“You’re serious.”
“I am.” He nodded affirmatively.
“Is this about revenge?” She articulated the only possibility that made any sense to her.
“It’s about fate, Alesha.”
“Fate?”
Her disdainful, soft echoing of his single prophetic word caused a slight clinching of his jaw—or did she imagine that?
“Yes.”
There was uncomfortable silence as each tried to guess what the other was thinking. Each one of them would have been surprised to realize their feelings were more in sync than not. Since parting, they had been destined to come to this point and now they were here. Where their lives ended up from here was a mystery to them both.
“If I agree to your proposal, what do you expect?”
She couldn’t believe she was actually contemplating his unorthodox proposition. However, she didn’t have a viable alternative—not if she wanted to save her brother.
“Model behavior, public affection. There’ll be a great deal of publicity and we will have to appear happily married and very much in love.”
Intense dread spread throughout her entire soul as he rattled off his requirements for a wife as if he were reading from a shopping list. He seemed so hard—had she done that to him? Somehow she knew she had and that hurt more than anything.
“And privately?” She stared into those cool gray eyes of his.
“You’ll have to be more specific.”
His mocking smile showed that he knew exactly what she referred to. He was getting immense pleasure in needling her.
Taking a deep breath and releasing it on a sigh she elaborated, “This will be a marriage in name only?”
“No, it will not.”
She stood up at that, her chest heaving rapidly. “You can’t expect me to…for us to…” Her voice trailed off, unable to finish that sentence.
“I can, and I do.” His eyes swept appreciatively over her slender, shapely body.
“This is ridiculous, and I’m a fool for even considering your absurd proposition!” She turned and walked rapidly toward the door.
She had a right to be angry at his suggestion. He would have been disappointed if she weren’t. He could have picked up the phone and had ten women in his office within a matter of minutes, willing to do whatever he wanted. But he didn’t want any other woman. He wanted Alesha. Damn her, he always had. He didn’t want to desire her, but he couldn’t help it any more than he could help breathing. She intrigued him and he wanted the chance she had denied them both two years ago—to get to know each other better, intellectually and intimately. And, God help him, he didn’t care that he was literally blackmailing her to get that opportunity.
He knew he was treading on dangerous ground—he also knew there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop himself. He craved Alesha, and this time he was going to do whatever it took to get her and to make her admit that she wanted him, as well. He wouldn’t allow himself to dwell on why her desiring him was of the utmost importance to him.
“You’re a smart woman, Alesha.” His words halted her progress toward the door. “I think you know this is the only way to save your brother from a sure conviction and a lengthy prison term.”
She slowly retraced her steps to stand several feet away from him and tried one last time to reason with him. “Mr. Chandler…”
“Derrick.”
“Mr. Chandler.” At her refusal to use his first name, she received another one of his mocking smiles, which she had quickly grown to hate. “We’re virtually strangers. How can you expect me to marry you and become your wife in every sense of the word?”
“First of all, we are hardly strangers, Alesha. Secondly, when you grow a little older and a little wiser, you’ll realize a lot of people do things that they don’t want to do every day because their survival or the survival of those closest to them requires it.”
“Is that supposed to make your ridiculous offer easier to accept?”
“You might surprise yourself and actually enjoy being married to me.” He silently promised himself that would be the case.
She glared at him. “Never!”
“Never say never, Alesha.”
He pushed away from the desk and walked over to stand inches from her. Reaching out his hand, he trailed a finger lightly down her soft cheek, and he nearly groaned at the contact he had longed for since she had first entered his office.
She shuddered at his touch. He merely smiled before his finger moved to trace the outline of her lower lip, causing her flesh to tingle uncontrollably—and not from revulsion. His intense gaze mesmerized her and she was unable to step away, even when he removed his finger from her face. Ravenous eyes slowly, carefully studied every inch of her from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.
It was difficult to take in enough air to properly expand her lungs. Where his fingers had lightly touched, she burned and yearned for something forbidden. The spicy scent of his aftershave wafted up to her nostrils, causing her mouth to water. Despite her qualms, she wanted to be pressed close to his hard body and feel his strong arms around her.
She remembered how those lips had felt against hers and longed to see if her memories were accurate. She swayed toward him slightly, and he smiled even more, yet he made no further attempt to touch her, much to her dismay.
His inaction and her bizarre reaction to him cautioned her to get as far away from him as possible, but her limbs refused to obey the silent command. What was the matter with her? Was he hypnotizing her? Why didn’t she turn and run away?
As his eyes admired her beauty, he knew exactly how she felt—he felt the same way, too. It didn’t make any sense. This strong attraction between them was the last thing he needed, yet here it was, and he was absolutely helpless to do anything about it, except try to assuage it in hopes of finally purging it forever.
