“Is it really that bad?” he asked.
Casey smirked and grabbed a handful of nuts from the basket on the bar. She shook them in her hand. “Kind of. Have you ever watched someone walking into a snake pit, but when you try to stop them, they make it seem as if you’re the one with the problem?”
“You have to allow people to make their own mistakes. How do you know this person doesn’t like snake bites?”
“Because I know this person can do so much better,” Casey said as she gritted her teeth.
“Better as in you?” he asked, starting to lose interest in talking to a woman hung up on another man.
“I just know that a woman who lays around a man’s house naked isn’t someone worthy of anything more than a booty call.”
Emerson took another sip of scotch. “Why not show him that you don’t care? Men hate to see women we’ve taken for granted happy with someone else.”
“I don’t think Antonio would care if I walked into the next family gathering with Denzel Washington,” she said, then drained her drink.
“Well, Antonio is a fool.”
“Great observation.” Casey gave Emerson a cool once over. “You’re not from Charlotte, are you?”
“Not at all. I’m visiting from Los Angeles. I have some business here.”
“Banker?”
“No. I’m a filmmaker. If we were in L.A., I’d probably try and talk you into a screen test.” Emerson finished his drink.
Casey laughed. “I’m guessing that line works better in L.A.”
“Touché. But since I’m not doing anything tonight, what do you say you give me a tour of your fair city?” he suggested.
“All right. Since I picked up the tab for the drinks, why don’t you buy me dinner at Hometown Delights?”
At the mention of Serena’s restaurant, Emerson smiled widely. “I’ve been meaning to go there.”
“Then let’s do it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Antonio is there.”
“And why would he be there? Is the food that good?”
“The food is probably the last thing on his mind, but that’s a story for another day.” Casey reached into her purse and pulled out her credit card to pay for the drinks. “So, tell me about your films. Are you an artsy guy or a Spike Lee type?”
“I’m an Emerson Bradford type,” he said with a smirk. “Have you ever seen Sultry Summer?”
“Oh my goodness. I love that movie.”
“I wrote and directed it,” he replied proudly.
“Wow! But what are you doing in Charlotte?
This is as far away from Hollywood as you can get.”
“Well, I have a new project I want to release, but I have to get my star to sign off on it.”
“She’s here in Charlotte?” Casey asked. “I can’t see why she’d have a problem with you making her a star. Everybody in Charlotte wants to rise above the skyline and this star of yours can’t be much different.”
“That’s a movie in itself,” Emerson said as he stood up and held out his hand to Casey.
She placed her hand in his palm and looked him in the eye. “What’s this movie about?”
“A sexy serial killer who uses her body to get what she wants and to hide her murders. It’s like nothing anyone has ever seen—a smart and erotic thriller.” Emerson’s eyes glossed over as he thought about how close he and Serena had been when they made that movie. How sweet she’d tasted after he watched her do those things on screen all day. Looking at Casey, Emerson had a brain storm. What if the public demanded to see the movie? If he built a buzz, leaked pieces of the film on the Internet and got people talking, the studio would put the film on the big screen and it wouldn’t matter if Serena signed off on the film or not.
“Are you ready for dinner?” he asked.
“Yes,” Casey replied and they headed out the door.
Serena walked into the dining room of Hometown Delights just to make sure she hadn’t been seeing things. Yes, the restaurant was full and there were people willing to wait an hour for a table. Alicia’s idea for a soft launch of the restaurant reopening was paying off. Serena didn’t expect the crowd to return so quickly, though. However, she couldn’t be happier. Well, she could’ve been happier if she and Antonio were lying naked across her bed.
Smiling, she wiped down the bar. She couldn’t wait until they hired a bartender so she could stop spending her evenings working. The bar was full because people were nosy, Serena surmised. They wanted to see if there were any signs of the horror that had happened at the restaurant. As she handed a patron a three-dollar draft, she wondered if Antonio was at home. Maybe I should call him and see if he would like some dessert, she thought as she remembered the special chocolate cake Devon had made to celebrate the reopening.
“Hey there, hot lips,” a man said, interrupting her thoughts. “How are you doing tonight?” He eased onto a stool and smiled at Serena.
She pretended not to notice the tan ring of flesh on the ring finger of his left hand. Since she was bored, Serena decided to indulge her portly customer. “What can I get for you, sweetheart?” She leaned over the bar and offered him a seductive grin.
“Your phone number for starters and a gin and tonic with a twist of lime.”
“I can get you the drink, but no on the phone number unless you can get your wife to join in,” she said as she stroked his ring finger.
The man laughed and dropped his hand in his lap.
Serena fixed his drink and as she put it in front of him, she saw Emerson walk in the restaurant with Antonio’s sister-in-law, Casey. “What in the hell?” she mumbled.
“You say something, baby?” the man asked.
Serena focused on the customer, hoping Emerson wouldn’t see her—or that she was mistaken he’d walked into the restaurant. “Seven-fifty,” Serena said. “Do you want to start a tab?”
“What time do you get off?” he asked with a wide smile.
“In about ten minutes,” she said, glancing over his shoulder, watching the hostess seat Emerson and Casey.
