Indiscretions (17 page)

“Well, why don't I open it later?” she cooed in a tempting voice. Her thinly arched eyebrows lifted in challenge, as he knew she would just toss the gift into the closet with all the other trinkets he had purchased her.

“Sounds perfect,” he said, raising his glass in agreement, his loins throbbing with the vision of once again lying in the arms of this woman who was young enough to be his daughter.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

She walked with an easy grace—long smooth strides, head held high. She moved through the pushing crowd with an ethereal aura that belied the inner turmoil boiling beneath her polished surface.

He saw her before she spotted him, and his heart stopped in his chest. She was more beautiful than he had remembered. There was a serene, almost haunting quality about her beauty that left him overwhelmed. Her glowing auburn hair was much longer than he recalled, falling to her shoulders in tumbling waves. He had an almost uncontrollable desire to rake his fingers through it, and he found himself balling his hands into fists to stave off the vision. Her tailored dark blue suit fit her curves deliciously, her full high breasts pushing against the fabric as she walked. Yet there was no doubt she was a professional, her carriage a camouflage to the fire he knew lay within that proud exterior.

As he shouldered his way through the airport crowd and moved closer, a twinge of alarm caught him off guard. Her eyes—those large, enchanting eyes—were vacant, as if hollowed out by a surgeon's scalpel. They had lost their vibrant luster, the full-of-life look he remembered so well. All he could think of at that moment was gathering her in his arms and crushing away the hurt that had so obviously left its mark. But of course he couldn't do that.

“Khendra! Khendra!” he called instead, his strong, baritone voice cutting through the din of the airport terminal.

He waved his long, muscled arm high above the heads of the crowd to get her attention.

She turned at the sound of her name and recognized him instantly. He was almost the same as he was five year ago. But his rugged good looks had intensified. His thick, dark brown hair showed flecks of gray at his temples, which only highlighted his blatant virility. He moved through the crowd with the self-assurance of a man used to getting his way in life. He wore a beard now, which gave his well-chiseled face a dangerously tempting look. His dark brown eyes were clear and direct, as if he could look into one's soul. Cliff Samuels was a man who could almost make you forget, she thought, her pulse suddenly quickening at the realization. She moved slowly in his direction.

“Alex, where are you going at this hour?” Ellen Counts demanded in her reedy voice.

Alex turned toward her slender figure, his eyes ablaze with anger. “I told you before,” he growled taking a threatening step toward her, “I pay the bills around here. I buy those expensive dresses that fill your closet. Don't question me, Ellen. Do you understand?” His voice chilled the air.

Ellen took a shaky step backward, her heart thudding in her chest. She had seen him like this before. Always at the start of a new infidelity he was agitated and short with her, sometimes violent. She hung her head in defeat, knowing that no matter what she said or did, Alex would leave anyway. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and turned away, slowly mounting the spiral staircase to her bedroom.

Alex slammed out of the house, thankful he didn't have to hit her this time. He hated when he had to do that, but sometimes Ellen enraged him to the point where he couldn't think clearly. He just couldn't stand the whining and nagging, the pleading eyes. He would have left her years ago, but she was the perfect partner for his world. She came from old money, and her family was highly regarded in the city of Atlanta. As a young girl, she had been educated in the skills of etiquette, style and grace, and she had been an asset to him over the years.

He gunned the engine of his Cadillac, pulled out of the long driveway that was hidden by a cove of trees, and headed down the winding road that led from his secluded home to the main highway. Soon, he thought, he would be in the arms of a vibrant, sexy young woman. His blood boiled at the prospect.

He had moved her from the apartment she had to a spacious condo in the suburbs. He smiled ruefully. To hell with Khendra Phillips, he thought, taking the wide turn a bit too fast. With Coco in his bed, what did he need with her? He had given her just what she deserved, and he was rid of her for good. And Sean Michaels' ego was so big he fell right into the plan.

Sean had memorized every crack and crevice in the ceiling. He had spent so many sleepless nights staring up at it, he had counted them all. He was unable to think, unable to eat. His need to see Khendra was so great it was a physical pain. A dull throb of unbearable loneliness became his silent companion in the days since she had left. And he knew that without her that void would never be filled.

He never thought any woman would be able to make him love the way he loved Khendra. A hard knot of despair tightened in his throat when he thought how different things could have been. She was everything he ever wanted, and he was sure without her he would never be whole. Again.

