by Abby Brooks
I quirked my head. “No points for me, then.”
“They were books popular in the nineteenth century in the United Kingdom about famous criminals and detectives in the seedier parts of London. Adventure stories. Supernatural beings. Murder. All that stuff. They only cost a penny and the hoity toity types thought the books were beneath them and started calling them penny dreadfuls.”
“Look at you, with the random knowledge. Maybe I should I call you Wiki.”
He tapped his temple. “Strange facts lodge themselves up there and don’t let go.” His blues seared mine.
Desperate for somewhere else to look, I picked up my fork and cut into my steak. “So what now?”
He leaned back, arm thrown over the back of his chair, legs spread, chin lifted as his gaze skated my face. My libido twirled to life and I took a mental snapshot of the moment. “First, we finish dinner.”
“Okay. That’ll be easy because it’s delicious.” I sipped at the Wicked Ale. “Then what?”
Joe cut into his steak. “Then you come out for drinks with me.”
Knowing full well I’d just told Ramsey I wasn’t interested in dating or drinks, I hesitated, but only for a second. I’d be a hypocrite to accept Joe’s offer, but I really didn’t care. I wanted to get drinks with him. I wanted to give in to the chemistry between us. To see where things could go if we gave it a chance.
Joe gave me his best smile. And my God, was it a good one. “Don’t turn me down, Kennedy.”
I met his gaze. “I’m not going to.”
“Good.” His smile was like honey, rich and slow. “I’m going to take you to meet my brother.”
Chapter Nineteen
Joe
“Your brother?” The confusion on Kennedy’s face was adorable.
I crammed a bite of steak into my mouth, grinning as I chewed. “Yep. You never solved the mystery of who he is, so I decided to show you mercy. When you meet him, you’ll understand why you can’t make out his face in my pictures.”
“Wow. Our first date will consist of you taking me to meet your family?” She arched an eyebrow and moved in for the kill. “Moving quickly, aren’t we?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa now.” I held up my hands. “Who said this is a date?”
“Looks like I did.” Her smile dripped with promise.
Color me intrigued.
“Why don’t we call it ‘Kennedy and Joe figuring out if they actually like each other or if they should ignore the chemistry between them?’”
“Call it whatever you want to make yourself feel better. But I think you just described a first date, Wiki.” She dropped me a wink and I flipped her the bird and all felt right with the world.
We finished dinner. Kennedy showered while I cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. Afterwards, I stepped outside to call Collin and inform him of our plans for the evening.
“Hey, stranger. How goes things?” He sounded happy. Perpetually. There wasn’t a person on the planet who deserved it more.
“Things are going swimmingly, especially since you’re about to grab Harlow and Lucas and meet me at The Pact—after I call Luc to fill him in on the plan.”
“Nice of you to let us all know.”
I grinned. “That’s me. Your classic Mr. Nice Guy. Just ask anyone.”
“Why do I get the feeling there’s more to this than hanging out with friends and family?”
Eyeing the clear, blue sky, I sat down on the front step and tapped the tips of my boots together. “Now why would you think that?”
“Joe. This is me you’re talking about. Don’t bullshit the one person in this world that knows you better than anyone.”
The man had a point, but I’d be letting him down if I admitted as much. “You know Maxine’s granddaughter?”
“The one you hate?”
“I never said I hated her.”
“I think your exact words were ‘I can’t fucking stand her.’”
“See? Not one mention of hate.”
“Whatever, dude.” Collin chuckled. “Am I to understand that you guys are getting along now?”
“You could say that.” Delores wandered onto her porch and waved her hello. I returned the gesture. “I want to take her out tonight, and it turns out she’s a huge fan.”
“And you thought ‘what better way to get into this woman’s pants than to introduce her to your famous brother?’”
I frowned. “Cut me some slack, here. I thought it’d make her night to meet you.”
“So she could turn around and make yours.”
His tone was lighthearted.
Joking.
Just two guys shooting the shit.
I bristled anyway. “Jesus, man. This has nothing to do with me wanting to sleep with her.”
Liar, liar, fucking pants on fire. I’d fantasized about getting Penny Dreadful into bed for weeks.
“Whatever you need to tell yourself.”
Huh. That was almost exactly what Kennedy said to me about asking her out. Was I really lying to myself so much? I didn’t think so.
“Just do me a favor,” Collin continued. “Tell her who I am before she figures it out in front of me. It’ll make the night easier on all of us.”
We said our goodbyes and planned to meet at the bar in an hour. I called Lucas and had an almost identical conversation. “I knew you were full of shit,” he crowed.
“Anyone could tell you that was true, so don’t count yourself a winner quite yet.” I raked a hand through my hair as I stood and paced into the driveway. “But what, exactly, are you calling bullshit on this time?”
“I knew you were getting caught up in this woman right around the time you called in the cavalry to redo her backyard.”
“It’s not her backyard, genius. It’s her grandma’s.”
As Lucas laughed, I leaned against my truck, studying the exterior of the house. The door swung open and the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen stepped out. Kennedy wore a simple dress. Short but flowy. Thin straps. Her hair billowed around her shoulders and those lips were a scorching red.
