Her Kind of Man (17 page)

“Then there is an app called Moodboard that will help you—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Allina kissed him. Long and hard. It was a direct contradiction to what she'd decided earlier after her talk with Syd, but in that moment she couldn't think of a reason to stop herself. And the way he kissed her back told her he couldn't stop either.

Pretty soon, they were stretched out on the surface of the couch, him lying on top of her and her cradling his body with her legs. She was dizzy with the need to explore him further, to let him explore her. His lips against hers, his hard body on hers, was driving her insane—in a good way.

His thumbs slipped beneath her thin shirt, brushed the skin there lightly. He swept his mouth over her neck, then her shoulder, biting down gently on her skin.

Pushing himself up on his arms, he looked down at her. “Allina?” he breathed. “We should probably—”

Leaning up, she kissed him on his chin and he groaned before taking her mouth in his again. He nipped at her lips, taking his time. That feeling in the pit of her stomach intensified with each touch, each kiss.

Pulling back again, he slowly pushed her shirt up, baring her body. His fingers were hot against her skin, blazing a trail of fire, leaving her trembling with need. When his hand found her breast, she held her breath. With his eyes on hers, he cupped her mound in his palm. He unhooked her bra and slid it off before he gently circled her nipple with his thumb. Dipping his head, he suckled her into his mouth, rolling his tongue around her bud.

Her heart pounded and her blood hummed as he kissed his way to her other breast. Digging her fingers into his shoulders, she arched her back and turned her head to the side. A low purr escaped her mouth.
A purr?
Before this, Allina would never have guessed she was capable of making such a sound. She'd heard how good it felt from her friends, who had never been shy when talking about sex. But she really hadn't expected it to feel
this
good.

Kissing his way back up her body, he captured her bottom lip in his. They jerked apart when they heard a soft knock at the door, followed by the doorbell. In her haste to get away from him, she rolled over and slid off the couch, landing on her butt with a loud thump.

“Oh, shit,” he said, pulling her to her feet.

Scrambling, they rushed to fix their clothes. He pulled the back of her shirt down and pushed her hair out of her face. When he got to the door, he looked back at her. She nodded her approval and he opened it.

Syd was on the other side, holding the baby. “Can I come in?” she asked, a deep frown on her face. “Morgan's parking the car.”

“Yeah, come on,” Kent said, taking the diaper bag from her and ushering her in.

“I can't stay there right now.” She tugged Brynn's little jacket off. “We tried to call you. What were you doing?”

Allina's cheeks blazed and she averted her gaze.

“Nothing,” Kent lied. “I must have had my phone on silent. I didn't hear it.”

“We were going to visit Red, but Corrine is having her little friend over tonight and I didn't want to bring my sour mood over there.”

“Do you need to stay here all night?” Kent asked.

“No,” Syd said. “I just needed to get away from the house. We packed the baby up and went for a drive. Ended up here. I hope you don't mind.”

“Of course not,” Allina said, taking the sleeping baby from Syd. “We were just getting ready to order a pizza.”

She exchanged a look with Kent, motioning with her head for him to confirm what she said.

“Yeah,” he said, catching on. “You're just in time.”

“Thank you,” Syd whispered, unshed tears in her eyes.

Allina smiled at the disappointed look in Kent's eyes. It was a good thing that Syd had shown up. Otherwise, she and Kent would have done something they might have regretted in the morning.

T
oo much cognac
.
Too much drama
.

Kent's head was throbbing. He'd stayed awake practically all night, working on his painting, and ended up falling asleep at his desk. As he shuffled to his room he squinted at the sunlight streaking in. He just needed to lie down for a minute, get his shit together.

The blinds were drawn in his room.
Thank God
. He slid under the comforter and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would come soon. He was emotionally drained and just needed some rest.

When he heard the light snoring, his breath hitched and he slowly turned his head. Allina was sleep, next to him. In his bed.
Did I have that much yak that I don't remember telling her to sleep in my room
?

Poking her, he whispered, “Allina?”

She moaned in her sleep, rolled over, and burrowed into his side.

“Allina?” he called again.

“Yes,” she grumbled finally. “I'm tired.”

“You're in my bed,” he told her, fighting the urge to lift up the cover. Not that he thought she was naked. She was very obviously clothed in at least a shirt; there was no skin showing at all.

“I know,” she said. “Syd and Morgan are in my bed.”

It was all coming back to him. They'd stayed up late, drinking and talking. Morgan got pretty smashed and Syd was tired as hell. Kent had insisted they stay over and Allina offered her bed to them.

