by Lori Foster
Dare raised a brow. “Her boyfriend?”
“Her ex-boyfriend. And yeah. He knows me, knows my face and first name.”
“How the hell did that happen?”
Jackson flagged a hand. “I was chasing her, nothing new in that.”
Trace snarled. “And you met him?”
“Yeah. Unless he’s dumber than I think, he felt the chemistry between Alani and me.” Jackson challenged Trace. “It’s there and you know it.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Trace turned to Dare. “Jackson’s been dogging her heels for a while now.”
Dare looked between them. “You knew about this?”
“Yeah.” Letting out a breath, Trace rubbed the back of his neck. “I knew.”
“Wasn’t a secret,” Jackson said. “I told him. But shit’s different now.”
Deadpan, Dare asked, “You think so?”
Everyone kept their voices low.
“Hell, I was just hoping to get her to redo my place for me so I could get closer to her.” Jackson ignored Dare’s raised brows and Trace’s annoyance. “But that didn’t work out, and I figured I was back to square one, and now—”
Trace cut him off. “Jackson was keeping tabs on her, too.”
That sounded bad, so Jackson explained. “With what she’s been through, I didn’t want the financier to do anything to make her uncomfortable.”
“Like chase her?” Dare asked.
The taunt put Jackson on edge. “Like pressuring her. And you can bet he did.” Could the financier have pressured her more than Jackson had just minutes ago? Shit.
“Why do you assume so?” Dare asked.
“Look at her!” This time Jackson thrust his hand toward the kitchen where, hopefully, Alani couldn’t hear them. “She’s so smokin’ hot, most guys wouldn’t be able to help themselves.”
Dare choked. “She’s the smaller, more female version of Trace.”
What an appalling thought. “Not even close,” Jackson denied. “You see her like a kid sister, same as Trace does.” Sure, they had the same coloring of pale hair and bright hazel eyes. That combo might be noticeable on Trace, but on Alani it was outright striking, fascinating every guy who met her. “I see her differently.”
Trace rolled his eyes. “But still you’re noble enough to give her space?”
“Uh…” He’d thought so. When she’d hesitated to be alone with him, shying away from his interest, he’d walked away rather than torture himself. But this morning he had awakened with her naked. And since then, knowing she’d wanted him enough to sleep with him, he’d been on the make big-time.
Trace and Dare waited.
Disgust at his heavy-handed tactics hit Jackson like a ton of bricks. “Butt out, damn it.”
“I should just kill you now and be done with it,” Trace grumbled.
Jackson ran a hand over his face. “Yeah, maybe.”
Dare coughed at that admission. “You trust him, Trace, and you know it.”
“With my back,” Trace snapped. “Not with my sister.”
Shaking his head at them both, Dare said, “Tell me about the meeting you had with the financier.”
“His name is Marc Tobin,” Trace said.
Jackson curled his lip. Even the guy’s name annoyed him. “I dropped in on her, but she was due for a date with the idiot, and I didn’t bow out in time.”
“Probably on purpose,” Trace accused.
Jackson shrugged. So he’d lingered. So what? “He showed up, and you know Alani. Always so polite.”
Dare choked. “She introduced the two of you?”
To Jackson’s mind, Dare’s humor was sadly misplaced. He gave one sharp nod. “Yeah.”
“Did you act like an ass?” Trace asked.
“You mean did I pulverize him? Nah.” But he’d wanted to. “I’m sure I mean-mugged him a little. He’s just so…slick, it was hard not to, you know?”
It surprised Jackson when Trace agreed. “Slick, and too rich.”
“You’re rich,” Jackson reminded him.
Dare reached over to slug him in the shoulder. “Take what you can get, will you?”
He had planned to take Alani—again and again. But now…did she need extended time? Lots of space? God, he hoped not.
He peered into the kitchen and saw her stacking mugs on a tray. His guts twisted. Yeah, he had it bad. No other woman had ever made him feel this way. He didn’t like it.
