Acting Happy (Texas Desires #2) (23 page)

“Mrs. Stanton, it’s Ty.”

“Yes, son, I’m glad you called, we were just talking about when you two might be back,” she said.

“We’ve been home for a while, but Kenzie’s sleeping. She seems to need the rest,” he said tentatively, unsure how much too actually say.

“She does. She hasn’t slept well since she’s been back. I’m guessing she must have finally told you. She’s been worrying herself sick about that.”

“Yes, ma’am. She did tell me this afternoon,” he said quietly.

“And it didn’t run you off?” she asked directly. That made him smile. Her questions reminded him of Linda Bryant—no beating around the bush, just straightforward and direct.

“No, ma’am, the opposite actually,” he said truthfully. Everything inside him wanted to take care of that woman sleeping just a few feet away.

“I didn’t think it would. Tell her to stay as long as she likes. We’re fine here.”

“I will. Thank you,” he replied.

“Thank you for calling.” Mrs. Stanton hung up before he had to chance to say goodbye. Ty lowered the phone and stared out at the dark night. The same things he loved about this place were still there. The quiet solitude. The majestic view. But now it seemed lonely without Kenzie there to enjoy it with him.

How had all this happened so quickly? He’d spent his entire adult life alone. He and Kenzie shared that journey. She was as lonely as he, and now he seemed to crave their interactions. Who would have ever thought this vacation would turn out like this?

Not wanting to waste another minute, he went inside, set the alarm to the house, and turned off the lights before heading back to the bedroom. Quietly he undressed, the whole time staring at Kenzie who stayed sound asleep in his bed. She didn’t wake when he scooted in next to her or when he moved her in order to better hold her in his arms. Once he got comfortable, he lay there thinking of her, just content to breathe her in. He couldn’t help what happened in her past, but he could easily change her life from this point forward. Give her the world she always wanted. He fell asleep making those plans.

Kenzie woke to a dark room. She must have slept like a rock. Her muscles were stiff, and she lifted her arms and stretched out her legs, trying to get comfortable. Amend that. She stretched as far as Ty would allow. Apparently he liked her right there against him, and she woke this morning spread out across his chest. His arms were like a vise when she moved. Interestingly, she was as naked as he and distinctly remembered going to bed with her T-shirt and panties on. A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips. He was a sly one.

Lifting her head, she saw the clock on the nightstand. It was close to five in the morning, meaning she’d slept more than a dozen hours. Man, telling Ty her secret had been a truly traumatic experience that’d zapped every bit of her energy and strength. Turns out, she hadn’t needed to worry after all. Not once had she ever considered he might take it as well as he had. He’d been angry at Jason and protective of her, even reaching out to his friends to help her situation. Who knew if they could. She’d never get her hopes up, but he managed to do something no one else could—he’d affirmed her self-worth. Something she was sorely lacking.

Minutes passed with her just listening to the sound of his heart beat. There was no denying it. Her heart had fully connected to this man. Whatever happened between them from this point forward wouldn’t change that fact, and she knew without question, she’d never loved Jason like this. She’d been dazed by his good looks and a sucker for his sad life story, but she’d never been consumed by him like she was with Ty.

Lifting her head, she watched Ty sleep. How would he feel if he knew? She could never tell him. No, matter what he said, she didn’t fit inside his world. She didn’t allow the sadness of that thought to take root. She might not be able to ever tell him how she felt, but she could show him. She lightly grazed her palm down his chest until she found the hard length that kept brushing against her thigh.

She curled her fingers around the shaft, and as his sleepy eyes opened, his face turned so he could hold her gaze as she lifted and moved, sliding her body down his chest, nestling between his parted thighs. She moved her hand tenderly up and down his cock and kept her eyes locked on his as she positioned her head to swallow him whole.

By no means was she an expert at giving a blow job, but she hoped she could pull off enough to build a solid arousal. She took him in as far as she could go, before sliding to the tip, using her tongue to lick at the small slit. Based on the primal grunt he gave, she’d done something right, so she lowered her mouth, sucking him back in again. This time his hands tangled in her hair, holding her head as she rose then swallowed him whole again.

“Fuck, Kenzie.” Her eyes lifted to see his head angled, those amber eyes blazing into hers. His fingers skimmed her face until they came to the back of her jaw, right below her ear. “Loosen right here. You can take me deeper. Try…”

She did and luckily her gag reflex remained dormant. Ty hissed as his hips pitched forward, ramming his cock down her throat. Her eyes watered as her lungs seized from the unexpected denial of air. His hand on her head shoved her farther down as she took almost all of him.

