Deceptive Nights (14 page)

“
Won’t that be
uncomfortable for you and Phoebe?”

“
I have worked with other
women I’ve slept with, why would it be uncomfortable?”

“
I just figured there’s
probably more to what you’re feeling. I mean no woman’s ever just
outright rejected you before. I figured getting back in her pants
was just an attempt to bandage up your wounded pride.”

“
My pride is not wounded in
the least.” His sourness penetrated through. True, Phoebe’s
rejection had kicked him pretty hard in the pride department, but
last night had certainly assured him she did want him.

“
You sure about that
man?”

Jacoby most definitely didn’t like the way
Lawrence was acting so he decided to talk junk to throw Lawrence
off. “Yeah man, if she doesn’t want what I have to offer, that’s
her lost. I’m not holding my breath for any woman. She’s not the
only fish in the sea. There are plenty of them out there for me.
Let’s just hope Phoebe will be adult enough to not try to crowd
me.”

Lawrence chuckled in what sounded like almost
relief.

****

Arriving at work a little past eight, she
immediately took care of all email and voicemail problems.
Afterwards, she had Simon finish shipping off the rest of the
documents to their appropriate locations. They were given noticed
by Latrice that Madeline would be arriving in Detroit about ten.
That gave her and Simon enough time to do any last minute
straightening up and preparations for the small office gathering
Madeline had planned.

Soon as Madeline arrived she called Phoebe
into her office. Business was discussed first, but Madeline’s mind
seemed a thousand miles away when she wasn’t talking.

“
Is everything alright,
Madeline?” Phoebe asked reluctantly already getting a gist of what
was preoccupying Madeline’s mind.

“
A little,” Madeline said
kind of sorrowful. “I kind of gave up my night thing, or he gave up
me.”

“
Do you miss him?” she
asked.

“
Very much. I was kind of
liking him,” she said longingly. “I thought maybe we could keep it
going, but I should have known it wouldn’t go much farther. I’m old
enough to know that a man’s heart can never be captured. You
remember that. Men say they love you, but they only love something
about you and when it wears off, that’s the end of their love,
Phoebe.”

“
Did he say he loved you?”
Phoebe felt that nausea starting to build up.

“
No. Not once, but I
thought if we continued, eventually he would and we could make it a
more permanent thing. Although he was younger than I, but I figured
age was nothing but a number.”

“
Did he know how you felt?
Had you ever told him or even hinted to him?”

“
No. We never discuss the
arrangement. I guess that was the thrill about the whole thing. I
felt we didn’t need words to show what we felt. I just assumed he
knew.”

“
How Madeline? How was he
to know? Maybe you should have told him, so this would have never
happened. He wouldn’t have cut it off so abruptly.”

“
Oh yes,” Madeline said
sourly. “And have me hanging on, so he won’t hurt my feelings? I
don’t think so, Phoebe. I refuse to be a man’s crutch when he
actually decides to get serious about another woman.”

“
What do you mean by
serious about another woman?” Phoebe asked. “Did he say it was
serious with another woman?”

Madeline shook her head. “He didn’t have to.
You could clearly see it on his face. Whatever this woman did to
him, he was clearly enthralled by it and enjoying it. I don’t hate
him for what he did, but I sure as hell envy that woman who opened
his nose.”

Phoebe blushed furiously. Madeline noticed
this and frowned. “You would certainly do well to find a man like
him, Phoebe, so you can stop all that shyness when it comes to
being with a man. Although Simon has mentioned to Latrice you’ve
been quite happy these days and I must admit there is a certain
glow about you. Has Daniel up and died mysteriously?”

Whatever glow was on her face instantly
disappeared at the mention of her ex-husband’s name. “Unfortunately
he hasn’t. He’s become an even bigger problem in this past week
alone.”

“
Then what has you so full
of life? Is it a man?” Madeline saw the blush return on Phoebe’s
face. “Oh my, it is. Who is he and when can I meet him?”

