A young delivery boy stood there, a red blush across his face, holding a brown bag with grease stains on the sides. Rather than the bag being stapled closed with the receipt clipped to it, it was open. The smell of the burger wafted to Dario’s nose. “Why is my bag...?” The words stuck in his throat when Kimber stepped out from behind the kid. She reached into the bag and extracted a long french fry. Steam rose from the center when she broke it in half.
“Sh-she said you wouldn’t mind.”
“I did,” Kimber admitted. “You don’t, do you?”
“There are consequences for eating a man’s fries,” Dario warned. He snatched the bag from the kid. “You better be glad I already tipped you.”
Kimber draped her arm over the boy’s shoulders, causing a deeper blush. “Which is why I gave him an extra tip for going along with it,” she said.
Poor kid, Dario thought. He knew all about the effect she had on a man. “Whatever, thanks.”
The delivery boy scatted down the hall toward the red exit sign. Kimber giggled and turned her head back to Dario. His heart thumped against his chest.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Kimber?” Dario asked.
“Kimber?” Alisha grunted from the kitchen.
Kimber grunted. “She still hasn’t moved out?”
Dario leaned against the doorjamb in the hopes of blocking the insult from making its way into the kitchen. As much as Alisha couldn’t stand Kimber, the feelings were mutual. They were close in age but at different stages in life. Each judged the other for it. Breaking the tension, Hamilton came over to the door and licked Kimber’s ankle. Lucky pig, Dario thought. “Didn’t Lexi take you back to the house?”
“Chicken pox,” Kimber said with a shrug.
The memory of being itchy and splotchy all over made Dario take a step backward. “You have them?”
“No—Philly.” She gave her head a vigorous shake. The bun on top of her head came loose. As she combed her fingers through her dark hair, Dario felt the only thing missing was her doing it in slow motion with a fan blowing. He cleared his throat and focused on what she said. Her little sister, Philly, had just been diagnosed. “And since they can’t recall my ever having them, they thought it was better for me to stay at Lexi’s old apartment for a couple of weeks until the outbreak is over. The little ones may have it too.”
“Oh, okay,” said Dario.
“Yeah, so it looks like you’ve got a new neighbor for the holidays.”
As the words sank in for Dario, Alisha came up behind him.
“Oh good grief,” Alisha snorted.
Chapter 3
Kimber shuffled through her apartment in her fuzzy pink slippers and matching terry cloth robe on Wednesday morning after finally getting a good night’s rest. The events of the last twenty-four hours played over in her head, and the cause of the restlessness was none other than Dario Crowne. Thank God her battery-operated boyfriend was in her suitcase. The humming sensation mixed with the incredulous face of her former friend had sent her into a much-needed sleep.
The sound of the grandfather clock against the wall ticked throughout her quiet apartment. Well, technically the place belonged to Lexi. She’d owned it before marrying Stephen and it just stayed in the family and came in handy when someone needed a place to stay. Kimber hated not being home with the family.
At least being in this apartment gave Kimber time to go over all the paperwork Lexi had handed her so she could get started on the Christmas beauty pageant. Thankfully, Lexi had started everything almost a year ago. Waiting to announce it to the council the other night had been smart. The town would have driven her crazy with contestants trying to get the upper hand.
Finding a comfortable spot on the couch, Kimber picked up the portfolio. Over the next few weeks, Kimber needed to secure the odds and ends of the pageant. They were going to hold it downtown at the theater. The stage would need to be set, and they’d need judging tables, backstage changing rooms, prizes for all the participants and of course, the trophies and tiaras. That last item reminded Kimber of her need to find out who was behind the mystery tiaras. Not only would getting a custom tiara made for Lexi be great, but it would be fantastic to have a few set aside for the runners-up at the pageant.
Kimber bit the inside of her cheek and sank further into her spot on the sofa. For some reason, her mind wandered back to Dario. Even though he’d said they were cool, there was something off about their friendship. Was he seeing someone now? Was that why he kept her at arm’s length? It had to be serious if he was ready to push their friendship aside.
When she’d popped over to the Crownes’ apartment, Kimber had half expected him to invite her inside. Instead, Dario never moved from the doorjamb. Had she lost her friend forever? Had their sleigh ride ruined their friendship? Kimber stretched her body out until her toes popped and curled. The simple movement reminded her of last year. Toes curling and everything. Despite her stance on relationships, Kimber had spent weeks after their tryst trying to get over him. She’d spent her entire life fighting relationships and then she was—one magical moment under a romantic sky had her rethinking everything. It was simple lust. That was all.
And now she wanted more. Perhaps that was the point of going over to his place last night. If Alisha hadn’t been there, Kimber definitely wouldn’t have turned down the opportunity to be with him again.
A rap at the door brought her out of her thoughts. Her heart flittered. She knew that knock. Dario. Could he sense her desire for him? Pulling herself out of the sofa cushions, Kimber headed toward the door and found him standing there, dressed in a pair of black baller shorts and a fitted black shirt. Sweat gathered at his brow and steam rose from the covered coffee cups from the shop down the street. Kimber smiled, happy he still remembered.
