Tempting The Beauty Queen

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The thick black brows hooding his eyes rose as if in question. Visibly taken aback by her annoyed voice, Ramon maneuvered his gifts under his arms and pressed his hands together to make the international sign for time-out. “I thought we moved on from the animosity.”

Remembering how the afternoon went between them, Kenzie nodded her head and rolled her eyes. “Habit, sorry.”

“No worries.”

When Ramon flashed his million-watt smile Kenzie’s insides felt all warm and fuzzy...something she did not need. “What brings you to my place?” It dawned on her Ramon might have come to the conclusion of her being in need of an escort tonight for the rehearsal dinner. “Oh, God, wait a minute. I hope you didn’t get any ideas earlier. It’s presumptuous to think I needed a date tonight.”

“Whoa, I am about to go on a date but it’s not with you,” Ramon clarified.

Kenzie felt a draft of cold air sweep against her tongue as her mouth gaped open. “Oh.”

To recover from her embarrassment Kenzie narrowed her eyes. “How are you going to propose taking me to all of my events when you’re not available?”

“I am going on one date, Kenzie, not getting married.”

To add insult to injury, Maggie cleared her throat as she shuffled down the hallway in time to witness Kenzie’s embarrassment. “Are you getting some paper towels to clean up your mess?”

“That and I came over here to see who the sexy voice belonged to,” Maggie cooed and extended her hand as she approached. “Swayne. Charmed, I’m sure.”

Kenzie cut her eyes at her sister. “The stain?”

“I am getting to it.” Maggie said but she kept a firm grip in Ramon’s hand.

“Maggie,” Ramon said with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you. How are you doing this evening?”

“I’m better now,” Maggie flirted with a goofy smile.

Kenzie’s grip on the doorknob tightened. Her other hand went to her hip. “The wine, Maggie.”

“I was just heading to the kitchen,” Maggie tried to explain but Kenzie pointed to the left, where her kitchen was.

“It’s over there.”

Maggie’s eyes widened. “She’s bossy, isn’t she?”

“No comment,” replied Ramon.

“Maggie, go.” Kenzie ordered her sister out of the way and stared at Ramon. “So what brings you to this side of town?”

“I realized I’ve been outside your building but never been in your place,” Ramon began with a sly grin. Kenzie read his mind immediately. They’d slept together, several times, yet he’d never been to her apartment. Ramon cleared his throat. “I wanted to replace the cupcakes you bought today.”

“Technically you bought them,” Kenzie clarified and accepted the cupcakes. “But thank you just the same.”

His large foot kicked a box into the doorway. “I also went back inside the post office and grabbed one of the boxes of old Southwood memorabilia you were fascinated with.”

Excited, Kenzie knelt and squealed. “I can’t wait to go through this stuff.”

“I figured,” said Ramon. “I’m also having those ballots reviewed.”

“Cool,” Kenzie breathed. “I love a good mystery. Maybe somewhere in this box is justification for keeping the post office as a historical site.”

“Have you thought about my offer?”

Coming to her feet, Kenzie pressed her index finger against her chin to dramatically ponder his question. “Remind me again?”

Ramon shook his head from left to right. Dark strands of his hair spilled over his shoulder. “I know you know. You’re struggling whether or not preserving the building is worth spending ten events with me.”

“Ten?” Kenzie repeated.

“Three weddings mean three rehearsal dinners or at least receptions, along with the sesquicentennial gala and the pageant, right? Plus the times we need to spend together getting me up to speed.”

Kenzie pressed her lips together. “What do you know?”

“I come from a large family myself, Kenzie.”

“You never told me.”

“Well, we never got around to talking when we were alone,” Ramon declared with a wink and a lopsided smirk.

A feverish chill crept down her spine. Intimate moments flashed in her mind, of being tangled in the black cotton sheets of his bed. Kenzie cleared her throat and replaced the wanton thoughts with remembering how she’d sat at her window waiting for Ramon to show up and the humiliating way she’d smiled blankly at everyone at the after party who’d asked of his whereabouts or stated how they’d expected to see the two of them together that night.

“Either way,” she said, finding her voice, “I appreciate your offer.”

“But your pride and ego won’t allow me to help you?” Ramon asked. “I’m not the same guy as last summer.”

“Pride and ego?” Kenzie forced herself to scoff. It was easier than believing him.

Ramon nodded his head. His hair was loose around his shoulder and brushed back. The open collar made him sexier. Damn him. “Of having to tell me yes.”

“Boy, you have her pegged, don’t you?” Maggie laughed, coming back through the hallway with a roll of paper towels.

“Judas,” Kenzie muttered and clutched the brass doorknob.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to cut your summer events short? Why aren’t you dressed for the rehearsal dinner?” Ramon asked. “Isn’t it standard for the close family to attend?”

“We’re excused from going,” Maggie called out, “on account of what happened today to us.”

In question, Ramon turned and looked to Kenzie for an answer. She rolled her eyes. “She is piggybacking on the excuse.”

“We’re twins,” said Maggie. “When you hurt, I hurt.” She said it with such conviction Kenzie wanted to offer her sister an Oscar or Golden Globe Award.

“I didn’t realize,” said Ramon.

“We’re not twins.”

“We’re Irish twins,” said Maggie. “Close enough.”

Ramon chuckled at the sibling banter. He’d mentioned he came from a big family; Kenzie wondered where he stood in the lineup. She pictured him as the overprotective big brother type—especially after the way he’d looked after her today.

“Well, thanks again for the replacement cupcakes,” Kenzie said, wanting to end this bonding moment with Ramon.

“Have you given my offer any consideration?” Ramon asked.

“I’m good.”

Ramon licked his lips and glanced down at her frame. “I know. But I asked if you needed an escort in exchange for helping me win the bid for the post office.”

“As a historian invested in the community, I’ll help,” said Kenzie. “But I don’t need help with finding a date. I am a well-rounded woman with a PhD and a beauty queen pedigree and tiara to match. I can handle a wedding with my family.”

* * *

“So who were the cupcakes for?”

Ramon made it back to his cousin Stephen’s house in the suburbs of Southwood with his sleepy niece, Philly. Technically Philly would be his second cousin because her father, Ken, was Ramon’s first cousin. But given the age difference and how Ramon considered his Reyes cousins as brothers, Philly was his niece in his eyes.

“Uncle Ramon?” Kimber asked, turning down the booming music from her cell phone.

“What?”

“The cupcakes. Tiffani told me you bought a dozen just before closing.”

There should be a baker confidentiality clause somewhere. Ramon chuckled and shook his head. “Shouldn’t you be off somewhere backpacking through Europe like most college kids?”

“Don’t change the subject on me,” said Kimber, scrambling from her place on the couch in the family den. School books clunked to the floor. The kid amazed him so freaking much. Kimber lost her father four years ago. Her uncles, Stephen and Nate, had uprooted their real estate business from Atlanta to sleepy Southwood to move into their brother’s family home and take care of Kimber and Philly. Of course his first cousins had had a few ups and downs trying to raise the girls but they all came out just fine. Stephen married and he and his wife, Lexi, lived at the home, raising Philly and their almost one-year-old son, Kenny. Kimber was home for the summer to help Lexi out with Kenny and wait for the arrival of the latest addition to the Reyes family.