FEVERISH UnbRoken

by Vasser, LaShawn

  “I’m so angry. I don’t even want to be around him.”

  “That’s when you have to be your sweetest. When your father does something that makes me want to run him over with a car, I’ll make him a nice dinner or make him a hot bath. Your grandmother always used to say—you catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar. It’s really more for you than him. Then, when he’s in a good and loving mood, talk. He’ll hear you more clearly. Communication is the key to any successful relationship.”

  “Big Mama always had good advice—I don’t know about being sweet. Not tonight.”

  “Your grandmother was married to my father for sixty-two years until she was called home to heaven to be with him. Can’t argue with wisdom and success. Your father’s mother, on the other hand, she would have had the opposite advice. That woman would have made you a widow before your first anniversary.”

  Imani laughed a little. “That’s true.”

  Her mother laughed too. “Dry those tears. Don’t think I can’t hear them. Go get some candles and run Garrett a nice hot bath. It’s got to be some in that big fancy house he bought you. Oh, and get you some wine. That’s for you. Have a couple of glasses before you do all of the other stuff and hide the bottle.”

  “Hide the bottle? Why?”

  “You’ve got a little of your grandmother from the other side in you. I don’t want to read about Garrett’s death in the news tomorrow.”

  That brought another smile to Imani’s face. “Thanks, Mom. You always know just what to say. I’ll call you later.”

  After talking to her mother, Imani felt a little better. But, trying the sweetness remedy was going to take more skill than she possessed at the moment.

  Shortly after Imani finished talking with her mom, Garrett walked into their bedroom and didn’t look in her direction. However, her eyes followed his every move. She knew he could feel them burning a hole into his back.

  He walked over to his closet to put his coat away then went into the bathroom. Moments later, Imani heard the shower come on, and it took everything within her not to get up and give him a piece of her mind.

  Instead, she took several deep breaths and waited patiently.

  He came out, wet and wrapped in only a towel. Chiseled abs were calling her name. Damn him. He didn’t fight fair. “Are we going to talk about today?”

  Garrett dropped his towel.

  Imani’s mouth watered as he stood fully erect.

  He knew the kind of effect he had on her. This wasn’t the first time he attempted to fix a fight with sex.

  She wasn’t going to allow this one to get papered over with good, make that great, sex. Imani turned away. “Garrett, we should talk.”

  He exhaled then got underneath the covers. Exhaustion and defeat in his voice, Garrett closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can only hope that you’ll wait until after the custody hearing before you file for divorce.”

  “What?! A divorce? Are you serious? Is that what you think I want?”

  “I’m not good at being a husband.”

  “Then, you need to work on it.”

  “So, you don’t want a divorce?”

  “What I want is to strangle you. What I want is for you to open up to me but no. I don’t want a divorce.” Imani hopped up on her knees. “Before you, I’d never even had a real boyfriend. I’m fighting for us! You need to do the same. You’ve built a billion-dollar company, and yet you can’t deal with me? I don’t get it. Why is it so hard for you to let me in?”

  Garrett was relieved. He’d halfway believed by the time he came home that Imani would have had most of her bags packed. “I’ve been betrayed by everyone I’ve ever loved, Imani. It’s not easy to trust people.”

  Imani wondered if she was included in the group of people he loved. Her voice was soft. “You trusted Maddon within five minutes of meeting him.”

  “I was drunk.”

  “True.”

  “Imani, I didn’t grow up with parents like you. Life was hard.”

  “Tell me about it. Maybe then I can understand.”

  “I haven’t even been able to tell my shrink everything.” He gazed into her eyes. “Imani, I want us to work. I just need you to be patient.”

  Looking into his eyes, they were pleading with her. She was lost.

  He reached for her and kissed her softly on the lips. He attempted to deepen the kiss, but Imani pulled away only to cup his face in her hands. She stared deeply into his eyes. “I love you, and I won’t let you take the easy way out.”