“Good morning,” he said in his deep baritone voice. “I figured you might not have had time to pick up groceries, let alone some coffee.”
Kimber opened the door farther and stepped aside so Dario could enter as she checked out his firm backside. Damn, she thought. He looked sexy as hell in a suit, workouts and naked too. Licking her lips, Kimber followed him into the kitchen where he set her drink on the bar. “So,” she said, grabbing her cup, “you’re just out and about delivering coffee?”
“Darren and I went for a run.”
Excited, Kimber smiled. “How is he? Why didn’t he come over with you?”
“He’s crawling back into bed,” Dario replied. “He hasn’t been working out since I left.”
The Crowne brothers were known for their fitness. They even had the local titles in the boxing ring down at the gym locked down. “How long have you been away?”
“Enough that he can’t...” Dario cut off whatever he was going to say with a shake of his head. “Never mind. So what have you been up to all morning?”
“You make it sound as if it’s the afternoon.”
“Feels like it, I’ve been up since five. I’m still jet-lagged.” Dario put a cup to his lips and she nodded, since she understood the tired feeling. “What have you got going on today?”
Kimber waved her hand toward the living room and her stack of binders. “A lot of pageant work, or at least, follow-up.”
Dario nodded his head but said, “I have no idea what that entails, but sure.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to. What about you? I mean besides working out and getting sweat all over my kitchen floor?”
Taking a step to the side, Dario checked the white tiled floor. “I’m not.”
“Your sweaty shirt is on my counter though,” Kimber pointed out.
“So picky,” Dario said, pulling his shirt over his head. “Better?”
Muscles rippled, sweat glistened in the light spilling into the kitchen. Kimber pressed her lips together to keep from licking them. “Rude,” she mumbled.
“I can put the shirt back on.”<
br />
“No—no,” she responded too quickly. “I mean, whatever, you don’t want to wear a sweaty shirt. I’m sure there’s something here you can put on.”
Dario frowned. “Pass. Are you busy inside all day?”
“Not this morning. I’ve got the Christmas Council this evening,” said Kimber, “and before that I need to pick up a few deposits. Want to come and pretend you’re my enforcer?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Well,” she started, “because all the women in Southwood might be upset over you being out with me instead of making the rounds. I’m not sure if I’m up to having everyone mean-mugging me.”
“You’re not funny.”
“Where is the lie?” Kimber teased him. “You can’t tell me women weren’t hanging out their windows with you and Darren running the streets this morning. How many hot meals do you think will be hand-delivered to your place?”
Dario drained his coffee. “A few casseroles were dropped off at the garage and now you’ve got this whole story going on in your head. You should write fiction.”
The way he downplayed it made him look like an angel. But an angel did not have the sexual prowess Dario possessed. Kimber shivered and ran her hand over the back of her neck. “You forget we were close,” Kimber reminded him, skirting across the thin line of friendship they crossed. “I was once hip-checked at the fair when standing in line for the Ferris wheel.”
“And I didn’t see some guy with a fifty-dollar bill ready to spend at your kissing booth last year?”
If Dario was trying to make a point out of the incident, it was moot. When that stranger put down fifty, Dario had broken out his black card and booked the whole afternoon with her. Proceeds went toward the local back-to-school drive. Kimber and Dario spent the afternoon hanging out being silly and practiced kissing—for viewing eyes’ sake. It had been a win-win situation for Kimber.
Kissing Dario had been perfect. If only he hadn’t made such sweet love to her last year that she’d gotten all in her feelings.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Dario asked.
“Dang,” Kimber hissed, hoping to cover her lust by rolling her eyes. “I was just staring.”
Dario shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t make things weird between us, Kimber,” he said.
“I still feel like there’s a big elephant in the room,” she said. She took a sip of her coffee. “I hate that things changed between us.”
“We’re good, Kimber.” Dario assured her with a half smirk. “I wouldn’t be here now if we weren’t.”
Though he said it, she didn’t believe him. “About last year.”
“Save it,” he said, holding his hand up. “You needed to focus on your future. I was the reason you didn’t get that internship.”
“I shouldn’t have said you were the reason,” Kimber clarified. “I wasn’t in a place to take the call.”
“Because of me.”
“You didn’t force me,” Kimber confessed. She licked her coffee-scented lip. Her eyes grazed over his body once more. “I was a willing partner in all of it, everything that evening.”
Dario’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Why do I have the feeling I’m still the reason you made your decision to leave?”
“Dario,” she began, setting her coffee cup down on the counter by the sink. “I was always planning on leaving Southwood. I grew up here. I can’t stay here forever.”
As he scratched the back of his head, Dario’s biceps bulged. His barbed-wire tattoo stretched with his skin. Kimber had never thought of herself as a tattoo kind of girl. Most guys from Southwood participated in the rite of passage with a tattoo here or there but their contours on Dario’s sculpted body covered him. He pressed his hand to his chest, right next to his heart and the tattoo of a jail door. Guarded heart.
“I didn’t ask you to move in with me or marry me last year, Kimber,” he clarified. “We only crossed a line we knew was coming.”
