“This smells good,” she said.
She twirled the pasta around her fork and sucked it into her mouth. He watched her lips close around the fork, and like a randy teenager he was hard imaging those lips around other parts of his body.
He was going to burn in hell because of his thoughts.
“This is really good.”
“I was taught by the best.”
“Penny is an amazing woman,” Lana said.
“I’m glad you like her. She likes you, you know?”
Lana shrugged, and a blush stained her cheeks.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Sometimes I feel a little out of place. We’re weird being friends. I don’t know. I forget we come from different worlds.” She finished her food without saying another word. He let her.
Kent had come to realise Lana kept herself closed off in order to protect herself. She’d been hurt in the past, and he didn’t think it was just because of Frank. There were parts of her past that were fuzzy. At least he knew she’d known one parent. He got the sense that one parent wasn’t the best source of comfort to his woman.
She handed him her plate and sat back against the sofa. He cleaned away the dishes and found her asleep curled around a pillow. Kent didn’t want to wake her.
He moved toward the spare bedroom and made the bed for her to sleep. He turned the thermostat up so she’d have plenty of warmth in the large bedroom.
Once he was done, he moved back to where she lay on the sofa. Kent lifted her into his arms and carried her through the bedroom. She mumbled in her sleep but didn’t fight him.
Her weight meant nothing to him as he placed her on the bed. He stared down at her for the longest time. She looked relaxed in her sleep. The deep frown she usually wore was flat. She appeared younger in sleep without a care in the world. He wanted to see her like this more often. She shouldn’t worry about money or stressing about life.
He’d make it his business to make sure she was taken care of in all things.
Opening the top button of her uniform, Kent averted his eyes and removed the dress from her body. He took a quick glance at her beauty before covering her up with a blanket. For the longest time he stood over her watching her sleep. He wondered what it would feel like to climb into the bed behind her and have her wrapped in his arms.
Instead of doing what he craved, he turned away and made his way to his own room. He switched off the television on his way to his room.
Kent turned the lamp on before going through to his bathroom. Staring at his reflection he saw every one of his forty-five years reflected back at him. Lana was the first woman to sleep in his apartment without him ha**ng s*x with her.
His time for sleeping around had ended the moment she entered his life. Did Lana even realise the impact she’d had on him?
He doubted she even understood her value to him.
Removing his clothes he climbed into the shower. He squirted some shower gel in his palms and massaged the gel over his skin. His c**k pulsed as he remembered the sight of her na**d body. He cupped his c**k thinking about touching her silken skin. His mind was filled with her moans of pleasure.
Kent pumped his shaft until his seed released from the tip. The orgasm was satisfactory but nothing like he imagined taking Lana would be.
Later that night he fell to sleep thinking about Lana and the future he could have with his cleaner. She meant so much more to him than being a cleaner.
Chapter Twelve
Lana opened the mail on Saturday morning and almost spit the coffee she’d been drinking all over the door. She’d been sent a bonus for her cleaning work and the amount had her gasping for breath. Looking over the numbers she decided the amount had to be a mistake.
She went down to the pay phone they kept in the building. Putting a few quarters into the machine, she punched in the number for the company where she worked. Once she reached the boss she asked her about the amount.
The amount was correct, and the bonus would be paid in full. All she needed to do was take the check to her bank and cash it.
Gazing down at the amount she wasn’t paying attention as someone knocked on the door. Looking up she saw Kent stood with a key in hand. He was unlocking the door as she made her way over to him.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I’ve been sent a bonus.” She lifted the check up for him to see. “Do you have anything to do with this?”
He took the check from her. “No, but you must have gotten good feedback.” Kent raised his brow. She slapped him with the check.
“You’re the one responsible for this. I shouldn’t take this money.”
Kent glared at her. “You earned that money. The work you do around the office is amazing. Lana, working the hours you do, you deserve a bonus. When the company asked me for feedback I gave them the truth.”
“This has nothing to do with our friendship … or the kiss?” she asked, nibbling her lip.
“I’ve never had to pay for it, Lana, and I don’t expect to start now. I suggest you cut the crap. You earned this money because your work is brilliant.”
He stormed past her making his way up the stairs. “Do you have to look at every gift as if it is a bad f**king thing?” he asked.
Lana followed him up the stairs cringing at the words he was saying. “I’m sorry.”
“You better be. I can’t believe this. You’ve made me feel guilty for telling your boss you were a good worker.”
She closed the door behind her. Several of her neighbours came out to see what the commotion was.
“Sorry,” she said.
Turning back to Kent she saw him pacing her short living room. “Does this mean you don’t want to go shopping with me? Why does everything have to have an angle with you?”
“I’m not used to something like this,” she said, lifting the check up for him to see. “I don’t take anything for granted. This means I can go shopping with you without holding back. I can buy all of your family presents.”
Tears filled her eyes at the true meaning of what the money meant to her.
“Thank you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Deep gratitude filled her at the gift he’d given her. “This was really thoughtful of you.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything else to her.
“Are you ready to do some shopping?” he asked.
Lana saw he was uncomfortable and decided not to push him. “Yeah,” she said, following him out of the door.
They spent the day moving from shop to shop in the city centre. She went with him when he visited designer boutiques, and he followed her into the more reasonably priced high-street stalls.