Oscar sat in one of the chairs. “Have a seat. We’re not adversaries. At least, we don’t have to be.”
“We have been for the past fifteen years.”
“Maybe we should end that, don’t you think?”
In lieu of answering, she sat in the other chair, catty-corner to the one he chose. She eyed him warily. “What brought about this change?”
“I’ve never thought of you as an adversary,” Oscar admitted.
“Not even during the divorce?”
“Well, maybe a little bit back then, but like I said, it’s been a long time. Fifteen years.”
She swallowed. “Are you suggesting we become friends?”
“I don’t know that we could ever become friends, but we can at least be civilized.”
“For the sake of the children?”
He paused. Their offspring didn’t seem like a good enough reason. For years he’d thought he didn’t care anything about Sylvie. His ego had been bruised when she took up with that billionaire so soon after their divorce. It was as if she’d said good riddance. Look at me, I can do so much better than you. He’d nursed a broken heart, while she’d moved on to someone better suited to her lifestyle and socioeconomic level.
“For the sake of our children and our grandchildren,” Oscar said.
She brushed imaginary lint from her pants leg but didn’t respond, and as he considered her, he thought back to the early days of their marriage. For the past fifteen years, he hadn’t met anyone like Sylvie Johnson.
“Why don’t we try being civilized and see what happens?” he suggested. “I’ll go first. I saw the documentary you funded on child brides. Very informative and opened my eyes about the practice.”
Sylvie licked her lips, moistening her full mouth and reminding him of how much he’d enjoyed kissing her the other day. He shifted to alleviate the tightness in his groin.
“It’s a very important topic. The fundraiser was a smashing success. The money we raised will help build awareness about the practice and fund economic and education initiatives for the girls who participated in the documentary, and many others.”
“That’s great.”
“You can’t imagine the stories I heard from the producers. What we shared was only a small fraction of what happens to those young girls.”
Before long, she was explaining in detail exactly which programs the money would be donated to and how it would help the girls and their communities. Oscar listened with rapt attention, nodding occasionally and at other times asking pointed questions. Sylvie visibly relaxed, to the point where she forgot to be on guard.
He became riveted as she spoke with such passion about the subject. But that was typical of his ex-wife. A passionate person by nature, she tackled every task with single-minded fervor. She loved hard, in a no-holds-barred fashion. If Sylvie Johnson loved you, she would move heaven, Earth, and the entire universe to not only give you whatever you needed, but protect you to the best of her ability. You became her focus, and no one dared hurt or damage someone she loved.
He’d been someone she loved once, and the loss burned to the depths of his soul.
The room was filled with pictures of the people she passionately loved, protected, and cared for. Her brothers. Their children and grandchildren.
Oscar stood abruptly, forcing Sylvie to break off in the middle of a sentence. He stalked to the fireplace. “So, about Cameron,” he said in a brusque tone.
Sylvie blinked. “What would you like to discuss about Cameron?” she asked.
“I promised Simone I would talk to you about giving him a chance. She told me what you did.”
She’d gone to visit Cameron at his home, making sure he understood that she thought he was not only wrong for her daughter, but he was doing himself a disservice by getting involved with someone so wealthy.
For a split second, Sylvie dropped her eyes to her lap. “Simone made it very clear she wasn’t happy with me for what I did. I apologized to her.”
“What about apologizing to Cameron?” Oscar asked.
“I—”
“Do you understand what you did was wrong?”
Sylvie frowned at him. “Why are you talking to me in that tone of voice?” She rose to her feet. “I will always do whatever I need to do to protect my children.”
“You weren’t protecting her. You meddled in her personal relationship and almost destroyed it before it even got started.”
“I don’t need you to chastise me,” she said.
“Somebody needs to,” Oscar said.
“Who do you think you are? You showed up at my house uninvited, and now you want to tell me what to do?”
“Yes. I do. Because I don’t think you realized how much pain your words could cause. You go around making accusations and snide comments and then climb into your ivory tower at the top of the building without a care in the world. Meanwhile, you’ve decimated the person you attacked.”
“I think decimate is a bit harsh. I—”
“I asked you a question. Do you even know what you did wrong? Can you admit that you did something wrong?”
“I told you that I apologized to Simone,” she said flippantly.
“And what about Cameron? Did you apologize to him?” Her cavalier attitude infuriated Oscar more than it should, but he didn’t even know why. “That young man should not have been treated that way. He deserves an apology. You owe him an apology.”
Her brows snapped together. “Why are you so worked up about Simone’s boyfriend?”
“Because…” Yes, why? Why so heated? And then Oscar understood the deeper reason why he was working so hard to fix this mess. Because he hadn’t been able to fix his own marriage. Because he’d felt he deserved an apology and never received one. “He’s a human being, Sylvie. Just because he’s not someone who you love doesn’t mean he should be treated with less respect. You had no business interfering in their lives.”
“For someone who’s insistent I had no business interfering, you certainly have no problem doing so yourself.”
“Because that young man deserves respect.”
“I did not disrespect him.”
