Sinful Intentions

by Crystal Rhodes

  Rhonda flinched, but held her head high. She started to speak when the elevator doors opened and Sharon stepped into the hallway.

  “Follow me.”

  Rhonda didn’t move. She stood in the elevator’s interior and folded her arms across her chest defiantly. Sharon walked back to the elevator and held the doors as she spoke.

  “You can stand there and pretend that you’re angrier at me than you are at Garth, or you can come with me and get some advice from a woman who has been where you are and understands the lay of the land. It’s up to you.”

  Turning, Sharon withdrew her room card from her pocket and walked the short distance to her hotel room. She heard the elevator doors shut up the hall. She didn’t look back, but as she entered the room, she felt a presence behind her.

  “Lock the door behind you,” she ordered. Rhonda did as requested.

  Inside the spacious hotel room, Sharon placed her sandwich bag on the dresser as Rhonda stood at the room entrance watching her. When Sharon turned to her, she could read the shock and surprise on her face as she observed the open suitcase placed on the king-size bed. Her eyes returned to Sharon.

  “Where’s my father?” Her tone registered concern.

  “He was at home the last time I saw him.” Sharon sat down in one of the plush chairs in the room and crossed her legs.

  Once again, Rhonda eyed the open suitcase, then the cosmetics and knickknacks scattered about.

  “You’ve left him?” She looked at Sharon with disbelief. Her father had said nothing to her about this.

  Sharon’s answer was simple. “Yes.”

  Rhonda walked further into the room, her own problems temporarily forgotten.

  “But he loves you!” Her mind could not comprehend the fact that anyone would not want her father. It was impossible.

  “And I love him,” Sharon spoke frankly, “but we have problems that need to be resolved.”

  Moving deeper into the room, Rhonda stood at the edge of the bed looking down at Sharon as she sat in the chair looking regal and composed. “So you left him and probably broke his heart in the process? You two told me that you were having a baby!”

  “I’m still pregnant, and he’s still the father. That hasn’t changed.”

  “But…but…” Rhonda stuttered, unsure of how to respond to this shocking development. She hadn’t been happy to hear about the pregnancy, but this was a little too much.

  “I don’t know why it should be such a concern to you. I would think that you’d be turning cartwheels. It’s what you wanted, me out of your father’s life. So it looks like you’ve got your wish.”

  Rhonda winced and looked away. The truth was harsh.

  “Well, I didn’t want you to hurt my father, and this—” she indicated the suitcases, “this will kill him.”

  “I think that he’ll survive. I love him as much as he loves me, and I’m surviving. So will you, despite Garth’s betrayal.”

  Rhonda’s eyes widened at Sharon’s bluntness. She didn’t want this woman in her business. She turned to leave, but instead flopped down on the edge of the bed. She felt as if she had been hit with a ton of bricks. Her chest tightened as she fought to hold back the emotions that threatened to erupt.

  “Go ahead and cry,” said Sharon. “There’s no shame in it, but after that clear your head and make a decision about what you’re going to do about Garth.”

  Rhonda didn’t like Sharon telling her what to do, but she had to admit that her advice was sound. Silent tears slid from beneath her dark glasses. Sharon handed her a tissue.

  “I don’t know Garth well, but I can tell you all about him.” A slight smile of disgust crossed her face. “He told you that he loved you and got you to trust him, and before you knew it he became your life. You felt that you were a strong, educated, independent woman and you just knew that you would never allow any man to abuse you, verbally or physically, but then one day out of the blue he said something to demean you. Perhaps jokingly, at first. Then it escalated.”

  Rhonda slipped the sunglasses from her face and shifted on the bed.

  “He starts to say more and more things to break you down, to break your spirit and your self-esteem. Oh, he covers it up with a touch here, a kiss there, so you tell yourself he didn’t mean it. He loves me.”

  Rhonda’s watery eyes met Sharon’s.

