I'll Stand by You

by Wayne Jordan

  He allowed her to cry, relieved when her erratic breathing and tears slowly stopped.

  “What’s wrong?” he finally asked.

  “It’s the private investigator. He just called,” she said through sniffles and an occasional snort.

  “Bad news?”

  “No, he told me he has found some information about my oldest sister. It’s just a matter of time before he finds her.”

  “And you’re crying?”

  “I know. I’m happy.”

  “It’s all right, honey.” He held her tenderly, his hands stroking her head.

  “Come, you can tell me all about your sisters while we eat.”

  He led her to one of the stools around the marble-tiled island, before he found the meal Mrs. Clarkson had left, nicely labeled, and placed the containers in the microwave. While the food heated, he poured two glasses of apple juice and placed them on the counter.

  “We can eat in here, if you wish,” he said.

  “That’s fine,” she said wearily.

  “You’re tired?” He retrieved the containers and placed them on the counter.

  She nodded.

  He spooned food onto plates and carried them to where she sat. “We’ll eat and then go up to bed. I’m a bit tired, too,” he admitted.

  She nodded again.

  “Go ahead, talk. I didn’t invite you for the weekend just to get you into bed.” He took a sip of juice then placed the glass on the counter. “I want to spend time with you. Get to know you more.” His gaze was warm as he added, “If all you want to do this weekend is relax, that’s fine with me.”

  She looked at him, her gaze searching. “I assure you, I have no intention of spending the whole weekend relaxing.”

  He smiled. He liked her honesty. “I was hoping you weren’t.”

  At his words, she picked up her fork and ate heartily. He did the same, realizing that he was hungrier than he thought. They ate in silence, and Darren could feel the sweet tension growing at her unspoken words—she wanted to make love.

  When she was done, she put her fork down. “Your housekeeper is a wonderful cook,” she commented. “Her food is much better than that of some restaurants I’ve been to.”

  “She’s the best. I’m glad I had the good sense to keep her on when she offered her services after the former owners left. Fortunately for me, she didn’t want to leave Scarsdale and start over again.”

  “She’s definitely a find.”

  There was silence again, broken only by the tick tock of the clock on the wall.

  “Do you want to tell me more about your sisters?”

  “I have three sisters. Our parents died fourteen years ago. I was ten and Aaliyah, my older sister, was fourteen. Cyndi was eight and Keisha was seven.”

  “How did your parents die?” he asked.

  “In a car accident, the fault of a drunk driver. I was only ten then, but I remember being so angry.”

  “I know the feeling. My mother died in a hit-and-run just after I finished college. But I had my father. He only died a few years ago.”

  “At least you had your dad. There wasn’t any other family around to take care of us.”

  “So what happened?” he asked

  “We all ended up in a home,” she paused. Telling this story was not easy for her.

  “Cyndi and Keisha were adopted first and then I was,” she continued. “I have no idea what happened to Aaliyah since she was still there when I left the home. We weren’t allowed to maintain contact with each other. I don’t know where any of them are now.”

  “Not knowing what happened to them must be hard.” He reached out and placed a hand in hers. He wanted to offer her comfort.

  “I thought it would be, but when I came to the Wynters, things just seemed so perfect. In no time, I felt that everything would be okay. I thought about my sisters all the time, and hoped that they were with good families and were happy. Especially Cyndi and Keisha.”

  “What prompted you to start looking for them now?” he inquired.

  “It was Maxwell. He knew I wanted to know and encouraged me to find them.”

  “Maxwell? That’s interesting.”

  “I know your meeting with my other brothers wasn’t the best way to be introduced, but they are my brothers and I love them. From the day they met me, I’ve been their little sister. They’d always been good to me. I know they’re overprotective, but they really do want me to be happy.” She smiled at him. “But that also doesn’t mean I’m going to let them control my life.”

  “Good for you. If you show them you can take care of yourself, they’ll probably back off.”

  She nodded, her gaze meeting his. “I know.”

  “When did you hire the investigator?” Darren asked.

  “Over a month ago. Just around the time I purchased the condo. I haven’t told Mom and Dad anything, so Maxwell is the only one who knows. I don’t want to hurt them. I know they feel I have a life with them now, but I still need to find out what happened to my sisters.”

  “I agree. The only way you will find some kind of resolution, at the very least, is if you know what happened to them.”

  “I didn’t mean to burden you with this.”

  “You didn’t,” Darren replied. “Why don’t you go on up to the bedroom, while I clean up the kitchen. I’ll join you when I’m finished.”

  “I can help with the kitchen,” she offered.

  “Maybe tomorrow. Now, scoot!”

  “Thank you,” she said, leaning forward and kissing him gently on the lips. She stood and walked out of the room.

  Fifteen minutes later, Darren entered his bedroom and found Eboni in bed, under the covers, fast asleep. A discarded book lay next to her.

  He placed the book on the bedside table and headed to the bathroom, where he took a quick shower and brushed his teeth.

