“Like you wouldn’t believe.” With a hand on her lower back, he led them through the room, waving at stragglers. “I’m fucking starving. You want to get something to eat?”
While they waited for the valet to bring his car around, she shifted from foot to foot. “Food sounds fabulous, but my feet are killing me. I’m not used to standing in heels for hours.”
Kevin opened the car door for her and handed the valet a tip. When she sat, her entire body sighed, but her legs wept.
“We could pick something up and eat at your place.” He pulled into traffic. “Pizza?”
Her stomach rumbled. Pizza sounded so good. But did she want to invite Kevin into her house? She took a quick breath. She was being silly. They’d had a good night. They could share a meal. Plus, they hadn’t yet talked about the final details for the bachelor/bachelorette party for this weekend. “Sure. I’ll call and it’ll be delivered right around when we get back.”
She called and placed the order. The rest of the ride to her apartment was quiet. After an evening of nonstop talking, they both needed some peace. When the car was parked and Kathy pushed the door open, her leg muscles protested. Swinging her legs out of the car, she bent and pulled off the heels. Kevin stood on the curb and watched.
“Not very glamorous, huh?” She wiggled her toes and then pushed herself out of the car.
Kevin closed the door behind her. “Those things look like torture, but as someone who only has to enjoy the view they create, I have to say—and I think I speak for all of mankind on this—we appreciate what you do to look good for us.”
As they walked into her building, she realized the difference in their height. With her shoes on, she was nearly eye to eye with Kevin. Now her eyes were at his mouth. Thoughts of his mouth being on hers slipped into her mind. She must’ve been really tired to go there.
Inside her apartment, she tossed her shoes near the closet and pulled some cash from her purse. “Do you mind grabbing the pizza when it comes? I really want a hot shower.”
Kevin stared at her for what felt like a full minute before clearing his throat. “Sure.”
Kathy went to her bedroom and grabbed some comfy pajamas and carried them to the bathroom. Normally, she’d walk through the apartment naked or in a towel, but she wasn’t silly enough to attempt that with Kevin standing in her living room. Regardless of whether she thought she could give him another chance, she couldn’t deny the attraction they shared.
Even if her hormones wanted to act on it, she wasn’t ready to give in to that attraction until her heart and mind agreed.
She stood under the hot spray until her tense muscles relaxed again. Then she dressed and went back to the living room. Kevin had removed his jacket and loosened his tie. He’d made himself comfortable, sprawled on her couch with his feet up on the table, looking like he was at home.
Memories flooded her brain of the times they’d hung out just like this, watching a Blackhawks game and eating pizza. She’d lie on him and pretend to understand hockey simply because she’d liked the feeling of his body close to hers, his arms wrapped around her. When the game had ended, they’d spent the night together.
There were no walks of shame or sneaking out in the middle of the night like they were hooking up. They’d been in a relationship. It hadn’t been her imagination.
Kevin turned and looked over his shoulder. “Feel better?”
“Much.”
He waved at the TV. “I didn’t know if you wanted to watch something, so feel free to change it.”
Moving his feet back to the floor, he leaned forward and opened the pizza box. He’d already grabbed napkins from her kitchen and had a beer open for himself.
By the time she sat, she knew she needed answers before she could think about taking this anywhere with him. She needed something to get her off the merry-go-round in her head.
She sat in the corner of the couch and curled her legs up on the cushion. “You know, as I walked into the room, I was struck by how comfortable you made yourself.”
He looked sheepish for a minute. “Sorry. I figured it was okay since you were in the shower and we planned to eat together.”
“No.” She held up a hand. “That’s not it. I don’t mind. It reminded me of when we were dating. And yeah, we were dating. We hung out and spent the night together. We weren’t just friends with benefits or whatever. We were in a relationship.” Her skin warmed as her anger and frustration rose again.
Kevin hung his head. “Yeah, we were. I never meant to imply we weren’t.”
“Then what did I do wrong?” As soon as she said the words, she wanted to pull them back. They were needy and weak. She knew she’d done nothing wrong.
“Nothing.”
“I know that. I’m not being clear.” She swallowed and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. “What I meant was, what did I do to make you think it was acceptable to sleep with other people?”
“Again, you did nothing. I really liked what we had going, but we never talked about it. We didn’t have the talk.” He shifted on the couch, putting himself closer to her. “What I said before was true. I knew we were getting serious, and it freaked me out. I wasn’t ready. I had no fucking clue what I wanted. Part of me thought playing the field was it.”
“And I made it easy by disappearing from your life without a fight.” She had to admit he impressed her. Kevin took responsibility for the crappy way things went, even though it wasn’t all his fault. Sure, he could’ve figured out that she wasn’t looking for an open relationship, but back then she didn’t have the backbone to stand up and tell him he was being an asshole. “Okay. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
He pulled a slice of pizza and handed it to her. “For the record, I know now.”
“Know what?” she asked as she sank her teeth into the gooey cheese.
“I know what I want. I’ve been focused on my career for the last few years. I’m not exactly where I want to be, but I’m on the right path. I’m ready to settle down. I’ve always known that one day I’d want to get married and have a family. I’m ready.”
