Look what people are saying about Brenda Jackson!

“Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and characters you fall in love with.”

—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author

“Jackson’s trademark ability to weave multiple characters and side stories together makes shocking truths all the more exciting.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Ms Jackson has proven once again why she is truly one of the Divas of romance.”

—Romance In Color

“Jackson’s novels are an armchair matchmaker’s dream.”

—Romance Reader

“The Midnight Hour is a roller-coaster read of passion, intrigue and deceit.”

—Sharon Sala, New York Times bestselling author

“With her inimitable style, Ms Jackson has created another rip-roaring, seductively sensual love story that is sure to take the romance-reading community by storm. As always, her standard of excellence is evident in every scintillating page of Fire and Desire.”

—RT Book Reviews

Dear Reader,

I’ve been anxiously waiting to be able to write Duan Jeffries’s story—and I’m thrilled to introduce him in my very first Blaze® novel. My readers first met the Jeffries clan when Reggie Westmoreland fell in love with Olivia Jeffries in my Desire™ book titled Tall, Dark…Westmoreland! Since then, I couldn’t get Olivia’s two older brothers, Duan and Terrence, out of my mind. Terrence made his debut in my Kimani novel Temperatures Rising, and now, finally, it’s Duan’s turn.

I love writing about men who are smooth, suave and seductive. And of course they have to be gorgeous as well. With Duan I threw in an additional element—he’s a great multi-tasker. He can get his girl with one hand and take down the bad guys with the other. I saw him as a perfect fit for Kim Cannon, a free-spirited soon-to-be doctor, who thought she knew exactly what she wanted until Duan came along.

I hope you enjoy reading Duan and Kim’s story. Be sure to check out the Blaze® list for new books about the hot guys who work with Duan in the Peachtree Private Investigative Firm.

I love hearing from my readers. You can contact or e-mail me at WriterBJackson@aol.com.

All the best,

Brenda Jackson

About the Author

BRENDA JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and her husband of thirty-eight years live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.

A New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy romance titles, Brenda is a retiree from a major insurance company and divides her time between family, writing and travelling. Be sure to visit her website at www.brendajackson.net.

SPONTANEOUS

BRENDA JACKSON

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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To my husband, the love of my life

and my best friend, Gerald Jackson, Sr.

To everyone who enjoys reading

a Brenda Jackson novel, this one is for you!

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,

and the man that getteth understanding.

—Proverbs 3:13

1

My brother has hit gold.

That thought ran through Duan Jeffries’s mind while he stood on the sidelines and watched Terrence “Holy Terror” Jeffries escort his bride, Sherri Griffin Jeffries, around the huge ballroom as they thanked the numerous guests for attending their wedding.

From the moment Duan had met Sherri, he’d known she was the one woman who could make his younger brother happy. Just being in their presence was to feel the love radiating between them. And even though he was a downright cynical bastard when it came to the notion of true love, the two of them had made him somewhat of a believer.

The same held true for his sister, Olivia, and the man she’d married last year, Senator Reggie Westmoreland. That was definitely another love match. So okay, two cases weren’t bad. He shifted his glance across the room to his father and the woman by his side and chuckled inwardly. All right, he would make that three cases. His father had finally married his devoted administrative assistant a few months back. Duan didn’t know any man who deserved the love of a good woman more than Orin Jeffries, especially after all the hell the mother of his three offspring put him through.

Not wanting to think about the woman who’d given birth to him, the same one who’d deserted her husband and three children when Duan was twelve, Terrence ten and Libby three, he glanced at his watch, feeling tired and edgy. He had arrived in Chicago yesterday and come straight from the airport to the church, just in time to make the rehearsal dinner.

A private investigator, for the past three months he’d been working practically around the clock trying to gather enough evidence to hand over to an attorney friend who was convinced a man he was representing had been wrongfully accused of murder. It had been a hard case to crack and even harder to deliver the news that it was the man’s wife who’d set him up. With the evidence needed to clear the man of all charges, Duan had taken off from Atlanta on a direct flight to Chicago.

He glanced at his watch. He had another hour or so before the wedded couple headed for O’Hare and a two-week honeymoon in Paris. After they departed he would go up to his hotel room, get out of his tux and change into something more comfortable and…

Do what?

He didn’t have any immediate plans. Word had gotten around that some of Reggie’s brothers and cousins were hosting a card game later tonight in one of their rooms. He wasn’t surprised. He had known most of the Westmorelands from his high-school years in Atlanta and had rekindled friendships with them since Reggie had married Libby. The one thing he knew about them was that they liked to gamble, and their game of choice was poker.

Duan decided to pass after remembering what happened the last time he’d played with them. When the game ended he’d been three hundred dollars poorer.

If not poker, then what else was there to do?

He shifted his gaze to the woman standing across the room talking to the bride’s parents. Immediately, he felt a primitive thrumming heat run through him. Kimani Cannon. He would definitely love to do her.

She was the best friend of the bride and he had been attracted to her from the first moment they’d been introduced a few months ago at Terrence and Sherri’s engagement party in the Keys. He had immediately picked up on the strong sexual chemistry flowing between them, and the look Kimani had given him promised that they would hook up later to wear out somebody’s sheets. But before they could make that happen, he’d received an important tip on a case he was working and had to leave.

