Nikola sighed, “I seriously don’t understand your insistence on never getting married. We both come from the same family. Grew up seeing a great marriage between mom and dad. When we were younger, you were the one who often talked of wanting the same type of family, but something changed in the last few years and I can’t put my finger on it,” Nikola stated in an oddly worried voice.
Andre knew his brother wasn’t one to wear his heart on his sleeve unless his wife, Devyn, or their children were involved. Even though he heard the desire to continue this conversation in Nikola’s voice, Andre was in no mood to go down the road of marriage discussions and his reluctance to take the plunge.
“Who knew you studied psychology at West Point? And here I thought your job was CEO of a financial services company, not Nikola Collins, resident counselor,” Andre said with annoyance in his voice.
“Fuck you, Andre. I’m just stating an observation. Don’t get your ass kicked,” Nikola retorted.
Andre laughed, “Yeah right, we aren’t kids anymore and you’re getting up there in age, old man.”
“Whatever, dickhead. Just make sure you get this deal done and have your ass back here by this weekend,” Nikola warned.
“Whatever you say, big bro,” Andre smugly answered. “Anything else?” he asked.
“Yeah, have a safe flight back,” Nikola responded sincerely.
Andre smiled. Despite their sometimes sarcastic and wiseass banter, both men had a deep affection for one another. Andre knew Nikola wanted nothing but the best for him and he, in return, felt the same for his older brother. They were a team in the family business and remained so because they knew that no matter what happened, they had each other’s backs.
“Thanks, bro. Give Devyn and the kids a kiss for me. See you this weekend,” Andre said referring to his niece and nephews before hanging up.
Andre stood from his chair, rolling his neck and shoulders to try to release the tension that suddenly built. He stared out of the window, looking down on the downtown area of Boston. He watched the hustle and bustle of the city as it came alive with commuters, professionals, and even school children dressed in uniforms. He had another day and a half of meetings to get through before he could return home to Atlanta. It’d been a busy summer, and he was ready to be in the comfort of his own city to stay for a while. This wouldn’t be his last meeting with Jennings as he was scheduled to come to Atlanta in a month’s time to finalize the deal. Andre knew his last few days in Boston would be the turning point in this deal, however.
Just as he turned from the window, his office phone buzzed. It was Margaret. He knew she was calling to make sure he hadn’t lost track of time.
Sighing, he shrugged off thoughts of his conversation with Nikola and answered the phone.
“Thanks, Margaret. I’ll be out in just a moment.” Hanging up the phone, he gathered his thoughts and straightened the files on his desk. He buttoned the dark silver jacket of his tailored Tom Ford suit, picked up the files,and strolled towards the door,his back completely erect and head high. He was ready to do business.
Chapter 3
Andre entered the home in which he’d spent most of his childhood that was now home to Nikola, Devyn and their three children. The place looked much different than when his mother had lived in it. Devyn and Nik had replaced Iris’ white and cream furnishings with a black and grey decor. Andre noticed the silver accented candles and fresh flowers throughout the living room and dining room areas as he strolled through the home to the backyard. He could hear the laughter of children, probably his two nephews Jacques and Theodore, and the conversations of his friends and family as he got closer.
Stepping through the glass sliding doors that led to the spacious backyard, Andre saw a swarm of people mingling about. His stomach growled the moment he smelled the meat he knew was fresh off the grill. To the right, seated on the large, sea green patio sectional sofas was Nikola with Devyn by his side. She was holding their five month old daughter, Cassandra. Andre smiled, shaking his head. The couple had been married barely three years and already had three children.
Nik probably doesn’t give her a moment’s rest, he chuckled to himself. He watched as his mother came over to the couple, picking up Cassandra and cooing to the baby. Just then, he noticed Devyn lean over and whisper something in Nikola’s ear. Andre watched as Nikola’s lips turned up in a mischievous smile.
Hmm, maybe it’s Devyn who doesn’t give Nik a moment’s rest. He smiled as he saw Nikola stand, helping his wife up and they strolled off.
