Brenda Jackson Read online

  Antron had eventually followed in his father’s footsteps and become an FBI agent until an undercover sting operation had nearly ended his life. After that, he’d decided to join the others at the firm.

  What Duan liked about their setup was that, although they worked individual cases, each had a specialty. He had an analytical mind and was good at deciphering leads from an investigative report. Landon had a knack for finding missing persons. Chevis had a gift when it came to interrogations. Brett was computer savvy and was considered their technical expert, and Antron had exemplary undercover skills, and his contacts within the FBI were invaluable.

  Over the past five years they had handled a number of cases, working closely with their allies in the Atlanta police department and the attorney friends they’d met over the years.

  “Landon told us you might be working on a case and you could use our help,” Brett said.

  “Yes.” Duan nodded. “It would definitely make things a lot easier. I know you have your own cases, but I’d appreciate your assistance in checking into a few things.”

  It didn’t take long for him to provide the details. First they would contact a detective they knew with the Atlanta police department to reopen the two cases. Then they would gather information to see what Villarosas had been up to since he’d moved from Atlanta a few years ago. They also needed to contact the family and any friends of the missing women to see if either woman had been sighted or heard from since her disappearance. There was still the chance the women had run off with other men like Villarosas claimed. However, for two wives to do the same thing was a bit of a stretch.

  After the guys had left his office, Duan settled back in his chair once again. He was determined that before Kim’s mother married Edward Villarosas, they would know whether he was guilty of killing his former wives.

  5

  LIKE CLOCKWORK KIM’S doorbell rang at eight o’clock on Saturday morning. She glanced down at herself as she headed for the door. The weather forecast indicated it would be a beautiful day for boating and she was wearing a new outfit for the occasion.

  She opened the door and a blade of sunlight came through, nearly blinding her, but not before she took stock of the man standing on her doorstep. She angled her head and squinted to look up at him. He flashed a sexy smile and immediately she felt weak in the knees. It was going to be one of those days when she would find it almost impossible to keep her hands off him. He had just that kind of an effect on women. Her in particular. Standing there in a pair of jeans that tapered down muscular thighs, a T-shirt covering his broad shoulders, he looked every bit of sexy and that wasn’t helping matters any. For a split second, all she could do was stand there and drool.

  “Good morning, Kim.”

  It took her a moment to find her voice and respond. But watching the movement of his mouth had made her remember all the things that same mouth had done to her. Naughty, naughty. “Good morning, Duan.”

  “Are you ready?”

  A memory of being ready for him—naked and waiting—flickered through her mind and she forced it away. “Yes, I just need to grab my jacket and bag.”

  “All right. Take your time.”

  Kim quickly headed back into her living room to collect the jacket and duffel bag. She knew the moment Duan stepped over the threshold to enter her home and closed the door. The air between them began to thicken and it seemed as if the air-conditioning had stopped working. Heat was coming through the vents instead.

  He gave her living room an appreciative glance before turning his dark eyes to her. Every nerve in her body felt stretched tight when his gaze roamed over her, as if he could see through her outfit. He’d seen her naked before, had tasted practically every inch of her skin, and he knew all her hot spots and exactly what he needed to do to make them hotter.

  She swallowed, wondering if he was thinking about any of those things. Was he remembering last weekend like she was doing? Was he as aware of her as she was of him? From the way his eyes were darkening, she figured he was.

  “I guess it’s not going to happen, Kim,” he said, breaking the silence, his husky voice making her nipples harden.

  She pulled in a deep breath. “What’s not going to happen?”

  “That we can wait to get to the boat before we do anything.”

  She could really play dumb and ask what he meant, but figured why waste her time or his. Goose bumps formed on her skin and she couldn’t help skimming her gaze over him like he’d done with her earlier. She had already checked him out pretty good at the front door. But now, thanks to the huge bulge behind his zipper, there was more of him, and the woman in her appreciated that fact.

  “So what do you think we need to do about it?” he asked.

  “Why think?” In addition to the thrumming sensations in the pit of her stomach, she could also feel the steam floating between them.

  He was right. They couldn’t wait. Their desire for each other was urgent. It was spontaneous. And like before, they needed to deal with it right now. She didn’t have a problem with that and proceeded to yank her T-shirt over her head, glad she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  Duan didn’t waste any time crossing the room and pulling Kim into his arms. And when she parted her lips, he thrust his tongue between them until it was firmly planted inside her mouth. His hands were on the move and the moment his fingers found her breasts, his erection strained against his zipper. Touching her nipples wasn’t enough. He needed to taste them. He remembered her flavor well and intended to become reacquainted with it this weekend.

  His mouth replaced his fingers as he ended the kiss, drawing her nipples between his lips and sucking hard. He heard her moan deep in her throat, and when she clutched his head to hold it to her breasts, his hands automatically lowered and slid between the waistband of her shorts.

  Shit. She’s not wearing panties, either.

