Читать книгу A Perfect Caress - Nana Prah - Страница 12
ОглавлениеFor once Dante was almost pleased to be chauffeured as his thoughts wandered back to the encounter with Lanelle in the parking garage. He relaxed as Vanessa navigated her way through the streets of Cleveland.
At a fresh red light Dante watched as she opened the lid on the dessert and scooped out a piece with a plastic fork. He should reprimand her for eating in his car, but fascination over what had brought him into contact with the most amazing woman he’d met in a long time took precedence.
Vanessa shook her head and slapped her leg. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. This is so good. Even better than I remember.”
“I don’t need to see it all in your mouth to know it’s delicious. Let me try.” Without any more coercion she placed a piece, albeit a small one compared with what she’d taken, onto the fork and slid it into his mouth. Not bad. Not worth a tussle, but he saw the appeal.
“What do you mean not bad? No wonder she turned you down for a date. If you can’t appreciate fabulous cake, you probably can’t appreciate her, either.”
Did his niece just take a stranger’s side over his? He couldn’t blame her. Lanelle radiated something alluring beyond her obvious beauty. The memory of her flawless skin, large dark brown eyes, an adorable nose he could eat up and lips he had difficulty looking away from made him sigh.
Lanelle’s poise and sophistication, along with her readiness to smile and celebrate life with a stranger, added to her charisma. He’d been inches from kissing her. Only the fact that his family stood so close watching their every move had stopped him. “Watch it. It’s not too late to revoke your driving privileges on my car.”
“You wouldn’t. Not to someone who found out she’s still free from cancer, now, would you?” Vanessa tried to pull off her sad, begging puppy-dog look but got diverted by the cake.
“We’ll be eating soon.”
“Mom’s not here to threaten me, so I’m eating dessert first. Can we swing by the college? Art history is letting out now, and I want to show off a little to my friends.”
Dante chuckled. “Fine, but don’t expect me to get out of the car and wait on the corner while you do.”
She shoved the half-empty container into his hands when the light turned green and the car behind them honked. “It’ll only be for ten minutes.”
“Either you showcase me and the car or there’s no deal,” Dante insisted.
“Okay.”
He closed the lid on the cake after sneaking another forkful. “What made you get Lanelle’s number?”
Vanessa flashed him a grin. “What made you ask her out?”
Smart-assed little girl. How Cynthia hadn’t driven that annoying quality out of her by now was a mystery to everyone. He resorted to “I asked you first.”
“I liked her. She seemed to be someone I could hang out with.”
“Even though she’s older?”
She shrugged. “We hang out.”
“Because we’re family.”
Vanessa sucked her teeth as she made a left turn. “Uncle Xander is family, but I don’t go places with him.”
Dante held up a finger. “First of all, your dad’s brother is nowhere near as cool as me, and second he lives in California, so you can’t just pick up the phone and ask him to come get you. And don’t you even mention my brother Emmanuel. With the number of kids he and his wife have, they can barely get out the house.”
“Whatever. My point is, age doesn’t matter with friendship. Or did I hear it about love?”
“I concede.”
Vanessa pulled the car over in front of a café a few blocks from her school, put it in Park and pressed the button to unlock the doors. “Please, Uncle D?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the windshield. One glance at her would break his resolve. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for his nieces and nephews, and they knew how to play him. “You can forget about me getting out of this car.”
“How about if I talk you up to Lanelle when I call her?” The manipulative minx tapped a finger on the custom-designed steering wheel. “Maybe find out where she’ll be, so you can bump into her.”
Dante reached for the handle. “You can tell her how wonderful I am, but don’t ask where she’ll be at any point in time. The woman is not stupid.” He opened the door. “You have twenty minutes. We still have to meet your parents and little brother at the restaurant. Your friends can sit in the car, but don’t go joyriding.”
He pulled out his phone. “I have an app that lets me see exactly where the car is at all times.” She didn’t need to know he had yet to learn how to use it.
“I promise. Thanks, Uncle D.”
Curbside, he watched his precious niece and car roll down the street.
Vanessa’s offer had been tempting, but he’d never get away with it if she became his informant. The two seemed to get along, but who knew if anything would come of their spark of friendship?
