Contemporary Nights Volume One

by C. J. Ellisson

  The damage could only be done from within.

  Chapter Nineteen—The Truth

  Rico collapsed on top of Mariah, limp—literally—with satisfaction. She lay quietly underneath him. A comfortable silence enveloped the room. Peace surrounded him and drained the tension from his body. He felt complete with the knowledge, at least in that moment, that they were one mind, one body, one soul.

  Sometime later her soft laughter roused him out of his boneless state. He still lay on top of her, still inside her. She shifted underneath him and giggled again. He pulled back to stare at her. Mariah smiled up at him, laughing at some secret joke. She pushed at his chest with her hands. He lifted his upper body off her. His hips rubbed against hers in a sensuous circular motion. She pushed at him again. He ignored her and planted little kisses on her neck.

  “Rico.” She looked toward the door. Her eyes glinted with humor. He followed her gaze. “Not in front of the kids,” she warned him with laughter in her voice.

  Next to the open door, politely sitting in the doorway were his dogs. They couldn’t seem to fathom what the humans were doing now. His eyes met Mariah’s with a silent question.

  “I have no idea how long they’ve been sitting there,” she answered him, reading his mind.

  “Ay yi yi. I thought I shut that door.” He rolled off her. Pulling the blankets around them, he hid their naked bodies from his dogs.

  “How’d you guys get in here?” The dogs accepted his words as an invitation and flew at the bed like paparazzi after a hot story. They landed on top of Rico and Mariah in a flurry of flying tongues, wagging tails, and dancing legs. Mariah laughed hysterically as she attempted to protect her face from their rampant slobber. Rico joined in. What else was a guy to do?

  *****

  In the middle of the night, Rico woke to find Mariah curled up next to him. Her warm body curved around his, her soft skin like silk against his chest. Her hair lay across one of his arms like a silky sheet. One long leg rested across his hips, entwined with his leg. The delicate features of her sweet face made her look like an angel in the early morning light. She was an angel, his angel. She was his salvation from all the insanity in his life.

  Tasha lay curled up on the pillow next to her face. Bo snored at the foot of the bed. She’d even charmed his dogs.

  He wanted to wake up every morning just like this. He needed this woman in his life, but on his terms. That was the crux of the problem. To convince her to stay would take every ounce of charm and charisma he possessed—and then some.

  He wondered if what he was willing to give her would be enough. There were certain things that weren’t negotiable, like love. Love left a guy too vulnerable, gave the woman too much control. Love ripped your heart out when it ended. He’d never be anyone’s fool again, never allow a woman close enough to betray his trust.

  Then there was marriage. He wouldn’t even go there.

  Yet, he wouldn’t be his father’s son. His kids wouldn’t have a more stepmothers than he had platinum CDs. A stable relationship based on mutual respect, friendship, and hot sex suited his needs.

  Relationships based on emotions never lasted. Love was crap, overrated, over-promised, and under-delivered. There was no room for it in his life. The trick would be to convince a woman like Mariah that his way made more sense.

  Rico crawled out of bed and pulled on a pair on drawstring pants. He lit a cigarette and stood on the balcony. City lights twinkled in the distance, rimming the ocean. Further out, a freighter began its journey out to sea. He leaned on the railing and wondered how she’d accept his proposal. He’d messed with her heart once already. Unfortunately, he couldn’t give her the one thing that would guarantee she’d stay.

  His love.

  Because he couldn’t survive another round with love.

  He didn’t hear her walk up behind him until he felt her arms around his waist. She leaned into him. He took her hands and placed them inside his low-hanging waistband. She massaged his ridged stomach muscles with her fingertips. Taking a drag on his cigarette, Rico savored her closeness.

  They were silent for a long time. Eventually, she shifted to stand beside him. He placed an arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. She nestled her body close to his. He felt her eyes searching his face for answers. Finally, he looked down at her, a smile crossing his features. “What are you thinking?”