“I told you to get in the bed last night,” Allina mumbled. “But you insisted on staying up to work in your office.”

He stroked her skin as she stretched. Despite nothing happening between them sexually, he could definitely imagine waking up next to her in the morning every day. Seeing her face first thing in the morning was definitely good for him.

She peeked her head out from under the covers and kicked them off. Yep, she had on a shirt
and
his basketball shorts. “Good morning,” she said, rolling onto her stomach. “What time is it?”

“Early,” he told her. “I have to go to work in a few hours. Thought I'd try to go to sleep for an hour.”

She perched her chin in her hands and gazed down at him. “Do you have to?”

Running his hands through her curls, he smiled. “Yes. I left early yesterday and I have a lot to do.”

Leaning down, she brushed her lips against his. “Okay,” she said, tracing his jaw with her finger. “I'll make you some breakfast.”

“You don't have to. I'm okay stopping to get some on the way to work.”

“That's fine. I was thinking about going to visit Cali to talk business today.”

“You want to drop me off at work so you can use my car?” He grazed a finger down her shoulder because he simply could not keep his hands to himself. “Or maybe I can rent you a car?”

“No, Kent. I'm going to owe you so much money.” She feathered her fingertips over his brow. “Besides, I told you my father gave me money. I just need to open an account to get it. ”

“And I told you it's not a problem. I want to do it for you—because you don't ask. And I can.”

She tapped his chest with her finger. “What I want you to do is take me to the bank so I can open an account and deposit my check.”

“Done. I'll come by on my lunch hour and we can handle that. Actually, I'll take an extra hour so we can get you a rental car.”

“Okay. I'm not going to argue with you. Just know I'm paying for my own rental.” She dropped her gaze. “I think we should talk.”

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. A conversation about Isaac wasn't something he wanted to deal with at that particular moment. Especially when she was pressed up against him so intimately. He knew it was something they'd have to deal with sooner than later, but…
not now
.

“About us.”

He raised his brows. “What about us?” Kent agreed that they needed to discuss the fact they'd been moving at warp speed since she got there. But he wondered if they should table the inevitable discussion for later. Yes, they should probably put the brakes on it, take it a lot slower. But he just wanted to enjoy her in his bed.

“Can we talk later?” he asked, kissing her shoulder. “I'm tired, baby.”

“I want to go to Cleveland,” she announced.

He blinked.
I didn't expect that
. “What?” he asked.

She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. “I can't hide forever. I have to handle this thing with Isaac before we go any further with us. It's only right.”

He rolled his eyes. He adored Allina for many things, but this penchant she had for seeing things in black and white, right and wrong, bugged the hell out of him sometimes.

“That's not a good idea. He's crazy as hell.”

“What else am I supposed to do? Hide here forever? Avoid visiting my parents? He's not going to control my life like that. He's not going to dictate to me what I can and can't do. I have to face him at some point. Why not on my terms? This whole thing with Den, watching Syd deal with him the way she did…What if Isaac comes here? Syd will be the one he goes to, and I can't take that chance. She's already been through too much. He's my problem and I have to deal with him—soon.”

“I'm not down for that,” he said with a frown. “You need to stay your ass here.”
Forever
, he wanted to add.

Something flickered in her eyes, and she turned away.

Sighing, he said, “Fine. I'm going with you.” There was no way he'd let her deal with that man alone. “I'll talk to my boss, take a few days next week, after this project is complete. We'll deal with this together.”

She caressed the side of his face. “You don't have to, but I appreciate it.”

“If you feel like you need to do this, then I'll support you.” And while he was there, he'd make sure Isaac thought twice before he threatened anyone he loved again.

After work, Kent went to the Ice Box to handle some business there. When he walked in, he noticed Syd in their private booth. He waved at the manager before he made his way over to her. The crowd was light, which was normal at around four o'clock. The work crews would be arriving any minute.

“What's up?” he asked, approaching his sister.

She rolled amber-colored liquid in her glass, a deep scowl on her face. “Red just left,” she said, her voice flat. “It took a minute to calm him down. Den could have hurt me and my baby.”

Kent hung his head. “Pour me one.”

Syd filled an empty glass with the dark liquor. “Your brother better be glad Red didn't see him yesterday. I'd be bailing him out of jail right now.”

Kent didn't know what to say. There had never been any love lost between Den and Red. The two could barely stand each other, and Kent knew it was because of the way Den had treated Syd over the years.

She finished her drink and glanced at Kent out of the corner of her eye. “What are you doing here?”

“I stopped by because I got a call from the printer. They were supposed to deliver the new flyers I designed and I wanted to take a look.”

