by Heidi Sexton
This startled Amber. She stared open-mouthed at him. “Are you saying that Brittany didn’t call you?”
“No. I haven’t seen or heard from Brittany since the day she took me home after the carriage ride.”
“I guess I have caused more damage than just burning the house down. She said she was going to call you. Brittany and Christy have been so worried about me, Chadwick. I haven’t eaten much of anything in days and I haven’t been talking to them. Brittany must have been too distracted by my suicidal behavior to call you. Well, how did you know where to find us?” She asked.
“We drove by your house. Christy left the address with your…um…. neighbor lady,” was all Chadwick said. Adanna sat in another beachchair and quietly listened to their conversation.
“What a terrible way for you to find out. I imagine you didn’t know what to think.”
“He jumped out of the car running and screaming Brittany’s name. That’s how Mrs. Vi…I mean Vi found out we were out there.” Adanna said as she glanced at Chadwick. If she had any question as to how strong his feelings were for Brittany, they had been answered. He was in love with her. That became even more apparent when he fell to his knees like a saved man when Mrs. Viola Maybell said that Brittany was okay.
Adanna’s admission made Amber laugh. Amber wrapped her arms around her middle in an effort to contain her laughter. The sight of Chadwick running and screaming for Brittany in front of a heap of burned rubble was hilarious to her. This big, good-looking, self-assured, wealthy man who had held her while she cried, running around in hysterics was too much for Amber. Evidently the crying spell had been therapeutic, because she gave into laughter before an amazed Adanna and Chadwick.
“Has Vi always been an alcoholic?” Adanna asked.
This made Amber laugh even harder. Amber slapped one hand over her mouth and held up the other one, “Please forgive me. I am so sorry. It’s just that I had a visual and you know how visuals can be. Chadwick I am really sorry you had to find out that way.” She was still laughing, but not the loud guffaws she was letting out a second ago.
Chadwick heaved himself up from the beachchair. “It’s okay Amber. Just tell me where my girl is.”
“Room 306. The elevators are to the left over there.” Turning towards Adanna, Amber said, “Would you like to eat my first real meal I’ve eaten in days with me? Plus, I need to find out what Chadwick has done to you to make you so quiet.” She said as she linked arms with Adanna.
“Oh, so now I’m back on your ‘bad guy’ list?” Chadwick said playfully, but in his heart he really wondered if anything had changed between him and Amber. It was as if everything that had happened earlier was a figment of his imagination.
Amber stopped and turned to look up at Chadwick. Placing her hand flat against his chest she said, “Chadwick, whether you marry Brittany or not, you have already won me over. I will never forget your kindness. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now please stop begging for approval like a little puppy and go find my sister.” Chadwick was thankful she had lightened the mood with that last quip. He didn’t know how to react to the nice Amber.
“I think I will take your advice. Adanna, find a table for all of us. Brittany and I will come down and eat with you guys. I’m hungry. Is Christy up there too?” He turned his attention to Amber. He was accustomed to Adanna doing as he asked. So, he really didn’t expect a response from her.
“No. She went to see Mrs. Viola Maybell,” Amber said, watching for Adanna and Chadwick’s reaction. They did not disappoint her. Adanna began picking invisible pieces of lent off her clothes and Chadwick rolled his eyes. Amber’s tickle box was about to get started again.
“Please don’t mention that woman around me unless you have to,” Chadwick said as he backed away. Turning around he headed for the elevator with the sound of Adanna and Amber’s laughter in his ears.
#
Chadwick was glad to be the only person on the elevator. He needed a minute to gather his thoughts. His emotions in the last two and half hours had run a complete gamut. All he wanted now was to see Brittany. He hoped he would find her in a stable frame of mind, he did not know if he was up to much more extreme emotion. After experiencing abject terror upon seeing their house burned to the ground, he needed to be able to wrap his arms around her and hold her.
