Yield to Love

by Chanta Jefferson Rand

  ###

  Marlowe took her seat at the long dinner table in Candace and Gabe’s elegant Tudor-style home. Their dining room was cozy, yet tastefully furnished with seating for twelve. The way the family was growing, her sister would need every inch of this space. Tonight, the entire family was over for a good home-cooked meal. Ronnie and Vic had returned yesterday. They sat across from Marlowe, while Jovan took the seat next to her, sporting a blue cast on his right wrist. Andrea sat on the other side of Jovan. Toye took the seat next to her. Yeah, they were all one big happy family.

  Marlow was happy to have her sisters back. They’d only been gone a week, but she’d missed them terribly. Tonight, Candace served a huge dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, and fresh salad. Marlowe was impressed with her sister’s growing culinary skills, which were practically non-existent before she met Gabe. She often joked that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. But Candace was doing things backwards. She’d already had Gabe’s proposal long before she could make a decent meal.

  She watched the lovey-dovey looks that passed between Candace and Gabe. It was obvious for anyone to see those two were a couple deeply in love. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before giving Candace a tender kiss on the lips.

  Then suddenly, he stood. “I have an announcement to make,” he said. “We’re having a baby.”

  “Wow!” Toye exclaimed. “That was fast. Must have been some kind of amazing honeymoon.”

  “Hey,” Ronnie chastised, “there are children present.” She cut a glance to her son, Jovan.

  Jovan grinned. “I’m almost fourteen, Mom. I’m not a child.”

  “You’ll always be a child to me,” Ronnie said, “even when you’re eighty.”

  Candace laughed. “Anyway, I was pregnant before the honeymoon. I saw my doctor this morning to confirm it.”

  “Congratulations!” Marlowe said. The sisters each got up and hugged Candace.

  “This is great news,” Toye enthused. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

  “Yeah!” Jovan added. “I’m going to be an uncle.”

  “Me too,” Vic said. “I’ll teach him how to box and play baseball.”

  “And I’ll teach him how to pick up chicks,” Jovan joked.

  “Uh uh,” Candace interrupted. “I don’t want my son to be a gigolo.”

  “Besides,” Gabe added, “we don’t know the sex of the baby yet.”

  Candace added, “I’m only eight weeks, but as soon as we know, you’ll know.”

  Toye shook her head. “That’s all we need—another guy in the family.”

  “Hey,” Gabe said. “With all these women, we have to balance things out.”

  “These women are taking care of business,” Marlowe said. “Thank you very much.”

  “How did things go while we were away?” Ronnie asked. “Any trouble?”

  “No. I held the fort down,” Marlowe answered.

  “More like she had a breakdown,” Toye interjected.

  Marlowe shot her a warning glance.

  “Uh oh,” Vic said. “Looks like something jumped off while we were gone.”

  “What happened?” Ronnie asked.

  “Tell them,” Toye pushed.

  Marlowe continued to glare at Toye. Her cousin had definitely overstayed her welcome.

  “Oh, Lord,” Candace moaned. “Is it the Burns Contract?”

  “No,” Marlowe answered.

  “It’s worse,” Toye prompted. “Something life-changing.”

  “Don’t tell me, you’re pregnant too,” Gabe probed.

  “Hell no!” Marlowe replied. “It’s not that serious.”

  “Dang,” Jovan jumped in. “I thought I was gonna be an uncle again.”

  Ronnie smiled grimly. “Will all of you please stop discussing inappropriate topics around my teenage son?”

  “How is pregnancy inappropriate?” Toye demanded.

  “I do know about the birds and the bees,” Jovan said.

  “I’m still waiting to hear what life-changing event happened,” Candace said.

  Marlowe tossed her napkin on the table and stood. “I need to talk with my sisters in private.”

  Five minutes later, Marlowe and her sisters were sitting in Candace’s spacious bedroom. Ronnie and Candy sat on the massive California King bed while Marlowe lounged in one of the wingback velour chairs near the window.

