Melody of desire

Corporate attorney Jarred Manning rarely has a problem getting what he wants—or avoiding the commitments he doesn’t. Now his father’s corporation has acquired a company with serious tech issues, and only the former owner’s daughter has the inside knowledge to fix them. Lounge owner and singer Nevealise Tempest has a golden voice and a brilliant mind. And she’s rejecting all of his proposals, for both business and pleasure...

Growing up with a sexist father, Nevealise is determined to live her life on her own terms. She won’t let herself be used to save a business that should have been left to her, and especially not for some wealthy playboy. Yet her body has its own agenda whenever Jarred is near. If she does surrender to passion, can she trust that the renowned ladies’ man will stick around for all of the right reasons?

“Do you want to play a game of b-ball?”

He picked up the basketball. His muscles flexed, causing her mouth to practically drop open. Jarred was all man. A handsome man full of sex appeal. After all these years, he still had an effect on her hormones. Nevealise couldn’t deal with being up close and personal with him in a game of one-on-one. Not with the way her body was reacting to his mere presence. Instead of agreeing to the game, she took the cowardly way out.

“Maybe. I’d like to see the rest of the house first. If you don’t mind.”

“Sure. Come on.” He threw the ball down, took her hand and led her back up the stairs.

With her senses already heightened, the warmth of his hand against hers had her tingling all over. So much so that she couldn’t keep from shivering a bit. Her body’s reaction to his was foreign. Sure, Nevealise had crushed on him for a long time, but this...this need was so strong it scared her.

Oh man, oh man, she chanted over and over in her head. I am so in trouble.

Dear Reader,

My love for reading and writing romance has contributed greatly to my characters. I love what I do! Thankfully, I have been blessed tremendously by God to write about different family dynamics. Without my heavenly Father, I know I would not be able to do what I love—writing.

I would like to introduce to you the Manning dynasty. I have heard often enough, and it is my belief, that opposites do attract. Meet the first of the Manning brothers, Jarred Manning, and his feisty heroine, Nevealise Coleman. The suave take-no-prisoners hero Jarred has met his match in Nevealise, whom he has often referred to as “nerd girl.” Oh, but wait! To Jarred’s surprise, there’s more to Nevealise than binary bytes. Much more.

I hope you enjoy Jarred and Nevealise’s story just as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love hearing from readers. Drop me a line or two anytime :).

Cheers!

Serenity King

authorserenityking@gmail.com

SerenityKing.com

SerenityKingExpressions.Blogspot.com

Facebook.com/Serenity.King

Twitter.com/SerenitysCircle

Love Me Forever

Serenity King

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SERENITY KING is a USA TODAY bestselling author. She has been reading romances since she was sixteen years old and her auntie first placed a Harlequin book in her hands. Now King writes contemporary and erotic romances that feature men’s fierce devotion to resilient women. She has a strong passion for family-oriented alpha men who live, love and fight for their women. She has been a published author since 2010 and has more than eighteen titles under her belt.

Serenity currently lives in the New York area with her husband and children. King loves feedback and welcomes readers to email her at authorserenityking@gmail.com. Visit her at website at serenityking.com or her blog at serenitykingexpressions.blogspot.com.

To my wonderful husband and children, thank you for all of your encouragement. I could not continue to do what I do without your love and support. When I wanted to throw in the towel, you all stood behind me, pushing me forward and compelling me to follow my dream. You all rock! I love you from the bottom of my heart.

My bestie, Dora, your prayers, support and friendship have always meant so much to me. Outside of my family, you are my rock of reason as well as my inspiration to work hard and to always put God first. Love you to the moon and back.

My awesome parents and siblings, you all know you rock so hard. Each one of you and your individual creativity has always been an inspiration to me. You guys keep me laughing and just enjoying life. You all know you’re crazy, right? *snicker*

Yvette Hines, Yvonne Nicholas, Jayha Leigh and Jeanie Johnson, you all are just too good to me. Big hugs and much love.

To my fans. This series is for you.

Thank you for your patience and your support. Remember when choosing a mate...choose wisely.

Enjoy the romance!

Smooches <3

To God be all the glory!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

“What in the world have you gotten us into, Dad?” Jarred muttered, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. He’d been scrutinizing legal documents for what felt like hours and still didn’t have any answers to his many questions about one of their newer acquisitions, Tempest Mortgage.

Jarred Manning had always thought he had it all: a comfortable, enviable career as lead attorney for Manning Enterprises, a multimillion-dollar banking corporation, wealth and a beautiful brownstone in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Until the Tempest Mortgage deal.

Just before his scheduled retirement, Jarred’s father, William Manning, the founder of the family corporation, had purchased Tempest, a failing mortgage company, from his close friend Josiah Tempest—and promptly turned Jarred’s comfortable life into a constant treadmill of work. Instead of spending his nights in the arms of a beautiful woman, he now spent them at his Manhattan office.

William Manning had started the company slowly. An investment banker, he’d purchased one bank and then another. When Jarred and his two brothers had come into the company they’d added two more banks, just within the last five years, and as recently as a year ago the corporation had acquired a small chain of banks that specialized in mortgages for low-income families. All sound business decisions. But Jarred could not understand the last takeover his father had spearheaded, a few months ago—the in-the-red Tempest Mortgage Company.

Nor could he understand how his father had promptly retired as CEO of Manning Enterprises right after that and moved with their mom back to his birthplace of Paris, Texas, where they owned a farmhouse. William had handed the reins of Manning Enterprises to Jarred and his younger brothers, Langston and Brice. An attorney himself, Langston often worked closely with Jarred, while Brice, the financial wiz of the family, preferred to operate on the business services side.

Only their sister, Katherine, the youngest of the four siblings, didn’t enter the family business. Though she held a degree in political science, the free-spirited Kat was pursuing a degree in interior design at FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Once again Jarred scanned the numbers and sighed. “I’m convinced that I’m being punished for something,” he groaned. Yes, that had to be it. Why else would he be stuck in the office well past business hours, working on this nightmare of a venture called Tempest? He grumbled, frustrated with everything about his new duties.

There were a rapid three knocks on Jarred’s office door before it pushed open and his brother, Langston, walked in. What now? Jarred took a deep breath, sat up in his chair and ran his hand across his bearded face. He could tell from the stiff way that Langston moved, his appearance harried, not to mention the ferocious scowl on his face, that something or someone had him pissed.

At six feet, Langston was an inch shorter than Jarred, and he was two years younger than his own thirty-four years of age. They shared the same strong jawline and thick brows that accentuated hazel eyes, but Langston kept his wavy hair close-cropped to his head, and sported little more than a five o’clock shadow, with a mustache he kept neatly trimmed.

Jarred watched as his brother stormed across the plush carpet to one of the leather wingback chairs, then plopped down with a heavy sigh.

“What’s wrong now?” Jarred asked, eyeing him closely. Langston was a rather easygoing guy, but it looked as if he hadn’t slept in a few days.

“The question should be what is not wrong?” he responded sourly. “This acquisition is going to be the death of us all. Maybe we should have listened to Brice on this one. This is a huge headache times three.”

Jarred knew exactly what headache his brother was referring to. Tempest.

Josiah Tempest was a longtime friend of their father’s and had taught William Manning most of what he knew about the banking industry. Unfortunately, years later, Josiah’s failing health and poor management decisions had caught up with him, which now left the Manning brothers with a mess to clean up.

“Where’s Brice?” Jarred asked, his voice sounding as tired as he was.

“I haven’t a clue. Probably between the thighs of a beautiful woman, which is where we all should be, instead of in the office at nine o’clock on a Friday evening.”

