Her Kind of Man (28 page)

They stood like that for a minute, the water raining down on them. When she pulled away, she peered up at him. “Thank you,” she cried, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you so much.”

“Don't thank me,” he rasped out, his voice thick. “Now let me take care of you.”

He took a washcloth, poured her soap into it, and swept it down her neck, her shoulders, and across her chest. Turning her around, he rubbed it up and down her back. Kneeling down, he moved the cloth up and down her legs. Then he shampooed her hair. The gesture was so heartfelt, so sincere, Allina wanted to weep. Kent hadn't come into the shower to arouse her or make her tremble with need. His soft touch, the tender way he washed her, was his way of loving her.

Once he was done, he washed himself quickly and turned off the water. He grabbed a towel, dried her off, and wrapped it around her before he found another towel for himself, then picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom.

The bed had been made with clean sheets and a different comforter. He'd set out one of his T-shirts for her. Unwrapping the towel, he tugged the shirt over her head. He pulled the comforter back and smoothed his hand over the sheet and fluffed the pillows.

“I can put you some tea on,” he said, handing her the hair tie she often slept in.

Clutching the thin silk band in her hands, she smiled up at him. “You're spoiling me.”

He smiled at her. “For the rest of your life,” he said.

She felt a soft pang in her heart at his words. She didn't want to look into it, or assume he meant more than what he'd said.

“Kent?” she asked, grabbing his wrist when he started toward the door.

He glanced back over his shoulder, “What do you need, baby?”

There was so much she wanted to say. The only problem was knowing where to start. So she figured she'd start with the nonemotional stuff. “I want to call my parents. I haven't heard from them. They're probably on their way here.”

“I talked to your father,” he said. “Told him what happened. Your mother is fine, but the doctors want to keep her overnight because she had some dizziness.”

“I have to talk to them.”

“I know. He's waiting for your call.”

He handed her his phone and she dialed her father. The thickness in her father's voice when they talked, made Allina tear up as well. They chatted for a few minutes, then she talked to her mother. Her parents assured her that the doctors were keeping her only as a precaution. Allina felt relief wash over her.

When she hung up, she turned to Kent. “Thank God, she's okay. I don't know what I would have done if she wasn't.”

“I'm glad she is, too.”

Biting down on her bottom lip, she asked, “Kent?”

“Yes?” He brushed his thumb over her chin.

Allina told Kent to make sure all the doors and windows were locked.

There was still the matter of her bringing the gun with her to the hotel. The police had confiscated it, but Red told Kent he'd do his best to get it back to him by the end of next week. Red was confident the prosecutor wouldn't try to charge Allina with anything since she did have a valid license to carry.

“Oh,” she said. “And Kent?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Yes, baby.”

“I love you.”

Grinning, he placed a kiss on her lips. “Love you, too.”

Four months later

K
ent ran a finger down the curve of Allina's nose and over her lips. He smiled when she stirred. He'd spent the better part of an hour just watching her sleep, the way her hair fanned out against the white pillow, the soft rise and fall of her chest, the cute way she moaned. He let his gaze travel over her again, groaning at the sight of her. The moonlight streaming through the window, the way the thin white sheet barely covered her body…made him want to take her again right then. But their last bout of lovemaking had knocked her out.

It had been a hard four months since the hotel room incident, as they called it. Things had started to settle down recently, though—except for that awkward moment when Judge found out Allina had every intention of staying with Kent. He figured it had a lot to do with the realization that they were also sleeping together. While he'd managed to charm Sharon Parker quickly, the Judge was harder to win over. The older man was skeptical at first, but once Kent sat down and had a talk with him about his intentions, the older man softened his stance.

Isaac was arrested while in the hospital. Red made sure his friend at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office leveled every charge possible at the sadistic minister. And that was just with the Michigan court. Isaac still had to face trial in Ohio for murder. Of course, Isaac pled not guilty.

Even though Allina had denied it, the fool had still tried to blackmail her and her parents by threatening to reveal to anyone who'd listen his suspicions about who really killed Allina's aunt. Allina had lost sleep over it, and Kent had tried to comfort her. Somehow, after Allina's father paid a visit to Isaac, that problem just went away. Kent had his suspicions on what a conversation between the two men might have been like, but he kept his thoughts to himself and assumed there were some serious threats passed from her father to the minister.

The not-so-surprising influx of women who'd been victims of the crazy preacher contributed to the sensationalism of the trial. Every day for a week straight, a new woman appeared and came out with tales of the many horrible things she'd been subjected to at the hands of Isaac while attending Christian Dreams Church. All in all, eight women came forward. Lawsuits were filed and parishioners had begun to leave the church in droves.

