The Sweetest Love (Love Conquers All Book 5) (14 page)

Roxy nervously glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard of Adam’s car. Her plan had been to get up by five, head home to shower, get dressed and be to work on time. But that plan went out the window as she tried quietly sneaking out of Adam’s bed. “No Adam,” she weakly protested the whole while spreading her legs in a welcoming invitation as he settled between them.

Squirming in her seat, her body began to tingle while reminiscing on their early morning tryst. The things he did to her just a couple of hours ago had her definitely hooked on his loving.

After making love she washed her face and brushed her teeth with the travel toothbrush she carried in her purse. Kissing Adam goodbye, she wished him a safe flight with a promise to cook him dinner when he returned from his trip next week. Two minutes later she was banging on his door. Somehow on the ride over to his place last night she’d gotten a flat tire. And now she was going to be an hour late for work. This was not good.

If she had known she was going to stay the night, she could have brought a change of clothes. Instead she had to rush back to her place to shower and get a fresh change of clothes. Maybe later she’ll talk to him about leaving a change of clothes at his place.

“Why you over there fidgeting?”

“I’m not fidgeting,” she lied, refusing to look over at him, because if she did she’d be ready to straddle him and ride him the rest of the way to work.

Adam chuckled. “Yes, you are.”

Playfully swatting his arm she pouted, “I’m going to be late because of you!”

The beginnings of a lazy grin danced at the corners of his full lips. “I didn’t hold you against your will.” Cocky as ever, he shrugged a broad shoulder. “You could’ve gotten up and left.”

This time she did punch him in the arm. “Adam, you are such a dirty dog,” she hissed between clenched teeth.

How was she supposed to get up? Especially when he was giving her the sweetest love with each deep stroke, making her want him more and more.

Adam chuckled. Roxy turned her back to him to look out the window. He knew it was her attempt to hide the flushing in her face. “I thought you liked dogs.”

Roxy’s lips twitched at the corners.
I am not going to laugh at this fool.
It was hard to keep the smile out of her voice. “Shut up Adam and get me to work already.”

Sonia quickly entered the office she and Roxy shared with a stack of documents in her arms. Plopping the pile on her desk she turned to Roxy. “Are you going to lunch with us?”

Glancing up from a printout spreadsheet she was working on she shook her head. “No, I need to get this done. But thanks for asking.”

“Ok,” swinging her purse strap on her shoulder, “do you want me to bring you something back?”

“Ooh, yes please. I’m starving.” Pulling open her desk draw she grabbed a twenty from her wallet. “Bring me back a corned beef special and sweet tea.”

Swiping the money from between Roxy fingers, Sonia gave her the thumbs up sign. “Got it!”

Returning her attention to the spreadsheet she got back to work on the report. Several times she had to recheck her figures. Once she got settled at her desk and began working, she found it hard to concentrate. Her mind along with her emotions kept bouncing all over the place. One minute she was smiling to herself as she thought on the night she and her mother had with her new family. The next she was trembling with anger. She still couldn’t get over Harold’s popping up out of nowhere. The nerve of him trying to claim daddy rights… like twenty-six years too late! And once simmered down her body tingled and the blood went rushing to her face, warming it to a glowing crimson every time she remembered Adam’s caressing hands. She was grateful Sonia was busy working on a new client file to notice anything was up with her.

Rubbing her eyes and stretching, she let out a rather long and unladylike yawn. As soon as she got home she was going to crash. Standing, she needed to get to the ladies’ room to splash some cool water on her face. The ringing phone stopped her in her tracks.

Roxy’s stomach began churn as she peeped at the caller ID. Her hand trembled when she picked up the receiver. She’d been dreadfully waiting for this call all morning.

“Child, where in the world have you been all night?”

Collapsing in her chair she felt like a teenager again. Not so much from her mom’s questioning, but the sternness in her tone.

“I–I was at Adam’s.”

“Uh-huh…” Reba intoned, impatiently waiting for her to explain her actions.

