“Well?” Caleb’s brow rose a bit.
“Well, what?” Noah asked, annoyed.
“How was it?” Caleb nudged him with his shoulder. “You know, your first time with Chynna.”
“I am not talking about this with you,” Noah said, digging into his casserole and taking a bite.
“Who else are you going to talk to about it?” Caleb asked, “Dad, Rylee? I don’t think so. Just spill the beans. I’m dying to know.”
Noah sighed. “Fine.” There was no use in him acting like he and Chynna had not just become intimate when it was written all over their faces, not to mention that they’d come into the room holding hands after they’d been polite for the last two days since the anniversary party. “All I’ll tell you is that last night was hot.”
Caleb’s forehead crinkled. “Better than you and Maya?” He was surprised, given that Maya was the love of Noah’s life. Or was she?
“Not better, just different,” Noah said introspectively. It had been what he’d been milling over at the window when he’d woken up that morning. He knew Chynna thought he was thinking of Maya, but he hadn’t been, not in that way. He’d been thinking about how different both women were and how he’d fallen for each of them. And fall he had. She’d awoken something in him—a part he’d thought had died with Maya. She was spirited and feisty, and she’d challenged him, pushing through the barriers he had around his heart, but now he wondered where that left them. Chynna led a different life from his, and he wasn’t sure where he fit in.
“What’s wrong?” Caleb watched Noah intently. He could see his brother was musing on something, but on what he didn’t know.
Noah turned and glanced at the door Chynna had gone through minutes ago. “I was just wondering what’s next.”
“That’s the problem with you, Noah; you always want to know what’s around the corner. Don’t think so much, and just enjoy the moment.”
Noah desperately wished he could do that, but something deep down told him that his time with Chynna could be short-lived.
Chapter 4
Kenya woke that morning with a splitting headache. She searched her memory for what happened and then she remembered the daiquiris, the delicious concoctions that Eli kept handing her all night. She had a flash of the dirty dance she’d given Lucas on the dance floor, and Kenya closed her eyes, hoping it was a dream, but she knew it wasn’t.
She turned her face into the pillow to block out the memory, and that’s when she felt someone behind her and noticed a masculine arm draped around her middle. Then she saw a tuxedo jacket draped across the nearby chaise. Oh, Lord, did I pick up someone and take them home? It would be completely out of character for her, but then again, so was getting drunk. She prided herself on never losing control like she had last night. Damn that Eli! He was the reason she was in bed with some stranger.
Was there any way she could extricate herself without them realizing she had left? Kenya tried to move away without disturbing the arm, but when she did, he pulled her more snugly against his middle—against his hard middle. OMG, like most men, the man had a hard-on that morning, but it did feel like he had on pants. Was he going to expect her to put out as she’d probably done last night? She glanced down to see if she was wearing any clothing, and she was. She was wearing her NYU T-shirt that she’d had since her college days. Had he put her in it? Before or after they’d had sex?
Kenya was embarrassed beyond belief, but didn’t know what to say when the masculine voice behind her said, “Good morning.”
Her heart began racing a mile a minute when she heard the owner of that smooth baritone voice. It’s Lucas! She’d spent the night again with Lucas after she’d promised to stay away from him. Had she said anything to him in the throes of her drunkenness? Had she given herself away?
Slowly, she turned around to face Lucas. “Good morning,” she said tentatively.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. “You were pretty wasted last night.”
“Was I really? Did I say anything crazy?” Please say I didn’t. Please.
He gave her an irresistibly devastating grin. “No, though I did enjoy your dirty dance and was even dreaming about it. It was very arousing.”
That much was obvious, and Kenya pushed against his chest until she was a few inches away from him. “Lucas, you’re incorrigible!”
“No, what I am is horny,” Lucas said, “but I refused to take advantage of a woman under the influence.”
Kenya’s brow furrowed. “Are you saying we didn’t have sex?”
“No, of course not.” He sounded offended by her assumption.