“What are you smiling about?” he heard a familiar voice ask. Andre turned to see his mother approaching his side, still holding baby Cassandra. He smiled at his mother as he took in her still smooth, taut skin, blue eyes that she’d passed to both her sons, and the halo of long grey hair. She’d recently made the decision to stop dyeing her hair. Andre thought it gave her a regal appearance instead of the haggard look that he knew she’d once feared. Andre unconsciously gave his mother the smile he reserved only for her. He hadn’t seen her much in the last few months.
“Hi, mama,” he beamed, reaching in for a hug and placing a kiss on her cheek. “Hey, Sandy,” he cooed to his young niece, using the nickname he’d given her.
The baby, with skin the color of cafè au lait and a mop of dark curly hair, smiled her toothless grin at Andre and giggled loudly when Andre tickled her chin.
“When did you get here?” Iris asked, shifting the baby to her other hip.
“Just arrived. I was looking around for you when I spotted Nik and Dev. They seemed to have disappeared now though,” he said, chuckling.
Iris smiled knowingly. “Yes, it seems they have. I’m sorry Hwan couldn’t make it to the barbecue. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen him,” Iris mentioned, talking about Andre’s best friend. They’d known each other since their Stanford days.
“Yeah, he and Jerry are spending the week in Hawaii with Jerry’s parents.”
Jerry was Hwan’s husband.
“Oh, isn’t that nice. How lovely to have a family and loved ones to share the holidays and vacation with.”
Andre lifted an eyebrow. He knew an Iris Collins rant on love and marriage was coming. He could think of about a thousand things he’d rather do than sit through a lecture on the value of marriage and love by his mother. One of them being gouging his own eyes out.
“I’m just saying, look how happy Nik and Devyn are. And once Raul and Mercedes arrive, you will see how wonderfully happy they are. You know Hwan and Jerry have been together for years and are doing great. How wonderful that gay marriage has been legalized. You know…”
Andre tuned his mother out. He silently hoped Cassandra would start squirming or need a diaper change so his mother would have to focus on something else. As he gazed down at Cassandra’s cherub cheeks and heavily lidded gaze as she laid her head down on his mother’s shoulder, he knew he was in no such luck.
Maybe one of the twins will…
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a figure emerge from the sliding glass doors. Andre’s stance became fully erect as the odd sensation of butterflies in his stomach grew. His brows furrowed in dismay. He’d rarely reacted this way toward any woman since he’d hit puberty, and he’d been around hundreds of women. The only time recently he remembered having this reaction was at Mercedes and Raul’s wedding when he first met her.
Her cinnamon colored skin had a natural, healthy glow. Her long legs and arms betrayed her barely five-foot six inch frame. When she moved, Andre thought it looked as if she floated rather than walked. She had an air of grace about her presence that was innate. She was dressed in a sleeveless black blouse and a white, flowing skirt that stopped a few inches below the knee in the front but flowed down to her feet in the back, and a pair of platform sandals. Her hair was different from the last time he’d seen her. She’d worn it in a straightened style for Mercedes’ wedding. Now, it was long in some sort of twisted style that she’d put into a side braid
hanging over her shoulder. Andre let his gaze follow the delicate curve of her shoulder, and when she turned he noticed a tattoo of a butterfly on the back of her right shoulder. He swallowed deeply, suddenly parched, as images of running his tongue along the outline of the wings of the tattoo floated through this mind.
He knew her name was Stacey and that she was a friend of both Mercedes and Devyn from their burlesque dancing. He’d only met her once and his body had the same reaction the first time he’d seen her. But, he had gone to the wedding with Maria, so out of respect for his date he’d opted to keep his distance. At least, that was what he’d told himself. He may have also been too taken aback by the magnitude of his response to her. Either way, he’d kept his distance, but he often found his eyes drawn to wherever she was. It was as if his brain had had a mental GPS tracker on her; his eyes always landing on wherever she was in the room. That had been nearly three months ago, and now here she was again, having the same effect on him.
