Kissing Mr. Right

by Michelle Major

  Kendall had called herself a coward. To Ty’s way of thinking, he was the real chickenshit. When the going got tough with his family, he’d run like hell. At the time, it seemed like the best way to deal with his anger. Now he felt like a coward.

  Is that how he wanted to live, as someone who took the easy way out? He’d made a good life for himself. Was that enough?

  His arms tightened reflexively and he felt Kendall stir. Damn. He remained motionless, hoping he hadn’t woken her. She sighed and shifted in his lap.

  “Did I fall asleep?” she asked drowsily.

  Ty kissed the top of her head. “For a few minutes. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  She tilted her head, looking embarrassed as she met his gaze. “I’m glad you did. It wasn’t exactly fair of me to dump all that stuff on you then nod off.”

  “Does what you told me change things?”

  “What do you mean?” Her bottom pressed against his lap as she stretched. If she didn’t quit moving, Ty was going to have a hell of a time forming a coherent thought.

  “Be still,” he said, holding her steady. “You told me about your childhood, about the choices you’ve made as an adult, so I would understand why you pushed me away.”

  She nodded. “I spent a lot of years feeling judged for where I came from and measuring my own worth by it. It’s probably why I’ve dated guys who cared more about my image than really getting to know me. Even my so-called serious boyfriend wasn’t interested in my family or how I’d grown up.”

  “Then he didn’t deserve you.”

  “At the time, I thought it was for the best. But from the start of whatever this is between us, I knew you were different.” Her gaze dropped as she traced one finger along the edge of his jaw. “It scares the hell out of me,” she whispered.

  “Join the club,” he said with a strained laugh, her gentle touch driving him crazy. He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. “A big part of who you are today is because of where you came from, Kendall. Your determination and drive, the master plan I’m starting to hate. But there’s more to life than getting ahead.”

  She bit down on her lip, as if she was unsure if she wanted to believe him or argue the point. “I became a journalist because I wanted to change the world through my reporting, the way my world was changed by the women I watched on TV. Even if my connection to them was just a little girl’s fantasy, those female journalists gave me hope. The master plan is important to me, Ty. I’m not giving it up for anyone.”

  “Does it sound like I’m asking you to give up your dreams?”

  When she shook her head, loose strands of hair tickled his chin. Her hair smelled clean like rain. For a woman who professed to hate the outdoors, she radiated a freshness that couldn’t be bought at a cosmetics counter. He lifted her off his lap and climbed out of the chair, setting her back down against the wood seat. He couldn’t concentrate with her perched against him.

  When she spoke, he wished his arms were still wrapped around her so he could shake some sense into that gorgeous skull.

  “What we have is fun, but it’s not forever,” she said, her voice quiet and sure. “I’m building a career and I need to stay focused on that.”

  Ty felt despair wash through him. He was falling for a woman who flat-out said she had more important priorities than him in her life. He’d spent most of his childhood feeling like he wasn’t important to his narcissistic parents and he wasn’t going to sign on for more of that brand of rejection. While he understood the reason Kendall clung so tightly to her plan, it didn’t give him much hope for a future with her. Which is what he wanted . . . more than he was willing to admit. It would be best for both of them to end this now.

  He looked into her moss green eyes and a voice inside him shouted no. All the words that would allow him to let her go slipped from his mind.

  He wanted her. Wanted her in his life. Wanted her in his bed.

  So much for doing the smart thing.

  He lifted his hands to either side of her face and traced the supple lines of her mouth with his thumbs.

  Confusion danced across her face. Her breath came out in short, shallow puffs of air. “What are you doing?”

  He smiled and leaned his head even closer, until his lips moved against hers when he spoke. “Showing you that I can do a lot more for you than any damn job.”

  She groaned. “I can’t think when you touch me.”

  “Good. I’ve told you before, you think too much.”

  “But . . .”

  When her mouth opened to protest, he took the opportunity to kiss her. Her skin was cool from the night air, but her mouth was so hot. The temperature in his backyard rose about thirty degrees. His tongue circled hers, coaxing her to respond.

  Her response nearly sent him to his knees.

  She wrapped her arms around him, grazing his back with her fingernails, pressing her breasts into the hammering wall of his chest.

  Out of nowhere, guilt wound itself in a tight little knot in his stomach. He wished he could blast his conscience to the moon.

  With an effort of will he didn’t know he possessed, he lifted his head. “If this isn’t what you want . . .”

  She fixed her mouth on the exposed flesh above his shirt collar. “You’re kidding, right?” The words hummed along his skin.

  Just about every one of his brain cells took the fast train south. Way south. “I don’t want you to hate me in the morning. Shit, I don’t want to hate myself.”

  She met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with desire. “Cold feet?” she asked with a seductive smile.

  “Hell, no.” He was about as hot as the surface of the sun.

  The smile turned challenging. “To repeat some advice a wise man once gave me, you talk too much. Shut up and kiss me.”

  He grinned before stepping away from her.

  “Hey!” she protested.

