Have Your Cake (23 page)

“So,” Sally spoke, placing a slender hand on her hip. “You’re still in my Asher’s head, are you?”

“Excuse me?” Cyana asked.

“Don’t feign ignorance with me. You’re his latest crush. His current squeeze.” Sally rolled her eyes. “His main thang.” She flipped her wrist in a sarcastic display of sister-girl behavior.

Oh hell no, this woman isn’t belittling me
. The irritation whipped through her. Cyana bit her tongue with cheeks blaring heat. Sally ran a keen eye over her chef uniform while Cyana closed the fridge door. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Are you seeing my son?” Sally asked.

Cyana started to clear the island of her mess. She discerned Sally would get complete satisfaction if she confessed breaking off her relationship with Asher. The decision to leave well enough alone was made quickly. “Seeing him? I haven’t seen him at all today. If you’re looking for him, then you may want to check outside. He wouldn’t be in the kitchen.”

“I’ll take that as a no, which is good. You’re certainly not Wilmington material.” She waltzed by.

The Wilmington men must have had some type of trouble radar when it came to Sally. Asher and Joshua entered the kitchen. Asher shot Sally an irritated glance; then passed his attention over Cyana. She made a mental effort to keep her head held high and demonstrate her strength against Sally while her insides quivered with a cocktail of hurt and frustration. Asher’s jaw tightened. “Mother, the changing room needs to be ready for Rebecca,” he said in a voice pinched with agitation.

“Of course, darling.” She glided to him in six-inch stilettos, giving his cheek a peck before floating out of the space.

He sauntered to Cyana. She dropped her gaze to his black boots and inhaled the scent of his cologne mingled with natural vitality. The negative emotions churning her gut quelled into something far more confusing. She fought the tremor his presence shunted in her.
Crap. This man is driving me insane. I have to be crazy to keep turning into mush around him.

“You got time for an interview?”

The tone of his voice caused her to make an effort to breathe through parted lips. She peeked up to him with confusion. “A what?”             

“Come on. I got you set up in the French room.”

By the time she’d finished with the journalist who snapped her photo, the guests were arriving and seats filling in on the lawn. She went through the house and out the side door to the stable kitchen. The weather was sticky. She wasn’t looking forward to spending the day in the hot kitchen, but having Iona and Mama there would make it wonderful.

The workers buzzed about the lawn under queen bee Sally’s command. The canopy Asher carved set entwined with fabric and flowers. She made a mental note to get a better look at it later.

Cyana missed this kind of commotion. She caught a glimpse of Asher’s tall figure across the lawn. Photographers were coaxing the slender bride and her wedding party. Checking her phone, she noticed the wedding would start in forty minutes.

She entered the stable kitchen which already smelled of wonderful sweet barbeque and garlic mashed potatoes. “Can I help with anything?”

“Oh, I’m glad you showed,” Iona said. “Those rolls you made are pining for some heat.”

She busied herself under Mama and Iona’s instruction. Food was flying out on order before long, leaving her to tug tickets from the window and expedite the delivery. The staff wheeled food from one kitchen to the next. The extra help Asher provided was washing dishes of returned plates. Their only clue the wedding was over came as saucers with cake scraps on them.

The commotion started to die down. Cyana’s belly growled. She helped Mama clean the stoves and counters before flopping into the stool at the steel island. A plate slid across the metal top and stopped in front of her.

A pile of garlic mashed potatoes sprinkled with cheese was at its center. Two fat barbeque ribs sat in a standing X off to the right. A rose-shaped roll steamed in the upper right corner and parsley with lines of melted butter outlined the rim of the plate.

Her sister sat down with two servings of red velvet wedding cake. Cyana laughed. “You had enough time to cook us dinner and steal cake?”

Iona gave a shrug. “I’ll try yours if you’ll try mine.”

“Girl, you’ve got a deal.”

