He felt it with the same intensity as that sucking lick to her finger. He tried to joke, but the words came out low and gravelly. “You, lady, pack a wallop.”
Her lip curled in disdain. “You must be really easy.”
“Actually, I’m not.” If anything, he was damned selective with his female company. First rule, the woman couldn’t have designs on happy-ever-after. Not with him.
Where did that leave Kennedy? Where did he want it to leave her?
“I’m not convinced,” she said. Stroking her fingers through her tangled hair, leaving the off-center part totally crooked. She indulged a giant yawn. “I know what I look like. Had to face myself in the mirror.”
“After you eyeballed me.” Folding his arms on the table, he watched her, then slowly smiled. “There it is. That rosy blush.”
“See this?” She tipped her mug at him. “Only half a cup gone. I’ll need the rest of this and two more before I verbally spar with you, so take pity on me and stop right now.”
The strangest damn thing happened. Affection crowded in, taking the lead over sexual interest. Huh. The anomalous sensation left him confused, but not for long.
This was similar to what he felt with his sister-in-law, only it was different, too, because he didn’t want in Sterling’s pants.
Kennedy was a whole different story.
CHAPTER FOUR
REACHING OUT, REYES smoothed the hair she’d mussed, liking the softness of it, the warmth. Freed from all restraints, it skimmed just past her shoulders. “All right.”
Gulping the rest of her mug, she said, “None of that, either. My sluggish system doesn’t know what to make of it.”
Tenderness joined the affection. “Here, let me get you a refill.”
“My hero.”
As he fixed his mug, he asked, “Didn’t sleep well?” He couldn’t recall her waking, but then, he’d slept soundly himself.
“I don’t remember a thing.” She sighed heavily. “Odd, right? You’d think something so unfamiliar...”
The words trailed off. Did she mean sleeping with him was unfamiliar? Or sleeping with anyone? To find out, he asked, “Unfamiliar?”
She shook her head. “Doesn’t matter how I slept. I always struggle in the morning. For sure, finding a guy at the john jolted my heart, and I’m not sure I’ve recovered yet.”
“Next time,” he promised, sliding back into his seat, “I’ll go downstairs so you can have the connected bath.”
She was just about to sip again, but at his words, she slowly lowered the mug. Wide blue eyes stared at him agog.
“What?”
She blinked twice. “Next time?”
A slipup. He had no idea what would happen next. “Figure of speech.”
For two seconds more, she continued to stare at him, then gave an accepting nod and went back to consuming her coffee.
“Breakfast? I can do bacon and eggs, or pancakes.”
“I’m not a big breakfast person.” She idly turned the mug. “Please don’t misunderstand. I get that this was an intrusion on your private space, and it’s awkward for me as well, so I’m not hinting.”
Damn. Unsure what to say, Reyes just waited.
“What am I going to do today? I mean, will it be safe for me to use my credit cards? I can set up a long-stay hotel, and public transportation will be fine for a while, at least until I can get my car and get things sorted with insurance. But is it okay for me to do that?” She chewed her bottom lip. “Again, not to impose on you, but everything still feels very unsafe to me.”
Tackling her points in the same manner she had, he replied, “I know you’re not hinting. The number one thing, though, is that you’re not alone in this.” He wouldn’t let her out of his sight if he didn’t know it was safe. Cade would find out what he could, and then, he assumed, he’d get her set up somewhere other than the run-of-the-mill hotel scene. “I agree, it’s probably not safe. I didn’t have a chance to tell you this yet—” and he wasn’t sure until this moment that he wanted to tell her “—but the guys who came after you last night are dead.”
The coffee mug nearly slipped from her hand. She quickly set it down. “Dead? You hurt them that badly?”
“No. After we left, someone shot them.” He touched his forehead. “And whoever it was wanted to make sure they wouldn’t recoup.”
“Oh, my God.”
The ringing of his doorbell further startled Kennedy, who nearly jumped out of her seat.
“Shh. It’s okay.” He nodded at the security screen mounted on the wall beside a cabinet. “It’s just my nosy sister.”
She turned and stared. “I thought that was a TV.”
“Nope.” Pushing back his chair with a resigned sense of his future being forever altered, he said, “Finish up your coffee. I’ll be right back.”
At first she appeared ready to protest, then she glanced down at her clothes, wrinkled her nose and shrugged. “I’m not ready to move, so no arguments from me.”
The second he opened his door, Madison breezed in, her laptop in hand. “What took you so long? Don’t try telling me you were in bed because I know Cade already spoke with you. And being you’re in your drawers, I assume you haven’t showered yet.”
“Haven’t done much of anything yet.” But, yeah, with his sis underfoot, he definitely needed some jeans. “Kennedy is in the kitchen.” Which wasn’t so far away that she couldn’t hear their every word. “Don’t spook her while I get dressed.”
“I don’t spook that easily,” Kennedy called back.
That prompted Madison to smile. “I like her.”
“You don’t even know her.”
She hefted her laptop. “Wanna bet?” Without expounding on that, she hurried toward the kitchen, leaving Reyes undecided on which way to go.
Should he run interference between the two women to ensure Madison didn’t overstep? Or would it make sense to face the situation in more than snug boxers?
The idea of clothes won out, so he rushed up the steps, taking them two at a time. If he left them alone too long they’d probably start plotting against him.
Grabbing up his discarded jeans from yesterday, he yanked them on, and then did the same with his badly rumpled T-shirt. While zipping and snapping the jeans, he headed back down in time to hear Madison ask, “Who’s Jodi Bentley?”