by Pamela Yaye
“My book club members are staying for lunch.”
“I understand.” Jariah thought hard. And then she smiled to herself as an idea came to mind. One that was guaranteed to work. “I was really hoping to take Ava to the Miami Art Museum this afternoon. The Pioneers of African-American History exhibit opens today, and I’m anxious to see it.”
Stella’s tone brightened. “I think that is a grand idea. Lee and I donated a million dollars to the project, and we attended the charity fundraiser, as well. Imagine how excited Ava will be when she sees our names on the gold sponsor plaque at the entrance of the exhibit.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Jariah lied, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. “That’s why I want to pick up Ava now. I want us to have plenty of time to explore the exhibit.”
“Yes, wonderful idea, I will prepare Ava for your impending arrival.”
Lady, get off it. This is not the Victorian Age, and you are no Queen Elizabeth!
“I will have her dressed and ready to go at one o’clock. Don’t be late.”
“Great, thank you, Mrs. Convington. See you soon.”
“Park across the street when you arrive,” she said, her tone losing its warmth. “Your car is an eyesore and I don’t want my book club members to see it anywhere near my property.”
Click.
Annoyed by the dig, Jariah swore in Italian. She stuffed her feet into her high heels, scooped up her handbag and tore out of the master bedroom. The sooner she called a cab, the sooner she could pick up Ava. Jariah wanted to see Nicco, and felt bad about leaving despite making plans to spend the day with him, but she couldn’t sit around waiting for him to return from his jog. She was worried about Ava and wanted to pick her up before Wesley’s mother completely shattered her self-esteem.
As Jariah descended the winding staircase, she admired the striking decor on the main floor. In the morning light, Nicco’s Coral Gables estate was even more stunning. The mansion had a modest brick exterior, but the inside was fit for a king. Oversized picture windows offered an abundance of natural sunshine and panoramic views of the Miami skyline. Decorated in rich beige and brown tones, the estate was decked out in designer furnishings and the best artwork money could buy. Brass chandeliers hung from what seemed to be every ceiling on the main floor, and a collection of Egyptian masks lined the walls. It was a dream house, one Jariah wished she could afford, and as she glanced out the window she imagined herself playing with Ava on the trampoline.
Jariah smelled the tantalizing aroma of bacon and freshly baked pastries, too, but ignored her hunger pains. Determined to make a clean getaway without running into Gerald or one of the groundskeepers, she tiptoed past the formal dining room and rushed through the grand foyer. Almost there, she thought, as her gaze fixed on the front door.
Her heart slammed violently against her rib cage, and her cold, clammy hands were shaking uncontrollably. As she sped passed the kitchen, someone reached out and grabbed her. Jariah shrieked, and her purse fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes.
Chuckling, Nicco wrapped her up in his arms and dropped a kiss on her cheek.
“Are you trying to kill me?” She touched a hand to her chest and breathed slowly through her nose. “You scared me half to death.”
“That’s what you get for trying to run off.”
He turned her around to face him, and when their eyes met, Jariah felt suffocating rush of desire. Deep in her stomach, butterflies swarmed about. Her nipples hardened, strained against her bra, dying for release, and she just knew her panties were soaking wet. Nicco made her want to do wild and crazy things, and looked so damn sexy in his white T-shirt and blue running shorts, she wanted to have him—not Honey Nut Cheerios—for breakfast.
“Did you sleep well?” Nicco asked, blessing her with another kiss.
“Like a baby.”
He laughed. “That’s what I like to hear.”
“How was your run?”
“Painful.” His grin was sly, and his voice was undeniably erotic. “You worked me over real good last night, and I have aches and pains in places I haven’t used since I was a teenager!”
His words aroused her and made her want to head back upstairs to the master bedroom for rounds four and five, but then she remembered her conversation with Ava minutes earlier, and her craving waned. “I know we made plans to have a picnic at Bayfront Park, but I have to leave,” she explained, scooping her purse up off the floor. “Can you please call me a cab?”
His grin faded. “Don’t go. Stay. I need you.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, baby, I do.” Nuzzling his face against her chin, he slipped a hand underneath her blouse and caressed the small of her back. “I’m starving. Let’s go back to bed.”
“Oh, so that’s why you want me to stay.” Eyeing him coolly, Jariah freed herself from his grasp. “I don’t need you to walk me out. I can see myself to the door.”
Nicco slid in front of her, cutting off her escape route. His features were touched with concern, and the hand he rested on her hip warmed her from the toes up.
“Baby, it’s not like that,” he argued, his tone as gentle as his caress. “I want you here because I love being with you. The fact that you’re the best lover I’ve ever had is a bonus.”
I’m the best lover you ever had? No way! she thought, resisting the urge to squeal.
“Sorry, Nicco, I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Embarrassed for overreacting, Jariah wore an apologetic smile. “I just got off the phone with Ava’s grandmother, and that woman always brings the worst out in me.”
“How is Ava doing? Is everything okay?”