The Hunter family washed their hands of their son amid the scandal and publicly spoke out against him to save face. During the discovery proceedings, attorneys for Bishop Hunter presented a signed affidavit from the sickly man stating that he'd had no idea his son was capable of such heinous acts, and had never participated himself in any payoff of any alleged victim. The outburst in the courtroom that followed was one for the books. Isaac accused his father of not only paying women off, but of being the aggressor himself.

The next day, Isaac's high-priced attorney submitted a motion to the court to withdraw from the case. Isaac was forced to deal with a public defender. Kent suspected Isaac's financial backing had disappeared when he tried to implicate his father in the wrongdoings.

Although most of the women were only at the trial for solidarity because the statute of limitations had passed on their own claims, Kent had delighted at the trepidation on Isaac's face when he saw the women sitting there. It was especially satisfying when Carla Little appeared in the courtroom, shocking Isaac so much he fell out of his chair.

Unfortunately, they didn't get to see Isaac found guilty in a court of law. The coward ingested a large of amount of rubbing alcohol along with other cleaning supplies and died of an overdose.

“What are you thinking about?” Allina asked, her husky voice interrupting his thoughts

Smoothing a hand down over her stomach and hips, Kent lowered his mouth to her forehead, then her nose, then her mouth, kissing her until she trembled underneath him.

“You're so damn beautiful,” he said before he touched his lips to her neck and her shoulder. “Beautiful,” he mumbled against her skin. He made his way down to her hardened nipple and suckled it into his mouth, enjoying her short, desperate intakes of air.

He couldn't get enough of her, and he'd shown her that most of the night. Everything about her seemed tailor-made for him. It had been days since they'd been able to spend some time together. Between her new business with Cali, her parents being in town, the court proceedings, and his job, they'd barely been able to talk.

Kent hadn't given his two-week notice like Allina wanted, but he did register his new graphic design company with the state. It was definitely a leap of faith, but he was almost ready to make the change. He'd already signed contracts with four companies in the area, two of them referrals from Red and Cali.

Her hands trailed up his back, looping loosely around his neck. “I can't believe we're here,” she breathed. “In Vegas.”

Kent had surprised Allina with tickets to Vegas to get away for a while. A smile tugged at his lips as he nipped at her earlobe and kissed the spot on her neck right below her ear.

“Aren't you glad we came?” he asked, rolling on top of her and kissing her in the way that drove her mad. Grasping one of her thighs, he hitched it up and slipped inside her.

She gasped against his mouth and dragged her nails across his back.

They made love at a leisurely pace, eyes locked on each other. When her eyes drifted closed, he knew it was time to pick up the pace. As they raced toward completion, he marveled at the way she matched him thrust for thrust. It was a rhythm they'd perfected in the past few months. He felt the tremors pass through her body before he heard her. Seconds later, they both found their release together.

Once their labored breathing calmed, he pulled back. “You didn't answer my question.”

She frowned and stared at him through her lashes. “What question?”

“I asked if you were glad we came?”

“Of course,” she said simply. “I needed to get away before the holidays and Syd's wedding.”

Morgan and Syd were marrying during the Christmas season because Kent's darling sister was a Christmas nut. Allina had been working nonstop on her friend's dress and running around with Cali to finalize details.

“I love my friend, but she is a bridezilla,” Allina said, giggling. The sounds of laughter coming from her plump mouth made him feel warm inside.
God, I love her
. “I told her to stop changing her mind every day about flowers, music, and up-lighting.”

He laughed. “Yeah, Cali cornered me in the bar last night and begged me to talk to her because Morgan and Red had refused to say anything.”

Allina dropped her head on Kent's chest as she shook with laughter. “Cali is a mess.”

Vegas without the crew wouldn't have been the same, and it worked out that all of their friends were able to come with them. The girls had spent the first day shopping while he and the fellas gambled.

“Have you talked to Den yet?” Allina asked.

Kent's relationship with Den had improved over the past months. The brothers had been talking more, which made Mama feel better. Things were still tense between Morgan and Den, but Kent had a feeling it wouldn't be long before the two would be able to mend fences. Syd really was better off with Morgan and Den knew it, too. He'd all but admitted it during one of their visits.

“I have,” he told her. “He'll be home before Christmas.” After Den's stay in the hospital he'd chosen to move away, figuring it was best to have a fresh start all around. Kent supported his decision.

“Good. I know Mama will be happy to see him.”

He picked up her hand, twisted the ring that was now on her finger. He brushed his lips against her palm. “I love you, Mrs. Smith.”

Grinning widely, she said, “I love you too, Mr. Smith.” Her brown eyes were gleaming as she smiled up at him.

“Any regrets?” he asked.

“No,” she said, kissing him softly. “Not a one.”

“I want to make an honest woman out of you.”