A
sher surveyed the dining area as servers attended the tables. He barely noticed the shimmer of the crystals and flicker of candle light. The delicious scent of barbeque had died in his nose.

Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Wilmington had the most beautiful wedding the South had seen in a long time. The house was packed with prestigious individuals who witnessed the happy beginning. Congratulations and compliments on the Milway stacked up almost as quickly as the booking for more events.

He’d long ago devoured Iona’s fresh spring salad, decadent pea soup and savory sparerib ravioli. Cyana’s red velvet and chocolate mousse cake made overstuffed guests return for seconds. Even he put in an additional order for an entree of sweet barbeque baby backs, parmesan corn on the cob and collard greens; then headed back for a few more bites of cake.

Asher did it, got his boy married off to a fine young woman while showcasing the Wilmington Wedding brand and kicking off the grand opening of the Milway location. The benefits of another success tucked under his name would soon line his pockets, but he wasn’t satisfied. Not in the slightest.
How
in hell am I gonna get a moment alone with Cyana?

Obligation was a word the Wilmington home knew well. Duty entwined every portion of the family fortune. Now, he was nearly trapped at Sally’s side to make certain there would be plenty of photos of the Wilmingtons to cover the press release which would send more business toward the Milway. But this time, the self-induced commitment was interfering with getting to Cyana. Standing next to his mother, in order for her to work her charms and make the wedding design a hit to the magazine photographers, turned into a necessary evil. It was imperative Wilmington Weddings made a strong mark to carry on the success of his investment.

He glanced at his watch. Joshua and Rebecca left in the limo two hours ago, on their way to a European honeymoon. The party dwindled to one of Sally’s snob elite gatherings. Asher thought he caught a glimpse of Cyana crossing the back lawn. He regarded the fashion design superstar to his right going on about the importance of dark woods.

He suppressed a yawn. The hustle and bustle for food had all but died out, with demand turning to fine wine and champagne. It made sense for him to think Cyana might have left the kitchen. He started towards the rear door when a familiar well-polished hand settled on his arm.

“Is there somewhere you need to be?” Sally asked, tugging him to a stop with Judge Garrett beside her. “You haven’t spent a single moment with Sophia.”

“She’s with Fredrick.” Asher tilted his head towards his ex-date and Fred, laughing with the group of ball players. “I thought it was pretty obvious to anyone looking.”

“Are you going to allow another man to stand between you and your woman? Asher, you are obligated to get her back.”

He nodded, remembering the tall dark man Cyana had clung to. His mother’s words worked through his mind. “You’re absolutely right, Mother. You’ve been right about this all along. When it comes to my woman, I’m obligated to make sacrifices and it’s not always comfortable or traditional by everyone else’s standards.”

Sally smiled, removing her grip. “I knew you’d come around.”

“Mr. Garrett,” he nodded, intentionally leaving off the man’s title and earning a look of stern reprimand from Sally, “you have a lovely daughter.”

The judge knit his brow and nodded. Asher headed for the back door.

“Asher,” she hissed. “Asher, come back here.”

He didn’t have the patience to put on the show his mother needed in order to maintain her relationship with a man she didn’t love. The humid air refreshed him while he clopped down the rear steps. Cyana strolled to the canopy in her chef’s uniform.

Several guests stopped him to compliment on the event but he managed to make it to her. She didn’t notice him approach from behind. Her dark brown kinks tamed in a French roll, but a few locks escaped on the right side where her hair tended to fall forwards.

He took a lingering survey of her uniform, which only served to make him want to take it off and reveal the fine curves underneath. He admired the stroke of her hands, fingers tracing the lines of his work and toying with the fabric. The memory of how she lingered against his skin and pressed into his flesh threatened to bring heat to his ears.

“You like it?”

She jumped with a sharp inhale. “Jeez, Asher.”

“I’m sorry.” He mounted the steps into the canopy.

“I just had to see it finished.” She faced him. “I didn’t get a chance earlier.”

