Four Degrees of Heat

by Rochelle Alers, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Brenda L. Thomas; Crystal Lacey Winslow

  “Why your panties all in a knot?” Victoria cackled. She suddenly stopped laughing and grabbed her stomach. “I’m gonna be sick.”

  “Shit. Can you at least hold on until we get to my room?”

  Victoria tried to look at the little light to see what floor they were on, but she couldn’t make out the numbers. She slid down onto the floor of the elevator. “I feel like I’m dying.”

  The man pulled her up just as the elevator doors opened. “Come on. I’m the first room off the elevator.”

  Victoria reluctantly got up. “I’m gonna be sick,” she said again just as the man got his door open.

  “Come on, the bathroom is right here—”

  Too late. Victoria threw up all over the floor, much of it splattering onto the man’s shoes.

  “Damn it! These are Bruno Magli.”

  Victoria hurled some more, then stumbled over to the sofa and collapsed. She felt her dress rise up over her behind, but she didn’t have the effort to pull it down. The last thing she remembered was hearing the man pick up the phone and call for room service.

  Chapter 3

  It felt like somebody was playing that Smash the Gopher game from Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant on Victoria’s head. She groaned and rolled over. She had never in her life had a hangover like this. Her mouth felt dry, and her head was pounding.

  Victoria managed to pull herself up. She didn’t even remember how she had got back to her room. She tried to focus on her surroundings. This wasn’t her room. She rubbed her temples in confusion.

  “I see you finally decided to get up.”

  Victoria jumped. “What the—? Who are you?” she asked, clutching the covers to her chest. Her eyes bulged, not so much out of surprise but rather at the sight of the sexy, muscular man standing in the doorway. A tan T-shirt and Polo jeans hugged his perfectly sculpted body. His hazel eyes, chiseled chin, and deep dimples were just the icing on the cake.

  The man leaned against the door frame. He was holding a cup in his hands. “I’m Damon. This is my room. And those”—he pointed to her body—“those are my clothes.”

  Victoria looked down at the Morehouse College T-shirt she was wearing. She glanced around the room. Things started slowly coming back to her.

  “Oh, my God,” she whispered.

  “No need to be calling on God now.” Damon walked over and handed her the cup. “Here, drink this. It’s coffee. It may be a little cold, as it’s been waiting on you to get up for more than an hour.”

  “What time is it?” Victoria took the coffee and sipped it. It was lukewarm and straight black. She hated black coffee, but at this point, she needed whatever she could get.

  Damon sat in the chair across from the bed. “It’s one o’clock.”

  “In the afternoon?” Victoria asked with astonishment.

  “In the afternoon,” Damon repeated.

  “Oh, snap.”

  “Do you always go to foreign places by yourself and get sloppy drunk?”

  Victoria tried to recall as much as she could from last night. “Oh, my God, I am so totally embarrassed.” She set the coffee cup on the nightstand and buried her face in her hands.

  Damon laughed. “You should be. I had to intervene before the bouncers threw you out. They had no sympathy for you being stood up at the altar.”

  Victoria looked up, confused. “How do you know that?”

  Damon laughed again. “Everybody knows that. You made sure everyone in the restaurant knew. You were getting a little out of hand, so I stepped in.”

  Victoria glanced around the room. “And you brought me to your room?”

  “Yeah, you couldn’t remember your room number. And after you threw up on me, I just thought you should get to bed.”

  Victoria didn’t remember any of that. She was always so together, but her tolerance for liquor was really low. What was she thinking, having all those drinks? “Did we, um…oh, I can’t believe I’m even asking this. Did we—”

  “Did we what? Have sex?” Damon chuckled. “No, I hate to burst your bubble. I changed your clothes, but that’s it. I don’t take advantage of sloppy-drunk women. Besides, I’ve got too much going on to try to seduce someone who doesn’t know she’s being seduced.”

  Victoria was getting tired of him calling her sloppy drunk.But you were , that nagging little voice in her head said.

