Scribbling quickly, Joseph listed the various dishes. “What’s for the guys?”
“Chicken wings, ribs and pigs in a blanket.”
“What you trying to say, baby? That we’re carnivores?”
Crystal folded her hands at her waist. “Who’re you trying to fool? If I gave you a choice between a walnut salad in endive and a rib eye steak, you’d go for the steak.”
“Man cannot live by salad alone,” he quipped.
“Speaking of salads, what do you think of a Cobb salad?”
Joseph added it to the list. “Anything else you can think of?”
“Deviled eggs topped with caviar.”
“Beluga, sevruga or osetra? What’s the matter?” he asked when she gave him a look of astonishment.
“Beluga. I didn’t think you were that familiar with different types of caviar.” It was only on very special occasions and depending upon the artist that Jasmine served caviar during a showing.
“I remember my mother nearly having a meltdown when she catered a private party at the restaurant and the woman who wanted to surprise her husband insisted she wanted to serve sevruga caviar to her fancy guests. Beluga or osetra wouldn’t do, because she’d heard somewhere that the golden osetra was the rarest and most mature of the osetra sturgeon. My mother contacted a gourmet shop that sold sixteen-ounce tins for twenty-five hundred dollars a pop.”
Crystal did a quick calculation in her head. “That would only serve eight to sixteen, depending on the portions.”
“Mom had to order enough for at least eighty. The bill alone for caviar was more than twelve thousand dollars.”
Crystal shook her head in amazement. She didn’t understand how some people threw away money in order to impress others. “How much was the entire bill?”
“Over a hundred grand. Mom closed the restaurant to the public, so she had to adjust the final cost. Champagne flowed like water, along with vintage wine and top-shelf liquor. There was a live band, a D.J. and rolling bars. Several couples left with someone they hadn’t come to the party with, and I witnessed firsthand how drinking too much destroyed a few marriages when men and women who were married to others were seen coming out of the private party rooms adjusting their clothes.”
“Damn!” she drawled, scrunching up her nose. “That is so low. The only thing worse is having sex in an airplane bathroom.”
“That depends on the plane,” Joseph replied, deadpan.
Crystal’s jaw dropped. “You’ve have sex on a plane?”
Joseph did all he could not to laugh at her shocked expression. The bathroom on the Gulfstream G650 had a shower and enough room for a couple to make love without having to be contortionists. “No. One of these days I wouldn’t mind joining the mile-high club, but only on a plane with a bathroom large enough where I don’t have to straddle a toilet to get my freak on.”
She scrunched up her nose again, unaware of how much Joseph had come to watch for the charming expression. It reminded him a little child smelling something malodorous.
“That’s one club I don’t need to join, thank you.” Crystal gestured toward the phone. “I think you’d better call concierge to place your food order,” she suggested.
“You’re right,” he agreed. Reaching for the phone, Joseph punched in the number for the concierge. He knew he wasn’t giving the hotel chef a lot of time in which to prepare what he’d need for Saturday night; however, it was the Beaumont House’s pledge to their penthouse guests to fulfill their requests.
“Concierge. John Porter speaking. How may I help you, Mr. Wilson?”
It took fifteen minutes for Joseph to give him the proposed menu. “I’m going to need at least two servers and one bartender. I’d really appreciate it if they can set up twenty minutes before my guests are scheduled to arrive. They’re coming in together around seven, and I’d also like someone from the hotel staff to allow them access to this floor.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Is there anything else you’ll need, Mr. Wilson?”
“That’s all for now. Thank you so much, Mr. Porter,” Joseph said, ending the call.
Turning off the lamp, he lay beside Crystal, pulling her hips against his groin, while hoping he would be able to sleep through the night without making love with her. In that instance he felt like Job, being put to the test and praying he would succeed.
He pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. “Good night, sweetheart.”
Crystal smiled in the darkened space. “Good night, darling.”
It was Joseph’s turn to smile. “Am I really your darling, sweetheart?”
“Tonight you are.”
“What about tomorrow morning?” he asked.
“Let’s take this one day at a time.”
He sobered quickly. Joseph wondered if that was how their relationship would play out—one day at a time. He’d asked her to let him in and she countered saying he was in, but somehow he felt it wasn’t enough. With Crystal it had to be all or nothing for him, and he wasn’t prepared to accept nothing. Exhaling an inaudible sigh, Joseph closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to overtake him.
His last thought before slipping into the comforting arms of Morpheus was of his growing old with Crystal.
* * *
Ribbons of sunlight crept over the bed, caressing Crystal’s cheek with warmth. She came awake with the realization she was alone. The pillow beside hers bore the imprint of Joseph’s head but none of his body’s heat. Moaning softly, she turned over to peer at the clock on a side table. It was minutes before eight.
Pushing into a sitting position and raising her arms above her head, she stretched like a languorous feline emerging from a long nap. Sharing a bed with Joseph certainly had its advantages. She’d slept through the night and Crystal felt more rested than she had in a while.
Her arms were still above her head when he walked into the bedroom carrying a bed tray with covered dishes from which wafted mouthwatering aromas. He’d pulled on a white tee over the pajama pants. Seeing him like that was a sight she could easily get used to.