Heat sprouted below his buckle at the very thought of why she hadn’t gotten to see his completed work. His sight skirted over her uniform. He suppressed the suggestive grin tempting his lips. He was nearly certain if he snuck her to the workshop no one would miss them.

“It’s really beautiful,” she said.

“It sure is.” He said, deliberately staring at her until her lips folded into her mouth. She dropped her attention to the floor and rubbed at her sleeve. He crossed to the back railing where she stood, admiring the carved pillars to close their distance.

Cyana sucked in a sharp inhale. “Asher.” She grabbed his hand with both of hers and wrenched it up. Her brow knit with concern while she spied the tape wrapped around his thumb. Their short encounter yesterday must have rattled her since she didn’t notice, or perhaps the fact he’d left it unwrapped hadn’t drawn attention to it. “What happened?”

He watched her closely. She’d avoided him, rammed his heart with a stake by not speaking to him. Now, his wounded heart pumped anew. It thundered so fiercely he could barely hear anything around them. None of it mattered. Her touch warmed his chest as she eyed his hand with concern.

“I got distracted working on the bar.”

She let out a sympathetic mew which did more for his cock than his heart. She rubbed at the bridge of his thumb from the side of his palm to his knuckle in soothing strokes. All the throbbing ceased. With as much compassion as she showed the beat up appendage, she still had to care for him.

“Well, you did a good job.” She spoke the words at his thumb.

He smiled. His lips tingled to kiss her and taste the sweetness that was only hers, soothe the worry to let her know he was all right, as long as she was here comforting him.
Dammit, cowboy. Tal
k.
“The Huffing family truly has a gift when it comes to cuisine. The food was remarkable. The cake was an absolute hit. Your stack of business cards is considerably smaller.”

She released his hand as gently as she’d set a fish to water and peered to him.

Asher caught his breath. Staring down at his angel with a soft smile on her lips made the world stand still. He made a conscious effort to resist her gravity coaxing him to step closer. His palms were sweaty and heart racketed up a notch in his ears. He shifted his weight on his heels.
Damn. Can’t believe I’m nervous.
But, Cyana had gotten away from him so many times. He only hoped she’d stay long enough to have this talk.
Ah hell, Asher. Cowboy up.

“Look, I apologize for being an ass to you the other day.” He blurted. The nerves kicking around in his gut didn’t allow him to add any finesse.

He rubbed his palms against the front of his slacks while hooking his good thumb in the loop surrounding his buckle. A sudden weight settled on his chest. The urge to spit everything out saddled him before she could reply. “I realize the only problem with us is not knowing each other enough.” He shrugged and softened his tone. “I do have a history, Cyana. It ain’t at all pretty, but I want you to listen to me. To hear what I have to say.” His chest seemed to clench in a vice grip while he anticipated her response.

She dropped her gaze. The “Kay” which followed was soft and shy.

“I lost my father at fifteen.” She jolted to look at him. A sympathetic croak left her throat. He placed a finger to her lips.
Bad move.
The soft pillow below the rough pad of his finger was hot, slightly moist and tempting.
Damn, damn, damn.
He dragged in a breath. His hand seemed like lead when he lifted it. Every instinct pined for a kiss. “Just listen.” The words passed on an aroused breath.

He shoved his hand deep in his pockets, hoping he wouldn’t touch her again. Not in this crowd. One more slip and he’d be carrying her into the house without any recognition of the party.
Dam
n.
The woman turned him into a caveman. He shook his head at the thought. “My brother, David, and I inherited my father’s fortune.” He knit his brow. “We didn’t know what to do with it. We were barely a family. Losing Gerald had an impact on all of us. He was the family rock, the one telling us what we’re supposed to do. We called him Gerald the General.” Asher let out a long sigh. “David was the oldest, eighteen. Suddenly responsible for the wellbeing of all of us and obligated to meet my father’s strict will requirements to keep the family fortune. He went to law school, got married. Did everything right to gain control of the estate. He even took in Sally after Gerald left her nothing. Gerald was so controlling, she only got a percentage of whatever we gained once we met his terms. I guess it was his way of making sure she did her job as a mother. To be certain we all stayed in line, or out the door the money went.”

