Inseparable

by Brenda Jackson

  He and Kenna sat at his kitchen table talking while they drank coffee and ate cookies. When he finally looked over at the clock, it was almost two in the morning.

  “It’s late. You need to go on to bed, Reese. You have to get up early in the morning. Thanks to you, I don’t,” she said.

  She was right. Even though he usually didn’t leave the ranch until eight, he made it a point to meet with Joe every morning around six. He would usually be in bed by now but hadn’t been aware of the time, since he had enjoyed sitting and talking to her.

  “You’re right. I need to get to bed. You know your way around this place, and if there’s anything you need, just ask Joe.”

  “I will.”

  With great effort he stood up from his chair. He wasn’t ready to end their conversation. “You’re going to stay up a while longer?”

  “Um, not too much longer. I’m not that sleepy, since I took a long nap earlier. I might check out a movie downstairs.”

  Like her, he enjoyed movies. When he had the house built, Kenna had convinced him to include a home theater in the basement. The room had been built to her specifications and was perfect for movie and sports enthusiasts. Whenever she would come for the weekend, Kenna ended up spending more time there than any other room in the house.

  “Okay. Then I’ll see you when I get home tomorrow.”

  “All right. Don’t work too hard.”

  He chuckled as he turned to leave the kitchen. “I won’t.”

  Suddenly it hit him as he walked toward the stairway. He was feeling something he couldn’t explain, some emotion he was trying hard to make sense of. What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he feel the need to give her a kiss good night? They hugged all the time. Once in a while, he would greet her with a peck on the cheek or the forehead when they hadn’t seen each other for a long while. But usually he wouldn’t just kiss her for no reason.

  The only reason he’d kissed her earlier that day was to give his stalker the impression that he was already taken. But for some reason he couldn’t explain, he felt his night wouldn’t be complete unless he tasted the softness of her skin on his lips, pulled her into his arms and held her tight, and smelled her tantalizing fragrance in his nostrils.

  A hard knot suddenly settled in his throat. Crap! What on earth could he be thinking? Kenna was his best friend, for crying out loud. His protective side, the one that usually emerged where she was concerned, was somewhere hiding right now. Shaking his head, he quickly walked up the stairs, thinking that once he got to his room he needed to smack his head against the wall a few times.

  There had to be a reason his brain was malfunctioning, like it had short-circuited somewhere along the way. Why on earth would he see Kenna through the eyes of a man filled with lust? Granted, it wasn’t the first time he had thought about it. Like last month at Blade’s wedding reception, when he’d been looking at her, listening to his great-grandmother’s comments.

  He would get a good night’s sleep and wake up in the morning thinking like the Reese Madaris he knew—the one who would not, under any circumstances, get hot and bothered about his best friend.

  He walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. He would get a good night’s sleep, and he was convinced come morning he would be thinking straight once again.

  Kenna inhaled a slow, deep breath as she watched the couple on the wall-to-wall movie screen and wondered why no man had ever kissed her like that—warm and sloppy wet. Tongues do more than just mingle. They stake claims over and over again in a passionate way. It was the kind of kiss that could steal the breath right out of your lungs, make your head spin a thousand times and make your heart pound hard in your chest. She shook her head and thought it could only happen that way in the movies.

  She glanced around the huge, dark room at three in the morning and realized this was just the place she needed to be. She had showered, slipped into an oversize T-shirt and leaned back in one of several comfortable, soft-leather recliners in Reese’s home theater that cushioned your backside like nobody’s business. The huge movie posters on the wall, the popcorn-making machine and the recessed lighting helped create an authentic movie-theater atmosphere.

  Kenna found the perfect movie to watch, a romantic thriller. One minute she was aroused by the intimate scenes, and the next she was sitting on the edge of her seat as the couple fought off the bad guys.

  The house was quiet since Reese had gone to bed. Although she had enjoyed going out to the movies with him earlier that night, she hadn’t been able to concentrate, since she’d spent most of the time thinking about him. His closeness had an unsettling effect, and she became more convinced that the plan she’d shared with Syneda was the right one. If Reese and Alyson were together, then she wouldn’t be so focused on every move he made. Now that she would be living in Houston, the only way she could continue to look at him as her friend and not the most handsome man she knew was to become involved with someone, and to make sure he became involved with someone, too.

  There was no doubt in her mind that Alyson would invite plenty of eligible guys to the party, since the sole purpose was to help her meet people. Indeed, Alyson’s definition of meeting people was for Kenna to meet other guys so that she wouldn’t be around Reese so much.

  Chapter 7

  “So how are things going with you and your house guest?”

  Reese switched his mobile phone from one ear to the other as he opened the door to get into his truck. He couldn’t help but shake his head. His cousin Blade was convinced that there was more to his relationship with Kenna than just friendship.

  “Before I answer your question, how about answering mine? What the hell did you do to the women in this town? I can’t believe how bold they are. Some can’t seem to take no for an answer,” Reese said, recalling the woman who had shown up at the worksite that morning. She was the same woman he’d seen in the elevator yesterday. She was becoming a nuisance, and he’d come straight out and told her so. But his frankness hadn’t seemed to deter her, and he had the feeling he hadn’t seen the last of her. He had gotten hit on by women before, but never in such numbers.

