Twice the Temptation

by Rochelle Alers

“That’s a prime location because it’s corner property,” Malcolm said.

  “What are you trying to say, Malcolm?” Rhett asked.

  He checked the printout listing the rent for the stores. “Isn’t the rent rather low for the square footage and location?”

  “No.”

  “No?” Malcolm repeated.

  “No,” Rhett said emphatically. “New Visions Childcare is a beacon of hope in a neighborhood where parents need a safe place for their children while they work. I will not increase the rent no matter how prime you believe it is.”

  “But…but you’re losing money on the space.”

  The seconds ticked as Rhett gave the too-eager assistant a lethal stare. “My money, my space.”

  “Rhett?” Tracy Powell’s voice came through the building’s paging system.

  Walking over to the wall, he picked up the wall phone. “Yes, Tracy?”

  “Your mother just returned your call. I have her on hold.”

  “Please tell her to wait. I’ll take it in my office.”

  Bill placed a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder, squeezing it gently after Rhett left the conference room. “A word of caution. Never piss off the person who signs your paycheck.”

  Preppy-looking Malcolm Robinson gave his mentor a wide-eyed stare. “Rhett didn’t seem to be upset.”

  “Yes, he was. It’s just that you don’t know him well enough to recognize it. You could have a very bright future with CMP, because we’re a young company that’s growing when others are struggling to stay afloat. Don’t let your mouth get you in trouble.”

  A beat passed. “Okay,” Malcolm said begrudgingly.

  Rhett walked into his office and closed the door. He’d called his mother but she hadn’t answered the phone, so he’d left a message for her to call him back. Sitting on the corner of the desk, he picked up the receiver.

  “Good afternoon, beautiful.”

  A husky laugh came through the earpiece. “Save that smack for your lady friends.”

  Rhett smiled. “You don’t say that when Maynard calls you beautiful.”

  Geraldine laughed again. “That’s because he’s my husband. Now, why did you call me?”

  “I wanted to check to see if you’re still coming to the Cape for the week, and also to let you know that I’m bringing a houseguest.”

  “You don’t have to check with me on that, Rhett. After all, it is your house.”

  “That’s true, Mom. Out of respect, I just thought I’d let you know.”

  “Is there something about your houseguest you aren’t telling me?” she asked perceptively.

  “I’m back with Denise Eaton.”

  There came another pregnant pause. “Back how, Garrett?”

  Rhett knew his mother was going into serious mode when she called him by his given name. “We’re going to get married.”

  “When?”

  “New Year’s Eve.”

  “Have you given her a ring?”

  He shook his head, then realized his mother couldn’t see him. “No. I’m going to wait for her birthday.”

  “When is her birthday?”

  “It’s the end of September.”

  “Why wait?” Geraldine asked.

  “There’s no rush, Mom. Denise isn’t going anywhere and neither am I.”

  “If you are truly committed to the woman, then put a ring on her finger. You have no way of knowing who else may be looking at her.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Rhett countered stubbornly. He knew Denise much better than his mother did. If he went out and bought her a ring now he knew she would accuse him of trying to manipulate their relationship. She’d committed to a New Year’s Eve wedding, and he’d taken her at her word.

  “When will you get there?” Geraldine asked.

  “We’re going up Friday afternoon.”

  “I have to drop Maynard off at the airport Saturday. As soon I see him off I’ll drive up.”

  “Don’t forget I’m throwing a little something and inviting some of my neighbors.”

  “Have you checked the almanac for the weather?”

  Rhett laughed. His mother had more faith in the almanac than the Weather Channel. “What does it say, Mom?”

  “There is a slight chance of rain.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We’ll just bring everything inside.”

  “I have to go now. The chef just drove up. Today’s lesson is short ribs with leeks and spinach.”

  “That sounds delicious. Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you back, son.”

  Rhett hung up, blowing out his breath. He couldn’t understand why his mother wanted him to rush into an official engagement when he and Denise had just picked up the pieces to start over.

