His Bahamas Affair (The Albury Affairs) (18 page)

She lowered her hand
from his ear and kissed the top of his head. She loved his dark curls.

“Yes honey, I’d be
honored to be your mommy.”

He laughed loudly his
fists opening and he quickly raised his arms to wrap them around her neck.
“You’ll love me forever, you’ll never leave me!”

Loraine kissed his
chubby cheek glad to have made him happy. Now that she’d said it, she realized,
that was what she wanted to be—his mother. “I promise.”

Chapter Eight

Reno stomped all the
way to the resort in a haze of anger. How could Loraine disobey him! What the
hell did she think she was doing, claiming a kid that wasn’t even hers? Hell,
there was a possibility the kid wasn’t even his and he just looked like Reno
out of coincidence. Even if Tyler was his, Loraine had no right to make that
kind of decision for him.

What was Reno going to
do with a three year old?

He remembered the look
on his face the moment he and Loraine walked into the house. Fear and hope.
Fear because he was in a strange place surrounded by people he didn’t know.
Reno understood that but not the hope. Well, he didn’t then. But after
Loraine’s announcement it was a no brainer.

The kid wanted parents;
people to love and cherish him and Loraine had granted him that wish.

Reno could hear the
desperation in his voice when Tyler asked Loraine to be his mother and his joy
when she said yes. He’d have to be heartless not to notice, but that didn’t
mean he wanted to be a father.

God, when Reno saw
Tyler’s face…. it was like staring back in time at his three year old self. The
resemblance was frightening, and a part of him had been ready to claim him
until Ruiz pointed out the obvious. Then he’d rejected the impulse, recalling
Georgia’s whoring ways. Reno had thought Ruiz had gotten his problem with his
decision all off his chest until he came into the office today. They’d argued
for a while, their voices rising and attracting their employees until Ruiz
tossed the heavy envelope at him.

Inside were documents
pertaining to Tyler. His birth certificate, which named Reno as the father,
custody papers—Georgia had relinquished custody of Tyler, giving Reno full
custody. She gave details as to where child services could find him and dump
the kid. The nanny had said Georgia’s new husband wasn’t up to supporting her
bastard any longer, and since she was pregnant again with his child, it was
time for Tyler to go so that they could be a real family.

Reno chortled bitterly,
wondering what the hell he was on when he first married Georgia because he
couldn’t have been sane that day or their entire courtship. Her new husband
whose marriage wasn’t exactly legal at the time they exchanged vows because she
was still married to Reno. He was just as heartless as she was. They deserved
each other. He felt sorry for their kid.

But did he truly
believe he isn’t waiting like an anxious parent for another man’s child the
second time round? Finding out Tyler wasn’t his must have been a blow to his
ego. And Georgia? Reno was tempted to contact her current fool and tell him
their marriage wasn’t valid. Save him before she traps him again with a kid
that isn’t his and spite her at the same time.

Tyler…

What the hell was he
going to do with a three year old? He and Loraine didn’t even know where they
stood and there she was promising to be Tyler’s mother. Did she plan on moving
to New Providence or was she planning on moving them to the States?

Hell!
Reno kicked at the sand, lifting the particles and watching as the wind pushed
them inland. Everything was so messed up! Once just once he wanted his life to
go as he planned it. Reno walked toward the water. He needed his mistress now
more than ever.

He didn’t know how long
he’d been there, or when he’d fallen asleep staring out at the ocean, but as
the sun rose over the horizon, he knew he couldn’t stay where he was any longer
as peaceful as it may have been. Reno stood up and dusted the sand out of his
clothes and started the short trek home. He needed a shower and a change of
clothes before going into work. As early as it was, he was used to it. He’d
been leaving early and coming home late since his return to avoid Loraine and
Tyler. Working was the best way to get his mind off them.

“Where have you been?”

Reno scoffed at
Loraine’s demanding question when he entered the room. She sat on his made bed,
in her pajamas, her arms crossed over her chest, pushing her breasts up. If it
was any other time, exactly three days ago, hell even a few hours ago before
she made Tyler promises Reno couldn’t—wouldn’t— keep, he would have been on
them.

He pulled his shirt
over his head as he walked into the bathroom. “A mother one night and you are
already making demands. Or are you playing the nagging wife this morning?”

Loraine got off the bed
and followed him stomping her feet. “I asked you a question Reno. Where. Have.
You. Been?” She shot out each word angrily. “You’ve been gone all night and I
want to know where you spent it!”

Reno turned to her with
a raised brow and a sly smile as he unbuttoned his shorts. “What? Were you
waiting for me like a dutiful little housewife?”

Loraine’s eyes blazed
with anger, her lips twisted in a sneer. “And who are you playing Reno, your
father? Because from what I’ve heard about him you are starting to resemble
your cheating dead beat dad!”

Reno spread his lips in
a forced smile. “Cheating, no. I’d need two women for that and you are headache
enough. Either way, we are not in a relationship. Remember? And as for dead
beat dad, I’d have to have a kid to be one.”

He knew his words hurt
her when Loraine winced visibly before she covered it with a fake laugh. “A
blind man could tell Tyler is your son. One look at him and I knew, so did
everyone else. Including you. So why the hell do you keep denying it?” She
placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back. He stumbled a step back but
held his ground when she pushed him again. “Why are you acting like a fucking
asshole to your son? Don’t you think he’s gone through enough with Georgia?”

Reno shrugged, opting
not to speak. Of course he had thought about what Tyler had gone through with
Georgia but it didn’t mean he would be any less ignored under Reno’s care.

He shucked off his
shorts and underwear. “I don’t want to talk about this right now. I need to go
to work.”