  With practiced efficiency, he blew out the four candles, plunging the backyard into total darkness. “Ty?” Kendall’s voice was small in the night when she said his name. Returning silently to her side, he bent and lifted her in his arms. She gave a small gasp, then threw her head back and laughed. He raced along the path toward the house.

  Kendall twisted her fingers in the material of his shirt and hung on for dear life. “Slow down.” She giggled when they rounded a corner. “You’ll run us into a tree.”

  Ty kept his gaze focused on the darkness ahead. “No trees. I know the path.”

  “In that case . . .” She tilted her head up and licked along the base of his throat. She laughed again when Ty groaned and nearly tripped up the deck stairs.

  “Paybacks are hell,” he warned, pushing open the back door with one hip and maneuvering her into the house.

  “I can’t wait,” she whispered. He carried her up the stairs and down the hall, careful not to bump her head as he turned into one of the upstairs rooms. Soft moonlight slipped through the large window on one wall and she could just make out a bed, dresser, and a chair.

  Then his weight was on top of her, pressing her against the soft covers. He was lean and strong above her.

  When he crushed his mouth to hers, it was easy to forget that he was not the right guy for her.

  Easy to think about how right it felt for his tongue to slip inside her parted lips. Easy to lose herself in the whirling pleasure of his kiss.

  For his hand to stroke up her thigh, nudging the hem of her dress until it bunched around her hips.

  He broke the kiss and stared down at her. “Is there a zipper on this thing?” he asked, his voice harsh and raspy. His eyes were clouded with emotion and desire. “You look great in my shirt, but I need to see you, Kendall. Now.”

  One end of her mouth curved. “You first.”

  Like a shot, he was off the bed. “Whatever you say.”

&nbs
p; She liked the way he made her feel. Reckless. Sexy. A little wild.

  Her eyes had adjusted to the dim light, and she could clearly see him standing next to the bed. Raising herself onto her elbows, she watched as he hastily undressed. He kicked off his sandals, shrugged out of his shirt, and dragged the gray T-shirt over his head.

  Kendall knew he looked good bare chested, but seeing him standing there, all smooth muscles and honey-warm skin, her head started to spin. He undid his jeans and stepped out of them, then pulled off his boxers. When he straightened, her mouth went dry. He was beautiful. Every part of him, from his wide, muscled chest to his flat stomach to the hard erection jutting out from between his legs.

  He watched her watching him, then let out a strangled laugh. “If you keep looking at me like that, this is going to be over before we get to the good stuff.” He moved to the edge of the bed, trailing a finger along her ankle. “Your turn.”

  He was watching her with such unabashed adoration that she forgot to be shy. The only thought she could focus on was getting undressed as soon as possible. She wanted him. “The zipper’s in the back,” she said softly. “I may need a little help.”

  He leaned toward her, kissing her as his fingers found the small clasp at the base of her neck and he tugged at the zipper. When it reached the swell of her hip, he moved away to the corner of the bed with a harsh exhale.

  He was waiting for her. Kendall peeled the loose fabric off her shoulders. She lifted her hips to push the dress down her legs, tossing it off the bed.

  “Almost there,” he murmured and again the look in his eyes bolstered her confidence.

  Straightening, she reached behind her back and unfastened her bra, flinging the lacy material over the side of the bed with her dress. Her underpants followed and she raised herself onto her knees, leaning forward to crush her mouth against Ty’s. At the same time, she caught him in her hand.

  “Sweet Jesus,” he rasped, grabbing her wrist. “Not helping to make the moment last.”

  “I need you,” she said against his mouth.

  “You’ve got me.” He lifted her, and pressing her back down against the soft covers.

  He took control of the kiss, driving her crazy with his lips and his tongue while his hands found their way to the most sensitive places on her body. When she felt herself spiraling out of control, she let the sensations take her, crying out her pleasure against his throat.

  She felt free.

  For the first time, she let her desire rule her unfettered. She answered his need with her own enthusiastic response. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him to her.

  “I want you inside me, Ty. More than anything else.”

  His voice was shaky when he replied. “There isn’t any place in the world I’d rather be.” He reached toward the nightstand and pulled a condom out of the drawer.

  Thank heavens he was prepared. She was so crazy with wanting him, she wouldn’t have even remembered protection.

  A moment later his mouth was on hers again, and she forgot about preparing for anything but opening her body to him. Then he was there, inside her, making her soar to heights she didn’t know she could reach. She held on to him tightly, pressing him against her, wanting to feel all of him touching all of her.

  The words he spoke were low against her throat. “This is more than fun, Kendall. This is right.”

  “Why are you talking?” she asked, digging her nails into his back. “It’s sex. It doesn’t mean . . .”

  Her voice choked off as he changed the rhythm of his movement.

  “Yes, it does,” he said firmly, and then pressed his mouth over hers.

  Suddenly, this was like no experience she’d ever had. The excitement, the sensation, the pure pleasure of it drove her wild with need.

  She forgot about arguing with him. Forgot about what this could mean.

  She let passion wash over her, riding the crest of the wave until she fell off the end of the earth and was lost to everything except the moment.

