Closer Than A Brother Read online

  “Miss Izzy is cooking, right? Damn, I’ll meet you there in ten minutes,” Jason said, hanging up without a good-bye.

  * * * *

  Dani stood in the warm evening air, listening to old friends and family welcoming her home. Word spread fast, and at least thirty people came to say hello—everyone, but him. At six thirty, Shane was nowhere to be seen. Her cousin, Joe, had turned up the music and dodged her mother’s attempt to swat him. “This ain’t the club, boy. Turn that music down.”

  “Oh leave him alone, Izzy. You don’t want to shake your grove thang?” her father asked coming up behind her, dancing to the beat. The group laughed.

  One of her oldest and best friends, Brandi, sat down next to her on a lounge chair. “Where is tall, dark, and handsome?” she asked, sipping her beer.

  “Hell if I know,” Dani said, trying to sound nonchalant.

  “Girl, don’t fake the funk. You know that man is fine. I’ve seen him driving around town in his sexy, little uniform. Mmm, I’ll admit he’s turned my head more than a few times.”

  Danielle looked over at her friend. “Have you slept with him?”

  Brandi smirked. “You sound jealous, Dani. No, I haven’t slept with him.”

  Danielle exhaled a breath she hadn’t realize she was holding.

  “Hmm, sounds like you are thinking about it though,” Brandi teased.

  Dani chuckled nervously. “Absolutely not. Why are we even talking about him? He isn’t even here!”

  “He is now,” Brandi whispered.

  Dani’s gaze darted across the yard to the porch. He stepped out the back door. Another good-looking guy was with him. “Damn.” Dani heard Brandi say. “Now tell me those two men aren’t fine.”

  Dani avoided the question. “Who is that with him?”

  Brandi answered softly, “Jason Stover.”

  Danielle looked back across the yard. “That lanky kid he used to hang out with all the time?”

  “Not so lanky anymore. They both went to the academy together. He is a cop too—a very sexy cop,” Brandi said, biting her lip. She crossed her legs and gave Jason a look from across the lawn.

  “Whoa, calm down, girl,” Dani said, swatting her friend’s leg.

  “You take the blonde. I’ll take the brunette,” Brandi said.

  “What! Are we going after younger, white guys now? We are over thirty, girl!” Dani argued.

  “We are barely over thirty, Danielle, and they are damn near thirty.” Brandi bit her lip. “They are grown!”

  Danielle watched Shane lean in to kiss his mother’s cheek. He was definitely grown, and filling out every inch of those faded jeans. It was her turn to chew her lip.

  “When did he grow up?” she whispered to Brandi.

  “While you were away in New York. Trust me, sexy is in the water around here.”

  * * * *

  “You are late!” Miss Izzy said, hitting his arm.

  He faked being hurt, holding his arm. “I’m sorry, Ma.” He leaned in to kiss the woman he considered a second mother, on the cheek.

  She hugged him tight. “You know I can’t be mad at you, boy, get yourself a plate.”

  She peered over his shoulder. “I see you came back for more food,” she said to his friend, releasing Shane. Jason had been showing up at her door with Shane for years. If there was food, he was coming.

  “Hey, Miss Izzy. You know I can’t pass up your cooking. If Mr. Gerald is willing to let you go, will you marry me?” Jason smiled.

  Miss Izzy chuckled and embraced Jason as well. “Look at you two, all tall and handsome. If I was twenty years younger, you two would need to watch out.” She patted his face. “You know you are always welcomed, Jason. Get yourself a plate too.”

  They loaded their plates with barbecue and salad and dug their hands in the ice for a beer.

  “She’s sitting over there under the tree with Brandi,” Jason said for only Shane to hear.

  “I know,” Shane answered not looking up.

  “You aren’t going over to say hello?”

  “I’ve already said hello to her.”

  “Yeah, slick, when you gave her a damn ticket. Man, go on over there and say hello the correct way.”

  “This is stupid as hell,” Shane hissed. “We aren’t fourteen anymore man.”

