A Kiss of Color: A BWWM Interracial Romance (Book 1)

by Cristina Grenier

  Helena glanced at him sharply before coughing, taking a sip of her water to buy herself some time. “Yes.” She finally managed, finding her own smile. “We don’t talk much. But I’m sure she’s very proud of what I’m doing.”

  Any mother in her right mind would be proud of Helena’s drive. That she didn’t have the luxury of a parental figure to watch her succeed in life was unfair – and if anyone knew it, it was Xavier. “Oh, well, I know how that is.” Thankfully, Brandy seemed to accept their story without reproach. “When’s the last time we saw Mom and Dad, Xavier? Weeks? Months?”

  It was true – even though his father was a trustee on the University board, his chair was very often empty. Garret Thompson was busy jet setting around the world tending to his business. And when he was at home, he was too busy making his social presence known with his wife to give his children the time of day. Unless, of course, they displeased him. Then, their parents were suddenly all too present in their lives.

  Xavier thought the last time he’d seen them was at a university board meeting, where he’d been called in to do an ad for the school. His father had casually mentioned to him that a career in film might be more rewarding than the one he was pursing, and Xavier had ignored him for the entire shoot. It was easy to ignore the man when the same crap spouted from his mouth over and over. “Well,” He raised his wine glass with a smile at his sister and to Helena. “Here’s to independence.”

  “Here here!” Brandy agreed, lifting her glass high as her husband followed suit. Xavier offered him a grin at the gesture. While Hank was a man with his own resources, he would know little about being independent at this point. Brandy was the air he breathed. He didn’t know if he could ever be with someone so visibly obsessed with you, but when they’d married, Brandy had just been happy that their parents hadn’t had anything adverse to say. They shouldn’t, Xavier supposed. Hank was a plastic surgeon – very socially mobile, and very well moneyed.

  Brandy always like to engage her brother in conversations about how she would use her husband’s services when she got older, which tended to make Xavier slightly ill. Did one often plan plastic surgery years before you needed it? Brandy had aged well. She was close to forty and didn’t look a day over thirty.

  Thankfully, his sister didn’t start talking about her plastic surgery plans. As they were served their main course, she began, instead, speaking of the case she was working on. A law firm had filed a lawsuit against a client who had skipped the state before paying his legal fees and been dragged back. Both the client and the firm were very high profile, so it would be a case to make or break her career.

  Hank, loving husband that he was, assured his wife that she was doing beautifully, and she waved him off as she continued to babble about her fears.

  More than once, Xavier caught Helena’s eye and rolled his own, making her smile. If he hadn’t been related to Brandy, he himself might have forgone the dinner for something a bit more fun. Bowling, maybe, or a movie. God knew his sister could be ridiculously talkative when she set her mind to it – and just now, she was doing exactly that.

  The conversation ended up running the gauntlet of subjects, on everything from the family trip their parents were planning that summer to Helena’s work towards her degree. She had already been looking into several medical schools and, with her grades, Xavier didn’t doubt she would be accepted into every single one.

  The only problem would be the distance. Each school, atop being number one in its field, was out of state.

  Which meant that his time with Helena was limited. She would graduate in only two or three months – and he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. “This is so exciting, Helena.” Brandy really showed her merit in empathizing with people. No matter how shallow she could be sometimes, at the end of the day, Xavier’s elder sister had a heart of gold and good intentions. “I’m sure we’ll all be looking to your future. You’re going to do amazing things in the world of medicine, I’m sure. Just like your father. “Leaning over, Brandy elbowed her brother. “You’ll support your girlfriend, won’t you, Xav?”

  He felt heat immediately creeping up his face as Helena looked at him, her expression embarrassed. “Oh, Brandy…we aren’t…I mean…it’s not like that between Xavier and I.” She tried an easy smile. “We’re not dating.”

