Mac quickly perused the letters while his face paled and his expression showed how the contents disturbed him. “This is a sick bastard,” Mac said quietly. “I’ve been an officer of the court for a long time and I’ve seen and heard all manner of depravity over the years. But to see something like that directed at my own child…” his voice trailed off and for a brief moment he looked old and haggard. It passed so quickly it was like a trick of the light. The real Mac was back, resolute and determined, demanding answers. He insisted on knowing every detail of the investigation to date and what the plans were to flush out the culprit. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “Do you have any leads, son? Do you have any idea at all who could be doing this, and why?”
Titus admitted the going was slow so far. “We’re keeping a careful eye on some prospects who’ve been know to do this to other celebrities. There are some people who form bizarre attachments to people in the public eye. We’re also investigating any people who might have a personal grudge against Paris for reasons real or imagined.” He gave the older man a quick smile. “That part is a little more difficult, frankly. Paris is very well liked by everyone. We’re having a hard time finding anyone who has a bad thing to say about her. She’s a wonderful person, sir, you raised a beautiful and remarkable young woman,” he said without realizing how much he’d revealed in those few words. “There’s the matter of an employee she had to terminate recently, we’re actually having a little trouble tracking her down. She seems to have disappeared, but we’ll have her run to earth in a day or so.”
Mac looked down at the floor while he considered Titus’s words. “She hasn’t seen this filth, has she?” The older man indicated the discarded letters next to him on the sofa. When Titus said no, Mac looked at them and sighed. “That’s probably a good idea. I wouldn’t want her to see them, they’re too disgusting. But you’ve got your hands full with my girl. I don’t imagine she’s making this easy for you.”
Titus grinned. “She doesn’t like all the precautions; she hates them, as a matter of fact. But she’s gone along with everything so far.”
Mac looked at Titus and leaned back against the sofa cushions. He looked Titus over carefully and then leaned forward again. “This isn’t any of my business, and the timing of this question couldn’t be worse, but I have to know. What happened between you and my daughter?”
Chapter Ten
Titus was doing his best to look cool and controlled but it was difficult in the face of Mac’s pointed question. And the older man wasn’t finished, either. “You seemed quite taken with my daughter a few months ago. From what I could deduce, there was a great deal of affection and interest there and now the two of you are acting like you’re strangers. What happened?”
At that moment Paris and Ruth returned with wine, cheese straws and crudités.
“Dinner will be on the table shortly, in the meantime, please help yourselves. What are you fellas talking about?”
Mac smiled widely and raised an eyebrow at Titus. “We were talking about you, Cupcake, and how beautiful you are.”
Paris almost choked on the long spear of cucumber she’d just begun to nibble. “Daddy,” she said reproachfully. “Don’t go there,” she said with a frown, not daring to look at Titus. She sighed in relief as the oven timer went off. “Saved by the bell. You, that is,” she said giving her beloved father the same look many a recalcitrant attorney had seen in his courtroom. “Behave yourself if you want dessert. If you’d like to freshen up, everything will be on the table in about ten minutes.”
She excused herself, unaware that she really did make a very pretty picture. She was wearing slim fitting black velvet pants and a matching top with a portrait neckline. Her feet were in little flower-printed leather flats and she looked sophisticated and sexy without being blatant about it. Soon everyone was seated at the table with heads bowed as Mac said grace. When Paris looked up it was to find Titus staring at her with a heated look that was as arousing as it was disturbing. Determined to get through the meal with her dignity intact, she ignored the hot flush that assailed her body and smiled gaily.
“Daddy, will you do the honors?” she asked, indicating the carving knife and fork next to the plump, golden brown capon in the center of the table.