  Back in the bedroom, he turned off the lights and slipped between the covers.

  Instinctively, she drew closer, snuggling against him. For a while he lay there, aware of her soft presence beside him, until he eventually drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  A loud scream jerked Darren awake. He glanced at the clock—it was the middle of the night. Eboni was fighting the covers, but he pulled her into his arms, warming and comforting her.

  “What’s wrong, honey?” He gently kissed her forehead then her temple. “Talk to me.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said softly.

  “Maybe if you talk about it,” he urged.

  “I saw a friend of mine die a few weeks ago.”

  He kissed the top of her head.

  “You remember the big fire in Brooklyn.” He nodded in the darkness. “Marcus, one of my crew members, was trapped under fallen debris. I was, too, but somehow I got out. As soon as someone reached him, the floor collapsed. I saw him fall into the fire. I heard his screams. I still hear them in my dreams.”

  “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”

  “Hold me, Darren,” she whispered against his chest.

  Darren felt helpless. He didn’t know what to do. All he could do was what she asked. Hold her.

  He knew it was going to be ridiculous, but he started to sing...an off-key version of Darius Rucker’s “If I Had Wings.” He wasn’t even sure if the song was appropriate for the situation. He just wanted to sing to ease her pain.

  Her breathing eventually slowed, but he continued to hold her close.

  He knew she wasn’t ready for a relationship. There was too much going on in her life between her desire for independence, her quest to find her sisters and the death of her colleague and friend.

  He wondered how she handled it all and still remained so strong and confident.

  There was so much h
e needed to tell her but there was a part of him that was still wary of women. They always had an agenda, some scheme. With others it had been their conscious or unconscious internal motivation—all of it usually at odds with his own plans and dreams.

  As if he still had dreams. He’d accomplished what he wanted in life. He had more money than he needed and a beautiful home in an affluent neighborhood.

  But it all meant nothing. What he’d realized in the past few days was that he needed Eboni. That was the only way he would have true happiness.

  * * *

  Darren dipped pieces of bread in the egg mixture to which he’d added grated onion, sweet peppers and a few of the spices in the cupboard. He wasn’t the best cook in the world, but he could hold his own with the basics.

  While he was spooning the breakfast onto two plates, Eboni walked into the room.

  Damn. It took all his willpower not to take her back to the bedroom and make love to her.

  She’d eventually slept like a baby, exhausted by the troubled thoughts of her sisters and her fallen companion.

  He’d spent most of the night thinking and staring at her, aching for her.

  “Something smells good,” she said. She walked over and kissed him on the cheek.

  “It’s my special Grayson French toast,” he told her. “I hope you like French toast.”

  “Yes, I do,” she replied, moving to sit on one of the stools at the counter.

  “Good, it’s my specialty.”

  He placed the plates on the counter. “Juice, coffee or tea?”

  “I’d love some orange juice, if you have it.”

  “Hon, I can give you anything you want,” he teased.

  “That’s fine,” she replied, ignoring his implication. “I just want juice for now.”

  He smiled in response. He noticed the slight tremble of her hand as she picked her glass up. His words had affected her.

  He lowered himself to the stool next to hers, startled by the energy that coursed through him when their legs touched.

  “What do you want to do today?” he asked, watching as she took a generous bite of a slice of toast.

  “I’m not sure,” she said, shrugging. “You’re the one who lives here. You must have plans.”

  “I did...do, but I wanted the weekend to be about you,” he said.

  “So what did you have planned?”

  “Today, we relax. Tomorrow, horseback riding.”

  “Sounds good. Just what I need before I go back to work. I’ll be totally relaxed by Monday.”

  “Are you feeling better this morning?” he asked.

  She hesitated, bit into a slice of toast and nodded.

  “I’m feeling much better,” she said finally. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  “I’m sure if you can handle those brothers of yours, you can handle anything.”

  She laughed out loud and stopped when she realized he was staring at her.

  “It’s good to see you laughing,” he stated. “I was worried about you. It can’t be easy dealing with all the stuff you have to and your brothers, too.”

  “No, it’s not. I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to cry all over you.”

  “It wasn’t a problem. It made me feel a bit heroic,” he said. “So how are we going to relax today? Read? Cuddle? Watch a movie?”

  She didn’t speak right away. “I just want to have you all to myself today,” she said at last.

  He looked at her, his gaze bright with desire as her words warmed his heart. “We could take a dip in the pool.”

  “You have a pool?”

  “Yes, it’s out back.”

  She smiled shyly at him. “I’d love that.”

  “Brings back fond memories?” he teased.

  She laughed. “I was convinced you were a pervert. Dropping your pants for everyone to see.”

  “Not everyone. Only you.”

  “Just as long as you don’t drop them here.”

  “And here I was thinking we’d be going skinny-dipping.”

  “What gave you that impression?” she teased.

  “It’s not as if we haven’t seen each other naked.”

  “It’s not the same thing,” she argued.

