Читать книгу Body Heat - Adrianne Byrd, Pamela Yaye - Страница 10

Oh shit.

That was the only thing that kept looping around inside Nikki’s head. No, she didn’t personally know the man standing at the bottom of the stairs. But she knew from the fair amount of pictures she’d seen in the house and from his many legions of cousins on the island that he was in fact the man she had been masquerading as being married to for the past year and a half. With nosy Rafiq looking on, she knew that she had to do something—preferably before her husband exposed her for the fraud that she was.

“Honey, you’re home.” She forced a smile across her face and then willed her legs to run down the stairs. “Why didn’t you call and tell me that you were coming?” As she hit the bottom stair, she opened her arms and then launched herself toward the complete stranger.

Inwardly, Nikki tried to prepare herself for the man to ward off her exuberant greeting, but instead he allowed her to wrap her arms around him and plant her lips against his. She meant for it to be just a small peck, but the minute their mouths connected, something unexpected charged through her—something nice, warm and downright magical.

The moan wasn’t part of the impromptu performance, but Hylan’s response was to fold his arms around her slim waist and pick her up a full four inches off the ground. It was either the sudden airlift or his incredible mouth that had her head reeling—she couldn’t decide which.

Damn. He can kiss.

Another pair of feet shuffled toward the foyer a second before Momma Mahina’s unmistakable husky voice boomed, “Nikki, chile. The windows out at the guesthouse have all been taken care of and…Oh, my Lord! Is that who I think it is?”

Hylan’s and Nikki’s lips broke apart. Their eyes locked and reflected the same level of shock. Clearly whatever she was feeling, he felt it, too.

“It is!” Momma Mahina clapped her hands together and let out a loud shriek and she raced over to Hylan, her large bottom swaying back and forth until she reached her longtime employer and enveloped both him and his wife in her arms. “I can’t believe it. You’re finally home.”

It’s been a year and a half and Nikki still hadn’t grown used to Momma Mahina’s hugs. The sweet woman could choke a boa constrictor to death before she realized that she needed to let go.

“You want to ease up on that death grip, Mahina?” Hylan croaked.

Momma Mahina’s arms sprang open and Nikki quickly sucked in a few gulps of air despite her aching rib cage.

However, Mahina’s excitement quickly changed and she delivered a quick slap to Hylan’s arm. “How dare you stay away for so long!” She smacked him again and then jerked Nikki out of his arms to pull her against her heavy bosom. “I can’t believe that you’ve been so heartless as to leave this poor chile here all alone. If I was her I would have left you a long time ago!”

Hylan’s brows jumped up as he lazily folded his arms in front of his chest. “Is that right?”

Nikki shut her eyes as if that would somehow make her invisible.

“You have a good woman here,” Mahina said. “Don’t forget that I knew your mother and I know for a fact that she would not have been pleased about the way you’ve been treating her.” She waved her finger at Hylan as if she’d just caught him stealing. “I know that you think that becoming some big shot businessman is important, but let me tell you that all the money in the world is never gonna bring you even half the happiness that a good woman can.”

Somebody shoot me now, Nikki prayed.

After a long silence, Hylan said, “You’re right.”

Nikki peeled one eye open. Did I just hear what I think I heard?

Hylan’s dark gaze shifted from Momma Mahina to Nikki. “I’ve been a fool for staying away for so long. One thing I plan on doing is make up for this long absence to…my wife.” His lips twitched. “That’s if she’ll let me.”

He’s not going to expose me. Nikki’s knees threatened to give way in relief.

Momma Mahina’s baritone laugh rumbled through her chest and shook her entire body. “See. Now that’s the sweet boy I remember.” She released Nikki to move in closer and gather Hylan’s cheeks in her fingers, and then gave them a good, hard pinch. “I’m glad to hear that you’ve finally come back to your senses. I swear that if I ever hear of you mistreating this good girl, I won’t hesitate to turn you over my knee.”

Hylan laughed and tried to pull away from her grip before her fingerprints were permanently indented on his face.

“Don’t laugh,” Rafiq said. “She’s dead serious.”

“Better listen to the boy,” Momma Mahina said, releasing his face. “I turned his grown butt over my lap just last week for breaking my great nana’s china. Didn’t I, Rafiq?”

“The woman’s hand must have weighed about fifty pounds,” Rafiq deadpanned.