Mac carved the bird expertly and quickly and soon everyone was dining on the moist, tender capon stuffed with wild rice, dried cherries and toasted pecans, sweet potatoes a l’orange, grilled asparagus and hot cornbread muffins, followed by a spinach and pear salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing
The conversation was light and amusing and the food and wine were superb. Paris, thanks to her Aunt Lillian and her own vivacious charm, had the gift of exquisite hospitality. Coffee and dessert, which was intensely rich chocolate brownies with crème fraiche and raspberry sauce, was served in the living room. It was the perfect ending to a lovely evening, an evening that turned out much better than Paris could have anticipated, given the presence of Titus. She was relaxed and mellow, or at least she was until Ruth announced that it was time for her to leave.
“Paris, darling, it was wonderful. Thanks so much for having me. But I’ve got to get back to Benita and Clay’s house before I fall asleep,” she joked. “The food was delicious and you’re a fabulous hostess,” she added warmly.
Mac rose and insisted that he would follow Ruth home to make sure she arrived safely. Ruth tried to refuse, but one look at the determined look on Mac’s handsome face made her acquiesce graciously. Paris was mentally clapping her hands with glee at what she considered her latest triumph in matchmaking. Then Titus announced he would remain with her until Mac returned. Her eyes met Ruth’s as Mac was holding Ruth’s ivory cashmere coat for her. Paris’s eyes were full of panic, while Ruth’s green ones were full of merriment.
“Titus, that’s a good idea,” she said calmly. “I’m sure we won’t be long, Paris, and you’ll have good company until your father gets back. Since Aidan is out of town it’s the best thing, really. I’ll call you later,” Ruth said, kissing Paris on the cheek. And before Paris could protest, they were out the door and she was left alone with Titus. I am so going to get her, Paris thought furiously. Traitor.
She crossed her arms tightly and took in deep breath before turning to face Titus. “Look, you don’t have to stay here. I’m a big girl and I don’t need a keeper. It’s bad enough that your people are hovering around and poking into my life, I definitely don’t need a babysitter while Daddy’s away. You can leave now,” she said tightly.
She turned away from him to go into the dining room and to her dismay he was right on her heels. “I’m not leaving, Paris. We need to talk,” he said, his deep voice pouring over her like heated honey.
Paris tried to ignore him, making sure that everything in the dining room was returned to its normal pristine condition. Finding nothing out of place, she went into the kitchen, hoping to find something to do, but she and Ruth had been too thorough in their post-dinner tidying up. Looking vainly for a task, she ended up leaning against the sink, arms still crossed. She refused to meet Titus’s eyes as she denied his assertion that they had something to discuss.
“I can’t think of a single thing we have to talk about, Titus. All the security issues have been hammered into my head a thousand times so what else is there to say?”
Titus moved so that he was standing in front of her, putting one big hand on either side of her. “There’s a lot left to say, Paris. We need to talk about us,” he said softly.
Paris’s breathing turned shallow and fast as the closeness of Titus’s big body overwhelmed her senses. His smell still had the same unique power over her, his personal pheromones aroused her, touching off sparks in every erogenous zone she possessed.
“There is no ‘us’, Titus. You made that…abundantly clear,” she murmured. She moaned softly as he leaned even closer and his hands moved to her hips and squeezed gently. “Stop it, Titus,” she sighed, “this isn’t right. We’re not right togeth
er, remember?”
He answered her by touching his lips to the corner of her eye, then moving down to her cheekbone. “The only thing wrong is the timing, Paris. We have a lot of things to talk about but we have a big obstacle blocking our path. I’m supposed to be protecting you, so that means you’re off limits to me right now.”
Paris sighed raggedly as his hands moved up her hips to encircle her waist and pull her into his body, his arms enfolding her and holding her closer than close, so tightly she could feel his every breath. Before she knew what she was doing, she slid her arms around him to return his embrace.
“You shouldn’t be…holding me like this,” she whispered.
He maneuvered her lush curves even closer and tightened his arms around her warmth while rubbing his cheek against her hair and inhaling her beloved scent.
“Look at me, Paris,” he crooned. “Look at me just once, baby.”
She turned her face to his and was instantly mesmerized by the passion she found there.
