by Jen Talty
“And I plan on getting her the exact one she’s dreamed of,” Hawk said, leaning against the doorjamb with a stupid grin on his face.
Kennedy jumped. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.”
“And you’re not buying me a car.”
“Yes. I am. The dealer has two ready for you to drive, so let’s go.” He stepped to the side. “Ethel, it’s always nice to see you. Thanks for bringing your sister some stuff.”
“No problem, Hawk. I can call you that now that you’re sharing a bed with my much older sister.”
Hawk laughed. “Of course.”
“And when do I get to come over for dinner? I want to see this house on the beach. I’ve seen pictures, and I hear the view is spectacular.”
“We’ll have you over next week. How about all the siblings?”
“Oh, God, no. You don’t want all of them in one sitting,” Kennedy said.
“I’ll set it up.” Ethel swooped in and gave Kennedy a big hug before planting a kiss on Hawk’s cheek.
Ethel had never been known for being shy.
Or respecting personal boundaries.
“She’s so different from you.” Hawk snagged Kennedy’s overnight bag. “Are you ready?”
“I haven’t sent out the emails to Worthman.”
“Let that asshole wait. He’s kept me waiting too many times to count. Besides, if one more person in this building walks by my office and looks at me like they want to kill me if I hurt you, I might end up losing my cool.”
“Tomkins sent me a message saying he’ll personally slash your tires if you cheat on me.”
“That sounds like Tomkins.” Hawk looped his arm around Kennedy’s waist. “Let the games begin.”
She plastered a big smile on her face and held her breath as she walked down the hall and out the door. As soon as she got to her car, she exhaled in one big swoosh. “I don’t care about lying to the people in there, but lying to my family sucks. The conversation I just had with my sister is making me nauseous.”
“We can end this anytime you want. And when we do, we’ll make me look like the asshole.” He opened the passenger door to her car, helping her in.
She glanced up with a confused look. “Um, why am I not driving my own car? Why would you leave your car here?”
“I’m having Tomkins bring it to my house in a few hours. And I told you, we’re buying you a Range Rover.” He slammed the door shut before she could protest more. Her heart hammered in her chest.
He couldn’t be serious. Could he?
Very few things made Hawk nervous.
However, there was one thing that made him want to crawl under a rock and die: meeting a woman’s parents.
He avoided it like he avoided dating women who had kids. Hell, he’d broken up with women just because they wanted him to meet their folks.
Because that meant the relationship was heading in a direction he didn’t want it to go, and it was time to move on.
However, he’d met Mr. and Mrs. Monroe a few times over the years, so he wasn’t really meeting them for the very first time. This should be a piece of cake. So why were his palms clammy and his brow perspiring?
“The pin to the gate is 346917,” he said as Kennedy rolled to a stop in front of his home in her new Range Rover Sport. She’d pushed back hard on letting him buy it, but he told her she could fight him all she wanted, he was taking it home regardless. Her old Honda, while still kicking, needed to go. He told her if she didn’t want it when they had their breakup, she could trade it in on whatever she wanted, and if there was money coming back, she could donate to whatever worthy cause she wanted.
When she finally agreed, it had been on the terms that she would absolutely trade it in on something more reasonable and something she could afford.
He secretly hoped she’d keep the Range Rover. Not only did she look good driving it, but he could tell the idea of owning one excited her, and that made him feel a tad bit better about the current situation.
“How do you like the ride so far?”
“I hate myself for loving it so much because I’m never going to want to get rid of it.”
“It will last you longer than that old beat-up piece of shit you’ve been driving since I’ve known you.”
“I bought that car my senior year in high school. I’ve owned it outright since I graduated with my masters. I was very proud of that car.”
He tapped his garage remote. “Pull in, that way those idiots hiding in the bushes won’t be snapping all sorts of images and plastering them all over the internet.”
“I couldn’t believe the reporter and photographer at the dealership. They were more aggressive than anyone I’ve ever met before. I don’t even know what rag they were from, and because of all your clients, and their little run-ins with the media, I try to know them all.”
“You know them. They’re from West Coast Entertainment Newser.”
Kennedy shut the engine down and glanced in his direction. “That online piece of shit that no one reads?”
“Well, it gets picked up on Facebook on that bait and switch crap all the time, but yeah, nothing to worry about other than everyone will know I just bought my girlfriend a new car for no reason.”
“Um, my birthday is next week.”
He dropped his forehead to the passenger window. “I knew that. Happy early birthday. What are we? Thirty-one?”
“Thirty-three, actually, but who’s counting anyway.”
“Well, we can tell everyone it’s a birthday present.” He took her bags and dresses from the back seat and made his way into the house. They had only an hour before they needed to head into town to meet her parents. He had decided on ordering a car service. It just made it easier to hide from the reporters, if he had to.
Which he would since reporters were now camped outside his office and his house. For the next week or so, he and Kennedy would be the story. Even after the paternity of Heather’s kids was cleared up, he and Kennedy would still be the hot topic until the novelty of him being in a committed relationship wore off.
