Harlequin Kimani Romance January 2018 Box Set

by Reese Ryan

  Then it hit her.

  Could her true issue be the fact that Roth hadn’t offered to stop playing at The Underground? She wouldn’t have let him, but shouldn’t he have at least offered?

  The door swung open, and Vivian sauntered in. “I am not going to miss these crazy hours,” she said, dropping into the chair opposite Tressa.

  Vivian had decided to resign from her position at Tender Hearts Memorial Hospital to focus more of her time on the project her husband, Alonso, was developing downtown geared at helping the homeless and disenfranchised. She was going to miss working with her best friend, but Tressa truly understood and supported Vivian’s decision.

  Vivian’s eyes slid to the discarded salad, then slid to Tressa. “Everything okay? You usually don’t let food go to waste.”

  They laughed.

  Sobering, Tressa said, “Should I feel some kind of way about Roth not offering to quit playing at The Underground?”

  “I don’t—”

  “He didn’t even say, ‘I’ll find another club to play at, because I know it bothers you that India is my ex.’” Saying it aloud, Tressa accepted how selfish she sounded, but wasn’t she making a genuine point?

  “Why do—”

  “I mean, he didn’t even take my feelings into consideration by not offering to leave. But really, why should he? He’s been playing there far longer than we’ve been dating. Why should he alter his life for me?”

  “It really—”

  “But isn’t that what people do for love? Make sacrifices?” Ugh. She buried her face in her hands. “What is wrong with me? I’ve never been this weak.”

  “Take a breath, Tress. You’re not weak, you’re in love, ladybug.”

  Tressa didn’t dispute Vivian’s words.

  “You should talk to Roth. He’ll respect your concerns. That man loves the hell out of you.”

  A slow smile curled Tressa’s lips. “I’ve never loved any man the way I love Roth. It’s like this beautiful, pleasurable, terrifying plane ride. At times I desperately want to plant my feet on the ground. But at others, I love how he makes me feel like I’m flying, soaring so high in the clouds I feel like I’m in heaven. The way I love him scares me, Vi. I can feel him in my soul. He’s brought so much joy, so much happiness into my life. I can see myself spending the rest of my life with him.”

  “I wish you could see your face right now. You are glowing.” Vivian narrowed her eyes at her. “Are you pregnant?”

  Tressa tossed a balled-up napkin at her. “No.” However, the idea of her stomach swelled with Roth’s child—his children, as many as he wanted—wasn’t a bad one.

  “You’re afraid because of what happened with Cyrus, but you can’t let fear dictate your steps. I believe you told me something similar once.” Vivian smiled, then continued, “I read something once that said sometimes the greatest love of your life comes after the biggest mistake of your life. Would you agree Cyrus was the biggest mistake of your life?”

  “Oh, yeah. Without a doubt.”

  “Then that means Roth is the greatest love of your life.” Vivian took Tressa’s hand. “I’ve noticed such an amazing change in you, Tress. Every single day you walk through that door confident and sure. I hadn’t seen you that way in a long while. Trust me, I know loving someone with everything inside you is daunting as hell, but do it anyway. It’s so worth it.”

  Tressa released a heavy sigh, allowing her worries to escape with the warm air. Vivian was right. Love—this kind of love—was worth it.

  * * *

  Roth and Alonso sat at the round conference table inside Alonso’s office, neither uttering a word. Roth drummed his fingers over the polished wood as if he was playing his sax, even humming a melody in his head. John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman’s “My One and Only Love.” So fitting. Alonso spoke, pulling him from his thoughts of what he’d done.

  “Tell me again what happened.”

  A sly grin spread across Alonso’s face, then he laughed. Well, who could blame him? The story was so damn bizarre, it was hilarious. One minute he’d been sitting behind his own desk, in his own office, the next… His gaze fell back to the shiny black ring box placed in the middle of the table. “I went inside the jewelry store to purchase Tressa a cross necklace—”

  “And you came out with a mammoth-size rock.”

