Inseparable

Less than ten minutes later, Kenna had completed the paperwork and returned the forms to Syneda. “Thanks, Kenna,” Syneda said, sliding the documents into a folder. “So when did you arrive in Houston?”

“This morning. I sold almost everything I had in Austin, since I want to start fresh and buy new furniture. The things I didn’t want to part with I loaded in a U-Haul truck and drove here.” She chuckled. “I think Reese was a nervous wreck until I arrived at his place. He was afraid I’d fall asleep at the wheel and wind up in a ditch or something.”

Syneda smiled. “I can imagine. He’s very protective where you’re concerned.”

She nodded. “Yes, and I’m very protective where he’s concerned as well. I think he’s a wonderful person and a special friend.”

“Yes, and you’re in love with him.”

Kenna went utterly still. Was Syneda a mind reader? “What did you say?”

A knowing smile curved Syneda’s lips. “I said you’re in love with Reese.”

Kenna drew in a sharp breath, opened her mouth to deny it and then stopped. From the look Syneda gave her, she wasn’t buying anything Kenna had to say. The sea-green eyes staring at her were sharp, shrewd, confident, and for a moment Kenna felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Syneda was right, of course, and the only thing Kenna could do was come clean.

“Yes, I love him. But how did you know?”

Syneda chuckled. “I can tell whenever you look at him. I always suspected as much, but last month when you were on the dance floor, you only had eyes for him.”

Kenna shook her head. “That’s pathetic.”

Syneda gave her a soft smile. “No, it’s not pathetic. There’s nothing wrong with a woman loving a man.”

“But it’s pathetic when he doesn’t love you back. Reese only sees me as his best friend and nothing more. I’m so afraid he’s going to discover the truth one day and that will ruin everything.”

Syneda shook her head. “I don’t think it will be that way at all. Making the move from friends to lovers was pretty easy for me and Clayton.”

“Was it?”

Syneda’s smile widened. “Yes, and it will be just as easy for you and Reese once he realizes he loves you as well.”

“Trust me, he doesn’t love me that way. In fact, he and Alyson are trying to work things out, and maybe that’s a good thing.”

Syneda rolled her eyes. “Alyson Richards?”

“Yes.”

The mere mention of the woman’s name grated on Syneda’s nerves. All it took was for her to remember when she and Clayton had run into Reese and Alyson at a political fundraiser last year. Alyson, who evidently considered herself a fashionista, had pulled Syneda aside to tell her that her shoes weren’t the same shade of purple as her dress. Syneda quickly let Alyson know that she was well aware of that fact, and hadn’t meant for them to be exactly the same color.

“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you,” Syneda said. “Alyson is too possessive, and Reese knows it.” Syneda lifted a brow. “And why do you think working things out between them is a good thing if you’re in love with him?”

“Because I can control my emotions a whole lot better if he’s seeing someone and if I am, too. This is the first time Reese and I aren’t involved with anyone else, and I figure that’s the reason for my attraction. There’s no one else to take my mind off him.”

“Oh, I see.”

“So I figure it’s time for me to find someone and start seriously dating again. It won’t be so bad if Reese decides to get back together with Alyson. I’ve gotten used to her being in the picture and I know how to deal with her. Heaven forbid if he gets serious about some other woman who can’t accept the kind of friendship we have.”

Syneda didn’t say anything as she studied Kenna. Clearly, Kenna didn’t know her own beauty or power. Granted, Reese was slow. But Syneda was certain he would eventually realize he loved Kenna. With some men you had to light a fire under them. That’s what had had to happen to Luke to get him to see what he’d be losing if he didn’t come to his senses.

“So you actually believe Alyson is the best person for Reese?” Syneda asked Kenna skeptically.

Kenna shrugged. “I don’t know about her being the best person for him, but I think she understands our friendship and knows it’s non-negotiable. She’ll be fine. She’s even agreed to throw me a party this weekend at her place so I can meet new people. I’m hoping there will be at least one guy there I like.”

