Despite his insistence on getting married, Kendra would never do it because he didn’t love her. Eventually, his excitement over being a father would fade and he’d hate being trapped in a marriage that he didn’t truly want. Then they’d have horrible fights and end up divorcing. She refused to put Connor through that, no matter how much she loved Tom.
“Heading out?” She walked over to them.
Tom smiled. “Yeah. That way someone will go back to sleep.”
Kendra appreciated his consideration. “Okay. Thanks again for everything.”
Reluctantly, Tom gave Connor to Kendra. “No sweat. If you’re free on Thursday and can get a sitter, I’ll organize times for us to view some of these,” he waved the pages in his hand.
“That’ll be great. I’ll ask Stella,” Kendra said, shifting Connor to her other hip.
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow when I bring your van back.”
“Thank you. That went better than I thought. Night.”
He looked at her and Connor. The want in his gaze unmissable. “Way better.”
Kendra locked the door behind Tom and looked at Connor. “Okay. Time for a little drink and then off to dreamland. Got it?”
Connor gave her a nod. “Got it.”
As she settled Connor back in bed, Kendra couldn’t prevent her mind from reliving the fantasy again. Perhaps she should seriously consider dating Tom. The idea, like the man, was very attractive.
She slipped into bed and decided.
Tomorrow she’d face Marcus. Trying to build a relationship while keeping secrets was a recipe for failure.
Chapter Eleven
The longer Tom worked on Kendra’s van the next day, the angrier he became at Marcus. One of the rear struts needed replacing, two of the tires were worn down, and there were spots of rust on both rocker panels. The battery terminals were slightly corroded, and the vehicle had a small oil leak.
His first instinct was the same as Marcus’; just buy Kendra a brand-new car and be done with it. That wasn’t an option because Kendra would never accept it and everyone would find it odd. The one complicated thing about Bad Boy Autos was that they were all up in everyone else’s business most of the time.
So, the next best thing was upgrading the van as much as possible for the time being. That meant all new tires, fixing all the engine issues, and a decent paint job. He couldn’t do the paint job right away, but he could take care of all the other stuff.
After double-checking the tire size, Tom grabbed his keys from a hook. He turned around and startled when Lexie stood there.
“Jeez, Lex. Trying to give me a heart attack?”
She grinned. “Nope. Just wondering what’s up with you.”
“Well, I’m going to Kix’s place to get new tires for Kendra’s van and a few other things. We don’t have those kinds of tires, so…”
Lexie shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. You’re acting weird.”
“I am? How?”
“Well, you’re not a chatterbox, but you’re really quiet today. And you blew me off last night. We were supposed to meet, remember? You never usually put ‘getting some’ ahead of me. What gives? Who is she?”
Tom swore inwardly over Lexie’s perceptiveness. “Uh, shit. Sorry about last night. I’ve just got a lot on my mind with Dad and all.”
“Oh. How’s he doing?”
Tom shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Sam said that he’ll be in the hospital for a couple more weeks unless he’s doing okay, then they’ll let him go home.”
Lexie’s expression turned sympathetic. “Sam wants you to go see him, doesn’t he?”
A long sigh escaped Tom. “Yeah. He keeps trying to force me to make amends with Dad and I just don’t have it in me.”
Lexie put a hand on his arm. “I know he put you through hell, but maybe you should consider it.”
Her statement incensed Tom because it seemed like she was siding with Sam. But then he’d told no one how bad things had gotten with his father. The beatings, the neglect—sometimes having to steal because there was no food in the house… “I gotta get going. I told Kendra I’d have her van back by noon.”
Lexie gave him a resigned look and dropped her hand. “Okay. Go. But we will talk—and soon. If you like, I’ll come with you when you visit with your father.”
Tom left the shop, his mind churning with mixed emotions. He hated lying, or misleading his friends—both Lexie and Marcus.
* * *
Kendra paced across her living room as the time neared for Tom to collect her so they could visit the rentals she’d selected. She’d tried to contact Marcus, but he’d gone out of town. Telling him would have to wait.
She’d only seen Tom briefly when he’d dropped her van off that afternoon and she’d wanted to confess her desire to give their relationship a go, but he’d acted distracted and distant and it made her wonder if he regretted kissing her last night. Although she knew that it wasn’t a good idea to show Tom how much he still affected her, she hadn’t been able to control her yearning for him.
She remembered the night of her prom. It was about twelve months after she’d gone into remission. She had hardly been at school over her senior years, and the word cancer seemed to put all the boys off. No one want to touch her, or kiss her, as if she carried germs they’d catch.
Her parents wanted Marcus to take her, but she refused to go to prom with her brother as an escort. She would not go at all until Tom reminded her it was her life and why should she care what anyone thought.
She told her parents she’d prefer to go solo with Stella.
When they arrived at the entrance to the prom, Tom stepped out of the shadows with the boy Stella was dating, and he escorted her to her prom. Stella and Tom had set it all up.
She’d been the envy of the senior girls. Tom in a tux was something to behold. Sexy, strong, older—suddenly it seemed as if dreams came true. He’d given her a night she would never, ever forget.
