Lexie

by Kimberly Dean

  He hitched her up higher in his arms and began kissing her breasts. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and he licked one of her straining nipples. She arched so hard, he nearly took a step back. Leaning his weight forward, he pressed her more firmly against the wall.

  Opening his mouth wide, he began suckling her. She moaned, and he pressed her nipple tight against the roof of his mouth. Her fingernails scraped over his shoulders as he began thrusting harder and faster. Leaving her breast, he kissed his way up her neck and nipped at her ear. She arched her neck to the side to give him better access.

  “Oh!” she suddenly cried.

  Cam jerked to a stop. She’d gone tense all around him. He ground his teeth as he fought not to come, because something was wrong. “What is it?”

  Her arms, fingers, legs and toes were all clenching at him. When he pulled back, he saw her eyes were wide and glued on the horizon.

  “Sky,” she panted. “Window…”

  Oh hell. He’d forgotten. He hadn’t pressed her up against any wall. He was screwing her against the floor-to-ceiling windows. As much as it nearly killed him, he pulled away.

  “No,” she gasped, clutching at him. She took a shuddering breath and glanced quickly over her shoulder. Her gaze came back to him, and her fingers dug like claws into his skin. “Do… Do you have me?”

  Was she really willing to do this for him?

  Timidly, she leaned back towards the glass. She shuddered when her shoulders touched the cool surface, but he distracted her with a roll of his hips.

  “Ooooh,” she groaned.

  Oh yeah.

  Sliding one hand up from her hip, he covered her breast. She arched sensuously, and he squeezed harder. Finding a grinding rhythm with his hips, he plucked at her nipple. “Good?”

  “Mmm.”

  “Really good?”

  “Yesss.”

  “Look outside, Sexy.”

  Her eyes fluttered open in panic, and he pinched her nipple. Tight.

  “Look,” he ordered.

  She clamped her legs around his waist, and her gaze hesitantly moved to the side. He kissed her neck and nudged his nose against her chin. She stiffened around him once again, but by now he’d found a steady rhythm that wasn’t going to stop. She clenched his shoulders worriedly, but the vise of her thighs only pulled his cock deeper inside her.

  Once she saw how far up they were, she couldn’t look away. He held her protectively, loving her through her fear. He knew it would only make the pleasure sharper. At last, her eyes became dreamy as she stared out at the stars and the night sky.

  “I feel like I’m flying,” she whispered.

  That was it. Cam couldn’t have stopped if she’d asked.

  She really did trust him.

  He let himself go, and soon they were both flying. Their bodies worked together, climbing higher and higher. When they reached the top, Lexie was squirming against the glass, uncaring of its stability, while his hand was planted flat against it, trying to find purchase.

  “Ahhh!” she cried, arching her neck.

  “Lexie.” Her name was more a sound as he came, hard and hot.

  They held on to each other, drawing out the gratification, until they were both spent and fighting for air. After a long while, Cam carefully pulled out of her. He steadied her as her tiptoes dropped to the floor. When she peeked behind her and stiffened again, he caught her by the waist and led her away from the window.

  “Sorry,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  “Tiny steps.”

  She sighed. “I come with a lot of baggage.”

  He ran his hand across her soft hair. “I can carry it.”

  To prove it, he swung her up into his arms and carried her back to the bedroom. He laid her on the jumbled sheets, and she scooted over on the mattress to make room for him. He tugged the covers over them as he slid in beside her.

  “I’ll find us a first-floor office,” he promised as they lay facing each other.

  “Do you really want to do this? Focus on children’s toys and games? You’ve worked in everything from the automotive industry to injection molding.”

  “I like the idea,” he said honestly. “It means something to me. I was one of those kids who didn’t have many toys. If we could help out those parents who can’t afford full price…”

  “Your mother loved you.”

  “And she would have loved you.” He combed his fingers through her hair.

  “I wish I could have met her.” Lexie swallowed hard. “We’ll have to find someplace to live.” She peeked at the windows. “First floor for that too?”

  Cam grinned. “I don’t know. I kind of like what a penthouse does for you.”

  She gasped and shoved him in the shoulder.

  He rolled back towards her. “But I could compromise on a house.”

  He liked that idea too. He hadn’t lived in a house since his mom had rented one when he was seven or eight. He liked the stability of it all, the meaning behind it.

  Lexie smiled.

  Pulling her closer, he ran his hand up her side. “Do you know that I almost turned down the job with Underhill?”

  Even in the moonlight, he could see her eyes widen.

  “Why?”

  “I couldn’t stand your old man. I met with him to talk about the company’s situation, and it went so badly I almost told him to find someone else. That was when you came out of your office.”

  “I did?”

  “You nearly gave me whiplash.”

  “I…I don’t remember.”

  “That’s because you were moving in the other direction, but it was enough.” He looked into her eyes. “I wanted to meet you.” He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck. “I wanted to have you.”

  Her hand settled on his chest, right over his heart. “You once told me there was only one thing you wanted out of Underhill.”

