Viviana did not want to debate the issue with him. She’d had enough verbal confrontations with her exes to last her several lifetimes. She was the first to admit she was generous and much too trusting, but she was also a survivor. She survived losing her mother, and not having her father around when growing up, facing alienation from townspeople because she was a descendant of the Wolfes, and her failed relationships. When compared to the residents in The Falls, she had grown up privileged and protected. She had had the support of her aunt who had enrolled her and Leland in a private school thirty miles from Wickham Falls to protect them from the taunts from children that repeated what they’d overheard from their parents.
“Noah,” she whispered.
“What is it, babe?”
“Do you realize you’re feeling me up in public?”
His hand stilled. “Is that what I’m doing?”
Reaching around her back, she placed her hand over his. “Don’t play the innocent, darling.”
Noah chuckled softly. “I’m practicing for the time when you’ll let me touch and taste every inch of your delicious-looking body.”
The heat in her face had nothing to do with the intense sunlight outside the protective cover of the white tent. She smiled and demurely lowered her eyes. “You may not have to wait too much longer.”
“What are you saying?”
“When we get to Emerald Cove...” Her words were preempted when Noah’s mouth covered hers in an explosive kiss that robbed her lungs of oxygen.
“You two need to get a room,” said a deep male voice.
Viviana and Noah sprang apart like kids caught at something they weren’t supposed to do. “We have a room,” Noah said, smiling.
Alicia and Brandon were grinning from ear to ear. “Look at you, guys,” she drawled. “You should be in People magazine’s most beautiful couples.”
Viviana had to admit Noah looked like a male model with his sun-bleached hair and sun-browned face and body. The pale gray tailored linen suit, banded-collar untucked white shirt and black imported loafers enhanced his overall good looks. It hadn’t taken her long to overcome her aversion to blond men.
Noah splayed his fingers under Viviana’s hair on her bared back. “Viviana is the one who would definitely make the cut as the most beautiful.”
Alicia tightened her hold on Brandon’s arm. Stunning in a strapless floral print gown with a flowing skirt, she had styled her braided hair in a messy bun on the nape of her neck. “Now I know why you and Brandon are friends. You both know what to say to flatter your women.”
Brandon smiled at his wife. “We only speak the truth and nothing but the truth.”
Viviana and Alicia shared a smile when the two men executed a fist bump. Minutes later, they were joined by Lynette, Michelle and Sandra and their husbands. “Now that the gang’s all here, I think it’s time we put some life into this part-tee.”
Alicia rolled her eyes at Brandon. “If you even attempt to pretend you guys are a boy band, I’ll divorce you.”
“Start drawing up the papers,” Trace said, “because Jerome is joining us when we lip-synch to the Backstreet Boys and New Edition.”
Viviana stared up at Noah. “He’s kidding, isn’t he?”
Lynette shook her head. “No, he isn’t. These old fools didn’t join a fraternity, so they decided they were a boy band and couldn’t wait for a function to become part of the entertainment.”
Noah winked at Lynette. “You have to admit that we do have some smooth moves.”
“Yeah, right,” Michelle drawled under her breath.
“We’ve been practicing when you ladies weren’t looking,” Philip said.
As a newcomer to the group of friends, Viviana couldn’t wait to see them perform. One of two photographers came over and snapped photos of the couples as Viviana leaned closer to Noah. There was one shot when she smiled up at him smiling down at her, unware that the love she felt for him was reflected in her eyes and in her smile.
* * *
A sumptuous dinner followed the cocktail hour with a DJ spinning old and new tunes that had many of the guests singing along or moving in their chairs. Jerome walked to the portable floor that had been set up for dancing and picked up a handheld microphone. He’d shed his tuxedo jacket. Viviana was awed by his resemblance to the actor Morris Chestnut.
“Tasha and I would like to thank everyone who traveled from afar to help us celebrate this momentous occasion. Even though I have biological brothers, there are a few other guys who’ve been like brothers to me. And for those who don’t know who they are, I’d like Philip, Brandon, Noah and Trace to stand and come up to the stage. I’ve always said that if we ever fell on hard times, we could hire ourselves out as wedding singers. Hold up, folks,” he said when there was laughter from the assembly. “After we perform, I promise not to pass the plate.”
Viviana clasped her hands tightly as she watched the four men take off their jackets and join Jerome on the stage. He gave the DJ the mike and stood in front of the others, their hands behind their backs. She smiled when she recognized the opening bars to the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.”
She stopped herself from jumping up and applauding when they lip-synched to the classic hit, using folding chairs as props during their choreography. The song ended with stunned silence before everyone was up on their feet cheering and whistling. The applause hadn’t faded away when the quintet launched into one of her all-time favorites—“Can You Stand the Rain” by New Edition. She’d watched the movie The Best Man Holiday over and over because of the dance sequence. She did scream when Noah pointed at her and mouthed along. It was obvious they had been practicing because their choreography was spot-on. The five linked arms and bowed as women screamed and a few threw bills onto the stage. They returned to their tables and were greeted with hugs and kisses from their wives.
