him.”
“Good for you! He deserves a little taste of his own medicine.”
Michelle was too blunt, too unforgiving. She hadn’t seen the side of Jace Kenzie had. “It’s not like that; be nice. I think he really is a lonely guy looking for Ms. Right. So, thinking I could help, I compounded it all by trying to hook him up with another woman.”
“Why in the world would you give him another woman to ruin? Are you his pimp now?”
“He refused her. Said he wanted me.”
Michelle sat back in her seat, coffee cup in hand, looking her over, a thoughtful look to her eyes. “What’s his game?”
“I don’t know, but I really don’t think it’s a game. I saw a side to him that I don’t think others have. I think he wants love in his life. That’s why I introduced him to Ana.”
Michelle took a long sip, her eyes never leaving Kenzie’s face. Kenzie felt uncomfortable under Michelle’s gaze; her friend saw too much. They’d been friends for far too long.
“Why do you care that he wants love in his life?”
And there was the heart of the matter. She shouldn’t care, not one bit. He was a grown man, and he could find Ms. Right all on his own. Why she’d felt the need to hook him up with another woman, she’d never know.
“Perhaps you care because you like him.”
“I lust after him. Big difference.”
“Like, lust—all a matter of semantics. You wouldn’t be defending him if you didn’t feel something for him.”
“I knew you were pushing, yet I rose to the bait.”
“You always do.” Michelle’s smug smile was quickly hidden by the edge of her coffee cup as she took a big sip. “So, if he’s willing to try something, why not?”
“Two seconds ago you were calling him a jerk and saying he deserved what he got, and now you want me to give him a chance?”
“Of course I did. He still may be a jerk. But the fact he didn’t take advantage of you, I’m willing to say that maybe he’s not the monster he’s been made out to be. And there are times in a man’s life, especially one that’s approaching the middle thirties like he is, when he begins to think about settling down, leaving the playing field behind him. You’re not like all the other women out there. You aren’t looking for a man to marry you and give you everything you need; you work for what you want. You’re smart, independent, and strong. The fact he seems to see that earns him points in my book, too.”
The back of Kenzie’s eyes stung. “The check is in the mail.”
“I can compliment just as well as I can smack talk. And you know I’m right. Jace seems to have you twisted up, so apparently you like him a lot.”
“I’m not looking for a relationship right now.”
“Exactly why it found you. You never find love when you’re looking for it.”
“Work—well, work is just nuts.”
“An excuse. Work will always be there and it will always be nuts. If you’re meant to get the promotion, you’ll get it. You can find the line between work and life, if you choose to.”
Kenzie was quiet for a moment. Fear had made her run from Jace, fear that she couldn’t handle it all, not with the all-consuming lust she felt in his presence. He was man enough to make a woman forget what she was doing, but maybe she was strong enough to make it work. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
“Yeah, but I kinda ruined the whole thing by trying to pawn him off on Ana. I think I pushed him too far.”
“Then you need to make the grand gesture, if you truly think he’s worth it.”
“The grand gesture?”
“Yep, it’s about time for Ms. Prim and Proper to make an ass of herself.”
“Gee. Fun.” Kenzie knew Michelle was right. She’d have to suck up her pride, lay it out on the table, and open herself up to the potential for rejection, a very likely possibility.
* * * *
Kenzie shivered as a cold breeze blew up her trench coat. She was completely naked under it, except for her garter belt and hose. Maybe not the
“Good for you! He deserves a little taste of his own medicine.”
Michelle was too blunt, too unforgiving. She hadn’t seen the side of Jace Kenzie had. “It’s not like that; be nice. I think he really is a lonely guy looking for Ms. Right. So, thinking I could help, I compounded it all by trying to hook him up with another woman.”
“Why in the world would you give him another woman to ruin? Are you his pimp now?”
“He refused her. Said he wanted me.”
Michelle sat back in her seat, coffee cup in hand, looking her over, a thoughtful look to her eyes. “What’s his game?”
“I don’t know, but I really don’t think it’s a game. I saw a side to him that I don’t think others have. I think he wants love in his life. That’s why I introduced him to Ana.”
Michelle took a long sip, her eyes never leaving Kenzie’s face. Kenzie felt uncomfortable under Michelle’s gaze; her friend saw too much. They’d been friends for far too long.
“Why do you care that he wants love in his life?”
And there was the heart of the matter. She shouldn’t care, not one bit. He was a grown man, and he could find Ms. Right all on his own. Why she’d felt the need to hook him up with another woman, she’d never know.
“Perhaps you care because you like him.”
“I lust after him. Big difference.”
“Like, lust—all a matter of semantics. You wouldn’t be defending him if you didn’t feel something for him.”
“I knew you were pushing, yet I rose to the bait.”
“You always do.” Michelle’s smug smile was quickly hidden by the edge of her coffee cup as she took a big sip. “So, if he’s willing to try something, why not?”
“Two seconds ago you were calling him a jerk and saying he deserved what he got, and now you want me to give him a chance?”
“Of course I did. He still may be a jerk. But the fact he didn’t take advantage of you, I’m willing to say that maybe he’s not the monster he’s been made out to be. And there are times in a man’s life, especially one that’s approaching the middle thirties like he is, when he begins to think about settling down, leaving the playing field behind him. You’re not like all the other women out there. You aren’t looking for a man to marry you and give you everything you need; you work for what you want. You’re smart, independent, and strong. The fact he seems to see that earns him points in my book, too.”
The back of Kenzie’s eyes stung. “The check is in the mail.”
“I can compliment just as well as I can smack talk. And you know I’m right. Jace seems to have you twisted up, so apparently you like him a lot.”
“I’m not looking for a relationship right now.”
“Exactly why it found you. You never find love when you’re looking for it.”
“Work—well, work is just nuts.”
“An excuse. Work will always be there and it will always be nuts. If you’re meant to get the promotion, you’ll get it. You can find the line between work and life, if you choose to.”
Kenzie was quiet for a moment. Fear had made her run from Jace, fear that she couldn’t handle it all, not with the all-consuming lust she felt in his presence. He was man enough to make a woman forget what she was doing, but maybe she was strong enough to make it work. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
“Yeah, but I kinda ruined the whole thing by trying to pawn him off on Ana. I think I pushed him too far.”
“Then you need to make the grand gesture, if you truly think he’s worth it.”
“The grand gesture?”
“Yep, it’s about time for Ms. Prim and Proper to make an ass of herself.”
“Gee. Fun.” Kenzie knew Michelle was right. She’d have to suck up her pride, lay it out on the table, and open herself up to the potential for rejection, a very likely possibility.
* * * *
Kenzie shivered as a cold breeze blew up her trench coat. She was completely naked under it, except for her garter belt and hose. Maybe not the
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