Feel The Fire (Unforgettable Series) (19 page)
Read Feel The Fire (Unforgettable Series) Online
Authors: Adrianne Byrd
Quentin was apparently born the clown and was the dominant skirt chaser. The brothers cast Q in the part of Fredo-since he was usually the leak or snitch in the group. This also meant he was beaten up by his brothers often. Then there was the prank that landed them the mother of all punishments.
“You staged a kidnapping?” Toni asked with incredulous laughter.
“We were mobsters.” Jonas said, leaning over and refilling her wine glass. “Mobsters kidnapped people.”
Tossing her head back against an easy chair, she laughed toward the night’s twinkling stars. They had moved their private party down to the island’s white-sanded beach. The sounds of the soft waves crashing against the shore, a crackling bonfire before them and the heady taste of Pinot Gris had her feeling more than mellow.
“Who did you kidnap?”
“Quentin.”
“What? How did you kidnap a member of your own family?”
“Fredo needed to be taught a lesson. Of course we didn’t really count on my parents freaking and calling the FBI.”
“See? I was always afraid that if I had kids they would be just as bad as you and your brothers.”
An image of Toni with a pregnant belly flashed inside Jonas’s head and caused his lips to curl into an instant smile. “Well, we turned out all right. We avoided a federal charge-since the agents cracked the case within two minutes of being on it.”
Toni laughed and sipped her drink.
Jonas watched her-studied her while basking in the gentle sea breeze. “What about you?”
She stopped laughing but a smile lingered on her lips. “What about me?”
“C’mon. You can’t tell me you were a perfect model princess who never got into trouble?”
Her smile slowly vanished. “No I’m not going to tell you that.”
His gaze dropped when he realized that he’d crashed into the same brick wall. Her past was clearly off-limits. After a long quiet moment, Jonas shifted his eyes back to their crackling fire.
“I don’t have any brothers and sisters,” she admitted softly. “And I certainly wasn’t anyone’s princess.”
Jonas turned and gave her his full attention.
“I didn’t pull pranks or...do a lot of childhood things.”
He waited, sensing that she wanted to say more, but she never did. Unwilling to let the mood sour, Jonas bounded out of his chair, the firelight highlighting his well-muscled and toned body.
“How about a swim?” he asked.
Toni took her time appreciating his godlike form in swim trunks. “What makes you so sure I know how to swim?”
Stunned, he blinked and then laughed. “You’re joking.”
“Let me guess,” she said playfully. “You grew up with a huge pool in your backyard.”
Jonas walked over to her chair and offered his hand. “Come on. I’ll teach you.”
“ Teach me? I’m forty-”
“Doesn’t matter. I can teach you anything.”
She hesitated, but a determined Jonas simply leaned down and scooped her into his arms. “What are you doing?” she squealed as he headed toward the water.
He laughed. “What do you think?”
“No. No. Put me down.” She kicked her legs and tried to squirm her way out of his arms, but he wasn’t having any of that.
Lucky for her, it was a full moon and it reflected off the clear water like a large mirror.
“Jonas, please. Please. Things live in this water.”
“That’s part of the beauty of it.”
Before she could utter another protest, Jonas gently dipped her into the cold sea. Squealing, her arms tightened around his neck. “Don’t let me go!”
“Don’t worry,” he said, his warm breath drifting across the shell of her ear. “I have you.”
To her surprise, she relaxed, trusting him not to drown her and...something else. She glanced up into his eyes completely taken by surprised by the soft tenderness glowing in them.
Something was happening between them. She could feel it in the marrow of her bones and in the fierce pounding in her heart.
True to his word, Jonas taught her how to remain afloat in the water—his hands casually gliding over her body, causing a different army of goose bumps to pimple her flesh.
“There you go. You’re getting the hang of it,” he encouraged, smiling.
Whether it was the truth or not she didn’t know or care. Suddenly her body was infused with a new energy and it scared and excited her.
Jonas leaned back in the water and pulled her body so she floated on top of him. All the while, his gaze entrapped hers, pulling her toward something that she didn’t know whether she was ready for or if she could handle it.
When she was finally able to pull her gaze from his, it was only for it to travel down to his lips. Next, she didn’t know whether she kissed him or he kissed her; but she melted against him all the same and moaned so deep that it reverberated in her bones.
She had no recollection on how they made it from the sea back to shore; but she was keenly aware that she wasn’t having sex with Jonas.
She was making love to him.
Chapter 24
“You’re alive!” Brooklyn declared when Toni opened her door. “Yeah, she’s here,” she then said into the blue tooth latched on her ear. “Let me call you back.” Without waiting for an answer, Brooklyn disconnected the call. “Where have you been? You had me worried.”
Toni frowned and closed the door behind her friend. She had just returned home from her weekend excursion less than an hour ago and frankly she was still floating on cloud nine. “What are you doing here?”
Brooklyn turned on her heel and stabbed her with an incredulous look. “Isaiah and I came to visit his mother. I told you that two weeks ago on the phone, remember? You said we should get together and go shopping.”
Slapping a hand across her forehead, Toni realized she’d forgotten. “I’m so sorry, Brooklyn.”
“Don’t be sorry. Tell me where you were...and why you’re glowing.”
Toni shrugged and pretended not to know what her friend was talking about. “I just went out of town for the weekend.” She headed toward the kitchen.
“With?”
Toni removed a bottle of wine from the cabinet and then proceeded to find two glasses.
“Hello?” Brooklyn waved a hand in front of her friend’s face. “Who did you go out of town with?”
“Who said I went with someone?”