Viviana wrapped her arms around Noah’s neck and kissed him soundly on the mouth. “You were incredible.”
Attractive lines fanned out around his brilliant blue-green eyes. “I told you we had smooth moves.”
“Yes, you did. You guys are good.”
The DJ put on an upbeat dance number, and Noah cupped her elbow. “Dance with me, sweetheart.”
Viviana danced with Noah and seemingly every man in attendance as she lost herself in the nonstop revelry that went on as the sun sank lower in the sky until it was a large orange ball floating above the horizon. After her second drink, she felt slightly light-headed and changed her beverage choice to sparkling water with a twist of lime. She didn’t see Noah for about twenty minutes, and when he returned, he pulled her toward an area where he could talk to her without shouting.
“I made arrangements for us to leave here tomorrow after breakfast. We’ll be taking a catamaran over to Emerald Cove.”
Viviana nodded. “I’ll make certain to pack tonight.”
“How long do you want to stay?”
“Oh. I have a choice?”
He angled his head. “You will always a choice with me.”
“A week.”
“That’s all?”
“You want to stay longer?” she asked.
“I’ll stay as long as you want. We just have to be back in the States in time for Thanksgiving. I can’t wait for you to meet my family.”
“That’s not possible, Noah.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“Because I promised my brother that I would spend Thanksgiving with him and his family.”
“What about Christmas and New Year’s?”
“I’m going to Arizona to see my aunt and uncle.” Viviana could tell by Noah’s dour expression that he wasn’t too happy about the plans she had for the holidays, but she had no intention of changing them. Not only was her immediate family small, but they also lived in different states. “Maybe next year. And
it’s much too soon to meet your family because by that time we’ll only have been dating a couple of weeks.”
“Yeah. Maybe next year.”
“Why do you say it like that, Noah?”
“Say what?”
“Like you’re upset. I only have Lee—and now Angela and their twins—and my aunt and uncle as family, while you have a hoard of Wainwrights. The Wolfes would have ceased to exist if Lee and Angela had decided not to have any children together.”
Noah cupped her neck in his hands. “What about you, Viv? Don’t you want children?”
“I’ve never thought much about it,” she said truthfully.
“And why not?”
“Because I’ve had so much piss-poor luck with men that it isn’t something I think about. And there’s no way I want to bring a child into a situation where his or her mother and father are always at each other’s throats. I come from a broken home, and that’s not something I’d want for my kids. I know there are situations like Angela losing her husband in combat and being left with two children to raise on her own, but that’s the exception. Even though my parents were married, it still wasn’t a stable home.”
“No marriage is without its ups and downs.”
Viviana did not know if Noah loved her enough to propose marriage, but she wasn’t about to fall into his arms and confess her undying love and have him do something to break her heart and force her to turn from relationships forever.
“I think of your mother as a martyr for accepting her husband’s love child when he hadn’t given her one of her own. What if the situation were reversed? Do you think your father would’ve married your mother if he knew his fiancée was sleeping with another man and found herself pregnant with his child?” She held up a hand when he opened his mouth. “The answer is a resounding no because of pride. The fact that the other woman was carrying a Wainwright made all of the difference. Did you stop to think that maybe I wouldn’t want to marry you just because I was pregnant?”
His fingers moved up and held her head. “Of course we would discuss it.”
“Really, Noah. What if I told you I wouldn’t marry you until after the baby’s birth?”
His eyes grew cold, forbidding. “Then, I suppose I’d have to wait.”
“You’d wait because I wouldn’t give you a choice. By the way, did your investigator tell you that my mother was engaged to another man when she found herself pregnant by my father?”
“No.”
“So you see, it’s the reverse of what happened to you parents. My mother broke her engagement to a boy from a well-to-do family and married Emory but lost the baby when she fell down a flight of stairs. My grandparents hated my father because he was poor and mixed-race. So he had two strikes against him, but they accepted me and Lee because we carried Wolfe blood.”
“My brother Jordan’s biological mother is black, so the Wolfes aren’t the only family with mixed-race progeny. My cousin Brandt is married to an African American woman, and it is obvious Mya is also mixed-race, so you mentioning race is nothing more than BS.”
“I didn’t mention race because...”
“Because what?” Noah asked when her words trailed off. “I happen to have perfect vision, so I know you have mixed ancestry, but that means absolutely nothing when it comes to how I feel about you. So, let this be the last time we discuss this.”
Viviana wanted to remind Noah that he was moving much too fast, that he was attempting to fast-forward their relationship by wanting to introduce her to his family.
Chapter Eight
“Welcome back, Mr. Wainwright.”
Noah greeted the man who’d met them at the pier with a warm smile and handshake. “Thank you, Mr. Lawrence.” All of the employees at Emerald Cove addressed one another and guests by their last names. “How is the family?”
“They’re well, thank you.” The slight-built dark-skinned man opened the door of the jitney for Noah to help Viviana in and then placed their bags in the compartment behind the rear seats.
