Page 181 of The Maxwell Brothers
“By the way, I asked Luke about contractors. He said he found someone, and he’ll have him contact you directly in a couple days. If you don’t like him, no problem.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s amazing. I’m sure I will, but it depends if he’s in my price range. I can’t wait to move in. When Emma and I were kids, we daydreamed about the house we’d live in together all the time. We wouldn’t have any nosy neighbors, and we’d each have a room. This one comes pretty close in the layout. However, I’ve yet to talk my sister into moving in with me. We’re a bit too old for that now, but I’d love it.”
“You’re a remarkable woman, Kendra.”
“Because I bought a house?” I asked, genuinely confused.
“Because you’ve been through a lot, and you’re such a fighter.”
“It wasn’t a big deal, and I got used to it pretty fast. Though it was a bit stressful to always walk on tiptoes and make sure the neighbors couldn’t tell we were home alone.”
“How was your relationship with your mom?”
“She was a very sweet person, always talked and reasoned with us and played a ton of games. She rarely yelled. After Dad passed away, she was mostly working. When she came home in the evening, she was too tired to do much. I used to heat up her dinner, and the three of us would sit on the couch, and she’d ask us to tell her about our day. She always listened. I miss her. I hope she’s looking down on me and is proud.”
He squeezed my hand. “I’m sure she is. You’re a great person. I admire that about you.”
“Oh yeah? What else?”
He shifted closer. “Everything. That you’re hardworking and caring.” He put a hand on my leg, moving it from midthigh to my knee and back up. “And so damn sexy when you follow my commands in the bedroom.”
I gasped, pressing my thighs together. “That escalated quickly.”
We'd only had a bit of champagne, not nearly enough to go to my head. I was just drunk on him. The fact that he brought me here and looked at me with that mix of possessiveness and admiration was more than I could have dreamed of.
“It’s going to escalate a whole lot more. You’re damn sexy in this skirt.”
Hmm… maybe he had more to drink, and I didn’t notice? Because I was still wearing my office attire: skirt and blouse.
“You’re looking at me like you’re already planning to take it off.”
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking about.”
He feathered his thumb on my thigh, pinning me with those soulful eyes. “Spend the night with me, Kendra.”
I sucked in a breath, leaning in slightly. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“Is that so?”
“Hell yes. I appreciate you being such a gentleman. But since last night, all I can think about is you knocking down my door.”
He groaned, pressing his fingers into my thigh. “You’re killing me, Kendra.”
CHAPTER 19
KENDRA
I never sawanyone move so fast. Within minutes, he’d already paid the bill. We ended up going to his place, a condo in a modern thirty-story building in the West Loop. The sexual tension between us was palpable, and we barely spoke during the elevator ride. The second we were inside his home, he sealed his mouth over mine.
He undressed me right there in the foyer, and I wasn’t too shy either. I needed my man naked. Pronto.
When I was completely naked, he took a step back. God, the way he looked at me was like I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. That was how I felt right then anyway. He first looked down, focusing on my mouth before descending to my chest, resting on my hips, and then between my legs. When he slid his gaze back up, we made eye contact, and I felt myself blushing. I was desperate for him, just because I was seeing him naked up close like this. I stepped even closer, and I could smell his shower gel.
"What do you want, Kendra?" he asked.
"You. I just want you."
We were both too lost in each other to move from where we were. He smiled slowly. It was a wolfish expression like I'd justwalked into a trap. Oh sweet Lord, I'd let this man trap me all day long and do with me whatever he wanted.
