Part 14 (1/2)
That evening Delaney left her brothers in Tara's care while she and Jamal went out to dinner. Although he had invited everyone to join them, she was grateful they had declined, so she could spend an evening alone with him.
However, they had indicated to Jamal, engaged or not engaged, they expected her to sleep in her bed and alone alone tonight. They had made it clear that until there was a wedding they intended to protect their sister's honor. It had been hard for Delaney to keep a straight face at that one. And eye contact across the room with Tara indicated that her friend had figured out her condition and would keep her secret and would do everything she could to help keep the Westmoreland brothers busy until she returned-which Delaney intended to be rather late. tonight. They had made it clear that until there was a wedding they intended to protect their sister's honor. It had been hard for Delaney to keep a straight face at that one. And eye contact across the room with Tara indicated that her friend had figured out her condition and would keep her secret and would do everything she could to help keep the Westmoreland brothers busy until she returned-which Delaney intended to be rather late.
She nervously bit her bottom lip when she thought about Thorn. He could be rather irrational at times and was more overprotective than the others. She would have to talk to him privately just as soon as he arrived in the morning.
”Are you ready to leave, Delaney?”
Jamal's question broke into her thoughts, and she lovingly gazed across the table at him. Earlier that day, after getting nearly everything straightened out with her brothers, he had left to change clothes and had returned two hours later to take her to dinner.
Tonight he was dressed like a Westerner and looked absolutely stunning in a dark gray suit, white s.h.i.+rt and navy-blue tie. She smiled, thinking he was certainly a very handsome man. His dark eyes held her seductively in their gaze and had been doing so all night. ”Yes,” she said softly. ”But it's early yet. You aren't planning to take me straight home, are you?”
He stood and walked around the table to pull her chair back for her. ”No. I thought you might be interested in seeing the town house I've purchased to live in while I'm here.”
Delaney raised a brow. ”You've purchased a town house? But you just arrived today.”
He nodded. ”Asalum is most efficient when it comes to handling business matters. He took care of all the details and made the necessary arrangements from the jet while we were flying over here.”
Delaney shook her head. She doubted she would ever get used to such extravagance. ”Must be nice.”
He chuckled. ”It is nice, as you will soon see.” He took her hand in his as they walked out of the restaurant. ”And there is another reason I want to take you to my town house.”
Delaney had a good idea just what that other reason was but wanted him to tell her, anyway. ”And what reason is that, Your Highness?” Your Highness?”
Jamal leaned down and whispered in her ear. Even with the darkness of her skin, she actually blushed, then smiled up at him. ”Um, I think something like that can be arranged, Prince.”
Back at Delaney's apartment the Westmoreland brothers and Tara were involved in a game of bid whist. Tara excused herself from the next game and went into the kitchen to check on the cookies that she had baking in the oven.
They had ordered pizza earlier, and with Stone's complaint of not having anything sweet to eat, she had taken a tube of frozen cookie dough from Delaney's freezer and had baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
Tara smiled, inwardly admitting that now that she was getting to know them better, she liked Delaney's brothers. Although she thought their overprotectiveness was a bit much, it was definitely a show of the love they had for their sister.
She was taking the tray of baked cookies from the oven when Delaney's doorbell sounded. She hoped it wasn't one of the neighbors complaining that too much noise was coming from the apartment. Storm had a tendency to groan rather loudly whenever he lost, which was frequently. She smiled, thinking he was definitely a sore loser.
Back in the living room, Chase got up from the table to open the door. He s.n.a.t.c.hed it open, wondering who would have the nerve to interrupt their card game.
He winced when he saw the person standing there. d.a.m.n, all h.e.l.l is about to break loose, he thought frowning. ”Thorn! What are you doing here? We weren't expecting you until the morning.”
Thorn Westmoreland shook his head and looked questioningly beyond Chase to the table where his other brothers sat playing cards. At least they had had been playing cards. Stone had stopped and sat unmoving, like a ”stone” right in the middle of dealing out the cards, and both Dare and Storm looked at him as if he was a Martian. been playing cards. Stone had stopped and sat unmoving, like a ”stone” right in the middle of dealing out the cards, and both Dare and Storm looked at him as if he was a Martian.
He frowned, wondering what the h.e.l.l had everyone spooked. Entering the apartment, he walked into the center of the room. ”What the h.e.l.l is everyone staring at? Do I have mud on my face or something?”
