Fresh Temptation: Barboza Brothers, Book One

by Reeni Austin

  “Hello.” Cara held out her hand. “I’m Cara, Patty’s daughter.”

  Tom cleared his throat, his eyes averting hers as if he was nervous. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Tom Sutton.”

  Cara gave him a big smile in an effort to make him feel more comfortable. Maybe he’s just nervous about meeting the daughter of a love interest. Holy cow, my mom, a love interest? “So, you and Mom met at the park? Were you there with any of the kids?”

  “Um…no,” he said. “I was just passing through the area. Went to a deli around the corner.”

  Right then, the doorbell rang again. Cara stepped around Tom as Patty began to talk to him, leading him into the kitchen.

  When Cara opened the front door, she fell forward to give Marcy a quick hug. “Thanks for coming by. You have no idea what a weird day I’ve had.”

  “What? Did something happen? Last time we spoke you were doing great.”

  “I know. I thought about calling you but it was too much to talk about over the phone. Victor’s ex ambushed me in the parking garage.”

  Marcy’s hand went to her chest. She gasped. “No! That’s crazy!”

  “Yeah.”

  “What’d she say? What’d she do?”

  “Hold on, let’s get you inside.” Cara stepped back and opened the door wide. “We can go up to my room for some privacy for a minute. Mom has company…” As Marcy walked past her, a car parked on the street caught Cara’s eye. It looked like the same blue sedan with dark tinted windows she saw in the parking garage on Monday morning. “Oh my God. What the…”

  “What?” Marcy looked over her shoulder at the street. “You see something?”

  “Yeah. I swear, Monday morning I had this feeling like someone was watching me before work. It’s the same car, I think. I remember the windows. They’re so dark, I’m surprised they’re legal.”

  “You think someone’s in there watching you right now?” Marcy’s voice got quiet. “Like, Mr. Sexy Boss Man? Is he having you followed?”

  “I have no idea. I sure hope not.” She took one last look at the car, then shut the front door, her heart racing with fear. She walked to the kitchen to find Patty. “Mom, do you know anything about the blue car parked along the street? Has it been there all day?”

  “What blue car?” Patty asked.

  “It’s a blue four door car,” Cara said. “Really dark tinted windows.”

  Tom’s eyebrows shot up. “Why do you ask?”

  “Oh no.” Cara’s blood ran cold. “It’s yours?” She walked backward as she contemplated taking Isaac’s hand and running out the front door. “Were you watching me in the parking garage at work on Monday morning?”

  Tom winced, scratching the back of his neck. “I can explain.”

  Patty’s eyes widened. “Monday morning? We didn’t meet until yesterday afternoon.”

  “Please, please, I beg you,” Tom said. “Let me explain. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

  Patty picked up a large kitchen knife from the block behind her. “Stay away from me. I may not look like much but I know how to use this.”

  Cara glanced around for Isaac. She was relieved to hear him playing loudly in the living room where he couldn’t see his grandma threatening a man with a knife.

  Tom held up his hands, waving them rapidly in front of him. “Patty, it’s really not what you think.”

  “You better talk fast, mister,” Patty said. “Or I’m calling for help.”

  Tom turned to Cara. “I was hired by Alexis Whitt to spy on you. I’m a private investigator.” He looked at Patty. “That’s why I was at the park. Alexis wanted me to get information about Isaac, and I already knew where to find you.”

  Cara was suddenly choked up. “Information about Isaac? What kind of information?”

  Tom sighed. “About his paternity. She’s desperate to keep you away from Victor. Listen, I’m so sorry.” He turned to Patty. “After I left this morning I met with Alexis and told her I can’t work for her. I already refunded her retainer. As soon as I met you yesterday, I felt horrible about taking this job. But if I hadn’t taken it, I never would’ve met you. You’re the most wonderful, most interesting woman I’ve met since Dianne died. So for that, I’m grateful to Alexis for hiring me. But that’s over. It’s really over. I’m so sorry.”

