****And there's more! Hope it isn't dragging too much!****

Chapter seventeen

As it turned out, Kevin managed to surprise her by dropping her off at home and then driving off, not issuing any orders or invitations before he went. Even later into the evening, when she was trying to relax, he didn't return and she went to bed feeling confused. She had expected a fight at the very least. But now, apparently, he didn't care what happened to her. She sulked as she turned the light off, peeved that he hadn't bothered even phoning her.

She woke up early the next morning, again wondering what would happen. But all that did happen was that Kevin came and checked on her and then left again without a word, looking grim and forbidding.

The next couple of days followed the same pattern, until Sam rang her to say Rachel was allowed to come home. By that time she was incredibly confused and feeling quite emotional. Although the solitude had actually been fairly welcome because she had managed to get up to date with all her work, and now she rushed about the house making sure everything was spotless for Rachel to return. She wanted everything to be done and dinner to be cooking when Sam brought her back, just so she could relax and not feel like she should do anything. Lenny smiled and shook her head. She knew damn well that Rachel would still try and help out, that was the way she was, but she wouldn't be allowed to. Now it would be good to have some company, she thought, humming softly to herself as she made beds and fussed around the house.

Later that day Lenny was sitting at the kitchen counter peeling potatoes when Kevin knocked on the back door, letting himself in before she had a chance to tell him he could. She glanced at him briefly and froze at how incredibly sexy he looked. He was wearing tight black jeans and a black shirt, his hair hanging around his shoulders in wild disarray. She swallowed hard and looked away, forcing herself to show anger and not the sudden lust that filled her. "Well, come right on in," she muttered sarcastically, wishing the potato she was holding was his head and that she was skinning him alive, then he wouldn't be around to look so damn sexy.

"Don't mind if I do, thank you," he said, smiling at her irritation and walking further into the room. "What time are they due back?"

"They?" she asked, being deliberately obtuse. "Mark and Amy?"

"No, I know when they're due back. I meant Sam and Rachel," he said, keeping his cool.

"Don't forget Danae too," Lenny said, smiling sweetly at him before resuming her task, aware of his presence behind her.

"Okay, Danae too. What time are they all due back?" he repeated, grinding his teeth slightly.

Lenny stayed silent for a while, knowing he would be getting impatient, then she slowly looked up at the clock. "In another hour."

"Right, well I've got a present for them, so I'll come back then," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring at the back of her head.

"No, we'll be having dinner after they get back. It'll be better if you came later," Lenny said, turning to look at him again and hoping he'd just disappear in a puff of smoke - or at least start looking bald and overweight and not remotely attractive. Some hope, she thought, catching herself when her eyes drifted down his chest. He made her feel odd, and she didn't like it. When he looked at her with raised eyebrows, she almost groaned, knowing he was angling for a dinner invitation and knowing that if she did what she wanted and told him to go and jump off a cliff, Sam wouldn't be happy. So she swallowed down her pride and glared at him. "You're welcome to join us if you really have to," she muttered, pursing her lips.

He stared at her for a second and then smiled, cocking his head to the side. "With such a gracious invitation, how could I possibly refuse? Thank you, I will have dinner with you."

Lenny found it difficult not to make some smart comment, but she managed it - barely. Turning her back on him she continued peeling potatoes as though he wasn't there.

He watched her for a second and had the strongest urge to go and grab her and kiss her senseless. Realising how close to actually carrying out that stray thought he was, he quickly turned around and left the house, thinking that maybe a cold shower wouldn't go amiss.

Once the back door closed, Lenny breathed out a sigh of relief and peeked over her shoulder, making sure he really had gone and wasn't pretending. What was the matter with her? she thought. He had rejected her the other night, and she was determined he would never get that close again, but she hadn't bargained on her own wilful thoughts. After all these years of finding him merely annoying, now she couldn't help picturing him naked! It wasn't doing her equilibrium any good, and the thought of the evening ahead weighed heavily on her shoulders. She was going to have to be courteous....she would have to try not to drool all over the table whenever she happened to look at him. And that was going to be really difficult, especially if he spoke to her, because Sam would expect her to at least be polite. She groaned and kicked the cupboard door, groaning even more when she hurt her toe. Well, she would just have to grit her teeth and get on with it. Surely it couldn't be that bad, could it?

