Dynasties: The Elliotts, Books 1-6

by Various Authors

  After the doctor left, Michael met his offspring’s intense gazes. “Your mother is going to be fine now. When she’s released I’m taking her to The Tides to recuperate.”

  Tag nodded. The Tides was the Elliott family’s five-acre estate on Long Island. His grandfather had purchased the estate forty years ago when he became successful and had moved his young family out to the island because the area had reminded Tag’s grandmother of her Irish homeland. It sat on a bluff like a fortress and overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. Tag agreed it would be the perfect place for his mother to rest, relax and heal.

  “I like your mother’s social worker,” Michael Elliott said. “It was nice of her to drop by and check on us earlier.”

  Tag’s head snapped up. “Renee was here?” He noticed the way his father looked at him, probably surprised with his use of the woman’s first name, indicating some personal familiarity.

  “Yes, she dropped by an hour or so ago, when you, Gannon and Liam had left to go downstairs for coffee.”

  Tag nodded, absorbing that statement silently. He wished he had been there when she’d shown up. He checked his watch, making a quick decision. “Since Dr. Chaney said it will be at least another hour before any of us can see Mom, I think I’m going to walk around a bit.” He glanced over at his brothers and their expressions clearly said, Walk around? Yeah, right.

  Ignoring them, Tag excused himself and headed for the nearest elevator.

  “Is it true that you’re Karen Elliott’s social worker?”

  Renee glanced up from her sandwich and met Diane Carter’s curious gaze. Diane was a trauma nurse and one of the hospital’s worse gossips. She was quick to get upset if someone got into her business yet she made it a point to get into everyone else’s. Usually Renee avoided the woman at all cost but every once in a while she would join Diane for lunch when no one else would.

  Renee had to concede that with Diane’s blond hair and blue eyes she was a natural-born beauty. But rumor had it that besides having a problem with loose lips, she also had a tendency to be too clingy, which turned off a lot of the men in whom she’d shown interest.

  “Yes, I’m Karen Elliott’s social worker,” Renee finally said after taking a sip of her lemonade.

  “Boy, aren’t you the lucky one,” Diane said with a smirk. “Have you met her sons?”

  Renee thought about Tag. “I’ve met only one. Teagan Elliott.”

  “And what do you think of him?”

  The last thing Renee would do was tell Diane what she really thought of Tag. “He’s okay.”

  Diane leaned back and looked at her like she definitely had a few screws loose. “Just okay? I’ve seen photographs of him in the society section of the newspaper a few times and he’s so handsome he makes your eyes ache.”

  No sooner had Diane’s words left her lips, Renee’s hand froze on the glass of lemonade she was about to bring to her lips when Tag walked into the hospital’s café. He glanced around as if he was looking for someone, then his eyes lit onto her.

  The connection of their gazes did funny things to Renee’s insides. It didn’t take much to remember the kiss they had shared three days ago; a kiss that still heated her all over whenever she thought about it.

  “Renee, are you all right?”

  She quickly looked at Diane. No, she wasn’t all right, but Diane would be the last person she would tell why. “Yes, I’m fine.” And with as much effort as she could muster, she took a sip of her lemonade then bit into her sandwich, trying not to notice that Tag was standing across the room staring at her.

  Tag sucked in a deep breath the moment his gaze slammed into Renee’s. He wanted her. How could he not? Why had he thought for one moment that he’d convinced himself he could not get involved with her or anyone because he didn’t have the time? Who was he kidding? He definitely wanted to get involved when the object of his attraction was Renee.

  He drew in a deep breath of air as he began making his way across the room. He had gone to her office and was told by her secretary that she was at lunch and chances were he would find her in the cafeteria. He had hoped she would be alone but it seemed she was dining with someone. But that didn’t stop him from wanting to see her, talk to her.

  Renee hadn’t realized that Tag had crossed the room until he was standing right next to her table. She glanced up and felt the sensuous undercurrents automatically radiating between them and wondered if Diane noticed them too.

  Immediately putting her professional facade in place Renee leaned back in her chair, cleared her throat and in her best businesslike voice, said, “Mr. Elliott, how are you? And how is your mother?”

  Tag sensed her nervousness, saw the guarded look in her eyes and watched how she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. He gave her companion no more than a cursory glance, but quickly registered how she eyed him with keen interest. He knew what Renee was silently asking him.

  “My mother is fine, Ms. Williams,” he said in his own businesslike voice. “Her doctor indicates the surgery was a success. However, that’s what I want to talk to you about and I hate to intrude on your lunchtime, but I was wondering if I could speak with you privately for a moment.”

  Renee felt Diane’s eyes on them, taking it all in, and was glad Tag had picked up on her silent warning. The last thing she needed was for the nurse to start rumors floating around the hospital. “Yes, I was finished here anyway. We can go back to my office.”

  Feeling a gentle kick to her leg under the table, Renee realized Diane was eager for her to make introductions. “Mr. Elliott, I would like for you to meet Diane Carter. She’s one of our trauma nurses.”

  Diane was beaming when she presented Tag her hand. “Mr. Elliott, it’s so nice meeting you.”

