“I’m not laughing at you, Alicia, I’d never do that. You may not know this, but I’m a good friend of Clay Deveraux. A very good friend,” he emphasized.
Alicia nodded. She naturally knew Clay, who was married to Adam’s only sister, Benita. Encouraged by her nod, Bryant elaborated.
“When Clay met Bennie, he went off the deep end. I mean he went totally nuts for her and she felt the same way. But he was hesitant about getting involved with her because he thought they were too much alike and they’d end up hurting each other or some junk like that. And you see how that turned out," he reminded her.
“Yes, they got married and lived happily ever after with five beautiful children. But the two situations are hardly the same, Bryant,” she said with a little frown.
Bryant squeezed the hand he was still holding, and then gave it a comforting pat as he removed his large, warm hand from hers. “They’re very much the same, my dear. You have two people who are ideally suited for one another and they’re scared to make a move for fear of messing everything up. The only way you can mess this up is to do nothing, Alicia. Trust me. And this is coming from a man who had every intention of hitting on you, so if I’m willing to step aside, you’d better be willing to take action.”
Alicia was so enthralled by his words that at first she didn’t realize the implication of what he’d said. Slowly it dawned on her and she blushed again. “Bryant, that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
Bryant looked at the sincere pleasure on her face and it was his turn to sigh. “Story of my life, all the good ones are taken,” he said playfully. “I had to do a little playacting with Benita to make Clay realize he was in love. Am I going to have to do the same thing with you and Cochran?”
“No! Absolutely not, Bryant; thanks but no thanks,” she said hurriedly. Despite his words of encouragement, she wasn’t ready to do anything about her feelings except feel them. Bryant must have sensed this, because he couldn’t resist giving her more advice.
“Look, Alicia, love is too rare to pass up and life is too short to be worried about making a fool of yourself over love. What’s that thing that people are always e-mailing to each other? ‘Work like you don’t need the money, dance like nobody’s watching, and love like you’re not going to get hurt’ That’s pretty wise for pop philosophy.”
“Okay, Bryant, once again, why aren’t you taken? I can’t believe that someone as wonderful and sensitive as you is still walking around unattached.”
Bryant made a comical face and clutched at his heart. “Not the S word, please don’t label me sensitive, that’s like the kiss of death. I’m not sensitive; I’m a big macho doofus. Being called sensitive is worse than being called a nice guy,” he said with a shudder. “And everybody knows nice guys finish last.”
Alicia laughed delightedly. “Sorry, Mr. Macho, you really are a sweet and sensitive guy. But I’ll keep your secret if you insist. I won’t let anyone know that you’re a wonderful man.”
Bryant returned her smile with one of his own, although a tiny, tiny part of him wished that for once he’d been wrong about the attraction between a man and a woman.
“You’re a wonderful woman, Alicia. And if Cochran isn’t smart enough to realize it, just look me up any time. Any time at all.”
Chapter Four
A few hours later, Alicia was sitting in the middle of her big bed thinking about her evening. Her sister Marielle was downstairs finishing some paperwork as usual, and the children were fast asleep. Taking her clothes off to prepare for her evening ritual of brushing her hair and showering, Alicia reflected on her conversation with Bryant. Even though their date took on a dimension she wasn’t expecting, Alicia had a good feeling after her dinner with Bryant. She certainly hadn’t anticipated revealing her deep dark secrets, but somehow she felt better afterward. She laughed softly, thinking about her Catholic school education. The sisters were right; confession was good for the soul.
She put on a light cotton robe and sat down at the small Chippendale secretary that served as a desk and dressing table. Although her mind was not on her task, she automatically undid the long, long braid to prepare her hair for its nightly brushing. The act of brushing and arranging her hair made her smile, because it made her think of a moment when she was totally aware of Adam as a man and nothing more. Not as her best buddy, her partner, or anything but what he was, a totally desirable man. One of the many things she and Adam shared was long hair. Adam simply refused to cut his anymore when he turned ten or so, and the result was a long ponytail that he often wore braided. It made him look like the avante-garde creative genius that he was, not to mention the fact that most women found the thick, glossy hair devastatingly attractive. Alicia, on the other hand, had been born as bald as the proverbial billiard ball.