“You didn’t like it, huh?”

Her question snapped him out of his reflection a moment. He could feel the scowl on his face and softened with a head shake. “It ain’t right. Using money like a tool to control your family’s actions is no good for anybody. It certainly wasn’t for us. Gerald was gifted with money. Taught us about it. I just didn’t like some of what he’d done to get more.” He swallowed. “David and his young bride were into drugs. Cocaine. Heroine. I was invited down the path with them. Got myself busted a few times. David always bailed me out. He lived a fast life, went broke and turned to bank robbing when the money wasn’t being allotted fast enough.”

Cyana shifted her stance, tilting her head to the side.

He nodded. “He and his wife went to jail as young parents.”

“So the headlines I saw…”

“Most of them were about him, but I wasn’t much better off with the law. In the eyes of Sally, I was a wash.” He took a fleeting glance over the lawn and leaned his hip into the railing. “I did wrong alongside them. I made a lot of bad choices. I did things I would never ask you to love. But, if I knew my actions would cause me to lose someone in my life as sweet as you, I’d never done ‘em.” He clenched his hands. “I also chose not to go to law school or become a doctor, which sent the lion’s portion of my share of Gerald’s fortune to charity.”

“Wait, you threw away your family’s money?”

He gazed to her. “That’s what Sally was talking about when you overheard us. There was only a bit left, but I didn’t want to do what it took to keep it. Instead, I adopted Joshua. Not wanting him to grow up without a man in his life gave me enough pressure to look for a job.” He crossed his arms over his chest, satisfied she seemed interested in what he had to say. “I remembered meeting Herman Wright at Gerald’s funeral. I went to work for him as a cook and kitchen manager for a while. I kept getting into trouble here and there, 'til he sat me down and asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I had no money since it was all locked up in the estate and wills. Herman paid for me to do what I really wanted. Attend construction school. Work with my hands. Something neither of my parents would ever agree with. Before long, I became a general contractor. I got the idea to start flipping property. My grades were good. I was doing a much better job being a father to Josh. Herman saw my hard work and gave me the startup funds. I’ve been doing it ever since. Creating my fortune.”

“Against Sally’s will?” she asked, settling her hip along the side rails of the canopy.

“Against everyone’s will, but mine. I like to think I build my future.” He shifted to stare out over the lawn and towards the house. The fruits of his labor brought the family more success than his father ever promised. “I met some of my father’s demands on his fortune, got a small amount. I wasn’t a millionaire, but I was doing alright for myself. I paid off Herman and decided to do business debt free.”

He gestured out towards the Milway’s lawn. “Sally needed a way to survive, so I considered what Herman did for me and invested in putting her to work. When she graduated from design school, I took her on as a partner and started buying estates for events. My properties are a good spot for mother to cheaply flaunt her decorative skill. Her talent brings publicity to the homes I remodel. We’ve worked together to grow the family wealth and reinvent the name. Make Wilmington something Joshua can be proud to wear on his jersey.”

“So,” Cyana wrung her fingers around each other. “Sally really wants what’s best?”

He chuckled. “In her twisted way. She just doesn’t know what’s best for me. I never did give much of a rat’s ass what she wants. Now, don’t get me wrong.” He yanked his hand from his pocket and held up a finger. “She’s my mother. I love her, but we don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things about life. She pisses me off something fierce at times.” He chuckled, rapping a fist against his thigh. “A lot of times actually. I gotta tell ya the truth, we fight like cats and dogs most days. The woman just doesn’t know how to leave well enough alone. Let some things die in the past where they’re buried, but I love her. She only wants me to be a better man. I know. Just don’t like every mistake thrown in my face.”