Dare, regaining his wits, returned to shuffling the cards. ”We're just surprised to see you tonight.”
”Yeah,” Stone chimed in. ”We weren't expecting you until the morning.”
Thorn threw his overnight bag on the sofa. ”Yes, that's what I heard, twice already. First from Chase and now you guys. So you're all surprised I showed up tonight. What's going on?”
Chase closed the door and walked across the room to reclaim his seat at the table. ”What makes you think something is going on?”
”Because the four of you are looking guilty as sin about something.”
Dare chuckled. ”That's just your imagination, bro.” As usual everyone was trying to decipher Thorn's mood and until they did, they weren't making any waves. And they definitely weren't going to say anything about Delaney's engagement. ”I take it you got that customer satisfied.”
”Yeah, and got a free flight here on his private jet.” Thorn glanced around the apartment. ”Where's Laney?”
Storm threw out a card. ”She went out.”
Thorn frowned and checked his watch. It was almost midnight. ”She went out where?”
”She didn't say,” Stone said, studying his hand.
Thorn's frown deepened. ”When is she coming back?”
”We don't know exactly,” Chase said, watching his brother, knowing that at any minute they would start seeing smoke come from his ears. It didn't take much to set Thorn off when he was in one of his foul moods. Usually this kind of mood meant he was overdue for getting laid, but it was Thorn's own fault for being so d.a.m.n nitpicky when it came to women.
Thorn slowly walked over to the table. ”And just what do you know, exactly?” exactly?”
Dare chuckled. ”Trust us, Thorn, you don't want to hear it. At least not from us. Just have a seat and sit tight until Laney comes home. Or better yet, pull up a chair and join the game. My truck needs a new engine so I need to win some money off you.”
Thorn slammed his fist hard on the table, sending cards flying. When he was sure he had everyone's attention he proceeded to say, ”I don't know what's going on but I have a feeling it involves Laney. And you guys know how much I hate secrets. So which one of you is going to spill your guts?”
Dare stood. So did Stone, Chase and Storm. Usually it took a combined effort to make Thorn see reason and cut the moody c.r.a.p. ”We aren't telling you anything so sit down and shut up,” Dare said through clenched teeth.
At that moment Tara came charging out of the kitchen. She had heard enough. Thorn Westmoreland had some nerve, barging in here at this late hour and causing problems. Just who did he think he was?
Thorn caught her in his peripheral vision the moment she flew out of the kitchen. She stopped walking when he turned and stared at her.
Tara swallowed, wondering why the air had suddenly left the room, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Her gaze held the muscular, well-built man who stood so tall she had to stretch her neck to look up at him. Dressed in a pair of jeans-and wearing them in a way she'd never known a man to wear them before-he utterly oozed s.e.xuality and sensuality, all rolled into one. He was without a doubt the most gorgeous hunk of man she had ever laid eyes on.
He was staring at her, and his stare was burning intimate spots all over her body, branding her. She blinked, not appreciating the fact that any man, especially this man with his foul mood, could have this effect on her. She didn't have time for such foolishness. s.e.xual chemistry was too much bother, too time-consuming. Her job and her career came first. Physical attraction, love, s.e.x, babies...and all the other stuff that went with it...was definitely a low priority on her totem pole.
She inhaled deeply, thinking that the best thing to do would be to say her peace and get the h.e.l.l of out there, on the fastest legs she had. Once she was safe in her apartment, she would try and figure out what was happening to her and why.
With a deep frown she resumed walking until she stood directly in front of Thorn. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. ”How dare you come here causing problems? Just who do you think you are? The Mighty Thorn? All we need is to give the neighbors a reason to complain. So why don't you do like you've been told and sit down and shut up!”
Taking a deep breath, she then turned her attention to the other four brothers. ”I put the cookies on a plate in the kitchen. Help yourselves.” After glaring one last time at Thorn, she quickly crossed the room and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.
Thorn forced his gaze away from the whirlwind who had told him off. He slowly turned and looked at his brothers, who for some reason were staring steadfastly at him...with smirks on their faces. ”Who the h.e.l.l is that?”
Dare chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest. ”That, Thorn, is Thorn, is your your challenge.” challenge.”
The same s.e.xual tension that had totally consumed Jamal and Delaney from the moment he had picked her up for dinner increased by umpteen degrees once he had her settled in the warm intimacy of the Mercedes sports car he was driving. Every look they exchanged was hot.