ENTANGLED PURSUITS (MEN OF ACTION Book 1)

by Brenda Jackson

  One day, she would tell Drew about that visit with her father. She’d also admit that after her failed hostage negotiations, she’d had to comply with the department’s required procedure to undergo psychiatric evaluation and counseling with the department’s psychologist. Doing so had not only helped her deal with what had gone down during the hostage crisis, but it had helped her through the issues she’d had regarding her mother’s suicide. Through counseling, she’d discovered the gifts of closure.

  When the cars ahead of them began to move, she knew the train had passed. “So, what are your plans this weekend?” he asked, and she appreciated him changing the subject. Over the past thirty minutes, they’d both bared their souls and shared their secrets. It was time for a little levity.

  “I never did get around to unpacking those boxes, so I’m dedicating my entire weekend to doing just that. I’m tired of looking at them.”

  “The offer of my help still stands. Do you need it?”

  A part of Toni knew she didn’t need his help any more this weekend than she had last weekend, but today, just now, something had changed. He had shared his past with her, and she had shared hers with him. It might be something small to some, but she knew for both of them, it had been momentous. Now he knew why she never wanted to fall in love, and she knew why he never wanted to marry and have kids.

  “Toni?”

  She looked over at him and then said, “Yes, Drew, I could use your help.”

  • • •

  Hours later, Andrew had taken a shower and put on a pair of joggers and a t-shirt and was getting ready to grab something to eat when his phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway. “What can I do for you?” he asked in a curt tone.

  “I’m the one who should be asking what I can do for you, Drew. This is Duan Jeffries. Locke said you wanted me to give you a call.”

  Andrew smiled and leaned against the kitchen counter. Duan Jeffries was a partner in the Peachtree Private Investigations firm. “Thanks for calling, Duan. How’s the family?” He had attended both Duan’s and his brother Terrence’s weddings, and thought the women they married were special.

  “Kim and I are okay. The kids are keeping us busy. Having a live-in nanny helps.”

  Kim was a doctor, and Duan’s job as a private investigator meant some traveling, so Andrew could understand how valuable it would be to have someone they trusted to help out with their three kids. “I’m sure it does.”

  “So, what do you need?”

  Andrew spent the next few minutes outlining what Toni had told him. “There you have it. Something doesn’t sit right with me about the whole thing. It seems Gilmore deliberately pushed the narrative so the focus would be on Toni’s handling of the hostage situation, instead of whatever had pushed his son over the edge in the first place.”

  “You might be right. I will find out what we can. It will probably be a few weeks, though, before you hear from me.”

  “That’s fine.”

  After ending the call with Duan, Andrew decided to heat up some leftovers for dinner, while trying to ignore the excitement he felt in the pit of his stomach at the thought of seeing Toni tomorrow. He hadn’t had ulterior motives for offering his help. Really.

  He thought about their conversation after leaving that hostage situation. He had confided in her things about himself he had never shared with any woman, and she had shared things about herself. At least he now knew why she had never wanted anything serious. But she had said she’d found closure with her father. Did that mean she was open to a relationship now?

  Tomorrow he would help her out with the boxes and then leave. And he wouldn’t mention anything to her about hiring Duan’s PI firm to dig into what had happened to her in Miami. Until he got the report and read it for himself, there was no need to say anything. Especially since there was a chance Duan might not find anything worth reporting.

  Still, Andrew couldn’t dismiss the thought that something about the situation was off, although he had no idea what it could be.

  TONI HEARD THE SOUND of a car pulling up in front of her apartment complex and glanced out the blinds. Drew had arrived. It was too late to worry about whether having him coming over was a mistake. She watched as he got out of the car, and couldn’t help remembering what she’d thought the first time she’d seen him.

  Andrew Logan was the epitome of male perfection. She had to get a grip on her wild imagination when he began walking toward the stairs in a pair of jeans and a pullover sweater. It was one of those days in March when the weather was kind of warm, although forecasters had warned not to get complacent since it would probably snow next weekend.

