The Secret Heir, page 11
As the plane neared New York’s familiar skyline, his satellite phone rang.
“Good morning, Jeffrey. Or rather, good evening there.”
“Are you in New York yet?”
“Just beginning our descent.”
“Sounds good. I just heard from the twins. Instead of a service, they’re picking you up.”
“Why?”
“Excited about your visit, I’m guessing. Even though you’ll be there less than forty-eight hours, they’ve got a full itinerary planned.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“You know, Aldric, once this deal goes through, you’ll have to come out of hiding.”
“Who says I’m hiding?”
“What would you call it, laying low? Just when you start to play a role in the company, you run off to America. And not just for an extended business trip, but for months! I don’t get it.”
“You’re not supposed to. It’s personal, brother, but I can understand your frustration.”
Jeffrey sighed. “I sure hope she’s worth it.”
“Now you’re fishing without a pole,” Abe said with a smile. “I’ll call you later with the details on how the meeting went.”
“Ha! The way you dodged that question confirms my suspicion. There’s definitely a woman involved.”
The New York trip went great, much better than Abe expected. The twins had indeed lined up a complete itinerary that included all of the usual sites and others known only to natives. Considering the important decision he’d recently made, he only wanted to return to Chicago.
After spending the day at the twin’s small facility in Brooklyn, he was wined and dined with five-star this and Michelin-star-cooked that before enjoying a popular Broadway show. More adventurous plans awaited him the following day, but he politely declined them and, after a private visit with and purchase from a world-renowned jeweler, left the city midmorning. On the way to the airport, he retrieved his stateside phone from the briefcase resting on the seat beside him and called Reign.
He got voice mail and left a message. “Reign, it’s Abe. I know the weather is still a bit messy but I’m calling to see if you’d like to get together tonight, go out for a casual dinner somewhere near my place. Sorry, but I’m not confident enough with winter driving skills to risk a trip to your side of town. Okay, let me know. See you later.”
He sat back and looked at the sun shining into the cabin and the clouds hiding it from the world below him. Somehow the scene reminded him of the direction his friendship with Reign might take once she knew the truth about the janitor Abe Wetherbee being the soccer star/mogul Aldric Baiden. The sun of a love affair could begin shining between them, or a storm could quench its smoldering fire.
Eleven
Reign stepped out of a leisurely shower where she’d spent a considerable time scrubbing every inch of skin with a new vegan, organic and silicone-free concoction she was in love with. According to the jar, the coffee it contained helped increase blood flow while the shea butter and essential oils improved her skin’s overall health. She’d been using it less than a month and had gone online to add hers to a long list of rave reviews. After showering, she’d shampooed and conditioned her hair, and since her favorite spa wouldn’t reopen until Monday, she gave herself a bikini wax. The end result wasn’t bad, but on her next appointment with Helga, her esthetician, she’d definitely double the tip.
After forty-five minutes, head and body wrapped in towels, Reign exited the en suite bath and walked into her massive closet where she donned a comfy pair of wide-legged yoga pants, a fluffy wool sweater and a pair of kid-leather boots. She returned to the bathroom, did a quick semidry on her long, curly locks and, after adding simple gold jewelry to her funky ensemble, decided to head into the main house in search of a satisfying meal.
On the way, she picked up her phone from the coffee table and saw a missed call. Abe. She smiled. While listening to the voice mail, that smile widened. Funny enough, she’d been thinking of him while pampering her body, had thought a lot about their easy interaction while locked down at his place. Somewhere between then and now, she’d come to terms with a lot of things, starting with her ex. She didn’t lie to herself. Feelings remained there. It had been a two-year wild but rocky ride. The highs had been amazing. The lows, though, devastating. And while admitting that she still loved him, she knew there was no going back to that relationship. She was no longer in love. Big difference.
Without knowing it, Abe had given her a different perspective on the type of man she liked. All of her boyfriends had been wealthy, connected, a couple famous like Trenton. They’d all showered her with amazing gifts, taken her to the finest restaurants and hotels, given her expensive everything. It’s what she was used to; their acts appreciated.
But with Abe, she’d discovered that more than anything they could buy, it was the simple actions that touched her heart in ways unexpected. His courteous and chivalrous manners. How he insisted on walking her to the car and opening her door. The way he’d gotten up and prepared their pizza breakfast. His interest and assistance with her project, a man with a great eye and attention to detail that would most likely carry over into other areas of life.
If she were honest, she’d probably add that all of those attributes together didn’t equal the skill of the man’s appendages and tongue! Maybe it was the unplanned drought of the past two months following a very active sex life, but the way her body responded to Abe’s attention had been unlike anything she’d felt before. It wasn’t just the above-average sexual skill set. It was that she could actually feel his attention and care. Abe didn’t have sex with her. He made love. Her needs came first and he took his time making sure to address each and every one.
