Page 65 of Starting Over with You
Thankfully, Kenni’s back is to me, so I can drink in sight of her sweet ass. She looks damn good. She’s wearing a pair of barely there shorts that I can see through the thin, oversized pink shirt she wears. Her hair is up in a mess of a bun that looks like she slept in it. I may be dead on my feet since we had a call around one in the morning, but seeing her barefoot in my kitchen wakes me right on up.
I want her here, always.
I just have to figure out how to make that happen.
The screen door shuts behind me, and Kenni jumps, looking over her shoulder. I throw down my bag, and she turns her body to face me. The brightest grin comes over her face, the one that hits me square in the chest and leaves me panting. Before I can greet her, I hear one of the boys call out, “Damn, Mom! Who’s got you smiling like that?”
Kenni’s face turns beet red before she leans on the island. “Shut it. Dean just got home. I was greeting him.”
She’s met with silence, and I head over to her, angling my head so I can see the boys. Flint is all grins and bright-blue eyes, while Ash eyes me, uncertainty on his face. I’m not sure what that’s about. I’ve always had a good relationship with the boys. We bonded over hockey. I wave as I call out, “Hey, boys.”
“Deannnnn!” Flint says like he’s an announcer for a hockey game.
That has Ash chuckling, and it blows me away how much the boys look like Kenni.
“How you settling in?”
“Good,” they say at the same time.
“You like your hat?” Flint asks, and I nod.
“I sure do,” I say with a smirk. It was a hell of a surprise when a brand-new Stetson arrived, along with a plastic insert that is used to prevent sweat from getting on the hat.
Or Kenni’s puke.
“Hopefully, I won’t need it tonight.”
Kenni cocks her head. “What hat?”
Ash laughs as Flint leans in. “Heard you puked all in his hat, so we got one that is Mom-proof.”
Kenni turns even redder. “How did y’all hear about that?”
Flint snorts. “Damn, Mom, being in the South has your drawl back.”
“Answer me!” she says with a stomp, looking absolutely adorable.
That has all three of us laughing. It’s Ash who says, “Skyye told us.”
“She’s got a mouth as big as her mom’s, I swear.”
When we start to laugh again, she can’t help but join in. We chat a bit longer about hockey camp and all the parties they’ve been to, much to Kenni’s dismay, before we say goodbye. It feels so natural and utterly perfect. Standing with my girl in my kitchen after along night, shooting the shit with the kids. All that’s missing is Skyye.
When she hangs up, Kenni looks up at me, and fuck, I’ve missed her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she says and then pushes a coffee cup toward me that I didn’t notice was there. Fuck, this woman. “I made you a cup of decaf since I’m sure you’re about to head to bed.”
Do not ask her to join you.
Do not ask her to join you.
Do not ask her to join you.
I swallow back that sentence as I lift the cup she’s offering and take a long pull. “You’re the sweetest.”
Her eyes sparkle as she leans on the island, and I can’t help but think she’s poking that ass out on purpose. Does she want me to come up behind her? Grab those thick hips and rub myself all over her like a cat in heat?
’Cause I fucking will.
