Wicked Intentions (18 page)

“What I care about is making sure my son doesn’t meet the same fate.” Waving the sheet of paper at Shakira, she said, “Here!”

Shakira made no move to take it. She didn’t even have to read the fine print on the paper to know what it was. “You have the wrong idea about me.”

“No.” Edya shook her head as she stood. “I’m sure I have a pretty good idea about you. You’re the type of girl who would have a one-night stand with a man then just move in for the sake of a roof over your head. We both know you have no feelings for my son. You just don’t want to go back to sleeping in your car. I’m offering you a way you can do that without getting Nathan hurt.”

“I don’t want your money.” Shakira was amazed she sounded so calm when her whole nervous system was racing towards anger. Her fingers curled into Nathan’s suit digging into the fabric. There were no lows to Edya’s insults. Just when you thought she’d hit you with her best shot, she’d hand you something even worse. A check!

“Maybe you even mean that - right now. But you’re a smart girl. Use your head.” Edya waved the check again. “Cash this and you could buy yourself another apartment if you want. Maybe even join your mother in Jamaica. I’m sure you’ll find someone else over there soon enough to replace Nathan. And in the process you get to save my son from getting hurt.”

She sounded so reasonable. Like she actually believed that the proposal she was making was something normal mothers did. Shakira had sudden clarity as she stood toe to toe with Edya. Though it was firmly hidden behind an expressionless façade there was some love in this woman. In her own warped way, Edya was trying to protect her son.

All the anger drained out of Shakira. Some part of her shook its head with pity for the woman while the other part wanted to yell at Edya and tell her that she loved Nathan just as much as Edya did. But she knew that the older woman wouldn’t believe her even if she did. So she simply repeated, “I don’t want your money.”

Edya folded up the check then set it on the coffee table. “Let my son go, Shakira.”

After a last lingering look, Edya left, closing the door silently behind her.

Maybe it was curiosity to see what she was worth, Shakira placed Nathan’s suit on the bed. She picked up the check and unfolded it. Her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when she saw the number scribbled there.

CHAPTER 20

The pre-wedding dinner was an event in itself.

Edya didn’t believe in doing anything small and had invited practically the whole neighborhood – at least the stinking rich side of it. Even her fiancée got lost somewhere within the mêlée. Nathan only got about three minutes with the jovial Santa Clause replica of a man before he was dragged off by someone else.

“See why I’m glad I left?” he complained once he and Shakira were back in their room.

“It wasn’t so bad.” Shakira helped him out of his white Polo shirt. She kissed his naked chest before adding, “Besides you got to reconnect with some of your old friends.”

“Baby, there’s a reason they’re
old
friends. If I wanted to keep them I would have.” Nathan unzipped his pants and pushed them lower down his legs, watching Shakira all the while. She folded his shirt then tucked it into a polythene paper and then into their suitcase.

She’d been a trooper tonight. He’d thought she wouldn’t fit in with his mother’s friends but Shakira had an easy way about her that seemed to charm even the hyper-critical. A few people had of course asked who she was and if she was related to the Daltons of Napa Valley, but she’d skillfully evaded their questions.

Of course, it’d also helped that she was the most beautiful of the guests.

Her vivid blue gown brought out the seductive cocoa of her skin. It licked at her ankles strapped in silver sandals, skimmed the subtle curves of her lithe body and lingered over her pert breasts. A thin silver strap on one shoulder held the dress up and dipped in a diagonal line across her back to meet soft fabric at the base of her spine.

Other than the silver comb holding up her thick mane of hair high above her neck with a few loose tendrils curling around the sides of her face, she wore no jewelry. Yet she’d still managed to outshine every other woman at the party.

His woman had brought it.

He’d had to keep her close to his side the whole night just to keep the horn-dogs away. Not that he blamed them. Even now as he watched her bend to slip off her sandals, heat shot through his loins.

“You were wonderful tonight.” His voice dropped to a husky caress as he drew closer to her. When she straightened up to face him, he tagged her into his arms. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

“You don’t have to thank me…” Her soft smile sent his heart leaping to her like a dog wagging its tail. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her curves against his body as she rose up on her toes, her breath brushing against his lips as she added, “…but if you insist, I know a way you can thank me.”

Nathan couldn’t help the automatic spurt of tenderness and something else…something he couldn’t quite put a finger on.

If this was a game, the scoreboards would probably say that he was the one who’d helped her by setting her up with a place to stay. But scoreboards didn’t – couldn’t - even begin to count the kind of support a man could get from a woman like Shakira. If it wasn’t for her he would’ve turned right at the gates today. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed his brothers until they were actually together. At some level he’d even missed his mother.