  She had decided, after a sleepless night, that she would handle this situation the same way she would if any of her other friends had offered to help. Only she and Drew weren’t friends. He was her former lover and current partner. When she’d called Joy last night for advice, her friend only laughed and told her that she was on her own. Joy knew how sexually combustible she and Andrew were, and wished her the best.

  Toni continued to watch him through the blinds at an angle where she knew he couldn’t see her. Just seeing him and that sexy walk as he moved up the stairs toward her door had blood rushing through her entire body. Suddenly, she could vividly recall all the times he had touched her—and where he had touched her. All over her breasts, her stomach, between her legs… And he had kissed her in those same places, too.

  She released a deep sigh. If seeing him outside her door could get her all hot and bothered, what would happen once he was inside? It had been years since she’d experienced this kind of need. She wondered what he would think if he knew she hadn’t slept with another man since they broke up. But she had gone through several battery-operated boyfriends since then. And she had named them all, but none had been as effective as the man who, at that moment, knocked on her door.

  Drawing in another deep breath, she went over to let him in. She took a quick glance down at herself to make sure she was presentable. She’d pulled on a pair of jeans and a pullover top. It would have to do. After all, it was only eight in the morning. He wouldn’t expect her to look glamorous.

  Because it was early, she figured that he would be gone before lunch time. So, she had prepared breakfast. Whenever he visited her in Miami, she would prepare her grandfather’s mouthwatering biscuits. He loved them, and she decided to surprise him and make a batch this morning.

  Her apartment wasn’t as big as her house had been, and her eat-in kitchen was tight rather than cozy. But it was the best she could do since she didn’t have a dining room. What she’d liked about this particular apartment was that it overlooked a beautiful lake. There was a stunning view of it from her kitchen nook and her bedroom.

  Drawing in yet another deep breath, she asked...as if she didn’t already know, “Who is it?”

  “Drew.”

  She opened the door and there he was. Yes, it was Drew. The man she was not supposed to care for but loved anyway. She tried forcing down all kinds of sensations that were causing fire to spread through her body and smiled up at him. “Good morning, Drew. I hope you’re hungry. I thought I would take care of your appetite before we got started.”

  • • •

  She hoped he was hungry and would take care of his appetite before they got started? Andrew wondered if Toni knew just how decadent that sounded. Especially when his present appetite was more of a sexual nature.

  He could not stop himself from letting his gaze scan her body. All this week, she’d been wearing slacks and a shirt. He’d almost forgotten just how good she looked in jeans. Unfortunately, he had spent most of his time remembering just how she’d looked wearing nothing at all.

  “Thanks, and yes, I’m hungry,” he said, entering her apartment when she waved him inside.

  Because if he’d stood there much longer, staring at her, he had a feeling he’d have lost control and done something real stupid—like pull her into his arms and lay one hel
l of a kiss on her. He’d thought about doing that very thing whenever he looked at her mouth.

  “I’ll put breakfast on the table.”

  He nodded. “Where can I wash up?” he asked, glancing around. Her place was small—even smaller than his apartment had been.

  “There’s a bathroom down that hall. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  “Okay.” He moved down toward the hall while wondering if this place came with furniture, because none of it seemed to suit her. He recalled how decorative her home had been in Miami. It had had her personal touch. But then again, she had said her move to Alexandria was likely only temporary.

  It didn’t take him long to wash his hands and return to where her kitchen was located. She had placed several platters on the table. “You didn’t have to go out of your way for me, Toni.”

  “I didn’t mind. I know how much you like to eat.”

  He nodded. Yes, he did. He wondered if she remembered just how much he enjoyed making a meal of her, as well.

  “I wasn’t sure if you wanted bacon or sausage, so I prepared both. I have maple syrup to go with the biscuits and I also made grits.”

