Resemblance

by Y. L. Stokes

  Resemblance

  By

  Yolanda Stokes

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Resemblance by Yolanda Stokes

  Red Rose™ Publishing

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  Red Rose™ Publishing

  Copyright© 2009 Yolanda Stokes

  ISBN: 978-1-60435-146-0

  Cover Artist: Nancy Donahue

  Editor: Michelle Ellis

  Line Editor: Mike Kay

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  This is a work of fiction. All references to real places, people, or events are coincidental, and if not coincidental, are used fictitiously. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

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  Thank you for purchasing a book from Red Rose™Publishing where publishing

  comes with a touch of Class!

  Resemblance

  By

  Yolanda Stokes

  Prologue

  Ashley’s head pounded, and the world spun as her eyes peeled open. She tried to rise, but her body wouldn’t work.

  “Ah, I see you’re finally awake,” a deep voice whispered against her ear, sending a dreadful chill down her spine. Ashley knew the voice, had heard it several times before when he’d asked her out on a date, and each and every time she’d turned him down. She had heard all the rumors around the parties that Peter Remington was known for throwing. Stories of girls being lured to his home where they were drugged and gang raped repeatedly until Peter and his cohorts had had their fill. And now, all because she’d wanted to reconnect with people who she’d thought were her friends, she found herself an unwilling conquest of Peter Remington and his crew.

  Ashley had been surprised when she’d opened the door to find her old high school friends standing on the porch of her parents’ Tudor home. She hadn’t heard anything from either Rene or Rita since they’d graduated from high school over three years ago. Although she’d written to them several times, she’d never received a response. Then, out of the blue they’d contacted her and invited her to hang out with them and a few other friends; she agreed to go along. She’d asked them why they hadn’t kept in touch, and at the time, she hadn’t noticed how they’d brushed her question off. She also hadn’t noticed she’d been the only one drinking. The only thing she registered before passing out was the faint sound of their laughter.

  Ashley stared at the doctor, not believing what he’d just said. There was no way in hell the test was correct; she could not be pregnant! She blinked rapidly, trying to stay the tears that threatened to fall. She wanted to ask for a retest, but knew that it wouldn’t change the results.

  Seeing her distress, the doctor placed a comforting hand on hers and squeezed gently. “I can see that this isn’t something that you were wanting or expecting, but I honestly believe things happen for a reason. I’ll give you a little time to get dressed, and when you are ready, have the nurse show you to my office, and then we can discuss your options.”

  Ashley sat in the cold, sterile room feeling more alone than she’d ever felt in her life. As soon as the doctor left, she allowed the tears to flow. She had a feeling about the options the doctor would discuss with her, and Ashley would reject them all. There was no way she would abort her baby or give him or her up for adoption, but she didn’t know how she would face her parents because they were going to be very disappointed. Granted, she was a grown woman, but she’d wanted to finish college and open the restaurant she and her mother had always dreamed of having. Now, her dreams would be more difficult to accomplish while being an unwed mother. She thought of her brother, Robert; he was a different story altogether; hell, she could already see him gloating and toasting her disgrace.

  The soft knock on the door brought her back to the present. So lost in thought, she hadn’t had a chance to change back into her clothes. She asked the nurse for a few more minutes, and the woman smiled and nodded before stepping out. Ashley quickly dressed, refusing to allow the memories of that night to crowd her mind. For months she’d kept the despair at bay, but now this wasn’t only about her. She had to think of her child first, no matter what came her way.

  An hour and a half later, after her talk with the doctor, she found herself at the huge mansion sitting atop a hill at the end of the lane. Her hands shook as she pulled into the circular driveway, trying to search her memory for any recognition of the home. Apparently, the drug had worked long before she’d been brought here…and she’d probably been brought in through a delivery entrance.

  How fitting.

  Sighing deeply, Ashley placed a hand on her still-flat stomach before she exited the car. She stood at the door after ringing the bell, waiting for someone to answer it. Her stomach churned with fear and nausea at the memories that stubbornly flashed inside her head. She almost turned and ran back to her car when the huge door opened and a kindly gentleman greeted her.

  “Good afternoon, Miss, how can I help you?”

