Her Kind of Man (15 page)

“Are you okay?” he asked, his chest heaving. “What's wrong?”

She gripped her throat and looked away. “I can't…we can't do this right now.”

Frowning, his gaze darted around the room. “O…kay. Did I do something wrong?”

Wrapping a hand around his wrist, she assured him, “No. It's not you. It's just…I've never done this before.” His mouth opened but nothing came out, so she took the opportunity to explain herself. “I mean, I'm assuming you want to have sex with me.”

His mouth clamped shut. A second later, he said, “Eventually. I don't think I was expecting it to happen today.”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “Just so we're clear, I've never…I don't…”

“What?”

“I've never had sex,” she blurted out. “I'm a virgin.”

His eyebrows rose. “Still?” he asked.

Gaping, she smacked him on his shoulder. “Yes, still! What is that supposed to mean?”

“I'm just saying, I had a feeling you were before you got with the minister, but I just assumed that he…” He rubbed his forehead and relaxed into the cushions. “You were going to marry the guy. I can't imagine marrying anybody without…Never mind.”

She assumed he was referring to that old saying, something about buying the merchandise without trying it on. “No, we've never even done more than kissing and touching above the waist.”

“Oh.”

Oh?
Allina wanted to crawl into a hole. She knew that Kent was very experienced. He was a football player, for Christ's sake. Silly girls on campus made it their mission to bed athletes. Everybody knew it.
I'm sure, as a young man, he embraced it
.

He didn't know it, but she'd overheard him tell Red one day that he didn't have time for inexperienced lovers. She'd never been ashamed of her virginity. In fact, she embraced it and never thought she'd have sex with anyone other than the man she would marry—until now.

Allina wasn't that naïve. She didn't expect Kent to propose to her because they'd admitted they had feelings. But she found herself in the very different position of actually considering the act of making love to someone who hadn't pledged his love to her before God and a church full of people. She'd never felt that way before—not even with Isaac, her would-be husband.

Turning to her, he squeezed her thigh. “I didn't know that,” he said. “But it's okay. We don't have to go any further than this.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “I'm sorry.”

His forehead creased. “What are
you
apologizing for?”

“I know you don't do virgins,” she said.

“Why do you say that?”

She crossed her legs and picked at the fabric of her pants. “I heard you say something like that to Red a long time ago.”

He scratched the back of his head. “Allina, I think you probably took the conversation out of context.”

“No, you said that you didn't have time for inexperienced women.”

He leaned back, a slight furrow in his brow, as if he was trying to recall the conversation. “I don't remember that. But if I did say that, it had nothing to do with you.”

Fiddling with her earring, she said, “I'm not sure if I'm ready. And I just don't want to disappoint you.”

“I'm not worried about that,” he told her, leaning in and planting another searing kiss on her lips. “Everything will fall into place when the time is right.”

“Wait. I feel like since I'm being honest, I should say something else.”

“What is it?” he asked.

She picked a piece of lint from her pants. “I hadn't planned on doing that until I got married.”

He closed his eyes and exhaled. “That's…fine,” he croaked.

Giggling, she said, “Kent, don't. You can tell me the truth. I know it's probably not something you've ever had to worry about with anybody else.”

“Yeah,” he conceded. “You're the first. But, Allina, I'll never push you to do something you're not comfortable with. Okay?”

She nodded and fell into his outstretched arms, beaming when he kissed her forehead. They stayed like that for a little while, talking about the week ahead, before he walked her to her room and went to bed.

A
llina grinned down at her bright-eyed godbaby. It had been a few hours since Kent had dropped her off at Syd's and Allina had been excited to spend those hours looking after Brynn while Syd cleaned up around the house. Syd had named both Allina and Calisa godmothers of her daughter. It was an honor Allina took very seriously, and also one that filled her heart with incredible joy. She loved every moment she spent with Brynn and would have been perfectly happy to hold her until Kent picked her up around six o'clock.

“I'm so glad you're here,” Syd said, wiping down the countertops. “And what's this I hear about you frying chicken?”

“I did,” Allina admitted. “Kent tore it up last night and took some to work with him this morning. I had saved you and Morgan a few pieces but accidentally forgot to bring them with me.”

“Aw man,” Syd groaned. “If only you had called earlier. No matter how hard I try, I can't get my chicken to turn out like yours.”

“I'll show you one day.” Allina looked down at Brynn, who seemed to be studying her. “And I'll show you, too, baby girl.”

Brynn gurgled and stuffed a fist in her mouth.

Syd finally took a seat across from Allina. “She loves you.”

“I love her,” Allina said, rubbing Brynn's soft arm.

“So, what's going on with you?” Syd asked, drumming her fingers against the table.

Allina felt a blush creep up her neck when she thought about her “talk” with Kent. She knew her friend would understand where she was coming from, having been with only two men in her life. But after Allina had climbed into bed, she couldn't stop thinking about her escalating physical attraction to Kent. It was amazing what a few hot kisses would do to a person.

“We…kissed.”