  Even though he knew how she felt about the scenario, hearing the words aloud still hurt. Xavier frowned, opening his mouth as he prepared to resolve the scenario right then and there – only to be interrupted by a deep, cultured tone.

  “I should think not.”

  The young man turned in his chair, his eyes widening in shock to see none other than his parents standing at the edge of the table.

  His father looked imposing, as always, in a charcoal suit that set off the streaks of gray in his mahogany hair. He and Xavier had the same sharp facial features, but that was where all resemblance between them ended. While the younger man sometimes wore glasses, and more often than not carried a thin layer of stubble on his face, Garret Thompson was impeccably clean shaven, his cerulean eyes cold and calculating. His wife, Mariah, was still startlingly blonde at fifty nine, her dark hair pulled into a knot at the nape of her hair and clad in a deep plum dinner down.

  How the hell had they snuck up on them without Xavier noticing? Usually, he could smell his father’s pretentious, strong cologne from a mile away. As the thought entered his head, the scent wafted over him powerfully.

  “Mom, Dad.” Brandy recovered first, rising from her seat to kiss her mother stiffly on the cheek, and then her father. “I thought you were still in the Maldives.”

  “We just returned yesterday.” Mariah Thompson’s voice was cool as she looked over the assembly. We heard that you were having dinner and decided to join you. We’ve been meaning to speak to Xavier.

  It took at least another moment for Xavier to come back to reality. His parents had come to have dinner with them? And they had to speak to him? That couldn’t bode well. They were planning some kind of interference. As they seated themselves between Hank and his wife, he realized that his father had said something specifically objecting to his and Helena’s dating.

  Which, quite frankly, was none of his business. He’d never tried to interfere in Xavier’s love life before, so why would he start now?

  “Don’t let us interrupt.” Mariah’s smile was stiff as she gestured to waitress with a snap of her fingers. “You were having a very lively conversation.”

  Next to Xavier, Helena squirmed in her seat. It was obvious that the presence of his parents made her distinctly uncomfortable. They tended to have that effect on a lot of people. Brandy cleared her throat lowly, continuing on the exact note that they’d left off. “Xavier…you were about to say something?”

  Shit.

  Now there was no way he could get out of it. “I was going to invite Helena to come with me for a weekend up in the mountains at the end of April.”

  Next to him, Helena stared at him as if all of his teeth had fallen out. Alright, so it wasn’t the most opportune time to ask her, he knew. If it had just been them and his sister and Hank, Brandy would have gushed and wheedled the young woman into accepting – which was what he had counted on. But now, Brandy had put him on the spot.

  Before Helena could either accept or deny his invitation, however, his mother butted in. Forcefully.

  “Actually, the cabin won’t be available that weekend, my darling. My apologies. Your father and I will be using it.” She smiled apologetically – a gesture that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  Xavier’s eyes narrowed as he reached over to very obtrusively take Helena’s hand in his own, much to her surprise. “No problem. We’ll just rent our own cabin.”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be an option either.” His father cut in next, and he didn’t bother to smile, which made it obvious what was going on. “The entire resort has been booked out.” He, of course, owned the establishment – which allowed him to make such an o
utlandish claim. But he was so obviously lying that it was disgusting.

  “In April, Dad? Really?” Xavier’s tone held an edge of disbelief, and Helena wiggled her fingers beneath his, trying to free them as she whispered lowly.

  “Xavier, it’s fine, really. I have too much studying to do anyway. I can’t go-”

  “This isn’t about the damn weekend.” He cut her off sharply, looking from one of his parents to the other. Opposite him, Brandy’s eyes widened as she saw where the conversation was headed and she quickly moved to avert a disaster.

  “Xavier, maybe we should talk about something else? Maybe finals? I know you have exams coming up-

  “No, I’d like to talk about why my choice of women is suddenly such an issue to our parents.” Xavier growled, making Helena shrink back into her chair beside him. It wasn’t his aim to embarrass her – only to make sure his parents knew they couldn’t dictate his life to him – professional or romantic.