He continued his perusal, eyes moving to the soft curls of her hair, which was pulled away from her face by a clasp. He longed to free the soft tresses he knew would be smooth and silky. Her face showed the barest traces of makeup, yet her type of beauty didn’t require any artificial enhancements. Her brown eyes were distraught, her smooth brown skin begged to be touched, her lightly tinted full lips were made for kissing—an invitation he had accepted often in the past and almost consented to now. The bulky sweater she wore hid her attributes from his piercing gaze, yet he knew from experience that beneath it was a curvaceous, beautiful body that he was certain would give him the most intense pleasure.
She could barely breathe. His eyes thoroughly destroyed her equilibrium as they sensuously appraised her. She didn’t allow herself to speculate on his thoughts—knowing instinctively that they would disturb her more than his blatant perusal did. She felt hot, uncomfortable and something else she refused to put a name to.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Alesha, but then you’ve always known that, haven’t you?” His voice hardened perceptibly as his hand moved up to cup the side of her face, his lips mere inches from hers.
“How dare you!”
His condescending tone propelled her into action. She pushed his hand away from her face and moved several steps back, placing much-needed distance between them. She silently willed her wayward pulse to return to normal—impossible until she was no longer in his presence.
“You’ll find that I dare quite a lot.”
Silently, he promised himself he would taste those lips again soon enough. For, try as she might to find another way, his was the only course of action she could take to save her brother. He knew that and so did she. He was certain she would agree to his terms.
“What makes you so sure I will be around you long enough to realize anything about you?”
“Because your brother’s life is in y
our hands. I think you’ll do anything to save him—even marry me.”
She was tempted to tell him to go to hell and take his demented proposal with him. Unfortunately, she knew it wasn’t a question of whether she could live with his unreasonable proposal, but rather whether she could live with herself if she didn’t even try. This was the only way to save the two people she loved most in this world.
He walked back behind his desk and sat down in his chair. He knew she loved her brother and would do anything to get him out of this horrible situation—her presence here was evidence of that. However, maybe this was too high a price for her to pay. But could she live with herself if she didn’t try to help him? Could she live with herself if she did?
“If I agree to marry you, why can’t it be a marriage in name only?” To her horror, Alesha blurted out a question that made it obvious she was considering his offer.
All she had to do was take one look at him to answer her own question. Derrick Chandler was a handsome, virile man. He wouldn’t go without a woman for days, let alone months—he would never have to. Besides, their past relationship wouldn’t allow him to marry her only for show. He wanted what she had denied him—of that, she was certain.
“Alesha, I expect our marriage to be real, because that’s the way it has to be.”
“Why?” She grudgingly admitted, “You’re a handsome man. You can have any woman you want. Why me?”
“Thank you for the compliment.” He smiled. “I’m running for public office. I can’t be married to you and then be seen around town with other women.” He felt compelled to add, “And I have no intention of living the life of a monk.”
“But why me?”
“I think you already know the answer to that question.” He reclined in his chair, studying her distraught countenance.
“But…”
“I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
His statement was true. However, more to the point, he needed to get her out of his sight so that his pulse could return to normal. This reunion was more upsetting than he had anticipated. Why, after the hell she had put him through, did she make him feel like a damn schoolboy asking a girl out for a first date?
“I’ll give you twenty-four hours to decide. If I haven’t heard from you by this time tomorrow, I’ll take that as a no and contact the police.”
He was proud his voice remained steady, when he felt anything but. He lowered his head and began to study the papers on his desk once again, totally ignoring her.
She opened her mouth to try to convince him to give up this ridiculous idea, but closed it again, realizing the futility of that gambit. He had set his terms and the next move was up to her. Without another word, she turned and left, slamming the door forcefully behind her.
He leaned back in his chair and let out his breath on a loud sigh. Tense fingers loosened his tie a bit. She hadn’t left a moment too soon. Why had seeing her again affected him so profoundly? It was because he hadn’t been with a woman in a while—that was it. That had to be it.
He shook his head in satisfaction and returned his eyes to the manila folder on his desk. After a few seconds, he gave up trying to concentrate on anything other than anxiously awaiting Alesha’s return tomorrow, even though he already knew what her answer would be.
Alesha entered her mother’s home and forced herself to appear happy and carefree, even though her heart was heavy, laden with the ultimatum Derrick Chandler had just issued to her a few hours earlier. Despite the dark cloud of gloom that hung over her, she could not risk letting her mother know she was upset—her mom had already had one heart attack a year and a half ago. Alesha would make sure she didn’t find out about the events currently transpiring in her children’s lives.
“Mom?” She searched for her mother as she walked through the house, throwing her coat onto a chair in the hallway.
“I’m in here, darling.”
Following her mother’s voice, Alesha made her way toward the bedroom. Once there, she was extremely glad to see that, for once, her mother was taking her doctor’s advice, reclining in bed, though she was fully dressed.
