Give Me Fever Read Free Page A

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 the fan Kade passed down to him from the usher, ignoring his sibling.
    Kaleb sucked his teeth. “Man, please. What I’m saying? You couldn’t pull that. Hell, you couldn’t handle all that.”
    Their burly father popped him in the back