Truly Yours

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  “Tomorrow? Oh, yeah, right. It’s tomorrow,” Asia responded, her mind suddenly racing.

  “Well, please give Darryl my regards. And, Asia, try to stay out of trouble!”

  “I love you, Daddy!”

  “I love you, too, Asia.”

  Disconnecting the call, Asia started the ignition and turned her car back toward New Orleans. She had to prepare for tomorrow.

  * * *

  Darryl stepped into the heated spray of his morning shower, relishing the warm downpour of water that rained down over his head. He pressed both hands against the tiled wall, pushing back just enough to stretch the last remnants of sleep out of his back and shoulders as the stainless-steel showerhead pelted water over his muscular body.

  Maneuvering the shower’s massage feature, he adjusted the spray until the pressurized water was kneading the last kink out of his body. He tilted his head back so that the water hit him in the chest with full force and then swiped his palm across his face and head, twisting his neck from side to side.

  Steam filled the enclosed space, painting the tile and walls with a fine mist. It felt good and necessary and Darryl languished in the moment. He took a deep breath and then another, fighting the sluggishness that didn’t seem to want to leave him.

  He’d had a restless night, sleep eluding him for most of it as he’d tossed and turned. The previous day had been one of the best he’d ever had. His connection with Camryn had shifted and it felt good to feel so close to her. Despite his best efforts to ignore his attraction to her, he found himself completely enamored. He liked Camryn more than he’d been willing to admit and there was no denying that there was something special between them.

  The kiss they shared had moved his spirit. Camryn’s touch was like nothing he’d ever experienced. She made him feel good and when they were together, everything seemed right with the world. Just thinking about her had him grinning from ear to ear and had lengthened an erection, the wealth of his manhood stretched against his body for attention. He clasped his hand around his rock-hard member and gently stroked the firm flesh, wishing it was Camryn’s hand and not his own wrapped around his appendage.

  Their ride back had been uneventful. They’d chatted casually, feeling no need to comment on the kiss they’d shared or the desire that was surging between them. What they wanted from each other remained unspoken but clearly understood. They felt it in each other’s touch, in the way they looked at one another, by the ease of their conversations.

  As they’d gotten closer to New Orleans, Camryn had fallen asleep. Her head had rested against his shoulder, an arm draped across his lap. He’d blown a gentle kiss against her forehead and had let her sleep, knowing that she hadn’t rested well in weeks. With everything she had riding on the success of Boudreaux Towers, Camryn had been giving every minute of her time to working and working hard. A good night’s sleep had become a precious commodity.

  By the time they’d reached her front door it had been late. Camryn had invited him inside, her eyes making promises that he would have given anything to partake in if only it were the right moment. But knowing the day that lay ahead for them, he’d resisted, promising a rain check. The look in her eyes had shifted to disappointment and although she’d said she understood, Darryl knew that that was the last thing either of them had wanted. He shook his head, still questioning what had held him back. He’d been fantasizing about making love to Camryn for weeks and when the opportunity presented itself, he’d resisted.

  Reaching for a washrag and a bar of Ivory soap, he lathered his torso, suds rolling over his dark complexion down to the drain beneath his feet. Adjusting the temperature on the water flow, he reveled in the warmth, soaping himself once, twice and then a third time before stepping out of the shower and wrapping a plush white towel around his solid frame.

  As Darryl dried the moisture from his skin, he tossed the day’s agenda around in his mind. The groundbreaking ceremony had been Camryn’s idea, part of the promotional campaign to engage the community and neighborhood in the project. Darryl had ensured there was much publicity about the event, inviting every media outlet in the state. Most if not all of the Boudreaux family was scheduled to be there, excited to be able to celebrate Mason’s dream and Darryl’s accomplishment. They even anticipated the mayor of New Orleans being there to help with the honors. There would be hours of schmoozing with the press, multiple photo opportunities, lunch with the town council and various civic groups, and at some point a meeting with Mason and Kenneth Charles to update them on the schedule for the next six months.

