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Shanda sighed. “But if he washes and she dries, then the time they are working together, is romantic.”
“So pretty much anything can be considered romantic. I like that. On the way back to your house, we’ll discuss business. You can let me know if that is romantic enough for you,” he said sarcastically.
“I think I’m going to talk to Krissy,” she said.
“What for?” he asked.
Shanda smiled up at him and said, “I think I want in on the bets. From what she said, it seems she knows you pretty well.”
He laughed. “What have I gotten myself into?”
“Do you regret bringing me tonight?” she asked.
He reached down, took her hand in his, and raised it to his lips. “That is the only thing I don’t regret today.”
The night was still young, and he still questioned why he’d brought her. The connection was building, and his need for her was becoming more difficult to control. He hadn’t even brought her home yet, and he was already anticipating the next time he saw her.
If I’m not careful, Shanda’s going to haunt more than just my dreams.
Kenneth was worried that Shanda might not enjoy herself, but as usual, she surprised him. It was as though she owned the room, and seemed to speak to everyone. He was grateful to finally have her back in the car where they could talk quietly, just the two of them.
“You seemed to enjoy yourself,” he said.
“I did, very much. Thank you for inviting me. It’s not at all what I thought it would be like,” she responded.
“Did you make any new contacts?” he asked. Shanda turned and looked out the passenger’s window and he noticed a slight shaking of her head. “Not one?”
“I…I forgot. There were so many interesting people there, and I was listening to them all talk about themselves, so I forgot to talk about me.”
Kenneth knew it had nothing to do with her being interested in what they all were saying. The room was filled with some strong personalities, who pretty much all knew each other. They just wanted someone new to brag to. Shanda didn’t strike him as someone who swooned when people boasted about their status. If anything, it seemed to have the opposite effect on her.
“So why didn’t you talk about Home Blown? It was the perfect opportunity to get your shop some visibility,” he said.
“I guess as I spoke to them, I didn’t want to have to deal with them again as customers. I don’t mean this to sound rude, but some of them love themselves a bit too much.”
That’s not exactly how he’d have described them, but she wasn’t far off, either. Kenneth hated going to these events, but unlike Shanda, he utilized his time there to network. Even Billy took advantage of this time.
“Either way, I’m sure you’re going to be talked about,” Kenneth stated. “You made quite an impression.” Mostly on me. Knowing she didn’t even talk about her business didn’t take away from that. Actually, it probably created more buzz about who she was and in the long run, would be the best move to have made.
“I wasn’t there to make an impression. I was your date.”
Was that all? Could they be lovers? He could easily picture bringing her home and rocking her world all night. There was a sexual tension between them that neither denied, but they still hadn’t acted upon. But if he slept with her, the focus on Home Blown would take the back seat. That wouldn’t be fair to Shanda. So it looked like another cold shower tonight. But that didn’t deter him from wanting to see her again.
“Dinner tomorrow night?” he asked.
“I thought we had agreed to see each other Sunday?”
“That hasn’t changed. Picnic and boating. It’s on my calendar,” he stated. Not that he was looking forward to either, but it was her choice.
He pulled the car up in front of her house and she said, “I’d love to see you tomorrow night, but my sister DeeDee asked me to go with her to talk to my parents. She hasn’t told me what time, so I have to keep my schedule open.”
“You had mentioned something about that before. She’s lucky to have your support.” In a way, he was glad she wasn’t free.
“Would you…like to come inside?” she asked softly.
His abs tensed and he knew if he said yes, he wasn’t going to leave till morning. It was almost painful, but he said, “I have things I need to follow up with from the auction.”
Shanda appeared just as shocked hearing the words as he was saying them. Every cell in his being wanted to touch, hold, and taste her. If it was someone else, maybe he’d give in. But he worried about what tomorrow would bring for her. She wasn’t a child, and it wasn’t regret that concerned him. She had more important things to think about.
He knew her smile was forced when she said, “Thank you for a lovely evening.”
“It was your company that made it enjoyable. Good luck tomorrow at your parents’,” he said. He wasn’t going to walk her to the door. If he did, he’d pull her into his arms and carry her inside. Instead he leaned over and kissed her gently, then said, “I’ll see you Sunday.”
She looked into his eyes and said, “Good night Kenneth,” her voice almost pleading for the night not to end.
He watched as she got out of the car, walked up her front porch, unlocked the door, and went inside. There was nothing rushed about her movements. Damn it. He wanted to get out and follow her. His life was about putting himself first. His wants, needs, and his future were all that were important to him. Shanda was the total opposite. Opposites might attract, but that doesn’t mean they are good for each other.
He started the car and pulled back onto the road. Kenneth was giving Shanda mixed signals, and that wasn’t good. Maybe she thought he was just being a gentleman. If only it were so simple. Normally Kenneth wouldn’t spend so much time with any one person. It risked the woman forming an attachment that he didn’t want. The strange part of it all was, she wasn’t doing the chasing or the asking. Damn. I see why Billy is losing the bets. Shanda had him breaking all his own rules. Rule number one: stay focused. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel in frustration. He’d only met her a week ago, and already she had his gut in a knot. Fuck. I might be the one needing business advice after all this.
