Inseparable Read online

  She enjoyed everything from ballroom to Latin to hip-hop. She did it all, including belly dancing and tap, which wasn’t an easy feat for a full-figured woman. She blamed it all on her hips, which wouldn’t go away no matter how hard she danced or worked out. She’d gotten used to them and accepted her curvy figure as something she’d have to live with.

  “Come on, Corbin, it’s not like you to whine.” She laughed. “The music just started, so don’t conk out on me now. It’s just the tango.” They snapped their heads around in perfect sync and stared at each other with feigned smoldering passion.

  “Just the tango?” he said, as their heads swiveled back and forth in tandem. Corbin’s thick, neatly coiled dreadlocks went flying over his shoulders. “Look around. We’re the only ones left on the floor now. All eyes are on us.”

  He quickly glanced over Kenna’s shoulder as he twirled her around. “I think Reese is coming to cut in. Of course he wants to be the center of attention.”

  Kenna threw her head back and laughed as Corbin dipped her body low to the floor. Anyone who knew Reese knew that the last thing he wanted was to be the center of attention, of anything. No doubt he was coming to sweep her off the dance floor since he probably thought that the long slit on the side of her gown revealed too much leg—one of the dangers of dancing the tango.

  Reese could be a little overprotective at times. But she could deal with it. He had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, and she loved him like a brother. She quickly repressed the thought, which she knew was a lie. She did love him, had always loved him, and not as a brother. He was the man she would never have, and as her best friend he’d always looked out for her. She no longer fantasized about “what might have been,” but accepted the role he played in her life now—the part he would always play.

  She picked up his masculine scent long before he reached her. He tapped Corbin on the shoulder and took over as her dance partner. She couldn’t help but smile at him. Like always, he dreamily smiled back.

  Reese had no idea that whenever he smiled at Kenna—even though they were just friends—he had a way of making her feel beautiful and special. Even though their relationship was far from intimate, she knew him better than anyone. She knew his likes, dislikes, his innermost secrets. She knew when things were bothering him without having to ask. She could feel him. She could decipher his mood, and could even pick him out of a crowded room. It was like she had radar, a sixth sense, where Reese was concerned. They were simpatico.

  Without saying a word, they danced the tango like contestants on Dancing With the Stars. When she had needed a partner for her ballroom dance classes a few years ago, he had obliged, but after much complaining. There was never any doubt that they were great dancing together, but they also looked incredibly good together.

  The tango ended and the band began playing a swing dance number. The swing dance was another favorite of hers. And as she and Reese stood facing each other, hand in hand, moving their feet in rhythm to the beat, they couldn’t help but laugh. Reese was the only man who could keep up with her on the dance floor and do it with such style.

  As they danced, she couldn’t stop her eyes from roaming over his body from head to toe. He was handsome in his tuxedo, but then he looked handsome in everything. He was one of the hottest men she’d ever laid eyes on, and in a room filled with good-looking Madaris men that said a lot.

  Reese was tall, almost six foot three. And as far as Kenna was concerned, he was the epitome of masculinity at its finest. His deep, rich copper skin tone only deepened the most gorgeous pair of brown, bedroom eyes any man could possess. Then there were his dimples and his generous lips that beckoned women to want to lick them for days.

  She swallowed hard, suppressing such thoughts, and reminded herself that although she secretly loved him, their relationship was based on friendship, nothing more. But that didn’t stop her from appreciating him as a man—and seeing him through the eyes of a woman sexually attracted to a man—every once in a while.

  The swing dance ended and the band began to play a slow song. Kenna turned to leave the dance floor when Reese tightened his hold on her hand and pulled her closer to him. She went willingly.

  When he wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer to his muscular frame, she put her head on his chest and closed her eyes. It wasn’t the first time they’d slow-danced together, but it was so rare that she relished the times they did.

  After three dances with Reese she wondered why no one had cut in. She tilted her head away from his chest and took in the curious looks that were focused on them across the ballroom. Although she and Reese weren’t the only ones on the dance floor, his family standing on the sidelines of the ballroom had their eyes glued to them. Why?

  She tilted her head upward and met Reese’s gaze. “Is something going on that I should know about?” she asked softly.

  He smiled at her. “Why do you ask?”

  “Everyone is staring at us.”

  He glanced around the room and returned his gaze to hers. “They always stare at us when we dance together.”

  “Yes, but this time it’s different.”

  He shrugged. “You know how my great-grandmother is. She heard you’re moving in with me and has probably gotten everyone thinking that there’s more than friendship between us.”

  “But why would she say something like that? Everyone knows we’re nothing more than friends,” Kenna said.

  “Yes, but I’m sure she reminded them that in the beginning Syneda and Clayton had been friends, too.”

  “Yes, but things between us are different. Surely they know that.”

  He smiled. “They do. Don’t worry about it. They’re just trying to mollify the old gal.”

