Kenya glanced up at him in amazement just as she’d done when Eli had said he loved her, except this time, it had come from him. The timing of telling Kenya his declaration of love with an audience wasn’t how Lucas had envisioned telling her he loved her for the first time, but it was the truth. He was done with all the lies and Eli’s scheming.
“I didn’t do it,” Eli said. He looked everywhere except Lucas in the eye. Lucas knew Eli was lying. He could see that Eli was not the man he thought he was. He wasn’t the same young boy he’d grown up with in South Central. Money and power had changed him.
Lucas lunged for Eli and grabbed him on either side of his collar. He threw him up against the wall.
“Lucas, don’t. Let’s just call the police and let them deal with this scum,” Noah said, trying to grab his arm. He’d wanted to do the same thing, but Deacon had been right, they didn’t need any more bad publicity.
But Lucas jerked him off. “Tell me the truth, Eli,” he shouted, holding his arm under Eli’s windpipe. “Admit what you did.”
“Why? So you can go back to sleeping with some two-bit wannabe? She’ll never be as good as her sister. She used this situation to her advantage and tied her hitch to Chynna’s wagon so she’d get famous. She’s nothing but a low-rate—”
Eli never got the words out because Lucas punched him in the face, and Eli went sprawling to the floor. Lucas wanted to beat him to a pulp like he’d done the man last night, but he couldn’t, so he turned to walk way. He was going to have to figure out how to extricate himself from this disaster of a partnership.
“So, you’re choosing her,” Eli said, pointing to Kenya on the couch as he held his jaw on the floor, “over me? Hell, I should have had Duke finish her off.”
Lucas turned to lunge at him, but Noah caught him in time before he made a stupid mistake.
Eli rose to his feet and reached inside his suit coat for a handkerchief to hold to his jaw and bleeding lip. “Nothing I’ve done is criminal,” he said.
“Like hell it isn’t. You masterminded Kenya’s assault!” Chynna responded.
“Try proving it!” Eli shouted.
“I think we have quite a few witnesses in this room that can attest to your confession,” Lucas said.
Eli shrugged. “Good luck making it stick.” He turned on his heel and walked out the living room. Seconds later, Lucas heard the front door shut.
“Omigod, Kenya,” Chynna said, rushing to her sister’s side.
Lucas was envious because he wanted to be the person she leaned on right now. “I can’t believe Eli sent someone to attack you. But it explains how the man would have gotten through security or even through the house. Eli just confessed to all of us, and I’m sure that thug is looking for a plea deal. We’ll get him, Kenya. I won’t rest until I see Eli brought to justice.”
“But what about R&K Records?” Kenya asked, looking up at him.
“I don’t care about the company,” Lucas said, staring across the room at her. “All I care about is you.”
Kenya was silent as was the entire room at Lucas’s declaration. Her head was reeling. She couldn’t believe what had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She had been attacked. Eli had confessed to all his scheming. Lucas had said he loved her. It was all so unreal. “If you all don’t mind, I would like to talk to Lucas alone,” she said, pointedly looking at her twin.
Chynna nodded and headed toward the door with Noah following right behind her. If anyone could read her mind and know what she was thinking, it was her twin. She would know that Kenya was long overdue for a talk with the man she loved. And now she knew he felt the same.
After the rest of Chynna’s entourage had cleared the room, Kenya repeated back Lucas’s sentiment from earlier: “All you care about is me?”
Lucas nodded and walked over to kneel beside her at the couch. “I guess we have a lot to talk about.”
“Ya think?”
He stared at her for several long moments before saying, “I came here last night because I’d had a change of heart. I came here to tell you that I’d fallen for you, and I wanted to try again.”
Kenya’s heart began pounding loudly in her chest, so much so she thought he could hear it, but he didn’t. He just kept talking. “But instead I found you being brutally attacked ... and it triggered something that I guess I already knew deep down inside but had been trying to push down, which was that I hadn’t just fallen for you, I loved you.” He corrected himself: “Love you.”
