“I was giving you a second chance.”
“Bullshit, Mr. King.”
He fought a grin. “Language, Ms. Brinkley.”
I looked him over. His face was lined with fatigue and after hours and hours of reading on his computer, he probably had a headache. “Why don’t you lay down for a while?”
“I have—”
“Work, yup.” It was my day to interrupt the Kings. “How can I help?” He was shaking his head but I crossed my arms. “Find something for me to do and get your butt in bed.”
Heat smoldered in his eyes but he shut it down. Not before I saw. “I’m not one to argue when a woman wants me in bed.”
I straightened the sheets and blankets. By the time I was done, he was ready and standing beside the office chair. “Have a seat, Ms. Brinkley.”
“These are some marketing pitches from my team. Look them over and give me a summary of them all and your opinion.”
“What else?” I gave him a droll look. “This will take me an hour. Maybe an hour and a half. You need more rest. What else?”
His lips quirked. “Fine.” He leaned over me, and clicked out, choosing a file labeled geophysics. We’d been in bed together, but there were a lot fewer layers between us at the moment. “Here’s a file from my new geophysicist. She’s also one of the youngest I’ve hired for the level of position she’s in. It’s created an…issue.”
“Between her and the older guys that don’t think she has anything beneficial to add.”
“Seems you know the drill, Ms. Brinkley.” He lifted his chin toward the computer. “She’s a professional, but I also wanted her insight on the cultural shift that her age group is bringing to the workplace. You’ll have the same insight as well. Read her stuff, and then her supervisor’s opinion, and tell me what you think.”
“You’ve already done that.”
“Yes. My forty-eight-year-old self has. I need another opinion to help me forge ahead. There’s only so much interpreting data I can do before I have to make some changes.”
As long as it wasn’t just busy work, I was mollified. I shooed him away.
He paused for a moment. Still close to me. “Thank you.”
“It’ll be my pleasure to work with a boss who isn’t a schmuck.”
He chuckled as he climbed into bed and I got to work. It seemed that whether I worked for him or talked with him or played games with him, it was all a pleasure. And the longer it lasted, I only wanted to experience more with him.
Chapter 10
Gentry
I was more relaxed than I’d ever been. Without waking fully, I could tell I was sleeping on my side, curled up in a way I hadn’t done since I was a boy, since before I worked cattle all day and collapsed in a heap. Definitely before I was handed the helm of King Oil and given the responsibility of the wealth of some small countries and a whole slew of people’s careers.
For once I didn’t feel alone. Because I wasn’t.
There was someone else in bed with me. She was quiet and close, but not touching. And I didn’t mind. I liked her there. I’d grown to look forward to the moments I was in bed with her, dreading it as much as I lived for it.
Like last night, when she made sounds that made me wonder what she was dreaming about, who she was dreaming about. I’d had to get up to work, even though I’d stayed in bed after the power came on. It took a while for the room to warm up, but I’d been content to stay next to a bundled-up Kendall.
Ms. Brinkley.
Opening my eyes, the view I saw made me think no, I wasn’t going to jump out of bed and get to work. She was lying next to me, also on her side, facing me. Her eyes were closed, lashes a few shades darker than her hair brushed her cheeks.
This wasn’t the first time I watched her sleep, and I never did that. I hadn’t met anyone I was willing to slow down for.
You keep your greedy hands off her, Gentry. She’s for Beck.
As if Kendall was a hundred-million-dollar heifer. Emilia thought she could still salvage the job interview, but I knew both my son and Kendall better than her. Neither one would want to work together. He wouldn’t trust her, and she didn’t really want to move away from Billings.
She opened her eyes as if sensing that I was thinking about her.
A sleepy grin transformed her face from ethereally beautiful to sex goddess. Her lips were full and her cheeks pink, her hair spread wantonly around her.
“Did you get some rest?” Her sleep roughened voice only made me wish I was the cause of it. I bet that’s what she sounded like after loud, hard sex.
“Yes. Did you lose interest in the assignments?”
She shot me a playful scowl. “No, they’re done. I didn’t want to do anything to wake you up so I thought I’d lay down for a while.”
“They’re all done?”
“You didn’t give me anything hard or time consuming. I even took the time to write up my opinions and ideas so you had record of it. I have to say that what you do is fascinating. You’ll have to work harder to find something to really challenge me. Might as well if we’re stuck here.”
I was interested in what she left me. Really interested. Emilia was strict about who was allowed into the inner office, and she wasn’t someone I could turn to for insights like this. She’d lose it if she knew I’d let Kendall do as much as she did. I wasn’t sitting on state secrets, but Emilia didn’t realize that information was often better shared in order to gain a broader understanding that would benefit the business. She came from a business mindset that those who controlled the data wielded the power and each leak was as bad as a gusher in the pipeline.
I let my gaze wander over Kendall’s features. She was doing the same to me. What did I look like to her? Too old? Young for my age? Did she wonder what I looked like when I was thirty instead of pushing fifty?
“You’re going to let me help you more, right?” Worry tinged her question. She wanted to help. Sitting in this hotel room while I worked until we were cleared for takeoff would drive her crazy. I could read her so easily and we’d only met a few days ago.
