Kitabı oku: «Inseparable», sayfa 3
“Want some more milk?”
He glanced over at her. “Yes. Thanks.”
He watched as she lifted the pitcher and poured the milk into his glass. “So what about that guy you were seeing, Curtis Purcell?” he asked. “The two of you didn’t want to do the long-distance romance thing?”
He wondered why he was asking her about it when he hadn’t asked about him for months. She hadn’t brought up Purcell either, which had been just fine with Reese, since he didn’t care for him. Come to think of it, he’d stopped liking him the night when he had shown up at Kenna’s house to surprise her, only to discover she was out on a date with Purcell. Reese had let himself in, made himself at home and had been there when Purcell had brought her home.
The man had kissed Kenna good-night when she got out of the car, but hadn’t bothered walking her to the door. How tacky was that? As far as Reese was concerned, a gentleman not walking a woman to the door after a date was downright disrespectful.
She glanced over at him. “No. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering.” It was on the tip of his tongue to ask why, but he decided he would ask another time. He finally realized that for the first time in eleven years, neither of them was involved with anyone else.
He glanced at his watch as he stood. “I’ve got a few things I need to take care of before we leave for town.”
“All right. I see you’ve got a new guy working for you. I looked out the window and saw him earlier.”
“Yes, his name is Clark Lovell and he started today,” Reese said. “Already I can tell he’s one that keeps to himself. He doesn’t have much to say, but he can handle a horse and can rope a cow and that’s what Joe needs.”
He paused a moment. “And just so you know, Joe is going to ask you about fixing Sunday dinner.”
She smiled. “I don’t have a problem with that.”
He chuckled. “I figured you wouldn’t. You’re such a soft touch when it comes to the ranch hands. I’ll be back to pick you up at three.”
“Okay.”
He headed for the door and then turned back after grabbing his Stetson off the rack. “I know you’re still wondering if you did the right thing moving to Houston, Kenna. If you ask me, I think it was the right decision.”
He walked toward the door, hoping that on that particular subject she believed him.
Chapter 4
“I’m ready, Reese.”
Reese turned around, and Kenna’s knees nearly buckled from the force of his gaze. Why was he looking at her like that, she wondered, as his eyes roamed over her from head to toe. “Is anything wrong, Reese?”
His gaze returned to her face. “No, nothing’s wrong. Is that a new dress?”
“No.”
He inclined his head. “I’ve never seen it before.”
Kenna chuckled as she reached for her purse off the table. “Probably not. You don’t go shopping with me, so you’ve never seen my entire wardrobe. Is something wrong with it?”
“No. It looks nice on you.”
Her heart thumped in her chest at his compliment. “Thanks.”
Her heart kept right on thumping as she followed Reese to his SUV parked out front. She breathed deeply, trying to get a grip. It wasn’t her that had attracted Reese’s attention, but the dress itself. Usually she wore slacks, and that was probably the reason he’d been taken aback by the dress.
He opened the door and she eased inside. When he hesitated, she glanced up at him. “Okay, Reese, what’s wrong now?”
“Nothing.”
Kenna frowned slightly when he closed the door and then walked around the front of the SUV to get inside. He backed up and pulled out of the driveway without saying a word.
“I’ll introduce you to the new guy when we get back,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.
She glanced over at him. He had changed his shirt and was wearing another pair of jeans. As always, he looked good. “Okay,” she said. “I went out to the bunkhouse earlier and got a chance to talk to Joe a little, but he wasn’t there.”
“Who?”
“Your new guy.”
“Oh. I guess he was out tending the herd or something.”
Usually when Reese wasn’t attentive it meant his thoughts were elsewhere. She decided to give him time to sort out whatever was bothering him. There was probably something going on at the ranch that needed his undivided attention.
While he was quiet, she would use the time to think about the phone call she’d gotten from Leon, one of the police officers she’d worked with in Austin. According to him, Curtis Purcell had shown up at the station looking for her. He claimed he had dropped by her house and found it empty and wanted to know if she’d left a forwarding address. She had, but Leon wouldn’t give it to him, not until he checked with her first. She instructed Leon not to give Curtis her new address or her new cell phone number if he returned. How long had it been? Three months? He hadn’t tried contacting her in all that time. Why did he suddenly want to see her now?
“You okay? You keep sighing over there.”
Kenna glanced over at Reese. “Yes, I’m fine. But a friend of mine, a police officer back in Austin, called to let me know someone was looking for me today. He went by my place and saw that I’d moved out.”
