Indigo Love Stories
An imprint of Genesis Press, Inc.
Publishing Company
Genesis Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 101
Columbus, MS 39703
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, not known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without written permission of the publisher, Genesis Press, Inc. For information write Genesis Press, Inc., P.O. Box 101, Columbus, MS 39703.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author and all incidents are pure invention.
Copyright © 2006, 2009 by Crystal V. Rhodes
ISBN-13: 978-1-58571-534-3
ISBN-10: 1-58571-534-4
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition 20xx
Second Edition 2009
Visit us at www.genesis-press.com or call at 1-888-Indigo-1-4-0
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Flora, Joni and Eunice, whose assistance and encouragement continue to be invaluable, and to Megan Nailah, who represents the future.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my appreciation to the many book clubs that have been so encouraging as I’ve traveled on this writing journey. The visits with you have been a joy, and I look forward to many more.
Thanks to all of the readers who read Sin and insisted that the story of Nedra and Sinclair continue. Here it is!
To Mel, your support was invaluable when Sinful Intentions was in its infancy, and to Deatri King-Bey—great editing job.
PROLOGUE
It was a well-concealed street, obscured from prying eyes by a grove of aged trees. The driver of the dark sedan turned smoothly into the grove, knowing what lay beyond—another mile of paved road that curved into a quiet, residential neighborhood. A prominent sign displayed at the street’s entrance warned visitors that there was no outlet.
As it silently continued its journey, the car’s headlights were turned off, making the vehicle practically invisible against the moonless night. Five houses occupied this exclusive enclave. A high wall with a monitored entrance gate surrounded the house on the immediate left. It belonged to a famous singer. Directly across the street was another wall that surrounded the opulent home of a prominent financier. A Middle Eastern businessman owned the house next door, while the one across from that one was the vacation home of a stockbroker who had fallen on hard times. The sign advertising its sale was discreet. At the end of the cul du sac was the final house. Like the last three homes, there was no wall surrounding it. A long driveway sloped upward to the crest of the hill on which the structure stood majestically among a backdrop of windswept cypress trees. It was in front of this house that the car came to a stop.
The car’s occupant quickly glanced around the well-lit street. It was quiet. He checked his illuminated watch. It was two o’clock in the morning. The security patrol would make an appearance in fifteen minutes. Swiftly, the dark-clad figure slid from behind the wheel, hurried around the car and opened the trunk. Withdrawing two large garbage bags, each bulging with refuge, they were exchanged for the two bags sitting at the curb. Closing the trunk, he was back in the car in less than two minutes.
As the nondescript sedan moved along the highway, it passed the security patrol car going in the opposite direction. The early morning prowler watched through the rearview mirror as the lights of the vehicle disappeared. It was headed for the grove of trees. A sinister smile of triumph appeared on his face. He had successfully avoided the night patrol. Nothing to worry about. Everything would pass inspection. Everything would look as it should. All had gone perfectly as planned.
Chapter 1
Nedra Davis-Reasoner stretched her long neck in an attempt to look past the crowd of passengers surging through the exit gates of the airport terminal. Her eyes skirted over dozens of unfamiliar faces, searching for the one that she would recognize, the face of one of her two best friends, Sharon Mays.
She knew that she would be easy to spot. With her wheat-colored hair and light gray eyes, her friend was stunning and turned heads wherever she went. Nedra watched as her friend spotted her and quickened her step. It had been months since they’d seen each other. Sharon had spent most of them in Seattle, Washington, settling her late father’s legal affairs. The past two weeks had been spent on a cruise of the Mexican Riviera. Her light brown complexion had darkened to a toasty brown. The interracial beauty was constantly trying to darken her golden complexion, preferring Nedra’s much darker hue. When Sharon drew closer, it appeared as if the sun had also streaked her hair. It had been flowing down her back when she last saw her, but now it bounced saucily on her shoulders as she made her way through the crowd. With a joyous squeal, Sharon fell into Nedra’s welcoming arms.
“Am I glad to be home!” The women hugged one another tightly, their affection for each other clearly showing on each of their faces.
“And we’re glad to have you home.” Nedra gave her a kiss on the cheek and took a step back. “Girlfriend, you are looking too good! Look at that tan! And that haircut! I like. I like.”
“Thank you.” Giving a slight curtsy, Sharon patted her shortened locks, and then noted Nedra’s chopped tresses. The short, sleek haircut was chic and stylish. “And look at you. When did you get yours cut?”
“The day before yesterday. Sin’s away on a business trip. I thought I’d give him a little surprise when he comes home tonight.”
“Okay, you’re looking pretty sexy for a minister, Rev. Ned,” Sharon teased, using her friend’s old nickname from the days when she was the pastor of one of Oakland’s most dynamic churches. Nedra had come a long way since then. She used to wear her shoulder length hair in a simple French roll. The outfits she wore were almost nun-like they were so austere. That was before she met the mysterious and incredibly good-looking Sinclair Reasoner, and her life changed completely. It was still hard to believe that the woman standing before her dressed in a pair of expensive winter-white slacks, a matching cashmere sweater and white, low-heel suede boots, was the same person.