He had to find a way to see Lanelle again. Why would she deny the attraction blazing between them? Maybe she’s married. A ring had adorned two fingers on her right hand, but the left hand was free. No matter the reason, he’d find her. He hadn’t become successful in life by giving up, and he wouldn’t do so with her.
On the other hand, if they were meant to be together, they’d meet again. He scoffed at the idea. As long as my name is Dante Leroy Sanderson, I’ll find her. Fate be damned.
* * *
Toshia Covington panted hard as the StairMaster kicked her ass early the next morning.
Lanelle’s own breath came out with less stress as she jogged at an easy pace on the treadmill next to her best friend. “Why don’t you lower the intensity? I don’t want to break out my CPR skills on you here in the gym.”
Even sweating buckets, her best friend looked good. Toshia’s thick hair swung in its ponytail as her hips swayed. Her large, dark brown, almond-shaped eyes remained bright even as sweat dripped into them. “What happened to no pain, no gain?”
“I think the person who coined the phrase died of a massive heart attack while not listening to his body.”
Toshia let go of her machine’s handle long enough to dab the sweat from her face with her towel. “Ha, ha, ha. How are things going with the NICU you’re building?”
Lanelle puffed out a breath. “The wing is coming along great in terms of construction, but we’re running out of money.” Saying the words out loud brought on a fresh wave of frustration.
“What?”
“Yeah, we have no idea what’s going on. The books balance, but it doesn’t make sense. The flooring and the fixtures are the only things remaining. And there’s very little cash in the till.”
Toshia stared at her. “How can that be?”
Thinking about it made her angrier with each minute. “You know how I was busy working on Dad’s supersensitive project.”
“You mean the one where I saw you once during the six-week period and you hardly slept?”
Lanelle shivered thinking about how much work had gone into the assignment. Every once in a while, when her father had a highly confidential financial project, he’d call her to head it. “Work on the NICU started at around the same time, but I couldn’t say no to Dad.”
“Plus, you’re naive as hell and thought people would be honest.”
“Who would try to extort money from a hospital trying to build a wing to help innocent babies?”
Toshia pursed her full, pinkish-brown lips to the side and tapped her chin in a pretense of thinking. “Let’s see. Greedy-ass bastards with no concept of right or wrong come to mind.”
“I’m not saying the money was stolen, but it wasn’t well managed. We’ve gone through the books twice. The next step is to call a forensic accountant.” She pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I feel like I’m on a crime show, only instead of dead bodies, it’s all about paperwork.”
Toshia shook her head. “None of this would’ve happened if you’d been fully on board. Your anal-retentive ass would’ve known how every penny was spent.”
Damn straight. “I’m not sure where the money went, but I know one thing.”
“You’re going to do whatever it takes to find the bastards and hang them by the balls?”
Lanelle smiled at her friend’s crassness. “What you said was better than I could’ve phrased it. I’m going to have to hold another fund-raiser. If I don’t, the money comes from my pocket.”
“You’ve already sunk how many millions into it?”
Lanelle had no issues with the money she’d invested to see the project completed. Technically, Eliana Lanelle Gill Astacio, the official name on her birth certificate, the only daughter and middle child of the Fortune 500 business tycoon who hailed from a lineage of Spanish royalty, had donated the money.
Having learned her older brother’s experiences, Lanelle’s parents had registered her in boarding school by her middle names. She’d become a Murphy when she got married and had kept the name when they divorced. Living a life outside the spotlight the Astacio name brought had suited her over the years.
When Lanelle had been asked to be on the board of the five-hundred-bed hospital two years ago, she’d noticed the NICU was inadequate. The tug on her heart to construct a larger, more modern unit pulled on her so hard she’d decided to spearhead the construction of one for the hospital.
The board had unanimously agreed to her proposal. After brainstorming, they’d designed a three-story structure. The top floor would consist of a hostel where parents could reside and still be near their babies.
