“Sex,” she blurted, seeing no reason not to share. “It was all so hot and powerful and—”
“Wet,” he agreed, his voice low and deep.
It felt like her stomach tumbled over in a very pleasant way. She fanned her face, feeling flushed. “Topic switch, okay? I don’t want to be flustered when I meet your dad.”
His satisfied smile nearly did her in, but he obliged her by asking, “What do you think of the house?”
“It’s big enough to be a lodge that could hold a few hundred people.” Not only did it sit partially in the mountain, but colorful aspens were everywhere, as well as giant boulders. Who needed landscaping when Mother Nature did such a remarkable job?
“You should see it at night, with all the exterior lights shining like amber along the stone columns. It’s pretty. And the sunsets here are spectacular.”
The sunsets at Reyes’s house were beautiful, too. When she left there—because eventually she would—she’d miss it so much. The fresh air, the sounds of nature all around, sunrises and sunsets, the privacy. To her, Reyes had the perfect setup, and it was much nicer than this massive structure.
She didn’t care if that wasn’t fair. Yes, the house was beautiful, stunningly so, but herein lived Reyes’s father, and she already disliked the man based on Reyes’s descriptions.
He pulled right up near the front door instead of using one of the many parking spaces. After he turned off his truck, he asked, “Ready?”
Not even. Forcing her mouth into a smile, she nodded.
As usual, Reyes walked around to her side and played the gentleman while she continued to take in the grandeur of the place.
A circular deck on the second floor created a covered porch at the front double doors. Wings extended in both directions, sort of hugging the mountain, with the entirety of the house enclosed by a smooth stone wall. The same stone was used in the giant pillars that supported the second-floor deck.
She was still craning her head around, taking it all in, when the front doors opened.
Sterling stood there grinning at her, while a tall, elegant man fussed behind her. “My job,” he stated in lofty tones, reaching past Sterling to wrest the doorknob from her hands so he could sweep the double doors wide. “Reyes,” he said, and then he smiled at Kennedy. “And you must be Ms. Brooks.”
She almost said, Guilty, but caught herself in time. “Hello. You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you. Though it’s actually Parrish’s, I claim it as well.”
Ah, so this wasn’t Reyes’s father. He had to be midsixties, tall, thin, with silver hair and a reserved expression—except for his eyes. Those eyes were full of mischief. “You’re Bernard?”
He surprised her by saying, “None other. And so we’re clear right off, Chimera is mine.”
Grousing, Reyes took her hand and tugged her over the threshold. “Let up, Bernard. She hasn’t even been here a minute.”
Bernard looked obstinate about it, so Kennedy turned to Sterling. “It’s good to see you again.”
Watching them, her gaze bouncing back and forth between Reyes and Kennedy, Sterling grinned. “Nice work, dude.” She offered Reyes a high five.
Shaking his head in stern warning, Reyes took Sterling’s wrist and lowered her arm to her side. “Behave.”
“Never. At least not with you.” She grinned at Kennedy. “I still owe him a whole lot of hassling, so you’ll have to bear with me while I get it out of my system.”
“Hassling?” she asked, confused by the whole exchange that had just happened.
“When I first came here, baby brother ribbed me endlessly, making me feel like a worn-out boot.”
“I did not,” Reyes complained, but he looked abashed as he said it.
“Come on.” Sterling latched on to Kennedy’s arm. “Bernard needs a few more minutes to finish up one of the most amazing breakfasts you’ll ever have.”
“Thank you,” the stately Bernard said. Kennedy saw a definite twinkle in his eyes.
Sterling quickly propelled her through an immense room and toward a hall. “Where are we going?”
“I’ll show you around. The place is big enough that, without a guide, you’ll get lost.” Over her shoulder, Sterling said to Reyes, “Go find your sibs. They have things to tell you. Kennedy and I will be along shortly.”
Reyes didn’t look happy about it, but neither did he reclaim her. No, he just let Sterling abscond with her.
Luckily, Sterling was with her, because it was true—Kennedy would most certainly get lost on her own.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“WE’LL BE EATING on the deck,” Sterling said, “but no one is out there yet so we’ll have a minute to chat.”
Going through tall French doors, Sterling led her to a covered deck unlike any she’d ever seen. It seemed to go on forever and gave incredible views of snow-topped mountains, rocky terrain and a calm, beautiful lake.
“Wow.” She could sit out here for hours, Kennedy thought. Tension seemed to seep away.
“Pretty, right?” Sterling indicated a table and chairs already set with china and a tablecloth. “It’s getting chillier every day, so we won’t get to sit out here too much longer. Figured we should take advantage of the sunny morning.”
“You made the decision?”
Sterling laughed. “Bernard likes me, so he always gives me a choice.” She leaned in a little closer. “I brag on his skills in the kitchen. Works wonders on softening him up.”
That made Kennedy smile. “You like it here?” Because she felt really small, and almost...insignificant.
Turning to lean on the railing, Sterling said, “It’s a little overwhelming, I know.”
“Very.” Moving to the railing, too, Kennedy stared out at the scenery and concentrated on conquering her nervousness.
“So...” Sterling nudged her. “You and Reyes did the nasty, huh? And judging by the way you two were ogling each other, I’d say you even liked it.”
Was she really that transparent? Did she want to confide in Sterling? She glanced up—because seriously, Sterling was a tall one—and saw her friendly but knowing smile.
She liked Sterling. The woman was like an open book, tossing out her thoughts without censoring, so that you didn’t have to guess what she really thought about things. It appeared Sterling liked her, and she could use another friend, so... With a mental shrug, Kennedy said, “Yes, and yes.”