*****
Thomas sat there and watched her walk away. He was angry...mostly at himself. He knew he had fucked up and he had to figure out how to convince her stay. Taking a long swig of his beer he placed it on the table and walked into the kitchen and grabbed another one.
Walking back into the living room his eyes landed on Angela’s brown leather satchel still sitting next to the black leather chair. He paused and told himself what he was thinking was not okay. Then, he took a quick glance down the hall and walked back over to where it sat. Sitting down in the chair he slid his hand down into the bag. He pulled out a folded piece of paper. Opening it he looked at the ads that were circled in red. A slow grin turned up at the corners of his mouth. He folded the paper and shoved it in his pants pocket. He closed her satchel, drank the rest of his beer and went to bed.
Chapter 12
Thomas leaned against the bathroom door. The gentle scent of lavender wafted up from underneath it and the smell of Angela filled his nostrils. He shuddered at the thought of her in there, soaking in the tub. Her soft skin always looked so fresh and smelled so good. He had a perfect mental image of what she must look like right then with her long hair piled loosely on her head, a loose tendril escaping down the side of her face. He’d love to be there with her, to tuck it behind her ear...as he leaned in and kissed those lips...
Thomas knew how he felt about her since college. But, she was Blake’s girl and Blake was one of his best friends. A man had to have a code in life and his was that he didn’t screw with his best friend’s woman. He wouldn’t have wanted her so badly if he thought she was that easy anyways. Her dedication to Blake was part of her overall appeal...and it was what he wanted when he found the right woman for him. He used to tell Blake that if he ever did her wrong he would be waiting there in the rafters ready to sweep her off her feet, and he meant it. She deserved a man who would dedicate himself to her alone. She deserved Blake...and now that Blake is gone, she deserved him.
*****
Angela leaned her head back against the porcelain of the deep tub and closed her eyes. As soon as she did, there was Blake. His gorgeous, smiling face was with her wherever she was...but quiet times like this was when the memories of just how much she loved him surfaced. Those memories made her smile. He was everything any woman could ever want or need...and she knew how lucky she was that she got to have him if only for a short time.
Unfortunately, the good memories always came with the bad no matter how hard she tried to block them out. She remembered getting the diagnosis, holding his hand during his treatments that just made him weaker and sicker. She remembered the long nights when the pain medication wasn’t working and she’d listen to the man she adored begging God to take him. Those were the memories that felt like a knife was being shoved into the center of her chest and twisted. Those were the ones that she wished she could forget.
She hoped that Blake would understand how hard it would have been for her to stay in their home. It became just a shell when he was gone and all of the dreams they’d had together the day he picked her up and carried her in over the threshold had died with him. Her dreams had to be different now. She had to allow herself to have them, and that hadn’t been easy either. She thought about Steve then and she wondered if she would ever meet a man that made her feel the way he does...and not feel guilty about it. The thought of him did things to her body that she couldn’t control...and almost didn’t want to. But they also made her feel so unfaithful and disloyal to Blake. Maybe in time that would change. Widows go on with their lives, right?
For now, she was going to content herself with going on with her life through her job...and with her friends. It was less painful that way anyways. She thought about Joanne and smiled. She was really looking forward to this weekend. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed her friend until she saw her again here. She thought about Thomas too. He’d been so incredibly strong for her through all of this. She knew that he loved Blake and his death had rocked Thomas’ world as well as her own. Yet he’d offered his support and even opened up his home to her. Yes, he’d been acting strange lately, but maybe she was just being too hard on him. After all, he still probably had his own grief to sort through.
By the time Angela got out of the tub, Joanne was there. She brought her a triple Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, her favorite, and they talked and laughed about how much fun they would have at the party while Angela finished getting ready. When she was dressed and packed, they made their way out to the living room. Thomas was in the kitchen, standing up against the counter having his coffee.
“Good morning,” he said with a smile. Joanne looked at her and rolled her eyes. She wasn’t as quick to forgive him as Angela was for his behavior lately.
“Good morning,” Angela told him with a smile.
“You girls are off to Long Beach this morning?”
“Yes, do you have plans for the Fourth?” She asked him.
“A friend of mine is having a party in Manhattan. I’m going to that. The rest of the weekend I’ll probably just chill here.”
“That sounds like fun,” she said. She hated that she had to search for things to say to him. It was never like that before. Joanne was looking at her and she smiled and said, “We had better get going.”
“Okay, you ladies be safe and have fun. I’ll see you when you get back.” He said the words but something told her he didn’t mean them...at least the “have fun” part. She shook it off, once again convincing herself that it was her. She was being way too hard on him.
“We will,” she said, accepting a kiss on the cheek from him. Joanne still hadn’t said anything. Finally, probably to stave off some of the weirdness of the moment her girlfriend looked at Thomas and said,
“See ya!”
Thomas gave her a smile that looked a little forced and said, “Yeah, see ya.”
Chapter 13
The drive to Long Beach with Joanne was fun. They turned up the music loud and sang along with all the new Pop hits, being silly and changing the words as they went along. By the time they got to the city limits Angela had all but forgotten her angst over her problems with Thomas and the guilt she was feeling about her attraction to Steve.
