“Eric went with me to the doctor, and we both got tested, even though I know he’s a…you know…”
Ava looked down at her lap, playing with her napkin.
“He wanted me to see for myself that he’s clean. And I wanted him to know that I was too. He’ll be my first…and he’ll use a condom. All those boys who pressured me for sex and tried to make me feel bad because I wouldn’t…I’m glad that I didn’t with them. Eric is special.”
Ava let out a long, slow breath. The conversation was going where it needed, but not where she wanted.
“He wants to travel before kids,” Marie said softly. This time it was she who signaled for Eric to stay away a moment longer. His eyes rolled before he stormed back the way he came. “I’ve dropped weight, not just because we’re eating better, but also because I’ve had one heck of a time keeping up with him. God, can he move!”
Ava smiled. That was one of the reasons why she had landed on her ass on her front sidewalk with a skateboard moving up the road without her.
“We walk everywhere––at least three miles a day now––and he can cook, too!”
It was his cooking that got her in this mess in the first place. And she knew if Raven or Pierce found out she would be in the doghouse faster than anyone could say, “Puppy chow.” She sighed softly before saying,”Marie, I wasn’t too happy about this in the beginning.”
“I know.”
“But I’ll try to smooth things over with his mother.”
Marie grinned.
The waitress arrived with their food.
Marie relaxed and picked up her fork, only to push the food around for a moment. She constantly looked toward the bathroom.
Ava’s empty stomach didn’t give her the option of waiting for Eric to return.
“What are you studying in the fall?”
“English literature and journalism. I want to be an editor. Eric’s teaching me about the publishing business.”
“Oh, Lord, you’ll never hear the end of it.”
The women laughed.
As if on cue, Eric appeared scowling at both of them. “There’s only so much a man can do in the bathroom. They were about to call the police!” He looked from Marie to Ava, then back to Marie. “Everything’s cool?”
Marie smiled at Ava, who nodded.
“So, you told her that we’re getting married?”
Ava’s hand flew to cover her mouth as she nearly choked on her food.
Marie slapped the back of his hand.
Eric grinned. “Just kidding.” Then he added under his breath, “For now.”
Fourteen
Pierce came up with an idea that would have Raven either swooning at his feet or tightening her hands around his neck. He had to get his libido in check.—fast! Through her books, he understood how important friendship was to her. His parents’ marriage was a true sign that friendship first would make for a longer-lasting union. A couple could only spend so long in the sack. Those other waking hours had to be filled with something more substantial than, “Oh God, I’m cumming,” or “Take me there, big daddy,” or planning the next time they would be in bed. If it was just about sex, the relationship would combust faster than an old Chevy on a desert stretch.
“I know I said dinner,” he ventured cautiously, “but if you’ll trust me, I’d like to do something a little different.”
“You want me to trust you?” She blinked three times to clear her vision. “After a kiss like that?”
Pierce helped return her clothes to their original state before he extended his hand. “Come with me.”
Slowly she placed her hand in the center of his. He closed his around hers until it all but disappeared. Her eyes, wide with wonder and a twinkle of excitement, probed for answers. “Pierce, where are you taking me?”
“Someplace special. Someplace just for us,” he replied, his smile widening with mischief. “Trust me.”
She frowned. “I’m really beginning to dislike those two words.”
Pierce lifted her fingertips to his lips, brushing them gently. “But I’ve only said them twice.”
“My son and my lawyer have given them a bad reputation.”
After Pierce made a couple of calls out of Raven’s hearing, they climbed into a limousine and pulled onto Park Avenue. She sat next to him, wrapped in his arms, silently watching the scenery pass.
As soon as the airport came into view, he watched her shift, tense up, glance at him, then peer nervously out the window again before her eyes widened in pure panic. “Pierce, where are we going?”
“Just trust me—”
Raven’s head whipped around, her hard glare effectively cutting him off as they pulled in front of a private area of the airport.
Pierce placed his blazer around her shoulders and kept her hand in his as they stepped out.
“You will have me home before the clock strikes 12, right?”
He chuckled as Vinah, their hostess, ushered them to the wing for private jets. “Eastern, Central, or Pacific time?”
She stopped walking, pulled her hand from his. “That’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.” He motioned her forward, his laughter echoing as he took in her shocked expression. They entered a posh jet, which looked more like a luxury hotel suite than the inside of an airplane.
About an hour after take off, Vinah served them a dinner of salad, grilled chicken, creamy garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, Italian herbed vegetables, and—for a bit of New York flavor—Junior’s cheesecake. Their conversation was peppered with small talk about his parents, as well as her career, and he extracted more ideas from her about making her books into movies.
When sated, Raven immediately went back into his arms as though there hadn’t been a small break in the connection between them. He loved it.
So, if this was the dinner he had promised, why were they still flying two hours later? Shouldn’t they be headed back to New York?
“I guess you do this with all of your women.”
“First time.”
He grinned at her skeptical expression. “There’s been no one for quite a while,” he said, leaning back in the chair. “I’ve only been in love once. Since then there’ve been a few acquaintances—I can’t call them friends. Sim’s the chick magnet. Most of them use me to get to him.”
