Page 51 of Reckless Curves
Tom’s gaze swung from the table to Kendra, and then down at himself. “I’ll be right back.”
Kendra looked up from fixing her salad. “Okay.”
* * *
Tom went to his room and took the suit he’d been wearing earlier out of his closet. He changed as fast as possible. It was only right that he make the extra effort since Kendra had gone to so much trouble.
Picking up the dreaded tie, he attempted to tie it, but got too frustrated. Checking his appearance in his bureau mirror, he thought the suit looked fine without the tie and tossed it on his bed. He put on a pair of gold cufflinks that Sam had given him a few years ago and straightened the shirt cuffs.
He smoothed a hand down his front and walked back out to the kitchen. Kendra’s double take and sensual smile made his effort worth it.
“Oh, my God. I almost didn’t recognize you for a minute,” she said as he strolled toward her. “I take back my earlier comment. You look amazing in these clothes. You clean up pretty good for a grease monkey.”
“Thanks. I just couldn’t sit here in jeans while you looked so damn beautiful.” He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he knew if he started he wouldn’t be able to stop at just a kiss.
“Well, I appreciate that very much. You look so handsome.” She played with his collar a little. “I’ve never seen you in a suit before.”
“I only wear one to weddings or funerals,” he said with a wry twist of his lips.
She laughed and stepped away. “I can believe that. Come on. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Tom held out a chair for Kendra, seated her, and then sat in the chair beside her. He caught her looking at him with an odd little smile on her lips. “What?”
“This is a different side to you. I like it.”
Tom lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe I’ll show my gentlemanly side a little more often.” And he slowly cupped her nape, his fingers gently stroking her soft skin.
The flirty look she sent him made his temperature rise. “I wouldn’t have a problem with that.”
She started cutting up her food, so sighing Tom did the same. However, he cast quick glances her way, surprised that he found watching her do such a mundane thing such a turn on. He returned his attention to his own meal and took a large bite.
“Mmm. This is great,” he mumbled through his overfull mouth. “Where did you get it?”
“Flora’s Kitchen.”
Tom frowned. “Never heard of it.”
Kendra said, “I’m not surprised. It’s a little Italian restaurant in my old neighborhood. Great food at reasonable prices.”
“You drove all the way over there?”
“I wanted food that might tempt you into eating,” Kendra spoke shyly.
“Well, I’m duly tempted. Flora makes some fine chicken parmesan,” Tom gratefully replied.
Kendra took a drink of her water before asking softly, “What happened between you and your dad?”
Her question caught Tom completely off guard. His hand tightened around his fork; with a refusal to answer driving through his mind. But he forced him-self to relax. Kendra had a right to know about his past, especially since he planned to persuade her to marry him one day.
“When I was seventeen, I got mixed up with the wrong crowd. I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you. Marcus probably told you,” he said.
With feigned shock, Kendra smirked, “No! He’s mentioned a bit about your past. But I could never imagine the surly young boy I met years ago got in trouble…”
Tom chuckled. “Smart ass. Anyhow, to cut a long story short; I got accused of mugging an elderly woman because I was in the vicinity. I didn’t do it. But the lady ID’d me since I looked a lot like the guy who snatched her purse. I ended up spending six months in juvey for something I didn’t do.
“Dad left me in there because he didn’t believe I was innocent. He’d gotten me out of vandalism charges and stuff like that, but that was the last straw for him.” Tom shook his head. “In all fairness it was almost nicer in juvey than living at home with dear old dad. He was always drunk and when he got mad, I became his punching bag.”
Kendra’s eyes welled with tears. “I’m so sorry, Tom. No kid deserves that. I don’t really know what to say. My parent’s kicking me out at twenty-one seems lame in comparison. Dad thought he owned me, especially as he thought I’d beaten cancer because of him. I should spend the rest of my life thanking him. I was grateful to him for the best hospital care, but who won’t help their child just because I wouldn’t reveal the father of my baby? Dad knew Marcus would look after me, but he also thought I’d come crawling back.” She grimaced. “That didn’t work out as he planned, so now I think he doesn’t know how to fix it.”
