“As well as it could with Lisa Burton there,” he muttered.
“Lisa.” Kendall said the name with obvious dislike. “You’ve met her?” Rick asked, wary. Who knows what the jealous teacher had done or said to Kendall, Rick’s supposed girlfriend. He caught himself, realizing that Kendall was no longer his pretend anything.
She was real. Incredibly, beautifully real.
Kendall sighed. “I didn’t meet her exactly. She was one of the women at the hair salon who pretty much snubbed me. Not that I care.”
He could read the lie in her eyes. She’d been hurt and he couldn’t believe how badly he wanted to not just protect her but take away any slight or pain. “Lisa’s not worth worrying about. Just a jealous woman who doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”
“She’s one of the ones after you?”
He almost said they were all after him, that’s how overwhelming the barrage had been. But true to his plan, now that the town thought he was with Kendall, no one had ambushed him in days. “If Lisa bothers you, let me know.”
Kendall raised an eyebrow. “So you can what? Arrest her for rudeness? Please.” She waved away his protective concern. “Honestly I’ve been to many new towns. Not everyone likes everyone and that’s the way life is. I can handle her. But if she puts so much as a hand on you, then I can’t be held accountable for my actions.” She grinned and finished the last of her wine.
“Possessive thing, aren’t you?” He tapped the tip of her nose with his finger.
“What’s mine is mine.” She shrugged easily.
The wine had obviously relaxed her defenses and though she spoke jokingly, there was a hint of seriousness in her tone that pleased Rick. To his never-ending surprise when it came to Kendall, he didn’t mind being claimed.
“Finished?” she asked.
He glanced down, once again shocked he’d eaten not just his second slice but a third without being aware. The conversation and company were too stimulating for him to concentrate on food.
“I sure am. I’m stuffed.” He started to rise, but her hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“You worked all day. I’ve got the cleaning. Finish your beer and relax.” She gathered the paper plates and her empty wineglass and headed into the kitchen.
Because of the open pass-through area between the kitchen and the family room where his bar stools were, Rick was able to continue conversation—and watch Kendall while she worked. She had an amazing body and her outfit outlined every curve, arousing his baser male instincts despite the earlier exhaustion.
Though he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her narrow hips and firm behind—he was male after all—her heart and inner spirit interested him most right now. “So tell me about your jewelry.”
She’d tossed the paper plates and wrapped the extra slices. “Refrigerator or freezer for these?” she asked him.
“Refrigerator. I’ll live on those tomorrow.”
“Okay. I have two different styles of jewelry,” she said as she got back to work. “I hope to learn newer techniques in Arizona especially working with turquoise, but right now, I do wire jewelry with beading. I also have another idea but I haven’t tried it out yet. I only have sketches and I’d have to show you—” She obviously and deliberately cut herself off. “That was silly. You wouldn’t be interested in female jewelry.”
In a heartbeat he stood and strode into the kitchen, catching her between the counter and his body. “I wouldn’t presume to know what interests me, if I were you.”
She licked her lips. “Why’s that?”
“Because you might miss out on something amazing if you do. Now I might not be interested in women’s jewelry, that’s true. But when it comes to something that you’ve created, that’s a different story.”
A unique-looking choker that resembled a lace collar lay wrapped around her neck. He lifted the piece and fingered some of the small and intricate beads in his hand. He studied the piece and craftsmanship with awe. Kendall had talent to say the least and Rick was certain Charlotte had seen it or she wouldn’t have agreed to take the pieces into her beloved shop.
“This is beautiful,” Rick said. “And so are you.” He unhooked the necklace from behind and lay it on the counter beside him, then leaned forward and placed his lips on the soft skin where the choker had once been.
He inhaled her fragrant scent and his groin pulsed with aching need. Not ready to assuage that particular desire, he worked on arousing Kendall first instead. He ran his tongue along the slightly red line left by the jewelry, soothing her flesh, and if her soft moan was any indication, accomplishing his goal.
“Rick.”
Her husky voice worked on his already sensitive nerve endings and the bedroom in the small apartment seemed too far away.
“Rick, wait.”
He groaned and stepped back. “What’s wrong?”
“Tonight’s not about satisfying me and I can tell that’s where you’re headed. Not that I mind. I’d love it in fact, but I promised myself this would be your night.” She lifted her hands and cupped his face. “You earned it.” She placed a soft kiss on his mouth. “You deserve it.” She slid her tongue across his lips as her thumbs caressed his jaw. “And I want nothing more than to give back to you this time. That would satisfy me even more.”
“Mmm. Okay.”
“Good. Now you’ve had a long shift. Go relax in the bedroom while I clean up.” While she spoke, she massaged his shoulders, showing him exactly what she had in mind.
She’d put a great deal of thought into this evening and he had no doubt there’d be much more to come than simply a massage of his aching muscles.
“It’d be faster if I helped.”
“I’d be happier if you didn’t. Now go,” she said, her tone lowering.
No one had ever spoken to him in such a gentle, heated voice. No one had touched him with such special care. And no one had ever put his needs before their own. Kendall had. She obviously had her own agenda. She wanted to be in charge of this evening, wanted to give to him for a change.
He couldn’t say he minded.
“I’ll be in soon. I promise. I just don’t want to leave a mess in here.” She gestured toward the bedroom. “Go on.”
“You never mentioned you were so bossy.” He grinned as he took a step back.
“That’s because you never asked.” She shot him a wink and turned back to working on the cleanup.
He watched her in his kitchen for a moment before he headed for the bedroom and stretched out on top of the bed. As soon as he relaxed into the mattress, his body remembered how exhausted he’d been earlier. He couldn’t be more grateful Kendall had surprised him, that she was here with him now.
He wanted nothing more than to have her beside him in his bed. And his heart settled in his throat as he recalled how unlikely it was that she’d remain here for very long.
Chapter Seven
Kendall tossed the beer bottle into Rick’s recycling bin and after towel-drying the wineglass, she replaced it in the cabinet from which she’d taken it earlier. Because this night was for him, she didn’t want to take any chances of leaving a mess he’d end up having to clean later. The kitchen spotless, she shut the lights and headed inside.