Say You Need Me (12 page)

My brother has lived off gullible women for years.

She was simply one of those gullible women who’d enabled Cecil to continue living his luxurious lifestyle.

Pushing that thought out of her mind, Serena went into the shower. She let the warm water knead her flesh, massaging away the knots formed in her shoulders because of all the stress she was experiencing.

The shower did her a world of good. Feeling fresh, she exited the stall and dried herself, then slipped into Cecil’s T-shirt and shorts. How odd to dress in a man’s clothes when she hadn’t been intimate with him. She remembered how her mother used to dress in her father’s shirts and such, and she’d dreamt of the day when she could share that simple intimacy with someone.

There was nothing special about the experience now.

Forget it,
she told herself.
Don’t dwell on what you can’t change.

The sooner she got over Cecil’s betrayal, the better.

Darrell was lifting a Teflon skillet from a cupboard below the sink when he heard, “Where’s the dryer?”

He whirled around.

“I need to dry my undies.”

The skillet slipped from his fingers, falling to the ceramic-tiled floor with a loud crash. He bent with lightning-fast speed and retrieved it.

Great
, Darrell thought. She wasn’t wearing any underwear. He gave her body a quick once-over. Though she was wearing thick fleece shorts, she may as well have come into the kitchen topless, that’s how X-rated his thoughts became.

He turned and faced the stove. “You want to dry your…” Darrell’s voice trailed off, his mind conjuring
images of just what kind of underwear Serena wore. Practical cotton undies that matched the way she dressed, or did her oversized clothes hide naughty, racy underwear beneath? White lace, black? Bikini or thong?

“I’m not going to wear Cecil’s.”

“Um…I…” Darrell turned on one of the stove’s burners. “Aren’t we heading out?”

“Yeah, but it’s still early, so I figured while we eat breakfast, I can dry my underwear.”

“I don’t know if there’s a dryer. If there is, I didn’t see one.” He did a sidestep to the fridge and removed the carton of eggs, all without looking at Serena. “This place has everything. I’m sure there’s one around somewhere.”

“Are you all right?” Serena asked.

“Sure.” Darrell tried to make his tone casual. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. You’re not looking at me.”

“Just trying to make some breakfast. There’s eggs. How do you want them? Naked?”

“What?”

“Scrambled. That’s what I meant.”
Damn, calm down, Darrell.
He was acting as if he’d never seen a naked woman before, much less fantasized about one.

“Sure.” Serena’s tone was puzzled. “I’m easy.”

Easy.
Like he needed to hear another sexual innuendo.

“I’ll go look for the dryer.”

Darrell waited a full two seconds before turning. And got a full view of Serena’s butt. It was round and firm beneath his brother’s shorts.

He gulped.

Her round butt led to long, shapely legs. She had the kind of thighs a guy wanted wrapped around his body.

Darrell’s groin tightened, leaving him with a painful erection. Never, ever had he looked at any of his brother’s other girlfriends in any way other than platonically—and they’d all been stunning. Yet Serena, sweet, pantyless Serena, had him all hot and bothered without even trying.

“Breakfast, Darrell,” he told himself. “Make breakfast.” Trying to forget the image of Serena’s beautiful buns, Darrell busied himself with finding a bowl for the eggs, butter for the skillet, and the other items he needed to make breakfast.

But the knowledge that Serena was somewhere in another room, walking around with no underwear, was what made his mouth water—not the aroma of the food he was cooking.

When Kiana walked into the kitchen and saw the
answering machine flashing, she immediately dropped her grocery bags on the counter beside the phone. Of course, the phone hadn’t rung once this morning, but the moment she’d stepped out to get groceries, someone had called.

She hoped it was Serena. Try as she might to remain calm, the worry was setting in. Serena didn’t know Cecil’s brother from Adam, and despite what she said about feeling she could trust him, Kiana couldn’t be sure.

Kiana hit the machine’s play button.

“Hey, Kiana. It’s Geoff. I’m back in town, so give me a call.”

