One glance is all it takes

From the moment his eyes meet hers across the crime-scene tape, ex-con turned bodyguard Quasar Patterson knows he has to see the mysterious Dr. Randi Fuller again. She’s a renowned psychic investigator who can foresee danger for others, but not for herself. That makes Quasar doubly determined to watch over her—the closer, the better—as she’s drawn into a dangerous gang rivalry.

Both her psychic gift and their blinding chemistry tell Randi that she and Quasar are fated to be entwined. Even as they surrender to the heat between them, there’s no guarantee of a happily-ever-after now that an enemy has her in his sights. And claiming a future will take more than Quasar’s strength and skill. If he can’t risk the heart he’s always held in check, they’ll both lose for good...

Praise for Brenda Jackson

“The only flaw of this first-rate, satisfying sexy tale is that it ends.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Forged in Desire

“Leave it to Jackson to take sizzle and honor, wrap it in romance and come up with a first-rate tale.”

—RT Book Reviews on Temptation

“Brenda Jackson is the queen of newly discovered love... If there’s one thing Jackson knows how to do, it’s how to pluck those heartstrings and stir up some seriously saucy drama.”

—BookPage on Inseparable

“[Jackson] proves once again that she rocks when it comes to crafting family drama with a healthy dose of humor and steamy, sweaty sex. Here’s another winner.”

—RT Book Reviews on A Brother’s Honor, 4½ stars, Top Pick

“This deliciously sensual romance ramps up the emotional stakes and the action.... [S]exy and sizzling.”

—Library Journal on Intimate Seduction

“Jackson does not disappoint...first-class page-turner.”

—RT Book Reviews on A Silken Thread, 4½ stars, Top Pick

“Jackson is a master at writing.”

—Publishers Weekly on Sensual Confessions

Seized by Seduction

Brenda Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To the man who will always and forever be the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.

To all my readers who after reading The Grangers Series wanted more. This book is especially for you.

And to my readers who will accompany me to Barbados for Brenda Jackson Readers Reunion 2017.

I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart for your love, encouragement and support.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

—Romans 14:7

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Praise

Title Page

Dedication

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

PROLOGUE

QUASAR PATTERSON WAS a man who appreciated anything female, which was why his gaze was focused on the woman standing within the perimeters of the crime scene tape. He didn’t know her identity, but the one thing he did know was that she was definitely a looker. She was so striking that he felt a scorching sensation in his eyes from staring at her. And he was convinced it had nothing to do with him having run out of a burning mountain cabin in the Shenandoah Valley just a short while ago. He would lay the blame solely at her feet. Even from a distance her facial features were so captivating, so mesmerizingly beautiful, he felt an intense stirring in his gut.

Her skin appeared the color of creamy cocoa with a sensual pair of cheekbones, well-shaped lips, a delicate nose and dark eyes that were either black or brown. From where he was standing he couldn’t be certain. Regardless of their color, her eyes made the entirety of her facial features exquisite.

Long, straight black hair fell to her shoulders, and even from across the yard it looked thick and silky. The kind a man would want to run his fingers through...or better yet, grip while thrusting hard inside her. He usually preferred a woman with bigger breasts but concluded hers were perfect for her size. The lush curves outlined in the dark slacks and short leather jacket she wore were appealing as hell.

He’d first seen her after running from the burning house with his friend Stonewall Courson. He and Stonewall hadn’t thought twice about running into the blazing cabin to save their friend Striker Jennings, and the woman Striker had been hired to protect, Margo Connelly. Striker and Ms. Connelly were being treated by paramedics, and the body of the man who’d tried to kill them lay covered by a white sheet.

“You okay?”

Quasar reluctantly shifted his gaze off the woman to glance at the man who’d joined him. “Yeah, Stonewall, I’m okay. What about you?”

“We’re alive. So are Striker and Ms. Connelly, and that’s all that matters. And that bastard over there is dead,” he said, indicating the would-be assassin. “Good riddance.”

Quasar nodded in agreement and then switched his gaze back to where the woman stood. Three other women had joined her. He recognized Margo Connelly and Detective Joy Ingram, and when the third woman took out a writing pad he concluded she was a federal agent about to take a statement from Ms. Connelly. Federal agents were swarming all over the place. However, Quasar had no idea about the woman who’d caught his eye. Was she a federal agent, as well?

When Stonewall muttered something about it being a pity that such a nice house was burning down, Quasar decided to satisfy his curiosity. “Hey, man, the woman standing over there next to your detective—the one wearing the slacks and leather blazer—who is she?”

Stonewall frowned after glancing over his shoulder. His friend wasn’t all that keen on him referring to Joy Ingram as his detective. Stonewall and Joy had met at a party a month ago, and from the first it was obvious Stonewall had the hots for the detective. Probably to the same degree Quasar had the hots for the woman standing beside her.

“She is not my detective,” Stonewall said, copping an attitude that Quasar chose to ignore.

“You want her to be, though. I know the two of you haven’t had an official date yet, but you’ve met up with her a number of mornings at that café on Monroe Street for coffee and donuts. You also met with her at Shady Reds a couple of times to grab a few beers.”

Stonewall’s frown deepened. “You know too damn much.”

“Not really, which is why I want to know who that woman is. The one in the dark slacks and leather blazer.”

“I heard your description the first time,” Stonewall snapped.

“Well?”

Stonewall took a huge gulp of water from the bottle he was holding, then swiped across his mouth with the back of his hand. Quasar knew his friend was trying to annoy the hell out of him by deliberately taking his time in answering. Finally he said, “Her name is Dr. Randi Fuller.”

Quasar lifted a brow. “The psychic investigator?”

“Yes, the psychic investigator. I admit I was a skeptic at first, but she’s made a believer out of me. She led everyone to this place, and just in time. I don’t want to think what would have happened if no one had taken Dr. Fuller seriously.”

Quasar didn’t want to think what would have happened, either.

“Well, let me get back over to Striker,” Stonewall said. “He’s about done giving his statement to the Feds now.”

When Stonewall walked off, Quasar returned his full attention to Dr. Randi Fuller. Randi. He liked that name and thought it was different. Tired of standing, he decided to crouch down a minute, and when he did so, as if the movement carried a sound that floated through the air, Dr. Fuller turned and looked over at him.

The moment their gazes connected, desire with an intensity he’d never felt before twisted Quasar’s gut, and primitive male awareness filled his every pore. A throbbing need suddenly consumed his senses, and there was an unmistakable pounding in his crotch. Crackles of sexual energy passed between them, hot, raw and relentlessly carnal. Even across the distance, he swore he could hear the intimate sound of her breathing, the fast pounding of her heart. He was convinced he could even smell her. It was an arousing scent of jasmine and some other entrancing fragrance.

Shit. What the hell was happening? With him? Between them?

She must have been trying to figure out that very same thing, because she suddenly broke eye contact with him. He used that time to suck in a deep breath and to force his aroused state under control. The strange connection they’d just shared was a jolt of sexual energy that rocked him to the bone. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before.

Moments later, when she glanced back his way and their gazes reconnected, his mind conjured up a number of erotic images. Like him burying his face in the hollow of her throat, undressing her, making hard-ass love to her while those long legs wrapped tight around his waist. His penis throbbed at the thought of pounding into her. Hammering hard. Then harder.

When Detective Ingram said something to get her attention, she looked away from him again. But he continued to stare at her, to will her to glance back. Although maybe it was a good thing she didn’t. He was so damn aroused he could probably come just from all this sexual chemistry surging between them. Explosive. Fiery as hell. The I-need-to-get-fucked kind.

“We need to talk to Striker,” Stonewall said, returning, interrupting Quasar’s heated thoughts.

Annoyed, he glanced up at Stonewall. “Why?”

“He’s about to make some crazy decisions about Margo Connelly.”

Frustrated, Quasar ran his fingers through his hair. “And you know this, how?”

“Because I do. He’s crazy about her and is fighting it.”

“Not my business, and neither is it yours,” Quasar said, standing back up and pulling his shirt down past his pants zipper.

“It will be our business if we’re the ones who have to put up with his crappy-ass mood.”

Well, hell, Quasar figured Stonewall was right about that. “Okay, so, what’s the game plan?”

As Stonewall began talking, Quasar glanced over to where Randi Fuller had been standing. Dammit, she was gone. He anxiously glanced around the crime scene but didn’t see her anywhere.

He sucked in a deep breath of disappointment and as he drew the oxygen through his lungs, he wondered if, somehow, someway, he would ever see the beautiful psychic investigator again.

CHAPTER ONE

Three months later

WHY IS THE NIGHT I saw Dr. Randi Fuller still so vividly clear in my mind?

That irritating question nagged the hell out of Quasar while at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia. Getting more annoyed with himself every passing minute, he grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator and a slice of leftover pizza from the microwave. The very idea that any woman could linger on his mind for this long was preposterous. Especially when it was a woman he’d seen only one time.

But damn, she’d been beautiful, and he would admit to being awestruck and mesmerized. So much, in fact, he hadn’t been able to stop looking at her that night. She’d caught him staring and had boldly stared back. He’d seen the same interest mirrored in her eyes he was certain shone in his. A part of him wondered if she’d read his thoughts. After all, she was a psychic.

Deep down he knew that her paranormal abilities had nothing to do with why she’d been stuck in his mind for three solid months. For a reason he couldn’t explain, he’d felt this strange connection between them. One that had him still thinking of her three months later. As far as he was concerned, nothing about his obsession with Dr. Fuller made sense. He dated women. He bedded women. What he didn’t do was get fixated on one.

His phone rang and he recognized the tone. It was a call from his father. Normally he’d have let it go, but he decided to answer it. Maybe if his mind was full of anger at someone, it would keep his thoughts of Dr. Randi Fuller at bay. He’d never known a time when a phone conversation with Louis Patterson didn’t end in shouting.

He looked at the clock. Usually his father didn’t call past dinnertime. There was only one way to find out the reason for this abnormality. “Is there a reason for your call, Louis?” He had stopped referring to his father as Dad years ago. As far as Quasar was concerned, the man didn’t deserve the title when he’d unashamedly picked one son over the other countless times. And unsurprisingly, his father hadn’t made a fuss about the change.

“Yes, I wouldn’t be contacting you if there wasn’t. Doyle has decided to run for public office.”

Quasar’s stomach clenched at the thought of his older brother. Doyle was and always had been his father’s golden child. “Any reason you thought I needed to know?”

“Forever the smart-ass, aren’t you, Quasar?”

Quasar managed a tight smile while thinking, Yes, if it riles you, then it’s worth it. “Why do you think I need to know Doyle has decided to get his hands dirty in politics?” He figured his old man didn’t like that question, especially the reference to dirty hands.

His father ignored the comment altogether. “The media knows about you. They might want to talk to you. Get an interview.”

Quasar chuckled. “Oh, I get it. And you’re afraid I’ll tell them something. Like the truth.”

Once again there was silence on the other end of the call. Quasar liked it whenever he could render the great, all-powerful Louis Patterson speechless. It was always this way between them. He was determined never to be controlled again, and his father was intent on controlling him like old times.

The old man finally recovered and said, “When are you going to forget about that and let it go, Quasar? You know I couldn’t let Doyle go to jail.”

But you could let me go and waste three years of my life behind bars for a crime I didn’t commit. Quasar knew there was no reason to get into an argument with his father about it. The man had wanted to protect Doyle, and Quasar had been the sacrificial lamb.

As far as Quasar was concerned, the only good thing that had come out of those three years in prison was meeting a man who’d proved that not all fathers were assholes. That there were some who loved their sons...no matter how many they had. That man was Sheppard Granger. Like Quasar, Sheppard had been jailed for a crime he hadn’t committed.

Shep, as the other inmates called him, was a lot older than most of the prisoners and served time for murdering his wife. It didn’t take long for anyone who hung around Shep to know he was a natural-born leader—a positive one. He gained the respect of many and was highly admired.

Before being sent to prison, Shep was the CEO of a major corporation, Granger Aeronautics. While in prison he became a father figure to the younger inmates, their mentor, confidant and role model. Instead of acting resentful for being locked up for a crime he didn’t commit, Shep used his time in prison to implement Toastmasters, Leaders of Tomorrow, GED exams and college programs. Shep was the reason Quasar had walked out of prison a different man. A man who would no longer allow his father to intimidate him. While growing up, nothing he did pleased his father. Louis always made him feel inadequate, as if he would never measure up...like that time he’d become captain of the swim team and the team came in second place in its first competition. Instead of giving him accolades for even making it to the finals, Louis had verbally lashed out at him for not winning.

Prison had also introduced several other men into Quasar’s life. Some who were better brothers than Doyle had ever been. The first two who immediately came to mind were Striker and Stonewall.

“Quasar?” His father’s voice annoyingly intruded on his thoughts.

“I heard you. Doyle is getting into politics.”

“You gonna keep your mouth shut and not bring shame on the family’s name?”

“Don’t count on it.” Not giving his father time to respond, he clicked off the phone.

