ENTANGLED PURSUITS (MEN OF ACTION Book 1)

by Brenda Jackson

  Drew had told her how, when Margo had gone into labor, Striker had raced around the house trying to find the car keys until Margo had reminded him that they had a keyless car. Then, when they finally got to the hospital, the nurses had made Striker do the same breathing exercises that he’d coached Margo through, for fear he was having a panic attack. Toni had found the story both amusing and endearing. Anyone who had been around the couple could see how madly in love they were, and she was happy for them.

  In fact, Toni had felt more love flowing around that wedding than any other she’d ever attended. At least, that’s the way it felt being around Stonewall and Joy’s friends. It had taken her a long time to accept that life was all about choices, to understand that she could not hate her father for the decisions her mother had made to stay with him all those years, instead of moving on with her life and meeting someone who could love her. She had to admit it—her mother had settled.

  Toni wouldn’t settle, and she refused to let her parents’ situation govern her own. Antonio Oliver had given his daughter his name, but her mother had been the one who’d desperately wanted it. But Toni refused to be like her mother. She was her own woman. And she went after what she wanted. And speaking of what she wanted...

  “I’m about to hang the television. You want to come and show me exactly where you want it?”

  She turned to see Drew leaning in the doorway. She hadn’t heard him approach. How long had he been there? For the past hour, she had moved around in her office feeling relaxed, filled with a sense of peace that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Just knowing that she and Drew were once again sharing the same space did something to her. It made shivers of happiness race through her.

  “You’re cold?”

  She lifted a brow at his question. “What makes you think I’m cold?” she asked. He was still lounging in the doorway in that way-too-sexy pose. Why did those jeans have to fit him so well? And why did he have to look so good…period?

  “You trembled just now.”

  She had trembled? He’d actually seen her do that? He had to have been looking mighty closely to see that. “No, I’m fine. You want to show me what you got?”

  The moment she said the words, she went still. Those had been the same words she’d used the first time they’d made love in San Diego. He had undressed her, and she had almost finished undressing him. The last piece left was his briefs. She had traced her finger around the waistband, then looked up at him and said… You want to show me what you got? He had not only shown her what he had, but he’d also demonstrated just how well he could use it.

  “I’d be happy to show you, anytime you want.”

  From the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes, she knew they weren’t talking about the placement of the television. They had slid into another conversation that went well beyond that. Toni knew she needed to get things back to normal. But then, what was normal? Did it make sense that she had walked away from what had been the best ten months of her life? Ten months where she had learned how to balance work and play.

  “What I meant to ask is if you want to show me what you have as far as suggestions where to hang the television,” she clarified.

  A smile touched his lips. “It’s up to you. Your television, your house, and your bedroom.”

  Did he just place special emphasis on the word bedroom? “Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.”

  He turned to leave, and when he did so, Toni released a deep sigh.

  • • •

  Andrew went back to Toni’s bedroom and drew in a deep breath. The room looked like her, with its colorful bedcovers and frilly pillows. It smelled like her, too—an arousing lavender scent. Now that she was his partner, he inhaled that scent daily. Some days the pleasure it brought bordered on painful. He fought not to let today be one of those days.

  He glanced at the armoire. He had forgotten just how many drawers and compartments it had, but it hadn’t taken him long to put it together. While he’d worked, memories had sprinted through his mind, reminding him of just how she had thanked him for giving it to her. Those kinds of memories were something a guy couldn’t bury, no matter how much he tried.

  And he had tried. God knows he had. But now it seemed he and Toni had come full circle. She was back in his life, and at that moment, they were again breathing the same air, sharing the same space, and in a few moments, they would be in the same bedroom...even if it was just so she could tell him where she wanted her television mounted.

  Mounted…why was he suddenly recalling each and every time he would slide between her open legs, straddle her body and look down in those gorgeous brown eyes while he slowly eased inside of her? He could remember how her body would stretch for him, and the sound of her moaning as he moved. But more than anything, he could vividly recall how perfect it felt whenever he was inside of her, fitted snug and tight and wishing he could stay there forever.

  When he’d walked into the room she’d converted into an office, she had been bending over, doing something to the printer. He had stood there, leaning in the doorway and taking in all that glorious ass. She looked so damned good in those jeans.

  “I’m here, Drew. What you got for me?”

  He drew in a deep breath, refusing to turn around. He wished Toni would stop saying stuff that could be perceived as sexual innuendo. One of the reasons he wouldn’t turn around right now was because she’d see exactly what he had for her. An erection the size of Mount Rushmore.

  Instead, he remained standing with his back to her and pointed to a wall. “I think that wall would work,” he said. “That way you can watch television from the bed at any angle, and you won’t get a crook in your neck.”

  She had come to stand beside him, and he immediately felt her heat. “Umm, I agree.”

  Did she? Suddenly, he was barely able to think. And honestly, he didn’t want to think. He just wanted to feel...her beneath him, above him, beside him... But he managed to control himself. “What about Internet and cable?” he asked.