  “You just have that hang-up about nakedness. I like to be naked, to feel the wind blowing...”

  “Okay, okay,” she interrupted. “You don’t have to get all graphic and dirty.”

  “Dirty? There is nothing at all dirty about nakedness,” he said. “It’s natural. I love being naked.”

  She snorted. “You would say that. It’s your male pride. You know you’re well-endowed, and you want everyone to see it.”

  “No, I don’t,” he stated emphatically. “I just want you to see it.”

  She blushed, but looked him directly in the eyes. “Are we going to go to the pool, or not?”

  “Maybe I’ll get you to do something bold and daring.”

  “Like what?” she asked.

  “Well, I’ve never made love in this pool,” he responded.

  “You haven’t? I would have thought with your expertise, you would have done most things...in most places.”

  He laughed. “You seem to be an expert on my expertise all of a sudden,” he observed.

  “I think I need to change the conversation. I didn’t think to bring a swimsuit, but I still need to change into something appropriate. I’m going to bring along my book, too. Is it shady around the pool?”

  “Of course. I’ll clean up. You go get ready.”

  She stared at him, already feeling the heat between them. How on earth was she going to handle him? The thought of a weekend of sexual bliss was definitely more than appealing.

  * * *

  Eboni slammed the book down in frustration. She was getting a bit tired of this I-didn’t-bring-you-here-for-sex attitude. She wanted sex. Wanted hot, sweaty, scream-out-loud sex.

  What was the sense of having an empty house and a half-naked, sexy-as-hell hunk next to her when he was fast asleep in a pool chair.

  She glanced across at him, her eyes immediately going to the slight bulge below his waist.

  What the hell was wrong with her? She could not get enough of him. Was this what it felt like to be in love? Or was she in lust?

  Of course, she lusted after him. She couldn’t help it, and didn’t want to help it. She knew what she felt went so much deeper, but she had to balance her feelings for him with her desire for him. He was so much more than just a sex machine to her.

  She sighed and picked the book up again.

  Maybe the latest Brenda Jackson novel was not the best book to read when she was as horny as a teenager. She closed the book again.

  Yes, maybe a dip in the pool would be better to lower the heat. She’d told Darren to turn the pool’s heater off.

  Summer was coming and soon the heat would be unbearable.

  But she still didn’t have a swimsuit. She glanced across at Darren. He was still asleep. She could see the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

  She rose from the chair, stripped off her clothes and walked to the edge of the pool. She dipped a foot to test the water to be sure the heat had been turned off. It felt cool and refreshing.

  She took a step forward and plunged into the pool. For a while she treaded water, and then swam to the other side and back. Feeling invigorated, she did another lap, this time making a skillful turn that any Olympic swimmer would be proud to do.

  She surfaced, only to see Darren standing at the edge of the pool, his boxer shorts nowhere in sight.

  “May I join you?” he shouted and without waiting for an answer dived into the pool.

  For several seconds, he disappeared, but then she noticed his blurry shadow sw
imming toward her.

  Just before he reached her, he surfaced, but not before, she was sure, he got a good look at her nakedness beneath the water.

  He grinned, his face showing his delight.

  “Pervert!” she said.

  “Me?” he said, a broad grin on his face. “I’m not the one who was in the pool swimming naked.”

  “It’s your fault,” she spluttered.

  “My fault?” he asked, treading water until he floated before her. Their bodies touched and she felt the familiar, but unexpected surge of heat. Wasn’t water supposed to cool her body?

  “You fell asleep and I was bored. I am supposed to be your guest,” she insisted.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I must have been more tired than I thought.”

  “It’s fine,” she assured him. “I’ve had my swim. I’m going to go up and take a shower.”

  “Want some company?” he asked, his voice low and seductive.

  “No, thank you. I’m feeling a bit tired. Maybe I’ll get some rest.”

  “I’ll take a few laps then come and join you. I’m a bit tired, too.” He grinned again. “I don’t want to leave you on your own too much. After all, you are my guest.”

  She chuckled. “Throwing my words back at me?”

  He did not respond. She looked at him. His grin had faded and he was silent, brooding.

  He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. The kiss lit a flame that coursed straight to her womanhood.

  “I want you,” he whispered. “I won’t be long.”

  Her heart pounding, she plunged into the water and swam slowly to the edge of the pool. She got out and walked directly toward the door, only realizing as she got near the edge that she was still naked.

  She stopped briefly to turn around, but decided against it. She didn’t need the clothes anyway.

  Chapter 7

  Later that afternoon, and after a dinner of chicken Florentine with fettuccine and chopped spinach, Darren retired to his den to make a few important calls. Eboni accepted his apology and, with a smile, raced off, he assumed, to finish reading her book.

  He shook his head, closing his office door behind him.

  After rushing through his calls, he ran upstairs, but skidded to a stop as he reached the bedroom. His total focus was on Eboni. He was going to make her scream with ecstasy. All. Night. Long.