  Alonso laughed and so did he. “Man, I swear to God that ring called my name. The next thing I know…” He pointed to the five-carat emerald-cut diamond ring. “I’m walking out with that and without a single regret in the world.”

  “Well, I for one had no doubt you were going to make Tressa your wife. The two of you are meant for each other. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you happier than when you are with her. You know I support this 100 percent. I’m happy for you, man.”

  Alonso stood and Roth followed suit. After exchanging a brotherly hug, they both dropped back into their seats.

  “So when are you going to pop the question?”

  Roth ran his hand over his head. “I was going to do it tonight, but decided to wait until this weekend. I want it to be special, something memorable. She deserves that.”

  “Are you doing it at the club?”

  “Hell, no,” Roth said. “Tressa would say no for sure. She’s convinced that place is a jinx.” And could anyone blame her? But he was about to leave her with at least one good thought of the place. “You guys should come out for the show on Saturday. It’ll be my last.”

  Alonso’s head jerked back in what Roth took to be surprise. “What? You’re leaving The Underground?”

  Yeah, he couldn’t believe it either, but it was time. “Tressa says she’s okay with me being there, but I can tell it bothers her. And honestly, if the shoe was on the other foot, I might be a little leery about her working so closely with her ex, too. I know she trusts me, but I don’t want to give her any reason to worry.” The fact that India had started acting oddly after seeing him and Tressa at the club had been another reason, but he didn’t mention that one. After Saturday, it would no longer be an issue.

  “Are you going to play elsewhere?” Alonso asked.

  He’d contemplated it but decided he’d much rather spend his free time with Tressa. “Nah. I’m going to chill for a while.”

  “Speaking of exes. Whatever happened with that situation with Tressa’s?”

  Roth shrugged. “Strangest thing. He left her a voice mail message apologizing profusely for manhandling her at the hospital, then said he was moving out of state and that he wished her the best.”

  Alonso barked a laugh. “Did you have anything to do with his decision to flee the state?”

  Roth sat back in his chair and crossed an ankle over his leg. “Come on, man. Tressa forbade me to confront that slimy bastard.”

  “Uh-huh. What did you do?”

  Alonso knew him too damn well. “I may have contacted him to say I would ruin his career and his life, if he ever contacted Tressa again.”

  Alonso gave a knowing smirk.

  And they left it at that.

  Alonso fell back against his chair and intertwined his fingers behind his head. “We’ve come a long way, man. We got lucky. I think about all the shit we’ve been through…” His words trailed off. “We’re two blessed brothers. Good—scratch that—great women. Love. Happiness. Success. We did it. Just like you always said we would.”

  Yep, he had said it, over and over again. Believing life had far more to offer was what had got him this far. He couldn’t agree with Alonso more; they were blessed and happy and in love with great women. And soon, he would ask his muse, his lover, his heartbeat, to be his wife.

  Yeah, life was good. He eyed the ring box. And it would only get better.

  CHAPTER 18

  By the time Saturday rolled around, Roth
’s nerves were shot, so much so he’d walked out of the damn house and forgotten Juliette—his tenor sax. The one thing he hadn’t left behind, the black ring box. In less than two hours, he planned to lower to one knee and ask Tressa to spend the rest of her life with him.

  A tiny voice whispered, Will she say yes?

  Confident, Roth answered with a swelled chest. Of course she was going to say yes. Why wouldn’t she? If he wasn’t sure of anything else, he was sure Tressa loved him. A second later he frowned. But what if…

  Roth shook the negative thoughts away, but somehow they fluttered right back. Her last engagement hadn’t exactly gone off without a hitch. What if she’d decided marriage wasn’t for her? What if he proposed and she said no? What then?

  Arriving at The Underground, Roth pulled into a space in the back lot. The same space he’d occupied the night he’d discovered Tressa in the back of his SUV. The night that had patterned his feet on this glorious journey toward love. This had to be a good sign, right?