  “Well…I…um…” Victoria didn’t know what to say. She was so ashamed she had let this man see her like this. She could barely look him in the eye. Good thing she never had to see him again. Victoria threw back the covers and tried to ease out of the bed. Damon stood up and extended his hand to help her out. She took it as she pulled herself up. His hands were smooth, and she could’ve sworn she felt an electric charge shoot up her arm. She let her grip linger before stepping out of the bed. He smiled at her again. It was an enchanting, sexy smile that lifted up on only one end of his mouth. There was an awkward silence. Then finally he spoke.

  “Don’t worry about the shirt. As a Morehouse man, I have plenty more.”

  Victoria nodded. “My dress?”

  Damon stepped aside and pointed to the chaise longue. “Right there.”

  Victoria stepped around Damon and reached for her clothes. “Well, thank you. For everything.”

  Damon nodded. “No problem.” Victoria looked at him again. He had a sadness in his eyes. She noticed the wedding ring on his finger. So maybe that was why he hadn’t tried anything with her last night.

  “Well, enjoy your vacation.” Victoria wondered what he was doing here alone. He had to be alone, if she had spent the night in his room. He must be on business.

  “Trust me. This isn’t a vacation.”

  Victoria debated asking more questions. But she was so ready to get out of this man’s room, since she could barely look at him. “Oh, well, thanks again.”

  “Hey,” Damon stopped her just as she reached the door. “I never did catch your name.”

  This strange handsome man with the sad eyes had seen her at her worst. He probably thought she was a pitiful lush. “It’s Cassandra. Cassandra Casady,” Victoria said as she stepped out the door.

  “Have a good day, Cassandra,” Damon called out as the door closed.

  Chapter 4

  Victoria debated calling home. She had briefly checked in with her mother when she arrived, leaving a message letting her know everything was fine. She made it a point to call when she knew her mom had gone on her weekly trip to the horse track. The last thing she needed was her mom telling her how she shouldn’t have come by herself. Now, with a headache that wouldn’t go away, Victoria again didn’t feel like hearing her mother’s mouth.

  The message light was blinking on the hotel phone, but Victoria didn’t even bother checking it. She was lying across her bed, trying to recall all that happened last night. She knew she was hurting, and she knew she had had a few drinks too many, but she never thought she would get drunk and throw up on a stranger. A fine stranger at that.

  Victoria couldn’t get Damon out of her mind. He might have been good for a romp in the hay while she was in Belize. But throwing up all over him probably ruined any chance of that happening. Besides, he looked like sex was the last thing on his mind. It had to be. Most red-blooded men would’ve tried to make some type of move. Victoria had had enough men tell her how pretty she was, so it wasn’t like she was some butt-ugly woman. And if her looks didn’t turn them on, her 36 double D’s usually did.

  The ringing of the telephone startled Victoria out of her thoughts.

  “Hello.” Victoria hoped it wasn’t her mother, because she wasn’t in the mood.

  “Uggh, girl, you sound like crap. You’re supposed to be relaxing and enjoying yourself.”

  “Hey, Iman. I’m just nursing a hangover.”

  “Oooooh, you down there getting drunk. Go on, girl.”

  “It’s not like that at all. I had a little too much to drink last night, met a gorgeous-ass man, threw up all over him, then e
nded up in his bed.”

  “You’re shitting me!” Iman screamed. “In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never known you to get drunk.”

  “I know.” Victoria shook her head, replaying what she could remember about last night. “It just kind of snuck up on me. Then this guy helped me out and took me back to his room and put me to bed.”

  “You went to a stranger’s room?”

  “I know. I know. I was out of it.”

  “Did you sleep with him?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “What the hell you mean, you don’t think so?”

  Victoria sat up and pulled the covers over her. “He said we didn’t.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “No! I told you I was wasted. Besides, he had on a wedding ring.”

  “And? That don’t mean shit.”

