In Her Sights (The Thousand Words Series Book 2)

by Brooks, Tori

  “Miss Hart? Hale Drake is here to see Mrs. Hart. I thought this would interest you to know,” Jeeves said quietly.

  Paige sighed. “Does everyone except my mom know?”

  Jeeves rewarded her exasperation with a tight smile. “I don’t believe so. I overheard your brother and Alastair Drake arguing in the study. I haven’t felt the need to share the information, although he hasn’t been subtle so I feel fairly up to date on his plans.”

  “Plans?” Paige asked weakly.

  He nodded. “He’s not fond of Mr. Wright, you know. And Mr. Hart seems to be of the impression the Drakes will still offer for the company if he supports them rather than you. Hence the reason I suspect Mr. Drake is here the same night Mr. Wright is expected.

  “Do you still want dinner served in the conservatory?” Jeeves asked.

  “Where Hale will find us and make a scene? No! Thank you for the warning. I can’t think of where he won’t find us though. We can’t go out. Kenny will be recognized, or I will. Heaven help me if I am. So we can’t go to his hotel. The study, no. The billiards –”

  “Miss Hart? May I suggest a picnic?” Jeeves asked, interrupting her rambling.

  Paige glanced out the window. It wasn’t raining, yet. The clouds hung dark in the evening sky and the wind was already blowing fiercely.

  “You can’t be serious,” she answered, gesturing at the sky.

  “The limousine is on the far side of the garage and you and your brother used to enjoy playing in the cars when you were younger. I think that will provide more than sufficient privacy for the evening. And, as you well know from your childhood escapades, the servants’ entrance is close if you do choose to wander through the house. You know those back stairs and halls.”

  Paige stared at him. “You’re right. It’ll be cozy. Fun. Perfect. Will you ask –”

  “I’ll have a basket made and have the champagne waiting.” Jeeves nodded his head to her and closed the door behind him.

  Paige pulled a notepad out of her desk drawer and made a quick note to remember Jeeves when Christmas came. Then she checked her appearance, grabbed her clutch, and went down to loiter in a shadow by the entry.

  Unfortunately, her mother took Hale to the library for their talk, so Paige didn’t have a chance to eavesdrop. She really should have warned her mother it was coming. It was just ... Paige thought it’d be Preston who took this bit of unpleasantness upon himself. This seemed cowardly, even for him.

  She wondered if Alastair knew what Hale was going to do when they spoke over lunch. If he did, did he even try to dissuade his father? Did it matter?

  The faint sounds of a car’s arrival snapped Paige out of her reflection. Opening the door before Kenny made it to the top step, she blushed when he laughed at her.

  “An ambush?”

  “Sort of. We’re avoiding unpleasantness. Come on.” Paige reached out to take his hand, but Kenny handed her a rose instead. A single, long stemmed red rose. Red was too simple a description, Paige decided. This was deeper, richer, more sensuous. The fragrance was just as decadent, the perfume filled the air around the perfectly shaped bloom with such a wealth of emotions that it didn’t seem real.

  “Wow,” she said, letting the soft rose petals brush against her lips as she inhaled the heady fragrance.

  Kenny stepped closer, sliding an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. He pushed the rose aside and his lips met hers. Kenny was soft at first, his lips as delicate against hers as the rose that had been there a moment before. But as Paige’s own lips parted, Kenny reminded her that he was all man. From the firmness of his hold on her, the toned muscles of his chest and abdomen as he pressed against her, and the total control he had in kissing her. Kenny was a man used to being in control. That might be a problem.

  Not that kissing him was unpleasant. Or being held by him either. Paige pressed herself more completely against him, feeling Kenny’s excitement grow a notch as a result. Then she backed away, breaking the kiss.

  “Hale is here talking with Mom in the library,” she explained.

  “Drake? Here? You don’t think he’s ... You still haven’t told her, have you?” Kenny asked with a sigh.

  Paige shook her head and took Kenny’s hand. The shortest way to the garage was past the library, but she didn’t quite feel lucky enough to risk it. Instead, she led Kenny through the conservatory, onto the patio, down onto the lawns and around the side of the house.