  Maple syrup. He could clearly recall what he’d done with a small bottle of maple syrup that had been in their hotel room during one trip to Savannah. He had poured every last drop out of the small bottle onto her naked body and then licked it off her. He wondered if she remembered that day.

  “Looks like this is going to be my special day,” he said.

  “Trust me, Drew. It comes with a price. I plan to get a lot of work out of you.”

  He raised a brow. “I thought I was helping you unpack boxes.”

  Toni smiled. “You are.”

  “Then, maybe I should ask just what’s in these boxes.”

  She laughed and the sound invigorated his insides. It had been a long time—nearly five years, in fact—since he’d last heard her laugh. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed it. Until now.

  “Well…there are only three, but they are rather big.”

  “How did you get them up the stairs?” he asked.

  “I didn’t. The delivery man brought them up. One is a television. I am hoping you will also be able to mount it on the wall for me.”

  He smiled, deciding not to make a remark about how good he’d always been at mounting her. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “And I need to set up my office. There’s a box that contains my desktop computer and printer.”

  “Don’t tell me you brought Buster with you.”

  She threw her head back and laughed, and again, the sound filled him with delight. The first time he had visited her in Miami, she had introduced him to Buster, the name she’d given her desktop computer, when she’d given him a tour of her house. Although she also had a laptop, she considered Buster a faithful friend. It had been the first computer her grandparents had purchased for her when she’d left for college. They had definitely gotten their money’s worth out of it. She’d admitted Buster had been overhauled quite a few times.

  “Yes, I brought Buster. And you better be nice to him.”

  “I’ll try,” he said, sitting down at the table. “What’s in the third box?”

  She joined him at the table, looking away when she said, “It’s my antique jewelry armoire.”

  He didn’t say anything, but merely stared across the table at her. The standing, cherry oak antique jewelry armoire had been a birthday gift from him. They had spent the weekend in Savannah and had seen it during one of their walking tours in the historic part of town at an antique shop.

  She had immediately fallen in love with the piece, and he had wanted her to have it. More importantly, he had wanted to be the one to give it to her. At first, she’d protested and given him all kinds of reasons why he should not buy it for her. He’d relented…or so she had thought. However, he had made arrangements with the owner of the shop to ship it to her in Miami. He would never forget the phone call he’d gotten from her the day it had arrived. He’d convinced her to keep it, and that it wasn’t nice to return a gift. The next time they’d hooked up, she had shown him just how much she had appreciated it. He was getting hard just remembering that weekend.

  She glanced over at him and saw him staring. He figured she knew why. They’d shared a lot of good times together.

  “How many biscuits do you want?” she asked.

  He swallowed as he held her gaze. “I’ll take as many you want to give me.”

  “I made a dozen. I figured if any were left, I could pack them up for you to take home.”

  Andrew nodded. “I’d appreciate that. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Then she passed the plate of biscuits to him, and he felt an electrical charge when their hands touched. He knew she felt it, too, because she quickly got up from the table. “I forgot the juice.”

  He watched her hurry to the refrigerator to get a carton of apple juice. That was her favorite flavor. His favorite flavor was her. “Nice view of the lake,” he said, trying to lighten the situation.

  She sat back down and glanced out the window. “Yes, it is. I’ve been so busy this week, I haven’t had time to just sit here and enjoy it as much as I’d have liked to. That view was the main reason I chose this particular apartment. Although it’s small, it has the two bedrooms and two baths I wanted, including this view.”

  He watched her pour syrup on her biscuits and recalled the time he’d poured it on her the same way.

  “Don’t worry, I will save you some, Drew.”

  He shifted his gaze from the syrup to her face. He felt a definite tightening in his crotch. “Save me some what?”

  “Syrup. You’re staring at it like you think I’m going to use all of it. Even if I do, I have another bottle in the pantry. I love the stuff.”