She was definitely nice to look at with her dark, sultry eyes, a cute pixie nose and full and shapely lips. He particularly liked the mass of dark brown spiral curls that crowned her creamy cocoa-colored face.

She was downright sexy from the top of her head past those shapely curves and gorgeous legs to the soles of her feet. And speaking of feet, he had a weakness when it came to women in high heels, especially if they had the legs for them, which she did. And the strapless satin baby-blue maid-of-honor dress that hit below the knees looked damn good on her, but he’d much prefer seeing her naked. He wanted to find out if his dreams came close to the real thing.

He took a sip of his drink and continued to watch her. Lust after her was more like it. And it wasn’t helping matters when all kind of wicked fantasies danced around in his head. He could envision doing something hot, naughty and X-rated with her—like locking himself between her legs and staying there until there wasn’t anything left to give or take.

His fingers tightened on the stem of the wineglass, not sure what part of her he enjoyed staring at the most, and quickly decided he liked everything about her. Even from across the room she stirred his blood, fired his senses and made him think about hot sex under silken sheets.

He dragged in a deep breath and reached up to loosen his tie, which suddenly felt tight. Hell, even his briefs were restricting. And the rumble deep in his gut, trickling down toward his groin, could only mean one thing. After a six-month abstinence, he needed to get laid. And he wondered if the woman across the room would in any way be accommodating.

No sooner had that thought worked its way into his mind then she glanced over in his direction. Their gazes locked and the chemistry flowing between them thickened, stirred and escalated. Heat shimmered in the air and then she broke eye contact with him. Placing her wineglass on the tray of a passing waiter, she headed out of the ballroom. He watched, mesmerized by the sway of her hips and those gorgeous legs in high heels.

Suddenly, he felt his feet moving to follow her.

KIM RELEASED A DEEP breath as she walked down the hall that led to the room the bridesmaids had used earlier to dress in. She heard footsteps behind her and didn’t have to turn around to know the identity of the person following her.

Duan Jeffries.

There was something about him that made her immediately think of sex, sex and plenty more sex. In that brief moment they’d made eye contact in the ballroom, she had detected the raw hunger within him, a need that was both possessive and magnetic, and it had drawn her to him, filled her with a desire to take him on right now.

Due to budget cuts at the hospital where she worked as an E.R. nurse, she hadn’t had much of a social life lately. Seeing Duan made her realize just how much she longed for some skin-to-skin contact. Licking him from head to toe would be a good start, but she figured they wouldn’t have enough time for that. A quickie would have to do.

She’d known the instant she met him four months ago that they would eventually get together. The vibes had been strong and she was disappointed when he’d left the Keys unexpectedly. The only reason she hadn’t initiated jumping his bones after the rehearsal dinner last night was because she and Sherri had planned to hang out with her cousins one last time in Sherri’s hotel room.

A shiver of anticipation flowed through her body when she came to a stop in front of the room. Without looking over her shoulder, she turned the knob, pushed opened the door and stepped inside.

It was only when she heard the sound of the door closing and the lock clicking in place behind her that she turned to stare up into what had to be the most gorgeous dark eyes any man could possess. And then there were the perfect angles, seamless planes and sensuous lines that made up an impressive and sinfully handsome face.

He took a step closer and she sucked in a quick breath when she felt his erection poke into her belly. She wasn’t sure who made the first move after that. It wasn’t really important. All that mattered was the mouth that swooped down, taking hers with a hunger that she reciprocated.

When she met his tongue with her own, he deepened the kiss and then it was on. Something frantic broke within her, within them, and a need as raw as it could get took over.

She felt his hand lifting her dress. The sound of silk rustling against silk inflamed her mind, and when those same hands made contact with the apex of her thighs, not even her panties were a barrier against the busy fingers that sought and found an easy opening.

And then those fingers were moving through the curls, beyond the folds, stirring her wetness and massaging her clit. She moaned at the invasion as well as the pleasure, and instinctively reached for his fly and eased down the zipper. Quickly inserting her hand beneath the elastic waistband of his briefs, she gripped the engorged hardness of his sex. He pulled his mouth from hers and released a guttural groan, and the primitive sound was something she understood and identified with.

“Condom.” He said that one word in a ragged breath and she relinquished her hold on him so he could fish into the pockets of his pants for his wallet. He pulled out a square packet.

She shifted her gaze from the condom to his erection, jutting proudly from a dark thatch of curls. The head of his shaft was big and smooth, and the veins running along the sides were thick.

Heat burning in every part of her body, she watched as he sheathed himself with such ease and accuracy that she figured he’d done this numerous times. When that task was completed, he glanced up and the eyes that stared at her nearly scorched her skin and made her regret they only had time for a quickie. Leisurely savoring every inch of him was something she would just love doing. But for now she would take what she could get. Leaning up on tiptoe, she pressed her moist lips against his.

His mouth immediately captured hers, kissing her hungrily, and she felt him tug her dress up. She had a feeling this mating would be a quickie like nothing she’d ever experienced.

He lifted her, cupping her hips in his hands, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him. Like radar his engorged sex found its mark and he pushed forward, sliding between her wet folds. The size of him stretched her, filled her to capacity. And it seemed his erection got larger as he delved deeper and deeper … pressing her back against the wall.