He laughed, imagining the look on his father’s face. Not too many people would have the courage to hang up on Louis Patterson and laugh about it. Oh, well.

Quasar was about to settle down in front of the television with his beer and pizza and see what was happening on the sports channel when his cell phone rang again. It wasn’t his father calling back but Roland Summers, his boss at Summers Security Firm.

Not long after being released from prison, he, Stonewall and Striker had signed on to work for Roland’s security firm. Since the three of them hadn’t known a thing about security work, Roland, an ex-con himself, understood the importance of them having steady and productive employment and had gotten them into one of the top tactical training schools in the country. In addition, Roland had hooked them up for a full year with a former Secret Service agent by the name of Grayson Prescoli. Grayson had a reputation as being one of the best in the business while serving under three presidents.

After Striker was credited with taking down the assassin who’d been terrorizing Charlottesville, Summers Security received national attention and was hailed as one of the top-notch security firms in the country. Since then, the security firm had received numerous requests from around the country for their services. That had prompted Roland to hire additional trained bodyguards to protect celebrities, politicians, and members of wealthy families and handle security details during special events. As of last month, the security firm had gone global, and international requests were rolling in. Stonewall was currently in Paris, acting as bodyguard to some billionaire playboy.

Quasar clicked on the phone. “What’s up, Roland?”

“I took a chance in reaching you. It’s your weekend off, and I’m surprised you’re not out on a date or something.”

Quasar chuckled. Roland was not only his boss but also a good friend who knew how much he enjoyed the opposite sex. “I thought I’d hang around home this weekend.”

“Oh, I see.”

He figured Roland really did see and was fully aware that at times, Quasar slipped into pensive moods. It was during those times he preferred being by himself. “So what do you need, Roland?”

“I just got a call about an event at the Kennedy Center. They’re expecting a ton of celebrities, will be increasing their security detail and need at least three of my men. Since you’ve done events there before, I’m reaching out to you in case you might be interested.”

“When is it?” Quasar asked.

“Next weekend. It’s on Friday night, but they’re footing the bill for an entire weekend if you want to use the additional two days and do some sightseeing. If you’re interested, I’ll have the packet ready when you return to the office on Monday.”

“I’m interested.” He hadn’t been to DC in a while. It would give him the chance to check in on Ryker Valentine, a former inmate who, after returning to his home state of California, had entered politics and was now a US senator.

“Good. I’ll put you down, Quasar.”

“I hope you’re not overdoing anything, Roland.” The man had been shot earlier that year in an attempted carjacking.

“My last scheduled checkup with the doctor was yesterday,” Roland said. “I’m officially released with a clean bill of health.”

“Glad to hear it, but still, don’t tax yourself.”

“I won’t. I’ll have Carson to deal with if I do.”

Quasar knew that to be true. Carson was Shep’s wife and Roland’s good friend. She doted on Roland like a younger brother. “And how is Carson?”

“Fine. They found out last week that she’s having a girl. Everyone is happy. Especially Shep. After three sons, he’s getting a daughter. The baby is due sometime in July.”

Quasar smiled, thinking of Shep with a daughter. In a way, it was strange to picture Shep and a baby at all, considering his youngest son, Dalton, would be thirty this year. Shep was starting fatherhood all over again. “What about Caden and Dalton? Any word on what they’re having?” The wives of two of Shep’s sons were pregnant, as well.

“Caden and Shiloh are also having a girl. Dalton and Jules aren’t saying yet.”

Quasar shook his head and chuckled. “Leave it to Dalton to keep everyone in suspense.”

“Yes, that’s Dalton for you. Talk to you later.”

Quasar clicked off the phone. Maybe spending a weekend in the nation’s capital, visiting an old friend, was just what he needed.

* * *

“SO WHAT ARE your plans for Trey’s birthday?” Randi asked her sister, Haywood, as they tossed their shopping bags into the backseat of Haywood’s SUV. It was a beautiful day in Richmond, although forecasters had predicted rain later today. Randi loved shopping, and a day spent at the malls with her sister was the best. Even with the eight-year difference in their ages, they’d always been close. Usually their mother would join them, but their parents had left today to celebrate their thirtieth wedding anniversary on an international tour of four countries.

“You know your brother,” Haywood said, sliding into the seat behind the steering wheel and buckling her seat belt. “It’s going to be hard to pull anything over on him, so a surprise birthday party is out of the question. I think I’ll host a birthday dinner instead.”

Randi nodded while buckling her own seat belt. Yes, she did know her brother, and Haywood was right. It would be hard to pull anything over on Trey. It always amused her to watch people’s reactions whenever they discovered her sister had married her brother. Then Randi would have to explain, as simply as she could, that she and Haywood shared the same mother, where as she and Trey shared the same father.

Jenna Fuller’s first husband and Haywood’s father, Steven Malone, had died of a heart attack when Haywood had been four. Randolph Fuller and Jenna, who’d been college sweethearts, reunited and married when Haywood was six. Trey, whose real name was Ross Donovan Fuller III, was Randolph’s son from his first marriage and was named after their father’s brother, who’d been killed in the Vietnam War.

Thanks to Haywood and Trey, Randi had two nephews—ten-year-old Ross Donovan Fuller IV, who was affectionately called Quad, and seven-year-old Randolph Devin Fuller II, who went by the nickname of Dev. Then there were her identical twin nieces, Brooklyn and Brynn, who turned three a few months ago. Randi adored her nieces and nephews and considered them her joy in life.

“What do you have planned for this weekend?” Haywood broke into her thoughts to ask.

“I’m thinking about painting my bedroom.”

Haywood glanced at her when she brought her SUV to a stop at a traffic light. “Why? You know you don’t want to do that.”

Randi chuckled. “What are you? A mind reader?”

Haywood shook her head, grinning. “No, reading minds is your thing, not mine.”

True, Randi thought as she settled back in her seat. After all, she was Dr. Randi Fuller, psychic investigator and behavioral analyst. She’d been fifteen when she’d gotten her first premonition but hadn’t told anyone until she was nineteen. That’s when she’d confided first in Haywood and then her parents.

No one had been surprised, since it was a known fact that Randolph Fuller’s maternal grandmother and great-grandmother had been psychics. Nor had it been surprising when those not close to her family had been skeptical of her abilities. At first Randi had consider her psychic abilities a curse, especially after an incident in college involving her best friend, Georgie Mason, and Larry Porter, the guy she’d convinced herself she would love for life. She’d secretly confided to Georgie she had psychic powers. In her junior year she began dating Larry, and Georgie had betrayed Randi’s trust by telling Larry of Randi’s psychic abilities before she’d gotten the chance to do so herself.

When Larry confronted her about it, she’d confirmed what Georgie had told him. Larry broke things off with her, saying there was no way he could be involved with a freak. She’d taken their breakup hard, and it was only with her family’s love and support that she had gotten through that difficult period in her life.

“I wasn’t going to mention it, practically promised Trey that I wouldn’t, but...”

Randi glanced over at her sister. “What is it that Trey doesn’t want you to mention?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“It’s about Larry.”

Now she wondered if her sister could possibly read minds, since her ex-boyfriend had been in her thoughts just moments ago. “What about Larry?”

“Zach ran into him this week. Seems he’s moved to DC and works for an IT company there.”

Zach was Senator Zachary Wainwright, Trey’s best friend. Zach was also married to their cousin Adrianna, whom everyone called Anna. “Why would Larry moving to DC bother me?”

Haywood shook her head. “Come on, Ran, it’s me you’re talking to. I of all people know how much you loved Larry and how badly he hurt you.”

Larry had hurt her. “I’ve gotten over him, Haywood. It wasn’t easy, but I did.” What she said was true. She’d taken a year off college just to get herself together. That time spent on Glendale Shores had been just what she’d needed. Located off the South Carolina coast, Glendale Shores was one of the most beautiful of the Sea Islands and had been in her family for generations.

“Are you sure?”

Randi glanced over at her sister. “I’m positive.”

Haywood didn’t say anything for a minute. Then she said, “I’m glad, because according to Zach, he’s married. Larry mentioned to Zach that he’s attending that big bash at the Kennedy Center this weekend with his wife. Since you have plans to go as well, there’s a chance you might see them there.”

Randi drew in a deep breath and felt...nothing. Not even that painful ache in her heart that it had seemed would take forever to go away. But it was finally gone. Who would have thought she would actually feel zilch upon hearing the man she once loved so deeply had committed his life to someone else?

“Randi?”

She heard the worry in her sister’s voice and glanced over at her. “I heard you, Haywood. So Larry’s married. I’m happy for him. Truly I am. And it wouldn’t bother me in the least if I saw him.”

She paused a minute, then added, “I got over Larry. I now understand that not all men could handle a girlfriend having psychic abilities. I shouldn’t have expected Larry to be different.”

“Well, I did,” Haywood said with indignation. “He claimed he loved you.”

Yes, he had claimed that, and when I needed him to be supportive and understanding, he’d been neither. In fact, he was a total ass. “Well, like I said, I’m over Larry, and no one has to be afraid to mention him around me or freak out at the thought we might run into each other someplace whenever I’m in DC.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Randi. I know getting over Larry was not easy for you. But I’m still concerned, because you haven’t dated much since your breakup with him, and it’s been close to four years.”

Reaching up, Randi adjusted her sunglasses. Had it been that long? “I date.”

“I didn’t say you hadn’t dated at all. I said you don’t date much. There’s a difference.”

“I date enough. Criminal cases take up a lot of my time, Haywood. You know that.” After college she’d gone to work for the FBI as a behavioral analyst. She’d found the position too restricting because she couldn’t assist other law enforcement agencies. That’s when she’d made the decision to freelance. In between job assignments, she used her time writing books on psychic criminology that were being used at the FBI Training Center at Quantico. And on occasion, she would teach classes there, as well.

“Speaking of cases, you haven’t said much about the last one you worked. The one in Charlottesville,” Haywood cut into her thoughts to say.

Randi shrugged. “Wasn’t more to tell. All the details were blasted on television and in the newspapers.” It had been crazy when a mobster who’d been found guilty had put a hit out on everyone in the courtroom the day of his sentencing. Close to ten people had been assassinated before it all ended.

“The media gave you a lot of credit.”

“They shouldn’t have. It was a team effort.”

“Yes, and with all the cases you’ve helped solve, you’d think people’s skepticism of an investigative psychic’s abilities would have lessened.”

Randi was well aware that most people didn’t believe or accept the possibility that some individuals were born with psychic gifts. Over the years she’d gotten used to closed-minded people. “It’s not always easy to have an open mind to the unknown...especially when it contradicts what you think you know or believe,” she said in defense of the doubters. She would admit that in the beginning, she’d had a hard time accepting people’s attitudes about that. Now she mainly ignored them.

“Why do I get the feeling that there’s something you’re not telling me about that case in Charlottesville?”

Randi started to speak, to deny there was anything she wasn’t telling her sister, but she knew there was no point. Her sister could read her like a book. “I saw him.”

Haywood had pulled her SUV into the parking lot of one of their favorite dress shops. She brought the car to a stop, cut the ignition and turned to Randi. “You saw whom?”

When Randi felt a part of her breath backing up in her lungs, she let out a whoosh; otherwise, what she was about to say would overwhelm her. It practically did whenever she thought about it. “While in Charlottesville, I saw the man Gramma Mattie told me in my dream that I would one day meet.”

As Randi expected, Haywood was quiet for a minute, allowing what she’d said to sink in. Then her sister lifted her brow, stared at her with that thoughtful expression she could wear so well and asked, “You saw him?”

The corner of Randi’s mouth lifted into a smile. “Yes. And it happened pretty much like the dream said it would.”

In actuality, it had been a vision instead of a dream, but she’d told everyone it had been a dream so they wouldn’t ask too many questions about the experience. It had happened during that year she’d spent on Glendale Shores while getting over her breakup with Larry. Her deceased great-grandmother, who’d also been blessed with psychic powers, had come to her in a vision. Gramma Mattie had told her Larry was never meant to be her mate, and there was a man chosen just for her.

Her great-grandmother further said that Randi would know him when she saw him. Although no physical description of him was given, it was revealed that the first time she saw him, he would be wearing all black, and when their gazes locked, she would feel the connection.

And she had.

“I don’t understand, Randi. If you met him, then why isn’t he here with you? Why haven’t you introduced him to us?”

Randi smiled, hearing the excitement in Haywood’s voice. “Mainly because I haven’t officially met him myself. I saw him one night at the crime scene, and he saw me. Something passed between us just the way Gramma Mattie said it would. I’m sure he thinks it was nothing more than sexual attraction.”

“And you didn’t say anything to him?”

“No. It was the same night the assassin was killed, and everyone’s attention was focused on what had happened. Two people had come close to losing their lives that night in a fire. Besides, according to Gramma Mattie, he has to make the first overture. The only reason I know his name is that I overheard someone call out to him.”

Randi didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she added, “And another thing, the most important thing Gramma Mattie said, was that I have to earn his love, and he has to earn mine.”

“How?” Haywood asked.

