G understood his sister’s apprehension. He had a soft spot in his heart for women in distress, and that led him to more heartache than he cared to remember. The need to help others ran strong in his blood, and especially so when it came to women.
Katina had seen her brother used by women because of his good nature. Lovesick was the only way she could describe him. He needed the right woman in his life, but so far he’d only picked rejects from “the bottom of the sea of females.” Dasia seemed nice enough and all, but once she got back on her feet and she found out about the kind of money G had, things might get real ugly really fast.
“I know what I’m doing,” G finally replied. “She’s been through some tough times, and I’m just trying to be her friend and help where I can. I promise I won’t jump into anything.”
“I hope so.” Leaning back into the couch, Katina stared out the window. “So, are you going to tell me her story?”
“That all depends. Does the last name Delpriore ring a bell?”
Katina’s head snapped around as she stared at her brother, her brow furrowed at the mention of the name. “You mean, the snobbish investment tycoons from New Orleans?”
G locked his fingers behind his head as he took in his sister’s expression. “The one and the same.”
Katina raised an eyebrow. “What do they have to do with Dasia?”
“Well, she just got dumped at the altar by one of the Delpriore children.”
G and his sister knew the history of the Delpriore family. In America, everything had a price. And the Delpriore family used every contact they could muster to get whatever it was they sought. Most people stayed out of their way. There were always whispers in the circles of the elite about the lengths that family would go to protect their own, and plenty of people willingly signed on to do their dirty work for the lucrative bounty it returned.
“Her getting dumped is sign number one that you shouldn’t get involved. You know that family as well as I do, and you know they never really let anything go.”
G pursed his lips at his sister’s comment. She had no right. He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath before responding. “It’s not even like that. I think Jeremiah did let her go. She’d been with him for six years, and all he did was walk all over her. “
“Like you let women walk all over you.” Katina thought G could be so gullible sometimes.
“What’s with the attitude? Worry, I get from you, but this attitude, I don’t.”
“I’m just tired of picking up the pieces of your life. Just know, if you get involved with her and it goes south, you’re on your own.”
“I see. So you giving up on me now?”
They’d had this conversation before. He’d confided in her the last time after his ex broke his heart and ran off with nearly sixty thousand dollars. He’d fallen to pieces, unable to understand how she could just walk out of his life after everything he’d given her. It wasn’t until then that he’d figured out that she just wanted him for the money.
But Katina had. She’d confronted the woman, and the next thing G knew, she’d packed her bag, cleaned out the cash in the safe, and disappeared. Of course, when G asked if she knew what had gone wrong, she answered no. It was the only time she’d lied to him. In her eyes, it was best to keep the confrontation to herself. And, as far as she knew, G hadn’t found out about her part in that woman’s abrupt exit.
Although G had sworn to never let another woman into his house, he allowed Dasia to use the apartment. Living in his home was a privilege, and far too many women had come and gone through it. No more would he have to change the locks to his home. He was tired of the reminders each time he looked at the trinkets still remaining in the house.
After two weeks of constantly weeding through all of the stuff each of his exes had dragged into his life, he again claimed his home as his own. His house still had a homey feel, Katina made sure of that, but there was no lonGlasting indication of the presence of a woman.
“Are you done with your interrogation?”
“No, but that doesn’t really matter to you, does it? You’re going to do what you’re going to do, regardless of what I think. Right? No one ever listens to Katina.”
“I’ll see you next week. I’ve got two appointments out of town this week, and I figured I’d take a couple of days off in Vegas.”
G always found that the tables in Vegas gave him the perfect opportunity to relax after having to play Mr. Impossible with Chaos. It wasn’t very often that he allowed his best friend to talk him into undercover work. This one had turned out quite well, and he’d been able to help someone in need. The part of him that wanted to save the world viewed things in terms of small victories. Save the world one person at a time. As long as karma placed the task before him, he’d willingly accept the challenge.
“Just make sure you call and let me know what’s going on.”
“You know I will.”
Standing, Katina followed G to the front door. He kissed her on the cheek and said goodbye.
Chapter 6
Wiping from her eyes the last of the tears she’d ever cry for Jeremiah, Dasia rolled out of the bed. She’d found comfort not in the spare bedroom she’d claimed as her own in her new apartment, but in between the sheets on the bed in the master bedroom, sheets she assumed belonged to G. She’d tried to sleep in her own bed, but something was missing. She’d found out what it was the first night she’d decided to lay in his bed. The scent of piña colada cigars that clung to the sheets reminded her of the man who’d, out of nowhere, showed her the most amazing act of generosity she’d ever experienced. She didn’t meant to sleep there. In fact she’d only intended to lay there for a moment, but the moment turned into a few, and the next thing she knew, it was dawn.
She forced herself to eat each day of her mourning. Sometimes it was just a bowl of soup; other times it was fruit or crackers. She still hadn’t eaten a decent meal since the night she’d spent with G, and her body constantly reminded her of that.
