Kenley answered her questions and took her for a tour of the facility. When they were walking back into the office, Brady was heading out and they stopped, staring at each other.
“Hey, baby. I didn’t know you were stopping in,” he said before he bent and brushed a kiss of happiness over her lips. She’d intended the visit to be a professional one, but at the sight of him, that all went to hell.
“This is your doctor girlfriend?” Kenley smiled.
“Yep. Didn’t she tell you?” Brady’s brows pulled together in question.
“No. I was here on official business.” She hoped her excuse took that look off his face, but it didn’t work. “Are you done for the day?”
“Yeah. I was going to wash up and head home.” He left before she could say anything.
“I think I hurt his feelings.”
“That can’t be. Men always act like they don’t have any feelings.” Kenley snickered at her joke, but Michaela could only manage a smile. “He likes you a lot. He’s pretty excited to have a girlfriend. I don’t think he’s ever had one before.”
She swallowed and went to wait in the hall for Brady to come out.
“Good luck,” Kenley called.
“Hey,” Brady said when he emerged from the restroom, drying his hands.
“I was wondering if you would be interested in coming home with me for dinner.”
“Are you trying to make it up to me?”
“I don’t have anything to make up to you since I was here to do my job and I know you respect me and my job. But now that I’m done with my evaluation, I’d like to take you home with me.”
He nodded and grinned. “Sure.”
* * *
Brady followed Mick to her house. The second they were inside he pulled her against him and kissed her. He still felt a little thrown by his reaction to her dismissal in the office. Now he wanted to claim her, and make her feel so good she’d want to shout their relationship status from the rooftops. Or at the very least, social media.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered by his ear as he moved her backward toward the stairs that would take them to her room.
“You don’t want to?” He stopped in his tracks. They still hadn’t taken that step yet. He didn’t want to rush things. But he felt like now was the time.
“I do. I’m saying I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t want Kenley to know we were dating. I’m not sure why I didn’t say anything.”
“You wanted to keep it professional.” He repeated her excuse back to her.
“That is the truth, but not all of it.”
“Do you want to tell me the rest?”
“I think I was trying to convince myself you don’t matter as much as you do. When I found out my ex was cheating on me, I was devastated because I’d let him become so important to me. I didn’t want that to happen with you.”
“Baby, I think the problem wasn’t that you let him become important to you, it was that you weren’t important to him. Trust me, you are very important to me. I would never be so stupid. Please let me be important in your life. You won’t regret it.”
She smiled and nodded. They continued their way up to her room and he unbuttoned her shirt while kissing her at the same time. He might be considered disabled, but he had some skills.
That thought stilled his lips and fingers.
“What is it?”
“I’m going to be taking off my pants.”
“Yes. That’s how it works.”
That’s not how it had worked for him since he’d lost his foot. His MO had been to get a woman so worked up before they got to her place that he could do her on the table, counter, or even a wall without getting undressed. Then with the right excuse and a smile he was out of there. Even when he’d stayed with Michaela that night, he’d kept his jeans on.
But Michaela was not going to be satisfied with that. He wasn’t going to be either. He wanted to take his time and worship every inch of her body. That would mean she would want to reciprocate on some level.
“I have a prosthetic.”
“Your foot. I know. You mentioned it.”
Right. He’d told her. And she was still turned on. “Are you one of those women who get off on that?” He’d met a devotee once. Scary shit.
She blinked at him and frowned as she pulled her shirt together and sat up. “I’m one of those women who gets off on the guy she likes kissing her. At least until he says something stupid.”
So that was a no. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to figure out why you’re with me.” Best to just cut to the chase. If she would just spit it out, he could decide if her answer repulsed him enough to make him leave or not. If he knew how she felt, it might be easier for him to tell her how he felt. God, this was hard.
“I’m with you because I thought you were a great guy and we have a lot of chemistry. But maybe I was wrong.”
“You’re a fancy doctor. I move boats around. There has to be something else.”
With a determined look in her eyes she reached up, put her hands on the side of his head, and yanked him down to her lips. There she proceeded to kiss the hell out of him, until he moaned and gave in.
Right when he was ready to drag her back down on the bed she pulled away, her chest heaving and her eyes bright.
“That is the something else. Is it enough for you?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “It is.”
“Besides, I’m not a real doctor.”
“Is the certificate in your office a fake?”
“No. I did finish med school. Though it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I did it even though I didn’t want to.”
“You didn’t want to become a doctor?” She was great at what she did. She really cared about the patients.
Hell, he must really be in love if he’d chosen to learn more about her over getting in her pants. He wanted the whole package with her, which meant getting to know everything. He turned to face her on the edge of the bed and took her hands in his, urging her to continue.