Jarred groaned, pushed back in his chair, linked his fingers behind his head, closed his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. “In the arms of a beautiful woman seems to be a thing of the past. At least until we get some semblance of control over the situation with Tempest,” he said, opening his eyes and looking at his brother.

“I can see why Tempest’s sons decided to become doctors. Their father is great at giving business advice and helping others, but he sure as hell didn’t apply any of that knowledge to his own corporate dealings.”

“You’re right about that. To be fair, everything was running well for a long while. I can’t point my finger to exactly where it all began to unravel, other than when he took ill. But I still say something else had to have been happening on the inside. We need Brice to bring us up to speed on the most recent financials. The ones I’m looking at now are horrid.” Jarred ran his hands across his face once more. Work had always given him a sense of fulfillment, but now he just felt burdened by it all. He needed something different. What, he wasn’t sure. And he had no time to figure it out.

Langston’s reply caught his attention. “Well, good luck with that. Brice told Dad from the very start not to take over this business. Not only did Dad not listen to him, but he went off and retired to some faraway place.” He threw up his hands in frustration.

“Please, don’t get me started on that.” Jarred snorted. “Dad hadn’t lived in his hometown since he was a kid, and then boom, he suddenly got a ‘hankering’ to return.” He shook his head and rested it against his chair again.

Jarred could feel Langston eyeing him. “You’re unusually quiet. What’s wrong?”

He pinned his brother with a look. “How am I quiet if I’m talking to you?”

“You know what I mean. No ranting?”

He shrugged. “I’ve been venting all week. Trust me, it hasn’t been pretty. Shelley has suddenly decided to take a leave of absence,” Jarred grunted. Shelley, his assistant, had been working for him for only a short time, but had worked for Manning Enterprises for a few years.

Langston chuckled. “That bad, huh?”

“Apparently.”

“You’re not exactly known for your decorum, Jarred. I’m surprised she hasn’t left sooner. I hope you know she’s probably looking for another position.” Langston chuckled again.

“Brice slept with her. I’m sure of it. Shelley’s pissed because according to her, ‘He’s ignoring me,’” Jarred mimicked, and then scowled. He haphazardly moved things around on his desk. Still annoyed, he tossed a single piece of paper across the top. It landed on the floor, which sent Langston into a fit of laughter.

“Now that’s more like the Jarred I know.”

“What am I supposed to do, Langston? I’m his brother, not his damn keeper. Although at the rate he’s going, he clearly needs a caretaker or something.”

Brice was a serial dater. His nonchalant ways with women were surely going to come back to haunt him one day. Jarred didn’t think his baby brother had ever been in a serious relationship, though there was that one time after college when Brice had been unusually snarly and impossible to live with. Jarred assumed a woman was the reason. At their parents’ twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Brice had brought one woman to the party, left and come back with another. That little stint hadn’t gone over well with their mother. Delores “Dee” Manning had read Brice the riot act. Brice had looked contrite and vowed never to disrespect the family like that again. His brother still dated a lot of women, he just never brought them around the family, and, as he put it, never to his place.

Langston leaned back in his chair. “Brice swears he’s never slept with Shelley. Only took her out a few times. She wanted a relationship, and according to our brother, that was out of the question. I keep telling him that if he continues to play with women like this, it’s going to come back and bite him on the ass.” Langston took a deep breath. “We both need a break from here for a little while. You’re just so wrapped up in this business you can’t see the forest for the trees. All of it will be here on Monday, ready and waiting for us. Let’s go somewhere where there’s good food, live entertainment and relaxation.”

“And where would that be?” Jarred furrowed his brow, and a huge smile covered Langston’s face.

“What?” Jarred questioned.

“I know this great spot. It’s in Jersey and it’s perfect! Each night there’s something different going on—from spoken word, to live bands, to solo artists, you name it. A classy place, too. A relaxing atmosphere all around,” Langston said.

“The last time you took me to a place that supposedly had a nice atmosphere, I was looking for someone to hand me some flowers and a pamphlet, and point me to a cabbage, claiming it to be the Chosen One,” Jarred mocked, rolling his eyes and making a face.

“It was a retreat that focused on getting in touch with oneself. Everyone hugged. It was supposedly a way of being respectful and free.” Langston chuckled. “Besides, I was in college, bro. Different values and ideals back then,” he explained. “You’re never going to let me forget it, are you?”

“No, never.” Jarred glared at him. In retrospect, the place really wasn’t that bad; he just liked to give his brother a hard time. Although back then he really did think Langston was into some kind of cult. No doubt thanks to that girl he was dating, who was, in Jarred’s opinion, weird.

“Come on, Jarred, it will be good for you to get away from this office. When was the last time you went out and had fun? I know you don’t like the club scene, but you need to get free from this place for a while. The only thing you do is work. As a matter of fact, when was the last time you went out on a date?”

“I’ve gone out on dates, Langston,” he grumbled, lowering his head to avoid eye contact. The truth of the matter was ever since his ex-fiancée, Lainey, ran out on him and eloped with someone he thought was a close friend, Jarred hadn’t any trust in the opposite sex. That was two years ago. The sting of betrayal still lingered.

Jarred and Lainey had dated on and off all through college. They’d parted when Lainey went abroad for her graduate studies and he had gone on to law school, but then reconnected upon her return to the States. To him it was as if they’d never separated. They got engaged and were planning a life together. He thought they had the same aspirations for their future. Evidently not, he found out, when Lainey left him with an empty house and a brief note. Apparently she was in love with their mutual friend Braxton—the man she eloped with.

“Snap out of it, Jarred,” Langston said, no doubt seeing him lapse into a trip down memory lane. “You get an itch, you scratch it and then move on. Since Lainey left, you’ve never gone out with the same woman twice. Anyway, this is not about dating—it’s about you not running yourself into the ground with work. Take a break,” he pleaded. “I promise this place is great, and you’ll have a good time.”

“How did you find it?”

“Brice,” Langston murmured, and lowered his head.

“Hell, no!” Jarred said emphatically. “I know you didn’t just try to convince me to go somewhere based on our brother’s recommendation.”

“It’s not his recommendation. I’ve been there and it’s cool. Trust me.”

Jarred sighed heavily. He really didn’t feel like being bothered tonight. He would’ve preferred a hot meal, some relaxing jazz music and maybe catching a basketball game on television.

“If this is one of those touchy-feely places, I’m going to kick your ass,” Jarred said.

“You and what army are going to kick my ass?” Langston sniffed.

“The army of left and right,” Jarred said, balling his hands into fists and lifting them one at a time.

“Whatever. Lock up. I’ll meet you at the elevators downstairs. I need to collect my briefcase and jacket.” Langston stood and walked to the door.

“I’m going to give Brice a call before I leave, so give me about ten to fifteen minutes.” Jarred settled back in his chair.

“Doubt if you’ll be able to reach him, but will do.” Langston stepped out of the office.

Jarred watched the door close behind him and then took out his cell phone and dialed Brice’s number. The phone rang three times before his brother answered, with a barked, “Hello.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jarred asked, irritated. “You were supposed to be in the office.”

“Who says I wasn’t? What do you want?” Brice huffed. It seemed as if he didn’t want to be bothered.

“If you can snatch yourself away from whatever or whoever it is that has you over the top, Langston and I are going to some spot that you took him to in Jersey.”

“Heavens?”

“Heavens what?” Jarred asked.

“That’s the name of the lounge—Heavens. What time are you leaving?”

“We’re out of here in about fifteen minutes.”

Before Jarred could say another word, Brice tersely said goodbye and hung up.

