Exposed

by Naomi Chase

  Fiona snickered.“Sorry, Tam-Tam. I’m just keeping it real. You have some serious luggage under your eyes and you look like you’re losing weight, but not in a good way.” She made a face, shaking her head.“How is it that I’m the one behind bars, and I look better than you?”

  “Who says you do?” Tamia retorted, though she knew it was probably true.

  The past two weeks had been pure hell on her. Ever since the disturbing incident with the unidentified photographer, she’d been jumping at shadows and constantly looking over her shoulder. Although she hadn’t seen the mystery car in over a week, she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that she was being watched everywhere she went. She’d tried devoting herself to her job to salvage her promotion, but she was too distracted and on edge to produce her best work. She wasn’t eating or sleeping well, and to make matters exponentially worse, she was going through serious dick withdrawal. Brandon had been pulling sixteen-hour days in preparation for an upcoming trial. By the time he dragged himself home every night, he was too exhausted for sex. And she still hadn’t heard a word from Dominic, despite his promise to call her soon. So she’d gone from having the best sex of her life to counting herself lucky if Brandon gave her a peck on the cheek. From feast to famine.

  So, yeah, she probably did look like shit. Felt like it, too.

  Fiona was eyeing her intently, all traces of humor gone. “What’s going on with you, sis?”

  Tamia sighed heavily.“Nothing. I’m just stressed out from work.”

  Fiona looked skeptical.“Are you sure that’s all it is?”

  Tamia wavered, deliberating on whether to confide in her sister. Truth be told, she could really use a confidante right now. Someone she could trust, who wouldn’t judge her or betray her scandalous secrets. As close as she and Shanell had become over the years, Tamia knew Shanell would condemn her recent behavior. She’d never understand the choices Tamia had made, because she’d never been forced into such desperate circumstances.

  When it came down to it, the only person who could relate to Tamia’s predicament was Fiona.

  So she met her sister’s concerned gaze, inhaled a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “The madness started the day I met Dominic Archer….”

  By the time she’d finished her story, Fiona was perched on the edge of her seat, her face nearly pressed to the glass as she stared incredulously at Tamia.

  “Dayummm,” she breathed. “That’s some crazy shit right there!”

  Tamia made a pained face.“Tell me about it.”

  “I can’t believe it.” Fiona’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.“Are you fucking with me? Is this a joke or something?”

  “I wish.”Tamia sighed.“I assure you, Fee, everything I just told you really happened.”

  “Wow.” Fiona shook her head, disbelief and sympathy etched into her face.“What are you gonna do?”

  “I don’t know,” Tamia mumbled dejectedly. “The whole situation is so fucked up. I feel like I’m going to lose everything. My man, my job, my reputation. Everything.”

  “Maybe you should just tell Brandon the truth,” Fiona suggested.

  Tamia shook her head vigorously. “I can’t do that. He’d never forgive me.”

  “But what if he’s the one who’s having you followed? Wouldn’t it be better for him to hear the truth from you than a private investigator?”

  “Maybe. But I can’t tell him, Fee. I just can’t bring myself to do it.” Tamia rubbed her pounding temples and exhaled a shaky breath. “Besides, I’ve been thinking. Maybe it isn’t him after all. I mean, I’ve been staying at his place for over a week. If he already knew the truth, he would have confronted me by now.”

  “But you said he’s hardly been home,” Fiona pointed out.

  “That doesn’t matter. The moment he learned the truth about everything, he woulda put my ass out. The man in the car that night took photos of me at the house. If nothing else, Brandon would have asked me whose home it was and what the hell I was doing there.”

  “Unless he’s waiting to gather all the incriminating evidence so he can hit you with everything at once.” Fiona paused.“Isn’t that what lawyers do?”

  Tamia swallowed hard, chilled by the possibility.

  “If he’s having you followed, you took a huge risk by coming here today,” Fiona pointed out.

  “I know,” Tamia agreed grimly. “Maybe I should lay low for a while. We can always talk on the phone, and you get out at the end of the month anyway.”

  “That’s true.” She shrugged.“The phone works for me—that’s what calling cards are for.”