“Then, I’ll just pay for this and watch you until you go home.”
Serena took the man’s money and stood at the register where she had a clear view of Emerson and Casey. I have to get out of here, she thought as she rang up the drink. Profits be damned, she wasn’t going to spend another minute in Emerson’s presence.
As she was about to shut down the bar, she and Emerson locked eyes. A feeling rushed through her system that caught her off guard. Seeing him after all of those years stirred old emotions that had been long buried. Then there was anger. What the hell was he doing in her restaurant?
She broke the eye contact and snatched her apron off. Stalking from behind the bar she headed to the office. She paced back and forth, wondering if she should say something to him, but quickly decided against it. What she wanted to say to Emerson would do nothing but cause a scene and that was the last thing that needed to happen. Especially in front of Casey.
“Why is he with her?” she whispered as she picked up the phone to call Alicia.
“Hello, Serena,” Emerson said from the doorway of the office.
She dropped the phone and glared at him. “Customers aren’t allowed back here,” she snapped. “And when I find out who allowed you back here, they’re going to be fired.”
“That’s not nice,” he said as he crossed over to her and stopped in front of the desk.
“Emerson, what the hell do you want?” she said, struggling to keep her voice underneath a scream.
“Tonight, I just want to say hello. Are we still meeting this week?”
She glared at him. Memories of kissing him and making love to him fought with the fantasies she’d had over the last five years about killing him, pushing him over a high cliff, and watching his body fall to a rocky death.
“Don’t you have a date to return to? I have work to do. Get out of my office,” Serena said. Her voice was cold, despite the heated anger flowing inside her.
/> “All right,” he said as he turned to leave. “It was really good to see you. You look great as usual.”
“You should have seen me on my wedding day, you son of bitch,” she snapped as she stomped from behind the desk and slammed the door behind him.
Chapter 17
Antonio tucked A.J. into bed and kissed his sleeping son on the forehead. Since he was finished with his work on the restaurant, he’d been able to spend the day with his son. They’d started their day with a pancake and banana breakfast, then headed to the Aquatic Center to play in the pool for a few hours.
After swimming, A.J. and Antonio headed to Fuel Pizza and talked about the upcoming school year. A.J. was excited about starting First Ward Elementary School in the fall.
“Are we still going to see Mickey Mouse?” A.J. had asked as he and his father shared a cheese pizza.
“Sure,” Antonio had replied. “We can go next month.”
“I wish Mommy was here to go with us. She liked Mickey Mouse too, didn’t she?”
Antonio had nodded and wished he had fonder memories of his wife. Looking down at his son, he knew he would have to keep his negative thoughts about Marian hidden. She’d loved her son and that’s all A.J. needed to know about his mom.
He quietly walked out of A.J.’s room and headed into the den to catch SportsCenter. As he sat on the sofa, his mind turned to Serena. Antonio silently admitted he was very taken with the sultry woman. She was seductive and sweet and if he had his way, he’d be with her every minute of the day. But was that what she wanted? Could they have more than sizzling sex between the sheets? Could they develop something meaningful?
Antonio sincerely hoped so. Glancing at the clock, he decided to call her before it got too late.
“Hello?” Serena seemingly sang when she answered the phone.
“Good evening, beautiful,” he said.
“Hi, Antonio.”
“How was your day?”
“A little long. We need a bartender and until we get one, I’m moonlighting. You should let me make you a drink one night.”
“How about tonight?” he asked.
“Where’s your son?”
“Upstairs, asleep. You can come over if you aren’t too tired.”
“I think I will. Do you have a blender? I can bring the ingredients for my Serena punch,” she said with a hint of laughter in her voice.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Then I’ll see you in about twenty minutes,” Serena said.
When they hung up the phone, Antonio excitedly began counting down the minutes until Serena would arrive.
Emerson sat in silence as Casey ate. His mind went back to the desire he’d felt when he saw Serena standing behind that desk. Her body was more sensual than he remembered, despite the fact that she was fully dressed. The way her blouse hugged her breasts gave him an erection he wanted to bury deep inside her just like he’d done so many times when they were together in Los Angeles.
And those lips. Thick, pouty and luscious. He wanted to kiss her and see if she still had the same sweet taste he used to crave. That’s not why you’re here, he thought as he toyed with the green beans on his plate.
“Is something wrong with the food?” Casey asked, breaking into his thoughts. He looked at her, remembering for the first time since he saw Serena that Casey was there.
“No, I think I’m full. I hope you don’t mind if I take off early,” he said.
“Did something happen when you went to the bathroom?” Casey asked as she dropped her fork.
“No, just jet lag. The time difference is catching up with me.” He stood up and placed the money for dinner on the table. “I’m going to call a cab and head back to the hotel. Why don’t we get together tomorrow afternoon for lunch?”
Casey raised her right eyebrow and scowled at him. “I don’t think so,” she said tersely. “Have a good night.” Casey rose from her seat and stormed out of the restaurant.
Emerson walked over to the hostess and asked her to phone for a cab. As he waited for the car to show up, he thought about Serena and wondered if he should’ve pressed her to sign the release and then focus the rest of his time in Charlotte on her seduction. He knew she still wanted him and the anger he’d seen on her face had only been a mask.