Randi answered thoughtfully, “I don’t know. But what I do know is that if one of us fails, then we both lose out on love. There’s not anyone else out there for either of us. If not together, then we will live apart and forever alone.”

CHAPTER TWO

RANDI LOVED ATTENDING galas at the Kennedy Center, especially when they were honoring a well-known humanitarian who deserved the award. Since her parents were still out of the country, she was attending with Trey and Haywood and her godbrother and her cousin, Zach and Anna. It was a dressy affair, and she’d enjoyed going shopping to buy what she thought was the perfect outfit.

She glanced around, remembering the first time she’d come here. It was with her parents and paternal grandparents when the Kennedy Center had honored the Performing Arts. She’d been eight at the time and had been starstruck, not only by the performances but also by the notoriety of her father. That night, she realized Randolph Fuller might be Daddy to her, but to others he was a world-renowned defense attorney. She had been amazed at the number of people who’d admired her father and whose lives he’d touched.

She couldn’t help noticing how close Trey was sticking by her side tonight and was about to ask why when she remembered Haywood’s heads-up that Larry and his wife might make an appearance. Since she wasn’t supposed to be privy to that information, she had no choice but to let him play the role of big brother and protector.

“You okay?” Trey leaned down and asked her for what seemed like the tenth time that night. It was intermission and they’d stepped out into the lobby. She was glad to see so many people were in attendance. Security was high due to the number of celebrities and dignitaries in attendance, including the President.

“Any reason why I wouldn’t be, Trey?” she asked, reaching up and giving him a sisterly pinch on the cheek.

“None that I can think of.”

Yeah, right. She glanced over at Haywood, who looked as though she was trying hard to keep a straight face. “I guess it’s time to go back to our seats,” she said. At that moment, Trey and Zach left Haywood’s and Anna’s sides to flank hers.

“Good evening, everyone.”

Randi recognized the masculine voice immediately. Glancing up, she took in Larry’s face as well as the woman by his side. His wife.

* * *

THERE IS A big crowd tonight, Quasar thought, glancing around the huge lobby. The celebrities and dignitaries sitting in the balcony areas were now mingling upstairs. He was posted by the bank of elevators to make certain that only those with VIP passes got past him. Several young women had tried him, all but offering him a hot night in their beds if he looked the other way for a minute so they could sneak up to socialize with the rich and famous. Of course he’d turned down their offers. They would have to hobnob on someone else’s time. He had a job to do.

He glanced around, not for the first time admiring the beauty of the inside of the Kennedy Center. The decor was colorful with beautiful, gigantic chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings, which gave the lobby an intrinsic charm. His attention went to the huge bust of President John F. Kennedy. He recalled the first time he’d come here and seen it. He’d been around ten at the time, and his mother had brought him for his first tour of DC.

His mother.

Not for the first time, he wondered how different things might have been had cancer not claimed her at forty. He’d been fourteen, and a part of him would forever feel the loss. His life had gone downhill after that. With his mother gone, there was no one to protect him from Louis’s verbal abuse or Doyle’s bullying. At some point, his godmother, Lucinda, had stepped in, giving him the love and support he’d desperately needed and wasn’t getting at home.

Checking his watch, he noted intermission would end in ten minutes. Already the crowds were dispersing as individuals began leaving the lobby to return to their seats. In a few hours he would be able to go back to his hotel and rid himself of the suit and tie. He’d decided to take advantage of Roland’s offer and stay in town until Sunday. He’d contacted Ryker, and they would be hanging out on Sunday. Tomorrow he would take in the sights. The last time he’d been in DC, he’d been with Striker and Stonewall. They’d eaten breakfast at a café in Georgetown, and he planned to revisit it tomorrow morning.

Several crowds lining the lobby floor shifted, and suddenly his breath caught. He did a double take to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Standing across the room was the one woman he’d assumed he would never see again, although he’d hoped otherwise. The woman who’d stolen her way into his thoughts for the past three months. Dr. Randi Fuller. Psychic investigator extraordinaire.

He studied her profile, willing her to turn ever so slightly. Then he would know for certain it was her and not a figment of his imagination. She was standing in a group. Friends of hers, he assumed. Or was one of the men standing so close to her side more than a friend? A lover, perhaps? The thought of her involved with someone tightened his gut.

She looked beautiful, and her gown flattered her body in a way that had every cell in his body responding to her curves. A deep sexual hunger surged to life within him, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. How could a woman he didn’t know arouse him to a degree no other woman ever had? And why did the very thought that they were standing under the same roof practically thicken the air flowing through his lungs?

What were the odds that he would see her again? Here? Tonight? Was she a resident of DC? Or was she, like him, just in town for the gala? More than once he’d been tempted to research her, to see what he could find. But to do so would put too much importance on the night he’d seen her and the connection he’d felt, so he hadn’t. Now a part of him wished he had.

Then he wouldn’t have been wondering where she lived. Where had she grown up? Was her family as fucked-up as his? Did she have a lover? He continued to look at her while those questions went through his mind.

He was about to force his gaze away, fix it on something else—like that huge bust of President Kennedy—when something happened to halt those plans. As if she felt the caress of his gaze, she tilted her head in a way he thought was sexy as hell, such a damn turn-on. And then, as if she had a sensor detecting his exact location, she looked over at him.

* * *

RANDI DREW IN a sharp breath when something akin to an electric current passed between her and the man standing across the lobby.

Quasar Patterson.

Where had he come from? Why hadn’t she detected his presence before now? And why was she tempted to leave everyone standing right here and cross the room to him? She then quickly remembered one of the things Gramma Mattie stressed in the vision. He had to make the first overture.

“I guess we’ll head back our seats now,” Larry was saying. “It was good seeing you again, Randi.”

She quickly broke eye contact with Quasar to look at Larry. “Same here.” Giving Larry’s wife a gracious smile, she said, “And it was good meeting you, Yvette.”

“You, too, Randi. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the show.”

When the couple walked off, Randi quickly returned her gaze to Quasar. He was standing in the same spot, staring at her. He looked blatantly male, handsome as sin in a dark suit. He broke eye contact with her when a well-dressed, very attractive woman approached him. It was obvious the woman wanted to use one of the elevators, and he was denying her the right to do so. It then occurred to Randi why he was here. He was part of the security detail. When the woman walked off, Quasar returned his gaze to her. Why hadn’t she seen him when they’d come down from the balcony? She then remembered they had used the escalator instead of the elevator.

“You handled that well,” Trey said, interrupting her thoughts.

She broke eye contact with Quasar, a little annoyed that she had to. She glanced up at her brother. “What?”

“Seeing Larry Porter again.”

Randi shrugged, shifting her gaze from Trey back over to Quasar. He was busy sending a group of ladies away. “I told you I was over him, but you didn’t believe me.”

“Only because I know how much he hurt you.”

The very fact that Trey had fought to be cordial and not take Larry apart meant he had let her handle her business, like their father had told him to do if they ever ran into Larry again.

“That year I spent on Glendale Shores helped me realize it wasn’t meant to be for me and Larry. He’s married now and looks content. I’m happy for him.”

The lobby lights blinked. “That’s our cue to get to our seats,” Haywood said quickly, taking Trey’s hand and giving Randi an I’m-proud-of-you smile.

Trey led the way. “We’ll take the elevator back up,” he said. “It will be faster.”

Randi felt a quickening in her stomach. That meant she and Quasar would be in proximity to each other. Would he acknowledge her presence? She could feel blood rushing through her veins when the group got close to where he was standing.

They had been to enough of these events to know the procedure. Only VIPs were allowed upstairs in the balcony area, so she, like the others, took out her badge. When he stood directly in front of her, she showed him her pass. He nodded, and before she moved to pass him, he inconspicuously slid a card into her hand. Not wanting to call attention to what he’d done, she tightened her hand on the card as she stepped on the elevator with her family. When she was certain no one was watching, she slid the card into her purse.

“Wow! He was definitely a handsome guy,” she heard Anna say.

“Who was?” her husband, Zach, asked.

“That security guy. He’s hot.”

Trey chuckled. “You might want to be worried, Zach. Your wife and mother of two is checking out other men.”

“So was your wife, who’s the mother of four,” Haywood said, smiling. “A man who looks that good would be hard to miss. So what do you say about that, Ross Donovan Fuller III?”

Trey frowned at his wife. “You and Anna are married. Neither of you have any business checking out other men. On the other hand,” he said, glancing over at Randi, “Randi is single and has every right to look, but I doubt she even noticed the dude.”

The elevator door opened and Randi quickly stepped out. Otherwise she would have to tell her brother just how wrong he was.

* * *

IT WAS THREE HOURS later when Randi was able to pull Quasar’s card from her purse. Everyone was crashing at Zach and Anna’s home across the Potomac in National Harbor, Maryland. The tri-level house was huge and had plenty of room for the sleepover guests, which included Randi, Trey and Haywood and their four kids. Zach and Anna both worked outside the home. Zach as a senator and Anna as a physician. Carole, a woman in her fifties who’d been their live-in nanny since their first child, had kept the kids while everyone had gone out tonight.

Randi thought it had been a nice evening spent with her family. After leaving the Kennedy Center, they had stopped at a café for coffee. When they returned to Zach and Anna’s home, an announcement was made. Anna had found out a few days ago that she was pregnant. This would be their third child, and they were hoping for a girl. Their news prompted a celebration and calls to Zach’s parents, who resided in Miami, and Randi’s parents all the way in Rome.

Randi stared at the card Quasar had slipped into her hand. It was his business card representing Summers Security Firm.

She flipped the card over and read the message he’d scribbled on the back.

Please call me tonight. No matter how late.

Quasar Patterson

Underneath his name was a phone number. Randi tapped the card to her chin as she felt a slow roll in her stomach. This was the overture she was to wait for. She figured he was probably wondering why there was such a strong attraction between them. It was more powerful than just sheer sexual chemistry. Both times she’d seen him, what had passed between them had stimulated her senses and made her realize something she’d conveniently not dwelled on for quite some time. The fact that she was a woman.

She’d appreciated how Quasar had filled out that suit with such a powerful, sexual physique. Not all men wore a suit well, but Quasar didn’t just look good—he looked breathtaking. The suit had appeared tailor-made for his body. For all she knew, it could have been.

She looked back at the card and then at the clock on the guest bedroom nightstand. It was after midnight. Although he’d said she should call him tonight, no matter how late, she couldn’t do that. The last thing she needed was to hear his voice. She’d bet it was as sexy as the rest of him and then she was certain not to get any sleep for thinking about the sound of it.

Drawing in a deep breath, she placed the business card on the nightstand. She would call him first thing in the morning. Tonight she needed to get some sleep and accept the realization that, for better or worse, her life was about to change.

CHAPTER THREE

QUASAR TOSSED THE empty coffee cup in the trash can to join three others. If his friends had told him he would stay up half the night, guzzling caffeine while waiting for some woman to call, he would have told them they were out of their ever-loving minds. But here he was, four cups of coffee later and still waiting for the call.

It had been past midnight when he’d left the Kennedy Center. As a rule, none of the security detail could leave until the last car was out of the parking lot.

Once back at the hotel, he had quickly gotten out of his suit and showered, anxiously checking the phone. No call. So he decided to kill time by getting on his computer. He’d convinced himself that had she read the message scribbled on the back of the business card, she would call.

So far she hadn’t.

Granted, they hadn’t officially met, but he figured she had to remember him from that night in Charlottesville at the crime scene. Maybe not to the same extent he’d remembered her, but still. And then, hours ago at the Kennedy Center, with all that sexual chemistry flowing between them, she had to have found what was happening between them just as bizarre as he did.

On the other hand, maybe she hadn’t. After all, she was a psychic. For all he knew, she could get this type of reaction from men all the time. But for him, it was the weirdest thing he’d ever encountered. If he assumed the first time had been nothing more than getting caught up in the moment, what happened at the Kennedy Center pretty much dismissed that idea. It had nothing to do with the moment but with her, and he was determined to find out why.

Quasar checked his watch. It was close to seven in the morning, which meant he’d been up all night. But at least it hadn’t been a total waste. He’d finally decided to research Dr. Randi Fuller. When he couldn’t pull up anything but professional information, he contacted the headquarters of Summers Security, knowing that someone was on call twenty-four hours a day. It was Roland. More than once he and the guys had told their boss he needed a life, and Roland would give them some smart-ass response that Summers Security was his life.

If Roland thought it odd he’d called at two in the morning for access to GRETA, he didn’t let on. GRETA was a state-of-the-art search engine that specialized in information you couldn’t find anywhere else. It was a great tool for those doing investigative work. All you had to do was tell GRETA what information you wanted, and within minutes she would recite all you needed to know.

According to GRETA, Dr. Fuller made her home in Richmond. She was the daughter of famed defense attorney Randolph Fuller; sister to Ross D. Fuller, who was making a name for himself as a top corporate attorney; goddaughter of retired Senator Noah Wainwright and godsister of Senator Zachary Wainwright. He recalled Senator Zachary Wainwright had been among the group she’d been with last night. Connected to that much fame, he understood why she preferred protecting her personal data.