I’m going to choke the daylights out of him one day, Jarred thought as he gathered up his belongings. He made sure to also collect the Tempest documents. He had endless hours of work ahead of him, but Langston was right. It was a Friday night, and Jarred was long overdue to let loose. Sure, he had the occasional romp, so to speak, but most of his dating for the past two years was to appease his bruised ego over his failed relationship. It had been a while since he’d just hung out and enjoyed a night out with the guys. He wasn’t in favor of the bar scene much anymore. He’d been there, done that in college. Now he needed a place to just sit back and relax and not worry about expectations from anyone.

Jarred locked the office, then took the elevator down to the ground floor, where Langston was waiting.

“Are we taking your car or mine?” his brother asked.

Jarred shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Well, look who has decided to join us.” Langston smiled.

Jarred glanced over his shoulder and saw Brice coming through the door of the stairwell, appearing out of sorts. The jacket of his dark Armani suit and his tie were hanging over his shoulder. He looked like he’d sounded on the phone: miserable. Brice had inherited their mother’s silver-gray eyes, and his complexion was a shade darker than Jarred and Langston’s honey-wheat skin tones. His rumpled appearance only confirmed to Jarred that all three of them were at their wits’ end.

“I’m taking my own ride. I may leave with company, so I’ll meet you two there,” Brice said as he walked past them.

“Where are you coming from?” Jarred arched a brow at his baby brother. Brice had led him to believe that he’d been in the office, but not that he was still present.

“IT department. I told you I was here,” Brice replied.

“What were you doing in IT?” Langston asked.

Brice stopped, turned around and glared at them. “Working. Now, are we going to Heavens or not?”

“Yes, but what has you in such a foul mood?” Langston inquired.

“I’m not in a foul mood. I’m in a bad mood, plain and simple. So, are we going or am I to find my entertainment elsewhere?”

“By all means, bro, let’s ride.” Langston gestured toward their parked vehicles.

“I’m just warning you two. The minute somebody hands me one of those ‘get in touch with your inner self’ pamphlets, I am kicking both of your asses,” Jarred interjected, pointing at his brothers.

“You might whip Langston, but you ain’t beating me,” Brice snorted.

Jarred playfully punched his shoulder. “You may be taller than me and Langston, but I can still drop you, baby bro. Don’t let me school you out here in these streets.”

“Man, listen to you trying to act hard. Dude, we grew up in the suburbs,” Brice retorted, and sent them all into a fit of laughter.

“How far away is this place?” Jarred rounded the car to the passenger door.

“About forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on traffic,” Langston said.

Jarred climbed into the passenger seat, put his briefcase on the floor in front of him and sighed deeply. He loved his brothers, but they drove him crazy.

The smooth sound of Kenny G was playing through the surround sound. Yes. Jarred rested his head back and relaxed to the flawless notes the saxophone belted out.

Chapter 2

They pulled into the packed parking lot of a one-story building surrounded by dark, tempered-glass windows. A hand-painted sign that hung above the door read Heavens, with musical symbols on each side. A line snaked out the door and down the walkway on three sides of the building.

“It’s crowded tonight,” Langston said.

“Appears that way,” Jarred responded.

“I’m going to follow Brice. He knows this place inside and out. He’ll know where there’s parking.”

“I thought you’d been here before?”

“I have. It’s just been a while.”

They found parking a block away from the lounge. Jarred was surprised that by the time they walked back around to the club, the crowd had practically disappeared.

“Where did all those people go?” he asked.

“Most probably weren’t allowed inside, so they left. There is a dress code. No jeans or sneakers. Business casual is the preference,” Brice said, as they walked up to the door.

The bouncer, a tall man with a large build and a buzz cut, stood there. “Brice, my man! I haven’t seen you here in a little bit. Go on in. You know your table is always available.”

“Thanks, Norman. How’s it going?”

“I can’t complain. The lady herself is here tonight. You all are in for a treat.” Norman smiled.

“She’s back?”

“Yep, and on fire. Go on in. She’ll be on in a few.”

“Thanks, man. I’ll talk to you later. By the way, these are my brothers, Jarred and Langston. Langston’s been here before with me, but you weren’t on duty,” Brice said.

“Nice to meet you. Go on inside.” Norman waved Brice through. Jarred and Langston followed on his heels.

“Is there anyone he doesn’t know?” Jarred whispered to Langston.

“Our brother does get around. I’m wondering who this she is.”

“I can hear you two,” Brice snorted.

“So?” Jarred and Langston responded simultaneously.

Brice led them to a table in front of a dimly lit stage. A gold Reserved sign sat on the table.

Jarred glanced around the lounge. The place seemed like one giant booth, with leather seating and lit candles in rust-colored holders giving the room an orange glow. Very cozy, he had to admit, very relaxing. This was a place one would want to come after a hard day. The round table that he and his brothers occupied could easily fit eight people.

“So who is this she the bouncer was referring to, Brice?” Langston asked.

“You’ll see, Lang my boy.” Brice smirked.

“If you call me Lang again, you won’t be seeing anything or anybody,” Langston countered.

Jarred chuckled. Brotherly love. What can I say? Nothing, and that’s what I’ll do. Say nothing.

A big, circular spotlight lit the center of the stage, and people began to stand and clap.

Jarred eyed all of them suspiciously. There was no one on the stage. A few moments later, a lone figure walked out into the center and Jarred’s mouth dropped open. The woman had legs that went on for days. They were displayed in a formfitting black dress with a deeply cut V neckline and a long, almost waist-high split up the side. Her natural hair was styled in a thick, wavy bob that stopped at her shoulders. Her skin tone was slightly darker than caramel, but lighter than pecan, more like cinnamon. Her body was to die for, and her smile shone brighter than the stage lighting.

“If you don’t close your mouth soon, bro, you are sure to attract flies,” Brice said.

“You all sure know how to make a lady feel loved,” the mystery lady said. Her voice was so sultry and soulful, a shiver of awareness coursed through Jarred.

He could do nothing but stare at her, spellbound by her presence. He squinted his eyes and leaned forward to get a better view. Upon closer inspection, he recognized that there was something familiar about her, then it hit him like a sack of bricks.

“Hey, isn’t that—”

“Nerd Girl,” Langston finished.

“Be quiet, you two. Her name is Nevealise not Nerd Girl,” Brice said angrily.

“We know her name, Brice,” Jarred countered. “It was just an expression and you know it. We all called her that back then.”

The last time Jarred saw Nevealise, she was headed to Cambridge for her freshman year at MIT. Jarred had known from his sister that she had a crush on him. Nevealise had been Kat’s friend and math tutor, and was often at the house. Kat had kidded him often enough about her friend’s crush. However, he had no interest in the young woman who, at eighteen, was six years his junior. Jarred remembered he’d called her “Jailbait.” At the time he considered her far too young for him. Besides, he was already in a relationship with Lainey.

Well, I’ll be damned. Little Nevealise Tempest has grown into a stunning woman.

She used to come around with her father, and usually had a book in her hand. He and his brothers had dubbed her “Nerd Girl” because she was always spouting something she’d discovered in a book, and was a whiz at equations. Her visits with her father were what led her to become his sister’s tutor. If he remembered correctly, she was two years older than Kat, which would put Nevealise at around twenty-eight now. No longer jailbait. If he was honest with himself he’d admit the moment their eyes met, he wanted to drag her offstage and have his way with her.

“What the hell is she doing, singing in a club? Didn’t she graduate from MIT?” Jarred murmured.

“Damn, she is fine,” Langston declared.

Just then Nevealise bellowed out a soulful rendition of Joss Stone’s “Put Your Hands On Me.”

