Page 11 of Reckless Curves
Chapter Five
Connor bopped Kendra on the forehead with a small stuffed giraffe as she put his little cammo sneakers on while he sat on the couch. They and the matching cammo outfit had been a present from Marcus for Connor’s birthday. He’d said he’d had to make sure she wasn’t always going to dress him in sissy cartoon character clothes. Then he’d laughed and left the room when she’d glared at him.
Marcus might be a tad overprotective, but one thing she knew for certain, he loved his nephew and would do anything for Connor.
Kendra shook her head at the memory. Marcus might not want kids himself, but he took his role as Connor’s uncle very seriously. Since he’d quit the racing circuit and opened Bad Boy Autos with Tom, Marcus came to visit a lot. When she’d had cancer, he never left her bedside, even when all his friends and girlfriends were out having fun. He virtually willed her to live. She owed him a lot. He was the best brother she could ever hope for.
She frowned as she finished with Connor’s shoes. Marcus hated where she lived. That gut curling feeling hit her stomach as it did whenever she disappointed Marcus. She felt his disapproval of her home even though he didn’t mention it. He didn’t need to.
It was in his green eyes when he looked around her small living room with the watermarks on the ceiling. Both of them had grown up with money, living in Beverly Hills where Marcus still lived. And where Tom lived. She was a long way from Beverly hills now. She heard it in his voice whenever he said goodbye. The short phrase of “take care, sis” was filled with such reproach that she almost winced when he said it. She was the first to admit this was not the affluent area where she’d grown up, but she took pride in the fact she had a roof over her head paid for by money she earned from her music career.
“Mama, dink,” Connor said, bopping her with the toy again.
Kendra smiled and tickled him under the chin. “Thirsty, huh?”
Connor nodded and kicked his feet a little.
“Okay. Let’s go get a drink, little man.”
She helped Connor off the couch and watched him trot out to the kitchen on his little legs. Love for the adorable toddler filled her as she followed him. A knock on the door had her changing direction to answer it.
“Who is it?” she called out while watching Connor, who was standing in the middle of the kitchen staring at her with a frown.
“Mama! Dink!”
“Okay, my little man. I’ll be right there,” she said. “Who is it?”
“It’s Tom.”
Kendra’s pulse leaped at hearing his voice. What was he doing here? She wasn’t ready for this. But the revelation last night meant no turning back. So because Connor was here, he would finally meet his father. This was all happening so fast that her head spun. “I thought we would set up a time to talk?”
“Mama!” Connor wailed and stomped his foot.
Kendra suddenly felt as cranky as Connor was acting. She unlocked the door and opened it. “Come in.”
She barely looked at Tom before hurrying to the kitchen to stop Conner’s pounding on the fridge.
Connor looked up at her with a furrowed brow when she took his wrist. “Mama, dink.”
“I know, baby, but you have to wait for mama. Back up so I can get the door open,” she said.
Connor turned around so fast that he almost fell over. Looking up, Kendra saw what had startled him. Tom stood just inside the kitchen, staring at Connor, who stared right back. But they weren’t the only ones staring.
Tom’s long, muscular form captured Kendra’s attention. The way his black work T-shirt stretched across his broad chest made her mouth go dry. Following the V of his torso down to his narrow hips, Kendra flushed as the images of the sculpted muscles that lay beneath his clothes flitted through her mind. Why did Tom have such power over her emotions?
Connor threw up his hand and hollered, “Hi!”
Tom’s expression instantly lightened and a big smile spread over his face. His eyes shone as he squatted down. “Hi, Connor.”
Connor tapped his chest. “Me, Connor.” He walked over to Tom and patted his thigh. “Me, Connor.” The likeness struck her anew. How Marcus hadn’t seen it… She swallowed back the emotions and the protective mother instinct to push Tom away—Connor was hers.
Tom said, “You sure are.” Tom couldn’t take his eyes off him—their son. “He’s adorable, Kendra.”
Kendra smiled proudly. “I know.”
Connor patted Tom’s thigh once more. “Me, Connor.”
Tom looked questioningly at Kendra. “Why does he keep saying that?”