  Besides, when he bought Denise a ring he wanted her to select the style she wanted, not what he thought she would like. If there was one thing he knew about Denise Eaton, it was that she wasn’t shy. If she wanted a ring, then she would make it known. After all, she wasn’t reticent when she’d asked him to make love to her.

  His private line rang, and Rhett answered the call before it rang again when he saw the name come up on the display. “Thank you for getting back to me. I hope you’re calling to let me know you have room for my sextuplets, all who by the way are named Malik.”

  “Didn’t you tell me you have three sons and three daughters, Mr. Fennell?”

  “Yes, I did, Ms. Eaton.”

  “You named your daughters Malik?”

  “We call the girls Malika.”

  Denise’s sultry laugh caressed his ear. “You know you’re crazy.”

  “Hell yeah. I’m crazy about you.”

  “I’m calling to invite you to dinner.”

  Rhett smiled. “I’ll come, but only if we can have a sleepover.”

  Denise laughed again. “Sure.”

  “Sure what, Denise?”

  “You can sleep over. Don’t forget to bring your jammies.”

  “What time is dinner?” he asked.

  “Seven.”

  “I’ll see you at seven.”

  Rhett was glad that Denise had called, because if she hadn’t then he’d planned to call her and invite her to spend the night in his suite at the Hay-Adams. He couldn’t wait for the workmen to complete the renovations on the fourth-floor apartment. The space was configured to contain four bedrooms, five baths, a living room and formal dining room and a media room. He’d wanted a full-size state-of-the art kitchen, not the utility ones that came with most apartments. He’d invested a great deal of his personal wealth into renovating two homes, but what good was making money if he didn’t take time to enjoy his life?

  So many people he’d met hadn’t planned for their futures when he was planning not only for his future but also for generations to come behind him. Rhett may not have known his father but what he didn’t want was for his mother’s bloodline to end with Garrett Fennell.

  Pressing a button on the intercom, he buzzed Tracy. “Please call Mr. Tolpin and see if we can meet at one instead of four. Let him know something very important has come up and if he can’t accommodate me, then we can reschedule at his convenience.”

  He released the button, came around the desk and sat down. Stanley Tolpin was his banker and a financial guru. Stanley had a sixth sense when it came to purchasing or passing on a parcel. Rhett had called Stanley because he’d wanted to discuss the hostile takeover of Chambers Properties, Ltd. He’d forgiven Denise for not trusting him, but Rhett didn’t think he would ever forgive Trey Chambers for sleeping with his woman.

  Chapter 12

  Denise opened the door, shaking her head when she couldn’t make out Rhett’s face behind an enormous bouquet of white and pale pink flowers in every variety. “What did you do, buy every flower at the florist?” she teased, smiling.

  Leaning over, Rhett kissed her cheek. “Practically. Don’t try to carry it,” he said when she reached for the vase. “It’s too heavy for you.”

  Resting h
er hands on her hips, she watched Rhett cross the living room and set the vase on the credenza in the dining area. “How do you expect me to lift it to change the water?”

  “You won’t have to. I’ll come over and change the water.”

  Denise stared at the exquisite arrangement. “Thank you. The flowers are beautiful.”

  Rhett slid the strap to a leather backpack off his shoulder and closed the space between them. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he lifted her effortlessly off her feet. He stared at her scrubbed face, awed that she looked so young even though their birthdays were only months apart. Denise didn’t claim the kind of beauty producers wanted for daytime television actresses, but a soft natural beauty that would only improve with age. Wisps had escaped the ponytail, and with her tank top and cutoffs she could easily pass for a high-school coed.

  He angled his head, brushing her soft mouth with his. “How was your day?”

  Looping her arms around Rhett’s neck, Denise buried her face against his strong neck. “It was good.” She told him about her storytelling session with the children where she broke character and ended up laughing harder than any of the children. Teachers from other classrooms had come in to see what the hysterics were about.