  He smiled and brushed a kiss over her lips. “I think I just got it.”

  Epilogue

  One month later

  “Did Roxie say what she wanted?” Cam asked.

  “No, but it sounded important. She seemed edgy.”

  Lexie looked around with concern. They were at The Ruckus in the middle of the afternoon. The place was quiet and the neon beer signs were dimmed. Rather than a bass thumping through the sidewalk, birds were chirping overhead. It made the bar seem lifeless, but her sister had called not half an hour ago, asking to meet.

  “Isn’t she always?” he muttered.

  “Not edgy edgy. She sounded anxious and cryptic.”

  “That’s not good.”

  No, it wasn’t. Lexie caught Cam’s hand and started walking towards the bar. He wove his fingers through hers and sealed their palms together. He moved closer, but it wasn’t danger that Lexie sensed. She didn’t know what it was. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she’d picked up on her twin’s mood. Something was off, not quite right.

  As if sensing her unease, Cam began walking faster. They reached the bar quickly, and he pulled on the door handle. The place wasn’t locked. The door swung open, and he let her enter first. Lexie immediately began searching for her sister. The lighting was dim, though, and her eyes were slow to adjust.

  “Finally,” Roxie exclaimed. “What took you so long?”

  She was at the bar, but she covered the distance to the front door in record time. She was wearing low-riding jeans and a purple halter top that showed off her figure. For once, her feet weren’t adorned with leather boots. She wore flip-flops instead, but that just showed off her toe rings. It was classic Roxie.

  And yet, it wasn’t.

  She seemed different, a little off-kilter. She tended to let her hair go curly, but today it was extra wild, as if she’d pulled her hands through it a couple dozen times. Her face was pale, and she’d chewed off her red lipstick.

  That, more than anything, made Lexie nervous. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Mmm, nothing neces
sarily.” Roxie raked her fingers through her hair, showing just how it had gotten that way. Not having anything else to do, she pointed at a table. “Sit. Do you want something to drink? Water? Soda?”

  “I’ll take a beer.”

  She jumped. “Oh hey, Hatchet. I didn’t see you there.”

  “Evil Twin,” Cam said with a nod.

  “Beer, right.” She turned. “Lexie?”

  “A Diet Coke is fine.” The bar was exactly as it had been the first time Lexie had stormed in here. The chairs were all sitting upside down on the tables, except for one that Roxie had readied for them. The jukebox was silent, and Skeeter and Charlie were nowhere to be found. The scene looked ready for an intervention—or a confession.

  Roxie chewed at her lip. “Are you sure you don’t want something stronger?”

  Lexie frowned. “Am I going to need it?”

  “I’ll get the bourbon.”

  Roxie hurried behind the bar as Lexie watched in confusion. Her sister’s behavior was making the skin on the back of her neck prickle. She was not good with suspense or secrets, especially not after the summer she’d had. Already, her thoughts were running down a hundred different trails. Had Julian done something? Had Roxie gone to the tabloids even when she’d promised not to?

  Lexie narrowed her eyes as she watched her twin work behind the bar. There was already a half-empty glass on the counter. She cocked her foot back on its heel. She’d never known Roxie to drink during the day, although she really hadn’t known her sister for that long.

  What would make a person drink hard liquor at two o’clock in the afternoon?

  Roxie set the bourbon on the bar and went to the tap to fill a chilled mug. Foam built up, and air in the line made the amber liquid sputter. She jumped back out of the way, cursing vividly. She grabbed a rag, but the first thing she wiped down wasn’t the counter or the mug. It was a file folder sitting on the bar by her half-finished drink.

  Lexie’s gaze honed in on the manila folder. It looked out of place in a biker bar.

  “What is that? Is that our DNA test results?” She’d gotten her copy days ago. A big positive. Identical all the way. There hadn’t been some mistake, had there?

  Setting her purse on the table, she headed for the folder, but Roxie slapped her hand down over it protectively. There was a glint in her eyes that warned Lexie not to push.

  “Sit,” her twin said. “I’ll be there in a second.”

  Grabbing a new mug, she lifted it to the tap. This one filled smoothly, with the expertise of someone who’d poured beer for a long, long time.

  Lexie glanced at Cam. He was watching her sister with that look he’d used whenever Accounting’s numbers hadn’t jived. Lexie perched herself on the edge of the chair’s seat. Cam gently ran a hand over her hair.

  Roxie rounded the bar with their drinks and set them on the table before them. For a moment her worried gaze cleared. It became speculative as it ran over the two of them and the way they’d positioned their chairs so closely together. “Don’t you two ever get tired of one another? I mean, you work together and you play together.”

  “Roxie.” Lexie tapped her hand on the table. “Why did you call us here? You’re making us nervous.”

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to. I’ve got something to tell you. It’s just… Well, it’s big. Huge, actually.” She adjusted their drinks in front of them and stepped back. Wiping her hands on her jeans, she threw another look at the folder on the bar.

  “This isn’t going to cost me another five grand, is it?” Cam asked dryly.