She lifted an eyebrow.
Pierce shrugged “It’s the way it is sometimes. Some of us are stars and some of us are…stepping stones.”
“And being the good friend that he is,” she added dryly, “Simeon kicks them to the curb, right?”
Pierce’s gaze held hers for a moment. “Sim’s driven by a need to be more powerful than his father. He’s driven by a greed I can’t understand, because that includes taking from the people who care about him the most.”
“You’re not just talking about the company are you?”
“His current on again-off again girlfriend was my fiancée.”
Raven gasped, saying, “Oh, Pierce…”
“Jennifer went to him because he could give her what I couldn’t.”
He tried to ignore the sadness in her eyes. “It’s all right. They deserve each other. But that’s when I started thinking of him as strictly a business partner. And now he’s not even that.”
Judging by the pain in his eyes, it was far from all right. A betrayal like that by a friend and a lover had to cut deep. Real deep. Almost as deep as being abandoned in childhood.
“She’s been with him for fourteen years, and he still hasn’t married her. But he’s given her eight kids, and she’s pregnant again. They think it’s a girl this time. Sim had nerve enough to ask me to be the godfather the first time out.”
Raven flinched. “And yet, you’re still at MEG,” she said with a weary shake of her head.
“I have to protect the employees. They trust me and I owe it to them,” Pierce admitted with a tinge of sadness. “I don’t let his way of doing things change how I do things. And Jennifer
’s not the first woman he’s taken from me.”
“That has to hurt when he does things like that.”
Pierce shrugged again. “Only when I feel something for the women.” Then he looked down at her. “With you, it would hurt like hell.”
Raven’s expression softened as she laid her head on his chest. The fear that gripped her was very real. Raven Ripley did not do relationships! And this man was aiming for something more than just a little slap and tickle, he wanted her—all of her, not just the surface parts she shared with everyone else.
As Raven wondered how to navigate her fears, Pierce was also mulling over their relationship challenges. Bringing her to New York on screenplay rewrites would only work for so long. He wanted to be in her thoughts as much as she’d been in his. Her willingness to explore why she was afraid, said she’d at least thought about him during their untimely separation. The thought warmed him immensely.
Raven’s sultry voice interrupted his thoughts. “I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“It couldn’t have been because of dinner,” he said, enfolding her into his arms.
“Never knew a man whose idea of dinner was airline food.”
“That wasn’t what I had in mind,” he whispered, snuggling her even closer. “There’s more in store for you, Ms. Armand.”
She splayed a hand across his broad chest.
Pierce brushed his lips across her temple. “Sweet dreams, baby.”
The smooth, even rise and fall of her breast signaled she had fallen asleep.
“Mr. Randall?” Vinah whispered as she approached them.
“Yes?”
“The pilot wanted to let you know that we should arrive in—”
Pierce’s index finger went to his lips, and he shook his head.
Vinah mouthed the words, “…about eleven hours.”
Raven’s breathing remained slow and steady. Nothing like a long flight to tie a person’s joints into knots. She might not feel so good when they arrived. Why hadn’t he thought of that before?
“Is there anything I can get for you or Ms. Armand?”
Pierce looked down at the woman sleeping in his arms, then took in the approving twinkle in Vinah’s eyes. “I’ll let you know.” He handed over his jacket and she passed him the itinerary she had put together for the trip and noted some of the issues they would face when they landed. Vinah picked up Raven’s sling-back pumps from the floor and took them along.
He gently moved his arm to encircle Raven’s shoulder, pulling her closer. She adjusted her position several times, trying to get comfortable. Finally, he scooped her up in his arms and walked toward, what was for him, uncharted territory.
Pierce laid Raven on the circular king-sized bed.
As he went back to the door, Raven’s drowsy voice brought him up short. “Aren’t you going to tuck me in?”
Pierce smiled, turned, then pulled back the covers. Her half-opened eyes stayed on his as she allowed him to drape the comforter over her.
“There’s always room for one more…” She allowed the invitation to hang in the air.
Pierce loosened the top buttons of his shirt, and removed his shoes. Then he walked to the bed and slid under the covers, facing Raven.
She tucked her head between his neck and shoulder, moving instinctively closer, melding perfectly into his arms.
Her blouse perfectly framed her breasts, allowing him to see how aroused she’d become. He had promised to keep her safe. Directly next to her on a plush mattress more than thirty thousand feet in the air was not a safe place. The pressure in his pants made it almost impossible to think about anything but her close proximity.
To distract himself, Pierce replayed his introduction of Raven to Sim. She had deflated that man’s ego in a not-so-subtle way that had Pierce coughing to hide his laughter. When had a woman wanted Pierce for Pierce, not because of his position at MEG or to use him as a bridge to record deal or Sim’s never-ending wallet? One time too many had put a shell around his heart that he swore no woman could ever crack.
As Pierce looked at the sleeping beauty next to him he realized he hadn’t told anyone that he was leaving New York. This trip was spur-of-the-moment but might turn out to be exactly what he needed in more ways than one. Since Sim claimed that the company was his brainchild, all his effort, then handling things on his own for a while might prove a point.