That voice. It held Jarred captive. He couldn’t turn away even if he tried. Not only was she beautiful, but her singing was glorious.

“Does her old man know that his daughter is a lounge singer?” Jarred asked.

“None of her family knows. For the record, she isn’t only a singer, she owns the place. Hence the name,” Brice told them.

“Who cares whether or not her family knows? She’s good,” Langston said, bopping to the tune.

Like magnet to metal, Jarred and Nevealise’s eyes met and lingered. She was the first to break eye contact as she finished the song and transitioned directly into another. This time she sauntered out into the crowd, stopping at their table to place a kiss on Brice’s cheek. She flashed Jarred and Langston a quick smile, then continued mingling with the other guests. For the first time in his life, Jarred was jealous of his youngest brother.

“Don’t get your hackles up, big brother. Nev and I are just friends,” Brice snorted.

“What are you going on about, Brice? What hackles?” Jarred said, unable to take his eyes off the woman.

Langston chuckled. “Who are you kidding? You practically came out of your seat when Nerd Girl kissed Brice’s cheek. That scowl didn’t help, either.”

Jarred sent Langston a scathing look that could have melted iron. “What I don’t understand is why are we killing ourselves with her father’s mess and she’s out here having the time of her life?” he retorted.

“You can’t blame that on her. Her father never wanted her to have any dealings with the business, even after she graduated top of her class at MIT. She did what she had to do, and she does it well,” Brice said proudly. “Besides, it’s our mess now. We acquired the company, remember?”

Jarred didn’t say anything further. He sat back and listened intently as she sang. He would have been content listening to her all night if he didn’t have an erection that was making it impossible to be comfortable no matter what he did. He squirmed in his seat, trying to adjust his trousers, which were continually growing tighter.

He gazed at Nevealise just as she moved her head in their direction. His lips lifted in a slow smile, and then he winked at her, causing her to miss a beat. Not that anyone would notice. Oh, but he did. Gotcha! It appeared he still had some kind of effect on her. My night has just taken a very interesting turn, he thought, and he hoped to enjoy it to the fullest.

Chapter 3

Nevealise startled a bit as Jarred Manning winked at her. What was he playing at? Better yet, what was he doing here? Although she hadn’t seen him in years, Nevealise didn’t figure Heavens would be a hangout for the oldest Manning brother. Closing her eyes, arms stretched out in front of her, she let the smooth sounds of Ella Fitzgerald’s “Cry Me a River” run flawlessly from her lips. After she finished her number, Nevealise opened her eyes to another standing ovation.

“Thank you, thank you.” She smiled, looked around the packed lounge, bowed and then walked offstage, but not before she caught the eye of Jarred again. He was standing, smiling and clapping heartily along with the crowd. Taking a deep breath, she briskly exited and headed to her dressing room.

Nevealise flashed the bodyguard standing by her door a quick smile, and proceeded inside. She plopped down on the chair in front of the vanity and mirror, and released a long breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. She placed her hand on her abdomen, trying to calm the butterflies having a party in her stomach. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. The hazel eyes that stared back at her showed how she felt: nervous.

“Oh, goodness,” she chanted a few times, before picking up the bottle of chardonnay she always had waiting for her when she left the stage, and pouring a couple ounces into her tulip-shaped wineglass. She sipped a little bit at a time, wanting to savor the taste.

Seeing Jarred Manning again had stirred up feelings in her that Nevealise thought she’d long forgotten. Feelings she had long ago filed away as her first teenage crush. Tonight Jarred’s bold stare had her insides quivering straight to her core, causing her to cross her legs, trying to stem the vibrations she felt there.

Nevealise had felt daring as she’d sauntered out into the crowd and stopped at their table. She’d kissed Brice on the cheek, only to look up and catch Jarred’s molten gaze. Her eyes instantly zoomed in on his full, kissable lips. Her sassy move to show the brothers that she was no longer the girl they often referred to as “Nerd Girl,” that she was in fact a woman in charge of her sexuality, had backfired on her.

Who was she kidding? At the mere presence of Jarred she’d become a nervous wreck, almost dropping in a dead faint to the floor. It should be a sin to be so fine. The handsome devil knew he’d gotten to her when he’d winked at her. Although she’d recovered quickly, she’d missed a beat in the number she was performing. Jarred had arrogantly smiled and lifted his glass to her.

Enough thinking about Jarred Manning. She needed to bring her body under control. Nevealise was reacting to him like she was a sexually charged teenager. Her mind knew that; however, her body moved to its own beat, and was having the hots for Jarred Manning.

Sighing deeply, Nevealise took another sip of her wine. “Ah, just what I need,” she murmured, then leaned back in the chair, lifted her face to the ceiling and closed her eyes. The wine usually calmed her after a performance, and tonight she needed it more than ever. The sight of Jarred in the audience had frayed her nerves. What was he doing here? “Ugh!” she cried. “Get out of my head, Jarred!”

Nevealise jolted at the knock on her door. The sound vibrated like a thunderbolt in the peace and tranquility of her quiet dressing room. Her hand pressed against her chest, trying to stem her racing heart. Mentally shaking herself, Nevealise got up and looked at the closed door.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Nev. Can I come in?”

Nevealise smiled at the briskness of Brice’s voice. He always sounded as if he was angry or in a hurry. While attending college Nevealise had become friends with an engineering student, Jasmine Greene, who unbeknownst to her was dating Brice Manning. Lovers of the written word, Jasmine and Brice would often drag Nevealise along to lounges and clubs to listen, and sometimes participate, in song and the spoken word. It was during those times with Jasmine and Brice that she’d discovered her passion for singing.

Jasmine and Brice were the only two people outside her immediate family who were aware of her disdain for her father, and their tumultuous relationship. To this day Jasmine was still Nevealise’s best friend, and Brice had become more of a brother than a friend. He was the person who’d helped her make Heavens a reality, investing in her talent as well as her business.

“Nev, are you all right? Can I come in?”

He was alone. What a relief. She sat down, smiled and called out, “Sure. Come on in, Brice.”

Nevealise watched as the door slowly opened a bit and Brice stuck his head in. That surprised her, because he usually just walked in.

“What are you doing?” She frowned.

“Just making sure you’re decent,” he responded, before pushing the door open and strolling in. Nevealise’s stomach dropped as Langston and Jarred followed close behind, piling into her dressing room.

The knot in her stomach felt as if she’d swallowed a brick. Ah, hell, she thought, as she saw Jarred standing there staring at her with a smirk on his oh-so-handsome face. Nevealise never really cared for bearded men, but Jarred wore his well. His was light, neatly trimmed and seemed to complement his thick eyebrows, honey-brown skin tone and those hazel eyes that seemed to look straight to her soul. If she wouldn’t appear childish, she would have rolled her eyes at the self-assured oldest Manning brother. Instead, she turned her megawatt smile onto Brice.

“Brice,” she said, standing to embrace him with a gentle hug. “You didn’t tell me that the Brothers Three would be gracing me with your presence tonight.”

“That’s because I didn’t know. Spur-of-the-moment thing. On top of that, I didn’t know you were in town. You didn’t call,” Brice said. “It’s been too long, Nev.”

Nevealise backed out of his embrace and looked him in the eye. “Like you—spur-of-the-moment thing.”

“How long will you be in town?” Brice asked. After graduating from MIT, Nevealise had stayed on in the area, making Cambridge, Massachusetts, her home.

“Not sure.” She looked over Brice’s shoulder at Langston. He had been the more laid-back one, she remembered, and he’d always been nice to her. Compassionate and patient. She knew his referral to her as Nerd Girl was not malicious. In fact, most times he’d pulled her ponytail when he’d called her that. She hadn’t seen Langston in years. Or Jarred, for that matter.

