Causing Havoc (13 page)

everything a nine-year-old boy enjoyed.

He was the one booted out with only a few changes of clothes.

Did he real y have it al wrong?

"Crystal is privy to information about the sale of the house because she's the Realtor who'l be listing it," Ted explained. "Free of commission, of course, since there's no money to be made. She's trying to help out where she can, to keep Cam from making any hasty mistakes."

Dean tightened his jaw, refusing to ask the question aloud. But in his head, where no one could

hear, it echoed again and again: What hasty mistakes?

Why did his sister write to him now, and what did she want from him? What did she need so badly

that she'd contact a long-forgotten brother?

It occurred to him suddenly that he had Eve's undivided attention as she waited for his reaction. He

tried to smooth out his frown, but already Eve popped off the seat in a rush.

"That's enough from al of you. You've thoroughly embarrassed me. I'l be red faced for a year at

least." Against her family's protests, she began herding them al toward the door. "If Dean doesn't make a run for it now, I'l be amazed."

Without haste, Dean pushed to his feet. "I'm not going anywhere." He and Eve had unfinished

business, and he wouldn't leave until he got what he came for. Besides, he had a few more questions

for Eve once her family got out of the way.

"Good," Crystal said. "Then you can join us for dinner tomorrow night."

Eve winced and immediately complained, "Mom."

It was a novel thing for Dean, dealing with pushy parents, but he found it interesting, too. Eve wore

one persona when with him alone, another in front of his sisters, and yet one more with her parents.

No matter how she reacted, he found her appealing. "Sorry, Crystal. I appreciate the invitation, but

I'm going to be busy."

Undaunted, Crystal asked, "Doing what?"

Before Eve could start groaning again, Dean explained, "Checking out property. I was hoping you

could give me some leads."

Crystal perked right up at that. "Leads for what?"

"Anything that's in need of cosmetic repair. I want something that I can fix up and sel for a profit."

That deflated her. "You're not moving here?"

"No." He could feel Eve's tension as she shifted restlessly beside him. "I move around a lot, so I don't real y settle, in any one place."

Accepting that, Crystal asked, "You're experienced in flipping houses?"

"It's what I do when I'm not training for a fight."

After digging into her purse. Crystal handed him a business card. "Come by the office tomorrow,

say around noon? I'l have some spec sheets ready for you to look over, maybe see if anything

appeals to you."

Sliding the card into his back pocket. Dean nodded. "Thanks. I'l be there."

"Where are you staying in the meantime?" Ted asked.

"The Cross Streets Motel."

Mark made a face. "That's another of Roger's properties. He's involved with Cam."

"We've met." But Dean hadn't realized that Roger owned the motel. He wasn't sure if it mattered to him or not. He'd have to think about it more when he wasn't edgy with lust.

Both Crystal and Ted looked ready to launch into more discussions, but Eve loudly announced,

"Time to go," and began shooing her family to the door and out into the storm.

They left with some good-natured ribbing, more invitations, and a few laughs. Al in al , Dean found

them to be friendly and familiar, as if the love they shared gave way to certain liberties.

Eve turned on a porch light, then waited at the door as her family raced through the rain to the car.

After they al settled inside the vehicle, she waved one last time, closed the door, and locked it.

"Sorry about that." She rested back against the door. "My family isn't usual y so intrusive."

Dean felt new tension in the air, and this time it was sexual. "Do you real y expect me to believe

that?"

She laughed. "No." Avoiding his gaze, she pushed away from the door and headed toward the

kitchen. "They can be a real pain, but they mean wel . I hope they didn't put you off."

"Not a chance." He watched her pick up two empty beer bottles on the way out of the room.

Over her shoulder, she asked, "So if you're buying property, you can't be planning to rush off any

time too soon, right?"

Dean refused to paint himself into a corner with statements that he might regret later. He didn't yet

know enough about his sisters, about what problems Cam might have or why Jacki rebel ed, to make

any final decisions. Until he figured things out, he didn't know what he wanted to do. Buying a house to

flip seemed a good delaying tactic until then. "Maybe. I haven't decided yet."