Alesha walked over and kissed her mother’s cheek warmly before perching lightly on the side of the bed. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, darling.” Barbara Robinson smiled as her daughter eyed her carefully.
Alesha marveled at what a beautiful lady her mother was. At age fifty-six, her black hair was sprinkled with gray and was cut short, attractively framing her oval face. Alesha smiled lovingly at her and silently vowed she would do everything in her power to make sure her mother stayed healthy and happy.
“What have you been up to today, dear?”
“Just the usual.” She smiled. “Have you been following doctors’ orders?”
“Yes, dear. I’ve been behaving.” Barbara rolled her brown eyes heavenward. “Honestly, I don’t know how much more rest and relaxation I can stand.”
“Mother…”
“I know. I know.” Barbara sighed heavily and then smiled slightly.
“You just continue to be a good girl, and Bobby and I will be around to make sure that you do.” Alesha grasped her hand and surreptitiously took her pulse.
Before her mother could respond, the front door opened and closed and Robert’s voice called out, “Mom? Alesha?”
“We’re in here, Bobby.” Alesha walked over to the bedroom door.
Seconds later her brother found them. He was about two inches taller than Alesha, though they both possessed the same café-au-lait coloring. Entering the bedroom, he bent down and placed an affectionate kiss on his mother’s forehead, brought out a beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers from behind his back and handed them to her. Alesha noted and engraved in her memory the happy look on her mother’s face. She would do anything to keep her that way forever.
“For the most beautiful lady in the world.” He smiled as he straightened to stand beside the bed.
“They’re lovely. Thank you.” Barbara brought the bouquet to her nose and sniffed appreciatively.
“Let me get you a vase for them.” Alesha took the flowers from her mother’s hands and glanced pointedly at Robert, silently communicating that he should follow her.
“Is there anything sinful to eat in the kitchen?” Robert’s brown eyes twinkled mischievously.
“Well, you know I’m not allowed,” Barbara complained, “but, there is some chocolate cake.”
“Perfect!” Robert smacked his lips in anticipation.
“Mother, what are you doing with a cholesterol-filled chocolate cake?” Alesha quickly returned from the doorway to glance at her mother disapprovingly.
“Relax, darling. I didn’t eat any. Antonia came by today and left it. I couldn’t turn her down, now, could I?”
“I suppose not.” Alesha sighed before adding, “I’ll be sure to take it with me when I leave—just to remove the temptation.”
“Sorry, Mom, but you know how she is.” Robert smiled sympathetically.
“I do, indeed.”
“Don’t you two start ganging up on me.” She wagged her finger at them good-naturedly. “Come on and get your cake.” Alesha pushed her brother ahead of her out of the room.
Robert’s eyes focused on the cake sitting on the counter. “Mmm, this looks great!”
When the door was safely shut behind them, Alesha spoke slowly and calmly, “I went to see Derrick Chandler today.”
“What?” He whirled to face her.
“Shh! I don’t want Mom to hear you.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but firm.
“Why did you go see him? I thought you were going to stay out of this.” He’d lowered his voice, yet his tone remained angry.
“You decided that, not me.” She filled a vase w
ith water. “I had to see if I could make him listen to reason.”
“Did you?” He knew the answer before she replied.
Turning her back on him to cut a slice of cake, she replied cryptically, “In a way.”
Robert walked around to stand in front of her, placing a finger under her chin and lifting her eyes level with his own. “What exactly does that mean?”
“He agreed not to press charges against you.” She hoped he would leave it at that for now.
“If…” He knew there had to be an if.
She gave him his cake, took a deep breath and released it slowly before replying, “If I agree to marry him.”
Robert nearly dropped the plate onto the countertop. He stared at his sister, horrified.
When he spoke, his voice was barely controlled. “Please, tell me you’re joking.”
She walked away from him to stare out the kitchen window. “I wish I was, but you know I wouldn’t joke about this.”
“Damn him!”
Alesha quickly walked to his side and placed a restraining hand on his arm. “Be quiet! Remember, Mom is just down the hall. We can’t let her know what’s going on.”
When he spoke next, his tone was lower, but just as enraged. “I hope you told him what he could do with his idiotic proposal!”
She remained silent, lowering her gaze from his. Robert’s heart skipped a beat at her demeanor.
“Alesha, you didn’t agree to this insanity, did you?” He watched her closely.
She raised her eyes and responded truthfully, “He’s given me until tomorrow to decide.”
“There’s nothing to decide. There’s no way I’m going to allow you to sell yourself to him to save me! I knew what I was doing when I took that money. I’ll suffer the consequences for it.”
“Bobby, even though you were wrong to embezzle from him, I won’t let you go to jail if there’s anything I can do to stop it.”
“I won’t let you do this.” He was equally unyielding.
These Arms of Mine Page 3