Quasar stretched out on the bed. He was filled with too much caffeine to sleep, so he might as well watch the news. He grabbed the remote. From his hotel room window, he had a view of the Washington Monument standing tall against the bluest sky he’d ever seen.

It was at that moment his phone rang, and immediately he felt a stirring sensation in the pit of his stomach. It was a number he didn’t recognize. “Quasar Patterson,” he said.

There was a brief pause before a feminine voice replied, “Yes, Mr. Patterson, this is Dr. Randi Fuller.”

Quasar sat up in the bed, wondering how any woman could sound ultrasexy and impressively professional at the same time. He immediately remembered her as he’d seen her last night, in that beautiful blue gown. The material draped her curves, and he’d thought she’d looked absolutely stunning in it. For a minute he’d ignored the lobby filled with people, his total concentration on her.

“Thanks for calling, Dr. Fuller.”

“Although you said to call anytime, when I settled in for the night by my standards it was way too late.”

“I understand and I appreciate you calling now. What I didn’t have time to write on the card is that I want to get to know you.”

For the first time in his life, Quasar felt like a man on a mission.

* * *

RANDI NERVOUSLY NIBBLED on her bottom lip. Twenty minutes ago she had still been debating the merits of making this call. Now that she had, she wondered how much, if anything, she should tell him. And just like he wanted to get to know her, she wanted to get to know him. What woman wouldn’t? But for now, she’d let him lead the conversation.

“Dr. Fuller?”

She swallowed. Why did he have to sound so darn sexy? Especially this early in the morning. She hadn’t been able to sleep and had gotten up before seven o’clock to wash her face, brush her teeth and make a cup of tea before calling him. “Yes?”

“Do you have a problem with me wanting to get to know you?”

She considered his question thoughtfully. “It depends on why you want to.”

“I believe you know the reason.”

“Do I?”

“Yes, I think you do.”

Randi drew in a deep breath, deciding for the time being to play coy. “And just what reason do you assume I know?”

She heard him chuckle and knew he was well aware she didn’t intend to make anything easy for him. “Although we haven’t officially met, something is going on between us that defies logic,” he said.

Maybe in his world it did, but not in hers. “Does it?”

“Every time we look at each other, it’s like we’re the only two people in the universe.”

She would admit that was true. “It’s called chemistry, which is a normal, healthy attraction. It happens.”

“Not to me. At least not this way, and not this intense. Has it ever happened to you before?” he asked her.

Randi didn’t say anything for a minute. She could say yes, it happened to her all the time, but that would be a barefaced lie. Her attraction to him was just as intense as he’d described his to her. “No,” she finally said. “It’s never been this way for me before, either.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute, as if he was trying to digest her response. “Don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to find out why it’s happening?”

Truth was, she already knew why, but he would need to discover the reason for himself. “How do you suggest we go about solving the problem?”

“I didn’t say it was a problem. In fact, I find it quite stimulating.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, which is why I want to get to know you. You intrigue me.”

Randi took a sip of her tea. It wouldn’t be the first time a man said she’d intrigued him. He wanted either to get inside her head or to try his luck getting her into his bed. She couldn’t help wondering why, of all the men out there, he had been chosen to be her mate for life.

“I think we owe it to ourselves to explore what’s going on between us,” he said, pulling her mind back into the conversation. “To meet finally would be a great start. However, if you’re seriously involved with someone, then of course I understand.”

Seriously involved? She’d forgotten just how that felt since it had been so long. “No, I’m not involved with anyone.” Seriously or otherwise.

“In that case, will you join me for breakfast? Let’s say in an hour? There’s a wonderful café in the heart of Georgetown. Rocs. I’ve eaten breakfast there before, and it’s good.”

Trey, Haywood, Zach and Anna were taking the kids on a train ride to Delaware today, and she had told them she would join them. Randi figured she could certainly change her plans. She would be honest with herself and admit she wanted to see him again. “Yes, I’ll join you for breakfast. However, you need to make that in two hours instead of one.” She had promised to go jogging with Trey this morning.

“Fine.” He gave her the address. “And another thing.”

She pushed to her feet to get dressed for jogging. “What?”

“I’m Quasar, and I hope it’s okay to call you Randi.”

“It is.”

“Great. I’ll see you in two hours, Randi.”

“Alright, Quasar.”

After Randi disconnected the call, she couldn’t stop the butterflies from swirling around in her stomach. She would get to see Quasar Patterson again. And soon.

CHAPTER FOUR

QUASAR FELT RANDI FULLER’S presence long before he saw her. Since it was a gorgeous day in May, he’d chosen to sit at an outside table in the beautiful historic section of Georgetown. His gaze searched up and down the cobblestone sidewalk, but he didn’t see her.

He would have been the first to admit that nothing about his attraction to Dr. Randi Fuller was normal. He’d been attracted to beautiful women before, but this was different. It was something he couldn’t explain...like what was happening now. When had he actually been able to feel a woman without being buried deep inside her body? All he knew was that he was convinced Randi was close by, either parking her car or coming up the sidewalk...although he had yet to see any sign of her.

“More coffee, sir?”

He glanced up at the waitress, who was smiling at him. She’d been to his table three times now, and his coffee cup was still pretty full. She was young, probably no more than twenty-two. And more than likely a student. He’d seen her looking at him a couple of times, and he’d felt nothing. Not even a twinge of excitement or a flutter of desire. “No thanks. I don’t want any more coffee.”

She gave him a sexy look...or at least she tried to. “Would you like anything else, then?”

He didn’t have to ask, Anything like what? “No thanks. I’m good.”

“Yes, I’ll just bet you are.” And then she walked off, deliberately sashaying her hips as she moved toward another table.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Quasar quickly switched his gaze from the waitress to the woman standing beside his table. He couldn’t keep his eyes from dragging all over her before staring into the most gorgeous pair of brown eyes he’d ever seen. Up close they were lighter than he’d thought they were. “No, you’re not interrupting anything,” he said, standing.

He liked everything he saw. Smooth, creamy, cocoa-colored skin; high, perfectly sculpted cheekbones; a cute nose; a pair of lush lips and pretty ears with dangling gold earrings. He thought she was gorgeous. Irresistibly hot.

And there was no way he could overlook the thickness of the black hair spilling to her shoulders and framing her face in such a sassy and sexy way. He could imagine her raking her fingers through it or pushing it back off her face. She was wearing a yellow print sundress with spaghetti straps that highlighted beautiful shoulders. And he couldn’t help noticing she had a gorgeous pair of legs. She managed to look both graceful and sensual at the same time.

He extended his hand to her. “Randi.”

She took it. “Quasar.”

Why did his name sound so damn sexy on her lips? And why were they standing there holding hands while something akin to hard-core sexual chemistry flowed between them?

“I hope I’m not late,” she said, finally easing her hand from his.

“Not at all,” he said, sitting back down after she’d taken her seat. “What would you like to drink? Coffee? Tea? Juice?”

“Tea will be fine.”

“Anything else?” he asked, handing her the menu.

“What do you suggest?” she asked, placing it aside and looking over at him.

Quasar focused his gaze on her too-luscious lips and thought he honestly didn’t want to go there. The first thing he would suggest was for them to go back to his hotel room. He could visualize her naked and stretched across his bed while he kissed her all over. He would see if all that creamy cocoa-colored skin was as sweet as it looked. Deciding not to let erotic thoughts get the best of him, he said, “They have delicious pancakes here.”

“Then that’s what I’ll have with my tea.”

“Okay.” He motioned for the waitress, who, unlike all those other instances, seemed to take her time coming to his table. He gave her their order and was glad when she finally left. He liked being alone with Randi. Although there were people sitting at other tables, it seemed as if she was the only one in his little corner of the world.

He knew how dangerous getting this caught up in a woman was, but he brushed the concern aside. He was a man and she was a woman, and the strong attraction between them was nothing more than a normal aspect of human sexuality, right? Even she’d alluded to that. However, he couldn’t shake the idea that the chemistry between them was way too explosive, and there had to be more to it. Randi Fuller was too deeply embedded in his system, and for the life of him, he didn’t know how she got there.

Or how long she would stay.

Other than dealing with an annoying ache in certain places, though, he had nothing to worry about thanks to Lilly Alpine, the woman he’d planned to marry. She’d known the reason he’d gone to prison and had promised to wait for him. She hadn’t. Instead she’d married the person he’d gone to prison to protect. His brother, Doyle. Because of Lilly’s betrayal, Quasar would never share his heart with another woman. So whatever this thing was with Randi, he was fine with it since he wasn’t doing anything foolish like putting his heart on the line again.

He felt his stomach clench when she nervously licked her lips. “Thanks for agreeing to join me for breakfast, Randi. Did you enjoy the gala last night?”

“I did. There was a large crowd.”

“Yes, there was,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

“What about you? I know you were working, but I hope you managed to enjoy some of it.”

“Yes, I did.”

Their gazes held, and he felt a tightening in his chest. He wished at some point he could be unaffected by her but had a feeling that wasn’t possible. Especially when his fingers were itching to run through all that hair on her head. He couldn’t help but be drawn to how it cascaded around her face.

“You did an outstanding job assisting law enforcement with the Erickson case,” he said. “I don’t want to think of what would have happened to Striker and Margo Connelly had we not gotten to the cabin when we did.”

“I’m glad I was able to assist. I got a call from Ms. Connelly thanking me personally, and I enjoyed our conversation. I understand she and Striker Jennings are seeing quite a lot of each other these days.”

Quasar chuckled. “Yes, they are.” There was no need to mention that he had a feeling a wedding would be in the works before the year was out.

“I could tell that night that you, Striker Jennings and Stonewall Courson are close friends. I watched you and Mr. Courson race into that burning house to help get Mr. Jennings and Ms. Connelly to safety.”

Quasar thought about the night and the fear racing down his spine that he and Stonewall would not be able to get Striker and Margo out alive. “The three of us are more than that. I consider them as close to me as brothers.” Then, deciding to be up front with her in case she didn’t know his history, he said, “We served time together in prison.”

He watched her features for some kind of shock. When that didn’t happen, he waited for the questions. They didn’t come, either. He could only assume that she’d known. Evidently her psychic powers were at work.

“Not sure if you’ve heard the federal government has completely taken over the Erickson case,” he said. “They’re determined to find out how he died while locked up at that federal prison. It’s still all a mystery.”

She nodded. “Yes, I heard that.”

“It seems the murderer covered his tracks well. So far there aren’t any leads.”

“Well, I’m sure justice will prevail and the killer will eventually be caught,” she said, tilting her head in that sexy way of hers.

The shrill ring of his mobile phone disturbed the comfortable conversation between them. He tried to hold his anger at bay when he recognized the ringtone. The call was from his father.

“Do you need to get that?” she asked him.

He shook his head. “No. I have the rest of the weekend off,” he said, although he knew the call was personal and not business.

“I like this place,” she broke into his thoughts to say. “It reminds me of a restaurant back home.”

“And where is home for you?” he asked, knowing already but wanting her to tell him anyway.

“Richmond. But I love coming to DC. I attended college here at Howard for my BS, and then Georgetown for my master’s and PhD. Georgetown is my favorite part of DC.”

He nodded. “You come to the nation’s capital often?”

“Often enough. I have family here, and I like visiting them as often as I can. Sometimes my work can take me away a lot.”

“You have a big family?”

She smiled, and he could feel his stomach tighten even more when that smile produced beautiful dimples. “Depends on what you mean by big. Compared to most, I don’t consider it big, but when my parents have family get-togethers, inviting both my mom’s side of the family—the Haywoods, and my father’s side—the Fullers, there are a lot of us. We’re a close-knit group.”

“Is it a coincidence your sister’s name is Haywood, after your mom’s family?”

Her smile widened. “No coincidence. Mom says she’d always been proud of being a Haywood and wanted to pass the name on to her first child, whether it was a son or daughter.”

She’d angled her head to look at him, making a mass of hair cascade even more over her shoulder. “What about you, Quasar? Do you have a large family?”

He could feel his jaw tighten at the question. “No,” he said and decided not to add they were definitely not close-knit.

“Any siblings?”

He immediately thought of his brother. His one and only brother...at least biologically. “Yes, I have a brother. An older brother by four years.”

“And where did you grow up?”

Quasar loved her smell. Why did her scent have such sexy undertones? “Los Angeles.”

“You’re a long way from home.”

And he wouldn’t want it any other way. Instead of telling her that, he said, “Yes, I am.”

Wanting to shift the focus from him back to her, he said, “So tell me some more about you, Randi.”

She laughed and the sound fired his blood. “I would bore you.”

“I doubt that. Try me.”

* * *

TRY ME.

Randi didn’t want to think of all the ways she could try him, and they were ways she’d never thought of until now. She never considered herself an overly sexual being, even when she and Larry had been together. But the man sitting across from her looked so ridiculously sexy, it was hard not to fantasize a little. Um, maybe a lot.