  Tamia gave her a weak, grateful smile.“Thanks for being so understanding.”

  “No problem.” Fiona grinned. “The next time I see you, you’d better not look a hot mess!”

  They laughed.

  Sobering after a few moments, Fiona asked, “So what do you know about Dominic’s wife?”

  “Nothing. I told you I haven’t seen Dominic since the day of the fight. He’s been keeping his distance, doing damage control with the wifey.”

  Hearing the note of bitterness in her voice, Fiona gave her a knowing grin.“The dick was that good, huh?”

  Tamia scowled.“What do you mean?”

  “Even after all the shit that’s gone down, you still feenin’ for that Crucian cock.”

  Tamia’s face heated with shame. “I wouldn’t be feenin’ for anything if Brandon wasn’t neglecting my needs.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she recognized the hypocrisy of her complaint. It was her fault that she and Brandon weren’t having sex anymore. He’d caught her in a bald-faced lie, and now he didn’t trust her. If he never touched her again, she’d have no one but herself to blame.

  Suddenly the corrections officer stepped forward. “Time’s up, Powell.”

  For a moment neither Fiona nor Tamia reacted. The two sisters were so close that they often forgot they had different last names courtesy of different fathers, both of whom had abandoned them when they were little girls. Their mother had considered legally changing Fiona’s last name to Luke for the sake of convenience, but she’d never gotten around to filing the necessary paperwork. But that didn’t matter to Tamia and Fiona, who’d gotten so used to telling people they had the same father that they’d started believing it themselves.

  The guard had moved closer, his tone now threatening. “Did you hear me, Powell? I said—”

  “Okay, okay. I heard you. Damn.” Rolling her eyes, Fiona hung up the phone, then shoved back her chair and stood. She grinned ruefully at Tamia and mouthed through the glass win-dow,“Keep your head down and stay out of trouble, a’ight?”

  Tamia smiled wanly. As she watched her sister being led away, she sighed and mumbled morosely,“Easy for you to say.”

  On Wednesday night, she found herself parked across the street from the downtown skyscraper owned by Chernoff, De-witt & Strathmore. She didn’t know what she was doing there. She’d been on her way home from work when some instinct compelled her to take a short detour down to Travis Street, where Brandon’s law firm was located.

  Although it was after seven, traffic was predictably sluggish, forcing drivers to inch along at a crawl. As Tamia slowly approached the imposing glass high-rise, she spied them standing around the plaza located outside the main entrance to the building: Brandon, Cynthia, and a clean-cut blond guy she recognized as Todd Kessler, whom she’d met at several company functions. Brandon and Todd were in shirtsleeves, while Cynthia wore one of her usual skirt-and-blouse ensembles, complete with kitten-heel pumps.

  All three lawyers were huddled around a stone bench, chatting and puffing on Cuban cigars. Oddly mesmerized, Tamia stared at the clouds of smoke floating toward the night sky, rising past the grid of lit office windows that seemed to follow their ascent like hundreds of glowing eyes.

  Snapping out of her trance, she saw a car parked along the curb pulling out into the street. Without a second thought, she sped up and deftly maneuvered her Accord int
o the tight space. She killed the engine, then retrained her gaze on Brandon and his colleagues.

  He and Todd appeared to be teasing Cynthia, who retaliated by giving them the finger. As the two men threw back their heads and roared with laughter, Tamia clucked her tongue and murmured under her breath, “See? I knew you were a naughty pastor’s kid.”

  As she watched, Todd gave a mock salute, then turned and strolled back into the building. Instead of following him, Brandon and Cynthia lingered behind.

  Tamia’s eyes narrowed as Brandon sank down onto the bench. A moment later Cynthia joined him. Even from this distance Tamia could see that they were sitting entirely too close for comfort, separated by less than a foot on a bench that was long enough to accommodate at least four people.

  The muscles in the back of her neck tightened.

  As she sat there spying on her boyfriend and his pretty colleague, she felt like a stalker.

  But she didn’t leave.

  She was waiting to see whether her worst fears would be confirmed.

