“She’s attracted to me and I’m attracted to her. It’s just a physical thing, nothing more. And she won’t be around for long anyway.”
His brother snorted. “So go for it! Lock her down. Plant your fucking flag, bro, before someone else does.”
Could he do that, knowing it would throw his regimen off course, but worse—and he couldn’t believe he was even thinking this—that it was only short-term? He already liked her. A lot. He liked how easy it felt around her. She might be the key to unlocking some part of him he didn’t know existed.
The not-Henri part.
To taste that potential—for himself, for them—and have it ripped away was a risk he couldn’t afford to take.
21
Kennedy reread the email from the school she had contracted with for her work visa in Thailand. They still hadn’t received the documentation from the consulate and now, heading into the busy holiday season, her plans might be delayed.
She could still head back by New Year on a tourist visa and see more of the country, but her placement in the school would be pushed back to the next semester. Luckily she was saving money because of the free room and board and the additional dog-walking clients, as well as some personal errand gigs. She could afford to bum around Asia for a few months except …
She was starting to like the current situation.
With Bucky.
With Reid.
So used to being on the move, she had forgotten the pleasures of sitting still for a moment—and not just with yoga. Sharing a meal with someone whose company you enjoyed, watching TV and looking over to see if he got that joke, leaving Post-its and texts for each other about the most mundane things … the comfort in it was tempting.
Too tempting.
It would be so easy to get attached. The root of all suffering, right?
And they hadn’t even banged yet!
She heard the TV come on, which meant Reid must have returned from one of his twenty thrice-daily trips to the gym. She headed out, needing to talk to him anyway, determined not to be swayed by his thick thighs and awesome pecs and blue-on-blue eyes.
“Reid, could I have a word?”
“Sure.” He gave her his full attention from his spot on the sofa.
“My car is outside in the residents’ parking. And it … works.”
His look was so fucking what? Also known as Reid Scowl No. 5.
“Did you take my car to the mechanic and pay to get it fixed?”
“Oui.”
She had planned to pay for a tow-truck this morning. It would bite into a chunk of her savings but she needed that car to get around for the next few weeks. When she found it in a different spot outside and turned the key in the ignition, it started up just fine.
“What do I owe you?”
“Nothing. I gave game tickets to the guy.”
Oh. If he didn’t pay money, she couldn’t get huffy about it. “Thanks for doing that. It was really kind.”
His cheeks flushed. “You need the car. You’re a busy woman.”
“It was still a nice thing to do.”
He nodded curtly, a sign that the gratitude fest needed to end now. That should have been enough, but something inside her chest couldn’t let it go. Something inside her chest was rearing up in response.
Reid fixed her car. The car she had lived in for three—no, four—days. The car she needed to get to the jobs that paid for her crappy boxes of mac and cheese. The car she needed to see Edie.
“What’s wrong?” That deep voice sounded so close, and then she realized it was. Or he was. He had eaten the gap between sofa and woman and was now regarding her with a hybrid of concern and horror.
“I—” She sniffed, but it was too late. The tears had already burst the dam around her heart. “I’m sorr—” Her words were muffled by a wall of steel: Reid’s amazing chest. His arms caged her in the best way possible. All in. No hesitation.
“What did I do wrong, Kennedy?” The words were a hot puff of breath against her scalp.
“Nothing,” she sniffed. Everything. “It’s just been a rough couple of weeks. I hadn’t realized how much I depend on that car and your kindness took me by surprise.”
“Unexpected from the cranky roommate, huh?” He drew back, still holding on, but his eyes watched her closely. The words were light, the gaze anything but.
“Just kindness in general, not the source.”
“You know I said you only had to ask me to hold you. Comfort you. I’m not the best with speeches but I can listen and give out hugs.”
She wrapped her arms around him tightly and felt him relax into her in return. “You’re good at this roommate business.”
They held each other for a few minutes, and it never got awkward. Unless you counted the bolt of lust that slammed through her and was now boomeranging around for another pass.
Enough. She would have to see if someone else might be willing to give her a good clearing of the pipes. Maybe Bryan, one of her dog-walking clients, who was always asking her to stop for a drink after she dropped Smoky the Yorkshire terrier off. Recently-divorced, a bit older, very fit …
Bucky nuzzled her leg. “Someone wants attention,” she said.
“I’d better take him out for a spin. Did you want to come?”
Yes, please!
But he actually meant for a walk. The bracing November air would probably be effective in calming her down, but she needed to be alone. Fifteen minutes with Reid and Bucky out of the house would be enough for her to take care of business.
At her hesitation, he spoke up. “Sorry, it’s your night off and I’m asking you to work.”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
“You relax. We’ll be back soon.” He smiled, a move that sent a pulse to a spot that did not need blood flow right now. Within sixty seconds he and Bucky were out the door—and Kennedy was headed to her room for some much needed relief with her battery-operated friend.
About six minutes in, she was close, so close, so—
“Kennedy!”
They were back already? Frustrated, she pulled her yoga pants up, hid her tool (ha!) in the nightstand, and put her head out the door.
A surprising sight greeted her—two very dirty boys. The left side of Reid’s sweatpants and Henley was caked in mud. Bucky was even worse. He looked like he’d fought a dirty puddle and the puddle won.
“What happened?”
Reid looked down at Bucky who looked up at Reid, and it was so damn cute she wanted to hug them both. “This guy decided he wanted to jump in some wet leaves, which turned out to be muddy wet leaves. When I tried to grab his leash, I lost my balance.” He held up mud-streaked hands.
“Reid Durand, Ice-Dancing Superstar, losing his balance?”
“It was slippery and I wasn’t reckoning on this scoundrel going rogue. I think he saw a rat.” He gave her an up-down look that seemed to see everything. “What were you doing?”
“Just getting ready to … uh, take a shower.”
As she spoke Reid reached behind his back and pulled his Henley over his head in that one-hand move guys must have embedded in their DNA.
Kennedy’s body had been humming before, but now graduated to a full-scale vroom-vroom.