His chestnut complexion, aquiline nose, sharp cheekbones and strong chin were what female fantasies were made of. Then there were his brown bedroom eyes and chiseled jaw that made him appear too handsome to be real. The straight texture of his dark hair that stopped at his shoulders made her curious about his ethnicity. Mexican? Italian? Or other? His mouth was holding her senses captive, namely the shape of his lips. They were the kind of lips a woman would want to kiss and lick until she was sexually silly. Pretty much how she was feeling now.

And when he’d stood, he appeared to be around six feet two or three inches of solid muscle, a lean, well-built physique with great broad shoulders. She couldn’t help but appreciate a body that was so powerfully male. And why did his scent, a masculine blend of soap, aftershave and cologne, travel along her nerve endings? What she found so mind-boggling was the fact that the man sitting across from her, playing havoc on her body from top to bottom, was meant for her.

“I’ll tell you what,” she decided to say. “If I tell you a little about me, then you have to tell me things about you.” This meeting between them was important and would establish the framework for the rest of their lives. Of course there was no way for him to know that.

He shrugged, smiling over at her. “With your psychic abilities, I’d think there’s not much about me you wouldn’t know already.”

Searching his eyes, she considered his words and knew she needed to nip that assumption in the bud. “You’re not showing up on my mental radar,” she said truthfully. “I don’t have the ability to read every single human being.”

“Then how did you know I was an ex-con?”

She tilted her head. “I didn’t until you mentioned it. I had no idea.”

He held her gaze as if trying to divine the veracity of what she’d said. “Then why didn’t you react when I told you?”

She lifted an eyebrow. “How was I supposed to react? Did you expect me to run out of here hollering and screaming?”

After huffing out a short laugh, he shook his head. “Nothing that drastic, but experience has taught me to expect some sort of reaction.”

Randi wondered what kind of response he was used to getting. Was it similar to the one she got whenever it was revealed she had psychic powers? She decided to explain a few things to him. “My father is a defense attorney, probably one of the best...at least I think so. And the one thing he’s instilled in me is the belief that not all people in jail are there because they are guilty. Not saying whether you were guilty or not. All I know is that you’re sitting here, which probably means you served your time.”

“I did. And that’s good enough for you?”

“Yes, Quasar. That’s good enough for me.” When you want to tell me more about that time in your life, you will, she thought to herself. When he didn’t say anything but continued to look at her, she said, “I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a lawyer.”

“You did?”

“Yes. From the time I found out what he did for a living. I was so proud of him. That wasn’t in someone’s plans for me. But in all fairness to my gift, which I am now very proud to have, I learned early on that it’s meant to help others more than to help myself, which is why I probably can’t read you. I’m meant to find out some things on my own.”

She’d discovered this when Georgie betrayed her and Larry broke things off with her. She’d felt with her paranormal abilities that she, of all people, should have known Georgie couldn’t be trusted and Larry would end up being a jerk.

“You said that now you are proud of your gift. Does that mean that hasn’t always been the case?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding her head. “What fifteen-year-old wants something like that dumped on her? The realization that she has psychic powers? To be considered a freak of nature?”

She forced to the back of her mind Larry’s cruel words to her that day. She figured if Larry saw her that way then others would, as well. “I knew my great-grandmother was psychic as well as her mother, but not in a million years did I think the gift would be passed on to me.”

“How did you come to terms with it?”

Randi immediately recalled that year spent on Glendale Shores. That had certainly helped. But more important had been her relatives. She decided to credit the latter. “My family’s love and support.”

“Then you should consider yourself fortunate to have such a wonderful family.”

At that moment, the waitress returned with her tea and Quasar’s cup of coffee. That was good timing since it gave Randi a chance to dwell on what he’d just said. His words led her to believe that his family was anything but wonderful, not even close.

A part of her wished she didn’t have a mental block where he was concerned. But then, maybe it was for the best. It was up to her to get to know Quasar Patterson and break down any barriers he erected. She had a feeling that doing so wouldn’t be an easy task. He had invited her to breakfast under the misconception that whatever was drawing him to her was purely sexual. Eventually he would discover that wasn’t totally true.

“You know what I think?” he asked.

She met his gaze. “No, what do you think?”

“I think with your proven track record as a psychic assisting law enforcement, especially with the Erickson case, anyone who doesn’t appreciate your gift would be crazy. What you’re doing is pretty awesome.”

A smile touched the corners of her lips. Randi didn’t say anything, but she appreciated his compliment. There was no reason to tell him that although she did have a proven track record, some of her cases weighed her down. She often dealt with the struggles of not having every single case laid out for her, like Erickson’s death. She hadn’t seen it coming. And then there was Levan Shaw, the one who got away. “Thanks.”

“I spoke the truth, Randi,” he said softly.

And what was so utterly amazing was that deep down, she knew he had. He was definitely nothing like the last guy she’d gone out with, about six months ago. The one who thought a date with her was a sure win at lotto. Colin Kennesaw had spent the majority of his time during dinner trying to get her to give him the winning numbers for Powerball.

“What about your mother? Does she work outside the home?”

She positioned her mind to return to their conversation. “Yes. She’s an architect and has her own firm in downtown Richmond. She loves what she does and designed the house my parents live in.” Randi rook a sip of her tea before asking, “What about your mother? Does she work outside the home?”

She noted the drooping of his shoulders when he said, “My mom passed away when I was fourteen.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Thanks. It’s been a long time, but I still miss her. She and I were close.” And then, as if he needed to switch topics, he said, “I shouldn’t be drinking this.”

She watched him add sugar to his coffee and stir it with a spoon. “Why?”

“I’ve consumed too many cups already, starting when I returned to my hotel room last night. I wanted to be awake in case you called. My only regret in not getting any sleep last night was that I missed having my dreams,” he said in a deep, throaty tone.

Randi lifted a curious brow. “Your dreams?”

“Yeah. My dreams of you. They’ve been coming pretty steadily since that night I first saw you.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say and honestly couldn’t believe he would admit such a thing. No way would she confess that he’d been invading her dreams pretty steadily, as well.

“To be honest, they should be classified as hot fantasies rather than dreams,” he added in a voice that had gotten even huskier.

Hot fantasies? Randi swallowed when she felt a swelling in her nipples and heat settling between her legs. All the dreams she’d had of him could have been considered hot fantasies, as well. Last night’s dreams had been hotter than ever after seeing him again at the Kennedy Center. But nothing could compare to seeing him today, this close-up while sharing space with him.

When she’d come up the sidewalk and seen the waitress flirting with him, admittedly she’d gotten jealous. But what woman wouldn’t be tempted to flirt when he was such a gorgeous specimen of a man? Even Haywood and Anna had commented about him last night. And now this handsome hunk just admitted to having fantasies about her? Hot fantasies?

“How’s your tea, Randi?”

It took her a second to realize she’d been caught staring. “Excuse me?”

“I asked how your tea is,” he said, not taking his eyes off her face.

“Delicious.” She picked up her cup to take another sip. Although she knew she shouldn’t ask, she couldn’t help doing so. “You want to tell me about those hot fantasies?”

She noticed his eyes suddenly shone with wicked pleasure. “I’d rather not. There are some things a woman shouldn’t know. Especially if it’s a woman a man desires.”

Whew. She needed more than hot tea right now. A cold glass of iced tea might have been better. But she took another sip anyway, enjoying the taste, and licked her lips afterward. When she saw his gaze lower to her mouth, her skin began tingling.

“Delicious?”

She felt that unmistakable connection whenever their eyes locked, and it resulted in a shiver oozing down her spine. “Yes. Very delicious.”

Her belly clenched, and she broke eye contact with him. She was grateful when the waitress appeared with their pancakes.

CHAPTER FIVE

“THANK YOU FOR BREAKFAST, Quasar. I enjoyed it.”

He pushed his plate aside. “So did I.” More than anything, he had enjoyed her company. The sexual attraction hadn’t lessened; if anything, it was stronger than ever. She was beautiful, and as a man, his entire body couldn’t help reacting. There was something about her eyes that seemed to smile at him whenever he talked. Then there were the times her brows creased when she was concentrating on what he was saying.

He’d dated woman who’d pretended to do both, feign interest just to score brownie points. Women who really hadn’t a clue what he was talking about. That was not the case with Randi.

Whenever their gazes locked, something akin to a sharp electrical current would zap him. And the thought that she wasn’t involved in a serious relationship, didn’t have a significant other in her life, a lover of any kind, gave him pause. Any man would want her in his bed. Not just sometimes but all the time. Every night, if possible.

She had to know that he wanted her, just like he could tell she wanted him. He had the hots for her, and every time he looked into her eyes, he could tell the desire was reciprocated. He would have given anything to seduce her.

It was hard as hell to push those thoughts from his mind. And when she’d asked about his hot fantasies, he’d gotten an erection just thinking about them. It had been difficult sitting across from her and not suggesting they go somewhere and take care of their desires. That might be all it took to get her out of his system.

They’d eaten their pancakes and had refills on coffee and tea. Now they were just sitting and talking, taking their time. Neither seemed in a hurry to leave, knowing when they did they would be going their separate ways. The breakfast crowd was moving out and the lunch seekers were arriving. Waiters and waitresses were hustling about, clearing off tables, passing menus, serving drinks and food. Randi was glancing around, watching all the activity. And he was watching her.

“Why aren’t you involved in a relationship, Randi?” he decided to ask. He had speculated long enough.

“Why aren’t you?”

He hadn’t expected her counter or the intensity in her gaze when she made it. He had no problem giving his answer first. He could say he just hadn’t met the right woman yet. The woman he’d want to settle down with, have his babies, share his life with, yada yada. Or he could tell her the truth. That at one time he thought he’d met such a woman and had been wrong. And it was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.

Quasar decided to be honest with her.

“I was involved in a long-term relationship at one time.” No need to tell her it was a relationship that had started in high school. The kind you’d think would last forever. “Less than a year after graduating from college, I was jailed for a crime. I spent three years in the slammer, and she decided not to wait. Since then, I’ve decided long-term doesn’t work for me.”

No need to elaborate that he much preferred casual relations, and one-night stands were even better. He didn’t need to get caught up in anything other than the moment. Which just went to show how mixed up his mind was when it came to her, because she definitely didn’t look like a casual dater or a one-night-stand sort of woman. “So what’s your reason?” he asked her.

Randi met his gaze and tried to ignore the sizzle she always felt whenever she did. “I guess you can say the reason is mostly my work. I’m not sure when I might get a call asking for my assistance, or where that call might take me and for how long. And then...”

He lifted a brow when she paused. “And then what?”

She lifted her cup of tea, took a sip and eyed him over the rim. “And then there are the guys who see me as a freak for having such a gift. Those who don’t see me as a freak consider me a threat.”

“Why?”

“They assume I can read their minds—would undermine their every male maneuver or be aware of their every planned move. Although I try assuring them that’s not how my gift works, they don’t believe me.”

His jaw tightened. “Any insecure, weak-minded man would think that way.”

She placed her cup down. “Should I assume you don’t fall in that category?”

He smiled warmly. “I don’t consider you a freak or a threat. I admire you and your gift and have seen firsthand how remarkable it is. You assist law enforcement in saving lives and getting hard criminals off the streets. I don’t want to think of the outcome had you not alerted the authorities about that assassin’s next move. Your psychic powers should be commended, not scrutinized.”

She smiled, please by his words. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said, pushing his cup of coffee aside. “But there is something I would like to ask of you.”

“What?”

“Would you spend the rest of the day with me?”

Randi’s stomach fluttered at the same time she felt her heart rate kick up a beat. “The rest of the day? ”

“Yes.”

“Why would you want to spend the rest of day with me, Quasar?”

He smiled, and the fluttering in her stomach increased. “Because I’m not ready for our time together to end. I have nothing else to do today and would love spending more time with you.”

She considered him for a moment, trying not to get giddy because of what he’d said. “What do you have in mind?”

“We could visit that new museum, for starters. And no matter how often I come to DC, I enjoy visiting the National Zoological Park. I understand two new pandas were added since I was here last.”

When she didn’t say anything, he leaned forward. “One day, Randi, is all I’m asking for,” he said softly.

Would that really be all? she wondered. What if he invited her to his hotel room at the end of the day? She would decline, of course. It would be as simple as that. But then, nothing about the strength of their attraction to each other was simple.

Randi met his gaze, felt the heat of his desire but refused to be overtaken by it. She had to keep a clear head. Drawing in a shaky breath, she said, “Okay, Quasar. I’ll spend the day with you.”

* * *

RANDI SURMISED QUASAR was a touchy-feely person since he liked touching her every chance he got. While at the museum, his hand had stayed at the center of her back as they viewed one painting after another. At the zoo, as if it was the most natural thing, he’d taken her hand in his. The contact caused all kinds of heated sensations to cascade through her body and made her even more aware of him.

More than once she found herself studying Quasar instead of the animals at the zoo. Whenever he looked back at her, she would quickly avert her gaze. She figured he knew she was checking him out, but she hadn’t been the only one. Other women, both young and old, were eyeing him, as well. Some inconspicuously and others openly.

