The Future of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #6) (11 page)

Ethan
and Kyle spent a little over an hour with Gavin before leaving
without her seeing them. She didn't want to seem too eager, but she
didn't want Kyle to change his mind. The thought of spending time
with him sent a shiver through her body. Even if it was only once to
look at his house, she was taking him up on the offer. Gavin walked
into his office and shut the door. Jenny pulled her phone out and
started a message.

Jenny:
I'm usually available after six on weekdays and all day on weekends.
You're the one with the busy schedule. Seeing as you don't have an
assistant, you can check your own schedule. :-) When would you like
to show me your place?

She
didn't get a reply right away and couldn't help the nervous feeling
she had. Was he just doing it to be nice, or did he really want to
show her? What would Gavin say if he knew Kyle invited her over?
Becky would laugh and make fun of her. She had been trying to figure
out Kyle the entire week in Hawaii. Jenny's thoughts went back to the
previous week. There were times he was defensive and crabby, but
there were also times he was sweet and caring. Who was Kyle, she
wondered? She had only found out a few small things about is life
while they were there. What else didn't she know about him?

She
was just cleaning up the conference room from Gavin's meetings he'd
had that day and was glad he wouldn't be as busy the next day. Her
phone was on the table while she cleaned out the trash and washed
down the counter in the corner where she had coffee sitting during
the day. When her phone vibrated and moved around, she wanted it to
be Kyle but was sure it was Gavin looking for her. She was pleasantly
surprised when she brought the screen to life.

Kyle:
Are you busy tonight?

She
quickly replied.

Jenny:
No.

Kyle:
Are you sure your dad will let you out of house?

Jenny:
Very funny. Nevermind.

Kyle:
I was just kidding. I'll be home around seven tonight. Ethan's ass
finally left. I'll pick up something to eat. We're both leaving late.
You can just eat at my house.

Jenny:
You don't have to do that. I can stop and get something if you'd
like. What do you want?

Kyle:
I'll get it. Be there at seven.

Jenny:
Yes, sir. Maybe you don't need an assistant after all.

Kyle
didn't respond to her text for a few minutes, and she'd started to
worry that she had upset him. It was much easier to be sarcastic in
writing than it was in person. Just before six, he sent a text with
only his address. She wasn't sure it was a good idea to go to his
house after all. If he was in a bad mood, she really didn't want to
make it worse. It seemed like every time she opened her mouth, she
was offending him.

Jenny
decided to stay a bit late and go to Kyle's straight from work. If
she left at her regular time, she'd walk in the door at Gavin's and
have to leave right away again. Being gone that whole week had put
her behind a bit on her work anyway. Gavin had gone to a meeting and
was going home from there. Jenny really didn't want to take the
chance of having to explain herself to him or Becky. He wouldn't even
realize she was still at the office anyway.

She'd
gotten a lot accomplished during that extra hour she was there. When
she walked out to her car, she felt really good. She typed a quick
message to Becky that she was meeting up with a friend and would be
home later. Then she input Kyle's address into her GPS. It said it
was a thirty minute drive and would put her there right at seven.

The
closer she got, the more nervous she became. She didn't want to do
anything to irritate Kyle and wanted her visit to go smoothly. The
time they spent watching a movie and running together on vacation was
nice. She really could see herself becoming good friends with him. He
was a great guy, and she couldn't help but wonder how it was that he
was still single. Sure, she was, but she was divorced already. She
felt like a teenager as she pulled her car onto his street. Her palms
were sweating, and her hands were shaking. Cut it out, she told
herself. He's not interested in you like that. Relax. He's just a
friend of Gavin and Ethan's.

When
she pulled her car up his long driveway, she instantly fell in love
with his house. She couldn't see the house from the street. There
were trees on both sides of the drive. The house was surrounded by
woods. It was like his own place where nobody could bother him. What
a dream, she thought. There was a porch light on that lit up the
entire front of the house. It was beautiful. The wood porch wrapped
around the entire front and side of the huge, two-story house. His
garage was attached and could fit at least three cars inside. She
would have loved to have seen his front yard, but it was too dark
out. Jenny stepped nervously onto the porch and looked over to see a
swing with pillows on it. She let herself imagine sitting out on a
cool night, relaxing on the swing, reading a book, and listening the
noises of nature that would surround her. She jumped when she heard
the front door open.

“
Were
you going to knock?” Kyle asked.

“
Sorry,”
she said. “I was just admiring your porch and swing.”

When
she turned to face him, she let out a tiny gasp that she covered
quickly with her hand to her mouth. Kyle had lost his suit jacket and
was standing with his tie hanging loose around his neck, his top two
buttons open, and the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up. Her eyes
moved down his body to see his shirt hanging out and only socks on
his feet. Her body warmed instantly. Maybe it was a bad idea to go
there, she thought. What had she gotten herself into?