The scowl on Andre’s face grew deeper when he saw a man emerge from the door behind Stacey. He was about five-ten, medium build and a few shades darker than Stacey. When he put his hand on the small of her back, Andre’s eyes narrowed and his fists flexed unconsciously.
Who’s this fucker? He thought before he could stop himself.
Iris cleared her throat. “Are you listening to me, sweetie?” she asked innocently. Iris had watched Andre’s entire body language change when Stacey entered the backyard. She’d seen the same reaction three months prior at Raul and Mercedes’ wedding. She watched as Andre reluctantly turned his attention back to her with a glower on his face.
“I’m sorry, mama. What were you saying?” Andre asked as he steeled his face to cover the irritated look from only a few seconds before.
“Oh nothing, Andre. I think Raul and Mercedes just arrived. I’m going to go say hello. Why don’t you go mingle...or something,” she said in a sugary sweet tone before strolling off.
As soon as his mother departed, Andre turned to where he last saw Stacey standing, but she wasn’t there. He scanned the rest of the backyard and saw Stacey and her companion by the pool talking with a few other women he believed performed at the Black Kitty with Devyn and Mercedes. Andre’s stomach muscles tightened when he watched as Stacey threw her head back laughing. His eyes glided down the column of her neck and he reflexively tightened his hands into fists. He was beginning to feel like a randy teenager, not a grown ass man who’d bedded plenty of women. Andre decided to go find his two nephews and greet Mercedes and Raul instead of gawking at the woman who had unknowingly held his rapt attention.
****
Lord, he’s gorgeous, Stacey thought as she peeked over her shoulder at the tall, Greek god across the lawn. Thanks to his mother’s ancestry, his beautifully bronzed skin was complemented by the sun and warm weather. His dark hair was in a short style that was gelled a little to keep it out of his face. And, that beard. Stacey wasn’t readily attracted to men with beards, but the short beard he’d grown since the last time she saw him was winning her over.
“Do you want anything to drink, Stace?” the male voice of her date asked, pulling her from thoughts of Andre Collins.
Stacey immediately felt guilty for lusting after one man while she was here with another.
She shook her head. “No thank you, Damon. I’m fine,” she smiled at him. She’d met Damon about a month ago. Her aunt had introduced them when she was in town for one of her business trips. This was their second date. She liked him well enough.
So, then why do I keep thinking about someone else? She wondered.
“Actually, I’m going to go to the ladies room,” she said excusing herself from the group.
“Oh, I can come wi-”
“No, that’s not necessary. You go get something to drink. I’ll be right back.”
She needed a minute to herself. Plus, she wanted to see if Mercedes had arrived yet. She hadn’t seen her friend since her wedding and wanted to catch up.
“O-okay,” Damon said, caught off guard by her abruptness.
She smiled at him and proceeded towards the glass doors. When she checked the downstairs bathroom and found it occupied, she decided to see if the upstairs bathroom was unoccupied. She’d been in Devyn and Nikola’s home a few times before and knew her way around. As she ascended one side of the arch stairway, Stacey didn’t know a pair of blue eyes had followed her up the stairs.
A few minutes later, Stacey looked herself over in the mirror, adjusted the braid that laid over her shoulder, and then reapplied her NYX butter gloss in the color strawberry parfait. It gave her lips a light pink tint that made her full lips stand out against her brown skin. She smoothed her skirt, washed her hands, and headed out the door to go look for Mercedes and Devyn.
Stacey stepped out of the bathroom and walked right into a brick wall. At least, that’s what it felt like. She looked up to see a pair of laughing, but intense blue eyes looking down at her. Andre stood right in front of the bathroom door, his hands now locked around Stacey’s arms to prevent her from falling. Stacey immediately felt tingles on her arms where his hands gripped her.
“O-oh, excuse me. I’m sorry…” she trailed off.
“For what?” he asked, looking at her intently and keeping his hands right where they were.