Brice must have noticed her eyes flittering about the room, because he said, “You remember my brothers, Langston and Jarred?”

“It’s been a while, but of course I remember them,” she said.

Langston held out his hand. “You have a beautiful voice. I really enjoyed the show.”

Nevealise shook it. “Not the ‘Nerd Girl’ you remember,” she teased.

Langston had the nerve to blush. “Yes, about that. We were young and full of ourselves,” he said, clearing his throat.

“No worries. It never bothered me. I was and still am a nerd and proud of it. Well, not at the time.” She chuckled.

Nevealise was surprised when Brice pulled her into the crook of his arm. She turned her face up and gave him a questioning look. He just winked at her. What in the world is he playing at?

“I’m Jarred,” she heard his other brother say. The seductive timbre of Jarred’s voice captivated her, compelling her to look at him. His hand was outstretched, so she had no choice but to extend hers. He grasped her hand as if it were a lifeline and glided his thumb over her knuckles.

“I didn’t know you and Brice were an item,” he said smoothly.

Nevealise was caught off guard by him having his way with her hand, and then by his assumption that she and Brice were a couple. She was stunned to silence until she felt the firm squeeze of Brice’s palm on her shoulder.

“You still don’t,” she gathered herself enough to say. “Brice and I are friends. Not lovers. He’s more like a brother.” Nevealise didn’t know why she felt compelled to explain their relationship. She didn’t owe anyone an explanation, least of all Jarred Manning. “Can I have my hand back now?” she said, trying to pull it from his grasp. He refused to let go.

“If we were an item, I believe I would take exception to you holding my woman’s hand as if you were waiting for an opportunity to bed her,” Brice chided. “I believe the lady asked for it back.”

“Uh, bro, you can’t hold her hand hostage,” Langston interjected with a chuckle.

Nevealise darted her gaze from one brother to the other, all the while trying to disengage her hand from Jarred’s. Langston apparently thought it funny, but Jarred’s eyes were not so happily fixed on Brice.

“We are not a couple,” Brice stressed. Nevealise could hear the smugness in his voice. “I told you, Nev and I are friends.”

The brothers had had a conversation about her? When? And more importantly, why?

“What’s going on, Brice?”

“Nothing, Nev. Just my big brother being his normal presumptuous self. Are you performing all weekend?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Playing it by ear at this point.”

“Have you spoken to your father yet?”

Nevealise tensed. “No, and I hadn’t planned on it,” she said easily.

“Maybe you should,” Jarred interposed.

Her father was a sore point with her, and she didn’t appreciate Jarred trying to tell her what to do.

“As I said, I don’t plan on speaking to him. And let go of my hand,” she snapped, finally snatching it out of his grasp.

“Do you have real daddy issues, or are you just throwing a tantrum?” Jarred asked.

Nevealise’s eyes flashed fire. “Excuse you! Throwing a tantrum! What am I, three? You don’t know me, so I suggest you keep your comments to yourself, especially where my father and I are concerned.” Nevealise breathed hard. The rapid rise and fall of her chest was a telltale sign that she was angry. No, she wasn’t angry. She was furious. Her father was a touchy subject, and for this know-it-all to assume she was the problem had her enraged.

“Calm down, Nev. Jarred’s just upset about the situation,” Brice said.

“Jarred, she’s right,” Langston interjected. “You have no business making assumptions about her and her father. You owe Nevealise an apology.”

“What situation?” Nevealise asked, perplexed. She was trying her best to follow the conversation, but couldn’t. What were they talking about? Apparently, whatever it was had something to do with her father. If so, she didn’t much care. As long as she wasn’t involved.

“What am I supposed to think when her father has left us with his mess of a company?” Jarred said.

“Wrong.” Brice shook his head. “Dad had a choice and he made it.”

“What mess? What’s he talking about, Brice?” Nevealise huffed. Oh, how she hated secrets. Hated them with a passion.

“I’ll explain later. This is not the time nor the place. Can you come by my house tomorrow? I’ll explain everything,” Brice stated.

“We’ll explain,” Jarred said.

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a loud knock on the door. “Nev, is everything okay in there?” Norman’s booming voice sounded through the panel.

“Everything’s fine, Norman,” she said, rushing to the door and pulling it ajar. Norman pushed the door open farther to peek inside. He glanced over at Brice, nodded and closed the door, apparently satisfied that she was, indeed, fine. When she turned back to her guests, she noticed Jarred looked as if he was rearing up for another altercation with Brice. And he’d accused her of acting like a child? Go figure.

Nevealise crossed her arms and looked at Brice. “I have a full morning and I’ll probably be back here tomorrow night. What time should I come?”

“Why don’t we make it Sunday, so no one has to rush?” Jarred suggested, cutting in.

“Sunday’s better for me, too,” Langston said.

“Brunch on Sunday. How’s that?” Brice asked her. “My place.”

“Sunday brunch is okay with me.” Nevealise shrugged. “Just know that if this has anything to do with me helping my father in any way, I’m not listening, nor will I help.”

“We’ll discuss this further on Sunday, Nev. That’s the point of the brunch,” Brice snickered.

“I’m just saying. You know my stance on my father, Brice.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say it often enough. Are you going back on tonight?” he asked, changing the subject, for which she was grateful. She didn’t feel like another showdown with Jarred.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” She smiled. “In any event I need to change out of this gown. Getting kind of sticky,” she said, wiggling her hips.

“I can take a hint. She’s trying to get rid of us. Come on, you two, let’s give Nev her space,” Brice said. He placed a kiss on her cheek, then walked over to the door and opened it.

“Nice seeing you again, Ner—Nevealise,” Langston said.

Nevealise chuckled as he caught himself. “You too, Langston. And for being such a gentleman, you can call me Nerd Girl for as long as you want. No offense taken.” She grinned. “If you aren’t comfortable with that name, my friends call me Nev.”

“Thank you, Nev. See you on Sunday.” Langston flashed his pearly whites again.

“What can I call you?” Jarred asked.

“I don’t know. However, I have a few choice names I want to call you,” she retorted.

“Fair enough. I apologize for my earlier assumptions. There, is that better?”

“I don’t know, is it? How do you feel?”

Nevealise heard Brice and Langston snickering in the background. Her eyes were still fixed on Jarred.

He cast a glance over his shoulder at his brothers. “I’ll meet you two outside,” Jarred murmured.

“Why?” Brice asked.

“I just want a word. I believe we got off on the wrong foot and I want to set it straight,” he responded.

Nevealise noticed Brice’s eyes seesaw between her and Jarred. She felt the change in the atmosphere. There was tension, but not the angry, frustrated strain that was present before.

Jarred turned back to her. His stare was bold and presumptuous, but she felt drawn to him. She hadn’t seen him since she was a teenager, so why was he affecting her in this way?

Nevealise didn’t like it. At all. On stage she was bold and vivacious. She was Nev. However, offstage she was nerdy Nevealise, who liked numbers and playing on her computer. She was not comfortable with how Jarred made her feel.

“Come on, Brice. Jarred needs to apologize for acting like an ass,” Langston said. “Honestly, I think he’s met his match.”

Nevealise watched as Brice reluctantly walked out the door, Langston right behind him, and closed it after them. Her heart raced uncontrollably as she turned to face Jarred. He had this look on his face, a look that clearly said he wanted her.

He walked over and stood in front of her.

“So you never told me what name to call you,” he smirked. The handsome devil knew he was getting to her. Nevealise’s breath hitched in her throat as he reached out, grabbed a lock of her hair and twirled the curly strand between his fingers. “Still no answer.”

