Desire in a Kiss

by Nicki Night

  “Honey, Long Island is a small place. The wealthy operate within intimate circles and do all the same things. No one wants to be outshone.”

  “You grew up in this world. What made you become a teacher and not go into your family’s manufacturing business?”

  “I love kids and simpler living.” Stephanie’s smile widened as she approached Henry.

  His white hair and beard gave him a warm presence, despite his looming height.

  “Stephanie.” Henry opened his long arms, inviting her into his embrace. “How’s your dad? I haven’t seen him on the green lately. What is he—scared?” His laughter boomed.

  “That sounds like a challenge, Mr. Hagerman!”

  “Indeed it is.” He lifted his chin. “And who is this pretty lady?”

  “My good friend and fellow teacher, Serenity Williams.” They shook as Stephanie boasted about Heartstrings once again.

  “Hmm.” Henry seemed sincerely interested. Sticking his hand in his pocket, he pulled out a card. “Give me a call Monday morning. Let’s talk about how we might be able to work together. If you’re a friend of Stephanie...” Henry finished his statement with an adoring look at Stephanie. She tilted her head and smiled. “I’ve known this young lady since she was a toddler.”

  “That’s wonderful. And thank you. I will certainly give you a call.” Serenity held up his card before slipping it into her purse.

  “Enjoy the gala, Mr. Hagerman. We have a few more rounds to make before they begin ushering us into the banquet hall.”

  “Surely. See you around, my dear.” He turned to Serenity. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

  Serenity acknowledged his kind smile with a nod. “It was a pleasure meeting you too, sir.”

  “Please. Call me Henry.”

  “I sure will.”

  Serenity waited until they were out of earshot. “My goodness, Stephanie. Both of those were great contacts. Thanks so much. I’m already glad that I came.”

  “See? I told you.”

  The soothing sound of chimes floated throughout the room. A tall gentleman dressed in a black tux ushered them to a large ballroom in a commanding but pleasant voice, fit for announcements.

  Guests poured through the doors from the cocktail reception to the dining area, where the main event was being held. Stephanie led Serenity to a reserved table right near the podium and excused herself. Serenity watched the people milling about in search of their seats and noticed that Jade sat at the table next to them.

  Looking around the room made Serenity feel hopeful. One day her small organization would be large enough to hold an event like this one. Her gala would grow up to be as grand as this. She imagined the podium sign depicting Heartstrings’ logo, the shimmer of brilliant chandeliers sparkling overhead, ornate fixings all around the room that would be packed with guests ready to donate large amounts for the work her organization was doing.

  “One day,” she said under her breath.

  First she needed to get this current program funded. It would be the largest one her company ever received. Serenity had already spoken to her principal about the possible leave of absence, but that was before they had laid off the other music teacher and filled Serenity’s schedule with extra classes. They would certainly have to find someone else to fill that void. She’d have to leave for Brazil in July and wouldn’t return until December, when school ended for their summer break.

  Retreating into her thoughts, she’d zoned out the people around her. When she looked up, the room was filled with the scurry of men handsomely dressed in fine tuxes and women in elegant gowns. A gentleman far across the room reminded her of Chris. Waving off the possibility, she returned to her thoughts, but the man she’d just seen brought Chris to the forefront of her mind. If the grant request were to be funded, she’d have to say goodbye to him. She shook her head. Becoming comfortable with Chris had happened so fast. She’d love to explore the depths of where they could go as a couple, but how would she handle being away from him for so long? The distance would be agonizing. She missed him this past week, and he was in the same county. At least she thought he was. Serenity tilted her head and frowned. It dawned on her that she didn’t know where he lived.

  Serenity knew so much about him from their extensive conversations—his family, goals, dreams, likes, dislikes, etc. Yet there were still some things she didn’t know. She’d meant to ask more about why he wasn’t on social media. Google hadn’t produced anything conclusive or alarming, and she was thankful that no mug shots appeared. The name seemed common enough. She could tell from his profile on the dating site that he preferred to stay low-key. She understood that perfectly. Maybe she’d convince him to start a Facebook account. That is, of course, if he wasn’t like her cousin who refused to engage in any social media platforms.

  “Whew!” Stephanie returned to the table like a brush of wind. “I had to run back to my car to get my shawl. As comfortable as this room is, I knew I’d get cold.” She sat gracefully and took a deep breath. “Running in heels is never recommended. How are you doing?”

  “I’m great. Just taking in the scenery. I’d love to have my gala here one day.”

  “You should.”

  “Good evening, ladies and gentleman...” A voice broke into their conversation, capturing the attention of both Serenity and Stephanie. “And welcome to the fifteenth annual Crescent Ball. On behalf of the Hagerman Foundation, I’d like to thank each of you for joining us tonight.”

  Applause erupted in the audience. The woman introduced herself as the executive director, and Serenity listened keenly to every word she said. She’d structure her speech the same way, she determined. Dinner was served and the program continued. Serenity noted a few ideas for her upcoming gala. The scale wasn’t the same, but she could make some things work on a smaller level.