  His thoughts returned to Camryn and getting some quality alone time with the beauty. He wanted desperately to make that happen soon.

  * * *

  Camryn couldn’t believe she’d overslept, rising an hour later than she’d planned. She had hoped to stop by her office for one last review before heading over to the construction site for the official groundbreaking ceremony. Realizing that wasn’t going to happen, she tried to shift gears.

  Standing in front of the full-length mirror that adorned her bedroom wall, she shifted one foot and then the other, still undecided about which pair of shoes to wear with her Rachel Roy silk caftan blouse and stenciled skirt. She was leaning toward the nude Christian Louboutin high heel, but there was something equally charming about the Manolo Blahnik patent leather. Camryn loved a beautiful shoe and with a few hundred pairs in her closet to select from, making a decision was always a challenge. Still, choosing a shoe should not have been a big deal but Camryn couldn’t focus. Despite the hectic schedule ahead of her, all she could think about was Darryl.

  Darryl Boudreaux had made her completely lose her mind. The man had her imagining all kinds of things that involved him and her in very wicked, sensuous, possibly compromising positions. She suddenly broke out in a sweat. Rushing to the bathroom, she swiped a damp towel over her face, snaking it down into her bra and beneath her shirt. Getting through this day was going to be difficult at best, Camryn mused.

  She stared at her reflection in the large ornate vanity mirror. Darryl had told her she was beautiful, whispering into her ear when he’d thought she’d already dozed off. He’d nuzzled her gently, his feathery touch like a whisper against her skin. And then there had been the kiss. There weren’t enough poetic words in the English language to describe his kiss. Camryn bit down against her bottom lip at the memory, a wave of heat washing over her body.

  She’d been more than ready to open herself up to him when they’d arrived back at her home, but Darryl had turned down her invitation, reminding her of the day ahead and intoning that she needed to get some rest. He’d been the perfect gentleman and all Camryn had wanted him to do was strip them both naked and make love to her.

  Darryl had left her wanting and needy and just when she’d considered questioning his intentions, he’d pulled her close, murmuring in her ear. “I can’t wait to get you naked but I want it to be perfect.” Then he’d kissed her cheek and ushered her inside her home.

  Remembering that she had a job to do, she took a quick glance at the watch on her wrist, rushed back into her bedroom, kicked off her heels and quickly pulled on a pair of black riding boots. After one last check of her makeup she grabbed her leather attaché and headed for the door.

  Seconds later the entire neighborhood could hear Camryn’s screams. “No, no, no!” she cried, throwing her purse and briefcase to the ground as she surveyed four perfectly flattened tires. Her car sat in the driveway on bare rims. Circling the vehicle in one direction and then back in the other, Camryn shook her head as she inspected the damage. All four tires had been slashed, necessitating much more than a pump of air. Of all days for her to have to deal with vandalism, this was not the morning. Camryn moved back to pick up her bags. She frantically dug through the bottom of her purse searching for her cell phone.

  And then she remembered, she had left it i
n Darryl’s car the night before.

  Chapter 11

  Kenneth Charles gestured for Darryl’s attention. Darryl was in deep conversation with the mayor of New Orleans, the newly elected official bending his ear about his plans for the city’s economic rejuvenation. With a nod of his head, Darryl politely excused himself from the conversation and followed Mr. Charles away from the crowd.

  “Darryl, do you have a clue where my daughter might be?” the older man asked.

  Darryl shook his head. “No, sir. I was expecting her to be one of the first people here. I was going to try to call her but the mayor—”

  Kenneth waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve tried to call her a few times and I haven’t got an answer.”

  A look of concern crossed Darryl’s face. “Why don’t I go see if I can find her?”

  “No, I’ll send my son. One of you needs to be here for the ceremony, so we definitely can’t have you disappearing anywhere.” The older man glanced at his Rolex. “No matter what, we need to get started in the next fifteen minutes. Camryn knows how I feel about punctuality.”