And then there was that bold, heavy-breasted woman in the tight jeans and too-revealing top who seemed to appear wherever they went. Randi thought she was stalking them, and that suspicion proved true when the woman finally got the nerve to approach and ask Quasar if he was some actor from one of the soaps. Even when he took off his aviator sunglasses and assured her he wasn’t, she tried flirting with him right in front of Randi.

Randi couldn’t help but admire how Quasar shut the brazen woman down by letting her know he was annoyed with her lack of respect for his girlfriend and she should take her bullshit elsewhere. Of course she wasn’t his girlfriend, and Randi knew the lie had been told mainly to get the woman out their faces. He had spoken to the woman in Spanish and afterward, apparently assuming Randi didn’t understand the language, had given her a cleaner version of what he’d said. She decided not to tell him she spoke fluent Spanish and had understood what he’d said. What mattered was that what he’d told the woman had worked, since they never ran into her again after that.

Randi looked at him as they walked from one habitat to another while holding hands. His hair fell to his shoulders, and more than once today she was tempted to reach out and run her fingers through the silky strands, wondering again about his ethnicity, especially since he’d spoken Spanish earlier.

Deciding to satisfy her curiosity, she asked, “Where is your family from originally?”

He glanced over at her and smiled. “Depends on what side. My mother’s parents are from Cuba. They were Afro-Cubans who fled the Castro regime years ago. They made it to the United States just in time. My grandmother gave birth to my mother a couple of days after their arrival in Miami.”

“So she was born an American.”

“Yes. My father is white and is proud to claim a little bit of Irish in his blood.”

Intrigued, she asked, “How did your parents meet?”

They stopped at the monkey pen and watched as the animals scampered about when other people tossed them peanuts. “Like many Cubans, my grandparents settled in Florida. Years later after finishing high school, my mother decided to attend college in Los Angeles. While at UCLA, she met a young woman by the name of Lucinda Coker, and they became the best of friends. My mother was introduced to Lucinda’s cousin Louis, and the rest is history.”

Randi nodded. She always enjoyed hearing a good love story. “Are your grandparents still living in Florida?”

He shook his head. “No, they both passed away years ago.”

Then, as if he wanted to change the subject, he asked, “Want to grab something to eat before we take the trolley back to our cars?”

Instead of driving either of their cars, they had taken one of the DC sightseeing tour trolleys. It was great since it allowed them to hop on and off at various sites. “Yes. That would be nice.”

It was getting close to five, and she had gotten hungry. Other than grabbing a few snacks from vending machines, they hadn’t eaten a meal since breakfast. When she left that morning, she’d told everyone she was meeting a friend for breakfast. After agreeing to extend her time with Quasar, she had texted Haywood that she wouldn’t be returning until around six or so that evening. Other than telling her to enjoy herself, no one asked the identity of the friend, and she hadn’t provided any information.

“How about you suggesting a place we can grab a bite to eat this time?” Quasar asked.

She smiled up at him. “What about Marlon’s Seafood? Their crab cakes are to die for.”

He chuckled. “So you’ve got a taste for seafood, huh?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to confess that what she really had a taste for was him, but she figured that would be too scandalous. Her body had felt like it was in heat most of the day. Just being with Quasar Patterson set off intense desire. This was a unique experience for her. One she intended to take full advantage of...within reason. She was a woman, and as far as she was concerned, there was nothing wrong with appreciating a good-looking man who could fill out a pair of jeans like he did.

“Yes,” she said, “I like seafood. Do you?”

“I happen to love seafood. I’d take a bucket of raw oysters over a steak any day,” Quasar said, grinning.

His smile spiked another kind of hunger inside her. Sexual hunger. Whenever she looked at Quasar she felt it. And it didn’t help matters when she recalled that raw oysters were considered an aphrodisiac.

“You won’t be disappointed. Their oysters are amazing,” she said.

“Then let’s head on over there.” He tightened his fingers around hers and began leading her toward the zoo’s exit.

“Auntie Rand! Auntie Rand!”

Randi stopped walking and turned upon recognizing the chorus of voices. Two little girls, namely her nieces, rushed over to her. “Brooklyn! Brynn!” Sliding her hand from Quasar’s, she bent down to give the girls hugs.

She glanced around and saw the group—Haywood, Trey and their sons, Quad and Dev; along with Zach and Anna and their sons, Zach Jr., who was seven, and Noah, who was five. From their expressions, the adults were as surprised to see her as she was to see them. And of course they were curious about the man she was with.

“Hi, guys,” she said, smiling at everyone when they reached her. “I didn’t know you all planned to come to the zoo today.”

“We hadn’t,” Trey said, looking from Randi to Quasar, more than a little bit curious. “It was the kids’ idea.”

“Oh.” Randi knew introductions were in order. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Quasar Patterson. Quasar, this is my family.” She then went around and introduced everyone.

Randi didn’t miss how both Trey and Zach kept staring at Quasar as if they knew him from somewhere. She wondered how long it would take before one of them figured it out. She could tell Haywood and Anna had already done so by the way they were smiling all over themselves.

Randi should have known it would be Trey who remembered. “Hey, man, didn’t we see you last night at the Kennedy Center?”

“Yes,” Quasar said. She could tell from the look passing between Trey and Zach that they were recalling their wives drooling over Quasar when she’d pretended nonchalance. And now, after telling them she would be spending the day with a friend, here she was with Quasar, and chances were they’d seen them holding hands. She decided it was time to split.

“Quasar and I need to leave or we’ll be late for dinner.”

“Dinner where?” Trey asked, giving her a look that clearly indicated he was about to flex his big brother muscles.

“Not that it’s any of your business, Ross Donovan Fuller III but Quasar and I are dining at Marlon’s.”

“How long have you lived in DC?” Trey asked Quasar.

“I don’t. I live in Charlottesville. I came into town Friday night for security detail.”

Randi knew Trey was about to get in his interrogation mode, so she said quickly, “I’ll see you guys later.” She then leaned down to give the kids kisses on their cheeks.

“At a reasonable time, we hope,” Zach threw out.

Leave it to Zach to be just as bad as Trey today. Figured. Grinning, she did likewise to Trey and Zach, kissing them on the cheeks and then saying, “Don’t wait up.”

She grabbed Quasar’s hand, and this time she was the one leading them toward the exit.

CHAPTER SIX

AFTER RIDING THE TROLLEY for a half hour, Quasar and Randi finally walked through the doors of Marlon’s Seafood. The place was packed, and Quasar immediately knew they would be in for a long wait.

“Do you want to go someplace else?” he leaned down to ask Randi. His lips came so close to her ear that he was tempted to lick it. Instead he quickly seized the opportunity to grab her by the waist and pull her closer when the man standing in front of them turned abruptly, almost colliding with them.

“Sorry,” the man said.

“No problem,” was Quasar’s response.

Randi looked up at Quasar. “Thanks.”

He smiled down at her. “Don’t mention it.”

“We don’t have to go anyplace else,” she said.

“Okay.” He didn’t mind the wait if she didn’t. Besides, he hadn’t removed his arms from around her yet. The way she fit against his body was sending all kinds of sensations rippling through him.

The door behind them opened and more people came in. He moved, edging her in front of him to accommodate the new arrivals. He inhaled sharply when her perfectly shaped backside pressed against his groin. Her intoxicating scent filled his nostrils and her beauty almost blinded him. Suddenly a big, tall, brawny older man came barreling through the crowd, a mass of blond hair flying around his shoulders. Quasar was about to pull Randi aside, out of the giant of a man’s path, when unexpectedly the huge hulk stopped in front of them. The smile on his face was so huge his blue eyes seemed to illuminate the entire area.

“Little Randolph! One of the waitresses sent word to me that you were here,” the brawny man said before grabbing Randi in a massive bear hug, lifting her feet off the floor in the process.

Little Randolph? Quasar watched the affectionate exchange between the two.

When Randi’s feet were planted firmly back on the floor, Quasar noted her smile was almost as big as the giant’s. “Uncle Marlon! How are you?”

Uncle Marlon? Quasar glanced from the man back to Randi, definitely not seeing any family resemblance.

“Quasar, I want you to meet my Uncle Marlon Farentino. Uncle Marlon, this is my friend Quasar Patterson.”

They shook hands, and Quasar felt the man’s strength in his handshake. “Nice meeting you.”

“Same here.” Marlon turned his attention back to Randi. “Come on, girl. I’ll take you to your special place.”

Marlon led, and they followed through the crowd of people who seemed to open up a pathway like the parting of the Red Sea. Although Quasar was wondering where the man was taking them, he decided not to ask. Not even when they went through the double doors that led to the kitchen. An older lady and younger women noticed the procession and happily waved at Randi, who waved back and threw kisses.

They exited the kitchen and entered a huge dining room set up for a private party. Quasar barely had time to take in the beautiful view of the Potomac through the private dining room’s large windows before Marlon led them up a set of stairs to another room with more tables set up. But they didn’t stop there. Marlon kept walking until they reached another room where only one table was set up. This room also had a gorgeous view of the Potomac.

“You want your usual?” Marlon asked, pulling the chair out for Randi.

“Yes,” she said, sitting down. “And Quasar has a taste for raw oysters.”

An even bigger smile crossed the man’s ruddy features. “We serve the best in the city. Did you tell him that?”

Randi chuckled. “Yes, I told him.”

“Good. Now, what would you two like to drink?”

“Beer is fine for me,” Randi said.

“Same here,” Quasar said, looking around. This was a nice room that provided privacy.

When Marlon had left them alone, Quasar glanced across the table at Randi and quirked a brow. “Little Randolph? Uncle Marlon?”

The cutest smile curved her lips. “Yes. Before I was born, when Uncle Marlon was in his twenties or so, my father defended him in a homicide case. Dad was able to prove it was self-defense. The Farentinos adopted Dad as one of their own, and when I was born, Uncle Marlon began calling me Little Randolph, after Dad. His daughter, Avona, is my age and is an attorney at my father’s law firm. His son, Damon, has his own seafood restaurant, and it’s a very popular place in South Miami Beach.”

Quasar nodded. “Marlon looks like he ought to be a ship captain.”

“He was a fisherman for years and still loves the sea. I’ve gone out with him and his family on his huge boat.”

“You must come here a lot for him to consider this your room.”

She smiled. “At one time I did, while attending college at Howard and Georgetown. Whenever I needed to escape, this room became my study room, my eating room and, on occasion, my nap room. Uncle Marlon put a cot in that corner for me to use whenever I needed it. And whenever I could, I helped out on the weekends, waiting tables.”

At that moment, a waiter appeared with their beers. Quasar watched as a slow, delightful smile touched the corners of Randi’s lips. “After all that walking we did today, I need this.”

She lifted the ice-cold mug to her lips and took a sip. Then her tongue licked the sudsy residue from around her mouth. Quasar’s breath hitched in his throat as he watched her. The lingering erection he’d gotten when her body had been pressed close to his earlier was now beginning to throb all over again.

Quasar knew he needed to think about anything but her mouth right now, so after taking a sip of his own beer, he said, “Earlier, when you introduced your family at the zoo, did I misunderstand or did you say Haywood was your sister and Trey was your brother?”

“No, you didn’t misunderstand. Both my parents were married previously, and Haywood and Trey were products of their first marriages. So I’m sister and brother to both. While Haywood and I were growing up, Trey didn’t live with us. He lived in California with his mother and her second husband.”

“They have a beautiful bunch of kids. All of them.”

Another smile touched Randi’s lips. “Yes, they do, and I love all of them to pieces. Aren’t the twins adorable? I got to name them,” she said proudly. She took another sip of her beer. “Are there any little ones in your family?”

“None that I know of.” If she found his response strange, she didn’t ask him to elaborate. He appreciated that, because the topic of his family was one he preferred not to discuss.

* * *

IT HAPPENED AGAIN.

Randi sensed a high degree of pain and sadness within Quasar whenever he spoke of his family. She couldn’t help wondering why. He’d gotten quiet since diving into his bucket of oysters. All the members of her family were seafood lovers, and she’d seen them eat live oysters many times. But there was something about watching Quasar that spread intense sexual heat through her. She’d never thought that shucking oysters could be erotic until now.

She watched as he expertly used the oyster knife to open the oyster, and when he placed it to his lips and sucked the oyster into his mouth, she pressed her thighs together where she felt a deep throb between her legs.

“Something’s wrong?”

She blinked when he asked the question, and she knew she’d been caught staring. “No, nothing is wrong,” she said, turning her attention to her plate of crab cakes, fries and coleslaw. And because Uncle Marlon knew how much she liked his fried shrimp, he’d given her a huge side order.

“The oysters are good,” Quasar said, taking another sip of his beer.

“I told you Uncle Marlon serves only the best.”

“Do you like oysters?”

“I like all kinds of seafood. You can’t know Marlon Farentino and not do so. I ate my first piece of gator here. It wasn’t bad.”

“Here. Taste.”

