Spontaneous - Brenda Jackson [36]
Kim frowned. “But if that’s true and there is a possibility there was another man involved, then…”
She stopped talking, hoping Duan was following her train of thoughts. He was.
“That means if there was another man involved, then that man could very well be the person behind her disappearance,” Duan replied. “Remember, we’ve never said Villarosas is guilty of any crime, but he is under suspicion.”
“With the scenario you just presented, I don’t know how he can be a suspect, Duan. What if the man at the club is the same man she went to meet? He would be the main suspect, wouldn’t he?”
Duan nodded. “Yes and no. There’re still a lot of gray areas. That’s why we’re looking into all the possibilities. Just remember, it wasn’t the first case that roused Landon’s suspicions because he never worked that one. It was the second case and now we have access to both. And we’re going to proceed as if Edward is innocent until proven guilty, or at least until we can establish a motive.”
“And if Mom insists on marrying him before then?”
“Then we’ll level with her and tell her our suspicions.
But as I told you, chances are she might not want to believe that he’s capable of harming anyone. And you need to apprise me of everyone your mother might be inviting to the breakfast this morning so there won’t be any surprises. I don’t want to be caught off guard about anything. You can school me on the drive over.”
“Okay.”
“And remember, no matter what, we’re a team.”
She smiled. “I’ll remember.”
Duan glanced at the clock on the wall. “Ready to take a shower?” he asked, heading in the direction of the bathroom.
“You go ahead, I need to call the hospital and check on someone who came through E.R. Thursday, a little boy who’d gotten bitten by a poisonous snake. They were flying in the anti-venom and I want to see how he’s doing.”
“Okay.” He turned to enter the bathroom and then stopped to look back at her. As if he needed to taste her again, he walked over and pulled her into his arms, covering her mouth with his.
Unlike the one earlier, this kiss was unexpected, spontaneous, and sensations immediately flooded Kim’s body. The breath she’d been about to take was reduced to a shudder. His tongue was making a quick but thorough study of her mouth and the tip of his finger was making erotic circles on her back. She needed this. She wanted this. And he was giving it to her in perfect measure, using his tongue to stroke her into tranquility, to give her the peace and calm she needed at that moment.
Reluctantly, he pulled back and released her. He held her gaze for a moment, and then without saying a single word he crossed the room to the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
11
“SO, HOW DID YOU AND Kim meet?”
Duan smiled down at Aunt Gert, who appeared to be in her early sixties. Kim had warned him that her aunt would ask a lot of questions. And she was right.
Breakfast had become a Saturday-morning brunch outside on the terrace. Wynona and Aunt Gert had done most of the cooking, and Duan had to agree the women were great cooks. He couldn’t help noticing that Edward had avoided him most of the morning, but was in Kim’s face every chance he got.
“Kim and I met when her best friend Sherri, whom I’m sure you know, became engaged to my brother Terrence,” he answered truthfully.
“So, was it love at first sight?” Aunt Gert asked with a hopeful look on her face.
He was inclined to agree with her on that. “Let’s just say there were a lot of things about Kim that drew me to her. Things I definitely liked and admired.” He took a sip of iced tea. Kim had said her Aunt Gert was a die-hard romantic and she was right. The woman was really taking this all in.
He glanced across the room at Kim. She was talk ing to a man she had introduced earlier as her mother’s neighbor, Benjamin Sanders, whom she fondly called Mr. Bennie.
Duan suddenly realized just how true the statement was that he’d made to Aunt Gert. There had been a number of things he’d liked about Kim right off