Her Kind of Man (30 page)

“You don't understand,” Syd told her. “He needs me. And I owe him.”

“You don't, Syd.” Tears gathered in Allina's eyes and she turned away to wipe them. “I just wish you'd realize that and maybe take this as an opportunity to start fresh.”

“Start where?” Syd dropped her gaze to the floor. “I've been with him so long I don't even remember life without him.”

“But you've also sacrificed so much for him and the relationship. You've made excuses for his behavior, blamed everything on his disease. What if he's just being himself? Ask yourself why he cheated on you with her in the first place.”

Syd had asked herself that question so many times. “I wasn't here. I moved out of the state. How could I expect him to be faithful when I wasn't sure I was coming back?” It was the blanket answer she'd repeated to herself so often she believed it.

“You moved to go to graduate school,” Allina said, obviously not accepting the bland excuse. “You went to help your sick father.”

“Still, we didn't make any promises when I left,” she insisted, even as she realized her defense of Den was more out of habit. The fact was, Den hadn't proven himself worthy of her loyalty in a long time. Just like her brother said.

“Well, you're back now.” Allina picked up a safety pin off the floor and tossed a used tissue into a small waste bin. “It's been years and it seems that you're in this perpetual state of cleaning up behind him.”

There it was again. The cold, hard truth. And she couldn't deny it any longer.

“He made a promise when he proposed to you, Syd,” Allina continued. “He broke it. You have to decide if you're going to keep accepting that, because you know he's not going to take responsibility for his actions. It's always someone else's fault.”

Allina was right. She had given Den more than enough chances and she was tired. The relationship was beyond repair at this point. And even if it wasn't, she wasn't sure she'd want to fix it. As much as she loved him, she had to face the fact that it just wasn't going to work, and he wasn't healthy for her. The wedding was off.

Morgan tapped on the door to the small storefront, then pressed the bell. He'd rushed over when he'd received Allina's call begging him to come and pick Syd up. She'd spouted something about heartbreak, wine, and weddings, so he dropped everything and raced there. As he waited, he wondered what he'd find when the door opened.

Allina opened the door. “I'm so glad you came.”

“What's going on?” he asked, ducking under the low-hanging bell and stepping into the shop. He heard the radio blasting Destiny's Child and what sounded like… singing, loud and off-key.

“I tried to take the bottle away from her, but she's in a mood,” Allina told him. “I would stay but I have an event. I tried to call Red, but he's not answering. Calisa didn't pick up either. I even tried Kent. So you're it.”

“Where the hell is Den?” Morgan muttered, shaking his head and running a hand over his face. He cringed when Syd hit an awkward high note. “You still haven't told me what's going on, Allina.”

She sighed. “That's… not an option. I'm sorry if I interrupted your evening, but I didn't know who else to call. I'd tell you what happened, but I promised I wouldn't.”

He muttered a curse under his breath. “Where is she?”

“Back there,” she answered, pointing to one of the private bridal rooms in the rear of the store.

Morgan followed her toward the music. Although Allina hadn't technically spilled the beans, he'd already guessed that his brother was the reason Syd was belting out through-with-love songs at the top of her lungs. Obviously, Syd was in no condition to drive. And he wanted to throttle his older brother for undoubtedly breaking her heart. Again.

Rounding the corner, he stopped at the sight of Syd sprawled out on the couch singing Dru Hill's “In My Bed.”

“Oh, shit,” Morgan grumbled.

“Tell me about it,” Allina mumbled under her breath. She stood over Syd and nudged her. “Hey. Morgan's here.”

Syd's eyes widened. “Morgan? What is he…?” She pointed at him accusingly. “What are
you
doing here?”

“Syd,” he said softly, approaching her. “What are you doing?”

“Singing,” she said simply. “And drinking.”

He bent down to Syd's level. Pushing a few stray curls out of her face, he took a good look at her, noting that her hazel eyes were bloodshot and her mocha skin had a pink flush to it. Sure signs that she was drunk. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

“I don't know.” Syd shrugged. “Can I trust you?”

He chuckled, amused by the question. “You know you can.”

“I don't know.” She traced his cheek with her fingers. “You're his brother. Do you know you have dimples just like him?”

He squeezed her hand and gently removed it from his face. “You can trust me.”

“But you don't look like him,” she said, her voice low and hoarse. “You have nice facial hair. And you're much taller and thinner. Between me and you,” she whispered, “I think Den is going to get fat in a couple of years. He eats too much pizza.”

“Tell me what happened,” he said, trying to get her back on track.

