“Hopefully not because I’m about to add another Diallo to the world.” She stroked his face. “Get off your knees, husband of mine. There will be plenty of time for that later. If memory serves, you promised me some French food and music this afternoon.”
Wolfe stood up. “You’re incredible. You know that?”
“Of course. And you’re my well-deserved prize.” She smiled up into his eyes and looped her arms around his waist. “I was going to wait until we got back home to tell you about the baby, but...” She shrugged, looking uncharacteristically shy. “As usual, your mother forced my hand.”
Wolfe groaned as something suddenly occurred to him. “She’s going to think that I lied to her.”
“No, she won’t. I’ll tell her the truth.”
The truth that he was going to be a father. A father. Wolfe barely knew what to do. He’d made plans for them for the day. But now that he had a child on the way...
“Stop. Stop whatever foolishness you’re thinking right now.” She laughed at him, dragged him close again and kissed him quickly on the mouth. Her fingers fastened the remaining buttons on his shirt. “Are you ready?”
Earlier they had decided that to increase the likelihood of them getting out of the hotel room that afternoon, they would shower separately. Wolfe went first, taking his twenty minutes in the bathroom before making way for Nichelle to luxuriate under the hot spray and come out of the bathroom looking as if she was on the way to a fashion show.
“Yes.” He kissed the corners of her mouth, the tip of her nose. “I’ve been ready for you forever.”
“My charming husband.”
They left the room, Nichelle in the protective crook of his arm, the sweet weight of her against him making Wolfe feel lucky with every step.
“Monsieur Diallo.” The hotel concierge signaled to him as they passed through the lobby. “This arrived for you today.” She passed him an envelope. It was eggshell white and thick, expensive paper that smelled faintly of incense.
“Thank you.”
Wolfe wondered briefly what was in the envelope. Only Nala, Wolfe’s parents and secretary knew exactly where he and Nichelle were. No one else had been told the specifics of their trip.
“What’s that?”
“No idea.” He turned the envelope over in his hands, then stepped with Nichelle out into the sunny afternoon.
“Open it. Do you think someone sent us a present?”
He chuckled at her childlike excitement, reminded again of the actual child in her belly. His fingers drifted to her stomach. She leaned into his caress, smiling. “Who knew you were such a softie for babies?”
“Definitely not me.” He’d only considered children in the abstract before, and only in the context of his promise to provide at least one grandchild to his parents. “But now...”
“Now you’re the most excited daddy-to-be there ever was.”
And the sparkle and flash in her eyes told him that Nichelle might be the most excited mommy-to-be there ever was. To satisfy her curiosity about the envelope, he paused on the front steps of the hotel to open it. As expected, it was a card.
On the occasion of your wedding.
“Another wedding card for us.” Although it was addressed to Wolfe alone.
“But why did they send it here?” she asked. “Is it from our parents?”
Congratulations on making an honest woman out of Mademoiselle Wright. On your way back from Paris, consider a stop in Essaouira with my compliments. May you experience even more joy in your life together. With your partnership secured, I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Kingston Consulting.
Best,
Jamal al Din Quraishi
The smile dropped from Wolfe’s face.
Nichelle’s attention had already wandered from the card to the cobblestoned streets and the beautiful city around them. She walked ahead of him, heels delicately tapping the cobblestones with each step. Her hip-rocking stroll drew his eyes, the way the red-soled shoes elongated her legs, flexed the muscles in her calves and made her firm and round bottom even more of a miracle. He no longer had to pretend he wasn’t looking. Nichelle walked with the loose stride of a confident and happy woman. She peeked over her shoulder at him, wearing that smile that curled desire in his belly, love in his heart. She clasped her hands behind her, bringing his eyes low to the fire flash of the yellow diamonds on her finger and the full curve of her bottom in the peacock-blue dress. She crooked a finger at him: Come here.
“What’s distracting you from me?” she asked when he caught up to her.
“The card is from Quraishi. He wishes us well.”
“Does he?” She looked surprised. But there was something else, too.
“What am I missing?” he asked.
Nichelle worried her lower lip between her teeth, then put a hand over his heart. “Before I left for California, I told Quraishi the truth. I told him our marriage deception was my idea and that I’d resigned from the company. I assured him that Kingston Consulting would still take excellent care of his business interests.”
This smaller shock only rocked Wolfe back on his heels a little. “But he never said anything to me. He never asked to nullify the contract. Nothing.”
“That’s good.” Her mouth twitched, a tiny smile of triumph. “I tried to make sure you wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout. I guess it worked.”
After Nichelle had left for California, Quraishi said nothing to him about dissolving the partnership or even about Nichelle being with the company. The man had simply carried on with their business arrangement as if nothing had changed. Except for a cryptic email in which he’d said he hoped to hear from Nichelle again soon, everything was the same. At the time, Wolfe had been too worried about getting Nichelle back to his side that he hadn’t thought much about his business. But it all made sense now.
Nichelle had shielded him with her love yet again. He felt once more the familiar twinge of anger at himself, the regret that he’d allowed doubt to come between them and fool him into thinking she wasn’t worthy of his trust.
She dug her fingers gently into his chest through his shirt. A warning. “It’s in the past now,” she said. “We have the future to look forward to. Together.”
Nichelle was right. Still, he’d make up his lapse to her somehow. For now...
“Mrs. Nichelle Wright-Diallo, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to a concert this afternoon?” He smiled down at her, willing all the love he had for her to show on his face.
Faint color moved under her cheeks. “Of course, husband.”
Wolfe linked his fingers with hers and they turned as one, walking side by side toward a future they had always shared.
* * * * *
ISBN-13: 9781460385227
Affair of Pleasure
Copyright © 2015 by Lindsay Evans
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Lindsay Evans, Affair of Pleasure
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