The sun was setting behind him, casting a glow around him and forcing her to centralize her gaze on him even more than she already was. He was sporting all black, and whatever cologne he was wearing was causing her hypersensitive nipples to harden. His eyes briefly dropped to her chest, apparently noticing the change. Had she not been watching him so intently, she would have missed his quick perusal.
Trey glanced to the corner of the balcony before stepping closer to her. He seemed to glide across the floor and she didn’t stop him when his arms curled around her waist and guided her to the corner away from the party.
She leaned against the wall, more aware of him now than she’d ever been. He glanced down at her, the back of his hand caressing her cheek while the other hand kept her pulled close. When his lips hovered over hers, he kept his eyes locked on her. She arched her back off the wall, which brought her body closer to his. He moaned when her hardened nipples made contact with his chest.
“Sweet Kiara,” he said. His voice was low and deep. She expected him to kiss her, but instead, he continued to observe her through lidded eyes.
Please, the voice inside her begged. Just kiss me already! She knew what she’d said before about keeping things platonic, but now she realized that there was no way that would be possible. The words Trey and platonic didn’t even belong in the same sentence.
Trey sucked in a breath and pushed a piece of hair from her face. She knew he wanted to kiss her. All the signs were there. And she sure as heck wanted to kiss him.
“Trey,” she said, placing her hands on his chest. She’d had every intention of initiating the kiss, but she didn’t have to. Trey dropped his lips to hers, lightly suckling her bottom lip, before claiming her entire mouth. She moaned when the hand on her waist moved to her backside and pulled her closer to the fit of him.
Her hands went to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Needing more, she lifted one of her legs and was grateful when Trey caught her thigh in his free hand. Kiara wasted no time giving him entry into her mouth, and unlike last time, Trey didn’t stop the kiss when their tongues passionately danced to the soft sounds of the wind and background noise.
Every part of Kiara was on fire, and judging by the groans coming from Trey, he was just as wrapped up in the kiss as she was. A few minutes later, the kiss ended, leaving them both winded and Kiara craving more.
“I had to do that,” Trey said, helping her back to the floor of the balcony. “I couldn’t believe I let you leave last night without kissing you.”
Kiara laughed. “I needed it, too.” She looked back toward the party. “Should we go back inside?”
Trey looked in that same direction before looking down at his pants. “How about we stay out here a little longer?”
Kiara glanced down at the bulge threatening to burst through the zipper of his pants. “Okay, we can.” They walked over to the blanket and two chairs that sat overlooking the LA streets and nightlife.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, each wrapped up in their own thoughts.
“I meant to ask you last night,” Kiara said, breaking the silence. “How are things going with Reginald and the investigation to prove his innocence?”
“It’s coming along,” Trey said. “For the first time this past weekend, my brothers and I all gathered at Reginald’s home. We haven’t found any information to aid in his claim yet, but getting to know my half brothers has been the best part so far.”
Kiara smiled. “That must be nice. To finally relate to each other after all this time.”
“It is, but in a way, I wish we had tried to have a relationship earlier. To be brought together under the circumstances and with Reginald so sick is disheartening.”
“What do you mean sick?”
Trey shifted in his chair. “Reginald told us he has prostate cancer and was only given a few months to live. Hence the newfound desire to bring his sons together and apologize for never being a father to me and my brother Derek.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said, lightly touching Trey’s arm. “And I hope you and your brothers get the answers you’re looking for.”
“Thank you,” he said, placing his hand on top of hers. “I’m not sure he’s innocent, but while I was at his home, I realized how much I hope that he’s telling the truth.”
“There’s nothing wrong with holding on to hope,” Kiara said.
Trey let out a forced laugh. “It is when the man in question is Reginald. For a while, I never even referred to him as Reginald. I used to refer to him as the cheater. It wasn’t a clever nickname, but as a young boy, I couldn’t think of anything else to call the man who cheated on my mom with my brother Derek’s mom, then dropped his mom for Max’s mom, subsequently forgetting he even had two other sons.”
“I can’t imagine how that must have felt,” Kiara said in a soft voice. “I guess I can see why that would give you mixed feelings about feeling hopeful that he’s innocent.”
Trey nodded. “It really does. Max has always been close to him, so I also feel bad for my brother. He didn’t grow up with the Reginald that Derek and I knew, so while I may feel an unexplained loss when Reginald dies, Max will feel that loss a whole lot more.”
Kiara nodded in agreement. “I understand that. However, you also can’t discount your feelings just because they are different than Max’s. Yes, Max will grieve for the father he’s always known. But you are allowed to grieve for the father you’ve never had. Take it from someone who was more on Max’s side of things. Since I’m the oldest, my siblings didn’t have the type of close relationship with my dad like I did. Yet they still suffered a great loss because not only did he leave us, but they never even really knew him like I did. I had to understand their loss just as they had to understand mine.”
Kiara glanced down at the well-lit LA street that was bustling with people going out for the night.
“I’m sure it was extremely hard,” Trey said. “Growing up so fast and having to help raise siblings when you were heartbroken over the absence of your father?”