Having her would be the only cure. Or rather…having her again so he could commit the experience to memory.
“What now?” Ensuring Dare and Trace didn’t misunderstand the situation, Jackson added, “She can’t be alone.”
“I agree.” Dare rubbed his chin. “You did a background check on Tobin?”
“From the get-go.” Trace leaned up against the wall. “Decent enough person, I guess. Privileged, but no criminal record beyond a few speeding tickets.”
Jackson didn’t like that assessment. “Every investment he makes turns to gold. I don’t trust him.”
“She left him,” Dare reminded Jackson. And then, “But if he assumes he was dumped for you, then that could be motive enough for us to do a little more digging.”
“It makes as much sense as anything.” Besides, with nothing else to go on, Jackson wanted Tobin to be responsible. It’d be a quick and easy solution, and it’d permanently remove the competition.
“You think he sent a woman after Jackson, had her drug him…for what reason? To get him in bed so that Alani would walk away?” Trace gave Jackson a verbal kick, saying, “Hell, he always screws everything in sight, and still she went to him.”
Jackson stewed. “Wrong.” He was no more active than any other healthy adult. And since meeting Alani…well, he hadn’t been all that healthy, no matter how a woman looked or how willing she might be.
He wanted Alani.
He’d had her, damn it, and from what she’d said, it was as mind-blowing as he’d always known it would be.
“You know how it is, Trace.” Dare ignored Jackson’s denial. “That just makes him more appealing to some women.”
“Maybe.” Trace gave Jackson an evil grin. “But not to Alani.”
Knowing Trace might be right, Jackson picked up the sandwich and took a healthy bite. She wanted him to eat, so he’d eat.
Done tweaking him, Trace paced. “Doesn’t matter now anyway. Whoever drugged him likely saw Alani at his place.”
“So she’s in the thick of it,” Dare agreed, “no matter how we look at it.”
Around the mouthful of food, Jackson said, “I don’t want to scare her, especially since odds are she’s in the clear.” He swallowed, a plan forming in his mind. “If she lets me stick close, then there’s no reason her life has to be more disrupted than it already has been.”
“You can watch her up close,” Dare said, “while Trace and I start investigating things from the outside.”
“And that being the case, you should have called us right away.” Trace’s temper shot up again. “Christ, was she left alone at any point today?”
Jackson winced. “All morning.” Alone, saddened—and vulnerable. There really wasn’t a good excuse for slipping up, not with Alani’s safety on the line. “Thanks to the drugs, I wasn’t thinking clearly at first. All I knew was that I’d missed out on—” he looked at Trace’s set face and censored his words “—some important stuff. Soon as I could, I got ready and came here. Right about the time my head cleared enough for me to realize all the implications, she showed back up.”
“And still you didn’t get hold of us?”
“Yeah, about that…” Jackson hedged a little. “I was going to—right after I smoothed things out with Alani.”
That got Trace’s attention anew. “What’s there to smooth out?”
Another peek in the kitchen showed Alani standing in front of the sink, her arms around her middle as she stared out the window.
As if she felt his stare, she glanced over her shoul
der. Their gazes locked, and for him, it felt like a physical connection. Even from a distance, he saw her breathing deepen, her cheeks flush, the slight part of her lush lips, so maybe it felt the same for her.
Jackson’s eyes narrowed—and Alani turned away to fetch the now full coffee carafe.
A deep breath didn’t really help. She rattled him when nothing else did.
“Okay, look.” Jackson squared off with both men. “Under normal circumstances, I would never discuss this with anyone, not even you two.”
Discussing it with them now didn’t feel right, either, but with Alani’s safety potentially at risk, they had to know it all. Trace was right about that.
“I told you that I woke with a splitting headache, that I spent the first hour in the bathroom puking up my guts.”
They waited.
