It's You That I Need Page 3

  It took only a few minutes to finish. “Thanks. Let me get a shower and we can go.”

  “Okay. Think about where you want to eat.”

  He nodded and watched as she backed out of the room and closed the door behind her. Instead of immediately showering, he took the time to call Damian.

  “What’s up, bro?” Kyle said when Damian answered.

  “Hey, man. Did you guys finish up with the training yesterday?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And did you finish with that woman who couldn’t keep her eyes off you,” Damian asked with a chuckle.

  Kyle groaned. “Please don’t remind me about her. She and her friend who set up the training invited us to dinner, supposedly as a thank you. Yet she spent the entire time letting me know in every way imaginable that she was single and more than willing to follow me home.”

  “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

  So did he. As Troy pointed out last night, Kyle had declared two decades ago that he had no intentions of ever settling down, not when there were so many beautiful women out there. But somewhere along the way, that was starting to change.

  “Kyle?”

  “I’m here.”

  “You didn’t answer. Is something going on? You met someone new?”

  He, Damian and Troy had been friends for most of their lives and were as close as brothers. As a result, they knew him well. “I haven’t met another woman.” Just the same woman who he couldn’t stop thinking about. “I have to talk to you and Karen about something. Melissa—”

  “I know you aren’t going to start messing over her again.”

  “I didn’t mess over her the last time,” Kyle said tightly. “She ended it. Anyway, what I was going to say is someone has been sending her threatening notes and she called me. She hasn’t told Karen, but thinks it’s the father of one of their students. You guys going to be around tomorrow so we can stop by?”

  “Stop by? You’re here?”

  “Yes.”

  Damian burst out laughing. “I don’t believe it.”

  He frowned. “What’s so funny?”

  “You. Yeah, we’ll be here. I won’t say anything to Karen until you get here. You know how worried she gets.”

  “That’s why Melissa didn’t tell her. With the baby and all, she didn’t want Karen to be unnecessarily stressed. But I don’t want her to be blindsided by this idiot.”

  “On that we agree. If he comes for my wife, it’ll be the last thing he does.”

  They discussed a time and ended the call. He sat for a moment and thought about Damian’s last statement. He had already acknowledged his feelings for Melissa went far deeper than just the physical, but would he protect her as fiercely as Damian would Karen? The answer came back a resounding yes.

  Chapter 3

  Melissa woke up early Sunday morning and lay in bed staring at the ceiling. After they had returned from dinner last evening, Kyle said good night and retreated to the guest bedroom. She didn’t know what she expected, but other than a comforting kiss on the cheek or forehead, he had shown no other affection. She was admittedly disappointed because, truthfully, she’d missed him. Over the past several months she had been tempted to call him, but thought it best to leave things as they were. Her mind went back to his comment when she invited him to stay. A shadow had crossed his face and he seemed almost hurt. But that would mean… Melissa shook her head. The possibility that Kyle might have feelings for her was just wishful thinking on her part.

  The joy radiating from Karen when she talked about Damian or her impending motherhood had affected Melissa more than she could have ever dreamed. And at thirty-four, she was a heartbeat away from being in the high-risk category when it came to pregnancy. She grabbed a pillow and put it over her face to muffle a groan. The last thing she needed to be thinking about was having a baby, especially since she had no real prospects for a husband or father.

  Melissa listened for sounds of Kyle moving around, but assumed he was still asleep since she heard nothing. Memories flooded her brain of his warm, hard body lying next to her, the gentle stroke of his hand against her skin, and the feel of him buried deep inside her giving her the most intense orgasms of her life. Not wanting to travel any further down memory lane, she flipped the covers back and headed for the bathroom.

  Fifteen minutes later, dressed in a pair of jeans and long-sleeved top, Melissa went to make coffee. She stopped short at the sight of Kyle standing at the counter in front of the coffee maker wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts. The muscles of his upper back and arms flexed with each movement as he went about the task. She wanted nothing more than to run her hands over his firm, walnut-brown skin followed by her tongue. His voice snapped her out of her lustful thoughts.

  Without turning, Kyle said, “So, how long are you going to stand there and stare?”

  She hadn’t made a sound. “How did you know I was standing here?”

  He turned his head slightly and let his gaze roam over her. “I just know. You want coffee?”

  She crossed the room and went to the refrigerator. “Sure. I’ll make breakfast.”

  “I’ll help,” he said, gently taking the eggs and milk from her hands.

  Melissa shifted her surprised gaze to his. He had never volunteered to cook when they were seeing each other. In his defense, food wasn’t the first thing on the menu during their visits, and when they did eat, it was mostly takeout. However, she had cooked breakfast a few times.

  “What? I can cook. And breakfast happens to be my specialty.”

  “It’s not that.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “Nothing,” she said reaching back into the refrigerator for bacon and smoked sausage. “You want toast?”

  “I’d rather have waffles if you have a waffle iron and some syrup.”

  Again, she stared. “You’re going to make waffles? From scratch?”

  Kyle chuckled. “Yes, unless you don’t like them. I can make pancakes instead, if you want.”