“You think?” She challenged him with a lopsided smile, knowing it was the truth.
“I know.” Dario returned the smile with a cocky grin. “I’m just stating facts. You hung out with me when you were home from college. I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you again while you’re here.”
Bubbles rolled in the pit of her stomach. “I’d like that, Dario.”
“It sounds like you’re about to add a ‘but.’”
“I am,” she said, nodding. “I want to make it clear that I do not plan on staying here after the holidays. If things go my way, I may get that dream job with MET after all.”
“Kimber, that’s great news. We need to go celebrate. I heard Miss Vonna already has her new cupcake flavor.”
Heat touched Kimber’s cheeks; she was happy to have her friend back. They used to make sure they were first in line at The Cupcakery. And while she’d attended college a few hours away in Tallahassee, Dario and Kimber had made a pact to pick out a bestselling book to read and discuss when she returned to Southwood. Kimber missed riding around in the cars he and his brothers restored, belting out songs. Being back home with Dario by her side made getting through the holidays sequestered away from the chicken pox house bearable.
“Dark chocolate with a peppermint frosting and actual peppermint sprinkled on top,” Kimber told him. “Philly already showed me—she was eating one when we video-chatted.”
“What are we waiting for?” Dario asked, stepping forward.
“Uh, for you to take a shower and me to at least run a brush through this mane.” To make her point, Kimber loosened her dark hair from the messy bun at the top of her head. She closed her eyes while shaking the tresses free. When she opened her eyes, she caught Dario’s lingering gaze as well as his physical reaction through the mesh basketball shorts. Considering the electricity between them, Kimber wondered if it was possible to renegotiate the lines of a friendship.
* * *
Oblivious to the silence in Lexi’s apartment, Dario rushed through the place in dire need of an ice-cold shower. He hated to admit how much he was going to miss the three-way shower in his apartment in Dubai. There, the water had blasted him from both sides of the shower walls and down from the ceiling, creating a fog that lasted all morning. Today, Dario didn’t bother with the heat.
If he and Kimber were going to start hanging out together, he needed to get used to this. How did her just running her fingers through her hair turn him on? Why was he acting like he wanted to be just friends? And why in the hell did she still not want to be more than friends?
Dario had worked his ass off to become a respectable member of society—at least in Dubai. Not being visible there while Kimber was in town may have hindered him. People respected him. They listened to what he said. What she needed to see was how responsible he could be here in Southwood. He figured this was his second chance to make Kimber see the new him. But that meant she didn’t need to know about Christmas Chaos.
It would make sense to cancel the whole thing but if he did, Darren would be pissed and blame Kimber for it. Speaking of his brother, Dario needed to give him a call to make sure he hadn’t keeled over getting back to the house after their run that morning. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he crossed into his bedroom. The clothes he’d discarded cluttered the floor in front of his four-poster bed, including what he’d worn yesterday on the plane back to the States.
At some point during Dario’s shower, Hamilton had pushed his way into the room and used some balled-up slacks as a bed. It surprised Dario to find the clothes still there. Typically, Alisha snagged things up to take to the cleaners. She was probably still mad at him for the whole Kimber incident.
“Alisha?” Dario called out before he reached for his cell phone. He was swiping to turn it on to call his brother when Darren’s face appeared. “Hey, I was just about to call you.”
“Twintuition,” Darren chuckled.
“I wanted to call you using video-chat.”
“What’s up?”
“I just needed you to see my face as I curse your ass out,” said Darren. “My legs feel like jelly.”
Dario laughed. “You need to curse out Dominic for letting you eat like a pig.”
Hamilton squealed.
“Ham!” Darren shouted, which prompted the pig to leave the room. “Alisha left Hamilton with you?”
“You say that like she’s gone out of the country,” Dario noted.
“Uh, she did. She left me a rant last night about how pissed off she is that you’re right back with Kimber again.”
Dario dragged his hand down his face. “We’re not back together.” We’d have to have been together in order for that to be the case, he told himself. “Tell me more about Alisha leaving. Where did she go?”
“Aamir called to see if you came in okay and then sent for the plane to go back to Dubai. Alisha hopped on and plans on staying there until Dominic and Waverly come back from Louisiana with the kids.”
“Are you...?” Dario stopped himself. “What the...?”
“I take it you didn’t know,” Darren laughed at his brother. “I’ll tell you what she said. Let’s meet for lunch.”
The doorbell rang.
“Company?” Darren asked him, peering at the phone as if he could see as Dario walked through the condo.
Dario prayed his brother was joking and he’d find Alisha on the other side of the door. They had a lot to get done in the apartment if they wanted to give the twins the best Christmas. “You got a lot of explaining to do,” Dario declared, yanking the door open.
“Okay, but first I’m going to need you to put some clothes on.” Kimber batted her lashes and licked her red lips.
“I see you’re ready,” he said, checking out the black Christmas sweater with a giant red-and-white swirled peppermint in the center that she wore.
“I take it we’re not going to lunch,” Darren said on the phone.
Dario had forgotten for a moment he was talking to his twin. “My bad.”
Christmas with the Billionaire ; A Tiara for Christmas Page 20