A Perfect Caress

by Nana Prah

  Lanelle raised her fisted hand, and at the last second halted it from banging on the table. Her show of temper, although justified, intrigued him even further. “That’s crazy. Did you appeal?”

  He held up two fingers. “Twice. I hired one of the best lawyers in Italy. There’d been a precedent they’d based their decision on.”

  “At least they didn’t threaten to take it all away.”

  Dante clamped down his own resurfacing anger. “They did, but Mr. Calvano’s lawyer made sure the will was ironclad so no court in the world would be able to remove me as head of the company.”

  Lanelle flexed her fingers, opened her mouth to speak, closed it and then unclenched her hands. “How come you aren’t angrier?”

  “Believe me, I was. I’ve had a year and a half to get over it. There’s nothing I can do but comply with the court order. Mr. Calvano cautioned me something like this could happen. He advised me to stand firm. As long as the business stayed in my name, he knew I’d keep his legacy alive.”

  “And you have.”

  Dante drew his brows together. She sounded as if she knew his reputation personally. “I have a plan to get the Calvano clan off my back forever,” he confided. “Once I get this PVC aspect of the company running, I know it’ll be successful. I just have to make sure the hospital project is in top order so references can start pouring in.” Yes, he sounded confident, but he knew he’d succeed. He’d accept nothing less.

  The bid he and his team had come up with had sent him home with a headache from calculations on more than one occasion. He’d cut his profit margin drastically when he created the bid. His long-sighted vision would pay off later when he earned more clients. The goal for this project was to get his foot in the door, not to make an excessive amount of money.

  Lanelle’s back stiffened, and her expression became unreadable while she stared at him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head with a long blink. “Oh. Nothing. Your case is just the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “It could’ve been worse. No matter how much I’m forced to give away to the Italian Agency of Revenue or the Calvano clan, I’ll recoup it soon enough.”

  “You’re more positive than I’d be in your situation.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I learned from Mr. Calvano. I owe it to him to keep his business prosperous and his name honored.”

  “What did he teach you?”

  Dante smiled as the memories of laughter, hard work and love played through his mind. “Everything. During summer breaks, he’d take me to marble quarries all over the world, just like in my book. After the first trip, my parents didn’t join us again.” Dante took a moment to inhale. Telling the story of his success never got old. “He taught me about marble. From the removal of the stone from the earth straight through processing and installation. Then he drilled me about granite and limestone.”

  “Wow.”

  “I’ll always be grateful to him for taking me under his wing and helping me build my confidence.”

  “He sounds like a wonderful man.”

  “He was.” He cleared his throat when his voice came out husky with emotions.

  The waiter’s impeccable timing saved the moment. He focused on Lanelle when he spoke. “Would you like to order dessert? Or coffee?”

  “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  “And you, sir?”

  “No, thanks. Just the bill, please.” I’d appreciate if you could convince this amazing woman to open up a little more.

  Chapter 11

  If Lanelle didn’t count the parts where she omitted the truth about her true identity, the fact that the man must have children at all costs and her growing suspicions of Dante, dinner had been spectacular. Something Lanelle hadn’t expected.

  She’d dismissed any thoughts of him doing something as underhanded as cheating the hospital in order to win the bid and grow his business. Her instincts just couldn’t be that wrong about a person.

  Lanelle slowed her pace, not wanting their date to end. Why let it? Since this would be the last time they’d get together, she might as well relish it. After his revelation of needing to have a child, she knew she wasn’t the one for him. She’d never give him what he desired. Admitting it to herself didn’t make her feel any better about letting him go.

  The cool night air raised goose bumps on her arms and sent a shiver coursing through her.

  “You’re cold.” Dante removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

  The allure of his scent encapsulated her. Maybe he’ll forget to take it back. And I’ll sniff it all night like some kind of loser? Not a good idea. She knew she wouldn’t offer the coat back once they got to her car. “Thanks for the jacket and paying for dinner. You didn’t—”

  “I wanted to, so I did. Arguing about it when the check came didn’t make things easy on me.”

  “It’s my way.”

  He nudged her with a strong shoulder. “So I’ve noticed. Just the tiniest bit stubborn.”

  She thrust her chin up. “No, I’m tenacious.”

  “Sure you are.”

  She laughed. As they reached her car, she thought to ask him for another date. What would be the point? To live a little instead of rolling up into a protective ball of loneliness. At a loss for words, she unlocked her car.

  “Lanelle?”

  She tilted her face up to peer into his eyes. “Yes?”

  “It’s not my style to ask, but it seems safer this way.”

  Now he had her curious. “What does?”

  “Can I kiss you?”

  The air rushed out of her lungs. For the past couple of hours she’d hoped for it but hadn’t expected one. What would it mean? Taking this risk would be a big leap of faith for her. She only wished she could accept it without getting hurt.

  * * *

  Lanelle took forever to answer Dante’s question. When she opened her mouth, he thought for sure she’d tell him no. He should’ve leaned in and stolen the kiss. And yet he couldn’t. He had too much respect for her wishes to go against them. The fear of her self-defense skills didn’t come into consideration. He flexed his pinkie. At least not too much.