  His erection became even more engorged when he touched bare skin, then delved into the thickness of the curls covering her sex. The moment his hand touched her intimately, her thighs automatically parted and he eased his fingers into her soft flesh, the essence of her dewy core. He pushed apart her legs even more with his knee, and still latching on to her breasts with his mouth, he inserted his fingers deeper inside her. The moment he found her clit, she exploded in a climax of gigantic proportions and he clamped his mouth on hers to smother her scream.

  The scent of her orgasm filled the air and he pulled the aroma deep into his nostrils. Before she could re cover, he swept her into his arms and carried her over to the kitchen table and placed her on top of it.

  His hands grasped the waistband of her shorts and pulled them down her legs. Before she could open her eyes, he lowered his head between her thighs, hungry enough to eat her alive.

  His teeth scraped across her clit then he eased the torture with the tip of his tongue as he tasted her deeply.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a woman on her kitchen table and quickly realized he’d never done such a thing. It seemed everything with Kim was wild, spontaneous and crazy. And when he felt her on the brink of yet another orgasm, he didn’t intend to let her have it without him.

  He pulled away and, still feasting his gaze on her body stretched out before him, kicked off his shoes and proceeded to remove his clothes. Standing in her kitchen completely naked, he put on a condom and turned his full attention back to her.

  Duan reached out and wrapped her legs around his neck. Then he parted her thighs and entered her, going all the way to the hilt. He tried to maintain control of his senses but her body seemed to be summoning him on a primal level and he was too weak to deny the call. Not that he intended to.

  Mercy. The feel of being back inside her was sending all kinds of sensations rippling through him. Grabbing firmly on to her thighs, he began thrusting inside her while her body rocked with every movement he made. He knew the exact moment he’d touched her G-spot and the stroking took on a whole new meaning.

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p; He watched her expression each time he entered and withdrew, keeping up the rhythmic pace while her inner muscles clenched him tight, trying to milk him for all they could get. He’d never made love before with this intensity, this need. This hunger. He couldn’t explain it. Wouldn’t know how to explain it. Right now he could only accept it. This fiery mating. One that touched every fiber of his being. Every part of his soul.

  And then he felt her shudder, felt the way she arched her back, the way her legs tightened around his neck, and knew he had to push both of them over the edge.

  He thrust harder and the sound of her scream made something inside him snap. He needed this mating like he needed his next breath and he lifted her hips in his hands for a deeper penetration. Head flung back, his body bucked into yet another explosion without fully recovering from the first.

  He kept going until there was nothing left inside him. After giving it all, he slumped down on her and took a quick lick of her breasts before his face settled blissfully between them.

  IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY to be out on the ocean and to Duan’s surprise the fish were biting. He enjoyed fishing and recalled it was one of the few things he and Terrence did with their father that didn’t include Olivia. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been invited to go with them, but after he’d shown her how to bait her hook that first time, she had refused to come back.

  He glanced over at Kim. She looked beautiful sitting on the bench seat next to him in one hot-looking bikini, the sunlight dancing off her features. She claimed this was her first time fishing, and she hadn’t been at all squeamish when he’d shown her how to bait the hook. She reminded him that she was a nurse and nurses didn’t get woozy at the sight of blood and guts.

  She had been thrilled at her first catch and a part of him was excited about having her there. He’d gotten used to fishing alone, preferring the solitude. But not today. He wasn’t ready to figure out why.

  Another thing he had to get his mind around was the intense chemistry between them. The sexual chemistry was so strong, so overwhelming, that the need to have each other took precedence over anything else. Sounded crazy, but it was true.

  Prime example was the incident back at her place. He had taken her on her kitchen table, of all places. His only excuse was that he’d arrived this morning filled with one hell of a lustful need after thinking about her, dreaming of her, all week.

  The moment she’d opened the door, every primitive male instinct within him had erupted. He figured no woman had a right to look so damn good that early. He wasn’t even sure whether she was wearing makeup. Didn’t matter. And she had a baseball cap on her head. That didn’t matter either. What mattered was that she was a woman his body seemed to desire whenever he saw her. Any time and any place.

  She was becoming an addiction.

  She must have felt his gaze and looked up from working her fishing pole. “I like doing this, Duan.”

  He chuckled as he leaned back in his seat and tilted his cap back. It was on the tip of his tongue to say he liked doing her. “It’s hard to believe you’ve lived in the Keys for over a year now and have never gone fishing. What a waste of water.” He noticed the hands holding the fishing rod. Most women he dated did up their nails but not Kim. He figured in her line of work it was best she didn’t. He liked her fingers. He remembered sucking on them the last time. The memory made something pull deep within his groin.

  “Well, to be honest, I’m not much for being out on or in the water,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. “Makes me nervous.”

  He lifted his brow. “Then how did you learn to swim?”

  “I didn’t.”

  He stared at her, not believing what she’d said. “You don’t know how to swim?”

  “No. I always planned to take lessons but ended up chickening out.”

  He glanced around and then back at her. “So, you’re out here with me in the middle of the ocean, wearing a very sexy bathing suit, and don’t know how to swim.”