  Yes, he knew how much she liked maple syrup. “I couldn’t help noticing how heavy-handed you are with it,” he decided to say, since there was no way he could tell her what he had really been thinking. “You like biscuits with your syrup—not the other way around.”

  She laughed. “That is true.”

  They continued to eat, enjoying breakfast while exchanging polite conversation. She talked about her grandparents and now knowing what he did about her mother’s death, he appreciated the older couple for being there for her.

  No one had been there for him when he’d been a kid. No grandparents, cousins, aunts, or uncles. Both his parents had been only children. Whenever he’d have to go to court as a kid, his mother would show up, but never his father. In a way, that was a good thing. You never knew what day of the week his father would be sober.

  “Tell me about your house, Drew.”

  He took a sip of his coffee and shrugged, but couldn’t hold back a small smile. “Home ownership is nice,” he said. “My parents never owned a house. They were constant renters. I would hold my breath every month, hoping Mom had made enough for the rent payment so we wouldn’t get put out. That happened once, and it was embarrassing as hell.”

  He took another sip of his coffee. Why was he telling her this? Sharing stuff with her that he’d never shared with anyone except the men he considered brothers. He, along with Stonewall, Striker, Quasar, Ryker, Locke, Shogun, and Macayle had been through a lot together. There had been other guys, but those seven were closer than most.

  Sharing prison cells, keeping each other motivated, watching each other’s backs—watching Shep’s back—had made them family. And he couldn’t forget about Karl Halifax. A bad-ass if there ever was one, Halifax had been the most resistant of them to Shep’s mentoring, and he’d never fully changed his ways. Although Shep hadn’t managed to turn Karl Halifax’s life around completely, he had gained Halifax’s admiration and respect. He had even come to Shep’s aid a few years ago, when Shep’s wife, Carson, had been threatened and needed help.

  And now Andrew was telling Toni about his painful secrets. He wondered just what that meant, but he wasn’t going to worry about it
now. He leaned back in his chair and said, “I had my house built from the ground up, after I found a nice piece of property in the subdivision not far from headquarters. I walked into one of the model homes and liked it…with a few minor revisions. Striker jokes about it being too big for one person, but I like it just fine.”

  “Just how big is it?”

  He liked talking about his home. Not in a boastful way, but because when he’d been growing up, he’d never thought such a thing was possible. Too bad his parents hadn’t lived to see it happen. He liked to think he could have helped his dad clean up his act. And he would have made sure his mother never worked another day in her life.

  “My home has five bedrooms. I use one for an office. It has four full baths and a half one near the family room, as well as a living room, a dining room, and a huge eat-in kitchen. I wanted two floors with the split concept on the first floor. There’s also a mother-in-law suite. It came with the house plan, so I didn’t change it. It’s nice to have a separate section when one of the guys come to visit. That way they can have total privacy.”

  “Wow! It sounds huge,” Toni said.

  “It is and it’s mine. For me, that’s the most important thing.”

  “Yes,” she agreed. “That’s the most important thing.”

  He looked at his watch. “Time to get started. Where are the boxes?”

  “The one with my computer and printer is in the second bedroom. I’m going to use that one as an office. The other two are in my bedroom.”

  Her bedroom… That’s all he needed to see. The place where she slept every night. He wondered if she still slept naked. Forcing that memory from his mind, he stood. “Show me the way.”

  DREW UNPACKED TONI’S OFFICE supplies while she’d tidied up the kitchen. Now she was moving around the office, trying to ignore the fact that he was moving around in her bedroom.

  She had enjoyed sharing breakfast with him. The conversation was entertaining and informative. After telling her about the house he’d purchased, he then shared a story about his friend Striker and the way he’d reacted at the birth of his child; a son they’d named Wade Murdock Jennings, after Striker’s brother and Margo’s father. Toni had met Margo and Striker at Joy’s wedding. Striker had been one of Stonewall’s best men, and she and Margo had been two of several bridesmaids.