Lowering her arms, she ran her fingers through the short strands pressed against her scalp. “Good morning.”
Joseph placed the tray on the table on his side of the bed. Leaning down, he brushed a light kiss over her parted lips. “Good morning. I thought it would be fun if we’d have breakfast in bed.”
Easing back, Crystal swung her legs over the side of the mattress. “I’d like that. But I have to wash my face and brush my teeth first.”
“I put your things in my bathroom,” he said as she headed for the door.
Crystal stopped midstride and turned around slowly to face him. A beat passed. “Thank you.”
She didn’t want to read more into the action than necessary, as she turned toward the bathroom, wanting to anticipate when they would possibly share the intimacy of a bath or shower. She was realistic enough to know when they did make love it would change her. An even more terrifying realization would be falling in love with him. Shaking her head as if to banish the thought, Crystal entered the bathroom.
Crystal completed a modified ablution in record time and returned to the bedroom.
Joseph had set another tray on her side of the bed. “Come and eat before everything gets cold.” Quickening her step, she practically jumped into bed, smiling as he adjusted the pillows behind her back and shoulders before settling the bamboo bed tray over her lap.
She uncovered a dish and gasped. He’d prepared a mushroom-and-spinach omelet topped with fragrant grated truffle. A smaller dish held country links and strips of crispy bacon, and another grapefruit sections.
Crystal picked up a knife and fork resting on a snowy white damask napkin, cutting into the omelet. An explosion of flavors lingered on her tongue and palate even after she’d chewed a
nd swallowed the eggs.
“I truly can get used to eating breakfast in bed if this is what I have to look forward to,” she remarked lightly.
Attractive lines appeared around Joseph’s eyes when he smiled. “That can easily be arranged, sweetheart.” The endearment rolled off his tongue as easily as involuntary breathing.
“Every morning I could prepare something different. It could be chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict, shrimp and grits, scones, frittatas, croissants—”
“Stop it, Joseph,” she interrupted, in an attempt not to burst out laughing.
“You interrupted me before I could finish. There are also pancakes, crepes, steak and ham and eggs.”
Crystal gave him a sidelong glance. “Yeah, right, and I’d end up so full that I’d never get out of bed.”
“Lingering in bed can be quite pleasurable when sharing it with someone you love.”
Crystal froze. The four-letter word had the same impact as a large hand going around her throat and not permitting her to swallow, breathe or even utter a sound. However, she was able to shake her head before finding her voice. “No, Joseph,” she whispered. “You’re not abiding by the terms.”
Joseph chewed and swallowed several grapefruit sections. “What are you talking about?”
“We promised there would be no mention of love.”
It was his turn to go completely still. Nothing moved. Not even his eyes. “You’re wrong, because the word love never came up in that conversation. And what is so wrong with me saying I love being with you—in and out of bed?”
Crystal felt properly chastised. Being presumptuous, she’d misconstrued his meaning. She flashed a bright smile. “And I enjoy being with you.”
Joseph touched his napkin to the corners of his mouth. “What’s the matter? Does saying the word love bother you?”
“No. It’s just that I believe it’s bantered about much too freely.”
“What if I tell you that I love you?”
“But you don’t,” she countered, and then continued eating.
A pregnant silence followed her retort until the space vibrated with tension as Joseph struggled to control his rising temper. Crystal was the most incredible and exasperating woman he’d ever met. “Are you a psychic, Crystal?”
She blinked. “Say what?”
“Did I stutter?”
A shiver of annoyance shimmied up her back. “No, you didn’t stutter, Joseph.” Crystal stressed his name. “Why would you ask me that?”
“I asked because if you’re able to read minds, then I applaud you. But if you can’t, then don’t tell me what I feel. Or is it you don’t feel you’re worthy to be loved?”
She snorted delicately. “Now who’s being presumptuous?”
Picking up a pot of coffee, Joseph filled Crystal’s cup with the steaming brew. “Will you please answer my question? Do you feel worthy of a man loving you?”
“Of course I do,” she said much too quickly.
Joseph decided to press the issue. He’d found the woman in bed with him so easy to love, yet she continued to put up barriers to keep him from getting too close. “If you believe that, then why would you live with a man who didn’t love you enough to marry you? And please don’t tell me again that he didn’t want children. I know a few married couples who’ve decided not to have children, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a family.”
Biting down on her lower lip, Crystal mentally beat herself up for telling Joseph about living with Brian. Her past was her past and he had no right to pass judgment about her former lover. “Brian and I had a very satisfying relationship.”
“Open your eyes, sweetheart. The man used you. Imagine his ego when as a middle-aged man he got to flaunt a beautiful young woman nearly half his age every time you were in public together. He didn’t have to pay for sex because he had you.” Joseph leaned closer. “I never would’ve treated you that shabbily.”
Crystal pretended interest in adding cream to her coffee. Joseph’s assessment of her relationship with Brian was similar to her parents’. “How would you have treated me?”
“If I wanted you to live with me, then I would marry you.”
