Eli bowed his head and shrugged. “I didn’t know it’d become what it has.”
Lilia released a happy gasp. “The guys said it was probably that serious.”
Eli shook his head. “Linus and Tigo.”
Lilia held her hands clasped against the strand of pearls clinging to her shirt lapels. “So are you here to make an announcement?”
“I’m here because I think I love her—because I know I love her. I, um...I’m getting possessive.”
“I see...” Lilia pressed her lips together and studied the sofa’s pattern. She knew very well how seriously her son viewed things he’d become possessive over. Until now, those things had never included a woman.
Eli went to the sofa and took his mother by the hands. “How would you feel about that, Ma?” He kept his eyes on her hands. “Clarissa being who she is and all.”
Lilia’s wide, lovely eyes glowed teasingly. “Who is she?”
Eli wasn’t amused. “Don’t, Ma—not after what her aunt did. Not to mention that Clarissa’s a dead ringer for the woman.”
“Eli.” Lilia shook her head. “I could never hate that girl or judge her for that. She’s a child and she’s not her aunt.”
“She’s only a reminder.”
“Yet you managed to fall in love with her.”
Eli scratched the curling hair tapered at his neck. “I don’t want to hurt you, Mama.”
Lilia crossed her arms over her chest. “So you’re saying you’d give her up for me?
“Raising you wasn’t easy, Elias,” Lilia went on when Eli offered no reply to her question. “Considering the fact that I did most of the raising myself. So please don’t make me believe I raised an idiot.”
“Mama—”
“Hush.” She waved a hand for emphasis. “Now this is really none of your business but circumstances are obviously calling for clarification.” She left the sofa.
Eli claimed the place his mother vacated. Silent, he watched her walk the perimeter of the bright room.
“Your father was a tramp.” She bit out the words but managed to add a short laugh. “I guess he got it honest given that his daddy couldn’t keep his pants up to save his life.” Her laughter came through more genuine then. “They were a couple of real characters—must’ve been somethin’ in those blue eyes.”
“Right...” Eli grimaced. “I know....”
Lilia turned. “But what you don’t know is Jaz Beaumont wasn’t the only woman or even the most dramatic one for that matter. She’s just the one you were old enough to remember.” Lilia eased her hands into her cream-colored pinstriped trousers and studied her garden from the living room window.
“I think Jaz was the last one and I owe that to the late Ms. Beaumont herself.”
“Mama, what are you talking about?” Eli’s deep voice was a whisper.
“It was Jaz Beaumont who talked your father out of leaving us.” She smiled wanly. “It was no secret that Jaz had known plenty of other women’s husbands and she regretted that, but she’d never taken a father away from his kids and she wasn’t about to start.” Lilia turned away from the garden to look at Eli.
“She told Evan that he had a woman—a lady—a real lady... She told him I’d given him a beautiful son whom she could look at and tell was going to make him proud and be a beacon for his business. She told him that was something she’d never have.”
“How do you know all this?” Eli was riveted by the story.
“She told us together.” Lilia made her way back across the room. “Your father broke down crying right there in the office at that club of hers. Apologized to me ’til he was hoarse and said he was sorry for everything. Squeezed my hands so tight, I thought he’d break ’em.” Lilia flexed her hands and smiled down at them.
“There’s never any way to be one hundred percent about anything, but I don’t think he ever stepped out again. If he did, he showed me so much love and attention that I never had cause to ever suspect him afterward.” She returned to sit next to Eli along the back of the sofa.
“I know Evan’s one regret was that he’d damaged you.” She brushed her fingers down Eli’s cheek.
“I know all you remember of your father is how unhappy he made me and that did a lot to shape the man you are now.”
“I don’t want to hurt Clarissa that way.” His jaw clenched and he shook his head. “She’s too good for that.”
“Baby, all women are too good for that, yet some men seem to think there are those of us who enjoy shabby treatment. Some women accept it, having had so many dismal encounters that they start to believe they aren’t worthy of more.”
Lilia gave Eli’s knee a hard pat. “If you’re serious about Clarissa, then prove it. Be honest with her and treat her like you remember every day that she’s ‘too good’ for anything less.”
Eli pulled his mother close and murmured the words “thank you” next to her cheek.
* * *
Clarissa followed her visit with Steve Raines with one to Jaz’s attorney, Martin Rath. Clarissa was shown into Martin’s stark office without having to wait. The man received her with hugs and a humorous greeting that had her laughing and at once at ease.
“And how are you?” Martin cupped both hands about Clarissa’s face to scrutinize her. “Not working too hard, are we? Don’t answer that, of course you are. You’re Jaz’s niece, after all.” Placing his hand at the small of her back, Martin escorted Clarissa to one of the deep square chairs before his black desk.
“It’s good that you stopped in. We’re all set to have a powwow over the estate planning or if that’s too involved, we can arrange a simple overview about the extent of Jaz’s holdings.”
“Thanks, Martin.” Clarissa patted the man’s hand to get him to calm down. “Any of that sounds fine for a later time. I, uh...I’m sorry for just stopping by like this. Just couldn’t wait.”