“Yes, you did. I can only imagine the way you spoke to him, with your nose in the air and condescension in your voice. You’re very good at it. I know you didn’t give him any respect, because I’ve been there. I’d bet a million dollars you treated him with the same lack of respect you treated me.”
Instead of arguing or denying, Sylvie stared at Oscar, well-formed brows low over her eyes. That was when he realized he’d yelled the last few sentences.
Trevor appeared in the doorway. “Is everything all right in here, Miss Johnson?” he asked.
“Yes, Trevor, I’m fine.” Sylvie dismissed her employee with a soft smile, and the housekeeper stared across the room at Oscar, clearly regretting his decision to allow him into the house.
Oscar couldn’t blame him. He greatly regretted his decision to come.
Chapter 5
When they were alone again, Sylvie cleared her throat. “You thought I didn’t respect you?”
“You didn’t.” The words came out clipped and bitter. “You changed after your brother was murdered. You don’t like to talk about it, but that’s exactly what happened. The change was gradual. At first I thought you were just grieving, but you became someone else. Angrier. Bitter. Eventually, you made it very clear that the house we lived in was your house, and the money you’d inherited and earned allowed us to live a very specific lifestyle that I could never afford.” His face twisted into a snarl of anger, and he turned away from her.
Shamed into silence, Sylvie watched her ex-husband’s stiff body and the way he dragged a hand down his face. Moving on quiet feet, she walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder blade. Oscar twisted around swiftly, his eyes wide and startled, as if he couldn’t believe she’d reached out to him.
She dropped her hand and let the fingers curl at her side. “I’m sorry I gave you t
he impression that I didn’t respect you. I respected you, Oscar. You’re an excellent father. You were a good husband, until I ruined our marriage—”
“Sylvie…”
She stepped back and held up her hands. “No. Let me finish.” She searched the room and pulled strength from the photos of her brothers and children. When her eyes rested on Oscar again, she sensed he wanted to speak, but at the same time, he wanted to hear the words she had to say. Taking a deep breath, Sylvie forged on, facing her actions for the first time in a very long time. “You think our marriage started falling apart after my brother died, but that’s not exactly what happened. Anthony’s death destroyed me. I can’t deny that.” She rubbed her hands together, a ghost of pain brushing over her chest. “I was very close to him. To both of my brothers, but in different ways. We were unique in the world, and it made us closer, because it was rare to see black faces with our level our wealth.
“Cyrus was the strong one, the smart one, the leader, the crown prince of the family empire. I learned so much from him. While Father often made remarks about me getting married and having babies, Cyrus insisted that if I wanted to work, I should be able to. ‘Options,’ he used to say. ‘Give yourself options, Sylvie.’”
Oscar smiled when she lowered her voice in an effort to imitate her brother.
“His advice and encouragement enabled me to become the businessperson I am today. Anthony, however, was different—as you well know. He didn’t care much for business.” Sylvie walked over to the photo of the three of them in evening attire, laughing and smiling. Emotion tightened her throat, but after a few moments, she spoke again. “He was so gentle and kind, but fiercely protective of me, even though he was a year younger. He played several instruments, but you know how much he adored that violin.” She shook her head, passing a finger over her brother’s smiling face. “He was my best friend, and…when he died, it was just so unfair.”
“Sylvie, don’t upset yourself.”
She waved away Oscar’s concern, faced him, and took a strengthening breath. “My poor nephew, Trenton, was left all alone without a mother or a father. And do you know his mother’s people, those horrible people, cared nothing about that boy? Nothing at all! They claimed to want him, but all they wanted was his trust fund.”
“You don’t know that. You—”
“I am not mistaken. I know.” She hesitated at the brink of sharing a private matter she’d kept to herself for decades. Quietly, she said, “As you know, Cyrus and his wife took Trenton in. But what you don’t know is that his uncle—his mother’s brother—and his wife tried to get custody of him. Cyrus doubted their sincerity but didn’t want a court battle playing out in the press. My nephew had been through enough, and he needed therapy after seeing such violence. He needed to be a child and have fun. We could not risk him going to those people. They knew our family would provide for him and whoever was his guardian. He was, after all, our brother’s son. So Cyrus offered them money, to stay out of the boy’s life. One would think that they would curse at Cyrus because such an offer would be offensive. Perhaps they would tell my brother where he could stick his millions. Or even hesitate and need time to think, because while they wanted the child, millions of dollars is a moral temptation that any reasonable person would find difficult to resist. But do you know the first thing they did?”
Slowly, Oscar shook his head.
Sylvie enunciated every word, so there was no misunderstanding. “Those people demanded a higher sum. As if…as if my nephew were chattel.”
Oscar flinched. “Sylvie, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“Cyrus, his wife, and I were the only family members who knew the truth.” She inhaled deeply. “Cyrus gave them what they asked for. He didn’t care. He would have given them more if they’d asked. Cyrus and Constance took Trenton in, treating him like he was their son, exactly the same as their other children. He is their son. Bought and paid for,” she said bitterly.
“Don’t say that.”