Syd smacked a hand on the table. “You're kidding. Again?”

Allina nodded. “More than once.”

“Lina!” Syd shouted with glee, clapping her hands. “Girl, you've been holding back this entire time. That should have been the first thing you said when you walked in here.”

“I know,” Allina agreed. “But you were busy getting Brynn fed and bathed. Then you started cleaning up and I was bonding with little Brynn, I had to wait for the right time to bring it up.”

“You know Cali is going to have a fit.”

“Cali is going to trip out. Where is she, by the way? I thought she was coming over.”

Syd stood up and grabbed her phone off the kitchen island. “She was supposed to come by with Corrine. She took some time off this week. I'm going to text her.” Her friend tapped at the screen, then set it down on the table. “She'll call back. Finish telling me what happened. Did he kiss you first this time? Did he
only
kiss you?”

“Syd!” Allina giggled. “You're relentless.”

“Spill, then,” Syd said.

Allina looked down at Brynn, who was miraculously sleeping peacefully. “Do you want to put her down?”

Syd picked up her baby and kissed her three times on her forehead before she walked out of the kitchen. Allina wondered what Kent was doing, if he was thinking about her like she was him.

“Want something to drink?” Syd asked, shuffling back into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice.

“I'll have a bottle of water.”

Her friend grabbed a bottle and gave it to her. “Let's go in the family room.”

Allina followed Syd to the sunken family room. Morgan's house was huge and he'd designed it himself. She'd visited countless times, but everything had changed since Sydney moved in. It was like she'd brought color into Morgan's home. Instead of drab earth tones, now there were bold reds, rich browns, and a hint of green.

She plopped down on the huge sectional and Sydney sat in the La-Z-Boy chair. “I feel like a bum,” Allina said, taking a sip of her water.

“Why do you say that?” Syd asked.

“I'm not doing anything. I've been working, in some capacity, since I was a teenager. Not having a job is killing me.” Judge had required she get a part-time job as soon as she could drive. They weren't broke—far from it—and she hadn't been required to contribute to household bills. It was just his way of teaching her how to manage money.

“Allina, it's been like four days. I'm sure you worked at that damn bridal shop all the way up to your…well, your big day.”

Syd knew her too well. Allina had refused to take a day off prior to the ceremony. She'd argued with Isaac because he'd wanted her to take a month off after the wedding and she'd refused. In the end, she'd relented and scheduled a two-week vacation. Even then, she'd told her boss at the time that she'd probably be back early.

“I need to do something to keep me busy.”

“So, you're staying?” her friend asked.

Allina had already decided to stay put in Michigan. She loved it in the “Mitten” as they called it. “Yes. This is where I belong. So, I need a job. Soon, I'll have to find a place. I can't continue to mooch off Kent.”

“I'm sure he doesn't mind,” Syd said. “He has the money, so let him help you.”

“Excuse me; I know you're not talking.” Allina folded her arms across her chest and looked at her best friend pointedly. When Syd took a leave from her full-time job as an engineer for one of the automotive companies in the area to follow Morgan to Baltimore, she'd called Allina crying about how she felt weird depending on a man.

“Well, my situation was different,” Syd said. “I moved to a different state. I had no support, and I was pregnant and emotional.”

“Whatever,” Allina muttered. “It's not that I don't think that Kent
can
take care of me. I know he can. I just don't want him to. We're not married. All we've shared is a few kisses—”

“And years of friendship,” Syd added, interrupting her. “If you want to do something, help me plan my wedding. Cali could use the help.”

“I actually want to talk to Cali anyway. I hope she's willing to think about going into business together again. I really want my own shop, Syd.”

“Yes, Allina!” Syd shouted, her eyes gleaming. “It's about time. And your first order of business can be my wedding.”

“Wait a minute. Don't get ahead of yourself. Cali hasn't agreed. I did leave her in the lurch.”

But Allina really hoped Cali would agree. It would do her a ton of good to start working on something she'd wanted to do for ages. They'd talked about opening a store that specialized in everything wedding and party planning, a one-stop shop, for years. Cali would plan and coordinate the events and Allina would design the gowns. Although the planning part wasn't necessarily her forte, Allina knew enough about the business to contribute effectively. After all, she was Sharon Parker's daughter. It was a big risk, an expensive venture, but Allina knew it would pay off in the end.

“I know she will,” Syd said. “I'm going to help out as much as I can. I'll be an investor.”

Allina smiled at her friend. “I love you, Syd,” she said. “You've always been so supportive of me.”

“As you have for me. So, tell me about getting kissy with Kent,” Syd said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Was it everything you imagined?”

“He's a really good kisser.” Allina flashed back to his full lips on hers, the feel of his tongue against hers. “But…” She chewed on her fingernail. “I'm a little concerned. We kind of went from zero to sixty very quickly, and I—”

“Did he take your clothes off?” Syd asked, eyes wide.

“No,” Allina said, shaking her head vigorously. “Not even close. Well, not really.”

“But you said…” Syd scrunched her nose. “Never mind. What happened?”