She swallowed the pizza in her mouth, but it wasn’t moving down her throat. What the heck? First Kevin tells her he wants another chance with her, but she can take her time to think about it. Now he’s talking marriage and babies.
He burst out laughing. “Right now, you look like I imagine I would’ve five years ago if you’d mentioned settling down. I’m not expecting to get you pregnant anytime soon. I’m just letting you know that I’m in a different place in my life. I’d like you to be part of it.”
Then he sat back and returned his attention to the TV and the baseball game that he’d turned on. He ate his dinner like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on her. She was adept at listening and although he’d said he wasn’t looking for a baby right now, she also heard what he left out. He didn’t say he wasn’t looking to marry her, or that he wanted to test the waters of monogamy; he simply said he wasn’t quite ready to impregnate her. Her—not just anyone.
So much for clearing her mind. Kevin had just given her even more to think about. And for the first time, she really wanted to consider it. It was more than lust or chemistry. She found that the more time she spent with Kevin, the more she liked who he’d become. She just wasn’t sure she was ready to trust him.
Chapter Seven
Kevin’s week had been exhausting but productive. He’d been working closely with the mayor to get the new tourism initiative off the ground. Thursday night’s party had only been a blip on the radar for everything he’d accomplished.
And he was dying because Kathy hadn’t contacted him once. He reminded himself that it had only been two days. They shared a brief e-mail exchange about the bachelor party, but that was it. When they’d talked after the mayor’s cocktail party, he’d thought he’d made headway with her. He’d been sure she was at least considering giving him a chance.
He wondered if her silence was her answer. After all, that was wha
t she’d done last time. As irritating as that thought was, he pushed it aside. He’d promised her time to think, and he’d give it to her, but he had no intention of sitting idly by forever.
He got ready for a night on the lake, free-flowing drinks, and half-naked women and men to torment Jimmy. His big brother only had eyes for Moira, so he wouldn’t want to look at a stripper, but he might pop a vein if he thought Moira wanted to watch a striptease. As best man, he couldn’t in good conscience not have hired a stripper at all. The guests would expect it, so he delivered.
The show he had planned would put all others to shame. This might go down in history as the best bachelor party ever.
He and Kathy planned to arrive early so they were there to greet everyone as they boarded the boat. It wasn’t often that he used his city hall contacts to his advantage, but to give Jimmy a night to remember, it was worth it. They’d gotten the cruise for a steal and what was better was that they had it all to themselves. The only people on the ship were those invited for the party.
After parking at a nearby lot, he walked to the dock. Kathy was already there, talking with someone from the crew. The sight of her had his mouth watering. She wore a bright yellow dress that hit mid-thigh and because it had thin straps, she showed plenty of golden skin. Her hair was down, spiral curls blowing in the lake breeze.
When he joined them, Kevin introduced himself to John from the crew and got the plans. He and Kathy would wait on the dock to greet everyone and make sure they didn’t leave anyone behind. Once the cruise started, they’d get out on the lake and within the hour, dinner would be served. Then there would be dancing with music provided by the DJ.
John left them and Kevin turned to Kathy. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you. Not so bad yourself.” She swiped at her hair that flung into her face. “I swear, I don’t know what I was thinking leaving this mess down.”
“It’s not a mess. I love your hair.”
“Trust me, by the time we actually get moving, it’ll probably look like a bird’s nest.”
“I doubt that.”
Maggie and Shane arrived, and Kathy let them know that Moira and Jimmy were already on board in separate rooms. The rest of the O’Learys came shortly after. His brothers, of course, were later. Friends and relatives started arriving in mass numbers, so he and Kathy couldn’t talk much. When the entertainment for the night came up to him, they caught Kathy’s attention.
“I thought you told Jimmy no strippers.”
“Jimmy said no strippers. I never agreed. Every man in this place might look for blood if I didn’t provide some entertainment.”
“Two women? That’s some entertainment?”
“Don’t underestimate me. That’s two women and one man. They perform together.”
He waited for his words to sink in. Kathy’s eyes widened. She stepped closer and lowered her voice. “They do threesome stuff?”
“They’re gonna do something.”
“Something that’ll probably give Jimmy a coronary. You might want to warn the guy not to touch Moira. Jimmy will break his arm.”
“They all know hands off. Jimmy’s not the only one with a protective streak.” Sean would definitely go off if a stripper touched Emma. Tommy wouldn’t be much better. Kevin thought briefly of what his reaction would be if it were Kathy being touched. Although he had no right to be jealous or protective, he was.
They waited outside in the warm summer air until the only people milling around were those enjoying a night at Navy Pier. Kevin looked up at the Ferris wheel and thought about taking a ride with Kathy. Too bad he didn’t know the operator so he could call in a favor and get them trapped at the top.
“I think that’s everyone,” Kathy said. “There are only a couple of people on my list who haven’t shown, but I told them all we would be leaving at eight.”
“Sounds good. I wasn’t keeping track, but off the top of my head, I think we’re good. All the important people are here anyway.”
Kathy bent and grabbed the tote bag at her feet.
“Hell of a purse.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not my purse. It’s supplies.”
