A Little Dare - Brenda Jackson [29]
Over the past ten years he had dated a number of women. His sister Delaney had even painted him and his brothers as womanizers. But he felt that was as far from the truth as it could be. After he and Shelly had broken up, he’d been very selective about what women he wanted in his bed. For years he had looked for Shelly’s replacement, only to discover such a woman didn’t exist. He hadn’t met a woman who would hold a light to her, and he’d accepted that and moved on. The women he’d slept with had been there for the thrill, the adventure, but all he’d gotten was the agony of defeat upon realizing that none could make him feel in bed the way he’d always felt with Shelly. Oh, he had experienced pleasure, but not the kind that made you pound your chest with your fists and holler out for more. Not the kind that compelled you to go ahead and remain inside her body since another orgasm was there on the horizon. And not the kind you could still shudder from days later, just thinking about it.
He could only get those feelings with Shelly.
Closing his eyes, Dare remembered how she had broken off their kiss and the words she’d said before he’d left her house. “You’re AJ’s father, but what was between us is over and has been for years. To me you’re just another man.”
He sighed deeply and reopened his eyes. If Shelly believed that then she was wrong. Granted, AJ was their main concern, but what she didn’t know and what he wouldn’t tell her just yet was that his mission also included her. He hadn’t realized until she had walked into his office two days ago that his life had been without direction for ten years. Seeing her, finding out about AJ and knowing that he and Shelly were still attracted to each other made him want something he thought he would never have again.
Peace and happiness.
The buzzer interrupted his thoughts. Leaning forwarding he pushed the button for the speaker-phone. “Yeah, Holly, what is it?”
“That Brockman kid is here, Sheriff. Do you want me to send him in?”
Dare again sighed deeply. “Yes, send him in.”
Dare felt AJ watching him. The kid had been doing so off and on since he’d finished the chores he’d been assigned and had come into his office to sit at a table in the corner and finish his homework.
Dare had sat behind his desk, reading over various reports. The only sound in the room was AJ turning the pages of his science book and Dare shuffling the pages of the report. More than once Dare had glanced up and caught the kid looking at him, as if he were a puzzle he was trying to figure out. As soon as he’d been caught staring, the kid had quickly lowered his eyes.
Dare wondered what was going through AJ’s mind now that he knew he was his father? The only reason Dare could come up with as to why he’d been studying him so intently was that he was trying to find similarities in their features. They were there. Even Holly had noticed them, although she hadn’t said anything, merely moving her gaze between Dare and AJ several times before comprehension appeared on her face.
Dare glanced up and caught AJ staring again and decided to address the issue. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
AJ glanced up from his science book and glared at him. “What makes you think something is wrong?”
Dare shrugged. “Because I’ve caught you staring several times today like I’ve suddenly grown two heads or something.”
He saw the corners of AJ lips being forced not to smile. “I hate being here. Why couldn’t I just go home after I finished everything I had to do instead of hanging around here?”
“Because your punishment was to come here for an hour after school and I intend to get my hour. Besides, if I let you leave earlier, you might think I’m turning soft.”
“That will be the day,” AJ mumbled.
Dare chuckled and went back to reading his reports.
“Is Thorn Westmoreland really your brother?”
Dare lifted his head and gazed back across the room at AJ. My brother and your uncle, he wanted to say. Instead he responded by asking.