  “No cable. I do have Internet, though. I’ll use a Fire Stick to see all the channels I want.”

  He nodded. “That makes sense.”

  Conversation ended and silence surrounded them. He suddenly felt the need to touch her in some kind of way. Impulsively, one of his hands moved from his side and took a hold of hers. He’d expected her to snatch her hand back, but she didn’t. Instead, she seemed to tighten her hold.

  Holding her hand felt good. It didn’t matter if it didn’t make sense that they were standing beside each other, not saying anything and holding hands while staring at a blank wall. What mattered more than anything—at least to him—was the heat between them. He felt it and was certain she did, too.

  Something powerful was happening between them at that moment. Something time and distance, as well as animosity and miscommunication, had not been able to eradicate. He had felt it the day he’d met her in San Diego, and the connection was just as strong now as it had been then.

  He pushed that thought from his mind, mentally putting up the shield he’d erected around his heart. After all, she’d been the one who had ended things between them. The one who had walked away without looking back. She had been the one who had not bothered to contact him afterwards. He had not heard from her close to five long, miserable years.

  The question he should be asking himself then was why was he subjecting himself to even more pain by helping her unpack? Why was he standing here holding her hand, and why was he feeling emotions he had fought hard not to feel ever again? Especially with her.

  He was about to tug his hand away when he heard it—the faint sound of a sob. When he looked at her, he saw the tears clinging to her lashes. Turning to her, he used his other hand to reach up and run a finger along her jaw. “Toni, what’s wrong?”

  • • •

  Toni almost came undone at having Drew’s hands on her once again. How could she give him an answer without exposing her heart? But then, would exposin
g her heart be such a bad thing? After all, she loved him.

  But did he love her? Would the revelation make him uncomfortable, causing an unsettling work environment for him? She wouldn’t want that. She also wouldn’t want to feel vulnerable if he knew that he had a part of her heart.

  She decided not to tell him anything. After he left, she would pull herself together, and when she saw him again, she would tell him one of those monthly hormonal things was to blame. Or that she’d been missing her grandparents. It would neither be a total lie, nor the complete truth, but a believable excuse. One he would have no reason to question, although she’d never gotten emotional around him before. But then there was a first time for everything.

  “Toni? Talk to me, baby. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  Baby? Not only had he used a term of endearment he had never used before with her, but on top of that, he’d spoken in the most caring, concerned, and compassionate voice she’d ever heard him use. Then again, in the past, she’d never let herself be vulnerable in front of him. She had always been this super strong, kickass, don’t-ever-want-to-get-serious-with-a-man woman, who’d been sure of herself, and knew what type of relationship she’d wanted to share with him. Sensuous but not serious. Close but not personal. Attached in bed, but unattached at every other time. She had let him know upfront that love was not an emotion she believed in or wanted in her life. They would be sex-buddies and nothing more.

  Then she’d begun wanting more.

  Hesitating, she said, “I owe you an apology, Drew.”

  He held her gaze, and she began to feel a little drunk looking into the depths of his mesmerizing eyes. “An apology for what, Toni?” His finger moved from her jaw, up her cheek, and then down again, gently stroking.

  His touch felt so encouraging. It gave her the strength to be forthright with him. Now was the time for truth, she thought. “For how I ended things between us. You deserved to know the reason I ended things, but I couldn’t tell you at the time.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment. “Can you tell me now?”

  Could she? Yes, she had to. Her therapy sessions with Dr. Tolbert had helped her deal with a lot of things. And they had made her realize that a person couldn’t blame themselves for choices other people had made—no matter how much those choices might hurt you. “The reason I ended things was because I’d started wanting more.”

  He shifted slightly, standing closer to her. “Wanting more how?” he asked softly.

  Toni looked down at their feet, and his finger nudged her face back up to look at him. “Tell me, Toni.”

  She drew in a deep breath. It was important that he understood that it wasn’t anything he’d done, that the fault had been totally hers. “I knew our agreement. In the beginning, I only wanted to be your sex-buddy, and that’s what you wanted, too. The reason I felt that way was because of my mom. I never wanted to be hurt to the point where I’d want to die like she did. I was determined to protect my heart.”

  “And?” he prompted.

  “And I noticed things were changing.”

  He nodded. “Changing how?”

  She noticed his hold on her hand had changed, as well. Now their fingers were entwined. “Not with you, but with me. I began looking forward to our hookups more than I wanted to, more than I should have. Then I would regret the times we had to say goodbye. I enjoyed being with you all the time, not just in the bedroom. I began enjoying our walks on the beach, and when we would discuss our cases at work. Sharing ideas. That’s when I realized what was happening and I had to stop it.”

  “Stop what?”

  “I’d begun feeling things for you that I swore I would never feel for a man. That’s when I knew I had to get away from you, Drew.”