The ding of the elevator door as it opened startled Chadwick out of his thoughts. Swiping his hand across his face he made his way around the corner. It only took a few steps down the hall before he reached Brittany’s room. He knocked on the door.
The sight of her face was like an antidote or a catalyst. She could be the cure or the cause. Whatever she was, it was exactly what Chadwick needed. His chest expanded and her name came out in a rush of air as he stepped across the threshold, grabbing her up in his arms. His lips found hers in a kiss that released all the emotion he had experienced in the last hours.
Brittany stiffened in surprise before she melted into him. Her mouth opened and Chadwick’s tongue greedily tangled with hers. Brittany wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as Chadwick tried in vain to slack his desire with an erotic kiss. The heat of his harsh breathing fanned Brittany’s face making her toes curl. He backed her up against the wall and ground his hips against hers. Brittany could feel his manhood against her center. A soft sound that could have been a whimper or a sigh escaped her, causing Chadwick to become still.
“Don’t move. Just stand still for a minute.” Chadwick laid his forehead against Brittany’s and shut his eyes. This was madness. Why in God’s name had he gotten involved with this woman who he could not have? Chadwick opened his eyes and stared at Brittany. He suddenly realized that she wasn’t dressed. She had on a robe that was clinging to her skin. She was still wet from a shower. The room began to spin. Squeezing his eyes shut again, Chadwick backed away, releasing her.
Brittany grabbed the lapels of her robe and pulled them tightly together. She knew the struggle that Chadwick was having. What she couldn’t figure out was why he was even here.
“Did you just come back from Atlanta?”
“What are you talking about? I was only leaving today.” Chadwick narrowed his eyes, as an ominous thought came to mind.
“I was told that you were gone to Atlanta, when I called.” Brittany began to worry when she saw the dangerous glint in Chadwick’s eyes. He had the same look on his face when he hit the drunken carriage driver.
“Who told you I was gone back to Atlanta and when they did they tell you this? Make sure you answer correctly.” Chadwick’s voice was a growl and his face was a fury.
“It doesn’t matter. I am just glad you are here. I missed you.” Brittany did not want to be the cause of a family feud. She knew why Vana had lied to her. Vana had decided that she wasn’t good enough for her brother. Brittany could deal with Vana, but she didn’t want to cause trouble between brother and sister.
“Brittany, tell me.” Chadwick demanded.
“No. I won’t. Now move, because I need to get dressed. You have to get me out of this room. I am about to go crazy in here.”
Chadwick was temporarily distracted when she slid pass him. He could smell her perfume, soap, or whatever it was. It was a wonderful fragrance for Brittany. It was a soft scent that teased his aromatic senses every time she moved. He watched her walk into the bathroom. The robe was sticking to the curve of her butt. Chadwick took a deep steadying breath and decided that getting out of the room was a very good idea.
CHAPTER 13
Chadwick and Brittany left the room in search of Adanna and Amber. They found them in the hotel restaurant in a booth for four. They were in deep conversation and were surprised when Brittany slid in next to Amber and Chadwick slid in next to Adanna. Brittany’s steady perusal of Adanna made it apparent that she noticed the change in her.
“I am glad to see you’re feeling better.” She said as she wrapped an arm around Amber’s shoulders. The telltale puffiness beneath Amber’s eyes made it evide
nt that she had been crying, but the big smile on her face and the new light in her eyes reassured Brittany.
Amber leaned into Brittany and smiled. “I was a mess when Chadwick and Adanna found me in the lobby. I had a breakdown, but Chadwick got me through it. He really is a sweetie. You know that don’t you Brittany?”
This was the second time a woman had called him a “sweetie” and it made Chadwick feel decidedly unmanly. “Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy was a sweetie. I am not a sweetie.”
Brittany and Adanna laughed. Amber reached across the table and patted Chadwick on the hand. “Don’t worry sweetie. We won’t tell your secret. We’ll just let Christy find out for herself.”