Her mother and her aunts found her infant alopecia somewhat alarming since every other Fuentes child came into the world with a full head of hair. The hairless state remained until she was about three years old, so when her hair started coming in it was a huge relief to everyone. So much so that Alicia was forbidden to even think about cutting her hair. Even though her mother and her sister Marielle wore their hair in fashionable styles, Alicia’s by now very long hair was most often worn in a braid. There was so much hair on her head that the idea of wearing it unfettered was just not practical. Other than keeping it clean and conditioned, Alicia didn’t give her tresses a lot of thought until Angelique asked her to pose with Adam. She was a professional photographer about to do a shoot for a hair-care company and she needed some models with beautiful hair.
“And who has prettier hair than you two? C’mon, guys, even if the company doesn’t go for the idea, these will be some stunning shots,” she persuaded.
And that’s how she and Adam ended up spending the afternoon half-clad with their hands all over each other. Angelique had taken shots of them with their braids over each other’s shoulders and with the hair from their respective heads joined in one massive braid. The best ones had their hair loose and wild with their hands tangled in each other’s manes. Adam had been wearing worn old jeans and no shirt, while she’d been wearing his old, soft chambray shirt with nothing else on but her best underwear. They’d each had a glass of wine and with the aid of Angelique’s enthusiastic instructions and the wonderful Latin music that flooded the studio, they’d had a wonderful time posing.
Alicia’s hands stopped while she recalled the intensity of her desire that afternoon. Whether they’d been sitting back to back, or had their arms around each other in a passionate embrace, or had been dancing to the salsa music with abandon, she’d been so on fire for Adam that day that just thinking about it brought back the heat She could still see the smooth, hard planes of his muscular chest and arms, could still feel the warmth of his body and smell the unique combination of fragrance and pure Adam that ignited her senses like nothing else. The photographs that resulted from that afternoon were so blatantly sexy that she kept her copies locked away in a drawer, but out of sight was not out of mind; all she had to do was think about that afternoon and she was back in Adam’s arms. . . . She stopped brushing her hair and caught it up in a hasty knot so she could jump in a cooling shower right then and there. After she dried off and got into her usual sleep gear of men’s boxer shorts and an old, oversized T-shirt, she tackled the hair again. While she was braiding it up, she heard a light tap on the door.
“Come on in, sweets, I’m not asleep,” Alicia said.
“You should be,” Marielle said sleepily. “And so should I. Got an early day tomorrow, and it’s going to be long, too.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and yawned widely.
Marielle was the event planner for the Detroit Tigers organization and oversaw every special event held at Comerica Park where the Tigers’ home games were played. Besides having a time-consuming and very demanding job, Marielle was also raising two small children alone. Her husband had left her after she announced that she was pregnant with their now one
-year-old daughter. Marielle’s life revolved around her children and her work and there wasn’t a space, even a tiny one, for personal time.
“Did you have a good time tonight?” she asked.
Alicia said she had. “Bryant is a lovely man. We had a nice meal and a good conversation. You know, you should have come with us, you’d really like him,” she mused, looking at her older sister with appraising eyes. Marielle was a true beauty, with rich, deep brown coloring and a fantastic head of thick, lustrous black hair. She was tall, like Alicia, but way too slender due to her determination to do everything on her own. She could have afforded regular housekeeping help and even a nanny, but she refused, saying that her children were her responsibility. Marielle worked far harder than she needed to, as if to prove something to herself or maybe the world at large. Now she was looking at Alicia with a slightly scornful expression.
“No, thank you, little sister. I know quite enough men. I’m knee-deep in macho males around the clock, and frankly, I’m not impressed by most of them.”
