I'll Stand by You Read online

  She hesitated, but took the money anyway. She didn’t have a choice, but being indebted to anyone wasn’t a good feeling.

  “And here is my ID. Just let them know I’m vouching for you. I’ve been living in the complex for a while, so they know me.”

  “Thanks,” she replied, taking the card. “I’ll be sure to pay you back.”

  “A few dollars won’t leave me broke. It’s not every day that I get to help a damsel in distress.”

  She stepped from the car, glad to be away from the stifling confines and the close proximity to Darren.

  She proceeded into the building and in five minutes she was out again, his twenty-dollar loan in the office’s coffers.

  When he saw her, he smiled, a smile she’d already grown accustomed to. The smile was in keeping with his witty, laid-back personality.

  She opened the door and stepped into the car, showing him the key she’d had to purchase.

  “Good, you had enough money.”

  She nodded, handing him the bills she’d not used.

  “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “A home-cooked meal would be fine,” he replied, laughter in his eyes.

  “Sure,” she responded casually. She didn’t think he was serious anyway.

  “So what about tonight?” he asked.

  She turned her head to face him as he started the car and pulled onto the street.

  “You’re serious?” she asked.

  “Of course I am. Why would you think I’m not?”

  “Don’t know. Maybe it’s the way you said it.”

  “The way I said it?”

  She paused, trying to find the right words.

  “Cat got your tongue?” he teased.

  “I’m generally not at a loss for words, but you seem to have this strange effect on me,” she admitted.

  “I do seem to have an effect on women,” he replied. There was no trace of pride or arrogance in his voice. He’d said it with the confidence of a man who knew who he was and didn’t need to boast.

  “So, how about dinner? If you can’t cook, that’s fine. You can order pizza. I don’t want you for your cooking. Just your body.”

  She stared at him, not sure if he was being serious or poking fun at her. But his eyes twinkled and he laughed.

  His smile disappeared when he noticed her serious expression.

  “I’m sorry. I know I can be annoying at times,” he admitted. “But I do want to have dinner with you. Just dinner,” he repeated.

  When he stepped into her condo fifteen minutes later, she could tell that he was impressed by what he saw.

  She’d decorated her new home just how she wanted it. It was an artistic blend of contemporary and classic that had somehow come together. She hoped it reflected her personality.

  “I like,” he said, nodding his appreciation, “very much.”

  “I’m surprised,” she replied. “I didn’t expect you to be the artistic type.”

  “I studied art in college.”

  His admission was a surprise but she was sure that his interest in art had nothing to do with his job.

  “So what do you do for a living?” he asked.

  She hesitated briefly before she answered. “I’m a firefighter.”

  He whistled loudly, surprising her with his enthusiastic reaction. It felt strange. Men didn’t usually react to her career choice that way. In fact, most of them would have already raced out the door.

  “That’s awesome,” he said. “That’s what I wanted to be when I was growing up. It must be fascinating!”

  “Sometimes, but it’s hard work.”

  “Your parents must be really supportive. My mom would have given birth to a cow if I’d attempted to do something like that.”

  “I assure you, mine were not at all enthused when I made the announcement. It took a while for them to accept my decision, but they have been really supportive ever since. They’ve always told us that we must go after our own dreams.”

  “I’m sure they regretted making that statement.”

  “You don’t know the half of it.”

  “You said us. You have brothers and sisters?”

  “Just brothers. Three, in fact,” she replied. “I also call them my jailors. They are obsessed with protecting me.”

  “What’s wrong with them wanting to protect you?” he asked.

  “I have no problem with them being brothers, but when it goes to the extreme, it becomes a problem. Since my twin brothers decided to study in New York, they’re still at home and are driving me crazy. Maxwell, fortunately, moved out when he got married, but he, too, can be a bit too protective of all of us. That’s the main reasons I finally had to move out. I needed my independence and my own space.”

  “You do seem to be a strong woman... I like that.”

  He smiled, nodding his approval. His eyes were gorgeous.

  Eboni groaned. She was beginning to use the word gorgeous a bit too much.

  But she couldn’t help it. His brown eyes tempted her with their warmth. They reminded her of the dark chocolate she loved to eat. The thought of nibbling on him was definitely appealing.

  While his eyes were dark chocolate, his skin was like smooth caramel. She could tell that he was of mixed race. His lips, though not full, were so luscious. Her body shivered as she stared at him, and he returned her gaze.

  When he moved closer and his lips covered hers, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she melted into him, her lips parting to meet his onslaught.

  He knew how to kiss. She could tell that much. While she hadn’t been in too many steady relationships, she’d locked lips more times that she could count, and Darren ranked up there with the best.

  However, something different was happening. Every nerve and fiber in her body tingled.