Just as suddenly as the move happened, he pulled her off his dick. With one hand on her arm, the other on her thigh, he lifted her, settling her right on top of his rigid cock. He rolled his hips, driving into her as his hands went to her hips, pushing her down on top of him. She took all of him, calling out his name, reaching for anything to hang on to as the orgasm racked her body.

~~~

She was magnificent. That tight, sweet body taking all of him, those delicious mounds bouncing and teasing his senses, her nipples poking straight out at him… Ty had to focus on not coming right then and there. Instead, he watched her as the orgasm took her over, turning her face into an erotic show of beauty. He wanted that exact display every single day for the rest of his life. Funny how the thought turned him on, made his dick harder if that were even possible.

Ty slowed his roll and rose, reaching for her. She eagerly grasped on to him, lowering her head to his shoulder. She was panting as she wrapped both her arms underneath his and hung on to his chest as she gathered herself back together. Ty lifted his arms, draped them around her, and ran his palms down her hair.

“You’re unbelievable,” he whispered. Her chest heaved. He could feel her heart pounding, and denying his dick buried so deep in her wet heat was becoming too much.

“That was supposed to be about you,” she said into his shoulder. He couldn’t help the arch of his hips. Her words were too sweet, her breath caressed his skin too sensually, and those nipples that he loved stroked across his chest as she squirmed against him.

“It’s incredible,” Ty managed and lowered a hand between her spread thighs to gently circle her soaked clit. Her face came into view, and their gazes connected and held for one maybe two seconds. They shared something in that stare. No matter what she said, how scared she might be, Kenzie gave herself to him. Ty threaded his fingers in her hair, holding her head in place as he curled his hips, sensually moving inside her as he gently applied pressure to her core.

Her lips parted; a small rush of breath escaped. Kenzie leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his lips. She lingered there. Ty kept it light as Kenzie began to move to the motion he created. Her body swayed, and her lips touched his again. It was almost too much.

Ty tugged her hair, pulling at the base of her neck, angling her head back to get a better look straight into her eyes. Her body swayed, keeping time with his as several long seconds passed.

“You need to know I love you.” He said the earth-shattering words that he’d never uttered to another woman while managing to keep his body moving in a seductive roll. “It’s real for me, Kenzie. I don’t wanna be without you. I need this. I need you.”

She held his gaze, a sigh escaped her lips, and he waited a heartbeat, wanting her to respond.

“Say something, angel,” he tried again.

She opened her mouth, only to close it again. Something hesitant crossed her face, and he instinctively knew she wasn’t ready to say those words back. It didn’t mean she didn’t feel the same way. She just couldn’t say it. Ty stared at her for a second more before sweeping an arm around her body, placing her on her back. She never broke the hold she had around his neck, and he dug his knees into the mattress, her legs wrapped around him. Ty pistoned his hips, building speed as he crushed his mouth to hers. He wrapped her tighter in his arms as he slammed into her.

“I do love you. I’ll wait,” he managed to whisper on a haggard breath against her ear. Kenzie tensed in his arms, and she came almost instantly. He was only a moment behind.

Rested and relaxed, Kenzie sat astride Ty’s lap, wearing his T-shirt, her arm hooked around his neck. He loved when she did that move, sitting chest to chest with him, wanting to keep him as close as he wanted her to be. They ate from the same plate of food, sharing an omelet she’d made and some slices of fresh fruit he fed to her. In the course of cooking this meal, she’d added cheese to the eggs just for him while he fried some bacon without even a hint of a critical eye from her.

Everything between them changed. The restraints Kenzie always used had disappeared. Since they’d woken, she hadn’t let him get too far away, and anytime he was within reach, she touched him in some sort of casual gesture. Kenzie laughed, made silly jokes, and gave small kisses all without being prodded which seemed to elevate all this sentiment to the next level.

He was so truly in love with this woman.

“You’re being sweet,” he said, angling his head to the side to get a better look at her face.

“I’m content. It’s been a long time,” she said in a moment of unabashed honesty.

Kenzie turned to face him as she lifted a spoon, giving him the bite of melon she’d just scooped up.

“I like hearing that,” he said after swallowing. He reached for her glass of water, taking a drink before he finished his thought. “I called your parents last night. Told them you were sleeping.”

“Oh my God. That never occurred to me. They’d worry. Thank you.”

“Your mom told you to stay as long as you want. I want you to stay the day,” he said, putting a bite of bacon in his mouth.

“I don’t want to wear out my welcome,” she said, reaching over to scoop up another bite of the egg mixture.

“Not possible, I promise.” He loved watching her. After a second of just staring, he reached up to brush the hair off her shoulders. “I love your hair. Have I told you that?”

“I’ve been thinking about cutting it. It seems to get in the way around here,” she said, reaching for her coffee mug.

“Keep it long for me. I really like it,” he said, running a palm over her thigh.

“Your chest hair’s coming back. Does that mean you wax it?”

“Yeah, about every three weeks now for the show.” As good as the meal was, he seemed to have no real appetite. Every focus he had centered on this woman in his arms. Quietly with his gaze locked on her profile, he broached the subject neither had spoken of since his confession. “I meant what I said while we were making love this morning.”

~~~

Ducking her head, she could feel the heat forming on her cheeks and her heart melted with those sweetly said words. There was no question she knew on every level that she felt the same way. For Ty, every word and deed since rising from that bed seemed to utterly embrace that belief. For her, it scared her to death.