“Third thing you have
in common with your old man: work before family. You are looking more like your
namesake with each passing minute, Reno.”

He grabbed her wrist
and pulled her to him until she was pressed flash against his naked body. “Well
then, why don’t you play your role as wife and bend over for me? It will be a
quick fuck but it is my satisfaction you’ll be aiming for, oh dutiful wife.”

“Get off me!” she
yelled, punching at his shoulders as she fought to get out of his embrace. “Let
me go Reno!”

“What, not up to
playing your role to the nine anymore?” he taunted but quickly released her
when he saw her tears fall.

He didn’t notice her
hand until he felt the sharp sting and crack of skin meeting skin. His head
jolted to the side from the force.

“You are quite an over
achiever,” she began her eyes filling up and her lips wobbling in a tearful
smile. “Trying to be Reno Sr. and Pierre, two of the people we hate most in
this world. Don’t worry, though, you are doing quite well impersonating them
both. They’d be so proud.” She turned around and left the bathroom banging the
door closed behind her.

Reno cursed stepping
into the shower stall for a cold shower. After all the promises he made, he was
breaking each and every one of them. He was becoming his father and now,
Loraine’s worst nightmare. He punched at the tiled wall and cursed again.

After his short shower,
he quickly dressed and went looking for Loraine. He didn’t have to go far, just
across the hall. He slowly opened the guest bedroom, well, Tyler’s bedroom now,
and found her sleeping beside Tyler. But she wasn’t really asleep, he could
hear her sniffing and he felt like an ass for making her cry. She lay on her
side, one arm over Tyler and his stuffed animal- side by side on their backs-
and the other hand was combing through the curls of his hair.

“I promised him his
father would love and protect him. That he wouldn’t ever be alone again. That
he would be happy with us. The Reno I know and love would prove me right, not
make me out to be a liar. But you aren’t him,” she spoke softly, her hand
moving to wipe her tears before she laid it back over Tyler. “Take a room at
the resort and stay there until you decide to be him again. Until you do I
don’t want to see you here. I’ll tell him you had to go away for work but
you’ll be back, hopefully soon.”

Reno’s hand tightened
around the doorknob. He wanted to point out the obvious—that this was his home
and she was just a guest here but instead he said, “You are searching for
something, Lori. That trip to Paris, to here, your two degrees you haven’t put
to use and now motherhood. How long before you realize Tyler isn’t it? That
he’s just another phase? How long until you decide you don’t love me anymore,
that I was nothing more than a distraction until you leave and start searching
again? What happens to Tyler and me then?”

Loraine turned around
to look at him. “I found what I was looking for at my best friend’s wedding,
even though I ran because I thought you’d think I was a freak after how I
reacted. But I came back, and I got Tyler as a bonus, one I couldn’t help fall
in love with the moment I held him in my arms. Just like I fell for his father
the moment you held me in your arms that night. It’s you who is still searching
Reno. Until you figure out that you’ve already found it, we’ll be here waiting
for you.” She turned back around dismissing him.

Reno closed the door
and marched out of the house, Loraine’s words mulling around in his head like a
thunderous storm. He never thought that he was lost. He always believed he knew
what he wanted and how to get it, to never go back to living in poverty and
working hard every day was his way to achieve it. Sixteen years of his life
he’d worked toward that goal, and he’d gotten there. Now he worked to maintain
it, but was it all that mattered anymore?

At that moment, sitting
in his Jeep, Reno had no clue which way was up.

* * * *

Reno turned to the
knock on his office door. He was a little surprised when Melody’s head peeked
through. He hadn’t seen her for a few days since he was kicked out of his
own
home, which made him wonder what
exactly she was doing in his office at the moment.

“May I come in?”

He nodded his assent
standing up. “What are you doing here?”

She smiled moving into
the room. “You were expecting me to give you the silent treatment as well?”

He shrugged, motioning
for her to take a seat before he sat back down. “Loraine will count this as a
betrayal you know.”

“She knows I’m here.
You should be happy she hasn’t called Riana, yet.”

He scoffed. “What,
kicking me out of my own home wasn’t enough?”

She chuckled, shaking
her head. “Why did you let her do that?”

He shook his head. “It
seemed like the easier option at the time and besides, she might have just
burned it down with me in it if I insisted. She was really hurt and pissed off
at me the last time we spoke.” He winced, remembering her tears. “I messed up,
bad.”

She nodded quietly. The
room filled with silence for a long while before she spoke. “Reno can I ask you
a question?”

He already knew what
she was about to ask. “Why I won’t recognize Tyler as my son, as obvious as it
is that he is mine?”

She nodded.

He signed. “I’m not
really sure now. At the time, I just didn’t want the responsibility of a kid.
It wasn’t exactly in my plans.”

Melody looked at him
surprised. “Taking into account his birthday and your wedding date, I thought
that was the reason why you married Georgia?”

“I know, but it was a
relief when she took off and I figured the kid wasn’t even mine in the first
place.”

“But he is—”

Reno raised his hand
and cut her off. He was exhausted with the subject and he really wanted to talk
about something else for a change. “Let’s talk about something else. What
business proposition do you have for me?”

“Okay.” She sat up
straighter in her seat and Reno held back a smile when he noticed the change in
her. She switched to business mode and he had to respect her for that. “I
noticed we don’t have a franchise in the Bahamas or the Caribbean, both prime
vacation locations and instead of building one from the ground up. I thought
the best and less expensive avenue would be to have
La
Paraiso
join Red Roses.”

Reno just nodded. His
first instinct was to say no but considering she’d come all this way and she
was clearly nervous he didn’t answer right away. He leaned back in his seat,
keeping his arms lazy on the armrests. “Is this your first time pitching a
business deal?”