  Kenna sighed softly and rested her face on Reese’s chest again. She couldn’t understand why his great-grandmother would say such a thing when everyone knew the kind of women Reese was usually attracted to—tall and slender, which was something she definitely was not.

  The song ended much too soon, but instead of leading her off the dance floor, Reese tilted her chin upward to meet his gaze. His brown bedroom eyes scanned her face with concern. “Hey, you’re okay?” he asked in a voice that was so low it was barely audible. It was lower than she’d ever heard before.

  She nodded and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine. What about you? Are you beginning to think my moving in with you isn’t such a good idea after all?”

  “No, I still think it’s a good idea. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t let you stay with me? And don’t worry about my great-grandmother. We know the real deal regardless of what others believe is going on between us, right?”

  She nodded, keeping the smile plastered on her face. Yes, he was right. They knew the real deal. He would never look at her the way he looked at other women. They would never be anything more than best buddies.

  “Right,” she said, smiling. “We know the real deal even if they don’t.”

  He returned her smile. “True.”

  She drew in a deep breath as he led her off the dance floor, and she wondered how she was going to remain level-headed living under Reese’s roof for thirty days.

  Chapter 2

  A month later…

  Reese leaned in the doorway with a cup of coffee in his hand and looked behind Kenna to the moving truck parked in front of his ranch house. It was a truck he knew was loaded down with heaven knows what.

  He had offered to fly to Austin and help her make the drive to Houston, but that independent streak in Kenna—which annoyed the hell out of him at times—had refused his help. She claimed she needed to do things herself, since it was her way of turning another page in her life. A part of him understood that, mostly because he understood her.

  “So how was the drive?” he asked, offering her the cup of coffee in his hand. Like him, she needed the caffeine, especially during the early morning hours, and it was early. At four in the morning most of Houston was still asleep, including
the men who worked his ranch. Kenna preferred driving at night, although Reese had been concerned about her safety.

  She took a sip, closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She opened her eyes and met his gaze with sparkling eyes. “I hope you never lose your knack for making coffee. Starbucks has nothing on you, Reese Madaris.”

  “Glad you think so,” he said, chuckling, taking the cup back from her and taking a sip himself. “There’s a pot inside, waiting for you.”

  She smiled and he couldn’t help but chuckle again. Kenna was easy to please. Before walking inside she glanced over her shoulder. “Do you want me to move the truck and park it somewhere else instead of right in front of your door?”

  “It’s fine right there. My men and I will unload it after breakfast,” he said, pulling her into the foyer and closing the door behind them.

  She turned to face him. “Aren’t you going to work today?”

  “No, I took the day off to help you get settled.” He could tell from her expression she didn’t like that. It was that independent streak again.

  “You didn’t have to do that, Reese,” she said, frowning. “Remember our agreement? I don’t want to disrupt your life or your lifestyle by moving in.”

  “You’re not. Now go into the kitchen and pour yourself some coffee. You’re usually in a bad mood until you’ve had your first cup.”

  “I’m not in a bad mood.”

  He grinned. “Yes, you are.”

  Her mouth curved in a smile. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”

  “As usual. And while you’re getting your caffeine fix, I’ll be in my office checking my emails. After that I’ll join you in the kitchen.” He turned and walked down the hallway, headed toward his office. Kenna’s gaze followed him as he walked away.

  The foyer opened up to a spacious living room that had a spiral staircase leading to a second floor where most of the bedrooms were located. As Kenna made her way through the dining room and into the kitchen to get the cup of coffee she so desperately needed, she took in the decor.

  She loved Reese’s home and remembered when he had purchased the land for it. They had talked about it endlessly before he finally made up his mind to build his house. He had shown her the floor plans for the design of the house that his cousin Slade—the architect in the family—had drawn up. She had fallen in love with it immediately. It was a sprawling two-story ranch-style house surrounded by more than seventy-something acres of land. Reese was down-to-earth and enjoyed being in the great outdoors. He could never be happy living in a condo in Houston.

  Kenna had been the one to pick out the furniture for every room. It was at a time when Reese had been out of the country working for Remington Oil. When he’d returned to the States, it was to find the house completely furnished and ready for him to move in.

  In the kitchen were sleek granite countertops and sparkling stainless-steel appliances. It was a huge, spacious kitchen compared to the one she had in Austin. As she reached for the coffeepot, she couldn’t help but think about how happy she’d been to see Reese when he’d opened the door. The moment he smiled, all the problems she had encountered on the road from Austin had faded away.

  She’d gotten so sleepy while driving to Houston that she decided to check into a motel to get a couple of hours sleep. Although Reese had volunteered to help her drive from Austin, she felt she needed the time alone to think. She wanted to be sure the decisions she had made had been the right ones.

  She would be the first to admit she was nervous about her new job. She had gone to work for the Austin Police Department right out of college, and for the past seven years the place had practically become her home. The people she worked with had become her family and she had enjoyed being a part of that. Now she would have to start over, meet new people, make new friends, and get used to her new environment.