And when they danced… being held in his arms as if she was the most important person in the world, his gaze never leaving her face…, she fell completely in love. What young girl wouldn’t?
And the kiss he’d placed on her lips when he’d put her in the limousine to go home sealed her heart as his.
She shook away the memory. She’d never met a man who stirred her heart like Tom had—and still did.
The kiss last night proved to her she was still susceptible to his male charisma. But one-sided love did not make for a good marriage.
She heard movement on the landing outside her door, and a moment later, someone knocked.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Opening the door, Kendra’s breathing stopped at the sight of Tom. The black jeans he wore hinted at his strong thighs. He wore a solid red button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It emphasized his broad shoulders and brought out the color of his eyes.
Tom was dressed to impress and he surely did. He usually always wore old jeans and T-shirts or tank tops. He looked incredible and her desire to kiss him almost overwhelmed her.
He gave her a quizzical look. “Can I come in?”
“Oh! Of course.” She waved him inside. “Sorry. You look nice.”
As he walked past her, the faint scent of an expensive fragrance reached her nostrils. It only increased her hunger for him. How was she supposed to concentrate on rentals when he looked and smelled so good?
Tom smiled as he turned to her. “I clean up pretty good—when I feel like it, which isn’t too often. You look nice, too.”
Kendra looked down at her blue skirt and white spaghetti strap top. “You’re just being kind,” she said. “These are just old clothes. Gone are the days where I could afford designer anything.”
His gaze raked over her. “You could wear a burlap bag and still be sexy as hell, Kendra.”
Why was it so hot in here? Kendra suddenly couldn’t breathe as desire gleamed in his eyes. “Don’t look
at me like that.”
“Like what? Like I want you? Like you drive me crazy? Because you do. You always have. I just couldn’t let you know it.”
Kendra couldn’t lie to herself or him. “I wish you would’ve.”
His lips curved in a wry smile. “I should’ve, but I was scared.”
“Scared of what?”
He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. “Screwing up with you just like my parents. All those fights… And then losing my best friend over nothing.”
His touch made her pulse speed up. The remorse in his eyes filled her with sympathy. “It wasn’t all your fault, Tom. I wanted you so much that I jumped at the chance to be with you when you’d made it very clear it was a onetime thing. I’m ashamed, but I was young and had stars in my eyes. I was so stupid and reckless once I found out I’d had a second chance at life.”
He stared into her eyes. “If you’d asked, I might have postponed going.”
“No you wouldn’t. I have thought about that a lot.” Kendra put her hand over his. “Besides, I couldn’t ask you to put your career on hold. I didn’t want to hold you guys back. I’m not sure my brother would have won without you.”
“You could’ve come with me.”
Kendra’s eyes widened. “What and sit at the hotel? Like a track bunny? Not me, sorry.”
He sighed. “You’re right. I wasn’t good enough for you after everything you’d been through. You deserved more than to tag along behind me. You had a life to live, and I had to make my way in mine. Maybe that’s how it was meant to be? Because we both had time to grow and mature to the point we know what we want.”
“Maybe…” Kendra thought maybe there were second chances. She broke away from Tom so he could not see how much she would have wanted to be with him. “And you were being loyal to Marcus too, right? I know the bro code.” She crossed the room to the windows.
“We were all too young but we aren’t now.”
Soon he was next to her and turned her around. “I’m done worrying about what Marcus thinks. He’s an adult and needs to get over it. I was just trying to be respectful to him and you. I didn’t want to ruin my friendship with Marcus if there was nothing serious between us and back then I wasn’t ready for anything serious. But I am now. Now we have Connor to think about too.”
“I’m not sure you really are. It simply suits you to say so because of Connor, but you haven’t been interested in me since you’ve been back.”
Tom’s gaze wavered. “I know but—”
Kendra poked a finger at Tom’s chest. “Don’t lie to me now. You’ve always told me like it is... And I can’t start a relationship based on lies.” She poked him again. “That’s partly what hurts so much. I thought you were different, but if you’re going to try to twist our situation to suit you, you’re not.”
He took a gentle hold on her wrists. “I’m sorry, Kendra. I’m sorry that I let you down and hurt you like that. Let me make it up to you.”
Kendra didn’t hide the tears that welled in her eyes. “I don’t know if I can. How can I trust you? How can I believe that you really want me and not just Connor? Us marrying won’t help Connor if we later divorce. Connor comes first.”
“That was the past. This is a different time and place in our lives. I didn’t know what I wanted before, but now I do.”
His unwavering gaze held Kendra prisoner and she couldn’t look away. Could she, should she, take the risk when there was so much more at stake than her own heart? What if Connor became attached to Tom and everything fell apart? It would devastate her little boy, and she didn’t want him to go through that. But Connor was so young he’d bounce back, wouldn’t he? And he could still see Tom. Tom had never lied to her before. Could she depend on him to show her that same honesty now?
“What makes you think you’re ready for a commitment now? What’s changed?”
“I’m getting older. I’ve had time to look back over my life and see a few home truths. I know what it takes to be a good father. I’m not saying I’m not scared. I’m petrified, given my parent’s example. But we aren’t our parents. I know that I want to try. Will you at least give a relationship with me a chance?”