Out of habit, Martin pushed at the grayish-blond hair that frequently fell into his eyes. The bluish orbs reflected concern.
“What’s this about, dear?”
“Martin, did my aunt have any business concerns?”
“Concerns? You mean with the club?”
“I mean did she have any reason to think there was something underhanded going on?”
“Underhanded as in...?”
“Anything.” Clarissa had always liked and respected Martin. After her conversation with Waymon though, she didn’t know who to trust.
“If she did, she never said anything to me.” Martin rubbed his jaw. “Nothing specific anyway.”
Clarissa fingered a clipped lock of her hair. “What does that mean?”
“There was the day she came to change her will.”
Clarissa blinked. “So she hadn’t planned to leave me everything?”
“Oh, no. No, dear. All Jaz owned was yours and that was the way she wanted it. All but the club. She had that set for different hands.”
“Why?” Her brown eyes reflected hurt.
“Jaz didn’t want you tied to the place your whole life the way she’d been.” Martin leaned over to rest his elbows on his knees. “Not that she didn’t love the business but she thought you could have more—a beautiful life, children, a man to love and take care of you—all the things she’d wanted for herself.
“When she came to change the will, she told me she’d worked too hard to make her business a long-standing and lucrative establishment to let it be turned into something filthy and corrupt. She said she’d known filthy and corrupt too well to ever go back to it.”
“Martin? Can you tell me who she had in mind to take the club?”
Again, Martin patted Clarissa’s hand. “It was Waymon Cole.”
* * *
“Oh.” Clarissa’s disappointment was difficult to miss.
Elias shut down the Navigator’s ignition. “Oh?” he prompted.
“I just thought...” She bit her lip while looking past the passenger window toward the restaurant entrance. “I thought we were staying in for dinner.”
“I see.” He leaned over the gear shift to retrieve his wallet from the glove compartment. “Don’t you think we’ve stayed in enough?”
“Is this about business?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Well, I—” Clarissa blinked and glanced toward the restaurant entrance again. “It’s just that no one knows we’re...”
Smiling, Elias placed his wallet in an inside pocket of the champagne-colored suit coat he wore. He gave her his full attention then. “You were saying?”
Clarissa felt her cheeks burn.
“No one knows we’re...what, Clari?”
Boldly, she faced him across the gear shift. “Are you ready for people to know we’re sleeping together?”
Elias laughed and loudly. “I promise I won’t shout it out in the dining room!” He kissed her hard and then left the SUV.
Clarissa eyed him suspiciously as he helped her from the step rail making sure the black chiffon draping over the pants of her jumpsuit didn’t catch in the chic Vera Wang pumps she sported.
“What’s this all about?” she asked.
He shut the passenger door but wouldn’t let her move any farther. “This is about me taking my girl out for dinner.” He offered her his arm.
Clarissa accepted and received a kiss for her trouble.
At the entrance, the maître d’ recognized them both. The man addressed Clarissa fondly and kissed her cheek.
“How is it I never met you before that day in Crothers’s shop?” Eli queried as they followed the host through the dining room.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged and looked up to grace him with a wink. “Maybe it was time for your luck to change.”
Eli dipped his head closer. “Damn right,” he agreed, seconds before plying Clarissa with another kiss while they waited.
Of course every eye followed the heated exchange. Whispers soon ran rampant regarding the unexpected couple. When Elias broke their kiss, Clarissa was riveted on what she saw in his uncommon eyes.
“What is going on with you?”
Elias only grinned at her question.
“Well, this is right out in the open,” Clarissa noted once they were seated at the table.
Eli kept his eyes on the menu he held. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you’re ashamed to be seen with me.”
Clarissa pulled a few pink petals from their floral centerpiece and tossed them in his direction.
“What?” Eli brushed the pieces from his lap. “How am I to know? Maybe I’m not your sort of guy. Being from California and all... How do I know you’re not more interested in those surfer types?”
Clarissa’s laughter took hold softly but consistently until they were interrupted.
“Eli!”
“Robb!” Elias stood to shake hands with the grinning prematurely gray gentleman who had turned a probing eye on Clarissa.
“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”
Elias drew the man closer to the table. “Robert Tipman, Clarissa David. Clarissa’s in town seeing to final business for her aunt Jaz Beaumont.”
“Ah, yes.” Robb’s expression grew more subdued. “I’m sorry for your loss, Ms. David.”
Robb was still holding Clarissa’s hand when his date approached. The full-figured brunette was clearly none too pleased by what she saw.
“Baby, this is Clarissa David, Eli’s girl,” Robb explained before the woman could say anything untoward. “Clarissa, this is Melanie Shales.”
“Ms. Shales.” Clarissa shook hands with the flabbergasted woman who regarded her with a mix of awe and surprise.
“Yikes,” Clarissa noted when the couple had strolled off. “One would think you never take out a date.”
“It’s not that.” Eli was back to studying his menu. “I just never brought anyone else here to eat except for my mother.” He looked her way then.