Before Randi knew what he was doing, Quasar had scooped some oyster into a spoon to feed to her. Automatically her lips parted, and she sucked the oyster into her mouth, knowing he was watching her. She then took her tongue and licked around her lips. She couldn’t help noticing his gaze followed every movement of her tongue.

“Do you want to try some of my crab cakes?” she offered.

“No thanks, but you can feed me a fry.” When she reached for her fork, a crooked smile touched his lips. He said, “Use your fingers.”

His words sent her already throbbing center skyrocketing. The air between them was sizzling. And why did her mind pick that moment to remember how her bottom had felt plastered against him downstairs earlier? There was no mistaking his huge erection pressing against her.

Knowing he was waiting, she lifted what she thought was the longest fry between her fingers and leaned toward him, directing her hand to his mouth. It opened. She slid the fry inside and nearly moaned when his tongue came into contact with her fingers. It had been deliberate. She was sure of it, and it only made the sexual awareness between them that much more keen.

“Thanks,” he said, and that single word spoken in a deep, husky voice washed over her like warm honey.

She stared at him, breathless. Hot. Totally turned on. “You’re welcome.”

She nervously ran her tongue over her lips, tempted to lick the spot on her finger where his tongue had touched her, as well. Just looking into his eyes all but told her he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. But she knew neither of them was ready for that part of a relationship.

Deciding they needed to talk about anything that wouldn’t stir the intense attraction between them, she asked, “So, Quasar, what’s your favorite sports team?”

* * *

IT WAS CLOSE to eleven when Quasar walked Randi to her car. After sharing a meal at Marlon’s, he’d suggested they take in a movie. Convincing herself that the new James Bond movie was something she truly wanted to see, she’d agreed with his idea.

It had been a unique experience for her to sit in the theater, sharing popcorn with Quasar and pretending to watch the big screen, while her entire focus was on him. She had sat there remembering how he’d fed her a few of his oysters at Marlon’s and she’d done the same with him and her fries. And the more they’d done so, the more the air surrounding them became electrified to the point that temptation, the likes of which she’d never felt before, had rocked through her veins.

After the movie, they’d stopped at a café for coffee and shared a slice of lemon pound cake. Deep down she had a feeling he wasn’t ready for their day together to end any more than she was and was merely drawing out their time.

They hadn’t engaged in much conversation since getting off the trolley a few blocks back. Instead they walked to her car in intimate silence. Even now she could feel tremors spreading low in her belly with every step she took beside him.

He was holding her hand as they walked. He’d done the same while sitting beside her in the movies. There had been something about their fingers entwined that made every nerve ending in her body ripe with passion. The man was temptation, walking or sitting.

“Nice night,” he finally said.

She glanced around. “Yes, it is, isn’t it?”

Other people were walking about, taking advantage of the beauty of the night. Pools of light from the street lamps shone on various car tops, while the intense glow from a full moon illuminated their paths. The scent of some flowering plant floated in the air, and the low hum of insects invaded the night.

“This is my car,” she said, coming to a stop in front of the white Lexus two-seater.

He studied the car appreciatively, then smiled at her. “This looks like you.”

She chuckled. “Does it?”

“Yes. Sleek, stylish and seductive. I like it.”

Randi couldn’t help but smile, pleased he thought she was those things. “Thanks, and I’m glad you like my car.”

“I like you even more.”

A part of her wished she could dismiss his charm. “Do you?”

“Yes. And I enjoyed my time with you today, Randi.”

She decided to be honest. “I enjoyed my time with you today, too.”

He stared down at her with an intense expression, then reached out and touched her cheek, caressed it. “I want to see you again.”

She shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. It was either do that or be tempted to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck. “Why?” She needed him to tell her the reason.

“Because after spending time with you today, I’m not ready to let you drive away with the thought of not seeing you again. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you cast a spell on me.”

Her lips tightened. “I don’t have the ability to cast spells, Quasar. Nor do I predict lotto numbers or forecast the outcome of elections.”

Evidently something in her tone alerted him that she hadn’t found his statement amusing. He touched her arm. “Hey, I was just joking,” he said softly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

She drew in a deep breath and shook her head. “No, I’m the one who should apologize,” she said softly. “Your words reminded me of the ridicule I got when certain people, those I considered friends, found out about my psychic abilities. I heard the jokes about casting spells, sharing winning lotto numbers and forecasting elections. It made perfect sense to them that if I had these psychic abilities, I should be able to do all those things and more. If I couldn’t, that meant I was a fake.”

He was quiet for a moment and then said, “Again, I apologize for the thoughtless tease, Randi. I want to see you again. It has nothing to do with any spell. I find you desirable. More desirable than any woman I’ve known. So if you’re okay with it, I’d like to visit you next weekend.”

“You live in Charlottesville, and I live in Richmond.”

He nodded. “You’re talking about an hour’s drive. You would be worth it.”

“Would I?” She wished he wouldn’t stroke her cheek like that or look at her with those dark eyes that could spin her body into a mass of sexual need, something she wasn’t used to experiencing.

“Most definitely.”

Was she imagining it or had he shifted his stance, leaning in a bit closer to her? Needing to keep her sanity, she said, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you tell me earlier today that you didn’t do long-term relationships?”

He held her gaze. “Yes, I did say that.”

“In that case, why are you suggesting that we see each other again?”

He slowly dropped his hand and shoved both in the pockets of his jeans, like she’d done with hers. His gaze held hers, as if her absolute attention was totally and completely necessary. As if he’d given what he was about to say some serious thought. “The reason I want to see you again is that the thought of not doing so is something I can’t handle right now.”

He paused a moment and then continued, “Don’t ask me to explain, because I can’t make you understand when I don’t fully understand myself. All I know is that since that night we saw each other in Charlottesville, you’ve constantly been on my mind, even when I didn’t want you to be. I’ve thought about you more than any woman I’ve ever met. I know I’ve told you all this before, and I was hoping that today would...”

Quasar went quiet. His words had been drawing her in, and she didn’t intend for him to leave her hanging now. “Would what?”

He drew in a deep breath. “Purge you from my system. Help me see that what I thought was real was nothing but a fluke. That there was no way I could have met a woman who would make me consider something more than a toss between the sheets at night and a don’t-call-me, I’ll-call-you in the morning.”

Randi tried controlling the beat of her heart. She knew the stipulations regarding her and Quasar about earning the other’s love. Was this their first step in achieving those goals? What if the time was right for them to meet but not for them to do anything else, like move forward? What if the latter was supposed to take place at another time, or in another place? For the first time, she regretted not being able to know his inner thoughts.

She swallowed. “I told you why I’m not seriously involved with anyone.”

He nodded. “Yes, and I told you I don’t have a hang-up about your psychic abilities, and what I thought of the men who did. And as far as your work interfering, I understand, because I’m in a similar predicament. My work can take my anywhere at any time.”

Quasar took a step closer. “Can you look into my eyes, Randi, and tell me that we don’t need to explore what’s happening between us further? That you don’t agree that today wasn’t enough time?”

She knew there was no way she could do that. “But what if things don’t work out?” Especially if our timing is wrong.

“Then we will know.”

Will we? she wondered. Rushing into things now would be a mistake if this wasn’t the right time for them. She knew they were sexually attracted to each other, but they also had to earn each other’s love. What if they got caught up in the sex and didn’t focus on the love?

“When are you returning to Richmond?”

His question made her blink. She was finding it difficult to concentrate around him. “Excuse me?”

“Home? When will you return home?”

“Tomorrow. In the afternoon. After I attend church with my family, I’ll be driving back.”

“Do you have a problem with me coming to Richmond to see you next weekend?”

Her entire body reacted at the thought that she would see him again, and so soon. “No, I don’t have a problem with it.”

He smiled. “I’ll call you later in the week to get your address.”

At that moment, a couple passed them. The man had the woman curled into his side with his arm draped over her shoulders. The love Randi felt flowing between the two almost melted her insides. Funny how she was able to pick up the emotions of strangers, but she got a mental block where Quasar was concerned.

“It’s late. I’d better go,” she said quietly.

“Alright.”

He took a step closer to her, and when he began lowering his head toward hers, instead of taking a step back, she moved nearer. Bracing both hands on the roof of her car, he pinned her, caging her in his delicious strength and heat.

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE MOMENT QUASAR slanted his mouth over Randi’s, she couldn’t hold back the moan. It was the kiss she’d been waiting for all day. A kiss that robbed her of her senses while it overwhelmed her. She closed her eyes, and whatever strength she had left drained from her body. It was a good thing his arms had moved from the roof of her car to her waist to support her. Otherwise, she would have sunk to her knees the moment his tongue entered her mouth and began mating with hers.

She’d wondered about his taste since that first night, and now, the way his tongue was thrusting in and out of her mouth, she knew how he tasted. He shifted, and his body pressed hard against her. She could feel him—aroused. His erection was poking her in the belly. She became consumed by the heat of him with every languorous stroke of his tongue. Desire began coiling deep inside her.

Randi wrapped her arms around his neck while thickened blood rushed through her veins. She knew for certain that she’d never been kissed like this before. Instinctively she eased up on tiptoes, determined to return the kiss with the same hunger. Her tongue became the aggressor as it battled for control, but he refused to give her any. Instead he was proving that when it came to kissing, he had the skill. The know-how. Definitely more experience, and he intended to make her understand that. She figured her whimpers were a sign she had no problem conceding.

The pressure of his mouth eased up somewhat as slow, deep strokes replaced the intense, hungry ones. But pleasure continued racking her body, and when he finally released her mouth, she slumped against him, feeling totally drained.

And he held her. Even leaned in and licked her bottom lip a few times while telling her how good she tasted. Quasar Patterson had practically devoured her mouth and she’d not only let him, but she’d tried devouring his, as well. Intoxicated by lust, she breathed in his scent, removing her arms from around his neck, knowing he was still holding her up.

She released a deep, satisfied sigh when he took a step back. She figured it was a good thing he’d done so. Otherwise they might have gone after each other’s mouths again.

“You can follow me back to my hotel if you like,” he invited in his sensual voice.

Randi shook her head. God knew she was tempted, but this was meant to be more than just sex between them. “Thanks for the offer, but I need to go.” Away from you and the way you make me feel.

“Okay.”

She heard the disappointment in his tone. “How far is your car from here? Do you need a ride to it?” she asked him.

“Naw. It’s just a few cars up from yours. Since it’s so late, if you give me a minute to get to it, I want to follow you to make sure you get home safely.”

Follow her? From the look in his eyes, she knew there was no need to tell him not to bother. Besides, the thought that he was concerned for her well-being moved him up a notch. “Alright, if you think you can keep up,” she teased.

“Hey, no speeding. The cops in DC don’t play.”

Randi couldn’t help laughing. “Don’t I know it.”

“Hmm, sounds like a person who’s gotten a ticket or two.”

“Or three,” she said, fishing the car fob from her purse.

Quasar grinned. “With this car, I can see how that’s possible.”

He stepped back to allow her the space to unlock her car door and slide inside before he shut the door for her. “Thanks,” she said, tugging the shoulder harness in place before buckling her seat belt.

“Anytime.”

Placing both hands on her steering wheel, she told herself not to look back up at him, just to turn the ignition, say goodbye and drive off. But she couldn’t. Nor could she stop herself from rolling her window down. “Thanks for a wonderful day, Quasar. I really enjoyed myself.”

He crouched down, bringing his face level with hers, just outside the window. Their mouths were in kissing range. “So did I. Drive carefully.”

“Okay.”

He leaned his head in the window and copped a quick kiss from her lips...just like she’d been hoping he would do. “And no speeding, Randi.”

She was tempted to stick her tongue out at him, but it was still tingling from the force of his kiss. Instead, in an authoritative voice meant to mimic his, she said, “And no speeding, Quasar.”

He threw his head back and laughed. She started the engine and saw him move away and sprint ahead. She couldn’t help but appreciate how agilely he moved in his jeans. When she saw him get into his car, she pulled away from the curb. As she passed his SUV, she watched in the rearview mirror and saw him pull behind her.

The drive to Zach and Anna’s home took about thirty minutes, and each time she glanced in the rearview mirror, Quasar was behind her, right on her tail, figuratively speaking. A comforting feeling filled her, knowing he was there.

When she drove into Zach and Anna’s driveway to park right behind Trey’s car, she turned off the ignition, unbuckled the seat belt and got out. He’d stopped at the end of the driveway and had rolled down the window. “I’ll sit here until you go inside.”

“Alright, and good night, Quasar.”

“Good night, and I’ll see you next weekend.”

She nodded and hurried up the walkway to the door.

* * *

QUASAR STAYED PUT until Randi had opened the door and gone inside. It was only then that he drove off. He’d gone half a block when he remembered the phone calls he’d gotten today. Twice. He had ignored both, not the least bit curious why his father had been trying to reach him. Didn’t matter. He’d had no intention of letting Louis intrude on his time with Randi.