Tears welled in Kenya’s eyes. “You love me?” Kenya began to shake uncontrollably. “When I asked you for a second chance, you threw it back in my face. I, I thought you didn’t want me. Do you know how much that hurt?” The sting of his rejection had been tearing her up inside.
Lucas reached for her hand. “I do.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “And I’m sorry I ever told you that I didn’t want you because I can’t imagine my life without you in it, Kenya. Please tell me that I haven’t broken us and that there’s still a chance for us.”
“But what about trust and loyalty?” Kenya asked. “I know those are important qualities, and I let you down on both accounts.”
“I want all those qualities in my mate,” Lucas answered honestly, “but I’m also willing to forgive and let go of the past and start anew.”
“You will?”
“Yes,” Lucas stated emphatically. “I need you, Kenya.”
Kenya slapped his shoulder with one of her hands. “Then of course there’s a chance for us, you fool. I never stopped loving you or wanting you.”
Lucas pulled Kenya into his arms, grasped both sides of her face and began kissing her all over, from her forehead to her cheek to her lips.
“Ouch!”
“I’m so sorry, babe.” He pushed away to look at her. In his haste, he’d momentarily forgotten about her injuries.
Kenya smiled. “It’s okay.” She lovingly stroked his cheek. “It’s okay, it’s okay.” And for the first time in a long time, Kenya knew it would be. She and Lucas had found their way back to each other, and she looked forward to a long future together.
“Can you believe Eli?” Chynna asked Noah as they stood on the balcony outside her bedroom drinking wine. “He set all of this in motion.”
“Actually I can,” Noah said. “I don’t know the guy, but the instant I met him, I disliked him. And well, the feeling was mutual.”
“Did something happen in Houston?”
“Oh, yeah,” Noah replied. “That guy pretty much called you a slut and told me you’d sleep with anything in jeans.”
Chynna’s hand flew to her mouth. “Omigod!”
“I nearly tore him apart backstage, and I would have if Deacon hadn’t intervened.”
“Why did I never see any of it before?” Chynna asked, sipping her wine. How could she be so naïve not to see that she had a snake in her camp?
“Sometimes when you’re really close to a situation, you can’t see the forest for the trees,” Noah said.
“True, but Eli’s actions weren’t just mean-spirited, they turned criminal. How could he send that bastard after my sister?”
“I don’t know, Chynna.” Noah’s cell phone began ringing at his side. He glanced down at the display. It read “Rylee.” “Excuse me for a minute ... it’s Rylee.”
“Send her my love,” Chynna said as Noah stepped off the balcony and back inside the master bedroom.
“Hey, little sis, how are things?” Noah asked, trying to sound lighthearted when he felt far from it. The events of the day had not only taken their toll on Chynna but on him as well.
“How are things?” Rylee asked from Tucson. “How the heck do you think? We haven’t heard from you in over twenty-four hours then the family sees that Chynna’s sister was attacked at her home. What the hell are we supposed to think? Are you oka
y? What’s going on?” She fired a million questions at him.
“Everything’s fine,” Noah said. “At least now it is.”“What happened? Details, please.” Rylee wasn’t about to take a pat answer.
Noah sat down on Chynna’s bed and watched her pace the balcony outside. She had to feel terrible that an owner of her record label had tried to harm her sister all because he wanted control over Chynna. “You want the short story or the long story?”
“How about something in the middle?”
“Well, as you’ve already seen on the news, Chynna’s sister, Kenya, was assaulted by what the news reporters thought was an unknown assailant.”
“But?”
“But he wasn’t. Turns out he was hired by Eli, one of the owners of Chynna’s record label. Eli wanted to run Kenya out of town because he felt she was stealing the spotlight from Chynna. He was also the one who leaked the story about them switching places. And when that didn’t work, he took matters into his own hands by hiring someone to scare Kenya off. Except the thug got overzealous and not only roughed her up, but tried to sexually assault her.”