He paused, as if he wanted to experience the feeling of being embedded within her, and in protest her inner muscles clamped down hard on him, then let go, repeating the process a few times. He snatched his mouth from hers, threw his head back and released a massive growl.

To her satisfaction he began moving, pounding in and out of her in a rhythm that matched the beat of her heart. She hoped and prayed the room on the other side of the wall was empty. She would hate for anyone to want to investigate what all the noise was about.

She felt his every thrust all the way to her toes—toes that were curled around his waist at that very moment. His erection was throbbing inside her with the intensity of a volcano about to erupt.

He leaned down and imprisoned her mouth again, kissing her hungrily. Was there anything this man couldn’t do perfectly? She moaned and worked her body against his, meeting him stroke for stroke, thrust for thrust.

She pulled back from the kiss, needing to see him, to look into his face, to know he was feeling the same things she was. Pure feminine satisfaction poured through her at the intense look on his features that told her he was. And if that didn’t convince her, then his thrusts did. They were powerful, each one an accurate hit, centering on her G-spot with clear-cut precision and a mastery that had her panting. And still he thrust deeper, pounded harder.

And then she felt it, the first signs of the explosive tension building inside her and inside him, as well. His muscular thighs began quivering with an intensity that she felt through his tuxedo pants. And then he let out a deep moan followed by a release that triggered her own eruption, and he clamped his mouth on hers to quell her scream.

Their tongues tangled once again and she was devoured by his greedy mouth. Giving in to penup passion and bridled lust, she wrapped her arms around him as he continued to rock into her, as if taking her this way was his due. His every right.

And at that moment, it was.

DUAN SHOVED HIS SHIRT into his pants as he glanced over at Kimani. She was smoothing her dress over those luscious curves. The woman was something else, and even now, while aftershocks of his orgasm were still flitting through his system, his body was aching for more. What was it about her that made him into one greedy ass where her body was concerned?

He breathed in deeply. The scent of sex mingled with the perfume she was wearing had to be filling her nostrils the way it was his. He liked the aroma. When she reached up and ran fingers through her curls to bring order back to her hair, he thought she looked simply beautiful.

He shook his head. He’d just made out with the maid of honor at his brother’s wedding. Hell, they were right down the hall from the reception.

“We need to move quickly if we want to be there when Terrence and Sherri leave,” she said, slipping into the shoes she had discarded earlier. Those high heels he liked so much.

He knew it was a stupid thought, but the only place he could imagine being at the moment was right here with her. “And just what will happen if we’re not there?” he asked.

She glanced up at him with that duh look. “Everyone will wonder where we are. Have you forgotten that you’re the best man and I’m the maid of honor?”

He wished he could forget if it meant another round with her. This was not a good time to tell her they’d probably already been missed. There might not be anyone keeping tabs on her, but he was certain Libby would have noticed his disappearing act by now. When it came to him and Terrence, his sister didn’t miss a thing. Getting married hadn’t changed that about her.

“You look nice in your tux, by the way.”

He met her gaze and couldn’t help but smile. He thought she had a pair of gorgeous eyes. “And you look good in your dress. But can I be honest with you about something?”

“Yes.”

“I really wanted to see you naked.”

He waited, fully expecting her to say something like this had been one of those done deals and there wouldn’t be a next time so he could chalk it up as a missed opportunity. Instead, she strolled over to him, reached up to straighten his tie, then stood on tiptoe and leaned closer to whisper, “That can be arranged. I’m in Room 822.”

She then slipped out of his reach, and after tossing a saucy smile over her shoulder, she unlocked the door and walked out.

KIM HEARD HER NAME being called the moment she reentered the ballroom. She glanced over and saw Sherri heading toward her. She was so excited for her best friend and truly believed she and Terrence would be happy together.

“And just where did you slip off to?” Sherri was asking. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Kim threw her head back and laughed. “You mean your husband finally let you out of his sight? Unbelievable.”

She and Sherri shared a smile and then Sherri said, “Yes, but only for a minute.” Her expression turned serious. “Promise me that you’re going to celebrate your good news.”

Kim thought about the official letter she had received a couple of days ago. The one informing her she’d been accepted into medical school. “I promise that I will celebrate.”

She’d always wanted to become a doctor, but her parents had split in her senior year of high school, which made money tight. Out of spite, her poor excuse for a father had emptied the savings account her mom had set up to defray the cost of college. As a result Kim had to resort to student loans and eventually had to settle on a master’s degree in nursing.

She found being a nurse rewarding and was dedicated to the profession, but now it was time to move on and pursue her dream to become a doctor.

Her gaze shifted from Sherri as she caught sight of Duan across the room. Just like she’d told him earlier, he looked good in his tux. On some men a tuxedo looked only so-so, but on Duan it was spine-tingling sexy. Definitely eye candy of the sweetest kind. As if he felt her watching him, he glanced over at her and she tilted her head and smiled.

Sherri noticed the exchange and lifted a brow. “Now, isn’t that strange?”

Kim broke eye contact with Duan and turned back to Sherri. “What is?”

“Terrence was searching for Duan at the same time I was looking for you. Imagine that.”

Kim shrugged, trying to keep a straight face. “Yes, imagine that.”

“You know what I think?” Sherri was grinning.

“Haven’t a clue.”

Her friend gave her an assessing glance. “I think you’ve started celebrating already.”