  “Then one day during a disagreement—you don’t like to call them arguments—he grabs you hard. It hurts and it’s meant to. He may even have pushed you, so hard that you stumble and fall, but again, instead of acknowledging the danger signs, you convince yourself that he didn’t mean it. He loves you and he confirms it with flowers, candy, kisses and lovemaking that blows your mind. Yet, somewhere in the back of your subconscious, you know that love should never feel this bad. Real love should never hurt.”

  Unconsciously, Rhonda rubbed her upper arm where the bruises had disappeared but the memories still remained. Sharon’s eyes followed the action before returning to her stepdaughter’s face.

  “Suddenly, strange things start to happen. You call or page him, but he’s unavailable. He becomes defensive when you ask him where he’s been. He becomes secretive, evasive and, ironically, his jealousy and possessiveness toward you increases. It’s not hard to guess the reasons for the changes, but you continue to deny the truth. You do everything you can to make him happy, to make him love you as much as you love him. That is, until the proof of his betrayal can no longer be denied.

  “It happens in different ways—a late night phone call, or maybe you find a receipt that has no explanation.”

  Rhonda started at Sharon’s last words. It had been a mysterious hotel receipt that she found that had brought her here on this day. An understanding smile crossed Sharon’s face.

  “There are a million ways that cheaters get caught, but one thing is certain—at some point you reach a crossroad, because I assure you that the abuse will continue, and it may get worse. As for the cheating, it won’t stop.”

  Getting up from the chair, Sharon walked over to Rhonda and hunkered down before her. The young woman’s life seemed to be draining from her body before her eyes. She took a hold of her hands that lay limply in her lap.

  “You have two choices, Rhonda. Let it continue or let it go. It took years for me to make the right choice. They were wasted years that I could have used to make myself happy. Please don’t make the same mistake I made.”

  Rhonda’s chin trembled. Stubbornly, she tried to resist the tears, but like an avalanche, they swept through her body. Her chest heaved, and her shoulders trembled as she cleansed herself of the pain.

  Sharon enfolded the younger woman in the comfort of her welcoming embrace. To her surprise and pleasure, Rhonda came willingly. As Sharon held her stepdaughter and allowed her to release the emotion, she could feel the genesis of a bond between them begin to form.

  * * *

  Evelyn Linwood’s eyes scanned the length of Trevor Reasoners’ test paper and frowned as her eyes returned to the grade at the top. He had barely passed. She was surprised. That wasn’t like him at all. Trevor was bright and articulate, a child who had never given her one moment of trouble, unlike some of the other children of privilege in her classroom. Yet, lately the little boy seemed lethargic. Nothing seemed to interest him. His schoolwork, which was usually neat with attention to detail, was now messy, and he made careless mistakes. Something was definitely wrong.

  His parents hadn’t been in to volunteer over the last two weeks, although they had informed their children’s teachers that they would be willing to grade papers or perform other task that might be needed at home. Evelyn had declined the kind offer. Her instinct told her that something was amidst, but neither of the Reasoner children was talking. When asked, both would give nonchalant shrugs and say nothing was wrong. Nobody believed them.

  Evelyn didn’t want to speculate that the couple might be having marital problems. They seemed so loving toward one another, but she still could ho
pe. The possibility that Sinclair Reasoner might become unattached sent chills of excitement up her spine. Surely, she couldn’t get that lucky. Yet, she did harbor the hope that the impossible might become possible. By hook or by crook she meant to find out whether her passion for this man might become more than a daydream.

  * * *

  Nedra had gone to the office on Monday not out of necessity, but out of loyalty to Sharon. She wanted to give her friend the chance to share the heartache of her separation from Winston. All weekend she had expected to hear from her. When she didn’t, she got worried, which was only exacerbated when Sharon called into the office that morning to say that she would be coming in late. She was about ready to call every hotel on the Peninsula by the time Sharon walked through the office door. Nedra tried not to show how relieved she was, but Sharon looked peaked, which only enhanced her concern.