Then he could work on his exit plan.
“Want some wine?”
“God, yes.” She made herself comfortable at the kitchen counter. “How about an entire bottle.”
He chuckled. “Red or white.”
“Red, if you don’t mind.”
“I prefer red anyway.” He pulled down a bottle of one of his favorites along with his electric corkscrew and his attachment aerator. “It’s not as good as a decanter, but it works well enough.”
“I’m not a wine snob. I drink wine from a box and in a solo cup.”
“My kind of girl.” He handed her a glass. “So, what do I need to know about your parents?”
“My dad is going to come off like he hates you. He’ll give you the evil eye, and he might even be a bit of a dick, but as long as you like his football team, his hockey team, and prefer dogs over cats, you should be all good.”
“Might help if you fill me on those details.”
“He grew up in South Buffalo, so he’s a big Buffalo Bills and Sabres fan. Like die-hard fan. My mom tries to follow along, but she’s totally clueless, and my dad tends to tease her, but all in good fun.”
“Well, I love both sports, though I’m more of an Avalanche and Broncos fan, but I’ll figure out how not to insult your father. Oh, and I hate cats with a passion. If I was home more, I’d have a dog. A big cuddly German shepherd.”
“You’ll win brownie points for that since we’ve only had that breed for a family pet. My folks have two. George and Jeb.”
“After George and Jeb Bush?” he asked.
“Exactly.” She held up her glass, clanking it against his. “He’s not going to like that you bought me a car. I hate lying to him in general, but we’re going to tell him I’m making payments on it. That you only helped me with the down payment, okay?”
“As you wish.”
“Quoting Princess Bride will also win y
ou brownie points. It’s my parents’ favorite feel good movie. They watch it on every Valentine’s Day.”
“That’s romantic,” he said. Back in the day, he’d been accused of being a hopeless romantic. Of course, that ended after he realized he wasn’t cut out for long-term relationships and the need to sweep a woman off her feet didn’t matter anymore. Either they wanted a mutually satisfying encounter.
Or they didn’t.
Kennedy wasn’t the kind of woman any man should have a casual liaison with, especially him. However, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to hold her in his arms all night long while making sweet love to her under the moon and stars.
“My parents are a little mushy,” she said just as his phone buzzed in his back pocket.
He glanced at the screen and frowned. James never called him unless there were people inside Thirsty’s asking questions. “James?”
“Sorry to bother you, but you should know that there are news crews outside the front door, and in the back, expecting to see the happy couple and maybe some family members.”
“Shit,” he mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Until someone else in the entertainment world did something outrageous, he and Kennedy were the topic of conversation, and these animals would do anything to get their dirt.
And Hawk would do anything to protect Kennedy and her family.
“All right. Mind sending me over some amazing grub around seven? Enough for four with leftovers and then something spectacular for dessert? Enough for six?”
“I’m on it.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.” Hawk took a large gulp of his wine. “Slight change in plans.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Kennedy said. “And my parents won’t like it.”
“Well, it’s either me sending them over a car service to come here and have a quiet dinner, or we go out in public where the paparazzi starts snapping pictures.”
“Fucking A,” she said.
“You know, when you swear, it sounds sexy as hell.”
“I think that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
He laughed. “Come on,” he said. “Follow me to your quarters, and you can call your folks while I take a shower.” The one thing he loved about his house was that each bedroom had a view of the ocean. As a matter of fact, the only rooms that didn’t look out over the ocean were his movie viewing room, the garage, and his storage room.
“I don’t want to take your room,” Kennedy pleaded as he put her stuff on his bed.
“When my parents are here, we’re both going to have to sleep in here, and they get in tonight around eight. I’ll send a car service to get them, and they can join us for dessert.”
She flung herself on the bed and covered her eyes with her arm. “Wonderful. Our parents are going to meet each other. What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?”
“And here I thought you’d focus on the fact we’d be sharing a bed for the weekend.”
She groaned and rolled to the side, snagging a pillow and covering her face with it. “You’re my boss. This is so awkward that it’s not awkward.”
“That makes no sense.” He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it in his dry-cleaning bag. “But it’s a California King, so I’m sure we can manage without even knowing the other one is in the bed.” Oh, he’d know she was there, and he probably wouldn’t sleep at all, but he’d be a gentleman.
All night long.
If it killed him.
“I don’t know if I should be insulted or not,” she mumbled.
He laughed. “I’m trying to make you feel more comfortable in this very weird situation I’ve put you in.” He reached out and snagged the pillow. “However, I’ve given you every chance to back out, and you keep going and going.”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “Holy shit, you’re built.” Her lashes blinked wildly over her smoldering eyes. “When do you find the time to work out?”
“I have a small weight room down the hall. I try to exercise every day.” He pulled his belt through the loops and tossed it to the bed, resting his hand on the button of his pants, resisting the urge to pump his pecs. “I’m glad you like what you see.”
She bit down on her lower lip.
