Page 28 of Starting Over with You (Beer League Belles #2)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FIVE

Dean

The moment I push open the front door, I realize I am more fucked than I thought.

Thankfully, Kenni’s back is to me, so I can drink in sight of her sweet ass.

She looks damn good. She’s wearing a pair of barely there shorts that I can see through the thin, oversized pink shirt she wears.

Her hair is up in a mess of a bun that looks like she slept in it.

I may be dead on my feet since we had a call around one in the morning, but seeing her barefoot in my kitchen wakes me right on up.

I want her here, always.

I just have to figure out how to make that happen.

The screen door shuts behind me, and Kenni jumps, looking over her shoulder.

I throw down my bag, and she turns her body to face me.

The brightest grin comes over her face, the one that hits me square in the chest and leaves me panting.

Before I can greet her, I hear one of the boys call out, “Damn, Mom! Who’s got you smiling like that? ”

Kenni’s face turns beet red before she leans on the island. “Shut it. Dean just got home. I was greeting him.”

She’s met with silence, and I head over to her, angling my head so I can see the boys.

Flint is all grins and bright-blue eyes, while Ash eyes me, uncertainty on his face.

I’m not sure what that’s about. I’ve always had a good relationship with the boys.

We bonded over hockey. I wave as I call out, “Hey, boys.”

“Deannnnn!” Flint says like he’s an announcer for a hockey game.

That has Ash chuckling, and it blows me away how much the boys look like Kenni.

“How you settling in?”

“Good,” they say at the same time.

“You like your hat?” Flint asks, and I nod.

“I sure do,” I say with a smirk. It was a hell of a surprise when a brand-new Stetson arrived, along with a plastic insert that is used to prevent sweat from getting on the hat.

Or Kenni’s puke.

“Hopefully, I won’t need it tonight.”

Kenni cocks her head. “What hat?”

Ash laughs as Flint leans in. “Heard you puked all in his hat, so we got one that is Mom-proof.”

Kenni turns even redder. “How did y’all hear about that?”

Flint snorts. “Damn, Mom, being in the South has your drawl back.”

“Answer me!” she says with a stomp, looking absolutely adorable.

That has all three of us laughing. It’s Ash who says, “Skyye told us.”

“She’s got a mouth as big as her mom’s, I swear.”

When we start to laugh again, she can’t help but join in.

We chat a bit longer about hockey camp and all the parties they’ve been to, much to Kenni’s dismay, before we say goodbye.

It feels so natural and utterly perfect.

Standing with my girl in my kitchen after a long night, shooting the shit with the kids. All that’s missing is Skyye.

When she hangs up, Kenni looks up at me, and fuck, I’ve missed her. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she says and then pushes a coffee cup toward me that I didn’t notice was there. Fuck, this woman. “I made you a cup of decaf since I’m sure you’re about to head to bed.”

Do not ask her to join you.

Do not ask her to join you.

Do not ask her to join you.

I swallow back that sentence as I lift the cup she’s offering and take a long pull. “You’re the sweetest.”

Her eyes sparkle as she leans on the island, and I can’t help but think she’s poking that ass out on purpose. Does she want me to come up behind her? Grab those thick hips and rub myself all over her like a cat in heat?

’Cause I fucking will.

On an exhale, I lean on the island opposite her. “How’d you sleep?”

“Great, surprisingly. I did miss Skyye, though.” I chuckle, and she gives me a small grin. “She’s the best to cuddle with.”

“Eh, I think I’m better,” I say without a thought, and I don’t miss the way her eyes widen.

“Sorry, I have no frame of reference,” she quips, and I can’t help the way my mouth curves up in a challenge.

“Are you asking?”

Her eyes are bright, dancing for me—or at least, I’m telling myself they’re dancing for me. She shakes her head slowly but doesn’t look away. “Dean.” I don’t hear annoyance in her voice, maybe more bewilderment.

“KenniLeigh?”

Her eyes search mine. “What are you doing?”

I frown at that, looking down at my coffee. “What do you mean?”

Silence stretches between us, and I feel the tension between us growing heavier by the second. I look up expectantly, and she’s watching me, her brows drawn in. She looks like she’s trying to choose her words, but what she says sends me reeling. “Sadie thinks you’ve been flirting with me.”

I stand up straight, crossing my arms over my chest. “And?”

“And?” she asks, mirroring my stance. “Are you?”

