“You’re so deep like this,” she said softly.
“Want me deeper?” he asked, his voice low, a growl.
“That’s possible?” she asked, licking her lips, then his bottom one.
In answer, he lowered her leg so her thighs touched, all the while thrusting in and out of her. “You’re so damned tight this way,” he growled. “I’m going to blow soon if I’m not careful.”
“I…I…this feels so good.”
“Good.” He kept moving, her arching against him as he slid in and out of her with slow, demanding strokes. Despite how good it felt, she couldn’t come this way, not tonight. Oh, she might be able to orgasm, and with Dare, she knew she’d come hard, but she needed to see his eyes.
“I need to see you,” she said quickly, her breath coming in pants. “I want to see you, face you. I don’t want to come yet.”
He was so quiet that she thought she’d made a mistake, been too honest and had bared herself when she shouldn’t have. But then he pulled out of her fully and turned her around so she was facing him. When he cupped her face and kissed her, a single tear slid down her cheek. She hoped he hadn’t seen, but when he kissed that tear away, she lifted her leg slightly, and he slid in again.
They were patient with each other, moving together until her breasts ached and her inner walls clenched around him. She came while kissing him so she wouldn’t say anything she couldn’t take back, and his grip tightened on her as his body jerked, his release breathtaking.
They lay there, their bodies entwined, not speaking. She wasn’t sure what she could say. Dare had been there for her when she needed him most, and now she was afraid that she’d made yet one more mistake in her long line of them.
She might have just fallen for the wrong man.
Again.
Chapter 13
It had been two days since Kenzie realized she’d done the unthinkable and started to fall in love with Dare Collins. And in those two days, she’d done nothing but bury herself in work and try to forget that fact.
They had gone into their relationship with no promises other than that there would be no promises.
And her heart had decided to make a mockery of her.
It had also been two days since David was arrested and then subsequently let out on bail. She fisted her hands under her desk in the inn hallway and told herself that everything had to be okay. Just because her ex-husband had somehow found a loophole to get himself out of jail on his good behavior and standing didn’t mean anything would come of it.
Apparently, he and his team of lawyers had told the judge that she was the one who instigated it, and he’d only been defending himself. It had been a load of bull since all evidence proved that he had been the one to show up at her place of business, unannounced, and had hurt her—far more than she had him. That she’d been able to knee the man in the balls at all to try and get away was something she could be proud of later, she supposed, but he’d tried to use that against her.
It hadn’t worked as of yet since the charges of aggravated assault hadn’t been dropped, but according to the smirk on David’s face at the bail hearing, he didn’t think anything he’d done was too serious.
Not that she’d been in the courtroom for that. Thankfully, the lawyer Dare had helped her find was able to do the initial things without her there and had told her about that not so hidden smirk. Oh, David might have hidden it from the judge and those who could hurt him, but he hadn’t hidden it from her lawyer. The bastard had wanted her to know that he wasn’t the least remorseful for what he’d done.
And while she couldn’t quite breathe when she thought about what could have happened and what could still happen, she knew she couldn’t let her fear run her life. That was what she’d promised herself when she left him, and that was how she would lead her life now.
But she’d be aware.
No matter what.
So she pushed her fear out of her mind and went about her business. She could bury herself in her work, in her growing friendship with Ainsley, and…Dare.
Dare.
How had she ended up in this situation? She hadn’t meant to find a man, let alone allow it to become anything more than a fling. But she knew they were growing serious even if neither of them wanted to admit it. Of course, that could all be a lie she told herself. He could want nothing more from her than what they had in bed. Dare might only be as protective as he was toward her because that was just who he was.
He protected those in his care, even if he might not truly care about them the way others might see it.
“You look like you’re thinking really hard over there.”
Kenzie’s head shot up as Ainsley moved toward her. “Oh, sorry. I just…” She didn’t know what she was going to say, so she trailed off. Ainsley gave her a knowing look before reaching out and patting Kenzie’s hand gently.
“Are you almost done for the day? I figured we could try that other flight this evening. Or maybe just some wine? Dare’s working in the restaurant tonight, but Rick is bartending, and I can see if Loch and Fox are around to hang out with us.”
“Are you trying to make sure I’m never alone?”
“Maybe.” Ainsley shrugged. “If, you know, that’s what you want.”
This was just one more reason she was glad she’d moved to Whiskey. These people cared about her even if she wasn’t sure she knew how to care for them back.
Kenzie looked down at her desk and closed the notebook she’d been writing in before she went down the rabbit hole of her mind. “I think whiskey sounds pretty good.”
“Yay!” Ainsley clapped her hands like a cheerleader, making them both laugh—something Kenzie sorely needed.
She came around the desk, and the two of them linked arms before walking down the main stairs. Kenzie came up short when she saw a familiar dark-haired woman with a soft smile on her face.
“Jesse,” Kenzie said slowly. “Were you looking for Dare?”
The other woman shook her head, and Ainsley let go of Kenzie’s arm. “Hey, Jesse, it’s good to see you.”