“It was.” Kiara sighed. “I will always be the first to tell you that my mom is superwoman. Raising four children and working two jobs was not easy, yet that woman did everything without complaining. Growing up, I admired her so much that I never understood how my dad could leave such a sweet woman. Now my mom is finally traveling the world and doing things she always wanted to do. But even today, I have to remind her not to worry about us and to focus on herself.”
“Good luck with that,” Trey said with a laugh. “A mother’s job is to worry about her kids. Right now, my mom and stepdad are on an African safari, but it took my sister, Carmen, months while she was pregnant to convince my mom that it was okay for them to travel even though M-dog is so young. I think my mom was afraid of me being my sister’s main support with M-dog if they were gone for a while.”
“I know I tease you about taking care of Matthew, but you really are doing a good job. You can tell he’s happy spending so much time with you.” Kiara sat straighter in her chair. “You know what? I don’t think I ever asked how you ended up babysitting Matthew for so long.”
“My sister, Carmen, got a minor role on a television pilot and she needed to film for two weeks. She recently called and asked me if she could extend M-dog’s stay for an additional couple days, and of course, I said yes.”
“That’s so awesome,” Kiara said. “So your sister is an actress like your mom is?”
“An aspiring one, yes. She got the acting chops. I got the writing chops.”
As Trey continued to talk about his family, Kiara observed the proud look on his face and the way his eyes shone with pride. Halfway through their conversation, the door to the balcony opened.
“Um, hello?” Kyra said. “Are you both going to sit out here and talk all night, or are you actually going to socialize with the rest of u
s?”
Kiara laughed. “We were just about to come in. Just soaking in this great LA view.”
“Oh, okay.” Kyra looked from Trey to Kiara. “Because for a minute, I thought you both were about to hide in the corner again to make out and do God knows what else.”
Kiara shook her head. “Kyra!”
“What,” Kyra said with a shrug. “None of us blame you two for wanting to get your freak on when you see each other because, dayum, the looks you two give one another are hot enough to light us all on fire. But the party is inside, so how about you set up a date to sex each other’s brains out when we aren’t all eavesdropping on your private time.” With that, Kyra walked away from the door she’d conveniently left open.
“Sorry about that,” Kiara said. “She literally has no filter.”
Trey laughed. “She doesn’t bother me. Her bluntness is refreshing.” Trey stood from his chair and reached out his hand to assist Kiara. Once their hands touched, Kiara felt tingles throughout her entire body. I hope that feeling never goes away, she thought despite herself. I can’t imagine not feeling this each time we touch.
“It won’t,” Trey said, his eyes capturing hers in a penetrating hold. “And neither do I.”
“Did I just say that out loud?” Kiara asked. “Please tell me I didn’t.”
Trey shook his head and laughed. “Wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but you definitely said that out loud.” He stepped closer to her. “I’m starting to realize that, sometimes, you say out loud what you’re thinking, but you don’t realize it unless I respond to your so-called thought.”
Kiara lightly slapped her forehead. “And the award for most embarrassing moment of the night goes to...yours truly.”
Kiara was prepared for Trey to shoot her back a sarcastic comment. Or maybe even a comforting one. Yet he didn’t do either. Instead, he pulled her in for another toe-curling kiss, although this time, people at the party could see them.
Kiara kept her hands to her sides, assuming the catcalls from inside the loft would cause Trey to stop the dancing of their mouths, but they didn’t. When their kiss deepened and her hands went around his neck, Kiara had no choice but to soak in every bit of passion Trey Moore was offering.
Chapter 9
Trey walked into Lou’s Diner and immediately spotted his brothers at a table in the corner.
“Hey, fellas,” he said when he approached. “Did you order yet?”
“Yes,” Derek said. “We ordered you the same thing we had at your place during our first meeting.”
“Thanks.” Trey pulled up a seat in between Derek and Max, who were sitting across from each other. “Did you get my message yesterday about Demetrius offering to help?”
“Yes, we were just discussing that,” Derek said. “You and Max know Demetrius more than I do. Do either of you really think he can help?”
“I’m not sure,” Trey said. “But right now, I think we need the help.”
“I agree. We need the help,” Max said. “Trey, has your contact gotten any further along on figuring out who may have hacked into the files?”
“Actually, he did.” Trey pulled out a small notepad. “Pete was able to track down the fact that the hacker is from a small contractor group from the dark web who call themselves Insenia.”
“Is he able to get the names of everyone in Insenia?” Derek asked.
“No one has ever been able to track how many are in this group, but word is there are no more than ten hackers. He won’t be able to tell me their actual names, but now that he knows Insenia is involved, he’s going to see if he’s able to follow the crumbs and gain access to chat with one of the members through the dark web.”
Max nodded. “So basically, we’d contact them and pretend as if we’re interested in hiring them ourselves?”
“Exactly,” Trey said. “I also have Pete investigating the security footage of the break-ins at the San Diego headquarters since he now has access to their server. He’s looking to see if anything was doctored since Reginald was placed at the scene during the time the historic artifacts were stolen.”