DUAN STOOD OFF to the side and watched the newlyweds leave amidst a shower of rice and well-wishes. He took a long drink of his champagne and kept his gaze on Kim, while at the same time pretending interest in the conversations going on around him.

He had already turned down an invitation from Lucas McCoy and Stephen Morales, Terrence’s close friends from his college days, to join them and their wives for a night out on the town. And as predicted, the Westmorelands were hosting a poker game in one of their suites.

“You sure you don’t want to join us later, Duan?” Stone Westmoreland asked. Duan and Stone had been in the same softball league while growing up and had played football together in high school.

“I’m positive,” he said, noting the exact moment Kim began walking toward an exit door. “I had a rough week and need to get to bed early.”

Most of what he said was true. No one needed to know that the bed he would be getting into wasn’t his.

He exchanged conversation with Stone and the other Westmorelands for a few minutes and then bid everyone a farewell and a safe return home. Like him, most of them would be checking out of the hotel sometime tomorrow. Placing his empty champagne glass on a table, he picked up his pace as he headed toward the elevators.

KIM GLANCED AROUND her hotel room and saw the bottle of champagne Sherri had ordered earlier sitting in a bucket of ice. She hadn’t told anyone but Sherri about her acceptance into medical school at the University of California, San Francisco.

She had a couple months to accept their offer. She had applied to three other universities and would wait to hear from them before making a decision.

She smiled as she kicked off her shoes. She was very much aware that Duan had been watching her when she’d left the reception, which meant he was probably on his way up. The quickie earlier had relieved some of the sexual tension between them but not all of it. She had issued the invitation to complete what they’d started, so she had no problem with him taking her up on it.

She liked him, and after what happened earlier, she liked him even more. Even with a limited amount of time he hadn’t been a selfish lover. She couldn’t say the same for the last guy she’d dated, a surgeon at the hospital. He’d left a lot to be desired.

Kim walked over to the window to take in the view of Lake Michigan. Several small fishing vessels were out on the lake, as well as a number of other boats in various sizes. It was so beautiful she could just stand there a while and watch. Her mother had planned to come to the wedding with her, but had called two days ago and said something had come up and she wouldn’t be able to make it. She would have enjoyed being here.

At the thought of her mother, Kim shook her head. She’d been forced to tell a lie to her mom and Aunt Gertrude. She loved the two women to death and they meant well, but recently Aunt Gert had submitted Kim’s name to the producers of the reality show How to Find a Good Man. That was a bit too much. And when Aunt Gert’s essay had won and Kim had been selected as a contestant, she’d come up with the only plausible reason to turn down what her mother and aunt thought was a golden opportunity. Kim had convinced them she’d found a good man on her own.

She turned at the sound of the knock on the door. In a way she had found one, at least for this weekend. A sense of heated anticipation gripped her and she inhaled deeply, more than ready to enjoy another round of hot, heavy and mind-blowing sex.

And this time there wouldn’t be any time restraints.

KIM OPENED THE DOOR and immediately heat began stirring through every part of her body. She took a step back when he entered the room.

“Would you like a drink, Duan?”

The smooth smile that formed on his lips made Kim’s nipples harden.

“No, thank you,” he said, stepping closer.

“In that case …”

She reached up and placed her arms around his neck, going straight for his mouth. In response, turbulent emotions consumed her and made her deepen the kiss the same time he did.

She felt him moving, walking her backward, and when the bed hit her legs she pulled away to break from the kiss. Kim glanced up at him and saw the taut lines of his jaw and the moist sheen of his lips. And then she felt his hand working its way to her back to ease down her zipper. He tugged her dress down her body, right along with her bra. The man knew what he was after. He’d said he wanted to see her naked and wasn’t wasting any time getting her that way.

He then proceeded to use both hands to cop a feel of her bare breasts. The moment the pad of his thumbs came in contact with the budded nipples, she felt the crotch of her panties get wet.

His gaze caught hers just moments before he leaned forward and captured a nipple between his lips, savoring it as if it were the best thing he’d ever tasted. He sucked aggressively. Licked profusely. Hard. Hungrily. Moments later he switched to the other breast.

When Kim thought she couldn’t handle any more, she felt herself being lowered to the bed, felt the mattress and thick bedcovers beneath her back. He threw his leg over her middle and she moaned at the feel of the material of his pants rubbing against her inner thigh. When she was totally convinced his mouth was about to push her over the edge he released her nipple, lifted his head and met her gaze.

“You have nice breasts,” he said in a deep, husky voice.

“Glad to know you like them,” she responded, reaching up and brushing her fingers against the length of his jaw.

Someone once said you could tell the strength of a man by his jawbone. If that was the case then Duan Jeffries was the equivalent of Samson. He certainly had a lot of sex appeal.

“We need to get you out of the rest of your clothes,” he said, slowly sliding his hands down her body and then back up again, letting his fingertips gently caress her skin, sending heated bliss wherever he stroked.

Kim’s pulse rate increased and she dragged air into her lungs as the feel of his touch tormented her flesh. She eased herself up in the bed and he moved to give her room while she removed her stockings, tossing the items aside. She was completely naked except for her panties. And when she leaned back on her elbows and lifted her hips off the bed with a bold unmistaken invitation in her eyes, he reached out and slid her panties down her thighs and legs.