  She closed her eyes, savoring the unexpected feeling stirring inside. Heat coursed through her body, settling at the delicate place between her legs.

  Darren lifted her blouse. Cool air tightened her already erect nipples. He lowered his head, sucking briefly on one nipple before he tugged it gently between his teeth, causing her to call his name. He did the same with the other dusky orb and she moaned her pleasure.

  When he raised his head, an intense ache assaulted her, and she then sighed her disappointment.

  Again, he captured her lips, and her hands reached for the bulge in his pants.

  In the distance, bells began to ring and she wondered if she was hearing things.

  His body moved from against hers, startling her out of the moment.

  It was the doorbell. She scrambled up immediately, pulling her blouse down and breathing in deeply in an attempt to calm herself.

  Darren rose to his feet, his own breathing erratic.

  “Are you expecting someone?” he managed to ask.

  “No, but I have an idea who’s at the door.”

  “I’ll leave,” he responded, nodding his understanding.

  “No, wait,” she said quickly. She then tidied herself enough to walk over to the door and slowly open it.

  Chapter 2

  Eboni never failed to be amazed at the beauty of her brothers and her love for all three of them.

  However, the two facing her, Kemar and Omar, the twins, did not inspire love in her at the moment.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded. “I thought we’d agreed that you call before you dropped by.”

  “I know we did. But Omar and I were just in the neighborhood, so we knew our darling sister wouldn’t mind if we just dropped by.”

  She snorted. “Just in the neighborhood, huh? So what were you doing around here?”

  They did not respond; however, their eyes focused on Darren. Invisible arro
ws soared in his direction. And for Darren, they were definitely invisible. He seemed totally unconcerned with their presence. It fact, he seemed annoyed about the interruption.

  “Who’s he?” Omar asked, motioning with his head in Darren’s direction.

  Darren stood when she did not respond.

  “I’m Eboni’s next-door neighbor,” he politely responded.

  He stepped forward and put his hand out in greeting, but lowered it when they just stood looking at him.

  Eboni seethed.

  “There’s no need to be impolite,” she said. “You’re in my home now.”

  They had the decency to look embarrassed.

  “Sorry,” they said in unison.

  “We didn’t mean to be rude,” Omar said.

  “It was just a surprise to find someone here,” Kemar said, his expression childishly repentant. “Eboni is sort of a loner.” He lifted the bag in his hand. “We brought donuts for her. She has a sweet tooth.”

  She grabbed for the bag and opened it immediately, savoring the smell of her favorite, honey-glazed éclairs. The fact that they’d brought donuts for her lessened her anger.

  When she glanced up, she realized her brothers had moved closer to Darren.

  The interrogation was about to begin.

  She watched her brothers, as she always did, with a mixture of dread and admiration.

  Omar, the journalist-to-be, moved in slowly, while Kemar, the budding psychologist, sent question after question Darren’s way.

  However, there was something different about this situation. While they continued their questioning, little did they realize that the tables had been turned and that they were now answering Darren’s questions.

  Darren yawned. While he had remained tolerant, she could see he had finally had enough.

  “Well, gentlemen, I really don’t want to be rude but I have to be going. It was nice to meet you, boys. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  His statement and its meaning were clear. He had every intention of dropping by again.

  He turned to Eboni and smiled. “We’ll have to continue were we left off.”

  Her brothers’ eyes widened, but they said nothing, seeming still bemused by the ineffectiveness of their mission.

  Eboni followed him to the door, watching as he opened it and walked out.

  Before she could close the door behind him, he turned.

  “I mean it. We’re going to continue where we left off.”

  With that he bent his head and then placed the softest of kisses on her lips before turning to walk away.

  Closing the door softly, Eboni turned toward her brothers, not surprised to see the accusations in their eyes.

  She threw caution to the wind. Her anger boiled below the surface.

  “I think it’s time for the two of you to leave. This is the last time you’ll drop by without letting me know, or I’ll refuse to let you in.”

  “You can’t do that,” Omar countered, his eyes sparking with fire.

  “I can’t? Just you wait and see, bro. This is my home and you won’t be coming here unless I invite you.”

  She turned her back to them, walking purposely toward the door, then opened it wide and waited for them to follow.

  At first, they did not move, but realizing she was serious, they headed reluctantly to the door.

  When they reached the door, she whispered the words she always did.

  “I love you.”

  They turned to her, their expressions softening as they repeated her sentiment.

  She pushed them out the door, not waiting to see them retreat.

  Her anger had dissipated, but her frustration was still present. She wondered if their overprotectiveness was ever going to stop.

  Maybe when she got married, but she would have to first reach that step, and the way her brothers protected her, there was little prospect of her meeting anyone she liked enough who could tolerate them.

  But Darren had dealt with them and with confidence. She could not help but admire the way he’d handled the situation.

  She smiled.