Syneda forced a smile, just imagining the party Alyson had planned for Kenna. Then her smile widened. She had a feeling those plans were about to backfire and Alyson would finally see just how protective Reese was when it came to his best friend. Mama Laverne had it all figured out, and Syneda had a feeling the family matriarch was right once again.

“Well, if you think meeting new guys and moving on without trying to win Reese over is for the best, then do what you have to do,” Syneda said nonchalantly. She would give anything to be a fly on the wall at the party this weekend. Kenna might have thought she was being the sacrificial lamb by graciously stepping aside and letting Alyson have Reese, but she had a feeling that in the end Reese wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Now if I can just find someone to take me to Luke’s rodeo school opening in a couple of weeks without appearing desperate,” Kenna said, interrupting Syneda’s thoughts.

“You aren’t going with Reese?” Syneda asked, somewhat surprised, especially since Reese usually brought her to all their family functions.

She shrugged. “I’m hoping he takes Alyson. And if he does, then I don’t want him to feel responsible for me.”

“So you figure you should have your own date,” Syneda said.

“Yes. Usually when I date a new guy, I tend to take things slow. But I’m not sure I’ll have that luxury this time.”

Syneda studied Kenna and saw that she was dead serious. “Well, even if you don’t have a date, I’m sure there will be plenty of single men there. Reese won’t have to worry about you, which means he’ll be able to give Alyson his full attention.” I’d like to see that happen.

After Kenna left her office, Syneda leaned back in her chair, smiling. She was going to miss the show at Alyson’s place Saturday night, but there was no way she was going to miss the one at Luke’s opening. In fact, she intended to have a front-row seat.

“Hey, aren’t you Reese Madaris?”

Reese turned to face a woman who'd just passed him in the hallway leading to his office at the Madaris Explorations Company. “Yes, I’m Reese Madaris.”

The woman flashed what Reese figured was her sexiest smile as she closed the distance between them and extended her hand.

“Hi, Reese. I’m Camille Strickland.”

He shook her hand and returned the smile. “Hi, Camille.”

“I dated your cousin Blade a while back. I hear he got married.”

“Yes, he got married a little over a month ago.”

“Oh. What a shame. I understand you’re available.” She reached out and traced a manicured finger along his arm.

“Available for what?” he asked, annoyed by her boldness.

“Whatever comes to mind,” she said seductively. She seemed to be pouting. “You’re not like Blade. He liked flirting,” she said in a sultry voice.

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Don’t apologize. Here’s my card,” she said, thrusting it into his hand. “Give me a call.” She batted her eyelashes several times and then gave him a flirty wink before turning to walk down the hallway, swaying her hips in a body-hugging pencil skirt and killer high heels that looked like they could double as lethal weapons.

Okay, he would admit that she looked good—but he wasn’t Blade. And when it came to women, his and Blade’s tastes were completely different. It would take more than a tight skirt and stilettos to make him tongue-tied. Even five months without sex hadn’t made him that hard up.

He continued walking, shaking his head as he stepped into an elevator at the same time another woman did. She glanced over at him and gave him a come-hither smile. “Excuse me for asking, but aren’t you Reese Madaris?”

Reese stepped off the elevator thinking that some women had no shame. The woman had tried coming on to him, and way too strong. When the elevator stopped on the next floor to let other passengers on, he retreated all the way to the back, as far away from her as he could get. She had repeatedly licked her lips as if to give him a blatant come-on, letting him know just what she could do with her mouth. The combination of her words and actions had been a total turn-off.

When he exited the elevator, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that the woman was still following him. When he rounded the corner, so did she. Probably not a coincidence. Reese continued walking and heard her make some sort of growling sound, but he refused to turn around. Damn, had he attracted a stalker? His grandmother had warned him what would happen now that Blade was off the market. And it seemed the old gal knew what she was talking about.

He smiled when he saw Kenna sitting in the lobby waiting for him. When she saw him she smiled, eased out of the chair and began walking toward him with a graceful stride that he couldn’t help but admire. He really liked the dress she was wearing, which showed off her curvy hips, her ample cleavage and the most gorgeous legs any woman could possibly possess. She was the kind of woman any man would want to have as his own. She didn’t have to flaunt her beauty and sexuality. It came naturally. He was convinced that one day she would make some deserving man very happy.

