One More Kiss (Forsaken Sons Book 1)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  He rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You’re acting weird, Kin. We’ve had dinners with your bosses before and you’ve never been this jumpy.” He frowned at her for a moment before turning back to face the front door.

  Carl was right, she thought. They’d had business dinners with both her employers and his over the years. Kinsley took another deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Tonight was just another meal. Just a regular, ordinary meal! Nothing special about it, other than the fact that she’d get more information about Lincoln and his father afterward. They had an agreement and, she was simply fulfilling her part of the bargain.

  The door opened and Kinsley’s breath caught in her throat. Instead of Lincoln’s normal uniform of jeans and tee shirt, he wore a pair of slacks and a crisp, white shirt that made his shoulders look even more amazing, and his skin looked tanner than usual. The slacks showed off his lean waist and flat abs and it was all Kinsley could do to stop herself from drooling as she stepped into the wood and stone foyer.

  “Come on in,” Lincoln said, his eyes moving over her from her head, pausing at the double strand of fake pearls around her neck, all the way down to the toes of her black heels. Then his gaze returned to meet hers, something strange there now.

  He stepped back and only briefly glanced at Carl, giving a nod of acknowledgement.

  “You look lovely,” he said. “Can I take your coat?”

  Lincoln moved behind her, helping her remove her coat. He hung it away in a closet, then finally turned to Carl. “I’m Lincoln Meyers. You must be Keith.”

  Kinsley rolled her eyes. Carl shot her an odd glance as he extended his hand in greeting. “Carl Monohan,” Carl corrected.

  “My mistake,” Lincoln replied, then looked at Kinsley, and winked, which only validated her suspicion that he knew Carl’s name and was being a jerk.

  “Behave!” she told him firmly.

  He grinned, warning her that he wasn’t going to behave. Not even a little!

  “Come on in. What can I get you to drink?” Turning to Kinsley, he added, “I have a great white wine. Or if you’d prefer something lighter, I have more of that lemonade you liked from the other day.”

  “Oh, white wine sounds great. Thanks.”

  Lincoln turned to Carl. “And what can I get you to drink?”

  “Wine sounds great. Thanks so much.”

  Lincoln moved over to the kitchen, which was really just part of the great room since it all flowed together. The kitchen was made of different kinds of mellow wood with a marble countertop. There were cabinets along the wall with the stove and fridge. But there was also a long counter that separated the kitchen from the living area space. It allowed the cook to interact with the rest of the room. Everything was open, airy, and lovely.

  “This is gorgeous!” Kinsley murmured, looking around. When she turned, she realized that the living room area had a whole wall of wood framed windows and doors that looked out at the mountains in the distance. There was also a wide deck where one could sit and absorb the view. “I don’t know how you ever leave here.”

  “Great view,” Carl agreed. Lincoln handed out glasses of wine.

  “It’s pretty nice. Especially during evenings when I can watch the sunset.”

  Carl shifted closer to her and Kinsley cringed, recognizing his “I’m a man” posturing. “I know that Kinsley has been working for you for about a month, but what do you actually do, Lincoln?”

  Lincoln glanced over at Kinsley and she took a sip of her wine.

  “Kinsley hasn’t explained?”

  Carl shook his head. “Not a word. She mentioned an NDA that she signed.”

  Lincoln glanced at her and she blushed. “I just…I keep your secrets, Linc,” she said, aiming for quiet dignity. She hid her hot cheeks behind the crystal glass, pretending to take a sip of wine.

  “Well, that’s good to hear.” He turned back to Carl. “I invent things.”

  Carl nodded slowly as if Lincoln had just announced something prophetic. “What kinds of things?”

  “Well, that’s the secret,” Lincoln grinned, waving towards the two couches that were set up in front of a massive stone fireplace. “I have appetizers set up while dinner finishes cooking. Please, help yourself.”

  The three of them moved to the sofas and Kinsley sat down first, expecting Carl to sit next to her. It’s what a boyfriend-soon-to-be-fiancé would do. But instead, he moved to the other sofa, sitting down opposite her. She felt Lincoln’s confusion, but the man was the ultimate host and sat down next to her.