  “Well, no, I didn’t sleep with him. But I was still embarrassed.” She could just picture Iman sitting there with her eyes bugged and her mouth wide open. Victoria was about as straitlaced as they came. She’d only been drunk one other time in her life, and that was at their college graduation and at Iman’s urging. She’d never had a one-night stand and usually dated a guy for two to three months before she would even consider sleeping with him. So Victoria could only imagine how this was just flooring Iman.

  “Girl, I cannot believe this. I knew your ass could get buck wild. Trying to play that role,” Iman joked.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m paying for it today.”

  “At least you only have a few more days, and hopefully you won’t bump into him anymore.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Well, I just wanted to check in with you. Let me get off this phone because I know this call is costing me a grip.”

  “All right, girl. I’m going to go downstairs and grab me something to eat and try to relax the rest of the week.”

  “Cool, but lay off the drinks,” Iman called out.

  “You don’t have to worry about that.” Victoria tried to laugh, but the simple act made her head pound.

  The women said their good-byes, and Victoria dragged herself out of bed. She jumped in the shower and let the cold water penetrate her skin for twenty minutes. When she finished, she dried off, lathered herself down with Victoria’s Secret Pear Glaze lotion, slipped on a silk sundress, and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She checked herself out in the mirror, determined she now looked halfway decent, and headed down to the hotel’s patio restaurant. She debated going to one of the restaurants down the street for fear that someone would recognize her from last night, but decided against that after feeling the rumbling in her stomach.

  Victoria found a table nestled back in the corner and asked the waitress if she could sit there. The waitress nodded, and Victoria eased into the chair, grabbed a menu, and started peering over it, trying to decide what would ease the pang in her stomach.

  “Hello, Cassandra.”

  Damon tapped Victoria on the shoulder after she didn’t look up. Victoria jumped as she looked up at him. “Hello, Cassandra,” he repeated.

  It took Victoria a minute to register what he was talking about. “Oh, hi. You startled me.” She really had hoped not to bump into him, but of course, luck wasn’t on her side.

  “You know, I called the front desk and asked for Cassandra Casady’s room because I wanted to check on you. Funny, they said they don’t have a Cassandra Casady.”

  Victoria hesitated before speaking. She didn’t even feel like trying to come up with a lie. “That’s not my real name.”

  “I know that, Victoria.”

  Victoria’s mouth dropped. “How—”

  Damon reached into the bag he was carrying and handed Victoria her small clutch purse. “You left this in my room. I had to look at your license to see how to return this to you.”

  Victoria gently took her purse. “I’m sorry. I…I was just a little embarrassed.”

  “No need to be. If I hadn’t come to your rescue, I probably would have been sloppy drunk before the night was over myself.”

  “You like that word, don’t you?”

  “What word?”

  “Sloppy drunk.”

  “Actually, that’s two words.” Damon laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, Victoria, I’m not trying to judge you. I couldn’t judge you even if I wanted to.”

  Victoria realized she liked this guy. “Let me repay you for your generosity. Would you like to join me for lunch, or do you have a meeting or something to get to?”

  “Meeting?”

  “Yeah, I just assumed you were here on business.”

  Damon shook his head. “I wish it were that simple. But yes, I would love to join you for lunch. I need a distraction before I do something I regret.”

  Damon eased into the chair across from Victoria. He summoned the waitress, who had yet to return since seating Victoria. “You want something to drink?”

  “No way. I don’t want to even see a drink for a long time.”

  He smiled that pretty, crooked smile, and Victoria felt that charge again. This man was so fine, it was unbelievable. He must be a model or something; he definitely looked like he belonged on somebody’s magazine cover, Victoria thought.

  They ordered iced tea and club salads. After the waitress left, Damon leaned in. “So, Victoria, what do you do? Where are you from, truthfully?”

  Victoria smiled. “I’m a real estate attorney. And I’m from Houston—truthfully.”

