Page 5 of Twice as Tempting

Chapter 3

Two nights later, Kelly was kicked back, binge-watching old episodes of Friends, when Ken called. She was surprised to see his name on the display after their last date, and if she were being honest, she had hoped it would be Damian calling instead.

“Hi, Ken,” she said and muted the television.

“Hi. I’m glad you picked up. I wasn’t sure after our dinner last week.”

Poor guy. If it weren’t for Damian waltzing back into town, she might have actually enjoyed Ken’s company.

“About that, I’m sorry, Ken. I had an off day.” That was putting it mildly!

“Maybe we could try again. There’s an outdoor concert at Depot Park on Friday, and I wondered if you would like to go with me.”

Damn! Of course, it had to be on the same day as Alex’s dinner—which Damian hadn’t officially asked her to yet.

“Kelly? You still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here.” What to do, what to do… “I have plans on Friday, but I’m available on Saturday night.”

Ken sighed. “I’m playing racquetball with some friends that night.”

Racquetball? Really? People still play that? “Oh. Well, I would like to see you again, but I guess it’ll have to be another time.”

“Yeah. Ok. I’ll call you next week.”

When Kelly hung up, she let out a stream of curse words. A few weeks ago, she had been optimistic about dating Ken. He seemed like the kind of guy who had his act together. He had a well-paying, interesting job (according to him), he was sweet, and he was into healthy living. He wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous, but he was good-looking, and she was mildly attracted to him. Emma had laughed when Kelly had told her that. “Mildly attracted? That doesn’t sound very promising, Kell,” Emma had said. But after Damian, Ken was the first guy that she could even say that about, so she had been willing to give him a shot. She hadn’t felt that spark (or fireworks), like she had with Damian, but hey, a good relationship was built on a lot more than sex. At least, that’s what people said.

Besides, now it was Wednesday evening, and Damian hadn’t made any effort to contact her. Kelly felt certain that Alex would have relayed her message, as anxious as Alex was to include her, but her son obviously didn’t feel the same. Maybe their “relationship” had just been about sex after all, and Damian was ready to move on to the next conquest, which was why Kelly wasn’t ready to kick Ken to the curb just yet. She felt a twinge of guilt at having turned him down for Friday, but there was still a chance that Damian might call. Plus, she had promised Emma to be nice to Damian, at least until the wedding, which was three months away. She could play nice for three months. The question was—could he?

The next day, Kelly decided that she might not be able to hold up her end of the bargain after all. She had worked until five, rushed to her Zumba class, and was now driving home, hot, sweaty, and disgruntled. Damian still hadn’t called, and at this point, she seriously doubted that he was going to. She was half-tempted to call Ken and ask if his offer for Friday night still stood, but when she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex, she became distracted.

There was a large, black Chevy truck parked in her designated space, and she could see the outline of a man sitting inside it. Kelly was just pissed off enough to consider laying on the horn, but then the driver’s side door of the truck opened and the man stepped out.

Holy shit. It’s Damian!

Kelly struggled to get her bearings as she parked her Volkswagen Jetta two spaces down from Damian’s truck. Breathe, Kelly, she reminded herself before she stepped out of her car.

Damian waited for her on the sidewalk, his hands shoved in the front pockets of his ripped Levi’s. He wore a black t-shirt with The Rolling Stones emblem on the front, and his usual scuffed brown work boots. The wind ruffled his wavy black hair, and she noticed the stubble that graced his chiseled face. The man is too sexy for his own good!

Kelly was still wearing her workout clothes: a bright pink tank top with a built-in sports bra, tight black yoga pants, and neon cross-trainers. Her long hair was caught up in a ponytail except for the tendrils that had escaped at the sides, and she was makeup free, having wiped it off before her workout. Even though she wasn’t “dolled up,” she felt sexy under Damian’s approving gaze.

“Hey,” he said when she joined him on the sidewalk.

“Hey,” she volleyed. Not a bad start.

“Got a minute?”

“Well, as you can see, I’m hot and sweaty, but as long as you don’t mind…” Her words trailed off because the look on his face practically singed her hair. She must have reminded him of all the times they had been “hot and sweaty” together, and now she was reminded too!

“I don’t mind,” he said gruffly.

Kelly motioned for him to follow her, and he stayed a comfortable distance behind while they tromped up the stairs to her third-floor apartment.

Damian had been there several times before, but he looked around as if he were seeing it for the first time.

“Have a seat,” Kelly said. “I’m going to grab some water. Do you want anything?”

Damian cleared his throat. “Got a beer?”