Natural Blond Instincts Read online

  “It’s not too late to back out, you know.”

  Kenna laughed in shock. “Lyssa!”

  “Kidding. I do like him, he’s cute.” The teen lifted a shoulder. “For an old guy, anyway.”

  “He’s thirty-five.”

  “Like I said, old.” Lyssa put the flowers on the one free corner of Kenna’s desk, then looked around the room with disdain. “My bedroom might actually be bigger than this. You should complain.”

  “I like it.” She and Sarah had painted the room in a soft rose, trimmed it in white. There were pictures on the wall, one of her and Sarah covered in said rose paint, one of Sarah with a bunch of the kids, and one of Kenna, Wes and Josh.

  That one was her favorite.

  “So…” Lyssa nodded toward the complicated-looking forms in front of Kenna. “Whatcha doing?”

  “Trying to get us a grant.”

  “Why? Your dad is rich as God.”

  “Lyssa.” She had to laugh. True to his word, her father had donated her Ferrari money, and with it, over the past two years, they’d spruced the place up and even added two full-time staff—herself included. “This one will get us enough money to get another Teen Zone across town.”

  “Who cares about them?”

  “I do,” Kenna said gently. “And Sarah does, and everyone who works here. We want as many kids as possible to get to come to a place like this—” She looked up and saw Wes standing in the doorway.

  Her heart tipped on its side. Pathetic that it still did that, but she figured it boded well for the marriage.

  And especially the honeymoon.

  He gave her a slow smile that spread warmth through her body. “Ready?”

  “For what?”

  His smile widened to a naughty grin behind Lyssa’s back, and Kenna blushed.

  Blushed.

  “Um…yeah.” She stood. “We have to go….”

  “Where?” Lyssa wanted to know, looking back and forth between them suspiciously. “Ah, man, you have that stupid grin on your face, too,” she said to Wes. “Jeez, I’m so outta here.”

  When they were alone, Wes took Kenna’s hand and pulled her close for a hug.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I needed to clear my head.”

  “Uh-oh. Work driving you mad? Who is it, my father or Serena?”

  “The thought of you, Mrs. Roth.”

  “Hey, I’m not Mrs. Roth, yet.”

  He pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Regrets?”

  “Are you kidding? The only regret I have is not deciding sooner that you were worth my time.”

  “Ah. Speaking of that, when did you decide?”

  “I think it goes all the way back to when I pulled you into the pool.”

  “Really, and why is that, almost-Mrs. Roth?”

  “Because,” she said with a grin as she set her head on his shoulder, loving that he made her feel feminine just by holding her. “That’s when I saw you all wet and annoyed for the first time. You look good all wet and annoyed, Wes. You look real good.”

  He laughed and hugged her tighter, and she felt at home in his arms as she’d never felt anywhere else. “I love what you’ve done here,” he said. “What you’ve done for the kids. And I also love—”

  “What, this chartreuse-colored sundress?” With a smile, she pulled free and preened and danced in a little circle for him, knowing darn well one needed sunglasses just to look at her.

  “Nope.” He smiled into her frown. “What I love is you, Kenna. Always you.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-7138-2

  NATURAL BLOND INSTINCTS

  Copyright © 2003 by Jill Shalvis.

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  *South Village Singles