  “Oh, hell no!” Ronnie said when Marlowe briefed her on what had happened during their weeklong absence.

  Candace shook her head. “I don’t understand how Reesa could have been living in that house without us knowing.”

  “Toye seems to think Ronnie knew,” Marlowe said.

  Ronnie bristled. “Me? Why would I know?”

  “You two apparently had a fight one day. You kicked her out?”

  Ronnie crossed her arms defensively. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I think you should,” Candace said. “She was our mother too. We have a right to know.”

  “I’ve been reading through her memory books,” Marlowe admitted. “She wasn’t such a bad person.”

  Ronnie exploded, “You don’t know shit about her!”

  Marlowe gaped, unaccustomed to hearing her sister speak in that manner.

  “LaReesa was horrible,” Ronnie continued. “She was a shitty mother.” She stood and paced the room. “She left us for days, weeks at a time. Once she was gone for three weeks. She came back late one night. She tried to sneak back into our house and take you with her.”

  “Me?” Marlowe asked. “I don’t remember that.”

  “You were only six at the time. I couldn’t let her take you.”

  “Mama wanted me and you wouldn’t let me go? Why?”

  Ronnie pinned her with an angry look. “She was down on her luck. Looked bad. Strung out on drugs. And she wasn’t alone. She brought her pimp with her—a madam she owed money to.” Ronnie shook with rage. “Reesa was going to settle the debt with you.”

  Candace gasped. “Our mother was going to sell our sister to a pimp?”

  “Yeah. So you see, I had to kick her out. I told her not to ever come back again. I told both of them I’d report them to the police if I ever saw them near any of us.”

  A wave of sadness washed over Marlowe. She could scarcely believe it. But Ronnie had no reason to lie. “No wonder you told us never to speak of her again.”

  Ronnie nodded. “Our mother was dead to me long before she died.”

  “My God. I never knew.”

  Marlowe stood and wrapped her arms around Ronnie, trying to comfort her the best she could. Candace joined in, the three of them sharing a group hug.

  “Later, I found out she wasn’t strung out,” Ronnie admitted. “She had cancer. She needed money for her chemo. But I still wasn’t going to let her take my sisters. As soon as I turned eighteen, I applied for guardianship and moved you guys away so she’d never find us. And she never did. When she died years later, she was living in some shanty on the east side.”

  “I can’t believe Reesa would stoop so low,” Marlowe said. “I thought she loved me.”

  “She did,” Ronnie assured her. “She loved us all in her own warped way.”

  “Maybe she felt guilty,” Candace offered. “It was her way of giving you something.”

  “Maybe so,” Marlowe agreed. “Do you want to see it?”

  “The house? No.”

  Marlowe nodded. “What about you, Ronnie?”

  Ronnie shook her head. “I have no reason to see it. And personally, I don’t see why you want to hold on to it. LaReesa is where she needs to be—in the past. And all that stuff in her house is only stuff. The real memories are the ones you have of her.”

  That was the same thing Roque had said. To hear confirmation from her sister’s lips hurt like hell. But she knew Ronnie was right. Maybe it was time to sign those papers.

  ###

  Roque drove through an upscale neighborhood looking
for the address Brett gave him yesterday. Marlowe Jones lived in a pretty posh area. For some reason, he’d expected no less from her. That’s why he couldn’t understand why she was clinging to that dilapidated house like a lifeline in the Pacific Ocean. He’d given her more time than he would allow most people, but she was really trying his patience. No matter how bad he felt for her, he couldn’t hold up a business deal like this.

  His cell phone chimed with Jade’s personal ring tone.

  “Hey, honey,” he answered.

  “Dad, I’m at Kendra’s house practicing for cheerleading tryouts.”

  “Cheerleading? You hate that kind of stuff.”

  “Not really.”

  “As I recall you said it was nothing but a popularity contest. You’d said you’d rather join the 4-H Club.”

  “Well, I’m diversifying my interests. I have to grow up sometime.”

