TWENTY-FOUR
DESPITE THE DISTRACTIONS of that morning, she got a lot done in the city. Though not everything. Back at her apartment, under the pressure of time, her desperation was beginning to show.
“I get that,” she said to the infuriating guy on the phone.
“Now, if you want, we can put something in the books for next week.”
Her hand landed on the kitchen counter. “No,” she said into the handset. “I don’t have—”
“What’s your destination address?”
“I don’t have—” The tap on her front door brought her around. It opened and she glimpsed Darroch coming inside so turned her back again. “I don’t have it for sure yet.”
“Listen, sweetheart, you want me to come help you out?”
This guy was rubbing her all the wrong ways. “You don’t have to patronize me.”
“You got a guy looking out for you, sweetheart?”
The snicker in his voice was the last straw.
“You know what?” she asked. “Forget it!”
Hanging up the phone, she screamed at it once and whirled around.
Damn! Her anger evaporated into lust in less than a second.
That wasn’t just Darroch. That was Darroch in a black shirt, black jacket, perfect hair; the headliner of female fantasies.
Shit. The glint of his cufflink matched the glimmer in his eye and—the phone fell from her hand. She dropped to scramble it up, only the thing flipped free again. She tried to rise and boom, fuck, the damn kitchen counter was closer to her skull than she’d thought. Fuck.
“Babe—”
“I’m okay,” she called out, stumbling forward, fumbling with the skittering phone and another dull thwack shot pain through her abruptly halted toe.
Damnit!
She couldn’t even get upright, couldn’t move without tripping over her own hormones.
“Baby,” he said, right there at her level as she froze in her crouch.
“Do you have to be so delicious?” she asked as he parted her hair, searching for a bump. “You just walk around injuring unsuspecting women, how are we supposed to go about our lives with you oozing your hotness everywhere?”
“You’ve got the cure, baby.”
Giving up, she sank to the floor on her butt. “I do?”
“The only person on the planet who does,” he said, pinching her chin to tip her mouth up to meet his.
Mmm, the biggest aphrodisiac. The only person on the planet who…
Pushing him down, she climbed on, slipping her hands under that jacket to squeeze the impressive globes of his shoulders.
“Darroch,” she breathed, her chin rising as he kissed her throat.
Oh, maybe she should’ve thought about her silk robe or how easily he could loosen the belt and skim his hands across her tingling flesh. When his fingers bit deep into her ass, forcing their bodies together, she growled and pushed down, claiming his mouth with hers again.
The tingle became a buzz and a ringing in—she pulled back to meet his eye.
Grumbling, he sank a hand into his inside pocket and raised a phone to his ear.
“Yeah!”
Okay, he didn’t have to shout. Sitting up, she closed her robe and knotted the belt. He immediately grabbed it, shaking his head, but the interruption was the sanity she needed.
“Yeah, two minutes,” he said into the phone as she got to her feet. “Yeah… Baby?”
“I have to get dressed.”
She rounded into the hall and hurried to her bedroom. Hair and makeup were done. Or, huh, maybe she needed to freshen up the smudges of lipstick and smooth a little more serum over those flyaways.
As she dug lip gloss from her makeup bag, his reflection appeared in the mirror above hers. Wrapping her in his arms, he stooped, the warmth of his kiss on the side of her neck never got old.
“We started something in there…”
“What happened to eating with your parents?”
“They’ll wait.”
She laughed and bent closer to the mirror to apply her gloss.
“Mmm,” his groan of satisfaction moved her hips.
Was it fair to undulate against his impressive arousal? Maybe not, but, shit, she didn’t have a choice. Biology drove her hormones and worked her muscles of their own accord. Wasn’t her fault biology was horny.
He caught her hips, pulling them close, then sinking back, trailing his kiss to the groove between her shoulder blades. With a feather’s touch, the caress of the tip of his tongue quaked through to her bones. Adoration and need fought to conquer better sense.
“Darroch,” she whispered, somehow rolling against the vanity to face him. “Your family?
His mouth stopped seeking hers to release a groan. “Cherry—”
“I have an early appointment tomorrow.”
“What? Why’d—”
“Stay tonight. Here. With me.”
That was her train of thought. For a few seconds, his gaze was sharp, then just as quickly fogged with desire again.
“Cherry—”
“Think about it.”
“Oh, I will, believe me.”
How was he just so perfect?
“We have to go downstairs,” she said. “Can I put on my dress?”
“Can I watch?”
Shoving him out of the bedroom, she laughed. “No! Go in the living room, be a gentleman.”
“Only ‘cause my mom’s watching.”
He cast another look over his shoulder on his way out and closed the door.