Brittany was happy about the change in wind between Chadwick and Amber. Somehow it made a future with Chadwick seem even more promising. Looking into Chadwick’s eyes she smiled. She tried to look away, but he wouldn’t let her. His gaze was too intense.
“I have an idea.” Adanna said quietly.
“What is it?” Chadwick asked, never taking his eyes off Brittany.
“The girls can stay with me until their house is rebuilt. I get lonely in that big house. That’s why I plan so many family gatherings every year. So, how about it? Come keep an old spinster company.”
“Don’t call yourself a spinster. You’ll find somebody.” Chadwick hated self-deprecation; he hated it even more in people he loved.
“Chadwick have you ever thought that maybe I don’t want to be married?” Adanna said tersely.
Chadwick stared at Adanna as if he’d just met her on the street. This was an Adanna he didn’t know, but for now he was interested in how Amber and Brittany were taking this surprising invitation.
“It sounds like a wonderful idea. I think all three of us have had enough of the hotel room,” Amber said before Brittany could open her mouth.
“Amber, are you sure? It sounds like an imposition.” Brittany personally thought it was a wonderful idea too, but she didn’t want Amber saying yes for her sake, if the situation was going to make her uncomfortable.
“I have plenty of room. It’ll be fun.” Adanna was warming to the idea. She really did hate living alone in that big house.
Chadwick remained silent. He was afraid if he opened his mouth, Amber would see through him. He was ecstatic Brittany would be in the same house with him. He envisioned stolen kisses and sneaked peeks at bare legs and even more if he could manage it.
Brittany worried about Vana. Vana had lied to her in order to keep her away from Chadwick. How would she react to Brittany and her sisters living under the same roof with Adanna?
“Is Vana still here?” Brittany hoped she didn’t live with Adanna and had left with the other family members.
“Yes she’s still here. She will be here through the summer. She teaches literature at the University of Atlanta. Classes are out for the summer.” Adanna offered.
“Don’t worry about Vana. I will take care of her. I know it was her, Brittany.” Chadwick was disappointed in Vana. He couldn’t understand why she had lied to Brittany. Her duplicity hurt him more than anything. She had made comments about dragging Brittany to the house, yet all along she had kept Brittany away with a lie about him having gone back to Atlanta.
“What did she do?” Adanna asked.
“She told Brittany I had gone back to Atlanta, when Brittany tried to call me.”
“Yikes!” Adanna said. She knew that war would be declared the minute Chadwick saw Vana. She did not look forward to this at all. Had she known what Vana had done, she wouldn’t have been so quick to invite Brittany and her sisters into her home. Adanna hated conflict. With Vana and Chadwick fighting and Brittany and her sisters on the scene too, Adanna wondered if she would eventually need a hotel room herself.
“Why would she do that?” Amber asked. Her big-sister instincts were kicking in and she wondered if she would have to beat Vana’s butt.
“That’s what we are going to find out, Amber. Please calm down. This is Chadwick’s and my business. We will let you know if we need your help.” Brittany stretched one arm across Amber’s chest and pressed her back into the seat.
The waitress came with their orders and silence ensued as everyone began eating. The food was really good. Brittany didn’t realize how hungry she was until she bit into the juicy cheeseburger. She liked her burgers with everything on them; cheese, pickle, onion, tomato, ketchup and mustard. She took a bite of her burger and dipped a couple of fries into the little cup of ketchup that came on the plate. Popping them in her mouth, she closed her eyes and made a little humming noise.
Chadwick watched Brittany. His mouth felt full of sand, instead of food. How was he going to be able to sleep at night knowing that this woman was down the hall from him? She licked her lips and Chadwick felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. He dropped his sandwich onto his plate and grabbed his drink.
“Brittany stop torturing Chadwick. Try to eat with less fervor.” Amber said as she nudged Brittany painfully in the side.
“I…I’m not…” Brittany shut her mouth when she looked at Chadwick. He looked like a man holding on by a very thin string of control. Adanna was laughing.