  Of course it was.

  So why did he have that nagging feeling?

  Roth considered calling Tressa to make sure she hadn’t got held up at work or, worse, changed her mind about meeting him there. This wasn’t exactly her favorite place. Just to see the look of surprise on her beautiful face, he needed her there to hear his announcement that tonight would be his last performance.

  If she didn’t show, it would definitely put a hitch in his arrangements. He’d have to scrap the plan to propose on a carriage ride through downtown. It didn’t matter where he proposed. All he knew was he had to do it tonight. He couldn’t wait another moment.

  As if he’d sent some kind of vibration across town to Tender Hearts Memorial Hospital, his phone rang, Tressa’s name flashing across the screen. Actually, the words My Queen scrolled across the screen, because that was what she was to him, his queen. “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Hey, handsome. I only have a second.”

  Alarmed, Roth said, “I hope you’re not calling to stand me up, because that would really suck.” Really suck, he repeated to himself.

  “No, but I may be late. Thirty minutes, an hour tops. I’m sorry.” Her words dripped with regret.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, just a madhouse here. Full moon. I gotta go. Love you to pieces and I’ll make my tardiness up to you in countless sinful ways.”

  “I’m definitely going to hold you to that. Love you, too.” And tonight she’d know just how much.

  * * *

  Tressa had some hell of apologizing to do. Her one hour, tops, had stretched into two. And of course she’d missed Roth’s performance. Inside, she squinted and scanned the room for him, but he was nowhere in sight. He was there because his SUV was still parked out back. Plus, he wouldn’t have left without calling to tell her. If there was one thing her man was, it was considerate.

  A swamped Gayle, the hostess she’d met her last visit there, pointed her toward the back of the building. “Try the back. I saw him walk that way earlier,” she said, then bustled away. “Oh,” she called back, “tell him I said I’m really going to miss our old-school R & B chats.”

  “Going to miss—” Gayle was off before Tressa could finish her thought. Was Gayle leaving The Underground? Probably so. She’d got the impression the woman didn’t care very much for India.

  India.

  Just the thought of her name grated Tressa’s nerves. Pushing the raw feeling aside, she headed in the direction she’d been pointed.

  The sconces affixed to the beige walls provided minimal lighting along the hallway. Fortunately, Tressa didn’t need any illumination to locate Roth; she simply followed the boom of his elevated tone. And he sounded pissed.

  Approaching the partially opened door, she reached for the handle, but froze when she heard a woman’s voice.

  “You are full of shit, Roth.”

  Her tone was just as heated as Roth’s had been.

  “I don’t owe you shit, India.”

  India? Tressa’s eyes narrowed as if she was trying to see through the door. What in the hell were they arguing about? A lover’s quarrel came to mind, but she debunked the term.

  “But why, Roth? Why now? Was it the kiss?”

  The air vacated from Tressa’s lungs. Had they kissed? Her heartbeat kicked up a notch or two and her breathing grew ragged. She wanted to burst through the door right then, but her need to hear more was greater.

  “When I was in jeopardy of losing this place, it was your performances that saved it. We built this place together, Roth. We’re a team. Now what? You’re going to walk out on me? Just like that? No notice, no explanation, no nothing? Just some tonight-will-be-my-last-performance bullshit announcement you made to the entire club without having the decency to let me know first.”

  Tressa rested a hand on her trembling stomach. Roth was leaving The Underground? India’s tone softened to a pitch that could be considered seductive, and rage shot through Tressa. Still, she held a level head.

  “We’re good together, Roth. You know we are.”

  For whatever they’d shared to be in the past, Roth and India sounded mighty cozy. Tressa’s cheek burned with outrage with the possibility that she’d been played for a fool. Again. Now she really wanted to explode into the room, but her heavy feet were rooted to the tile floor, making her unable to crash their party or flee the building. The urge to do both overwhelmed her.

