His hand slid from her cheek to her chin, and he tightened his hold.
“Roman,” Grayson warned.
“Like I said, you were seen, Tonya. You were with a black man, in the bar of a hotel uptown. You were hanging all over him, and he kissed you. Now that I know you’re really a dirty whore, I want you to tell me who he was and how long it has been going on.”
He couldn’t have stabbed her and hurt her more. She slapped his hand away, tears welling in her eyes. “Fuck you, Roman.”
In an instant, his hand rose, and he poised it to smack her. Grayson appeared at his side and caught his wrist just as he came down. Tonya shrank back and looked between the two of them. A tremor started in her belly and spread to her limbs. She hated being seen so weak, but emotion welled up inside, making her want to collapse onto the floor.
She raised a hand to her head and wiped at the moisture there. “I want to know who lied about me, and why you would believe it?”
Roman remained silent. She looked from one man to the other. Her fiancé jerked his arm from Grayson’s hold, and he moved away from her. The sense of loss took her breath, and he compounded it by turning his back on her.
“No one lied about you. He confirmed what I should have known from the start.”
“He?”
Roman stuck his hands in his pockets and stared out the window.
“I did,” Grayson said.
He hadn’t moved from the spot where Roman left him, less than a couple feet from her. His gaze pierced hers, unwavering, not accusing like Roman’s had been, but without question condemning.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true, Tonya. I saw you.” He gestured at her outfit. “Same outfit as you’re wearing now. Your hair wasn’t pinned up the way it is now. I know you, and I saw you today at the Omni on Trade Street, where I had business. None of us spend much time uptown, so maybe you thought you could get away with it. You didn’t.”
His voice was so calm and calculated. Where he had stopped Roman from hitting her, no one stood by to keep her from slapping his face. Her palm stung, and a red splotch started where she’d connected with his skin. “You’re a liar! Roman, you can’t believe him over me. I’m going to be your wife, and we should trust each other.”
“You’re wrong,” Roman snapped. He turned to face her. “The wedding’s off. I want nothing else to do with you.”
The tears she’d held back with all her might flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. This was a nightmare, a waking nightmare. She couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t. “N-No, that can’t be. You’re listening to him? He’s lying. I love you. He… He’s jealous of our happiness.”
“So jealous he threw us a party and paid for our trip to Hawaii? He even offered you a job in his company, a woman with no experience, for me.” When he approached, Grayson took a step to move in front of him, but Roman raised a hand to ward him off. “Don’t worry. I’ll never touch her again.”
Tonya flinched.
“Grayson came back from his meeting and went straight to his office. A few people who saw him said he looked pale, like he’d seen a ghost. No one could get him to say a word, and he left the office soon after. I was worried so I called. He didn’t answer. I went to his house, and he didn’t answer. Good thing I have a key. I found him with his head in his hands, shaken up. I spent the better part of an hour trying to get him to tell me what was wrong, Tonya, and you’re telling me he is just lying about you because he’s jealous? No one knows Grayson like I do. We’ve been friends since we were both little kids, but you… Take the ring off and leave it on the table. Then I want you out of my house and out of my life.”
There was nothing she could say, nothing she could do. She twisted the engagement ring from her finger and set it on the table then turned and stumbled from the room. Out on the street, she walked and walked. The hour grew late, the tears dried, and devastation held her in its grip. Grayson Porter had destroyed her life in a single night, and she hoped he would burn in hell.
* * * *
Tonya fell through the doorway into her apartment, and another sob escaped as she caught sight of the wedding dress in the dining room. She rushed over to it and ripped it down from the hanger then tossed it on the floor. About to stomp the thing under her foot, she shrieked when hands dragged her back.
“Are you insane, Tonya?” Letreece asked. “What the hell are you doing?”
Tonya spun around. “Letreece, why are you here?” Her voice came out sharper than she intended, but she had no energy to fix it up. Letreece pointed to the bundle of fur wiggling at Tonya’s feet.
