Kissing in Kansas by Kirsten Osbourne Read Free Book Online Page A

he wanted to see her naked, he was worried about where it would lead.  "No, fine.  Wear that to bed."
    Samara smiled, knowing she'd won that battle.  She slipped into bed, sliding straight to the middle to cuddle against him. 
    "What are you doing?" he asked.
    "Well, you want us to get to know each other better, so I thought we could snuggle up together and talk."  She made certain to keep her voice innocent as she wrapped one arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.  He was wearing pajamas, and she felt like laughing.  If he'd slept in more than just his underwear in the past twenty years, she'd be shocked.
    He looked at her for a moment before nodding.  "What do you want to talk about?"
    "Anything.  Why don't you tell me about Scotland?"
    As she'd suspected would happen, when he talked about Scotland, his brogue became deeper and more pronounced, sending shivers through her body.  "My parents moved back there about five years ago.  They said it was where they'd always planned to retire, and Dad's health made it necessary for him to retire then.  My brother and I ran his business after that.  I try to make it back to Scotland every couple of years, to see my parents and other family there.  They only met the twins briefly for the funeral."
    "Oh, that's sad.  What are your parents like?  Obviously your dad was a hard worker, but how about your mom?  Was she the June Cleaver type?"
    He smiled.  "In some ways.  She was like a cross between June Cleaver and Rosanne.  She would always have special snacks waiting when we got home from school, but she told it like it was, with every bit of sarcasm inside her.  I miss her every day."
    Samara smiled.  "I'm glad you're a tight-knit family.  Do you have any other siblings?  No sisters?"
    "Nope.  Just me and my brother.  That's why the twins mean so much to me, I think.  I felt like my world ended when James died."
    "I felt the same when I lost each of my parents."  She stroked his chest with her hand, her fingers sliding between the buttons on his pajama top.  "Time will help. It won't heal you entirely.  I still cry over silly things that remind me of my parents a lot."
    "Do you have any siblings other than your brother?  What was his name?  Wayne?"
    "Yes, I have one sister, but she's insane.  Her name's Barbara."  Samara didn't like to think about her sister, so she rarely spoke of her.
    "Insane how?"
    "Oh, in one of those boring sisterly ways that I can't explain.  Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
    "Was she at the wedding?" he asked.
    Samara gave a short laugh.  "I forgot to tell her I was getting married.  Oops."
    Henry laughed, shaking Samara in the process.  "How could you forget to tell her?"
    She shrugged.  "I'm a lot closer to my brother than I am to her."
    "I can tell.  You invited him to your wedding!"
    She grinned.  "Well, I did, but he told me he already had plans for the weekend and couldn't make it.  I was really mad at him.  He walked into the bride's room, and he shocked the snot out of me.  Lachele called him right after you two spoke, and she told him he'd better be here or it would totally ruin the day for me.  He came ready to give me away."
    "Oh, I had no idea he'd surprised you.  That's really nice." He was finally getting more comfortable with lying in bed with her and just talking.  It seemed strange, but it was a good strange.
    Samara yawned.  "I can't believe how tired I am.  What time is it?"  She knew there'd been a time change, and she'd been up early for her flight, but it still didn't seem like it should be time for her to be so sleepy yet.
    Henry glanced at the clock.  "It's just after eleven.  Is that late for you?"
    "No, that's about normal, but I was up early, and I'm still on East coast time.  Are you sure you don't want to take advantage of our wedding night and make this beautiful bed shake?"
    He pressed a quick kiss to her lips.  "I'm sure.  It's not that I don't want to.