SocialPreyAllRomance (13 page)

Or, at least he hoped so. They wanted to tell him, they just had to find the right
time. And over the phone, across continents, was definitely not the right time.

“How are things in London?” Scott asked.

“Good so far. Has Kiley gotten any more information on this drug cartel?”

Kiley shook her head. Hell, they’d been in bed all day. Neither one of them had done
anything.

“She’s still working on that,” Keith replied.

“That’s not like Kiley,” Scott said. “What’s taking her so long?”

Scott rolled his eyes.
Me.
“You’ll have to ask her.”

“What’s going on over there, Scott?” Keith snarled. “The two of you aren’t still fighting,
are you?”

“No,” Scott replied, trying to fight a smile. “We’re not fighting.”

Kiley slapped his arm. Scott was quiet, and Keith began to get nervous.

“How’s Paula?” he asked.

“She’s suffering the side-effects of the drug I gave her for pain, but other than
that, she’s fine.”

Scott nodded. “Tell her to eat a peppermint. Remember, I had the same problem when
I got shot in Greece.”

“I’d forgotten about that. I’ll tell her. Thanks.”

“You forgot I was shot?” Scott teased. “How the hell can you forget that? You had
to practically carry me out because that damn drug knocked me on my ass.”

“I didn’t forget you got shot, you prick. I forgot you had the same problem. I had
to carry her too, only she makes a much cuter drunk than you.”

Scott chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll bet. Probably a lot lighter, too.”

“No, shit.”

At least he had Keith’s train of thought somewhere else, although sadly, he was about
to put it right back on Kiley.

“Don’t forget to call Kiley on my phone. I’m sure she’ll want to hear about Paula
and you can remind her about the cartel.”

“I shouldn’t have to remind her.” There was a moment’s pause. “Does she seem okay
to you?”

“Why you asking me?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes she talks to you.”

Scott snorted. “Lately, she yells at me.”

He turned and winked at Kiley who smiled back just a little. She looked so cute with
her hair a tangled mess and her eyes drooping sleepily. Reaching out, he touched her
chin and tilted her head up. Her smile widened, and he resisted the urge to lean over
and kiss her, despite the fact he was talking to her brother on the phone. Talk about
living dangerously. He would rather pull someone out of Irag than face the anger he
knew would be coming once they told Scott about their affair.

“And that’s another thing,” Keith said, and Scott had to think quick to remember what
they’d been talking about. “Her grouchy mood. See what you can find out. She might
tell you before she tells me.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Great…thanks.”

Keith hung up, and Scott let out a deep sigh. “He’ll be calling you next.”

Kiley fell back against her pillow. “Great.”

Keith frowned and stared at the phone. His gut told him something was off, but he
wasn’t sure what.

“Everything okay?” Paula asked.

“Yeah…I think. Scott just threw me. He answered Kiley’s phone.”

Paula raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.

“He says he picked her phone up by accident.”

Paula snickered. “I can’t see Scott picking up a phone with a
hello kitty
case around it and thinking it was his.”

Keith lifted his head and stared at Paula in shock, then anger.

“Oh, relax. He’s slept on her couch before. Maybe he was doing that this time and
answered her phone by mistake and just made up that story so you wouldn’t worry.”

“Why would he sleep on her couch?”

“Because he has the hots for her and uses any excuse he can to be close to her. Wow,
for someone so smart in the art of war, you’re an idiot when it comes to your best
friend and who he’s in love with.”

Keith shook his head in denial. “Scott is not in love with Kiley.”

“Why? Because you told him years ago to keep his hands off her?”

He stared at Paula in surprise. “How did you know about that?”

“Kiley.”

“Kiley knew?”

Paula rolled her eyes and walked over to glance in the bags covering the coffee table.
“What’s all this?” she asked, ignoring his question.

“Uh…those are the clothes that John brought you, I’m guessing. You need something
to wear other than what you have on.”

Paula tilted her head in acknowledgement as she rummaged through one of the larger
bags.

John had pretty good taste in clothes, she thought as she pulled out a pair of slacks
and a blouse.

She lowered her hands, still holding onto the clothes and looked through the open
doors of the other bedroom. “Where are John and the others?”

