Chapter Eighteen
Kenzie curled deeper under the covers, encasing her body with the blanket.
This house would be amazing when it was done, but the draft coming through the window reminded her it was a work in progress.
She’d been up for an hour but had yet to open her eyes.
She was still stuck on last night and what it should have been, a great night meeting his family, and what it had become. A disaster.
She had heard the voices through the floor but couldn’t make out what was being said.
She thought about getting up and opening the door but decided against it.
Whoever Bogs was talking to was none of her business.
In fact, everything Bogs, was no longer her concern.
The thought sent a deep sharp raging pain to her chest.
“Rise and shine, buttercup.”
She froze and tightened her grip on the blanket under her fingers. She wasn’t ready to face him yet.
“Go away,” she mumbled.
“You mean that? You want me to leave?” His voice was getting closer.
No, I want you to say you’re sorry and that you see what a jerk you were and you’re here to beg for forgiveness.
“Yes,” she lied.
“Even if I’m here to apologize?”
She lowered the blanket from her face to see him standing near the dresser with his hands dug into his pockets and a smile spread across his face. She stared at him without saying a word.
“So, I was thinking that maybe you were right. Not gonna apologize for flirting ‘cause I really don’t think I was but I’m sorry you thought I was giving too much attention to Kami.”
She scowled. “This is your apology?”
“You’re right, that sucks. Let me try again.” He stepped forward, grasping the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head revealing his glorious perfect chest. She blinked frantically.
“What the hell are you doing?”
He gave an innocent tilt to his head but she knew better. “What do you mean? I’m apologizing.” He unsnapped his jeans and lowered them to his ankles.
She gripped the blanket closer and snapped. “Why are you taking your clothes off?”
“I think a naked apology would be most sincere.”
“No,” she shouted. “You are not getting in this bed naked.”
“But don’t you wanna hear what I have to say?”
“Not naked.”
“Why not, I thought you liked how I looked?’ He said it as if he wasn’t lowering his boxers and showing her his morning wood. She gulped, mesmerized by his cock. Argh! Don’t fall for his seduction routine, you fool.
“This isn’t funny, Bogs.”
He snorted, “God, I hope not. Nothing worse than a woman laughing when you stand buck naked in front of her.” He cocked his eyebrow. “That’s an assumption, not talking from experience.”
Oh God, how could he even make jokes right now?
He inched to the bed slowly, lifting his knee and placing it next to her thigh.
She shrunk in the bed with the words, “absolutely not” on the tip of her tongue, but they never came out.
He straddled her waist with his other leg and leaned down closer.
She was cocooned in her blanket with her heart pumping.
His finger slid over her temple brushing away a strand of hair.
“I spent last night thinking I may have fucked up my future.” His gaze fell over her face and landed on her eyes.
“It sucks ‘cause, here I was thinking I was being nice and having a good time, and all the while, my girl’s heart is breaking and I didn’t even know it.
Had I known? Things would have been different.
Should have read you better and I didn’t, that’s on me, and for that, I really am sorry.
” He leaned down swiping a kiss across her lips.
Her mouth tingled with her heart racing.
“I watched you around my friends, laughing with my sisters, you just being in my dad’s house, my home?
It did something to me. Never let someone get in this deep with me.
” He chuckled. “Never brought a girl home.”
She smiled. “Yeah, your sisters told me.”
His elbows braced on the bed next to her ears, his hands cupped her cheeks.
“And the first time, I fuck it up. It’s not an excuse, pretty girl, but I thought you knew.
Thought you knew how much I care about you, thought you understood what I got for you is like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
Should have been clearer that you are the only woman I want to be with, the only one I want to touch, and the only one who matters. ”
He kissed her lips softly and slowly, like he was dragging out everything he was saying so she’d understand. His breath was hot but he never hurried it or rushed the kiss.
“You gotta forgive me.” He kissed her again. “You have to, pretty girl. I’m not gonna stop until you do. I don’t want you falling in love with me, I want you to be in love with me. I want you to feel everything I’m feeling for you.”
“I do,” she whispered, leaning up for another kiss. Two words was all it took. His mouth drew deeper into hers. She didn’t want to lose him, she just wanted him to recognize how she felt, how hurt she was and apologize.
****
Her head rested in the curve of his neck, the scent of vanilla and cranberries wafting his nostrils.
This was the good stuff. Sure, sex with Kenzie was incredible but there was something just as good, just being with her, lying in silence, knowing he hadn’t lost her.
When he had stripped off her shirt and panties, he saw the heat and desire in her eyes.
He had to fight against the need to take her.
Her fingers caressed his abs in a light touch as if she were weaving a feather across his muscles.
“Whatcha thinking?” She curled deeper against him, resting her head below his chin.
“I was making a mental note for the future. The naked apology works.”
Her body shook against his as she giggled. “I won’t fall for it again.” She wrapped her hand around his hip, sliding her thumb slowly over his hip. “You plan on screwing up in the future?”
He snorted. “It’s inevitable. Besides, I know the naked apology works now so I’m golden.”