"I hope you do stick around for while." She went to the sink and rinsed a dish.

"Yeah?"

"Cam and Jacki could real y use your help."

Dean came up behind her. With his hands at her waist, he leaned down and nuzzled behind her ear.

"For the last time," he murmured, "I'm not that kind of brother."

Going stiff, Eve glared over her shoulder at him. "Then what kind of brother are you?"

"Right now, being a brother is the furthest thing from my mind." He enjoyed the feel of her through the soft cotton of her sundress, the way her breath caught, how she trembled the tiniest bit.

Touching another damp kiss to the side of her neck, Dean whispered, "Tonight, I'm more interested

in you."

THE time of reckoning. Eve thought. She'd teased Dean, led him on—and now she'd get the payoff.

Oh boy. She just hoped she could handle him.

Pasting on a smile, she said, "Dean," and started to turn. She didn't get very far.

One big warm hand settled on her bel y and his hips moved in closer to her behind, pinning her in

place against the counter.

"Yeah?" The whisper of his breath in her ear sent shivers down her spine. "Do you know I've been thinking about this, about you, al day? I've been damn near obsessed. I've been half-hard. I've had a

hel of a time concentrating on anything or anyone else." His fingers contracted, sort of stroking her stomach, kneading her.

Eve stared out the kitchen window over her sink, not real y seeing the storm or the bending trees or

even the violent flashes of lightning.

On every level, in every nerve of her body, she sizzled with awareness of him. "Me, too."

"Good to know." He skimmed his lips along the nape of her neck to her ear, caught the lobe between his teeth and teased with his tongue. Her eyes felt heavy before she closed them completely.

But shutting out her sight only heightened her other senses to his nearness and to his obvious intent

to devastate her.

By aligning his long legs outside hers and crowding closer, he surrounded her with his strength and

size, his indescribable scent. Masculine heat touched al along her back, making her muscles weak.

He kept his hands busy with casual but enticing strokes.

Eve felt enclosed by him, wary of his potent effect on her. At the same time, she wanted more, of his

touch, of his kiss, of
him.

Resting her head back on his chest, her heart thumping madly, Eve admitted, "This is very odd,

Dean."

"How's that?" His fingers on her bel y continued to cuddle her, teasing, threatening to move lower without actual y doing so.

It was diabolical on his part, because now she could only think of how to get him to touch her when

moments before she'd been pondering ways to hold him off.

Using his free hand, Dean lifted her hair away, baring more of her throat before cupping his hand

over her shoulder in a very gentle bond.

He opened his mouth over the delicate skin where her neck and shoulder met-—and sucked on her.

"Oh God."

"Do you taste this good al over?"

The way he asked that, his voice rich and deep with insinuation, had Eve groaning. He was good.

Too good. She couldn't understand him or her reaction. "How are you doing this?"

"This?" Trailing his tongue along her neck, he left a damp, sizzling path to her ear, where he dipped inside, then breathed softly, "Or this?" He pressed his fingers lower— so close—but stopped short of actual satisfaction.

Damn it, she wasn't a timid woman. She wasn't a woman afraid to address her own needs. In past

relationships, she'd been plenty vocal—without near the results.

Right now, with very little effort on Dean's part, he had her primed, as if they'd been indulging in the

most intimate foreplay for an hour. "This is insane."

"Because you enjoy me touching you?" He slipped his other hand over her shoulder, down her

upper arm. and onto her breast.

She sucked in a startled breath. "Yes."

"Just relax, Eve."

"I'm relaxed."

His husky laugh teased along her nerve endings. "No you're not. You're fighting me."

How the hel could he tel ?

Dean held her breast, but he wasn't actively involved in exciting her. That is, he wasn't groping,

prodding, exploring. Her nipple puckered tightly against the soft material of her dress, but he didn't rub her, didn't even seem to notice or care. He just left his hand there while he continued to kiss her

shoulder and neck and throat.

He showed such a complete and utter lack of haste that she began to have a few doubts.