His interaction with Edya tonight had been…civil. Which was a vast improvement because civil for the Hollis family was what hugging, kissing and tearful welcomes were to normal families. He and his mother hadn’t exchanged a harsh word all night. He’d even allowed her to re-introduce him to some of her friends.

If Shakira hadn’t been there, squeezing his arm or stroking his back whenever he felt the urge to lash out at Edya, the night wouldn’t have ended on as good a note. She seemed to be able to read his emotions even before he expressed them. He should’ve been discomfited that she knew him so well. Instead his heart swelled with emotion.

He wanted to know her just as well. He wanted to be able to read the emotions floating in her amber eyes before she said them. He wanted to shield her from hurt like she did with him and hold her if it slipped in anyway. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to make sure she never ended up in a situation like the one Eve had left her in. He wanted to love her.

You love her.

Danny’s words snuck their way into his subconscious. This time Nathan didn’t resist them. He knew he did. It didn’t matter how long they’d known each other or how tumultuous their start had been. He loved Shakira. And he knew that even though Shakira hadn’t said the words, she did too.

Gathering her closer, Nathan dipped his head and let his lips meet hers. Her lips softened under his, instantly responsive. She was silky sweetness and unrestrained temptation. The feel of her, all warmth and curves, was nectar for his parched soul. Thirsty for her honeyed response, he angled his head and thrust his tongue between her lips. Shakira welcomed him letting her tongue brush his.

I love you.
He put the words in the tenderness of his kiss. Her trust was implicit as she let him control the pace of their kiss, as was her desire. She pressed the pointed tips of her still covered breasts to his naked chest. It drew a groan from Nathan that had him lowering his hands from her waist to cup her ass.

She released in a sharp breath when he grasped her buttocks. He swallowed it as he kneaded the firm flesh in time to their kiss as he pressed his painful erection to her stomach. One of her arms eased away from his neck, lowering between their bodies to the waistband of his boxers. A sharp thrill cascaded down his spine when he felt thin naked air glance over his cock as Shakira pealed the fabric aside. It quickly turned into a slow harsh release of breath when she reached inside.

Dragging his mouth away from hers, he cussed. “Fuck!”

Shakira lowered her head, her eyes on the flesh she’d revealed. Nathan’s gaze stalked hers. His cock jutted out between the navy fabric, hard, pulsing and tearing up for her. She grasped it in her dainty fist, running her palm up and then down. “You’re so big.”

Her actions and words were enough to almost bring Nathan to his knees. He gripped the fabric of her dress, dragging it upwards over her knees and thighs until he had it bunched at her waist. Snow white fabric hid her from him but it was no match for Nathan’s ardor. With a quick teasing glance of his fingers over the triangular patch at the top of her mound, he delved lower and reached his target.

“Nathan.” He drew his name from her lips with a brush of his fingers on the nub at the top of her pussy. Her stroking of his cock slowed to a standstill as he pushed the gusset of her panties to the side and pressed his fingers to her soaking flesh.

When he began to play her, her own hand-movements on his flesh resumed.

Their lips met again – this time in a desperate kiss as they pleasured each other. He flicked her clit. She smoothed some of his pre-cum on the head of his cock. He spread her wetness in the valley between her pussy lips. She reached further into his boxers and fondled his balls. He pushed a finger into her pussy, gently fucking her with the digit. She tightened her fist over him and stroked firmly.

It was too much. He drew back from the kissing, his breathing rapid as he dragged her towards the bed. Settling on the edge, he lifted her by the waist until she hovered above his lap, her thighs straddling his. Holding the gusset of her underwear away from her pussy, he pressed on her waist urging her to lower herself onto his cock.

She started to. Even got as far as letting the tip of him slide temptingly into her tight warmth, then she paused. Her hands on his shoulders to maintain her balance, she said, “Condom.”

“Shit.” Protection had been the last thing on his mind. He turned slightly reaching inside the side pocket of the suitcase where they’d packed their hygiene gear and came up with nothing. Frowning in irritation he rifled through their clothes – nada. His eyes met Shakira’s. “Did you pack any?”

She shook her head.

“Shit.”He threw his head back in frustration and ran his palm on his face. “Can I get a few strokes in? I won’t cum inside you.”

“No.” Her eyes widened with humor. “I was listening in biology class. We’re not ready to start buying diapers.” She eased away from him as she added, “Go check in the bathroom. Maybe there’s some in there.”