“Everything is included in the cruise.”
“I have a bride-to-be sash for Moira to wear, and little gifts for the bridal party. Games to play. Stuff like that.”
“Shit. Was I supposed to come up with stuff? I thought my job ended with making sure the party was planned.”
“I’ve got you covered.”
“The least I can do is carry this then.” He took the bag from her shoulder, his fingers grazing the soft skin.
If he wasn’t imagining things, her breath hitched at his touch. “So, have you had time to think about us?”
Her stride caught and she blinked rapidly a few times. “Really? You want to talk now?”
“Now is perfect. I’ve got you captive for the next four hours.”
She laughed. “I’ve been doing nothing but thinking. But I don’t have an answer for you. My head is a mess. Just zipping back and forth. I don’t know if I should follow my heart or my head.”
“That’s easy. Follow whichever one says I should get another chance. We’ll get the other on board.”
“You’re impossible.”
“It’s one of my finer qualities.”
They walked aboard the ship and Maggie met them.
“I’m so sorry. We tried to keep it a secret, but you know Jimmy. He refused to stay in that room you put him in,” Maggie said.
Kathy’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, man. I really wanted to get pictures of their faces when they realized it was a joint party.”
“Don’t worry about that. As soon as I heard Jimmy coming, I had my phone out. They are immortalized.”
Kevin smiled. “How’d they take it?”
“Seemed okay to me, but they’re looking for you.”
The first thing Kevin did was grab a drink for him and Kathy. Kathy might’ve been disappointed at missing out on the surprise, but Kevin knew how little Jimmy enjoyed surprises. Then he went to find Jimmy and Moira. They had drinks in hand and Moira was already wearing the satin sash Kathy had brought. Jimmy wore a crown.
Kevin pointed at his brother. “That’s fitting. You’ve always acted like king of the world.”
“I’ll get you for this.”
“I had nothing to do with playing dress-up. That was all Kathy. Take it up with her.”
“I think it’s cute,” Moira said.
“Just what I’ve always wanted. To be cute.”
Moira turned to Kevin. “Kathy said this was all your idea. Thank you. It’s awesome. Having my fiancé here kind of ruins the whole last-night-of-being-single thing, but the rest is amazing.”
Kevin stared for a minute. “Is Mouthy Moira really paying me a compliment? No way. I think I’ve entered an alternate universe. Aunty Em, Aunty Em . . .”
Moira playfully smacked his arm while she laughed. Then she did the one thing he’d never thought possible: she hugged him. Willingly.
He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her to accept the hug.
“All jokes aside,” she said, “I appreciate you taking this seriously.”
“I’d do anything for him.”
“That’s good. So would I.”
Kathy came up and said, “Are you starting already?”
Moira stepped back and Kevin asked, “What?”
“You’re not even drunk yet and you’re bugging Moira?”
“Ha! Shows what you know. She threw herself into my arms.”
Moira answered with her patented eye roll. “He wasn’t bothering me. I was thanking him for this amazing party.”
“Oh.” She handed Kevin a beer. “I figured you’d need this.”
He smiled. “Great minds,” he said, and showed her the drinks he’d grabbed for them. “Guess we need to drink fast.”
“They’re seating us for dinner now. They have a huge table set up for the bridal party.”
/> Kevin grabbed two beer bottles by the neck in one hand. His other hand rested on Kathy’s back. “After you.”
* * *
Kathy held tight to her glass of wine. While she had no intention of getting drunk, she’d need the alcohol to get through the night at Kevin’s side. Every time they were together, it was getting harder and harder to know why she didn’t want to give him another chance. Dinner was delicious, but went by too quickly. The DJ started playing dance music, and Kathy was shocked to see how many of the guests were already paired off.
No wonder Moira was fine with having a joint party. While many of them weren’t married, these people were far from single.
Unlike her.
And Kevin.
She looked at Kevin, who was currently dancing with a woman who was laughing at whatever he was saying. There was a respectful distance between them, and he’d done nothing to flirt with her.
The Kevin in her memory had flirted with everyone, even if he wasn’t interested. Kathy had assumed that was just his personality. When the song ended, he waved at his partner and beelined for Kathy’s position.
“Can I have this dance?”
“Sure.” She took his hand and as soon as they got to the dance floor, the rhythm shifted to a slow song. “Did you plan this?” she asked as he pulled her against his body.
“Nope. I’m just lucky like that.”
They didn’t talk during the song. Their bodies were pressed together in a way that was more intimate than she’d consider with a stranger, yet it felt good. It had been a long time since she’d had a steady boyfriend. She’d dated some since Ray, but she was experiencing a relationship drought. Maybe that’s why Kevin was so appealing.
“You’re thinking too loud. Can’t you just enjoy the dance?”
“I am. Too much, I’m afraid.”
She felt his chuckle more than heard it. A deep vibration through his chest sent more wild thoughts through her. She couldn’t decide if she needed more alcohol to be able to ignore those thoughts or if they would just get worse.
She did what she could to block out her hormones and enjoy the dance, and the two that followed. They took a break to get a drink, and Kevin surprised her by ordering a water for himself.
From Your Heart Page 9