A soft, sexy voice interrupted his thoughts. “Pierce.”
“Yes, honey,” he said, stroking her back gently.
Her eyes remained closed, her body arched toward his. “Are we there yet?”
Are we there yet? A question he asked every time he received his bank statements. A question he asked every time he looked in the mirror and saw the weariness in his own eyes. A question he asked every time he looked at his parents’ picture and felt loneliness stab him in the heart like a newfound enemy.
Pierce closed his eyes, praying that the new direction his life was taking would prove to be more rewarding. “No, baby,” he whispered, before adding the answer he’d come to know in so many areas of his life. “We’re a long way from there.”
❤ ❤ ❤
Marie and Ava had bonded a little too well for Eric’s taste. Since no one had heard from Raven, Marie had insisted that Ava stay at her apartment in Harlem instead of checking into the hotel.
Eric went back to the office after dropping Marie and Ava off. Now that the plans had changed, he wanted to get any new work that had landed on his plate tonight, grab the bags belonging to his mom and Ava from security, call in sick for the first time, then spend time with his mother after his appointment in Baltimore. Hopefully Pierce was keeping his mom happy. The thought brought him a sly grin. If the man was a romantic, they’d be getting married!
He almost danced through the maze of cubicles until he heard two sets of thundering footsteps followed by angry voices. Simeon stormed past the area like a tornado. Eric inched closer before instinct kicked in and he ducked under the desk in the nearest cubicle.
“When was the last time anyone heard from Pierce?” Simeon asked his assistant, Vlad.
“Four hours ago.”
“He shouldn’t be in the wind like this! DeMarco’s video isn’t finished. The final cuts are due tomorrow.”
“Might have to do it without him.”
“Not happening,” Simeon commented, as he dropped into the Herman Miller chair at his desk, then swiveled to face the window. “He’s always been predictable. It’s not like him to just go off and not tell anybody.”
“Yeah, sorta like this whole movie thang,” Vlad replied, plopping his big frame into the chair opposite Simeon’s desk. “Kinda crept up on us, right?”
Simeon steepled his fingers under his chin. “Pierce has been acting a fool lately.”
“First rejecting Quinn and Bree as new artists, then going with another distributor. Now this whole Raven Armand thang. Not cool, man. Not cool.”
“You think he’s planning on making a move?”
Vlad thought about that for a few moments. “Well, I know one thang’s for sho’, he’s making plenty of moves without you. Now that’s jacked up.”
“Bet! I know he’s pissed, but I didn’t think he’d move up and cut a deal with a distributor and fly out on his own.”
“Never thought he’d vamp in the middle of the day neither.” Vlad shuffled through a round of CDs from Simeon’s desk. “Something’s up with your boy.”
Simeon turned from the window and glanced at the CDs and DATs now spread out before him. “I need to tighten ship until we figure where his head’s at.”
“True dat. Maybe he’s taken things to another level. You know he’s always been jealous of you. Since you can rap ‘n shit. Be all up in the camera and what not. Got all the womens. Everybody wants to be you. Especially him.”
Simeon’s head whipped up. “For real? Think so, huh?”
Eric inched up until he could see over the top of the cubicle. Why was Vlad filling
Simeon’s head with such nonsense? Everyone knew the jealousy factor went the other way around.
“Now that MEG’s getting back on its feet and the Tenth Anniversary is coming up, he just might want to go his own way.” Vlad slipped a disc into the player. The harsh sounds reverberated around the office before he turned it down. “He could take your acts, part of your company, and give us some serious competition. And who’s gonna put out your next album? Your music makes you popular. MEG put you on the map.”
“Damn, I never thought of that. I have to keep the label.” Simeon twirled a pencil in his thin fingers as the rapper’s voice on the hip-hop track slurred an incoherent string of sentences marked by expletives. “Aw, yeah, now that’s gonna be a hit.”
Eric groaned inwardly. Another no-talent scrub. Pierce would never sign someone so undeveloped, so juvenile. Simeon wouldn’t know real talent if it bit him on the ass.
“Pierce won’t like it,” Vlad commented with a chuckle.
Simeon slammed his fist against his desk, causing both Vlad and Eric to jump. “I’m sick of him trying to override every decision I make. Let’s lock this shit down until we send his tired ass to steppin’. He’s not getting MEG. No matter what that fucking contract says.”
Eric ducked back down.
“I feel ya. Might wanna check with Steve and find out what he’s putting his signature on these days.”
Simeon thought about that a second. “Naw, that’s Pierce’s bitch. We can’t trust him either.”
“What about that little half-breed, Eric?”
Simeon tapped the edge of a tape he held. “That fool’s just an intern. He’s smart, but he don’t know jack shit.”
Eric’s head snapped up slightly, and he glared at the two men. Half-breed? Who is he calling half-breed? Don’t know jack shit, huh? That shows how well Simeon pays attention to the young crew.
“That movie soundtrack and production deal should be ours. He’s gonna make millions,” Vlad said, leaving the chair to stretch out on the black leather sofa. “We gotta find a way to get Pierce out before he realizes what’s going on.”
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