He’s trying really, really hard not to laugh when he says, “Yes, ma’am.”
When I turn toward Kenneth, I find him entering the trailer. Sighing like a diva in an old, black-and-white movie, I address the other soon-to-be thorn in my side. “Sticking to sausages, I see.”
Jericho gives me a long and meaningful look before speaking. “He was on my side of the courthouse when I was convicted.”
With that, he walks toward his truck as I head inside the trailer to figure out what damage Ken has done so far and find him shoveling all my clothes into bags he found in the small closet. All my designer clothes are shoved inside without a care in a world.
“Ken!” I rush to him. “Be careful! Please!”
“Oh.” He gives me a cheeky smile. “Sorry. I’m just trying to finish everything as soon as I can. I gotta run to town—I have a new hire coming in today.”
I put my hand on his, stopping the man from ruining the rest of my clothes. “I’ll finish it myself, and you can pick me up later when you’re done. Okay?”
His eyes soften, the evil, playful glint in his eye fading away. “Okay.”
I keep my hand on his, squeezing it lightly, trying to draw his attention. “But I don’t appreciate manipulation. Please, never do it again.”
His Adam’s apple bobbles with a swallow. “I can’t promise that.”
My heart skips a beat. “What do you mean?”
His face dips in front of mine, his eyes piercing my soul as his large hands grip my hips. “It means that I’ll do anything I can to get you into my bed.”
“I’m already in your bed, Kenneth.” I roll my eyes.
“Permanently, Josie.” His eyes dart between mine. “I need you there permanently.”
Swallowing at the intensity of his voice, I can’t find the right words to reply to him. It seems as if he’s run out of them as well because all he can do is lean down for a quick peck on my lips. “Call me when you’re done.”
* * *
When Kenneth leaves, Jericho and I run through our plans one more time before his crew arrives in two days. But the man himself stays to start the demolition right away. He gets here early every morning and leaves late at night.
We’re going to start with changing the foundation and then the roof. When it’s settled, we’ll move to the wiring and plumbing. And after that, we can start working on the inside of the house. Once it was all mapped out, I started seeing the light at the end of the very dark tunnel I’d been burying myself in for months now.
Since Kenneth tricked me into moving in with him, I’ve stayed in the guest bedroom just to teach him a lesson. It’s been two days, and I still haven’t talked to him. My only silent companion has been the parrot, who I’ve found is an excellent listener and keeps my secrets. For some unexplainable reason, Kenneth lets him stay. The first morning I stayed at his place, I saw the big softie taking the seeds out of an apple before he offered it to the bird. I don’t know if he’s given him a name since I’m not talking to the man, and the bird never responds because he clearly can’t talk, so I just keep calling him ‘Bird.’
* * *
A month has passed, and we have settled into a cozy routine. Kenneth and I both wake up at six in the morning, one of us gets breakfast ready while the other takes a shower. Then he drops me off at the Ghost House where Jericho’s crew performs miracles at the speed of light without sacrificing quality. Every single day I see him and his men work, I know I made the right choice.
I also know I was totally tricked because every single guy on the crew is polite and respectful. Not once have I noticed a dirty look sent my way, and I’ve been working around rough and crude men for long enough that I’ve encountered plenty of the type. I love this job despite all of that, but sometimes it gets to me. Working here, in this remote location, hasn’t made me feel icky even once.
Maybe it has something to do with the stern looks Kenneth sends at everyone when he picks me up every single evening. He’s very territorial of his space and people and made sure to mention that I’m the only person he’d give up his side of the bed for. It’s adorable really—how much he likes all his cups arranged one way and his plates another. He likes the pillows on his couch at a certain degree. He also likes his bathroom sink free of clutter.
Or he used to like all of that, because since I moved in, he doesn’t have any of that. I like mismatched mugs more than I like his expensive tea set with golden flowers on the bottom. I like cushions to not just be pretty but also comfortable, and that doesn’t happen when they’re sitting stiff behind my back. I also love my lotions and makeup, but Ken’s bathroom cabinet had zero space available, so I had to improvise. I see the way his jaw sets every time he goes to shave, but I just shrug, reminding him he chose it himself. He usually slaps me on the ass, and I end up bent over the sink and him with his pants down around his ankles. Needless to say, I make sure to stick around when he shaves.
I’ve also learned that he doesn’t like to share me with anyone. Even Alicia. He gets grumpy when I choose to go to her house for a movie. I got mad at first, thinking he was trying to control my freedom, but soon I came to understand that it’s just his love language.
Not like we’ve shared love proclamations, but we care for each other. Dare I even say deeply. So eventually I gave up on constantly fighting him on that and sometimes invite him over when Mark is there too.
When Kenneth first saw our choice of movie for the evening, he was terrified. But twenty minutes intoMean Girls, he is popping popcorn into his mouth from the giant bowl he placed on my ankles that rest on his lap and discussing theories about how the movie will play out. He and Mark even start arguing at some point over the protein bars mentioned in the movie. Alicia and I are both snorting from laughing at them, scaring the crap out of their dog Ghost.
And I still haven’t met his mother.
ChapterThirty-Four
KENNETH