  “Tell me everything. I need to know the truth.” She squeezed his arm, giving him unspoken support.

  He knew she referred to the scandal. He hated talking about it. In fact, he’d rather have a root canal, yet she needed to know. All of it. He didn’t know where to start, so he started at the beginning. Once he got going, the words tumbled out like a CD on fast forward.

  “The girl was the daughter of one of Ed’s girlfriends. I wasn’t staying in the room that night. I’d actually passed out in my rental car in the hotel parking lot after a long night of partying. She lifted my keys and used my room. She ran with a rough crowd, and invited several of her druggie friends to a party. She took too many different drugs and overdosed. Her friends didn’t call for help. They panicked and tried to cover up their part in all this. As a result, they let her die. They left drugs on the scene to implicate me, which wouldn’t have been stretch since I had my own issues with drugs, but not the stuff they were doing. Ramon came to my room in the morning and let himself in with the extra key. He found her there and called my cell phone. I staggered into the room and assumed the worst—that this underage kid had been with Ramon.”

  “So you covered for him?”

  “I did, and the little ass hung me out to dry with the press. The mother sued us, and we settled out of court. It just about broke me. As far as a criminal case, I was exonerated and charges were dropped when a security guard finally came forward and stated I’d been passed out in my car all night long. He’d kept an eye on me during his rounds of the parking lot.”

  “You never defended yourself. Never said anything.”

  “I figured I could ride out the storm better than Ramon and never imagined it would become such a media circus. I was stupid. Then Ramon, the lying ass, did that interview where he claimed he’d had his suspicions about my relationship with this girl. He revealed all the sordid details on my drug abuse.”

  “Why’d he do that to you?”

  “You’d have to ask him.” Rico tensed, hating how much Ramon’s betrayal still hurt, even after all this time.

  “It was pretty devastating, especially with all the other shit happening to me at the same time. I was like a ship without sails tossed in a stormy sea for a couple years. I buried myself in the import business. People I’d considered good friends deserted me. Carmen left me. My singing career was over. Which wasn’t so bad, since the performing side of the business isn’t my strong suit. Later, one of the kids that had been at the party contacted me. It was then that I realized that Ramon hadn’t been involved either. You know the rest of the story.”

  “Oh, Rico, I’m so sorry. You’d do anything for your family. That’s an admirable trait.” She leaned into him, hugging him to her side.

  “There was a silver lining. I went to rehab, quit the drugs. I’ve been clean ever since. I guess that was my rock bottom.”

  For a long moment, they stood in silence. He took comfort in her closeness. Her unconditional faith warmed his soul. She ironed out all the wrinkles, making his life smoother.

  “Why did you do all this?” It was the obvious question. The one she hadn’t asked all night. “Why did you go to all this trouble to get me here?”

  He sighed and wondered how he would put it all into words. “It’s a long story—”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Let it wait for now.” He didn’t want to ruin the magic of the night. Besides, he needed her again.

  *****

  Rico left Mariah in the master bedroom after breakfast the following morning. He excused himself to take care of a few things. The first of
which involved calling Ramon. As soon as his brother answered, Rico lit into him. “I’m warning you, Ramon.”

  “Hey, Rico, nice to hear from you too. Great party last night wasn’t it? That little number of yours is one sexy morsel. I’d like to have her for myself.”

  “Leave Mariah alone,” Rico growled. “She doesn’t understand guys like you. She’s too naïve and trusting.”

  “Guys like me? What about guys like you?” Ramon’s voice crackled with animosity.

  “You just want to get in her pants.”

  “Like you haven’t already done that? What the fuck are you talking about, Rico? If Mariah and I want to be friends, it’s none of your damn business. I’ll do as I please. I don’t need your permission and neither does she. You’re the one she should watch out for. You’ve already broken her heart once.”

  “My relationship with Mariah is none of your business. Just stay away from her. That little dig about meeting her for lunch, it isn’t going to happen, so don’t waste your time calling her.”