  Her words knocked the wind out of him. His heart pounded. He didn’t know what to do or say.

  Imani could see the panic in his eyes. She whispered to him. “All I ask is that from now on you are honest with me and that you don’t ever give up on us.”

  Garrett couldn’t find words. He nodded.

  As much as Imani wanted to feel him inside her, she couldn’t allow it. Garrett needed to learn to express himself differently than making love. Instead, she slid down into the crook of his arms and blew out a very slow breath.

  He pulled her close. Hours after she’d fallen asleep, Garrett continued to lay awake as he held her tight. She said she loved him. That was a powerful gift. He needed to trust that, trust her.

  *****

  Imani woke up to an empty bed. Garrett was already gone when she opened her eyes. She got up, quickly dressed and went over to Garrett Jr’s room. He was still sleeping. Imani wished her life was as carefree as his. He had no idea about the gigantic crap storm swirling about him.

  Imani made her way downstairs to grab a quick cup of coffee before leaving for the office. She was surprised to run into Garrett.

  “I thought you were already gone.”

  “No. Not yet. I have some bad news. I got a call this morning from one of my clients in Dubai. I’m going to need to fly out there.”

  Her face fell.

  “I was hoping maybe you could come with me. We could possibly make it a honeymoon of sorts maybe even pick out a house together.”

  Her eyes flew to his. Excited she responded. “Really? A home in Dubai? I don’t need that. I’d be happy just to spend some quality time with you.”

  “I think I can make that happen but only if you can be ready to go in the next few hours.”

  She ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. “I’ll be ready sooner than that! What about Garrett Jr.?”

  He looked sheepish. “I invited Anna along. There’s really no one to leave him with.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll take it.” Imani kissed him hard on the lips and high-tailed it up the stairs to make calls and pack.

  Garrett felt good that he was able to do something to make her happy. His phone pinged.

  The sappy smile on his face disappeared. His face hardened, and his jaw clenched as he read the headline.

  Is The New Mrs. Hadley Already Stepping Out on Her Husband?

  Garrett couldn’t help but think from the angle of the picture that it sure as hell looked like it.

  Chapter 20

  “Have you seen the papers today?” Imani’s personal assistant, Michelle, asked.

  She held the phone between her shoulder and ear while looking in a drawer for her sexiest negligees. “No. I haven’t had time. I’m not sure how long we’ll be away, but if anything comes up, call me or send an e-mail. I know the timing of me leaving sucks, but it’s always family first. Just remember there is a fourteen-hour time gap between Chicago and Dubai.”

  “Okay. I’ll send over all the sketches for your approval.”

  “Good. Oh . . . was there anything good in the paper?” Garrett Jr. was sitting on the bed ignoring his toys and trying his best to get into the empty suitcases.

  Michelle hesitated. “There’s an um . . . a picture of you with some smoking hot dude looking lovingly into your eyes with a ridiculous caption.”

  Imani laughed. “The press has been relentless lately. Garrett and I make a good-looking pai
r if I have to say so myself.”

  “True, but that isn’t Mr. Hadley in the photo with you. He’s a handsome devil but not as cute as . . .” Michelle cut off her thoughts before finishing her sentence. She didn’t want her boss thinking she was crushing on her husband.

  “It’s not Garrett and me? Who is it then?” Imani frowned. Curiosity thoroughly piqued, she stopped packing and plopped down on her bed, next to her laptop, and powered it on.

  “You’re not going to like the headline.”

  Dread filled her, but she asked anyway. “What is it?”

  “It’s silly and so stupid.”

  “I’m sure. Tell me.”

  Michelle exhaled. “It says, Is The New Mrs. Hadley Already Stepping Out?”

  “What! You’re joking?”

  “I’m sorry. I wish I were. Let me see if there is a name for the guy.” Michelle read a little further into the article. “His name is Raymond McNeal.”