An idea quickly popped into his head. When he reached Kenna he pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks for waiting, sweetheart.”

“No problem,” she said, giving him a what-the-heck-is-going-on look with her eyes.

He glanced over his shoulder to see the woman leaving the building, and it was only then that he released a deep sigh.

“Okay, what was that about?” Kenna asked him, following his gaze.

He chuckled as he tightened her hand in his. “Mama Laverne warned me that with Blade out of the picture, chances are single women would turn their sights on me. I thought she was joking, but apparently I was wrong.”

“Wow, you’re in demand, huh?” she asked, grinning as he led her out of the building.

“I don’t see anything funny about it. In fact, on our way to dinner I need you to give me some dating advice.”

She lifted a brow. “Dating advice about what?”

“How to handle unwanted advances…”

Chapter 6

Kenna shifted in her car seat as she thought about Reese’s request for dating advice. She couldn’t help smiling. Poor baby.

“I hope you’re hungry, because I am.”

She glanced over at him and snickered. “I guess a man can work up an appetite eluding women on the prowl.”

“Hey, watch it. You know how I am about stuff like that.”

Yes, she did know. Reese wasn’t like most men who were as gorgeous as he was. He didn’t have a conceited bone in his body. He probably thought he was just a regular-looking guy, even though his looks alone could make a woman’s panties wet.

She remembered just what she’d thought the first time she met him at his dorm room to go over his physics studies. She had taken one look at him and for a moment all thoughts of Terrence had been erased.

The first thing she’d noticed about him, besides the beautiful color of his skin, the darkness of his eyes, his chiseled jawline and kissable mouth, was that he had the manners of a Southern gentleman—one who knew how to treat a woman like a lady.

It didn’t take long to discover that he was a loner. Although he had plenty of friends on campus, he pretty much stayed to himself most of the time, rarely allowing others into his circle. He was not a party animal. In fact, the more time they spent together studying, the more she got to know the real Reese Madaris, the one few understood or ever got close to.

“You never did answer my question,” he said, glancing over at her when the SUV came to a stop at a traffic light.

“Your dating question?”

He shrugged. “If you want to call it that. I’m not interested in any of those women. Most of them were probably involved with Blade. Do they honestly think they can just move from one Madaris to the next?”

Kenna couldn’t help but laugh. “Seriously, Reese, a woman hard up for a man will move from one brother to the next. They don’t care. Like your great-grandmother said, with your cousin Blade out of circulation, that means you’re next.”

“Then I guess that means you and I need to keep on pretending.”

She rolled her eyes. “Or you and Alyson need to hook up again.”

He shook his head. “I doubt that will happen.”

She wondered why he felt that way, but decided not to ask. She figured the only way to get rid of her attraction to him was to make sure he was seeing someone and she was seeing someone, too. “We’ll see.”

When he didn’t respond she decided to flip through the pages of a magazine she’d found in his SUV—a tractor magazine. “You’re buying another one of these?”

He glanced over at her. “I’m thinking about it. And you never answered my question.”

She hadn’t answered it because she didn’t want to think about how it would feel being rejected by a man like Reese. “My advice to you would be to let them know you’re not interested up front. The worse thing a man can do is to lead a woman on.”

He nodded. “That sounds fair. But what if they don’t get the hint?”

She glanced up, met his gaze and grinned. “Trust me. You have a look that lets a woman know when you don’t have the time or the inclination. A woman would be crazy to try and take you on. But then…there are a lot of bold, brazen women out there, so beware.”

“But if push comes to shove, you’ll be my backup plan right?”

She didn’t want to think what being his backup plan might entail. Inside the Madaris Building when he had leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, it had taken everything she could muster not to get weak in the knees. She could see women—plenty of them—coming on to him. Yet he hadn’t been interested.

“You haven’t answered me yet.”

She glanced over at him and gave him a rueful smile. He was asking a lot of questions and it seemed she was evading a lot of answers. “Okay, if I must, then yes. I’ll be your backup plan. I guess that’s the price of being your best friend, right?”