“Returning Pucky.”
“Pookie.” Tonya waved her hand. “Fuck it. Who cares? Not me. None of it matters anymore.”
“What’s with the melodrama, girlfriend? I thought that was my job.”
Tonya walked back to the door and shut it. A flick of the switch bathed the entire apartment in light. Like a bug, she wanted to run for cover and hide, and while she recognized the major pity party, it did nothing to pull her out of it. Her stomach rolled, and without constant swallowing, she felt like she would vomit at any second.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t tell me nothing. You wouldn’t throw your dress on the floor and try to stomp it if it was nothing.”
“Let’s just say I’m not getting married anymore and leave it at that.” Tonya walked out of the dining room and headed to her bedroom. Hoping Letreece got the message and left her to her misery wasn’t happening. She followed Tonya and plopped down on the bed.
“I’m your friend, and I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
Tonya sighed. She examined her friend sitting there looking like everything in her world lay in order, unlike Tonya’s, which had ended when Roman told her to give back the ring. Too late, she realized remembering that scene would take the last of her control. She ran to the bathroom and dropped to her knees over the toilet. For the next few minutes, she threw up, or rather dry heaved because the only thing she had had was a couple of drinks since early afternoon.
Roman had never trusted her, never thought she could really love him over a black man, which was absurd. Maybe they weren’t the perfect couple.
A few more minutes of retching, and she stretched her arm over the toilet seat and laid her head on it. Letreece came into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub, but she stayed quiet. Tonya just breathed and let her heartbeat slow. When she gained some strength, she explained what happened.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Letreece wrinkled her nose. “For starters, take a shower, and we can get out of this bathroom.”
“You’re all heart.” Tonya dragged herself from the floor. She followed the advice and showered then brushed her teeth. After she enfolded herself in the robe she kept on the back of the bathroom door, she returned to her room and lay on the bed. Letreece walked in with a cup of tea and set it on the nightstand.
“I added a shot of vodka I had over at my place.”
Tonya groaned. “Thanks.” One minute Letreece seemed insensitive, and the next so helpful. Tonya sat up and took a sip of the hot brew. The sweetener was too much, but didn’t ease the taste of the alcohol. She tried not to show the disgust on her face. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Roman paid for everything, all my bills, and I had that job with Gray. That’s not going to happen now. I’m even homeless in less than a week.”
Letreece flicked at the covers on Tonya’s bed and didn’t look at her. “I’d let you stay with me, but my place is so small. One bedroom…”
Tonya stared at her.
“I mean, I know you’re going to land on your feet, girl. This is only to make you stronger.”
“Right.” Bitterness settled in Tonya’s chest. She forced the tea down her throat and then pulled her knees up to her chest. “I have a cousin in Texas. I can sell the dress, find Pookie a new home… I’ll be okay—after awhile.”
; Chapter Four
Seven years later
Grayson checked the information he had been given and noted he had the correct address. The training company Tonya worked for offered instruction on how to be a better leader and in various technical certifications. Tonya had landed a position as office manager and had held the job for the last five years. The private investigator had looked for her in Texas where her cousin lived, but located her in Los Angeles.
When Grayson strode through the entrance of her company, he spotted Tonya right away in her office. The door stood open, and Tonya sat behind her desk, gaze lowered. He watched as she moved a plate with a cupcake in the center and remembered that her birthday had been yesterday. She had turned twenty-nine.
“May I help you, sir?”
He glanced away from Tonya and focused on the receptionist. “I’m here to see Tonya Cole.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
The woman’s interested gaze roved over him, but he found his attention returning to Tonya. She looked the same but different. With seven years gone, she appeared more beautiful than before, her face a shade fuller, but her mocha skin just as smooth. Gone were the sweats or jeans and T-shirts. Today, she wore a business suit, and he caught a glimpse beneath her desk of high heels. Rather than the sassy red hair color she’d worn the last time he saw her, her hair was black and hung straight to just past her shoulders. He had the impression of a much more serious person than the woman who had forced him to hide in the closet with her to play a trick on his best friend Roman. A sense of regret washed over him.