Nevealise cleared her throat. “Nevealise. You can call me Nevealise,” she whispered.

“Nah, I don’t think so.” He gazed into her eyes.

“Nev then,” she murmured, and tried to back up a little, but his arm snaked out and pulled her closer to him.

“How about I make up my own name for you? I like Nevea. How about you?” he whispered.

“Whatever works for you. Listen, I have to change,” she breathed.

“Are you finished for the night?”

“Like I said before, maybe, maybe not.”

“Have it your way. See you on Sunday, Nevea.” He released her hair and then leaned down and brushed his lips across hers.

Then he simply turned and walked out, leaving her standing in the middle of the room staring at the closed door.

“Well, alrighty then,” she said to the empty room. But her lips lifted in a slow smile.

* * *

Jarred walked out of the club and met his brothers.

“That meeting on Sunday has been shifted to my place. Call her tomorrow to inform her of the change,” Jarred told Brice as they walked toward their cars.

“Do I look like your secretary? Why can’t you call her?” Brice snorted.

“I don’t remember what my secretary looks like, Brice, since you messed with her head and she took leave. And I can’t call Nevea and change the venue because you and I both know she wouldn’t come.”

“So what makes you think she’d come if I ask her?”

“She seems to like you,” Jarred grunted.

“She’d like you, too, if you weren’t so grumpy.” Langston chuckled.

“You seem to be all giggly tonight, Lang. What in the all-out hell is so funny?” Jarred demanded.

“You are, brother. You’ve pissed Nerd Girl off, and now she won’t come out and play with you,” Langston teased.

“She was steamed at him. I thought she was going to hit him at one point. Never seen Nev that mad before,” Brice taunted.

“For one thing, dogs get mad, people get angry,” Jarred said.

“And if she were a dog, she would have bit you on your arse,” Brice countered. He was doubled over with laughter.

Evidently, his brothers found him funny, since they were both laughing like hyenas. But they weren’t there to witness his and Nevea’s sizzling exchange when they were alone. He’d leave the two knuckleheads with their assumptions. Suddenly, things seemed a whole lot brighter.

But Langston would not be deterred. “I distinctly remember you saying before we left the office that you didn’t want to be around any ‘touchy-feely’ people. Yet there you were, trying to take Nev’s hand with you,” he joked.

Jarred needed to shut these two up quickly. He had a feeling he’d be seeing a lot more of Ms. Nevealise Tempest. A whole lot more. Had he driven himself, he would have stayed longer, and left Langston and Brice to their own devices. Besides, wasn’t that the point of their outing? To relax, have fun and enjoy the company of a beautiful woman? His brothers were still ribbing him. They were having just a little too much fun at his expense. His lips lifted in a slow smile. Let’s see who has the last laugh.

“Be that as it may,” he said, “who’s coming in to work tomorrow? We still have a lot to do before the meeting next month with the board of directors.” Jarred smiled at their collective grunts. Ha! Who’s laughing now? They reached the cars. “Y’all want to grab a bite to eat at one of those all-night diners?” he asked.

“Sure,” Langston said.

“Count me out. I have a few things to take care of. You two know how to get out of here, right?” Brice said.

“Of course we do,” Langston responded.

“You okay, Brice?” Jarred asked.

“Good as gold.” His remote started the car, but before he got in, he turned back to Jarred. “Since you apparently have the hots for Nev, I take it you want this meeting to be private. That being said, I will see you two at the office on Monday. Maybe.” Brice got into his car and drove off.

“Something’s up with him,” Jarred said.

“I believe so, too. He’ll tell us when he’s ready. Let’s go get some grub,” Langston said.

Jarred got in on the passenger side, put his head back and closed his eyes.

“I’ll GPS the closest diner,” he heard Langston say, but his thoughts were still on Nevea. He found himself willing Sunday to come fast.

Chapter 4

Jarred lay in his king-size bed and looked over at the bedside clock. Six in the morning. He’d gotten very little sleep last night, and the night before. Usually, it was the trials of the office that kept him awake at night, but not this time. No, this time it was something sexy and tantalizing. Nevealise Tempest. Ever since he’d laid eyes on her Friday night, Jarred hadn’t been able to get her off his mind.

She didn’t know it, but he’d gone back to the club on Saturday, sat in the back away from the stage and watched her work her magic with the crowd. Jarred was surprised that she hadn’t made it big in the music industry. She was just that good. According to Norman, people came from all over to see her perform, but she wasn’t interested in the fame. She just loved singing and the atmosphere of Heavens. Norman had gone on to say that everyone in the club was surprised that she hadn’t been around for almost a year, and then suddenly, two months ago, she’d appeared out of the blue, better than ever.

“What kept you away from the place you so obviously love, Nevea?” he asked in the semidarkened bedroom.

Jarred pushed the covers off and swung his legs over the bed, his bare feet touching the floor. He walked to the bureau, grabbed a pair of gym shorts and pulled them on over his boxer briefs. Then he put on a pair of socks and his sneakers and went into his en suite bathroom, where he washed his face and brushed his teeth. Jarred quickly grabbed his cell phone and then made his way to his basement, which housed his basketball court and gym.

Jarred went through a few warm-up drills before grabbing his basketball and running up and down the court, shooting baskets. Basketball was his game in high school and in college. He still loved the sport and played as much as he could. Not being able to get out to play with the fellas because of his demanding hours, he’d had his basement renovated into a full court.

He played for about an hour and a half before finally stopping and sitting on the floor, his back against the padded wall, his breathing heavy. He’d needed that workout.

“Oh, man. Jarred, either you’re getting old or you need to get back in shape,” he groaned, his arms on his knees and his head bowed, trying to suck in as much air as he could. Pushing up off the floor, he walked over to the bench where he’d placed his cell phone, and left the gym.

Brice hadn’t phoned yet to say if Nevea was in fact coming, so it was basically a waiting game. An impatient waiting game. Jarred made his way to the master bathroom, showered, then dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt from his alma mater, Howard University.

Next he needed a cup of coffee. Just as he was leaving his room, his cell phone chimed. He rushed to grab it from the bureau and looked at the caller ID. It was Brice.

“Man, you owe me big time and I plan to collect soon,” his brother said.

“She’s coming?”

“Yes. What did you say to her? I had a time convincing her to come to your house. She’ll be there between ten thirty and eleven thirty.” Brice laughed. “Or more likely by one thirty.”

“What kind of timing is that?” Jarred frowned.

“Nev is as smart as a whip, but she gets lost going around the corner. She thinks she’s smarter than the navigation system and gets lost every time.”

It was Jarred’s turn to chuckle. “I guess I won’t make the eggs until she actually shows up at the door. From what you’re saying, I may be making burgers, anyway. Why doesn’t she take the train in and I’ll pick her up from the station?”

“That would be a negative, brother. She would have to take the train into Penn and then the subway to Brooklyn. There is no way I’d trust Nev on the subway by herself.”

“And you trust her to drive here?”

“She’s a good driver. Her problem is unless she’s singing, Nev always thinks in numbers. She tries to calculate everything. She’s not familiar with Brooklyn. Remember, like us, she grew up on Long Island. There are a lot of one-way streets in the five boroughs. Trust me, she’ll calculate herself up in Albany somewhere.”

“Damn.” Jarred was laughing full out now. “How am I supposed to know if she’s lost?”

“I gave her your cell number. I doubt she’ll use it, so you take hers.”

Jarred walked over to his nightstand and took out a notepad and pen. “Go ahead.” He wrote down the digits as swiftly as Brice called them out.

There was a lot of rustling in the background on Brice’s end, and then what sounded like a voice or voices.

