Natural Blond Instincts

else.”

“What?”

She smiled, but it was a little wobbly because though it had just come to her, she thought maybe she’d known it all along. “I don’t want to say until I cement the position. Which I won’t do until I give you the time I promised you.”

Her father looked at her mother, who nodded. He sighed. “I wanted to push you into this, I wanted it to work for you. But I’m not going to hold you to the six months, not if it’s not working. I’m not that selfish.”

Kenna stared at him, then hugged him hard. “Do you remember that Ferrari you dangled in front of me?”

“Of course. Don’t tell me you still expect it.”

“No. Because I have a far better use of that money. It’s for a good cause.”

He gave her a long look. “Legal, right?”

She laughed and hugged him again. “Very legal.”

SHE MEANT to go straight to the Teen Zone to see Sarah, but she made a detour and drove by Wes’s house. She’d never been there, but she’d asked her father for the address. She just wanted to talk, to tell him the things she’d been thinking about…and okay, maybe she’d decided they shouldn’t suffer, they could have mindless sex. All in the name of therapy, of course, but he wasn’t at his small and shockingly adorable cottage on the beach. She left him a note on his front door.

A smiley face.

Onward. She drove the streets of San Diego toward the Teen Zone because what she needed more than mindless sex, what she really wanted, was to see if her glimmering idea could be turned into her passion.

There was a kid sitting on Sarah’s steps, but it wasn’t until Kenna got directly beneath the light that she saw it was Lyssa. “Don’t tell me you’re out here lighting up,” Kenna told her. “I don’t need lung cancer, thanks very much.”

“I’m not smoking.” Her voice broke. “Just…hanging.”

And crying. Damn it. Kenna sat next to her and resisted the urge to hug her. “Is some guy being a jerk?”

“They’re all jerks.”

“At least at your age, they are.” She sighed. “Ever read Cinderella?”

Lyssa leaned back and gave her a hard look, reminding Kenna this girl hadn’t had anything remotely related to a fairy-tale childhood. “Are you going to tell me my Prince Charming is waiting just around the corner?” she asked.

Kenna smiled. “Well…yes.”

“Does he have a car?”

Kenna leaned back and studied the stars. “I couldn’t say, but I know for sure he’s out there. Somewhere.”

“He’s sure taking his sweet time about finding me.”

“Yeah.” Kenna had always had the same problem. Actually, she’d never really looked before. She’d never really been one of those girls who’d dreamed about marriage, two-point-four kids and a white picket fence.

All she’d ever wanted was to do her own thing, and she’d been pretty good at that so far.

So maybe, just maybe, it was time to think about Prince Charming.

But surely Prince Charming, whoever he was, wouldn’t appreciate her wanting wild sex with Wes. That would be a big no-no.

Maybe she should just make Wes her Prince Charming.

Her heart actually went pitter-patter at that, because he was gorgeous and funny, and-

And she was already more than halfway in love with him.

Oh boy.

“Kenna?”

She realized Lyssa was looking at her. Where were they? Oh yeah, Prince Charming. “Just don’t kiss too many frogs while you’re waiting for him to show up. Better yet, don’t sit around waiting for him, you go pick the one you want.”

Lyssa laughed and swiped her eyes on her sleeve. “Just go get him, huh?”

“Yeah, but if he wants to do more than kiss you-”

“Turn him into a toad?”

“Yes. An ugly one, with warts.”

Lyssa laughed again, and that felt good, hearing her, seeing her smile, knowing she’d helped, she’d really helped.

They watched the night for a few more minutes before Lyssa said, “So where’s your prince? Is he out there also?”

“According to my own rules, he has to be.”

“Have you met him yet?”

“I’m hoping.” She watched a star fall. “I’m hoping a lot.” She gave in to temptation and hugged Lyssa, then stood up. “I’ve got to see Sarah.”

“What about?”

She took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you after it’s done.”

Lyssa blinked. “Okay.” She waited until Kenna had reached the front door. “You going to work here?”

“Are you this smart in school?”

“What, like I couldn’t figure it out?”

“All right, I want to work here.” She didn’t just want to make her father donate the price of a Ferrari and visit once in a while. She wanted to take the additional college courses she needed to counsel the kids. That combined with her life experiences, and she figured she’d be great.

Passionate.

The hours would be long and the pay short, but what was new about that? In the meantime, she’d volunteer. Just like this, giving her time and help in any way that she could. “Would you like if it I did work here?”

Lyssa lifted a noncommittal shoulder. “Sure.”

Not exactly a resounding endorsement, but Lyssa was a teen and didn’t do resounding.

But then Lyssa rolled her eyes. “Duh, Kenna.” She smiled widely. “You’d be great.”

Yeah. She’d be great.

18

AFTER TALKING to an excited Sarah, Kenna practically danced out to her car. She was so happy, so excited, she could hardly contain herself.

Her life was actually, genuinely, on the right track. There was a sticky note on her windshield-with a smiley face on it.

Taking it off the window, she hugged it close to her chest, feeling a ridiculous grin burst onto her face.

Mindless sex, here she came. A perfect way to top off the night.

She drove to his house and took a moment to admire the full moon.

Then she laughed at herself. There was a tall, dark and sexy man just inside, and she was standing here looking at the moon. She had to laugh at herself.

“What’s so funny?” came a husky voice from the top step.

Wes.

“I was just thinking, I’m standing out here sighing over the moon, when I could be inside…” She met his gaze. “Sighing over you.”

“It is a beautiful night. I was sitting here thinking about a long walk with you.”

Her laugh was breathless. “And here I was wishing we were doing something fast and reckless and exciting.”

“We?”

A loaded question, one she wasn’t sure she had an answer to.