  “No kidding? I’m from Dallas. It’s a small world. We come halfway across the country, meet, and find that we live less than four hours from each other back in the States.” Damon laughed. They caught each other’s gaze and held it. “You have beautiful eyes,” Damon said.

  Victoria felt herself blushing. “Thank you.” She averted her eyes so he wouldn’t see how nervous she was. Damon squeezed her hand and leaned back. They enjoyed the light salsa playing on the sound system until the waitress brought their food. Over lunch, they talked like they were old friends. Victoria was amazed at how well they clicked.

  “You know, I joked about saving you last night, but I think you might have actually saved me,” Damon said as he finished up his salad.

  “What do you mean?” Victoria dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin before setting the napkin down on the table.

  “Well, when I spotted you, I had been sitting down at the bar, trying to come up with a plan.”

  “A plan for what?”

  Damon took his gaze off Victoria and got that forlorn look again. “A plan that probably would’ve gotten me in a lot of trouble.”

  Victoria surveyed Damon as he toyed with his napkin. That sweet, sexy look was gone, replaced by the same hollow look she had seen this morning in his room. He looked like he had a lot he wanted to get off his chest. “What’s wrong? I’m a good listener.”

  Damon hesitated before saying, “My wife.”

  So he did have a wife. Victoria had been hoping maybe he was divorced and just hadn’t gotten around to taking off his ring.

  “Yeah, my wifeand her lover.”

  Victoria was stunned.

  Damon laughed. It was a maniacal, disheartening laugh. “I found an e-mail on an e-mail account I didn’t even know about. It was from somebody named Felix Cambridge—what the hell kind of name is that, anyway? Anyhow, it was talking about how he was looking forward to their vacation in Belize. I didn’t confront her with it because part of me was hoping it was all some big misunderstanding. I followed her down here. She told me she was going on a trip with her girlfriends.” Damon shrugged.

  Damn, Victoria had thought her situation was bad. “Have you seen her here?”

  “Yeah, I saw them yesterday. I was on my way to their room to wait so I could murder them in their sleep when I saw you. So that’s what I mean when I say you saved me.”

  “So what do you do now?”

  “Oh, I haven’t ruled out murder.” Damon snickered.

  “You have a good attitude
about this.”

  “Really I don’t. I’m trying to stay sane. I’m an assistant district attorney, and I’m in line for the actual district attorney spot. Murder could throw a monkey wrench in my career goals.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think you can prosecute yourself.”

  “When I saw them together, it took everything in my power not to wring both of their necks right then.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “I’ve prosecuted enough crimes of passion to know that they still result in some jail time. And I can’t do jail. Hell, I put too many of those fools in jail myself. I’d be a marked man.”

  Victoria didn’t know how to respond. Looks could truly be deceiving. Damon didn’t look like he would even think vengeful thoughts, let alone seriously contemplate carrying them out.

  “So, what now?” Victoria asked again.

  Damon shrugged casually. “I play it by ear, I guess. I think if I stay here, I’m going to end up hurting someone. But I need her to know I know, so at some point today, I will be confronting her.”

  Victoria didn’t know what to say. Most men would’ve pounced on their wife and the other man right then and there. She admired Damon for trying to think the situation through. She found herself taking his hand and gently caressing it.

  “I can’t believe I’m spilling my guts to a complete stranger,” Damon said.

  “Maybe because you know I know your pain.”

  “I guess so.” His expression softened. “How areyou doing?”

  Victoria released her hand and leaned back. “Better than last night. I need to apologize to you again.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I understand. Since I spilled my guts, it’s your turn.”

  Victoria sighed. “You know what happened to me.” They were cut off when the waitress returned to see if they needed anything else. Victoria couldn’t help but notice how attentive she was to Damon, while all but ignoring her. Victoria smiled when Damon asked for the check without ever taking his eyes off her. The waitress, obviously irritated that her flirting was getting nowhere, spun off to go get their check.