Three Little Words (Fool's Gold #12)(71)

“Well, then,” he teased. “That must be enough.”

She looked at her hand in his. His fingers were longer, broader. He was tall and strong, which was nice. If she broke her leg, he could carry her for a long time.

The ridiculous thought made her think of Felicia. She would think Kent was good to have around. That his combination of intelligence and strength would add to the social unit. That even if he wasn’t a traditional warrior, he would be a formidable opponent.

She laced her fingers with his. “Your family scares me. I know Ford and he’s fine, but the rest of them... They’ve lived here their whole lives. They’re close. Traditional.”

“Are you worried you won’t fit in?”

“Some.” All, she thought. “I wouldn’t want to embarrass you.”

“Not possible. I’ve seen you eat and you know how to use a napkin.”

She laughed. “Thank you for your faith in my table manners.” She kept his hand in hers but angled toward him. “I don’t want your mom to tell you to stop seeing me.”

“She wouldn’t. You’re adorable. Besides, I’m thirty-four. She stopped getting involved in my love life a couple of decades ago.”

Consuelo raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure? Because just a couple of months ago, the woman had a booth with applications to be your girlfriend.”

He grinned. “Oh, yeah. I forgot. But she’s learned her lesson.”

“Has she?”

“Even if she hasn’t, I’ll protect you. Besides, I’m the one putting it on the line if we hang out with my family. They’re going to tell you stories about me.”

“That sounds fun. What kinds of stories?”

She figured he would admit to a childish prank or say he hadn’t started dating until college. She didn’t expect him to clear his throat and admit, “When I was younger, I was kind of a dog when it came to women.”

Consuelo had a feeling her shock showed. “What does that mean?”

He shrugged. “I figured out girls were pretty cool in tenth grade. I had something of a reputation. In college, I, um, took advantage of the target-rich environment. I’m not proud of what I did,” he added hastily. “I’m different now. More mature. When I was in a relationship, I was always faithful. I never cheated on my ex-wife.” He looked both embarrassed and proud as he admitted to his past.

“An unexpected side of you.”

He nodded. “It’s being a math teacher. People assume I’m shy around women. I get a little nervous at the beginning, but once things get going...” He paused.

“Go on,” she urged, intrigued.

“I’m going to quit while I’m ahead.”

“Afraid your mouth is going to write checks your, um, other parts can’t cash?”

“Something like that. It has occurred to me that you’re completely out of my league.”

He was joking, but she knew he was right. Being a sex god in high school didn’t compare to her past.

“Any tattoos?” he asked.

The unexpected question jerked her out of her worries and brought her back to the man in front of her. She smiled. “Two.”

His eyebrows rose. “What and where?”

“I’m not telling.”

“Building anticipation. I like that.”

She laughed.

Kent put his arm around her and drew her close, then leaned in and kissed her. She let herself relax as her eyes slowly closed. His mouth was warm and sure as it settled on hers.

They were out in public—nothing was going to happen, which was both good and bad. Good because for some reason the thought of having sex with Kent terrified her and bad because being close to him made her want him.

Even as his lips lightly teased her own, she felt heat growing in all the usual places. She hadn’t been with a man in a long time. She hadn’t been with a man she liked in a couple of years. She wanted to lose herself in the act of connecting with a man and not have to worry about extracting information or making her escape. She wanted to make love in a house in the suburbs and wake up to the sound of birds chirping or kids laughing rather than make her way back to a dark and empty safe house.

She drew back and stared into his face. His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her.

“Have I mentioned you’re totally hot?” he asked.

She grinned. “Not lately and I was wondering if you’d changed your mind.”

“No. You’re still amazing.” The smile faded. “Not just because of how you look. I want to make sure you know I like who you are.”

She hoped that was true.

She took his hands in hers. With the right training, he could become a killing machine. Funny how that thought would never occur to him. He wouldn’t hit a woman, wouldn’t shame her. Based on how Reese grumbled about the rules at home, she knew Kent was fair and reasonable, even when angry.

“Maybe I should meet your mother,” she admitted. “She did a really good job with you.”

He laughed. “Interesting logic. I’ll give you a couple of days to be sure before I set something up.”

Of course he would.

* * *

“TELL ME IT’S going to be beautiful,” Madeline requested, sounding doubtful.