  Jeez, the girl gets one bra and now she’s ready to conquer the world!

  “Okay,” Roque gave her a break. “Just be home by seven-thirty.”

  “Me? You’re the one who’s always working late.”

  “As a matter of fact, I’ll be home early tonight.”

  “What are you doing now?”

  “Um, running an errand.”

  “Dad, you don’t run errands. Brett does that kind of stuff for you.”

  “I’m taking care of some important business, Jade.”

  “Does it have anything to do with Marlowe?”

  “That’s Ms. Jones to you.”

  “She told me I could call her Marlowe.”

  Roque turned onto Marlowe’s street. “Jade, I don’t have time to discuss this right now. I’ll see you at home tonight.”

  “Y’know, Dad. You could cut her some slack.”

  “She’s holding up a very important deal, honey.”

  “I know. But is money everything?”

  “Says the girl who asked for a Swarovski diving board.”

  She giggled. “Yeah, I like nice things, but would our life be so bad if you didn’t get this deal?”

  Roque parked at the curb of Marlowe’s condo. There was a time when he cared more about people than money. But that was before he’d gotten burned. And the woman he thought he loved ripped his heart to shreds. There was no room in his life for giving people a break.

  “I gotta go, baby. I’ll see you tonight. Have a good time.”

  He hung up before his daughter could grill him anymore. Sometimes, it was as if that girl had a built-in bullshit meter.

  He strode up the sidewalk to Marlowe’s place. He’d meant to come last night. But he’d gotten so caught up in meetings it had to wait until today. The first chance he got this afternoon, he drove over to her house.

  He rang the buzzer, wondering how he would be received. He pulled the contract from the breast pocket of his suit coat. He didn’t have long to wait. Marlowe buzzed him in without even asking who he was. He frowned. She needed better security. Maybe she’d seen him on the close-circuit camera.

  He took the elevator to the fourth floor of her residence. As he strode purposefully along the white polished floors, he rehearsed in his mind what he’d say to her. His plan was to get in and out with as little drama as possible. Finally, he reached her unit at the end of the hall, a red door with her condo number stenciled in gold. The door was slightly ajar, but he used the doorknocker anyway to make his presence known.

  “Come on in,” Marlowe called out. “It’s open.”

  Roque walked inside Marlowe’s lair. It wasn’t what he expected. It was cozy, filled with earth tones and African artwork. The lights were dimmed and soft jazz floated throughout the modest space.

  “I need you so bad,” she said. “I’ve been waiting over thirty minutes.”

  He followed the sound of her voice, thinking she must be talking on the phone. Surely, she couldn’t be waiting for him. He hadn’t even called prior to storming over here.

  He finally located her in the middle of the living room. She was lying facedown on a massage table with a folded sheet covering her delectable round ass. Her head was turned away from him. His footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors.

  “Finally,” she murmured. “I’m dying for you to get your hands on me.”

  NINE

  Roque stopped in his tracks, mesmerized by the flawless brown skin of Marlowe’s body.

  “I’m so glad you could make it on such short notice,” she said, still not turning to look in his direction. “I’m on my second glass of wine.”

  His eyes flitted to a half-filled glass of red wine sitting on a nearby table. He cleared his throat, trying to swallow the lump lodged there.

  “I just need you to work out the kinks, Gustavo,” she begged. “It’s been a hell of a week.”

  Roque pulled off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen a naked woman, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Marlowe’s lush body. Apparently, she thought he was a masseur.

  He couldn’t resist touching her bare skin.

  The moment he rubbed his fingers along her back, she purred like a kitten. “Oh, that feels good already. You always know how to touch me just right.”

  Roque grinned. Oh, this was gonna be fun.

  “Use the almond oil, please,” Marlowe instructed. “I like the smell.”

  He poured a generous amount from the nearby bottle into his palms. Then, he rubbed his hands together to create warmth. He’d been on the receiving end of plenty of massages before, but it was the first time he’d ever given one.