  When he didn’t say anything, she added, “I convinced myself that ending things between us was the only way I could save myself from heartache.”

  He stared at her and she figured he was trying to figure out a way to tell her she’d done the right thing in breaking things off because he hadn’t felt the same way about her. “I wish you’d told me, Toni.”

  She shrugged. “There was no reason to tell you. It was my problem to deal with, and it wasn’t fair to you that I was changing the terms of our agreement.”

  He released her hand and cupped her face. “Had you told me, I could have admitted that I’d started to experience similar emotions. That for the first time in my entire life, I had allowed myself to want more, too. More with you.”

  Toni blinked, not sure she’d heard him correctly. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me correctly. I had begun feeling things for you. But unlike you, I had no plans to end things. I intended to hang in there for as long as it took to get you to see that hooking up with a guy like me wasn’t so bad.”

  Toni tilted her head to stare at him. “Are you saying you began caring for me in a non-sexual way?”

  He gave her a sexy grin. “Yes, but don’t get me wrong—I still enjoyed you in a sexual way. I definitely liked having you as my sex-buddy. But after a few months, I’d realized how good we were together. I could see us sharing more. In fact, we had begun sharing more.”

  She nodded. “That’s when I realized I wanted even more. Talking to you was too easy, and I wanted to introduce you to my grandparents. I wanted to start building something with you that I didn’t think you’d want or were ready for.”

  “I had planned to bring up the subject when we met in Savannah that weekend,” he said.

  “But I called and ended things,” she said.

  “Yes, you ended things.”

  She didn’t say anything for a long moment as she stared at him, trying to fight the feeling of being overwhelmed. Just because he’d said he had wanted more then, that didn’t necessarily mean he wanted more now. It had been almost five years.

  Toni took a step back. “So now you know why I owe you an apology. And you don’t have to worry about me causing problems while we’re at work. I will keep my emotions in check.”

  He frowned down at her as he slid his hands from her face to place them at her waist. “Did you not hear what I said, Toni? I admitted I have feelings for you.”

  She nodded. “Yes, you did...nearly five years ago. A lot has happened since then.”

  “And you don’t think we could move beyond that?”

  Her heart began beating fast in her chest. “Do you want to?”

  “Yes, although we need to decide how we’re going to proceed. Like you said, a lot of time has passed.”

  She agreed with that. “Are you ready to talk now, Drew?”

  He shook his head. “No. Right now I’m ready to do this.” Then he lowered his mouth to hers.

  THE MOMENT THEIR TONGUES touched, Andrew released a satisfied groan. He hadn’t known how much he’d missed her taste until now, and he had no problem letting her know it. When he wrapped his arms around her, he felt her body sink into his.

  The way she was returning the kiss was making him forget everything, except how having her back in his arms was making him feel. His tongue greedily moved around in her mouth, absorbing the taste he’d missed for close to five years.

  She used to call him Mr. Foreplay because he’d loved driving her crazy with desire, pushing her close to the edge and then bringing her back and giving her several miniature orgasms before finally giving her the big one. He would know just where to touch her, kiss her, and taste her to get the most powerful effect.

  This kiss was slow, greedy, and hot and meant to stir all those pleasure points he knew she had inside her mouth. Not only did he know they were there, but he also knew just where to find them. And he intended to kiss her senseless until he’d satisfied each one.

  When he felt a shiver run through her, he deepened the kiss. Never had he wanted a woman so much. From the start, Toni had the ability to push his buttons and make him lose control. He heard her groan, and the sound did something to him. Made him want her just that much more.

  Br
eaking the kiss, he drew in a deep breath and gazed down at her, recalling other times he had kissed her. The memories had him shuddering in desire.

  “Are you cold, Drew?”

  He’d asked her that same question earlier. “What makes you think I’m cold?”

  “You shivered just now.”

  Yes, he had. “And if I am cold, will you warm me up, Toni?”

  She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I will try. Just say the word.”

  Between them, the word had always been the word more. Whenever he’d asked for more, she would drive him wild, making him weak. But once he recovered his strength, it had always been payback time.

  When she edged her mouth closer, taking her tongue and licking around his lips, he growled in pleasure, feeling hotter already. Before she could put her tongue back inside her mouth, he used his own to lick the tip of hers. That’s something else they’d enjoyed doing—a tongue tussle. There was just something about licking her tongue and her trouncing it the same way that stirred to life sensations that had lain dormant since their previous kisses. There had been other women since her, but none could make him growl the way she did.

  When they ended the tongue tussle, both were breathing hard, their chests heaving at full capacity. “More,” he murmured against her moist lips. Then, unable to resist, he licked the side of her jaw. “I want more.”

  • • •

  At the very moment, when Toni was convinced her heart couldn’t take any more, he seized her mouth again. The last kiss had been powerful, but this one made her ravenous.

  He suddenly broke off the kiss and stared down at her. “We should talk, Toni,” he whispered huskily.