  “Yeah, and she clearly isn’t a teenager anymore. Wow, is definitely right,” Jason said, picking up his plate.

  “Hey, watch it. Keep your wows to yourself,” Shane growled at him.

  Jason laughed. “Okay, okay, calm down. Do you have plans tonight?”

  “You mean other than being here?”

  “No, after here. It’s Friday night. We should take them out.”

  “Them?”

  “Danielle and Brandi.” Jason bit into a barbecued rib bone.

  “I know you’ve dated her a couple of times, but I didn’t know you were into Brandi like that.”

  “I’ll take one for the team.”

  “Like it’s such a hardship. Brandi is hot too.”

  Jason laughed. “Yeah, I know. So it’s a win-win.”

  “They aren’t going to go anywhere with us.”

  “Why the hell not? Are you hung up on the age, race thing?”

  “Trust me, not at all.” That’s half the reason I’m attracted to her. Her soft, caramel skin made him hard every time he thought of her.

  “Then let’s do this!” Jason encouraged him.

  “Dude, you have barbecue sauce on your face. You won’t be doing anything looking like that.”

  * * * *

  She could hear them laughing. “How rude is he?” she complained to Brandi.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “He comes waltzing in here, for my welcome-home party, brings a damn friend, and he can’t say hello. I don’t even know if he knows we are over here!”

  “You sound upset by it.”

  “No! I won’t give him the satisfaction.”

  Brandi gave her an all-knowing smile. “You can’t tell me, if that man came over here, looking the way he does, and gave you at least half of the attention he gave you when he was a kid, you wouldn’t be flattered.”

  “No.”

  “You lie like a rug.”

  “No.”

  “You aren’t fooling anyone, Dani. I know I’d take a little attention from his friend. Look at the ass on that man.”

  Dani couldn’t notice anyone’s ass but Shane’s. Her head slightly tilted to the side. “Mmm.”

  “Ha. See I told you. That man is fine. You could definitely have him before you went back to New York.”

  She most definitely wanted that before she went back to New York.

  “Watch this,” Danielle said.

  “Oh hell, what are you going to do, Dani?”

  “I’ll take the blonde one, you got the brunette,” she said, repeating her friend’s words from earlier. She heard Brandi chuckle as she walked toward the object of her most recent attraction.

  “Jason Stover,” she exclaimed flashing her sexiest grin. “Well damn, boy. I haven’t seen you in, what, ten years?” she said, giving a show for the two guys. Jason looked at her and smiled, his gaze sliding to Shane briefly. She totally ignored Shane. Jason put his plate down on the nearest table in time to embrace Dani, who threw her arms around his neck and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “It’s always great to see old friends.” She held on just a second longer than needed, making sure to press her breasts against his firm chest.

  “Um, hi, Danielle. Welcome home,” he said, looking over her shoulder at Shane.

  “Thanks!” She just as suddenly let him go, turning on her heels to face Shane. “Hello, Officer Matthews,” she said, her chin lifted.

  “I’m off duty, Danielle. You can call me Shane.” He put his plate down and took a long swig of his beer.

  Dani’s gaze narrowed. “Okay, if that’s the case. How about I call you, cocky asshole?” She heard Jason chuckle behind her.

>   “Bitter much?” Shane asked.

  “You gave me a damn ticket.” She stomped her foot feeling like a girl again, trying to get rid of the annoying little boy. “You suck, Shane!” she hissed at him.

  He took her hand and pulled her near him, whispering in her ear. “I suck tits and clits, baby.”

  Those were the exact parts of her body that responded to the warmth of his voice at her ear. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer. He let his lips linger against the side of her face. “I’ve missed you,” he said in her ear. Dani’s eyes closed as every nerve ending in her body became aware of the contours of his chest against her. His muscled arms wrapped tightly around her, causing her breath to catch. The bulge she admired earlier pressed against her belly. She opened her eyes and took a step back to look at him, trying her hardest not to show how his closeness affected her body.

