Give Me Fever. Niobia Bryant

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СКАЧАТЬ the steam room. She wasted no time dressing in her khaki capris and shirt before throwing her dirty exercise clothes in a bag and heading out the gym.

      “Night, Jade,” the receptionist called out to her.

      Jade waved and smiled. She was a regular—at least twice a week—and she was sure everyone at the small gym knew her well. Outside the gym she tossed her bag into the rear of her brightly colored Jeep Wrangler that she lovingly called Sunshine.

      As she easily shifted the gears of the six-speed manual transmission, the night air breezing against her body felt good and she was glad she had taken the black soft-top off. She had the Wrangler wide open in the wind because she was so ready to get home to the little cottage she rented from the twin brothers who owned Jamison Contractors. The brothers—who both were sexy as all get out and happily married—had completely renovated their grandparents’ cottage and Jade had jumped at the chance to rent it when she decided it was time to move out of her parents’ house.

      As soon as she reached Holtsville’s town limits, Jade slowed her vehicle down, not wanting to get a speeding ticket. Holtsville, South Carolina, was the epitome of small-town America, and Jade loved it. There were under a thousand people living in Holtsville compared to the over five thousand people living in nearby Walterboro. It felt like everyone knew each other or at least knew someone that knew someone else. True, sometimes the gossip of the closely knit townspeople worked her last nerve, but she loved the forest in her backyard, the charm of the small Main Street area, and the fact there was nary a traffic light in the whole town. She loved the laid-back pace. The sound of animals talking in the nighttime. The star-filled nights. The natural smell in the air after rain. Country fairs and festivals.

      She’d take country living over city living in a heartbeat. She was born and raised up in Holtsville. She would enjoy the rest of her years there as well.

      Jade slowed down, making the left by the lone one-pump gas station in Holtsville. Usually if she made it home in time she would stop and sit on the porch with Cyrus Dobbs, the grizzly silver-haired owner who was more false teeth than anything.

      Soon she was turning onto the cement-paved driveway of her little two-bedroom cottage. She paused and smiled at how warm, cozy, and inviting it looked. The porch light was on above the built-in swing. Her colorful flower beds perfectly accentuated the wood of the cottage and the black of the shutters and front door.

      Pulling forward some more to park in the front yard, Jade grabbed her keys and her bag. She was walking up onto the wooden stoop of the cottage when a car whizzed past and the driver tooted its horn. Jade just threw up her hand in greeting, not even bothering to look and see who it was. In the country, everybody greeted each other in passing.

      As she stepped into the house, the scent of her perfumed body spray still hung in the air. She hit the switch to turn on the living room lights and quickly walked around the room lighting the dozens of scented candles she adored.

      She loved the little cottage. It was small and intimate. Just enough room for one.

      Jade had just snuggled into the corner of her caramel microsuede couch to eat the rest of the salad she made last night when there was a solid knock at her front door. Frowning, she eyed the clock above the stone fireplace. It was going on ten o’clock.

      Still chewing, she rose from the chair to walk over to one of the two large windows flanking the front door. She frowned at the sight of Darren standing on her stoop. He could’ve called first, she thought, feeling intruded upon.

      Jade stepped back to open the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?” she asked, leaning on the door as she looked up at the tall and dark-skinned man who had the muscled frame of a gladiator.

      “Damn, I’m glad to see you too,” he said with mock sarcasm in a voice that sounded deep enough to shake the rafters.

      Darren stepped forward quickly and bent his tall frame to capture her lips with his own. He lifted his head just enough to lock his eyes with hers. “I couldn’t go another minute without seeing you,” he whispered against her lips.

      Jade turned her head and coughed to keep from laughing. He meant well, but Darren had yet to learn that his soap opera lines just didn’t work on her.

      “What happened with the rock-climbing trip?” she asked.

      Darren pushed the door. “Business emergency, so they rescheduled.”

      Jade nodded in understanding, holding out her hand as he took a step forward into the cottage. “Darren, I still have the trail walk in the morning, so I’m headed to bed,” she told him with a kind smile.

      His grin spread like warm butter on toast. “I’m just in time, then.”

      “To kiss me good night and then head back home? You’re right on time.”

      Darren leaned against the door frame and stared down at her with an intensity that actually made her smile. It wasn’t that she was not physically attracted to Darren—he was a handsome man with a body—but she wasn’t ready to welcome him into her bed, especially not tonight.

      Balancing on her toes to raise her five-foot seven-inch frame higher, she gave him a warm peck and solid pat of her hand on his chest—a solid “good night, see you tomorrow ’cause you ain’t sleeping here tonight” pat.

      Darren smiled but Jade saw the regret in his eyes. Fortunately he let it drop and turned with one final wave to leave. She stood in the doorway until the lights shining in her wide-set black eyes diminished as he reversed out of her yard. With one final blow of his horn he was gone.

      Jade walked out onto her stoop and leaned against the wooden beam to look up at the crystal clear night sky. It looked like the best HDTV. The stars shone brightly against the inky black night, and she felt such peace and serenity.

      Chapter 2

      Kaeden was the last of the Strong clan to arrive at Holtsville Baptist Church. He parked as close to the church as he could and dashed inside. He paused in the doorway to the sanctuary to find it as crowded as an Easter Sunday.

      The door opened and the sweet scent of the oncoming end of spring wafted in.

      A hand touched his arm softly. “I guess you and I better have a little prayerfest right here to get a seat, huh?”

      Kaeden’s entire body stiffened as Jade leaned around him to look into the sanctuary. His mouth opened but no words came out, so he just forced a laugh that sounded nervous. His heart was pounding so fast and so hard that he felt like he just ran a marathon.

      “Looks like I got lucky too,” she drawled when several single men rose to their feet, waving her over. She smiled at him before she moved past him to walk into the sanctuary to take a seat.

      His eyes dipped low to watch the movement of her buttocks in the fuchsia wrap dress she wore.

      “Uncle Kaeden,” his niece Kadina whispered loudly.

      Kaeden jerked his eyes away guiltily. He looked down as his preteen niece grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her to make room for him on the pew between her and her dad, Kade.

      His brother Kaleb turned around on the pew to eye him. “Did you just walk in here with Jade Prince?” he whispered in total shock.

      Kaeden accepted СКАЧАТЬ