Owner of a Broken Heart

by Cheris Hodges

  * * *

  As the hours ticked by and Nina still didn’t see Clinton, she began to worry. Did something happen? A car accident? Or maybe that fat pig at the detention center had lied to her. Clinton could still be sitting behind bars waiting for someone to bail him out. She picked up her cell phone and called Alex.

  “Yes, Nina?”

  “Have you seen Clinton?” Nina’s voice was frantic with worry.

  “His car was in the parking lot, but it’s not anymore. But I haven’t seen him,” she said.

  “Well, he’s not at home and I’m worried that he might do something crazy,” Nina said as she nervously nibbled on her lip.

  “Like what?”

  “Go after Randall Birmingham.”

  Alex snorted. “If he did, I wouldn’t blame him. Do you know how it looked to have Clinton dragged out of that meeting in handcuffs? And you know the good old boys in the Charleston County Detention Center didn’t care about who Clinton was or the fact that he’d never been in trouble before.”

  “Please don’t say that,” Nina said. “I’d hate to think that something happened to Clinton while he was sitting in jail over some bullshit that he didn’t do. What if someone roughed him up?”

  “Nina, stop borrowing trouble and just wait. Where are you?”

  “In Summerville.”

  “Just come here and wait for him, then we can find out what’s really going on,” Alex said.

  Nina exhaled loudly. “All right, but I don’t know how long I can sit on my hands and wonder where he is.”

  “You can always busy yourself with some work,” Alex said. “I have some filing that needs to be done.”

  “Whatever. I’ll be there shortly.” Nina ended the call. Silently she prayed that Clinton was all right and would be at the hotel when she arrived.

  Her prayers were in vain because when she arrived at the bed-and-breakfast an hour later, neither Clinton nor her father was anywhere to be found.

  “Where are they?” Nina asked Alex as they settled in Alex’s office with a batch of cookies.

  Alex chewed on one of the crispy chocolate chip cookies and glanced at her sister. “Just calm down,” she said. “They’ll be here soon.”

  “And if they aren’t? What if something terrible happened?” Nina hopped out of her chair and nearly knocked the platter of cookies over.

  “If Daddy is with Clinton, they may have gone to the lawyer’s office or something. I doubt Daddy and Clinton are out doing something illegal or dangerous.” Alex pushed the platter up on the desk and glared at her sister. “Now, calm the hell down.”

  “Sorry,” she said as she sat down. “But Alex, this is strange. If Clinton was released from jail hours ago, then where is he?”

  * * *

  Birmingham laughed when he saw Clinton and Sheldon standing in his doorway. “Well, this is a sight,” he said. “What did you two come here for?”

  “You know what this is about,” Clinton snarled. “You have some nerve to march into my place of business with the police. You know damned well I didn’t steal anything from you.”

  Leaning back in his chair, Birmingham clapped his hands as if he’d been watching a Broadway play. “Sheldon, you’d better watch this one. He’s an excellent liar. You know, when you left the company, I had no inkling that I’d need to change my account numbers and passwords. He cleaned me out. Thank God the bank offers fraud protection.”

  “Cut the bullshit, Randall. I know what you wanted this young man to do and since he hasn’t done it, you’re trying to ruin his life. I’m not having it. He’s family and this ends now,” Sheldon hissed. Then with a quickness that belied his age, Sheldon leapt across Birmingham’s desk and grabbed him by the throat. “If you don’t recant these ridiculous charges and leave my family alone, I’m going to hurt you. Then I’m going to take your properties the way you’ve tried to take mine.”

  Birmingham glared at him. “Just how do you plan to do that?”

  Clinton dropped a file on his desk. “I’m going to sue you for defamation of character and we’re taking this fight public. I’m tired of talking and trying to reason with you. When I’m awarded millions of dollars, you won’t be able to buy a cheeseburger.”