“Why not? It’s true. That’s when it started, Oscar. My eyes opened to the ugliness of the world. First Anthony was taken from us, and then the way those people handed over Trenton without a fight, for money. I would give up everything for my children. Everything.” She smoothed a hand over her hip. “That incident made me fully understand I could buy anything I wanted. Smiles, friendships, acceptance.”
Oscar studied her. “And you started to wonder if you’d bought yourself a husband.”
Pain twisted inside her chest as the accusation hit home. “I…” Words failed her, because his assessment was true.
He came closer. “You became disappointed. Anthony was no longer here to comfort and encourage you, to allay your fears. To neutralize the cynicism with a positive spin. You assumed I was like everyone else, and my true colors would eventually show.”
“You were in sales, which meant you know the right things to say, in my opinion. I couldn’t be sure anymore.” Back then he worked for a boat dealer selling new and used vessels. He concentrated on luxury brands, which was how they’d met. Sylvie had accompanied a friend when Oscar had taken them out to test a boat. That day, her friend bought a boat, and Oscar got her phone number.
“You felt I had sold you a fairytale, and I would eventually leave. So instead of sticking around until that happened, you pushed me away.”
“It wasn’t a conscious decision,” Sylvie said. She took out her pain, disappointment, and anguish on him.
“Pushing me away didn’t work, though, did it?” After all she’d put him through, how could his eyes be so kind when he looked at her? “The hurt is still there. The fear of abandonment.”
“I am fearless,” she said quietly.
“Yes, you are. Strong, fearless, intelligent. All traits I admired in you. Still do.” He swallowed. “We were good together once, you and I. For a little while, we had a good life. Do you ever think about that? About us?”
Sylvie emphatically shook her head. “I don’t want to remember,” she said with a quiver to her voice. “Stop.”
“Why?”
“Because you left!” she reminded him.
“You asked for a divorce, and I was tired,” he said, his voice also raised.
“So then why are you here now?” she demanded. “We can discuss Simone over the phone. What do you want, Oscar, because I know you want something.”
He didn’t respond right away. His gaze flicked around the room, jaw hardening as if he fought back an abundance of emotion. Finally, he crossed the plush carpet and took her hand.
“I’ve tried, but…” He heaved a deep sigh and pressed his mouth to her wrist in a gentle, careful caress. The pulse beneath her skin jumped to life. “I can’t stop thinking about you,” he whispered, voice raw. Sylvie remained frozen as he came even closer and placed the same gentle caress to her forehead. “I remember all the good times.”
Her heart ached as the memories she’d expunged from her mind came flooding back. Their first date, and how nervous Oscar had been when he met her parents and brothers. The tears of joy they cried together at the birth of every single one of their children. The anniversary they spent at the lake house all alone, cut off from family and friends—just the two of them. Family vacations around the world, and so many other memories they could fill a thousand photo albums.
“I remember all the good times, too,” she admitted.
“Oh, Sylvie.” A smile softened his face, and he cradled her cheek in his hand. She leaned into the rough texture of his palm. His head bent, hesitantly at first, and when she didn’t withdraw, he kissed her, plucking her lower lip between his teeth. The gentle abrasion sent an erotic thrill through her body.
“You said you weren’t going to kiss me again,” she whispered.
“Unless you want me to,” he reminded her.
He kissed the corner of her mouth, and the tip of her tongue flicked out to taste him.
“I never said I want you to,” she said.
“It’
s obvious you do.”
They shared a proper kiss. No teasing, but mouths meeting in a hungry, moist pull and tug. Her arms slipped around his neck, and her breasts pressed flat against the hard plane of his chest. Her body came alive again, just as it had in her office—in a way she hadn’t experienced in years.
A delicate moan escaped as they devoured each other, their bodies flattened as they sought closer contact.
“Oh god, Sylvie, I want you so much. Let me…” Oscar’s lips against her neck coaxed a helpless moan from her lips, but Sylvie pressed a restraining hand against his chest.
Dropping her gaze, she said, “It’s been a long time, Oscar.”
“How long?”
Her eyes met his. “Two years, almost,” she said softly.
He traced her cheek with a forefinger. “I’m not that far behind. Over a year for me.”
Sylvie gasped. “What about the girl at the event in Miami?” she asked.
Oscar shook his head. “I booked her a room for the night and bought her a ticket home to Atlanta for the next day. I took a separate room at the hotel, and the next morning sat at breakfast hoping for a glimpse of you.”
“Goodness.” Sylvie covered her mouth with a hand, and then moved it to touch his cheek. “Then I came down, and the minute you approached, I attacked.”
“You attacked.”
“Oh, Oscar…”
“Shh. Enough regret. Enough about mistakes.” Dark brown eyes scoured her face. “I don’t want to think about that anymore. We still have chemistry, and we’re both here. So what do you think?” His thumb stroked her jaw line. “Can I spend the night?”
The room whirled in a dizzying tilt as Sylvie considered the question. Finally, she nodded. “Yes, Oscar. I would very much like you to stay the night.”
Chapter 6
Decorated in her favorite color, white, Sylvie’s bedroom was as neat and opulent as the rest of the condo. A grand king bed, covered in white linens and with a tufted dove gray headboard, hugged the middle of the room.
Passion Rekindled Page 3
