Chapter One

Drake

I was on my way to my best friend’s house to ask him if he wanted to grab a beer and watch the ball game. It was a Saturday afternoon, and while I knew I should be at my shop catching up on paperwork after the grueling week we’d had, I was feeling too restless to work. I just needed to kick back with my buddy and catch up. Hear all about his baby sister…

I’d heard she was back in town after four years away, getting her degree in education. Our paths had crossed over the years when she’d come back home to visit her family, but I’d been on my best behavior. Not like the night I took her virginity, then sent her on her way.

I still cursed myself every time I thought about it. But I was trying to be a good guy. I knew she had dreams that were too big for our small town. Ivy League schools. Preppy-ass guys who drove Beemers and golfed on weekends. Pantywaists if you asked me, but I’d always assumed she’d get a taste of them, then come back to me and rural Georgia. Our hometown. The place she belonged. And the man she belonged to.

Only she’d been back a week already, and I’d been looking for those big blue eyes and corkscrew blond curls everywhere. Not a sign of her. Not at the diner. The bar. My garage. Her brother’s place. It was like she was trying to hide from me. But she couldn’t hide forever. And when I found her, it was game on ‘cause I’d waited long enough to make that sweet thing mine.

I parked my classic Corvette at the bottom of Danny’s driveway and hopped out. He was in his garage working on his beast, a ’68 Chevelle SS that gave me a hard-on every time I saw it.

“Hey, Danny.” I slipped my sunglasses up on my head as I circled his car, which was parked in the middle of his detached two-car garage. “She looks good.”

“Thanks,” he said, grunting as he slid out from under the car. “Just givin’ her an oil change.”

“You wanna grab a beer at Toby’s? There’s a game on this afternoon.”

“I’d love to, but I promised my sister I’d give her a hand.”

Pay dirt. “Oh yeah, I heard Kendra was back.” I tried so hard to play it cool as I sorted through the tools on his work bench, putting them back in their designated spots. “How’s she been?”

“Good, but you’ll never guess what she’s planning to do now.” He scowled as he wiped his hands on a greasy rag. “Missionary work. She’ll be in Nigeria for a whole year. Can you believe that?” He rolled his eyes. “My sister the do-gooder. I swear to God she’s going to get herself killed one of these days.”

I could have sworn my heart stopped beating for a second. My sweet little Kendra surrounded by poverty and violence, terrorists, living in fear every day? No. Fucking. Way. “You’ve got to be kidding.” Please tell me this is joke.

“I wish I were. We’ve all tried to talk her out of it, but she’s determined. She says she has to do this.”

“Why?”

Danny didn’t know about my past with his sister. If he found out I’d been the one to take her virginity, he’d lose his shit.

“You know her,” Danny said, rolling his shoulders and neck. “She’s always been big on volunteering.”

“Yeah, but for local causes. She’s never done anything like this before.”

“She said she couldn’t because of school. Now that she’s done with that she wants to do this, before she commits to a full-time job.”

I’d always admired her huge heart and her willingness to help others, but couldn’t she see how crazy this was? It was dangerous… she might never come back home to me if she took this trip.

“You said you had to help her with something today?” I was already thinking of things I could say to change her mind. I’m in love with you. I want to build a life with you. But would that be enough to change her mind? When she had her heart set on something it was almost impossible to set her on a different track.

“Yeah. I’m going over to my folks’ place to help her clean out the attic. Some of the shit’s mine, so I guess it’s the least I can do. My parents can’t get up there anymore, and Mama thinks it’s overrun with mice.” He chuckled. “That’s why Kendra refused to clean it out alone. She’s convinced one will dart out of a box and scare the shit out of her.”

I laughed at the visual, though I still had a sinking feeling in my stomach. “You mind if I come with you? I haven’t seen Kendra in a while. I’d like to catch up before she leaves.” Not that I intended to let her leave. I didn’t care if I had to tie her to my bedposts, she wasn’t going to Africa. I knew it made me sound like an asshole, but I’d never get a wink of sleep, thinking about my girl in a place like that.

“Yeah, sure. My parents would love to see you.”

Danny’s parents had always loved me. But if they knew what I wanted to do to their baby girl, they’d probably wanna hog-tie and torture me. Not to mention Danny. My best friend would go fucking ballistic when I told him I had a thing for his sister. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve been a bit of a man-whore over the years. But only because nothing and no one could fill the hole Kendra left in my heart. Five years later, it still felt like it happened yesterday.

“Cool. You wanna take my car?”

“Sounds good. Just let me grab a quick shower.”

***

Kendra

My parents were out golfing and the clock was ticking. I had a million things to do before I left for Africa and I couldn’t believe my lame-ass brother was late. The last thing I wanted to do was clean the goddamn attic, but a promise was a promise and I was a good girl who’d been raised to honor her word.