  Sheldon let Birmingham go. “This is what you’re going to do if you want to remain in charge here. First, you’re going to drop these charges against Clinton. Second, you’re going to stay far away from my bed-and-breakfast. I want you to move your headquarters out of Charleston, out of this state, actually. If you don’t, bits and pieces of this information will be leaked to the media while the lawsuit, which we will be filing in the morning, drags on. Your stockholders will jump from this sinking ship like rats on the Titanic. The choice is yours.”

  Clinton smirked as he watched Sheldon work over Birmingham. He had no idea that his future father-in-law had it in him. Guess it just goes to show you that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

  “Do we have a deal?” Sheldon asked as calmly as if he were inviting the man to a dinner party.

  “You think I’m going to let you blackmail me?” Birmingham hissed.

  Sheldon shook his head. “This isn’t blackmail, this is just what you deserve. You have less than twelve hours to make everything right and decide what you’re going to do. If not,” he said as he picked up the file, “the authorities and your stockholders will be getting this information.” Then Sheldon held up his USB drive. “And I know a bunch of reporters who are dying to get their hands on this.”

  Birmingham glared at Sheldon and shook his head.

  Clinton and Sheldon turned to walk out of the office as Birmingham picked up the phone to call the district attorney.

  Once they were outside, Clinton turned to Sheldon and smiled widely. “I had no idea that you were that tough.”

  “I didn’t manage to stay in business this long by having a soft touch. I’ve always ignored Randall because I knew there was no way he could’ve gotten to my business. He’s duplicitous and I’ve known that from the first day he came into my office asking to buy into my company. There was something about him that I didn’t trust and I always trust my gut feelings about people. Well, almost always. I don’t think I’ve ever given you the apology that you deserved for me thinking that you were working with that snake and using my daughter. I know that you love Nina and she loves you. I guess hiring you was one of the best decisions I could’ve made.”

  Clinton smiled. “It certainly changed my life. Nina’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  “You weren’t so bad for her, either. But remember, while I don’t meddle, I will settle things if I have to. Especially when it comes to my baby.” Sheldon winked at Clinton, then laughed.

  He clasped his hand on Clinton’s shoulder and the two men headed for the car.

  When Clinton and Sheldon arrived at the bed-and-breakfast, Nina was standing out front pacing back and forth.

  “Where the hell have you two been?” she demanded when they got out of the car.

  The two men looked at each other and shook their heads. “You’d better watch your tone, young lady,” Sheldon said with a smile tugging at his lips. “We had some business to handle.”

  Clinton took Nina into his arms, despite the fact that she stood there with a scowl on her face and her hands on her shapely hips. It only took one gentle kiss on her neck to melt her anger.

  “They didn’t hurt you in jail, did they?” Nina asked when she finally gave him a tight hug.

  “No, but that doesn’t mean I want to go back there,” he said. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, though. Your father is one man who I don’t want to piss off.”

  “My daddy?”

  “Yes, you should’ve seen him in Birmingham’s office. He was a man on a mission and a great actor.”

  Nina furrowed her eyebrows. “Okay, I’m lost.”

  Clinton pulled the file folder from his jacket that he and Sheldon had threatened Birmingham with, then opened
it. Inside were blank sheets of paper. “He thought we had documentation on all of his shady business dealings and a multimillion-dollar lawsuit. Your dad played it to the hilt.” He ushered Nina inside and they headed for her room.

  “So, this is over now, charges dropped, and this Randall Birmingham is going to leave us the hell alone?” Nina asked as she unlocked the door.

  “If he’s smart he will. Playtime is over with this guy.”

  Nina sat down on the bed and smiled. “But I have to say, I like it when my man takes charge.”

  Easing onto the bed beside her, Clinton took her into his arms. “Do you now? Because, I’m a take-charge type of guy.”

  Nina licked her lips and smiled. “Prove it.” Taking her into his arms, Clinton brought his lips down on top of hers, kissing her deeply and passionately. With one hand, he unsnapped the buttons on her blouse, even popping a few of them off. Her skin felt like silk underneath his fingertips as he unhooked her bra. He pulled Nina onto his lap and gazed deep into her eyes as they broke off their kiss.

