Page 50 of Under Pressure

“Anytime.” He nodded, his tone serious.

She took in a deep breath, steering the conversation. “It’s been a bit of a ride.”

“It has been.” He remained still, stoic.

“I’m a little stunned to be here, on your couch,” she admitted, swirling the remaining coffee in the cup, “after everything.”

“Honestly, I am, too.”

She pursed her lips to speak, but pivoted and said something else, something lighter.

“We’ve got a lot to catch up on, I think.” She nudged into him, watching his reaction.

He let his lip curl into a grin, but it didn’t feel as natural. He remained silent, studying her, so she continued.

“Things are starting to feel different,” she started, her voice getting pinched, “between us.”

He shifted, his demeanor changing. His gaze slipped, turning his head to the kitchen.

“Delta.”

“Yeah.” He gazed back.

Everything she wanted to say rushed to the tip of her tongue, but she just held it there, watching him, needing him to ask her to say it. She paused, waiting. He watched her, saying nothing. She bit her lip again, not knowing how to start a serious conversation—a thing she truly struggled with, especially with him.

“What is it?” He sipped his coffee, cool but knowing.

Shaking her head slightly, she dismissed herself. “I can’t—”

“Yes, you can.”

She caught that same encouragement in his eyes that had been there once before. There was the look that made her feel like she could do anything—climb a rope obstacle, rappel off a tower. She had to tell him. She opened her mouth to begin, but it didn’t matter. She was saved by a knock at the very side door that she’d broken into the night prior.

Pulling her in, Delta kissed her hair once more and stood, dropping his espresso cup on the kitchen island as he strode to the door. Kendra followed, a little behind, curious to learn more about him. She had so many presumptions and was finding it impossible to parse between what was real and what was the façade.

As Kendra crested the kitchen, she saw over his shoulder that an elderly lady stood on his stoop with a German Shepherd dog in tow. The dog promptly barked, excited, and jumped on Delta with happy sounds, as if telling him an entire story.

“Hey, girl,” Delta replied to the canine, roughly petting the dog’s fur as he bent over to hold her. “How was your sleepover?”

The elderly lady, in a matronly blouse and slacks, smiled as she looked behind Delta toward where Kendra stood. Suddenly, Kendra felt underdressed—and judged.

“And who is this?” the lady pried, which seemed to trigger the dog to come sniff Kendra’s legs.

Delta looked backed to his stoop, beckoning the lady to come in. Then he glanced at where Kendra stood, a sly look on his face, and introduced her to Mrs. Romano.

“Mrs. Romano, my apologies—this is my friend, Kendra.”

Kendra lunged forward to greet her more politely, but Mrs. Romano did not want to step through the doorframe, citing that she had too much gardening to do. The twinkling look in Mrs. Romano’s eye told Kendra that she was pleased to see Kendra there and wanted to leave them alone. Her gray curls whisking over her shoulder in the breeze, she gave Kendra a welcoming nod.

As the door closed and Delta got some dog food out of the fridge to put in a dog bowl, he turned his head up to Kendra, grinning.

“And this very good girl is Timber.”

Kendra chuckled as Timber dove headfirst into the bowl of food, ignoring her. She knew dogs well enough to know that nothing else mattered when food was laid out.

Delta moved toward Kendra, putting his arms around her as he locked her against the kitchen counter. She didn’t miss that look in his eyes—the one she was coming to know well. He planted a kiss on her lips, soft and sensual, but just as quickly pulled away, leaving her literally breathless.

“Ready for a shower?” The grin on his lips made her quiver.

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