Geoff. Kiana’s breath snagged. So, he was back.

She hesitated a full half-second before she reached for the receiver. She dialed Geoff’s number.

“Geoff, it’s Kiana,” she said when he picked up.

“Hey, sweetie.” Kiana could hear the smile in his voice. “You called.”

It was times like this, when Geoff sounded like she’d made his entire day, that Kiana missed their relationship. At least she still had his friendship. “How was your trip?” she asked.

“It was great. Nice to get away. You know how stressful my job can be.”

“Yes, I know.” Geoff had always enjoyed taking impromptu trips when he and Kiana were together. He still did. But since their breakup, Kiana hadn’t done much other than hang out with Serena from time to time.

“You know how much I love the Keys,” Geoff said.

“Yes,” Kiana replied softly, knowing he was referring to the fabulous week they’d spent there together.

As silence filled the line, Kiana was sure Geoff was going to bring up that week. He often reminded her of the happy times they’d had together in an attempt to persuade her to give their romantic relationship another chance. But he didn’t. Instead, he asked, “So what’s happening with Cecil?”

“Gosh, there’s so much to tell you,” Kiana said, her thoughts shifting from her relationship with Geoff to the situation with Serena. “It turns out Cecil has an identical twin brother. That’s who we saw Friday night. That’s who Serena had arrested.”

“No way.”

“He’s out of jail now, given the misunderstanding.”

“And where’s Cecil?”

“That’s the problem. His brother doesn’t know. I’m not sure I told you about that note Cecil left for my sister at the library.”

“Yeah, you told me.”

“It looks like something really crazy is going on,” Kiana said. “Darrell—that’s Cecil’s twin—came to town to find Cecil because he thinks he’s in trouble. And he must be, because someone tried to run him and Serena off the road yesterday!” A sick feeling swept over Kiana. “God, Geoff, they could have been
killed
!”

“Sweetie,” Geoff said firmly yet gently.

“Yeah?” Kiana’s voice wavered.

“Serena’s all right, right?”

“Yeah, but—”

“But she’s okay. Nothing happened to her. That’s the most important thing.”

Geoff’s words made Kiana remember the positive, not dwell on the negative. He was right. The fact that Serena was okay was the important thing. She had to hold on to that.

Kiana blew out a steady breath. “I’m worried about my sister. She’s got
no
clue what she’s doing. She’s so hell-bent on finding that good-for-nothing ex of hers…who knows what kind of trouble she’ll get into?”

“That’s a legitimate concern,” Geoff said.

Kiana paused, surprised at Geoff’s statement. “You really think so?”

“Of course.”

Relieved that Geoff understood her point, Kiana continued. “Serena’s already told me that she still plans to look for Cecil—with his twin—a guy she met for the first time when she slapped him in the face Friday night.”

“She slapped him?”

“Yeah. Well, she thought he was Cecil.”

Geoff chuckled softly. “Ouch.”

“I know.” Kiana grinned, thinking of the irony of it all. She’d bet anything Darrell regretted flirting with Serena that night.

“One thing about your sister, she’s a sweetheart—but don’t cross her.”

“Ain’t that the truth!” Kiana giggled.

“She’ll be just fine,” Geoff said with confidence.

“I hope so.”

“All right, sweetie,” Geoff said. “What do you want me to do? Run a criminal background check on this Darrell Montford guy?”

A smile touched Kiana’s lips. Geoff knew her so well. And he had a special way of making her feel better. Minutes ago, she’d been so worried about her sister. Now, she was still concerned, but she didn’t feel as anxious. “Yes, Geoff. I’d love that.”

“No problem.”

“And maybe…I was thinking you could do a search and find out all Cecil Montford’s known addresses. Maybe even acquaintances and stuff. Anything that might help Serena find him as soon as possible.”

“I don’t know…” Geoff said playfully. “That’s a lot to ask.”

“C’mon, Geoff. You know I’d be forever grateful for any help you can give me.”

“Really?” Geoff bantered. “What’s in it for me?”

“I will honor you with my friendship for life.”