Joanne followed her GPS and drove up into the long driveway of a house that looked like it had been cut out of the pages of Architects Today magazine. It was breath-taking and gorgeous, but not in the quaint kind of way Angela was usually drawn to. Everything seemed to be geometric, which technically most houses were, but on this house you couldn't help but notice it. The roof was flat and the front door was as wide as it was tall. The windows took up entire walls and there were polished steel beams. The look would have been completely metallic if not for the cedar beams of the external porch and the matching raised plant beds filled with robust blooms...all in white.
“Wow, this is...something,” she told Joanne as they climbed out of their car.
“Yeah, it sure is. Ana is something though, so I guess they go together,” she said with a laugh. They started pulling their bags out of the car and suddenly there was a well-dressed man at their elbow.
“Let me do that for you, ladies. I’m Grant and I work for Miss Ana.”
“Thank you,” they said, taking a step back. There was another, younger man there as well. They piled the bags on a small cart and then Grant turned to the girls and said, “This is Jeff. He’ll park the car if you give him the keys and I’ll show you inside.” Joanne handed him her keys with a shrug in Angela’s direction. They followed Grant into the house. The foyer was huge, the size of a small apartment. A crystal chandelier hung twenty feet above them and illuminated the polished white granite floors. He left the cart where it was and led them down a hall that was filled with photos of race cars and famous drivers and into a living area with light tan carpeting and soft, plush looking furniture. One wall was covered by a granite fire place and the others were made of glass. Angela could see an Olympic sized swimming pool out
one window. It had a waterfall that fed into it. The other window looked out onto an expansive garden filled with lush plants and vibrantly colored flowers. “Have a seat ladies and I’ll let Miss Ana know you’re here.”
“Thank you,” they both said again. When he walked out, they looked at each other and giggled. Joanne let out a long whistle between her teeth and said,
“We are definitely not slumming it this weekend.”
It wasn’t long before Ana came in, looking stunning in an off the shoulder sundress that had a sheer skirt. Underneath she wore shorts that stopped at her upper thighs and a slit ran up the side exposing a long, tan leg with a tattoo of a lotus flower on the calf. Joanne stood up, “Hey! God, you always look so good.” Ana smiled and hugged her.
“Thank you, you do too,” she said.
“Right...” Joanne said with a grin.
“Angela! I’m so happy you could make it.” Angela stood up and put her hand out but Ana ignored it and gave her a hug. “Welcome.”
“Thank you. Thanks for having me. Your home is gorgeous.”
“Thanks. It was my parent’s home. My mother couldn’t bear to stay here after Father died. She has a smaller house in Orange County now. My brother and I both also have our own place, but we still use this one for parties and such. None of us can bear the thought of selling it. It’s where we grew up, so it holds a lot of great memories.”
“Is your brother going to be here?” Joanne asked. “I’d love to meet him.”
“He’s here...somewhere,” she said with a grin. “He’s probably out in the garage. The mechanics are fiddling with one of our new cars and he loves to act like he’s in charge. The truth is I’m the boss.” The girls laughed. “Can I get you girls some coffee, or tea?”
“I’d love some coffee,” Joanne said.
“Me too,” Angela agreed. She was looking out at the garden wistfully. She loved flowers. It was the thing she missed most about her home in Miami. Blake had planted her a garden out back and filled it with Lily’s and roses, her two favorites. “Your garden is amazing,” she told Ana as the other woman made her way to a buffet in the corner that looked like a coffee kiosk.
Ana gazed out the window and said, “It’s mother’s garden. She used to spend hours out there. Now the gardeners maintain it mostly. There are some beautiful paths through it. You’re welcome to walk through it while you’re here anytime.”
“I would love that,” Angela said. Ana handed her a cup and said,
“Help yourself to cream and sugar if you like.”
“This is perfect, thank you.”
She handed one to Joanne too and said, “Grant is putting your things in your rooms and when you’re ready I’ll have someone show you up to them. I have some things to do to get ready for the party. If you need anything else, you can push the intercom button and one of the staff will help you out.”
“Thank you again, Ana.”
“You’re so welcome. I won’t be long and then we can all have lunch together. How about we meet back here at noon?”
“Noon it is,” Joanne said. “I think I’m going to go up to the room and maybe soak in the tub for a bit if you don’t mind? I got up so early this morning I barely had time for a quick shower.”
“Of course I don’t mind. I’ll have Mary come show you up to your room. You each have a private bath connected to your room. What about you, Angela?”
“Is it okay if I take that walk out in the garden now?”
“Absolutely. It’s a beautiful morning. The paths all lead down to the ocean and a private strip of beach. It’s gorgeous. Enjoy yourself.”