  “Probably because I never said no to them,” Blade replied easily. “They understood me and I understood them. Usually all they wanted was a good time.”

  Reese frowned. “Then they need to look elsewhere, because I’m not interested.”

  “I don’t see why not. You’re not seriously involved with anyone, unless you’re thinking of hooking up with Alyson again.”

  Reese shifted in his seat. Kenna had mentioned that same subject a couple of times. And from the way it sounded, she didn’t have a problem with it. She was evidently willing to overlook the fact that the reason he’d split with Alyson in the first place was because of her negativity toward Kenna.

  “And if I am?” he decided to ask.

  “Then you need to make certain she’s no longer jealous of Kenna. Don’t forget I was there that day when she dropped by your place and I overheard her accusations.”

  Reese snorted. Blade hadn’t exactly overheard anything. He had been deliberately eavesdropping and they both knew it. “I can handle Alyson.”

  “I hope you can. A woman with a jealous streak can cause more harm than good. Now answer my question. How is Kenna?”

  “Kenna is fine.”

  A few moments later, after disconnecting his call with Blade, Reese sat quietly without moving in the SUV. If anyone knew how women behaved, it would be Blade. He’d certainly had his share of them. At times his cousin’s condo had seemed to have a revolving door.

  His thoughts then shifted to Kenna. She had been asleep when he’d left that morning, but he knew that she’d stayed up late watching a movie. He hadn’t been able to sleep and had heard her tiptoe to her room around four in the morning.

  He had lain in bed, pissed at himself because he still hadn’t come up with a reason why he was suddenly beginning to see Kenna in a different way. Hopefully, yesterday was a fl
uke and things would be back to normal today. The last thing he needed was for Kenna to pick up on anything and have a reason to feel uncomfortable around him.

  He nearly jumped when someone tapped on his window. He rolled down the window when he saw it was Dex. “You okay?” Dex asked him.

  Reese nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you’re just sitting there, staring into space. Aren’t you going to go grab lunch?” Dex said.

  “In a minute. I just finished talking to Blade.”

  “Oh, what’s he up to? Did he say how he’s adjusting to married life with a baby on the way?” Dex asked, leaning against Reese’s truck.

  Reese couldn’t help but smile. He figured Blade was adjusting to marriage like Blade’s twin brother, Slade, and his own brother Luke had. It seemed they all enjoyed being married, and according to Luke, he couldn’t imagine his life without Mac. “He’s adjusting just fine. I just wish all his used-to-be's hadn’t turned their sights on me.”

  Dex chuckled. “Hey, I heard about that. Unfortunately, you’ll probably be it until you get married.”

  “Married? I don’t even have a steady girlfriend, Dex.”

  “Yes. But there are some people in the family who won’t give up on the notion that Kenna is your girl.”

  Reese rolled his eyes. “Kenna’s my best friend.”

  “So we’ve heard, for a few years now. Look, I have no reason to doubt you and I think everyone else knows she’s your best friend. But I think there’s some speculation about what might be in your future.”

  “Because Kenna decided to move to Houston?”

  “Yes, that did lift a few eyebrows,” Dex admitted.

  “It was a good job opportunity for her.”

  “Yes, but another way to look at it is the two of you have become even more inseparable.”

  He looked at Dex through the window. “And the problem with that is?”

  “The two of you are going to have a hard time finding someone else who’s willing to put up with your friendship with each other. But hey, I support whatever rocks your boat. As far as I’m concerned it’s no one’s business but yours and Kenna’s.”

  Reese let out a deep sigh. He agreed with Dex on that point. It was no one else’s business but his and Kenna’s.

  “May I help you, ma’am?”

  The words, spoken with a slight accent, made Kenna turn around. An easy smile touched her lips when she saw it was Reese's new employee. Tall, lanky and probably in his late thirties, she thought there was an intensity in the darkness of his blue eyes. “No, I’m fine. I thought I’d take Rollins out for a ride,” she said of the horse Joe had saddled for her earlier. “I’m LaKenna James, but everyone calls me Kenna,” she said, extending her hand to him.

  “And I’m Clark Lovell. I just started working for Mr. Madaris a couple of days ago.” He paused a second and then asked. “Will you need an escort when you ride out?”

  “An escort?” She chuckled. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m used to the ranch. I’ll be fine.”

  “You come here a lot?”

  “Um, enough. Reese and I are good friends.” She wondered why she’d said that, then shrugged and figured that since most of the other men were aware that the two of them were friends, she might as well set the record straight with Clark from the start about the nature of her relationship with Reese.

  “That’s what I heard—that you and the boss are good friends. Well, I’ll be seeing you. Good day, Miss Kenna.”

  “Good day to you, too.” She watched him walk off. Reese had said the new hire didn’t have much to say to anyone, and that he mostly stayed to himself. Well, he’d certainly been talkative with her just now.