  “So the scenic tour is clearly to avoid Hale,” Kenny said, an edge of laughter to his tone. She almost corrected him that this wasn’t a laughing matter but held her tongue. “Where are we going?”

  “Hiding out. I hope you don’t mind.” Paige turned to face him, throwing her arms around his neck in preparation of kissing him into submission.

  “Hiding out where?” Kenny asked. He put his hands on her waist as an automatic reflex when she embraced him, but the edge of laughter in his voice was giving way to suspicion. Paige remembered he had years of experience with Jess and Dev, and she was mildly insulted that Kenny thought her capable of that sort of trouble. Of course they were out here, on the lawn behind the garage, because she was in trouble.

  “Here. And I’m not Jess or Dev, so just put those suspicious thoughts out of your mind,” Paige told him. She turned out of his embrace again and took the knob for the garage’s back door, but it was locked. “Damn.”

  “So the long way was for naught?”

  “Well ...” Paige knocked, hoping Jeeves or another member of the staff was nearby. Actually, Jeeves knew where she would be, but he would be purposely vague if her mother asked. Paige couldn’t count on the same response from the rest of the staff. She stopped knocking and turned back to Kenny, debating on what to do next.

  A gust of wind kicked up, blowing her hair about her face. She pushed it away in irritation. The house had been acting as a wind break, but her luck was over there too it seemed.

  The door behind her opened, startling them both.

  “Miss Hart,” Jeeves said, standing aside to let them enter.

  “Thank you,” Paige said. She took the older man’s hand and gave it a squeeze as she walked by, releasing it quickly as Kenny followed.

  “Everything is laid out for you. I’ll carry my phone, call or send me a message if you need anything,” Jeeves said and closed the door again behind them.

  “It’s on vibrate? Your phone I mean. I don’t want Mom to catch you with it.”

  “It is.” He gestured toward the far wall where the limo sat, silently waiting.

  “Thank you, Jeeves. For everything,” Paige said. She took Kenny’s hand and led him past her mother’s car, then the sporty little Porsche her father drove once upon a time. Paige barely glanced at it, unwilling to think of his body upstairs, in a room that belonged in a hospital, hooked up to life support and wasting away.

  “You said you’re not Jess and Dev, but as mischief goes, I have to say this looks alarmingly familiar,” Kenny said as they passed the Porsche and reached the limo.

  “Go with it,” she told him.

  “Of course. I’m just laughing, that’s all.” Kenny jogged ahead to open the door for her with a curt bow. “My lady?”

  Paige laughed and slid in. Kenny followed and closed the door.

  “Wow. You do this better than Jess,” Kenny said as he looked around.

  Jeeves did well, Paige decided. The limo wasn’t a stretch design, unfortunately, but it did have a certain coziness to it this way. The seat across from them had a large basket that Paige saw held a bottle of champagne, a bottle of Cabernet from the cellar, and slices of meat and cheese. Beside the basket was a wedge of brie, a basket of crackers, and a bowl of nectarines, grapes, and pears, and a separate bowl of large, ripe strawberries. A pair of plates, cutlery, and wine glasses stood off to the right with an unremarkable box that Paige recognized as being one of Roberta’s dessert creations.

  She was still carrying the rose Kenny gave her and set it down in f
avor of picking up the box. Kenny gave her a questioning look.

  “It’s Roberta’s. She makes amazing desserts. I just want to know what I have to look forward to.”

  Kenny took the box from her and put it back. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her. His lips were soft against hers at first, molding gently to hers so that when his lips parted, hers seemed to open of their own accord. Paige felt the warm knot in her stomach tighten and twist when Kenny’s tongue slid along hers. He brushed the sensitive top of her tongue: teasing and tempting her. The very core of her body was drawn to him. He held only her face, but Paige wanted the feel of Kenny’s hands on her body, she longed for his touch.

  To encourage him, she ran her hands along his arms and across his shoulders. He leaned closer in his kiss, hovering over her. But she wanted more. Paige wrapped her hands around Kenny’s body and tried to draw him closer still. It was too awkward. The position, sitting like this, it didn’t work.