  The large plaza featured a water fountain, lush trees and flower beds, and strategically placed benches. During the day it was a bustling beehive of activity with employees rushing to and fro, pausing just long enough to scarf down a quick lunch before returning to the grind. But at night the plaza took on a romantic, moonlit ambience—the perfect spot for secret lovers to steal a private moment away from the prying eyes of coworkers.

  Is that what Brandon and Cynthia were? Tamia wondered with an awful, deepening suspicion. Were they secret lovers? Did they hook up after hours when no one else was around? Had Brandon fucked Cynthia on top of his desk, enacting the kinky fantasy Tamia had been whispering in his ear for months?

  The questions raced through her mind, tormenting her with the accompanying mental images.

  As she watched, Brandon drew deeply on his cigar and blew the smoke up toward the heavens, staring at the stars as he did. When Cynthia said something, he turned his head and grinned at her—a slow, lazy grin that made Tamia’s stomach plunge. He looked more relaxed than she’d seen him in weeks, and she couldn’t help wondering whether Cynthia’s presence was the reason. She’d have to be blind not to recognize the camaraderie they shared, a quiet, natural vibe that flowed between them.

  She didn’t like it one damn bit.

  When Brandon playfully bumped his shoulder against Cynthia’s, Tamia gnashed her teeth together.

  When Cynthia laughed and mushed him on the head, Tamia decided she’d seen enough.

  “These motherfuckers must think I’m stupid,” she muttered, snatching off her gold hoop earrings.

  Spoiling for confrontation, she reached for the door handle just as her cell phone rang. She glanced at her purse, then back toward Brandon and Cynthia.

  Heaving an impatient sigh, she leaned across the seat and retrieved her phone. Without checking caller ID, she answered brusquely,“Hello?”

  There was a short pause.“Sounds like someone didn’t have a very good day,” an amused voice drawled.

  Dominic.

  Ignoring the way her pulse quickened, Tamia demanded, “What the hell do you want?”

  He chuckled softly.“Now, is that any way to greet the man who’s treating you to an all-expenses-paid getaway to the most beautiful tropical island on the face of the planet?”

  Tamia went still.“What are you talking about?”

  “I’m going home this weekend. I need to pay a visit to my company’s production plant and take care of some business. I want you to join me.”

  “Are you serious? I can’t go to St. Croix with you!”

  “Technically you wouldn’t be going with me, since we’re not traveling together. I have to tie up some loose ends here, so I won’t be leaving until Saturday morning. You can fly out on Friday, and I’ll join you as soon as I get there.”

  Tamia laughed in disbelief. “Wait a minute, nigga! Slow your roll. Didn’t you hear what I just said? I’m not going anywhere!”

  His low chuckle filled the line. “How many times do I have to keep reminding you who’s calling the shots here?”

  Tamia frowned into the phone, temporarily forgetting about Brandon and Cynthia.“Dominic, be serious. I can’t just drop everything and hop on a plane to St. Croix!”

  But even as she protested, she could already picture herself lounging on a white-sand beach, sipping a fruity cocktail, and enjoying the warm tropical breeze on her face. After everything she’d endured over the past two weeks, a few days of sun and relaxation sounded like just what the doctor ordered.

  But she couldn’t go. Could she?

  “I have to work on Friday—”

  “Call in sick. Who’s gonna know that you’re really not?”

  She hesitated.“I’d spend most of the day traveling on Friday. So that would only give me one day to enjoy St. Croix before I’d have to fly home on Sunday. That’s not a getaway; that’s a tease.”

  “Come back on Monday then,” Dominic suggested.“You’re not gonna be fired for taking two sick days.”

  Tamia wasn’t so sure of that.

  “What about your wife, Dominic?” she asked sarcastically. “Does she know you’re planning this romantic getaway with your mistress?”

  “Of course not,” he drawled. “I fly home several times a year to check on my production plant. Isabel usually goes with me, but on Saturday she’s hosting one of her charity luncheons at our house. So this weekend is perfect for us.”

