Brothers of TDT, #1
ISBN:
9781492646983
Pub
Date: April 4, 2017
Genre:
Contemporary
Xavier Whitted, CPA and city council candidate is excited to get
away to the Crystal Coast for his best friend’s wedding. He is shocked when he
runs into his high school sweetheart there, the only woman he ever truly loved.
Dr. Imani Grant is just about ready
to open her own dermatology practice when a serious wrench is put in her
plans—in the form of Xavier Whitted. Old feelings resurface along with old
secrets from the past. Imani isn’t willing to go there, until Xavier starts a
new campaign: win Imani back—no matter what it takes.
EXCERPT:
There are lots of ways to say “I love you,” but which actions are part of Imani and Xavier’s love language?
Twice a week, Imani brings Xavier lunch and eats with him.
*******
Xavier stepped to the
glass door and swung it open. “After you, Imani.”
She stepped outside, and
immediately lamented the loss of air conditioning. The air was thick with the
heat and humidity customary for early summer in North Carolina. The tart aroma
of the salty waters lying just beyond the hotel property permeated the air.
Lush tropical plants filled the small courtyard, some blooming with
bright-colored flowers. In the center of it all, three stepping stones led to a
wrought iron bench positioned among the leaves and vines.
He sat, patted the empty
space next to him. “Come sit with me. I won’t bite unless you ask me to.”
The sexy wink he threw
her made her traitorous nipples pebble again beneath her dress. Ignoring her
body’s reaction as best she could, she eased into the spot.
Gently, he draped his arm
around her bare shoulders.
The feel of his touch
radiated through her, the growing warmth inside her far exceeding the
temperature of the sultry June night. Being in his arms again didn’t feel
foreign, the way it should have after so many years. His touch felt as natural
and familiar as her own heartbeat. She noticed the rapid pace of her breathing,
and wondered if he noticed it as well.
The low timbre of his
voice broke the silence. “If I’m making you uncomfortable, just say so. That’s
the last thing I want to do, baby.”
So he had picked up on
her nervousness. She shook her head. While her mind told her not to let him get
behind her defenses, her heart didn’t want him to withdraw his touch. Instead,
she answered him, but kept her eyes directed at her lap. “No. It’s all right.”
“If you say so. I
brought you out here to talk, so let’s talk. What have you been up to these
last ten years, other than growing more beautiful?”
She felt the smile creep
over her face at the smoothly-delivered compliment. “Let’s see. I did undergrad
in biology at Spelman, then med school at Meharry, then my dermatology
certification—”
“Whoa. Are you telling
me all you’ve been doing for the last decade is being a student?”
She shrugged. “I guess
so. But I had a goal in mind, and hard work and lots of school were the only
ways to reach it.”
That drew a low,
rumbling chuckle from him. “I can’t say I’m surprised, you always were
intelligent and determined. I’m glad to see you’re accomplishing your goals.”
She took a chance and
raised her gaze to his. His rich, dark eyes held the same sincerity she’d
detected in his words. “Thank you, Xavier. I appreciate that.”
A silent moment passed
between them, their gazes connecting.
When his scrutiny became
too intense, she broke the silence. “So, uh, what have you been up to? I heard
from Mama that you’re doing a lot of good work in the community.”
A broad smile spread
across his face. “I’m glad to know Ma Alma speaks of me so highly. When I’m not
in the office handling the books for my clients, I volunteer at a youth center
in the old neighborhood, and I do a little work at Second Harvest Food Bank
from time to time. I’m no saint, but I do what I can for the community.”
Listening to him talk about
his good works in such a modest way, she realized he still had a wonderful
heart. In the few weeks she’d been home, her mother had gone on and on about
Xavier’s activism. As an all-star athlete and scholar in high school, he could
have chosen any career path he’d wanted. But instead of taking some
high-paying, high-profile position, he’d chosen to make a modest living so that
he could give back to the community that had nurtured him as a child. Yes,
Xavier Whitted was a rare bird, and if the look in his eyes were any
indication, he was ready to build a nest.
There, beneath his
searching gaze, she could feel her very soul opening up. Once upon a time,
she’d been certain she’d marry this man. Now, she felt like an inexperienced
adolescent. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t look away from him.
The heartbreak she’d
suffered at Xavier’s hands had colored her perception of men. He’d been her
first love, and had shown her a first glimpse of real pain. Maybe she should
thank him for that, because it had allowed her to focus on her goals, rather
than be consumed by chasing after a suitable mate.
“Imani, I’m going to
kiss you. Is that all right?”
She heard his soft
words, and even as her brain yelled at her to back away before she lost her
heart to him a second time, no words would come. All she could manage was to
look into the endless pools of his eyes.
An instant later, his
lips touched hers. The sweetness of his kiss and the buttery softness of his
lips made her eyes shut. Her body overtook her brain once again, and she
pressed herself closer to him. He pulled her close, surrounding her with his
strong arms, and she loved it, God help her. The kiss deepened, and as his
skilled tongue stroked against the interior of her mouth, she felt her insides
melting down into her shoes like hot wax.
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