“No, she’s upset, so I’m going to pick her up early,” Jariah explained, taking her cell phone out of her purse to check for missed calls. “That’s why I need you to call me a cab.”
“Let’s go into the kitchen. You can bring me up to speed while we eat breakfast.”
The glass table overlooking the deck was filled with an abundance of silver trays and juice jugs.
“Wow, your personal chef prepared quite the spread this morning.”
Nicco filled a oversized plate with some of everything that was on the table. “I don’t have a chef. I prefer to do all my own cooking.”
“It must have taken you hours to make all of this food.”
“It did, but you’re worth it.”
Sitting down at the table, Nicco seized Jariah around the waist and pulled her down on his lap. He picked up his fork, cut her blueberry waffle into small, tiny pieces and swirled it around in the maple syrup. “Open wide.”
Jariah did and chewed slowly. Starving, she parted her lips for more. Between bites, Nicco stroked her neck, her shoulders and nibbled on her earlobes. Who knew breakfast could be so sexy? she thought, snuggling closer to him. He fed her until there was nothing left on her plate and dabbed her mouth with a napkin when she was finished eating.
“I could get used to this,” he said, gazing up at her. “I like you being here.”
I do, too. More than you know.
“I have something for you.” Nicco reached into the pocket of his shorts and took out a gold key. “This is for you. I want you and Ava to come and go as you please.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’d hate for us to bump into Estelle or one of your other exes.”
“You won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because you’re the only woman I’ve ever given a key to.”
Jariah felt her jaw drop, but couldn’t close her gaping mouth.
“My past relationships were all superficial, short-term hookups, but I want more for us.”
Fiddling with her watch strap, she avoided his searching gaze.
“What is it? Did I say something wrong?”
Silence, hung between them like a thick, dark curtain.
“Talk to me,” he pleaded, taking her hands in his. “I want to know what’s stopping you from trusting me. Is it my past and all of the reckless things you think I’ve done?”
“You come from a wealthy family, and I grew up in a low-income housing project in—”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“I’ve been down this road before and I don’t want to go down it again.”
“I don’t understand. You’re talking in circles.” Nicco frowned. “Is this about your ex?”
Bitter memories flooded her mind, and seconds passed before Jariah could speak.
“Ava’s dad was my first love, my one and only boyfriend, and when I got pregnant three months before graduation he promised to take care of me. My parents were furious with me for having a baby out of wedlock, but I was too in love to care.”
“You thought you were going to get married and live happily ever after, huh?”
“I was twenty-one, incredibly naive and believed everything would be okay as long as we loved each other.”
“Sometimes love just isn’t enough.”
Knowing firsthand how true that was, Jariah nodded her head solemnly. “Things were going great, and I was thrilled when he asked me to move in but the minute his parents learned I was from Overtown, they started treating me differently.”
“It sounds like his parents need to take a course on acceptance and sensitivity.”
“I couldn’t agree more. They act all high and mighty just because they have a private jet, and vacation in the Hamptons, but they are the most small-minded people I have ever met. In their eyes, I’m nothing but trash, and I’ll never be good enough for their brilliant, successful son.”
“Don’t say things like that.” His tone was one of suppressed anger, and his teeth were clenched. “You’re not trash.”
“Well, that’s how Wesley’s family made my parents feel,” she confessed, her heart filled with a dull ache at the mention of her mom and dad. “Things got so bad between our families last year that my parents stopped talking to me. I got so frustrated with the situation, I sat down and wrote them a letter, but it was returned, unopened, a few weeks later.”
“Keep trying. They’ll come around. How could they not?” Nicco touched a hand to her cheek and kissed the corners of her lips. “You’re smart and so beautiful.”
“But I don’t know what else to do. I’ve tried everything.”
“Don’t worry, baby, we’ll think of something.”
“We will?” she asked, stunned by the conviction in his voice.
“Absolutely. We’re in this together, right?”
Jariah didn’t speak. Tongue-tied, she didn’t know what to say.
“Unless...” His face hardened like stone, and his shoulders grew stiff. “Unless you’re still in love with you ex and are considering getting back together with him.”
“It’s not going to happen. I would never, ever take him back.”
“Can I get that in writing?”
Jariah laughed. She thought Nicco was joking, but when he didn’t flash his trademark grin and dodged her gaze, she realized he didn’t believe her. Why not? If anyone should be apprehensive about us dating it should be me.
“I was willing to put up with my ex’s parents, but I got sick of him giving me the runaround about our wedding,” she confessed. “We were engaged for five long years, but every time I asked him to set a wedding date, he gave me one excuse after another. He had no intention of ever marrying me, so I broke things off and moved out nine months ago.”
“Smart move. You deserve better.”
“I think so, too.”
Jariah glanced at the clock on the oven and saw that it was eleven o’clock, and she gasped. “I can’t believe we’ve been sitting here talking for two hours,” she said, standing to her feet. Quickly, she cleared the table of the dishes and put the leftovers in the fridge.