  Kenny broke off the kiss, leaving Paige unfulfilled and needing more.

  “Dessert before dinner? I think you know better,” he said with a smile.

  “Are you really hungry?” she asked, hearing the throaty richness to her voice that wasn’t usually there. It was a red flag she was aroused. Was he listening?

  His hazel eyes searched hers, then slid down her body. Paige was grateful she planned on presenting a seductive appearance tonight. Actually, she half-considered seducing him. She just didn’t expect him to start it. Her low-cut dress outlined the shape of her breasts and advertised the valley between them. A bit of geography that had Kenny’s attention now.

  “Not quite the right question,” Kenny answered when his eyes met hers again.

  Paige wriggled closer until she was almost on Kenny’s lap. She crossed her legs again, letting one fall over his. He looked down at the smooth skin draped over his lap. Paige briefly eyed the bulge in his pants that wasn’t there a few minutes ago.

  Slipping a hand behind his neck, she drew his face back to hers. “Honey, what are you hungry for? Not a picnic, I hope.”

  Kenny took Paige in his arms and pulled her the rest of the way onto his lap. She straddled him and slid forward to press against the bulge in his pants. He groaned softly and pulled her closer still, holding her face to face.

  “Hungry for you.”

  ○ ○ ○

  Paige kissed him hard, with desperate passion finally unleashed. It was all the invitation Kenny needed. His hands slid up her bare thighs, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Keeping her body pressed against him, Paige kissed Kenny and marveled at his ability to multi-task. His kisses were deep and probing, erotic in their own way; his hands found her panties and explored the edges with skill and determination. And a thoroughness Paige found distracting.

  Kenny’s fingers slid around her waistband, which was fine. It let him know just how firm her stomach was, in case he wasn’t already aware, and that she was wearing a thong. His fingers slid down around the back, slowly tracing the line of the slender piece of fabric as it went down between her cheeks.

  She caught her breath, breaking off the kiss when he reached her ass. Kenny skirted the sensitive muscles, tracing an outline around her anus once, then twice, and as much as it aroused her, Paige wondered what he was going to do before he moved on.

  Quickly switching the position of his hands, Kenny used his thumbs now, sliding them just underneath the edge of the fabric in the front of her panties. He started at each hip and slowly – tortuously slow – slid them around the curve of her thigh and between Paige’s legs. As his hands dipped toward the entrance to her body, Paige’s heart rate quickened.

  His first touch was so light it almost seemed an accident, just a glancing brush of his thumb against her swollen and tender labia. Paige knew it wasn’t an accident. Kenny knew exactly what he was doing to her. He proved her suspicions with his second touch: both thumbs gliding along the edge of her lips, pulling them slightly apart.

  Paige moaned softly and let her head rest on Kenny’s shoulder. If he wanted to torture her like this, fine. She’d get even. Later. To her surprise, he wasn’t laughing at her frustration. Instead, Kenny buried his face in her hair. He found her ear and let his lips rest alongside her ear lobe as he began the next round.

  Pushing her panty aside, Kenny let one finger follow the narrow track of her lips, dipping in enough to elicit another soft moan from her. He did it again, slower this time, lingering at her clit and Paige wondered how he was going to tease her next.

  She began unbuttoning Kenny’s shirt with one hand, accepting it would be slow but needing the other on his shoulder to steady herself. He played gently with her clit, and Paige caught her breath. Releasing another button, she trailed her nails down his chest between his pectorals, eliciting a small response from Kenny this time. She could play too.

  Paige leaned forward just slightly and sucked Kenny’s earlobe into her mouth. She teased it gently, taking it in and letting it slide out again in a suggestive rhythm.

  Kenny spread her lips and penetrated her with two fingers, impaling her on his hand and letting his thumb rest on her clit once again. She gasped at the unexpected escalation and clung to him. He rocked his hand, bringing a symphony of sensations into play. Paige closed her eyes and let the feelings consume her.

  A nagging doubt tugged at her from one corner of her mind. She hadn’t told him yet about Alistair. Kenny clearly liked to be in control, and at the moment she was more than happy to let him be, but it would be worse later. He’d see it as a betrayal.