Reese’s brow lifted as he glanced over at her. “Who?”
“Curtis.”
Reese trained his eyes on the road ahead, but not before Kenna saw his expression tighten. “What did he want?”
“Not sure” was her response.
“Let me guess. He wants to be the comeback kid.”
Just like Alyson. She bit down on her lower lip. “I’m not sure what he wants, Reese, and I don’t plan to find out. I told Leon not to tell him anything. Besides, if he really wants to find me you’ll be the next person on his list. He knows how close we are and that you’ll know where I am.”
“I would just love for him to contact me about you.”
Kenna frowned slightly, tilted her head and looked over at him. “What did Curtis ever do to you?”
“Nothing. But he treated you like crap.”
“He did not! He didn’t walk me to the door that one time and you were ready to hang him up by his toes for it.”
“Damn right. And you never said why the two of you called it quits,” he continued, bringing the SUV to a stop at a traffic light.
“You never asked,” she said, giving him the same response he’d given her about Alyson earlier that day.
He glanced over at her. “Okay, now I’m asking.”
She looked straight ahead out the windshield for a few moments while nibbling on her bottom lip. She turned back toward Reese. “He pulled a Terrence Fairchild on me.” She hated bringing up the guy who’d been her boyfriend in college. The one she’d assumed she would marry one day.
A deep frown settled on Reese’s face. She knew he was remembering the incident. He had been there for her. “You caught Curtis in bed with another woman.”
She shrugged. “Not exactly.”
His frown deepened. “Then what exactly?”
She paused a second. “I caught him in bed with another man.”
Reese’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tight he felt it might crumble in his hands. When he suddenly hit the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of them, he pulled off to the side of the road and killed the ignition. At that moment he wished he could kill someone else instead—namely Curtis Purcell.
Furious, he unbuckled his seat belt and twisted around in his seat to face Kenna. “Why in the hell didn’t you tell me? And don’t you dare hand me that crap about me not asking.”
He figured his tone along with the anger etched in his face painted a real good picture of just how mad he was, and that now was not the time to get cutesy on him. He was definitely not in the mood.
She nervously licked her lips and his gaze was automatically drawn to her mouth. Why was his gut clenching and why did he suddenly feel this hard lump in his throat?
“I didn’t want to bother you about it. It was around the time you got your promotion to foreman and I didn’t want to say anything that would rain on your parade, Reese,” she said in a soft voice that pleaded for understanding.
His anger subsided somewhat. “So you went through all that alone?”
She shrugged. “Once the shock wore off, I could have kicked myself for not picking up on it earlier. I ignored all the signs that he was on the down-low. He was a former pro football player, for Christ’s sake. He acted really macho and he had dated lots of women before. I was mad with myself as much as with him for falling for his line. In the end, I asked myself the same question I’d asked myself a number of times before. Why me?”
Reese took in a deep breath. Yes, why her? He could only shake his head as he recalled the men who, over the years, hadn’t appreciated what an incredible woman she was. He would hate to think that more than a few of them had a screw loose, but seeing was believing. He couldn’t understand why any man didn’t appreciate Kenna. She was a good woman—the best. And he wasn’t just saying that because she was his best friend. He knew it was true.
“So you want to give me any dating advice?” she asked.
He snorted. “Dating advice? Hell, I’m not totally together either, when you consider the number of girlfriends I’ve had over the years myself. But then you wear your heart on your sleeve.”
She frowned. “I wasn’t in love with Curtis, nor was I in love with Lamont. I believed I was in love with Terrence during the two years we dated. But the older I got, the more I realized I wasn’t really in love with him. I liked the idea of being in love, if that makes any sense.”
No, it didn’t really, he thought. But he’d talked to enough women in his family to know that they sometimes looked at things differently than men. “What about Lamont? The two of you dated for more than a year. I didn’t ask before, but I’m asking now. Why did the two of you split?”
She did that lip thing again with her tongue and the same as before, seeing her lick her lips did something to him. Crap! What was wrong with him? Granted he hadn’t been with a woman since his breakup with Alyson five months ago, but still, this was Kenna for crying out loud. He’d seen that nervous habit plenty of times over the years, so why was he suddenly lusting over the one woman he shouldn’t have the hots for?
“He was jealous of you. Like Alyson, he didn’t believe the ‘we’re just friends’ line either. The first time he brought it up I gave him the benefit of the doubt, since I’d be the first to admit our relationship is a bit unorthodox. But I warned him that if he accused me again that things were over between us. Unfortunately, he didn’t take me at my word.”
