Darkest Desire by Tawny Taylor

reasons for my family’s traditions.”
    Brent stopped pacing and locked an angry stare on Malek. “Yeah? Like what?”
    â€œI can’t get into it.”
    Instantly, Brent closed up. Malek watched him emotionally shut down. His eyes became cold; his expression blank. Brent was a generous, giving lover, and his best friend. But whenever something came up that Malek couldn’t discuss with him, Brent became extremely hurt. More than once, the issue had almost cost them their relationship. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you, then. You’ve got to marry someone. You pick or your wife is picked for you.” Brent checked his watch, then smoothed his palms down his legs. “I gotta go. I’m meeting someone in a half hour.”
    â€œBrent, I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you everything.”
    â€œI wish you could trust me.”
    Brent left.

8
    L ei was so nervous her hands were shaking. She’d snuck out of the house—like a teenager who’d been grounded. But Malek had given her no choice. And here she’d thought it would be better for him to embrace the whole bodyguard thing than to go Dirty Harry vigilante on the bad guy.
    Everything will be okay.
    Yes, she’d taken a chance by leaving the house tonight. But there was a good reason for it. After spending hours upon hours on the Internet, trying to track down those two girls, all she’d found was a Facebook page for one of them, Kate. Naturally, she tried sending a private message. And another. No response. But she had learned something useful. They shared an acquaintance in common. And that acquaintance was having a party tonight.
    The plan was simple. Go in. Find Kate. Tell her to change her name and leave town. And then go home.
    Easy peasy.
    After slamming her car door, Lei smoothed her sweaty palms down her skirt and click-clacked up the front walk of the upper-middle-class suburban brick colonial. She rang the bell, and listened to the echo of laughter and music inside.
    Outside of the whole sneaking out thing, this was what she needed. Interaction. With people. More than just Malek. For more than one reason. Outside of trying to hunt down Kate, being cooped up with Malek was messing with her mind. He was becoming the center of her world. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. Finding ways to be around him. It was getting bad.
    The door swung open and the acquaintance, Gwen, holding a glass of champagne beamed a greeting. “Lei! So glad you could make it. Come in.” Gwen stepped to the side, closing the door behind Lei. In the foyer, she motioned to the small room to the left. “You can throw your coat in there. Then come on back.” Gwen handed her the glass of champagne. “Here, this’ll get you started.”
    â€œThanks. Is Kate O’Shea here?” Lei took a little sip of the sparkling wine—delicious.
    â€œKate O’Shea? I haven’t seen her yet. But I did invite her. I didn’t realize you two knew each other.”
    â€œYeah.” She didn’t elaborate, not knowing how much about Kate’s background Gwen had been told.
    â€œOkay. Well, I’d better get back in there.” Gwen flounced off and Lei clacked across the stone foyer to the small but cozy office turned coatroom. After setting down the glass, she shrugged out of her coat and draped it over the back of a leather chair in the corner. Then she followed the sound of voices toward the heart of the house.
    The open kitchen/great room area was packed with chatting, drinking, laughing guests. After doing a visual sweep of the room, searching for familiar faces—both good and bad—Lei spotted Gwen standing at the far end of the great room, next to the fireplace. She was talking to a man who looked a little familiar—good looking, tall, with dark, shaggy hair.
    As she walked toward them, she remembered where she’d seen him. He was the one who’d been