Until he pressed a solid erection against her derriere. "You are so petite."

He somehow made that sound like a smooth compliment.

"Dean, wait."

Rather than argue or press her, he said, "Okay," and propped his chin on the top of her head. "Do you want to talk?"

Damn him. Eve could barely breathe and it wasn't fair. He sounded total y unaffected. But she knew

he couldn't be. Maybe it was time for her to regain some control. "Yes, talking would be good."

"I'm okay with that. What do you want to talk about?"

She needed something to throw him off stride, something that he wasn't expecting. She went with an

honest concern. "Where's this headed?"

For only a brief instant, his arms hugged her in a way that seemed whol y affectionate. "With any

luck and a little cooperation on your part, I'd say a screaming orgasm."

Oh God. Eve had the feeling he needed neither luck, nor her cooperation, to make it happen. Not

with the way she felt right now.

Needing to regain herself after his bold statement, she closed her eyes. When she thought she

could speak with a modicum of strength, she replied. "I meant... al of this. Notjustthesex."

Becoming thoughtful, Dean tilted his head down to see her profile. "It's probably too soon to say.

Where did you want it to go?"

She swal owed. He'd just put it al back on her. "I don't know, either. But I'm not in the habit of jumping into bed with men."

"Then I count myself lucky."

She ignored that. "It's just that you've taken me by surprise and I'm not real y being myself. That is, I usual y don't let things move so quickly."

"Hmmm." He propped his chin back atop her head. "So what habits do you have with men?"

She couldn't quite bring herself to turn and face him. He had to be annoyed with her about-face.

Never mind that he sounded merely curious. He had to be irate.

"Dating." Yeah, that sounded reasonable. "I just met you last night, Dean. We haven't even

socialized beyond a little smal talk with other people around. There's so much I don't know about

you."

Something changed in his voice. "Are you asking me to leave?"

"No."
She'd col apse in disappointment if he walked out on her right now. "But..."

"But you want to date, to get to know me better. After tonight, that is."

It sounded so dumb when he said it. But she wouldn't back down now. "Yes."

"Okay. I can handle that." As if hoping to soothe her, he kept his hands stil . "How about a movie tomorrow?"

His easy compliance blew her away. "A movie?"

"Yeah." His thumb coasted over her nipple and she nearly jumped out of her skin. He kept stroking, maybe to ensure he'd get the answer he wanted. "There any movie theaters in this little redneck

town?"

The light movement of his thumb over her nipple, so casual and almost. .. careless, made coherent

thought nearly impossible. "Yes."

"Anything good playing?" Both hands settled on her breasts, heavy and warm, and Eve had to stiffen her legs to support her own weight. "By good, I mean something kick ass or scary. No chick flicks. I

can't stand them."

Eyes closed and hands clenched, Eve shook her head and said, "I don't know."

"I'l check into it. Maybe we could do dinner, too." His mouth touched her temple, and using both hands, he tugged gently on her nipples. "I can't dance though. Chalk that up as another of my many

flaws."

Why wouldn't he just shut up and let her enjoy the way he made her feel?

"You know, Eve, I'm not sure you're real y listening to me."

Eve could hear the teasing in his voice, and she knew that he toyed with her on purpose. It infuriated

her.

She mustered up the strength to put him in his place, and he whispered, "I think I know why." He kissed her cheek. "You need release, don't you?"

Every muscle in her body clenched in expectation. She couldn't answer. She couldn't even nod.

"Do you want to come now, Eve?"

A moan must have been answer enough for him.

His right hand pressed between her legs, and the pulsing of building pleasure bloomed.

Dean made a hungry sound as he cupped her through the material of her dress and panties.

Fingers searching, he explored her—-and pushed her closer to the edge at the same time.

"Very nice, Eve. I can feel how hot you are." He trailed his fingers in and up, and even through her clothes, he found her swol en clitoris. After a throaty growl, he whispered, "This dress isn't much of a barrier, and I doubt that your panties are either. But I'd rather there be no barriers at al ."