“Sir?” the receptionist prompted.
“No, but if you’ll tell her Grayson Porter is here, I hope she’ll agree to see me.” He had raised his voice a little when he said his name and was gratified to see Tonya look up, eyes widening in shock. Her lips parted, and he had a sudden urge to kiss them. He mentally shook his head to clear it. No, he had a reason for being here, and it didn’t include tasting Tonya’s lips.
She rose from behind her desk and stepped out of her office. “I’ve got it, Karen. Gray, what are you doing here?”
An odd sensation came over him at hearing her say his name, and he steeled his resolve. “It’s not because I want to be, I assure you.”
She frowned and turned. “Come inside, I guess.”
He followed her into the office, and she shut the door. He waited out of habit for her to indicate he take a seat and sat after she’d done so. She folded her hands on the desktop, her back straight. The expression on her face implied mild interest, but no more than if he were a business acquaintance instead of someone from her past. Confidence radiated from her. She appeared much more mature, and why wouldn’t she after so much time?
“What do you mean you aren’t here because you want to be? Is Roman okay?”
Grayson clenched his jaw. “He’s fine. This job seems to be a decent one.”
She glared. “I landed on my feet, if that’s what you’re getting at. You took everything from me, Gray, so where did you think you’d find me, in the gutter? Or on welfare?”
While she goaded his anger with her words, he would not feed into it. “You left without a word. I wouldn’t have rescinded my offer of a job. That’s not how I do business.”
She stood up and strode away from the desk toward the window. He couldn’t help his gaze flitting to her rounded hips. The material of her skirt strained over her ass, and when she faced him, he noticed the slit in the design to expose a bit of her creamy brown thigh.
“That’s funny because you knew I had no money, no job, no home. If you were so concerned, you would have shown up here a lot sooner than seven years later.”
Touché.
“Anyway, I’m busy. What do you want?” She moved back to her desk but remained standing. He’d done it a million times, standing over his guest to give a semblance of power or authority over them. He allowed Tonya to maintain the position for the time being.
“It’s Aunt Linn,” he said. “She’s ill. In fact, she hasn’t been given long to live, maybe a few months.”
The shock registered on her beautiful face. Her eyes widened and grew glossy. Her lips parted, and she dropped into her chair. “N-No.”
“She has stage four cancer, and the chemo hasn’t helped except to give her a little more time with us. Right now, we’re keeping her comfortable at home, but she wants to see you.”
Tonya sniffed. He dug into his pocket, ready to produce a handkerchief for her, but she grabbed a tissue from the box on her side table. “I can’t believe it. Not Aunt Linn. Why did I think she would outlive us all?”
He nodded. “Of course you’re coming back to Charlotte.”
She looked up at him, her hands stilling, which had been shredding the tissue. “What I do will be my decision, Gray, not yours. You can go now.”
He hesitated, but then stood, reminding himself of what kind of woman she was seven years ago. People generally didn’t change, and he needed to keep that in mind. “Fine. I’ll be in town a couple days. Here’s my card. Call me if you decide to go, and you can fly with me in my private jet back to Charlotte.”
“I don’t think so.”
He refused to put the card back in his wallet, but continued to hold it out to her. She made no move to take it, and he sighed in exasperation. “We can be civil, Tonya, or aren’t you mature enough by now to handle that?”
Big brown eyes flashed anger at him. She snatched the card and slapped it on the desk. “Good afternoon, Mr. Porter.”
He said no more and left the office.