  When she finally landed back on the bed, it was several minutes before she could form a coherent thought. Ty was still on top of her, somehow cradling her in his arms without crushing her with his weight.

  She felt his heart beat against her chest. Or was it hers? Their bodies were slick and hot and it felt so right to be with him like this.

  It felt good. Fantastic, even. But not right. Because if this was right, she was afraid that made her master plan wrong.

  She’d worked too long and hard to get sidetracked now. She wasn’t going to confuse mind-blowing sex with something more. Something that could turn her dreams, her plan, her whole world upside down.

  Her skin cooled when Ty rolled off her. He kept his arm across her, tucking her hair behind one ear as he turned her face toward him. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop.”

  “How do you know . . . ?”

  “Trust me, I know. No more thinking tonight. Or talking.” He kissed her and pushed down the duvet and sheets.

  Kendall scooted up until she was able to stretch her legs under the clean white sheets. “Um, do you have a T-shirt or something I could borrow?”

  He smiled at her as he stretched out his legs. “No.”

  Even though they weren’t touching, she could still feel the heat pouring off him. She pulled the sheet higher until it brushed against her chin. “Really, no joking. I need something to sleep in.”

  He leaned back against the headboard and stretched his arms wide. “I’m all ready for you.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “You’re putting a major chink in my ego. I’ve barely caught my breath from the best sex of my life and you’re ready to sleep. What about round two?”

  Kendall shot him a glance. “The best sex of your life? Really?”

  “Without a doubt.” His eyes narrowed. “You disagree?”

  “No, no,” she answered quickly. “It was amazing.”

  “Damn right.”

  “But I figured that had more to do with your performance than mine. I’m not exactly known for my sexual prowess.”

  He framed her face in his big palms and drew her close. “Listen, carefully, because I’m only going to say this once and I’m not going to argue. It’s not me. It’s not you. It’s the combination of us. Whether or not you want to admit it, we fit.”

  “We do,” she agreed with some hesitation, “in bed.”

  One end of his mouth quirked. “I guess that’ll do for now.”

  “About that T-shirt?”

  “No clothes for you,” he said in a mock dictator tone.

  “Pleee-aa-sse.”

  “I like it when you beg.”

  She punched his arm.

  He released her face to rub his shoulder. “Ouch. I’ll make you a deal, slugger. You give me another hour,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her, “and I’ll give you my favorite T-shirt.”

  She ran a finger along her tingling lower lip. “Hmmm. What would I get for two hours?”

  He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her on top of him. “Anything you want.”

  Kendall woke up to the morning sun slanting across the patterned rug at the foot of the bed. Slowly, she turned. Ty was fast asleep next to her, one arm thrown back above his head. She watched his chest rise and fall, the pale light casting shadows across his chiseled features. Even asleep, with tumbled hair and a blanket of stubble across his chin, he screamed rich boy.

  Why hadn’t she seen it in the first place? The easy confidence, the sense of belonging in any circumstance. Kendall should have recognized those as the traits of someone who came from privilege. Weren’t they the very characteristics she’d been trying to imitate for most of her life? And she was good at it.

  But it was work for her. Not for someone like Ty. For him, it was second nature. Did it really matter? It di
dn’t change anything between them. She had her life, her plans, her future. And Ty Bishop didn’t fit into that future.

  If she kept repeating those words to herself, maybe she’d eventually believe them.

  Trying not to disturb him, she climbed off the bed. She glanced back as she tugged on the hem of the T-shirt he’d finally given her. He was still asleep. Good. She collected her bra, underpants, and dress from the wrinkled heap near the foot of the bed and silently padded down the hall to the bathroom. Flipping on the light, she glanced at herself in the beveled mirror above the sink.

  Who was the woman staring back at her? The one with hair flying in a hundred different directions, dark smudges of dried makeup under her eyes, and a faint pink shadow on her jaw that looked suspiciously like beard burn.

  It sure wasn’t anyone Kendall recognized. It wasn’t the Kendall Clark who each night religiously removed her makeup, washed her face, flossed and brushed her teeth before she combed her hair, put in her night guard, and went to bed in matching pajamas. This woman looked like she’d been on an all-night bender.

  Kendall leaned closer to the mirror, using her finger to wipe crusty mascara out of the fine lines at the corner of her eyes. Great. She hadn’t forgotten to wash her face since she’d hit puberty. Now she was probably going to end up with premature wrinkles and a big pimple for the evening newscast.

  Did she really want a life where she couldn’t go a little crazy now and then?

  Sighing, she turned on the water.

  She emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later feeling slightly more normal, although it was doubtful any amount of dry cleaning would get all the creases out of her silk dress.

  She followed her nose to the kitchen, where Ty stood, his back to her, in front of the stove. He wore only a pair of old khaki shorts, the muscles on his back flexing as he dipped a ladle into a bowl and transferred a scoop full of batter into a sizzling pan.

  Suddenly, Kendall remembered why she’d forgotten her priorities. A pimple was a small price to pay for the pleasure of last night.

  “You cook, too?” She stepped into the bright room.