Oh God. She was not going to make this easy. Roxy looked down at her shoes like she did when she was a little girl and was getting fussed at for doing something wrong. She let out a deep, slow breath. “I didn’t want to be alone. So I went to Adam’s…”

“Uh-huh…”

Why does she keep doing that? She already knows I stayed the night.
Roxy’s shoulders slumped in defeat when her mother remained mute. She was going to make her say it. “And I spent the night with him.”

An awkward silence filled the air. She and her mom were rarely at odds with each other. And when they were, she hated it.

“So now you’re spending the night at a man’s house?”

“Not just any man Mom,” Roxy said in her defense. What was up with her mom? She acted as if she didn’t know Adam. And as if she wasn’t an adult.

Reba’s voice came unyielding and unapologetic. “I didn’t raise you to be laying up with some man. Roxy, you know better.”

“Mom, please don’t be mad at me,” Roxy whispered feeling like she’d let her mom down, like she had done something so wrong. But how could loving a man like Adam be wrong?

It wasn’t that Reba was mad with Roxy; but she was all too aware of what being involved with the wrong man can do. She knew Adam and knew he came from a good family. But what she didn’t know was what kind of a man he had grown into. Had he outgrown his teenaged tail chasing days? Or simply morphed into an overgrown teenager chasing tail?

“Do you know what you’re doing, Roxy? Do you know what kind of man he is? You better hope you don’t get stuck with a baby.”

Whoa! Mom you need to chill…
Maybe it was because she was tired and her emotions were all over the place, but she didn’t like what her mom was trying to infer. “He’s nothing like Harold. He’s not going to
stick
me with a baby.”

The second the words tumbled out of her mouth she regretted them. “Mommy, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean—”

Reba softly gasped. Was this her child talking to her like this? “Little girl you better pray he isn’t like Harold,” she heatedly snapped.

Tears welled up in Roxy’s eyes. Her mom had hung on up her.

Hanging around the office to celebrate the office manager’s birthday hadn’t made Reba feel any better. The sparkling beverages went down like water and the flavorful food tasted boring. She smiled along with everyone else, laughed at the jokes, even though she didn’t find
any
of them funny. She couldn’t enjoy herself and it was because her child had been on her mind the entire day.

Maybe I was too hard on her,
she thought as she stepped inside her home and turned off the alarm system. Walking in the dark, she made her way to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she put on the shelf the piece of cake that she didn’t want, but took anyway so she didn’t offend her coworkers.

Reba knew the pain of being young and loving the wrong man. Granted her daughter was older, educated and had a good career; a far cry better off than she was at eighteen. And she had taught her to be self-sufficient and not depend on anyone. But the one thing she realized last night after Harold showed up was that she never really talked with her daughter about falling for the wrong man. The only thing she had drilled into Roxy as she began to date was to stay away from married men, taken men. And even then she hadn’t gone into details, too ashamed to tell her child that although unbeknownst to her, she had gotten snared in a messy love triangle.

She knew it was crazy to be so overprotective of her twenty-six year old daughter. Reba shook that notion off. She did have a right to be overprotective of her only child, the only somebody she had in this world.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Reba made her way up to her bedroom. Flipping up the light switch on the wall bathed the room in soft light. “Oh… look at my baby.”

Setting her keys and purse quietly on the dresser, she sat on the edge of the bed next to Roxy’s sleeping form. She lightly ran her thumb over Roxy’s arched eyebrow and down the side of her cheek, gently repeating the motion. Oh God. How many times had she done this as she watched her sleep? Hundreds… maybe thousands since she was a baby?

Stirring, Roxy’s eyes fluttered. Fresh tears formed in the corners of her eyes at the tender ministrations of her mother’s loving hand. Sitting up, the tears slid down her cheeks.

“Mommy, I’m sorry I disappointed you and snapped at you.”

Wiping the tears away with the pad of her thumb, Reba gently shushed her. “Baby, you really didn’t disappoint me. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.” She’d tell her later if she talked to her like that again to expect a firm pop in the mouth.

“Mom, I don’t understand. It’s not like you don’t know Adam or his family.”