  “I’d like that.”

  Had he heard her right? Her dark expectant eyes told him he had. The burden of an extraordinary first kiss pressed down on his shoulders. Relax and kiss her before she gets into her car and drives away. If it’s bad, it’s bad.

  Slowly, so as not to frighten her, Dante stepped a little closer and raised his hands to frame her face. Her breaths came out shallow as her lids lowered. Confidence returned as he leaned in and brushed the lightest kiss he could manage across her lips. So sweet. He repeated the action. When she reached out, grabbed his shoulders and responded by kissing him back, he lost the need to keep the kiss tender.

  His tongue dashed out to savor the fullness of her lower lip. When she opened her mouth on a moan, he delved in. Along with her scent of roses, the smell of his cologne on her heightened his senses to astonishing levels. Everything about her was glorious, including the taste of mint on her tongue. She molded her body against him. Winding her arms around his neck, the jacket slipped away as she kissed him back with a fierce hunger.

  Rather than make love to her against her car in a public parking lot, he eased back until he felt steady enough to finish how he’d started it: with a perfect caress that had her shifting forward when he released her lips.

  Stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers as he watched her eyes flutter open, he stepped away from the temptation she presented.

  What did someone say after such a mind-blowing experience? Ask her for another date. His mouth refused to cooperate with the order from his brain. He stared into the depths of her eyes, willing himself not
to kiss her again.

  A flick of her tongue to lick her lips almost crumbled his resolve. He sent up a prayer that Vanessa’s powers of persuasion would work on Lanelle. She’d come up with the idea to invite Lanelle to Italy with them as her guest. He hadn’t vetoed it, but he doubted the woman would relent and take the journey. But right then he wanted nothing more than to have her by his side in the most beautiful country in the world.

  He picked up his jacket from the ground. I’ll see her on the flight to Italy, he promised himself. Out loud he said, “Get in the car so I can make sure you’re safe.”

  She snapped out of her daze. “I can take care of myself.”

  And the spitfire is back. “Please?” The one word induced the slightest grin. He’d have to say it more often if it made her so happy.

  Opening the door, she slid into her seat. After turning on the engine, she waved as she drove away.

  Although sure he’d done the right thing by letting her go, he still regretted not having her in his arms. Vanessa had better deliver on enticing Lanelle to say yes to the trip.

  * * *

  Daydreaming about Dante and the amazing things his lips had done to her wouldn’t help Lanelle get through the proposal she should’ve finished reading at least three times in the last two hours. It would help if the business plan made sense. How could a person make money from opening a restaurant that served only protein? The Atkins craze had come and gone.

  Although she hadn’t been completely up front with Dante last night, at least she could claim having told the truth. She’d kept her wealth and family name a secret. He doesn’t need to know everything about me. Then why did she have niggling guilt?

  She had known it was her destiny to help people ever since she was young. The best way she’d learned to do it was by sharing the money she’d been born into. Lanelle possessed an uncanny intuition when it came to discerning who needed her assistance and those people who attempted to scam her. Her parents’ support over the years prodded her on.

  She had soon learned the truth of the old adage that giving more away meant she’d receive more, which happened in spades. Sometimes the money poured in from the most unexpected places.

  Lanelle closed the proposal’s much-too-thin folder and scooted back from the glass surface of her home office desk. A quick glance at the clock told her she had about an hour before her lunch with Toshia.

  She’d spoken to the chief administrator of the hospital earlier to ask about the clearance she’d requested last week to assess all the bids that had come in for the project. She hadn’t told the board that she’d hired a specialist to help her find the truth about the missing money. The administrator said he hadn’t received permission from the board to release the records. Her instincts had gone on an even higher alert. With forced patience she’d asked him to do his best to get her access to the bids.

  Her second call of the day had been to Bradley, requesting him to do a brief walk-through of the current structure to see if it was safe.

  Unfortunately, he’d be out of town for a couple of weeks. When he offered one of his workers, Lanelle had refused. She’d have to wait because he was the only one she trusted for the task. Dante had mentioned the place wasn’t crumbling down around their heads. By the time Brad did the inspection, she’d have learned where the money had disappeared. If more work needed to be done, they’d retrieve at least some of the cash from the one responsible for taking the money and use it to reconstruct.

  Her ringtone, Vivaldi’s “Spring,” stopped her in the midst of standing up for a full-body stretch. “Hi, Vanessa.”

  “Hey, Lanelle.” Not one to waste words, Vanessa got to the point. “Do you have time to meet with me today? I want to ask you a question.”

  On her guard, Lanelle picked up a pen and tapped it against the proposal. “Whatever it is, you can ask over the phone.”

  “Not this one. I need to see your reaction.”

  Oh, dear. Lanelle’s stomach churned at the possibility of the questions the girl could’ve come up with. Anything from advice about clothes to, God forbid, her uncle. “I’m meeting my best friend for lunch. Would you like to join us?”

  A lengthy pause came from the other end. “Vanessa? Are you still there?”

