Loch and Key (5 page)

“Not always the man cheating, sugar,” he drawled. “Just as often, it’s the woman.”

“Hmm.” She didn’t look convinced, but maybe slightly irritated now. “Well, I’m not on ring patrol when I’m working at our pub.”

He needed to change the subject. Fast. He latched onto something she’d said, partly because he wasn’t sure he’d heard right.

“Did you say ‘our pub’?”

“Aye. It belongs to my brother, so technically it’s his. But we consider it our family pub. My parents started it when they moved here.”

“Your parents are the McLaughlins in McLaughlin’s Pub?”

“One and the same. We’re all McLaughlins.”

“I guess I should’ve put that one together. Kenzie McLaughlin.” He drew out her name on his tongue. It was sexy. Cute.

Matched her to a T. She was fun and cute.

He watched as she pulled her drink forward and slid the straw between full lips unadorned with gloss or lipstick.

She was also ridiculously sexy in a natural way.

The next hour passed just as easily as the first. Conversation flowed with ease, and below the safe discussions, there was simmering heat that built. He knew it couldn’t be one-sided.

When the bill came he snatched it and paid, despite her protests and insistence that she’d offered to buy his dinner. His mother hadn’t raised him to let a woman pay for dinner on a first date. Maybe down the road, if she threw a fit, but it was bred in him to pick up the check.

“May I walk you to your car, Kenzie?”

She only barely hesitated before she nodded.

Be a gentleman
. He kept the mantra in his head as they left the restaurant.

A kiss on the cheek. He wouldn’t push her.

But his blood was hot and pounding, and he curled his hands into fists, knowing it was going to be a lot harder than he fucking thought.

Even though she’d been sipping beverages all night, Kenzie’s mouth was dry as sandpaper.

Her heart beat a frantic rhythm as she walked beside Brett to her car. She’d successfully made it through dinner with him. A date. Technically it had been a date, right?

And now the evening was coming to a close. That point where he might go in for a kiss. Might try and do some petting if she gave him any encouragement.

A wash of cold swept over her, mingling with the heat in her blood.

Oh God. She wasn’t ready for this. Was she?

She could’ve told him she’d walk out to her car by herself. They were by a busy street and it was light enough. She would’ve been fine.

But she hadn’t wanted to go out alone, and not because of fear, but because surprisingly she didn’t want this night to end. It had been both terrifying to realize, and a bit liberating.

She was all too aware of his tall, wide frame walking beside her. Just how blatantly large and male he was. She was used to her brothers, but they were family. Brett was most definitely
not
a relative, and each step she took toward her car reminded her of it.

She reached her destination and drew in an unsteady breath.

“Here’s my little Escort.” She tried for a bright smile, but it felt tight. Fake.
Terrified
.

He stopped beside her, inches away, and didn’t say anything. She could feel his gaze on her. Probing. Questioning. Heated. She’d seen that flash of need in his eyes more than once inside the restaurant, but he’d been a perfect gentleman. Doing nothing more than touching her hand briefly.

She’d been almost disappointed when he’d moved his hand away. Would he try and touch her again now?

Her heart doubled its rhythm and she drew in tiny shallow breaths as panic started to swell in her.

“Brett—”

“Relax, Kenzie,” he said softly. “I’m not going back on my word. I’m not going to seduce you in the parking lot of Applebee’s.”

He wasn’t? Maybe it was a bloody shame, because with the way her body was reacting right now, she sensed he might’ve succeeded further than any man in the past ten years had.

With a soft curse, he muttered, “I have to kiss you, though. Please don’t say no.”

Say no? Could she even if she tried? Yet giving any kind of permission was nearly as impossible at this moment.

She could only stand frozen, eyes wide and heart racing. Finally, she gave a small nod.

He drew in a ragged breath and reached out to cradle her cheek with one hand. His other rested on her waist.

“I hope that was giving me permission, sugar, because I need only a taste.”

Without waiting for a response, his head lowered and his lips hovered just above hers. She closed her eyes, letting her senses take over. Their breath met first. Warm and moist, their lips not quite touching yet. Then he moved ever so slightly so that his mouth pressed against hers. Soft, but firm.

There was restraint in the hand that held her waist. His fingers on her skin, even over the cotton of her T-shirt, seemed to brand his prints on her. Making her burn. His grasp was strong, but not imprisoning.

His lips brushed hers again, softly, without pressure. He made no move to deepen the kiss or rush anything. It was simple and yet so sensual. The warmth in her belly began to spread through her blood, bubbling hotter and faster. Making her aware of every nerve ending on her body, but everything homed in on the one spot where their breath mixed together.

She wanted more. She wanted to deepen the kiss.

For an instant, his thumb pressed harder against her waist, and she could sense him struggling with his control. His lips trembled against hers and then, in a surprising move, he caught her bottom lip between both of his and sucked lightly.

Shock and pleasure jolted through her, and she whimpered, swaying against him. She needed more. Her lips parted and she leaned forward, but he’d already pulled away.

Dazed, she blinked her eyes open. It took a moment for her vision to adjust to the streetlights that held the nighttime darkness at bay.

“Thank you for taking me to dinner, Kenzie,” he murmured, tracing his fingers down her jawline, ever so lightly.

“You actually paid for it.” Oh shite, her voice sounded like she’d swallowed a squeak toy. “Thank you.”

He gave another smile, the one that had all those little butterflies coming to life in her stomach. In the artificial lighting, she could see the lingering heat in his gaze and something else. Some kind of hesitancy.