As the days progressed in her two-week hiatus from work, Dasia found herself thinking about G more and more. With each passing day, the pain eased, and she started to accept that she and Jeremiah were really never meant to be. Finding the strength each morning to rise with the sun, Dasia turned her focus from Jeremiah to herself. She needed to move on with her life, and that meant working through the plethora of emotions bombarding her mind, heart, and spirit. Dealing with these things was her first step to healing and reclaiming her independence.
She slowly pulled herself together, forcing her mind to believe things would be better tomorrow. She’d be back at work, and she welcomed the distraction. There was still so much for her to do before rejoining the hustle and bustle of the working world.
Looking around at the disarray in the apartment, she didn’t know where to start. She had two weeks of laundry and dishes to do. She needed to clean up the apartment and iron and unpack. As each thought piled upon the next, the to-do list overwhelmed her.
Drawing her mind from the downward spiral, Dasia focused. She made a list of the things she needed to do, and one by one, as she completed each task, she checked the list.
By the time she’d put the third load of clothes in the washer, she felt better. The walls didn’t seem as close. She opened all of the blinds and curtains to allow the afternoon sunlight to shine into her home to raise her spirit.
Sitting on the couch, Dasia twirled G’s business card between her fingers. She’d toyed with the idea of calling him, but each time she picked up the phone, she changed her mind before dialing the first number. For the fifteenth time she picked up the phone. This time she was determined. She dialed the ten-digit phone number and waited for G to answer.
G looked down at his phone and smiled when he recognized the number from the apartment. For the past two weeks he’d given Dasia the space she needed to re-evaluate her life. He promised himself he’d wait until she called him. He’d almost lost hope, until he saw th
e number in the caller ID. She’d just restored his faith.
“Hello, Ms. Warrington,” he said with a sneer.
“G?”
“The one and only.”
Dasia expected to get his voice mail or even a receptionist. And she never expected that the sound of his voice would warm her heart. She didn’t realize how much she’d missed him until that moment. Her mind slipped into that fantasy place, remembering the strength of his physique, his muscular arms, and that rippling stomach. She dreamed of a day when they’d venture out into a secluded spot and...
Her silence caused G to worry. “Dasia?”
His calling her name drew her back from her fantasy of them rolling naked through an open field. “Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to say thank you again for letting me stay here.” Dasia stretched her legs, resting them on the ottoman as she reclined in the plush chair.
“I told you before, it’s no big deal.”
“But it is to me. I just wish there was some way I could repay you.”
Dasia had been trying to figure out a way to repay him for the kindness he’d shown her. She’d thought about making him a special dinner, but she wasn’t yet ready to entertain the idea of getting involved with him. She wanted to show her appreciation, but she wanted to make sure their relationship remained platonic.
“I have an idea, if you’re willing to entertain it.”
“What sort of idea?” Dasia knew what was coming. She figured sooner or later he’d ask her out. It was probably one of the reasons it had taken her so long to pick up the phone and call.
“Well, how about I take you to lunch tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. Tomorrow is my first day back at the j-o-b. I’m sure I’ll have a ton of work to catch up on.”
“Can I ask you something?” G had a plan, and he was positive it would work.
“Sure.” Plopping her head against the back of the chair, Dasia waited for his question.
“What have you eaten in the past two weeks?”
Closing her eyes, Dasia contemplated what to tell him. She didn’t want to tell him the truth. The minute she revealed that she’d only eaten a few pieces of fruit and some soup, he’d insist on lunch. She only had two options—agree to go to lunch, or tell him what she’d eaten and then agree to lunch.
G knew Dasia hadn’t been eating properly. She’d been held up in that apartment for two weeks. He was hoping she’d reach out to Katina, to help her through this, but she’d decided to do this on her own. He’d wanted to help, but in matters concerning the heart, he thought it best to allow Dasia to work through the pain in her own way.
She finally gave in. The more she thought about it, the more she became okay with the idea of having lunch with him. “What time do you want to have lunch?”
“Is one o’clock all right with you?”
“That’s fine.” Dasia grabbed the remote and flipped on the fifty-four inch television. She pressed the guide button and surfed through the channels until she came to the Discovery Health Channel. She pressed select and rested the remote on the arm of the chair, and the image of a woman about to give birth flashed on the screen.
“So, you want me to meet you somewhere?”
“No, I’ll come and pick you up.”
Dasia gave G the address and phone number to her job. She fought back a smile, glad that he couldn’t see the giddy look on her face. She had to make sure that he understood that this was just lunch. Nothing more.
“So I’ll see you tomorrow around one?” he said.
“Yep.”
“Have a good afternoon, Ms. Warrington.”
“Please, call me Dasia, and you do the same.”
Dasia turned off the cordless phone and placed it back on the cradle. She couldn’t believe she’d just accepted a date with G. She didn’t even know the guy and was already living in his apartment and going out on dates with him. She thought about calling him back and canceling but decided against it. She’d go to lunch with him and try to have a good time.