“
It was only a couple of
dates thing. Nothing serious. I probably won’t be seeing him
again.”

“
Don’t lay your cards out
too soon. By the look of you, I’d say you really do want to see him
again. He must have been a wonderful one night stand.”

Phoebe shook her head, but it felt as if she
were trying to convince herself of not wanting to see him more than
Madeline. “I’m quite sure of not wanting to see him again.”

A call came in and Phoebe was very grateful
to get out of Madeline’s presence and gather her wits about her.
She couldn’t believe how calm and collected she seemed as Madeline
discussed being without Jacoby.

She couldn’t possibly work here another week.
Madeline would surely find out the truth eventually, because Phoebe
doubted Simon could keep his mouth closed another week.

Chapter 17

At three, Madeline called in her office and
let her know she would need Phoebe to come over to her apartment
Monday to assist with the testing of the office’s wireless software
Lawrence’s technician would be installing.

“
I will also need you to
get the back two offices on the other side cleaned out, so if you
could stop by the cleaning department on your way out today, I
would sure appreciate it. Lawrence just called and reminded me
about you leaving early to help him out this weekend.”

Phoebe wondered why Madeline needed the
offices cleaned out, but she decided not to ask because she would
eventually find out about it.

Her mother had also taken off early to help
get the kids packed and a limousine pulled up on time. Of course
Patricia was just too thrilled with the elaborate manners of
Lawrence as he presented a dozen lilacs for her and a dozen roses
for Phoebe. He even gave the twins Tootsie rolls lollipops after he
graciously ask Phoebe if it was all right if they had sweets.

When her mother and the twins were inside the
limousine, Phoebe turned to Lawrence and whispered, “You keep this
up and she might start calling you son.”

“
Is that a bad thing?” he
asked with a playful wink.

Phoebe felt a little uneasy wondering if he
was serious. On their way to the boat, Lawrence was just too funny
for the twins who were squealing in laughter at his playfulness. He
didn’t mind the noise they made. Patricia of course questioned him
to death and Phoebe couldn’t be more embarrassed, yet Lawrence
answered all her questions humorously not at all minding her
mother’s nosiness.

Once they reached the boat, Phoebe knew it
wasn’t a boat at all. It was a beautiful yacht with two bedrooms
and a dining room. There was a light brunch awaiting them and there
was a private crew on board to serve it. Patricia was enjoying
herself and didn’t mind taking the twins off Phoebe’s hands to give
Lawrence and her daughter a little privacy up on deck.

“
Impressed?” Lawrence
asked, sitting very close beside her.

“
Very, but not with all of
this. Just at you.”

“
Why me?”

“
Because you don’t seem
like the kind of guy who would care what other people
think.”

“
That was the old Lawrence.
I’ve turned over a new leaf.”

She laughed, but his look read very serious.
The smile on her face quickly faded. “Since when?”

“
Since really getting to
know you the other night. There was just something about you that I
found myself thinking about you all the time, Phoebe. You’re a
woman that deserves the best in life.”

“
And are you saying you are
the best?”

“
I don’t mind at all
tooting my own horn.”

Not at all liking how he decided to express
himself, Phoebe became immediately defensive. “And me sleeping with
Jacoby doesn’t make a difference to you?”

“
Should it? That was in the
past, just like my own indiscretions. Are you going to hold them
against me?”

“
I probably don’t know any
of the women you slept with.”

He chuckled. “It won’t bother me, Phoebe. I
swear.”

“
Won’t Jacoby think
differently?”

“
Jacoby told me himself
just last night that it meant absolutely nothing.”

She tried her best not to let it show this
affected her. “Well, why should it? He was only looking for a good
time.”

He studied her features carefully. Phoebe was
excellent at hiding her true emotions. “He also said he didn't care
that you rejected him. He said he could find a lot of other women
who wouldn’t mind what he had to offer.”

“
Good, because a man like
that with an ego that arrogant needs to suckle on something or he
might run back to his mamma, if she even wants him around,” she
snipped.