Those thoughts undoubtedly impacted the thoughts that continued as she walked from her wing to the mansion’s main house. She wasn’t going to fret over what she did or didn’t know about Abe. It wasn’t like she was planning to marry him or to include him in a confidential enterprise. It was enough to know that he wasn’t a criminal, as the background check would have uncovered, didn’t have a girlfriend, at least not in the States, and wasn’t an athlete.
Jake had tried to warn her about Trenton, but she hadn’t listened. Experience was indeed the best teacher. Other ladies could have the ballers. She’d been there, done that, and had the T-shirt as proof. That lesson learned, it was time to move on from her heartbreak. Ivy was right. The best way to get over one man was to get under another one. Reign was glad she’d taken her sister’s advice.
The main dining room and casual breakfast nook were empty. There was no hint of her mom and dad. She continued to the solarium and finally saw signs of family life. Sneaking up behind Jake, she whispered, “Boo.” He jumped. She laughed and took a seat at the table across from him.
“Good afternoon, brother!” she sang, reaching over and plucking a cherry tomato from his salad. “What’s for lunch?”
After giving her a stern look, he answered, “Whatever your options, they’re not on my plate.”
“Is Sasha on her way down?”
Jake finished a mouthful of food. “She’s over at Val’s.”
“That girl sure loves her godmother.”
“I do too. She’s the reason Sasha moved here.”
“Now it’s time for y’all to start a family.”
“Don’t get carried away.”
“Where’s John?” Reign asked, amused by Jake’s comment. She looked around for the family’s chef. “I’m starved. She reached for a pitcher of fresh-squeezed juice and poured herself a glass. “Yum! Were these pineapples picked fresh just this morning? This juice is delicious.”
Jake raised a brow. “Somebody is certainly in a chipper mood.”
“Thought I’d bring some sunshine to the dismal day outside.”
They both looked out the window. “The temperatures have warmed up, which is a good thing. I hope it doesn’t snow.”
“They’ve cleared the roads, right?” Reign asked after greeting John and taking the menu he offered.
“Why, are you thinking of going someplace?”
“Maybe later.”
“I hope it isn’t to see...you know who.”
“Trenton? No, brother, I’m done with him.”
“Good.”
“You told me so.”
“I wasn’t going to say that.”
“I did so you wouldn’t have to.”
“I wasn’t trying to block your love game, sis, I was just trying to protect you based on my experience of working with athletes. There are one or two of them out there who are faithful but, for the most part, the temptation of beautiful, willing, aggressive women is too much to fight.”
“I agree.”
“Speaking of willing women, did you see the latest?” he asked, his brow creased.
Reign shook her head.
“It’s probably best.”
“Why, what happened?”
“According to the latest rumors, your man and the fan have started dating.”
John returned with Jake’s medium-rare steak and eggs. Reign decided on a veggie frittata with hash brown waffles and accepted the small salad he’d prepared for her.
“How do you feel about that?” Jake prodded.
“About what?”
“That girl after your leftovers.”
“The one Trenton swore didn’t mean anything?” Reign shrugged. “As long as she doesn’t mind publicly shared peen, she’ll be fine.”
“You know that’ll bring back the paparazzi.”
“They never left.”
That was true. Even though the announcement of a pregnancy between two famous rappers had shifted the spotlight, speculation about Reign’s breakup was still selling tabloids.
“I’m proud of how you’re handling all this, sis. You’re stronger than I thought.”
After enjoying a leisurely lunch and spending time with her brother, Reign stopped in to see her parents, Derrick and Mona, before leaving the main house and driving the short distance to Desmond’s and Ivy’s to spoil her niece and nephew. She told Ivy about taking her advice to move on from Trenton. Ivy probed whether or not that man would continue to be Abe, but Reign decided to keep that most likely reality confidential.
It was just before five that she returned to her place and realized she’d not heard back from Abe. Grabbing an overnight bag from her closet, she stopped and gave him a call.
“I was just about to call you,” is how he answered.
“Sure you were.”
“No, seriously, I just now returned to the apartment.”
“Out shopping again?”
“No, I was at Nolan’s, helping with a cleanup project. Portions of a wooden canopy over his patio fell after being weighed down by a slab of ice.”
“Sorry to hear that his place sustained damage. Most of us here in the Point were fortunate. Except for a few downed trees and intermittent power outages, we came through the storm unscathed.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Are you calling to accept my dinner invitation?”
“Yes, and just so you know, this wouldn’t be considered a date.”
“Not at all. Everyone’s got to eat. We’ll just be two people...assuaging our appetites.”
Was it her imagination or did Abe purposely say that as a double entendre? Was he thinking as she was about a hunger that had nothing to do with food?
“I’d love to join you for dinner.”
“Great. I was hoping you would. Any particular place you’d like to go?”
Reign thought about the conversation with Jake and the news of Trenton’s now-public new romance. Jake was right. She’d likely be hunted for comments or pics. Not the type of evening she wanted, and she definitely didn’t want to drag Abe into her mess.