I roll my lips, swallowing hard and feeling like we’re coming up on something I wasn’t ready for this morning. “If I said I was, what would you say?”

She tilts her head. “What is this? Why are you not being straight with me? We’ve always had an open dialogue.”

“Have we?” I ask, my body on fire for this girl. “I feel like since you left, you’ve kept me at a distance.”

She blinks. “I was married.”

“You’re not now.”

“Am I keeping you at a distance?”

“Are you?”

“Dean, what the hell?” she asks, annoyance painting her features. “Are you flirting with me?”

Well, here we go. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I can.” Her eyes widen. “Finally.”

Her brows go to her hairline. “I’m your sister’s best friend. You had a baby with my sister.”

“I know,” I say simply. “But none of that changes the fact that I want to flirt with you.”

My heart is slamming in my chest, and the only thing I hear is our breathing. Her cheeks have a pink tinge to them as she bites her lip. “It’s messy, Dean.”

Her words cut me a bit. “Maybe if Missy and I had ever really been together, but that isn’t the case. You can ask her. We were never anything more than two horny people on the side of the Thirsty Pine.”

She looks away, and I wish I hadn’t said that. I went with honesty, and I don’t know if that was the right choice. “That night we ended up at the Pine together and she showed up?—”

“Yes, I wanted to kiss you.”

Her eyes snap to mine, and the pure shock in them has me wanting to do just that. I’m thankful for the island between us. “You did?”

“Yeah, and I know you wanted to kiss me.”

“Wow. Pretty sure of yourself, huh?”

“Tell me I’m wrong,” I demand, but she looks away again, the pink of her cheeks turning a bright red.

“Missy said not to do anything with you because it would be weird for Skyye.”

My brow furrows, and I purse my lips. What is Missy up to? I don’t like that. “I don’t agree,” I say, my heart kicking up in speed. “I know my daughter wants me to be happy.”

Kenni looks up at me through her lashes. “And kissing me would do that for you?”

Oh, fuck me sideways, this woman is going to kill me dead.

I reel in the desire to spill my heart to her, put it in the palm of her hand, and beg her to keep it.

I drag my finger and thumb across my mustache, trying to calm myself down, but my voice breaks a bit.

“It’d be the best thing to happen to me since Skyye. ”

Our eyes meet once the words leave my lips, and she takes a sharp breath. I feel like I’m suffocating in her penetrating gaze as her chest rises and falls with visible effort. It’s almost as if she doesn’t want to believe me, but she knows I’d never lie to her.

In such a small voice, she says, “I’m newly separated.”

“Thank God,” I admit, and her eyes widen, but the blue is glassy, like she’s about to cry.

“I don’t know, Dean,” she says, glancing away, her fingers fidgeting around her mug.

“Know what?”

“What to even think.”

I swallow, but I don’t allow myself to move toward her. I stay where I am, unable to look away from her beautiful face. “Tell me what that pretty head is thinking, Kenni. Let me help.”

“That this conversation is not one roommates should be having,” she says with a laugh that has no humor in it. “That I don’t want to be another notch on your belt alongside my sister.” My eyes widen at her accusation, and she grimaces quickly, “Sorry, that was shitty.”

“I understand why you’d say that after what Missy said.

” She sighs, and I continue, “But just so you know, I never loved Missy. Ask her—she’ll tell you.

” My claim is loaded as fuck, but I don’t know if she’s catching what I’m trying to throw to her.

I step around the island, taking her hip in my hand, gripping the flesh as she rewards me with a little whimper that makes me hard everywhere.

“Also, I haven’t been with anyone in over a year, and I threw away any belt with notches a long time ago. ”

Confusion, but also excitement, shines in her blue eyes, and I can’t take it.

I lean in, pressing my lips to her jaw. She’s soft and smells so damn good that I have to hold in a moan.

She leans into my lips, and I close my eyes, my body begging for hers.

I kiss her softly before I whisper against her lips, “I can’t wait to twirl you around the dance floor tonight, darlin’.

” Kenni sucks in a breath, and I smile against her jaw.

“But if I don’t go to bed right now, I’ll drag you in there with me to show you a lot of things besides how good of a cuddler I am. ”

I kiss her jaw once more, just a chaste one, before I pull back and turn toward my room. I need her to think. I need her to want me like I want her.

Because I know if I look in her eyes, I’ll tell her that I’m so fucking in love with her it hurts, all I want is for her to give me a chance—and that there is no way in hell she’s just my roommate.