Alicia regretted even suggesting that Marielle meet Bryant. She knew how touchy her sister was on the subject of men. It was her opinion that the reason her sister hadn’t divorced her husband was that she was still in love with him and wanted him back, but she knew better than to ever utter such a statement. She chuckled at the thought of Marielle’s rage and what she’d do to her for even thinking such a thing.
Marielle looked at her curiously. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Just thinking about something Adam said,” Alicia said hastily. It was only a partial lie; she and Adam made each other laugh all the time.
“Oh. Well, sleep well, chica, I’m going to bed,” Marielle said with a yawn.
“G’night.” Alicia watched her sister close the door behind her and got into bed. She had every intention of following her sister’s example and going right to sleep, but sleep was a long time coming, and when it did, it was full of dreams of Adam.
***
The next morning, all was right with the world. Alicia did sleep well, so well that she prepared a treat for the family and brought some to work with her. The other employees greeted her offering of two fragrant loaves of banana nut bread with enthusiasm.
“Ooh, Alicia, thank you. You did take the carbs and calories out of this, right?” asked Rhonda, the office manager. Her tongue darted into the corner of her mouth, as she looked longingly at the bread, moist, rich, and dense with bananas and nuts.
Alicia laughed and confessed she’d done no such thing. “You’re on your own there, Rhonda. Overindulgence could mean extra laps in the pool tomorrow,” she warned.
Rhonda sighed, and then shrugged her shoulders. “Oh well, too bad. We do what we must, and right now I must have some of that bread.” She sighed as she sank her teeth into a generous slice.
Paul, another architect, cast a surreptitious glance at Rhonda’s firm, generous backside and curvy hips before helping himself to a slice of the bread. Her attention to her diet and her firmly ingrained exercise habits showed in every inch of her delightful figure.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about on that count, Rhonda. By my calculations you could consume quite a bit more and it wouldn’t have any effect on your figure,” he said with admiration.
Rhonda’s look of surprise at the heartfelt compliment went unnoticed as Adam entered the small break room in the rear of the office suite. “What smells so good, and is there enough for me?” he asked.
Alicia flashed him a brilliant smile and assured him there was plenty. “And I was just about to make some coffee, too.”
That announcement was greeted with a grin from Adam and looks of horror from Paul and Rhonda. They couldn’t tolerate the rich, intense flavor of the Cuban espresso style of coffee that she and Adam favored.
“Ugh, no jet fuel for me this morning, thanks. I’m hyper enough as it is. Paul, don’t forget you have an appointment in Rochester Hills at ten. Alicia, the model maker is coming by to deliver the Garrison project at nine-thirty, and, Adam, you seem to be free until eleven-thirty. I’m going to get ready for the quarterly financials, so if you need me for anything I’ll be in my office,” she reported as she left the room with another slice of the bread.
Paul’s face was full of admiration for Rhonda’s efficiency as she left the break room. “Amazing woman, isn’t she? Better than an iPod,” he mused as he departed.
The room filled with the aroma of the Cuban coffee as it began to brew. Alicia took a good look at Adam while she took two small cups out of the small cupboard next to the sink. As always, he looked good enough to devour like a piece of her bread. She tried not to let her appetite show on her face. That wouldn’t do at all. But he was pretty hard to resist, she admitted. His hair was still damp from the shower, braided neatly and hanging down his back. He was dressed a bit more formally than usual, wearing khaki dress slacks and a crisp blue oxford cloth shirt unbuttoned at the neck. His navy sport coat was expertly tailored, but she knew it would end up hanging on the back of his office door before long. Adam just couldn’t work if his body was too confined by clothing. He was also observing her closely, and she was relieved to see that whatever coolness had erupted last night had dissipated. He gave her the warm smile that always curled her toes and asked how her dinner with Bryant went.
“Fine. It was a nice evening, good food, you know,” she said shyly. “He might stop by today to say hello. He’s looking for a place to stay for the summer.”