Duan pulled in a deep heated breath as he let his gaze roam over Kim’s naked form. Something within him had driven his desire to see her this way and he was not disappointed.

Before he realized what she was doing, she had eased off the bed to kneel in front of him and was sliding down his zipper. She then tugged down his pants and briefs and he stepped out of them. Tossing the pieces of clothing out of the way, she leaned back on her haunches and tilted her head to look up him and smile. “I wanted to do this earlier but time wouldn’t allow it.”

He pulled in a deep breath when her tongue began licking him from top to bottom and front to back. She then opened her mouth and greedily slid him inside, letting her tongue wrap around his head and then the length of his entire manhood.

His breath caught and he wondered if he would ever be able to breathe again. The sensations were so powerful he could have died right then and there. He’d been given head before, but never with such bold deliberation. And there was a sweetness to her lips that even extended to this.

He threw his head back and growled as she worked her mouth and tongue over his rod. The sight of her on her knees with him fully planted inside her mouth, bobbing her head up and down while her hands played gently with his balls, had his erection throbbing to an almost explosive state. He reached down and grabbed hold of a fistful of her hair to hold her mouth still when the unbearable pleasure intensified. Every cell in his body seemed electrified.

His nerve endings were stretched to the limit and the sensations firing through him shuddered deep in his gut.

When he felt himself almost pushed over the edge, he grabbed her chin and pulled his rod out of her mouth. Ignoring her whimper of disappointment, he lifted her into his arms and quickly crossed back to the bed and placed her on it. He came down with her, and before she could straighten her body, he was there pushing her backward. His hands grabbed hold of her hips and his head went between her legs. Now it was time for his tongue to pleasure her.

His fingers parted her folds, and the moment his tongue slid inside her and he was introduced to her taste, a rush of new sensations surged through him, made him clasp her hips tighter to bring her closer to his mouth. His tongue moved frantically inside her and he knew the exact moment he found what he was seeking.

“Duan!”

He withdrew his tongue and let the tip play with her clit. His lips then came together and greedily devoured it. He had to hold her down with his hands when she began moving frantically beneath his mouth as he savored her unique taste of honey.

She shuddered just seconds before she screamed. It was only after the last spasm passed through her body that he loosened his hold on her and pulled back to retrieve a condom from his wallet.

He sheathed himself and moved back toward the bed to find her still stretched out in that same position, as inviting as any woman could be.

That pose made him ease onto the mattress on all fours, like a lion capturing his prey, and when he had straddled her, effectively pinning her beneath him, he met her gaze. He leaned in and captured her mouth at the same moment that he slid inside her, not stopping until he was buried deep.

And then he began making love to her, deciding there would be nothing quick in their mating this time around.

2

DUAN OPENED HIS EYES and squinted against the bright sunlight flowing in through the hotel-room window. It was at that moment he felt the soft feminine naked body resting against him, his front spooning her backside.

A shiver of pleasure flowed through him when he remembered everything that had happened—all he’d done over the past fourteen-plus hours. And he wasn’t feeling one moment of regret. In fact, he felt electrified in a way he’d never felt before. Kim had satisfied a fierce need inside him. Making love to her had been everything he’d wanted, and more.

She had met him on every level and together they had shared climax after magnificent climax. But for some reason what they’d shared was a lot more than sex. She had managed to tap into a Duan Jeffries few people saw. The one who longed not to be so disciplined. The one who didn’t necessarily want to be a good guy all the time.

Growing up he’d had no choice. He was the oldest and was expected to set a good example for Terrence and Olivia. His mother had caused his father enough scandal, and Orin Jeffries hadn’t needed his oldest son to follow in his wife’s footsteps. So he had done everything right. He had gotten the best grades in school and had gone into law enforcement after college to keep the bad guys off the street. In a way his occupation as a private investigator was still doing that. He enjoyed his work. He loved preserving the peace and making sure those who broke the law were put behind bars.

But still.

It had been fun slipping off in the middle of his brother’s wedding reception for a quickie. And if that hadn’t been shameful enough, before Terrence and Sherri could make it to the airport for their honeymoon, he had come up to Kim’s room, driven with a desire to see her naked and to engage in more sex. Shameful to some but total pleasure for him.

He was simply enthralled and could only wonder what there was about Kim that made him respond to her with a spontaneity that he found disconcerting as well as fascinating. What was there about her that dared him to become a risk taker?

His thoughts were interrupted when she shifted in sleep, snuggling her luscious backside even closer to him. Already his rod was awake, and the damn greedy bastard was stretching. It obviously liked the feel of Kim’s bare bottom pressed against it.

He suppressed the urge. For some reason he didn’t want to do anything more than just lie there and hold her, share the essence of her heat.

When he draped his arms across her middle she snuggled closer into him. He liked the feel of having her there, and with that thought firmly planted in his mind, he closed his eyes and joined her in sleep.

“WHAT TIME DO YOU plan to check out today, Kim?”

Kim looked up from her breakfast plate. They had awakened a short while ago, and after taking a shower they’d ordered room service for breakfast. Now, wearing the complimentary bath robes provided by the hotel, they were eating in bed.

“I asked for a late checkout,” she replied. “That means I won’t be leaving before two. What about you?”