Reese slowly shook his head as he buckled his seat belt again and started the car. He really didn’t know what to say. When he glanced over at Kenna, he immediately knew what she was thinking. He cut off the ignition again.
“Look, Kenna, don’t even think it. We agreed years ago that if we met someone and it got serious, if that person couldn’t deal with our friendship it would be their loss and not ours. Are you having second thoughts about that?”
“No, but a part of me can’t help but sympathize with Alyson. The two of you would still be together if she hadn’t gotten it into her head that I was a threat.”
“Maybe and maybe not. It’s a bad idea for any woman to get it into her head that she can decide who my friends are. And as far as Lamont thinking we had something going on, then he was a fool. I never liked him anyway.”
“Have I ever dated a guy you did like?”
“No.”
He waited to see if she would ask him why and then exhaled slowly when she didn’t. Had she asked, he wouldn’t have been able to give her a reason. He just hadn’t liked them. “So what do you think Purcell wants with you?”
“Who knows? He might want to try to convince me that finding him in bed with another man wasn’t all bad and that we can work things out and get back together.”
Reese snorted. Purcell was really stupid if he actually thought that. He’d heard how some women would accept their man even after finding out they were on the down-low. But he knew for sure that Kenna wasn’t one of them.
“After your meeting with Clayton and Syneda, and mine with Dex, we can stay in town and grab dinner. And if you’re up to it, we can also do a movie. How does that sound?”
“Sounds great,” she said, smiling.
He smiled back at her. “Good.”
Chapter 5
“Mr. Madaris is in court now, but Mrs. Syneda Madaris will see you in a minute,” the receptionist said.
“Thanks.” Kenna sat down in the plush chair and glanced around the office. She had been inside the Madaris Building several times, but this was the first time she had visited the law offices of Madaris, Madaris and Madaris. Since Blade had gotten married, his wife, Samari Di Meglio Madaris, had joined Clayton and Syneda at their law firm. Kenna could just imagine Clayton, the only man, having to deal with his beautiful, opinionated wife, who was a lot to handle, plus his cousin’s gorgeous, exotic-looking wife, Samari, whose hot Italian temper could flare at a moment’s notice. Things could get pretty damn interesting around here.
While she waited, Kenna recalled the conversation she and Reese had shared during the ride over. After asking if she was interested in dinner and a movie, things had got pretty quiet between them. They talked about attending Morehouse’s homecoming in a few months, and about how Luke’s rodeo school, which was scheduled to open in two weeks, was doing. Reese hadn’t invited her to go with him, and she couldn’t help wondering if he intended to invite Alyson.
Kenna had received an invitation to Luke’s rodeo opening before leaving Austin, so if Reese made plans to take a date then she would do the same. There was no way she would be a third wheel with him and Alyson. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to make sure that happened. Having a date was one way to ensure that Reese wouldn’t feel obligated to include her in his plans.
“Mrs. Madaris will see you now.”
Kenna smiled at the receptionist. “Thanks.”
Kenna thought the same thing now that she had the first time she laid eyes on Syneda Madaris. The woman was simply gorgeous. And from what Kenna had heard, in the courtroom she was equally impressive.
Long, golden-bronze hair flowed down her shoulders, and her sea-green eyes always seemed to sparkle with excitement. Her pregnancy was more obvious now than it had been a month ago, and she had a radiant glow about her. Reese had mentioned that Syneda and Clayton had announced that they were having a boy. Everyone was happy, especially the couple’s eight-year-old daughter, Remington, who had been begging for a baby brother or sister, preferably a brother.
“Kenna, it’s so good seeing you,” Syneda said as she hugged her.
“Thanks. Same here.”
That was one of the things she enjoyed most about Reese’s family. They were good people, down to earth and as friendly as could be. “Reese had a meeting with Dex, so I thought I’d tag along and use the time to meet with you and Clayton. I understand he’s in court.”
“Yes, his court docket was changed, but I’ll be glad to help you with anything.”
“It’s about the foundation I established a few years ago in my grandmother’s memory. I would like your firm to take over handling it for me.”
Syneda smiled. “It will be our pleasure. We handle a number of foundations and trusts already, including the one Trask has set up and the one Uncle Jake and Diamond established as well.”
“Wonderful.”
“It will only take a few minutes to complete the paperwork and then a couple of weeks to get everything notarized. We’ll call you back to sign the necessary documents at that time.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Kenna said excitedly.