Hot damn.
A woman like that did not deserve to be going out with a certified asshole like me.
“Hey, look, I gotta go. See ya soon,” I said to Luc, then hung up the phone.
“You’re grinning awfully big,” Kennedy said as she ambled my way.
Who wouldn’t smile, with you, looking like that, coming his way?
“I think you’re gonna like what I have planned for the night.” I pushed off the hood of the truck and met her at the passenger door, prepared to open it for her.
Instead, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into my arms. I swept her hair off her face, threading my fingers through those luscious locks, then pressed my lips to hers.
The kiss wasn’t planned.
It was as necessary as my next heartbeat.
She gasped—a feminine sound in the back of her throat that sent my pulse racing. Her hand slid up my back and landed at my neck, toying with the ends of my hair.
The moment was like a lightning bolt. Electric. Awe-inspiring. And over before I could fully appreciate it.
“If that was one of the things you had planned, I definitely liked it.” Her chest heaved as her blues met mine.
“I just needed to get that out of the way.”
She blinked, lips parted, eyes sparkling as a smile crinkled their corners. “Afraid you wouldn’t want to after a night out with me?”
“It’s not me I’m worried about. I needed to know how much you really liked me before you met my brother.” I yanked open the door to the truck and helped her inside.
“What does that even mean? It’s not like he’s Collin West or anything.”
“About that…” I closed the door and wandered over to the driver’s side, giddy with anticipation.
She eyed me like I’d gone crazy as I climbed into the cab. “I’m afraid you lose points for impersonating the brother of a celebrity.”
“How
many points do I win for actually being the brother of a celebrity?”
Kennedy frowned. “Just when I thought I’d pegged your sense of humor, you throw a curveball like this my way.”
“All joking aside…I’m not actually joking, Penny. My foster brother is Collin West. He made me promise to tell you before you met him so you wouldn’t freak the fuck out and draw too much attention to us at the bar. His wife and my friend will be there. If you’re a true fan, you’ll recognize her, too.”
Kennedy narrowed her eyes. “I’m finding this really hard to believe.”
“You have about twenty minutes to come to terms with it, so you don’t embarrass us both.” I put the truck in gear and pulled out of the driveway.
She eyed me as I calmly navigated the streets. “You’re serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
“Is that why his face is hidden in all his pictures?”
I nodded. “I didn’t want to advertise who he is. Because, you know, privacy.”
“So, you’re taking me to meet Collin and Harlow West right now?” Her voice climbed an octave.
“That I am.”
“Our first date includes a superstar.” She settled into her seat with a satisfied smile. “How are you ever going to top this, Wiki?”
“Shows what little faith you have in me.” I pulled into The Pact’s parking lot and claimed a space next to Lucas’ wife’s Jeep. “You ready for this?” I asked as I killed the engine.
Kennedy pursed her lips and widened her eyes. “As I’ll ever be.”
Chapter Twenty
Joe
Kennedy and I climbed out of the truck and I guided her through the crowded bar to our customary table in the back. Collin and Harlow sat across from Lucas and Cat. I lifted a hand and began introductions.
“Kennedy, I’d like you to meet my brother and his wife, Collin and Harlow West. And her brother and his wife, Lucas and Cat Hutton.”
She lifted a hand to the chorus of hellos. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
I gave her credit. Her eyes were bright and wide. Her chest heaved, her nostrils flared, and two bright points of color stood out on her cheeks. But, she managed to sound like she was meeting a normal person and not the guy she played on repeat in her car.
Collin gave her the onceover and lifted a playful brow. “So this is the woman who threatened to call the police on my brother.”
“I mean, look at him.” Kennedy gestured my way. “If this guy came stalking out of your grandmother’s backyard, you’d jump to terrible conclusions, too.”
Lucas hooted. “She has a point.”
“Wait?” Cat folded her arms on the table. “How have I not heard this story?”
I pulled out Kennedy’s chair. “I was doing the right thing, trying not to take advantage of a little old woman advertising on Craig’s List…”
“First of all, my Nan isn’t your typical little old woman. Second of all, you were dressed in black from head to toe, and come stalking out of her backyard…”
“You keep using that word. I don’t ‘stalk.’ This is just how I walk, thank you very much.”
The entire story came out in fits and starts as we interrupted each other with one-ups and clarifications.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Lucas held up a hand as we finished the tale. “You’re telling me, you saw him coming out of the backyard, assumed he was a thief, and threatened to pepper spray him. Then, the very next day, you thought he was hurting your grandma and punched him in the face. Fast forward a month and you’re going out for drinks?” He doubled over. “My sides hurt!”
Cat flipped her long, red hair over one shoulder. “It says a lot about you both that you’re out on a date at all after that.”
“Careful.” Kennedy waved her hands. “Joe has been adamant that we aren’t on a date. Tonight is about the two of us figuring out if we even like each other, or if we just have a boat load of chemistry we need to ignore.”
Collin frowned. “Sounds like a fancy way of saying ‘date’ to me.”
“Exactly!” Kennedy danced in her seat and I groaned.
“You two think too much alike. Is it safe to admit how uncomfortable that makes me?”