“I asked for a late checkout, as well. My plane doesn’t fly out until five and that will give me plenty of time to get to O’Hare.”

“I don’t fly out until six. Want to share a taxi to the airport?” she asked, taking a sip of coffee.

His smile sent a warm feeling all through her in a way even the coffee hadn’t done. “Yes, that will work.”

She resumed eating. She would be returning to the Keys and he to his home in Atlanta. Although they both lived in the southeastern part of the country, a longdistance affair was out of the question. She’d tried it once, only to discover the man had been living a double life with girlfriends on both the east and the west coast.

“I appreciated yesterday and last night, Kim.”

She glanced over at him and the corners of her lips eased up. Duan could definitely make her smile, among other things. She considered what he’d just said and wondered how many men actually thanked a woman for sex.

She chuckled. “You’re a man who probably appreciates a willing woman. And I was definitely willing.” She pushed her plate aside and propped herself against a pillow. “You didn’t even have to hit me with any good lines. I saved you the trouble, but it was well worth it.”

Over the rim of her coffee cup, she studied him lounging in bed with his robe on. Like her he was naked underneath. He had to be the most sexually compelling man she’d ever met. During their shower they had done a number of scandalous things and she could feel her pulse speed up just thinking about it.

“So tell me something about Duan Jeffries that I may not know,” she prompted.

A grin touched his lips. “Is that a prerequisite to sharing a cab ride with you?”

“I could make it one.” She smiled. “You never know who you can trust these days.”

He laughed. “And you can say that after the past fourteen-plus hours we’ve shared together?”

“Sure, why not? So tell me.”

He took another sip of his coffee. “You tell me what you think you already know.”

She scrunched up her face as if she were thinking real hard and Duan couldn’t help but chuckle. “Hey, I’m not that complicated.”

“Didn’t say you were, so let’s not get testy,” she replied.

She tapped her chin a couple of times. “I know you’re thirty-six—used to be a cop and then got promoted to detective. Now you own a P.I. firm with four other guys. You’ve never been married and as far as anyone knows, you don’t have any children. And you date on those rare occasions you’re not swarming the country doing investigative work.”

“I see my sister’s been talking.”

Kim shrugged. “What makes you think it was Olivia?”

“Because Terrence knows better. A brother’s creed. He won’t tell my secrets and I won’t tell his.”

Kim leaned forward, her brow arched. “Terrence has secrets?”

Amusement flitted in Duan’s eyes. “None that Sherri needs to be concerned about, if that’s why you’re asking. They’re all in the past. The Holy Terror is now a changed man.”

“So tell me your secrets, Duan. The good, the bad and the ugly.”

He smiled. “Um, the good is that I volunteer my time with the boys’ club whenever I can.” He paused a moment “The bad is that I have a low tolerance for those who break the law and then, because of some damn loophole in the legal system, get away with it.”

Kim heard the anger in his voice. “Is there a particular case that rubbed you the wrong way?”

There was no amusement in his eyes now. “There have been several, but the one that sticks out in my mind is a case I worked involving a woman who was kidnapped, raped and left for dead. We had all the evidence we needed. It should have been open and shut.”

“But it wasn’t?”

“No. One of our officers obtained evidence without a search warrant.”

Kim pulled back, afraid to ask. “They dropped the charges?”

“No, but he was sentenced on a lesser charge.”

Kim could understand his frustration. As a nurse she had no tolerance for red tape. She’d seen people who needed to receive treatment denied the care because of administrative issues. That was one of the reasons she transferred to the emergency room. Less red tape.

“More coffee?”

His question pulled her out of her thoughts and she smiled. “No, thanks, I’m good.” She stared at him for a moment. “You’ve told me the good and the bad, so what’s the ugly?”

Duan studied his nearly empty cup. Now that was an area he didn’t want to cover with her or anyone else. The ugliness in his life was his inability to forgive the person who’d given birth to him. God knew, he’d tried. And he’d gone so far as to search for her as a grown man of thirty, to let her know he’d forgiven her for what she’d done and to find closure for himself.

What he’d found instead was a woman who didn’t deserve his forgiveness. Or Terrence’s or Libby’s. And definitely not the forgiveness of the man who’d loved her.

“That’s a discussion for another day,” he said, getting off the bed and reaching for the coffeepot. He refilled his cup and glanced over at Kim. “So what about you? What’s the good, the bad and the ugly?”

She smiled. “That’s easy to answer and I prefer going from last to first.”

He tipped his cup at her. “Go ahead.”

“The ugly is my father, the wife beater and drunk. I always wanted to become a doctor and he knew it, especially since I was the one who had to heal the bruises Mom got at his hands. For years she worked extra hours to save money to make my dream come true, only for my father to take it out of their bank account when it was time for me to go to college.”

She paused a minute. “The bad is that I’ll probably never marry because most men see me as too strong-willed. I intimidate the doctors at the hospital, and when it comes to guys outside the hospital, they claim I’m too outspoken. People, mostly men, don’t understand me.”

Duan figured he must like strong-willed women because he definitely liked her. He would even say he liked outspoken women. And he certainly felt he understood her. She was a woman who didn’t mind going after what she wanted. Yesterday, last night and this morning, she had wanted him. He had no complaints.

“What’s the good?” he asked.