“Probably in the other suite.”

“You have more than one?”

Scott nodded. “Yes. Two.”

Her lips formed a silent “o” before she turned her attention back to the clothes still
in her hand.

Of course he did. There was no telling what else mister moneybags had. “I guess I
better get dressed.”

“Lifting your arms may be a little painful. If you need any—“

“I’ll be fine,” she replied, probably more quickly than she should have if Keith’s
amused expression was any indication.

She was sure he hadn’t meant anything sexual by the offer, but it would still be a
bit weird to have him see her naked.

“You should probably call Kiley,” she murmured.

“Do you want to talk to her?”

Paula bit her lower lip briefly before shaking her head no.

“She’s your friend, sweetheart. She’s not going to yell at you.”

She briefly closed her eyes, both at the sound of the endearment and the thought of
Kiley being disappointed in her. “I know.”

Opening her eyes, she met Keith’s understanding stare. He held his phone out to her.
“She’s gonna want to talk to you.”

Sighing, she took the phone and scrolled through the contacts looking for Kiley’s
name.

Remembering that Scott had Kiley’s phone, she began to look for Scott’s number. She
took a deep breath, then hit send.

Kiley answered the phone on the first ring. “Hey, big brother. How’s London?”

“London’s great,” Paula replied. She glanced over her shoulder and watched as Keith
went back out to the balcony, apparently giving her a few moments of privacy. Lowering
her voice, she asked, “How’s Scott? Is he on your couch again or did he finally make
it to your bed?”

“Paula?” Kiley cried. “Oh, my, God! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Sore, tired…embarrassed.”

“Don’t be embarrassed, honey. You’re safe now. That’s all that matters. We’re gonna
put this behind you like it never happened.”

“I can’t thank you enough, Kiley—“

“Just take care of my brother while you’re out there. Make him do something fun. He
never has any fun anymore.”

“Like you and Scott?”

There was a moment of telling silence on the other end.

“Where’s Keith?” Kiley asked.

“He’s on the balcony. He walked outside to give me some privacy. Did Scott really
take your phone by mistake?”

“No,” Kiley admitted. “Did my brother believe it?”

“Sorta,” Paula said. “He trusts you, but when he finds out you’re…” Keith came back
in the parlor, and Paula giggled at the way he shook his head, then swiped his hand
across his wet hair.

“Paula?”

“Sorry,” Paula said. “It started raining outside and Keith came in shaking his head
like a dog does to remove the water from his hair.”

Keith lifted his head sharply. “A dog?”

Kiley snickered. “I bet he loved that comparison.”

“Oh, yeah,” Paula replied as she turned and headed to her bedroom. “So…details?”

“Can we wait until you get home?”

“I suppose.”

She glanced back to make sure Keith was still in the parlor. He stood by the open
French door watching it rain, his strong body silhouetted against the gray clouds
outside. Her heart hammered at the way his jeans hugged his ass and thick thighs.
Licking her lips, she tried to turn her thoughts back to Kiley, but failed miserably.

“But don’t I at least get a little snippet?” Paula asked as she finally pulled her
gaze away from Kiley’s gorgeous brother and paced further into the room where she
couldn’t see him.

“Let’s just say when I’m drunk I have a big mouth.”

Paula stopped pacing. “Did you make a pass at him?”

“Worse.”

“Worse?”

“She stripped for me,” Scott said into the phone.

Paula began to laugh in earnest. Turning, she saw Keith come to the door and lean
against the jam. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear about this. Keith’s back. Is there anything
you want me to tell him?”

“Tell him I’ll have that stuff on the cartel within twenty-four hours, just please
don’t tell him about this.”

“Of course not,” Paula replied.

Her gaze was held captive by Keith, and she couldn’t seem to look away.

“You guys have fun and we’ll talk when you get back.”

“Okay.” She hung up the phone. “Kiley said she’ll have your info on the cartel in
a day.”

Smiling slightly, she shrugged one shoulder. “And she also wants us to have fun.”

He answered her grin with a roguish one of his own that made her stomach knot in desire.
“I think I can handle fun.”