“Honey, I know. But it’s been years since you’ve last seen him. Do you have any idea what kind of a man he is?”

Tracing the floral pattern on her mom’s bedspread, Roxy thought before she spoke. On the bus ride over her mother’s call began to make sense. That’s why she had to come here to have a heart to heart with her. She loved her mom, but she didn’t like what she was insinuating about her relationship with Adam.

Lifting her head, she looked into her mother’s eyes. “Mom, can I ask you something?”

“Anything, baby.”

“Does Harold popping up last night have anything to do with you not trusting Adam?”

Tucking a stray strand behind her ear Reba nodded her head. “Probably… most likely,” she admitted.

“I knew you were with him,” she made known with a raised brow.

Perplexed, Roxy squeaked out, “How?”

“Your phone must’ve hit something in your purse because it dialed me. I heard the two of you talking.”

Mortified, Roxy covered her face with her hands. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” Peeking through her fingers she groaned, “How much did you hear?”

“Enough. “The truth was she’d only heard Adam apologizing for making her late for work and promising to have her flat tire fixed and car towed back to her place before he left for his trip. But as a mother it was her prerogative to withhold that tidbit of information.

Laughing, Reba pulled Roxy’s hands from her face. “Don’t go playing all coy with me when you’re doing grown women stuff.” Getting back to business Reba said, “When I realized you went to Adam for comfort, you reminded me so much of myself…” Reba allowed her words to trail off. There was no need for Reba to rehash how she’d come to fall for Harold. Believing he was going to shield her from the mean cold world her father forced her to live in.

The weariness in her mom’s eyes for her well-being tugged at Roxy’s heart. “But Mom, Adam is nothing like Harold. Why don’t you trust him?”

How could she make her understand that Adam per se wasn’t the issue? It was hard for her to trust any man. “Baby, I just don’t want him to break your heart. Do you even know if he has a girlfriend?”

Roxy busted out laughing. Not from the pained expression on her mom’s face, but from the question. If she only knew.

Frowning, Reba demanded, “What’s so funny?

“Mom, Ms. Brenda had been setting Adam up on blind dates to try and find him a girlfriend. She’s on this crusade to get him married so she can have some grandbabies.”

Roxy fell over on her stomach and burst out laughing again. “One of the women she tried setting him up with may be a lesbian!”

“What? You’re kidding?” Reba couldn’t help but to laugh, too. Shaking her head, Roxy said, “Nope. When Adam and I started seeing each other a couple months ago, he took me to dinner at his parents’ and some chick showed up as Adam’s date. Mommy, he was so mad at Ms. Brenda.”

She hadn’t seen Brenda West in many moons. But the one thing she remembered about the woman was that she was a busybody when it came to matchmaking. On more than one occasion she’d told Reba that she was too young to be without a man and could fix her up with one of Nelson’s buddies.

“Is she still trying to fix him up?”

Appalled, Roxy scrunched up her face. “No! She knows we’re seeing each other.”

Reba swatted Roxy on her bottom. “Calm your little self right down. Is this thing between you two serious?”

“I believe so.” Roxy giggled. “He asked me to be his girl.”

Reba smiled. Her baby was really grown up. She didn’t have to tell her, she knew Roxy was falling in love with Adam, that is, if she wasn’t already there.

“Does he make you happy baby?”

“Yes Mom, he makes me happy.”

Wrapping her arms around her, Reba gave her a big hug and kiss on the forehead.

“Roxy, baby?”

“Yes, Mommy?”

“If he breaks your heart…”

“Yes, Mommy?”

“I’ll kill him dead.”

“I’ll take them!” Kay excitedly called out to the delivery guy coming off the elevator. The gigantic flower arrangement bursting with color was beautiful. She was so happy for her friend and wanted to be the one to surprise her with them.

“Are you?” the delivery guy looked at the name on the clipboard and then back up at Kay, “Roxanna Harris?”

Kay was ready to catch an attitude, but came up short. This guy — Quincy, according to the name tag — was fine! His smooth peanut butter complexion was flawless. And his close cropped hair, dazzling diamond earring in his left lobe, Khakis — baggy but not hanging off his butt — and timberland boots gave him a rugged swagger.