Her face brightened when she glanced over at the bottle of unopened champagne. “That,” she said, pointing to the ice bucket. “I have my own celebrating to do. That’s the good.”

“What are you celebrating?”

He could swear he saw her chest stick out with pride when she said, “My admission into med school. It took me long enough but I’m going to finally do it.”

“Congratulations. What school?” he asked, truly interested.

“University of California, San Francisco.” Excitement tinged her voice. “I applied to three others so there’s no telling where I might end up if I’m accepted by them, as well. But it doesn’t matter really. My dream’s finally coming true and I’ve waited a long time for it.”

She was thoughtful a moment. “I’m going to miss being a nurse. I’ve enjoyed it tremendously, but I feel I have so much more to offer as a doctor.”

A huge smile lit his face and he set his cup aside and went back to the bed. Reaching out, he took her hands in his. “I’m happy for you and this does call for a celebration,” he said, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

He released her hand and headed for the bucket of champagne. “I usually don’t indulge in a drink this early, but it’s for a very special occasion.” A few moments later he popped the cork and poured some of the bubbly into two flutes.

Kim realized he was genuinely happy for her and it wasn’t just a put-on. A conversation she’d once had with Olivia came back to her. His sister told her it had always been Duan’s dream to one day own his own P.I. company, but that after college he’d joined the Atlanta police force. However, he’d never lost sight of his dream and a few years ago had started his own P.I. firm.

As Kim watched him cross the room with their champagne, she figured he knew all about following one’s dreams. “Thanks,” she said, taking the glass he offered.

He smiled down at her and held up his own glass. “I propose a toast to the future Dr. Kimani Cannon.”

Kim couldn’t help but beam with both pride and excitement as she touched her glass to his and took a sip, enjoying the sparkling taste as it flowed down her throat.

Duan eased on the bed beside her and relieved her of her glass, setting it on the nightstand. “Now for some real celebrating,” he said, still holding his glass with one hand while untying the belt at her waist with the other. She wet her lips as she watched him open her robe, revealing her nakedness.

And then with his fingertips he reached up and slowly traced a trail from the base of her throat to her breasts, downward to her navel and lower still to the curls between her thighs.

“So what do you say about us really getting downright festive?” he suggested. And before she figured out what he was about to do, he tilted his glass until champagne splashed on her.

She drew in a sharp breath as the cool liquid contacted her skin. A shiver went through her when it followed the same trail from her breasts downward.

“Oops, sorry, I’m rather clumsy,” he said, placing his glass beside hers on the nightstand. “I guess I’m going to have to lick it off you.”

And he proceeded to do just that.

KIM’S CELL PHONE RANG the moment she was settled in the backseat of the taxi. She flipped open her phone and smiled after seeing the caller. “Yes, Mom, how are you? You missed a great wedding.”

She glanced over at Duan. He was sitting beside her, leaning back against the seat. He had his hand on her thigh and was staring at her with a look that said it wouldn’t take much for him to push her down and have his way with her.

She understood. From the moment they’d sneaked out of the wedding reception to make out in that room, something crazy had happened between them. It was like an addiction. One that would hit them with the urge to have sex whenever, wherever and however. The only reason they were controlling themselves now was because they didn’t want to scandalize the cab driver. And there was also the risk of getting arrested.

Kim shook her head. This was crazy. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. It was as if their bodies were acting on impulse without any logical thought. That would explain why two adults had made out in an elevator on the way down to catch their cab.

Sex between them was off the charts, the best she’d ever had. Every orgasm—and there had been plenty—had proven better than the one before. And she appreciated the fact that Duan was such a skillful lover. The past twenty-four hours had been the most pleasure-producing—and memorable—she’d ever had.

“I’m fine, baby, and I hate I missed the wedding,” her mother was saying, pulling Kim’s attention back to the conversation but not fully away from Duan. She could feel sensations stirring in her belly at his nearness, at the way he was looking at her with all that heat.

“I’ll give Sherri a call once she returns from her honeymoon,” her mother added. “But now I’m ready to tell you why I wasn’t able to join you in Chicago.”

“All right.” Kim tried to focus completely on the conversation with her mother … at least as much as she could.

Each time she glanced over at Duan she would get aroused. With him she’d gained a boldness that was new to her. To make out with a man in an empty room during her best friend’s wedding reception was certainly over the top.

She forced her attention back to her mother. When she had called a few days ago she had been pretty secretive about the reason she could not make the wedding. After convincing Kim that she was fine, Wynona Cannon-Longleaf-Higgins-Gunter had assured her daughter she would tell her everything later.

The last time her mother had behaved in such a manner there had been a man involved. Kim didn’t begrudge her mother meeting someone and being happy. At fifty- five Wynona was still attractive, although it had taken Kim a long time to make her mother believe that. Her abusive father had convinced his wife that if she left him, no other man would want her, and where would she be without a man taking care of her.

Unfortunately, Wynona had remained with her husband, taking his abuse, both physically and mentally. Kim would never forget how in her senior year of high school her mother had landed in the emergency room from one of those beatings, and it was then that Wynona had made up her mind it would be the last whipping any man would give her. She had tearfully told Kim she didn’t want her daughter to assume that physical abuse was something any woman should tolerate.