Jesse smiled at Ainsley, bringing the other woman into a hard hug. “Hey, honey. Do you mind if I steal your girl for a bit? I won’t be long.”
Kenzie stiffened but gave Ainsley a nod when her friend glanced over at her.
“I’ll just go find Loch since he’s been his normal butthead self,” Ainsley said with a shrug. “Give me a call if you need me.” She gave Kenzie a quick hug before letting herself out of the front entryway.
That left Ainsley standing on the bottom stair slightly above Jesse. “So…”
Jesse let out a laugh. “This got way more secretive and important than I planned on. I just wanted to see if you were okay after the attack and talk to you a bit about something that’s been on my mind. It’s not scary or anything.”
Kenzie relaxed at that, even though her stomach ached at the thought of talking about the attack again. But it wasn’t like she could hide from it. Whiskey was a small town, and everyone knew what had happened. And though Jesse didn’t live in Whiskey, she was still close enough to those who lived inside the town borders to have heard things.
“Do you want to come upstairs to my room? Or we can go into the bar. It’s not that busy yet I don’t think.”
“I spotted our booth empty in the corner.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Kenzie said as she followed the other woman to the bar. Soon, they were sitting together, talking about nothing important with a glass of wine in front of each of them. She hadn’t spotted Dare yet, and she wasn’t sure what this was about, but for some reason, she knew it was important.
So many things seemed important these days, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“Dare told you about his time before he owned this place?” Jesse asked. She’d made it sound like a question, but from the look in the other woman’s eyes, Kenzie knew that Jesse probably already knew the answer.
Kenzie looked down at the wine glass
in her hand and nodded. “Yes. He told me.” She met the other woman’s gaze, hoping she could say the right thing. “I am so sorry about Jason. I don’t know what I’d do if…” She shook her head, words seeming a bit useless right then. “I just don’t know what I’d do.”
Jesse gave her a sad smile. “I didn’t know what I’d do either. They tell you to be prepared when you marry a cop. Hell, they tell you to be prepared when you marry anyone in a position where their life is on the line protecting those they love…and those they’ve never met. But being a cop was what Jason loved to do. He was good at it. He loved me, and loved the baby growing inside of me. He was one of those guys that could put away the job when he came home. He’d talk to me if he needed to, and he’d talk to his brothers, as well. He never wanted to be the one who bottled it all up inside and ended up hurting himself in the process. I don’t know how he became so self-aware, but that was my husband. And I miss him every damn moment of every damn day, even if my heart is scabbed over, I still feel that wound.”
Kenzie was quiet, listening to the other woman speak. How Jesse could even sit here and talk about her husband without breaking down, she didn’t know, but Kenzie sure as hell admired her strength and the depth of her love for the man she’d lost.
“Dare isn’t like Jason,” Jesse said, bringing Kenzie from her thoughts.
She swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”
“Jason did his best to bring Dare out of his shell and open up about what they were going through even when it was smaller cases that didn’t end in shouting or an arrest. Dare was a great cop. Hard-working and efficient. He put his all into it, and yet he internalized everything. He smiled more than he does now, he laughed and joked with his family and did everything he could for them. He still does the latter, honestly, which I guess you can see just by watching him interact with them. But he’s not the same man he was before the shooting.” She paused. “I don’t think any of us are the same people as before, and I honestly don’t know if anyone could be the same after something like that.”
“I don’t think so either.” Kenzie met Jesse’s gaze. “He doesn’t sleep. I mean, he does when he’s exhausted, and between work and everything else, he’s tired more than ever, but he still dreams.” She paused, not sure why she was telling Jesse this but knowing she had to. “I don’t know how to help him. He does so much to help me even though I don’t want to need the help, but I don’t know how to help him.”
Jesse reached out and gripped her hand. “Don’t stop trying. I don’t know what the two of you are to each other, nor do I know what you two say you want, but don’t stop trying. He needs you, even if he won’t say it. When you’re with him, I see the man he could be. And I know that’s a heavy weight to put on your shoulders. I’m sorry for that, but don’t give up, Kenzie. He’s such an amazing man, and I want him to see that. I think you could do that for him.”
Kenzie opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, a familiar sense of awareness spread over her. She turned as Dare walked toward them, concern on his face for a moment before he schooled his features into a smile.
“There’re my girls,” he said before leaning down to kiss her cheek then doing the same to Jesse. “Doing okay tonight?”
“Just hanging with your girl,” Jesse said on a laugh. “Now I need to go and pick up my baby from my parents. It was good talking to you, Kenzie.” She stood up and kissed Dare’s cheek. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” And with that, she walked away, leaving Kenzie and Dare alone at her corner booth.
“Hey,” he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Kenzie looked up at him, her heart beating in her chest.
“Hey there.”
“So, I need to close for the night but once I’m done, want me to come up?”