  Rhett lowered her until her sandaled feet touched the floor. “You know you missed your calling.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You should’ve become an actress, because you have a flair for being quite dramatic.”

  Denise’s hands slid down the front of his shirt, under the hem and up his bare chest. “My, my, my,” she drawled in a flawless Southern inflection. “Ah had no ide-ah you wah so strong, dah-ling.”

  Smiling, Rhett caught her hands, stopping her from arousing him further. It would be a few more days before he would be able to make love to her again. The brief encounter had served to whet his voracious appetite for Denise. What he hadn’t understood was how Denise had believed he was sleeping with another woman. When he hadn’t been in class, working or with his study group they’d been together.

  The summer months had been excruciatingly lonely for him. Denise had returned to Philadelphia while he’d stayed in Baltimore. The bank had offered him full-time employment over the summer and he’d taken advantage of the opportunity because he’d wanted to save money. He’d found himself counting down the days to the beginning of the fall semester, unaware that he figuratively had been holding his breath until he’d knocked on the door to her dorm and waited for her to open it. They’d made love around the clock like rabbits before settling into their familiar routine as if time or space hadn’t separated them.

  “Why didn’t you become a drama teacher?”

  “If I’d majored in theater and drama, then I never would’ve met you.”

  Rhett nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that.” Bringing her hands to his mouth, he kissed her fingers, then sniffed them. “I smell garlic and peppers.”

  “You have a good nose. I’m making roasted bell peppers, couscous-stuffed pork chops and a first course of shrimp with a spicy avocado sauce.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “Come to the kitchen with me. I have to check on the pork chops.”

  Rhett sat on a stool at the cooking island, watching Denise as she moved confidently around the kitchen, chopping, stirring, whisking and blending the ingredients for a spicy avocado sauce. The kitchen wasn’t large but the way it was designed maximized every square foot. A pantry and a washer/dryer unit were nestled in a corner, while black granite countertops and appliances broke up the white palette of the floor and cabinetry.

  “I spoke to my mother today.”

  Denise stopped arranging jumbo shrimp on a small baking pan lined with oiled aluminum foil. “Did you tell her about us?”

  Rhett met her eyes, seeing indecision in the dark orbs. “Yes. I told her we’re planning to marry on New Year’s Eve.”

  “She’s probably as shocked as my parents that we’re seeing each other again.”

  “If she is, I didn’t detect it in her voice,” Rhett admitted. He stood up, came around the island, his arms circling Denise’s waist. “Everything is going to work out okay, sweetheart. We don’t owe anyone an explanation. All I want from our families is their love and support.”

  Peering over her shoulder, Denise met Rhett’s resolute gaze. “We have that, darling.” She closed her eyes, moaning softly when he nuzzled her neck. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m kissing the cook.”

  She smiled. “If you kiss the cook before she finishes the meal, then no one is going to eat.”

  “Do you need me to help you with anything?”

  “You can set the table.”

  “Do you want candles?” Rhett asked.

  Denise rested the back of her head against his shoulder. “Yes. There’s a supply of tablecloths and liners in the credenza.”

  “Should I put out wine or water goblets?”

  “Both.”

  Rhett pressed his mouth to Denise’s ear before he released her.

  Gathering dishes, silver, stemware and napkins, he walked out of the kitchen to the dining area to set the table. He’d stopped, a long time ago, trying to analyze why he’d fallen in love with Denise Eaton and not some other woman. At first he’d believed it was because he’d taken her virginity—that it was out of guilt that he’d continued to see her. It had taken a month, another thirty days, before he’d made love to her again. On the second encounter, his willingness to bring her pleasure while denying his own had been the single most telling act of selflessness. From the very first time he’d slept with a woman Rhett’s goal had been achieving an erection, sustaining that erection and ejaculation.

