“Did you need something?” she asked sweetly.
Sawyer noticed immediately that she was pretending not to recognize him. Damn, did she hate him that much? It’d been what? At least eight years since the last time he’d seen her?
Yep, that was the last time. Back on the day they graduated from high school, before she went off to college.
“Are you back in Coyote Ridge for good?” he asked, not wanting her to walk away just yet. He could sense she was ready to flee, so he pretended not to notice.
“I am,” she said quickly, glancing around them.
Nope, no one there to save her if that was what she was looking for. Nothing more than the produce section to keep her attention, which she somehow managed to feign a significant amount of interest in.
“What did—” Sawyer didn’t get his question out before she interrupted him.
“Look, I really don’t have time to chat,” she said simply. “I’ve got things to do.”
“Yeah, okay,” he said, trying not to sound disappointed.
There were just so many things he wanted to say to her, starting with an apology for the way he’d treated her in high school. But she didn’t allow him the opportunity to get the words out before she was turning and walking away.
He watched her go, admiring her jean-clad ass. Yeah, it was safe to say, Kennedy Endsley had gone from ugly duckling to beautiful swan and now she was back home for good.
Which meant Sawyer now had a new game plan. One that involved getting to know her a little better.
That was eight long years ago. Yet it still seemed like yesterday.
Sawyer pulled himself from the memory, remembering that he was standing there with Kennedy, still touching her, still feeling the warmth of her body against his.
“I really should be going,” Kennedy told him, her breath fanning his face.
“I know,” he told her. He should’ve been stepping away from her, but he found the task nearly impossible. He was touching her and this time it was more than just a friendly dance, or an unintentional brush of their arms against one another. Even though she would probably fight him tooth and nail from this moment forward, Kennedy couldn’t deny the fact that she’d kissed him back.
And it was fucking awesome.
“Go out with me,” he told her, trying to keep it from being a request. Giving Kennedy the choice was a surefire way to get a “hell no” thrown back in his face.
He didn’t want her to say no again.
“I—”
Sawyer put his finger to her lips, quieting her. “Before you answer me, you should know one thing. No, make that two things.”
“What’s that?” she asked when he removed his hand.
“First, I did go to the resort tonight, but I didn’t stay. And the only reason I didn’t was because I didn’t want to stay. I’m not interested in . . . other women, Kennedy.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t respond. Sawyer took that as a good sign, hoping she understood what he was telling her.
“And second, if you say no, I’m just gonna ask you again. A lot. I mean, seriously. A lot. I’m gonna come to your work every day and ask you to go out with me until I finally manage to break down those walls.”
Kennedy’s lips tilted up slightly in an almost-there smile. “I’ll just have to embarrass you every time, too.”
“Embarrass me how?” he asked just to make conversation. He wasn’t actually worried about this woman embarrassing him. He did enough to embarrass himself—most of it on purpose.
“Every time you come to my work to ask me out, I’m just gonna tell you the same thing I’m gonna tell you now. I’m not lookin’ for a romp in the hay, Sawyer. I’m not that girl. And I’ve promised myself that I would never be anyone’s flavor of the week. Not even yours.”
“I’m not lookin’ for a flavor,” Sawyer stated defensively. He hated that terminology. Who the hell had come up with that shit anyway?
“And I’m not lookin’ for a relationship,” she countered.
“Go out with me,” he repeated, this time not interrupting so he could hear her official answer.
“Can’t do it,” Kennedy said, reaching behind her for her door handle. “Not today, not tomorrow. Not ever.”
“Why?” Sawyer questioned.
Kennedy studied him for a moment before she said the few words that damn near cut him to the quick. “Because I don’t trust you.”
He kept his jaw hinged shut, not wanting to show her the surprise that rocked him. Granted, he’d sensed that she didn’t trust him, but to hear her say it . . . Yeah, that wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear. However, now that the words were out there, he wanted her to explain herself. “You don’t trust me? What have I done to make you not trust me?”