* * * *
Grayson tapped a few keys on the panel to his right, and the screen above it adjusted to face him more. He tapped another key, and the screen lit up. Soon the login appeared that would allow him to connect with Lukas. He spun his chair around and glanced at Tonya, who sat just behind him across the aisle. She had remained aloof ever since they boarded the plane. She set her drink down in the holder and unbuckled her seatbelt. When she looked up and met his gaze, he didn’t bother looking away. She flushed. “The bathroom?”
He indicated the way and then watched her stand, get her bearings, and make her way down the aisle. The plane hit a pocket of turbulence, and she swayed, catching herself against the wall. He started to rise, but everything settled down and he went back to the screen.
“Uncle Gray!” Lukas’s excited face appeared in front of him, and as it always did, a rush of love surged inside him for the boy. “When are you coming back?”
“I’m on the plane right now. We’ll land in a few hours.”
“Cool. I can show you my new race car.”
“I’d like to see that, buddy.” He paused when he heard Tonya coming from the bathroom. She lingered beside him and sat on the arm of his chair. Grayson’s cock twitched in his pants at her nearness. He was grateful for the sheaf of papers he still held after studying them earlier.
“He’s so cute,” Tonya gushed. “Hi, sweetie. How are you?”
“Fine,” Lukas responded. Pink appeared on his cheeks.
Gray chuckled. “Lukas, this is Ms. Tonya. Tonya, Lukas.”
“Nice to meet you, Lukas.”
Gray studied her face as she asked the boy a few questions about the action figure he held in his hands. After their discussion, Gray commented some more and ended the call.
“Your son is so sweet—and cute!”
His eyes widened. “I wish.”
She frowned. “Huh?”
“He’s not mine. He’s Roman’s. Lukas calls me Uncle Gray.” He had no idea why he shared so much, but he loved Lukas as if he were his own, so the compliment made his chest swell with pride all the same. Gray noted the sadness in her gaze and wondered if she regretted the past, but he turned his thoughts to Lukas. “He’s very intelligent for his age. Already he’s reading on a second grade level, and he can count and write up to three hundred.”
Tonya gaped. “You’re kidding?”
“No, we’re very proud of him.
”
A wistful expression came over her face.
“If I had a son, my life would be exactly where I want it.”
She stiffened. “Well, maybe you and Nola should talk about it.”
He watched her face as he spoke his next words. “We’re no longer together. We haven’t been for a long while.”
This time, she started, and he narrowed his eyes. A sudden desire to clarify another fact with her came over him, and he said, “Roman’s married now, and they’re very happy together.”
She hopped to her feet. “Thanks for the info. I didn’t ask.”
He grabbed her wrist, and she tried pulling away. The plane hit an air pocket and lurched violently to the right. Tonya squeaked in alarm and fell backward. He brought his other hand up on instinct to catch her as she landed squarely in the center of his lap. He didn’t know what came over him. One minute he planned to help her to her feet. The next he drew her tight and slanted his mouth over hers.
Tonya fought him, pushing at his arms and beating at his chest. He slid his hand down her back and increased the pressure, forcing her lips apart. When she tried turning her head, he caught her chin and held it. The moment he realized what he was doing, he started to withdraw, but a moan escaped her, and the resistance came to an end. Tonya arched into him. Her fingers crawled to his shoulders, and she surrendered to his onslaught on her sweet mouth.
Back off, Gray.
He deepened the kiss, threading his tongue into her mouth and sweeping the warm, wet interior. She tasted so good, and her body was so feminine. He felt his cock swell beneath her ass. All of his will kept him from grinding upward and tugging her down.
This is Tonya, Roman’s ex-fiancée.
Gray broke the kiss and thrust her onto her feet. They both panted, and he ran a thumb over his lips, glaring at her. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“You’re damn right it shouldn’t have.” She stomped back to her seat and dropped into it, folding her arms across her chest. He swerved his seat away to hide the hard-on still tenting his pants. Gritting his teeth together didn’t stop the words that rose to his lips. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it did.”
Mistaken Identities Page 3