Page 26 of The Last Key
It couldn’t possibly be anything else he said, or that he’s so fucking right it hurts.
I’m a chicken shit.
Kennedy’ssoft footsteps across the floor wake me from sleep. In the dark, I see her moving across the room to the dresser. Sheopens the bottom drawer, then pulls something out. Closing it again, she stands up, then shimmies out of her tight jeans. I watch the curve of her ass in the moonlight. Her soft, supple skin that I ache to run my hands over. Then she takes off her flannel shirt and drops it on the floor before lifting her tank over her head and undoing the clasp of her bra.
I slam my eyes shut. I have no idea if she knows I’m awake and she’s teasing me, but my mother raised me right, so no matter what I might want to see, I’m not going to without Kennedy’s express consent. I saw her ass yesterday and this morning, not to mention for many years in swimsuits, so I felt okay about that.
The bed shifts and I slowly open my eyes again. “Hi. What time is it?”
“Almost one.” She settles under the covers and lies on her side, facing me. “Sorry if I woke you. I was planning to be back earlier, but I didn’t want to drive while buzzed, and a glass of wine turned into half a bottle. You know Claire.”
“Sounds about right.”
“I texted you, but since you didn’t answer, I figured you were asleep.”
“I’m glad you were safe.”
My gaze lingers on hers. Then, without thought, my eyes drift down to her lips.
“Devon,” she breathes, and my eyes dart back to hers. She runs a hand through my hair and looks deep into my eyes. Then she yawns big and sighs. “I’m tired.”
“Yeah, me too,” I say, even though I’ve never felt more awake.
I roll onto my back and extend my arm. She hesitates for a moment, then rolls over, resting her head on my chest and draping her arm over my stomach.
She’s silent for a few moments, and I assume she’s asleep, but then she says, “I like this. Snuggling with you.”
“So do I,” I whisper back, heart pounding.
I pull her closer, and her body grows heavy against mine.
Well, there’s always tomorrow.
Assuming I find my balls before then.
CHAPTER NINE
KENNEDY
Thursday
“Hey, you busy now?”I ask Claire over the phone as I sit in Devon’s car outside the local coffee shop, Busta Brew, blowing on my latte.
“No, I’m just driving. How was the store today?”
“It was good. Better than I thought it would be, honestly. I think I’ve figured out a couple of your issues.”
“Hit me.”
“First, people seem unaware that it’s there—or what it is. One person said they hadn’t realized until recently there was one in Brighton and they were going to one in San Fran. Another didn’t realize what the store was, and it was her first time visiting. She’d been shopping at the place next door and decided to stop in. She was thrilled to find so many makeup and skin care products locally and loved that you offered free samples. She left with a huge bag of stuff. I think getting word out about what your business is and that it’s there in Brighton are the most essential things. And typical stuff won’twork here—online ads or whatever else. People here rely on word of mouth for so much. Which got me thinking. You definitely have a market here, so what if we hosted an event to get people in the door?”
“What kind of event?” she asks, her voice echoey.
“I’m thinking some kind of girls’ night in. We could have wine, facials, maybe even makeup tutorials. If we mention it at some of the local businesses or even offer to let them have some products there, word of mouth will spread. Also—and I can’t believe Devon or Gladys never thought of this—you should have your skincare products at the inn. People love free samples and knowing they could get more right in Brighton if they love them would be huge. Devon said they’re booking more and more weddings there, so you could even negotiate something to have some products in welcome baskets or favors.”
“Jesus, Kend. You sure you didn’t major in marketing? I have an entire team for that, and none of them have suggested it.”
“Because they’re good at marketing. What you need is someone good at Brighton. Or the people here, at least.”