“Even if you weren’t ready for marriage?” It was her turn to remind Joseph of why he’d ended his relationship with his longtime girlfriend.
“Maybe it wasn’t so much that I wasn’t ready but perhaps I’d chosen the wrong woman with which to engage in a long-term relationship.”
They fell silent, concentrating on finishing breakfast. Joseph knew he’d waded out into dangerous waters bringing up the topic of marriage with Crystal. He knew her stance on the issue, but since meeting her, his had changed drastically. He wasn’t the same man who’d checked into the Beaumont House in late November, and he had to thank Crystal for that.
Before meeting her, his focus had been on himself and his accomplishments. Walking into the federal courthouse alongside her uncle amid cameras and reporters on the first day of a drug kingpin’s trial gave him a rush of unquestionable power. The high continued throughout the trial, ending when the jury rendered a guilty verdict.
It was ironic that his association with Solomon Eaton never crossed the line from professional to personal. It wasn’t until Joseph handed in his resignation that Solomon revealed he’d received several death threats, threats targeting friends and family members. He also hadn’t told Joseph that members of the U.S. Marshal Service had provided around-the-clock protection for him during the trials in which Solomon had served as a lead prosecutor for the government against high-level drug traffickers.
When he walked out of the federal courthouse and into a private office at ColeDiz International Ltd., Joseph’s life took another turn he hadn’t anticipated when instead of becoming immersed in corporate law he’d become a businessman and farmer.
Now his life was about to change again, and he thought of Crystal as his good-luck charm.
Everything he wanted seemed to go in his favor. Diego had found someone at ColeDiz willing to travel, leaving Joseph to concentrate on eventually taking over as CEO.
He’d revised the proposal for the jams and jellies, either deleting or updating the points set down by Myles Eaton and emailing it to him for his review. Within hours he’d received a reply. Myles had approved the proposal and final contract between ColeDiz International Resorts and Sweet Persuasions.
He hadn’t lied when he told Crystal she was special, and for him she was special enough to make her a part of his life and his future.
Chapter 11
Pressing her palms together, Crystal stood next to Joseph, watching the bartender set up his bar. His arm went around her waist and she pulled her gaze away to meet his eyes. “Do you think I lit too many candles?”
“No, baby. Everything looks perfect. You’re perfect.” She’d placed white candles in various sizes in the fireplace and along the mantel. Watching her instruct the waitstaff where she wanted them to set up the buffet indicated this wasn’t the first time she’d hosted a dinner party.
If he was pleasantly surprised as to her hosting ability, it was her appearance that rendered him mute. She’d selected a silk-lined midnight-blue cocktail dress with a slightly flaring skirt ending at her knees. Four inches of matching strappy pumps put her at the six-foot mark.
“Be careful, sweetie,” she whispered, “or you’re going to give me a big head.”
“We’ll be all right as long as I don’t end up with a big head before our guests get here,” he whispered in her ear.
It took a few seconds before Crystal realized what Joseph was referring to. “I don’t like quickies,” she whispered back.
Joseph chuckled deep in his throat. “That’s something else we have in common.”
Crystal nuzzled Joseph’s ear with her nose. “I think your friend is
going to be very surprised.”
Earlier that afternoon two men from maintenance had come to set up tables near the wall-to-wall windows spanning the width of the living and dining room, leaving enough space for people to walk around.
The dining table provided seating for eight; the sofa added three and a love seat another two, and an additional dozen padded chairs were set up around the living room to accommodate those wishing to sit.
Joseph had turned a satellite radio to a station featuring slow jams from the ’80s and ’90s, and the melodious sounds flowed from hidden speakers installed in rooms throughout the first floor.
The apartment phone rang, preempting Joseph’s reply. He picked up the receiver on the table in the entryway. “Our guests are here,” he announced softly.
* * *
Crystal stood beside Joseph, smiling, shaking hands and exchanging air kisses with his frat brothers when he introduced her as his girlfriend. Like their host, all of the thirtysomething men wore suits or blazers, tailored slacks, shirts or sweaters, sans ties. They exchanged rough hugs with Joseph while pounding his back.
Their female companions, less effusive and very chic in tailored suits, dresses and designer shoes and matching handbags, were dignified and gracious. All of them had left their purses and totes on the table in the entryway.
When Joseph introduced her to Frank Lynch, his former college roommate, Crystal wondered if the tall, handsome, red-haired, green-eyed engineer was aware the gathering was for him and not Joseph.
Frank held her hand, dropping a kiss on her knuckles. “If I wasn’t engaged, I would seriously consider stealing you away from Wilson.”
Joseph forcibly removed Crystal’s hand from his friend’s, tucking it into the fold of his elbow. “I know you’re not trying to hit on my woman,” he teased with a wide grin.
Frank’s fiancée, a very pretty petite woman with a light brown complexion and a profusion of reddish brown, shoulder-length twists, glared at him. “Francis Patrick Lynch, I hope you’re not disrespecting me and Joseph by flirting with his girlfriend!” A chorus of guffaws followed her reprimand.
Sweet Silver Bells Page 15