  She used a stepstool to get in the saddle on Rollins’s back and led him out of the stables. It was a beautiful day, and she figured a horseback ride would do her good since it was something she enjoyed doing. Reese had given her her very first lesson years ago.

  When she’d awakened that morning, her brain had felt sluggish from so little sleep, but once she got moving she was fine. She had slept until almost ten before going downstairs to prepare toast and coffee for breakfast. After breakfast, she went back upstairs to unpack the rest of her things. It didn’t take long, since most of her belongings had been organized and labeled.

  She had taken a break from unpacking to enjoy lunch with Joe, a widower whose wife had died almost ten years ago. He’d brought her up-to-date on how his married daughters were doing and had proudly showed her recent pictures of his two grandkids.

  Joe said Reese usually came home around five o’clock, so she decided to prepare dinner. She had cooked lasagna—one of Reese’s favorites. Luckily, she didn’t have to buy groceries, since all the ingredients she needed had been in the pantry.

  As she rode away from the stable, she waved to the men she knew who were out tending the herd. Compared to Whispering Pines, Reese’s uncle Jake Madaris’s spread, Tall Oaks ranch and all the land it encompassed was relatively small. But as Kenna rode farther and farther away from the main house, it didn’t seem so small after all. Every so often she would look up at the trees, remembering when Reese had first brought her to his ranch and how the first thing she’d noticed was the oak trees that were so tall they seemed to touch the sky. She had mentioned it to Reese, which is why he’d named his ranch Tall Oaks.

  As she rode, Rollins maintained an easy, comfortable gait, which was probably the reason Reese had picked the horse for her. One day she would convince Reese to let her ride Blue Bay, his personal stallion.

  When she’d first met the family she had been amazed that all the Madarises knew how to ride, and that a few of them, like Reese’s brother Luke, were expert horsemen. Luke had been a big rodeo star and still competed from time to time. But since he’d gotten married, he’d devoted most of his time to his rodeo school.

  Reese had yet to mention anything about his brother Luke’s rodeo school opening, so she could only assume he was taking Alyson. And when he did get around to mentioning it to her, she would play it cool. She’d let him know that she would be meeting someone there as well—a blind date or someone. He didn’t have to know the entire truth. But in this case, her explanation would have to work.

  She checked her watch. By the time she rode back to the stable, Reese would be home or arriving shortly. He had texted her earlier and said he had a surprise for her. She couldn’t wait to see what it was. He knew how much she liked surprises.

  The party was in two days, and she had called Reese’s cousin Christy to see if she wanted to go shopping with her. Christy’s husband, Alex, a private investigator, traveled a lot but was available for babysitting duties, so their shopping date tomorrow was all set.

  Christy was an award-winning investigative reporter who had cracked an international kidnapping ring that was smuggling runaways out of the country as part of a sex-slave trade. Christy herself had gotten captured during the investigation and Alex had rescued her. It had sounded like an adventure at the time, but now she was certain neither Christy nor Alex had thought so then.

  “C’mon boy, let’s go home,” she coaxed Rollins, tightening her hands on the reins to make him turn around and head back. “Let’s go home and see Reese.”

  Talking to Joe, Reese heard Rollins before he saw Kenna, and turned to glance toward the open plain. He could make out the horse and rider in the distance. And then when the pair got closer he saw her.

  Kenna was riding like the skilled equestrian he, Luke and Chancellor had taught her to be. Sitting straight in the saddle, head held high and looking forward with her hands holding the reins tight, she let the animal know who was in control. Rider and horse were moving together in almost perfect rhythm.

  He could still remember that summer right after her grandmother had died. She’d had nowhere else to go, so he had invited her to come home with him and stay at his parents’ house. Having a woman in the house besides his mother had been something he, his father
and brothers had to adjust to.

  Luckily, Luke was on the rodeo circuit and out of town most of the time. But his younger brother Chancellor—whom everyone called Chance—had been home on leave from army ranger training, and Emerson—who’d been away at college—was also home for the summer. It had been during the couple of weeks around the Fourth of July when the Madaris family held their family reunion. Everyone was home and the place was like a madhouse. But in the end, he’d known that with all the craziness Kenna had enjoyed her visit.

  He leaned against a post and stared at her. The last time she’d ridden Rollins her hair had been flying in the wind. This new short haircut would take some getting use to, but he liked it. He especially liked the way it framed her face. She was wearing jeans and a halter top, with big hoop earrings dangling from her ears. He thought she looked hot and it had nothing at all to do with the temperature. The closer she got, he began to recognize the glint of mischief in her eyes. He almost held his breath when she brought the horse to a full stop in front of him.

  “Did you intend to run me over?” he asked, smiling, gazing up at her as he helped her off her horse. Boy, did she smell good. She never put on too much perfume. It was always pleasing to his nose, never overpowering.

  “Nah, I’m just glad to see you,” she said.

  Why did her words send his heart pounding in his chest? And why was her smile nearly stealing his breath? And where in the hell did that heated rush that raced up his spine come from?

  “I fixed dinner,” she said excitedly, and he tried not to notice how cute she looked. He swallowed. Was she even wearing a bra? He could swear he saw the outlines of her nipples pressed against her halter top.