“He cheated on me with that whore, Laney. Again,” she slurred, picking at the mound of curls on the top of her head, pulled into what she often referred to as a bitchy bun. “He fucked me over. I mean, the first time I was away. I gave him that one because I lived in another state at the time. And even though she ended up pregnant… I still forgave his ass.” She sobbed and dropped her empty paper cup on the floor.

Morgan remembered the drama surrounding Den's first affair with Laney. The woman had gotten pregnant and couldn't wait to tell the world. Den had refused to 'fess up even though they all told him to tell Syd before she found out from someone else, namely Laney. Eventually, Syd found out the truth when Laney followed her through the mall, taunting her with the sordid details of their ongoing relationship. Shortly after, though, Laney suffered a miscarriage.

Syd squeezed his arm, jarring him from his thoughts. “I forgave him again a week ago when he confessed that he'd slept with some random woman he met in a bar,” she cried, her tears falling unchecked down her cheeks. “He said it happened months ago, before he proposed, when we were having that rough patch. But it was really last week. And then I find out it's
her
. He played me. And I let him. Again. She called me, ya know,” she babbled on. “She wanted me to know that he fucked her in my bed. He couldn't even take her somewhere else.”

“Son of…” Allina groaned. “You didn't tell me that earlier.”

“I didn't want to say it out loud,” Syd admitted quietly. “Allina already thinks I'm stupid for taking him back in the first place. You probably pity me, too.”

“I don't, Syd,” Allina said, her voice cracking. She dropped to her knees next to Morgan. “I'm here for you.”

“You do,” Syd told Allina. “You probably think I'm going to take him back again.”

Morgan looked at Allina, who stared down at the floor. He guessed she really did believe Syd would take his cheating brother back. Probably because she always did. Sometimes it would take a few days, a few months, but she always took him back. He'd spent a lot of time trying to figure out why. In the end, he figured her reasons for making excuses for Den's behavior matched his own. He'd spent most of his life doing the same thing, years of ignoring the bad and concentrating on the good. In spite of all Den's flaws, they'd seen the man who protected those he loved with everything he had; the man who could make anyone laugh no matter the circumstance; the smart, talented businessman… a man worth saving.

Glancing back at Syd, anger coursed through him. The Den he wanted to save seemed lost to him. It had been a long time since he felt the need to make excuses for his brother, and that was partly because of Syd. Mostly it was because Morgan resented Den. He'd given up a lot for his brother, but ultimately had made the decision to pull away because he was tired of being pulled into Den's hell. This latest debacle was simply Den being Den—selfish, careless, and impulsive. And he hoped Syd was finished with him for good this time.

“Come on, babe,” he said, picking Syd up and cradling her in his arms.

“Are you going to take her home?” Allina asked, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “I mean, are you taking her home with you?”

He nodded as he made his way through the store with Allina right on his heels. “I'll keep trying to reach Red,” he told Allina. “In the meantime, I'll make sure she's taken care of. Thanks for calling me.”

“Morgan? Her purse,” Allina called. She hooked Syd's tote on his arm. “I was going to say tell Den to go screw himself, but just take care of my friend. I parked her car in the garage. It'll be good there overnight.”

He nodded. “For what it's worth, I want to kick his ass, too.”

T
his has got to be the worst date ever
. Calisa Harper stabbed at her overdone pasta, twirling it around her spoon. For a minute, she felt guilty even thinking that. Joshua Clayborn was one of the most eligible bachelors in the Detroit area, with his dark skin, firm body, and long money. There were hordes of women waiting in the wings to get to him, but he'd picked her. Still, having dinner with him was akin to watching golf or, better yet, sticking a thousand needles in her eye. One word—no, make that three: boring as hell.

She glanced at her phone, torn between opening up her current game of Candy Crush and browsing through her e-mails. This couldn't be the life.

“Why are you so quiet?” Joshua asked, his dark eyes on her, assessing her.

Eyeing the door, she shrugged. “You seemed like you weren't done talking.” She smiled at him. “About your house, your car, your job,” she muttered under her breath, not even caring if he heard her.

He reached across the table, picked up her hand in his. Rolling her eyes, she forced herself to at least pay attention to the man. It wasn't every day she was treated to dinner by a hot millionaire.
Hot
was the only thing good about Mr. Clayborn, though. What was the use of having a good face but all the charm of dry paint? At least with paint, she could choose her own color.

“Calisa, you're so beautiful,” he said.

She could agree with that, she thought with a smile. Her black, low-cut, form-fitting dress left just enough to the imagination, stopping at the knee. Long layers fell down her back like ocean waves. Topping off her look with a pair of five-inch, red-bottomed pumps, she knew she looked good.