  Marcy said, “Aw.” Her lips curled downward in a sympathetic pout.

  Cara shot Marcy a mean look, then directed her attention at Tom. “Why should I believe anything you say? How do we know you’re not still spying on me?” She then turned to Patty. “And you! You let a,” she lowered her voice in case Isaac could hear, “strange man sleep over, with my son in the house?”

  “Sweetie…” Patty said.

  “Don’t ‘sweetie’ me,” Cara said. “We all just heard him say he left here this morning. You had a stranger in here, overnight. Not only that, but he was the same man who was hired to spy on me.”

  Patty frowned. “I’m sorry, Cara. We got a little carried away last night, that’s all.”

  Marcy quietly muttered, “Yeah, sounds like it.”

  Cara gritted her teeth. “I can’t believe you two. What does Alexis know about me?”

  Tom’s head shook. “Not much. I had pictures of your son playing in Victor’s car the other night.”

  Cara gasped. “You took pictures of my son?”

  “I’m so sorry,” Tom said. “I was doing a job, that’s all. I’ve destroyed those and everything else associated with the case.”

  “Please calm down, sweetie.” Patty walked over to Cara, gently tugging at her elbow. “Come on, let’s go talk about this alone.”

  Cara pulled away from her. “No. You don’t understand. I was approached by Alexis Whitt in the parking lot after work tonight. And now I know she wants me away from Victor badly enough to hire someone to spy on my family. This is all too much for me right now. I think I just need to take Isaac and go somewhere by ourselves for dinner. Marcy, you can come, too. But this situation,” Cara waved a hand in Tom’s general direction, “is something I can’t deal with right now.”

  Several minutes later, Cara was driving with Marcy in the passenger seat and Isaac in the back in his car seat.

  “I’m sorry, Marcy,” she said. “I can’t believe what happened back there.”

  “It’s okay. I’m a little jealous about how exciting your life is compared to mine.”

  “Ha! I wish mine would calm down. This kind of excitement is a bit much for me right now.” Cara shook her head. “Did I tell you I got an offer to go back to my old job in Chicago last week?”

  “You’re kidding. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Cara shrugged. “I don’t know. I sorta put it outta my mind, I guess. Didn’t want the temptation to take the job. I’m starting to wonder if I made the wrong decision.”

  “No! You just moved back. Don’t leave me all alone here. Besides, what about Victor?”

  Isaac giggled. “Bictow!”

  Cara looked at him in the rearview mirror. “Yes, Bictow.” She gave Marcy a glance and whispered, “Careful what you say in front of him.” She let out a loud sigh. “I don’t know. Seems like it might be better to get out before it really gets serious. This whole Alexis thing.” Cara gripped her steering wheel like she wanted to shake it out of place. “You know, she told me today that…” She glanced at Isaac again and lowered her voice. “Let’s just say, she claimed there was infidelity on his part.”

  “Well, she sounds insane,” Marcy said. “I wouldn’t put it past her to lie. If she went as far as hiring a private investigator—”

  Cara produced a deep groan. “Don’t remind me. Mom. I can’t believe it.”

  “Cara hon, I know you don’t wanna hear this but…” Marcy paused, considering how to soften what she wanted to say. “I think you may be overreacting about your mom and Tom. He seemed pretty sincere. He could’ve just taken the money and finished the job but he didn’t. He quit.”

  “So he says…”


  “Whatever. I’m sure he could prove it. Listen, how many times has your mom dated since your dad passed? Hmm?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, I always kept in touch with her, even when you didn’t live here. Trust me, she doesn’t date.” Marcy smiled. “I think it’s sweet.”

  Cara’s voice was weak. “Yeah, maybe. But did she have to let him…” She glanced at Isaac and quietly said, “spend the night.”

  “Like mother like daughter,” Marcy said.

  Cara’s mouth fell open. She took her hand off the steering wheel and smacked Marcy’s leg. “How dare you throw that up in my face! It’s been years for me.”