  The woman called the audience’s attention to the screens mounted to the walls around the room. A musical crescendo rose, followed by a booming voice touting highlights and accomplishments of the night’s honorees. The first was a family-court judge, who spent her spare time serving youth throughout surrounding communities. The second was a medical professional, who had started a free clinic in a low-income neighborhood. Serenity was impressed with the exhaustive list of accomplishments of these fairly young professionals. It was the last honoree that rendered her speechless.

  When his face appeared on the screen next to a name she didn’t recognize, she was temporarily frozen in her own confusion—doubting what she saw. Serenity shook her head as if doing so would reset reality. She peered at the screen. The face was Chris’s but the last name was different. She looked around the room in search of Chris. There had to be an error. The resemblance was uncanny. She waited for the video to finish. Chris stood up from the table on the other side of the podium and strutted toward the other honorees standing near the emcee. Jade Chandler whooped and applauded with several others at the same table, who were all standing on their feet cheering Chris on.

  It was him. All doubts had been erased. Serenity was clear about what she saw. His debonair gait was unmistakable. The man she’d grown to adore and spent so much time with wasn’t who he’d presented himself to be. Christopher Mullins was really Christian Chandler of the Chandler Food Corp. Another woman would have been ecstatic, finding that they’d come upon a prince, but Serenity was furious.

  She stood abruptly, knocking the table with her thigh. Water glasses teetered and threatened to spill over the side, dishes clinked. Her tablemates looked at her with inquiries in their eyes. She ignored them. With a heaving chest, she narrowed her gaze toward the three standing honorees. It was Chris for sure. An angry heat spread over her ears and cheeks.

  “Serenity,” Stephanie whispered, touching her arm gently.

  Serenity heard her but didn’t answer. She kept her eyes trained on Chris. He stepp
ed up to accept his beautiful crescent-shaped award and approached the podium. With a charming smile, he scanned the audience. Their eyes met and the smile slid down his face. His mouth hung open. Serenity glared, recognizing his shock. He recovered quickly and with a nervous chuckle started his acceptance speech.

  She grabbed her purse, excused herself and marched toward the exit. She’d explain things to Stephanie later. Right now she needed air.

  Barging through the bathroom door, Serenity went straight to the last stall. Locking the door, she paced the small space, questioning her own judgment. What was she missing? Why did she keep attracting liars in her life?

  Though she hadn’t used the bathroom, she washed her hands and left. She handed the young, freckle-faced valet her ticket. As he ran off, she took a deep breath and then looked down. A heated surge of energy pulsated through her restless limbs. She tapped her foot as she waited for the valet, wanting him to hurry so she could get away from that banquet hall.

  Finally, the young man pulled up, stepped out and handed Serenity her keys. She reached into her purse for a tip and pressed it into his hand, before climbing into her car.

  “Serenity, wait!”

  With one leg in, she paused. Looking over the roof of her car, she spotted Chris coming her way. Cutting her eyes at him, she got inside and fumbled with the mirrors. She wanted to pull off before he made it over to her but couldn’t get her fingers to cooperate effectively. She looked into the mirrors as she positioned them. He was getting closer. She pulled the seat belt across her body and jammed it into the slot. He knocked on the driver’s-side window. Serenity groped at the gears, finally getting it right. She slammed the car into Drive and pulled off hard. The car lurched, and the tires screeched.

  From the rearview mirror, she could see him standing with his hands up. She turned onto the main street. The maneuver was anything but smooth.

  “Why did he have to be a liar too?”

  Chapter 16

  “What was that about?” Jade asked, when Chris returned to the banquet hall.

  “That was just an old friend.” Chris’s hands were perched on his hips. He still hadn’t caught his breath and paced small circles around himself.

  “You don’t look like you just had a friendly exchange.”

  “Not now, Jade. Please.” Chris huffed. His heart was still pounding. “I’ll be right back.”

  He wasn’t sure where he was going but needed to go somewhere before the rest of his family started asking more questions. The entire Chandler crew had come out to see him receive his award. Chris found his way to the gazebo several feet from the back entrance. Sitting on the stone bench, he placed his head in his hands.

  The last person he had expected to see was Serenity. He had planned to explain everything to her the next day while preparing a nice dinner but doubted she’d be interested in seeing him now. Walking away would be easy. He could just let this incident fade away, but denying the truth didn’t make sense. It didn’t take long to see that she was one of the great ones. She possessed everything he liked in a woman, as well as a few things he hadn’t realized he appreciated until they’d met.

  Even if this was the end for them, he felt a need to explain himself. Chris had been known for lots of things, but a liar was never one of them. He’d understand if she never wanted to see him again, but he needed to explain.

  He stood, tugged his suit jacket and marched through the banquet hall and straight out the front door. A young attendant jogged up to him, and Chris handed over his ticket. Moments later, he maneuvered his sports car through the streets at top speed, cutting the fifteen-minute ride to Serenity’s house down to ten minutes.

  The car jerked to a stop. He had barely put the car in Park before snatching the keys out. Hastening his steps, he reached her door quickly but stood a moment before knocking. He hadn’t prepared his words. For the first time, he felt as though he didn’t know what to say. Another deep breath, and he gently knocked on her door. Serenity didn’t respond. He knocked harder and at the same time rang the bell. Allowing a few more moments to pass, he banged with the side of his fist. An older woman walking a small dog stopped and glared at him. He smiled and waved. She scrutinized him with one squinted eye for a moment and then continued walking.