She slapped his stomach playfully and shifted forward to look down on him.
The waves of her hair fell forward tickling his chin.
She was so damn beautiful. He had been with all types of women in the past, a list longer than most men.
But this girl? Not one woman from his past could even come close to the natural beauty in front of him.
He angled for her mouth but she backed away, squinting suspiciously.
“So, you plan on screwing up again?”
“Baby, seriously? Of course.” He caught himself from laughing as her scowl deepened forming two lines between her brows. “You only have yourself to blame?”
“What are you talking about?”
He lifted his brows and smirked. “Well, now that I know the naked apology leads to naked cuddling. You can bet your ass I’m gonna fuck up and piss you off. I might even do shit on purpose.”
She rolled her eyes. Her lips pressed into a straight line, trying desperately to mask her smile. She failed and dropped her head against his chest.
“You’re a jerk.”
“Guilty.”
They lay quietly and he thought she had fallen asleep. He closed his eyes, in dire need of rest. With all that happened last night, topped with the uncomfortable couch, he was beat. He drew in a breath and felt himself nod off.
“I like your family.”
He opened his eyes. “Yeah?”
She nodded against his chest. He said nothing else, reeling in the joy of her four simple words. He wanted her to like them, spend time with them, and become of part of them. His family was the most important aspect of his life and he wanted Kenzie in on that.
“What was your mom like?” She leaned up on her elbow and searched his face before he could answer. “If you don’t want to talk about her it’s fine. I’m not trying to pry or anything.”
A slow smile crept over his face. “I like talking about her.” He shrugged.
“It’s hard for some of the others like Roxanne.
She and my mom were tight, and she was younger.
” He reached out, shifting her hair behind her ear.
“I think it’s different when a girl loses her mom, not harder, just different. ”
She nodded.
Realizing he was sending her back to her own loss he grinned in hopes of distracting her.
“The first time I met her was at social services. I was a fucking wreck, scared as hell. I’d lived most of my life with my grandparents then a short time with Cheryl.
Always had some semblance of a home, ya know. Even as shitty as it was at times.”
Living with his biological mother was shit.
“I was in a foster home for about eight months. Pretty much got the lowdown from the other kids that being adopted was nearly impossible seeing as how I was eight and most people wanted babies. I was so fucking young, and scared all the time. Then one day, my mom and dad showed up.” He laughed at the memory.
“I was sitting in their meeting room. My social worker brought them in. I still remember my mom’s smile.
Hadn’t seen someone smile at me like that since my grandma.
They sat down, introduced themselves, and just started talking.
She talked about their house and property.
Sat there for an hour, and honestly, I couldn’t tell you what was said.
I was so focused on her smile. When our time was up, she asked if I thought I might like to visit them sometime. ”
Bogs grinned at Kenzie and laughed. “I said, ‘How about now?’”
“Did you?”
He nodded. “Yep, went home with them and never left.”
“And you lived happily ever after?”
“Not exactly. I spent the next three months walking on eggshells. Didn’t want to screw up and have them send me back.
It worked for a while, until I got in trouble at school.
Wanted so badly to get a hundred on a test, I cheated and got caught.
They called my mom and dad in. I remember sitting in the chair feeling like my life was over.
I fucked it all up. The ride home was hell.
No one said a word. When we got home, my dad sat on the couch and I just lost it.
Crying and begging not to send me away, swore up and down I’d do better, nearly worked myself up so bad, I almost puked. ”
Kenzie’s hand cupped his jaw. “Aw…Bogs,” she whispered.
“Then my mom came over, gave me that smile, and hugged me real tight. God, man, I latched onto to her as if she was my last chance.” He gulped a breath. “I was trying to memorize how it felt.”
He had been so convinced they would send him back that he wanted to at least be left with the memory, a good one, something he could hold onto when he was scared and alone.
“But they didn’t send you back?”
“No.” Bogs smiled. “My dad said I was their son and there was no way in hell I was ever going anywhere. Then my mom gave him a glare for saying hell.” Bogs laughed. His mother didn’t tolerate cursing.
“I still remember being wrapped in my mom’s arms and my dad kneeling down in front of me. He said they didn’t expect me to be perfect and they didn’t want that. They just wanted me to be me.” He cocked a brow. “Without the cheating, of course.”
Kenzie snorted. “Did you get in trouble for cheating?”
“Hell yeah. No dessert for a week, and double chores. My dad said a good man would have to take the consequences for his actions but there was nothing I could do that would ever have them send me away. I was their son.”
Kenzie dropped her lips to his and kissed him slowly. “Then you got your happily ever after?”
He had gotten the childhood every kid deserves but it wasn’t his end. He was pretty sure he was staring at his end. He wanted what his mom and dad had. He craved the cliché--in good times and in bad, ‘til death did them part. He saw it and he felt it. Kenzie was it for him.
He shook his head and kissed her lips again. “Not yet, but I’m working on it. How am I doing, pretty girl? Am I gonna get that happily ever after?”
Her eyes softened and her lip quirked up. “Yes,” she whispered.