“Yeah, well…” Never, not even if he lived to be a hundred, would Jackson forget that awesome moment when he found her curled comfortably in bed beside him, just as he’d never forget the devastation on her face right before she walked out. “You know as well as I do that Alani’s been sheltered. Not sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t what she got. She…sort of misunderstood everything.”
Confusion brought together Dare’s brows. “You explained to her what happened?”
“Not then, no. Hell, I didn’t know what had happened.” Giving himself a second to organize his thoughts, Jackson took a big drink of the cola. He could use the caffeine kick. “The thing is, my head felt like it had cracked open, and Alani was there, naked.” He filled his lungs again, but the tightness in his chest remained. “Those two things together threw me pretty hard. I didn’t know which way was up, but I didn’t need my brains intact to know I’d probably slept with her. I just didn’t know what to do about it.”
Trace stared up at the ceiling.
“Stop it, will you?” Dare shoved him. “She’s a grown woman.”
Jackson nodded. Alani was young but still mature. The perfect mix of naiveté and ripe sensuality. Independent and yet so incredibly sweet…
Problem was, Trace had been playing protector too long. His attention zeroed in on Jackson. “I don’t know if I want you seeing her.”
In clear warning, Jackson said, “Stay out of it, Trace.” No way in hell would he let him get in his way on this.
Trace took a stance and smiled silkily. “Or what?”
“Or you’ll deal with me.” Alani marched back into the room with a tray of coffee that she set on the table. She appeared resolute and too contained.
Jackson started to stand, but with one hand on his chest, Alani shoved him back to his seat. Surprise kept him from reacting.
Hands on her hips, she faced her brother. “I’ll see him if I want to.”
Jackson met Trace’s furious gaze—and shrugged. Guess that was settled. Her attitude would make protecting her a lot easier, and it would afford him a lot more opportunities to work through the morass of his feelings.
Dare shook his head. “Stop looking so satisfied, Jackson, or he just might kill you.”
“No,” Alani said as she sat beside Jackson. “He won’t.”
Though Trace’s left eye twitched again, he didn’t lurch toward Jackson. Trace was far too controlled for any lurching. If he wanted to attack Jackson, he would do so swiftly, without warning.
But Jackson wasn’t worried about it. Trace might bluster, but he wanted the best for Alani, and right now, that meant having someone capable watching over her 24/7 until they sorted out what had happened.
It couldn’t be Trace or Dare. Not only were they both now married, but their constant presence would only alarm Alani more. There’d be no explaining it to her without telling her how risky the situation could be.
So Jackson got dibs, and that suited him just fine.
Trace ran a hand through his hair. “Alani, seriously… Are you sure about this?”
Far too solemn, she eyed her brother and Dare. “I’d appreciate it if you two would drink your coffee and then go so that Jackson and I can talk.”
Her announcement hit them each in a different way.
Not about to budge, Trace snorted.
Dare merely said, “No can do, hon.”
And Jackson put his arm around her. “We gotta make plans first.”
“I have a plan.” Spine straight, shoulders stiff, she shrugged off his touch. “I’m going to finish discussing this with you, then you will leave so that I can take a long shower and go to bed early.”
Jackson opened his mouth, and she said with emphasis, “Alone.”
Damn. She sounded cold and distant. Had she overheard them talking? They’d kept their voices low, but in her small house, even with the radio blaring from the kitchen, she might have picked up a word or two. Well, she’d just have to deal with it. But to be sure, Jackson asked, “What’s wrong?”
Not only did Alani give him an incredulous look, so did Dare and Trace.
At the end of his rope, Jackson stood and took her hand. “Be right back.” He started tugging Alani toward the kitchen.
She held back. “Jackson.”
On the ragged edge, he leaned down to nearly touch his nose to hers. “Here or in private, woman. Make up your mind.”
Trace took a step forward—and that decided her. She said to her brother and Dare, “Drink your coffee! We won’t be long.”
And then it was Alani leading the way.
Once in the kitchen, Jackson stepped around the wall with her for a smidge of privacy. He caged her in with his forearms on the wall at either side of her head.