The first floor would house the women who’d just delivered their premature or sick newborns. Lanelle had learned from experience that being on the same unit with happy mothers who got to take their adorable, gurgling children home with them in a couple of days added to mothers’ depression when they couldn’t do the same. Placing these women on their own floor while their child struggled to live would be a psychological boon. The second floor would consist of a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit.
“Yeah. I’m sure Dad will shake his head in disappointment if I put in any more cash. And you know what Leonardo would say.”
“He’s an ass. Why does his opinion matter to you?”
“He’s my older brother. He’s gained a reputation as a cutthroat corporate lawyer, all without using my father’s influence. I have to respect that.”
“I’m not arguing with you about this again.”
“He can be a pain sometimes.”
Toshia arched an eyebrow. “Whenever I came to your house during school breaks, he’d torment me as much as he did you.”
“He’s misunderstood. I still say he’s a good guy, on the rare occasion.”
“How do you have the ability to see the good in everyone?” For once Toshia hadn’t asked the question as if it was a curse.
Getting them back on course, Lanelle said, “I’m pretty sure the hospital won’t infuse more money into the project, not when they’ve capped out what they’d anticipated giving. I haven’t run it past the board yet, but I’m thinking of having one last fund-raiser. If we don’t make enough, then I’ll offset the costs.” She upped the speed of the treadmill to help tame the distress storming through her. Over the past few years, it seemed like the universe had decided that, by any means necessary, she had to learn people couldn’t be trusted. Letting her compassionate heart rule her life had led to some major disappointments. Without fail, she’d always decided to help rather than hide. If she could only maintain a more cynical frame of mind in which, like Toshia, she anticipated that people would screw her over.
The NICU had to get built, and she’d do anything to make it happen, even stomp down the people trying to get in the way.
“If you want, I’ll donate my time to organize it.”
Lanelle stopped short of jumping off the treadmill to hug her friend. “I couldn’t thank you enough.” Toshia was one of the most renowned party planners in the business. She’d organized all of the other successful fund-raisers they’d had for the hospital. For Toshia to offer her services for free went beyond the call of friendship.
“I can’t let you be the only one doing your part to make the world a better place. When are you thinking of holding it?”
“In a month.”
Toshia sucked air in through her teeth. “You’re cutting it close.”
“Yes, but I have the best event planner on board. Even if I gave you two days, you’d turn out a fabulous party.”
“True.” Toshia blew on her nails and rubbed them on her sopping-wet tank top with a smirk. “I am that good. When are you meeting with the board?”
“We’re having an emergency meeting on Monday.”
Toshia increased the pace on the StairMaster. “Be honest—what do you think is going on with the money?”
“I don’t know. All of the paperwork looks good. And you know me.”
“You can’t think the worst about anybody until they show their true face.” Toshia shook her head. “Not one of the traits I admire, by the way.”
Lanelle grunted hard through her panting. She wouldn’t get into it again about their personality differences, but if she were more untrusting she could circumvent some of the problems she’d had in her life before they even happened. But then she’d miss some of the good in people. “Maybe we just did some bad financial calculations.”
“With you, Miss Graduated-with-Her-MBA-at-the-Top-of-Her-Class, as the head of the project, I doubt it. You’re a natural-born philanthropist. When you aren’t helping someone in need, you’re computing to make sure your projects get the most out of what you have to offer.”
“Other than setting the budget, the board doesn’t deal with the money aspect. We only oversee that the decisions we’ve made are going in the right direction. If I’d been around, I would’ve kept a closer eye on things.”
“Then you need to vet the hospital’s accounting department. Brad’s told me horror stories about what accountants have tried to do with his money.” Toshia loved to talk about her husband even more than parties or clothes. “But because my baby is too smart to get taken, he circumvented their efforts. I’m sure the money is disappearing somewhere it’s not supposed to.”
The same suspicions had plagued Lanelle. “I’ve been there and found nothing. Wherever the funds went, they made a clean getaway.” For now. No longer wanting to discuss her failure in keeping her project on course without a major glitch, Lanelle got lost in the music coming through her headphones.
Toshia knocked on the treadmill to capture Lanelle’s attention. “You’ve gone to the previous fund-raisers alone. I refuse to let you do it again. Who are you taking as a date?” Toshia answered her own question. “How about Mr. Tall, Dark and Afro? I can’t believe you fobbed him off.”