“My parents are the best. They would have encouraged me to be anything I ever wanted. Apparently, at some point when I was a child, I told them I wanted to be a doctor. After that, everything I did, every class I took was influenced by a decision I don’t even remember making. But I went along with it. I didn’t know I was unhappy with the idea until I was there, elbow deep in a cadaver trying not to gag.” She shook her head. “And failing most of the time.”
He managed to hold back his laughter.
“After a long time and a lot of money, I graduated, but realized I’d never enjoy being a doctor. I couldn’t handle those kinds of things up close. But I still wanted to help people. After going back to school on my own dime for business, I was able to get the job as director. I’m really excited about it. But the doctor part is a lie in my heart.”
Brady’s earlier worry was back.
“Mick, my leg is not pretty. If you can’t stand to look at it, I would understand.”
She slapped him on the shoulder.
“Stop it. You’re not going to be able to scare me off. There is a huge difference between me seeing your healed amputation and me being the one who does the amputating. I can handle it. Now, take off your pants and shut up.”
“Yes ma’am.”
He decided to table the emotional stuff until he had a better handle on it. For now he’d rely on their chemistry to guide him.
Chapter 18
” You’re leaving already?” Wes said as Zane handed him the keys to his new boat. “I thought you were planning to stay for a few days.”
That had been the plan, but as soon as Zane arrived he’d been itching to get back to Kenley. It wasn’t just protectiveness anymore. It was something else. Something he needed to deal with. Soon.
“I’m sorry. I need to get back. Work stuff.”
Wes didn’t fall for it. Maybe because Zane couldn’t make eye contact.
“You’re ditching me for a girl.”
&
nbsp; “Not just a girl. The girl.”
“Oh.” Wes’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
“I think so. I just need to find a way to take that next step.”
“I’ve never taken that step, so I won’t be much help.” Instead of giving him crap, his friend drove him to the car rental office and wished him good luck.
“I just don’t want to end up like my parents, you know?”
“Trust me, I know. Neither one of us had very good role models in the happy marriage department. I still have to hope that means we’ll know how to do it better. If anything, we’ll be more selective in who we chose to spend our lives with.”
* * *
Zane invited her over to his house the next evening. He was going to make her dinner and tell her how he felt. Maybe.
As he cooked she wandered around his kitchen, taking in the photos on his fridge. She’d offered to help, but he wanted to take care of her needs. All of them.
Besides it was his turn. She’d made him a wonderful meal at her apartment the week before. One that ended with them in her bed.
He hoped this dinner turned out the same way. It was a warm June evening, and he was looking forward to sex on the deck.
“Are you going to your reunion?” she asked, pulling his attention away from cutting up basil and thoughts of her naked body. She was standing at his message board where the invitation was pinned.
“I haven’t decided.”
“It says you need to RSVP by tomorrow.”
“Other things came up.”
“It’s not too late.”
He shrugged and she came closer.
“You’re not going?” She sounded disappointed.
“I hate all those people, Kenley. I promised myself I’d never have to see them after I graduated.”
She nodded. “I don’t believe you hate all those people. You had to have had friends in high school. There had to be good memories too.”
“Let’s say I decided to go. Would I have a hot woman as my date?” He tilted his head.
She shrugged. “It’s kind of short notice, but you could probably put out an ad.”
“Very funny.” He dropped the knife so he could chase her around the island. He caught her easily and pinned her to the counter for a deep kiss. He’d already found the girl of his dreams by placing an ad. “Will you go with me?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Her face lit up before she pushed him away playfully. “Are you going to feed me or what?”
* * *
“You’ve got it bad,” Brady teased him as he dropped some forms on his desk.
“I do not,” Zane made a lame attempt to defend himself, but deep down he knew it was true.
“You told me you were going to be in Boston dropping off your friend’s boat until Thursday. I believe it’s only Tuesday.”
“So? I got done early.” Zane shrugged it off, but the sound of the other man’s laughter told him he hadn’t been convincing.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be with your girl,” Brady allowed with a sympathetic smile and a pat on the shoulder. “I miss Mick when I’m out on the road.”
“Are you thinking of doing something about that?” Zane asked. If the King of the Bachelors could settle down with one woman, anyone could do it.
“Maybe. What about you?”
“I invited Kenley to my ten-year high school reunion in a few weeks. I hated the people I went to school with, and I don’t want to go.”
“Go.” Brady pointed at him as if he were the boss. “Trust me. Facing things puts you in control.” Zane was surprised by the in-depth advice. “Plus, when women dress up, they always wear sexy underwear. You won’t want to miss it.”
“You know this as fact?”
“It’s a gift.” He laughed. “Going to this lame-ass reunion might bore your balls off, but you can deal with anything for one night. Especially when there’s sexy underwear waiting at the end.”
“That’s the thing. It’s not one night of my life. It’s dredging up my old life. The one I hated.”