Brooklyn laughed. “Why are you being so evasive? I’m your girl. We tell each other everything.”
She was right. Toni stopped buzzing around the kitchen and turned to face her girlfriend. But what could she say—that the impossible has happened?
“Just tell me you didn’t hook back up with Brian. I think I can take anything but that.”
Toni laughed. “Then you can relax. Brian and I are history.”
“Good.” Brooklyn straightened. “I liked him at first but...” She didn’t finish the sentence and she didn’t need to. Brooklyn studied her friend. “Well, whoever it was, he must be awfully special.”
Toni poured the wine and handed a glass to Brooklyn.
“Can I at least get a name?”
“Jonas,” she finally supplied. “Jonas Hinton.” She marched out of the kitchen and entered the living room.
“Why does that name sound familiar?” Brooklyn asked, trailing her.
Toni settled on the couch and pretended to pick at a loose thread on her capris. She still didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t had much time alone to figure the whole thing out.
“Toni?” Brooklyn pressed, taking the spot next to her on the couch. “I’ve never seen you like this.”
“I’ve never felt like this,” she admitted. “And I definitely don’t know what to do about it.”
“Antoinette Wright, are you in love?”
“You’re sleeping with the enemy?” Marcel thundered, bursting into Jonas’s office.
“He
is
the enemy,” Solomon corrected, storming into the room, as well.
Not surprisingly Brian Olson brought up the rear.
“Come in, gentlemen,” Jonas said with an impatient sigh. “Make yourself at home.”
“What is
really
going on here?” Marcel questioned, leaning over Jonas’s desk. “You pop out of nowhere and buy a share of our company. At the same time we get hit with a frivolous lawsuit from Nora Gibson and lo and behold you’re screwing her attorney?”
“I advised you once to watch your tone,” Jonas warned. “You’re talking about a woman I happen to care a great deal about.”
“Really?” Solomon asked, startled.
“I think they’re both in on it,” Brian said, crossing his arms. “There’s no such thing as coincidence.”
Jonas sliced a lethal glare at the attorney. “I have a hard time believing Toni ever had anything to do with you.” He took the man’s measure and made sure Brian read his contempt.
Marcel and Solomon shared a befuddled look.
“I have to admit, I don’t know what to make of all of this,” Marcel said, pacing. “Are you legitimately in this business to make money or are you really set on revenge and trying to take us down?”
Jonas eased back into his chair, marveling how he’d forgotten about his initial plans of revenge in such a short time. “The lawsuit also has my name on it. It doesn’t make sense for me to be masterminding a petty lawsuit to get back at Solomon for stealing my fiancée.”
“I didn’t steal anything that belonged to you.”
“Gentlemen. Gentlemen,” Marcel cut in. “Let’s stick to the matter at hand.” He turned to face Jonas again. “We’re prepared to buy you out. Name your price.”
Jonas drew a deep breath as he cast his gaze about the room. When he’d bought Warner Music Group’s shares in T&B Entertainment, he planned to be a constant pain in Solomon’s side.
Misery loved company after all.
Funny thing was: he was no longer interested in revenge. He didn’t care one iota about how happy or unhappy Solomon and Ophelia were. He was...over it.
A soft chuckle tumbled from his chest.
“What is so funny?” Solomon challenge, his irritation climbed to new heights.
“You know what, guys?” Jonas said, snapping out of his chair. “I think I will sell.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Toni said, waving and laughing at her friend. “I’m not in love. I can’t be.”
Brooklyn laughed. “And why can’t you be? You’re still human, aren’t you? You’re still a woman.” She reached over and pinched her friend’s arm.
“Ouch.”
“You appear to still have feelings so being in love is still a possibility.”
Toni didn’t care for the wry smile sloping her friend’s face. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Damn right I am. I’ve been waiting for this moment for over twenty years.” She kicked off her shoes and folded her legs beneath her. “So when do I get to meet this man? Maybe we can all go out on a double date before Isaiah and I head back to Texas.”
“Slow your roll.” Clinging to denial for all it was worth, Toni shook her head, trying to put the brakes on this whole thing before Brooklyn actually started planning a wedding. “It’s not going to happen. Jonas and I are just having a good time. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
Brooklyn’s excitement plunged as she released a long sigh and rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”
Toni pressed her lips together in effort not to ask Brooklyn what the flippant comment was supposed to mean. To do so would undoubtedly unleash an unwanted speech.
“You know,” Brooklyn ventured with caution, “not all men are going to be like your father.”
So much for preventing a speech.
“I don’t want to talk about this, Brooklyn.”
“You never want to talk about it,” she countered. “And that would be fine if I thought you’ve completely healed or have put the whole thing behind you but-”
“I
have
put the whole thing behind me,” Toni thundered, bolting out of her seat and then pacing before the sofa. “I’ve gone through great pains to avoid the same mistakes my mother made and you know what? It’s worked.”
“A little too well, if you ask me.”
Toni’s brows crept upward.
“I know. I know. You didn’t ask me.” Brooklyn flittered a dismissive hand in the air. “Just like I didn’t ask you to help me.”
The two friends made eye contact while Brooklyn drew a deep breath.
“Look, Toni. You’re my best friend. You’ve been there for me through two marriages and two children. It’s only natural for me to want you to have the same type of happiness you helped me obtain.”
“I
am
happy,” Toni insisted. “Deliriously happy.”
Brooklyn cocked her head.
“I mean...I come and go as I please. I don’t have to answer to anyone. Nobody owns me and I don’t own anybody. My life is perfect.” Her voice quivered at the end, bringing attention to the lie.
