In the end, I didn’t want to do anything without at least acknowledging her presence. After that, I figured I could decide what to do next. Granted, I could already surmise what that decision would be, but that was neither here nor there.
Kenny mindlessly toyed with the straw in her drink while she stared off into the distance, overlooking the dark lake with her chin resting comfortably on the heel of her palm. The closer I got to her, the more beautiful she was—which was something I didn’t think possible. There was a calmness about her tonight that soothed any nerves I might’ve had and lulled me into a state of complete peace. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought she had drugged me.
She was alone at a small high-top table near the railing. It was one of a handful that had an unobstructed view of the reservoir, which would be a very popular seat during the day and evening. But once dinner ended and the nightly entertainment began, everyone tended to move closer to the front where the DJ table, MC stand, and dancefloor were located. There really wasn’t much of a reason to sit along the railing when it was too dark to enjoy the view. Yet that didn’t seem to stop Kenny from choosing that spot, nor did it keep her from gazing out toward the water as if she could see the reflections along the glassy top.
“Hey.” I tried to soften my voice as I came to stand next to her. Except it seemed I didn’t do a very good job, considering I nearly made her fall off the barstool she was on. “Damn, Kenny…I’m sorry. I seem to keep scaring you.”
“Yeah, sneaking up on people will do that.” A slight giggle rolled in her words, matching the hint of a grin shadowing her lips. Ah, those lips. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about them since feeling them against mine yesterday on the boat. It took everything in me not to kiss her last night on my dock, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it another night without giving in.
Catching the slight heat kindling in my face, a telltale sign of an impending grin, I scrubbed my palm along my cheek to prevent Kenny from seeing the effect she had on me. Albeit, it was likely futile at this point, considering this wasn’t the first time I had to suppress my reaction to her.
I slid over a stool from the table next to hers and took a seat before finally meeting her gaze. It was a miracle I could think straight, let alone speak properly, while captivated by her oceanic eyes. Technically, it was a miracle I could do anything other than sit in front of her and drool on myself.
While Kenny was a complete mystery to me, one thing was for sure: No one—and I mean no one—had ever affected me this way. Or had even come close. That was enough to prove that Kenny wasn’t just some guest at the resort. There was something more to her being here, something more to her, that I needed to figure out.
“I’ll admit, I kind of snuck up on you last night…but you can’t say that about this time. It’s not my fault you weren’t paying attention.” Apparently, based on my taking a seat and the way I leaned against the edge of the table, my mind had been made up—I wasn’t going home quite yet.
She coyly shrugged and brought her drink closer to her mouth so she could use the straw without the need to lean forward. The entire time, her eyes cut to the side, locked on mine. Never before had I met someone so innocently sexy. I felt like I was constantly stuck between the desire to tease her and the need to kiss her.
“I didn’t think I was going to see you today,” she said as she set her glass down.
I waited a second before answering, hoping I could gauge her body language enough to tell me how she felt about that in the event she was pissed or annoyed. Yet all I got from her was genuine interest. “Yeah, today’s been a shitshow—literally. There was a plumbing issue in one of the cabins that needed my attention. It took up the majority of the day, and then the obligatory paperwork took up the rest. I didn’t even get a break between that and my shift in the kitchen.”
“Oh, wow. That sounds crappy.” Laughter immediately bubbled behind her pinched lips, telling me that her pun was completely accidental. It was enough to make me smile along with her, though that ended when she confessed, “I kind of wondered if you were avoiding me after last night.”
I didn’t fully understand why she would feel that way. It wasn’t like we had ended the night on a bad note or anything, so I found it odd that she would assume such a thing. Regardless, rather than question her, I decided to address the situation head-on, hoping it would go away. “No, not at all. I’ll admit, though, I was up all night, pissed at myself for telling you about the history of the lake.”
Kenny cocked her head to the side and narrowed her gaze.
“I feel like every time we’ve been together, we’ve talked about me. Telling you all that last night…all it did was make you want to know more, make you want to ask more questions—about me.” I paused to make sure she was truly listening. “You’re here for a week—well, less than a week now—and I feel like I know nothing about you. I don’t want to spend the whole time talking about me.”
That seemed to take her by surprise. Her previously narrowed eyes widened, and rather than tilt her head to the side, she quickly pulled it back, as though my words had slapped her in the face. “Why would you want to know anything about me?”
“Isn’t that what people do? Learn things about each other?” It was my turn to be confused.
“Well, yeah…if they’re dating.” That cleared up her surprise.
I laughed and shook my head. I should’ve known that was where her mind was, and if I were honest, mine would’ve gone there, too, if I were in her shoes. “Right, but what about friends? Don’t friends talk about themselves? I know things about the guys in the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean I want to date any of them.”
The deck was lit enough to see her; except her spot in the back made it difficult to enjoy the color of stewed tomatoes that I knew was making its way up her neck and into her cheeks right about now. Even though I didn’t know anything about her life, her family, her likes and dislikes, I guess I did know some things about her—such as the way she lowered her lids and slightly dropped her chin when she got embarrassed.
But I wanted to know more.
So much more.
Just then, one of the servers came by with a refill for Kenny. When asked if I wanted anything to drink, I quickly shook my head and dismissed her. I handed her the empty glass to hurry her along, but unfortunately, the moment had passed. Thanks to Barbara’s timing, Kenny’s awkwardness was cut short.
“Fair point,” Kenny practically mumbled past slightly curved lips as soon as Barbara walked away. She pulled the straw closer to her mouth and drew in a long gulp. “So, Drew Wheeler, what is it you would like to know about me?”
Now that I was put on the spot, I couldn’t think of a single question. But I couldn’t very well just sit there and stare at her like an idiot, so I asked the first thing that came to mind. “You know my first and last name, but all I know is your first.”
“You want to know my last name?” Surprise lifted her brows, as if that was the most bizarre request she’d ever heard. “Richards. McKenna Leigh Richards. There, now you know my full name while I only know your first and last.