“I’m sure I will. I’ll see you back for lunch.” Angela finished her coffee and when Joanne was shown upstairs, she slipped out the back. The air was pungent with the fragrance of the flowers and the ocean as soon as she walked out the door. She found her way to the entrance and a cobblestone path. As she began to wander along it she saw that bonsai trees lined the perfectly manicured lawn. They were in polished wood boxes and sat in perfectly straight lines. In their midst were rose bushes with huge roses of every different color and variety. The scent was both enticing and overwhelming. She rounded a corner and there was a small wooden bridge that crossed over a pond. That was cute, but what really grabbed her attention was the multi-colored lily’s growing all around it. They were gorgeous and she knelt down to smell one before crossing the bridge. The pond was teeming with huge, flowering lily pads and she could see large Koi swimming in its clear depths. This was just what she needed. No stress, no pressure, no Thomas and no...Shit! Steve?
“Well, imagine meeting you in my garden,” he said in that smooth voice that set her core on fire.
“Your garden?”
“Yes, well, it’s my mother’s garden to be more precise.”
“Shit! You’re Ana’s brother?”
“Guilty,” he said with a grin.
Angela wasn’t sure what to think of this new information. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I honestly didn’t know that you knew my sister,” he said. He stepped up close to her and suddenly the fragrant flowers weren’t what were making her head spin.
She took a step back and said, “I’m not sure I believe you.”
He laughed. “Well, if you’re accusing me of stalking, you might do well to remember that you’re the one at my family home and not the other way around.”
She rolled her eyes. She hated that he was right. “I didn’t say you were stalking. I meant what I said the other day though. I need you to leave me alone...”
He stepped forward again. She could feel his presence as much as she could see and hear him. His body gave off vibrations or something that hers unwittingly picked up. “Why?”
“Why what?” she said, suddenly feeling her mouth go dry.
“Why should I leave you alone? Are you married? Engaged? Seeing someone? Or, just otherwise repulsed by me?” She could tell he was messing with her by the way his lips tugged up at the corners.
“None of the above,” she said, trying to stay in control. “I just don’t want to get involved with someone who is going to bring chaos and drama into my life. I don’t need that right now. I’ve been through enough...” she stopped there. He didn’t need to know what she’d been through.
“I’m not going to bring chaos into your life, Angela.” He leaned in even closer. She had to force her legs to move so she could step back again. He grinned. “What’s wrong? Are you afraid I’m going to bite...or are you afraid you’ll like it?”
“I’m not afraid of you at all,” she said. “I just don’t want to play your silly games. I might seem young, but I’m years ahead of my age. I don’t play with my life or anyone else’s.”
“That’s great,” he said, “Neither do I. Is this about Kimberly? Is that the only reason you don’t want to pursue the feelings I know you have for me?”
“Yes...I mean no...it’s not the only reason, but it’s a big one. She’s my boss for crying out loud! I’m not going to mess with a man who is messing with her.”
“Come with me,” he reached for her hand and to her chagrin it reached out to him. Damned body seems to have a mind of its own when he’s around. He led her across the bridge and further down the path. They came to a clearing and Angela looked around and realized it was a white, sandy beach. The ocean was only about twelve feet away.
“Wow! This is beautiful!”
He smiled. “It’s my favorite place,” he said. He led her to a wooden bench and said, “Sit, please.”
She sat and he knelt in the sand in front of her. He took her hand back in his and said, “Kimberly and I dated for two months. I never felt strongly enough about her to think it was going anywhere beyond that. She, on the other hand became clingy and needy very quickly. Three weeks ago, I told her it was over. Unfortunately, because of our business dealings with her company, I still have to run into her a lot. She can’t seem to let it go. Even Ana has had to tell her to give it up. I do
n’t want her, Angela. Before I met you, I broke it off...but if I hadn’t, I would have the minute I met you. I don’t know what it is about you...maybe it’s the fact that you’re drop-dead gorgeous, or maybe there is more to it than that,” he smiled and winked at her. “I can’t get you off my mind.”
Angela’s breaths were coming in short gasps again. His story seemed plausible, especially since she’d heard Kimberly and Ana’s exchange that day. God help her, she wanted this man. Maybe not for anything more than some hot, passionate sex. But for now, it was consuming all of her thoughts. She almost sympathized with Kimberly. He was like heroin...once you got just a little taste; you had to have more and more. His face was really close to hers and for the first time, she initiated the kiss. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. He reached up and fisted her hair in his hands and pulled her face down. They shared a kiss that both of them felt to their toes. By the time he broke it and let her up for air, Angela felt like her lungs would explode.
“My room is the last one on the right on the second floor. Meet me there in ten minutes.” She started to protest but he brought one finger up and placed it on her lips. “You want me, Angela...I can feel it. Why are you denying both of us?”
She had no idea. Why? Because of some sense of loyalty to the man she will always love? Blake’s memories are in her heart and her mind. They will always be there. Joanne was right though, he wouldn’t want her to be alone and miserable. He would hate that.
“I’ll be there,” she said in a shaky voice. He grinned and stood up. Winking at her he said, “I can’t wait.”
Chapter 14
Angela found it amazing how many different reasons she was able to come up with in ten minutes about why she shouldn’t meet Steve in his room. She also found it amazing that she ignored every one of them and exactly ten minutes later, she was knocking on his door. He pulled it open and within seconds he had closed it behind her and had her in his arms. It had been six years since she’d actually made love to any man other than Blake...but being in his arms felt so good and so right...surely it couldn’t be wrong?
Deceived - The Complete Series Page 7