“If you ever violate or hurt a woman, you’ll have to face me,” he’d said.
But Conrad had seen how aroused Kenzie had become when he’d used a little force on her, and he’d been touched by her unconditional trust. He hadn’t truly forced her to do anything, of course, and, once he’d gotten past the strangeness of it, he’d found their game to be an incredible turn-on.
Who knew that Kenzie had a kinky side?
She lay with her head on his shoulder, her fingers tracing idle lines on his bare chest. She told him about her morning, about Bear and the sirens. “I brought him inside to play with the dogs for a while. They love him as much as he loves them. Then I took him to Knockers, bought him lunch, and left him in Joe’s hands.”
“You have a big heart.” Conrad loved that about her.
“Rose came in with a copy of the paper. I think she was fishing for fresh gossip.”
“Oh, undoubtedly.”
Kenzie snuggled closer. “I wish I could stay in bed with you all day.”
“I need some time to recover, but, hey, I’d be happy to push the limits of my sexual endurance just for you.”
“What a beautiful thought.” Kenzie sat up, regret on her face. “But I have to eat something and get back over there.”
Conrad reached up, tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “One of these days, you are going to take some serious time off.”
“That would be nice.” She climbed out of bed and bent over to pick up her clothes, giving him a view of heaven. “Are you hungry?”
Now that she mentioned it… “Starving.”
She put on her panties, tiny blue things that barely covered her butt. “I can make you a sandwich.”
“Where do you get the energy?” He was as close to a true sex coma as he’d ever been. “Maybe I didn’t do my job as well as I thought I did.”
“Are you kidding? You made me scream. If I didn’t have to be back at the kennel, I’d be asleep.”
“I’ll help.” He willed himself to get up.
He put on his jeans and T-shirt and walked downstairs after her, her scent all over him. While she made sandwiches, he took Gabby, who was awake, out for a quick potty trip. “Come on, Gabby, girl.”
The day was sunny and warm, one of those September days that felt like summer, clouds dotting a wide, blue sky. This time last year, he’d been at the monastery, where it had rained every day as monsoons chased away summer. Nothing against the monks or Tengboche, but he preferred Kenzie’s company—and Colorado’s weather.
When he came back inside, two turkey sandwiches sat on plates with cans of blackberry Izze soda and vinegar and sea salt chips. He washed his hands, sat—and saw Kenzie and Gizmo on the front page of the newspaper.
“That’s a great photograph.”
“Thanks.” Kenzie took a sip of her soda. “She did a good job with the article. She didn’t misquote me or mention anything about you.”
Conrad read through the first few paragraphs and thought they were pretty good. Then he remembered what Wendy had told Kenzie. Maybe she was the right person to handle this interview after all.
“Did you finish all your paperwork for Ski Scarlet?” Kenzie asked.
He nodded. “I’m driving up there this afternoon to turn it in.”
“How do you feel about taking the job. I mean, really, are you happy?”
Leave it to Kenzie to ask the tough questions. Then again, she now knew him better than most people.
“It’s not what I thought I’d be doing at this point in my life.” That was an understatement. “But I love to ski. Spending my days outside this winter sounds pretty good. At least I’ll have an income while I figure out what’s next.”
“That makes a lot of sense. If you don’t like it, you’re done by April and free to try something else.” She glanced at her watch, picked up what was left of her sandwich, soda, and chips. “I need to go.”
She circled the table, kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for the best lunch break in my entire life. See you tonight after class. Bye, Gabby.”