She licked her lips and got out of the booth so she could stand in front of him. He immediately put his hands on her hips and brought his head down for a kiss. She didn’t moan, but she was sure as heck close just from his touch alone. This man did things to her that made her crazy.
“I’m going to finish my glass of wine and head upstairs to eat what I have in the fridge. But when you’re done working? I’d love for you to come upstairs.”
He nodded, a smile playing over his lips. “My goal is for you to come, too, you know.”
She rolled her eyes even as laughter bubbled up her throat. “I walked into that one, didn’t I?”
“Pretty much.” He paused. “You and Jesse okay?”
Kenzie nodded, even though she was still digesting how the conversation had gone. “We were just having girl time. She’s a nice woman.”
He smiled fully then, and her heart warmed. “Yeah, she is. I’m glad she has someone to talk to that isn’t her parents or kid, you know?”
She wasn’t sure he’d like it as much if he knew where their conversation had gone, but that wasn’t something she was going to get into at the moment.
She went up on her toes and kissed his chin, knowing she couldn’t bite it like she wanted to with so many people around. “Upstairs soon?”
He growled low. “Soon.”
She sauntered away, moving her hips with just enough sway that she knew his eyes were glued to her butt. Because if she worked hard at it, she knew they could focus on the heat between them, the chemistry, and not the percolating feelings and issues that kept creeping up.
She didn’t want to want him with the intensity she did, and she knew he felt the same way. At least, that’s what he’d told her at first. They couldn’t go and change the game at this point.
It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Not when she didn’t know what she wanted. So she’d pretend that everything was just heat between them. Heat with a touch of…something else.
It was either that or go mad. And she’d almost done that before; she refused to do it again.
She hoped.
Chapter 14
“You sound happy,” Dare said into the phone as he leaned back against the wall in the dining room on his way back from the kitchen. He had a beer in his hand with his family in the living room close by, and he was doing his best to keep his tone light no matter what they talked about.
Tabby laughed into the phone. “I am happy.” She paused, and he knew she was thinking about what exactly made her this happy. “I never thought this would happen, you know? I never thought I’d find someone who’s my other half in so many ways. We’re so different, yet when it comes down to it, those differences make us work.” She laughed again, and Dare couldn’t help but smile. His baby sister needed to laugh, and that Montgomery she was about to marry knew how to make her do it.
“Well, if Alex ever stops making you laugh like that, I’ll come down and kick his ass.”
“First, big brother, if he stops making me laugh, I’ll kick his ass. It’s what we do. He taught me how to fight and protect myself, so I’ll take him down.” There was laughter in her voice as she said that, but he had a feeling she wasn’t necessarily joking. Alex had trained her in self-defense, and Dare knew Loch had flown out there to give her pointers as well after she was hurt in an attack. They all blamed themselves for not making sure she was safe, even hundreds of miles away.
“Okay, stop grumbling over there,” Tabby warned. “I’m done with all of you being all overprotective.”
He hadn’t even said anything, but apparently, his silence was enough. “I’m glad you’re happy, Tabs. And we’ll be out there for the wedding with no problems. I made sure the staff here is aware, so just do what you need to do, and we’ll be there.”
“We? Are you bringing Kenzie?”
Dare sputtered. “Uh, I was actually talking about Nate since Monica is letting me have him for the wedding.” That had been a chore in itself, but he wasn’t about to get into that with Tabby or any of his family for that matter. “Kenzie and I aren’t…well, I don’t think we’re at a wedding stage yet.” His stomach tightened, and he coughed. “I mean taking each other
to weddings yet. Like across the country and shit.”
“So eloquent, Dare. Good to know you’re comfortable enough in your relationship not to stutter and sound like you’re having a panic attack when you talk about a trip together.”
Dare pinched the bridge of his nose, aware that his parents and brothers were now staring at him from the living room. Well, great, at least his audience would be entertained while he tried to get his foot out of his mouth. Thankfully, Nate and Kenzie weren’t there, or he’d need to find a deck to jump off or something.
“You caught me off guard. And now I’m going to go because Fox is glaring at me, and I’m pretty sure Loch is going to pound me if I don’t get off the phone and explain to them that I’m not an asshole.”
“You’re still an asshole,” Fox called out.
“Dude, Misty is napping,” Loch griped. “She’s getting over her cold, so don’t wake her up.” He punched Fox in the arm, and the two of then snorted at each other.
“Tell them I miss them and will call them soon,” Tabby said. “And maybe you should, you know, think about your relationship with Kenzie if it’s been going on for more than a couple of nights. Besides, I hear you two are practically sleeping at each other’s places every night.”
“Bye, Tabs. Love you.” He hung up before she could pester him again and ignored the looks his parents gave him. They liked Kenzie as their innkeeper, and from the way his mother gushed about her, they wanted her to be a part of the group as more than just a friend.
They loved the idea of the two of them dating, and that worried him. Sure, he’d been slightly worried about what his parents would think about him sleeping with the innkeeper—especially since he’d been an asshole to her that first morning—but now he was worried they liked the idea too much.
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