  “I don’t want to intrude or anything.”

  “It’s no problem. Toshia won’t mind. I have to warn you she says what’s on her mind, but I think she’ll tone it down with you around. In fact, I insist you come with us. Maybe we’ll have a normal conversation for once.”

  “I don’t know.”

  The more Lanelle thought about it, the better it sounded. Toshia wouldn’t harass her about her date with Dante if Vanessa were there. “I insist. Do you have classes this afternoon?”

  “Nope. They’ve ended, and we’re starting finals next week.”

  “That’s perfect. I’ll come get you. Are you home or at school?”

  “On campus.”

  Not giving Vanessa a chance to back out, she sealed the arrangement. “The usual place in thirty minutes.”

  “Sure.”

  “You can try to sound a little more enthusiastic. It’ll be fun. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Bye.”

  Lanelle sighed, concerned about the young woman. Getting to know Vanessa had set her maternal instincts ablaze. She’d thought they’d been buried with her twins. Lanelle would’ve made such a wonderful mother, stern, fun and undoubtedly loving.

  She pushed the thoughts away but they bounced back to the forefront. Who says you can’t have children? The benefit of raising a new life would far outweigh the risks, and if you chose an Rh-negative man, the baby wouldn’t have to fight for his or her life in the womb. Or you could adopt.

  For the first time in years she was able to consider the potential of having children without breaking into a cold sweat. What had changed?

  Dante’s earnest face flashed into her mind and she shook the image away, along with her musings about having a family.

  Chapter 12

  Vanessa worried her lower lip while they sat in a booth waiting for Toshia. “Are you sure she won’t mind my joining you?”

  Lanelle reassured her for the fifth time. “Yes. And stop chewing your lip.”

  “Nervous habit.”

  “There’s nothing to be anxious about.” Lanelle assessed Vanessa. “Wearing lipstick helped me to break the habit. I don’t know much about the youth of today, but I would’ve thought someone as beautiful as you would want to enhance your features. How come you don’t wear makeup?”

  “I used to. When I got sick, I stopped.” She hitched a shoulder and glided a hand over her intricately designed cornrows, which ended in a ponytail. “I guess I never felt pretty enough to start again.”

  “What are you talking about? You’re gorgeous, inside and out.” Her heart hurt for Vanessa. She’d lost so much to cancer. The least she could do was boost her confidence a little. Lanelle reached into her purse and pulled out three Sephora tubes of lipstick. Choosing a pale red color, she opened it and wiped it on a paper napkin. “You don’t need it, but try this. It’ll look pretty on you.”

  Vanessa scrunched her nose. “It’s red. Besides, you’re so much lighter than me it probably won’t look good.”

  “You have a similar complexion as Toshia. We bought the exact same color. I know it’ll look good on you.” Lanelle handed her a compact mirror. “Try it on.”

  Vanessa smeared the color on her lips. Turning her head from side to side, she finally smiled. “It looks good.” She then proceeded to open her purse and drop it in. “Thanks.”

  Lanelle held out her hand. “Oh, no, you don’t. Give it back.”

  Vanessa pouted as she pulled the tube out and gave it to Lanelle.

  “If you behave, I may take you shopping. How’s
a week from Saturday?”

  “Can’t. We’re leaving for Italy that day.”

  She’d completely forgotten. “How exciting. I wish I was going. Who did you decide to take as your guest?”

  Toshia strolled up to the table and sat on the side of the booth next to Vanessa. If the young woman hadn’t been so fast, she would’ve been Toshia’s cushion. “Who’s this?”

  “No ‘hello’? ‘Sorry I’m late’? Nothing but rudeness,” Lanelle said.

  Toshia raised her lips into a smile for half a second. “Howdy. Kindly introduce us. Is that better?”

  Lanelle shook her head, expecting nothing different. “This is my friend Vanessa Peters. Vanessa, this is Toshia Covington.”

  Toshia extended a hand to Vanessa, and they shook. “Nice to meet you, Vanessa. See, I can be well mannered. I just need to be inspired.”

  “Why are you late?”

  “I’m the one who should be asking questions. How was your date with Mr. Tall, Dark and Afro last night?”

  Vanessa leaned forward with her elbows propped on the table.

  “I don’t think I mentioned that Vanessa is Dante’s niece.”

  Toshia turned to the girl. “I can see the resemblance. You have the same spectacular light brown eyes. Now tell me what happened. Unless it’s too juicy to spill in front of a minor.”

  Vanessa threw her shoulders back. “I’ll be twenty-one next week.”

  “Good for you, sweetie. You’re still a baby, but now I know you can handle the details.”

  Both women stared at Lanelle.

  How come she’d forgotten how news-hungry Toshia could get? The waiter came to their table, relieving her of the need to answer. After putting in their orders, the two went at it again.

  Vanessa batted her lashes. “I think Lanelle is quiet because she had too good of a time with my uncle.”

  Toshia raised her brows. “You’d better talk, and do it fast. I want every detail of what happened last night. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you swayed on the dance floor with him. I couldn’t tell the two of you apart.”