Stacey frowned in confusion. She watched his gaze move down to her lips and the usually light blue shade, darkened ever so slightly.
“F-for bumping into you,” she responded.
“But it was my fault. I was waiting for you,” he retorted honestly.
Stacey’s eyebrows shot up. “You were waiting for me?”
Andre nodded, “Mhm, for the bathroom,” he hedged.
Stacey’s mood automatically deflated. “Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry. It’s all yours,” she said stepping back out of his grip, trying to cover her embarrassment.
She remembered that the downstairs bathroom had been occupied. He probably came up here just like her in search of a free bathroom. Though she’d moved to the side to let him pass, Andre just stood there staring at her. She marveled at how his light blue pupils seemed to darken right before her eyes. When his pink tongue darted out to moisten his button lip, visions of sucking that lip into her own mouth danced around in her mind. She cleared her throat to break the tension.
“Well, I’m-”
“Is he your boyfriend?” he asked suddenly.
Stacey was taken aback by the question. “Wh-who?” she asked.
Andre stepped closer, crowding her space. “That man you came with,” he said tersely. “Is he your boyfriend? He wasn’t with you at the wedding so it can’t be too serious if he is,” he stated matter-of-factly.
Stacey was thrown, for one, because within the few seconds she’d been in Andre’s presence she’d forgotten all about Damon. And secondly, his mentioning of the wedding meant that he had noticed her there, and had paid close enough attention to know she didn’t have a date.
“No,” she shook her head, “he’s not my boyfriend,” she responded.
“Good,” was all he said.
“Good?” she inquired, giving him a curious look.
“Yeah, I’d hate to have to steal you from him. That could get messy, but...in this case I wouldn’t mind a little mess,” he said, looking her square in the eye to let her know he wasn’t joking.
Stacey shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around what he had just said. Mess? What did he mean by mess? And exactly how closely had he paid attention to her at the wedding? They’d barely spoken.
“H-how’d you know he wasn’t with me at the wedding? You barely paid attention to me. You were with someone el—,” she snapped her lips closed realizing she’d just revealed that she’d been watching him and his date at the wedding. Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough as she watched Andre’s lips turn up in a knowing grin.
“So, the watching wasn’t one-sided. Good to know.” Truth is, he’d already known she’d taken notice o
f him. He saw the sly glances she’d thrown his way when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“I didn’t speak much because I had a date with me. I didn’t want to be rude to my uh, friend.” He placed emphasis on the word “friend,” referring to Maria who’d been his date for the wedding.
“Well, I have a date now. So, isn’t you pushing up on me now a little rude?” she retorted, tilting her head to the side.
“So,” he said shrugging his shoulder.
Again, Stacey was taken aback. She could already tell Andre had a way of keeping women on their toes whenever they were around him. Out of the two brothers, he appeared to be the more laidback, easy going one, but when he set sights on something or someone, they didn’t stand a chance. Luckily, Stacey had spent years on her toes and masking even major discomfort behind a smile. She refused to let Andre see how much he affected her already.
“So?” she questioned, crossing her arms under her breasts. Wrong move.
The new position helped to lift her small, but already perky breasts. She watched as Andre’s gaze shifted down to her cleavage and lingered for a second before he raised his eyes to meet hers, once again.
“Yeah, ‘so’. He’s of no significance to me and soon enough, not to you either,” he said stepping closer.
“We don—”
“Stacey?”
Stacey jumped and turned to see Damon coming up the staircase with a concerned look on his face. She immediately stepped back from Andre, feeling as if she’d just been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing.
“Da—” she cleared her throat, “Damon, what are you doing here?” she asked sounding guilty even to her own ears.
“I thought maybe you’d gotten lost in this big house. I think your friend Mercedes was looking for you. I see you got caught up talking. Hey, you probably came up here ‘cause the bathroom downstairs was occupied too, right?” Damon asked directing his question to Andre.
“Not really,” Andre stated, looking annoyed.
Black Butterfly, Book 3 of the Black Burlesque Series Page 2