  She’d been holding a pent-up breath hoping it was anyone but Raymond. It didn’t take long for Imani to find the article once she’d turned her laptop on. “This article is complete BS!” She moaned. This was not something she wanted Garrett to see. “Michelle, I’ve got to go. You’ve got my instructions. I’ll make sure to call you once we arrive.”

  Michelle was still talking when Imani hung up the phone. Her singular focus was to find Garrett and explain this picture.

  Her cell rang again. The number was unrecognizable. She should ignore the call but had so many irons in the fire that she decided to answer it. “Imani Hadley.”

  “I thought I was going to get your voice mail.” The deep voice from yesterday came through the phone loud and clear. Imani quickly swiveled her head around the room as if expecting the man on the other line to appear.

  She whisper-yelled. “Raymond! How’d you get my number?”

  “I have my resources. Look, I was just calling to warn you some prick posted a ridiculous story about us in the paper today. I know Garrett’s going blow his stack when he sees it.”

  Imani narrowed her eyes. “You planted that story.”

  “I didn’t. I swear it! While it’s true, running into you wasn’t a coincidence, I had nothing to do with that reporter of that article.”

  Nervously, Imani continued to look at the door waiting for Garrett to walk through it. “Great. Wonderful. I’ve got to go.”

  “Wait! You wouldn’t listen yesterday but . . .”

  “Wait for what? What could you possibly want with me other than to mess with Garrett’s head?”

  “An olive branch. I’m reaching out to you, because from what I’ve been told, Garrett listens to you.”

  Imani pulled the phone from her ear and looked at it like it was a foreign object. “When it comes to you, Garrett listens to no one, and no one can blame him.”

  “I want an ending to this nightmare that we all can live with. You can help all of us with that. I know that you understand how important family is. You’re close to your family.”

  Imani didn’t like the fact he knew so much about her and was trying to manipulate her with it. Family was everything. “I surely wouldn’t want to see what hate looks like coming from you.”

  Raymond’s voice softened. “Believe it or not, I love my brother.”

  Garrett Jr. started babbling and clapping his hands. Using a feather light touch, Imani caressed his little cheek. She didn’t want to admit it, but nothing was more important that that little boy. “Even if I could help, the bottom line is I can’t get involved with the war between the two of you.”

  Raymond had achieved more than he thought he would with this call. He figured out the way to Imani Jones-Hadley’s heart was family. “You can’t or you won’t?”

  “Doesn’t matter. The result is the same. I’ve got to go. Please don’t call me on this phone again.” She quickly disconnected the call. Imani had given Raymond more time than he deserved. Imani picked up the baby from off the bed and was about to walk out of the room to find Garrett just as he came in.

  His face said it all. He was pissed.

  Imani shifted Garrett Jr. onto her other hip. “I just saw the article, and I hope you know it’s all a bunch of lies.”

  “I know.” He was aware that it was absurd, but there was a small part of him that was insecure. Raymond had always had a way with women and had already stolen one wife. He didn’t want him within a hundred feet of Imani.

  She let out a relieved sigh. “Good. I’m glad you’re going to let this go because I’m really looking forward to this time away. I don’t want anything to ruin it.”

  “Who said I’m letting anything go?”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “For now? Take my wife and son to Dubai.”

  “Garrett, please don’t. Let it go.”

  “Raymond set this entire thing up.”

  After her conversation with him, it was likely he did, but Imani wasn’t exactly sure. She remained silent.

  “He’s obliterated every boundary there is. He won’t do it with us. One way or another, Raymond will be handled.”

  “I don’t like that look in your eyes. You make me nervous when you talk like that. Pretty soon, the courts will give us custody of Garrett Jr., and we won’t have to deal with his games.”

  “That’s one way of dealing with this mess.” He changed the subject. “You almost packed?” Garrett would let Imani think whatever she wanted. The bottom line, he was done allowing Raymond to run around without a leash. Sometimes dogs needed to be put down.