“Thank you, Josh. You look good, too.”

“What do you want to do tonight?”

“Red.” Her eyes widened, mortified that she'd actually said that out loud. Scrambling to cover up her mistake, she tried to think of anything
red
. Red rover, red robin, red… “Redeem my points at the casino,” she lied, shifting in her seat.

He seemed to accept her answer because he ticked off the casinos in town and mentioned his preference. Nodding, she agreed to go to the MGM Grand.
Maybe I can lose him on the floor?

The sound of boisterous laughter sounded in the restaurant, and her attention shifted to the bar. Her body stiffened at the sight of a group of men in business suits and the harem of women surrounding them. One in particular stood out, with his smooth golden skin, short wavy hair, and dimpled smile. He chose that moment to look up, locking eyes with her across the room and tipping his glass in her direction.

Knowing he would be in the city and actually seeing him were two different things, since the Detroit-Windsor area boasted a population of 5.7 million. Jared Williams was hard to miss, though. He had a way that drew her to him. Cool, calm, and collected with an irresistible swagger. No wonder she wanted to do him. It seemed as if that was all she ever wanted to do. Only they had strict rules; rules she tried to never break.

Joshua went on and on about his contacts and his contracts in the city and she… watched as “Red” charmed all the women around him. She gulped down the rest of her wine, bothered that the sight of him getting so much female attention made her stomach burn. It was a feeling she'd been getting used to, especially over the past year.

Jared and Cali had known each other for a long time. After all, he was her best friend's twin brother. Sydney had been more like a sister to her from the moment they laid eyes on each other. Red came with the package, except that the underlying attraction between them prevented her from ever viewing him as a “brother.” About five years ago, they'd acted on that desire and entered into a
no-strings
type of relationship. They had fun, then they had sex, then they went home.

When Cali saw one woman slip her card to Red slyly, she stood up abruptly, bumping into the table. “I'm sorry,” she said, interrupting Joshua mid-sentence. She rubbed her sore knee. “I have to use the restroom.” She dropped her napkin on the table, grabbed her clutch, and limped off toward the ladies' washroom.

Closing it behind her, she leaned back against the bathroom door. She did a quick glance under the stall doors to see if she was alone. Once she was satisfied that no one could hear her, she groaned out loud and let out a string of curses. Exhaling, she turned to the mirror and pulled out her compact.

She heard the click of the door latch behind her, but continued to touch up her makeup.

“How's your date?”

Whirling around, she nearly toppled over when she lost her footing. Shocked, she rushed to the door and swung it open, peeking outside. She closed the door and turned to face a smirking Red. “What the hell are you doing?” she hissed. “This is the ladies' room.”

He shrugged, his hazel eyes raking over her body. “I was just checking on you. You bolted from your table so fast, I thought something was wrong.”

“How is it that, of all the places in the city, we end up at the same restaurant?”

“Coincidence,” he told her. “Holiday party. The firm likes to go all out.”

“Really? Red, it's not even December yet.”

“They did it early this year,” he explained, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. “They're calling it a harvest party.”

“Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?” She forced a frown onto her face even as her insides were melting at the smell of his cologne.

“Didn't think I had to. But since you're here, you could always join me.” He traced the vee on her dress, sending shivers up her spine. “Why don't you get rid of the stiff and come up to my room?”

Tempted as she was, she wasn't going out like that. “No,” she breathed, suddenly feeling very… hot. “I have a date.”

Slowly, he edged closer to her. She retreated until the hard doorknob dug into her back. Reaching behind her, he flipped the lock on the door, the click echoing in the empty bathroom. Sucking in a deep breath, she waited, anticipating his next move.

His fingers flitted across the hem of her dress and he inched it up a bit. Kneeling down, he slipped his hands under her dress and slowly pulled down her underwear. She held her breath, wondered what he would do next.

“Step out of them,” he ordered in a low, deep voice.

Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she stepped out of her lace panties. With a smirk, he stood up, tucked the thin material into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, and pulled out a tiny key card. He placed it in her hand and closed her fingers around it. “Room 1179,” he murmured, his lips a mere inch away from hers. Closing her eyes, she took in the smell of cognac on his breath and leaned closer.

His soft laugh brought her mind back to their location and she opened her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but he placed a finger over her lips.

“Shh. Try not to think about what I'm going to do to you, while you're on your date.” Swinging open the door, he walked out, whistling.

She hated him—in the best way.

