Clayton took her hand in his. “He doesn’t live alone. He has an entire house staff and this is an operating ranch. In addition to being in the oil business, Syntel raises Arabian horses. There’s a slew of ranch hands living around here.”
“What I meant is that I can’t believe he isn’t married. He’s one of Texas’s wealthiest bachelors, and from the pictures I’ve seen of him, he’s extremely good-looking. I’m surprised no one has snatched him up by now.”
“I understand he fell in love rather young…in his twenties. The woman died and he never wanted anyone else after that,” Clayton replied as the door to the vehicle was opened for them. “He loved her very much.”
“How sad.”
“Yes, it was, but they did have a daughter together.”
Syneda accepted Clayton’s words without any further comments or questions. Her attention was immediately drawn to the tall, broad-shouldered, handsome, older man who had come out of the house to greet them. Clayton introduced Syneda to Syntel.
“Welcome to Viscaya.” Syntel captured Syneda’s hand in his. A lump formed in his throat as he tried suppressing any outward emotions he felt in knowing this young woman was his child, his and Janeda’s. She had been created in their love.
Syneda smiled up into eyes that she failed to notice were the exact color of her own. “Thanks for the invitation.”
Syntel beamed down at her. “Clayton told me how beautiful you were, but I didn’t believe him. Now I see he really didn’t exaggerate.”
“Thank you. You’re very kind, Mr. Remington,” Syneda replied. For some reason, she had taken an immediate liking to the man. He seemed full of warmth and friendliness and was nothing like the private, closed person the media had painted him to be. “You have a beautiful home.”
“I’m glad you like it. And please call me Syntel. Come on inside,” he said, leading them through the huge front door made of dark wood. “Emilie is my housekeeper, and she’ll show you to your rooms. Later today, after the two of you have unpacked and relaxed a bit, I’ll show you around.”
Once inside, Syneda couldn’t help but view with approval the decor of the house. A few minutes later she and Clayton were led down a long hall where the guest rooms were. The rooms they were given were next to each other. Her room was beautifully decorated and contained a fireplace. A huge window overlooked an interior courtyard filled with lush plants and a small man-made pond. There was also a swimming pool within her sight.
Syneda smiled as she began unpacking her belongings, anticipating what she deemed to be a weekend of fun spent on a ranch deep in the heart of Texas.
True to his word, Syntel took Syneda and Clayton on a personal tour of his ranch. More than once Syneda looked up to find his intense gaze upon her. It wasn’t the look of male interest, but a look of something she couldn’t quite figure out.
That night she retired to bed early to give Clayton and Syntel a chance to talk privately. After taking a bath in the huge bathtub, she walked out of the bathroom dressed in a silky mauve-colored slip-style nightgown to find Clayton stretched out on her bed.
Her heart began beating rapidly from the sight of him on the bed. He looked so big, powerful and strong. The jeans he wore hugged his muscular thighs, and the shirt he wore greatly emphasized his broad shoulders.
Before she had a chance to realize what he was up to, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her down to him on the huge bed.
“Clayton, what do you think you’re doing?” she asked, laughing.
“I think it’s obvious,” he said huskily, closing his arms around her like steel bands.
“What will Syntel think if he finds out you’re in my room?” Syneda asked moments before her breath caught in her throat. Clayton’s hands had begun roaming underneath her gown.
Clayton had thought of that. Syntel had given them separate rooms. Evidently he didn’t think it was too late to be a protective father to his daughter. However, as far as Clayton was concerned, it would take more than separate rooms to keep him away from the woman he loved.
“Don’t worry about Syntel. He knows we’re engaged to be married. Besides, his bedroom is on the other side of the house. There’s no one in this wing but the two of us.”
“Are you sure?”
Clayton swiftly and expertly removed the gown from Syneda’s body. “I’m positive,” he answered moments before savoring the taste of her mouth. And at the same time he let his hands move leisurely over her, finding pleasure in her soft nakedness.
“I want you, baby.” He whispered the words against her lips before claiming them again, pressing her back against the pillow.
Syneda was completely aware of Clayton’s tenderness as he went about pleasing her. She automatically surrendered to the passion he was stirring inside of her. He teased her by keeping his mouth on hers lightly, toying with her tongue and nipping at the corners of her mouth.
He lifted his mouth from hers and met her gaze. Deep desire flared in his eyes. “I want to love you tonight in the full sense of the word, Syneda. I don’t want anything separating us. Not anything. I want to give you all of me. But doing so will put you at risk of getting pregnant, and I don’t want to do that. I want you to have my baby but only after we’ve gotten married and feel the time is right.”
Clayton’s words echoed in Syneda’s head. A rush of emotions surged through her. Clayton Madaris, a man who thrived on being careful and in control, wanted to be careless and out of control with her. What he had held back from numerous other women, he now wanted to give to her. He wanted to be a part of her in the most elemental way, in the most special way. But he thought doing so would put her at risk of getting pregnant.
She looked up at him. Love swelled in her heart. “And I don’t want anything separating us, either. I want all of you.” Syneda’s voice was a mere notch above a whisper when she spoke.