  “I love you so much,” he moaned before kissing her again. Their tongues danced as Clinton continued to peel Nina’s clothes off. She reached down and tugged at his belt buckle, but he grabbed her wrist.

  “Remember, I’m in control.” He flipped Nina on her back and held her wrists. With a deliberate pace, he explored the curves of her body, using his tongue as his guide. Starting with her breasts, he kissed and sucked until her nipples hardened underneath his kiss. Nina moaned as he inched down her stomach, tasting her as if she were made from the nectar of the gods. Clutching his shoulders, she nearly exploded as his lips made their way to the folds of skin between her thighs. Her legs shook as his tongue found her throbbing bud and sent ripples of pleasure through her nervous system. She tossed her head back and called out Clinton’s name over and over again like a mantra. Reversing his direction, Clinton found his way to Nina’s lips and she could taste her essence on his tongue as he kissed her deeply, making her heady with passion.

  “Clinton, I need you,” Nina moaned as he covered her body with his. He slipped his hands between her thighs and felt the heat radiating from her core, and when he felt how wet and ready she was for him, Clinton got even harder. Wrapping her legs around his waist, he fell into her hot wetness and felt as if he’d died and gone to heaven. No other woman had moved him the way Nina did. It was more than sex, they had a connection that he reveled in. She was a part of his soul and as they ebbed back and forth on the edge of ecstasy, Clinton knew he’d never love another woman again as much as he loved Nina.

  Chapter 28

  As the sunlight peeked through the blinds in Nina’s room, she opened her eyes and stared down at Clinton, who slept soundly. God, I love this man, she thought. Nina didn’t think she’d be able to open herself up to another man after the way Lamar had trampled her heart. But Clinton was different, he was gentle, he was patient, and he loved her as much as she loved him. Gently she stroked his cheek trying not to wake him, but his eyes fluttered open.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  “Morning,” she replied with a smile on her face. “Do you want some breakfast? We could go downstairs and—”

  “I just want to lie here with you in my arms.” Clinton kissed Nina on her forehead. “When I was sitting in that jail cell, the one thought that kept me sane was knowing that I’d be back in your arms soon enough.”

  “No more jail cells for you, mister. I was beyond scared when I heard you were arrested.”

  “That’s all behind us. Your father took care of Birmingham and he won’t cause us any more problems. We just have a wedding to plan now.”

  She leaned against his chest and kissed his collarbone.

  “I say let’s get married tomorrow,” Clinton quipped.

  Nina smacked him playfully on the shoulder. “That’s not going to happen. Imagine trying to elope around this bunch. Besides, I want Daddy to walk me down the aisle into your arms.”

  Clinton brushed his lips against hers. “We’re going to do whatever you want, babe.”

  “It’s your wedding too and we’re never doing this again.”

  “Oh, no doubt. We’re in this forever.”

  Clinton cupped her face in his hands and kissed her slow and deep. When they broke the kiss, Nina smiled like a Cheshire cat. “Let’s get married Christmas Day.”

  “Are you sure you want to share our anniversary with Santa Claus?” Clinton laughed.

  “Every day I’m with you is like Christmas, so let’s just make it official,” Nina said, then kissed Clinton on the tip of his nose. “Anyway, Santa Claus has nothing on you.”

  “Then Christmas Day it is. So that gives us about a month to get this wedding planned?”

  Nina nodded. “At least I won’t be flying around the country missing homemade turkey and stuffing this year.”

  “Sounds like fun. And speaking of fun . . .” Clinton placed her hand on his growing erection. “Let’s replay last night.”

  Nina stroked him to the point of a near climax. “I’m down for—” A knock at the door stopped their flow. Nina groaned.

  “Nina, Clinton, open the door,” Alex said.

  “Could her timing have been any worse?” Clinton whispered.

  “Maybe if we ignore her she’ll go away.”

  “I know you two are in there,” Alex said. “Open this door.”

  Clinton shook his head. “She’s not going away.”

  Wrapping her body in a sheet, Nina walked over to the door, and once Clinton had put on his boxers and a T-shirt, she opened it. “What do you want?” Nina asked.