He chuckled. “Right.”

After midnight they returned to his house. Reese couldn’t remember when he had enjoyed an evening more. They had eaten at Sisters, a restaurant owned by Netherlander Sinclair, a family friend.

The food had been delicious, the entertainment enjoyable. The only drawback was when he had excused himself to go to the men’s room. He was approached by two women who tried coming on to him. He was sure they had seen him sharing a table with Kenna but still were bold enough, thoughtless enough and disrespectful enough to approach him anyway. Taking Kenna’s advice, he thanked them but told them he wasn’t interested. His bluntness didn’t seem to dissuade them. He couldn’t understand how Blade had dealt with that kind of aggressiveness. But for Blade it wasn’t a big deal. His cousin had enjoyed being Houston’s most sought-after bachelor.

After dinner, Reese and Kenna took in a movie. It was Denzel’s latest and was directed by former actor Sterling Maxwell, a family friend who made a cameo appearance in the movie. By the time the movie ended, it was still relatively early, so they figured they might as well see another movie. Since Kenna hadn’t complained about watching his guy flick, Reese agreed to see a romantic comedy with her. He hated to admit it, but he actually enjoyed it.

“I guess I’ll spend tomorrow unpacking,” Kenna said once they returned to Reese’s place.

He glanced over at her. “You can sleep late if you want to. Do whatever you want at your leisure. In two weeks you’ll be working again.”

He followed her to the kitchen and sat down at the table. She started brewing a pot of coffee and then went to the cookie jar. She was comfortable in his home, just as he was in hers whenever he’d visited her in Austin. Just as he would be once she moved into her place in Houston after it was completed.

For a brief moment he sat watching her. He couldn’t help but wonder how things would be if they were both married to someone else. More than once someone in his family had taken him aside and told him that it was unrealistic for him to assume any woman would understand and accept the relationship he shared with Kenna. He had been quick to tell them he disagreed. Any woman he married would have to accept Kenna as his best friend. He knew Kenna had the same expectation of the men she dated, so he didn’t see a problem.

Alyson had been fine with his friendship with Kenna after he’d explained how things were. At least he thought she had been fine with it. But after eight months, she began questioning why Kenna had a standing invitation to spend the night at his place when she didn’t. Why couldn’t Kenna just get a hotel whenever she came to town? At first he’d ignored her, and thought sooner or later she would wise up and stop asking questions. But she hadn’t, and the more she whined about his relationship with Kenna, the more he began putting distance between them. Finally, he’d gotten fed up and ended things with Alyson.

Reese didn’t know what Alyson had planned for the weekend, but he figured she thought it would be a way to make up for all the mean and hateful things she’d said about Kenna. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in a forgiving mood.

“How many cookies? One or two?”

He grinned. “Why do you bother asking? You know I can’t eat just one.”

She put two cookies on a plate and placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee on the table in front of him. “It’s late.”

His eyes connected with hers. “Am I supposed to have nightmares or something if I eat a chocolate chip cookie past midnight?”

“Maybe,” she said, taking the chair across from him. “You never know.” She took a sip of her coffee and then asked, “What time do you plan on getting up in the morning?”

He shrugged. “I have a meeting at a job site at nine, so I’ll probably leave here around eight to get there. Why?”

“I need to return the moving van and pick up a rental car.”

“It’s already been taken care of.”

“What do you mean it’s been taken care of?”

“While we were in town, Joe took the truck to the rental agency and picked up a car for you. You didn’t see the moving van when we pulled up, did you?”

“No, I just assumed it was parked in the back or something.”

“No, your rental car is parked out back.”

“Thanks. That saves me a lot of time tomorrow.”

He looked over at her. “You don’t have to thank me. You should know by now I got your back.”

She smiled and picked up a cookie. “Yes, I know.”

