Say You Need Me (10 page)

Serena pulled her head back and slowly lifted her eyes to his. Darrell reached for her glasses and pulled them off, then placed them in the compartment between the seats.

Her lashes were long and thick, something he hadn’t
noticed before. She really did have beautiful eyes. Wide and expressive, her dark brown eyes were compelling.

They glistened now, almost as if she was about to cry.
Was
she about to cry?

“Hey,” Darrell said softly. He placed his right hand on her left cheek, skimming her smooth flesh with his fingertips.

“Darrell, I’ve never been so scared.”

“Shh,” he cooed. He trailed his fingers to her hairline. “It’s okay now.”

Serena’s eyes fluttered shut as she exhaled a long breath.

“That’s it,” Darrell said. He slipped his fingers into her hair. “Breathe.”

She inhaled and exhaled again.

“Better?” Darrell asked.

Serena slowly opened her eyes. “Yes.”

“Good.” And as if his lips had a mind of their own, he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. A soft sound escaped Serena’s lips, one that said she was startled.

Pulling back, Darrell lowered his gaze to hers. She raised hers to his. Gone was the fear he’d seen in Serena’s eyes moments earlier. Instead, he saw a mixture of confusion and yearning in their dark brown depths, and the combination was strangely erotic.

Something told him he should pull away, release her, and step out of the car, but Serena tilted her head upward, parted her lips…

And suddenly, something was different between them. Her eyes darkened at the same moment he felt a little jolt in his groin.

And he was lost.

Darrell crushed his lips down on hers, swallowing Serena’s surprised gasp. Her full lips were soft and sweet. Lord, she tasted good. Flicking his tongue over her supple flesh, he urged her closer. He couldn’t get enough of her.

The feel of his tongue on her lips was thrilling, more thrilling than she could ever have imagined, and Serena moaned against his lips. Instantly, Darrell’s tongue delved inside her mouth. His hot, wet tongue played anxiously over hers, while one hand slipped to her shoulder, then down her arm.

Darrell suckled her bottom lip softly, bringing his other hand from her hair to her jaw line, then lower, to the base of her neck. Serena’s body erupted in flames. Never had a man’s touch felt so good. But the foreign feeling was enough to knock Serena’s senses back into place.

This is dangerous,
she thought. Before Darrell’s hand could move lower, she broke the kiss and pulled away.

Dark eyes met her own. Their ragged breaths filled the hot air in the small car.

After several seconds, Serena attempted to speak. “Um…” But her voice trailed off, unable to find any words.

“Whoa.” Darrell ran both hands over his shortly cropped hair.

Serena watched him curiously, her heart beating so fast she feared it couldn’t be good for her. Just as she opened her mouth to try speaking again, Darrell turned away.

Serena brought a hand to her face, gently touching her lips with the tips of her fingers. Good Lord, Darrell had just
kissed
her. And that had been no ordinary kiss. She’d
been kissed before, but never had a kiss left her breathing ragged, her skin flushed, or her heart beating like she’d just finished running a marathon.

Finally, Serena found her voice. “W-what just happened?”

“I…” Darrell seemed at a loss for words. “We…I think we…got caught up in the moment.”

“Yes.” Serena’s shoulders sagged as she said the word, a sense of relief washing over her.

Darrell met her eyes with a steady gaze. “We did, didn’t we?”

“Yes, of course. That makes sense. Isn’t it normal…in situations like this?”

“Yes,” Darrell agreed, relieved to find an answer to his strange behavior. It wasn’t like him to ambush a woman with a kiss, much less after a life-threatening experience.

But as Serena had suggested, it was their frightening experience that had led to the kiss. In the face of near tragedy, they had ended up in each other’s arms, ended up
kissing
—comforting each other in the most primitive, instinctive way. What more life-affirming thing could they have done to prove they were thankful to still be breathing?

That the kiss was a spectacular one had emphasized even more the fact they were very much alive.

“Um.” Serena’s frail voice disrupted his thoughts. “Do you think…” Serena paused, swallowed. “Do you think that car running us off the road had something to do with your brother?”

Darrell’s forehead wrinkled at Serena’s suggestion. “I didn’t think about that. But God, you might be right. That could be it.”

“I thought I saw a gold Ford Explorer in the restaurant parking lot. What if it was Tamara?”

“Could be,” Darrell agreed. “But then, Explorers are popular. It could have been anybody.”

Serena looked around the interior of the Viper. “You think the car’s okay?”

“Yeah. It’ll have a few scrapes and dents that my brother won’t be happy about, but I don’t really care right now.”