  Alex walked in the room and shook her head. “Sorry to interrupt, but not really.” She ignored Clinton’s and Nina’s annoyed looks. “Is anyone going to tell me what happened with Randall? Dad’s in meetings all morning and—”

  “Why don’t we talk about it over breakfast? It’ll give me and Clinton a chance to get dressed.”

  “All right,” Alex said, smiling slyly at her sister. “Fifteen minutes?”

  “How about thirty?” Clinton suggested.

  Alex waved good-bye to the couple and headed out the door.

  About thirty minutes later, Clinton and Nina joined Alex in the dining room. She had arranged for an array of breakfast foods to be served as well as gourmet coffee, which Nina knew was a peace offering.

  Nina smiled. “This is really nice, Sis.”

  “I felt kind of bad for busting up your groove this morning,” Alex whispered as Clinton poured coffee for the ladies. “So, what happened?”

  Clinton and Nina sat down and looked at Alex. He said, “Nina and I had a wonderful night and—”

  Alex nodded and held her hand up. “That’s nice, but what happened with that snake Randall?”

  Clinton told her the events of the previous night as Nina munched on honeydew melon.

  “So he’s finished terrorizing us?” Alex asked.

  Clinton nodded. “I don’t think he wants to deal with your father.”

  Alex smiled smugly as she buttered a piece of wheat toast. “Daddy didn’t make it this far by being a pushover, Randall should’ve known that.” She bit into the bread and turned to Nina. “Are you going to join us for Thanksgiving this year or are you covering the Cowboys again?”

  Nina cut into her turkey bacon and shook her head. “Not this year. I’m looking forward to the holidays this year.” She and Clinton exchanged a meaningful glance.

  Alex looked at them and eased back in her chair. “What am I missing?”

  Nina drummed her fingers against the table. “Oh, nothing.” The smile on her face was as bright as the sun. “We’re getting married.”

  “I know that,” Alex said.

  “On Christmas Day,” Clinton said.

  Alex clasped her hands together. “What? That is so romantic. And Clinton, you will never be able to forget your anniversary. Are y’all going to have the wedding here?”

  Nina was thrilled with Alex�
��s excitement about the wedding. Squeezing her sister’s hand, she smiled. “Getting married here would be apropos since this is where we met.”

  “And she nixed my idea of flying to Vegas tonight.”

  Alex rolled her eyes. “I’d hurt you both.”

  Nina nudged Clinton. “I told him that.”

  “Glad you did.” Alex pursed her lips, then relaxed. “But I’m thinking a winter wonderland theme with—”

  “There you go,” Nina said. “Can we take it one step at a time?”

  “Sorry, but we need this happiness right now. I’m still trying to process everything going on with Logan and Robin.”

  “And then there’s Yolanda.”

  Alex raised her right eyebrow. “What about Yolanda?”

  Nina bit her bottom lip, surprised that their father hadn’t shared Yolanda’s situation with Alex. Now she wished she’d kept her mouth shut. “Nothing.”

  “You can’t open up that can of worms and say nothing. What’s really behind her move to Charlotte?”

  “Ask your sister. I’m not getting into this. Besides, we were talking about a winter wonderland.”

  Clinton smiled at the two women. If someone would’ve told him when he started his job at the bed-and-breakfast that he’d be sitting at a table with Alexandria Richardson planning his wedding, he would’ve told that person that he or she needed to seek mental health help.

  “All right,” Clinton said as he walked over to Nina and Alex. “We’d better tell the rest of the family about our wedding day. I don’t want Yolanda to come down on me because we didn’t tell her about this.”

  Nina turned to her fiancé. “You know she will. Believe it or not, she’s actually tougher than this one.”

  Alex rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Are you going to tell me what’s going on with Yo-Yo or not?”

  Nina shook her head.

  Alex rose to her feet. “Keep your little secrets,” she said, her tone telling everyone how offended she was to be left out of the loop. “I’m going to book my cruise.”