The conversation moved on. Lucas talked about how he met Cat. Harlow spilled the beans on what a dick I was to her when we first met. (I didn’t argue.) Collin told stories about life on tour while Kennedy asked insightful questions.
“You know I owe this guy my life?” Collin gestured to me with the tip of his beer.
I shifted, uncomfortable to have the spotlight on me while the rest of the table nodded their agreement with the statement.
Kennedy’s gaze skated along my face. “How so?”
“He told you about how we grew up?” Collin lifted a question mark of an eyebrow and I could have killed him.
As Kennedy nodded, I leaned forward. “You’re terrible at secrets, man. What if I hadn’t said anything?”
He waved my fears away. “Secrets eat you up from the inside out. It’s better not to have that many.” He turned to Kennedy. “When Joe and I were twelve, we were placed in the same family. At first it was great, but these people, they collected foster kids like some people collect memories. I was this weird little kid, obsessed with music. Joe fit in immediately. He’s an ass now, but back then he was a chameleon. Whatever you wanted? That’s what he’d be. Me? I couldn’t seem to be anything anyone wanted.”
“That’s not true.” The words grated past a tight throat. “You were my best friend from the start.”
“Awww.” Lucas took a long drink. “You guys are too cute.”
“Joe did his best to protect me,” Collin continued. “He bought me my first guitar and the rest is history. He dropped his life to go on tour with me, then made sure I didn’t lose myself to fame. He even tried to protect me from Harlow, but that turned out to be impossible.” He turned to his smiling wife.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped listening. The only thing that mattered was Kennedy’s smile. Her laughter. The way those fuck-me lips wrapped around her straw as she twirled a tiny paper umbrella between her fingers. The jolt of electricity when her gaze burned into mine. The lingering touch of her fingers against my arm.
I imagined those thin straps slipping off her shoulders, revealing the perky breasts I hadn’t gotten out of my mind since the day I dislocated my shoulder. My mouth would worship the curve of her throat, trailing along her collarbones, and capturing a pert nipple between my teeth. She’d gasp the way she did when I kissed her, throaty, feral, hot as hell.
If the point of the evening was to discover whether or not we liked each other, we could count that problem solved. I liked her. And so did the people who mattered to me most.
As the table erupted in laughter over a joke she cracked at my expense, I knew one thing for certain.
I was done for.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kennedy
The six of us stumbled out of The Pact in a cloud of laughter. The night air clung to the pavement and I inhaled the fresh scent of the nearby ocean. Drunk on an evening packed with details no one would believe—I just hung out with Collin and Harlow West for goodness sakes!—I stayed close to Joe. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and I leaned my head against his shoulder.
I liked the guy. A lot.
And I was attracted to him. A lotter.
“For fuck’s sake, Joe,” Collin said as we came to a stop in the parking lot. “You’re still driving that monstrosity around?”
“I happen to like that monstrosity. Underneath that glaring exterior is a reliable heart that will never let me down. Kinda like me.” Joe placed a hand to his chest and made googly eyes at the vehicle.
“Never, huh?” I bumped my shoulder against his and fell into his gaze. “That’s an awfully big promise.”
He cupped a hand to my cheek, his eyes strong and certain. “It’s one I don’t take lightly. I’m super loyal to whoever makes it to the inner sanct
um.”
“The inner sanctum?” Lucas barked laughter. “Oh, boy. Sounds like we need to get out of here and let these two follow their not-first-date to its natural conclusion.
“Just what are you insinuating, Hutton? That my intentions with this woman aren’t pure?”
“That’s exactly what I’m insinuating.” He threw an arm around Cat’s shoulders and led her to the red Jeep next to Joe’s truck. “Come on, KatyCat. My intentions aren’t all that pure, either.” He nuzzled into her neck while she giggled and lifted a hand to say goodbye.
“It was nice meeting you, Kennedy!” she called out as they climbed into the Jeep. “You be nice to that one, Mr. Channing. She’s special.”
I put a hand on his chest before he could comment on my specialness. “Don’t take the bait, Wiki. You’re better than that.”
Joe said his goodbyes to Collin and Harlow, and just like that, we were alone.
“What do you think?” he asked as he hauled open the passenger door for me. “Now that you’ve met a superstar?”
“I think I deserve a medal for the restraint I showed.”
“That’s what you call restraint? Wow, Penny. Just wow.” He shut the door with a wicked grin and crossed in front of the truck.
“What are you talking about?” I asked as he climbed in and started the engine. “I couldn’t have been more natural in there.”
“Oh, gee Collin!” Joe fluttered his eyes as he spoke in a sticky sweet voice. “That’s so interesting! Tell me more about your fascinating life!”
“Am I sensing jealousy here? Can’t handle your brother getting all the attention?”
“Sweetheart, if that were true, I’d have lost it a long time ago.” He gave me a look that was pure sin.
“Well, you see, as it turns out, learning about Collin’s fascinating life was really learning about you. The man who put everything on hold to keep his brother safe.”
“You’re making it sound like a bigger deal than it was.”
“I don’t know. Seems to me Collin would disagree with you.”