Crazy For You (6 page)

“Here, taste this and tell me what you think.”

Hypnotized, she kept her eyes on his and obediently opened her mouth. When he slipped the warm spoon inside and the cream coated her lips and tongue, her heart took on a different rhythm. The thermostat in her body grew steadily. Taking it slow, he pulled the spoon out, and with his finger wiped away a spot on her lips where the sauce had r
emained, then licked it off his own finger.

“Well? What do you think?” His voice was lower than it had been a moment ago.

H
er mind went blank from everything else but him. Things she shouldn’t be thinking about clouded her mind.
She breathed in his musky scent and wanted to close her eyes and float away on a dream cloud.

“I...I...” She mumbled like a fool, but was unable to correct the mistake.

He grinned. Setting the spoon down on the stove counter, he moved toward her. Her wobbly legs retreated, but they only succeeded in backing her up against a wall. Now he had her pinned.
I’m in big trouble.

He pressed
against
her. It was all she could do not to
sigh
aloud. When he brushed his fingers so very gently up her neck and face and threaded them through her hair, she closed her eyes, unable to watch his heated green eyes any longer.

“
Kendra
,” he whispered huskily. “
Heaven
help me, but I want to
kiss
you when you look at me li
ke that
.”

Stay angry!
She brought up her shaky hands and pushed on his chest, intending to stop him. But once his muscles flexed, all thoughts of stopping him fled.

“I’ve wanted to
kiss
you since last night.” He bent his head and placed his mouth
to the curve of her neck. A sigh
broke from her throat.

“You smell wonderful,” he muttered.

So do you.

She had to stop him. She had to stop herself, yet her voice wouldn’t work and her body ignored her. Once he gathered her in his arms, she was lost for sure. He kissed her neck
, sending tingles everywhere. Her
body melted against his, and she was totally in his control. She clung to the edge of his shirt for support.

“
Kendra
, you take my breath away.”

She knew exactly what he meant, because for some inane reason, she found it hard to breathe. She
tried to moisten her throat to talk, but it was utterly impossible.
“Eli—”

The shrilling ring from the phone in the kitchen erased from her mind what she’d been wanting. When the second ring sounded, it had pulled her complete
ly out of her hypnotized state.
Disappointment flooded through her, creating lon
eliness. She quickly moved
to
answer
the phone.

“Hello?” Her voice sounded much too deep to be normal.

“
Kendra
?”

Inwardly she groaned. “Yes, Dad, it’s me.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Eli turned off the stove and left the kitchen. Sh
e released a ragged sigh. Thank goodness
she’d gotten out of that scrape, but what would happen if he convinced her to continue this later? Would she want to experience the
spinning in her head and fluttering in her chest that he gave her earlier
?

She leaned her forehead against the wall for support, but her legs still quivered. She wobbled to the kitchen chair and sat.

“How did Lisa’s party go last night? Anything exciting happen?” her dad asked.

That’s an understatement.
“No, in fact, I couldn’t wait to get home. You know how fake people can be.”

“Yes, dear, I do know. But your dress must have been a hit. Your mother talked to a few ladies who’d attended the party and they all said you looked beautiful.”

She smiled. “Thanks Dad. You know, this morning when I arrived to work, George told me that we’d sold five more dresses.”

He laughed. “That’s my girl. You’ve certainly made me proud.”

“Dad?” she asked, quickly changing the subject. Suddenly, Eli’s remark about her father’s connections disturbed her. “Can I ask you a serious question?”

“Sure, honey.”

“Do you like
Terrel
?”

He laughed. “Of course I like
Terrel
. He’s a very successful man that will provide a good life for my daughter. What’s not to like?”

“Do you think he’s marrying me because of...well...because of the ties our family has with New York City?”

Her father paused, and the lengthy silence bothered her. After a few awkward moments, he spoke. “I was never totally satisfied with any of your boyfriends, mainly because I wondered if they just wanted you because of our family name. When I first met
Terrel
, I wondered the same thing, but he seems like a man who’s got his head on straight. He treats you well, gives you anything you want, and he hasn’t once asked me for money or my influence.”

“Do you think he will?”

“
Kendra
, honey, why do you ask?
Are you having second thoughts about marrying him?”

She let out a deep sigh. “Sometimes I think I am, but then it’s just because I’m getting nervous. I think
Terrel
is a great guy, and on a few occasions I find myself questioning my love for him, but all in all, I think he loves me, and he wants to provide for me.”

“I think so, too. But honey, does he love you the way you want to be loved?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead. This was something she didn’t want to answer.
Terrel
wasn’t exactly gifted in the lovey-dovey side of their romance. He’d not once made her
heart flip like a fish out of water,
or turn her mind to mush. Not like Eli.

She cursed under her breath. She should
not
have thought of him!

“Dad, I really appreciate your help.”

“Well, I love you,
Kendra
, and if you don’t feel right about marrying
Terrel
, your mother and I will understand. I’d hate to see you make the biggest mistake of your life by marrying the wrong man.”