  “I’ve worked on several components that have increased the fuel efficiency on cars and trucks.”

  Carl nodded as if he fully understood what that meant. “That sound interesting,” he replied, his tone saying that he wasn’t interested at all.

  “What do you do?” Lincoln asked.

  Carl reached forward, selecting a cracker from the coffee table in front of him. “Kinsley didn’t tell you?”

  Lincoln eyed the man and, in that instant, realized that he really didn’t like Carl. Not one bit. And even more, he didn’t like the fact that the ass would get to take Kinsley home tonight. And probably sleep with her curled up against him. Yeah, that really pissed him off. He’d been relieved when Carl had sat on the opposite sofa. Although, it seemed like an odd move. But he liked any action that kept the jerk away from Kinsley.

  “I’m a computer programmer,” Carl explained, bracing his elbows on the back of the sofa and bringing his ankle up so that it rested on his knee. Lincoln suspected that the guy was trying to relax his body language and feign importance. But the shift in his legs only made the guy look awkward and off-balance. “I’m currently working on a government project that should finish up in about a month or two.”

  Lincoln nodded easily. He’d worked with government agencies and knew that they had tight contracts with deadlines and schedules. The idea that a program “might” be released out to the agency’s users in “a month or two” was ridiculous and probably a lie.

  Lincoln filed that piece of information away for future use. “What language is the system in?”

  For the next few minutes, he and Carl talked technical languages. It was obvious that Carl was trying to use words and language that he assumed Lincoln didn’t understand. But the ass didn’t know that most of Lincoln’s ideas needed computer coding in order to work properly. It wasn’t purely mechanical engineering. His ideas were more advanced than that. So Lincoln was able to keep up with the conversation easily, much to the irritation of Carl.

  A timer went off and Lincoln stood. “That’s dinner. Should we eat outside?”

  Carl snickered. “It’s only forty degrees tonight.”

  Lincoln shrugged. “I have several solar powered heaters on the deck. We’ll be warm enough.”

  That was obviously a piece of news that good ole Carl didn’t like.

  Lincoln carried the casserole, handing Kinsley the beans and rolls, then led all of them out onto the deck. With a flip of a switch, the heaters turned on and the area was filled with warmth.

  “This is wonderful!” Kinsley exclaimed, sitting down in one of the comfortable deck chairs. “Do you eat out here a lot?”

  “Almost every night,” he told her. “Unless it’s raining, and even then, I can pull a rain shield up so that I don’t get wet. I prefer being outdoors.”

  Kinsley didn’t comment on the fact that his house was made mostly of glass. Or that his workroom had no windows at all. That might raise too many questions.

  “So, Carl…”

  “You know, we’re engaged,” Carl interrupted, grabbing Kinsley’s fingers, kissing them before picking up his fork to try the cheesy chicken casserole.

  “We’re…not!” Kinsley yelped. Her eyes darted in Lincoln’s direction and he could see the confusion. “We’re not!” she repeated firmly.

  Carl chuckled condescendingly. “Well, I haven’t popped the question or gotten the ring. But we’ve talk
ed about marriage. We know that we’re getting married.”

  Kinsley nodded slowly, but her eyes were wide, as if she were finally seeing Carl for the ass that he was.

  Of course, Carl was simply being territorial. The guy wasn’t a complete idiot and he must have picked up on the tension between himself and Kinsley. Carl was merely staking his claim in the most obviously way possible.

  Lincoln would probably do the same thing if their positions were reversed. Good ole Carl clearly sensed Lincoln’s interest in Kinsley. But who wouldn’t be interested in a smart, vivacious, amazing woman with a figure to die for?! Carl knew that he had a good thing with Kinsley.

  And that, Lincoln thought, made him the ass. Not Carl. Carl was simply defending what he rightly thought was his, correctly understanding the imminent threat.

  Not that Lincoln would make a move on Kinsley. Never! He’d never disrespect her like that.