While Kim was grateful her mother had finally gotten the strength to leave her dad, the only other thing Wynona needed to rid herself of was the notion that a woman needed a man to survive. That belief was the reason Kim had eventually ended up with three stepfathers. Although none were abusive like her father, the four had lacked substance, and none of the marriages had lasted more than a year or two.

When her mother didn’t say anything, Kim prompted, “So, why weren’t you able to make it to the wedding, Mom?”

“I’ve met someone,” her mother said.

Kim could hear the excitement in her mother’s voice and imagined the giddy smile that must be on her face. Oh, brother, she thought, as she leaned back against her seat. The movement brought her closer to Duan and he automatically placed his arm around her shoulder. Heat swept through her as if he’d pressed some button.

“And who did you meet?” Kim heard herself asking her mother.

“His name is Edward Villarosas and he’s nice.”

They all are in the beginning, Kim thought, remembering the other men her mother had married. First there was Boris Longleaf, whom Wynona had met during her prison ministries. At least he hadn’t been a prisoner but one of the guards. He seemed nice enough until her mother had discovered a year into the marriage that Boris preferred men.

Then there was Albert Higgins, a maintenance man in the apartment complex her mother had moved into after her divorce from Boris. There was something about Albert that Kim hadn’t trusted and her suspicions were confirmed when he’d been arrested for his part in a car-theft ring.

And last but not least was Phillip Gunter, the one who’d tried coming on to her. During all her mother’s marriages Kim had been away at college and was only around the men whenever she came home for spring break or the holidays.

She’d known from the first moment she’d seen Phillip that he would be trouble, and when he tried cornering her in the laundry room, she had used the knee-jab-in-the-groin move that she’d seen on television. When her mother had rushed downstairs after hearing the man howling in pain, he’d had the audacity to tell her that Kim had been the one trying to come on to him. Of course her mother hadn’t believed it and had sent him packing.

So after four failed marriages, Kim hoped her mother would eventually find someone to make her happy. But with Wynona’s track record, she wasn’t so sure of that happening.

“Tell me all about nice Edward,” Kim said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

“Edward and I met at the grocery store and things between us began getting serious pretty fast.”

Kim rolled her eyes. “I bet.”

“You’re going to like him.”

I doubt it. That’s what you said about the others. “When can I meet him?”

“Um, when you come to the wedding in three weeks.”

“What!” Kim nearly jumped out of her seat.

“Are you all right, Kim?” Duan asked, leaning close to her in concern. His heated breath against her cheek had sensations stirring within her.

She nodded quickly and whispered, “Yes, I’m fine.”

“Kim, who are you with? The man you’re engaged to?”

Kim rolled her eyes and shook her head. It had been nearly two months since she’d told that lie and now everyone was still waiting to meet her fiancé.

“Kim?”

Instead of addressing the issue of her fabricated fiancé, she said, “Mom, you can’t get married in three weeks. What do you know about this guy?”

“I know enough to believe Edward is a good man. He’s a divorcé like me and we enjoy each other’s company. He asked me to marry him and I accepted. Be happy for me. I’m happy for you. You don’t know how happy I was when you told me and Aunt Gert about your guy. For so long I’ve blamed myself for you not wanting to get married because I stayed with your father when he was so abusive to me. I know that’s what turned you off marriage. I should have left him sooner.”

Yes, you should have left him sooner, Kim thought. Not for my sake but for your own. Although she would be the first to admit she’d never wanted to marry because of the abuse she’d witnessed by her father, she didn’t want her mother to feel guilty about that.

Kim pushed frustrated air out of her lungs. “Mom, please promise you won’t do anything until I get there.”

“And when do you plan to come? The family wants me to have another wedding, but Edward and I are tickled with the idea of just taking off and flying to Vegas and—”

“No, Mom, please not Vegas again. Haven’t you learned anything?”

“Kimani Cannon, I won’t allow you to take that tone with me. I didn’t call to get your permission to marry Edward. I’m just letting you know about him. But if you really want to meet him, then I suggest you make time to do so.”

“I think that I will, Mom.”

“Fine. And don’t you dare come without bringing your young man with you,” Wynona said in a stern voice. “I can’t wait to meet him, and like I said, the fact that you’re in love has lifted a load off my heart that I’ve been carrying around for a long time.”

“Mom, I—”

“No, sweetie, please let me finish. I know you don’t understand why I keep going from man to man. Maybe I’m trying to find something I missed out on all those years I was with your daddy, letting him hit me around. I’m fine now. I like Edward. He’ll be good for me. But to know that you’ve gotten beyond the abuse you saw in our household has been my prayer. I’ve been praying for a good man to come into your life and now he has. I can’t wait to meet him, so don’t you dare think of coming home to Shreveport without him. Goodbye, sweetie.”

Her mother hung up and Kim realized she hadn’t told her the good news about being accepted into med school. She sighed deeply, knowing she’d gotten herself into a sticky situation with the lie about a fiancé. Sherri had warned her it was bound to catch up with her eventually.

“Is everything all right, Kim?”

Kim glanced over at Duan. For a moment she’d forgotten he was in the taxi with her as they cruised through the streets of Chicago on their way to the airport.

She sighed deeply, and when he opened his arms she cuddled up closer to him. “Is your mother okay?” he asked, concern in his voice.h

Kim chewed on her bottom lip and then said, “If you call planning wedding number five okay, then yes, she’s doing just fine.”

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