  She knew accepting the job in Houston had been a smart move, especially since she’d be earning almost double the salary she made in Austin. The Houston Police Department hadn’t just considered her value as a sketch artist, but they had taken into account her ability to gather details others might overlook. With all the new technology, she figured it was just a matter of time before her job would be done by a computer. But there were some things computers just couldn’t do, like factoring in things that required more than just sketching a suspect’s face. Kenna was adept at obtaining seemingly inconsequential details from witnesses and victims—clues to solving crimes that might be missed. She had a way with people. And she had the ability to understand the human psyche in subtle ways.

  She was good at what she did and very thorough. With Kenna, the typical three-hour interview was more than just a way to make a composite sketch. She had the ability to draw out subconscious details from witnesses that were important to the investigation. She had received several commendations from the police department for helping to crack a few cases. That was one of the reasons the Houston Police Department had wanted to hire her, making an offer any sane person couldn’t refuse.

  She didn’t.

  That had been a few months ago. She had come to town and found the perfect place to live. Her condo should have been ready by now, but bad weather had delayed completion of construction on the building.

  Temporarily moving in with Reese had been his suggestion. And it had been a no-brainer, since she’d crashed at his place whenever she came to town anyway. She considered him family, especially after her grandmother—who’d raised her after her parents were killed in a car accident—died while Kenna was still in college. After that, the Madaris family adopted her as one of their own.

  She leaned against Reese’s kitchen counter as she took another sip of coffee. The other reason for her move from Austin was to be near Reese. Although he visited her fairly regularly in Austin, the need to be closer to him had been a motivating factor in accepting the job.

  It was a decision she was already beginning to regret.

  She knew how she felt about him. But he didn’t have a clue, and she intended to keep things that way. Lately, she had begun seeing him through different eyes. And she knew why. This was the first time in eleven years that neither of them was involved with someone else. For her, that meant she had too much idle time on her hands and no man to keep her occupied. With Reese, she was nothing more than a dear friend, someone he could trust completely. Someone he could share anything with….except his heart.

  She took another sip of coffee trying to recall just when she’d realized she was attracted to him. She’d been attracted to him since college, but her feelings had escalated when they’d taken a trip to Las Vegas together. It had been his present to her on her twenty-fifth birthday. Had it been almost four years?

  She shook her head remembering that weekend. It was a couple months after she’d broken up with Lamont. Although she’d never told him, her relationship with Lamont ended after he’d questioned her friendship with Reese one too many times. She had warned him that if he brought it up again that would be the end of things between them. He hadn’t taken her seriously, and in the end she’d shown him she meant business.

  Reese figured she needed cheering up after her breakup, and to this day she’d never told him about Lamont’s accusations. But Lamont wasn’t the only man who had thought that something more than just friendship was going on between her and Reese.

  “You’re tired. I can tell.”

  She glanced up as Reese entered the kitchen. A smile touched her lips. “I am tired.”

  He angled his head and looked at her. “I’m going to be real upset if I find out you didn’t take my advice and check into a motel for the night when you hit the halfway point.”

  She rolled her eyes. “It was only a two-and-a-half-hour drive. It was nice with no traffic. However, I did get sleepy and pulled into a motel for a few hours,” she admitted.

  “I’m glad. So, do you want to go to bed before or after breakfast?”

  She smiled, knowing he hadn’t meant it the way it so
unded. But she could hope. “It’s too early for breakfast, and I could use a couple of hours’ sleep.”

  “Go on up. Your room is ready.”

  “Thanks.” She took another sip of coffee, thinking the room he was referring to was just that—her room. And it had her signature all over it. She had decorated it to her liking and it was the one she always slept in whenever she came to visit. It was right across the hall from his.

  She placed the cup in the sink. “I’ll be up before the ranch hands are ready for breakfast.”

  “You don’t have to. We can handle things without you. Your luggage comes in the house and everything else gets stored in the barn, right?”

  “Right.”

  She didn’t have to tell him that most of the stuff in the truck was what she didn’t trust the moving company to take care of. They were keepsakes—things that had sentimental value and had once belonged to her grandmother but were now hers.

  “Thanks for letting me stay here, Reese.”

  He glanced over at her as he poured another cup of coffee for himself. She felt his gaze and it stimulated something inside her. “You don’t have to thank me, Kenna. What’s mine is yours.”

  Something stirred deep within her again and she drew in a sharp breath before nodding her head. She turned to leave the kitchen and had almost made it to the dining room when Reese called out to her.

  “Kenna?”

  She stopped and turned around with a practiced smile. “Yes?”

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Something in Kenna’s chest tightened and a part of her wanted to race across the room, throw herself into his arms and declare that she was glad to be anywhere he was—always. Instead she said. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

  Before she could say something else, something she would later regret, she quickly walked in the direction of her room.

  Reese slid his hands down his face as he watched her leave. They were both tired, and maybe that was the reason he had picked up on the tension between them. He knew there was something going on. He could tell by the firm set of her lips and her body language.