangled his fingers from her glossy hair and cupped her cheek.
“You, Baby? Are you real? I’m about to go up in flames from just a taste. My control has never been this shaky.”
Kenna kept staring up at him, trying to take in his words, but was more interested in watching his beautiful lips forming words.
“Are you listening to me?”
“I’m watching every word you’re saying. You have a great mouth. Can I have it again?”
***
Dex barked out a laugh.
“God, Kenna, you’re off the chain.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Dex ignored her, and brought his mouth down, lightly touching his lips to hers. Just that little brush had him aching for more.
“Enough.” He pulled away. “Kenna, you’re powerful.”
“It’s not me. It’s just the dress.” He couldn’t understand it; did she really have no idea about the power she wielded?
“If that’s what you think, God help me when you realize the truth. Come on, let’s get you into the jeep. We have reservations.”
“Where are we going?”
“Pelican Bay.”
“I’ve always wanted to go there,” she said as she got out her keys to lock her door.
“Can I?”
She looked confused, then realized he was asking to lock her door for her. She handed him the keys with a smile. “I should teach that to Austin. It’s nice.”
She watched as he pocketed her keys. “And there goes the nice.”
“What?” he asked.
“Aren’t you going to give me my keys back? That’d be the nice thing to do.”
Her Devoted HERO (Black Dawn Book 2) Page 9