  “The same here, Ms. Carter. I hate to take her away from you, but there is this pressing matter I need to discuss with her.”

  Diane waved off his apology. “Hey, there’s no reason to apologize. Trust me, I understand.”

  Renee doubted that Diane really did when she herself didn’t.

  Warmth spread through Renee’s veins the moment she and Tag stepped into the elevator together. Alone. Neither of them said anything and as they rode up to the sixth floor, she tried to remind herself of all the reasons they could not become involved.

  “I’m sorry I missed you earlier when you came to see how my family was holding up.”

  “It’s part of my job to check on the family of my patients during surgery, to see if there’s anything I can do for them.”

  Tag leaned against the paneled wall. “That’s good to know, since there is definitely something you can do for me.”

  “And what can I do for you, Mr. Elliott?”

  “For starters, since we’re alone now, you can stop pretending Saturday night never happened. That we never kissed. Touched. Lost our heads and minds to passion.”

  He heard the air when it suddenly rushed from her lungs. He saw the shiver that passed through her body, but before he could make another comment, the elevator came to a stop.

  When the door slid open, Tag stood back to let Renee step out. Neither said anything as they crossed the lobby to her office, walking side by side. Her secretary looked up and smiled before returning her attention to her computer. Renee appreciated the fifty-something woman who had been her secretary for the nearly two years Renee had worked there. Vicki was efficient, trustworthy and someone who respected Renee’s need for privacy.

  Renee opened the door and stepped into her office. Tag followed and closed the door behind them. He watched as she quickly crossed the room, and couldn’t help but admire how she looked in her chocolate-brown business suit. The skirt hit her just above her knees, and his first thought was that she definitely had a great pair of legs.

  “I’m glad you mother’s surgery was successful.”

  Tag’s gaze moved from her legs to her face. She was standing in the middle of her office, eyeing him nervously. “So am I.”

  She cleared her thr
oat again. “In the cafeteria you said you needed to talk to me about her.”

  He shrugged, deciding to be completely honest with her. “It was something I said to get you alone.”

  He watched her eyes narrow. Okay, so she wasn’t happy hearing the truth, but seeing her standing here, alone in the room with him, made him realize the lie had been worth it. He smiled.

  Renee wished she could somehow banish the sight of Tag standing there dressed in a tailored suit, like he was the epitome of every woman’s fancy. But then she had to quickly concede that he could have been dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of tattered jeans and he still would have looked good.

  And then there was the way his mouth could curve into a smile. The way it just did. She swallowed. “Mr. Elliott, I’m going to have to treat this strictly as a business meeting.”

  “If you’d like.”

  Renee was becoming frustrated and Tag wasn’t helping matters. “I have a job to do.”

  He leaned back against the door and chuckled. “You don’t have to remind me since your job is what brought us together.”

  “We aren’t together.”

  “It depends on your definition of the word,” he said easily.

  Deciding enough words had been said, he moved forward, closing the distance between them, and came to a stop in front of her. “I need to get back. My mother should be coming around and I want to be there when she does.” He paused briefly and then added, “But I wanted to see you, just to assure myself that Saturday had been real and not a pleasant figment of my imagination.”

  Renee crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. “So what if it was real? That was then and now is now. I should not have let things get out of hand like that.”

  “You sure about that?” Tag asked. He wanted to kiss that lie right off her mouth. There was no way she could convince him that she regretted what they’d shared Saturday.

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “And you don’t want me to kiss you again?”

  “Absolutely not! I wish you’d never kissed me in the first place!” Renee glared at him and noticed his eyes seemed more intense than ever. She sucked in a deep breath when he leaned down and brought his mouth close to hers, mere inches away.

  “Now tell me again that you wish we’d never kissed,” he whispered hotly against her lips.

  Renee opened her mouth to say the words and had planned to come up with a comeback that would set him back a notch. But she couldn’t make the words come out and quickly closed her mouth. She gazed at the face so close to hers and knew frustration, want, desire as she felt herself being pulled in, falling helplessly into the depths of his bottomless sea-blue eyes.

  “Tell me,” he whispered against her lips.

  She inhaled deeply as a throbbing sensation took over her body that seemed to start in the nipples of her breasts and was slowly moving down past her waist to land right in the middle between her thighs.

  This was not supposed to be happening to her. She’d never been drawn to a man this way. And she had always stayed within what she’d considered her comfort zone while dating. Although she’d accumulated a number of white male friends over the years, she’d never given thought to developing a serious relationship with any of them. But there was something about Tag that defied logic. Her logic anyway. He seemed to find her as sexually appealing as she found him.

  And she wanted to kiss him again.

  Knowing that she would regret her decision, she tilted her chin which brought their mouths closer. But he didn’t move. Instead he stood there, cool as you please, his gaze holding hers while sending delectable shivers down her body. The shivers, combined with the racing of her heart, were having one hell of an effect on her. But still he stood there, immobile, letting her know that if she wanted the kiss she was going to have to be the one to take it. With a moan she hadn’t known she was about to make, against her better judgment she leaned closer and captured his mouth with hers.