With her sharp cheekbones and stunning light brown eyes, Nedra had always been a beautiful woman, and the stylish new haircut further enhanced her looks. She was a tall, graceful brown-skinned beauty who exuded sophisticated elegance from head to toe. Sharon had always told Nedra that she was a sexy woman, and time and circumstances had proved her right. She leaned toward her friend and whispered slyly, “Something tells me that a new haircut won’t be the only surprise that you’ll have for Sin tonight.”
“That’s the plan.” Nedra wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, eliciting a chuckle from Sharon. “And what motivated your new look?” Nedra took a few of the silky strands between her fingers. It was strange seeing Sharon without her long, untamed mane. The change was as dramatic as her own.
Sharon took a deep breath. She was about to burst with the exciting news that she had come to deliver, and Nedra had given her the opening that she needed, but just as she opened her mouth to speak—
“Aunt Sharon! Aunt Sharon!” The excited voices turned her attention to eight-year-old Trevor Reasoner as he galloped across the terminal headed straight for her.
“There’s my baby!” She cooed, scooping him up in her arms and swinging him around. Sitting him back on his feet, she squatted down and hugged him to her. “How have you been, Puddin’?” She gave him
a quick peck on the lips.
Most boys his age would have recoiled at the public display of affection demonstrated by his godmother, but not Trevor. He was the most affectionate child she knew. He returned her kiss with one of his own, buried his face in her neck and inhaled.
“I’ve been good, Aunt Sharon. Hmmm, you sure smell good.” He backed away. “And you look pretty, too.”
Sharon smiled her gratitude. That was her Trevor, always full of compliments. He had the sweetest disposition. She tweaked his nose, prompting a delighted giggle at their private little love tap.
“You want to know something? You’re the greatest kid I know.”
“What about me?”
Sharon turned to look into the heart-shaped face of the little pixie jumping up and down next to Trevor, his five-year-old sister, Gillian. Her two, thick braided ponytails flopped around her face with every movement as she vied for attention.
“And what about you, Little Cutie?” Sharon picked the little girl up, and Gillian wrapped her sturdy brown legs around her godmother’s waist. “How could I ever forget my precious one?” She gave her a kiss. “Hello, Love. You’re getting to be such a big girl, aren’t you?”
Gillian nodded her head, her two braided ponytails bobbing in unison. “I’m five and a half now.” She announced proudly.
“My goodness,” Sharon feigned surprise as she sat the compact package of energy back on the ground. “You’re getting old. And speaking of old, where is that big brother of yours?”
“Right here, Aunt Sharon.” A youthful voice cracked behind her.
Startled, Sharon turned as her gaze followed the sound, and she looked up and up again into the face of thirteen-year-old Colin Reasoner.
At first it didn’t register that the lanky adolescent looking down at her was her oldest godchild. This boy was rapidly approaching the same height as Nedra, who was 5 feet 10. The last time she saw her eldest godchild he had been much shorter. The boy was still as handsome as he had always been. His complexion was cinnamon brown like his brother’s, and he wore his dark brown hair cut close to his head, but his chiseled features were beginning to take on shapes and angles destined to break female hearts. Sporting the latest designer sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers that all of the kids were wearing, it seemed that the vestiges of the little boy that she had seen three months ago had all but vanished. If it hadn’t been for the familiar upward slant of his dark brown eyes, Sharon would hardly have believed it was the same boy. Her greeting registered her surprise at the metamorphosis.
“Colin? What happened to you?”
Never one to waste words, Colin flashed a familiar grin. “I grew.”
Sharon found herself fighting back tears. This boy that she loved like her own was becoming a man. She gave him a kiss and a hug, and then held him at arms length as she took another look at him. “I can’t believe this.” She could feel the beginning of muscles developing beneath her fingers. “I really can’t believe this.” Colin had always been a painfully thin child, but it seemed that was changing as well.
“Daddy bought some weighty stuff for the basement.” Gillian offered. The family had dubbed her “The Mouth.” No tidbit of information was safe with her.
Nedra translated. “Sin turned one of the rooms downstairs into a weight room, and he and Colin have been working out together.”
Sharon squeezed the mini-biceps. “Looking good!” She winked as Colin grunted, trying not to show his pleasure at the compliment. His look grew somber as he addressed her.
“Sorry I couldn’t make it to your dad’s funeral.”
Sharon gave a shaky sigh. Even though some time had passed, her father’s sudden death was still too painful to endure. The other members of the Reasoner family had flown to Seattle with her to bury him.
“No apology necessary, baby. I know that your heart was with me. Anyway, it’s not everyday that a godson of mine wins a full scholarship to Science Camp. I’m so proud of you.” She gave the blushing man-child another hug.