  “I need to speak with Peter Remington,” she informed him, her voice thankfully strong and steady. She was surprised the man hadn’t asked her why, only telling her to follow him after he’d closed the door behind her. He led her through a marble-tiled foyer with a large fountain sitting dead center. She glanced up at the vaulted ceilings, at the painted murals. Ashley and the man continued across the foyer down a long hall filled with medieval statues that completely creeped her out. The butler stopped before double doors where he opened one, allowing her to enter first. Ashley stood just in the doorway, staring at the face of the man who invaded her nightmares. A chill snaked down her spine, and she had to force herself not to shudder from it.

  When she was able to tear her gaze away from his, she noticed he wasn’t alone. A very distinguished older woman sat behind the huge mahogany desk. Her face looked like a coveted porcelain doll with deep blue eyes surrounded by thick dark lashes and her jet-black hair laced with gray pulled back into a severe bun.

  “Mr. Remington, this woman needs to speak with you,” the butler announced before leaving and closing the door.

  Ashley walked forward, eyes once again focused on the man who had defiled and used her for his gratification. Peter was the all-American white boy, tanned, and with a body to die for. His shockingly blond hair shone brightly under the chandelier lights, and his glacier blue eyes always seemed cold. All the girls at school had vied for his attention, but Ashley had never felt comfortable in his presence. After that night, she knew her feelings hadn’t been unfounded.

  “Phillip said that you needed to speak with me,” Peter stated, staring at the beautiful black woman standing before him.

  Ashley could tell by the look on his face that he couldn’t remember who she was. She had unusually warm honey eyes surrounded by thick long lashes—how could he forget those? Her skin the color of coffee with just a touch of cream, her body one that would make most women envious. Her hair was longer than it had been that night; pulled back with a cloth scrunchie, it still hung to the middle of her back.

  “I think wh
at we have to talk about needs to be discussed between just the two of us,” she said.

  Peter chuckled. “Sorry, my beauty, but my grandmother owns the house, and thus this room, so I doubt that she will accept being told that she needs to leave. Besides, I don’t have any secrets from her, so go ahead and tell us what this is all about.”

  “It’s about the night that you had me drugged and brought here to rape me. Now, as a result of your actions that night, I’m pregnant,” she snapped.

  Peter laughed, further infuriating her.

  “How do I know that it is my child? Hell, I don’t even know who the hell you are!”

  Ashley couldn’t believe her ears. “You know damn well that what you did to me that night was my first time!”

  Peter nonchalantly shrugged. Ashley stared at him, wondering why fate had dealt her the hand it had. Why had this happened to her? What had she ever done to anyone, especially the ones responsible for bringing her here that night?

  The woman that sat behind the desk, her face blank like an untouched canvas, showed no emotion at all. She wrote furiously, and Ashley wondered about it—and then the woman spoke.

  “Here, take this check. It should be enough for you to find somewhere away from Jackson to have this little problem taken care of.”

  Ashley stared at the check in Mary’s hand, then back at the woman, whose aristocratic features set in a grim and determined frown. Coming here had been a waste of time and effort. There was no way she was going to abort her baby. With a heavy heart, she left the big mansion, vowing to raise her child alone.

  Chapter One

  Ashley checked her watch for the umpteenth time. “Where is Maggie?”

  The babysitter had called saying she had an appointment and had promised to come by the office to pick up her son before the office went into full swing. Although Ashley didn’t have any clients scheduled for today, she couldn’t say the same for her new boss. Luckily for her, ten-month-old Marcus slept peacefully.

  Walking over to her desk, Ashley picked up the phone and dialed Maggie’s number. She didn’t get an answer and began to worry. As she replaced the receiver, sounds of the office coming to life reached her. Marcus startled awake and let out a wail. Ashley immediately crossed over to his carrier and scooped him up, trying to calm his cries.

  “It’s okay, honey, Mommy’s here,” she whispered close to his ear. She prayed he would settle down. She also prayed Maggie would arrive soon, before someone came in and started asking personal questions…questions she didn’t want to answer. Ashley knew it was risky bringing Marcus into the office, but she’d assumed Maggie would make it on time. Nerves stretched to their snapping point, Ashley had no intentions of answering any unwanted questions concerning her son’s absent father.