“Yes,” Reign said, a plan continuing to come together in real time. “I’ve got the perfect place in mind. Don’t worry about driving, I’ll pick you up.”
Though she would never admit to consciously planning a seduction, Reign threw toiletries, sexy lingerie and a change of casual clothes into an oversized tote. In case of another once-in-several-decades ice storm, is what she told herself.
She bypassed rows of five-inch stilettos and settled on a pair of designer high-top sneakers with two-inch heels. She loved not being overly concerned with what she wore while spending time with Abe. Reign loved fashion and dressed to impress herself most of all. But dating a high-profile guy in demand with the ladies, one who, with the likelihood of being photographed each time they went out, always wanted her runway-model ready, brought its own type of pressure. There were a lot of things about dating Trenton she didn’t miss, the man himself topping that list.
After placing a to-go order at an upscale Chicago restaurant and grabbing two bottles of stellar wine from the home’s well-stocked cellar, she headed into the city. Thankfully, the street crew had done its job. The weather was cold, but the highways were clear. Twenty minutes later, she pulled up in front of Abe’s apartment in her gleaming white Bentley. It was time to give her ordinary man a ride on the luxurious side.
He must have been looking out the window. Before she could finish texting that she was in front, he was walking toward the car, bundled up as though they were walking to their destination.
“Hi,” he said a bit uncomfortably as he got in.
“Are you warm enough,” she asked, laughing.
“It’s freezing out here.”
“It warmed up twenty degrees today.”
Abe briskly rubbed his hands together. “I can’t tell.”
“Ha!” She eased away from the curb and headed toward a discreet condo in a much wealthier part of town.
Abe ran his hand along the car’s modernistic dash. “This is very nice.”
“Thanks. Ever been in one before?”
“A Bentley? Yes.”
Reign was curious as to the circumstances, but when he didn’t offer further explanation, she decided not to pry. Chicago’s weekend traffic was lighter than usual. Before long, she pulled up to a towering condo building just off Chicago’s famous Lakeshore Drive and parked directly in front of the awning.
Abe leaned forward to gaze at the building. “The restaurant is in here?”
“I’ve brought the restaurant to us. Come on, let’s get inside. Our food should be here shortly.”
A doorman opened the door and greeted them warmly. She gave him her car keys and received a retrieval ticket, then walked to the trunk and pulled out her tote.
Abe looked and shook his head. “I’ll never understand why women carry such large purses.”
“We’re like the Girl Scouts, always prepared.”
“Girl Scouts?”
“Never mind. Come on, let’s go.”
They rushed inside, crossed the elegant lobby and went directly into an open elevator car. She pulled a card from her purse and tapped a small screen. The doors closed and the elevator began a fast ascent to one of the building’s high floors.
Abe remained silent as they entered a hallway with thick carpeting and textured walls. She stopped in front of a unit and used the same card she’d used on the elevator to open the condo’s front door. With a wink at Abe, she opened the door and continued down the hallway into an elegant living room with sweeping views of Lake Michigan and the city’s downtown.
Reign dropped her tote on one of two sofas and watched as Abe took in the room. He walked to the window. Once there, he placed a hand on the glass and peered out at the view. The gray, overcast sky didn’t dim its magnificence as lights twinkled from myriad buildings that surrounded them and the lake, dark and foreboding, snaked along the city’s edge.
She joined him at the window, noticed his troubled expression and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Abe, is everything okay?”
“I thought you lived in Point du Sable,” he said without looking her way.
“I do.”
“This your place too?”
“My brother-in-law Victor lived here before he and Maeve got married and built their house. It’s a great piece of real estate, so he kept it as an investment. It’s convenient when the family needs to stay overnight in the city. He also sometimes rents it out, mostly to foreign businessmen.”
Abe’s serious expression continued. She loosened his arms and wrapped them around her, forcing an embrace. “Relax,” she whispered, kissing the lips that had been on her mind for two days. “No one is going to kick us out.”
The doorbell rang.
“That’s dinner. I hope you’re hungry.” She kissed him again then placed both hands on his butt. “As for me, I’m starving, and you feel delicious.”
The doorbell rang a second time. She left Abe by the window to accept the delivery. He seemed unnerved by the surroundings, but Reign wasn’t bothered. If she had her way they’d soon both be naked, engaging in a myriad of acts and positions that would leave then both feeling totally satiated and completely satisfied.
Twelve
Abe let out a long, troubled breath, glad for the brief reprieve from Reign that the delivery had afforded. His thoughts were all over the place, one battling against the next. This isn’t the setting he’d imagined telling Reign his secret. He’d imagined a quiet but public place where she’d be forced to take the news calmly and not cause a scene. Not a place like this; elegant, private, a virtual lover’s den. There was no doubt that sex was on her mind. It was definitely on his. But before that could happen, there was a much more important matter to discuss. The truth.