  Yes, if there was anyone whom she needed in her life right now it may be him.

  * * *

  Darren closed the door as he stepped into his condo.

  He wanted to laugh out loud at what had just happened, but his empathy for his next-door neighbor reduced the humor.

  Her brothers were obviously a trip, so he could see why she’d purchased the condo.

  He’d acquired the massive complex several years ago and done extensive renovations, including adding a pool and underground parking, which had taken his designers hours of work, but the end result had been exactly as he’d visualized it.

  When one of the condos had gone up for sale, he’d been skeptical about the young lady who’d wanted to purchase, but his lawyer had assured him that she had the money and when he did his own trace of her, he’d discovered that her parents were quite wealthy.

  From the first time he’d seen her, his attraction to her had been intense. To say she’d had an impact on him would be an understatement.

  While he did use this condo on occasion, he didn’t use it too often. Usually, he’d head to his home in Scarsdale following a day in the office. Recently, however, he’d been coming back each night, hoping to get a glimpse of her. On his way to the shower, the phone rang.

  He picked it up, smiling when he saw his ex-wife’s number on the display.

  “Daddy, I’ve been calling you all evening.”

  “Sorry, honey. You don’t usually call me during the week.”

  “I know, but I was just calling to remind you about Parents’ Day on Monday. Are you still coming on Saturday, so you can spend the weekend?”

  “I didn’t forget, honey. And, yes, I’ll be there for the whole weekend.”

  “That’s what you said last time, Dad.”

  “That’s true, but I promise I won’t miss this one.”

  “All of the other kids will have their daddies there. I just want you to be there, too.”

  “I will, honey. Now you go off to sleep. It is way past your bedtime.”

  “I’m going to bed now. Mommy just finished reading to me and told me it was okay to call.”

  “Well, off to bed now. I’ll call your mom tomorrow.”

  “I love you, Daddy.”

  “I love you, honey bunny.”

  Kenya laughed as she always did when he called her by her pet name.

  “Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite,” he whispered softly.

  She laughed again, and this time a loud yawn followed.

  Darren heard the soft click and the call disconnected.

  He felt empty inside whenever he talked to his daughter. She was the only reason he hated the divorce. His ex-wife, Barbara, had won custody of Kenya and since she’d remarried and moved to Baltimore, he didn’t get to see Kenya except for holidays, some weekends and during her summer recess. Of course, when she’d asked him to come to her school, he’d immediately agreed. He couldn’t refuse his daughter anything. He missed her and going to Baltimore meant he’d get a chance to spend the entire weekend with her.

  He rose from the bed, deciding to try the shower once more. He didn’t want to think about what had happened in the past. It was too late to do anything about it anymore. He needed to focus on the present and the future. Being divorced didn’t automatically mean that he was a failure with relationships. He just needed to find the right woman.

  * * *

  The next evening, Eboni lay in bed listening to the faint hum of traffic on the outside. She loved this part of the Upper East Side, away from the chaos of the city center. It was not that she didn’t like the hustle and bustle of city life, but
she’d wanted her home to be in a relatively quiet neighborhood and she’d been lucky. While the noise increased during the day, at night only the occasional honking of a passing vehicle disturbed the relatively peaceful neighborhood.

  She reached automatically for the photo in the drawer next to the bed.

  It was black and white and had turned yellow with age.

  The photo had been taken just before the accident. It was one of those Sundays her family had spent in Prospect Park. Their weekly Sunday picnic, as her mother used to call it.

  She traced a finger along the photo, touching her sisters, willing them to be near. Fourteen years ago they’d been separated. Initially, she’d missed them, but as the years passed she’d put aside any hope of seeing them again. But a year ago, she’d decided that she had to know. She’d hired a private investigator, but, so far, every lead had taken him nowhere.

  But she had no intentions of giving up hope. While she’d put the memories of her sisters behind her for years, coming of age had made her long for other things, especially her sisters. While she had no doubt that her brothers loved her, she often ached for a sisterly bond. She did have a best friend at work, Cheryl, but that did little to diminish her need for her sisters.

  Growing up she’d never worried about being lonely. Her brothers had always been there for her, carrying her with them to games and, on occasion, their dates. Fortunately, most of their female friends had thought she was adorable.

  She loved her brothers. But at twenty-four, their obsession with protecting her was getting a bit tired. They were all single, handsome young men, but they needed to focus on their own relationships, not her.

  And none of them were in a serious relationship. In fact, her brothers seemed so focused on sowing their wild oats that their mother seemed to have given up hope that they would ever marry.

  Her thoughts eased back to her handsome, sexy neighbor. Maybe the only way to keep her brothers at bay was to find a boyfriend whom her parents would approve of. Her brothers would have no choice but to fall in line.

  She examined the characteristics about Darren that would put him in their favor.