Clarissa blinked owlishly, taking note of the unreadable glint in his blue-green stare.
“Well, that’s sweet.” She reached for a water glass and helped herself to a long swallow. “Sweet that you have a special place for you and your mom.”
Elias caught her hand when she would have reached for the glass again. He kissed the back of it and studied the spot his mouth had brushed. “It’s a special place for the women that I love.”
Clarissa felt her lips part. Her hand went weak inside his. “Eli.”
He studied her reaction. “Does that scare you?”
“Does what scare me?”
Elias smiled, understanding that she expected him to be more specific with his confession.
“I love you, Clarissa David.”
“Because—”
“Because you let me be your first?” He shrugged and relaxed in his chair. “Maybe. Because you’ve got me so turned around that I don’t know whether I’m coming or whether I’m going? Maybe definitely. Because you put your own life on hold to give your aunt happiness and peace of mind? That, too.” His gaze narrowed and he raked her collarbone and the almond-brown swells of her breasts above the banded strapless bodice of her jumpsuit.
“And on top of all that, an incredible body and face which I’m not too proud to admit snagged me from the jump, how could a package this provocative inside and out not command a man’s attention and emotion?”
“What is it?” She managed to question the sudden cloud that filtered his fantastic caramel-doused features.
“Remember what I said to you about tying yourself to a man like me? The stock I come from and how the men in my family have treated the women they supposedly love?” He rubbed his thumb into the center of his palm. “I don’t know whether I’ll ever stop being terrified by the possibility that I could ever do that to you, but that doesn’t terrify me half as much as letting you walk away without telling you how I feel and working like hell to keep you with me.” He swallowed hard and looked a smidge uncertain. “That is, if you—if you feel the same...”
“I love you, Elias Joss. Because you were my first? Maybe. Because you unfairly label yourself as untrustworthy and something about that breaks my heart and makes me want to prove to you how wrong that is? Perhaps. Because you’re exceptionally gorgeous and I love looking into your eyes? Mmm...very definitely. How could a package this—provocative inside and out—not command a woman’s attention and emotion?”
Uncertainty vanishing, Elias left his chair and moved to Clarissa’s side of the table. There, he knelt before her, treating her to a kiss that sent conversation spiraling in the crowded dining room.
Chapter 15
It took Elias some time to unlock his front door, what with holding Clarissa in his arms and kissing her senseless. Once inside, he kept her pressed against the front door for some time. Clarissa clung to him, deepening the kiss as Eli’s touch grew bolder. She let him have his way, fondling her outside and inside her clothes before he removed them and carried her through the foyer. He charted a direct path for his bedroom.
Clarissa was clothed only in her bra and panties by the time Elias deposited her on his bed. There, he proceeded to drive her out of her mind with the gliding and suckling of his lips and tongue.
Unexpectedly, Clarissa turned the tables when Eli set out to remove her underthings. She straddled his lap, pulling him out of the champagne-colored suit coat and unbuttoning the cream shirt that complemented his complexion. Her nails raked his sleek chest before she replaced them with her mouth to treat his nipples to the same suckling he had subjected her to.
Elias curved his fingertips into her sh
ort glossy hair, relishing the attention she gave him. Clarissa made quick work of his belt and trouser fastening. She focused her attention below his waist for several moments.
“Clari...wait...”
“Shh...” She gave him no respite and pleasured him with a tender enthusiasm that threatened to stifle his breathing.
When she ended the sensual assault and moved up to instigate a different kind of kiss, Eli clutched her hips. He guided them in subtle rotations against his erect shaft. As Clarissa was still garbed in the lacy pair of white panties, the barrier of material against his sensitive flesh threw his hormones into a frenzy.
Clarissa ended their kiss, rising above Eli that time to undo the back clasp of the bra covering her breasts. She let the garment drop as he brought his hands up to squeeze and weigh the mounds until her nipples were puckered from his attentions. When his hands lowered again, one cupped her hip while the other curved over her thigh and this thumb went to work on her clit.
His extraordinary stare followed the flutter of her lashes and tilt of her head as he stimulated her. She circled and ground against him yet she tried to hold at bay the orgasm which was fast approaching. Clarissa had hoped to be in more control of the act that night. As usual, Eli’s touch commanded her reaction.
“How long will you make me wait, Clari?” he asked after grunting a curse of impatience.
“How long are you willing to wait?” She felt a bit more in control then until she found herself jerked into another kiss. In the midst of it, Elias rummaged in the nightstand drawer for a condom.
Clarissa slapped at his hand and took charge of the search until she found one of the square foil packets. Again, she tortured him with a few additional hip rotations that had Eli taking her derriere in his palms and commanding her moves with a definite force. She shuddered on the sensation of the orgasmic waves of pleasure that filled her. Wearily, she took hold of a sliver of control and ceased her hip moves midrotation.
“Damn you,” Eli almost growled.
Clarissa merely smiled while applying the condom, slowly. She handled the task as though it were a caress and Eli worked the heels of his hands into his eyes as he groaned.
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