“Chadwick, do you want them to think they’ll need a master padlock on their door? Please control yourself.”
Chadwick once again was beginning to feel like a green teenager. He admittedly had never met another woman like Brittany. This attraction he had for her was more torture than pleasure. He was a man of the world and he had never practiced celibacy. He was never given a chance. Women were always throwing themselves at him. To his credit he was very selective and very careful. He didn’t consider himself to be promiscuous. He had a niggling suspicion though that if Brittany and Amber had insight into his past, they would quickly label him promiscuous. He suddenly regretted every relationship before Brittany. He wished she could be his first, but he took more satisfaction in knowing that he would be her first.
“I have to make some phone calls. I gave my partner the okay to go on vacation. He may or may not have gone. If he did, I am going to have to go down to Atlanta for at least a week. We have an upcoming merger and one of us has to be there.” ‘
Brittany knew that if he left, the feud between he and Vana would have time to possibly dissipate, whereas if he stayed, the tenuous situation could turn explosive. She didn’t want him out of her sight, but it would be nice if she could get to know his sisters in a peaceful setting. Maybe she had a chance to win Vana over. Brittany was intrigued, because she had never met anyone who did not like her.
“While you make your calls, we are going to go upstairs and get packed. We need to call Christy and get her back here so she can get ready to go too. Adanna, I am so excited about seeing your house. Brittany told us how beautiful it is. Thank you for asking us to come.” Amber said.
“I am looking forward to having a full house. I mean it when I say that the pleasure is all mine.” Adanna replied.
“Adanna and I will be in the lobby. Brittany did you ever get your car?” Chadwick was sliding out of the booth. He put his hand out to help Brittany up. His big hand was warm as it closed around her smaller hand.
“Yes, I did. It’s out there. You didn’t see it? They did a really good job.” Chadwick released Brittany and reached both hands out; one for Amber and one for Adanna.
“I guess I didn’t see it. We were kind of distracted when we first got here. I’m glad you got it back. Did you start back working?”
“I’m booked up for at least three weeks. My clients missed me. I won’t be starting until Monday though. I figured I needed a break after all the excitement this week.” Adanna and Amber were walking ahead of them talking animatedly about something. Chadwick stopped walking and turned towards Brittany.
“Did you think anymore about what we talked about in the carriage?” He asked.
“Yes. My mind was made up before the carriage ride was over that day. I do want to get to know you better. That’s why I was s
o hurt when I thought you had changed your mind.”
Chadwick was relieved to know there were no more railroads between them. Amber’s attitude had softened towards him and the rich-guy-bad-guy stereotype was as good as dead. He still wasn’t quite sure what was going on with Vana, but he would find out.
“I never changed my mind. Since the day we rode in the ambulance to the hospital, you have been the main thing on my mind. Two weeks of hell hasn’t done a thing, but made me want you more.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I feel very fortunate to have met you, Brittany. I plan on seeing this all the way through. So, don’t be too quick to give up on me. I don’t shake too easily once I have my mind made up about something.”
Chadwick’s words sounded like a promise. Looking into his face Brittany saw the strength and character of a thousand men. She could be his wife until death did them part. She could obey this man. She could trust this man. Brittany knew he meant every word he said. He had already convinced her of his ability to stay the course. She just wondered how long they would have to date before he could be all hers.
CHAPTER 14
Chadwick had to go to Atlanta after all, but not before he had his confrontation with Vana. After helping Adanna get her new guests settled into their respective rooms, he sought Vana out. He found her hiding in the dining room. No one ever went into Adanna’s dining room unless there was a party. So, he knew she was hiding.
“What are you doing in here, Vana?” he asked quietly.
“Just thinking.” Vana knew better than anyone how Chadwick’s anger worked; the quieter his approach, the worse his rage.
“Thinking about why you lied to Brittany?”
“She is not what you think she is.” Her venom made Chadwick pause. What did Vana think she knew about Brittany?
“What do I think she is, Vana?”