  “I repeat. Like mother, like daughter.” Marcy burst into hysterics.

  Cara gave Isaac another look, thankful he had distracted himself by staring out the window. Hopefully he wouldn’t be repeating, “Like mother, like daughter,” for the rest of the night.

  * * *

  “Hold my calls,” Victor said to Gary, then shut his office door to speak to Cara privately. During their brief phone call the night before, she seemed distant. This morning, he cleared his schedule to meet with her to hopefully find out why her mood toward him had changed so much.

  The answer was simple: Alexis.

  Cara was obviously shaken up, and he couldn’t blame her. The person he blamed was himself, for not seeing Alexis for who she truly was all along.

  He took a seat beside Cara and rolled his chair forward until he was close enough to place his hand on hers. “I’m deeply sorry for what happened yesterday. I had no idea she would invade your privacy like that. Would it help if I had someone escort you through the parking garage from now on?”

  She pulled her hand away from his. “No. It’s more than that. She had a man taking pictures of you with my son. Do you know how creepy that makes me feel?”

  “Cara, sweetheart, I’m so sorry—”

  “How do I know what else she’s capable of? She’s rich and probably crazy and I have a child to protect—”

  “Cara!” He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes fixed on hers. “I’ll handle Alexis. I’ll make sure she never bothers you again.”

  She folded her hands in her lap as she stared at the wall, dazed. “Did you cheat on her?”

  “What? Why in the world would you think that?”

  “That’s what she told me yesterday.”

  “Oh my God.” Instantly, Victor seethed with rage. He cracked one knuckle and took a deep breath before answering. “No. I absolutely did not cheat on her.”

  “Then, what happened? Why’d you break up?” Cara’s eyebrows furrowed. “You know, I don’t think I’ll ever understand why you were with someone like her in the first place. Did you not realize what an evil brat she was?”

  He grabbed the arm of Cara’s chair and spun her around, forcing her to face him. “I asked myself that same question for a long time after we broke up. How did I not see how immature and selfish she was? How did I not know she was screwing Esteban, her personal trainer, behind my back?”

  Cara winced. “Oh…”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “She’s the one who cheated. And you’re the first person I’ve ever told about it, so I’m going to trust you not to repeat it.”

  “What do you mean? Why haven’t you told anyone? She could be lying to others about you.”

  “I have too much respect for her family to drag their name through the mud because of her indiscretion. Her father is a valuable mentor of mine. The honorable thing to do was simply break off the engagement and forget about her. Move on like I never knew her.” He sighed. “But she won’t let me forget.”

  “How long were you engaged?”

  “Longer than I care to admit.” Victor held up his hand to halt her response. “I know what you’re gonna say. How did I let her make such a fool out of me? The answer is, I was too busy building my career to get to know her like I should have. I won’t make that mistake again. She was obviously someone I didn’t know at all. But I learned my lesson. I know what’s really important now. I see so many things in you that she’ll never have.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. You’re hardworking. Humble. Nurturing.” His palm grazed her cheek, his voice gentle. “And you’re beautiful. Please, let me get to know you, Cara. Don’t let her scare you away from me.”

  Entranced by his sweetness, Cara could only gaze into his eyes, unable to form a response.

  Victor rose from his chair, bending forward to pull her into a kiss.

  Nothing in Cara wanted to resist him. The last of her worries disappeared, drawn away by the heat of his lips and replaced by memories of yesterday, of how incredible it felt to let him take her. The memories rushed back, along with her desire to be taken again.

  He kissed her until he found himself dying to part her thighs. He forced himself to pull away. “I’m sorry, querida,” he whispered. “I need to stop or I’ll spend the next hour pleasuring you and there’s a meeting I must attend.”

  “Oh, Cara.” He kissed her ear. “I’m never gonna get any work done with you around.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I was working too much anyway.” He smiled and gave her a soft peck on the lips. “But I do have a meeting. I’ll see you soon. Lunch, okay?”