Serena looked at Darrell, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes. The tension between them now was undeniable. One minute, she’d felt so comfortable in his arms, like she could have stayed there forever and been at peace. His arms had felt right around her. And that kiss…even now, she was still light-headed, and it had nothing to do with the accident.

It had everything to do with the electrical charge she felt between her and Darrell.

She didn’t understand what had happened to her. The fact that she
hadn’t
wanted to pull away was exactly the reason she had. She had liked being in his arms all too much, and if she hadn’t ended the kiss, she wasn’t sure if she would have been able to stop what might have happened next.

This car was too small for the two of them. Serena reached for the door handle. “Uh, I should…step outside. Stretch.”

“Good idea.”

“Where are my glasses?”

Darrell retrieved them for her.

“Thanks,” Serena said, shoving them on. Then she opened the door and exited the car. Darrell did the same.
She paced a few feet, pivoted, and retraced her path, watching Darrell while he stretched.

“Well, nothing hurts,” Darrell announced.

Serena bent over, stretching forward. “Ow.”

“What?” Concern flashing across Darrell’s face, he made his way around the Viper to Serena. But as he neared her, she walked in the other direction.

“My lower back,” she said, walking away from him. “It kinda hurts.”

Again, Darrell stepped toward her. “Let me—”

“No, I’m okay.” She arched her body from side to side. “There. That feels better.”

“Are you sure? Because I can give you a massage if you like.”

Serena waved off his suggestion. “Don’t be silly. I’m probably just imagining it anyway. I hear that happens a lot to people after accidents…”

“Right,” Darrell said slowly. But disappointment tickled his stomach. Just minutes ago, Serena had leaned on him for support, yet now she acted like she couldn’t stand to be near him.

It was the kiss, Darrell realized. The kiss had complicated things between them.

Maybe it was best that he resist the urge to comfort her. That comforting had landed them in this uneasy situation. What had started off simply enough had become complicated, and it was entirely his fault. He could say what he wanted about getting caught up in the moment, but Serena had no doubt sensed he wasn’t telling the whole truth.

The truth was that while they’d been kissing, his thoughts had gotten X-rated. And damn if her little sighs
hadn’t started to turn him on. If they’d been anywhere else, he would have been tempted to slip his hands beneath that oversized T-shirt and caress her bare skin, her breasts. Even now, he wondered how she would respond to him. Would she arch her breast against his hand, guide his mouth to her nipple?

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Darrell shook his head, trying to toss the visual image of a topless Serena that had invaded his mind. Damn if this accident hadn’t made him lose his brain. He was taking this life-affirming bit
way
too far.

Besides, how crazy was it to have sexual thoughts about a woman who’d slapped you upside the head as a way to say hello? Not only that, Serena had been involved with his brother, and Darrell
never
dated Cecil’s exes. Maybe because so many twins played that game, Darrell found the idea particularly unappealing.

“Oh, look,” Serena said, pointing behind him. “The police.”

Darrell whirled around. Indeed, a Miami-Dade police cruiser had pulled onto the shoulder.

Thank God.

Anything to get his mind off thinking about Serena, even if that meant thinking about Cecil and the very real fact that someone clearly wanted his brother dead.

“No, no, don’t worry,” Serena said into the phone.
“I’m all right.”

“I don’t like this, Serena,” Kiana stated matter-of-factly. “I know you’re not going to want to hear this, but maybe the search for Cecil isn’t worth it.”

That very thought had crossed Serena’s mind as the Viper had spun out of control, that nothing—not even the family heirloom—was worth her life. But as soon as the frightening moment was over, she’d dismissed the thought. The necklace had been in her family for generations and since it was her fault that it was gone, it was up to her to get it back.

“I don’t know,” Serena said. “At first, I figured the accident was related to Cecil, but now I’m not so sure. It’s not as if psycho drivers in Miami are any surprise.”

“What, you think the accident was a coincidence?”

Serena paused a moment. “Yeah. That’s the only thing
that makes sense.” She was aware that she was trying to make herself feel better as much as she was her sister. “Besides, if it was someone out to hurt Cecil, what are the chances we’ll run into them again?”

“Serena…”

Serena switched the payphone from one ear to the other. “I’ll be okay.”

“I understand why you’re hell-bent on finding Cecil, but why not let Cecil’s brother deal with this? Let him call you when he finds his brother. Didn’t he say he would do that?”

Serena and Darrell were at a gas station near the airport, both using payphones. She glanced at him. All she could see were his shoulders and back as he stood in the phone booth next to her. His head was hanging forward and she couldn’t hear what he was saying.

“I promised I’d help him,” Serena replied. “And I’m going to keep my word. I have to work Monday, which leaves only tomorrow, so if we don’t locate Cecil by then, I suppose Darrell will be on his own.”