She wished he didn’t push so hard. She turned and grabbed her handbag. “Come on. We have a busy day of house hunting to get through.”
Tom grinned. “I guess that's a start. It’s not a no and I’ll take it.”
* * *
Kendra admitted to herself she was enjoying the day. The apartments and houses they had selected to view were such a step up from her current living conditions that she could have said yes to any of them. In fact, deciding on which one would be hard.
And the added bonus of spending the day with Tom made her heart scream to say yes to dating him. When they’d stopped for lunch, the waitress flirted with him outrageously and her temper had soared. But in fairness he hadn’t flirted back, in fact he’d never taken his gaze off her.
Who was she kidding? She would give him a chance to prove he wanted her just as much as he wanted their son. Not want—love. She wanted his heart more than his money or body—okay, she really wanted his body too.
“This is the last one.” Tom pulled into the drive of a beautiful California bungalow. “This is the one with the pool.”
Kendra looked at google maps and knew the area would be perfect. There was a kindergarten around the corner and a school a few blocks away that was supposed to be fabulous. Then it hit her. She’d seen this house before. She looked around and then looked at Tom with disbelief. “That’s your house,” and she pointed across the road.
“Yip. Is that a problem?”
She sat speechless. Was it? “What are you up to?”
“You selected this property to look at if you recall. I didn’t push you into anything.”
That was true. “Well, let’s go look then.” Kendra loved how Tom’s face lit up with such a sexy smile. Her heart flipped in her chest. “Look being the key word.”
Tom leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Thank you. I bet you love it.”
“Have you seen it already?”
He hopped out of the car and walked round to open her door for her. He hesitated before saying, “Only from afar and online, I swear.”
The realtor came out to greet them and gave them the details and low down on the house. The minute Kendra stepped into the hall and saw the polished wooden floors and period details, she fell in love just as he guessed. As they walked through the fully furnished property, which even had one bedroom decorated for a little boy, it almost seemed too good to be true.
She moved through the spacious bungalow and fell in love. She could make a fabulous home for Connor here, and there was even a music room with a grand piano in it. She suspected she’d find more clients in this area, too. Many of those who knew her reputation hated coming to her current neighborhood, and she suspected that was part of the reason she was finding it difficult to grow her business.
She swung to face Tom. “This must cost a fortune to rent.”
“I owe you a lot in back maintenance so let me do this for you.”
She wanted to dispute his words, but she swallowed her negative response. This was what was best for Connor, not how it made her feel about being able to provide for her son. Tom was his father, after all. And once she got on her feet, she’d be able to contribute substantially more. If she sold a few songs to this big star…
“Come on, we’ve not seen it all yet,” and Tom took her hand and led her into the lovely open plan kitchen dinner with bi-fold doors out into the garden. A garden. Connor could play outside! On real grass. It even had an outdoor room with shade louvers to keep them cool. Then she spied the pool area. Fully fenced in, it had a toddler’s pool leading into an adult’s pool. The temperature was as hot as Hades today, and she knew the pool would be bliss, along with the fact the house was centrally air-conditioned.
She turned and noted Tom was staring at her. “It’s perfect, isn�
�t it? Perfect for our son.”
Tom’s face lit up at her words, ‘our son’. “It would certainly be handy for me too. I promise not to pop over unannounced though. This would be your house.”
“What about the upkeep—the grounds, the pool... ”
Tom pointed to the realtor sitting in the kitchen. “All of that is covered in the rent, apparently.”
She wanted to jump at this amazing offer. “I going to have to explain it to Marcus.”
Tom’s lips thinned before he uttered what she knew was the truth. “Aren’t you sick of worrying over what Marcus thinks? If we are to give our relationship a real chance, then we can’t hide our situation from those closest to us. I for one can’t wait to tell the world I’m Connor’s father.”
“I know. Last night I decided to tell him.” She had to laugh. “Marcus will kick your ass.”
“I probably deserve it. I’ve made so many mistakes—”
“No more regrets from either of us. Besides,” she spread her arms and twirled around her new garden. “You’re making up for it now.”
“So, you’ll take it?”
She stopped twirling and looked across the grass to where Tom leaned against the pillar. He looked so sexy, so masculine, and so like a man who could steal her heart, if he didn’t already own it. She ambled across the grass until she stood right in front of him. She rose on tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck.
“You know me too well. You knew I would say yes before you brought me here,” and then she kissed him, softly, urgently, and thoroughly.
He pulled her tight against him, and she could feel his erection pressing into her belly.
She broke the kiss. “Right now I’m feeling pretty pleased that you live across the road,” she purred seductively.
Tom immediately turned and took her hand, all but dragging her back through the house. He stopped when he reached the realtor. “She’ll take it. Can you draw up the papers and send them to this address to sign? She’ll move in this weekend.” He passed the realtor his card, and then they were gone. He even left his car parked in Kendra’s new driveway and pulled her across the street with him.
Reckless Curves: Bad Boy Autos (Drive Me Wild Book 1) Page 10