“Thanks, Dad. I needed to hear that.”

When she hung up the phone, peacefulness settled in her heart. She still didn’t know exactly how to handle the situation with Eli, but at least she wasn’t as angry as she’d been when she first entered her apartment.

Eli paced the floor in his room, cursing the untimely phone call. He hadn’t planned on
liking
Kendra
so much—or thinking about kissing her all the time—when
he first set out on his mission. He’d seen her before at a distance and thought she was a very beautiful woman, but she belonged to
Terrel
. Yet now...now he didn’t want her to belong to
Terrel
. That evil man—who had the audacity to call himself a Montgomery—didn’t deserve a precious, delicate flower like
Kendra
. A flower full of spunk, too.
And passion...
Too
passionate!

He stopped at the window and parted the blinds a little, overlooking the street that crossed in front of the apartment building. Taking deep breaths, he calmed
himself
.
So far, so
good
.
Yet time was running out, and he couldn’t get distracted from his goal. The week would soon be at an end, and before next Saturday, he had to stop
Kendra
from marrying
Terrel
. At the same time, he had to encourage her to find a way to release the rightful President of Montgomery Aisle from the mental hospital.

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Could he possibly get everything accomplished in such a short time? He had to. His life—his very existence—depended on it. And he couldn’t get caught. He had the distinct feeling someone had followed him. If they found him, they’d take him back. That couldn’t happen until after he brought
Terrel
down.

From out in the other room,
Kendra
’s voice echoed in the kitchen as she said goodbye to her father.
Eli
hesitated in going out to talk to her. She’d be upset from what had just transpired between them. He couldn’t let her hate him. His whole plan would be ruined.

“Eli?” she called.

With a heavy sigh, he walked into the front room where she waited for him, arms folded across her chest and her lips tight.

“Yes?” He took hesitant steps toward her.

“We need to have a little talk.”

“Okay.” He sat on the sofa.

She remained where she was by the small
bookcase
in the corner of the room. “I talked with
Terrel
today.”

He lifted his brow. Why wasn’t she going to yell at him for kissing her? “And what did he say?”

“You mean you don’t know?”

He shrugged.
“Apparently not.
I don’t know what lies he’s been telling lately.”

“Well, let’s just say he painted a different picture of Joshua Montgomery than you did.”

He creased his forehead. “Of course he did.
Terrel
has never liked Joshua because of the closeness Joshua and his father shared.”

She shook her head. “See, there again,
Terrel
tells a different story.”

He relaxed back in the cushions, crossing one leg over the other and stretching his arm over the back of the couch.
“Oh, really?
What exactly did he say?”

“Only the truth.”

“Maybe
Terrel’s
truth.”

“The truth is the truth.”

“And I guess you’re going to believe him over me?”

“Of course.
Terrel
is my fiancé and you’re still a stranger to me.” She tucked a lock of her
brown
hair behind her ear.

He stared at her while he wracked his brain with ways to convince her. But she wasn’t going to believe a stranger. This was only a temporary snag in his plan, but one he’d figure a way out of soon.

He scrubbed his hand over his goatee. “Okay, let me think of someone you can talk to who knew Joshua when Adam was alive.
Maybe a servant?”

She shook her head. “I’ve already tried that. Apparently, Lisa dismissed Adam’s
servants
right after his death.”

“I’m sure they’re around New York somewhere.”

She huffed. “You’re bound and determined to make a liar out of my fiancé, aren’t you?”

He jumped up. Taking three long strides, he stood in front of her. Color disappeared from her face, her eyes widening. Crap! He didn’t want to frighten her.
Just the opposite.

He inhaled slowly, cooling his fury. “
Kendra
.” He caressed her cheek, loving the softness of her smooth skin. “I’m sorry you think the worst in me, but I must admit
,
I
a
m
trying to prove your fiancé is a liar. I hate to point out the fact that I know him better than you, but I do.
Terrel
isn’t going to show you his bad side because he needs you, or more specifically, he needs your family’s influence.”

Her chest rose and fell with her quick breaths. Did it stem from her fright or his closeness?

“Give me one more day, please?” He ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. “I’ll locate one of Joshua’s servants and you can ask them.”

She licked her lips. “Eli, I don’t know anymore.”

“Just one more day, please?” He leaned forward and kissed her neck, just under her ear. Her erratic pulse quickened, as did his heartbeat. This was too exciting, but he didn’t want to push her. Now was not the time to continue this.

“One more day and that’s all,” she said in a shaky voice.

Although he wanted to take her in his arms and smother her with kisses, he regained control over his
impulses
and pulled back. Her eyes had been closed and her lips slightly parted. And, when her lids fluttered open, her eyes were dark with passion.

He stayed close, not really wanting to break the heat sparking between them right now. The longer he watched her face, the more he wanted to kiss her, especially when her attention dropped to his lips. How could he stop himself now? Not when the curious look of interest was evident in her eyes.

He stroked the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip again. “
Kendra
, do you know how irresistible you are?”