  He banged again. “Please. Serenity. I can explain.” Somehow he knew she could hear him. “Open the door.” Chris looked back at her spot. Her car was there. “I’m not leaving until I get a chance to talk to you. I’m not a liar.”

  “Yes, you are!” Serenity shouted through the door.

  “I thought you weren’t home.”

  “This isn’t funny, Chris.”

  “Please...” Chris took another deep breath. “Just open the door. I’ll tell you why I did this, and then you can kick me out and never see me again, if that’s what you want.”

  Several moments passed, and then Chris heard the click of the locks. The door groaned as she pulled it open—wide enough for a small foot to fit.

  Chris sighed. “Can I come in? I won’t take long.”

  Serenity opened the door the rest of the way and stepped aside. The dejected look on her face pained him. He hated being the cause of her unpleasant mood. She’d taken off her gown, but her curves looked just as sexy in leggings and a tank top.

  Gingerly, Chris stepped in. He leaned forward to give Serenity a customary kiss on the cheek. She looked away and folded her arms across her chest. Pressing his lips together, he raised his brows. Could he blame her?

  “Can we sit and talk?”

  Without a word, she dropped her arms and walked into the living room. He followed closely behind. She sat hard, leaned back and refolded her arms. He took his seat on the love seat at the opposite side of the room.

  After a deep breath, he pulled his wallet from his pocket, opened it and placed his license on the ottoman. “My name is Christian Chandler. People close to me call me Chris. My family owns Chandler Food Corp.” He watched for her reaction. “I never meant to deceive you.” He paused again. Her expression remained stoic. “The reason I used a fake name is because I wanted to find out what it would be like to date a woman who wasn’t enamored with the fact that I was a Chandler.”

  Serenity raised a brow.

  “I kept running into women who were more concerned with the fact that I was an heir than they were about who I was as a person. I got tired of talking about my pedigree. I wondered if women would act the same if they didn’t know who my family was. I wasn’t a fan of online dating, but I tried it assuming it would be one way to meet people outside of my normal circles. I needed to know that there were still other kinds of women in this world—ones who were genuine and cared about things other than labels and how good we would look on paper as a couple.”

  He stopped talking. He wanted to give Serenity the space to respond. She didn’t.

  “But then I met you.”

  Her expression softened a tiny bit, but she still hadn’t spoken.

  “I honestly didn’t expect to find you or anyone like you—fun, compassionate, beautiful, carefree. We have so much in common. You seem to get what life is really about, and you look damn good doing it. You possess the substance that I’ve been looking for in a woman for years. I was almost convinced that it no longer existed. I planned to tell you last week when you made dinner for me, but then the fire happened. This wasn’t a conversation for the phone. That’s why I wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow so I could tell you then, but then tonight happened.”

  Serenity unfolded her arms. Chris hoped he was getting through to her.

  “Everything about you was unexpected. I’m sorry you found out like this, but I need you to know I’m not a liar.” Serenity turned away. “I’m not a deceitful person. People could tell you a lot about Christian Chandler, but none would ever say I wasn’t a man of integrity.”
After a few moments of silence, he stood and picked up his license. He released another heavy sigh. “I never meant to hurt you. If you’re interested, I’d love to continue seeing you...get to know you all over again...have you meet my family...my friends. They’ll confirm who I really am. But if not, I understand.”

  Serenity remained silent and still didn’t move. Chris started toward the door.

  “I’ll give you some time to think about all of this.”

  Finally, she stood and followed him to the door. She pulled it open. He pushed it closed, startling her. Serenity’s head snapped back.

  “I still want to see you,” he repeated. He tucked his bottom lip. But...” He swallowed the rest of his statement, feeling as though it wouldn’t matter. “Good night, Serenity.”

  “Good night, Chris.” Her tone was dry.

  At least she had spoken to him, Chris thought. He left, casually making his way to the car. He had done what he had had to do—cleared the air. He reached his car, bogged down by thoughts of what he’d supposedly lost in this situation. Once inside, he started the ignition but sat for a while before pulling off. It surprised him how Serenity had come into his life and intrigued him so much in a matter of weeks. He hadn’t driven for more than a few minutes before he felt a void.

  Chapter 17

  Serenity watched through the window as he left. Once he walked beyond her view, she went to her room and crawled in bed, folding into a ball. This was exactly why she didn’t want to do that silly online dating. She thought about calling Elisa and letting her have it, but she was too torn to rein in her emotions. Chris had left her feeling confused. Being upset about his lie was justifiable. However, his story seemed legit, and he appeared to be sincere. She didn’t know what to believe. Serenity grabbed her phone and dialed Rayne’s number.

  “Hey, lady! You’re home already? How was the ball?”

  “A disaster. Hold on, let me get Elisa on the phone.” Serenity hit Add Call, rolled through her contacts, and selected Elisa’s name. Seconds later she was on the line.