  He started at her shoulders, rubbing in circular motions and making his way down to her shoulder blades. Her skin felt like silk beneath his fingertips.

  “Ooh, yes,” she cooed.

  The combination of stroking her skin while listening to the soothing music put him in a good mood.

  “I’m so tense,” she said. “I know I am. But your hands are like magic.”

  She’d never be this nice if she knew who was giving her this pleasure. Roque felt his body reacting to her words of praise. The muscle between his legs stirred as he worked. He kneaded her back slowly, sensually, enjoying the feel of her flesh beneath his big palms.

  “There’s this ingrate who’s been hounding me,” Marlowe began. “He’s so mean. Don’t you just hate mean people?”

  “Um hmm,” Roque agreed.

  “He actually made me attend the funeral of his daughter’s spider. I mean, I did feel bad for her. But I feel worse that she has him for a father.”

  Roque grimaced. He was a damn good father.

  “Poor thing. No wonder she finds solace in those dangerous pets.”

  Roque stiffened, applying more pressure than was necessary.

  “That feels so good. Harder, please.”

  Roque got a full woody when she said those words. Damn, he’d never been so turned on.

  “And you should see how he pesters me about this damn house,” she continued. “Am I wrong to avoid him?”

  “Uh-uh,” Rock answered.

  “Thank you. I mean, so what if he’s drop dead gorgeous and he makes my stomach flutter. His attitude leaves a lot to be desired.”

  The Brat had a thing for him? He ran his palms up and down her calves. Right now, he was having the time of his life feeling every curve on Marlowe’s sexy body.

  “The other day he practically pinned me to the wall in my office, forced his tongue down my throat, and bit my lip. Well, I actually liked the biting part.”

  “Tsk, tsk,” Roque teased.

  “How can I be attracted to someone like him? He’s such an ass.”

  Roque dipped his hands below the sheet and stroked the smooth globes of Marlowe’s backside. “Speaking of asses,” he said, “yours is incredible.”

  Marlowe gasped and whipped her head in his direction. Her wide eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re not Gustavo!”

  “No, but if this is what his world is like, I’m thinking I’m in the wrong line of business.”
>
  Marlowe fought to control the urges competing for dominance inside her. Her rapid-fire heartbeat versus the flight of butterflies fluttering inside her stomach. She couldn’t fight her desire for this man. Worse yet, she couldn’t believe this arrogant beast was here. Was there no escaping him? It seemed she couldn’t go one day without him calling her or stalking her or showing up at the most inopportune times.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  “I can’t go to your office, so I came over here to talk to you.”

  “You could have knocked.”

  “I did. You told me to come in.”

  She struggled to pull the sheet around her. She hurriedly wrapped her body in it before landing in a sitting position with her legs dangling over the side of the table. “I thought you were Gustavo,” she huffed.

  “Obviously. Did you mean all those things you said about me?”

  Oh, my God! She shook her head. This is not happening. This cannot be happening. He’d heard every word she’d said. “The part about you being an ass? Yes, I meant it.”

  He grinned. “And the part about you enjoying the biting?”

  Her mouth dropped open. Before she could reply, Roque trailed a finger along her bottom lip. “Do you really think I’m handsome?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassment flooding through her in waves.

  “There’s no shame in admitting it,” she heard his deep voice. “The shame is not pursuing your deepest desires, like you want to do right now.” He paused before giving her a gentle order. “Open your eyes, Marlowe. Let me look at you.”

  She gazed into his blue eyes, searching their depths for what, she didn’t know. What she did know was that he was incredibly sexy. Her head said Proceed with Caution, but her body said Full Speed Ahead. Just being near him—feeling the warmth of his fingers, hearing the deep timbre of his voice, smelling the masculine scent that lingered on his sculpted muscles—made her wet. She desperately wanted to feel his full lips against hers. Taste his tongue in her mouth. Let him fill her most intimate places. He was right. She wanted to pursue her deepest desires. And by the way his eyes were riveted to her lips, it looked as though the feeling was mutual.