“What’s the rush?” Nicco asked. He stood, picked up their empty glasses and joined her at the sink. “You have plenty of time to get to Coconut Grove.”
“I know, but if I’m late, Ava’s grandmother will call me a bad mother, and I’m not in the mood to hear her mouth today.”
“You’re an excellent mom. You know that. Don’t let her get to you.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’ve never had the misfortune of meeting her.”
“True, but I have plenty of drama to deal with in my family and at the office.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
Nicco nodded. Leaning against the counter, he folded his arms across his chest and crossed his legs at the ankles. “Ask away. I have nothing to hide.”
Despite her misgivings, she asked the question that had been plaguing her thoughts from the first day she started working at Morretti Incorporated. “What happened between you and Tye Caldwell? There are rumors circulating around the office that he resigned because you slept with his wife.”
He wore a dark gaze, but spoke in a calm, quiet tone. “It’s not true.”
“Which part? The part about Tye leaving the company or you sleeping with his wife?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I understand.”
Annoyed, Jariah flung her dish towel on the counter and spun on her heels. Before she reached the breakfast bar, Nicco grabbed her waist and gathered her in his arms.
“Damn, that’s not it.” He hung his head and released a deep sigh. “I’ve never told anyone the truth about what happened with Tye.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s embarrassing, and I want to forget what happened.”
“Nothing you tell me will ever leave this room. I promise. You have my word.”
Nicco paused, as if he was weighing the truth of her words. After a prolonged silence, he raised his head to meet her gaze, and dropped a bombshell. “Tye embezzled a million dollars from Morretti Incorporated and set me up to take the fall.”
Chapter 16
Stunned, Jariah stared at Nicco with wide eyes, unable to believe his jaw-dropping confession. His best friend had betrayed him? Why? How? When? Dozens of questions filled her mind, but she couldn’t get her thoughts in order or her lips to form a single word.
Instinctively, she moved closer to him. To comfort him, Jariah gently caressed his face. He stared off into space and when he finally spoke, the anguish in his voice brought tears to her eyes.
“I was so busy partying and enjoying the fruits of our labor that I didn’t notice Tye was stealing from Dolce Vita right under my nose.”
“Nicco, are you sure? Do you have proof that he was stealing from you?”
“One of the interns working in the accounting department noticed a discrepancy in the signature of a check Tye forged in my name and alerted his supervisor.” Nicco laughed bitterly, and jabbed a finger at his chest. “Imagine that, a college freshman is smarter than I am!”
“Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault.”
“It is,” he insisted. “My family and the board of directors also think so.”
“I don’t care what they think,” Jariah argued. “They’re wrong. Tye was your best friend. You had every right to trust him.”
Nicco hung his head and raked a hand through his hair. His shoulders were hunched in defeat and worry lines creased his forehead. “I knew something was up with Tye, but I didn’t want to believe that my best friend would ever screw me over.”
“Why did he do it? Was he in financial trouble?”
“No, he got greedy.” His narrowed eyes appeared dark. “Tye was never satisfied, and spent money like it was growing on trees. He was always competing with me,
but I didn’t care. Business was booming, and at the time I felt I owed the success of Dolce Vita to him.”
“Seeing your best friend locked up must have been hard on you.”
“Tye’s not in jail. Last I heard he was backpacking through Europe.”
“Why didn’t you go to the police and have him arrested?”
Anguish covered his face and seeped into his voice. “Because Tye was more than just a friend and a business partner. He was my brother.”
“But he lied and betrayed your trust.”
“Italians are incredibly loyal people, and nothing matters more to me than the happiness of my friends and family,” he said, wearing a sad smile. “I couldn’t let Tye go to jail, so I repaid the money he stole and forced him to resign. He caused a scene at the office, even threatened to kill me, but it was all for show. Tye wanted to save face, but we both know I did him a favor.”
“Where’s his family now? Are they in Europe, too?”
“No, they’re here in Miami. The past twelve months have been tough on Meredith and Richie, but they’re hanging in there.”
“Richie, your godson. Of course, now everything makes sense,” Jariah said, as all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. “You’re his surrogate dad now that Tye’s gone.”
“I’m trying, but I have a lot to learn. Meredith said if I don’t toughen up, Richie’s going to walk all over me. But it’s hard to say no to such a cute, smooth-talking kid!”
As they chatted about Ava and Richie, they loaded the dishwasher and wiped down the counters. Once the kitchen looked spic and span, Jariah grabbed her purse and put on her jacket.
“I wish you didn’t have to go. I love having you here,” he said in a hushed whisper. Nicco tipped her head back and stared deep into her eyes. “I’ve fallen hard for you, Jariah. I hate when we’re apart.”
Something inside Jariah told her that he was telling the truth, but her doubts still plagued her troubled thoughts. One kiss was all it took to make her melt. Back in his arms, his hands linked around her waist, Jariah realized there was nowhere in the world she’d rather be. Nicco nibbled on her bottom lip. Her nipples hardened under her blouse, aching for his lips, his teeth and his nimble tongue.