Page 47 of Her Devoted HERO

“He was taking care of Austin?” Please say he was, Dex thought to himself.

“No, Mom was.”

“What did your parents think of this?”

He watched as she smoothed her fingers over the silverware. “Dad died of a stroke the same year Austin was born. Caring for Austin was the way Mom coped. I was in too much of a daze about Dad’s death and giving birth that I didn’t realize I was in a bad situation.”

Dex moved closer to her in the booth and put his arm around her shoulders. He was gratified when she snuggled closer. “Kenna, how long did this go on?” he asked softly.

“Jaden wasn’t the best student in the world,” she hedged.

“How long?”

“Austin was five when Jaden finally gave up. He got a job selling yellow pages advertising. He got a company car, and he had to go away a lot. The first three months he received a salary, but then it was mostly commission, and he hardly made anything. He’d come home late at night, and I could tell he’d been drinking. He got his first DUI six months after he started the job. He lost his job because he did it in the company car.”

“How was it between the two of you?”

As she had told her story, she had been looking out over the ocean, but when he’d asked the question, she raised her eyes to look at him. “He didn’t like me. Everything I did was wrong. He made me feel ugly and stupid.”

Dex stroked her bare arm with his fingers. “But you got out of there.”

“That’s the pathetic part, Dex. I didn’t. He left me.”

“Thank God.”

“You got that right,” she said wanly. “But how pathetic was that, right?” She tried to shift away, but he was having none of it.

“Cut yourself some slack, you didn’t know if you were coming or going. What would you say to anybody else in your shoes?”

She sighed. “I know. I know.” She gave him a half-hearted grin.

“Now you’re a registered nurse, and you’ve given your son a kick-ass life. I’d say you’re a long way from pathetic. As a matter of fact, you’re someone I admire.”

She sucked in a deep breath and then gave him a brilliant smile. He couldn’t help himself. He bent in for a kiss. It was perfect.

***

“He’s looking like a very happy man,” her mother observed as they watched Dex grill burgers and brats at the grill. “Did he spend the night?” she asked.

“Mother!”

“Damn. Here I cleared the decks and everything. I was sure with that dress that he wouldn’t be able to resist.” Penny giggled.

Kenna thought back to their good-night kiss on her sofa. It had been long and lush. Long and lush and wet. The man could kiss. But he had broken it off.

“Poppy, I so want more. I not only admire you; I desire you.”

She was lying on top of him on the couch, and it was pretty damned obvious that he desired her.

“I’m a nurse, I’m trained to notice these things, Mr. Evans.”

“But...I’ve agreed to a slower pace. This is only date number two. So, we’re waiting.”

“Hey! This is date number one,” she said as she pressed up against his chest, grinding her lower half into his lower half. It felt glorious.

“Lunch at Danny’s was date number one. We’re waiting. You need time, and I’m enjoying the torture.” His hand swept down her back and cupped her ass. His palm was warm and big, and she arched into it.

“Daughter, are you listening to me?”