Page 31 of Kent's Honor
She kissed his pec, forcing any negative thought she had to the recesses of her mind. “I need you to leave. It’s not about you, but about my son.”
“Believe me, I understand. If we were at my house, I’d be asking you to leave for the very same reasons. But it doesn’t make me feel any better about it.”
She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “It’s probably best if we say good night now before we both fall asleep.”
“All right.”
They got dressed in silence, though he tried to convince her to stay in bed, but she needed to lock up behind him.
Leaning against the front door, she watched his hips sway in a masculine swagger, his jeans riding low and loose. He turned once and waved, before sliding into the front seat of his car. She stood there for a good five minutes after he drove off before shutting off the lights and heading back to bed.
Her phone beeped on the nightstand.
Kent:Good night, Dixie. Sleep well and dream of me.
She couldn’t let that go unanswered.
Dixie:Right back at you. Call me in the morning and let me know when and where I can come visit with Elle.
Kent:Will do. XOXO
Dixie:XOXO
She set her phone on the table and curled up on her bed, hugging her pillow, inhaling the fresh scent of pine. He alwayssmelled like a forest and she wanted to run wild in one with him at her side. She let out a big sigh. She was in way over her head, and she was going to get hurt. She could handle that, as long as Elle and Nicky were protected. She’d do anything for those children.
9
The next two weeks went by in a blur. Kent spent most of his time tending to his daughter. Actually, it was more like trying to tie her down so she got the proper rest she needed. The doctor said she’d heal quickly, and at the last visit, he told them she could continue to increase her activity, depending on her pain level.
And then there was Dixie, who had started her new job. They had been able to occasionally sneak some alone time. A stolen moment for a bike ride at sunset or a quick kiss while no one was looking, but they hadn’t been able to be intimate with each other again, and it was driving Kent absolutely mad. He craved to hold her in his arms until she fell asleep. To watch the sun peek through the window, kissing her blond hair and watching her eyes flutter open so he was the first thing she’d see in the morning.
She’d been the only woman he’d ever met whom he couldn’t stop thinking about. She’d seep into his thoughts at random moments, making him smile. His crew chief, Arthur, twice the other day tossed a paperclip at him during a meeting, telling him to wipe the stupid grin off his face.
“Daddy, you’re burning the French toast,” Elle said, poking his biceps.
“Sorry.” Quickly, he flipped the fluffy, but slightly crispy bread on the griddle. He’d been dealing with a lack of sexual activity since Elle had been born, but now that he’d had the kind of mind-numbing sex others bragged about, he couldn’t look at Dixie and not want to rip her clothes off and do unspeakable things to her body. No amount of cold showers would cure him of his ailment. Only Dixie could take care of that.
And that was another issue. There would never be another woman for him, ever. She was it. The cream of the crop. His soulmate.
“Dad!” Elle grabbed the spatula from his hand. “What is the matter with you?” she asked in a tone indicative of a mother scolding a small child.
“Sorry, my mind is in other places.”
“Obviously,” she said, shoving him aside. “You can set the table, and I’ll finish up here. When is Dixie and Nicky coming over?”
“They said nine thirty, so about twenty minutes,” he said. He’d been looking forward to fishing with Nicky for weeks, and he knew his daughter was over the moon about a mani-pedi, whatever that meant, followed by a hair appointment.
But when the day was done, Jackie had promised to take the kids for the night, giving him and Dixie a chance to spend some quality alone time together. Dixie had balked at the idea, but he suspected she was more concerned about what her aunt thought of her spending the night with him. Jackie appeared to be more than thrilled with the concept, telling him she herself couldn’t have picked a better boyfriend for her niece. However, the jury was still out on his relationship status.
And with good reason.
They needed to take a step back and then move slowly going forward, making sure their children were protected. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to be together, but they had things in their lives that came first.
And then there was the question about Nicky’s father, who could come waltzing into their lives at any moment wreaking havoc, turning their worlds upside down. That thought reminded him of the recent email he’d sent Darius.
Sitting at the table, he pulled out his cell phone. His heart hammered with twinges of guilt. He knew, without a doubt, Dixie would not appreciate him poking around in her background, much less Daniel’s.
His phone icon indicated someone had left him a text message. He tapped on it and then on Darius’ number.
