One More Kiss (Forsaken Sons Book 1) by Elizabeth Lennox (summer beach reads .txt) 📗

when she’d walked into his workroom, that had been the end of his ability to even mildly concentrate.

Now, watching her walk away when he’d thought she was about to do…something, maybe kiss him…his body ached even more.  He wanted to go to her, to stop her and ask her what she’d been about to do.  There had been a look in her eyes, a light or maybe an intent...whatever.  It had startled him. He’d wanted to pull her against him and tell her that, yes, she could do whatever she wanted.

Instead, Kinsley had turned and walked away from him.  Correction, she’d run away from him.

He’d stood there, watching her, rooted to the spot where she’d left him, his body aching harder with every step she took away from him while he admired every sexy, delicious inch of her.

Then she’d turned, looked back at him.  A moment later, she’d disappeared and he still stood there, watching as her car drove away down the street.

“Damn it!” he muttered.  Rubbing a hand over the back of his neck, he looked around.  “Damn!”

Putting the bike back into the garage, he secured everything, and walked up the path to his house.  Still, he wasn’t sure what to do.  He desperately wanted to call her, tell her to come back here so they could explore the seemingly explosive tension that surrounded them.

Instead, he flipped the switch on his fireplace and tried to read.  Unfortunately, nothing managed to hold his interest.  His main interest was Kinsley.  Kinsley and her soft, blue eyes that emanated warmth, happiness, and understanding.

He remembered the moment when she’d told him about the private investigator.  Who the hell was trying to find him?  What the hell was going on?  Why was his father, a man who had not just abandoned his mother when she’d needed him the most, but who had demanded that his mother “get rid of the baby” which was himself?  Why had he cropped up now?

Walking into his home office, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.  “Hey Ben,” he greeted his lawyer.  Yeah, it was Saturday afternoon.  But Lincoln paid the man enough for him to be there when he needed him.  And this issue definitely qualified.

“What’s up, Lincoln?” Ben asked in greeting.

“My assistant has been approached by a private investigator that claims to represent my father.”

“Your father?  I didn’t know that your father was still alive.”

“I didn’t know either. I’ve never spoken to the man.”

“Do you think that someone is trying to get to you?  Asking for money?” Ben asked.

“I don’t know.  But it all sounds pretty suspicious.”

“I agree.  I know of a really good private investigator myself.  Let me look into this and I’ll get back to you as soon as I have more information.”

“Sounds good,” Lincoln replied.  “Thanks.”  He hung up.  With that task done, he wandered through his house, trying to think of something to do.  He considered cooking dinner, but even though he’d skipped lunch, he wasn’t in the mood for food.  If Kinsley were here, he’d definitely make something for her.  Hell, he’d enjoy cooking something new and interesting if she were sitting on the other side of the counter, talking to him with those big, blue eyes of hers watching his every move.  Or even better, if she cooked with him.  He could imagine getting tangled up in the cooking process, kissing her as he moved from one place to another. Hell, he could easily imagine lifting her up onto his big countertop and making love to her right there in the kitchen!

Such was not to be, he told himself firmly.  The woman was engaged to be engaged.  And Kinsley wasn’t the kind who would cheat on her boyfriend, no matter what a wimpy ass Carl might be.

Chapter 11

Kinsley paced her apartment that evening, waiting for Carl to come by.  He’d called earlier this afternoon, only moments after she’d returned home.  So, she’d been startled and vulnerable.  Immediately, she’d invited him over for dinner and started cooking, making an elaborate meal to make up for her lack of control this afternoon.  Yes, she’d literally almost thrown herself into Lincoln’s arms and demanded a kiss!

But as she’d chopped and sliced, heating up the special sauce for the pasta, Kinsley knew that she’d had a moment with Lincoln.  And no matter the fact that that moment could never, ever, happen again, she also knew that she’d nearly cheated on Carl.  That was bad!

And since she had feelings, very strong feelings, for Lincoln, Kinsley knew what she had to do.  The only moral thing, the right thing, to do was to break things off with Carl.  Yes, they had a very long history together.  And yes, only this morning, she’d thought that she was going to marry Carl.  She had everything planned out, right down to the number of flowers in the centerpieces for the tables.

But after this afternoon, after realizing that her feelings for Lincoln had evolved into something more than just a friendship, she accepted that she couldn’t keep seeing Carl.  She had to break things off.

So when the doorbell rang that night, right at six o’clock, Kinsley was almost in tears.

“Hey honey,” Carl said, stepping into her apartment.  “Something smells delicious!”

He bent to kiss her and Kinsley couldn’t pull away.  But she turned her face so that he kissed only her cheek.

Immediately, Carl noticed the difference and looked at her curiously.  “What’s wrong?  Have you been crying?”

Kinsley looked up at him, wishing that she could feel the same intensity for Carl that she felt for Lincoln.  If she’d never met Lincoln, she never would have known that these kinds of feelings were possible. She would have gone her whole life, perfectly content with Carl.  They would have had a beautiful wedding with bridesmaids in lovely pink dresses holding blush pink roses. She’d