  Kenneth dialed on his cell phone, shaking his head when there was still no answer from his daughter. He dialed a second number and when Carson Charles answered, Kenneth bellowed into the receiver. “Carson, son, where are you? I need you to swing by Camryn’s house. That girl should have been here by now!”

  As he waited for Kenneth to complete his call, Darryl eyeballed the growing crowd. He noticed his parents coming through the entrance, Mason leading the way. Lifting his hand to wave, he stopped short when he saw Asia Landry slip into the line behind his sisters. The color immediately drained from his face.

  “I need to go find Camryn,” he said abruptly, cutting off Kenneth’s conversation. “I need to go now,” he muttered as he hurried toward the opposite gate, ignoring the contractor trying to point him in the other direction.

  Scurrying past the heavy equipment, he raced to his car. Darryl couldn’t begin to fathom why Asia was there but he instinctively knew that it had something to do with Camryn not being there.

  As he fumbled with his car keys, struggling to get the door open, a yellow cab pulled up beside him. The driver gestured out the window, tossing him a quick wave of his hand. A wave of relief washed over him when Camryn jumped from the backseat.

  “Please have some cash on you,” she gushed, her warm smile greeting him.

  “Are you okay?” Darryl questioned. “I was just about to go look for you.”

  “I woke up late. Then I had four flat tires and I couldn’t find my cell phone. I knocked on half the doors in the neighborhood before someone answered and called me a cab. But I’m here. I just need some cash, please.”

  Darryl reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out his billfold. The driver thanked him profusely when Darryl added a twenty-dollar tip to the fare. As the taxi pulled away, Darryl moved to Camryn’s side and pulled her into his arms. Dropping his mouth to hers, he captured her lips beneath his own, his kiss possessive and demanding. When he finally let her mouth go, he pressed the side of his cheek to her cheek. “I was worried about you.”

  Wrapped in his arms, Camryn felt safe and protected, every anxiety that had plagued her morning dissipating into thin air. His concern was comforting and despite her earlier frustrations, she couldn’t have been happier. She hugged him warmly, her palms pressed against his back. They held on to each for a good length of time, both oblivious to everything else around them.

  “My father is probably having a fit right about now,” she said when she finally pulled away. “He doesn’t believe in being late for anything.”

  “He’s been worried, too,” Darryl said as he clasped her hand beneath his and pulled her along beside him.

  Kenneth stood waiting at the entrance. “Where have you been, Camryn?” he queried, annoyance tingeing his expression.

  “I apologize, Father! Some kids vandalized my car. I didn’t anticipate having to find a ride this morning.”

  “Why didn’t you call?”

  “I couldn’t find my cell phone. I’m pretty sure I dropped it in Darryl’s car yesterday.”

  Kenneth shook his head. “I don’t understand why you kids have forsaken a good house phone for your cell phones. It does not make an ounce of sense to me. It’s not like you can’t afford the bill. Hell, I’ll pay the damn bill!”

  “It’s a waste of money, Father, but after today I might have to give it some consideration.”

  After a deep sigh, Kenneth leaned to kiss his daughter’s cheek. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. I’ll call your brother and tell him to deal with your car. Darryl, I’m going to entrust my daughter to you. Make sure she gets home safely tonight, please.”

  Darryl smiled, lifting his gaze to meet Camryn’s. “Not a problem, sir.”

  * * *

  “Did you see your brother?” Katherine Boudreaux asked as Mason guided the family toward the reserved seating area.

  “He’s here somewhere,” Mason said, pulling out a seat for his mother. “We’ll be starting any minute now, so he better be!”

  As Mason turned to indicate the seating for his sisters, he was taken aback to see Asia Landry standing at the edge of the aisle. “Mason, hello!” the woman called nervously. “How is everyone?” she said, waving her hand in the family’s direction.

  “Asia...hello,” Katherine said with hesitance.

  Darryl’s father gave her a quick nod of his head.