The exact same thoughts had kept her tossing and turning the night away. Images of Dante had refused to leave as they morphed into fantasies about more than just their hands touching.
Lord knew she was long overdue for a good time.
“Why didn’t you say yes to a date? The way you described him, he seems like a nice guy. You’re the most instinctive person I know. Something told you to say yes, and yet you did the opposite. Inquiring Toshia wants to know why.”
“You already do.”
“Girl, you need to get over it. Your ex-husband was all kinds of a jerk for leaving you.” She paused to catch her breath. “Not all men are the same. Conrad was a punk of distended proportions.”
The loss of Lanelle’s five-month-old baby as a stillbirth had devastated her. She’d survived the heartbreak and had gotten pregnant a year later, only to deliver premature twins and watch them die. She’d been distraught and beyond comfort. When she’d held their lifeless forms in her arms, she’d been told they’d suffered a severe case of anemia from her body attacking the babies’ red blood cells.
Her B-negative blood lacked the rhesus, or Rh, factor; her first baby had inherited it from her ex-husband and tested positive for it after she’d miscarried. She’d been injected with the RhoGAM vaccine; if she didn’t take the medication, her body would see the blood of the next Rh-positive child as a foreign body that had to be destroyed.
But the RhoGAM had failed, a rare occurrence that had stumped her obstetrician. The antibodies the vaccine was supposed to prevent her from developing had killed her twins.
Her ex-husband hadn’t been able to handle the news that they’d most likely never have a child together, so he’d divorced her.
In less than two years, she’d had to suffer the tragic loss of her three children and had been left by a man who’d promised to stay with her through sickness and health. A childless marriage hadn’t been part of the vows, so he’d taken off.
Lanelle would never be able to endure the agony of losing another child. Compounded with the fact that no matter how much a man claimed to love a woman, he couldn’t be trusted to stay when he was needed. What was the point in having a relationship if he’d end up leaving?
Other than the occasional date forced on to her by her parents, her younger brother, Miguel, and Toshia, Lanelle hadn’t had a long-term relationship since her ex-husband, Conrad, left her.
When she’d found out he and his new wife had delivered a healthy, full-term baby boy six months after they’d married, her heart had broken all over again. And her resolve to stay away from men had strengthened.
Lanelle had been pleased with her life choice to live like a nun. Until yesterday. Dante’s knee-buckling smile started shattering walls she’d never intended to let crack.
“What’s his name again?”
An image of his rich, dark skin came to mind. “Dante Sanderson.”
Toshia pushed a button on the machine and stopped pumping her legs as it came to a stop. “Oh, my goodness, you like him.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Alleluia, praise the Lord.” Her friend raised both hands. “After all these years, she likes someone. Glory be. I know you like him,” Toshia said. “It’s the sappy smile that crept onto your face when you mentioned his name. And you said it all breathy.”
“Couldn’t be because I’m running on a treadmill at eight miles an hour.”
“Go out with him.”
Lanelle pressed the button to add an incline to her jog. “Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, I couldn’t.”
Toshia crossed her arms over her full bosom. “Why the hell not?”
Lanelle pulled the first excuse that came to mind. “I don’t have his number.”
“Oh, please. It doesn’t take the CIA to find someone. You have his first and last name. Look him up.”
Tired of trying to justify her decision, Lanelle said, “If we meet again by chance, then I’ll go out with him. If not, then it wasn’t meant to be.”
Toshia flattened her lips. “You don’t believe in fate. Why would you bring it to the table with the first guy you’ve been attracted to in years?”
Because he scares me. “He seemed like too much of a smooth talker to trust.”
“I can’t believe you.” Toshia glared at her. “That’s not the reason, and you know it. It’s been ages. When will you be ready to date again?”
Lanelle stopped the machine without going through a cooldown. “Time for weights.”
“Fine, we’ll talk about this later.”
With Toshia’s penchant for focusing on herself when prompted, Lanelle had no doubt they wouldn’t speak about it for weeks to come. By then Dante Sanderson would no longer star in her fantasies.