Since the drive back to the hotel would take a good thirty minutes, and considering the time difference between DC and California, he thought he would return the old man’s call now. When he came to the first traffic light, he used the car’s hands-free system to dial his father.

“About time you returned my call.”

Quasar chuckled, deciding not to tell Louis blatantly that in all honesty, he was lucky to get this phone call. “And the reason you tried reaching me?”

“Doyle intends to announce his candidacy for mayor of Beverly Hills next weekend at the house. I want you here.”

You can hold your breath for that to happen, Quasar thought. That’s how it had been in the past, though. Louis gave an order and he obeyed. Even if he had to jump through hoops to do so. Even if it meant spending three years in jail. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m busy next weekend.” Already he was looking forward to visiting Randi in Richmond. “Besides, I’m surprised you’d want me there, being an ex-con and all.”

“You served your time. And I want to show family unity.”

“Family unity doesn’t really exist with the Pattersons. Count me out.”

“Look, Quasar, this is a serious matter,” Louis snapped.

“Like I care. I haven’t been back home in ten years and I have no reason to return now, so like I said, count me out.”

“It was your choice not to return to LA. We would have been glad to see you.”

Yeah, right. When he’d been released seven years ago, he’d taken Shep’s advice and joined Striker and Stonewall in Charlottesville. There was nothing for him to return to in LA. It was a decision he’d never regretted making.

“Tell that to somebody else, Louis. You haven’t seen me in ten years. Another ten won’t bother you.”

“It’s not like I haven’t tried keeping the lines of communication open. I do call to check on you and make sure you’re okay. It’s not like I haven’t tried getting you to come home. Hell, you wouldn’t even tell me where you moved after you got out of jail or even how to reach you, for that matter. I probably still wouldn’t know if I hadn’t hired that private investigator.”

Quasar drew in a deep breath, trying to keep his anger at bay. Yes, his father called from time to time, but usually it was with some BS. The old man always bragged about Doyle’s successes and highlighted what he saw as Quasar’s failures. The phone conversations were so draining mentally that Quasar regretted answering the calls.

And the old man was right. He hadn’t let him know his whereabouts after leaving prison. He hadn’t seen the need. Neither his father nor Doyle had visited him or communicated with him while he’d been locked up. Not even during the time he’d nearly lost his life in jail and had to be hospitalized. Other than his godmother, no member of his family had given a damn. That was the main reason he had wanted to put as much distance between them as he could once he became a free man. He’d wanted a new life, one without the stench of them in it. He was determined to make something of himself without their criticisms, and to come to terms with the fact that he had a father and brother who didn’t give a fuck about him. He’d been able to do that by getting a surrogate family. Shep was the father figure Louis could never be, and Striker and Stonewall were the brothers Doyle had never tried being. Quasar was satisfied with his life.

“Don’t you think it’s time for you and Doyle to call a truce?” his father asked.

Truce? Honestly, Quasar didn’t think he and his brother were at war. Doyle was probably the same ass he’d been all his life. And as far as Doyle marrying Lilly, well, they were welcome to each other. It hadn’t taken him long to realize she’d just wanted to be married to a Patterson.

“If it’s about him marrying Lilly,” his father continued, “then you need to get over it. They love each other.”

He doubted Doyle or Lilly truly knew what love was. They equated love to opportunities. “Glad to hear it. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to—”

“I need you to come home, Quasar. You should come home. Think about it.”

Quasar shook his head. He should come home? There was no reason why he should. Over the years, Louis had said the same thing a number of times, and Quasar knew it was a biting burr in his father’s ass that he wasn’t there under his thumb for him to manipulate and control. “There’s nothing to think about. I’ve made plans for next weekend and don’t intend to change them.”

He heard his father snort. “Why are you wasting your time working at that job? You’re my son. You should be working alongside Doyle to run Patterson Industries and—”

“And do what? Wait for him to stick his hand in the cookie jar again so I can go to jail to protect him? No thank you. I’ll pass. Three years of serving time for a crime I didn’t commit was three years too long. But I don’t expect you to understand that. Now, goodbye.” Not giving his father a chance to say anything when there was nothing that could be said, he clicked off the phone.

Plans were still on for him and Ryker to get together tomorrow. Then he would head back to Charlottesville by evening time. For now, he intended to put his father as well as his phone call, out of his mind. The only person he wanted to think about was Randi. He’d never been involved in a long-distance affair. In a way, long-distance equated to long-term, but would that be such a bad thing? At least he wouldn’t have to worry about her showing up unexpectedly at his place, and while he was on assignments, out of sight would mean out of mind. Then, whenever he felt the urge to spend time with her, mainly sleep with her, he could take the drive from Charlottesville to Richmond. He figured it wouldn’t be more than an hour on Interstate 64. Unless he decided to take the scenic route for a more relaxed drive. Either way, the destination was the same. Randi’s arms and her bed.

He licked his lips, thinking of the kiss they’d shared. He was convinced he could still taste her and hadn’t wanted their kiss to end. And the way she’d wrapped her arms around his neck, clung to him, plastered her body against his, had made blood pump through his veins like crazy, especially in his groin. Hell, he was still throbbing down there. Hard as a rock and causing an ache against his zipper.

The instant he’d inserted his tongue inside her mouth, he’d known heaven. Her taste had been delicious, and he had deepened the kiss on instinct to get more of it. His greedy-ass tongue had shifted from one side of her mouth to the other while exploring and tasting as much of her as he could. Desire for her must have practically taken over his senses since they’d done that standing in a public place. But at the time, he hadn’t given a damn. The only thing he’d wanted was her. A part of him had known she would turn down his offer to go to his hotel with him, but shit, you couldn’t blame a man for trying.

When the car behind him blared its horn, Quasar realized the traffic light had turned green. He smiled as he headed to his hotel while thinking next weekend couldn’t get there quick enough.

* * *

RANDI WAS STILL floating on a cloud when she entered the guest bedroom. The house was quiet, which meant everyone was asleep. Evidently not, she thought moments later upon hearing the knock on her door.

Placing her purse on the dresser, she crossed the room. She hoped she hadn’t awakened anyone when she came in. Easing open the door, she really wasn’t surprised to see Anna and Haywood standing there. Anna was holding a bottle of wine and a bottle of grape juice, while Haywood was dangling three wineglasses between her fingers.

“Is there a reason for this late-night visit, ladies?” she asked, moving aside to let them enter.

“What do you think?” was Haywood’s flippant reply. “You owe us an explanation.”

“Do I?” Randi asked, closing the door behind them. “And aren’t the two of you worried you’ll be missed by your husbands?” The last thing she needed was for Trey or Zach to show up knocking on her bedroom door, looking for their wives.

A smile curved Anna’s lips. “We intended to talk to you, so we concocted a plan to wear them out tonight. It worked. They’re sleeping off all those org—”

Randi held up her hand to stop her cousin from providing any further details. “Too much information. Besides, I get the picture.”

A part of her was happy for her sister and cousin and for the close and openly affectionate relationships they shared with their husbands. But then, she’d have been the first to admit she’d grown up around a mother and father who’d raised the bar when it came to love, happiness and being openly affectionate. There was so much love displayed between her parents that it was something she’d gotten used to over the years, and she couldn’t imagine it any other way. Because she’d grown up around so much love, she naturally wanted the same thing for herself. That was one of the reasons she’d found Larry’s rejection so painful.

Randi crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed while watching Anna pour wine in two of the glasses and grape juice in the third. Not for the first time, she couldn’t help but admire her cousin’s beauty, a result of her mixed heritage of black American and Vietnamese. “I don’t recall asking for a nightcap,” she said, knowing the only reason Anna and Haywood were there was to pump her for information.

“Chill, sis,” Haywood said. “You owe us some answers as well as a debt of thanks for keeping Trey and Zach from drilling your guy. And don’t pretend he’s not your guy. I saw you before the twins did, and the two of you were holding hands, looking all lovey-dovey.”

Randi didn’t say anything as she accepted the glass of wine from Anna, who only smiled at her, obviously satisfied with letting Haywood handle the inquisition. “So what do the two of you want to know?”

“Who is he and how did the two of you hook up when you just saw him the other night?” Haywood asked.

Randi took a sip of wine, appreciating the tingling flavor on her tongue. However, she was certain that nothing could replace the taste Quasar had left in her mouth. “Remember when, a few weeks ago, I told you about that guy I met in Charlottesville?”

Haywood raised a brow. “Yes. The one from your dream. Your intended at the crime scene.” She paused midsip of wine, and Randi knew Haywood had connected the dots when she placed her wineglass down and stared at Randi. “That was him, wasn’t it? He’s the guy.”

“What guy? What dream? What intended?” Anna asked, looking back and forth between Haywood and Randi.

“You can fill her in,” Randi told Haywood. “I’ll be back after changing into something more comfortable.” She grabbed the mini caftan from the foot of the bed and headed for the connecting bathroom.

Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it. She was still in a state of euphoria from a day spent with Quasar, and she needed some pull-yourself-together time and not interrogation time with her sister and cousin. But still, their untimely interruption couldn’t eradicate the memories of Quasar’s kiss. She felt as if she was in some sort of daze whenever she thought about it. All she had to do was close her eyes to remember how masterfully he had taken her mouth and the sensations that had swept through her body.

She knew all the time they’d spent together that day should have prepared her for the moment of the kiss. After all, she’d been drawn to his mouth practically all day. Her entire body had literally throbbed every time she looked at it...especially while watching him eat those oysters and drink his beer.

But nothing could have prepared her for that kiss. And it was a kiss that still had her insides tingling something fierce. A kiss that had scorched her all over and branded her mouth permanently. The moment his tongue entered her mouth, her senses had shut down and wicked temptation had taken over. She’d even heard herself purring.

Drawing in a deep breath, she pushed away from the door and eased her jeans down past her hips. It had been her intent to shower and go to bed to dream and fantasize about the coming weekend, when she would see Quasar again. Now thanks to Haywood and Anna, the shower and bed had to wait until she appeased their nosiness.

She slid the caftan over her head, loving the smoothness of the silk fabric against her skin. Drawing in a deep breath, she left the bathroom to rejoin Haywood and Anna. She could tell by the look on Anna’s face that she had questions. “Okay, Anna, what do you want to know?” she asked, grabbing her wineglass off the nightstand.

“Does Quasar Patterson know that the two of your futures have been pretty much mapped out?”

The answer to that question was simple. “No. Right now all he knows is that we’re very much attracted to each other. The reason we spent the day together is that he’s trying to figure out why.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you told him?”

Randi settled back on the bed. “I can’t do that. There are circumstances we have to overcome before we can have a future together. Namely, we have to earn each other’s love. If I were to tell Quasar that he and I are destined to have a future together, what do you think he’d do?”

Haywood chuckled. “Probably run in the other direction, fight it like hell or try to prove you’re wrong.”

“Yes, he would. Right now he thinks the attraction is of a sexual nature, and he’s operating on that assumption. It will be up to him to discover different.”

“What about you?” Anna asked after taking of sip of her grape juice. “How do you feel about all of this? Having the man you’ll spend the rest of your life with chosen for you, instead of you choosing him yourself?”

“I chose Larry and look what it got me,” Randi said, sipping her wine. “I admit it’s kind of overwhelming, but I’ve known that’s the way it would be for some years now. That year spent by myself on Glendale Shores and having Gramma Mattie come to me the way she did helped me not only understand my gift but also accept and appreciate it for what it is. It wasn’t love at first sight for me or Quasar. What we are is sexually attracted to each other. That much is pretty obvious and what’s driving things right now. I have a mental block where he’s concerned, and it’s deliberate. Maybe that’s a good thing. But then, I had a mental block when it came to Larry, as well.”

After taking another sip of wine, she said, “I have to believe my future is being directed for a purpose, and in the end, if things work out and Quasar and I do earn each other’s love, then it will be well worth it.”

“He’s certainly not a hard man for a woman to love,” Haywood said, fanning herself. “Looks good to any female’s eyes. The man is definitely hot. How did you manage keeping your hands to yourself today?”

Randi chuckled. “Who said I did?”

Haywood’s eyes widened. “Does that mean the two of you—”

“No! How could you think such a thing, Haywood?”

“Easily. Like I said, he’s hot. And...you’ve been gone all day. When we saw you this afternoon, you said the two of you were going to Uncle Marlon’s for dinner. I doubt you closed the place down, so I can only assume you went back to his hotel with him.”

“Well, you assume wrong. We took in a movie, and afterward we stopped by a café for coffee and dessert,” Randi said, shaking her head.

“Sounds like the two of you enjoyed yourselves.”

Randi smiled. “It was nice. However, I know that I have my work cut out for me. I’m well aware that Quasar’s main interest in me right now is all about getting me into his bed. We have to develop a relationship not centered on sex.”

“When will you see him again?” Haywood asked.

“Next weekend. He asked if he could visit me in Richmond, and I told him that he could.”

Anna placed her empty glass aside. “Well, I think the two of you looked good together. He’s handsome and you’re a natural beauty. The two of you will make beautiful babies.”

Randi nearly choked on her wine.

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