Tarnished(27)

Could she do that to herself? People did; she wasn’t stupid. But she’d never tried. Now that she knew how good it felt, she might have to take up the activity.

But not right now. She didn’t think she could control her volume level if she came again. It was embarrassing enough having come under Drake’s hand. She’d die if she thought he knew she’d done it alone.

Instead she washed hastily, dried, and headed to the guest room wrapped in the towel. The smells coming from the kitchen made her stomach growl. She was starving.

— • —

Drake flipped another pancake and poured two glasses of orange juice. At least he could impress her with his cooking. He lived alone and he liked to eat. His mother had made sure all her boys knew how to cook.

He sensed Kenzie behind him before he saw her. When he turned around, she stood in the doorway wearing jean shorts and a tank top. Her nipples poked through the bra and the shirt, making him bite his cheek to keep from groaning. If she wore tight shirts like that every day, he would be a walking hard-on.

As it was, he was glad to have beaten her to the kitchen. It had taken him about two minutes to get off in his own shower, especially when he thought of her naked in the other bathroom, undoubtedly exploring her own sexuality now that she’d been to the other side.

“Morning. I’m making a little of everything. Wasn’t sure what you might want for breakfast.” He nodded toward the array of bacon and eggs sizzling next to the pancakes.

“How many people am I?” she teased as she stepped farther into the room.

He pulled a chair out and she sat. “I’m a big guy. And I work hard. I eat a lot.” He grinned at her and shoveled food onto plates before handing her one.

Kenzie glanced around the spacious, wide-open area that contained both a living room and a kitchen. He watched her gaze wander around the room, hoping she would fall in love with the floor plan. He had designed it himself. The appliances were stainless steel and the cabinets a rustic wood grain. To the left was a sectional couch that cozied up to a stone fireplace—the perfect spot for a winter evening. The flat-screen TV above the fireplace was unobtrusive. He didn’t watch much TV though.

Kenzie glanced down at her food and picked up a fork. As soon as the first bite hit her mouth, she moaned. “That’s fantastic. Or else I’m starving.”

“Probably the latter. It’s kinda hard to screw up bacon, eggs, and pancakes.” He nodded at her forkful. “But, hey, if it earns me brownie points, I’ll do it every day.” He winked at her as he dug into his own pile of food.

They ate mostly in silence, and then he stashed everything in the sink to deal with later. He wanted to get out of the house as fast as possible. It was permeated with her scent, and he couldn’t control his dick. No amount of masturbating was going to quench his need to claim the sexy, timid woman.

It was obvious she had a secret. Until she let that go and entrusted him with her past, they were going nowhere fast.

By nine o’clock they headed for the main barn. The walk was short. Usually he took his golf cart around the ranch, but today he wanted to enjoy the time and point out the sights. On a Monday, everyone would already be hard at work. They’d understand his predicament and fill in for him, but he hoped for both their sakes Kenzie fell in love with the ranch instantly … and himself.

If he had to work this hard to win her over for very long, he’d go insane.

When he reached for her hand, she let him take it. He pointed out the important aspects of the ranch as they walked. The main house sat not far from the largest barn. As she stared at it, he saw it through her eyes. Two stories with a white wraparound porch that served as the perfect place to lounge with a glass of lemonade on a spring day.

He passed the corral where several guests were having riding lessons. He wanted to take her to the children’s area first. Excitement made his heart rate increase as he tugged her arm. “Come on. You’re going to love this.”

She smiled at him. “It’s beautiful here. You’re right about that. I can see why you wouldn’t want to leave. How many people work for your family?”

“About fifty at the peak of the season. Some are human. About twenty are shifters.”

“Wow. That’s a lot.”

“The ranch has ten cabins for families to stay in and a dorm-type building for groups or children.”

“Children? They come here alone? Like sleep-away camp?”

“Yep. And this is the first week of the month, so we have kids here.”

“What’s special about the first week of the month?” She furrowed her brow as he led her into the barn.