He truly wasn’t going to try to convince her to go to bed with him tonight. That fact in combination with how amazing the evening had been was making it harder to find a reason to not want to see him again.

Brett was a good guy. And she needed to start dating. Delonna was right. She really, really needed to put her arse out there.

And that kiss…whoa.

“I work tomorrow night, you should come in and see me. I’ll likely hook you up with some shepherd’s pie.”

Wow, that was quite bold of her, wasn’t it? Channeling some vintage Kenzie, she was. Biting her lip to hide a smile, she reached into her purse for her keys.

“Sounds good. Have a good night, Kenzie.”

“You too.”

He was rather sweet, waiting until she’d climbed into her car and driven off. Only then did she see in her rearview that he made his way to a big pickup truck in the corner of the lot.

This was good. She’d met a decent guy and he was the perfect person to jump feet-first back into the dating game with.

It didn’t have to be serious. Honestly, she didn’t know if she even wanted serious while she finished up her degree.

But she was putting herself out there, and it was about time.

Brett maneuvered his Dodge Ram into a spot at the pub. The place was already packed even though it was a Sunday night. Maybe because there was a Seahawks game on and McLaughlin’s Pub had a couple massive flat screens throughout.

It all sounded pretty awesome actually. The game, a couple beers, shepherd’s pie and a beautiful girl he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about.

He’d gone all out this afternoon. Taking an extra-long shower and finally opening his bottle of Marc Jacobs aftershave. It had been a gift from his sister at Christmas, sitting unused in his bathroom until today. Not much for designer things, he figured his under $10 bottle was absolutely fine and he’d hold off on the pricey stuff until he ran out.

But today he saw the appeal in the designer brand. Felt the difference. Actually, he figured he smelled pretty damn good right now. And getting dressed, he hadn’t put that much thought into what to wear since, well, maybe never.

To top it all off, he was nervous. Like he was about to go on some kind of first date in high school or something.

What the hell was wrong with him?

As he stared at the front door of the pub, watching people slip in and out for a cigarette, a sliver of unease raced through him.

He shifted his gaze to one of the windows of the pub, saw the crowds of people. Some clearly sailors from the base.

Suddenly, she filled his vision. She had a tray of food balanced on her hand as she delivered it to the table near the window. Her hair was always the first thing he noticed. It was as much her identity as the trace of a Scottish accent.

Even from across the parking lot, he could get a good glimpse of her. So beautiful. His pulse jacked up and he drew in an unsteady breath.

With the food delivered, she tucked the tray under her arm and placed a hand on her hip. She seemed to be talking to the men, but her gaze rose to the window.

Through the drizzling rain and fading light, he knew she wouldn’t be able to see him.

She lingered for a moment more, staring out into the night, before turning and walking away.

Shit
.

Realization hit with him quick, cold precision.

He liked her. He liked Kenzie in a way that meant he might not be able to sleep with her for a couple of weeks, or even a night, and move on.

How? They’d had two hours talking at Applebee’s and a kiss that most would consider chaste, for fuck’s sake.

He scrubbed a hand down his smooth, expensively scented jaw, and was reminded of how hard he was trying tonight.

The excitement of the evening slowly faded into the depths of somber disappointment. He couldn’t go down this road, not again. Nothing serious.

It was a promise he’d made to himself after the last time and one he’d done damn well at keeping.

The women he’d gotten involved with in the past couple of years had known what they were getting into. It had been casual. It had been fun. It had been brief. It had never been permanent.

Kenzie wasn’t the kind of woman you slept with and walked away from. She’d blatantly said last night she didn’t move that fast getting sexually involved with men, and he’d been fine with that. He knew she would’ve been worth the wait.

But despite the lighthearted yet tough exterior she presented, he knew she was fragile. Delicate. Though he suspected she’d smack him one if she ever heard him call her that.

She’d been hurt before. By someone. Maybe she hadn’t told him, but some things you could sense.

His chest tightened and his stomach roiled. The dejection lingered in a heavy cloud around him as Brett started his truck, the keys still in the ignition.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t be the man who hurt Kenzie again. It was better if he walked away now.

Reversing out of his spot, he sped out of the pub’s parking lot and forced himself not to give it a backward glance.

Chapter Four

“School’s out. I don’t know how the heck I’m going to keep my sanity all summer long.”

Sitting on the front porch of Sarah and Ian’s house, Kenzie smiled slightly at Sarah’s pained words. Her brothers were in the back grilling dinner while Kenzie and Sarah sat on the porch chatting. Unfortunately, Hailey hadn’t been able to make it to the weekly family gathering because she’d been called in to work.

Kenzie stared at her niece doing backward handsprings in the yard and gave a small shrug.

“I’m sorry you can’t use wine to help this time.” Kenzie lifted her own glass and gestured to Sarah’s baby belly. “Don’t want to get my future nephew drunk, so I’ll be sure to drink another glass for you.”

“Aren’t you wonderful,” Sarah drawled, then sipped on her lemonade.

“I can’t remember. Is this barbeque tonight celebrating that it’s summer vacation? Or trying to distract from the pain that your child will be telling you how bored she is for the next two months?”

“I think a little of both.” Sarah rubbed her belly. “Though I’m sure Auntie Kenzie will take her for a few dozen sleepovers, right? Please? Oh God, please say yes? I’m already exhausted from being pregnant.”

Sarah was so tiny that she’d begun showing pretty quickly into the pregnancy, now at six months she was already almost all belly. Emily was over the moon at the idea of being a big sister.

Kenzie laughed and shook her head. “You doubt me? Of course I will. I adore my niece.”