Staring up at him, she looked small and fragile and very appealing.
He had to taste her.
Murmuring, “I missed you,” he kissed her bottom lip, her upper lip, and then he settled in for a soft but deep mating of their mouths.
Her breasts pressed to his ribs, her hands flattening on his chest before sliding up to his shoulders. With a small sound of hunger, she curled her fingers, holding on to him.
Yeah, he liked that. A lot.
He felt her racing breath, her trembling….
“God, woman.” With an effort, he freed her mouth but had to return for several more soft, quick pecks. “I don’t want to rush you.”
She dropped her forehead to his chest with a small, dubious laugh. “Funny, because all you do is rush me.”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry.” He nudged up her face. “What’s wrong? Besides all that confusion from this morning, I mean. You went into the kitchen one way and came back another. What did you think about in here?”
“Everything.”
That didn’t sound promising. “Start with one thing, and we’ll get to the others.”
“Okay.” She smoothed a hand over his chest, inadvertently inciting his lust; when Alani touched him, he felt it everywhere. “You want to go on like yesterday happened.”
No woman had ever left him this confused. And horny. At the moment mostly confused. No, mostly…it didn’t matter. “Yesterday did happen.”
“But you don’t remember it.” Her eyes full of entreaty with an edge of uncertainty, she gazed up at him. “I want to be honest with you.”
“Honesty is good.” Because he honestly knew that she wanted him, too.
“It’s disturbing that I can’t think of anything else, but you can’t even remember it.” She looked down at his sternum, and her voice dropped to a husky whisper. “I still feel you, Jackson.”
A bombardment of emotions took his breath. “Yeah?”
“I’m tender in places that I’ve never noticed before.”
Ah, hell. Hearing that stirred him anew. He nuzzled her ear. “Like where?”
“You know where.”
His muscles clenched. In a near growl, he insisted, “Tell me anyway.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “My thighs are shaky.”
“I was rough with you?”
“No. You…you were exuberant.”
Heat rose inside him. “Where els
e?”
Voice lower, filled with shyness, she admitted, “My breasts still feel full, and my…”
He bent to see her face. “Nipples?” Just talking to her was more exciting than sex with other women. He badly wanted to cover her breasts with his hands, to touch her, to draw her into his mouth and test how tender she might be.
Tilting back from her, he looked at the soft white swells above the top of her sundress. Putting a tight leash on his need, he trailed one fingertip over the top of each breast.
With her accelerated breaths, her flesh shimmered.
Slowly, with hot intent, he drifted his open hand over the front of the dress, cupped her right breast and gently circled the taut nipple with his thumb.
She gasped; her hands clutched at him.
His gaze sought hers. “They’re sensitive?”
Long lashes fluttered as she closed her eyes and drew a shuddering breath through parted lips. “Very.”
It’d be so easy to take her. Hell, even with her brother and Dare in the other room, she melted for him. He could put his hand up the skirt of her dress, inside her panties. He could cup that warm, wet peach, and she’d be coming in minutes.
Jackson fought himself. She trusted him. And she’d been through enough.
He couldn’t stop himself from catching her nipple, giving one small tug that made her tremble and bite her bottom lip. “Jackson…”
“I know.” He slipped his arms around her, easing her closer so that her head fit to his shoulder and her breasts pressed to his chest. He was so turned on, his dick threatened to rip apart the zipper of his jeans. “Better?”
The sound she made affected him like a hot lick. “I’ve never been this way. Last night was a revelation for me.” Her hands knotted in his shirt. “And you don’t even know what happened.”
“I know I’m going to have you again. I know I’m going to be inside you, feeling you all nice and wet, slick and hot, and you’re going to hold on to me while you come—”
To silence him, she touched his mouth, then took a few seconds to collect herself. “For you, what we did, what happened between us, might not even be real.”
Oh, it was real all right. He took her wrist, kissed her palm and carried her hand back to his chest. “You can’t deny what’s between us.”