“I had to touch you, Paris. Even if it makes you hate me more, I had to feel you one more time, taste those lips,” he paused and kissed her gently. “Oh damn, Paris, I can’t…”
“Lucy, I’m hoooome!” Aidan’s cheerful voice could be heard as he opened the door that led from the garage to the laundry room. “Miss me much?” He walked into the kitchen to find Paris and Titus still locked in each other’s arms.
“Guess not. My bad, people. See ya,” he said with ill-concealed amusement as he walked through the kitchen without breaking stride.
Paris was scarlet with embarrassment and anger as she pushed Titus away. “Okay, you can leave, my sitter is home. Goodnight,” she said hotly and left the room.
Titus leaned against the sink until his steady, slow breaths returned his pulse to normal. If it had been anyone else he’d have laughed at the situation but right now he wasn’t amused in the least. You’re not getting away from me that easily, Paris. This isn’t the end, baby, it’s just the beginning.
***
The ride to Benita and Clay’s suburban home didn’t take long. Ruth looked into her rearview mirror and smiled. There was something comforting in knowing that someone cared enough about her well-being to make sure she arrived safely, especially when that someone happened to be tall, charming and very handsome. It was almost enough to make her reverse her stance on blind dating. I owe Paris something very, very nice for this, she thought. Maybe a diamond tiara or a Rolls Royce or a trip around the world, some little trifle to show her how glad I am she thought of this. She laughed softly to herself as she parked the car in the big turnaround at the top of the driveway. She was still laughing when Mac graciously opened her door and held out his hand to her.
“You’re obviously amused by something,” he said in his deep voice. “Care to share?” She placed her hand into his and gracefully exited the car. Smiling up at him brilliantly, she confessed that she wasn’t amused at all.
“I’m happy, if you really want to know. I can’t remember when I enjoyed an evening as much as this one.”
Mac tipped her head up so he could look into her luminous eyes more deeply. “I’m glad to hear that Ruth. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s thoroughly excited by our meeting.” He bent his head and gently touched his lips to hers. He smiled ruefully and apologized. “I shouldn’t have done that without asking.”
Ruth raised an eyebrow and smiled as she pulled his head down to hers. She kissed him back, softly but firmly. “Now we’re even, I didn’t ask either. Would you like to come in for coffee? Then we can talk about our lapse of manners and what we can do about it.”
Mac smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “I’d love to.” He put his hand at the small of her back and they entered the big house, using Ruth’s key. He put his hand over hers to stop her. He’d stopped smiling and looked completely serious. “I may as well tell you now, Ruth, I intend to kiss you again before I leave.”
Ruth tried to look equally serious but failed. She reached up to cup her hand around his cheek. “And I intend to let you. Would you like decaf or regular?”
Chapter Eleven
The next week was so hectic Paris didn’t have time to dwell on the events of the weekend. She was hard at work on a new project for Paris & Company, one that had come up unexpectedly. Her best friend from college had called her with an amazing announcement. He was a major jazz artist and he’d been nominated for not one but two Academy Awards. Not only had he been nominated, he was going to be performing at the award show and he was taking Paris as his guest. She was still stunned by the news. It was frankly unimaginable to her. She tried to explain it to Aidan over lunch at the Pleasant Peasant. The restaurant was an Atlanta institution they both enjoyed and they were savoring a leisurely meal while Paris gloated over her projected stroll down the legendary red carpet with her friend.
“I met Billy in college when I was going to Mount Holyoke and he was attending the New England Conservatory of Music. We got to be really good friends, we were like brother and sister,” Paris reported. Her eyes were sparkling as she took another sip of tea. “To be honest, I had a huge crush on him, but it didn’t go anywhere. I wasn’t exactly a man magnet back then,” she said ruefully.
Aidan scoffed as he helped himself to more bread. “If he didn’t view you romantically it’s his loss. You’re beautiful inside and out and if he was too dense to see that, he didn’t deserve you.”
Paris blinked. “Aidan that was so sweet. Thank you.”