  So instead of beating his chest, Lincoln nodded easily. “Kinsley has mentioned the future the two of you are looking forward to sharing together.”

  Carl laughed and, for some reason, the sound sent revulsion throughout Lincoln’s body.

  “Has she told you all her crazy ideas about the wedding?”

  Lincoln glanced at Kinsley and saw the hurt in those blue depths. “Um…well, she mentioned that she’s excited about the future. I don’t think she has any crazy plans.” Lincoln thought Kinsley’s need to organize her world, which included plans for the future, was adorable. Not crazy. Kinsley just wanted things to be a certain way. Nothing wrong with that. That definitely didn’t give Carl permission to ridicule her hopes and dreams.

  Carl laughed, taking Kinsley’s hand again. “She’s timed this whole engagement and wedding stuff down to the hour!” Shaking his head, he added, “I’m not even allowed to propose until a certain day, simply because she wants to be married at a very specific time of the year.”

  Again, Lincoln glanced at Kinsley. Her head was bowed. She wouldn’t look at him, even to dare him to…whatever. This meal was so completely different from their casual, friendly, sometimes outrageous or challenging lunches together that he wasn’t sure how to react.

  “Well, I know that Kinsley’s efforts to organize my projects, as well as the financial aspects of my work, have been a life saver.” He’d never said as much to her, but he’d noticed. And he felt like a jerk for not saying something before now. “So, if she’s already organizing the day that you will join your life to hers, then I’d say you’re a lucky man.”

  There was a moment of awkward silence after that. Lincoln suspected that he’d revealed too much, but he couldn’t take back his words. Especially when he saw her lashes lift so that she was looking directly at him, her big, blue eyes silently thanking him for his support.

  He tilted his head slightly, acknowledging her unspoken response, then he looked over at Carl and changed the subject. “So, what do you think about the Badgers’ chances this year?” And off they went, discussing football and statistics for the Seattle area’s football team. It was a much less controversial subject and, as the sky darkened the air around them, the tension eased. If the dinner wasn’t quite relaxing, it didn’t feel like a time bomb either.

  When the evening finally ended, Lincoln squeezed Kinsley’s shoulders as he held her coat for her as a silent apology. She understood and looked up at him, those beautiful blue eyes telling him that he was forgiven.

  As he lay in bed that night, Lincoln thought about Kinsley and the demure, black dress she’d worn that night. It was similar in style to what she normally wore to the office, but it seemed different since it was a dress instead of a business suit. Maybe because he was picturing taking the dress off of her petite form, pulling her into his arms and making love to her until neither of them could move. What did she sleep in? He could easily picture her in a silk negligee, but even as he thought that, Lincoln knew deep in his heart that Kinsley most likely wore some sort of cotton nightgown. Probably with little roses along the high neckline.

  Damn, even that made his body hard and aching. He could picture ripping the delicate cotton apart to reveal her soft, beautiful breasts, his hands touching her nipples and…!

  Around two o’clock in the morning, he threw off the bed covers, pulled on a pair of sweats, and stomped into his living room. He might as well get some work done since sleep clearly wasn’t going to happen tonight.

  Kinsley rolled over and stared at the clock. Three minutes after two in the morning. Sleep wasn’t coming to her. The only thing invading her mind right now were thoughts about making love with Lincoln. She could imagine his long fingers trailing down her back, his lips caressing her inner thigh, and getting to explore every inch of him in return.

  “Stop!” she groaned, burying her face in the pillow. But a moment later, she rolled back over and flung the blanket off, padding barefoot into her living room. Staring out at the darkness, she wondered what Lincoln was doing. Was he sound asleep? Was he working? She could picture him in his workshop, glasses perched on his nose as he tinkered away. What did he wear to sleep in? She tugged on the neckline of her cotton nightgown, decorated with embroidered roses, wondering why she wore something that got tangled up at night while she slept.

  Did he sleep naked? What would it be like to sleep naked? She couldn’t imagine doing anything so decadent. She’d never get any sleep if she did that!