Jared Williams flung his hotel room door open, surprised when Cali burst through it straight into his arms. He kicked the door closed as she kissed him deeply and passionately. As they backed up toward the bed, touching and kissing along the way, she undid his tie and slid it off. She flung it over her head and went to work unbuttoning his shirt. Grunting when the backs of his knees hit the frame of the bed, he felt for the hook to her dress. It had a line of tiny buttons going up the back, and he struggled to undo them with his big fingers.
To hell with it
. Frustrated, he gripped the end of it and pulled, sending buttons flying into the air.

“Fuck, Red,” she grumbled, shoving him back. “You ruined my dress.”

“Sorry,” he said, but he wasn't. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he yanked her back to him.

Her head fell back as he nipped at her neck, pushing her dress down to the floor. Pausing, he stepped back to appreciate her. She was standing before him in a black push-up bra and a sexy-ass pair of
do
-
me
pumps—and nothing else. She was perfect. Her brown skin seemed to glow in the dim light and he hardened at the sight of her.

She tugged on the waistband of his pants and unzipped them, freeing his straining erection. “Step out of them,” she said, with a wink and a smile.

Doing as he was told, he kicked the pants behind her and pulled her into another wet kiss. They fell back on the bed, her on top. She straddled his lap and eased herself down onto him. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. He wanted to make this last. They stayed like that a moment, staring at each other. Soon, she was moving those hips, grinding into him in a way that often made him forget his name. She was truly the best he'd ever had and he couldn't get enough of her. He wanted to possess her, claim her in a way he never had before, and make sure she knew that she'd never find another man that would mean as much to her as he did. Gripping her hips, he flipped her onto her back and pushed himself into her harder, enjoying her yelp of surprise.

He looked down at her, taking in her long, dark hair fanned out on the pillow, her lips between her teeth and her eyes on his, and slammed into her again. They moved, each of them matching the other, settling into a rhythm that seemed innate—like it was meant to be. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, “Don't stop.”

Hooking his arms under her knees, he thrust into her—deeper, harder each time until he felt her constricting around him. Knowing she was close, he slipped a finger between their bodies and pressed down on her clit. Her body stiffened, and she screamed out his name as her orgasm shook through her. Soon, he was right with her.

Arms and legs tangled together, they lay there panting, trying to catch their breaths. Lifting his head, he ran a finger across her cheek, smiling at the light sheen of sweat across her brow. Her hair, once flowing down her back, was wet with perspiration.

Being with her was the highlight of any day. The need to touch her, feel her against him, had him making up excuses to end up where she was. Yet, ending up at the same hotel that night had been a happy coincidence. And he took full advantage of it. He brushed his lips over her shoulder and rolled off of her, onto his back.

She turned to him, propping herself up on her elbow. “You are so naughty,” she whispered with a giggle. “You know I couldn't concentrate the rest of the night, right? Imagine Joshua's surprise when I ended our date before he had the chance to bore me with more details of his life.”

He chuckled, turning to face her. Seeing her with another man had irritated him more than he ever thought it would. And the knowledge that she'd ended her date to be with him made him want to puff out his chest with pride. He slid a hand over her hip and squeezed her thigh. “Mission accomplished, then.”

Red pulled her into the crook of his arms and kissed her brow. Moments like these were hard to come by with Cali. She was determined not to be
his
girl. But it was all he could think about. He wasn't sure when it had snuck up on him, but he wanted Cali to be more than his
no-strings
booty call. Hell, she was already one of his closest friends.

“Why don't you stay the night?” he asked softly. He already knew the answer, but he couldn't stop himself from asking.

“I can't.” She brushed her lips against his chest. “I have an early meeting.”

Although he wasn't surprised, it still stung. There was something irresistible about Calisa Harper and he wanted to take advantage of their time together. He wanted this night to stay. But she always put up the walls, always found a reason to pull back.

Leaning in, she kissed him and then scooted to the edge of the bed. She picked up her dress and held it up to him. “You are so going to reimburse me for this dress.” He watched as she pulled it up and stuck her arms into the sleeves.

“I wish I could say I was sorry and mean it,” he admitted.

“Ha-ha.” She put on his shirt and buttoned it up. “I'm taking this home.”

“Guess you can add it to your collection, huh?”

Over the course of their… relationship, Cali had managed to stockpile many of his clothes, always making up an excuse why he couldn't have something back. He supposed it was par for the course.

“You don't have to leave, you know,” he told her. It was the same thing, different day. No matter how much fun they had with each other, she'd always leave him wanting more.

“You know the rules. No sleepovers.” She walked over to him and kissed him again, holding his chin with her hand. “I'll call you later!” she shouted as she flung open the door and walked out of the room.