“Okay, gang. Let’s get Aunt Sharon’s luggage and take her home.” The two little ones scurried through the terminal to pursue the retrieval as Colin—always the watchful big brother—trailed casually behind them. Nedra and Sharon brought up the rear.
“They’re really growing.” Nedra sighed, gazing after her three children wistfully. “So much can change in such a short time.”
“You’re right.” A mysterious smile crossed Sharon’s face. A whole lot could change. More than anyone knew.
As the two women walked arm in arm through the airport, happy to be together again, neither Nedra nor Sharon noticed the stocky man with the camera in his hand taking pictures. There was nothing unique about him or his actions. This was the Monterey Peninsula, a haven for shutterbug tourists. As the women and children left the terminal, he followed them, maintaining a comfortable distance. In the parking lot, they turned in one direction, and he turned in the opposite one. Walking a short distance to where he had parked his car, he climbed inside his nondescript sedan and casually drove away.
* * *
When they arrived at the Reasoner home—a magnificent, contemporary structure of stone, wood and glass, nestled among windswept cypress trees and perched high above the Pacific Ocean—Nedra had a surprise for Sharon. Carla Ryan-Belle, her other best friend, was there with the last of Sharon’s godchildren: four-year-old Jacob Jr., known as J.J., and his twin sister Jana. They had come to the Peninsula from Berkeley to see her and to help celebrate Colin’s fourteenth birthday.
The reunion was a joyous one. The Chocolate, Lemon and Vanilla Brigade—a name they had given themselves years ago in college—was together again.
Later that evening, the Reasoner dining room buzzed with activity. The oval-shaped, teakwood table with its plush dining chairs usually held a family of five. This evening it was near capacity with five rambunctious children and four chattering adults. Jacob Belle, Carla’s husband, had arrived a few hours ago from Berkeley to join his family. A brilliant attorney, he always brought plenty of topics for discussion to their gatherings, and today was no exception. Conversation was flowing among the adults as well as the children. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. Taking a break from the lively discussion in which the adults were involved, Sharon sat back to absorb it all.
Now that her parents were dead, this was her family. The people in this room were the ones who cared about her the most.
Her eyes slid to Carla with her sassy comments and candid opinions—usually unsolicited—then to her husband, Jacob, with his quirky sense of humor and sharp legal mind. He and Carla were a perfect match. They had been together for seven years and married five. They were mad about each other, and their union had produced a square-jawed, curly haired son who was a carbon copy of his father; and a caramel-colored, little girl with rust colored hair who looked exactly like her mother.
Then there were Nedra and Sinclair. Although he wasn’t in the room, Sinclair’s presence could be felt. It was in the undercurrent of excitement of his children’s voices as they talked about his coming home that night. It was in the uncontrollable smile that curled Nedra’s lips whenever her husband’s name was mentioned. She and Sin had only been married four years, and in that time they had adopted three children, each of whom came with different needs.
The boys had been adopted at ages ten and five. Colin and Trevor’s biological mother had been a drug addict and prostitute who had neglected her two sons in the reckless pursuit of her next high. Colin had scavenged the streets for mere subsistence so that he and his brother could survive. Their biological mother had died of an overdose, and both boys had been traumatized in different ways by their earlier childhood experiences.
Little Gillian was also the biological child of a drug addicted mother. She had been orphaned at age three. Nedra, who had worked with the child’s nineteen-year-old mother, had promised the young woman on her deathbed that she and Sin would take care of her child. They had delivered on that
promise.
Although it had been difficult in the beginning and a lot of adjustments had to be made, with love and lots of patience, Nedra and Sin had made it all work. A cohesive family unit that loved and respected one another had emerged. Sharon couldn’t think of a happier household than that of the Reasoner family. This was a family that looked out for one another, and Nedra and Sin were the solid foundation on which the relationships between the five of them had been built.
Sharon’s mother used to say that there were people in the world who had a passion for each other. She defined it as being so in love with someone that it was nearly obsessive. Good or bad, that was the relationship between Nedra and Sin. While Carla and Jacob’s love was soft and comfortable, theirs was passionate and intense.
For the longest, Sharon had envied both of her friends for what they had found in their lives. She would have thought that such loving relationships were an illusion if it were not for them. The longest one she had in her life had been with Carla’s older brother, Richard, and it had been a difficult union. She had loved him hard, but her love had not been returned. Instead, she had been verbally and physically abused. The experience had left her emotionally shell-shocked and wondering if real love would ever happen for her.
A smile creased Sharon’s face as her eyes glazed over, and her thoughts transported her beyond the dining room and back to the cruise that had changed her life. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear her name being called, not once, not twice, but three times. Finally, Carla shook her friend’s shoulder, bringing her back to the dining room table. Sharon blinked and looked up to find that the room was silent and all eyes were on her.
“Are you all right?” Nedra’s brows were furrowed with concern. “We were calling you and calling you, and it was if you weren’t in the room. Are you feeling all right?”
The smile on Sharon’s face broadened. She felt more than “all right.”
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