Absentminded Angel(Divine Creek Ranch 20)(92)

“He thinks I’m a heinous gold digger or a freeloading slut.”

“Actually, he’s about half in love with you, maybe more.”

“Gag. Whatever,” she muttered.

“You should have more faith in your abilities,” Kendry said with a chuckle.

“What ability?”

He tilted her chin up and kissed her long and slow, enjoying the way she clung to him and the dazed look in her eyes when she finally opened them. “The ability to steal a man’s heart.”

She smiled up at him and sighed, Noble Strong and his brother seemingly all but forgotten. Mission accomplished. Kissing is like my superpower or something.

Somehow they managed to last until midnight, and Kendry’s personal mission was making sure Presley Ann wasn’t within arm’s reach of True and Noble when the countdown started. They were even avoiding Paul, who had been showing a quieter side of his personality. True had evidently been able to convince him that Presley Ann wasn’t taking advantage of him. He’d spent the evening keeping his eye on the brothers and the occasional brief phone call.

“Seven!”

Kendry was behind her and Jared in front, and they were closed in nice and tight around her as she counted along with everyone else, her eyes twinkling as she held on to both of them.

“Six!”

“Close your eyes, angel,” Jared said.

“Five!”

She did as he asked and hollered, “Four!” Her body shook with her giggles as she pulled them even closer.

“Three!”

“Two!” she glowed as she smiled widely and licked her lips and rose on tiptoes.

“One! Happy New Year!” A wicked evil grin curved Jared’s lips as he lowered them to hers, French kissing her until she went limp between them, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks under the wildly swirling lights. While the crowd was calling out “Happy New Year!” their corner of the nightclub was considerably quieter, because the men were equally occupied bringing in the New Year with long kisses for the women they loved.

She still hadn’t opened her eyes as Jared released her and Kendry swooped in, taking her warm silky lips and sliding his tongue against hers, showing her exactly what he wanted to do to another pair of warm silky lips. She moaned against him, and it was good they held her up because her knees buckled.



* * * *



Kendry’s phone ringing and vibrating on the bedside table next to them was not how he wanted to be awakened, especially not in the middle of the night, and especially on his day off. He rubbed his eyes, praying it wasn’t work calling them in as he reached for it and answered.

“Kendry? It’s Doug Woodworth. Hey, son, I’m sorry to disturb y’all in the middle of the night like this.”

Presley Ann rose up onto her elbow, looking at him with bleary eyes before turning to look at the clock. “Is that my dad? Is everything okay?”

Kendry couldn’t understand what either of them was saying as they talked over each other, and he finally put a hand on her shoulder to quiet her. “Sorry, Doug, say that again. Is Whit okay?”

“That’s what I was calling to ask you, son. Is Whit okay? I checked on him and saw that you’d picked him up. I figured that maybe Presley Ann missed him and decided to not leave him overnight but I thought it odd that no one woke me—”

Presley Ann’s eyes went wide and she bounded up on her knees and held out a shaking hand for the phone.

“Doug, here’s Presley Ann. Tell her what you just told me.”

“Lord in heaven—” her dad murmured, sounding like he’d aged twenty years. Kendry handed the phone to her, noticing that his hands were trembling as well. Who had Whit?

“Dad? Tell me what’s wrong.” By this point Jared was sitting up in bed and reaching for the lamp. “What do you mean he’s gone? I didn’t pick him up!”

Kendry was already in his closet, pulling out jeans and sneakers and jerking a sweater over his head. His heart pounded as he tried to think clearly. Who would’ve done this? “Shit!” He growled as he looked at his brother. “That guy Paul had his phone to his ear off and on all evening.”

“What?” Jared said, looking at him incredulously as he yanked up a pair of jeans and stepped barefoot into his sneakers. “What are you talking about?”

Sobs interrupted their bickering and they both turned to Presley Ann, who had hung up. “Whit is gone. Someone came in Dad’s house and took him!” She looked so desolate, crouched naked in the bed with the sheets held to her chest, her phone lying in her limp hand. “My baby! He’s gone!”

They bracketed her on the bed as Jared grabbed up his phone and said, “I’m calling Hank.”