  Walking into the kitchen, she poured some milk into a saucepan, then stared at the milk, willing it to heat up. She needed something, anything, to get her mind off Lincoln so that she could finally get some sleep!

  Chapter 10

  She could smell the coffee from a block away! Kinsley drummed on the steering wheel as she glared at the red light. But her glare didn’t have the power to change the light to green and she wanted to scream. She’d barely slept at all last night, then had woken to one of her neighbors pounding on her door. Apparently, the mail carrier had delivered some of Kinsley’s mail to her neighbor the day before. She’d thanked the guy, but she didn’t really care about the junk mail. She wanted sleep!

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t go back to sleep. And even worse, her laundry was finished, having been done on Thursday night, right on schedule. Her apartment was clean and freshly vacuumed. Even her dishwasher was empty! Why, why, why did she have to be so insanely organized?

  Now it was Saturday morning and…she had nothing to do! What was even worse, she didn’t have good coffee. Oh, she had the usual stuff that she bought at the grocery store once a month. But after working for Lincoln and drinking the excellent coffee that his housekeeper stocked in the workroom’s kitchen, she wanted the good stuff. Not the cheap coffee that she normally bought.

  Which was why she was sitting here at a red light, waiting for the stupid light to change and imagining that she could smell the coffee from the coffee shop that was still half a block away!

  The light turned green and Kinsley almost stomped on the gas, needing her caffeine fix!

  Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only person who had thought of going out for coffee this morning. The line at the coffee shop was long.

  “Hey there!”

  For a moment, Kinsley didn’t think the greeting was for her. Perhaps her confusion was caused by the lack of “good” coffee this morning. Or maybe she was just too irritated by her lack of sleep. Whatever the reason, the “Hey There” wasn’t for her and she shifted on her feet, impatiently waiting for the person at the head of the line to put in their order for a “non-fat, chai latte with blah blah blah”! Whatever, just move on!

  “Kinsley?”

  Okay, that broke through her mental fog. Turning, she spotted the red head or…copper head? Nope, that was a snake.

  Goodness, she really needed coffee.

  “Frankie?”

  “Hey!” The copper-haired woman said with a huge smile. “You remember me!”

  Who could forget a woman that vibrant? It was impossible. Literally every man in this coffee shop
was wondering if Frankie was single and the women wondered how they could lose whatever weight they needed to lose in order to imitate Frankie’s amazing figure.

  “Oh yes. I remember you,” Kinsley said warmly. Frankie wasn’t the kind of woman one could hate. She was just too exuberant and friendly.

  Surprisingly, the woman’s smile brightened even further. “Good! Hey – why don’t you join me once you get your coffee? I’ve been sitting over there at that table reading the news and…well, the news isn’t all that interesting.”

  Kinsley smiled back, feeling relieved to have something to do other than figure out what craft store she could sneak into to get more yarn. Her normal yarn store haunts knew her too well already and were starting to ask her how she went through so many skeins of yarn. Kinsley didn’t want to admit that she now had over one hundred crocheted beanie caps in a box in her closet.

  So with relief, Kinsley glanced over at the small table the woman had indicated. “That would be great. I’ll be right over.”

  Frankie nodded, then headed back over to her table, relaxing back in the chair that Kinsley would have sworn wasn’t made for relaxing. Somehow, Frankie was one of those people that made her own rules. If a chair didn’t work, she made it work for her.

  Kinsley eventually got her coffee, moved to the “fixings” stand to add cream and sweetener, and brought it over to Frankie’s table, sitting in the opposite chair with relief.

  “You look like you’ve had a rough night,” she said as Kinsley sat down.

  “Yeah,” she replied, rubbing her forehead. “It was difficult. I don’t know why,” she fibbed. “Normally, I sleep really well on Friday and Saturday nights. They are the only two nights I don’t have to stress about anything.”

  “What do you normally stress about?” Frankie asked.

  Besides silver-eyed, dragon-men who make my heart speed up in inappropriate ways? “My job can be a bit stressful,” she said. “But before you ask, I can’t talk about it.”