Two hours later she was staring blankly at the tablecloth and wondering how she could have thought it wouldn't be bad. It was awful. It was worse than awful. Sometime during the day she had turned into a rampant nymphomaniac...or something, she thought, biting her lip and frowning. She couldn't look at him, at all. Every time she did she was sure that saliva was dripping from the corner of her slack jaw. Pull yourself together! she told herself sternly, taking a deep breath and sitting up straighter. She glanced around the table, watching as Sam and Kevin got engrossed in a conversation about baseball, and Rachel sat holding the baby, seemingly reluctant to put her down for even a second. Lenny smiled, her eyes going slightly dreamy as she stared at Danae and wondered if she'd ever have any children of her own, and her gaze wandered to Kevin, staring at him without even knowing she was doing it.

He glanced over when he felt her watching him and his conversation trailed off until he was staring back at her in much the same manner, making Sam chuckle. He waved his hand between them and grinned. "Earth to Kevin, Earth to Lenny...hello? Anybody home?"

Lenny jumped and stared at him, looking back at Kevin briefly and blushing. "Oh...er...sorry, did you say something?"

Sam shook his head. "Nothing important. Just wondering where dessert was?"

"Dessert?"

"Yes, dessert...the course that follows dinner?"

"Oh! I'll go get it," she said, glad to have an excuse to leave the room for a few seconds. This was getting to be a habit, she thought as she stood in the kitchen, running into this room to escape him. She looked at the sticky cake she had made and sighed, knowing she couldn't possibly stay in the same room as him while he was eating it. She just knew she would simply sit and stare at every mouthful going past his lips. Damn it! When she heard footsteps in the hallway she knew it was him, and she knew he was going to come in this room to find her - another habit that seemed to be developing. It was typical, she thought, that just when she discovered she couldn't keep her eyes off him, he would appear in front of her and tempt her. She closed her eyes and leaned on the counter for support, tensing when he walked into the room behind her. A hysterical giggle almost burst out of her mouth, and she had to nearly bite through her lip to stop it.

"I thought you might need a hand," he said, his deep voice vibrating through her.

Lenny stared at the cake for a couple of seconds, damping down the sudden panic that filled her. "It's...er...everything's fine, you can go and sit down," she managed to say through her tight throat, hoping he would go away so she didn't have to look at him. If she did, she wasn't sure she would be able to stop herself from leaping on him. She rolled her eyes heavenwards in exasperation, trying to keep herself under control. God, she thought, it was like someone had given her an extra powerful hormone injection and now she was powerless to keep away from him! She needed serious help, she decided, and then jumped when a big hand touched her shoulder.

"Lenny...I think we should talk about the other night," he said, pulling her around to face him and staring down at her soft, wary features. He had to breathe deeply to control the sudden impulse to kiss her as she looked up at him with that tiny frown causing a crease between her eyebrows. She looked like she was about to cause trouble again, and he realised he knew more about her than he had thought possible.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, dropping her eyes to his chest, and then wishing she hadn't when she couldn't help but admire the broad expanse.

"Yeah, well, I think we should," Kevin said, sighing as he tried to find the right words to say.

Lenny shifted uncomfortably. She really didn't want to talk about it. What was there for him to say? Gee, Lenny, sorry, but I found you so unappealing that I couldn't go through with it? She frowned even more, firming her jaw and staring up at him again, her eyes narrowed. "Thinking never was your strong suit though, was it?" she asked, trying her best to rile him.

Kevin froze at her words and blinked. For some unknown reason he hadn't expected that attack, even though he had seen the warning signs. He tried to choose his words carefully, trying not to antagonise her any further, something he managed to do with seemingly little effort. "I understand you might feel a bit uncomfortable about what happened, and I..."

"I said I didn't want to talk about it, and I meant it!" she snapped at him, trying to pull away from his unyielding grip.

"Listen, I think this is important," he began again, starting to get angry himself now.

"Again with the thinking!" she said, looking at him hatefully. "You are the dumbest man I think I've ever met!"

"Lenny, if you don't stop, I'll..."

"You'll what? Think again? Now that really would be something to be scared of, wouldn't it?" she said sarcastically.

He tried to stop himself, he really did. But the temptation was just too strong and before either of them really knew what was going to happen, he had lifted her up and sat her on the cake. Lenny's mouth fell open in shock and Kevin stepped away from her, his eyes going to where the gooey chocolate mixture had been flattened and was stuck all over her backside, remnants of the cake that once was dripping onto the floor. "You....you..." she spluttered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Kevin leaned towards her and smiled. "Now who can't think?" he said, patting her cheek gently before walking out of the back door and leaving her still sitting in the mess on the counter.

****I think it's picking up a bit...anyway, more to come!****