“Yep. Kensington and I are pig sitting.”
“Kensington?” He paused. “Is that the hot Cinder wench you were drooling over at the party? You brought her out there? Must be serious. Or, in your case, must be one step above a one night stand.”
“Fuck off, Jude. Besides, this girl—she’s—I don’t know. But you’re going to make fun of anything I say, so I’m not going to say any more.”
He laughed. “Well, bloody fucking hell, Cole King has his balls in a twist over some chick. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“See, I didn’t even have to say any more. Just leave it alone.”
“Shit, Cole, are you kidding? Didn’t you bust my chops for weeks because I was going batshit crazy for Eden? No way. It’s time for some payback.” A stream of voices passed him. “The library is closing, so Eden’ll be out soon. But I think we should drop by, and you know, embarrass the hell out of you and shit.”
“Don’t even fucking bother.”
“Here comes, Eden. I’ll catch you later. I guess we’ll leave you to your romantic pig sitting weekend. But watch out—you know Some Pig can sweep any unsuspecting girl right off her feet. Or is she one of those girls like that chick, Hannah, who used to scream and jump up on the couch when Some Pig walked through the room? Man, you sure do pick some winners.”
“Yeah, Hannah was special, I’ll give you that. But Kensington isn’t like that at all. She’s out on the grass playing chase with Some Pig as we speak. Pretty sure he’ll be crawling in between us if we sit down to watch television tonight.”
Jude’s voice drifted away from the speaker. “I’m talking to Cole. He’s met a girl.”
“Is that unusual?” Eden asked. “Hi Cole,” she spoke into the phone. “Great Halloween party.”
“That’s who Cole’s with. Cinderella from the party.”
“Oh, she was great,” Eden said loud enough for me to hear. Jude was now having a side conversation off the phone, something that always annoyed me.
“I’m going to let you two finish talking,” I said. “Catch you later.”
“Yeah, all right. Hey, it sounds as if you really like her, so try not to scare her off too fast.”
“You forget, Jude, you’re the scary King brother. I’m fucking Prince Charming to your Voldemort. See you later.”
“Later.”
Kensington’s long legs carried her across the lawn to me. Not only was she amazing to look at, but she moved with the grace of a dancer or an athlete. It was easy to see why she was good at sports. She was not one of those soft, pampered girls. That made her even more intriguing. And the fact that she was damn fun in bed didn’t hurt either. Shit, who was I kidding? She stole my fucking breath away just thinking about her.
Kensington plunked down next to me. Some Pig trotted right over and sat down in front of her. “Well, it’s settled. I have to have one. But I’m sure they’re not all this cool.” She reached up to stroke the animal’s head. “Why Some Pig? I vaguely remember that from Charlotte’s Web, right?”
“Yes it is,” I said unable to stop the eye roll. “According to the pet psychic that was what he wanted to be named after watching the movie.”
She stared over at me with a grin, apparently thinking I was kidding. I wasn’t.
“Interesting. A little crazy but I’m sure animals have way more feelings and emotions than we give them credit for.”
I leaned back on the grass, and Kensington followed. Just lying next to her in the middle of the lawn, under the afternoon sun, all I could think about was pulling her into my arms. “What should we do now? We could turn on the hot tub and take a soak.” I rolled over and draped my arms around her waist. “Preferably naked.”
She rolled toward me. Some Pig immediately tried to squirm between us.
“Damn, this pig has a major crush on you already. You’re smarter than you look, buddy. Now get the hell out of the way.” I gave him a little push, but he squeezed right back in. “Determination, you’ve got to admire the stout, little guy for it. What about that skinny dip?”
She laughed. “Speaking of determination.” She lifted her green gaze to my face and a tug in my chest assured me this girl was already working her way into my heart. Wasn’t sure how to react to it. It was such a foreign feeling. “I think a dip in the hot tub would be very nice.”
Against Some Pig’s soft snorts of protest, I pulled Kensington closer. “Trust me, very nice was not what I had in mind.” I got up and lowered my hand for her, popping her to her feet.
We strolled back to the pool area with our short-legged companion following closely at Kensington’s heels. Finley had a theory that animals were always the best judge of human character. Always knew my sister was a genius.
Chapter 18
Cole
We’d snacked on cheese and crackers, one of the few things either of us knew how to prepare, while the hot tub warmed up. Some Pig had curled up on the rug in front of the television with a few crackers of his own. Kensington and I tiptoed out like two parents trying not to wake the baby that had finally gone down for a nap.
A dry, autumnish breeze swept up off the lawns and across the pool area. There were even a few leaves dropping from the surrounding trees. In California, the seasons weren’t always distinct. You could have a triple digit heat wave on Christmas day and a thunderstorm in the middle of July. But fall was the one season where we at least had some relief from the scorching summer temperatures.
Kensington reached up and tied her long, dark hair into a loose bun at the back of her head, exposing her smooth white neck. Every inch of her was erotic.
We were halfway to the hot tub when I took her hand and pulled her around to face me. “Just so you know, you’ve already checked off all the boxes on my list—I can’t stop thinking about you and those legs, love those fucking legs. Especially when they are wrapped around me.”
She leaned against me. “You cad, is sex all you ever think about? I mean, when you’re not thinking about me of course.”
“That’s why it’s so damn convenient because when I’m thinking about you, most of the time, sex is somewhere in the background.”
“Glad not to complicate your life then.” She took my hand, and we walked past the pool to the hot tub.
Kensington put her hands on her hips and stared down at the spa. “This is big enough for a dozen people.”
“Yep, my dad and eleven of his prettiest friends. That’s what he told the pool designer. If you think I’m a cad, you need to meet the old man. He takes the word to a whole new level. Shit, talking about my dad is putting a damper on this skinny dipping idea, so I’m going to change topics to this.” I pulled Kensington into my arms and kissed her. I drew my tongue along her bottom lip as I reached down and took hold of the hem of her shirt. I lifted it up and over her head.
I ran my fingers across her shoulder. “You feel incredible, Kensie. I love touching you.”
She reached back and unfastened her bra, letting it slip off her shoulders and to the ground. My fingers trailed down over her naked breasts. Instantly her nipples tightened into rose-colored buds. I studied her face as she slowly dissolved to my touch.
“Damn, baby, you are seduction and beauty and fun all wrapped up in perfection.”
She sighed with a smile. “A clunky but poetic analogy. Now take off your shirt, my perpetually horny, deftly skilled, hot hunk rolled up in muscle and ink.”
“I like that.” I reached back and yanked my shirt off. “Think I’ll get a tattoo with that phrase.” I motioned for her to take off her jeans while I did the same.
She took a furtive glance around the yard. “Are you sure there’s no one around?”
“Just a sleeping pig, snoring dogs and the usual paparazzi hiding in the rose bushes with their cameras.”
Her eyes rounded.
“Kidding. They only hang around when something gritty and bad has happened. My dad’s semi-retirement has made him a boring subject. Which is a nice change.”