“Kendall, I will let you do whatever you want.”
A slow smile stretched those mesmerizing lips. “You called me Kendall.”
I couldn’t help myself. I shifted until I was closer and did what I’ve wanted to do for days—found out if her skin was as soft as it looked. Stroking my fingers down her cheek, she was better than I imagined.
My body roared to life. It’d already been half-mast waking with a woman, but it knew it was her.
Her eyes widened, then she closed them and rolled closer to me. “Gentry.”
It was my name that knocked down my restraint. I could tell when a woman was attracted to me, and Kendall wanted me. I wanted her. My mind refused to remember why this wasn’t a good idea.
I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. Softly. We were still lying side by side.
Then she whimpered, just like she did the other night. Needy. Aching.
I needed more. But I was under the covers.
With a growl, I kicked them off and took our kiss deeper. She opened for me, her tongue warm, inviting me inside. She tasted of sweet orange juice. It was her favorite. I didn’t have to ask. She always set it closer to herself as if hoping the extra few inches would make me bypass it. Noticing things about her had become my new favorite hobby.
Surging over her, I wedged one leg between hers and like the kiss, she opened for me. Gently settling my weight on one arm, I used my other hand to stroke her hair back. Her kiss was greedy, demanding, and I gave it to her. Licking and nibbling, I suckled her lips like I wanted to play with her clit. I took it fast, then slow. Firm and soft, finding out what she liked.
She was so responsive. Her hips arching up when she especially liked how I tightened my hand on her hip. And the way she swayed into me as I swept my hand up her torso until I cupped her breast through her shirt.
She was a perfect fit. With one of my legs between hers, we
were completely aligned. I held myself off her enough to flick my thumb across her pebbled nipple. I was rewarded with a low moan, just like she did when she was tossing and turning in her sleep. What had she been dreaming about in those few moments between deep slumber and wakefulness?
I wasn’t too young and foolish to hope it’d been me.
I loved playing with her pert nipple, but I wanted to touch skin. After a full day of her being covered from head to toe, I needed to find out if her skin was as smooth and velvety as it looked.
Brushing my hand down, I tried to keep enough distance so I wasn’t crushing my dick between us. I was painfully hard and more turned on that I’d been for months. Years. Sex had become nothing more enjoyable than a snifter of brandy. A little fire on the way down and then I was over it and wanted to get home and back to work.
But I didn’t want to go anywhere right now. On top of Kendall was the place I’ve wanted to be since I first caught her in my arms. Since I rounded the corner out of the office to see her fine ass ready to hit the floor.
I hooked my fingers around the waistband of her pajama pants and tugged down. They wouldn’t go far with my leg acting as the stopper, but they lowered enough for me to recall that her underwear was hanging in the shower. She wasn’t wearing any.
My own groan matched the extra discomfort of even more blood pouring into my erection. How could she be so sexy doing something as simple as washing clothes?
My fingers brushed across her fevered skin and my questions were answered. She was soft but strong and so incredibly hot I wanted to burn up in her atmosphere. I was so close to her center, so ready to find out if she was as ready for me as I was for her when the vibrating of her phone distracted me.
She released my mouth with a gasp, her wide teal eyes locking onto mine. I didn’t want a fucking phone call to interrupt us.
“I’m—I’m sorry.” She rolled over to answer it.
Reality slammed into me.
Fuck.
I’d crossed the line with a woman I shouldn’t want. Emilia wouldn’t believe me that Kendall had lost interest in the job. My boys would think I stole someone who’d been interested in one of them. They’d think my claims of abstinence were bullshit and continue to shut me out of their lives. They’d throw the age difference back in my face.
I rolled off the bed and stood with my back to her, hearing her talking to Wendell, or Lenny, or Jen.
“Brendell, that’s amazing. Congrats. Have you told Mom and Dad? Aw, you’re sweet. Thank you.”
Stuffing a hand through my hair, I slammed my other hand on my hip. What did I do? I couldn’t take back what we’d just done and go back to handing her a report to read or playing a round of Uno. I also couldn’t tamp down how badly I still wanted her.
Why did the one woman I truly fell for have to be the one who could unravel my life?
“Gentry?” she asked tentatively. “Are you all right?”
“No, Kendall. I’m not.” So much for Ms. Brinkley. I couldn’t pretend that the formality helped me keep my distance at all. “That shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
I looked over my shoulder as if she was speaking an alien language. “You’re too young.”
She had the audacity to roll her eyes. “No, I’m not. Look, I’m not going to beg for your attention. I like you, and if you don’t like me, then say it. But don’t go blaming age or that we’re stuck in a one-room hotel or some other irrelevant excuse.”
I wanted to turn around and speak to her. But then I’d be reminded that she wasn’t wearing underwear. Why the hell was that kryptonite for guys? It’s not like underwear was a steel girdle.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I like you, but that doesn’t mean I can do this. My kids think I’m a misogynistic predator that uses women like disposable wipes.”
“Why would your kids find out we were together?”