  Tamia bit her lower lip, wavering.“I don’t know, Dominic. Now that I know you’re married, this whole arrangement of ours seems more fucked up than ever. I may be many things, but one thing I’ve never considered myself is a homewrecker.”

  “Are you telling me you haven’t missed being with me?” The low, seductive timbre of his voice made her insides clench. “You haven’t missed the way I feel inside you, sliding my dick back and forth, up and down, in and out of that hot, wet pussy of yours?”

  Tamia gulped hard, squeezing her eyes shut. “Of course I have,” she admitted in a shaky whisper.

  He laughed softly. “So have I. So there’s no reason we should keep depriving ourselves of each other when we have the perfect opportunity to be together. And let me tell you something. You haven’t experienced true lovemaking until you’ve made love under a breathtaking Crucian sunset.”

  Tamia stuffed her fist into her mouth to stifle a groan, but it escaped, anyway.

  Dominic’s soft, teasing laughter drifted over the line again. “You know you wanna say yes.”

  She did, God help her. She did!

  “What about Brandon?” Her gaze reluctantly wandered back across the street. “He still has suspicions about me. How am I supposed to explain disappearing for the entire weekend?”

  “Just tell him you’re going to a conference or something. Pick a destination, and you can catch a flight from there to St. Croix. It’ll make your travel day longer, but that’s the best way to do it if you’re really worried about covering your tracks.” Dominic sighed. “Do I have to think of everything, woman?”

  “Yes,”Tamia quipped, “because you’re the one who’s forcing me to go on this trip.”

  He chuckled dryly.“I don’t know too many women who would have to be ‘forced’ into taking an all-expenses-paid trip to a beautiful Caribbean island.”

  He had a point there.

  “Anyway, I have to run,” he drawled. “Like I said, pick a destination for your conference—or whatever story you make up—and let me know tomorrow morning so I can book your flight and take care of the other arrangements.”

  He hung up before Tamia could raise any other objections.

  Staring out the window, she watched as Brandon and Cynthia rose from the bench and stood facing each other, their cigars still tucked into their mouths. Tendrils of smoke curled between them, merging and mingling almost sensually. As Cynthia puffed on her stogie, Tamia wondered whether Brandon was imagining his dick in place of the cigar, nestled between
her lips. It wouldn’t have surprised her, given the way he was looking at Cynthia.

  They grinned at each other—a quick, conspiratorial grin—then turned and headed inside the building.

  And that’s when the idea came to Tamia.

  She knew just how to ensure that Brandon wouldn’t check up on her while she was away on her tryst.

  She’d flip the script on him.

  Chapter 26

  She was packing when he came home that evening.

  Pausing in the bedroom doorway, Brandon propped his shoulder against the door frame and watched her in silence for a few moments.“Going somewhere?”

  She didn’t spare him a glance.“I’m going home.”

  “Why?”

  She folded a red blouse, her movements sharp and angry.“I know where I’m not wanted.”

  He frowned, not moving from the doorway.“What are you talking about?”

  “You know what I’m talking about.” She tossed the blouse into her Louis Vuitton suitcase, then snatched another off the bed.“You’ve hardly spent any time with me over the past two weeks. So what’s the point of me staying here? I might as well go the fuck home.”

  Brandon sighed heavily, guilt sweeping over him. “Don’t do that. Look, I know I haven’t been around much lately, but it can’t be helped. I’ve been swamped with this big case, and it’s pretty much kept me chained to the office—”

  “Along with Cynthia,”Tamia jeered.

  Brandon hesitated.“Yes,” he admitted reluctantly.“Cynthia and I are working on the case together.”

  “I bet that’s not all you’re working on together.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Tamia spun around, glaring accusingly at him. “Are you fucking her, Brandon?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me! Are you fucking that bitch?”

  “No,” he snarled, advancing into the bedroom. “And you’ve got a lot of damn nerve asking me a question like that when you’ve been acting shady for weeks!”

  Her eyes flared.“I’ve been acting shady? What about you?”

  “What about me?” Brandon challenged, blood pressure escalating. “As I recall, you’re the one who blatantly lied about getting into some ghetto-ass fight over another man!”