“I’m not ready to say that back to you,” Kenzie said honestly, and half-heartedly tried to rise until Ty’s strong arm became a vise around her waist. More than anything, self-preservation had her clinging to the idea that this wasn’t real, hanging on to the notion that they were smack in the middle of a vacation affair. Nothing had really changed. Ty was the mega movie star, slumming it for a few weeks in the mountains. But now her traitorous heart had a much louder voice, effortlessly breaking through those barriers, while internally mocking her for even trying to think she had a choice in this matter.

“That’s okay. Whether you want to or not, you show me how you feel. I know I’m not alone in this, and I do want you to come back with me when I go. I know this is all fast, but that’s just how my life works. I wish I had the months here I needed to give you the time to trust what you’re feeling, but I don’t. If you aren’t happy, I’ll send you back here or to wherever you want to go, no problem. I swear. And my house is big enough that you can have your own space.” As he spoke, he tightened his hold on her waist. The hand on her thigh stopped the gentle caress, instead gripping to hold her leg. She knew he was bracing for a fight.

“Ty, you know I can’t leave until all this gets settled,” she said, her own hold around his neck stiffening, pulling him a little closer.

“It’ll be settled. I promise. I talked to Bray last night. They looked into things and have a plan of attack. If that doesn’t work, remember, I have plan B, babe,” he explained carefully.

“So he believes me?” Kenzie asked, focusing more on the shock of that thought. There were plenty of people in this town, where she’d grown up, who gave her questioning looks as though she’d been convicted. To have a group of people she’d spent one evening with trust her… She couldn’t imagine it.

“When they met you, they knew something wasn’t right. Bray took an instant liking to you. He’s a good friend to have,” Ty said, and her relief was strong. The hope she’d tried to keep tight reins on broke free, overwhelming her a little.

“That’s been the hardest part for me. No one believes me. From the night they raided my house, I’ve been treated as a liar. It feels good to be believed,” she said, filling with happiness. She leaned in and kissed his lips, then kissed his hairy cheek before kissing his lips again. “Thank you, Ty. I know nothing’s finalized, but thank you for trying.”

“I’m gonna do everything in my power to give you a better life,” he declared, drawing her lips back to his for another quick kiss.

“You’ve already done so much,” she declared and wrapped both arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug.

“Then you’re easy to please which is even better for me,” he laughed against her hair. In one fluid move, she was hoisted from his lap and placed back on her feet. Ty followed, reaching for the plate and both their coffee mugs. “I think we need to get some relationship formalities out of the way.”

“Okay,” she replied, taken off guard with the abrupt change in conversation, eyeing him close as he walked toward the sink.

“What’s your favorite ice cream?” he asked.

“I think Cherry Garcia when I can find it,” she said, leaning back against the counter. Did he really plan to wash those dishes on his own? “What’s yours?”

“Banana split when I can find it. Reminds me of my youth back in Texas. Blue Bell makes it perfectly,” Ty answered, turning on the faucet. Looking over his shoulder, he asked his next question. “Favorite color?”

“I like shades of red,” she said.

“I like jewel-toned reds.” He rinsed out both cups then dumped the food down the disposal to clear that plate.

All three were left in the sink as he turned off the water and reached for the hand towel to dry his hands. So not washed, but cleaned. At least it was a start.

“My favorite color’s a warm melon. I think that’s what it’s called. Darker than peach but not orange or brown.”

“What’s your favorite food?” she asked, playing along.

“Unfortunately, it’s a big thick T-bone,” he said, wincing as he tossed the towel on the counter and leaned back, taking her same stance.

“Yeah, no. I love spaghetti squash. It just goes with so much.”

“We have that in the refrigerator, right? We can make that tonight,” he offered.

“That sounds good. Am I supposed to say you should make a steak?”

“Oh, what a great idea! I think I will,” he said overly excited, giving her a wink. “What about children. You see a large family or small?”

“Most definitely large,” she answered honestly as if there was no other way to answer that question. Besides, he needed to know that so he had time to reassess his desire to have her follow him to California when he left.

“What’s large to you?” he asked, his eyes narrowing which made her laugh.

“Four, five, six kids. I always wanted to adopt as well as have some of my own,” she explained reasonably. Of course all that changed when she married Jason and things got so bad.

“Yeah, I agree with that. It was just me and my mom. She was an only child and her parents died when I was still a kid. My dad’s family kind of abandoned us. I just always wanted to grow up and have a house full of kids so they wouldn’t have to grow up and be alone.”

“That’s how I felt too. Life can be lonely,” she agreed.

“Republican or democrat?” he asked.

“Both. Social issues, I lean liberal. Everything else I tend to be conservative.”

“Yep, me too,” he agreed.

“What else?” she asked, trying to think of another question.

“I don’t know. We seem pretty in sync,” he said, uncrossing his arms and moving to lean back against the counter directly across from her. He reached out, grabbed her by the hips, and drew her between his legs. “I really like making love to you.”

“I like that too. Better than I probably should.”

Ty placed his palms on either side of her face, pulling her up for a soft, prolonged press of the lips.

“Then I know exactly how to kill a few hours,” he said against her mouth.

She let out a squeal when he suddenly moved, scooping her up in his arms. She loved when he did things like that. She wasn’t a small woman, but he was strong and easily carried her back to the bedroom.