  She smiled. “The key words are that I’m out here with you. You won’t let anything happen to me. Sherri will never forgive you if you do.”

  He returned her smile. He could believe that. “I’ve never asked how the two of you met.”

  She leaned back and propped her feet up on the side of the boat. He liked the way her bathing suit fit. She had used the facilities below to change out of the shorts set into the bikini as soon as they’d gotten on the boat. He had changed into swimming trunks, as well. It was a beautiful day in April and there were other boaters taking advantage of the perfect weather.

  “Sherri and I met in college and were roommates for all four years. After college we decided to pursue opportunities in the same cities. If it wasn’t for Sherri, I would probably still be living in D.C. She talked me into moving to the Keys. My life hasn’t been the same since.”

  He nodded. “Is that good or bad?”

  “At the time it was good because I needed a change. The guy I was involved with wanted more out of the relationship than I was willing to give. He knew going in that I wasn’t looking for anything long-term and claimed he wasn’t, either. Somewhere along the way he changed his mind.”

  “But he didn’t change yours.”

  It was presented as a statement and not a question, but she answered anyway. “I doubt there is anything or anyone that will change my mind about that.”

  She paused for a moment. “I told you about my father and all his ugliness. Well, then there was that one time one of my stepfathers tried to come on to me. If I hadn’t known a little about defending myself, there’s no telling what might have happened. His actions only added to my distrust of men in general.”

  The thought of someone trying to take advantage of her filled him with anger. “So there’s never been anyone you’d want to marry?”

  A bright smile touched her lips. “Sure,” she joked. “Denzel Washington. But I don’t see Pauletta giving him up anytime soon. But on a serious note, I’ve told you my reasons for not wanting to indulge in a long-term affair. Short-term serves me just fine. I watch my mother live her life believing she can’t survive without a man and I refuse to let that happen to me, so marriage is not in my future.”

  He knew the feeling.

  “But I do like kids and want to have a child someday,” she added.

  Her statement didn’t surprise him. Although he’d never seen her around children, for some reason he believed she would be a good mother and nothing like the woman who’d birthed him. As far as kids went for him, he liked them but wasn’t sure he could ever be the father his dad had been. Orin Jeffries had been a rock for his kids. He had always been there for them, and when his poor excuse of a wife had walked out, he had taken on the role of single father without much sweat.

  Duan pulled in a deep breath, wondering who he was fooling. He shifted his gaze from Kim and stared out over the water, thinking that for his father, there had been both sweat and tears. He would never forget the day he’d walked in on his father standing in the middle of his bedroom, staring at his wife’s picture and crying. Actually crying over the woman who’d humiliated him by running off with another man. Duan had backed out of the room without his father knowing he’d been there. That day stuck out in his mind because it was then that he’d decided he didn’t want any woman to ever cause him the pain he’d seen on his father’s face.

  “What about you?” Kim asked.

  He glanced back over at her. “What about me?”

  “How do you feel about marriage and children?”

  It had been a long time since any woman asked him that. “I don’t ever plan to marry. And as long as there are such things as condoms, I don’t ever intend to produce a baby, either, although I like them. I just don’t want to parent one. Don’t know how good I’d be, so I’d rather not take any chances.” He turned from Kim and stared out over the ocean again.

  “I guess we’ll have to wait on Sherri and Terrence.”

  He glanced back at her. “Wa
it on them for what?”

  She smiled. “Babies. I’ll be godmother to any baby they have. That’s a given.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Is it?”

  “Yes.”

  And any baby his brother and sister-in-law produced would make him an uncle. Uncle Duan. He liked the sound of that, but he wasn’t so sure it would be Terrence and Sherri who would be bestowing the honor upon him first. For some reason, he had a feeling it would be Reggie and Libby.

  Deciding to change the subject to the one they needed to discuss, he asked, “How are things with your mother?”

  The face she made told him the answer before she opened her mouth to say anything. “Basically the same. I’ve talked to her twice this week and at least she’s agreed not to do anything rash about her marital status until after I get there.”

  “When are you leaving?”

  “Friday, and I plan to be there for a week. That will give me a few days to spend with her and to get to know the man she wants to marry.”

  He nodded. “And are you still contemplating taking a fake fiancé with you?”

  She tilted her head back and met his gaze. “It depends.”

  He lifted a brow. “On what?”

  “On whether or not you were serious about going with me.”

  THERE, SHE’D SAID IT and now she was trying to decipher his response, Kim thought, studying Duan. She had been tempted to bring up the subject all morning but hadn’t known how to.

  Although he’d made the offer last weekend, it had been post-sex, when they’d still been caught up in the hot time they’d shared in her hotel room. When she’d played the offer over and over in her mind this week, she’d tried to convince herself that he had been serious, but she wasn’t so sure. This was one way to find out for certain.

  He placed his fishing pole aside and leaned over her. “Then I guess I just became your pretend fiancé since I was dead serious, Kim.”