“Oh, my wounded heart.”

“Funny, Geoff, I don’t remember you having one.”

“That was cold.” But there was a lightness in his voice.

And at least Kiana was laughing. “You’re so silly, Geoff. So, can you hook me up with the four-one-one or what?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Geoff replied.

When she and Geoff had been an item, they’d rarely laughed—probably because she’d been so worried about him at work, and no matter how he tried to make her feel better with light-hearted comments, she hadn’t appreciated his humorous approach to comforting her. Now that they were strictly friends, she could laugh at his humor because she didn’t have as much invested in him. Yes, she cared about him and always would, but the pressure of worrying if her future husband would come home in a body bag was gone. As a result, they got along a hundred times better.

Clearly, she couldn’t deal with her fears. Granted, that was her flaw, but if she couldn’t deal with her fears, why continue a relationship?

Still, Kiana often thought of the time they’d spent together. She still remembered how they’d met while walking in Coconut Grove two years ago. He’d been working. She’d been surprised when he’d stopped in her path to say hello. The spark had been instant, and when he’d jokingly told her that he would have to arrest her for possessing an illegal weapon—her smile could knock any man flat on his butt—she’d wanted to get to know him better. By the end of their chat, they’d exchanged phone numbers. Geoff had called her that night, and soon afterward, they’d started going out.

But things had gone awry when a couple months into their relationship, Geoff had started canceling dates for off-duty gigs, concerned with paying off the enormous debt he’d incurred as a student. And the more she cared about him, the more she worried about the dangers asso
ciated with his job as a police officer. Geoff had always downplayed her concerns.

The memory of the negative issues brought Kiana down. “Okay, Geoff. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Or maybe I can take you out for dinner.”

Kiana paused, nerves tickling her stomach. “I don’t know, Geoff. Maybe that’s not a good idea.”

“And that would be because…a law was passed against friends going out for dinner while I was away?”

“No, but…” Kiana exhaled sharply. “I’m pretty busy today. I’ve got a deadline I’m trying to meet.”

“I see,” Geoff said, but his tone said that he didn’t.

“I’ll call and let you know if I’ve got time.”

“You do that.”

“Thanks for agreeing to look into all that stuff for me.”

“Just remember you’ll owe me,” Geoff warned, his tone playful once again. “And I
will
collect.”

Kiana chortled. “Good-
bye,
Geoff.”

“Remember what I said.”

“Bye.” Then Kiana hung up, a smile still playing on her lips. The man never gave up.

“Okay, how do you figure this will work?” Serena asked, strolling into the living room. “You want us to separate or work together?”

Darrell shot to his feet as she neared him and took a couple steps backward.

Halting, Serena cocked her head to the side and asked, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, of course.” He swallowed. “Are your…did you finish with the, um, dryer?”

“The dryer?”

“Your underwear. You’re finished? Dressed? Ready to go?”

“Oh.” Serena gave him a confused look. “Yeah.”

“Great, great,” Darrell said, feeling like an idiot. But he had to know if she was still pantyless. He didn’t need any more visions of what she
didn’t
have on beneath his brother’s shorts dancing around in his head.

But the knowledge that she was now wearing underwear didn’t help any. Because Darrell’s thoughts had already turned sexual, and he couldn’t stop his eyes from roaming Serena’s body with interest. He couldn’t help noting the way his brother’s shorts hung loosely over her full hips. What would it feel like to skim his fingers along her skin, beneath those shorts, around to her full behind? Darrell’s gaze ventured lower, to her flawless mocha-colored legs and her pretty, bare feet.

Man, they were the prettiest feet he’d ever seen.

A long breath oozed out of him.

Serena’s skin grew warm as Darrell looked her over from head to toe. Even if she hadn’t been wearing her glasses, she would have easily seen the raw, sensual heat blazing in his eyes. His lustful gaze seemed to burn right through her shorts, with a look that said he wanted to eat her up with some melted butter. And though she was fully clothed, Serena suddenly felt naked.

