She blanched, jerked around to face him—finger still in her mouth—and glared. Turning back to the sink, she rinsed and spit before saying, “You were supposed to stay in bed.”
“Why?” Eyeing her body, he propped a shoulder on the door frame. “You didn’t.”
Color suddenly tinged her cheeks. “I was trying to wake up enough to truly appreciate you.” She indicated the toothpaste. “And I didn’t want to have morning breath.”
Reyes grinned... Truly appreciate you. Kennedy was absolutely the most unique woman he’d ever met. “Sorry to have spoiled your fun, but we can head back to bed if you want.”
Her brows lifted over blurry eyes, her expression that of someone offered a gift. “Really?”
His grin widened. She truly amused him in the mornings with her sluggishness. “We have a little time before we need to head over to Dad’s. We can sneak in a quickie if you want, but we can’t linger. I’m sure Bernard is putting together a big breakfast.”
“So early?”
He shrugged. “We’d be cutting it close, but I can manage if you can.” It was his experience that women generally took longer getting ready than men did.
“Blast.” Looking very disappointed, Kennedy said, “If you want me verbally functional, I need coffee before I meet anyone. Lots and lots of coffee.” She huffed a sigh, then strode up to him and stood, defiantly staring into his eyes. “Look, I know I started this with wanting just a kiss, but we shot past that last night, right?”
“Er...right.” Where was she going with this? Hopefully, she didn’t have regrets now.
Then again, she’d just been cleaning her teeth with a finger and planning on keeping him in bed, so...
“Good, we’re agreed.” She opened her hand over his chest, lightly petting him, testing the strength of his pec muscle, using her thumb to brush over his left nipple.
“Kennedy—” Much more of that and she wouldn’t get a single sip of coffee.
Smiling up at him, she whispered, “Last night was a surprise. You’re a surprise.” She pursed her mouth thoughtfully. “Actually, I was the biggest surprise.”
His heart softened. “Because you enjoyed yourself?”
“Far, far more than I knew was even possible,” she confirmed. “And now that I’ve had a taste, I’m not done.”
Catching on, he asked, “You want more, is that it?” Definitely not a problem for him.
“I really do. But actually, waiting until tonight might be a good idea.” She scrunched her nose. “I’m more alert in the evening, and honestly... I’m a little sore.”
Had he been too enthusiastic? “A shower would probably help.”
“After coffee. But for now, can I count on a repeat?”
That quickie was sounding better and better. “Guaranteed.”
A beautiful smile bloomed on her face. “Perfect.” She stretched up on tiptoe to peck his lips, then headed for her top and bottoms. “Let’s do coffee before I perish. It took all my resolve to accomplish cleaning my teeth without it. The rest might have been wishful thinking.”
Reyes stood there grinning inside and out. He’d had sex, varied and often, but knowing he’d pleased Kennedy, that he’d overcome the ugly memories of her past, was a gift he’d always cherish.
Funny that, good as the sex had been, he still couldn’t compete with caffeine. Should have known there wouldn’t be a typical “morning after” with Kennedy.
She was different, so it figured this would be different, too.
With her, it was also better.
* * *
YES, REYES HAD SAID, in an offhand way, that his dad was loaded. She still hadn’t expected this.
Good God, it appeared the man owned a mountain, or at least a good chunk of it, so that he had complete privacy.
And his house... Her eyes were round enough to drop out of her head as Reyes drove up higher and higher along the private road. When she spotted the smaller house to the right, she let out a breath of relief. Maybe his father lived there, and the other building was an upscale lodge or something.
But no, he went right past the very nice, moderately sized home.
“Who lives there?” Kennedy asked, thinking the smaller home felt cozier.
“That’s Madison’s place, though she, as well as Cade and I, have private suites in Dad’s house just in case there’s ever an emergency. His security is the best.”
Kennedy stared at him, agog by that notion since Reyes had his place completely locked down. “Better than yours?”
Snorting, he said, “No comparison. Everything at Dad’s is state-of-the-art shit, like the government would use, you know? Most of it isn’t even available to the public. He has some crazy-cool stuff.”
And Reyes’s weird darkening windows weren’t crazy cool? “If you say so.”
He gave her a quick, knowing look. “Don’t be nervous, honey.”
“Oh, right. You tell me your father is an ogre and that he’ll likely try to intimidate me, you say he has equipment not available to the rest of us mere mortals, and I can see he’s insanely wealthy—but I shouldn’t worry about any of that.”
“No,” he said gently, “you shouldn’t. Dad is just...my dad, you know? Sure, the situation is a little different, but you’ll hold your own, I don’t doubt it.”
“Cade and Madison will be there?”
“Sterling, too.”
That was something, at least. Safety in numbers and all that. Being among his family would serve as a buffer against her new, somewhat raw awareness of Reyes as a sexual man. Left alone with him, she’d probably keep him in the bed all day.
He’d probably like the sex, but would he start to feel smothered? Already she’d practically insisted that he keep on sleeping with her, when that had never been his intent. He’d been very up-front about avoiding commitments.
Shame that her heart hadn’t listened.
But even that, the sweet ache that filled her chest every time she looked at his impossibly handsome face, could probably be written off as lust. For so long she’d believed the scum who’d kidnapped her had stolen her sexuality in the process. In her mind, intercourse was something to be suffered, not enjoyed.
Yet with Reyes, the pleasure had been so intense she didn’t know how to describe it.
“You have a certain look about you,” Reyes mused aloud. “Want to share your thoughts?”