But no. She’d walked right into his arms without a single thought.
“I wasn’t trying to offend you. I suppose I was surprised at your home life. Most of us don’t go into the whole spy gig because our families are great and supportive,” he whispered, staring straight forward as well. “But you know about my family. You know I haven’t talked to them for years. You know they blame me for pretty much everything. Your father thinks I haven’t tried to get to know you, and in some ways he’s right. In some he’s wrong. You wouldn’t have told me the truth until recently.”
“I would have told you as much as I could.” She felt tired. Infinitely tired. “I didn’t lie about things I liked or experiences I had.”
“You didn’t talk about yourself. You let me drone on and on.”
“Because I was interested in who you were,” she replied quietly. “You’ve had some time to think about things. I guess last night didn’t mean the same to us.”
“The night before. Last night was the flight here and we didn’ttalk, but I assure you it was meaningful.” He sat up straighter as the door came open and a man and a woman walked through. The man was large and broad, dressed in a slick suit with movie star good looks and an arrogance that covered an actual heart and softness that Oliver Knight didn’t like to admit existed inside him when he was in work persona. The trouble was he was always in work persona now.
And there was Sami. Samantha Knight was petite with a curvy body and the sweetest-looking face that belied her deep relationship with violence. Her blonde hair was a halo around her head. No one would call her a Bratz doll. Angelic. She was heavenly looking.
There were men who preferred that. Oh, she knew if Ben spent any time at all with Sami, she would show him how not angelic she was, but he was looking at her, and Kenz had to wonder if she was more his type.
His fiancée had been a delicate-looking blonde. She’d spent too much time staring at Deanna’s picture.
Kenzie was well aware she was most men’s type on a physical level. She had a banging bod and a pretty face. There was something wild about her that drew them in, but they didn’t stay.
Because men didn’t marry the Bratz doll. They all wanted a respectable Barbie. She was a Marilyn. Not a Jackie.
“She looks like the translator,” Ben murmured.
“I’ll send you dossiers.” He should have them since they would be working together. Well, since he was on the team. She was starting to think it wasn’t smart for them to actually be partners. Sami and Oliver knew Europe better than she did, so it might be best to split them up and pair them with members of her team.
And then she could figure out what the hell to do with her life.
Her sister was moving on. It was like she didn’t even miss the field, and it was supposed to be their dream. Mostly hers.
Shit. Did she feel abandoned by her sister?
Kala had always had Lou, but there was a place for Kenzie. Now Cooper took that spot. Tasha had Dare.
Was she trying so desperately to find someone so she wouldn’t be alone?
She needed a session.
Would she be the worst person in the world to call home and ask one of the Doms she worked with to fly all the way to London so hecould spank her ass and she could cry and get the tiniest bit of clarity?
It wasn’t like Gabriel Lodge had a nine-to-five job. He could even bring one of his “friends” and they could both top her since Gabe liked to keep a male switch around. He was a deeply fluid man in a sexual sense.
“I would rather hear it from you.” Ben turned her way.
“Oh, god.” Kala pushed back from the table, and her expression shifted to one of general horror. “It’s coming. I can feel it.”
Their father turned. “You are not performing another exorcism. Do you even remember you’re not Catholic?”
“Kala, this is ridiculous,” their mother complained.
“What’s happening?” Tim asked, and then his face lit up from behind his laptop. He’d seemed to be working, politely ignoring the tension between Ben and Kenzie, but now he was animated and happy. “Is it the chick with all the goats? Kala hated her. I thought she was fun.”
“I thought you looked nice tied up and ready for slaughter,” Kala shot back.
Lou sighed. “I’ll get the sprayer.”
Kala pointed her best friend’s way. “I melted down the sprayer. Both of the ones in your luggage and the one my dad snuck in. I kept one and I’m filling it with holy water so I can smoke her out when I need to.”
“How should I handle her?” Ben asked.