  After a brief greeting to her and the other staff, Sharon went straight into her office and closed the door. She declined lunch at Nedra’s invitation and avoided small talk by putting a Do Not Disturb sign on her door. By quitting time, Nedra was so frustrated that she was about ready to beat down Sharon’s door.

  Carla had called her several times during the day to see if Nedra had made any progress in finding out what was going on. Nedra promised to update her friend as soon as she found out the details.

  As the day came to an end and the office was closing, Nedra decided to take direct action. Knocking on Sharon’s locked door, she waited patiently for a reply. There was the click of the lock and the door opened. Sharon stood before her in the doorway.

  “Come on in.” Her affect was listless.

  Nedra did as told, closing the heavy oak door behind her. She took a seat in one of the chairs opposite the desk while Sharon returned to the swivel chair behind it. They sat in silence for a moment.

  “How did you find out?” There was no doubt in Sharon’s question.

  “Winston called Carla to find out if she knew where you were. She called me.”

  Sharon shrugged. “I should have known. So you two also know about the baby.”

  It was a statement not a question, and it needed no answer.

  “We would rather have heard it from the both of you, but I’m happy for you.” She smiled at her. “I know this is something you’ve always wanted. How are you feeling?”

  “Up until this morning, not bad. I had a bout with morning sickness earlier, but I’m better now.”

  “And how long do you plan on staying in some hotel room and away from family?”

  “Another couple of days or so. You guys have enough on you. Besides, I need to be alone for a while.”

  Nedra nodded. “I understand.” She stood, her questions had been answered. “Just give me a call when you’re ready. You know you’re always welcomed. The cottage is waiting for you.”

  Sharon rose, went around the desk and hugged her friend. “Thank you.”

  Nedra returned the hug. “I love you, without reservations.”

  Releasing her, she left Sharon’s office, satisfied.

  * * *

  “My personal relationship with my wife is none of your business, Rhonda!” Winston snapped at his demanding daughter. “And since when did you become an advocate for Sharon?”

  Rhonda had been waiting outside her father’s house when he came home from work earlier. She informed him that she needed to talk to him. Expecting to hear some overwrought story about her love life, he was surprised when she proceeded to tell him that she had run into Sharon in Monterey this past weekend and that she knew about their separation. She shocked him completely when she tried to convince him to contact her, beg her forgiveness and ask her to come back home.

  “What’s behind this metamorphosis?” he asked, more than a little curious.

  “We talked,” Rhonda answered weakly, avoiding eye contact. “And I’m not ashamed to say that I was wrong about her. I like her.”

  Winston raised a brow. “Well, welcome to the world of adulthood.” He wasn’t going to make this easy for her. She had made life difficult for Sharon, and he didn’t like it.

  “I couldn’t stay a child forever.” Rhonda sighed heavily. “I realize how nasty I’ve been, and I’ve apologized to her.” She went up to her father and looked him directly in the eyes. “And I’d like to apologize to you too, Daddy. I was wrong.”

  Winston couldn’t believe that this was his daughter talking, but he was grateful for the change—if it was sincere. He could only hope.

  “When you saw Sharon, how did she look? Is she okay?” He couldn’t keep the eagerness out of his voice, or the longing. He missed her so much that the pain had become physical.

  “She’s all right, I guess, except for the morning sickness.”

  “Morning sickness? She wasn’t having that before!” Winston was alarmed. He couldn’t remember how long that should last. “Is she going to see the doctor? She’s not going to work while she’s sick is she?”

  Rhonda was amused. He was asking as many questions about Sharon as she had asked about him. When were the two of them going to grow up? She sought to sooth his fears.

  “She said that she felt fine when she got up this morning.”

  “Got up this morning?” Winston looked at Rhonda with surprise. “What did you do, spend the night with her?”

  Rhonda didn’t want to tell him that she had done just that. She especially didn’t want him to know about Garth. She had special plans for her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, and she wanted the revelation of his infidelity to be delivered at just the right time. So she avoided his question with one of her own.