Turning her attention back to the multiple tasks she still needed to tend to, Dasia began to think more about G. She wondered about him, what he did for a living, and why he’d been at the hotel that night two weeks ago.
One thought, though, kept intruding in her mind. Why was he single? “Only one way to find out.” She picked up the phone and dialed Katina’s number.
Dasia opened the front door to let Katina in. She hadn’t seen her since the first day G had introduced them. She wanted to get as much information as possible about the man she had a lunch date with. Dasia didn’t know what kind of relationship G and Katina had, so she’d only ask some simple questions. She hoped Katina would understand her need to know, even though she understood Katina’s loyalty lay with her brother.
With her youngest son on her hip, Katina made her way into the apartment she’d spent many nights in. She wondered how Dasia was really doing. She hadn’t seen her in days and she looked sickly. The apartment seemed well-kept, so she wondered if Dasia had spent her time in solitude just staring at the television or crying her eyes out.
Katina placed the little boy in her lap as she sat down and watched Dasia take a seat across from her. “So how are you holding up?”
“Okay, I guess. How much about my situation did your brother tell you?” Dasia fidgeted with the cloth tied around her waist.
“Not much. Just that you’d been with the guy for six years and about what happened at the wedding.”
Katina watched Dasia’s expression change at the mention of the wedding. She must still be hurting. What Jeremiah had done to her was awful. As much as she wanted to, Katina really couldn’t relate. She’d married her high-school sweetheart, and he was the most wonderful husband in the world. Though his job sent him away for months at a time, it worked for them, and she was glad for that.
Dasia didn’t look up at Katina. Instead, she closed her eyes and lowered her head even more. “I’m getting through this the best I can, but that’s not why I called you.”
“Is there something you want to talk about?”
Taking a moment to think, Dasia ran a few scenarios through her mind. Did she really want to do this? Did she really have a choice?
“In a way, yes. G invited me to lunch tomorrow.”
Katina tried her best to hide her true feelings. Her brother was doing it again. He’d said that Dasia was probably not ready to get involved with anyone, but here he was pushing.
“So he called you and asked you out?”
“Actually, I called him to thank him again for letting me stay here. If he hadn’t offered me this place, I don’t know where I’d be staying.”
Katina was confused. G hadn’t said anything about Dasia being homeless. She thought Dasia was just staying there until she could clear her head. “You mean, you didn’t have any place to live?”
“He didn’t tell you? When my ex proposed, it was six months before the wedding. We were going to buy a house and move in immediately, so I saw no reason to renew my lease. When he dumped me at the altar, all of that changed. I was planning to find another place, but G offered to let me stay here. Don’t get me wrong, I intend to pay him for the accommodations, but right now this place is all that I have.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I just assumed you’d be here a couple of weeks and then you’d head home.” Katina lowered her eyes in shame. Here she was, thinking that Dasia was taking advantage of her brother.
Dasia stood and stared out the patio windows. She wanted to cry so badly. Jeremiah had ruined her life with his little stunt. She was the one with her life in shambles. He was probably out there now with his new wife on the honeymoon that should have been hers.
“Are you all right?”
Katina’s voice drew Dasia out of her daydream. “No, not really, but there’s nothing that can be done about it. But back to why I asked you here. Don’t get me wrong, G seems like a really nice guy
and all, but I’m really not ready to get involved with anyone. I’m still not sure about this lunch. The only reason I accepted is because he asked me what I’d eaten for the past two weeks. I knew if I told him, he’d insist on lunch, so instead of arguing, I gave in. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”
Katina didn’t know whether to be relieved that Dasia wasn’t ready to get involved with anyone, or saddened that she’d given so much to someone and now felt she wasn’t deserving of another chance. The longer she talked with Dasia, the more she realized Dasia needed G in her life as much as he needed her in his. They’d both been through hell, and although she didn’t know Dasia, Katina got the feeling she was just the type of woman her brother needed to be interested in.
“All I can tell you is this, my brother appreciates honesty, so be truthful with him. Let me also forewarn you, when he has made up his mind that he wants something, he’ll do whatever it takes to get it.” Whether she liked it or not, Katina already suspected that her brother was plotting to sweep Dasia off her feet. She’d keep an eye on her new neighbor and see what her intentions might be for her brother.
“Anything else I should know?”
“I really shouldn’t be telling you this . . .”
Katina hesitated for just a moment, trying to decide if she really wanted to tell one of G’s secrets. After a moment more of thought, she decided it was best if Dasia knew. If she was going to even entertain the thought of getting involved with G, she needed to know what she was getting into.
“My brother has been through a lot, just as I’m sure you have. I don’t want to see him hurt again, so if you have any doubts about what it is you want from him, you need to be really clear on it. Don’t string him along. If you decide you want to be with him, you need to be with him, but if you don’t, then break it off. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”
“Yeah, do unto others as you’d wish them do unto you.”
Loving Dasia Page 4