  “I’ll call anyone I please, big brother, and thanks for being concerned for my well-being.” Ramon’s voice dripped acid.

  “I’m serious, Ramon.” Rico’s jaw tightened at the sound of Ramon’s taunting laughter.

  “If you screw up, I’m going to be waiting in the wings. Remember that.”

  Rico smashed the End button with his thumb and tossed the phone on the coffee table. His phone call had backfired. Ramon always wanted everything Rico had and more. Mulling that over in his mind, Rico didn’t hear his father enter the house until he was standing a few feet from him. Eduardo glanced around the breakfast area. Rico knew what he was thinking but kept quiet. Let the old man drag it out of him.

  “Where’s Mariah?” Eduardo’s brows furrowed with worry.

  Rico started laughing in spite of his irritation with Ramon. “She’s in my closet.”

  “In your closet?” Eduardo stared blankly at his son.

  “Going through my clothes like a kid at Christmas. She’s taking out things she wants me to wear. You should see the stack of clothes. It’d take me a year to wear them. I guess I’ll have to keep her here that long.” The thought brought a big shit-eating grin to his face.

  “She’s obsessed,” Eduardo observed, visibly relieved.

  “She is when it comes to clothes.” Rico shrugged in resignation.

  “I hear Al and Leo are taking a month’s vacation with the money she spent on clothes at Al’s boutique.”

  “You mean I spent. I should do an intervention and get her into Fashionholics Anonymous.”

  “You might want to, son, if you’re really going to keep her here. The earlier the better.”

  “She can spend money on clothes. I don’t care.”

  His father lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Does that mean she is moving in?”

  “It’s a possibility. I’m working on it. I think she might be receptive.”

  “Do what it takes. It’s about time I had grandchildren.”

  Rico liked that idea. Really liked it.

  *****

  The next morning Mariah followed her nose to the kitchen. Rico bustled around the kitchen whistling as he prepared breakfast—nothing better than a man at home in the kitchen.

  “Morning, bella.” He greeted her then swept her into his arms for a searing kiss. It was too early in the morning for something that powerful. She hadn’t even had her first cup of coffee. She gripped his shoulders so her knees didn’t buckle.

  “Have a seat, Rye. There’s coffee on the table.”

  “Thank you. A man that cooks is a man after my own heart.”

  “I can imagine. I’ve tasted your cooking.”

  “You said you liked it.”

  “I lied.” He cringed and offered her an apologetic smile.

  Mariah took no offense; she knew the truth when it smack her up the side of the head. “I am pretty pathetic in the cooking department.”

  “I’ll let you slide on that one. You make up for it in other ways.”

  “Don’t you have people who cook for you?”

  “Uh, yeah, I gave her the day off.”

  Mariah poured a cup of coffee and watched Rico as he made his way around the kitchen. Seeing him in a domestic setting did strange things to her heart. His faded jeans molded to his nice little rear, and his tight white t-shirt clung to his muscles. His dark hair was still damp from a recent shower. He’d even shaved this morning. Now there was a man ready for action.

  Taking a sip of her coffee, she tried to detour her X-rated mind to a G-rated subject. Breakfast smelled fantastic and, in response, her stomach rumbled like a bowling alley on league night. To her horror, Rico heard it and laughed. She winced. “I guess I’m hungry.”

  “Baby, I’m sure you are, but let’s eat breakfast first. Then I have a surprise for you.”

  “You have a surprise for me?” Now he was talking.

  He lounged against the black marble counter in his white and black kitchen and studied her over the rim of his orange juice glass. “Yes, I do.” His smile was calculating as he looked her up and down.

  “You call that a surprise?”

  He frowned. “You sure know how to damage a male ego.”

  She threw a piece of toast at him, but he ducked. “There’s nothing wrong with your ego or anything else for that matter.” She studied him suspiciously. “About that surprise—”

  “Rye, I’m full of surprises, and have I got a deal for you.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Mariah reached for his hand and entwined hers within his large one. His serious expression sobered her. “That’s why I’m here isn’t it? This deal of yours?”