That was another thing that he appreciated about his friendship with Kenna. She wasn’t hard to please, and over the years she had been nothing but supportive. After he graduated from college, she had supported his decision to go work for Remington Oil for a few years instead of working for Dex right out of college. She’d agreed with his reasoning that since Remington Oil was a bigger company, he could acquire a lot of skill and knowledge that would be valuable when he did make the move to Madaris Explorations. While working at Remington, he’d gotten the chance to travel to a lot of exotic places and meet a lot of interesting people. When he finally did decide to work with Dex’s outfit, his résumé had been impressive and he had a lot more to offer.

He and Kenna sat at his kitchen table talking while they drank coffee and ate cookies. When he finally looked over at the clock, it was almost two in the morning.

“It’s late. You need to go on to bed, Reese. You have to get up early in the morning. Thanks to you, I don’t,” she said.

She was right. Even though he usually didn’t leave the ranch until eight, he made it a point to meet with Joe every morning around six. He would usually be in bed by now but hadn’t been aware of the time, since he had enjoyed sitting and talking to her.

“You’re right. I need to get to bed. You know your way around this place, and if there’s anything you need, just ask Joe.”

“I will.”

With great effort he stood up from his chair. He wasn’t ready to end their conversation. “You’re going to stay up a while longer?”

“Um, not too much longer. I’m not that sleepy, since I took a long nap earlier. I might check out a movie downstairs.”

Like her, he enjoyed movies. When he had the house built, Kenna had convinced him to include a home theater in the basement. The room had been built to her specifications and was perfect for movie and sports enthusiasts. Whenever she would come for the weekend, Kenna ended up spending more time there than any other room in the house.

“Okay. Then I’ll see you when I get home tomorrow.”

“All right. Don’t work too hard.”

He chuckled as he turned to leave the kitchen. “I won’t.”

Suddenly it hit him as he walked toward the stairway. He was feeling something he couldn’t explain, some emotion he was trying hard to make sense of. What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he feel the need to give her a kiss good night? They hugged all the time. Once in a while, he would greet her with a peck on the cheek or the forehead when they hadn’t seen each other for a long while. But usually he wouldn’t just kiss her for no reason.

The only reason he’d kissed her earlier that day was to give his stalker the impression that he was already taken. But for some reason he couldn’t explain, he felt his night wouldn’t be complete unless he tasted the softness of her skin on his lips, pulled her into his arms and held her tight, and smelled her tantalizing fragrance in his nostrils.

A hard knot suddenly settled in his throat. Crap! What on earth could he be thinking? Kenna was his best friend, for crying out loud. His protective side, the one that usually emerged where she was concerned, was somewhere hiding right now. Shaking his head, he quickly walked up the stairs, thinking that once he got to his room he needed to smack his head against the wall a few times.

There had to be a reason his brain was malfunctioning, like it had short-circuited somewhere along the way. Why on earth would he see Kenna through the eyes of a man filled with lust? Granted, it wasn’t the first time he had thought about it. Like last month at Blade’s wedding reception, when he’d been looking at her, listening to his great-grandmother’s comments.

He would get a good night’s sleep and wake up in the morning thinking like the Reese Madaris he knew—the one who would not, under any circumstances, get hot and bothered about his best friend.

He walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. He would get a good night’s sleep, and he was convinced come morning he would be thinking straight once again.

Kenna inhaled a slow, deep breath as she watched the couple on the wall-to-wall movie screen and wondered why no man had ever kissed her like that—warm and sloppy wet. Tongues do more than just mingle. They stake claims over and over again in a passionate way. It was the kind of kiss that could steal the breath right out of your lungs, make your head spin a thousand times and make your heart pound hard in your chest. She shook her head and thought it could only happen that way in the movies.

She glanced around the huge, dark room at three in the morning and realized this was just the place she needed to be. She had showered, slipped into an oversize T-shirt and leaned back in one of several comfortable, soft-leather recliners in Reese’s home theater that cushioned your backside like nobody’s business. The huge movie posters on the wall, the popcorn-making machine and the recessed lighting helped create an authentic movie-theater atmosphere.

Kenna found the perfect movie to watch, a romantic thriller. One minute she was aroused by the intimate scenes, and the next she was sitting on the edge of her seat as the couple fought off the bad guys.