  Garret Thompson released a long suffering sigh, setting his menu down on the table. “Xavier, you’re twenty six years old. Do grow up. This choosing women and professions just to spite us is ridiculously irresponsible.”

  “To spite you?” Xavier hissed incredulously. “You have got to be kidding me! Just because I happen to want to move outside the bubble of prestige you guys are in doesn’t mean I’m trying to spite you. I happen to love the major I chose. And Helena is brilliant, gorgeous and aspiring. What about that offends you so goddamn much?”

  “Xavier.” His mother spoke with the same tone she might use to address his sixteen year old sister. “This young woman came from Maynard. Her mother is a drug addict and an alcoholic that sells her body on the streets and her father chose to spend a good half of his career catering to neighborhoods that only scorned him.”

  Helena’s sharp gasp cut him to the core as Xavier stared at his parents in horror. It was no surprise that they might know who she was – especially since they probably did all sorts of nasty research into her father when he treated Brandy- but to say something like that so callously…he hadn’t known they could be so cruel. “Helena will never escape her roots,” Mariah quipped, touching her perfect hairdo to neaten it. “And you shouldn’t have to suffer from being associated with them. We’re just trying to save you the heartache of watching her fail in her endeavors.”

  “Mother!” Even Brandy exclaimed at that particular comment, and Xavier thought he must have misheard for a moment. Sadly, he was mistaken. Helena’s fingers slipped through his grip as she stood, her face deathly pale.

  “Excuse me.” With those two, barely audible words, she fled the table, leaving her meal half eaten behind her.

  Xavier didn’t have to think. Without allowing his parents the courtesy of an excuse, he leapt to his feet to chase after her, his heart in his throat. What the hell? He was still trying to comprehend that his mother could be so cold as he burst from the restaurant and into the parking lot. He looked around wildly for a moment, his breath catching when he couldn’t find Helena. Then, all at once, he caught the pale gleam of her dress near the edge of the parking lot. He quickly hurried down the steps and after her.

  The young woman stood in the grass that surrounded the establishment, the heels she’d shed in a hand as she stared off into the woods back towards the highway. “Helena.” Xavier’s tone was soft as he addressed her. “Helena, I’m so sorry. I had no idea she would say anything like that.”

  He took a step towards her, onto the lush greenery beneath her feet as he reached out to touch her arm. The dark-haired girl flinched away, turning from him. “Why shouldn’t she? She’s right. I am from Maynard.” Far from crying, her voice sounded frighteningly numb. “My mother is an addict and a prostitute, and my father…” She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were cold, despite the warmth of the evening. “I’ll never escape.”

  Her whispered words angered him.

  What was wrong with her? She’d spent the past five months insisting to him that she was going to succeed. That she was going to make her father proud and achieve her dreams. She’d spent hours in the library and stayed up until the crack of dawn for even minor exams – and now she was going to let the callous words of someone who knew nothing about her cut her down.

  “Helena.” Taking her by the shoulders, he spun her around to face him, the emptiness in her expression breaking his heart. “You are not going to take this. My mother doesn’t know you. My family doesn’t know you. Not like I do. And I’m telling you: You’re going to succeed?”

  “How?” She replied weakly. “I don’t have the right connections. I barely have enough money for medical school, and my mother…what if she…” She blinked, and tears finally began to well in her eyes. At the sight of them, Xavier breathed a sigh of relief. Better tears than that terrible numbness.

  “Your mother is going to do jack shit.” He replied firmly, cupping her face in his hands softly. “You won’t let her. You’re stronger than that. Stronger than some snooty socialite and stronger than what anyone might think of you. Where you came from can’t define you, Helena. I think I’m living proof of that.”

  She searched his face slowly, before her eyes closed and moisture streaked down her cheeks. “Xavier, I want this so badly.”