“I like my women sober when they are in my bed and fully able to participate.”
Color suffused Kenya’s cheeks at Lucas’s implication. “How did I get in my nightshirt?”
“Duh,” he said, laughing. “I undressed you.”
Kenya thought about what she’d been wearing underneath the dress and remembered—she hadn’t been wearing a bra and only had on a pair of thongs. He’d gotten an eyeful.
“Don’t act so prudish,” Lucas said, laughing, reading her mind. “I’ve seen everything before.”
His infectious tone made Kenya smile. He had a point. “But that didn’t mean you were ever going to see it again,” she responded.
“You don’t say,” Lucas said, reaching over with one arm to pull her back toward him until they were hip to hip and she felt him. “Because as I recall last night, you were very interested in an encore performance, and now that you’re sober, I’m ready to oblige.” He curled his fingers in her hair, lowered his head and kissed her with the passion he must have been holding inside for the last two days.
Kenya wanted to resist him, knew she should, but when his lips parted hers and his tongue dove inside her mouth, she forgot about her headache and all thoughts of resisting this man. Instead, she matched his heat and kissed him back, letting him know with her lips and body that she wasn’t going to fight him or this any longer.
“Chynna,” Lucas murmured her sister’s name, but Kenya blocked it out and focused on his tender kisses.
His hands moved down her back and then lower, to stroke her thighs. He parted them, and Kenya felt the tiny scrap of a thong being pushed aside as his fingers found their way to her mound, which was already slick thanks to his hot and heavy kisses. He slid his finger in and out of her, making figure eights, and Kenya moaned aloud.
“Lucas, Lucas ...”
“Yes, love.” He stopped his ministrations to look deep into her eyes.
Kenya said the words she’d told herself she wouldn’t say again while she tugged at the buttons on his shirt, releasing the snaps one by one. “Make love to me.” She slid the tuxedo shirt down Lucas’s buff arms.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” He rose on his haunches long enough to remove his shirt, T-shirt, slacks and briefs to return to her in all his naked glory. He had a foil packet between his teeth which he used to protect them both. Then he removed her NYU T-shirt from her body. She’d thought he’d removed the thong, but he must have been as hungry for her as she was for him, because he just moved it aside, lifted her hips and plunged inside her.
Lucas cupped her bottom as he began a slow, steady rhythm of thrusting inside her all the while teasing her nipples. It felt good and right. Somehow he seemed to fill the emptiness she’d never truly understood existed until now. If only she wasn’t lying to him about who she really was. Kenya blocked those thoughts from her mind and focused, savoring each intensely pleasurable moment. Lucas caught her mouth in a languorous kiss. His tongue swirled inside as each thrust of his cock wound her tighter and tighter until she surrendered to the mind-blowing bliss. Minutes later, his body tensed and jerked, and then she heard Lucas’s guttural cry as he climaxed inside her.
“Beautiful, sexy, exquisite Chynna,” Lucas whispered, falling to his side. �
�I don’t think I will ever get tired of making love to you.”
Kenya was overcome by his words and turned away from Lucas so he wouldn’t see the tears that had suddenly sprung to her eyes. He thought she was her sister. How could she continue to deceive him, but be true to her sister? But how could she not tell him the truth when she’d fallen in love with him? In her heart of hearts, she knew it to be true, knew that she loved him, but they couldn’t have a future with a lie hanging between them.
Suddenly, Kenya’s cell phone rang, and she was thankful for the interruption. “Excuse me.” Without looking at Lucas, she jumped up from her bed and pulled up a tangled sheet, swept it around her and glanced around for the clutch she’d brought with her. She found it on the chaise next to the dress Lucas had removed last night, and she took it with her into the bathroom.
She glanced down at the screen and it read “Kenya.” “Chynna?” Kenya whispered into the phone. “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for days.”
“I’m so sorry,” Chynna said on the other end of the line, “but the ranch got hit with buckets of rain. Caused a flash flood over the last couple of days, and we haven’t been able to leave the ranch.”