I stared out the window at the piles of snow. Plows had built mountains of the stuff along the side of the road and a few brave motorists were out. The scenery didn’t give me hope that we’d get out today. “They’ll think it since you told off Beck. And I don’t lie to them.”
My erection had flagged enough that I could turn around without flashing a tent in my pants like I couldn’t control my damn body. Which I couldn’t seem to do around her.
Her features tightened and hurt darkened her eyes. “Oh. I see. It would’ve just been a fling for you.”
“I don’t do relationships.”
She chewed the inside of her lip and looked away. “It’s better that we don’t do anything then. So you can be honest with your kids. I don’t want to get in the way of you repairing your relationship with them.”
I’d have to let her think that. I couldn’t tell her that nothing about this felt like a fling. She was funny, dedicated, smart, and getting to know her would be an honor. Hell, I’d gone to school with Sarah my entire life and our decision to date was just that, a why haven’t we done this before, let’s try it out kind of thing. After Sarah was gone and I’d been single for a while, I’d wanted my freedom.
But I wasn’t free. Emilia looked the other way regarding all the women I’d been with. They didn’t threaten the company, and I performed at my job. She might even have enough of a soul to feel guilty for dictating what my future would be as soon as we told her that Sarah was pregnant.
Whether or not a relationship would bloom out of having sex with Kendall wasn’t the problem. It was my last conversation with Emilia.
She’s a nice girl, one that I thought Beck would actually like. If you fucked it up because you touched her, I won’t hesitate to fire you and rebrand this company like I did before.
It wasn’t her threat to me. I could walk away and live an easy life with what I’d made over the years. I could buy my own island if I ever wanted to leave Montana. But I wasn’t going to saddle Aiden with that stress when I worried about how he was doing under it in the first place.
So, it ended up being about my kids anyway. I’d have to accept loneliness in order to stick around and help my kids through the tornado that was their Grams.
Chapter 11
Kendall
My pride hurt, but at the same time it glowed. Yesterday, Gentry wanted to use me for sex. I’d seen the women that had been on his arm and there was no reality where I felt like I was in the same realm as them. Tall, svelte, and gorgeous, they’d all looked like they had more sophistication in their pinky finger than I possessed in my plain, white-bread body.
After my oldest brother called to tell me the good news that he and his wife were expecting, Gentry had backed away like I was a poisoned apple and he’d been close to his teeth piercing flesh. A delicious quiver ran through me. It was a heady experience for me. I couldn’t persuade Darren into a quickie before Monday Night Football was over. Gentry had acted like he lost his mind around me.
I didn’t quite believe he wanted nothing more than sex. It might be a pipedream to think I was above all his other hookups, but we had a connection. A burgeoning friendship at the very least.
Ultimately, he didn’t want to be with me, and that stung more than I anticipated. I hadn’t scared him off with three days in pajamas and the bed hair and the Arctic explorer look, but our time together talking and sharing our life stories hadn’t made him think there was a future for us, or that he even wanted to explore the possibility.
Go, me.
So, I’d spent the time while he was working doing some research on my phone. Job hunting. Then I went down to grab some food and talk to Gale for a couple of hours. All while he was working.
He sat on that damn computer and ignored me the entire time.
Today was a repeat. Only this time, Gale told me the diner down the street was open if I wanted a hot meal for a change.
I was in the bathroom, brushing my hair and putting a dab of mascara on so I’d stand out from the snowbanks in some way. Next was getting on something that I hadn�
�t slept in. I chose the outfit I wore here. My second set of business clothes would be worn whenever we got to leave Douglas.
When I was done, I went back out and stepped into my boots. I was zipping them when Gentry’s hard tone made me pause. “Where are you going?”
“Gale said there’s a diner a block away that’s open.” Finished with my boots, I put my coat on. It wasn’t in bad shape for having been slept in.
“Do you mind if I go with you?”
My heart surged, but I kept a neutral tone. “No. You’re welcome to come along.”
“Kendall…”
“Maybe Ms. Brinkley is better.” That was cattier than I intended, but after the hottest kiss of my life and the quickest brush off, I was allowed to be a little bitchy.
“Give me five minutes,” he said quietly.
I nodded and sat on my side of the bed as he disappeared into the bathroom. When he emerged, I looked at him once and glanced away. He’d put his charcoal trousers and white button-down shirt back on, but the top button was left undone and his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. Tanned skin with a scattering of small scars made his arms more than simply arms. They had character, and his muscles flexed with every move.
He saved me by putting his own coat on. “Ready?”
The way to the diner was as quiet as I expected. Gentry and I didn’t talk. Most of the sidewalks had been shoveled. Not all the businesses were open, but they probably looked out for one another, clearing the walkways and sprinkling salt.
The temperature was just below freezing, and the stroll was almost pleasant. And bright. I squinted ahead. The sun was out, and its force was reflected all around by fresh snow. If we had to walk any farther, I’d be snow blind.
I snuck a peek at Gentry and wished I hadn’t. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were firm. He probably thought the fine lines around his eyes revealed his age, and I guess they did, but they were sexy. He was distinguished, and those lines only added to his intensity, the intensity that I hadn’t realized had left when we played games on the bed. He’d been so relaxed. Did anyone else ever see him like that?
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