She crossed her arms over her chest, then dropped her hands and linked her fingers across her abdomen. Darrell’s gaze didn’t waver.

Serena cleared her throat—loudly. Darrell’s eyes flew to hers.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.

Darrell’s Adam’s apple rose and fell as he swallowed. “Like what?”

Serena hesitated a good two seconds, then replied matter-of-factly, “Like you’re stripping me naked with your eyes.”

Darrell’s mouth hit the floor, his surprise at Serena’s forthrightness obvious. Hell, even
she
was surprised. What demon had possessed her body and made her say something so…so
provocative
?

As her heart rate accelerated, a little voice whispered,
You know exactly what possessed you.
There was a side to herself she was rapidly discovering, a side that enjoyed this feeling of being sexually alive. It was a new feeling, one that was thrilling, and it led to a need she didn’t know she possessed—the need to see if she could exert any sexual power. With subtle gestures on her part, could she make Darrell want her, make him find her irresistible? Or would her feminine appeal be completely lost on him?

She moved instinctively toward him, calling on a sexual assuredness that was a surprise to her. “Hmm?” she asked, her voice soft and seductive. “Is that what you’re doing? Stripping me naked with your eyes?”

Darrell didn’t move as she stepped toward him, almost as though he was paralyzed. When she stopped a couple feet in front of him, he said, “Damn. You are…you are something else.”

She cocked her head to the side. “In a good way or bad way?”

“Definitely a
good
way. I’m kinda wondering what was wrong with my brother.”

“I don’t want to talk about Cecil.”

Darrell raised an eyebrow. “You don’t?”

“Uh uh.”

Darrell reached for her, softly running his fingers down her arm before taking her delicate wrist in his hand. “Neither do I.”

His voice was deep and smooth and utterly sexy, causing Serena’s heart to flutter. Why was she teasing him like this? She’d never been so bold before.

But then, no one’s gaze alone had ever set her body on fire.

He linked one hand with hers, then the other. He urged her toward him, stopping her just before their bodies touched. Serena’s core thrummed, a passion burning within her that she’d never experienced before.

“What are we doing?” Serena’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“What do you want me to do?”

Ooh, he was teasing her right back, giving her a dose of her own medicine. Serena had stepped into dangerous territory, thinking she could play this game. But she suddenly felt ill matched, like an amateur.

She must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights, because Darrell grinned and said, “It’s okay. I won’t bite you.”

Serena’s legs turned to jelly. God, what a turn on the very idea of him biting her was! “What…what if I…want you to?”

“Baaaby.” A growl rumbled deep in Darrell’s chest. “Prim and proper on the outside, wild on the inside. God, that’s an irresistible combination…”

Irresistible. He found her irresistible.

Oh, God…

Darrell lowered his head and brushed his velvet lips
against her jaw line ever so lightly, yet the mere touch set the skin beneath his lips ablaze.

“Darrell…” Serena hardly recognized her voice. Okay, she’d tested him. She’d proven that she could turn a man on. But she had long crossed safe territory and ventured into the unknown. She had to stop this…

“God, Serena.” Slowly, agonizingly, he trailed kisses along her sensitized flesh, from her jaw line to her earlobe, down to the base of her neck, then up to her mouth.

And Serena stopped thinking altogether.

An electric bolt coursed through her veins, awakening her body to feelings she had never known existed. Feelings oh so delicious. She could easily get lost in a sea of desire, relishing Darrell’s intoxicating touch.

Darrell brought his lips down on hers. Serena moaned softly and melted against him. Taking her face in his hands, Darrell slipped his tongue into her mouth, flicking it over the tip of her tongue, over her teeth.

Serena’s fingers crept around his neck as Darrell wrapped his arms around her body. His mouth was hot, his breath heavy. The kiss wasn’t a gentle kiss, but one that told Serena in no uncertain terms that Darrell wanted her.

He moved his mouth to her ear. “Serena, you’re driving me
wild
.”

Wild…oh, God. Serena’s head was spinning. She was caught up in an inferno of passion and had no idea how to escape.