Brady patted him on the back. “This time you’ll have a smart, sexy woman next to you who only wants you. Go stick it to them. Give yourself some closure on that part of your life, so you can move on to the better part.”
The better part.
Zane could see himself being happy with Kenley for a very long time. But there were no guarantees. His parents were the perfect example of how bad a marriage could be.
Forever was a very long time to be miserable.
* * *
“I just don’t understand what the big deal is,” Kenley told Alyssa that weekend. After talking it over with her therapist, she’d managed to go to the city alone. She was feeling pretty proud of herself. Zane, however, had texted her three times to make sure she was doing okay. “It’s just a reunion. We can make fun of people, and then go home and forget about them. I’m not sure why he’s so worried about it.” Kenley snorted and then finished off her second margarita.
“You said he didn’t have it easy in high school. Take it from someone who knows what that was like. I have never gone to my reunions.”
“But don’t you want to show everyone how awesome you turned out?”
“Easy for you to say, Miss Cheerleader. The people who made me feel small back then still wield a lot of power, silly as that might be. Whenever I visit my mom and run in to someone from back home, it’s like I’m transported back to that time, and I feel just as vulnerable. It’s one of the reasons I don’t put myself in that position often.”
“I guess I didn’t think of it like that.”
“Why is it really important to you?” Liss was not one to play games or beat around the bush. She was always up front, even if it hurt.
“It’s going to sound stupid.”
“Undoubtedly.”
“I told you I was adopted.”
“By two loving parents, while I only ever had one, yeah.” Brutal. Kenley knew there was some dark thing in Alyssa’s past that she kept secret, but Liss had always talked happily about the relationship with her mother. Considering all she’d ever said about her father was “Spawn until dawn, then gone” Kenley wondered if that was the reason Liss had adopted such a businesslike approach to relationships, but she’d never probed.
“I was too young to remember anything about my parents, but still, knowing someone gave me up because they didn’t want me… I always wonder if I’m good enough.”
“That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” The margaritas were making Liss even more up front than usual, but Ken already knew it was ridiculous. It didn’t change things though.
“Everyone has a story, Ken. Everyone has a list of things that have happened to them that mold who they are. In the end it doesn’t matter. You still have to deal. He’s invited you to go someplace he doesn’t feel comfortable. Be there for him when he faces his demons.”
“Demons?” She gave a look of mock fright. “Surely they can’t be that bad.”
“Let’s hope not. I hear they prey on the orphans first.” Right for the kill.
* * *
He followed Kenley into her apartment feeling like a weight had been lifted. She was home safe.
He’d tried not to make a big deal about her trip to New York. She needed to go as part of the healing process, but God had he been worried.
Having her away for the weekend made him realize what his life would have been like if that strung-out junkie had pulled the trigger. And while his biggest fear was that she could have been taken away from him that day, it didn’t mean he couldn’t still lose her in a different way. He needed to tell her how he felt.
He’d not had the best role models when it came to relationships, and he’d never had a desire to have one before now. He had a lot to lose, and no skills to keep that from happening.
The desire to avoid her—and the pain that seemed inevitable—reared its head. But he’d promised her he wouldn’t run away from her again
. From them.
So instead he pulled her close and kissed her.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he whispered, meaning it down to the depths of his soul.
He was determined to enjoy the moment.
In bed together, he took the most direct route to pleasing her so they could go to sleep. It was late, and they had to get up early for work. He held her as she slept, the moonlight coming in through the window, casting her face in a warm glow.
Had he really thought she looked like Courtney? The memories of his old crush were ten years old, but he didn’t think Courtney was ever this beautiful. In fact, other than the long blonde hair, they didn’t look that much alike. Thinking back to the day she’d walked into his office, he’d though she was the girl who had haunted him in high school, but it was more about the way she carried herself with confidence, or a convincing version at least. The way she’d seemed out of his league, and the feeling that had inspired in him.
Fear that he would once again fall short in the eyes of a beautiful woman. He pulled Kenley closer, reveling in the fact she was there, naked, in his arms.
In some ways she still scared the bejesus out of him. But he wouldn’t let that destroy this moment.
She had invited him into her bed and her heart.
* * *
It seemed like only an hour later when Kenley was waking him. He’d eventually fallen asleep after giving himself an intense lecture on living for the now.
After a quick shower, coffee and a kiss, she walked him to the door.
“I’ll see you in a little while. Are you sure you don’t want a ride?” he asked as he picked up the mail they had stepped over in their rush to get to a bed the night before.
Resting on top of a sales flyer was a thick envelope. He couldn’t help but notice the return address.
District Court of the State of Connecticut.
She took it and swallowed.
“It must be the information about the trial,” she said, running a finger under the flap of the envelope.
“Let me know when, and I’ll go with you.”
She shrugged. “You’re busy. I don’t expect you to take off to go.”
He stepped closer and looked down into her eyes.
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