  “What are you going to do about Sharon? I told you I know where she’s staying. Why don’t you go to her and apologize? I don’t see the big deal.”

  Winston huffed. “What do I have to apologize for? Having integrity?” He softened. “Did she say that she would come home if I apologized?”

  Rhonda hedged. “Uh, well, not exactly, but she did tell me about the problem between you two and…”

  “She told you?” Winston looked at her wide-eyed.

  “Yes,” Rhonda lied. “And I can’t believe that you’d let a little pride…”

  Winston held up his hand to stop her flow of words. “Rhonda, as I said before. This is between my wife and me. All I can say is that I’m glad that you’ve gotten to know her a little better. She’s a wonderful woman.”

  Kissing his daughter on the forehead, he turned and walked toward the stairs. “You’re welcomed to stay for dinner. The cook fixed your favorite, chicken and dumplings. But if you’re going to bring up my marital problems again, you can go home. Take your choice.”

  Rhonda sighed, frustrated that her efforts to find out what had caused the rift between her father and Sharon hadn’t worked. “Well I guess I’ll just go home then,” she pouted.

  Gathering her things, she headed for the front door, but was stopped by the sound of her father calling her name. She looked back to where he stood poised on the stairs.

  “Yes, Daddy?”

  “I’d rather that you wouldn’t share my personal business with your grandparents. I’ll tell them that we’re separated in my own time.”

  She nodded. “Okay. If you insist.”

  Closing the door behind her, she walked the short distance to her car as she thought about her father’s words and her blossoming friendship with her stepmother. So much had changed in such a short span of time, and she meant to see to it that more changes were made. Kicking that lying, cheating, two-timing Garth to the curb was paramount, but seeing that her father and Sharon were happily back together was most important of all.

  Chapter 16

  She was gorgeous. From the moment Nedra Davis-Reasoner walked into the room, he was captivated.

  Royce’s eyes strayed from the papers in front of him back to the woman sitting across the table. Those iridescent eyes that had mesmerized him were now downcast, absorbed in reading the information provided by his attorney. Her m
ahogany brown face was pinched in concentration. He had always had a propensity toward women of color, and this one’s dark beauty drew him like a bee to honey. She was tall, sleek and sophisticated. When they were introduced and she looked at him through thick, silky lashes with eyes that could stop a man’s heart, his body had reacted instantly. He had taken a seat at the table quickly to keep from embarrassing himself. He was glad that he had shown up for this meeting.

  It was a gathering that he hadn’t really viewed as necessary. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t see the problem. The boy was supposed to be his son, so in his opinion all that was needed was for the kid to be given to him so that he could take him to his father. His old man had forced him to come here and make a show of actually caring one way or another about this whole thing. Now that he was here, Royce wanted to kiss the old fool. If he had passed on this meeting, he would have missed the opportunity to meet the lovely Mrs. Reasoner. There was only one problem with that—Mr. Reasoner.

  Royce’s eyes shifted to the man sitting next to her. He was reading the papers on the table in front of him. There was no doubt that Sinclair Reasoner was the kind of man that women desired. He was handsome, rich and definitely a fashion plate. Everything about him was impeccably in place. Yeah, Cool, Calm and Collected, those would be the perfect words to describe him. Yet, he wasn’t an affable man. He hadn’t been exactly receptive to Royce. The nod that he had given him as their attorneys introduced them had been barely perceptible, but his wife—

  Royce’s eyes shifted back to Nedra. She had also been a bit reserved at their introduction, but at least she had been gracious. Beauty, class, grace and style, the perfect combination, all wrapped up in one delicious lady. It was more than her husband deserved. Royce’s eyes slid back to Sinclair.

  Sensing that someone was watching him, Sin’s eyes eased upward slowly to gaze directly into the ice blue eyes of the man across the table. He didn’t like him. Not only because of his claim of parenthood to a child that Sin thought of as his, but all of the instincts that he had developed during his years of survival on the streets told him that Royce Jamison was a predator.