The tension in his slacks grew. He cleared his throat. “I’ll be a few minutes and then the bathroom is all yours.” With that, he made a beeline for the shower. He could have headed to one of three bathrooms, but he didn’t.
He turned the shower knob to the hottest he knew he could tolerate and shed the rest of his clothes. As soon as he stood under the scalding water, he groaned, realizing he hadn’t brought anything to change into, and the idea of putting on something dirty made him shiver.
A towel would do.
Shit. She might take that the wrong way, and he didn’t want to insult her or upset her in any way. Although, she’d been relatively flirtatious with him, and she didn’t fight him on sleeping in the same bed, so maybe she was open to the idea?
Fuck. She was his assistant and hooking up with her would be about the dumbest thing he could possibly do.
Next to pretending to be her boyfriend.
He turned off the water and shook his head like a dog before snagging a towel. He wrapped it tightly around his waist and opened the door to the bedroom.
She stood in front of the sliding glass doors with her phone to her ear.
“I know it’s not ideal, Dad. You can cancel if you want, but right now, with all the rumors going around and the way we were forced to bring our relationship to the media, being out in public will just be a spectacle, and do you really want that?”
Hawk took a few steps forward.
“I’m glad you want to come. And it means even more to me that you absolutely believe Heather is lying, because she is. I know for a fact there is no way he could be the father.”
Hawk paused midstep and closed his eyes. Of course her parents would be concerned about the timeline and assume if the accusation was true, that would mean he had to have cheated on Kennedy, and what parent wouldn’t be pissed off about that?
“I actually really do care about him,” she said. “More than I expected I ever could. He’s a good person with a big heart, and unfortunately, he’s often misunderstood.” She nodded her head. “I love you too, Dad. See you soon.”
Swiftly, he closed the gap and looped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.
She gasped and jumped. “You scared me.”
“You surprise me at every turn.”
“What does that mean?”
He turned her so he could gaze into her soulful eyes. He brushed the hair from her face and cupped her cheeks, forgetting all he had on was a towel. “I know half of what you said was pretend, but I’ve gotten to know you pretty well while you’ve been my assistant, so I also know when you’re being sincere and you actually do care about me.”
“Of course, I do, or why would I be doing all this?”
“I think there is something more between us, and it’s not just the attraction I’ve had for you for years.” Before she could say anything, he took her mouth in a hot but tender kiss. She tasted like a bold wine with a hint of sweet grape mixed in.
She rested her hands lightly on his shoulders, refusing to totally commit to the kiss. He understood her hesitation. He had his own reservations, but he lost himself in the moment.
And her lips.
A soft moan vibrated from her mouth to his, and his control snapped. He deepened the kiss, sending his tongue on a search and rescue mission.
Only he had no idea what he was searching for, much less what needed rescuing.
If anything.
Maybe he needed a salvation of some kind. His life had been a shell of an existence, and if he was being honest with himself, he knew it.
All he had was his work, but even that lately had been less than satisfying.
He yanked at her shirt, slipping his hands under the fabric. Her silky soft skin ignit
ed his fingertips as he worked the clasp on her bra. Thankfully, she didn’t protest.
Nor did she stop him from removing her top.
Actually, she helped him, which surprised him.
But what left him totally astounded was when she removed the rest of her clothing and stood in his bedroom, naked, while the sun set in the distance.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he managed to ground out in a raspy voice. “And I don’t just mean your body. You’re amazing inside and out.”
Her fingers inched into his towel. “You’re not so bad yourself,” she said with a confident smile. “Inside and out, but since I’m standing here all vulnerable, we should probably even the playing field.”
Who was he to deny her request? He tossed the towel to the side and lifted her into her arms.
“Oh my, what are you doing?”
“Moving us to the bed.” Gently, he set her down and pulled back the covers, trying not to talk himself out of making love to Kennedy, because the longer his lips were away from hers, the more likely that became. His body screamed to be one with hers, but his mind sent him a laundry list of this was a bad idea.
He closed his eyes and kissed her.
Hard.
His hands roamed her exquisite body, not letting any inch go untouched. He wanted to make sure he found every erogenous zone she had, including the ones she didn’t know existed. He kissed and teased her breasts, enjoying the way her nipples tightened and puckered. Her wild moans filled his ears like a wicked electric guitar solo.
They rolled around on his bed, each demanding to be in control, both relinquishing their power in exchange for the purest kind of passion.
The kind of desire he’d been running from his entire life. She made him feel alive in ways he’d only thought he could find when jumping out of an airplane or taking his Porsche out on a racetrack. She excited him and terrified him at the same time.
She climbed on top of him, slowly lowering herself over him, taking him in slowly, driving him mad.
His toes curled as he arched his back. His fingers dug into her hips as she rocked back and forth. Her raven hair bounced over her shoulders, shining like dark, melting chocolate in the setting sun. He took in slow deep breaths, bringing his hand to where their bodies met. He rubbed his thumb firmly against her hard nub.