“What’s that noise?” Jarred raised a brow.

“No worries, brother. Talk to you soon. Tell Nev don’t be too mad at me. Bye,” Brice said, and disconnected the call.

Jarred stared down at his phone as if willing Brice to come through it so he could choke him.

“You keep hanging up on me, little brother, and I’m going to have to teach you some manners by going upside your lopsided head,” Jarred said.

He went into the kitchen to get the coffeepot started. While he waited, he grabbed the remote control and turned the television on to watch the highlights of last night’s basketball games.

Jarred went to the fridge and poured himself a glass of juice, downing it almost in one gulp. He was on his third cup of coffee and into the replay of the Knicks game when he heard his doorbell ring. It was 9:40 a.m. on a Sunday. Who could that be this time of morning? he thought, getting up to check. He looked through the peephole, then unlocked and opened the door.

“Nevea?” She was standing there wringing her hands. She looked like the nerd girl he’d often called her. Gone was the classy look from last night. Her hair pinned up in a fluffy ponytail, a white blouse was tucked into ripped jeans and a lightweight jacket. Complete with a pair of silver framed wire-rim glasses. Not as chic as she was at the club, but still just as beautiful. The schoolmarm look fit her personality perfectly. She’s mine. All day every day.

“Brice did say the meeting had changed to your place.”

“Yes. Yes. Come on in,” he said, standing to the side to allow her to enter. “Brice said you would be here between ten thirty and eleven thirty.”

“Knowing Brice, he said I would be here even later than that,” she replied. “I’m not too early, am I?”

“No, of course not. Come on in and have a seat.” He led her to the living room, where she sat on the sofa. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Sure.”

“How do you take it?”

“Milk, no sugar. I know I’m early, but what time are Brice and Langston due here?”

“Shortly,” Jarred lied, taking a cup and saucer from the cupboard. “I’m gathering you found the place without a hitch.”

“Almost. I was turned around a little bit.”

“Oh yeah? Where’d you get turned around at?”

“Uh, Kingsbridge,” she muttered.

“Huh? Did you say Kingsbridge?”

“Yes.”

“Nevea, Kingsbridge is in the Bronx. I live in Brooklyn.”

“I know that now, Jarred,” she snickered.

Jarred didn’t know whether to laugh at her or hug her. He decided not to do either.

“You still got here pretty early considering you not too long ago spoke to Brice.”

“I was already on the road when I spoke to him again. He called me last night with the change of venue. I guessed he was checking up on me this morning.”

“Just how long have you been driving?” Jarred asked, handing her a cup of coffee.

“A few hours.”

“Why didn’t you have myself, Brice or Langston pick you up?”

“I mapped the directions out to the letter. I must have missed a turn somewhere.” Her brows furrowed as if she was in serious thought.

More like several turns. “Yes, that was probably it. You missed a turn somewhere,” Jarred said, and sipped his coffee to keep from laughing. “Are you hungry? I’m starved.”

“A little. I didn’t eat yet. Besides, this is supposed to be a brunch. Yet I don’t see or smell any food.”

“My fault. You can bring that cup into the kitchen and sit at the island while I put something together. Unless you want to help.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not much of a cook,” she said, following him into the kitchen.

“No worries. I got this. You like eggs, bacon, waffles, toast, sausages?”

“Yes, but not all at once.”

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll cook and you eat whatever it is you want. How’s that?”

“Sounds good to me. Shouldn’t we wait for Brice and Langston?”

“No,” he said, starting to take out the ingredients he needed.

Jarred worked effortlessly on their meal. When he was done, he placed all the dishes buffet-style on the island, and took out cutlery. “Have at it.”

“Wow, this looks great,” Nevealise said, and began to pile some of everything on her plate.

“Umm-hmm, it tastes good, too.” He smiled, then frowned when he looked at her plate. “Are you going to eat all of that?”

“I sure am. Brice and Langston better hurry up and get here or they aren’t going to have any food,” she said.

“Don’t worry about them. They aren’t coming,” he stated smoothly, before putting a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

“Wh-what do you mean, they aren’t coming?”

“I asked them not to because I wanted to spend some time alone with you. To get to know you better. As I said before, we started out on the wrong foot.” He shrugged. “Well, I didn’t tell them I wanted alone time with you, but that is what I wanted.”

“So you got me here on false pretenses? I don’t like being manipulated, Jarred,” she snapped, and stood up.

“You are not here on false pretenses. I plan to tell you everything that’s going on. I just wanted to get to know you better in the process. Finish eating your food. You have nothing to fear from me, Nevea.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Jarred. I’m annoyed with you for manipulating me. There’s a difference.”

Jarred watched Nevea intently as she moved food around on her plate with her fork, and then suddenly, as if she didn’t have a care in the world, start demolishing it. His eyes bulged when she added more food to the almost-empty plate.

“When’s the last time you ate?” he asked, his head bobbing to the rhythm of her fork going up and down.

“Sometime last night, I believe. No, wait—it was yesterday afternoon. I had a burrito and then some chips later on,” she said around a mouthful of food.

“Yesterday! You only ate a burrito and some chips the whole day?”

“Right. Mmm, this is so delicious.” She moaned and closed her eyes.

“Please, help yourself to everything that’s left,” he choked out. Her moans of delight caused a stirring in his loins.

“You know what would have been great with all of this?”

Watching her eat and listening to all the cooing sounds she was making turned him on. Nevea was eating as if she were in the throes of passion. “Sex,” he said under his breath.

“Excuse me?”

He looked into her eyes and feigned innocence. “What?”

“You were mumbling something and I couldn’t hear you,” Nevea said.

“I’m sorry. You asked what would have been great with breakfast and I asked what?” he lied.

“Homemade home fries!” she said excitedly. “I love them with onions and peppers. They’re to die for. My mom used to make them for me all the time.”

“When was the last time you saw your parents?” Jarred noticed that Nevealise went from relaxed and eagerly eating to tightening up like a bow in zero-point-three seconds. Obviously, her parents were a touchy subject. He would stay away from any parent talk for now. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“It’s been a little while. I talk to my mom on the phone all the time, and my brothers check up on me at least once a month,” she said with a half smile.

Her father. There was no mention of her being in contact with him. Jarred would leave that alone for now, as well. Instead, he stood up to take his dish to the sink.

“You want me to help?” she asked.

“Are you finished eating?” He raised his eyebrows and a smile curled his lips.

“I did eat a lot, didn’t I?” She returned his smile.

“I would say you did. Yes.” He chuckled. “No worries. I’m just happy you enjoyed the food.”

“I’ll help clean up.” She got up from the bar stool and walked over to the sink.

“Cool. We can put everything in the dishwasher.”

They worked side by side, with Jarred rinsing the plates and Nevealise loading the machine. He chuckled to himself. It was clear that Nevea was totally clueless in the kitchen, judging by the lost look on her face. And the fact that she was taking her cues from him. She would watch what he did and then mimic his actions. Well, she did say that she didn’t know how to cook. How in the world did she manage on her own?

“There. All done,” Jarred said. His cell phone buzzed on the counter just then. “Excuse me,” he said, and rushed over to answer it. Looking down at the caller ID, he groaned inwardly. Langston. No doubt Brice had called him. Bad timing, brothers.

“Yes,” Jarred all but snarled into the receiver.

“Whoa! What’s gotten you all riled up? Your guest didn’t show?”

Jarred could picture the smirk on his brother’s face right now. And from the happy chirp of his voice, Langston sounded pleased that Nevea didn’t show. He almost hated to burst his brother’s bubble. Not really.