  Rico gazed into her eyes. Finally, he shook his head as if to clear it. “Well, I need to find a way recoup some of my losses on that shopping spree you had at Alvaro’s. Let’s eat breakfast outside, then we’ll talk.”

  She followed him to the patio overlooking his lawn and gardens. The table was set for two with white plates, black napkins, and sparkling silverware. Mariah sat in the seat he indicated. Rico placed two plates heaping with food on the table then settled into the chair next to her. They ate in silence for a while as her mind turned over with the possibilities. This surprise had to be the reason he’d gone to such elaborate lengths to see her again. Was it going to be the kind of surprise she’d appreciate? Or dread?

  Finally she couldn’t stand it any longer. “Rico, why am I here? After all these months, you never called, wrote, texted, emailed, nothing. Why now?”

  He swallowed a mouthful of food, placed his fork on his plate, and looked up at her. His guarded expression didn’t reveal his thoughts and didn’t give her a warm, fuzzy feeling either. “I wanted to see you again. Simple as that.”

  “Why?” She deserved a better answer.

  “I was horny?” He grinned at her.

  Mariah sat back and folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t buy that. There has to be any number of women ready to warm your bed. You didn’t have to go to the expense of dragging me down here. And I am expensive.”

  “I missed you.”

  “Okay.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you call me like a normal man would have? Why the elaborate ruse?”

  “I’m not a normal man?” He offered with a disarming grin. “If I’d simply asked you to escort me, would you have said yes?”

  “No, I wouldn’t have.”

  “Well, then you just answered your own question.”

  She studied his handsome face. The man hid a secret behind his glib answers. “Please, be honest with me. Why now? Why me?” She sat back in her chair, gazing at clear blue water in the pool instead of his disturbing eyes.

  “I’m lonely. I need more. All my life, my work came first at the expense of everything else. Where did that sacrifice get me? Four years ago I lost everything I’d worked so hard for. I lost my life’s passion, my music. I lost the very essence of who I thought I was. Do you have any idea how th
at feels? My life went downhill from there. When Ed approached me to go into business with him—my money or what was left of it, of course, his sales skills—I did it against my better judgement. In some ways, I guess it was good. I’ve spent four years keeping him honest, out of the poorhouse or prison, and putting out his fires. He kept me occupied.” Rico searched her eyes, and she looked away before he read her thoughts. “You taught me to appreciate the little things again. Nature, a smile, birds singing, stuff like that. Am I making any sense?”

  “A little.”

  “You made me see my worth as a person, not as a celebrity or as an image created by my management. When I was with you, you made me feel good inside, like a worthy person. With you I was me, not the person everyone else expected me to be.”

  Mariah’s eyes filled with tears. His heartfelt confession touched her deep down inside.

  Rico swallowed and cleared his throat then continued. “I’m adjusting my priorities. I…I held….”

  For a moment, Mariah thought he was going to cry.

  “When I held Carmen and Max’s baby for the first time, it hit me. This is what it’s all about. This is what’s missing. I want a life, Rye, and a family. I want simple, everyday things. I want to wake up next to the same woman every morning. I want to watch my children grow up. I want to go to soccer games and PTA meetings. I want a normal life.”

  “What are you saying?” Her heart caught in her throat. Oh God, he about to profess his love to her. She forced her lungs to take in air. He was going to make her dreams come true and end her loneliness forever. He loved her. She knew it. She just knew it. She licked her lips with anticipation and tried not to look too anxious. She’d accept his declaration graciously and pledge her love to him. Together they could do anything.

  “Mariah, my life has been such a mess for so long. When I’m with you, I forget about the bad things.” He stopped for a moment as if to compose his thoughts. Mariah squeezed his hand, smiling up at him with devotion. However long it took for him to articulate his feelings, she’d wait.