Page 21 of Pillowtalk

Kennedy

Kennedy stirred in and out of sleep, part of her aware that she was not in her own bed and the other part too tired to move even if that were the case. Something warm and fuzzy covered her, heavier than a blanket, but softer than one as well. A smile flickered across her sleepy lips, and she stretched, wrapping her arms around whatever she was holding. A warm breeze touched her face as the world rocked underneath her, and her brows pulled inward, but her mind was too far gone to wonder what either sensations were. She only clung tighter to the comfortable position.

It had been such a confusing, yet enlightening, evening. She didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep; she talked with Aaron well into the night, perhaps even into early morning. Besides learning about his falling-out with Jared, she had learned more about the good times. It seemed Aaron was thrilled, and maybe a little relieved, to finally remember Jared in a way that wasn’t marred by the one mistake in a lifetime of what sounded like good choices. Kennedy couldn’t get enough, and she’d sat upright, wide-eyed, filled to the brim with something she hadn’t felt in quite some time—joy. It was so nice to talk of Jared without feeling empty and alone, and it felt good to talk of other things as well. Aaron had asked her about how she got into editing, how different her childhood was compared to his….They’d gotten emotional at times, but mostly they’d laughed.

She’d laughed a lot.

It felt good to laugh again.

The world rocked under her once more, and she tucked into the warmth under her cheek, inhaling a scent of citrus and nutmeg. Even half-asleep, Kennedy could appreciate the spicy male scent, something that had started fading away from the clothing she kept of Jared’s, much to her dismay.

She buried herself even further, relishing in the freshness of the smell, an uncontrollable soft moan escaping her as she indulged. Something strong and warm twitched against her waist, and it was then that her mind woke up.

Bang!

Kennedy shot up, and Charlie, who’d been lying on top of her, howled straight into the air. Aaron’s strong and surprisingly comfortable body shifted underneath her, and she stared down at him from her hovering position, warmth creeping into her cheeks.

“Seriously, God must think he’s real funny,” they heard Chelsea say from the doorway. Kennedy scrambled off Aaron’s torso as he adjusted to a sitting position, both of them sharing an embarrassed and amused glance at the way they’d ended up sometime during the night. Kennedy reached up to fix her hair, just for something to do with her hands, her neck flushed with heat and her stomach full of winged creatures. She refused to look directly at Aaron but could catch him taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes in her peripheral vision. Even out of the corner of her eye, he was simply beautiful. She was allowed to appreciate that, right?

“Oh good, you guys are awake,” Chelsea said as she turned the corner and found them in—thankfully—a less compromising position than they’d been in not ten seconds before. “Our truck is stuck back at the mile marker. A hunk of a tree is blocking the road, and we could use all the help we can get to get rid of it.” Her eyes turned briefly to Daniel and her two boys, Joshua and Grant, as they dragged their feet behind her and into the kitchen. Kennedy frowned at how exhausted they all looked. Even Chelsea, who was talking a mile a minute, had droopy eyes, and her feet lacked her usual spunk.

Aaron covered a yawn and shook his head out of it. “I’ll give Austin a call.”

“Sawyer, too,” Chelsea requested. “We’ve actually got a full guest list for this weekend, andof coursethis happens. Doesn’t God understand that we need some money, yeah? Can’t make it easy.” Her eyes fell to Kennedy’s very guilt-ridden expression. “None of that,” she said with her pointer finger. “You’re family. You stay for free.”

“I could—” Kennedy started to offer, but quieted when Chelsea shot her another stern look.

“No. Jared would drop straight out of heaven and take me back with him if I asked you to pay.”

She felt Aaron silently chuckle next to her, and something buzzed under her skin as his shirt brushed her arm. He cleared his throat and pushed up off the couch. Kennedy wasn’t sure why she did it, but she stood up with him, almost as if they were a united front. The thought made her heart jump in surprise, and she quickly wrapped up that traitorous heart and tied it tightly with a bow. It was not for sale.

“We’ll get it taken care of,” he said. “You guys should get some sleep.”

Chelsea shook her head, not bothering to cover her yawn. “We’ll be okay. Gotta clear that road ASAP.”

“Chels…” Now it was Aaron who delivered the stern look, and Kennedy’s eyes widened at the surprising sex appeal the demanding expression gave him. She bit her lip and blinked her gaze away so she wasn’t tempted to do something her heart was definitely not ready for, even though her body was screaming for it.

Chelsea let out a long sigh, obviously too tired to argue. “We’ll be there to help in an hour. No less, understand?”

Aaron nodded, but Kennedy assumed he agreed only to avoid an argument as well. He stepped around her, his plaid overshirt brushing her elbow as he passed, and there her body went again—even his clothing sending shock waves through her skin. He pressed a kiss to Chelsea’s forehead before stepping into the kitchen. Kennedy heard the low, baritone voices of the men talking, and she offered up a smile to Chelsea.

“Do you want me to make you guys breakfast or anything?”

Chelsea let out a tired chuckle. “Thank you, but no. I don’t think I can keep my eyes open much longer. Crammed in a truck with two little boys and one grown boy didn’t provide me with a restful night.”

Kennedy laughed, nodding as she crossed the room. “Sleep. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Chelsea’s lips tilted up in appreciation, and she patted Kennedy’s arm before turning toward the back rooms. Joshua and Grant followed immediately after, and a few minutes later, Daniel made his way to bed once he was done talking with Aaron.

Kennedy swallowed hard, attempting a smile as Aaron leaned against the wall in the entryway. He was giving her a half grin that made her toes curl against the hardwood floor. Had something changed between them? Or was he back to his frozen ways now that the lights had come back on? She waited with bated breath, ashamed that she even cared at all.

“You wanna help out?” he asked. She blinked a few times before responding.

“With the tree?”

He nodded. “Don’t have to, of course. But…uh…Austin sounded like he was looking forward to talking with you again.”

“Austin.” She didn’t try to hide the skepticism in her voice. Aaron’s head fell back against the wall as he laughed, his eyes dead set on the ceiling in embarrassment.

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