“Omigod! Are you okay?” Fear suddenly coursed through Kenya.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. We’ve just been holed up here at the main house. Today is the first day the sun came out, and everyone’s out surveying the damage.”
“I’m glad you’re alright ...”
“But—”
“But we can’t go on like this, Chynna.” Kenya stared at the door and thought of the incredible man on the other side. The man she loved.
“I know,” Chynna said, “and I’m sorry that this has dragged out longer than I said it would, but, Kenya, you don’t understand.”
“I do understand,” Kenya said. “But I’d thought you’d changed or at least were starting to get it, but instead it’s classic Chynna all over again. You’re enjoying your life so much that you haven’t given a second thought to what’s going on here with me.”
“That’s not true. I have thought about you. Haven’t you enjoyed getting time with Lucas? I thought you two were becoming close.”
“Of course I have enjoyed my time,” Kenya sniffed. “But he thinks I, I’m you,” she said, her voice cracking under the pressure. “He-he has no idea who I really am. So our whole relationship is built on a lie.”
Chynna could relate. She and Noah had started out that way, the only difference was that she’d come clean, but Kenya couldn’t without revealing their entire scheme and starting a chain of events. Chynna wasn’t ready to deal with that. “I’m sorry, Kenya, that I’ve put you in this position.”
“You need to come back here and face your life,” Kenya said, “so I can move on with mine. I can’t live your life indefinitely.”
“I never asked you to.”
“Haven’t you?” Kenya retorted. “Not once have you said when you’re coming back, Chynna. Is that why you called me today? Were you calling to make arrangements to switch places?” The phone line remained silent. “That’s what I thought. So why did you call me, Chynna? What do you want from me now?” Why am I always the one doing the giving?
“I, I ...” Chynna stopped, falling silent. She didn’t know what to say now without appearing self-centered and completely selfish. She wanted more time with Noah, but she didn’t really have the right to ask Kenya to continue the charade. She was torn.
“What is it?” Kenya pressed.
“Give me a few more days,” Chynna finally spat out.
“A few more days? Are you for real?” She couldn’t believe Chynna’s nerve after what she’d just said.
“Yes, give me until the end of the week, and we’ll switch places before the Seattle concert.”
Kenya remained silent. The end of the week seemed like an eternity. How could she keep up this farce with Lucas without giving herself away? Now that they’d gone to bed again, he wouldn’t be going away quietly as he’d done in the past. He’d want her in his bed every night, and she wanted him there, but having him so close could ruin everything. “I’ll think about it.”
“But—”
“No ‘buts,’ Chynna,” Kenya replied. “You’ve had your say. I will call you and let you know my decision.”
“Fair enough. I’ll wait for you call.”
Seconds later, Kenya heard a dial tone, and that’s when she realized she hadn’t told Chynna about Eli and that she suspected he was onto her. She’d never cared, that much was obvious, but last night there had been something different about him. He’d acted like he knew something she didn’t. He acted like he knew the truth. Now what was she going to do about it?
Kenya’s day didn’t fare any better after her call with Chynna. When she’d exited the bathroom, she’d been hurt to see that Lucas had gone without as much as a note. It was payback considering she’d done the same thing to him. But why had he left? He must have been hurt when she hadn’t echoed his same sentiment over their incredible lovemaking. She’d wanted to tell him how she felt, but she’d been so overcome with emotions that she couldn’t voice them. And then Chynna had called asking for more time—time which wasn’t hers to take. Just that morning, her agent had called and told Kenya in no uncertain terms that she needed to get her butt back to New York because the series had been called back from winter hiatus early, and she was due back in a week. Everything was coming full circle and something was going to have to give, or Kenya was going to have a nervous breakdown.
Now she was sitting on her couch listening to Deacon and Fiona break down her schedule for her upcoming show in Vegas for the following day. Thanks to Chynna choosing to stay in Tucson for several more days, Kenya was going to have to perform for her again, but this time it was going to be in Caesars Palace for Christ’s sake! As much as Kenya had enjoyed her first foray into onstage entertainment, it was hard work and she was due back in the dance studio later that afternoon to practice a couple of new moves.