“On the contrary, my guest is here and you’re an unwanted interruption,” Jarred whispered.

“Really? You mean she actually showed?”

Jarred smiled at the surprise he heard in his brother’s voice.

“Langston, I know you’ve spoken to Brice.”

“No, I haven’t. I called and didn’t get an answer.”

“Yes, she’s here. I have to go. Bye,” he murmured, and abruptly disconnected the call.

Jarred didn’t have time for small talk with his brother. He needed to get to Nevea before she found an excuse to leave. He turned his cell off and went in search of her.

Chapter 5

Nevealise took a tour of Jarred’s home while he talked on the phone. The two-story brownstone was a big house for one person. His kitchen was long and rectangular, with a center island that could seat at least eight people. Standing there, she looked past a few columns out into the living area. Everything on this floor looked new, so it had to have been recently renovated. Modern with old-style charm.

Completing the first floor was a formal dining room that was closed off by double sliding doors that could clearly be mistaken for part of the kitchen wall. Nevealise smiled inwardly. Nice touch. That small detail maintained the old charm of the home.

She walked around a long dining table, cherrywood highlighted by ornate carvings. The elegant gold tipping and expensively upholstered chairs surrounding the table gave the room a regal look.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Jarred’s smooth voice teased from across the room.

She started. Her eyes darted to where he stood, and honed in on his broad chest with the words Howard University printed across the front of the fitted T-shirt. Her gaze shifted to the sweatpants he wore, to his slippers, and then traveled back up to his face, where he wore a mile-wide smile. Nevealise could feel the blush starting at her neck and creeping across her cheeks. She lowered her head.

“I take it you like what you see,” he said, and she couldn’t help but let her eyes meet his. Her face was now several shades of red, and she knew it.

“What?” she choked out.

“The house—you like what you’ve seen so far?” He smirked.

They both knew that he wasn’t talking about his house. Nevealise walked past him, or tried to, anyway. He blocked her exit.

“I like the house just fine from what I’ve seen of it,” she said haughtily. “Excuse me.”

“After you, milady.” He bowed and laughed. “Come on, I’ll give you a guided tour of the rest of the place.” He took her hand in his, pulling her alongside him.

“Why do you have such a huge home for one person?”

“I don’t know. At first it was for entertainment purposes, but I use my home in the Hamptons for the little entertaining that I do now. I put in so many hours at the office that I’m rarely here.” He looked around. “It’s a waste, really,” he said.

Nevealise heard pain in his voice. She wondered what wound she’d opened up, and then it hit her. Brice had mentioned that Jarred had been engaged to be married a few years ago, and that the wedding had been called off. He hadn’t given her any details. Now she wondered what really happened, and if this house was in some way a part of the pain that she’d heard in his voice.

“A rather expensive waste, wouldn’t you agree?” she teased, flashing him a smile.

“Very.” He grinned.

“I’m sure you had your reasons for purchasing it. In any event, it’s stunning and not overly stated. Very homey, with a warm and cozy feel. Guests are not made to feel afraid to sit or touch anything for fear of messing something up or breaking your valuables. Very comfy.”

“A house is made to be lived in, not looked at and admired from afar. I guess that’s why there’s a difference between a house and a home. A home is lived in. Welcome to my home, Nevea.”

“Thanks for having me, Jarred.”

“From your comments, I take it that you’ve broken a few pieces here and there at someone’s home?” he teased.

“Of course I have. Ballet and other dance classes have helped some with my clumsiness. However, when I’m into my work I have been known to walk into things and knock stuff over. If I’m not wearing my contacts or glasses, forget about it. I’m a total klutz.”

“Well, everything in here is replaceable, so no worries. As long as you don’t hurt yourself, have at it.” He chuckled. “Let’s get started with that tour. We’ll start with the lower level—the basement.” He opened the door and walked down the steps. Nevea followed.

“Wow, you’ve turned your basement into a basketball court. Nice. This must have been a big renovation project.” She looked around the spacious area at the wall-to-wall padding. Aside from the court there was a workout area, which included a weight bench, dumbbells and a boxing bag at the far end.

“You like basketball?”

“It’s okay. I used to watch my brothers and their friends play. I can live with or without it.” She shrugged.

“You know it’s funny. Your father and mine are close buddies, yet our families never interacted much. Actually, until you showed up to tutor my sister, I had forgotten Mr. Tempest even had children. Why’s that? I find it rather odd,” he said softly.

“Hmm, that is odd, isn’t it?” she said quietly, not offering up any additional information. “I believe we hung out more when we were all younger, and let’s face it. You’re older than I am, so you wouldn’t have noticed me too much, anyway. Or it could have just been that your father grew tired of Josiah Tempest.”

“You really don’t care for your father, do you?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.” She wouldn’t tell Jarred that the man who claimed to be good friends with his father was well and truly a pompous, male-chauvinist pig who treated Nevealise and her mother like the hired help rather than a daughter and a wife. The one time Nevealise had thought she’d earned her father’s respect, it had turned out to be a lie. He’d used her, too. Just like he’d used most people in his life.

Her father knew she’d wanted to be a part of the family business, but no, he wanted her brothers to join the company. To Josiah Tempest’s chagrin both her brothers had gone to medical school instead. Then here came poor little awkward, bookwormish Nevealise. Trying to please her daddy, she’d agreed to help him install special security software and several other high profile programs that she’d created herself for the mortgage company’s computers. She’d done so with the assurance that she would oversee not only the implementation of the programs, but also be given a managerial spot in the company alongside her father. Of course, that never happened. Just as soon as her programs were operational, her services were no longer needed, and at that very moment she’d realized that she didn’t need her father, nor did she want anything to do with him. So she stayed away.

“So-o-o, would you rather play some one-on-one?”

“What?” She arched a brow. Nevealise had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard a word Jarred said.

“Basketball. Would you like to play a game?”

“I haven’t played in a while. My brothers used to make me participate to even out the players when they had a few friends over. Frankly, I would have rather been reading a book.”

“Both your brothers are doctors, correct?”

“Yes, they are.” She smiled.

“I take it you’re on good terms with them?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“No reason other than the fact that every time I mention anything about your family you clam up.”

“Not true. I just don’t talk about my father.”

“You never answered my question,” Jarred said. “Do you want to play a game of B-ball?”

He picked up the basketball. His muscles flexed, causing her mouth to practically drop open. Jarred was all man. A handsome man full of sex appeal. After all these years, he still had an effect on her hormones. Nevealise couldn’t deal with being up close and personal with him in a game of one-on-one. Not with the way her body was reacting to his mere presence. Instead of agreeing to the game, she took the cowardly way out.

“Maybe. I’d like to see the rest of the house first. If you don’t mind.”

“Sure. Come on.” He threw the ball down, took her hand and led her back up the stairs.

With her senses already heightened, the warmth of his hand against hers had her tingling all over. So much so that she couldn’t keep from shivering a bit. Her body’s reaction to his was foreign. Sure, Nevealise had crushed on him for a long time, but this...this need was so strong it scared her.

Oh man, oh man, she chanted over and over in her head. I am so in trouble. Her body was betraying her big time. A chill coursed through her, causing her to shiver again.

“You cold?” he asked.

“Not at all. What’s on the top floor?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Be patient. I’m about to show you.” He laughed.

“Yes, but you’re being slow about it,” she joshed. “You know you’re going to have to let go of my hand in order for me to walk up the stairs.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do,” she said, breathing in his manly scent mixed with what may have been Irish Spring soap. Nevealise was proved right when they couldn’t walk side by side up the steps. Jarred quickly remedied the situation by taking hold of her opposite hand. She had to walk slightly behind him, but not much.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.