It had been five years since they’d seen each other, but Emerson was sure he could still read her. Just as he read her the first day they’d met. She didn’t belong in that restaurant. He was still going to make her a star.
As she drove to Antonio’s house, Serena thought of Emerson Bradford. Seeing him made her realize she did have some unfinished business with him. She needed to slap him with the fury she’d been holding back for five years. “He has a damned nerve, smug bastard,” she cursed as she pulled up to a stop light. When her phone rang, Serena prayed that it wasn’t Emerson.
“What?” she asked when she answered the phone.
“That’s some way to answer the phone,” Jade said. “Is that guy calling you again?”
“No, he’s just showing up at the restaurant,” Serena said. “I shut the bar down and went to the office. He had the nerve to come back there.”
“Did you kick him in the family jewels?” Jade asked.
“No. The last thing we need is more bad press, so I just left,” Serena said.
“Are you all right?” Jade asked. “It has to be hard to see him. Did he give you any clue as to what he wants?”
“No, and I don’t give a damn. Since he likes to leave people hanging, I’m not going to show up at Starbucks. Let him sit there and stew.”
“Where are you now? James said he passed the restaurant and it was closed.”
Serena smiled despite herself. “I’m going to see Antonio.”
“Really?” Jade said. “Let me guess. You’re dressed in something short for easy access. I hope his little boy isn’t going to answer the door.”
“Oh, shut up, Jade.” Serena glanced at the clock on her radio. “I’m sure his son is sound asleep by now.”
“Serena, are you going to admit that you really like this guy?”
“Good-bye, Jade. Go do something with your husband and your son,” she said, then clicked the phone off as she pulled into Antonio’s driveway.
Serena got out of the car and grabbed her bag filled with coconut rum, pineapple juice, limes, and lemons. She was sure Antonio had ice for her treat. She looked up at the front porch and saw him standing there dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a white tank top that highlighted his smooth brown skin and displayed his rippling muscles. Her breath caught in her chest as she recalled how she felt with those strong arms wrapped around her. Walking toward him, Serena felt a throbbing between her thighs she couldn’t wait for Antonio to tame.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said as he walked down the steps and met her.
“Hi,” Serena replied with a smile and handed him her tote bag.
Antonio gently set the bag on the porch, then wrapped his arms around her. In a quick motion, he captured her lips, kissing her with an intense passion that made her swoon. He held her tighter.
Serena moaned, thinking how much she needed that kiss, his touch, and his heat.
Antonio pulled back and licked his lips. “I’ve been thinking about doing that all day,” he whispered.
“What else has been on your mind?” she said with a wicked gleam in her eye.
He led her into the house. When he closed the door he slipped his hand between her thighs and stroked her gently. “Let’s just say, I’d rather show than tell,” he said as he placed her hand on his thick erection.
“And I thought I was going to have to get all liquored up before I could take advantage of you,” Serena quipped.
“Never that.” Pressing her against the wall he kissed her again, hot, wet, and filled with passion.
She ran her hand across his chest as his lips danced down her neck. He pulled back and watched as she unbuttoned her blouse, revealing another lacy piece of
lingerie—gold with black lace accenting it. She shrugged her shoulders to allow her shirt to fall down.
Antonio helped her out of her mini skirt and released an appreciative sigh as she stood in black strappy sandals and that gold and black teddy. He couldn’t wait to peel it off her body and kiss every inch the sexy garment covered. “Just one question,” he whispered. “Are you always this sexy?”
“Only for you,” she replied, then pressed her body against his and licked his lips.
He shuddered with desire. Lifting her up in his arms he headed to the back porch. Being outside with her was thrilling and added to their passion. As their lips met the world seemed to melt away, the earth stood still, and the only thing that mattered was the taste of her lips and the feel of his arms around her body.
Antonio laid Serena on the wicker sofa and covered her lithe body with his. She flicked her tongue across his neck and he shivered. Serena tugged at his shorts, wanting him deep inside her, but Antonio took her wrists in his hands and lifted her arms above her head.
“Remember those thoughts, I was telling you about? I’m about to show you one of them,” he said as he unsnapped the crotch of her teddy and buried his lips in her wet folds of flesh.
Serena moaned in delight as his tongue brushed across her tingling bud. She balanced her leg on his shoulder and stroked the back of his neck as he licked and sucked her until she felt as if she was about to explode. She threw her head back as he alternated teasing her clitoris with his tongue and his finger. “Antonio,” she moaned, “Antonio.” Her body began to twitch as her orgasm gripped her senses and sent spasms of pleasure throughout her body.
Antonio pulled back and watched her chest rise and fall. “Are you all right?” he asked as he stroked her cheek.
“More than all right,” she replied in a husky voice. She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. “So, what other thoughts have you had today?”
Antonio stood up and smiled at her. “When I get back, I’ll show you even more.”
She smiled as she watched him dash inside. Then her mind flashed back to his crazy sister-in-law finding her outside naked the other week. Grabbing the blanket from the back of the sofa she wrapped up in it. The next thing she knew, she was sleeping.
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