“That’s good,” Max said. “If he was framed for this, hopefully the real culprit wasn’t able to cover his tracks like he thought.”
“Looks like we’re getting somewhere,” Derek said. “One way or another, I want the truth.”
Trey and Max nodded in agreement. “I also wonder if maybe someone from the San Diego chapter is behind this,” Trey said. “We’ve been so busy looking into someone from LA trying to frame Reginald, but Reginald has enemies everywhere.”
“I’ve thought about that, too,” Max said. “Reginald has been a high-ranking board member for twenty-five years, and in that time, he’s rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. He’s been longtime rivals with some of the San Diego members, so I could see one of them being behind the frame-up.”
Trey looked to Derek. “I know being an active member of Prescott George has never been your thing, but we could really use your keen eye at a few of these events. I’m thinking that all three of us need to show a united Moore partnership to get to the bottom of this.”
Derek remained quiet.
“I agree with Trey,” Max said. “Besides, Trey and I have more of a relationship with the members and I wonder if we’re too close to the situation at times. You have a fresh set of eyes and we think you’ll be able to spot any bs.”
Derek smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’ll attend more events until we solve this case. I want the truth, so I understand I have to do my part as well.”
When the food arrived, the brothers ate for a while in silence, letting all the information from the investigation soak in.
“This place is still as good as I remember,” Derek said after a few moments.
“It is.” Trey took a bite of bacon. “Although things are going well, I’m so busy finalizing the end of my screenplay and watching M-dog, I feel like I haven’t been eating consistently.”
“I get like that every time I’m busy,” Derek said. “How is M-dog doing?”
Trey smiled. “He’s doing good. Every morning I drop him off at LA Little Ones and pick him up in the evening, so he’s with me at night.”
“I’ve heard of that place,” Max said. “It’s owned by Kiara Woods, right?”
“Yeah, it is.” Trey raised a questioning eyebrow. “Do you know her?”
“Not like that, bro. Calm down.” Max laughed as he placed his hands in front of him. “I’ve never actually met her. I just read about the success of her business in the newspaper last year. That’s all. I’m assuming, from that look you’re giving me and your accusatory tone, you’re feeling her?”
“Damn right,” Trey said, not hiding how he felt for Kiara. “I met her the night of the Rent-a-Bachelor kickoff, and she took pity on me and allowed me to register M-dog for LA Little Ones for a couple weeks until Carmen picks him up.”
“And you’ve been dating her?” Derek asked.
“Trying to,” Trey said with a laugh. “She told me she isn’t interested in a relationship and I get the feeling she wants to focus on her business right now.”
Max shook his head. “Then I suggest you listen, bro.”
“Me, too,” Derek said. “When a woman tells you something, you better listen. Otherwise, you’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I hear what y’all are saying, but Kiara is giving me mixed signals. One minute she’s keeping me at a friendly distance, and the next minute she’s kissing me more passionately than any woman has ever kissed me before.”
“So, you like her more than you’re letting on?” Max asked.
“Much more.” Trey leaned back in his chair, thinking about last night with Kiara. Had they not been at a party, he could have stayed out there on that balcony talking to her all night. Anytime he was with her, he didn’t want their tim
e together to end.
“Back when I was in high school, a girl I liked broke my heart when she told me I was too deep for her. I think it had something to do with the types of letters I used to write her between classes. I couldn’t help but be poetic, even back then,” Trey said and then recalled another experience.
“In college, I had a couple of serious relationships with women who understood me and my love for words, so I thought I was finally around more like-minded people. But even then, I found that to be exhausting at times. I didn’t fit in with the literature buffs, nor did I fit in with the spoken-word lovers. That’s when I went on a search for my own crowd of people.”
“Cute story, sunshine,” Derek teased.
“Is there a reason you’re getting sentimental on us, bro?” Max asked.
Trey clasped his hands in front of him, surprised he was sharing so much. “When I discovered screenwriting, it felt as if all the pieces of my life finally fit together in a puzzle. It didn’t matter that I’d grown up without Reginald in my life. It may sound harsh, but it didn’t even matter at the time that I wasn’t as close to my brothers as I wanted to be. Writing screenplays gave me purpose, and the television and film lovers—whom coincidentally I’d been around my entire life thanks to my mom—turned out to be like family. They filled those voids that had been left open. However, over the years, writing screenplays has felt more like an annoying job at times, rather than fulfilling a dream like it used to be. I haven’t felt fulfilled in a long time, yet being around Kiara, I feel alive again. I may have only known her for a short amount of time, but I’m falling hard, fellas.”
Derek and Max shared a look of understanding. “I take back my statement,” Derek said. “In this case, maybe you should go after what you want. Especially since Kiara is obviously what you want. It’s possible she said she wasn’t interested because she’s so used to her routine and M-dog gives both of you an excuse to keep each other at a certain distance. Or maybe she was even hurt in the past. So, my suggestion is that you take her away for a weekend outside of LA. Someplace where you both can explore the possibility of something more.”
A Los Angeles Passion Page 8