She wasn’t looking directly at Adam when she said this, or she would have noticed a quick tightening of his jaw that was over almost at once. She poured them each a cup of the hot, inky concoction and they both inhaled with deep pleasure before taking their first sip.
“Thanks for the bread, Alicia. Although I don’t like the idea of you having to get up extra early to make stuff for us, it’s really good.”
She blushed at his sweet tone of voice and waved aside his praise. “It was no trouble, Adam. I get up early every day. It’s not like anyone can sleep once the Princesa Mariposa arises, as you well know. Once my niece opens her eyes, everyone else better get up and tend to her every whim, or else. And I’m glad you like it. I baked another loaf just for you. It’s on your desk,” she told him, enjoying the grin he flashed her way.
Just then Rhonda rang her on the office intercom to inform her that the model of her latest project had arrived early. Adam laughed and said, “You know those guys are crazy about you, right? That’s why their work is always perfect and always early, they live in hope that you’ll go out with one of them one day.”
Alicia felt her face grow hot again and she gave a short, embarrassed laugh. “Adam, that is so not true! They’re just really professional and good at what they do, that’s all.”
She quickly left the break room and went to meet the Thompson brothers, Troy and Justin, two of the best-known model makers in the business. They could create scale models of anything an architect or designer could conceive and do it with a skill that made the replica come alive. Being able to present a physical version of a concept was critical in the presentation process, and the Thompson brothers were, in Alicia’s opinion, responsible for C&F Design winning many of their bids for highly prestigious projects.
She entered the conference room where the brothers had set up the model, and her face lit up with pleasure. “Oh, guys, this is wonderful.” She sighed. “This is absolutely beautiful, maybe the best one you’ve ever done for us. How can I thank you?”
Adam entered the conference room and took in the scene with amusement, watching the two tall, good-looking, and obviously intelligent men shuffle their feet and look like pleased schoolboys basking in the warmth of Alicia’s praise. He graciously ignored their adoration of his partner and took a look at the model. It was an office tower with an attached atrium that connected it to a pavilion with shops and restaurants leading to a hotel. It was to be constructed in the downtown area of Detroit near the William Clay Ford St
adium and Comerica Park, part of the amazing renovation taking place in the Motor City, as Detroit was fondly known.
“Alicia’s right, guys. You did an amazing job on this,” he praised, walking around the large conference table on which the model rested.
Troy Thompson, the older of the brothers by one year, looked pleased at the accolade, but immediately pointed out that it was Alicia’s design that was amazing. Justin was quick to agree.
“This is a fantastic design, Alicia. The whole concept and layout are beautiful,” he said warmly.
Adam looked at the two men reveling in Alicia’s aura and for a moment the two strapping six footers with chiseled features set in smooth, darkly brown skin looked like two overgrown puppies hoping for a pat on the head. I ain’t mad atcha, brothers, I know exactly how you feel, he thought ruefully. He continued his walk around the table until he was next to Alicia, who was examining the model with every appearance of rapture on her face. She stopped in her perusal to meet Adam’s eyes. Adam reached for her hand and clasped it tightly as he pulled her into a quick embrace.
“They’re right, Allie. This is some amazing work. You have every right to be proud.”
It was as though everyone else in the room disappeared. For Alicia, there was no one there but Adam, nothing but the feel of her body next to his, nothing but the smell of his skin, the warmth of his arms ... She was dizzy from sensation and content to remain that way, or would have been had Rhonda not stuck her head in the door.
“Umm, Adam, Darcy Hamilton is here to see you,” she said slowly.
Alicia sprang away from Adam as if he were on fire and quickly immersed herself in conversation with the Thompson brothers. Adam tried hard not to let what he was feeling show on his face as he nodded to Rhonda and prepared to follow her up front to greet his visitor. He did cast one more glance at Alicia and her admirers before exiting, however. And he was sure that if Darcy Hamilton knew what he was thinking at that very moment she’d have found someplace else to be, because she was certainly not welcome there.
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