Natural Blond Instincts

was aware of was Kenna. Everyone appeared to be listening, nodding, whatever, but he didn’t really care…except about what Kenna thought.

Would she do it? Stand up and get what she wanted?

“Excellent, Roth,” Mr. Mallory said when he’d finished and everyone had applauded. “Thank you. The newest addition is coming along better than I had hoped, and we know we owe that to you.”

“I didn’t work alone.”

Mr. Mallory looked at Kenna. “Yes, my daughter. I’m thrilled she’s been able to help you.”

Kenna’s smile didn’t falter, but then again, she was a Mallory. Tough. Resilient. “She more than helped me,” Wes said. “And she has a report as well.”

Mr. Mallory lifted an eyebrow and looked at his daughter.

Kenna stood, and with a perfectly calm voice and steady hands, told every board member what she thought of the bonuses that had gone to executives instead of being trickled all the way down the line to the employees who needed it more, what she thought about the lack of available child care for their thousands of employees. She told them what she thought about their nonexistent programs for maternity and paternity leave, and what she believed was a far more fair package. She discussed costs and suggested alternatives.

Then her father stopped her. “Expensive ideas.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “But if you look at the financials, worth it. Especially considering that in the long run, some of these things are cheaper and have a bigger payoff than the executive bonuses.”

Her father nodded. “I’ll think about it. Thank you, Kenna. Next on the agenda?”

Her expression carefully blank, Kenna sat down.

Wes waited for her to look at him so he could smile at her, anything to make her look…happy, but she didn’t.

Mr. Mallory moved the meeting along, not addressing his daughter again, not even when the meeting was over.

Wes supposed that’s when he realized his loyalty had shifted.

Maybe, if he was being honest, he’d felt it shift way back on that very first day he’d met her.

KENNA DIDN’T go to Wes’s room that night. She intended to soak in her tub and let herself have a good, long, rare pout.

But Wes came to her.

When she opened the door to him, when she moved aside so he could come in, they didn’t talk.

They didn’t even try.

What they did do was their damnedest to burn up the sheets. The shower. The floor in the bathroom.

And in the deep dark of the night, still without saying a word, she fell asleep in his arms.

And woke up alone. He’d left a note on her pillow, written on the hotel stationery.

A smiley face.

It made her laugh. The truth was, she was glad to wake alone, glad for the time, because what had happened here in Los Angeles, both with Wes and in the boardroom, had thrown her a little. She needed to separate it all in her head, needed to think.

By Monday she thought she had it all sorted out. Some of what she and Wes had experienced had been adrenaline, some genuine affection. But mostly it had been pure lust.

And now it was most likely out of their system. In light of that knowledge, work was simpler than she’d have thought. Meetings kept both her and Wes from saying anything to each other except business-related talk, and after a brief flash of disappointment, she decided that was a good thing. They didn’t need to complicate anything with a discussion.

Besides, what would she say? Thanks for the greatest sex ever? I’ll never look at a hotel bathroom counter quite the same way?

Can we get a hotel room tonight, too?

After work, she went to her parents’ house. The Monday-night Mallory family dinner proved to be as torturous as any, and less than three minutes into the thing, Kenna wanted out.

Ray had tried to talk her into dinner with him and his latest significant other. She should have gone, she’d have been so much better off.

Instead, here she was. Feeling this odd restlessness she didn’t know what to do with. Damn, she hated a pity party, especially her own. She bucked up. No more pathetic thoughts, not a one. She promised herself dessert if she managed to keep a smile on her face. A big dessert.

Everyone around her had someone. Her mother and father, of course. Her aunt and uncle. Then Serena and Josh arrived, gazing into each other’s eyes until Kenna felt nauseous.

“Dinner is nearly ready,” her mother said. She stopped to look more closely at her daughter and frowned. “Honey? You look a little peaked.”

Yep, most definitely peaked.

“You’re working too hard. I knew it. I told your father so.”

“Which of course made him laugh.” Kenna watched Serena and Josh come around the corner. Josh’s tie was crooked. Serena had a goofy smile on her face.

“Laugh?” Her mother frowned. “Why on earth would he do that? Actually, he agreed with me. Told me how much effort you’ve been putting in.”

“He did?”

“Your father isn’t a sentimental man, Kenna. You know that. It isn’t often he’ll wax poetic over hard work and dedication, but he notices. Don’t you ever think he doesn’t.” Her mother checked her spotless dress, smoothed back her hair. “Isn’t Serena lovely tonight with her new beau?” She moved into the kitchen, and for lack of anything else to do, Kenna followed her. “I hope he treats her right.”

Kenna laughed and helped herself to the tray of hors d’oeuvres on the counter. “Don’t you have that backward? I hope she treats him right.”

“Is Josh a good man, then? Oh, good. Your aunt was so worried. I know he doesn’t come from much, not that that really matters, but-”

“He’s a good man. His family is-”

Strong.

Smart.

Sexy.

And suddenly she wanted to see Wes so badly her body hummed.

“Kenna.” Her father came into the kitchen. “We haven’t had a chance to talk privately since the meeting. You did great.”

“What?”

“Something wrong with your hearing? Your proposal was solid.”

“You hated my proposal.”

Her father looked shocked. “Of course I didn’t.”

“You didn’t agree with a single point.”

“Yes, well, that was business. But you were well-prepared, you were smart, sharp and articulate.” He smiled. “I was proud of you.”

“You were…” Stunned, Kenna looked at her mother, who was also beaming with pride. “Proud.”

“Absolutely. Keep it up. We’ve got high hopes for you.”

“In the hotel.”

“In the business, yes.”

Kenna drew a deep, shaky breath. “Dad, I’ve given it a shot, and I’ll give you the rest of the six months I promised you, but this is not going to be a life thing for me. I just don’t have the…the passion for it.”

“Didn’t you just hear me say how pleased I am with your progress?”

“Yes, and believe me, I’ve always wanted to hear it.” Only the funniest thing, the world didn’t stop. The heavens didn’t sing.

Her heart didn’t soar.

And no one was more surprised than herself when she said, “I’m so sorry. I just really want to do something