The job, the partnership, all the accolades meant absolutely nothing without her in his life. If he had to stray to the end of the earth, he was determined to find her and make her come back to him. She had to understand what he did was not for personal gain. There was so much he needed to explain, and he had to find her. Somehow.

Pain engulfed him as he rolled out of bed, clad only in black bikini briefs, to stand in front of the window. Brilliant stars filled the midnight-blue sky. He stared blankly, wondering what road would lead him to her.

Turning morosely from the window at the sound of the phone, he strode toward the nightstand at the side of bed to answer it.

“Yes?” he barked into the mouthpiece.

“Hi, sweetie.”

His jaw clenched. “What do you want, Carol?”

“I just wanted to give you my address. Maybe you'll stop by and see me.”

“Now why would I want to do that?”

“We have history, lover. Or did you forget?” Her voice grew softer. “Besides, I need to see you.”

“For what? I've already given you what you asked for.”

“Now you know my tastes run high,” she cooed. “That only held me for a little while.”

“Listen to me, Carol,” he boomed, the combination of her call and the stress of needing Khendra coming to a head. “I don't owe you a damned thing. We had an agreement. You blew it by coming here. Now you stay the hell out of my life or—”

“Or what, Mickey? You wouldn't want me showing up at your job or calling the newspapers to tell them all our little secrets, now would you? I can stand the heat again. I have nothing to lose. What about you?”

His throat constricted as he bit off the words he wanted to spit out at her. All he could think about at that moment was how he'd like to grab her by her slender neck and… The vision sobered him.

“How much?” he asked finally.

It was the first time she had really laughed in so long, the sound was almost foreign to her ears. Cliff lightly touched her hand across the restaurant table and grinned back at her.

“It's good to see you smile,” he said in a low, intimate voice that threaded its way down to her toes. She briefly lowered her eyes, then looked up at him.

“I guess I haven't had anything to smile about for a long time. It's still kind of hard sometimes.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” His eyes searched hers.

She shook her head. She wasn't ready to talk about Sean. The pain and emptiness was still too acute. Cliff had been so good to her since she came to New York. He filled her days with good solid work, and her evenings with dancing, dinner, movies. But—

“I won't press the issue,” he said gently, easing into her thoughts. “If you ever want to talk, just remember I'm here.” He took her soft hand, turned it over and placed tender kisses on her palm, privately wishing it was her full lips instead. “Let's order,” he said in a thick voice.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Sean stepped out into the glaring sunshine in quick, purposeful strides as he exited the courthouse. The wind blew open his beige overcoat, exposing the charcoal suit beneath. His face was a mask of concentration, his dark profile cutting a stunning cameo against the mass of bodies that surrounded him. To the casual onlooker, he would appear to be a man with the world at his feet—tall, handsome, sexy, secure. But Sean's mind was anxious.

He gripped the rolled newspaper in his hand, tapping it against his hard thigh as he walked. His heart pounded with every step. It had been fate that had drawn him to the arts and entertainment section of the newspaper. And right there in the centerfold was a big spread about the grand opening of an exclusive boutique owned by Charisse Carter.

He had almost stopped breathing when he saw the name. He was sure that was the name of Khendra's best friend. The article went on to state that it was her second shop and gave the locations of both. His hands visibly shook as he looked at the smiling, confident face staring back at him, and continued to read the detailed account of the one person who knew where he could find Khendra. He had silently cursed the fact that he would be tied up in court all day. The hours had seemed to drag, and he had to struggle to concentrate.

He checked his watch as he slipped behind the wheel of his BMW. The opening had begun hours earlier, but he still had time. He would make her tell where Khendra was. Of that he was sure. He no longer cared what it took to find out.

The large, mirrored shop was filled to capacity with curious lookers and serious shoppers. A large tray of hors d'oeuvres was set up in one corner, while models displayed the latest fashion creations on the other side of the tastefully decorated shop.

Charisse was more pleased than she had imagined she could be. Her only regret was that her dearest friend wasn't there to share it with her. The mayor had offered her a position on his legal staff, but Khendra had declined the offer. She believed that the only way she could begin the healing process was to leave Atlanta—and Sean—behind. Charisse took a deep breath and tried to shake off the sad feeling of loss, forcing herself back into a cheerful state of mind.