  “What are you doing here?” Tarah Boudreaux asked, voicing what everyone else was thinking.

  “I came to support Darryl,” Asia said matter-of-factly, a syrupy grin pulling at her thin lips.

  “Did he invite you?” Kamaya Boudreaux asked. “Because I highly doubt my brother would invite you!”

  “I hope they made you go through a metal detector,” Tarah added.

  Katherine held up her hand, stalling her daughters’ attitudes. “We’re all here to support Darryl and Mason, so there will be no showing out. Is that understood?” Katherine tossed both of her daughters a look.

  Tarah nodded.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Kamaya mumbled.

  “Is that understood, Asia?” Katherine repeated.

  “I wouldn’t think of causing a scene, Mama Boudreaux,” Asia chimed.

  With a raised brow, Katherine gave Asia a look. An awkward silence fell over the group. Kamaya and Tarah cut their eyes at one another as their brother fought not to laugh out loud. Senior rolled his eyes skyward. He met Mason’s stare and held it, the two men having a silent conversation between them.

  Mason took a deep breath. “Asia, I apologize but I wasn’t aware that you would be here. There’s only enough seating here for the immediate family. Why don’t you come with me so we can find you a comfortable seat where you’ll have a great view.”

  “Oh...oh...” Asia stammered. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking! Of course, Mason! I guess it would ruin the surprise if Darryl saw me in the front row,” she said with a nervous giggle.

  “And we don’t want to spoil the surprise,” Mason said as he clutched her elbow and led her away.

  “Can you believe the audacity!” Tarah exclaimed when the two were out of earshot.

  “That girl needs her ass whopped,” Kamaya started.

  “Mind your mouth,” Senior interrupted, his tone scolding.

  “Darryl’s going to be surprised, all right,” Kendrick noted.

  “Unfortunately, I think Asia is the one in for a surprise,” Katherine said, gesturing toward the gate where Darryl and Camryn were making their way through the entrance. The family all turned to watch as he placed a kiss on Camryn’s lips.

  “Awww, sookie-sookie now!” Kendrick chuckled.

  “This is going to be good!”
Kamaya interjected, grinning broadly. She turned to her twin to get a high five.

  Katherine shook her head. “Lord, have mercy!” she muttered softly.

  Across the way, Mason settled Asia in a seat next to the local dignitaries. Glancing back to his family, he moved toward the side gate where Darryl, Camryn and Kenneth stood in conversation.

  “Camryn, you made it,” Mason chimed as he leaned to kiss the young woman’s cheek.

  “I did, Mason, and I apologize for the delay.”

  “It’s a long story,” Darryl interjected, meeting his brother’s eyes.

  “And interesting, I’m sure,” Mason said. The two men exchanged looks as Mason shifted his gaze past Darryl’s shoulder to where Asia sat. Darryl’s stare followed where his brother was looking and he nodded his acknowledgment.

  Camryn looked from one to the other, sensing something was going on that she didn’t understand. She tossed Darryl a curious look and just as she was about to ask them what they were being so secretive about, her father interrupted.

  “Well, are we all ready?” Kenneth asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Darryl answered. “I think we’re more than ready.”

  The ceremony was over quickly. The speeches were short and sweet and after Mason and Kenneth both extended gratitude to half the city of New Orleans and each other, Darryl passed a gold-toned shovel to the mayor, who pretended to dig into the rich soil. The photo opportunities with everyone and that shovel took longer than the speeches. Shortly after, family and friends rushed to extend their congratulations.

  After posing for a photograph with her father, Camryn fielded questions from a local newspaper. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the attractive woman pulling at Darryl’s elbow for attention. It was the harsh expression that briefly crossed his face that she found unnerving. Darryl and the woman were engaged in deep conversation until they were interrupted by Darryl’s family. The exchange seemed heated at best despite Darryl’s efforts to look unconcerned. Darryl was a man who wore his emotions on his sleeve, so there was no mistaking that he was not a happy camper.