Even though it was a cool October afternoon, he had on short sleeves. Lord, have mercy. Kay had to force her hand to stay at her side to keep from wiping the sheen of moisture gathering over her brow. Dude’s muscles were bulging every which-a-way.

“Um… no, I’m not. But I can take them to her,” she babbled, staring up at him.

Quincy treated her to a lopsided grin. And she nearly hit the floor when he rolled his tongue to the side and a toothpick appeared out of thin air. Mmmm, now that was sexy. He definitely had some thug in him.

Leaning down, he whispered close to her ear. “Nah precious, I got to deliver these to Ms. Harris myself.” Easing back, he asked her, “You don’t want me to get fired do you?”

Kay began emphatically shaking her head. She couldn’t, wouldn’t be the one to bring harm to this beautiful creature. “No, I wouldn’t want that to happen,” she croaked out. Pointing down the hall she said, “Roxy’s in the break room. I’ll take you to her.”

Quincy winked at her. “Thanks, precious.”

Kay put a little extra sway in her hips. She didn’t have to look over her shoulder to know his eyes were glued to her derriere. Though she was coined striking by many, her shapely booty was one of her best features. And for that very reason, Kay took her time leading Quincy to the break room.

The hairs on the back of Kay’s neck stood up. Quincy had literally stopped within mere inches of her as they approached the archway. She could feel the heat from his body on her back as he towered over her. The smell of his clean woodsy scent had her lower belly coiling in wanton interest. How long had it been since she had a man?
Too damn long!
She needed to hurry up and get away from this guy before she did something out of character.

Jen, Sonia and Roxy were huddled over a Cosmopolitan magazine speaking in hushed tones. Kay lightly tapped on the door and all three heads popped up. The young women at the table didn’t miss the expression on her face that screamed
Ain’t he fine!

“Roxy, somebody sent you flowers,” Kay sang. Roxy immediately got up, rushing over to get the beautiful arrangement. Taking the clipboard from the man’s large hand, she scribbled her signature with the pen dangling from it.

Handing the crystal vase to Roxy, he drawled out, “Enjoy the flowers.”

Roxy reached into the pocket of her slacks and handed him a ten. He declined it. “Tip’s already been taken care of.”

Flipping her straight, dark bra-strap length hair over her shoulder, she looked up at Quincy, a demur smile on her lips. “I can walk you back out.”

Quincy did that thing again with his tongue and the toothpick. Roxy moaned, Jen purred, Sonia sighed and Kay swayed.

“Lead the way, precious,” he murmured. Following behind her he was once again mesmerized by the sway of Kay’s curvy hips and luscious derriere.

Carrying the large bouquet of flowers down the hall, Roxy inhaled their fragrant scent. The note attached to them simply read,
Missing you. Adam.
And that was enough to make her giddy. She inhaled the flowers again. She missed him, too. As soon as she got back to her desk she was sending him a text to thank him.

As she walked past Kevin’s office, the door creaked open. “Roxy, I need to see you for a minute.”

Gesturing toward her full arms she asked, “Can I take these to my office first?” The arrangement wasn’t exactly all that light.

“I need to see you now,” he pressed with his hand on the doorknob.

“Okaaay, then,” she replied as she entered his office, the flowers blocking the view in front of her.

“Just set them down on my desk and I’ll be back in a few.”

What’s up with him?
she wondered as she bent down to place the heavy vase on the desk. Surprised, she squealed when she noticed she had company. “What are you doing here?”

Starr and Karen rushed toward her, sandwiching her between the two of them in a tight hug.

The oldest sister released her hold and began stroking her cheek. “Honey, are you alright?”

Starr tightly, but gently squeezed her hand. “Mommy told us what happened with Daddy.”

Roxy lifted an arched brow. “How’d she know about that?”

“Don’t do that,” Karen chided, pushing Roxy’s eyebrow down with her thumb. Nodding her head toward Starr she teased, “You looked just like her when you did that.”