“We kissed, and he touched me—”

“Below your waist?” Syd shrieked.

“No,” Allina told her friend.

Syd sat back, twisted her lip, and rocked back and forth in the chair. “Fine. Go ahead and finish the story.”

“Well, he picked me up and carried me to the couch and we were kissing the whole way. Then when he laid me down, he—”

“You're killing me! Did he at least touch your boob?”

Allina burst out in a fit of laughter. “Syd, you're too much.”

“What?” Her friend batted her eyelashes with an innocent shrug of her shoulders. “You're beating around the bush. I just want to know the details.”

“I'm quite sure you're getting plenty of action.” Allina remembered her friend telling her that she couldn't get enough of Morgan. “You don't need my little make-out information that bad.”

“Yes, but I have a newborn,” Syd said. “We barely have time to do anything.”

“Anyway,” Allina said, bringing her friend's attention back to the matter at hand. “I ended up stopping him.”

“What? Why?” Syd asked.

“Because I'm not ready to go any further. We talked and I told him I was a virgin.”

Syd chuckled. “How did he take that?”

Allina shrugged. Kent had said it was okay with him, but she had her doubts. He was a man who'd never had to work hard to get female attention. That he would be willing to wait for her still seemed unbelievable. “He was fine; such a gentleman. He held me for a while, and then gave me a sweet, but sexy, kiss goodnight.”

“See, I told you.” Syd patted herself on the back. “I knew it would work out if you were honest about your feelings for him.”

Allina bit her lip. “But I need some help.”

“What is it?” Her friend leaned in, perched her hand under her chin.

With Allina's history, she'd once thought it was impossible to be sexually attracted to someone. But Kent had awakened something in her. It was exciting and frightening at the same time, for so many reasons.

Taking a deep breath, Allina said, “I'm not ready, but I'm also not opposed to going further with him. I'm scared, though.”

“Scared of what?”

“I don't know what I'm doing. I just got out of a relationship on Friday. What do I look like making out with someone on Monday?”

“Allina, I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating. You've known Kent forever. And you weren't really in love with Isaac.” Allina opened her mouth to speak, but Syd rushed on. “Even if you were, he is an ass who has done some shitty things, including threatening you—and me.”

Syd was right about all of the above. The fact that Allina had been planning to marry Isaac had little to do with love. She'd fooled herself into thinking it did. “I know. But those are not my only reasons for putting a stop to it. There's…the Lord,” Allina whispered.

Syd covered her mouth with her hand in a bad attempt to hide her smile.

“I know what you're going to say,” Allina continued. “But it's the truth. I'm torn. I want him; don't get me wrong. But I do have my faith to consider.”

“Well, I'd never tell you to go against what you believe,” Syd said. “I do think that Kent is wonderful, and I love him. He's funny, fine, and fiercely protective of those he loves. You could do a lot worse, but not much better. At the same time, and despite what I said earlier, I do think you did the right thing by slowing things down—for now.”

“You do?”

“It's your first time, and you're not really ready. Because if you were, and it was feeling good to you, nothing could have stopped it. I really think this situation with Isaac needs to be settled before you get too involved with Kent. Take it from me. I know of what I speak.”

Allina thought about what Syd said. It was exactly what Kent had told her himself. Perhaps it was better to give it some time, which meant no more kisses either.

“And as far as the other thing, you not knowing what to do…don't worry about that,” Syd said. “It's natural to feel a bit hesitant. It's new for you, and your feelings are probably overwhelming right now. But when, or if, it does happen, just go with it. Don't think about it too much.”

Allina toyed with a lock of her hair, staring at a picture on the mantel of all of them together. Her eyes focused in on Kent, on the genuine smile on his face. She remembered when they'd taken the photo, during a group vacation to Las Vegas. It was her first time in Sin City and she'd surprisingly had a blast.

Over the years, she'd done a lot of things she'd thought she never would and it'd turned out well for her. There was a lot she regretted in her life, but not attending the University of Michigan. It was where she'd met her friends, the most important people to her besides her parents. Thinking about good times made her more determined to set things right.

“You're right,” Allina said. “I won't worry about it. Whatever is happening between me and Kent will happen on its own. But is it completely and utterly scandalous to look forward to it?”

Syd winked. “Oh yeah, very scandalous—in the best possible way.”

The sound of the baby crying interrupted their girl time and Syd jumped to her feet, leaving Allina sitting there.

While she waited for Syd to come back, she dialed her parents' house. Around this time every day, her mother would be glued to the television watching some talk show or her favorite soap opera. It would be a good time to check in with her, hear her voice.

No answer.

Mid-afternoon, during the week, and Sharon Parker wasn't at home?

Allina tried her mother's cell. It went straight to voicemail. “What in the world is going on?” she murmured to herself. Trying again, she tapped her foot against the tile. The phone was ringing. She hoped her mother would answer, but for some reason, she didn't have a good feeling about it.

She heard someone pick up the phone, but her mother didn't say “Hello” in a singsongy voice like she always did.

“Mom,” she called. “Mom!”