Raquel darted behind her chair, holding it between the two of them as if the desk wasn’t enough. “He’s not your type. You like the guys with weak jawlines, pasty complexions, and snooty accents.”
“I likedoneguy with an English accent.”
“You almost married him.”
Kenzi stood tall. “That was a mistake. Is it so weird that I would pick a guy who is Clyde’s opposite?” Nash was more than Clyde’s opposite; he was the anti-Clyde. Where Clyde was pasty, Nash was tan and healthy-looking. Where Clyde was condescending, Nash treated her like an equal. Where Clyde had perfect manners and a tongue as sharp as a scythe, Nash was bold and roughish but said all the right things.
None of that was enough to use as proof that she knew the man she married. What did she really know about him, other than he came with a recommendation from her favorite aunt? He’d certainly triggered Harrison’s overprotectiveness in a way Clyde never did. Of course, Harrison could have flicked Clyde with a finger and caused damage. Nash was much more … sturdy. His broad shoulders and trim physique hadn’t gone unnoticed by her cousin—or her sister, apparently. And it certainly hadn’t stayed off Kenzi’s radar.
Raquel popped a knee, relaxing her posture as much as she knew how. “Probably not. In fact, I remember reading a study about the second fiancé or husband having traits the first one didn’t.”
“Okay, then.” Kenzi scooped up a legal pad, intent on getting out of the conversation before it got away from her. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with product development.”
“We could use a twist on our cotton candy—it’s just like every other cotton candy flavor on the market.”
“I’ll put Nash on it. He’s going to take over as manager.”
Raquel’s knee went straight, snapping her to attention. “Is he qualified?”
“Overly so.” Kenzi strutted her way to the door. “I’ll see you at three.”
Once she was in the elevator, heading down to the bottom floor, she slumped against the wall. This whole wedding thing was getting more complicated by the day. If she wasn’t careful, it would blow up in her face.
She wouldn’t let that happen. She merely needed to get to know Nash on a more personal level. So far, what she’d seen had been positive … and attractive. Perhaps seeing the human side of him, like what annoyed him, would allow her to turn off her raging hormones and focus on the task at hand. They had a company to secure, and she couldn’t become distracted by a smoldering pair of green-gray eyes and a set of muscles.
* * *
Nash followed Ben down the long hallway. The upstairs was designed to look like an old barn, but down here, the theme was modern and food safe. The walls were painted bright white with a corrugated metal wainscoting. Stainless steel light fixtures blasted 100 watts in every direction. The doors were made from heavy metal and painted black. He didn’t miss the subtle reference to a cow with the black and white. It was cute. Along the walls were pictures of the dairies that fed the ice cream conglomerate. Their green fields and red barns added color to an otherwise bland decor.
“Hold up!” Kenzi called before Ben could show him what was behind door number three. She jogged over, as best she could in her heels, and smiled.
His heart somersaulted like an idiot. “Hi,” he breathed.
She wore another tight skirt and loose blouse tucked inside the skirt front but not the back. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled back, and her eyes were outlined in smoky colors, making them pop.
Clearing his throat, he looked at the floor before daring another glance in her direction. “Hi. How’s the tour?” Her hair was back in a tight ponytail, and he had a vision of pulling it loose and letting her hair fall around her shoulders. “Beautiful,” he murmured.
Thankfully, Ben stepped forward and saved him from being a complete fool. “I was about to take him in the test kitchen.”
Her face brightened. “I was just about to meet with Charlie and preview their new ideas.” Her sparkling eyes turned on him. “This will be a pleasurable way to make introductions.”
He had no idea what she was talking about, but … “I like the sound of that.”
Ben backed up a step. “Okay, if you two are going to get all kissy-face, then I’m leaving.”
Kenzi huffed, but her fingers drummed nervously on her leg. Ben didn’t see the movement, but Nash did, and it gave him the advantage—one he’d like to press. As much as he should stay away from Kenzi, he wanted to see her cheeks flush even more. Just this once.
“I am neverkissy-face,” she protested to Ben’s retreating figure.
Nash maneuvered his arm around her back and pulled her flush against him. She gasped, her free hand going to his chest. He hoped she couldn’t feel the rapid heartbeat under her palm, and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “We haven’t put on a show today.”
“A show?” she breathed.
Emboldened by the way her irises enlarged and her body melded to his, he nipped her earlobe. “The Newlywed Show.”
All the warm parts of Kenzi pressed against him went cold, but she didn’t pull away. “Oh, you mean this show?” Her eyes were purposeful and challenging as she dropped her pad of paper and slid her hands up his arms until her fingernails scraped lightly across the short hairs on the back of his head. She lifted onto her tiptoes, bringing her body closer and her lips within kissing distance. “Is this what you mean?”
He groaned, his eyes dropping shut from the magnitude of her nearness. He silently cussed appreciatively. She’d called his bluff, but he wasn’t about to fold. “I was thinking more along the lines of this.” He kissed the tender spot under her ear, his senses filled with her expensive perfume.