“Oh, my God. Noah, that’s terrible.” He could hear the terror in Rylee’s voice. If anyone had done that to his baby sister, Noah would have ripped them to shreds. He hadn’t wanted to restrain Lucas when he’d attacked Eli. He’d wanted the bastard to get exactly what he deserved, but he also didn’t want Lucas to get arrested for battery and assault, because Eli struck him as a vengeful person who would try to do just that.
“Rylee, since we arrived back here, it’s been a hot mess. Kenya confronted Eli, and at first he tried to deny it, but when pushed, he finally cracked and admitted everything.”
“So what’s next?”
“Not sure yet, but I have a feeling good ol’ Eli will get what he has coming, especially if his partner and former best friend Lucas has anything to say about it.”
“And you? What about you and Chynna? I take it you didn’t propose.”
Noah glanced at the doorway to make sure Chynna hadn’t moved and couldn’t hear him. “Hell no! How could I?” he whispered into the phone. “She had the concert and then we came back to the hotel, and the next morning we learned of Kenya’s attack. The timing has been all wrong.”
“I understand,” Rylee said. “But the timing is never going to be right, Noah. Somehow you’re going to have to carve some time out for you two. Make your relationship a priority.”
“And I will,” Noah said, “when all this settles down.”
“Alright, give Chynna my love, and I can’t wait to see you, big bro. Love you.”
“And I love you. See you soon.” Noah ended the call. He stared at Chynna’s back. Rylee was right somehow, someway he had to find the right moment to get down on one knee and make Chynna his forever.
Chapter 15
The press surrounding Kenya’s attack was constant for Lucas and Kenya, but it was nothing short of routine compared to the press coverage that exploded after Eli’s arrest several days later. The police had gotten the thug to confess to Eli’s involvement in the scheme to attack Kenya, and Eli had been sent off to jail. Unfortunately, he’d made bail, but Lucas had warned him that if he stepped foot in R&K Records’ office, he would regret it. Not that life was faring well on that front either.
R&K Records’ office had been besieged by the press. They all wanted to know if Lucas had any idea of Eli’s machinations. Had Eli really been that jealous of Lucas and Kenya’s relationship? They asked. Lucas had hired bodyguards for himself just to get to the office and his penthouse every day. Worse yet, he was trying to find a loophole that would allow him to dissolve his and Eli’s partnership and still keep R&K Records afloat. Several advertisers for his artists wanted to pull their endorsements given the bad publicity R&K was receiving. It was a PR nightmare.
The only thing good in Lucas’s life was Kenya. Outwardly, she was starting to heal from her attack, but he knew deep down she would have scars, might always have them. He just hoped that he would be able to get her past them so they could move on to their future together.
He was thinking about what their future would hold when Kenya walked through his office nearly a week later. Most of her bruises had been covered with makeup, and she looked as beautiful as ever. She wore a cranberry keyhole halter silk dress that stopped just above her knee and showed off her athletic legs.
“Hey, you,” she said, smiling warmly at him. “I was hoping to steal you away for dinner.”
Lucas glanced down at his watch. It was nearly six p.m. He’d been working so hard, he’d forgotten. His stomach growled in response, reminding him he hadn’t eaten all day because he’d been so caught up in doing damage control.
“Dinner sounds great.” Lucas shut his laptop and rose from his executive chair to walk over and brush his lips across hers. “Let’s get out of here.”
Kenya left Lucas in ignorance to their destination and just directed him over to Perch where, thanks to Chynna’s influence, she’d secured their rooftop lounge exclusively for the night for her and Lucas’s dinner. She hadn’t allowed Lucas to change and had told him his black silk shirt and trousers would suit their surroundings just fine.
“Where are we going?” Lucas asked as he stepped out of the car. He wasn’t familiar with the old Art Deco building.
“You’ll see,” Kenya said, taking his hand and leading him to the elevator.