Roxy and Starr laughed. “You better be glad you’re pregnant or I’d bust your lip.” Rolling her eyes, Starr glanced at Roxy, “She gets on my nerves sometimes with her smart mouth.”

Nudging Karen, she chuckled, “Matter of fact, sit your fat butt in that chair. I don’t feel like hearing your whining on the ride home about how swollen your feet are.”

Karen snorted before waddling over to the leather armchair in front of Kevin’s desk. Flopping down she playfully sneered at Starr. “Satisfied?”

“Yes… thank you,” Starr snickered. Karen hated being called fat despite the fact she’d already gained thirty pounds and wasn’t due for another two months.

Roxy grinned, shaking her head.
These two are a mess.
“Is somebody going to answer me?” she asked as she leaned against the desk next to Starr.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Starr apologized. “Mommy called Reba this morning to see how she thought things went during dinner. That’s when Reba told her about Daddy showing up afterwards.”

Karen eased up to the edge of the chair as if she was going to miss something. “Girl, what happened?”

Roxy told them everything that occurred after she and her mother had left them the other night. She didn’t leave a detail out. Not even the part about her going to Adam’s and her mom’s reaction.

“Oh my God,” Starr breathed out. “I so wish you didn’t have to go through that. And I’m not surprised he threatened your Reba. Although we never saw him hit Mommy, he used to cuss at and threatened her all the time when he came home all drunk up.”

“And don’t get me started with how every other month some chicken-head was banging on our door looking for him,” Karen piped in, rubbing her belly.

An overwhelming sense of sadness washed over Roxy. She and her mom may have had to struggle to make it while she was a child, but at least they hadn’t suffered through the emotional abuse her sisters and Donna had. “I guess I didn’t miss out on much not having him around… huh?”

“Not a darn thing sister-girl,” Starr commented. Tilting her head, she smiled at her younger sister. “But you’re the best thing he’s ever given us.”

“Awww… don’t make me cry Starr.” Roxy reached over and hugged her sister. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you, too.” Starr whispered back.

Breaking the embrace, Roxy kneeled down in front of Karen and hugged her too. “I love you, big sister.”

“And I love you back, baby sister.”

Karen grabbed her hand as Roxy stood. “Honey, don’t be upset with your mom about Adam. She’s only looking out for you.”

“But Adam is nothing like our father,” she stressed wanting someone to give him a chance.

“Oh sweetie, that’s not what Karen’s saying,” Starr soothed, rubbing her back. “Just give your mom a little room. Once you’ve been run over by a man like our father it takes a lifetime to get your heart and mind right.”

Karen nodded her head in agreement. “One day after I have this baby we’ll have to do a sleep over at my place so we can tell you
everything.
I think you’ll better understand where Reba is coming from.”

It was Starr who said, “Humph! Chile, we know he ain’t nothing like Harold Avery from the way he came up in that diner checking on you, like he was going to do something to somebody.” Nodding her head towards the gorgeous flowers on her husband’s desk she grinned, “And Harold Avery sure ain’t never sent my Momma or nobody else’s momma no expensive flowers like these.

“Amen to that. I could tell from the way he looked at you that he had feelings for you.” Karen joined in.

Roxy felt the heat creeping up her face from blushing. Her sisters were embarrassing her with the things they were saying about Adam. “Thanks sisters for giving him a chance.”

“No problem, baby sister,” Karen smiled.

Starr smiled at her too, before turning serious. “We’ll just cut him off at the knees if he hurts you.”

Roxy threw her hands up in the air and let out an exasperated huff. “Not y’all too!”

Karen and Starr burst out laughing. Roxy couldn’t help but to join them. Even though she didn’t believe Adam was capable of Harold’s behavior. It was nice to know her sisters had her back.

“I have to get back to work. Don’t want the boss seeing me slacking off,” she said, winking at Starr. Before picking up her flowers she hugged and kissed them both. “Thanks for listening and I’ll see you on Saturday. I can’t wait to meet Ava and Summer.”

“Bye,” they both sang as Roxy closed the office door behind her.