  “No, no, the waffles are fine.” She retrieved the appliance, directed him to the ingredients he requested then busied herself with the bacon and sausage.

  Thirty minutes later, they served themselves and brought their plates to the table. Kyle went back for the coffee and took a seat on the other side of the table.

  Melissa took a moment to silently recite a short blessing before cutting into her waffle. She moaned. “This is really good.”

  He grinned and tossed her a wink. “Told you.”

  “You never mentioned you could cook.”

  “You never asked.” He lifted his eyes to meet hers. “And I was far more interested in other things.”

  She nearly choked on her coffee. The tone of his voice and the heat in his dark eyes made her nipples tighten and her core throb. She squeezed her thighs together and tried to focus on her breakfast. I am not going to fall back into a casual affair with this man. Maybe if she repeated it enough, she’d be able to resist. They ate in silence for the next few minutes.

  “I called my buddy and he’d like to come by and talk to you around eleven, if that’s okay.”

  For a short time, she’d forgotten about the note. “It’s fine,” she mumbled.

  Kyle stood and came around to her side of the table. He ran a finger down her cheek and tilted her chin. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Bending low, he placed a tender kiss on her lips. “I promise.” He returned to his seat and picked up his fork.

  Melissa’s eyes slid closed. The sweetness of his kiss poured through her like molasses and challenged her to remain unmoved. She opened her eyes to find him eating as if nothing had happened. How could he be so calm when all she wanted was for him to finish what he started? If he said the word, they would be in her bed before either of them could blink. She managed to finish her breakfast and stood to take her plate to the sink. “If you just leave your plate there, I’ll take care of it,” she called over her shoulder. Seconds
later, she felt his heat. He moved his body flush against hers and reached around to place his plate in the sink. She sucked in a sharp breath.

  “I can help you wash these up real quick.”

  “No, that’s okay,” Melissa rushed to say. “There are only a few. It’ll take me five minutes. You can just relax. Or call Damian to see whether he and Karen will be home. You said you wanted to drive over.”

  “I already called. He said they’d be around this evening.”

  “Oh.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Why?”

  “You seem a little uncomfortable this morning. Did I do something?”

  Why does he know me so well? She laughed to cover her nervousness. “No, I’m fine. We’ve known each other too long for me to be uncomfortable around you.” Melissa ran water in the sink, added liquid soap and focused on scrubbing the dishes. He slid his arms around her waist and her hands stilled.

  Kyle trailed kisses along her jaw and neck. “Glad to hear it,” he murmured.

  Before she could say anything, he withdrew, turned and walked out of the kitchen. Melissa braced her forearms on the sink and drew in several steadying breaths. Perhaps if she slept with him one more time, she’d get him out of her system. Yeah, right, her inner voice taunted.

  ***

  The police officer rang the doorbell at exactly eleven. “Ms. Tucker?” he said when Melissa opened the door.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Detective Carlos Miller. I spoke with Kyle and he said you’d be available to talk to me for a few minutes regarding some threats you’ve received.”

  “Yes. Please come in.” She took a step back and bumped into Kyle.

  His hands came up to steady her. “Sorry, baby,” he murmured close to her ear. “Hey, Carlos.” The two men shook hands.

  “Good to see you again, Kyle.”

  Melissa led them to the living room. “Have a seat, Detective Miller. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No, thank you,” he said, choosing one of the armchairs.

  She sat on the sofa and Kyle lowered himself next to her.

  “I spoke with the officers who handled your case regarding the first two notes, and they were just warnings to stay away from a family, correct?” the detective asked.

  Melissa nodded. “Yes.”

  “Tell me about this latest note.”

  She pointed to the note that was still on the table from the previous night. “This is it.” He leaned forward to read it, but just like Kyle, didn’t touch it.

  “Has anyone else touched this besides you?”

  “No.”

  He nodded. “And this is about a family you visited?”

  “I believe so.” Melissa told him about going over to the Nelson’s, the bruises on the mother and son and her subsequent call to the police. He asked several more questions and took notes. At Kyle’s prodding, she also explained what had happened at the women’s center.

  “I’ll check to see if he’s still locked up. If you pressed charges, more than likely he is. And you said the family is staying with his sister?”

  “She came to pick them up yesterday.”

  “Is there anything else you can think of, any other run-ins at the school or center?”

  Melissa thought for a moment, but couldn’t come up with any other person who would have a reason to be angry with her. “No. There’s no one else.”

  The detective donned a glove, placed the note in an evidence bag, and then stood. “I’ll see what this turns up and let you know.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kyle rose to his feet. “I appreciate your help, Carlos.”

  “No problem. I hear you’re still consulting with the department back in Charlotte. As much as you’re out here, you should give some thought to taking up your shield again.”

  “I don’t think helping out with some training from time to time constitutes consulting. Besides, I like being my own boss,” Kyle said with a laugh.

  Carlos smiled. “I hear you, my brother. See you later. Ms. Tucker, nice meeting you. I’ll be in touch.”

  Kyle saw the Detective Miller out and came back to where she still sat. “How you doing, Lissa Raye?”

