It was late into the afternoon when their plane finally touched down in Santiago. A black Cadillac was already waiting for them by the airstrip. A man she didn't recognise, leaned against the driver's side door. He was dressed in pressed dark suit and dark shoes. His eyes were concealed behind the aviator glasses he was wearing.

Immediately he sighted them, he stood to his full height and went to open the back seat door. Annie didn't miss the rigid way he carried himself. Almost as if he feared Jovon. Which was strange because the Jovon she knew was all bark but no bite.

"Mr. Phim." The man said,when they were close enough to hear him. "I am Jack Robinson. The driver assigned to you by your parents."

Jovon merely nodded at him before helping her into the car. Then he climbed in after her,after making sire their bags were deposited into the trunk of the car. There was a panel that blocked the driver from their view,which meant they were once alone again. Annie shifted uneasily as the dirty images she managed to suppress earlier resurfaced again.

He must have sensed her arousal because he stiffened beside her and held his breath.

"Jovon." It came out as a whisper.

His breath escaped his lips in a loud whoosh, which filled the silent car. "Stop."

She couldn't figure out what he wanted from her. Did he want her to act like she didn't want him? Was that his ego talking? Or did he want her to pretend that he didn't ask to be her fuck buddy? Was he seriously uncomfortable?

While she wanted to believe the best of him, his reputation and actions made it impossible. So he was playing her.

Good. She could play,too. She'd make him sorry he ever toyed with her.

Annie swung her right leg over his laps,so that she was straddling him. Then she grabbed a handful of his jacket and tugged until his mouth was just inches away from hers. Then she raised herself, wrapped one arm around his neck and pressed her mouth to his.

She was determined that this kiss should last a whole lot longer than that brief kiss they shared before. She wanted to teach him a lesson. So she kept her lips slightly parted and pressed against him as if she meant it.

After a brief second of hesitation, Jovon put both his arms around her,hauled her closer and kissed her back. He moved like a man on mission. There was so much heat and need and pleasure. He brushed her lips with his, then took advantage of her invitation and swept his tongue inside.

The second his tongue touched hers, passion exploded. The feeling was so fucking intense,she half expected the car to swerve off the road. Heat built deep within her as he explored her mouth,teasing, flicking, returning. Wanting blindsided her. She couldn't think,so she reacted instead. She tilted her head and kissed him back. When he moved his hands up and down her back,she explored his shoulders, then his arms. He was all muscle and warmth. One of his hands got tangled in her long hair. He tugged slightly, pulling her hair back. She let him have his way and was rewarded when he kissed his way down her neck.

The soft, hungry openmouthed kisses made her want to whimper. Her entire body clenched as her nipples tightened in anticipation. She wanted to be on her back,on any flat surface. She wanted him between her legs,taking her hard and fast and damn the repercussion.

That thought- one she'd never had- stunned her. She pulled back and pushed him away the same time the car came to a halt. Still shaken from that knee-jerking make out session, Annie lifted a shaky hand to button up her shir,then combed her fingers through her hair to make it more presentable.

From her peripheral view, she saw Jovon adjusting his slacks to cover his notable erection. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she grabbed her handbag and reached for the knob. The door was pulled opened before she could reach the knob,and Annie bit back a gasp when she was pulled into a hug.

Strong perfume flooded her sense,making her dizzy for a second. Her air passage was cutoff by how hard she was pressed against large boobs.

"Let her go,Alix." Jovon came to stand behind whoever was squeezing the life out of her.

Large Boobs, Alix, let her go at the other man's sharp command. Annie took a much needed air in gulps as Jovon grabbed her elbow and helped her out from the car. When she finally got her bearings, she found herself staring at a redhead, who also happened to be the owner of the large boobs, standing on the landing of the stairs leading to a large double oak door.

Annie groaned internally as she took in the large house in front of her. It was the exact replica of the one back in Mercer Island,only that this one was bigger and grander.

The Phim's never do things in small. That was certain.

"And who is she,Jo?"

Jo?

Annie raised her eyebrows at the name. The redhead,Alix, must be really close to him to call him that. She glanced at Jovon for a reaction and was surprised to see him smiling. She glanced at the redhead and back at Jovon again. Then she saw the resemblance and quickly put two and two together.

Without waiting for Jovon to speak, Annie stepped forward and stretched her hand to the girl. "I am Annie Mckade. Your brother's friend."

Alix grinned. "Alixandra Phim. But you can call me Alix." Her smile widened. "And did you say friend? I'll have you know that Jo never brings his friend home. Especially one as pretty as you are."

Annie flushed a bright red. "Oh."

Jovon scowled at his sister. "Where is everyone?"

"Visiting Grandmother in the hospital. Except for mom and dad." She linked her arm through Annie's. "They would be back by dinner time. Your old room has been prepared for you. I would take Ms. Mckade to her room."

Annie flashed Jovon an amused smile before letting herself be dragged into the house by Alix,who kept chattering the whole way. She couldn't help but blush when she remembered their actions in the car earlier.

She wondered what his family would say if they discovered what they really were.

Moments later Jovon walked into his room unannounced to find his parents in a loving embrace. He
was not surprised nor the least embarrassed to see them standing in the middle of the floor sharing a passionate kiss.

Despite having been married for fifty-six years, Marcello and Megan were still deeply in love. That
was obvious to anyone around them for any length of time. As long as he could remember, his parents were openly affectionate. He’d always known how much they
loved each other as well as how much they had unselfishly loved him.

He cleared his throat to let them know of his presence. “Mom and Dad, it’s good seeing you,” he said,
and knew he didn’t have to add that it was also good seeing they were still very much in love.