Touring was hard, and Kenya was ready to pack in her stilettos for the comfortable life she had in New York. She’d had a taste of Chynna’s life, and as much as she’d enjoyed the fame, adoration, clothes and fancy cars, Kenya realized the grass was not greener on the other side. Although she may not have as much as Chynna, she enjoyed her life in New York. Unfortunately, it would not include Lucas because when she left LA, she would be leaving him behind.
Kenya longed to tell him the truth, but that wasn’t possible. She would have to leave without him knowing who she was and that what they’d shared had meant something to her. Because once Chynna got back, she would give him the brush-off, which he wouldn’t understand. He would be completely thrown by the sudden shift in her feelings for him, and there wasn’t a thing Kenya could do. She’d brought this upon herself by agreeing to this charade to begin with. But who could have known that she would fall in love with an owner of Chynna’s record label?
If anyone had told her she would have done everything she had over the last couple of weeks, she would have told them they were crazy. But she’d walked in Chynna’s shoes, and she was ready to give them back except Chynna had asked her for more time. Could she continue to keep up appearances for her beleaguered twin? And did she want to?
An image of Lucas sprung in her mind. Three more days possibly meant three more nights with him. Three more nights to experience bliss in his arms. Was it worth the risk?
Eli read the investigative report in front of him. Kenya James hadn’t been seen at her apartment in weeks. Her landlord remembered her saying something about going away to a spa, but hadn’t seen or heard from her since. Could the spa be the very same place Chynna had gone to escape the press after the Blake debacle?
Eli knew the answer. Yes. The two sisters had traded places. Kenya had come here to LA, which explained the drastic change in behavior since “Chynna�
��s” return in the last few weeks. It explained why “Chynna” had suddenly become a darn good actress. Why? Her sister, Kenya, was a seasoned actor from Broadway and an Emmy-nominated television series. Of course, Chynna hadn’t suddenly gotten acting chops and become a good actress. How could I have not seen it before?
Kenya was playing Chynna pretty darn good, he might add, if she hadn’t slipped up by being so mouthy and opinionated. But where is Chynna? Is she still at the spa in Tucson? He’d sent the investigator to the spa to find out. Now all he had to do was figure out how to capitalize on the twins’ daring scheme and use it to his benefit.
Lucas played basketball with the young teens at the Boys and Girls Club of Carson. He’d been coming back to the center he’d frequented as a child because he felt like now that he’d succeeded, he should and could give back to the community. The youth appreciated his monthly visits, which he vowed to make more often.
But his mind wasn’t on the activity today. His mind was on Chynna and her on-again, off-again behavior. He couldn’t figure her out. She was an enigma. One minute he thought she was a spoiled diva. The next, she was an accomplished actress. The next, she was a sexy seductress on the dance floor. He didn’t know which Chynna he was going to get at any given minute.
Last night, or rather this morning, he’d thought that there would be no obstacles between them. It had been a first for him to open up and tell her how much he’d enjoyed being with her. But as soon as he’d said the words, he’d wished he could take them back because Chynna had coldly turned away from him. She had probably been looking for an easy way out without hurting his feelings, he thought. Lucky for her, her cell phone rang and interrupted the intimate the moment.
As soon as she’d gone into the bathroom, he’d hightailed it out of her bedroom right away so he could gather up his clothes strewn across the room during the heat of passion. He hadn’t wanted to be there when she reemerged to avoid her giving him the kiss-off. He didn’t know why that should surprise him. Chynna was the love ’em and leave ’em type, or so she’d always been portrayed. She would have been perfect for him until now. Now, he was starting to have feelings for her, but clearly he’d been fooling himself if he thought those feelings would be reciprocated or could go anywhere. Maybe that’s why he’d always kept his relationships at arm’s length—less chance of getting hurt that way.
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