Less than ten minutes later, Kenna had completed the paperwork and returned the forms to Syneda. “Thanks, Kenna,” Syneda said, sliding the documents into a folder. “So when did you arrive in Houston?”
“This morning. I sold almost everything I had in Austin, since I want to start fresh and buy new furniture. The things I didn’t want to part with I loaded in a U-Haul truck and drove here.” She chuckled. “I think Reese was a nervous wreck until I arrived at his place. He was afraid I’d fall asleep at the wheel and wind up in a ditch or something.”
Syneda smiled. “I can imagine. He’s very protective where you’re concerned.”
She nodded. “Yes, and I’m very protective where he’s concerned as well. I think he’s a wonderful person and a special friend.”
“Yes, and you’re in love with him.”
Kenna went utterly still. Was Syneda a mind reader? “What did you say?”
A knowing smile curved Syneda’s lips. “I said you’re in love with Reese.”
Kenna drew in a sharp breath, opened her mouth to deny it and then stopped. From the look Syneda gave her, she wasn’t buying anything Kenna had to say. The sea-green eyes staring at her were sharp, shrewd, confident, and for a moment Kenna felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Syneda was right, of course, and the only thing Kenna could do was come clean.
“Yes, I love him. But how did you know?”
Syneda chuckled. “I can tell whenever you look at him. I always suspected as much, but last month when you were on the dance floor, you only had eyes for him.”
Kenna shook her head. “That’s pathetic.”
Syneda gave her a soft smile. “No, it’s not pathetic. There’s nothing wrong with a woman loving a man.”
“But it’s pathetic when he doesn’t love you back. Reese only sees me as his best friend and nothing more. I’m so afraid he’s going to discover the truth one day and that will ruin everything.”
Syneda shook her head. “I don’t think it will be that way at all. Making the move from friends to lovers was pretty easy for me and Clayton.”
“Was it?”
Syneda’s smile widened. “Yes, and it will be just as easy for you and Reese once he realizes he loves you as well.”
“Trust me, he doesn’t love me that way. In fact, he and Alyson are trying to work things out, and maybe that’s a good thing.”
Syneda rolled her eyes. “Alyson Richards?”
“Yes.”
The mere mention of the woman’s name grated on Syneda’s nerves. All it took was for her to remember when she and Clayton had run into Reese and Alyson at a political fundraiser last year. Alyson, who evidently considered herself a fashionista, had pulled Syneda aside to tell her that her shoes weren’t the same shade of purple as her dress. Syneda quickly let Alyson know that she was well aware of that fact, and hadn’t meant for them to be exactly the same color.
“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you,” Syneda said. “Alyson is too possessive, and Reese knows it.” Syneda lifted a brow. “And why do you think working things out between them is a good thing if you’re in love with him?”
“Because I can control my emotions a whole lot better if he’s seeing someone and if I am, too. This is the first time Reese and I aren’t involved with anyone else, and I figure that’s the reason for my attraction. There’s no one else to take my mind off him.”
“Oh, I see.”
“So I figure it’s time for me to find someone and start seriously dating again. It won’t be so bad if Reese decides to get back together with Alyson. I’ve gotten used to her being in the picture and I know how to deal with her. Heaven forbid if he gets serious about some other woman who can’t accept the kind of friendship we have.”
Syneda didn’t say anything as she studied Kenna. Clearly, Kenna didn’t know her own beauty or power. Granted, Reese was slow. But Syneda was certain he would eventually realize he loved Kenna. With some men you had to light a fire under them. That’s what had had to happen to Luke to get him to see what he’d be losing if he didn’t come to his senses.
“So you actually believe Alyson is the best person for Reese?” Syneda asked Kenna skeptically.
Kenna shrugged. “I don’t know about her being the best person for him, but I think she understands our friendship and knows it’s non-negotiable. She’ll be fine. She’s even agreed to throw me a party this weekend at her place so I can meet new people. I’m hoping there will be at least one guy there I like.”
Syneda forced a smile, just imagining the party Alyson had planned for Kenna. Then her smile widened. She had a feeling those plans were about to backfire and Alyson would finally see just how protective Reese was when it came to his best friend. Mama Laverne had it all figured out, and Syneda had a feeling the family matriarch was right once again.
“Well, if you think meeting new guys and moving on without trying to win Reese over is for the best, then do what you have to do,” Syneda said nonchalantly. She would give anything to be a fly on the wall at the party this weekend. Kenna might have thought she was being the sacrificial lamb by graciously stepping aside and letting Alyson have Reese, but she had a feeling that in the end Reese wasn’t going to let that happen.
