Connor (The Kendall Family Series Book 2) by Randi Everheart

girlfriend tempered her smile.
    Grinning, he replied, “My sisters sometimes stay over, partly because I can’t be here every night and someone has to take over if we have guests. They leave some things here so they don’t have to bring them. I know they won’t mind. I didn’t know if you might need anything.”
    That almost relieved her, but if he wasn’t here at night, that might’ve meant he was in someone else’s bed. Timidly, she asked, “What takes you away overnight?”
    “Vacations,” he replied, massaging his sore neck.
    “With who?”
    “Depends. Usually family, but we have too many businesses—the inn, stables, motorcycle shop, and winery—to all go at once.”
    “Wow, that’s a lot of responsibility.” Suddenly Sophia felt like a little girl next to a grown man. He was so capable. What could a simple girl like herself offer him? And what in the world would he see in her aside from youth, beauty, and their chemistry? Was that all she offered? She didn’t think so, but there was no question he was a lot farther along than her. He was a few years older, and while she expected big things of herself one day, she knew she wasn’t that far removed from being a teenager with no real responsibilities. All she had now was a low car payment and mounting student loan debt. Could she find some way to impress him?
    “We have a lot of staff to help.”
    Sophia wondered if that meant someone would arrive here today and what he had planned. She probably had to be leaving soon, though the idea of going home unsettled her.
    “Do you have a lot of business things to attend to today?” she asked.
    He shrugged. “Some. My brother Tristan is having his wedding reception here soon and there’s a lot of setup for that. Not that I need to do it all personally, just oversee it.”
    “I guess I should get out of your hair, then,” she said, frowning. “What time is, uh, checkout?”
    He looked surprised, then dismayed. “Whenever you want.”
    “At the least, I need to go home and get my wallet so I can pay you.”
    “No, the room’s on the house,” he said, shaking his head. “Food, too. And gun-wielding in your defense. Everything.”
    “No, I can’t let you—”
    “Yes, you can. You’re not the inn’s guest. You’re mine .” He inadvertently added emphasis.
    Though she knew what he’d meant, his words and tone, and the way he looked at her sent a rush of pleasure through her. She stared into his eyes, not really aware of doing so. She wasn’t sure, but she later thought she might’ve involuntarily whispered yes .
    “I probably should get a change of clothes, at least,” she said.
    “I don’t know. You looked pretty good in mine.”
    “I felt good in them, too,” she said, smirking as he lifted OJ to his mouth, “but did you really want me walking around without panties all day?”
    Connor almost snorted OJ out of his nose and began coughing as Sophia burst into laughter. He soon joined her, red-faced. “Was that rhetorical?”
    “No!”
    “Yes it was, because you know perfectly well what the answer is.”
    This time she turned red and they spent a couple minutes hiding behind food and orange juice, sometimes bursting out in laughter all over again. Finally she hinted, “I guess I only need a change of clothes to bring back if I’m not really leaving.”
    “You’re welcome to stay another night.”
    “You don’t have guests coming?”
    “No. In fact, since your mother’s out of town, I really think you should stay here until she gets back. Or at least, not stay at your house,” he added.
    “Yeah, I wouldn’t feel safe there. I don’t have anywhere else to go, though.”
    Looking mischievous, he said, “It’s settled then. You’re mine for a week.”
    She grinned and looked down shyly. “Only a week? How disappointing. I really need to get some things from home, then.”
    He nodded and then had a thought. “I’m going with you. I don’t think it’s safe for you to go