  Denise was also different, special, because she was the first woman with whom he’d slept with and hadn’t exchanged money for sex. She’d offered him her innocence, love and her heart—precious gifts he’d coveted and treasured.

  Never, not even once, had he glanced at another woman when he and Denise were together. And it wasn’t as if women hadn’t passed him their phone numbers or devised schemes to get him to come to their dorms to study, while others had been bold enough to ask if he would sleep with them.

  If he’d been different, if he’d been like some men who didn’t have to go looking for sex, he could’ve slept with a different woman every night of the week. But that hadn’t happened because he’d committed to one woman, Denise Eaton.

  Stepping back from the table, he surveyed his handiwork. He’d learned to recognize formal and informal table settings when he attended the boarding school, but it was Denise who’d taught him how to set a table. Even when they’d ordered takeout or pizza, he would set the table at his dorm with paper napkins, plates and plastic forks and spoons. It took about two weeks before Denise let it be known that she detested eating off paper plates with plastic utensils when she handed him a shopping bag with plates and flatware and glassware with a four-piece place setting.

  Rhett had teased her, calling Denise Miss Prissy, but it had been too late. He’d fallen in love with the girl with the brilliant smile, quick mind, sexy voice, unyielding drive and impeccable manners.

  Denise walked into the dining area with a carafe of ice water and another filled with a chilled rosé. “The table looks nice.” Going on tiptoe when Rhett took the carafes from her, she kissed his jaw. “I think I’m going to keep you for a long, long time, Garrett Fennell.”

  “How long is a long time?”

  She scrunched up her nose. “I’d say give or take a couple of lifetimes.”

  “That sounds about right.”

  Rhett placed the carafes on a handmade oyster-white crocheted tablecloth with a matching liner. He remembered when Denise had bought the tablecloth. They’d driven up to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when he’d talked about seeing the Dutch Country. He and Denise had spent the weekend touring, eating and shopping. They’d returned to Baltimore with the trunk of her car filled with homemade quilts, candles, tablecloths and jars of
jellies and preserves. After he’d moved to Philadelphia to work and attend graduate school, Rhett had found himself drawn back to the epicenter of the Amish country where the appeal of simplicity and community were interchangeable.

  “Rhett!”

  He blinked as if coming out of a trance. “Yes?”

  “You looked as if you just zoned out on me for a minute.”

  “I was thinking about the time we drove to the Amish country.”

  Denise’s eyelids fluttered wildly when she recalled the weekend that had almost changed her life and their future. It’d been the first and only time they’d made love without using protection. Her menses, which had always come on time, was late and she spent the next two weeks in dread. Rhett, who’d appeared totally unaffected by their dilemma, said that if she was pregnant they would marry and he would drop out of college to work and support her. She’d screamed at him, saying she wasn’t going to let him forfeit a full academic scholarship because they’d been irresponsible. Fortunately, she wasn’t pregnant and after a thorough examination her gynecologist prescribed an oral contraceptive to regulate her cycle.

  “Were you thinking of the time when we had unprotected sex?” she asked in a quiet voice.

  “No, Denise. I wasn’t thinking of that time.”

  “I’m going back on the pill.” She’d called her gynecologist, who’d told her to come into the office. He’d given her several samples to see which brand she could tolerate without too many side effects.

  Rhett’s eyebrows lifted a fraction. “When will you start?”

  “I’ll take the first one Thursday. I don’t want us to have to deal with an unplanned pregnancy when we have to plan a wedding and honeymoon.”

  The mention of a honeymoon brought a smile to Rhett’s expressionless face. “Where do you want to go on our honeymoon?”

  “It has to be someplace warm. There’s no way I’m going to marry on New Year’s Eve in the northeast, then hang out at a ski resort.”

  “You have a choice between the Caribbean, Hawaii or Tahiti.”

  Denise ran and jumped into his arms, and he swung her around and around until she felt the room spinning uncontrollably. “You know I’ve always wanted to go to Tahiti,” she said breathlessly when he stopped.