“Long day at work?” she asked, her voice even and calm. Almost too calm. It was a departure from the Syd who'd come to his house, shaking and concerned. It was a completely different Syd from the Syd who'd begged him not to hurt Den.

“Every day is a long day at work,” Kent grumbled. “Syd, I'm not going to make any excuses for Den. I couldn't even muster up enough energy to pull Morgan off him—until you begged me to.”

She snickered. “How did
you
not kick the shit out of him when you saw Allina's face?”

It was a question he'd asked himself many times since he'd left Morgan's house the day before. He'd gone over the events of the afternoon until he couldn't stand to think about it anymore. The only answer he could come up with was the same one they'd been giving for years, with a small caveat. “He's sick—pathetic and sick. When I thought about it, I figured his hell was one that I couldn't put him in. He'd already done that himself. And he's my brother. As much as I hate what he did, I still love him.”

She didn't say it, but he suspected she felt the same way. “It's over now,” she mumbled. “You and Allina looked very cozy. What's going on with that?” she asked, changing the subject.

Kent smiled to himself. “It's different. But she wants to go home.”

“Back to Cleveland?” Syd asked, incredulous. “What the hell for?”

“She said she wants to prevent him from coming here and looking for her through you. You've been through enough. And she's ready to stop hiding.”

“What do you think about that?”

“I don't like it, but she has a point,” he said. “I'm going with her, though.”

“I hear that. Take care of your woman,” Syd said with a grin.

“Shut the hell up.” He wrapped an arm around her neck.

“Stop acting like that's not your girl,” Syd laughed. “It's easier if you just give in to it.”

Kent wanted to confide in his sister. He had, on many occasions. “I want her,” he admitted, after a long minute of silence. “But she's…too innocent, too good.”

Syd gazed at him, studied him. “Do you think that you're not? Good, that is.”

He rubbed at the middle of his forehead, eyes closed. “It's not that I think I'm bad. I just wonder if she really knows what she's getting herself into with me. I fuck shit up. You know relationships are not my strong suit. Plus, she's all…religious. And I'm not. She doesn't have a lot of experience with men and her past…I'm still not sure she's told me everything even though she says she has.”

“I know the feeling. There is a part of her I could never reach.”

He tapped his glass against the countertop softly. “Shouldn't I know what really makes her Allina before I enter into a relationship with her?”

“Well, I think the real question is what do you want? How do you feel about her? It has to be more than you just ‘
want her,
'” she said.

He thought about that a minute. If he was honest with himself, he could admit that Allina was perfect for him. She respected him as a man, but she didn't let him do whatever to keep him. He hated weak women, women who would let him control them. He didn't want a pushover. Any woman he was with would have to be strong but feminine, giving and sweet. Everything that Allina was.

“She's a virgin,” he blabbed, sneaking a glance at Syd before focusing on his drink. He really had no idea why he'd had her pour him one. The hangover he had this morning should have prevented even the urge to have any alcohol.

Syd giggled, dropping her head on the bar. When she finally looked up at him, he could see the amusement in her eyes. It could have been the bourbon, though. “And that bothers you?” she asked.

“I hope you already knew that,” he said.

She covered her mouth, concealing her smile. “I did.”

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Gee, I don't know. How about take it slow?” she suggested.

“Syd, how slow is too slow? And how fast is too fast?” He was probably overthinking it. Allina's virginity shouldn't be a problem for him. “Do I really want to be someone's first?”

“Does she want to do it?”

He shrugged. “I don't know. I feel like she does. When we're…doing things, she responds. But I can't compete with God.”

Syd burst out in a fit of laughter. He chuckled right along with her, glad to see her smiling. “Kent, you're killing me. You're thinking about this way too hard.”

He knew that.

“Listen, I think if you two end up sleeping together, it will be because she's ready. Not because you corrupted her, or seduced her into submission.” She stood up and held out her hand to him. Once he was on his feet, she squeezed his hands. “Thanks, Kent.”

“What are you thanking me for?”

“Being you,” she said. “And you're good enough. The best. Allina is lucky you love her.”

Frowning, he stepped back. “Who said anything about love?”

“You took her in, bought her everything she needed, cared for her during one of the worst times of her life…that's love.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Deal with it. I better go call Morgan before he shows up here. Bye, brother.”

Planting a kiss on his cheek, she turned and walked to the back toward the office. Syd was wise in that get-on-your-nerves way. And she hadn't said anything that wasn't true. He did love Allina. But he wasn't ready to tell her—and he wasn't sure she was ready to hear it.