  “I know you do, honey.” He comforted her in a low, reassuring voice, thumbing her tears from her cheeks. “And no one deserves it more than you.” When her eyes met his gaze again, the vulnerability there took his breath away. For all Helena blustered – for all the coffee she drank to stay awake at all hours of the night and worked on perfecting her notes until they looked like encyclopedias – she was just as frightened as he was of failure.

  Lowering his mouth to hers, he kissed her.

  Xavier had intended the gesture to be soft – showing her that he believed in her and would support her in anything she endeavored to try. However, a mere beat passed before the gesture turned into something hungrier. Helena’s lips parted against his own and her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she stood on her toes to press her body against his.

  Through her dress, he could feel every curve and valley of her body, and the warmth of her form against his was maddening.

  The desire that had built up in him for the past few months suddenly ignited to a burning need in his gut and he lifted the young woman from her feet to slide his tongue against hers with a soft groan of want. What was it about this woman that made him take leave of his senses? That made him want to take her apart and put her back together - to make sure that no one hurt her ever again?

  She tasted of the wine they had for dinner – of her tears and all the effort she put into everything she did. Nipping at her lower lip, Xavier sucked it into his mouth to nibble softly so she shuddered against him, her fingers curling into the back of his neck.

  He wanted her – powerfully; and he’d be damned if his parents were going to dictate what woman he chose.

  His mouth still on hers, Xavier hefted her into his arms bridal style, taking her shoes in a hand to carry her back to his car. Somehow, he managed to maneuver her inside, setting her down in the passenger seat before leaving her there, his heart racing, blood slamming hotly through his veins. When he slipped into the driver’s seat to start the car, for once, Helena didn’t protest, and she didn’t ask him where they were going. Her eyes were filled with the same all-encompassing desire as his own, and she squeezed his thigh, urging him to hurry.

  Xavier didn’t have to be told twice.

  **

  It didn’t matter.

  As she gazed at the man beside her, Helena uttered the simple mantra to herself.

  It didn’t matter. Didn’t matter that she thought someone like him would have never given her the time of day; that she’d underestimated his dedication to the things he loved and his drive to make his own mark on the world. It didn’t matter that she was from Maynard and that his parents didn’t approve of her, or that her struggle would probably be uphill for the rest
of her life.

  Despite only knowing Xavier for half a year, it became harder and harder for her to imagine a day where he didn’t walk her to class, making snide comments about the amount of studying she’d done the previous night or asking if she meant to visit him in his office later. He was infuriating, exasperating, and a complete and utter distraction.

  But she liked being distracted.

  When the man hefted her from his car, making to carry her up a flight of stairs in his fancy apartment building, her eyes widened. “Xavier, you’re going to kill yourself.” To which he simply bounced her in his arms, bringing her closer to his broad chest with a smirk.

  “It would be a shame to die when I finally have you in my arms.” The comment effectively silenced her and she didn’t speak again until they were inside his apartment. He let her slide down the front of him, igniting every nerve ending in her body to burn hotly. When his blue eyes met hers and she was the raw want there, she shuddered, swallowing thickly. “Xavier,” she tried hesitantly. “I’m…I’m not good at this.”

  He chuckled darkly, molding his mouth to hers in a kiss so devastating that her legs turned to mush and the man had to hold her upright in his strong embrace. “Don’t worry. I’ll do all the hard work.” He punctuated the statement with a press of his erection against her stomach, which set her pulse racing. The man was definitely proportional – in every aspect – which made her more than a little nervous. As many times as she’d imagined this – and as flagrantly erotic as those images had become over the past weeks, experiencing them in the flesh was something else entirely.

  Xavier’s mouth left her own to make its way down over her throat, each hot press of his lips sending streaks of liquid desire to pool low in her belly. He found her pulse point, nipping and sucking at the sensitive spot until she moaned softly, clinging to him for purchase. “God,” He murmured against her collarbone before his tongue dipped into the hollow there. “You’re so goddamn beautiful.”