“Now if I can just find someone to take me to Luke’s rodeo school opening in a couple of weeks without appearing desperate,” Kenna said, interrupting Syneda’s thoughts.
“You aren’t going with Reese?” Syneda asked, somewhat surprised, especially since Reese usually brought her to all their family functions.
She shrugged. “I’m hoping he takes Alyson. And if he does, then I don’t want him to feel responsible for me.”
“So you figure you should have your own date,” Syneda said.
“Yes. Usually when I date a new guy, I tend to take things slow. But I’m not sure I’ll have that luxury this time.”
Syneda studied Kenna and saw that she was dead serious. “Well, even if you don’t have a date, I’m sure there will be plenty of single men there. Reese won’t have to worry about you, which means he’ll be able to give Alyson his full attention.” I’d like to see that happen.
After Kenna left her office, Syneda leaned back in her chair, smiling. She was going to miss the show at Alyson’s place Saturday night, but there was no way she was going to miss the one at Luke’s opening. In fact, she intended to have a front-row seat.
“Hey, aren’t you Reese Madaris?”
Reese turned to face a woman who'd just passed him in the hallway leading to his office at the Madaris Explorations Company. “Yes, I’m Reese Madaris.”
The woman flashed what Reese figured was her sexiest smile as she closed the distance between them and extended her hand.
“Hi, Reese. I’m Camille Strickland.”
He shook her hand and returned the smile. “Hi, Camille.”
“I dated your cousin Blade a while back. I hear he got married.”
“Yes, he got married a little over a month ago.”
“Oh. What a shame. I understand you’re available.” She reached out and traced a manicured finger along his arm.
“Available for what?” he asked, annoyed by her boldness.
“Whatever comes to mind,” she said seductively. She seemed to be pouting. “You’re not like Blade. He liked flirting,” she said in a sultry voice.
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Don’t apologize. Here’s my card,” she said, thrusting it into his hand. “Give me a call.” She batted her eyelashes several times and then gave him a flirty wink before turning to walk down the hallway, swaying her hips in a body-hugging pencil skirt and killer high heels that looked like they could double as lethal weapons.
Okay, he would admit that she looked good—but he wasn’t Blade. And when it came to women, his and Blade’s tastes were completely different. It would take more than a tight skirt and stilettos to make him tongue-tied. Even five months without sex hadn’t made him that hard up.
He continued walking, shaking his head as he stepped into an elevator at the same time another woman did. She glanced over at him and gave him a come-hither smile. “Excuse me for asking, but aren’t you Reese Madaris?”
Reese stepped off the elevator thinking that some women had no shame. The woman had tried coming on to him, and way too strong. When the elevator stopped on the next floor to let other passengers on, he retreated all the way to the back, as far away from her as he could get. She had repeatedly licked her lips as if to give him a blatant come-on, letting him know just what she could do with her mouth. The combination of her words and actions had been a total turn-off.
When he exited the elevator, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that the woman was still following him. When he rounded the corner, so did she. Probably not a coincidence. Reese continued walking and heard her make some sort of growling sound, but he refused to turn around. Damn, had he attracted a stalker? His grandmother had warned him what would happen now that Blade was off the market. And it seemed the old gal knew what she was talking about.
He smiled when he saw Kenna sitting in the lobby waiting for him. When she saw him she smiled, eased out of the chair and began walking toward him with a graceful stride that he couldn’t help but admire. He really liked the dress she was wearing, which showed off her curvy hips, her ample cleavage and the most gorgeous legs any woman could possibly possess. She was the kind of woman any man would want to have as his own. She didn’t have to flaunt her beauty and sexuality. It came naturally. He was convinced that one day she would make some deserving man very happy.
An idea quickly popped into his head. When he reached Kenna he pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks for waiting, sweetheart.”
“No problem,” she said, giving him a what-the-heck-is-going-on look with her eyes.
He glanced over his shoulder to see the woman leaving the building, and it was only then that he released a deep sigh.
“Okay, what was that about?” Kenna asked him, following his gaze.
He chuckled as he tightened her hand in his. “Mama Laverne warned me that with Blade out of the picture, chances are single women would turn their sights on me. I thought she was joking, but apparently I was wrong.”
“Wow, you’re in demand, huh?” she asked, grinning as he led her out of the building.
“I don’t see anything funny about it. In fact, on our way to dinner I need you to give me some dating advice.”
She lifted a brow. “Dating advice about what?”
“How to handle unwanted advances…”