  *****

  Garrett was tense. It took a while for him to loosen up on the plane ride over to Dubai. But, once they arrived and got settled into the luxurious home they’d rented, he seemed to relax—a little.

  Imani walked out onto the balcony of her and Garrett’s bedroom and leaned over the railing. Gone was the sweltering heat from earlier. She’d showered and changed into a strapless cotton mini dress, perfect for the balmy night air. It felt good on her body.

  Garrett came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist burying his head into the delicate curve of her neck. “That little boy didn’t want to go to sleep. He was fussy tonight.”

  She moaned as his lips caressed her skin. Her voice came out in a whisper. “Despite how luxurious this villa is, a fourteen-hour flight and an hour drive will make anyone a little cross, exhausted.”

  “I hope you’re not too tired for me.”

  Imani leaned back into his body, and he held her a little tighter. Her own voice was husky to her ears. “Never for you.”

  “Good.” Garrett breathed her in. Meeting Imani was as unconventional as it came, but she was exactly what he needed, perfect.

  There was a part of him that was terrified she would wake up and decide she’d made the biggest mistake of her life. He couldn’t blame her if she did. There was intense passion between them, he knew she had said she loved him, but Garrett didn’t really believe it. He could only pray that she cared enough to stay with them forever.

  The moment he said his vows, Garrett made a promise to himself he’d do anything to make sure Imani never had a reason to leave him. This trip was part of it. Life with him had been hell, and he knew it. “I know the past months have been hard. I want tonight to be a fresh start for us. I don’t want you to ever think, leaving me is a better option.”

  Imani turned around in his arms. “The months have been equally, if not more, hard on you and not once have I ever thought about leaving.” Imani would have to both show and tell him. “My parents have been married almost thirty-five years. I’ve seen the ups and downs that come along with marriage. As long as you are, I’m in it for the long haul.”

  He studied her hard, assessing if she had meant her words.

  Imani could see the doubt in his eyes. She wanted to reassure him and stood up on her tip-toes to place a tender kiss on his lips.

  Garrett pulled back slightly. He moved a strand of hair off her forehead and put it b
ehind her ear. “Don’t get pissed.”

  Imani exhaled. “It’s never good when a man starts a sentence off with don’t get pissed. What did you do?”

  He raked a hand through his hair. “I know I promised that from now on we’d make the big decisions together, but I made one more on my own.”

  Imani started to pull away, but his hold was like steel. Her eyes knotted together. “Again, I ask, what did you do?”

  His eyes sparkled with mischief. “I realized I never gave you a wedding gift. So, you can’t be mad at me for getting you one.”

  “Garrett, you’ve given me so many things. You don’t have to keep buying me stuff.”

  “I know. I just want to make you happy.”

  “Just you, all by yourself, makes me happy. Except for when I want to strangle you. But seriously, you don’t need to buy me things to put a smile on my face.”

  Garrett wasn’t so sure of that. Shannon needed lots of gifts. It seemed the only time she was happy was when she was out spending his money. This time, Garrett wanted . . . no needed for his marriage to work. “I bought this villa for you. Your name is on the paperwork.”

  Imani’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “You. Did. Not! You’ve got to be kidding?”

  “It’s all yours.”

  Imani was speechless. A year ago, she was barely making rent and living in a nine hundred square feet apartment, and now she was in a five thousand square foot luxurious home looking out over the Gulf of Oman.

  Imani turned around staring at her surroundings, this time with a pair of fresh eyes. She was having a hard time reconciling the fact that her husband had money, lots of it, and was choosing to spend it on her.

  She was dumbstruck and speechless. She didn’t know what to say. Her eyes glittered. She cupped the side of Garrett’s face with her hand. “Thank you. I just hope you know that whether you lived in a mansion or a box . . .” She’d almost said I’d love you anyway. Instead, she whispered, “It wouldn’t matter to me.”

  “Anna and Garrett Jr. are in the guest house.” He pulled Imani close. “Tradition says we should christen each room.”