Kyle

Kyle
was looking forward to showing her around his house. He was so damn
proud of his home and what he had accomplished. He picked up food on
the way home and was hoping she wouldn't back out at the last minute.
When he saw her standing on his front porch looking over toward the
swing, he watched her lost in her thoughts. She looked so cute
standing there. He knew he needed to open the door and pull her back
to reality from wherever she was. When he watched her eyes travel up
and down his body, he felt as if she were checking him out but knew
better than to think that. She was just being nice by agreeing to
come and see his house.

“
Isn't
it great? I knew when I saw Heath's that I wanted a house that was
off on its own. If I had been quicker, I could have bought Tara's
house. He'd totally redone the entire thing. Then she moved in with
him. I thought about it but wasn't ready at the time. I kind of
wanted a house that wasn't personal to them though. It would have
felt strange to me. Come on in. Did you come straight from work?”

“
I
did,” she said, as she stepped through the door. “I
needed to catch up from vacation and Gavin was out at a meeting. It's
easier to get things done with everyone is gone sometimes.”

“
I
know what you mean,” he said. “I do a lot of work here at
night. There's nobody going in and out of my office. Ethan's the
worst for that. He stands in my doorway and waits for me to
acknowledge him. I can't complain too much though. He's been so damn
good to me. I picked up Chinese. Hope that's okay. I got a few
different things since I didn't think to ask you what you liked.”

“
You
didn't have to do that,” she said shyly. “That was really
nice of you.”

“
We
should probably eat first. Is that okay?” he asked.

“
Sure,”
she answered.

He
walked through the house to the dining area. She followed behind him
quietly. He was so nervous and hoped she couldn't tell. The bag of
food was on his dining room table. He'd already gotten out two
plates, silverware, and glasses. He pulled out a chair and motioned
for her to sit. She looked nervous, but he knew he was reading her
wrong. Kyle pulled the containers out of the bags, and he saw her
eyes widen.

“
You're
going to be eating leftovers for a week. I can't believe you bought
all of this,” she said.

He
laughed, as he offered her each of the containers and explained what
all he had ordered.

“
You
can take some home for lunch tomorrow, unless you go out for lunch. I
forget that not everyone eats at their desk,” he said.

“
That
would be nice,” she whispered.

Kyle
ran to the kitchen to get them both a soda and some ice. He sat back
down and filled his plate. There were so many things he wanted to
learn about her, and he wasn't sure he'd have the chance to talk to
her again without anyone else around.

“
Gavin
didn't seem too happy about you looking for a place,” Kyle
said.

“
He'll
be fine. I've gotten really close with Becky the last few years. He's
kind of taken on this big brother attitude since I filed for divorce.
She was the one that wanted me to move in with them. I really didn't
have anyplace to go when I left. He's not a bad guy. He thinks he can
save everyone he knows from any hurt or sadness. His heart's in the
right place. He's just a bit overbearing. It's something I want to do
for myself. I've been at their house for over six months. Being on
that vacation made me realize it was time to move on with my life.”

“
Really?”
Kyle asked. “How's that?”

“
I
don't know what exactly it was that made me see it. There were a few
things I guess. I'm not wanting to meet someone and dive into a
relationship or anything. I just want to make some friends and maybe
get together with them. I would never bring anyone into their home.
I'm friends with Becky, but Gavin's still my boss. It's not easy.”

“
He
was grumbling away in the conference room about it.”

“
I
bet,” she said. “I want to find a place on my own. I
don't want him saving the day again.”

Kyle
knew he had given her a confused look.

“
When
I filed for divorce, I still lived in the house. Jim was pissed when
he found out I'd filed, and Gavin came over and helped me pack and
move my stuff out.”

“
I
was shocked when I found out you were getting married,” Kyle
said without thinking.

“
Why's
that?” she asked.

“
Just
was,” he said, as she stood and took his plate into the
kitchen.

He
went back to get the containers of food that were left and packed her
a lunch. He'd just finished when the door opened behind him and he
heard her gasp.

“
This
kitchen is amazing,” she said excitedly.

He
watched her move around while she looked at everything.

“
Do
you cook?” she asked.

“
Not
really,” he said. “I like cooking and learning new
things, but it's just me here. Now that everything has settled down,
I've thought about cooking dinner for my mom and John. When I was
little, she always cooked for us. That was one of my favorite things.
Do you cook?”

“
I
love cooking,” she said. “I haven't cooked since I moved
in with Becky and Gavin. She cooks before I'm usually home. I can't
believe this kitchen, Kyle. Look at this staging area. It takes up
the whole center of the room. I love it. You're so lucky.”

Kyle
saw the smile fall from her face as soon as the last word left her
mouth. He liked seeing her smile.

“
I
didn't mean lucky like this house fell into your lap. I know you work
your ass off. I just meant you get to cook in this kitchen.
Nevermind.”

Kyle
reached out to grab her arm before she could leave the room.

“
I
know what you meant. This kitchen is amazing. Thank you,” he
said. “I want to show you the rest of the house.”

Kyle
walked her around the main floor. When she saw the sunroom, her eyes
lit up. He couldn't help but watch her expressions. She stepped out
into the room, and he flipped the lights on.