  Forcing herself to sit upright broke Kenny’s rhythm. He looked at her curiously and withdrew his fingers. She kissed him, but it was brief. Just enough to let him know she loved him, but short enough to let him know they needed to talk. His hands retreated to the outside of her thighs and waited as he watched her quietly, expectantly.

  “You’re going to be angry with me,” Paige said.

  Kenny kissed her again briefly before answering. “Are you going to run out of here screaming that you can’t do this?”

  Paige stifled a laugh. “No.”

  “Then you’re forgiven.”

  “It’s not that simple and you know it.”

  “So you waited until now to bring it up, knowing that I’ll want to get it out of the way so we can move on? Honey, I love you, but that’s more likely to irritate me than whatever it was that you did in the first place. Whatever it is can wait.” He kissed her again to emphasize the point. Paige melted, not really wanting to tell him anyway.

  “I’m not on the pill,” she whispered. That she really did need to tell him.

  “I have a condom,” Kenny said. He was laughing again. “Tell me that wasn’t it.”

  “No. You do? You came expecting –”

  “I’m optimistic and figured it’s better to be prepared.”

  “Oh. Me too. I have several in my purse.” She indicated the clutch wedged in the inset bar by her seat.

  “Several?”

  Paige felt her face flush with color as Kenny leaned back to look at her. “You know. Different styles, sizes. I didn’t know if you had preferences,” she said, feeling ridiculous having to defend a perfectly reasonable precaution.

  “Damn. I was hoping you were just preparing for a long,” he kissed her, “arduous,” he kissed her again, “night.” Kenny kissed her long and hard.

  “I like your explanation better,” she agreed when he released her and kissed him back. Kenny’s lips turned upward at the edges, but he wasn’t dissuaded from letting his tongue explore her mouth. The heat building between them grew so fast and intense that Paige longed for cool night air when Kenny broke the kiss, but there was only the steamy heat in the limo. He kissed her cheek, her jaw, and turned her on his lap and supported her back with his arms as he gently laid her back on the seat.

  Kenny’s weight on her excited Paige into a near frenzy. She needed to get these clothes off them. Skin – she wanted the feel of his skin against he
rs.

  He was of similar intentions and didn’t complain as she arched her back to reach the zipper to her dress. It was tight enough to show her curves and assets to their best, a key factor in getting to this point, but inconvenient when it came to actual intimacy. Kenny pushed the snug skirt farther up her waist and hooked his thumbs in her panty’s waistband. Paige clearly underestimated who she was dealing with when she saw how easily Kenny relieved her of her panties while barely shifting his position. That should have been difficult considering how they were jig-sawed together on the seat.

  Paige wasn’t going to re-evaluate her own priorities just because Kenny was in a hurry and smoother than she expected. Sitting up, she struggled with her dress. An extra set of hands slid the annoying garment up and over her head, tossing it on the chilled champagne.

  She turned her attention to his shirt, finishing what she started earlier. Kenny slid a hand up her naked thigh, past her waist, to rest under her bra. He let a thumb slide just under the rim and into the crease under her breast. Leaning forward again, his lips met hers. But he kept his forward momentum, making her lie back again. It was fine, she got his shirt unbuttoned just as she settled back on the cushy leather seat.

  Kenny let his weight settle on her and reached down to undress himself just a little more. The feel of his hands working between her legs, occasionally brushing against her inner thigh, gave Paige pause.

  She wanted this, craved it. Was it too soon? No. Kenny invested himself in this relationship. Did he expect this of her? Was she selling out?

  Suddenly she remembered his statement when she tried to tell him about Alastair. He said he loved her. But he wanted this. He knew she wanted this. He wasn’t pushing her, he was just waiting for her to be ready. And she was.

  The sound of a condom wrapper being ripped open woke Paige from her internal struggle. Yes, she was ready. Too ready, she was going to explode!

  Throwing her misgivings aside, Paige lifted her head to peek as Kenny sat up just long enough to slip the condom on. He clearly knew what he was doing and had some practice, she decided. But that shouldn’t surprise her. And even though he didn’t have a huge ego, he certainly didn’t have anything to be ashamed of from what she could see.