  “I’m sorry, India.”

  Roth’s tone sounded sympathetic, as if in some way he regretted what he was doing.

  India continued, “You can’t leave.”

  Roth’s tone sounded exhausted when he said, “What do you want from me, India? What the hell do you want from me?”

  “Everything. I love you. I never stopped loving you, Roth. After all these years. I want you to admit you still have feelings for me, too.”

  Tressa’s stomach knotted as she waited for a response from Roth. Did his silence mean he still loved India or that he didn’t feel the question warranted a response?

  When he finally spoke, his tone lacked sentiment. “I don’t love you and haven’t for a long time. We had our chance. It just wasn’t meant for us.”

  When India spoke again, her tone was crammed full of emotion, and Tressa was almost certain she was crying.

  “Then why in the hell did you invite me to spend the weekend with you at your cabin a few months ago? Was it just about sex?” she spat.

  Tressa’s brows furrowed. Invited her to his cabin? India had been the woman… Her chest grew heavy and bile burned the back of her throat.

  A beat or two of silence lingered before Roth said, “Yes, it was.”

  “You liar. Do you think I don’t see how you look at me when I walk past? Do you think I don’t know what ran through your mind when I undressed in front of you earlier?” Her tone grew soft again. “You wanted me then, Roth, and I know you want me now.”

  Instead of Roth refuting the claim, he said, “Goodbye, India. Have a great life.”

  The door flung open with so much force, Tressa flinched. Her lips parted, but nothing would escape. She dragged a hand across her cheek.

  “Tressa?” Roth’s hard expression melted to one of shock.

  Sure of the questions racing through his mind, she said, “I heard everything. I—” The words snagged in her throat. “I have to go. I…”

  She closed her eyes briefly to subdue the queasiness she was feeling. When Roth touched her, she shoved his hand away. Forcing her feet to move, she took several clumsy steps back until she bumped into the wall, then made haste down the corridor.

  As she fled, Tressa felt like she was in one of those fun houses at a carnival. Everything ran together into a hazy blob of shapes and colors. Her head spun, forcing her to stop and rest her hand ag
ainst the wall to regain her equilibrium.

  “Baby—”

  Standing behind her, Roth rested his hands on her waist, preventing her from getting away. She lacked the energy needed to push him away. “You lied to me, Roth. Everything was a lie,” she said more to herself than to him. “You told me there was nothing between the two of you, that I could trust you with my heart, that I would never regret falling in love with you.” Tears clouded her eyes. “You lied, because I regret it plenty.”

  “Please don’t say that, Tressa. Please.” He kissed the back of her head several times. “I never lied to you. I swear, there’s nothing—”

  Needing to look into his eyes, she turned toward him. “Did you invite her to your cabin for sex?”

  “Just listen, baby, please. I—”

  “Did you invite her to your cabin for sex, Roth?” Tressa spewed the words like venom.

  Defeat danced in Roth’s eyes. “Yes.”

  “Then there’s something.”

  Tressa’s gaze slid past Roth and leveled on India propped against the door frame, watching them like her favorite sitcom. For a brief second Tressa considered barreling down the hall to knock that condescending smirk right off her face. But what would be the point?

  “Can we talk?” Roth said.

  Drawing her attention back to him, Tressa refocused on the visibly exhausted man in front of her, the man she loved, the man who’d changed, rocked and shattered her world. “No.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Instead of immediately leaving the community center where he taught saxophone lessons to disadvantaged kids, Roth stood with his arms folded across his chest, staring out the fogged-up window. The darkness outside mirrored his soul. A single ray of light hadn’t penetrated through him since… He refused to even give life to what had happened several days ago at The Underground.

  By giving Tressa her space, he hoped she’d realize how ridiculous she was being. Yes, what she’d heard was bad, really bad; he’d be the first to admit that, but she’d refused to even give him the opportunity to explain. She’d simply jumped to conclusions.