Lawrence chuckled. “Enough about him, let’s
talk about us.”

“
Us, Lawrence? When did I
agree to an us? I thought we were only friends.”

“
Of course. Only friends,”
he confirmed.

Yet Phoebe had a feeling Lawrence wanted a
lot more and she didn’t think after spending yesterday with Jacoby
she could give it to him. A promise is a promise and she did
promise to help Lawrence this weekend. The kids and her mother were
having a good time and that made it all worthwhile, so she couldn’t
complain. Their happiness made her feel a sense of peace.

Once they arrived at the home of Zane Quinn,
a man, who reminded Phoebe of The Colonel without a cane and the
bow tie, eagerly greeted them when they arrived. His grandson named
after him, was there also and welcomed the twins with open arms.
None of the other children were due until tomorrow, but the large
eighteen-bedroom mansion was alive with excitement for the upcoming
party.

Phoebe was shown to her room, which was
connected, with her mother’s and a nursery attached to the room,
which had more square footage than her whole house. Patricia was
given a private tour by the butler, while Phoebe put the twins to
sleep after they had dinner. Lawrence joined her and even sung a
bedtime lullaby for the twins.

“
Do you have any children,
Lawrence?”

Thoughtfully, as if longingly, he said,
“Actually no, but I always told myself once I get settle in my
business, I would find that right girl and have a family right
away.” That wicked sparkle gleamed in his nice brown cinnamon eyes.
“You wouldn’t happen to know any nice girls?” he winked
teasingly.

She flushed at his teasing and guided him out
the nursery into her own room. “I wouldn’t dare introduce them to a
charmer like you.”

He pulled her into his arms molding her body
against his frame. Phoebe was very aware that he was slightly
aroused by their close contact and seeing the place they were at
that moment, giving in to what he had in mind would be so easy if
she wasn’t thinking about Jacoby and then on top of that wishing he
was here.

So when his thin dark pink lips swept down to
take hers, as good as he kissed, she couldn’t enjoy it because she
knew she wouldn’t enjoy another’s lips again. Damn Jacoby, because
even when she tried to concentrate on Lawrence’s kiss, it didn’t
feel the same. No heat surrounded her, no difficulty breathing, no
shuddering or shivering, nothing and Lawrence was a pretty good
kisser.

When she pushed away, he was the one who was
breathing hard and looking as if he couldn’t believe what had just
happened.

“
I’m sorry,” she said,
feeling bad that she had not enjoyed the kiss.

“
You have nothing to be
sorry for. I’m the one who’s sorry. I just couldn’t help myself,
Phoebe.”

Moving away from him needing the distance,
she said, “I should get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning for
breakfast?”

He glanced at the bed, then at her. “Yes,
tomorrow at breakfast, Phoebe.”

She allowed him to lean forward and kiss her
cheek. When she was alone, she went to the private lined phone,
which Mr. Quinn had in each bedroom, and called her home phone to
check her voicemails. There were several hang ups only, so she
decided to check her work voicemail in case Simon had decided to
spring some weekend project on her lap by surprise because he had
gotten too lazy at the end of the day to complete it.

Simon’s voice sprung on the line, “You won’t
believe who called here. Anyways, he went through the telephone
computer prompts to find you and I just happened to be in your
office. He asked for you and when I told him you had gone out of
town for the weekend with a friend, he seemed very put out.”

Phoebe buried her face in her free hand. She
should have known Simon would do something like this. If he wasn’t
the most dipping man she had ever meet.

Simon continued, “In any case, I told him
you’d be back in the office by Monday morning.”

That was the end of the message, but not of
Phoebe’s misery. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her.
She should have told Jacoby about leaving out of town with
Lawrence. There was probably no doubt he knew already, but it would
have been nice if she had told him herself. Now it looked like
deceit and that was the last thing Phoebe had meant to do. She knew
exactly how she felt now after that kiss with Lawrence.