After they arrived on the sixteenth floor, they were greeted by French-inspired antique furniture that reminded Kenya of the bohemian French bistros she’d visited during the summer she’d gone to Paris with a friend from NYU. The outside was even more impressive, with plush couches, firepits and lush landscaping. The host led them to a private table that gave them a three-hundred-and-sixty degree view of downtown Los Angeles.
“How did I do?” Kenya asked, looking at Lucas as he glanced around the tropical terrace.
“Wonderful,” Lucas said, smiling. This was exactly what he needed: to let go of all the drama of the last week.
“Good, because we’re going to enjoy some great food. I heard Chef Justin’s food is some of the best.”
And it was. They shared a bottle of champagne and enjoyed delicious tuna tartare, seafood bouillabaisse and pork belly before finishing with crème brûlée for Lucas and a chocolate pot de crème that Kenya dove into.
“Can I tell you how much I needed this,” Lucas said, wiping his mouth with his napkin after the crème brûlée.
“I know this week has been difficult for you.” Kenya stared at him intently. She could see the worry lines around his eyes with trying to keep R&K Records afloat. Everyone had thought Chynna would abandon him, but she hadn’t. Her sister remained true to R&K Records, determined to stand by Lucas. Kenya couldn’t be more proud.
“For me?” Lucas said. “It’s nothing, just speculation, but you? You’re the one who was hurt in all this. You’re the victim here.”
“I’m no one’s victim,” Kenya stated firmly. “We,” she said, pointing to him and herself, “are going to get through this because we have each other. I will not let Eli take our power away from us.”
“That’s what I’ve always loved about you, Kenya,” Lucas said, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at her, “your spirit, your fire.”
Kenya smiled. “Good, because I’m burning up now, and I have a fire that needs to be quenched.” She gave him a naughty wink.
Lucas’s brow rose slightly. She hoped he’d get her bold assertion. Since they’d both declared their love for each other, Lucas had been walking on eggshells about even touching her and would only wrap his arms around her every night. She was tired of being treated like she was a delicate piece of glass that was going to break. She knew he was just being respectful since the attack, but she wanted him to make love to her, and she’d orchestrated tonight’s romantic dinner to ensure that happened.
Kenya rose from the wrought-iron chair and held her hand out to him. Without words, she told him that she wasn’t afraid of intimacy and wanted to be close again, as close as two people could get. Lucas accepted her hand, and together they walked off the balcony.
Once they made it back to Lucas’s, the passion they’d been holding inside for the last week was set loose, and it was just as hot as it had been that first night they were together. Except this time, Lucas was more gentle and soft. This time, he lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bedroom. He gently laid her atop his damask comforter and slowly, tenderly untied the cranberry keyhole halter silk dress she’d been wearing and slid it from her body until she was wearing nothing but lacy undies.
As he undressed, removing his jacket, then unbuttoning his shirt, Kenya watched him unabashedly as the shirt fell to the floor. She feasted her eyes on his chiseled abs. He was so sexy and he was hers, all hers. She slid off the bed to stand in front of Lucas to help him with his belt buckle. He kissed her neck and shoulders as she released the buckle and unzipped his pants. They fell to the floor in a bundle at his feet, and he stepped out of them and then spun her around so her back was to his front and he could remove the lace bra she wore. It fell to her feet just as he cupped and molded her breasts with his hands.
The feelings were so delicious; she couldn’t help moaning and leaning her head back against his shoulder. She felt his erection against her backside and reached inside his shorts to caress his hard package. Lucas groaned, but he didn’t stop. Instead, he continued massaging her breasts and roaming his hands down the side of her body until he came to her hips. He began sliding her lace cheeky panties down and they too met their matching partner on the floor. Kenya tensed slightly when she felt his fingers teasing the folds of her womanhood so he could slide one finger inside, but she wasn’t tense for long. Lucas stroked her in and out, in and out until she trembled with need. She couldn’t focus on him anymore; all she could do was wrap her arms around the back of his neck as he brought her to ecstasy.
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