“And tonight?”

Darrell hung up and faced Serena. “Um,” Serena said. “Uh, I don’t know about tonight. Look, I’ll call you later.”

“Serena—”

Serena hung up. “Hey,” she said to Darrell. “Anything?”

“I called home and checked messages,” he told her, “but there was nothing from Cecil.”

“I didn’t hear from him either.” Serena had called home and checked her answering machine before calling her sister. “Not that I expected to,” she added. “So, what do you want to do now? I’m not sure I’m up for another round of Dick Tracy.”

“What, you don’t want to head to Coconut Grove?”

“I was thinking maybe we could head to my place.” Realizing that might sound like a clandestine invitation, Serena added, “To regroup. Maybe get some rest.”

“You mean
stay
at your place tonight?”

“Uh…” Serena hadn’t thought past simply heading to her place to relax and change. “Why not?” she asked, her tone upbeat. “First thing in the morning, we can head to Cecil’s house in the Grove.”

“I don’t think that’s such a great idea.”

What, you can kiss me silly, but you can’t come over to my place?
Serena felt rejected, and it hurt. “Why not?”

“It’s probably better that I stay at a hotel.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll drop you off, see where you live, then I can pick you up in the morning.”

“Fine.” Serena started for the Viper.

Darrell fell into stride beside her. “This isn’t about you. It’s about keeping things in perspective.”

Serena stopped abruptly and faced him. “What? You think if you stay at my place tonight, I’ll try to seduce you?”

Actually, he was thinking that he didn’t want to see where she and Cecil had cozied up together. Not that it should bother him, but it did. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Are you always this testy when you don’t get your way?”

“
Testy?
You want testy—”

“I’m pretty sure you showed me testy last night—”

Throwing her hands in the air, Serena groaned and started walking.

“Let’s face it,” Darrell said, catching up with her. “We don’t exactly get along.”

Halting, Serena gaped at Darrell. “Do you make it a habit of kissing women you don’t get along with?”

“That was…” Darrell ground out a frustrated breath. “We discussed that.”

“Whatever,” Serena quipped.

Darrell took hold of Serena’s arm before she could walk off again. “What do you want me to say?” he asked. “It happened, it shouldn’t have, and…and I don’t want to complicate things.”

That’s all the kiss had been to him, a complication. Darrell’s words stung, but Serena was determined not to let him see that. “Don’t flatter yourself, Darrell. I was attracted to your brother. I’m not attracted to you. You don’t have to worry about me throwing myself at you if you come to my place.”

Darrell’s fingers loosened on Serena’s wrist. She’d spoken firmly yet calmly, leaving no room for doubt. Her words shouldn’t have hurt him, but they did. They pierced him in a place that once again said,
You’re not good enough. Cecil’s better than you.

It didn’t matter that Darrell had been the “good” twin all his life, Cecil had always had more fun, more women, more everything.

But he said, “All the more reason for me to stay somewhere else tonight.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“I am.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

They were silent on the way to the car, silent as they got inside.

Serena finally broke the silence. “This has been a very
long and frustrating twenty-four hours. For you. For me. I want us to be able to get along, to trust each other.”

“So do I,” Darrell agreed.

“I didn’t mean to offend you with that crack about you thinking I’d try to seduce you. It’s just that…it seemed like you didn’t trust me. And after everything that’s happened, I want you to know you can trust me.”

Darrell met her eyes. “And I want you to know you can trust me. I don’t want to think that every time you look at me, you figure you can’t believe a word I say, just because I happen to look exactly like the guy who ripped you off.”

“I don’t think that,” Serena assured him. “But yeah, I suppose that every time I look at you, I see Cecil. How can I not?” She paused. “But my frustration isn’t with you, it’s with me. Ever since he disappeared a few weeks ago, I’ve been asking myself how I could have gotten involved with him. I ask myself what’s wrong with me that I trusted someone like him. As much as I’d like to delude myself, I don’t think he ever had any interest in me other than to steal from me. I keep kicking myself. I was so naïve where your brother was concerned.”

“For what it’s worth, my brother is pretty good at what he does. Don’t beat up on yourself.” Darrell glanced at Serena, saw her staring at him peculiarly, like she was studying him. “What?”

She shook her head and looked away. After a sigh, she said, “It’s amazing to me that you can look exactly like him, yet not be like him.”

“Believe me, I’m used to everyone thinking the worst about me because I’m Cecil’s twin.”

“I guess that’s a pretty hard thing to deal with.”

“Oh, yeah.” There was a pause, then Darrell asked, “You said my brother took off a few weeks ago?”

