poured it into a wine glass. Carrying it with her, she went into the bathroom, filling up the huge claw-foot tub and adding scented bubbles.
She found the remote to her stereo, turned on some soft music and stripped out of her clothes. With a sigh of relief, she slid into the hot water, leant back and took a sip of the wine as she tried to think of absolutely nothing.
It wasn't easy, snippets of conversations played through her mind, Dillon and Brett, the arson investigator Curtis Smithers and his words about signatures and trailings, accelerants and fuel, even little pieces of her story came to mind as she tried to relax in the heat and scent of the water.
It wasn't until she'd finished the wine in her glass that she managed to rid her mind of worries. She didn't want to think of anything but her date. Gideon Hawkins was a complex man, serious minded but still with a playful side, she couldn't help but wonder where he was taking her. He'd said casual, she'd make it casual.
Rising from the tub, she let the water drain and turned on her shower, rinsing off the bubbles. Twenty minutes later, she was wrapped in a towel, standing in front of her closet, trying to decide what to wear when there was a knock on her door,
She threw on her robe, tossing her head to send her wet curls dancing around her flushed cheeks. Running to the door, she peeked out, almost growling when she saw Brett standing there. “Go away, no one's home,” she called through the door.
"Oh-kay,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “Now tell me truthfully, Kenzie, does that ever work."
"No,” she grumbled, unlocking the door and holding it open. “But I can always hope for a first time."
"Oh buck up little daffodil,” Brett smirked, using the name he'd called her since she was six and had played a daffodil in her school play. “I'm not here long, I just wanted to know if you'd have some time to have lunch with me tomorrow. Then I'm on a plane and you won't have to see me again until the next family thing, whatever that might be.” He reached out, grabbing a hold of one damp curl and tugged on it gently. “You know you want to, Kenz, you know you do...” he whispered, “I'll even buy."
"Okay,” she said quickly. “For you to buy lunch something has to be wrong. Spill it!"
"Dillon wants to come and see you,” he said, his expression grim. Then he burst out laughing as her mouth dropped open. “Gotcha. No, I just thought it'd be fun to play catch up."
"You...shit,” she growled, smacking him. “Yeah, fine, lunch sounds great. Where are you staying? We can lunch there."
"Dillon's putting me up at the Davidson Hotel,” Brett bragged, rubbing his nails against his tee shirt covered chest. “Only the best, you know. Come around noon and I'll put it on my room's charge."
"Great, so much for you buying,” she chuckled.
"Why should I spend my dime, when it's so much easier and much more fun making Dillon pick up the tab? Besides, he's the one that woke me up in the middle of the night and told me I was coming out here. I told him you were a big girl and could handle yourself, but would he listen to me?"
"Thanks, Brett. Now you want to get out of here, I've got a date to get ready for."
"Yeah, but honestly, Kenz, after seeing him this afternoon, I actually think you're too clean to go out with him."
"Out,” she snorted, waving him through the door and locking it after him. She shook her head, smiling at her cousin's antics before heading back into the bedroom.
Reaching into her special underwear drawer, she lifted out a silk set of bra and thong panties in a soft peach color. She'd splurged on the delicate set and hadn't worn them yet. Yes, she might wear jeans on the outside but she knew what she wore under them. Silk made her feel pretty, lace gave her a touch of mystic and a hint of confidence. Even if no one saw this set, she knew she wore it.
Slipping on the silk made her smile and took a bit of the stress from her day. A pair of
She found the remote to her stereo, turned on some soft music and stripped out of her clothes. With a sigh of relief, she slid into the hot water, leant back and took a sip of the wine as she tried to think of absolutely nothing.
It wasn't easy, snippets of conversations played through her mind, Dillon and Brett, the arson investigator Curtis Smithers and his words about signatures and trailings, accelerants and fuel, even little pieces of her story came to mind as she tried to relax in the heat and scent of the water.
It wasn't until she'd finished the wine in her glass that she managed to rid her mind of worries. She didn't want to think of anything but her date. Gideon Hawkins was a complex man, serious minded but still with a playful side, she couldn't help but wonder where he was taking her. He'd said casual, she'd make it casual.
Rising from the tub, she let the water drain and turned on her shower, rinsing off the bubbles. Twenty minutes later, she was wrapped in a towel, standing in front of her closet, trying to decide what to wear when there was a knock on her door,
She threw on her robe, tossing her head to send her wet curls dancing around her flushed cheeks. Running to the door, she peeked out, almost growling when she saw Brett standing there. “Go away, no one's home,” she called through the door.
"Oh-kay,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “Now tell me truthfully, Kenzie, does that ever work."
"No,” she grumbled, unlocking the door and holding it open. “But I can always hope for a first time."
"Oh buck up little daffodil,” Brett smirked, using the name he'd called her since she was six and had played a daffodil in her school play. “I'm not here long, I just wanted to know if you'd have some time to have lunch with me tomorrow. Then I'm on a plane and you won't have to see me again until the next family thing, whatever that might be.” He reached out, grabbing a hold of one damp curl and tugged on it gently. “You know you want to, Kenz, you know you do...” he whispered, “I'll even buy."
"Okay,” she said quickly. “For you to buy lunch something has to be wrong. Spill it!"
"Dillon wants to come and see you,” he said, his expression grim. Then he burst out laughing as her mouth dropped open. “Gotcha. No, I just thought it'd be fun to play catch up."
"You...shit,” she growled, smacking him. “Yeah, fine, lunch sounds great. Where are you staying? We can lunch there."
"Dillon's putting me up at the Davidson Hotel,” Brett bragged, rubbing his nails against his tee shirt covered chest. “Only the best, you know. Come around noon and I'll put it on my room's charge."
"Great, so much for you buying,” she chuckled.
"Why should I spend my dime, when it's so much easier and much more fun making Dillon pick up the tab? Besides, he's the one that woke me up in the middle of the night and told me I was coming out here. I told him you were a big girl and could handle yourself, but would he listen to me?"
"Thanks, Brett. Now you want to get out of here, I've got a date to get ready for."
"Yeah, but honestly, Kenz, after seeing him this afternoon, I actually think you're too clean to go out with him."
"Out,” she snorted, waving him through the door and locking it after him. She shook her head, smiling at her cousin's antics before heading back into the bedroom.
Reaching into her special underwear drawer, she lifted out a silk set of bra and thong panties in a soft peach color. She'd splurged on the delicate set and hadn't worn them yet. Yes, she might wear jeans on the outside but she knew what she wore under them. Silk made her feel pretty, lace gave her a touch of mystic and a hint of confidence. Even if no one saw this set, she knew she wore it.
Slipping on the silk made her smile and took a bit of the stress from her day. A pair of
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