Noah gave Viviana a sidelong glance. They hadn’t shared a bed following the wedding, each retreating to their own suite. She’d offered her cheek instead of her lips for a good-night kiss, and he knew she was still miffed because of their conversation about marriage and babies. He knew she was reluctant to even consider sharing her life and future with him, whereas he was willing to put a ring on her finger and then agree to a long engagement, if that was what she wanted. What Noah did not want to consider was losing her.
Noah realized he had to change; he had to stop thinking of only what he wanted and about what Viviana wanted and needed because he was cognizant of what she had gone through with past relationships. Men had used and abused her emotionally, while he’d found himself attempting to bend her to his will and do his bidding.
What she didn’t know was that he had tired of the merry-go-round of women a long time ago but feared getting off the ride because he might not find the one—the one woman who could make him slow down and stop looking for the next thrill. It had taken him a while to realize he was an adrenaline junkie when he had flown to Spain to view the bullfights or driven from there to Le Mans, France, to attend the 24 Heures du Mans. He’d alternated visiting Venice and Rio for Carnival, and one year he’d attended the one in Trinidad and fallen in love with the island, its food and the women. He’d extended his stay for several months and returned to the States exhausted and thinner than when he’d left due to lack of sleep. He’d left the States weighing 215 and returned at 170 pounds stretched over his six-two frame.
Noah realized he hurt his mother most when she cried at the sight of his gaunt appearance, and he swore he wouldn’t do again. It had ended when his father had sat him down and told him that he was preparing to retire as CEO, and it was time for him to step up because Jordan had sworn never to work for WDG.
“Fasten your seat belt, sweetheart,” Noah said to Viviana. “The road is a little uneven until we get closer to the resort.”
She secured her belt. “If you own the island, then why don’t you pave the road?”
“Several roads are bridle paths for those wishing to go horseback riding.”
“You have horses on the island?”
“Yes. Horses, pigs, chickens, cows, goats and sheep.”
She smiled. “It sounds like a regular Old MacDonald’s farm.”
“The chefs raise and butcher their own meat on the premises. They also grow most of the vegetables in what they call farm-to-table.”
“That’s very convenient.”
“It is,” Noah agreed. “It saves flying foodstuff in from other islands or as far away as Nassau.”
Viviana placed her hand on his, and when he turned it over, they laced their fingers. It was the first display of affection she’d shown him since kissing him after the lip-synch performance. Noah knew he had to be very patient with Viviana and not put undue pressure on her to come to love him as much as he was beginning to love her.
He could not imagine what she’d experienced as a child. Not only had she faced alienation through no fault of her own from people she’d known all of her life, but her grandparents had also rejected her father because of his ancestry. Rejection, alienation, loss and abandonment had followed her like the plague, dragging her down to the point that she gravitated to anyone who showed her a modicum of kindness.
“Who cares for the animals?”
Her query broke into his musings. “We have a veterinary assistant on staff. Whenever a dam or heifer is close to giving birth, a vet from the mainland is flown in to assist with the birthing. I must admit the first time I saw calf being born, I nearly lost the contents of my stomach.”
“That’s because you’re a city boy,” Viviana teased. “I went to college with a girl who grew up on a farm, and when I went to visit her, we’d get up early and go to the henhouse to gather
eggs. I wore boots and carried a stick to beat the ground to chase away snakes that may have gotten in to steal the eggs.”
“Did you ever see a snake?”
“Yes, a few times.”
“Were you afraid?” Noah asked her.
“Heck no. I was taught which ones are poisonous. The Falls is surrounded by woods and forests with deer, fox, snakes, bats, coyote, opossum, hawks and eagles.”
“What about bears?”
“Bears, wolves and beaver aren’t very common anymore.”
“Did you go hunting?”
Viviana shook her head. “No. Some families back home live on deer meat all winter.”
Noah noticed Viviana referred to Wickham Falls as home and wondered if she would ever consider relocating in the future. Her aunt had moved to Arizona, her brother who’d joined the military now lived in North Carolina, and despite all she’d experienced, she had stayed.
He pointed to his left. “There’s someone on a horse.” Sunlight glinted off the stallion’s coal-black coat as it galloped along the trail.
Viviana leaned forward. “What a beautiful animal.”
The rutted road gave way to a smooth paved surface, and the driver accelerated, passing dozens of Bahamian-style homes facing the ocean, and coming to a stop near a group of guesthouses constructed over the water. He unloaded the bags from the jitney and left them near the door at the far end of the walkway.
Noah smiled when he saw Viviana, with wide eyes, stare at the white stucco buildings with red-tiled roofs that appeared to be floating on the ocean. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you settled in before I take you on a tour.”
* * *
Viviana followed Noah along the walkway overlooking an infinity pool that separated connecting buildings. He tapped several buttons on a keypad and pushed open the door. The interior, with an open floor plan, belied the compact-looking exterior due to its floor-to-ceiling windows and pocket doors. The kitchen opened up to the family room, making for easier flow for entertaining. Everything reflected a comfortable, relaxed feeling that pulled her invitingly to stay awhile.
Dealmaker, Heartbreaker Page 10