“And don’t worry about placing me in any kind of risk. I’m on birth control.”
Clayton’s surprised gaze held hers for a moment before asking, “You’re on the pill?”
Syneda shook her head. “No. I didn’t think I’d remember to take one of those things every day. They’re only as reliable as the person who takes them. I had an injection.”
His look was thoughtful when he asked, “When?”
“Right after our trip to New Orleans.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, threading his fingers through the softness of her hair.
“I started to tell you a number of times, then changed my mind. Using a condom always seemed to be the most comfortable and safest method to you.” She smiled slightly. “Not too many men can boast of having a case of them in their closet. The reason I didn’t tell you was because I didn’t want you to feel you had to change your way of doing things just for me.” She lowered her eyes from his.
“Look at me, Syneda.”
When she raised her eyes to his, he brushed his lips across her lips before saying, “I’ve always believed in safe sex. More men should take responsibility for their actions in the bedroom. But there was never a time when I made love to you that I didn’t think about how it would feel to be skin to skin with you, without having some type of covering, no matter how thin, separating us.”
He pulled her closer into his embrace. “You don’t know how often I wondered how it would feel to make love to you, knowing the very essence of me would become a part of you. I’ve never made love to a woman without using a condom, but that’s all I’ve ever thought of with you.”
Anticipation combined with heated desire flowed through Syneda’s body with his words. “Then do it, Clayton. I’m not at risk. I want the full Clayton Madaris experience.”
Clayton’s heart raced. There was no mistaking the love and trust he read in her eyes. Excitement and desire tore through him. She was a very special woman. His woman. Then he kissed her in a way that left her shivering and murmuring his name. He touched her in a way that made her tremble, taking his time
to build their passion until Syneda almost shattered in his arms.
Reveling in his touch, Syneda clung to him. His scent exuded a virility that was a combination of man and heat. His body was warm and hard. She loved the feel of him on her and was ready for the feel of him inside her. She kissed the tender skin underneath his ear and whispered. “Love me, Clayton. Now!”
He did, both mentally and physically.
As he slipped into her body, he gazed down into the depths of her sea-green eyes that were dark with passion. He felt himself losing control. He was powerless in her arms.
They began moving together in rapturous rhythm, the heat of his passion inciting her to move under him and cling to him tighter as he filled her completely.
“I love you.” Clayton whispered the words in Syneda’s ear just moments before their passion soared to greater heights. All sense of time and place escaped them as their bodies convulsed and their passion crested.
Syneda flexed her inner muscles to hold him tighter within her. She heard herself make a low sexy sound as her senses began slipping. She soon heard Clayton’s groan mingle with that sound and felt his body trembling as they simultaneously reached the peak of total fulfillment together. She strained against him when she felt him emptying himself into her.
“Clayton!”
The force of what was taking place made Syneda’s entire body grow still as a tidal wave of sensuous pleasure flooded over her. It was a violent culmination for both of them as together they reached the pinnacle of sexual pleasure.
A long time afterward, Clayton lay holding Syneda as she slept in his arms. Her head rested on his shoulder, her soft body tucked into the curve of his.
He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. Sometime tomorrow her eighteen-year wait for her father would end. He hoped and prayed she would not resent him for interfering, but she needed to deal with her past before the two of them could have a future.
“Did you get a good night’s sleep, Syneda?”
A blush crept in Syneda’s cheek. She quickly took a huge swallow of orange juice before answering Syntel’s question. “Yes, thanks for asking.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Clayton’s thin smile. Of all the things she had gotten last night, a good night’s sleep wasn’t one of them. The memories of her lovemaking with Clayton made her body ache with both desire and soreness. She cast a quick glance at him and the delicious tension within her intensified when she watched his lips form a silent message: I love you.
“I have a little celebration planned for tonight,” Syntel said, unknowingly interrupting the soundless byplay between Clayton and Syneda.
Syneda shifted in her chair. “Oh? What’s the occasion?”
“My daughter,” he replied smoothly. “She’s coming for a visit.”
Syneda smiled up at him. “That’s really nice.”
Syntel took a sip of his coffee. Then he tilted his head and a proud smile touched his lips. “Yes, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Syneda sat next to Clayton on the sofa. She glanced at her watch before turning toward him. “What if Syntel’s daughter doesn’t show up? It’s almost seven o’clock,” she whispered softly. “He’s been acting rather anxious since he mentioned she was coming.”
Clayton pulled Syneda closer to his side and pressed a kiss at her temple. “She’ll be here.”
Syneda lifted a brow, wondering how Clayton was so sure of that, and was about to ask him when she noticed Syntel and Senator Lansing returning to the room. The senator had arrived over an hour ago, and Syneda had finally gotten to meet him.
“I hope you’re right. I’d hate for him to be disappointed. He’s such a kind person,” she said softly before the two men approached.
Clayton smiled. His dark eyes slid lazily over the woman at his side. “So are you. And a rather beautiful one I might add. You look sensational tonight.”