I picked up one of my mama’s sugar cookies and nibbled on it as I waited to hear the familiar rumble of my brother’s car announce his arrival. I looked out the window muttering a curse word that would have made my sweet mama blush when I spotted his Corvette.

What the hell was Drake doing here? I was going to kill my brother! Not that Danny knew about my aversion to his best friend. How could he? I’d die before I told him the truth: that I’d given Drake my virginity only to be sent on my way with a kiss on the forehead and his hollow words of regret ringing in my ears.

I had the few seconds it took them to get out of the car and walk through the back door to collect myself. It’s not like I hadn’t seen him since it happened. I had. Plenty of times. But we’d never been alone. There had always been people around, usually my family, so talking about that night was never an option. I’d just have to make sure we weren’t left alone today. No matter what, Danny would have to act as a buffer because there was no way in hell I was going to talk to my long-time crush about the most embarrassing night of my life.

“Hey you,” Danny said, pulling me into his arms.

We hadn’t seen each other since Christmas break and it felt nice to be back in my big brother’s arms. We’d always been close, despite the fact we’d lived in different states for the past five years.

“You’re late,” I admonished, rolling forward to kiss his cheek. “I don’t have all day, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, reaching behind me to snag one of Mama’s cookies off the plate. “I know you’ve got to get ready for your mission of mercy.”

“Don’t make fun,” I said, backhanding him in the stomach. “At least I’m willing to do something about the problems in the world instead of just complaining about them like some people.”

I’d been careful to avoid Drake’s gaze, but I could feel his eyes on me. I was wearing cut-off jeans shorts, a white tank, and flip-flops. Reasonable attire for a big cleaning job, but I suddenly felt so exposed. I realized why when I finally glanced his way. He was eye-fucking me behind my brother’s back!

“Hey,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “What’re you doing here?”

He treated me to one of those damned lopsided smiles that made my heart flutter. The sexy beast. He was tall, well over six feet, with broad shoulders and rippling muscles… God I hated him.

His dark hair was a little longer than the last time I saw him. His tan was a little darker, but it was the dead of summer this time. One thing that would never change was those caramel-coloured eyes that seemed to map every move I made.

“Heard you could use a little help.” He opened his arms, smirking when I took a step back. “What, baby doll? No hug?”

Baby doll. Ugh! He’d always called me that because of my ridiculous blond curls, big blue eyes, and petite stature, claiming I looked just like a doll. I didn’t want to look like a doll. I wanted to look like every man’s fantasy, maybe a bikini or lingerie model. But no. He looked at me and thought of some kid’s play toy.

I knew Danny was watching us so I stepped into Drake’s arms and patted his back awkwardly while holding my breath to avoid inhaling that potent scent. I loved the way he smelled. It was spicy and reminded me of the outdoors. Which led me to think about what we’d done in the great outdoors… I’d never looked at the bed of a pickup truck the same way again.

He squeezed me hard, picking me up off the ground, which wasn’t hard since he had over a foot and a hundred pounds on me. The big brute.

“Put me down!” I slapped his back, but as he set my feet on the ground, my body slid down his and his erection was unmistakable. What the hell was he doing sporting that with my brother only a few feet away? Was he crazy?

“Hey, Dan,” Drake said, over my head. “Why don’t you run up to the attic and make sure there are no critters up there that might jump out and bite her?”

“Very funny,” I said, glaring at him.

“Sure,” Danny said, taking another cookie to go. “Bring up a few waters too, sis.”

I thought of asking Danny to stay, but knew I couldn’t without raising suspicion. So I waited until we heard him run up the stairs to the master bedroom, where the entrance to the attic was located, before I turned on Drake. “What the hell are you doing here?” I gestured to the bulge in his pants. “And like this?”

He grinned, curling his hands around my hips. “What can I say, gorgeous? I can’t help myself when I’m around you.”

We hadn’t been alone together in years, but I’d never seen him react this way before. He always seemed to be in control. Hell, he’d made a practice of ignoring me. “Why are you touching me?” I asked, pushing against his hard chest. “You don’t have the right to touch me.”

His eyes shifted to my cleavage as he licked his lips. “You tellin’ me someone else has the right to touch you?”

He was asking if I had a boyfriend. I should tell him I did just to piss him off, but my mama hadn’t raised me to lie. Sometimes I wished I wasn’t a good girl. “No, but that doesn’t mean—”

“Damn, I missed you, girl.”

Those few little words sucked all the oxygen from my lungs. He missed me? I didn’t even think he’d noticed I was gone. “Sure you did,” I said, when I finally remembered how to speak. “Yeah, I heard you’ve been real lonely.”

My best friend, Lindy, who was the only one who knew about our little tryst, had kept me apprised of his activities. It hurt like hell to hear about all the other women he’d been with, but it helped me to keep my head on straight and focused on my future, so I wouldn’t waste any more time thinking about him.

