KELLY STARED AT JASON. “What did you say?”
“Talk to Daddy,” Jason insisted again.
She jerked up. What was the little prince up to? She glanced at Trey. He raised his eyebrows, probably wondering what they were whispering about.
Had Jason insisted Trey bring him for a visit so his pretend mother could talk to his real father? But why? Was this child so spoiled that he thought he could play matchmaker? She’d often noted how intuitive the kid was about the feelings of grown-ups. Especially when his grandfather was around.
No way. Jason was barely four years old. He didn’t know anything about the convoluted emotions of adults. As if she did.
Kelly shrugged and moved toward Trey, who definitely appeared confused.
“Sorry,” he told her. “Jason was so thrilled to come see you, I didn’t expect him to park himself in front of the tube.”
Kelly nodded, immediately suspicious. Had father and son cooked up a scheme so she and Trey could be alone? But why would they? If Trey wanted to be alone with her, the man would have no problem making that happen.
“Maybe he’s exhausted from all the excitement,” she said.
“Maybe,” Trey said.
“Did he get a nap today?”
“No. Now that he’s down, he’ll likely conk out in few minutes.”
Kelly nodded and shut the door, muffling the sound of the manic cartoon characters. “Are you sure you don’t want something to drink?” she asked on the way to the sofa.
“I’m fine,” Trey said. He waited for her to sit first. She did, and he sat beside her. Too close.
“How long have you lived here?” he asked.
“Not quite a year.”
“I didn’t see any sort of alarm system on your front door.”
“Because there isn’t one.”
“The Protection Alliance informed me there are problems with the security on this building.”
“It could definitely be better,” she agreed. “Ballard was furious because the cameras on the parking lot weren’t working the day my car was bombed, which meant he got no video of Adam.”
“Are there any new leads on my son’s kidnapper?”
“I wish,” Kelly said.
Trey placed his arm on the sofa behind her. “That’s all the more reason for you to have an alarm.”
“The feds think he’s left the area.”
“What do you think?”
“I’m not so sure. I visited the rehab center where he and Maria met to try and stir something up, but no luck.”
Trey’s mouth curled into one of his sexy grins. “Congratulations. So you’re back on patrol?”
“No. In fact, I’ve been suspended,” Kelly said. “The visit was made on my own time.”
“Suspended?” Trey’s smile faded. “What happened?”
“Politics. The IA detective disagreed with my lieutenant’s decision to let me go on the FBI op.”
“I’m sorry.” Trey shook his head. “I hoped the press release would help.”
Kelly looked away when he mentioned the press release. So he did know about it. She’d been harboring the faint hope that his father had engineered the statement and had kept Trey in the dark.
But no.
She’d found a copy online and had memorized the important section: “The family is grateful to Officer Kelly Jenkins for her aid in rescuing Jason Wentworth, but rumors of a relationship between the officer and Trey Wentworth are completely unfounded and harmful to the child’s recovery.”
Harmful to the child’s recovery. Did Trey now believe she was hurting his son? If so, why did they come?
“Hey,” Trey said softly. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed. As if her suspension wasn’t enough. “I guess I’m wondering how the press release was supposed to help me.”
“It got rid of the paparazzi, didn’t it?”
She nodded, but doubted the original intention behind the statement had been to help her. It had all been for the benefit of the Wentworth image, denying any connection between Trey and a rookie cop from the seedy side of town. He apparently had no clue how foolish the blunt denial had made her feel.
Because it had never occurred to him that she’d developed feelings for him. She ought to be grateful for that.
“How long will you be suspended?” he asked.
“I don’t know. These things take time.”
“None of this would have happened if you hadn’t helped Jason,” Trey said in a tight voice.
“It’s not your fault,” she said. Time to change the subject. “How are the plans for your tennis clinic coming?”
He hesitated, but said, “Everything is falling into place nicely. You should come to the opening day. It was your idea, after all.”
She shrugged. “Hardly my idea, but send me an invite.”
“If I did, would you come?”
She lifted her gaze to his and found him staring at her intently. She hesitated. “Probably not.”
“Why not?”
“We—we’re different people, Trey. I’m not part of your world.”
After a long moment he said, “What if I wanted you in my world?”
Her heart began to pound. Yes, this was what she wanted him to say, even if it was all wrong for them both.
“You know I don’t fit.”
He picked up her hand and laced their fingers together. “Maybe we could make it work.”
“Could we?”
“I think Jason wants us to.”
“And whatever the little prince wants, the little prince gets?”
Trey’s eyes widened. “The little prince? I haven’t heard that one in a while.”
“Sorry. It’s one of my pet names for Jason.”
Now wearing a sad smile, Trey squeezed her hand. “Funny thing. I was once a little prince.”
“You?”
Trey nodded, seemingly fascinated by the connection of their fingers.
“I’ve met your father,” Kelly said. “I find it hard to believe the man spoiled you when you were Jason’s age,”
“Not my father.” Trey shook his head, obviously thinking back. “My mother. I was her little prince.”
Kelly held her breath as Trey continued to speak. He seldom mentioned his mother.
“I’ve often wondered if that’s one reason Darlene turned to drugs,” he said. “Two different women, two different ways of reacting to the pressure of being a Wentworth. Hell, I was happy to back away from that life myself.”
“And you’re about to be sucked back in.”
“I knew my absence was temporary, but things will be different when I take over. I’m nothing like my father.”
“No,” Kelly said. “You’re not.”
“Thank you for that,” Trey said.
He fell silent, and so did she. Canned laughter from the television was the only sound as she remembered what he’d said on Drop Shot about some scars being less visible.
Her family history might be sad, but so was his. No matter how much money anyone had, everyone had to do the best they could with the hand they were dealt. Sometimes the cards sucked.
Jason was getting better. That was the important thing. He didn’t need her anymore. Perhaps she was even a reminder of a confusing and scary period in his young life. With a sharp stab of regret, she wondered if she needed to step away. She should cut off all ties with the little dude, which meant any connection with his father would also be lost.
A connection that didn’t really exist anyway. Or only in her imagination.
“Kelly—” Trey broke off, shaking his head.
“What?”
“I’m sorry if the press release hurt your feelings,” he said. “That wasn’t my intention, but I should have warned you.”
“I understand,” she said.
“Do you really?”
“You explained the reasoning,” she said. “And after all, the statement was the truth.” She raised her gaze to Trey’s and got caught by the raw emotion glittering in his dark eyes. She swallowed.
“Wasn’t it, Trey?”