Allina recalled the moment Kent had said those words to her. It wasn't an elaborate event. He didn't take her for a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant or to a show or even to a baseball game to propose on the big screen. His proposal had been simple and understated.

They were at home, playing Uno. He was kicking her butt as usual, but instead of doing his usual fist pumps and gloating he'd pulled out the ring box and said, “You're
my
Uno.”

It was the corniest, sweetest thing anyone could have ever said to her. She wasn't sure if she'd shared with him or not, but in college, she and her friends used to always talk about finding their
one
. And he'd told her she was his
one
.

In pure Allina fashion, though, she'd fallen back in her chair. This time she ended up with a concussion. He'd rushed her to the emergency room. In front of the doctor, a nurse, and Syd, he told her he wanted to make an honest woman out of her. The nurse and Syd cried, and Allina couldn't even speak to say yes.

She couldn't help but smile at the sight of her husband of three hours. “I can't believe I'm your wife,” she breathed, staring at the beautiful diamond ring and matching band on her finger.

“I can,” he told her, sweeping his lips across her brow. “Your father was going to kill me if I didn't marry you.”

She laughed. “So, you married me to spare your own life?”

“Yes.” His eyes locked on hers. “But not because of your dad. Life without you is not possible. So, in a sense, I am saving my own life by making you my wife.”

“You just made a rhyme?” she asked, chuckling. “You are so corny now.”

With a wide grin, he said, “I know. What have you done to me, woman? Got me over here waxing poetic, saying crazy shit. Next thing you know, I'll be baking cakes and making crafts with you.”

She laughed again, and this time he joined her. “Saying yes was the best thing I could have ever done,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

“If I recall, you didn't
say
yes. You just nodded rapidly.”

She smacked his chest playfully. “Be quiet. I couldn't find the words.”

“You couldn't find the
yes
?”

Giggling, she pinched him. “Stop. You know what I mean.”

He planted a lingering kiss on her mouth. “I know, baby.”

In the months following “the hotel incident,” Allina had thrown herself into work. She'd made herself focus on anything but Isaac and the pending trial. Allina kept in touch with Carla and was happy when the other woman informed her that she was moving back to Ohio to stay with family.

After Isaac committed suicide, Allina had cried for days. Not because he was dead, but because it was over. There would be no rehashing everything that had happened and her aunt's death would still be considered a random act of violence. She didn't have to see him or hear his voice ever again.

“Babe?” Her husband's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Hi,” she said, smiling at him.

“Hey,” he murmured. “You okay?”

“I am. Today was exactly what I wanted.”

Frowning, he asked,” Are you sure?”

They'd gotten into an argument when Allina told him she didn't want a wedding. She'd already been there, done that. She'd suggested Vegas originally, but Kent had nixed that idea because he thought it was crazy.

But Allina's business was picking up and she didn't have time to plan her own wedding. And she didn't want to. Stubbornly, she'd refused to talk about a wedding anywhere until after the New Year—until he'd surprised her with the tickets to Vegas.

Their wedding had been exactly what she'd envisioned when she'd suggested it—just them, their friends, his mama, and her parents, under the moonlight. They'd chosen to write their own vows. They both promised to support each other always, to love each other through everything. Kent added a promise to eat her fried chicken in sickness and in health.

Syd and Cali stood up for her, while Morgan and Red stood up for him. Corrine was the flower girl and Brynn was the ring bearer. Cali found a cute little wagon that they used to wheel her growing and busy godchild down the aisle in. That was all Allina needed. It was quick and painless.

“I'm so sure,” she replied, checking out the band on his left hand. It was dark and masculine, just like him. “I just loved that everybody who mattered to me was able to make it.”

He nuzzled her neck. “As long as you're happy,” he mumbled against her skin, “I'm happy.”

Allina lowered her gaze when his hand brushed over her stomach. “When do you want to tell them?”

His thumb swept over her lower abdomen. “At breakfast,” he said. “I guess your father probably knows we've been sleeping together since we live together, huh?”

She gaped at him. “Really? You're worried about the Judge?”

Shaking his head, he said, “No. I was just saying…”

Kent was joking. That much she knew. He had developed a wonderful relationship with both of her parents and she was grateful for it. She held his hand against her stomach. “Next year, this time, we'll have a little Kent running around.”

The positive pregnancy test had almost sent Kent to the hospital with chest pains. But he quickly recovered and immediately hired a Realtor to find them a house. In less than seven months, she would be a mother. She was excited and terrified at the same time. But she wouldn't trade the feeling for anything.

“I hope so,” he said. “Because any daughter of mine is getting locked in the attic or something until she's thirty-five.”

“You're crazy,” she said, giggling. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she said, “Kent?”

“Yeah, babe.”

“Thank you.” She had no idea where she'd be right now if she hadn't ended up on his doorstep all those months ago.