He grabbed me by the waist and boosted me up on the granite counter, standing between my open legs. “You’re right, baby doll. I haven’t been celibate since you left. Five years is a hell of a long time. But those were all random hookups, nothing more.”

Was that supposed to make me feel better? ‘Cause it sure as shit didn’t.

“Your brother tells me you’ve had a few boyfriends.” His eyes raked over my body. “You don’t know how much that pissed me off, knowing they were getting a taste of your sweetness.” He leaned in, running his nose down my neck as he inhaled deeply. “Knowing they were getting a taste of what was mine.”

I sucked in a breath, bracing my hands on his shoulders. I knew I should push him away, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“That’s when I was the most reckless,” he whispered, his voice husky. “Chasin’ tail to block out the image of you fucking someone else.” His calloused hand swept down my cheek. “But it never worked. Nothing could chase that image away.”

I knew I had no reason to feel guilty, even though that one night we’d had together he’d made me promise I was his. Mine. He’d said that word over and over again and made me repeat it while he was pinning me down and sinking inside of me. He’d possessed me that night, getting under my skin in a way no other man ever had.

His tongue traced the shell of my ear and I shuddered.

Overhead we could hear my brother up in the attic, but the house could have burned down around us and I still wouldn’t have been able to push him away. I knew why. I was addicted to his touch. I craved it. And it had been so long, too damn long, since I’d experienced it.

I braced my hands on the counter behind me, thrusting my breasts out. They weren’t huge, but they looked big on my small body and I remembered how much he liked them our first go-round. He’d squeezed them together and slid his hard shaft between them until he coated my body with his release.

I shuddered at the memory as I clenched and tried to ignore the flood of arousal.

“You’re so damn sexy,” he whispered, skimming my jaw with his fingers. “And you don’t even know it, do you? You don’t even know that I get hard as steel every time I look at you?”

I glanced down and he was hard now, as aroused as I was. But where could this go? We were sitting on my parent’s kitchen counter with my brother upstairs. My mama would be so ashamed.

His head drew closer to mine, slowly, inch by agonizing inch, and I held my breath, waiting to taste his lips. No one on the planet kissed the way this man did. Not that I’d kissed every man on the planet, but kissing him wasn’t just a kiss. It was an erotic experience. Sensual. All-consuming. Arousing. Even a little dirty. And I loved every second of it.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and drew him closer as I curled my arms around his neck. I let myself sink into him, his mouth claiming mine, reminding me why no other man had ever been able to compare to him. When I pulled my vibrator out, it was images of Drake that helped me get off. Every single time.

I grinded against him, moaning into his mouth while he plunged his hand into my wild and thick hair, tugging slightly when he positioned my mouth to take him deeper.

When we broke apart he looked lust-drunk, his breathing labored. “Now baby doll, what’s this shit I hear about you leavin’ me again?”

Leaving him? I didn’t think he’d care which continent I was on, as long as I stayed out of his way. “I’m going to Africa,” I said, biting my lip.

He raised his thumb, tugging my lip free of my teeth. “Is that so? Now why would you want to do that?”

“To help people.” I could barely think straight, much less state my reasons for making this decision.

“You could stay right here and help me. With this.” He reached for my hand, settling it over the bulge in his faded jeans. “Every night.”

As tempting as his offer was, I needed more than great sex to fulfill me. I needed to have a purpose, to feel like I was making a difference in the world. I thought of all those sweet orphans I’d be helping to educate and the decision seemed like a no-brainer. I was going where I was needed.

“I don’t think you need any more help with that,” I said, inching back on the counter. “From what I hear, you’ve had plenty of volunteers willing to help you out.”

“I want you. I’ve always wanted you.”

Sweet little lies, that’s what I told myself. If he really wanted me, he could have had me years ago. “Riiiight.” I patted his chest, not even trying to hide my amusement. “I’m back in town for one more week, and you’re thinking that should be just enough time to get back in my panties.”

He glared at me, his fingertips pressing into my bare thighs. “Don’t do that. Don’t belittle what I feel for you.”

Wow. He looked intense. And oh, so hot. But looks could be deceiving, and so could empty claims and promises. Just because he said he cared didn’t mean he did.

“What you feel for me?” I twisted my lips into a saucy smile as I laid my hands over his. “Come on, now. We both know you feel with one organ, and it’s not the one beating in your chest.”

He stumbled back, looking as shocked as if I’d struck him and I suddenly felt bad.

“That’s really what you think of me, huh? That I make all my decisions with my dick? That I don’t care about anything or anyone? The only thing that matters to me is getting laid?”

“Drake, I—”

“No, it’s okay, I get it.” He held his hand up as he backed out of the kitchen toward the door. “I guess I earned that reputation. I just thought that you of all people would understand that things aren’t always what they seem, Kendra.”