  “Someone’s been working out.” She rubbed his arm.

  She continued softly, “It looks good on you, Shane.”

  “Dani, honey,” her mother called out, coming over to them. Startled, the two jumped apart.

  Danielle didn’t know what she was thinking, staring at him like that. “Yeah, Mama?”

  “Are you going to eat? You haven’t had a plate.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m gonna get a plate right now,” she answered walking away, not giving Shane another glance.

  “What was that I just saw?”

  “What, huh?” Dani picked up a piece of fried chicken and avoided her mother’s gaze.

  “Danielle Rose.”

  “Ma’am,” she mumbled. Her mother could see right through her.

  “You and your little friend over there,” she said nodding to Brandi, “better not hurt my boys.”

  Danielle looked hurt. “Why would I do that?”

  “’Cause what you, I, and every other red-blooded woman here sees, are two sexy men.”

  “Mother!”

  “I have eyes and I’m a woman,” her mother said. “What that poor boy sees is the woman he has loved his whole life.”

  “Well, that poor boy isn’t so innocent, Mama. You should have heard what he just said to me.”

  “Nope, I don’t want to hear it.”

  “But, Mama!”

  “I said I don’t want to hear it. Just play fair.”

  “We aren’t kids anymore, Mama,” she grumbled.

  “Exactly. You’re playing adult games now.”

  Danielle’s eyes got wide. “I’m not gonna have sex with him!”

  Her mother covered her ears with her hands. “La, la, la, I don’t want to hear this.”

  “Hey, you implied it, not me!”

  “I don’t need to imply anything. I saw the way you looked at each other. Never saw you look at him that way before,” her mother quipped.

  “Well, look at him,” she retorted. “He got damn near smokin’ hot overnight.”

  “It’s been ten years, honey, and he has always been a handsome boy. You just never gave him the time of day.” Her mother also picked up a piece of chicken.

  “Hey, Dani, the guys asked if we wanted to hit the club tonight,” Brandi said, walking up to them.

  Danielle looked at her mother. Izzy took a bite of her chicken and eyed the young women. “You two are up to no good.”

  “Mama Izzy, you know me too well,” Brandi said, winking.

  “Where do they want to go?” Danielle asked as she took the beer her friend handed her.

  “They co-own a club in the new business development.” Her mother piped in. “I’m sure they want to show it off.”

  Brandi and Dani shared glances.

  Police officers by day, business owners by night.

  Chapter Four

  “Where are you going?” Shane followed Danielle into the house, catching her off guard.

  “I need to change my clothes. Where are we going?”

  “Imagez.”

  “Is that your club?”

  “I co-own, with Jason.”

  “You don’t sound at all proud,” she teased, moving down the hall toward her old bedroom. Her welcome-home party was still in full swing in the backyard.

  He followed her.

  “I’m very proud, which is why I want you to see it.”

  “Why are you following me?”

  “We’re talking.”

  “I have to change clothes,” she repeated.

  “So?”

  “Privacy would be great right about now.”

  “There is no one in here but me.”

  She laughed. “The ‘but you’ is the problem.”

  “Danielle.”

  “What?” She stood in front of the closed door to her room.

  “We have unfinished business.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “What are you talking about, Shane?” She narrowed her gaze at him. “Are you talking about the damn speeding ticket? Shane, that was really messed up. I think I’m going to tell your mother on you,” she said, putting a hand to her hip. He was talking about that kiss ten years ago. She knew it, but she didn’t know if talking about it right now was the best idea.

  “Forget the damn ticket, Dani.” He stepped into her personal space.

  “No, the amount of that ticket is so crazy expensive, it is definitely unforgettable,” she said, trying to keep the subject off the dangerous sexual tension growing between them.

  “Stop it,” he growled.

  She paused to look at him. “What?”

  “I ripped up the damn ticket.”

  “Why did you do me the favor? What do you want, Shane?”

  “That is a stupid question.”

  “Maybe I’m stupid?”

  “Maybe you are just as gorgeous as always.” He dropped his gaze to her lips.