He rolled his eyes in mock irritation, saying it was stupid to thank people for telling the truth. “Now cut to the chase and tell me how you managed to get invited to walk the carpet, something I’ve wanted to do since I was a mere child. I’m so jealous I could scream,” he admitted.
“I always love watching the Oscars, although I never pictured myself being there. Billy wrote the score for one of the movies nominated for Best Picture, and his music was nominated for best score and best original song. It’s a huge honor for him and he said he wanted to share it with me because I’d always meant so much to him. Isn’t that something?” she marveled.
“So who is this guy and why have I never heard of him before?”
“Because you’re not a jazz buff, that’s why. Billy Watanabe is hot, honey. His music is revered; he’s considered one of the most respected jazz pianists in the world. His father, Akiro Watanabe, is also a world-known jazz musician and his mother, Juanita, is considered the best jazz harpist since Alice Coltrane as well as being an amazing singer. If you listened to something other than Nine Inch Nails and Souxsie and the Banshees you might know that,” she said with a wicked grin.
“The best part is that he’s coming to Atlanta to work with Bump on a CD and he’s going to be on Paris & Company. And I’m going to do a special on the awards, since I’m going to be out there anyway. It’s going to be a lot of fun, but a lot of work, too. We’ll be taping out there for three days,” she said happily. “This is going to do a lot for the show; it should give us a nice little boost in the ratings.”
Aidan looked skeptical as Paris gave a big smile to the hostess approaching their table. “You haven’t said what Lord Voldemort has to say about all this travel. Does he approve you going out of town? He may have to assign someone to go with you.”
Paris made a sound of derision. “Titus is not my daddy, and he certainly can’t tell me how to handle my work. I’m also going to a romance reader’s conference. I wish he would try to keep me from going; I’d beat him like he stole something if he tries to curtail my traveling me because I don’t intend to miss that. If he wants to send someone with me that’s his business, but he can’t stop me,” she said with a hard look.
“Miss Deveraux, this was left for you,” a soft voice interjected.
Paris looked up to find the hostess holding out a long narrow box tied with a dark red ribbon. She thanked the woman and took the box, opening it before Aidan could stop her. “I wonder what this could be,” she sai
d, as curious as a child. The hostess shrieked as a the tissue paper moved and a coral snake slithered out of the box, its tongue flicking in and out. Paris dropped the box and chaos erupted in the restaurant as the hostess fainted dead away while Aidan’s chair fell over as he attempted to snatch Paris away from the table. A quick-thinking server came to the rescue by using the tablecloth to capture the snake. He grabbed the corners of the cloth and in seconds was holding a messy bundle consisting of partially eaten food, broken glasses, plates, silverware and a very angry snake.
Aidan looked at Paris, who was visibly shaken, and said, “Check, please.”
***
Now it was serious. Titus was, in a strange way, almost glad about the snake incident because Paris at last believed that someone was after her. Unfortunately, the police were also involved now, since the restaurant manager called them after the melee in the main dining room. The normally serene restaurant resembled a TV drama crime scene, complete with yellow ‘do not enter’ tape and forensics people milling about importantly. Paris sat to one side, glumly surveying the mess and Aidan remained close by, the look on his face daring anyone to approach her. Titus stood to one side, quietly talking to an old acquaintance from the Atlanta police department. The man was a detective and over the years he and Titus had formed a friendship based on quid pro quo; they had been known to help each other out from time to time.
The older man was named Luther Harris and he was not only a calm person, but also a highly intelligent one, one of the reasons he and Titus got along so well. “So you say the woman has gotten threatening mail before this? And you didn’t think this was something we should know about?” he asked mildly.
Titus shrugged. “The idea was to get the culprit before things escalated. The letters stopped and I was basically waiting to see if the hate mail was going to get it out of the guy’s system or if something else was going to jump off. And it seems I was right,” Titus answered with his eyes fixed on Paris’s wan face.
The Closer I Get to You (Cochran/Deveraux Series Book 8) Page 11