His parents had met when Marcello Phim had arrived in the United States from Santiago to attend Yale. In his senior year he met the beautiful and vivacious Megan Fox and they fell in love immediately. It
hadn’t mattered that he was Latin and she, AfricanAmerican. What had mattered was the love they had for each other.

They had gone so far as to defy Marcello’s father, who’d threatened to disown his son—the heir to
the Phim's wealth—if a marriage took place.

Choosing love over wealth, Marcello had married Megan a year later and good to his word, Franco Phim had practically disowned his son, had barely spoken to him since and
only recently had acknowledged the marriage.

Jovon saw the worried look in his father’s gaze. “What’s wrong, Dad?” His father had recently had his
annual checkup and Jovon inwardly prayed there wasn’t bad news in that regard.

Marcello read the concern in his son’s gaze and said, “No, I’m fine. The doctors gave me another clean bill of health after my last checkup. But we did get some news last that your grandmother is coming home tomorrow.”

Jovon stared first at his father and then at his mother. Finally he shrugged nonchalantly as he crossed the room to give his father a bear hug. “Have you forgotten, Father, that I don’t have a grandmother?”

“Jovon” his father said in a frustrating tone, “how can you be so unforgiving?”

Jovon arched a brow. “And how can you be so forgiving? That woman supported grandfather and refused to accept my mother as your wife, publicly denounced your marriage and you, didn’t speak to you for years, never my birth, accused me of killing Americus and then out of the clear blue sky last year after grandfather died,she showed up and expected everyone to kiss and make up.

"Well, I wasn’t in the kissing mood then and I’m not in it now,” he said
in an angry tone.

He switched his gaze from his father to smile down at his mother. “Except for this beautiful woman here,” he said, before hugging her close and placing a soft kiss
across her cheek. “How are you, Mama?”

Megan Phim. returned her son’s smile before giving him a scolding look. “I’m fine, Jovon. And your father is right. You have to forgive the woman. Besides, why are you here if you didn't want to see her?”
She frowned. “You’re just like your father. Stubborn."

A smile touched Jovon's lips. “Yet you love us anyway.”

Jovon then glanced at the man who’d sired him. The man he loved, admired and respected above all else. The man who had not let his father’s rejection of the woman he loved destroy his determination to make her his wife and to make something out of his life—even
without the Phim wealth behind him. After college Marcello had started from the bottom and with keen intelligence, his father built his own Phim empire, which
consisted of hotels, cruise liners, restaurants, publishing companies and various auto dealerships across the country.

His mother hadn’t done badly, either, he thought with a proud smile. Megan Phim's name was known throughout the world and graced the garments of several international celebrities. She had a remarkable reputation for out-standing design and had esta-blished her own empire in the world of fashion.

The one thing his parents had taught him, Jovon concluded, was to increase his own wealth and not depend on what he might or might not inherit. And so he had. With their blessings he had carved out his personal legacy and thanks to a sharp wealth asset manager like
Demetria, he was doing quite well for himself.

Demetria.

He glanced at his watch. They would be sharing dinner in less than three hours.

“Regardless of what you say or how you feel, Jovon,she is still your grandmother."

Jovon decided not to justify his father’s statement with a response.

“How are you feeling , sweetheart?”
That question came from his mother.

He glanced down at her. She was five feet, eight inches tall and in a room with her son and husband she looked small and delicate. But he knew the latter was far from the truth.

She had to be one of the most headstrong women that he knew, definitely no pushover. It was on the tip of his tongue to say there was nothing wrong with him, but the last thing he wanted was to upset his mother any further. It bothered her that he refused to share his emotions with anyone.

“I still have nightmare,but it stopped for about a week now,” he said, although he knew deep down that the nightmares were still lurking about.

“Oh, my poor son,” his mother
said softly. “Things would be okay,very soon.”

He nodded. He had heard those words so much now that they meant little to him. He leaned over and swept another kiss across his mother’s cheek. “And I hope the two of you have a time out. See you by dinner time.”

He saw the flash of disappointment in her eyes and chose to ignore it. “Now if the two of you will excuse
me I have a few things I need to take care of before I finally settle down.”

His mother’s brow lifted in surprise. “You brought work here?"

"Yes."

He smiled. His mother was well aware that he allowed himself to be drowned in work ever since the incident.  "But don't fret. I’m merely having a video call with my financial advisor.”

“Oh.”

He chuckled. “The two of you can join us if you like,” he invited, knowing they wouldn’t.

“Your mother and I have other plans,” his father said, smiling and gently pulling Megan out of Jovon's arms into his and kissing her lips. “We’re having dinner with friends.”

“Okay then. Enjoy yourselves.” And then Jovon's thoughts immediately went back to Annie. She was full of surprises. He admitted that he had been teasing her,but he certainly wasn't expecting her retaliation.

Not that soon,anyway.

Jovon was certain that he would have taken her right there in the car if not for the car stopping. The thought of fucking her on every surface in his car with the risk of the driver hearing those noises she made was suddenly appealing. Annie was definitely a character entirely. Yet he still had to figure her out.

He glanced at his watch again.

He lied to his parents about meeting with his financial advisor. He actually going to meet a person,who was the main reason why he came to Santiago. Jovon withdrew his phone from his pockets when it beeped. A message waited for him,and he opened it.

Meet me in the usual spot in fifteen.

Jovon sighed and pocketed his phone. The message filled him with dread and nervousness at the same time. Because he was going to know the truth today.

He was going to know who killed Americus.