  “No.” She rubbed her hands on her jeans once again. “The first five got me plenty.”

  Lexie didn’t understand, but apparently Cam did. He leaned forward, everything about his demeanor sharpening. “You used the PI I gave you?”

  Lexie’s head snapped towards him. “PI?” Her head whipped back around, just as hard, towards her sister. “Private investigator?”

  Roxie held up her hands. “Let me start from the beginning.”

  “Why would you need a private investigator?” Lexie pressed.

  Roxie walked to the bar, but her ever-present swagger was subdued. She grabbed her drink and threw back a bracing mouthful before setting the glass down on the countertop. Hand shaking, she picked up the manila folder. Instead of opening it, though, she hugged it to her chest. Turning, she leaned against the bar. To someone who didn’t know her, it almost appeared as if she was using it to prop herself up.

  She took a deep breath. “When we were arguing about going to the media, Cam told me there was a better way.”

  Lexie gave a brisk nod. She remembered. Distinctly.

  Roxie pushed her curly hair over her shoulder. “Well, he gave me the name of a detective, someone I could use instead of the tabloids and television news magazines to find out more about where we came from.”

  Lexie shot a fierce look at Cam. “You did?”

  He wrapped a hand around his mug of beer. “I told you I had resources, but I didn’t know if she’d use them. Hell, for all I knew, she was going to use the money to buy a new pullout sofa.” His eyes narrowed on Roxie. “Which you could use, by the way.”

  She brushed him off with a wave of her hand. “The point is, I hired the guy.”

  Lexie shifted in her chair. She didn’t know if she liked the direction this conversation was taking. “I thought you wanted our story ‘out there’,” she said, using air quotes.

  Underneath the table, Cam settled a hand over her knee.

  “I wanted information.” Roxie shrugged. “I didn’t care how I got it.”

  Information.

  Lexie’s gaze snapped down to the file half-hidden in her sister’s arms, and her pulse jumped. Roxie hadn’t sold them out. She wasn’t going around on talk shows or writing a tell-all book.

  She was looking into their forgotten background.

  Lexie came to her feet, pushing back the wooden chair with a screech. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She felt like she’d been saying that a lot lately. She looked at Cam. “Did you know?”

  He shook his head and watched Roxie thoughtfully.

  Roxie’s foot rocked back on its heel but slowly lowered. “It was something I wanted to do on my own, and you were going through your own issues. This twin thing has been a lot for both of us to adjust to.” She looked down at the file and drummed her fingers against it. “Although this is going to take a little more adjusting.” She stood up straight and nodded at Cam. “Your guy was good. He found something.”

  Lexie was ready to rip the folder out of her twin’s hand. “Our parents?” she asked. “Did you find out why they gave us up?”

  Roxie shook her head. “No. Not yet, anyway.”

  She finally pushed away from the bar. Maybe it was the flip-flops, but her steps didn’t look as self-confident as they did when she wore her stiletto boots. She stopped at the table and carefully placed the folder atop it.

  Lexie stood so close, their shoulders and hips seemed glued. The tension was thick. She could barely stand it. “What did he find?”

  “Not what. Who.” Roxie turned her head, and they stared at each other’s identical faces. “I don’t think we’re twins, Lex.”

  Lexie flinched as if she’d been slapped. Of course they were twins. There was no doubt about it. The DNA test results said so. They looked the same, they sounded the same, they—

  Roxie opened the folder. Lexie glanced down, and her breath stopped completely.

  Cam leaned over the table. “I’ll be damned.”

  Roxie’s fingers shook as she traced the outline of a picture—a picture of another pretty, dark-haired woman. Lexie stared so hard, she forgot to blink. She tried to read the words underneath the photograph, but her gaze kept jumping back up to the woman’s face. It was too much to take in. Her brain couldn’t assimilate what she was seeing.

  “Underhill said they didn’t want a passel of kids,” Roxie mused. “Two kids isn’t a passel.”

  And J
ulian had said they couldn’t take all of them…not both. That son of a bitch. He’d held back again. “I’ll kill him,” Lexie whispered.

  “I’ll kiss him,” Roxie said, one-upping her.

  Things began clicking into place, and Lexie finally understood. More than understood, she felt it all the way to her bones. It was true. The final missing piece.

  She grabbed her bourbon and drank. When she slammed the glass back onto the table, the words at the bottom of the picture became clear.

  “Maxine Miller,” she read. “Goes by the nickname Maxie. Oh my God, Roxie.”

  “We’re not twins, hon.” Roxie caught her hand and held tight. “There’s another one of us out there. We’re two of a set of identical triplets.”

  About the Author

  Kimberly Dean is an award-winning romance author of over twenty books. Her work has been sold around the world and translated into French, German, Thai and Japanese. She enjoys the freedom and creativity allowed in writing romance, especially with all the interesting cross-genres that have been exploding on the scene. When not writing, she enjoys movies, sports, traveling, music and sunshine. You can learn more about Kimberly and her books at www.kimberlydean.com and follow her on Twitter at @KDean_writer.

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