  She smiled inwardly at the nickname he’d given her once she told him her middle name. “Okay, I guess. He’s very thorough. The other officers didn’t ask half the questions Detective Miller did.”

  He reclaimed his seat and reached for her hand. “That’s why I called him. He’s one of the best and that’s what we need. I don’t like the tone of that note and Carlos will get to the bottom of it, hopefully sooner than later.”

  “I hope so, too.”

  The thought that someone was actually threatening her life scared Melissa more than she cared to admit. And by the time they made it over to Karen and Damian’s, she wasn’t at all comfortable drawing Karen into this mess.

  Karen answered the door with a knowing smile. “Hey, Melissa. Hey, Kyle. Melissa, you didn’t tell me Kyle was coming to see you,” she said as she led them to the living room.

  “I didn’t know he was coming.” Melissa tried to ignore the sly smile on her friend’s face.

  Karen arched an eyebrow and folded her arms. She divided her gaze between Melissa and Kyle, and her smile widened. “Is that right?”

  Thankfully, Damian entered the room before Karen could comment further. “Hey, Melissa.” He bent and kissed her cheek.

  “Hey, Damian.”

  Damian brought Kyle in for a one-arm hug. “What’s up, bro?”

  “It’s all good.” Kyle kissed Karen’s cheek. “You’re looking good, little mama. How are you feeling?”

  Karen laughed. “I feel great now that all that morning sickness is gone. What are you doing in town? I thought you weren’t going to be back until Christmas.”

  Melissa and Kyle shared a look and sat on the loveseat opposite Karen and Damian.

  “What’s going on?” Karen asked warily.

  “Remember when I reported Mr. Nelson a couple of weeks ago?” Melissa started.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, since then someone has been leaving notes on my car warning me to stay away from his family.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to give you anything else to worry about, but now—”

  “But now, what?” Karen asked with concern, leaning forward.

  Damian placed an arm around his wife’s shoulders and eased her back. “Relax, baby.”

  “But now it’s escalated beyond a simple warning to stay away,” Kyle finished.

  “He threatened you, Melissa?”

  The mounting apprehension in Karen’s voice made Melissa question, once again, why they needed to tell Karen. “Yes, but I don’t want you worrying. It’s probably nothing. He’s just trying to scare me. The police know about it and I’m sure it’ll all blow over in a couple of days. Besides, Jamie was at school on Friday, so everything will be fine.” She cut a look at Kyle, who ignored her.

  “Contrary to what Melissa said, this is serious and we’re treating it as such. You all are still following the safety procedures we put in place, right?”

  Karen nodded. “Now with all the craziness going on, the district has assigned police officers to all the schools who stop in a couple times a week.”

  “Good. I’ll make a point of introducing myself when I bring Melissa this week.”

  “You’re bringing Melissa?”

  Kyle nodded. “And taking her home.”

  “And I’ll be coming to make sure you get home,” Damian said to Karen. “Especially on the days you stay late. And before either of you try to argue, understand that this is non-negotiable.”

  Melissa studied the determined expressions on both Kyle and Damian’s faces and knew arguing would be a waste of time. On one hand, she didn’t think the situation warranted all this bodyguard stuff, but on the other, no man had ever stood up for her like this and she found the aspect of havin
g a champion rather nice.

  “Well, now that you two knights have drawn up the battle plans,” Karen said drolly, “we’ll leave you two to hash out the details. I’m going to start dinner. Come on, Melissa.”

  Damian stood, helped Karen to her feet and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

  The love between them was palpable and Melissa felt a touch of envy. She hazarded a glimpse at Kyle and found his eyes waiting. He didn’t say a word, but reached up and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

  Karen started in as soon as they’d reached the kitchen. “So, Kyle just showed up at your house without calling?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did he know about the note?”

  “I called him Friday evening, but I didn’t expect him to just show up. I thought he’d call back and give me some guidance about what to do.”

  “But, of course he didn’t do that,” she said with a smile.

  “No. I opened my door yesterday afternoon and he was standing there.”

  Karen pumped her fist in the air. “I love it! I told you he was feeling a little more for you, that you weren’t just a booty call.”

  Melissa rolled her eyes. “I doubt it. I’m sure he probably wants to pick up where we left off, and I don’t want to go back to that kind of relationship again.”

  “Who says that’s what he wants? Did you ask him?”

  “Of course not. And I know him. Besides, he told me he had no plans to settle down anytime soon.”

  “We all know plans can change. And Kyle’s plans have definitely changed. No man is going to hop on a plane unannounced to fly across the country less than twenty-four hours after a call if he doesn’t care about the woman. I saw the way he was looking at you, and I’m telling you that man is on a mission.”

  “Right. A mission to help me with find out who left those notes,” Melissa countered.

  “Hmph. All that did was give him the push he needed to embark on his real mission, which is you.”

  “Whatever. Anyway, we weren’t planning to stay for dinner. I don’t want you to put yourself out.”

  Karen waved her off. “Girl, please. It’s no big deal. We’re having something simple—honey and lime marinated chicken breast, wild rice, salad and french bread.”