“I don’t know,” Paula drawled, teasing him. “Not according to Kiley.”

Keith snorted. “I’m sure according to Kiley I’m nothing more than a domineering task
manager or overbearing father figure.”

Paula pursed her lips thoughtfully as she twirled the phone in her hand. “I believe
overbearing and domineering have both been mentioned.”

Shaking his head, Keith’s lips twitched in amusement. Whether he was amused with what
she’d said or his sister, she wasn’t sure.

“Did you find out any more about the phone situation?”

Paula rolled her eyes. “You really need to learn to let go.”

His grin faded and his expression turned more serious and full of worry. “I can’t.
She’s all the family I have.”

“Then you need a distraction.” Switching the phone to her uninjured side, she tossed
it back to him. “Didn’t you say something about seeing a doctor this morning?”

Keith caught the phone. “I did.”

“Then let’s get going. While I’m in the shower would you bring all those bags in and
put them on the bed?”

He raised an eyebrow as a spark of interest made his eyes shine. Just the fact he
might entertain the thought of a night of passion between them made her heart a skip,
but she knew better.

They were friends. It would be incredibly stupid to take their relationship there.

Plus, what would he think of her? Fresh off a heartbreak that came extremely close
to ruining her life? What did that say about her? That she was needy? Wishy-washy?

Feeling disgusted with herself, Paula sent him a look of censure over her shoulder.
“After that, you can shut the bedroom door on your way out.”

Keith chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

Kiley hung up and smiled at Scott. “She sounds good, almost like her old self. I’m
so glad he got her out of there.”

Scott used the tip of his finger to curl a strand of hair behind her ear. His touch
was soft and despite a whole day of sex, she could feel the beginning stirrings of
lust work its way through her midsection.

Frowning, she slapped his shoulder. “What the hell were you thinking, answering my
phone?”

He chuckled and hunched his shoulders, moving away from her second attempt to swat
him.

Grabbing her hands, he tugged her close to him. “I was asleep,” he growled, playfully.
“I answered it on instinct. What was all that about getting Paula to make Keith have
fun? You’re not playing some sort of matchmaker are you?”

Kiley snuggled against his chest. “Maybe. They would be good together.”

“I can see Keith with Paula. She has a nice ass, and Keith likes asses.”

Kiley scowled and pinched his nipple.

“Owe,” he exclaimed, with amusement. “Yours is much better, though.”

She rose up and pointed a finger in his face. “You better stop before you dig yourself
into a hole you can’t climb out of.”

“I said yours was better.” Scott nipped at the tip of her finger with his teeth.

“Yeah, but you admitted to looking.”

Scott snorted playfully. “Like you don’t. I’ve seen you.” He sat up, pushing her up
as well. “I’ve seen those pretty eyes of yours locked hungrily onto a man’s backside.”

She pouted, before leaning over to kiss his chin. “It’s a shame you never saw me ogling
yours.”

Scott snickered and chucked her under the chin with the knuckle on his forefinger.
“I’m saddened to admit even if I had, I’m not sure I would’ve seen it for what it
was.”

“That’s a shame.” She tilted her head and smiled. “That you’re that dense.”

The chuckle that rumbled through Scott’s chest was so sexy, it made Kiley’s senses
tingle. “I can assure you. I’m dense no longer. Now, when I see you ogling my ass,
I’ll know exactly what to do.”

“And what’s that?”

“Grab yours for starters,” he said as he leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on
her lips.

“Then?”

Scott sat back and blinked innocently. “Then? A little ass grab isn’t enough?”

Kiley slowly shook her head. “Normally no, but after today I think we’ve had sex so
much the inside of my vagina feels like it has rug burn.”

Scott fell to his back, laughing. Grabbing her hand, he tugged her down so she covered
his torso. Kiley moved, allowing her body to cover his from head to toe. His heat
wrapped around her just like his arms, cocooning her in a safety net she never wanted
to leave.

“You’re a hot mess,” he murmured. “Are you really that sore?”

“A little,” she bent her head and kissed his chest. “Maybe if you weren’t so big.”

“I thought you liked big,” he purred as he slowly drew his fingers up and down her
spine.