“What did he say?”
Kenzie glanced over at Bogs. She usually spent time dodging questions about her past. Not many people dug into it but when they did, she shut it down quickly. He was different though. Opening up to Bogs didn’t scare her but it wasn’t the time.
“Typical fourteen-year old, disgusting, perverted boy stuff.”
Bogs laughed. “Ahhh…I know it well.”
“I bet you do.” She chuckled. “Anyway, in came Taylor. He continued and it was enough to get her attention. She marched back to where I was sitting. At first, I thought she was going to join in on the teasing. I had seen her a few times and she had a mouth on her. I kind of braced for it but it never came. She told the guy to back off but she used a more colorful language and then made him move seats.” Kenzie giggled. “And he actually moved. She took his seat and when I turned around to thank her, she smiled and said, ‘I’m Taylor, and ya owe me.’”
“You been tight ever since, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ve just always trusted her, ya know. She gets herself into shit.” She narrowed her eyes. “As you know, but she’s a good person, she just doesn’t think she is. You spend your life having people tell you you’re a screw up, stupid, and won’t make anything of yourself, you start to believe it.”
“Her family?”
Kenzie nodded. She wasn’t going to say anymore. It wasn’t her story to tell.
“You think Trent will find her?”
Bogs widened his eyes in surprise. “You want him to?”
“I want her safe.”
He stared back at her. She got the impression he was searching for deception in her face. He wouldn’t find any. At this point, with all that was going down, he hoped Trent would get her and save her from self-destruction. His eyes softened. The way he looked at her had the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It made her feel beautiful.
“He’ll find her.” He stood up and offered his hand. “Let’s get back to the office. I’ll hear it from the guys if I’m late for the meeting because I went out for ice cream. It’ll tarnish my badass reputation.”
She giggled. Something she did a lot of when she was around him. Hand holding was strange but sweet. They walked down the street and she couldn’t help but glance down at their hands. To anyone else they looked like a couple. Were they?
Her face heated and she hoped no one else would notice. They were two doors away from the office. The last thing she needed was T or Stone to see her like this. She had a feeling they missed nothing.
“Blushing again, pretty girl. Are your thoughts naughty? Please say yes.”
“No! I was just wondering why you’re always holding my hand.”
He leaned over as they walked his face brushing up against her hair, close to her ear. “I like touching you.”
Her face heated. He stopped walking and turned to her. “Don’t you like when I touch you?” he asked almost innocently. But she didn’t miss the innuendo behind his words. His tone was seductive. She could lie and say no but he wouldn’t buy it.
She had never been super shy around people but Bogs had a weird effect on her. In one instant, she was open and honest and in the next she was blushing and shy. She blamed his sexiness. If he told her to drop her panties, she wasn’t sure she’d deny him. Truthfully, she didn’t want to.
“I like it,” she whispered, feeling the crimson heat spread across her cheeks.
His face transformed into a half smile. “Now ya got me thinking dirty thoughts.”
She blurted out without thinking. “How dirty?”
“Want me to show you?”
Yes,was on the edge of her lips.
“About fucking time!”
She jerked her head to the left to see Stone standing outside the door holding it open. She instinctively tugged onher hand when his eyes drew down to their clasped hands. But Bogs didn’t let go. If anything, he tightened his grip and proceeded forward with Kenzie a step behind.
“Union break, man,” Bogs joked. His tone had changed from seductive to light in a matter of seconds.
Stone rolled his eyes as they approached. For the first time, she noticed how handsome he was even with his scarred face. His green eyes landed on her and she gave a tight smile. Good looking or not, he and T both made her nervous.