Syneda basked in Clayton’s compliment. She was wearing an elegant eggshell-colored silk dress that was cut in modest, classic lines. “I wanted to wear something nice for the special occasion.”
Syntel and Nedwyn joined them and sat in chairs across from them.
“Tell me about your daughter, Syntel,” Syneda asked politely in an attempt to keep conversation flowing.
Unnoticed by Syneda, the three men looked at each other fleetingly before Syntel cleared his throat. “There isn’t much I can tell you about her, Syneda. The two of us will be meeting as father and daughter for the first time tonight. I only discovered I have a daughter a few days ago,” he replied quietly.
Syneda’s eyes widened in surprise. “I don’t understand. How could you not know you had a daughter?”
Sadness shone in Syntel’s eyes. “It’s a rather long and sad story.”
Clayton intertwined his fingers with Syneda’s. “We would love hearing it anyway, Syntel. That is, if it’s not too personal.”
Taking a deep breath the older man began. “Almost thirty years ago while attending college, I met and fell in love with the most beautiful woman to walk the face of this earth. I’ve never met or seen a more exquisite individual. But she wasn’t just beautiful on the outside, she was beautiful on the inside, as well. I lost my heart the first time I saw her.”
Syntel took a deep breath before continuing. “She’d been in one of Ned’s classes and, thanks to him, we were introduced.”
He paused thoughtfully before going on to say, “I asked her out and she turned me down.” He smiled at the memory. “In fact, she turned me down several times, but I refused to give up. Finally, she gave in on the condition that no one was to know we were seeing each other.”
“Why didn’t she want anyone to know the two of you were dating?” Syneda asked.
“Because I’m white and she was black. During that time interracial dating was not acceptable.”
Syneda nodded. She knew that even in this day and time, some people were pretty close minded when it came to interracial relationships. She couldn’t even imagine how such a relationship would have survived over thirty years ago. Some people refused to accept the fact that true love was color-blind.
Syntel stood, continuing. “She found out she was pregnant before we graduated but didn’t tell me. I had to report to the Air Force Academy the day after graduation. She used that time to disappear, telling no one where she was going. I nearly went out of my mind worrying, but in my heart I believed she would get in touch with me. But she didn’t. I never saw her again.”
“If you never saw her again, how did you find out about your daughter?” Syneda asked, totally intrigued with the story being told.
“A few days ago her fiancé showed up at my office and told me. He had hired a private investigator to find me with the sole intention of ripping me to shreds for hurting the woman he loved.”
A lump formed in his throat. “You see, Syneda, eighteen years ago, the woman I loved died leaving my daughter all alone. All alone but with a promise that I would come for her.”
Syneda startled and her fingers turned to ice as they clutched Clayton’s. She gazed deeply into Syntel’s eyes as he continued speaking. “I’m told her mother had a telephone call placed to me. It was a phone call I never received. That’s the only reason I didn’t come. There’s no way that had I gotten that phone call, I would not have come for my daughter.”
He held back an emotional choke. “I loved your mother deeply and I believe she loved me. You’re living proof of just how much she loved me, and the sacrifices she made. It was her choice not to continue our relationship because of the problems she felt we would have endured as an interracial couple, but it wasn’t my choice not to know about you.”
He took a deep breath. “There’s no way I can turn back the hands of time and undo everything you’ve endured because of your mother and me. All I can ask is that you find it in your heart to give me a chance, and to allow me to become a part of your life. A life I’ve already missed twenty-eight years of sharing.”
&
nbsp; Syneda was transfixed in place, unable to move as her shocked mind absorbed Syntel’s words. Tears clouded her eyes.
Clayton’s gaze intercepted Senator Lansing’s nod. Neither he nor the senator was noticed as they slipped from the room, leaving father and daughter alone.
“I still can’t believe S. T. Remington is actually my father.” Syneda lay in bed with her head cradled on Clayton’s shoulder, staring at the roaring fire in the fireplace. She had returned from talking with Syntel for over two and a half hours to find Clayton pacing the floor waiting for her. She had walked across the room and gone into his arms without hesitation. Then she had cried while he had comforted her.
Clayton leaned on one elbow, smiling down at her. “You may as well get used to the idea. As soon as the media finds out, everyone and their mama will know it.”
Syneda nodded. “Syntel and I talked about that, too, and wondered what would be the best way to handle it.” She smiled. “One thing is for sure, he doesn’t want to keep me a secret.”
She snuggled closer to Clayton. “For so long I wanted to hate the man who fathered me, the man I thought let me and my mother down. And now I find it was all lies. Just listening to him talk let me know he loved my mother very much.”
Clayton wound his hand in Syneda’s silky hair. “Yes, he did. It’s just sad your mother allowed what society thought dictate her happiness. Who knows, they could have married and lived happily ever after.”
Syneda’s smile faded. “Somehow I doubt it. Just look at what Syntel’s father did. I don’t believe his family would have accepted a marriage between him and my mother.”
Clayton raised a brow. “Why are you calling him Syntel’s father? He was your grandfather.”
“But I can’t think of him that way. He didn’t think of me as his grandchild, did he?”
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