  She grabbed his shoulders and welcomed his tongue when it entered her mouth, mating it with hers, stroking it and sending tremors of pleasure through her body.

  Then the tempo of the kiss changed when he took it over. It went from soft and gentle to hot and possessive. And she responded automatically, feeling her abdominal muscles clench. Intense heat pooled between her legs and the scent of all male teased her nostrils.

  The ringing of the phone intruded and Renee pulled back, breaking off the kiss. Inhaling deeply, she reached across her desk and pushed the respond button on her phone. “Yes, Vicki?” she managed to say while heat continued flowing around in her stomach. She glanced over at Tag. The eyes staring at her were smoldering with desire and he was standing there waiting, as if he hadn’t finished with her yet.

  “Your one-o’clock appointment is here, Ms. Williams.”

  Renee moistened her lips nervously. Kissing Tag had made her forget everything, including the fact that this was her office and she was standing in the middle of it, kissing him. What if someone had walked in on them? She could imagine the scandal that would have started. “Thanks, Vicki. Give me a few minutes to wind things up with Mr. Elliott.”

  Renee then turned her attention back to Tag. He was still standing in the same spot, staring at her. Okay, so she had been the one to initiate the kiss this time. Call them even. It didn’t change the fact that they couldn’t become involved and she needed to make him understand that. She had more to lose than he did. “A relationship between us won’t work, Tag,” she said slowly, distinctively stating each word.

  “You don’t think so?”

  “No.”

  “Because my mother is your patient?”

  “Among other reasons that are just as important,” she said, deciding to spell it all out for him since he was acting like he didn’t have a clue. Surely he could see the obstacles they faced as a couple as well as she could.

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “And what are these other reasons?”

  “I don’t believe in casual affairs, which includes involving myself in relationships that I know upfront won’t be going anywhere. You’re white and I’m black. You’re a wealthy businessman and I’m a social worker whose income won’t come close to yours in a million years.”

  He continued to stare at her. “And your point?”

  Renee narrowed her gaze. Her point? How could he ask her that when it was so clear? But if he wanted her to break it down even more, then she would. “My point is that I’ve never dated outside my race. I prefer staying in my comfort zone, and I’m not a woman who ever dreamed of marrying rich.”

  He laughed, but she could tell he wasn’t amused but was rather pissed-off. “Are you saying you’re basing your decision on my skin color and my finances?”

  Hearing him say it made her feel no better than Thomas Bonner. Immediately, she put her defenses up. “Why would you want to become involved with me, Tag? Come on, let’s get real here. Am I a woman your family would expect you to bring to dinner?”

  His eyes darkened in anger and he quickly closed the distance between them. “First of all,” he said in a low, angry tone, “I don’t recall asking you to have a relationship with my family, just with me. Second, my family has never, nor will it ever, dictate how I live my life and with whom. Of course I would be lying if I said I wasn’t raised with a certain set of values, but one of the things my grandparents and parents instilled in me more than anything was to judge a person on his character and not his outside appearance. And it’s obvious that you’re not doing that. If you’re judging me by the way I look and by the size of my bank account, then we have nothing left to say.”

  He turned and walked out the door.

  This was one of those days Renee was glad she didn’t have any more appointments scheduled after her one o’clock. She needed to leave work as soon as she could to clear her mind of any lingering doubts she had regarding Tag. The words he’d spoken, the accusation, were still hanging there in her mind, refusing to mov
e on. Why had he made things so complicated? Why didn’t he understand her decision had been to spare them undue heartache and pain and unnecessary gossip?

  Oh, she was sure there were a lot of interracial couples out there falling in love and making things work despite the odds. But it was those odds that bothered her more than anything. He wasn’t living on another planet. He knew the rules that society dictated and the problems you could encounter if you decided to go against them.

  She remembered all too well Cheryl Hollis and how she had sneaked behind her parents’ backs and dated a white guy while they were in high school. Cheryl had gotten pregnant and both set of parents had been up in arms. The guy’s parents had money and threatened to cut him off if he so much as claimed the child as his. So he had done exactly as his parents had dictated, leaving Cheryl alone, pregnant and brokenhearted.

  Granted, Tag wasn’t a high school senior dependent upon his parents’ income, but he was still an Elliott. His family’s influence and wealth ranked right up there with the Kennedys and Bushes. Heck, his grandmother could probably call Oprah directly and invite her to dinner. Renee ran a frustrating hand down her face. She refused to let Tag lay a guilt trip on her. She wasn’t prejudiced, just cautious.

  But still, as she shut down her computer for the day, she couldn’t erase from her mind that Tag Elliott had done something no other man had been capable of doing since Dionne. He had reminded her she was a woman—a woman with emotions, wants, physical needs and desires. She just wasn’t used to a man making her lose control. Even now her palms were sweating just from her thinking about the kiss they had shared earlier here in this office.

  She drew in a frustrated breath. No matter what, she had to believe that she had done the right thing letting Tag know where she stood and how she felt. But if that was the case, why was doing the right thing making her feel so bad?