  Her heart flopped. “Well, aren’t you nice.”

  “It’s true.”

  “It is your turn to stop it,” she protested.

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “I want to kiss you, again.”

  “Shane.”

  “Danielle.”

  “This isn’t right.”

  “Why?”

  “Because…”

  “Give me one good reason, Danielle—and no bullshit—and I won’t kiss you right here, right now, in this house where you grew up.”

  “That’s why…I can’t.” She couldn’t think straight with him this close, his warm breath just a hair from her lips. “I grew up here. This is my mother and father’s house. I can’t disrespect them like that.”

  “A kiss from me is disrespect?”

  “No—yes. Shane, stop it.”

  “No.” He moved against her body, pressing her against the door to her room. His lips connected with hers, soft, warm, and dangerously persistent. He pressed his tongue against her lips. She, without any mind control of her own, opened to him. He let his tongue explore the inside of her mouth, and she soon joined in with her own. A moan escaped from one of them. She didn’t realize it was her until his moan vibrated against her lips in response. His hands moved to her waist, bringing her closer to him.

  “Shane,” she mumbled into his mouth putting a hand to his chest. He moved away, slowly. His gaze fixated on her—dark, warm, and sexy.

  “You’re treading in very dangerous territory,” she said, putting a hand to her chest. She felt her heart’s rapid beating.

  Shane noted the tremor in her hand as it rested across her breasts.

  “Stop it,” she pleaded. She already couldn’t take the heat building in her from the ground up, caused by his mouth on hers. The way he looked at her now could only mean more trouble.

  “Why?” He leaned his forehead against hers. Her mouth opened, and he captured her answer, taking her lips with his again. A whimper caught in her throat as she grabbed at the front of his shirt to stay upright. She broke the lip lock with the taste of his mouth still mingling with hers. “Wow, you are bold,” she said with a lame attempt at sounding annoy
ed.

  “I know what I want,” he whispered as his heated gaze dropped to her swollen lips.

  “What do you want, Shane?” Her voice took on a husky tone she couldn’t control.

  “It’s always been you, Danielle.”

  “You know this is crazy. You have to stop looking at me like that. I’m going in to get dressed.” She fumbled the handle to her door.

  “You need some help?” His gaze swept over her body.

  “I…you…no! I don’t need help getting dressed. You can’t come in.”

  “I was talking about the door, Dani.” A knowing grin grew across his face.

  “Stop grinning. This is not at all funny.” Her words faltered as he reached around her, turning the handle to her room. The door swung open easily. The stiff erection straining against his jeans brushed against her side. The scent and warmth of him so near tore at the wall of denial she tried to build up. “I’ve wanted in your heart and in your bed for over ten years, Dani. I can wait a little longer,” he murmured in her ear. Her nipples strained against her shirt. Her pussy grew wet from just his words and his stolen kisses. She hadn’t had this kind of male attention in a while. She craved this tingly feeling—from Shane, though? God, am I crazy? He lowered his head and kissed underneath her jaw and down her neck.

  “Mmm, Shane.”

  “I love when you say my name like that.” He kissed at the quickening pulse at the base of her neck. “You taste like brown sugar, Danielle.” He pressed his hard body into hers. Her hands grasped at his sculpted arms for balance. His arm snaked out around her, his hand finding the small of her back, offering support. She felt as if she would melt into a puddle of goo if he wasn’t holding her. His hard body felt too good up against hers…oh shit. “No!” she said, shaking her head, trying to descend from cloud nine. “I can’t do this.”

  “Why?” Shane asked.

  “Because this is so not us.”

  “What is us?” His breath was hot against her ear.

  “I don’t…I can’t…damn, Shane. Mmm.” Her hand went to his chest. “Shit,” she groaned.

  “I’ll let you get dressed then.”

  She forced her eyes open. “Okay.” She was surprised by the disappointment she heard in her own voice.

  “Danielle.”

  “Hmm?”

  “This isn’t finished.”