Light from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 3) (6 page)

Craven
had shown Kenzie highlights from his home state, so it was time for her to
reciprocate. Even though the rugged hills of the famed Texas Hill Country were
no match for the towering heights of the Rocky Mountains, they were just as
enchanting in their own right. After a breakfast of authentic fruit-filled
Czech kolaches, they visited a cave with impressive formations of stalactites
and an interior 90-foot waterfall, then took some of the meandering small roads
that wound through rocky hills, lazy rivers, and glimpses of deer and exotic
game. Winding up in Fredericksburg, they strolled down quaint streets and
visited a few shops that featured local craftsmen, found a small German eatery
for lunch, then took a guided afternoon tour of some of the nearby wineries.

Touted
as the number two wine destination in the country, second only to Napa, the
Texas Hill Country was home to dozens of vineyards and many award-winning
wines. By taking the chauffeur-driven bus, they were able to enjoy the wine and
the scenery and each other’s company as their day together quickly slipped
away.

As
dusk set in, Craven and Kenzie lingered along the lattice-trimmed streets of
Fredericksburg, sharing ice cream cones as they slowly made their way back to
the car.

“I’m
not ready for the day to end,” Craven told her, his arm close around her waist.

“When
you come back, we’ll go to San Antonio. I’ll take you to the Alamo and the
Riverwalk.” 

“Two
weeks. I’ll be back in two weeks,” he promised.

“That’s
an eternity,” she mumbled, thinking it had been that long since she had seen
Travis. Two long, miserable weeks.

Craven
stopped abruptly on the sidewalk, thinking she meant the sentiment for him.
Kenzie paused in the middle of licking her ice cream, startled by his sudden
halt.

“I’ve
been good all day,” he told her. “Last night I kept a running conversation
going with three different people, trying to keep my mind off kissing you.
Today I’ve literately sat on my hands, trying to keep them from reaching for
you. But I’ve reached my limit. I’m warning you, Kenzie, if you aren’t
perfectly still right now, I swear I’m going to forget the promise I made to
myself not to pressure you. If you as much as bat an eye, I’m going to kiss
you, right here and now.”

The
natural-born flirt in her could not resist the challenge. Nor could the little
piece of her that secretly yearned for his kiss. Very deliberately, Kenzie
slowly blinked her long lashes.

He
accepted her invitation with a groan. Kenzie barely had time to hold her ice
cream to the side before he crushed her to him and his mouth came down on hers.

She
could taste the cold flavor on his lips. When Travis kissed her, it always felt
like warm chocolate oozing over her body, sliding over her with decadent
delight.
Craven,
she reminded herself sternly.
Travis isn’t here.
“Mmm,
chocolate,” she murmured.

“Mmm,
Kenzie,” he replied, oblivious to the people who stepped around them. When someone
jostled into them, Kenzie lost her grip on her cone and the ice cream fell to
the ground with a splat.

“Oops,
lost my ice cream,” she murmured, pulling away.

“I
lost more than that,” he murmured, trying to steal another kiss.

“I
think we’re making a bit of a scene. Maybe we should go.”

Craven
reluctantly agreed, turning with her to continue on their way. “I think you’re
right. That guy over there sure is staring at us.”

Unease
slid down Kenzie’s spine. She had been having such a good time she had forgotten
to stay on her guard. “Where?”

“See,
that guy over there reading the paper. Except I don’t think he’s reading. He
keeps staring. Do you know him?”

“He-He
does look vaguely familiar.” Kenzie moved closer to Craven’s large body. “Come
on, let’s get out of here. He’s giving me the creeps.”

She
practically raced down the street. Even Craven had trouble keeping up with her
as she hurried to the parked car and scanned behind them for the man. “Hurry
up, Craven,” she urged.

Doing
as she requested, Craven wasted no time in starting the motor and backing away
from the curb. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” he asked.

“Not
particularly.”

“Can
you still not tell me why Franks was trying to kidnap you?”

“I’m-I’m
sorry, Craven, I’m not allowed to talk about the case with anyone just yet,”
she said, watching the rear view mirror for signs of the man.

“Even
me?” She could hear the hurt in his voice.

“I’m
sorry, but especially you. You worked with the man, after all.”

“I
had no idea what he was doing Kenzie, you have to believe that!”

“I
do,” she assured him quickly, putting her hand on his arm. “I didn’t mean that.
But you’ll probably be called as a witness, and I can’t say anything that may
color your testimony or your perception of the facts as you know them. It’s
nothing personal, Craven. It’s more of a legal matter.”

“What
about the man we just saw? And why do you keep watching the road behind us?”

“Just
being paranoid, I’m sure. But after Franks pulled a gun on me and having two
car wrecks that weren’t my fault, I just get a little jumpy.” She smiled and
turned around in her seat, folding her hands calmly in her lap. “So what kind
of food would you like for dinner? I have one last opportunity to dazzle you
with the best Austin has to offer.”

“I’m
already dazzled with the best,” he said, reaching over to cover her hands with
his. After a very definite pause, he continued. “But in addition to a very
talented pastry chef, I hear my hotel also has a five star chef in residence.
Have you ever eaten there?”

“No.”

“Then
what would you say to dining at the hotel this evening?”

She
heard the hidden invitation in his words. Nerves fluttered along her stomach.
Temptation settled low. “I-I’m not sure.”

“Dinner,
Kenzie,” he said softly. “I’m not asking for anything more.”

She
slowly released a tense breath. “Alright,” she agreed. She glanced down at her
khaki capris, cotton top, and sandals. “Am I under-dressed?”

“You
look beautiful.”

“Thank
you, Craven.” She gave him a genuine smile, touched by the compliment.