They hadn’t been anywhere yet and she was already excited about how the night would end. Her original dress choice was ignored in lieu of a dark gray cowl-neck. It would go much better with Darroch’s outfit. For some reason, matching him, complementing their outfits, turned her on. She wanted to be his and to show the world he belonged to her.
Geez, talk about getting ahead of herself.
She snagged her purse and hurried to the living room. Darroch stood by the front door, smiling as soon as she came into view.
“What are you smiling at?”
“I’m a lucky man.”
“Yes, you are,” she said, stopping in front of him. “Dating me is a dangerous pursuit. I’m surprised you’ve made it this far without permanent injury.”
“You’re worth the risk.” He fished something from his pocket. “Got something for you.”
“For me? What did you—”
He popped open a velvet box and there inside was a necklace of two red gems and a green. “It’s a cherry,” she whispered.
“Figured before I ask you to give me yours, I should give one up for you. May I?”
And how could she possibly say no? Turning, she hooked her hair out of the way and held her breath as he fastened it.
It settled in the center groove of her collarbone.
She spun around to show him. “How does it look?”
He held out his splayed hand. “Just like the rest of you: perfect.”
Laying her hand on his, their fingers linked and they went downstairs. Ferguson opened the limo’s back door. Alice and Benedict sat opposite with their back to the driver.
“Sorry, we didn’t mean to rush you,” Alice said when the door closed behind Darroch. “Did we interrupt?”
“The baby making? Yeah, almost.”
“Darroch,” she scolded then turned contrition on Alice. “We weren’t. I promise you we would never—”
“Relax, Cherry. Did you forget she loves babies?”
“Maybe next time, I’ll ask Alice to bring her baby along. Buoy is so much more polite.”
To her surprise, Alice laughed. “Oh, I do love seeing you together. Darroch, son—”
“I know, Mom. One step at a time.”
Good thing he knew because she was completely in the dark.
“Did you achieve what you wanted to achieve today?” Benedict asked. “Savanna?”
“Me?” she asked, surprised to be the center of attention, because why would any of them care? “Oh, uh… Not exactly. I saw three apartments, one I like, but it’s complicated. My current landlord said I could leave at the end of the month without penalty. She painted recently and has a waiting list, she’ll fill the unit fast.”
Given what happened, maybe because of it, her landlord had been incredibly understanding.
Alice was all concern. “You’re moving?”
“I can’t stay there now. Once, in the past, when I was young, my family was burglarized, and it taints a place. I wouldn’t be able to sleep there again.”
“You’re welcome to stay with us.”
“Yes,” Darroch said, pressing his lips to the back of her hand. “For as long as you want. Permanently.”
Her smile was contrite. “I appreciate the offer, I do, but it wouldn’t be right to accept.”
“Why not? We have plenty of room. We wouldn’t at all dream of forcing you and Darroch together, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“No, it’s not that, it’s… For one thing, I don’t drive. It’s a forty-five-minute journey by car, I have no idea what that would translate to on public transport.”
It would probably take her an hour just to walk down the driveway.
“You have transport,” Darroch said. “You’re sitting in it. Technically, we’re in your ride tonight.”
Generosity didn’t do their invitation justice.
“I can’t live off you for the rest of my life.”
“If she wants to stay in the city, she’s entitled to do just that,” Benedict said. She appreciated the support but was surprised it came from him. Even when the man seemed busy or distracted, he was always switched on, always interested, when he didn’t have to be. “What’s the problem with the apartment you like? The end of the month is Thursday, isn’t the new place ready? Darroch, I shouldn’t have to tell you—”
“I’ll make a call. Consider it done.”
These men were problem solvers. They didn’t see challenges, only opportunities.
“Thank you, but it won’t help. The new place will be ready on Tuesday, but the guy has someone willing to move in on Saturday. He gave me ‘til noon tomorrow to decide or it goes to the other person. I have a couple more places to see tomorrow, and I’ll have to find time to pack.”
“Pack tomorrow,” Darroch said. “Move into the new place Tuesday.”
Her lips stayed closed as she sighed. “I haven’t had any luck with that.”
“Luck with what?” Alice asked.
“Finding a mover I can afford who has availability. Everyone I’ve tried has a premium for emergencies, which since we’re talking about moving in less than forty-eight hours, this counts as apparently.” She couldn’t really argue with that. “But I have work on Tuesday and I don’t want to call Celeste…” She took a breath. “Sorry, it’s been a busy day.” And she sounded like a crazy person ranting about it. “How was the Chester Foundation?”
“We can help,” Alice said, ignoring her question. “If you need time off or funds to—”
“Thank you, but I would never ask you to intervene or cover expenses, it’s just not who I am.”
“Darroch,” his mother beseeched. “Have you nothing to say?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Zip. Not a word.” That surprised both parents, one appeared disappointed while the other was more judgmental. “I’m waiting for Sav to remember I have fifteen brothers.”