She smiled at him again. “I wouldn’t have thought you were the type to sit on the floor and drink wine on a stormy evening.”
He wouldn’t have said that about himself, either, but there he was. The energy around them had changed, and it didn’t have anything to do with the electric storm that had passed. “Am I the type who might kiss you?” The question was out before he could stop it.
“I don’t have a type for that, but, as I said—” she twisted to place her wine glass on the hearth— “I welcome new experiences.”
Kenton took that as invitation enough and reached for her. They’d shared two hugs, nice ones, but this moment was completely different. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and his went to her waist. They were still sitting on the floor but facing each other now. The fire crackled in the background, and the soft light picked up the colors in her hair. He coasted his hand through it, liking the way the shining waves filtered through his fingers.
“Do you have a kissing plan?” Her voice was light and teasing.
“Don’t tempt me,” he whispered as his mouth closed over hers. Some moments didn’t require planning, and this was definitely one of those. He ran his tongue along her full bottom lip before delving into her mouth. She tasted of wine and chocolate and woman. Absolutely intoxicating.
Her fingers played against the skin of his neck and jaw as he deepened the kiss, their tongues tangling. When he broke away from her mouth, she lifted her chin, letting him know what she wanted. He wasted no time kissing down her neck until he nudged aside the top edge of her shirt to lick her collarbone. Her soft moan told him he’d found a spot she liked. Where else could he kiss her that would make her moan? He retraced his path back to her lips as his hands stroked the length of her back.
He was considering laying her down on his living room floor when a sharp crack of thunder made them break apart. Eliot jumped to his feet and began to bark, and the cry of a child from overhead reached them. Kissing was over for the night. Almost.
He cupped her cheek with his hand and placed one more soft kiss on her lips before rising and helping her to her feet.
10
Mia checked on the apple Danish baking in the oven. She’d had an unexpected day off, since the power remained out at the bakery. Fortunately, it was on at Kenton’s home, so she and Kenton had cared for the girls, observing his time schedule during the morning and early afternoon. Then he’d retreated to his office and even missed dinner, and she had to wonder if he was avoiding her. She hoped the sugary scent of the Danish would draw him out, because they probably needed to have an adult conversation about the previous night’s kissing.
Neither one of them had brought it up, even when they’d had a minute or two during the day when the girls were occupied. Did his silence mean he was regretting it? She hoped not, because she sure wasn’t. Those kisses had been among the best she’d experienced, and she couldn’t quite say why. Was it because Kenton kissed like he did everything else, with serious intention, even if there hadn’t been a plan? Or was he just a great kisser?
She wasn’t sure, but she hoped to get the opportunity to find out.
“Eat?” Emma danced around Mia’s feet as she removed the pastries from the oven.
“They’ll be too hot, but you can have one in the morning for breakfast. I promise.” She’d leave a note for Kenton. He’d probably object to the sweet at the morning meal due to the lack of nutritional value, but Mia kept her promises to the girls. “Bedtime for you two. Up we go.”
Mia let the twins play in the bathtub to wear them out before tucking them into their cribs. She knew they’d talk with each other before going to sleep, but that was good for them. Twins usually had a language of their own, and these two were no different. Their speech patterns were just developing, but she’d noticed both verbal and nonverbal communication between them.
Before leaving their room, she adjusted the nanny cam in the corner and checked to make sure it was connected to her phone.
“Night night,” she said, giving them each a kiss before closing their door and going downstairs.
She entered the empty living room that was remarkably clutter-free, since they’d followed Kenton’s rules about cleaning up after play. It was all in the schedule, but it meant that Mia had nothing she had to do. She could bake more or start laundry, but neither of those options sounded as good as rousting Kenton from his lair. She turned her head to look toward his office door.
But she needed to set the stage. The storms the day before had ushered in fall-like temperatures, so a fire might be nice and romantic. She piled wood and kindling in the fireplace and had a fire going in no time. With that done, she headed for the kitchen.
Wine or something else? The colder air had her thinking about a warm beverage. Irish coffee seemed perfect. In the kitchen, she started a fresh pot of coffee brewing while she got out the whiskey and brown sugar and whipped up some heavy cream. She assembled the drinks in glass mugs, dusted a dash of cocoa powder on top, and carried them to Kenton’s office.
“Knock, knock,” she said and nudged open the door. “I brought you something, but I’d like to entice you to come out of here.”
He glanced up from where he sat in front of his computer screen with a pen in one hand and a notepad nearby.
“Please,” she added, hoping to recall him from the thoughts that appeared to take him miles away.
“You’re right.” With a sigh, he put the pen down and closed the lid of his laptop. “I’ve been in here too long. The girls?”
“Already in bed. Irish coffee?” She handed him a mug.
He grinned at her suddenly. “What makes you think I’m Irish?”
“It might be the Fitzpatrick part of your name. Not that it matters when it comes to liking this drink. I’m not Irish, and it’s one of my favorite treats.” She waited for him to take a sip before continuing. “I started a fire. Will you join me?”
She didn’t wait for him to respond but walked toward the living room. The office door closed, and she heard his footsteps following her. When she sat on the couch, she patted the seat next to her. He was still tense, probably from what he had or hadn’t discovered while in his office. Maybe if she got him to talk about it, he could move past it so they could enjoy the evening. And kiss some more, which she admitted was her main motivation.
“Learn anything new?” She didn’t know exactly what he was doing in there, but she guessed it had to do with the assailant who had come after them.
He shook his head as he sat next to her on the couch. “Analyzing my last mission again. I’m still trying to figure out where it went wrong.”
“And you think the threat against us is connected to it?” He’d told her about the mission and conveyed his concerns about how it might be the source of the threat, but she hadn’t asked too many questions.
“I’m convinced of it, but my CO thinks differently.” His fist was balled up on his thigh. “I need something to present to him that will make him re-evaluate the situation. It might be the only way to eliminate the threat.”
“You have access to the mission records even off base?” Mia didn’t know much about the military or what he did, but that struck her as odd.