  “Yes. I can’t wait.”

  Cara left Victor’s office, blushing when Gary gave her a wink out in the hall.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Well, it’s taken long enough. You better have some amazing news for me.” Alexis paced the grand hallway in her parents’ house, holding her phone to her ear. Four days had passed since she approached Cara Green in the parking garage at Monarch Enterprises. Her new private investigator, Lindy, came highly recommended. But so far, Alexis was disappointed. There were more pictures of Victor playing with Cara’s sickeningly-cute kid, and little else. Alexis had to be more careful now. Victor’s attorney had filed a restraining order against Alexis on behalf of Cara. It included a section about the use of investigators. If there was proof that Alexis, or anyone hired by Alexis, came within seventy-five yards of the Green family, they would be in violation of the order.

  Alexis lost no sleep over the fact that her former flame had taken legal action against her. She was certain Victor would eventually come to his senses and they could pick up where they left off, leaving all of this ugliness behind them.

  Lindy said, “Remember that connection I told you about at the hospital?”

  “Yes.”

  “She finally got back to me. I have a full copy of little Isaac Green’s file.”

  “Okay.” Alexis stopped pacing, her heart beating with anticipation. “And there’s something helpful in it?” She had wished all along they could find the boy’s father and possibly give Cara a reason to break up with Victor.

  “I believe so. All of my research so far has told me Cara never knew who the father was. She says she got pregnant from a one night stand in college and never saw the guy again. There’s no father listed on the birth certificate.” She paused for a breath. “However, there’s a family medical history form here with some info about the father. It says his blood type is B positive and there was a history of diabetes and cancer in his family.”

  “Really? Interesting…”

  “Yes. So, unless she’s lying on the form, and I doubt she is, it sounds to me like she knows the father. Blood type and family illnesses aren’t something most college kids talk about on a one night stand.”

  “Does it have his name?”

  “No, they didn’t ask for it.”

  “And you really think it means something? Maybe she did her own research after she found out she was pregnant.”

  “It’s possible, but from my experience, unless they’re hiding something, single women always want that name on the birth certificate. It helps their chances of getting child support. If she knows the father’s medical history, I bet she knows who he is. She was struggling financially before Victo
r hired her. Don’t you think she would’ve wanted some help from her baby’s father? To me, this says she’s hiding something.”

  “What do you think she’s hiding?”

  “Not sure. She’s ashamed of the father, maybe? Doesn’t want any connection to him. Could’ve been a really bad break up. Want me to track him down?”

  Alexis gasped. “Do you think you can?”

  “I’m already on it.”

  * * *

  Two weeks later, Cara sat next to Victor, cuddling up to him on the park bench next to the playground. They both watched Isaac climb to the top of a slide where he stood up and yelled, “Bictow! Watch me, Bictow!”

  “I’m watching!” Victor yelled back at him.

  Isaac quickly slid down to the bottom. When his feet hit the ground, Cara and Victor applauded and cheered, making Isaac smile before he ran off to a swing set where a friend from the neighborhood waited to give him a push.

  “I wish I had that much energy.” Victor chuckled. His arm was draped around her shoulders, his hand rubbing her arm. “So, Patty’s meeting Tom’s family today?”

  She chuckled with a hint of sarcasm. “Yes. It’s their big two week anniversary. He surprised her this morning by asking her to an early dinner. That’s why I lost my babysitter for the afternoon.”

  “So, she’s spending the night at his place?”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded and kissed the top of her head. “I hope that means I can spend the night at your place, then.”

  “I suppose.” She giggled. “You know, when I asked for the afternoon off, I had no idea you would leave the office and come to the playground with me.”

  Victor sighed. “I know. I have to stop putting work before everything else. Besides, I hadn’t seen Isaac in a few days. I don’t want him to forget who I am.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that. He talks about you all the time.”

  “Really?” He smiled. “That’s good.” He paused, gentling his voice. “Does that still make you nervous?”