“That was the last I saw or heard from him.”

“And what exactly did he tell you?”

“He didn’t actually speak to me. He dropped off a note at the library where I work. I was at lunch, I think. Anyway, the note said that something urgent had come up and that he had to go out of town, but he’d be in touch as soon as he could.”

“But you never heard from him?”

“No. After a week, I got worried, mostly because I’d been waiting to hear about the store I’d put a down payment on. So I called, but I didn’t reach him at his home number—the one I thought was an apartment near the library.”

“Uh huh.”

“When I learned Cecil’s home number was disconnected, I called his cell number, his business number—everything was disconnected. After that, I got a really bad feeling. I don’t know why, but something told me to check the safe. I did…and the necklace was gone.”

Darrell shook his head. “That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that I’d like to go to Cecil’s house tonight. With you,” Darrell quickly added. “If you want. I know it’s been a long day, but I figure I can get a head start at searching the place to see if anything turns up. Or if Cecil’s there. Then, later, I can bring you back to your place.”

“Sure,” Serena agreed. They’d come this far today, they
might as well continue looking. Besides, the Grove was on the way to Kendall, where she lived.

Darrell started the car. “Which way to Coconut Grove?”

“Turn left. Then we can continue south down this street until we get to US 1.”

Darrell did as instructed. The rest of the drive was in relative silence, with Serena giving Darrell directions to Cecil’s house in Coconut Grove based on the address he’d provided her.

When they pulled up to the large house partially hidden by a variety of mature palms, a lump formed in Serena’s throat.
This
was Cecil’s house? Having seen his condo, she should have been prepared for this, yet she’d hoped to see something less swanky.

She might as well have the word “sucker” tattooed on her forehead. Because this house was absolutely stunning—and even more proof of Cecil’s deception.

Darrell got out of the Viper, and Serena followed him, though her legs felt like lead as she walked to the front door. Part of her didn’t want to go inside, didn’t want to see the tangible evidence of her naiveté. But denying reality wouldn’t change what had happened.

The house was larger than the condo, with a stunning entertainment center in the backyard, as well as a large pool, and a jacuzzi. As Serena stared out the window at the lavish backyard display, a sick feeling washed over her. She didn’t even want to know how many bedrooms this place had.

She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.
It doesn’t matter that Cecil lied to me,
she told herself.
It only matters that I get the necklace back.

The feel of Darrell’s hands on her shoulders startled her, and she flinched. But a second later, she relaxed against his touch, unable to deny herself the comfort she knew it would bring. She didn’t want to. Instead, she fought the urge to turn in his arms and place her face against his strong chest. This was all much harder to deal with than she had anticipated.

“You okay?” Darrell asked.

Serena shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m still trying to understand it all.”

“I don’t think anyone has ever figured Cecil out. Not my father, and certainly not me, though Lord knows I tried.”

“I suppose there’s no point in crying over the past.” Serena stepped away from Darrell and hugged her torso.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Darrell said softly.

“What?”

“Walk away from me when you think about Cecil.”

Serena gave Darrell an odd look.

“Like I said before,” he continued, “it’s like everyone sees Cecil when they see me…and it’d be nice not to have to go through that for a change.”

Serena nodded. “I’ll try.”

“I’m gonna take a look around,” Darrell said. “See if I can’t find the necklace.”

Serena’s face instantly lit up. “Oh,” she said excitedly. “I didn’t think of that. Gosh, do you think the necklace could be
here
?”

The way she looked at him, with complete trust and hope in her eyes, filled Darrell’s heart with warmth. He wanted nothing more than to say that yes, he believed the necklace was here, as long as it meant she’d never look
forlorn again. What was it about her that had him wanting to do anything in his power to make her smile?

“I have no clue,” he admitted, knowing he couldn’t give her false hope based on no evidence. “But who knows? My brother spent a lot of time here, obviously. Anything’s possible.”

Serena held her hands to her lips in a prayerful gesture. “God, I hope so.”

Walking toward her, Darrell closed the distance between them. Reaching for her face, he ran a gentle finger along her cheek. “If the necklace is here, I’ll find it.”

Serena held his gaze, her eyes saying implicitly that she believed him.

And good God almighty, he wanted to kiss her again. How inappropriate would
that
be? What the hell was wrong with him, anyway?

He dropped his hand from her face and crossed his arms over his chest. He had to put some space between them before he complicated matters further.

“Why don’t you sit on the sofa and relax? I’ll take a look around.”

“I can help,” Serena told him.

“No,” Darrell quickly replied, softening his anxious tone with a smile. “That’s okay. You just…relax. I’ll be back in a little while. Hopefully, with some answers.”