Nathan seriously doubted it. Edya wasn’t exactly the ‘
my son’s may have sex one day
’ type. He stood up anyway and headed to the bathroom. It wouldn’t hurt to check.

While she waited for Nathan to come back, Shakira stepped out of her dress and her underwear. She really hoped he found something in there because her body was on fire and needed him. As sweet as it was to have him inside her raw and to dream of having a little boy with Nathan’s eyes, it was just a fantasy. A fantasy she couldn’t afford right now.

Her situation was tenuous at best. She was still homeless, still broke, still had the cops on her tail – and was living with a man with whom she had an undefined relationship. If that didn’t stink of Eve, she didn’t know what she did. As much as she was trying to live a less stringent lifestyle, bringing a baby into her world right now was just downright irresponsible. She refused to do it.

Maybe once she had her life on track again, she’d think about it.

As for Nathan’s capabilities as the father of her child, she just wasn’t sure. He was protective, a good provider and was respectful but she wasn’t sure if she trusted him enough to let him be that man. He still hadn’t apologized for his sneak attack on her bag or come clean about what he was over-compensating for.

She wanted to tell him about the FBI and Charlie’s thumb drive – she’d even carried it with her so she could show him. Her instincts urged her to save some part of her away from him just in case but it just wasn’t a natural response for Shakira. Honesty had always been a big thing for her. She didn’t want distrust marring whatever it was she and Nathan were building.

Her body cooled down with the somber thoughts crowding her mind. Her gaze drifted to the door. Maybe it would be a good thing if Nathan didn’t find any condoms. It would give them a chance to talk and air out the secrets between them. Tucking herself underneath the covers, she waited for him.

When Nathan walked out of the bathroom, there was neither frustration nor happiness on his face. Instead on his expression was completely blank but what caught Shakira’s eyes was the pieces of paper he was holding between his index finger and thumb.

“What is this?”

It was the check his mother had left Shakira. A few minutes after Edya had left Shakira had ripped it up and dumped it in the waste-basket. Damn! She should’ve burned it.

“What the hell is this?” he repeated. Shakira didn’t answer though she sat up on the bed. Nathan glared at the paper-pieces in his hand before his eyes swung back to Shakira with a glare. “One million dollars?”

Was that an accusatory tone in his voice? What kind of person did these people think she was? Shakira bristled. “I wasn’t going to take it.”

“I know that,” Nathan snapped, promptly deflating her anger like a pin pricking a balloon. “Who the fuck does Edya think she is?”

He started moving towards the door. Shakira reacted with speed she didn’t even possess. “No. No. No.” She raced for the door and reached it before he did. Pressing her back to it, she insisted, “Nathan, no.”

His face was a granite mask of anger as he glowered at her. “Shakira, move,” he said warningly as his hands curled into tight fists beside his body. It was obvious that he was holding onto his temper by his fingernails. Shakira wasn’t afraid. She knew he would never hurt her.

“Uh uh.” Her tone was as determined as the shake of her head. “You’re not going to confront your mother.” Her eyes caroused the length of his hard muscular body. “Especially not with just your boxers on.”

His gaze followed hers down his body as if he hadn’t even realized that he was about to storm to his mother’s room in the middle of the night half-naked. His eyes narrowed before, without word, he turned and headed towards the bed.

Apparently the temporary reprieve was only so he could yank a pair of beige pants and a Polo shirt from the suitcase. Shakira reached behind her and turned the key in the keyhole. She wrapped her palms around the metal before making her way towards the bed.

Tucking herself under the covers once more, she watched and waited for him to realize he had no way out. Fully dressed up for war, he wrenched at the door. When it didn’t open, he turned to her, an accusing note in his voice. “You locked the door.”

“Edya’s only trying to protect you.” Shakira scrambled to calm him down. “I know offering me money wasn’t exactly her greatest idea but it came from a good place. She doesn’t want me to hurt you and she thinks I will because of my issues. Baby, one million is a lot. People who don’t love you don’t offer strangers a million not to hurt you.”

Shakira knew she was babbling and half of what she was saying probably didn’t even make sense, but she only wanted Nathan to get back to his senses. The last thing she wanted for his and Edya’s shaky relationship to crumble because of her. She didn’t know if her words were working because though he wasn’t rattling the doorknob, he made no move to step away from the door.

Shakira pushed on. “She loves you.” Edya hadn’t exactly said the words but now wasn’t the time to quibble over details. Shakira plastered on the accolades on behalf of Nathan’s mother, “She really, really loves you and this was just her way of showing it. I’m sure she’s already sorry she did it…”