While
he turned the conversation to other topics, Kenzie stole another glance into
the mirror. Still no one following them. Maybe it had just been someone
watching them kissing, after all. There were all sorts of perverts out there. 

Still,
the man had seemed oddly familiar….

***

“Mmm,”
Kenzie murmured contently, pushing away her plate. “Five stars seem so
inadequate.”

“It
was delicious, wasn’t it?” Craven smiled.

As
if by magic, a waiter appeared at their side, whisking away empty plates,
refilling water glasses, and offering to pour more wine.

“No
more for me, thanks,” Kenzie said, shaking her head. She was already feeling
light-headed. After a satisfying meal and a more than satisfying dinner
companion, the last thing she needed was alcohol to lower her inhibitions and
impair her judgment.

“Would
you care for some coffee?” Craven offered. He was reluctant for the evening to
end.

“That
sounds nice.”

He
turned to the waiter. “We’d like to have our coffee in the courtyard, if you
don’t mind.”

“Certainly,
sir,” the waiter said, ducking away to do his bidding.

“You
don’t mind, do you?” Craven asked Kenzie as he stood to assist her with her
chair.

“Not
at all.” She followed him to the dimly lit courtyard just off the dining room,
remembering a similar setting in Colorado. She had drunk too much wine that
night, and murmured Travis’s name when Craven tried to kiss her.

Thoughts
of Travis haunted her mind as they selected a small settee on the backside of
the fountain.

“You’re
quiet,” Craven observed.

“I’m
too full to talk!” Kenzie laughed lightly. The waiter delivered their coffee,
along with a small plate of petite cinnamon rolls. She eyed the pastries suspiciously,
as the waiter disappeared into the dimly lit night. “You’re tricky, Craven
Shaw.”

“All
is fair in love and war,” he said smoothly.

Kenzie
stiffened. It was the same thing Travis had once told her, when he pulled out
one of his sweet sentiments and welded it as a weapon to win their argument.

Craven
noticed and frowned. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No,
no. I’m just afraid I have no room to even nibble on one.”

“We
could save them for breakfast.” The invitation was smooth and rich, as tempting
as the treats themselves.

When
her only reply was a sharp intake of breath, he asked almost casually, “So you
say you’ve never been here before?” He sipped his coffee, his eyes on hers over
the rim of the cup.

“No.
I’ve heard how nice it is, but I’ve never had an occasion to stay here. I hear
each room has a different theme.”

“Oh?
I didn’t know that.”

“What
room did you get?” Kenzie regretted asking the moment the words were out. She
wasn’t asking for a personal tour. Or was she? Her hands trembled slightly as
she gripped her cup and saucer. She took a tiny sip of coffee, needing the
caffeine to clear her head.

“I
suppose it has a medieval theme. A massive four-poster bed, rich brocade
draperies, swords and shield over the stone fireplace. A knight’s full body
armor in one corner of the room.” He gave her time to picture the room in her
mind before he turned to her with searching blue eyes and very quietly asked,
“Would you like to come up and see it?”

It
was the moment she had dreaded. She cared for Craven. The last thing she wanted
to do was hurt him. But a relationship with him was impossible. She had been
selfish to let it continue as long as she had.

She
stared into her cup of coffee, searching for the right words. Craven reached
out and took the cup from her, setting it on the ground beside his abandoned
one. He turned to her and took her hands in his. She had little choice but to
lift her eyes to his.

“Kenzie,
by now you have to know how I feel about you. I’m in love with you.”

His
warmly uttered words brought equal parts of joy and sorrow. They were the words
she longed to hear. Too bad they fell from the wrong man’s lips.

“And
I care for you,” she said, her voice little more than a tortured whisper.
“Truly, I do. I may- I may even be a tiny bit in love with you, too,” she
admitted.

“How
tiny?”

Compared
to what I feel for Travis? A bucket in an ocean
. But she could
not be so cruel as to tell him that.  

At
that very inopportune moment, her cell phone rang. It was the call she had been
waiting for. The theme song from the television show
Walker, Texas Ranger
announced the caller: Travis.

Instead
of answering the call the way she longed to do, Kenzie let it ring. Not only
did Craven deserve better, but Travis had promised to call three days ago.
She
deserved better. With a stoic expression on her face, she ignored the ring tone
and let his call go to voice mail.

Her
green eyes filled with sorrow as she touched her palms to Craven’s broad chest.
“If I had met you first…” Her words were strangled. Sad. Craven was so much
better suited to her personality. They had so much more in common than she and
Travis did. If she could choose whom to love, she would choose Craven. But her
heart had a mind of its own.

“I
understand,” he told her kindly, his deep voice just as sad.

“I’m
glad you do, because I don’t.” Tears slid down her cheeks as she curled her
fingers into the collar of his shirt. “If I could change things, I would. I
would turn back the clock and meet you first.”

“No,
you wouldn’t,” Craven said sadly. “You’re just hurt because he accepted a
promotion that took him away from you.”

“He
doesn’t want me, Craven.” She finally admitted the cold, awful truth.

“Then
he’s a fool.”

With
a sudden stab of defiance, Kenzie said suddenly, “I changed my mind. I would
like to see your room.”

Craven
pushed a dark curl from her face, his expression guarded. “As much as I would
like that, we both know now is not the right time.” He kept his eyes averted
from hers, studying the curls that sprang around his fingers. “I’ll be back in
two weeks. Maybe we can continue this discussion then. Maybe things will be a
little clearer for you by that time.”

She
pulled in an unsteady breath. “Maybe,” she said glumly.

They
sat for a moment longer before Craven dropped his hand. “I have an early flight
in the morning. Let’s get you home.”