  Just finishing up his conference call, Nicholas thought he heard a baby. Shaking his head, he returned his attention back to the person speaking on the other end of the line. “Well, if you guys will handle the permits, I’ll get my guys to work on the drawings—” Nicholas heard the sound again. “Look, guys, I need to wrap this up. Get back to me when you have the permits.” He released the line and decided to find out where the sound came from. He knew practically all of the employees working for his company, and he wasn’t aware of any of them having children. Nicholas made it a point not to get too personal with anyone other than his immediate family, let alone his employees.

  He removed his headset and left his office. Once he stepped into the hall, the cries became a little louder. With a frown marring his brow, he continued down the hallway to the office a few doors down from his. He stopped at the door of one of the newest members of his team, Ashley Miller. He quietly entered her office.

  Nicholas looked at the woman pacing back and forth in front of her desk. His breath came out in a rush. She was absolutely beautiful. Her skin, the color of rich coffee with a touch of cream, looked silky smooth. Her navy blue pants suit looked as if it was tailor made just for her body. Her jet black hair hung loosely past her shoulders to the middle of her back. Nicholas let his eyes travel the length of her; he’d never been attracted to a black woman before, but he was man enough to recognize the immediate pull he felt for this woman before him. His exploration finished, he found himself the focus of a pair of alert and inquisitive bright gray eyes. He couldn’t help but smile, a little surprised at the feelings that swarmed through him. Before he realized his own intent, he advanced further into the office.

  So glad Marcus had calmed down, Ashley breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of her boss’ voice behind her. Startled, she whipped around to face him. “Excuse me?” she asked in a small voice.

  “I said it looks like you could use a little help.”

  He reached for Marcus, and to Ashley’s surprise, her son went willingly.

  “Hey, little man, what seems to be the problem? What’s with all of the noise, huh?”

  After the shock of her boss holding her son passed, Ashley found her voice. “I’m sorry if he disturbed you. My babysitter was supposed to meet me here, but she hasn’t made it yet. I’m truly sorry. I promise this won’t happen again.”

  “He didn’t disturb me. I just thought I was hearing things.” He smiled at her, putting her at ease.

  Silence descended, and they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, until another voice broke the spell that had claimed them.

  “I’m so sorry, Ashley, my appointment took longer than I had expected.”

  Nicholas turned to see who had interrupted them.

  “Please forgive me for being late.”

  Ashley, so happy for the interruption, let out a deep sigh. For some reason, she couldn’t seem to break the spell that staring into Nicholas’ blue-green eyes had caused.

  “It’s okay, Maggie. Just let me grab his bag for you.” Ashley hoped that he would leave now that Maggie had arrived, but luck just wasn’t on her side. She handed the bag to Maggie, but her boss made no move towards the door.

  “Okay, Marcus, give Mommy a big kiss,” Maggie instructed, taking Marcus from the handsome young man.

  Ashley walked Maggie and Marcus to the door. After a final kiss to her son, she closed the door behind them. Why is Mr. Maxwell still here? Why are my nerves on edge? Never one to duck confrontations, she met this one head on. “Again, Mr. Maxwell, I’m sorry if Marcus disturbed you.”

  Nicholas stared at her for a moment. “I told you, he didn’t disturb me.”

  Silence stretched between them again. Taking a quick glance at her watch, Ashley decided to help her new boss along. “I’m sorry, Mr. Maxwell, but I have a lot of work to get done. Is there anything else you need?”

  “Please, call me Nicholas, and yes, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

  “What would that be?” she asked in a steady voice, although her body quaked on the inside.

  Ashley wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact her boss had found out about her son or just his presence here in her office. His was the one next to hers, and they were the main occupants of this floor, but the human resources manger had assured the chances of running into her boss and owner of the company were slim to none.

  But this was the first time she’d ever met the man, and damn, was he fine. His ebony hair hung just a little past the collar. He had strong, aristocratic features that seemed somehow familiar, but she wasn’t sure how. His broad shoulders filled out his starched white dress shirt, tucked into tailor-made dress slacks that cupped his rear nicely. With a shake of her head, she cleared her mind of the wayward thoughts.

  Her boss took a quick look around the office. A medium-sized mahogany desk stood facing the door. Just behind the desk to the right sat her drawing table, where she spent most of her time. She liked the setup, and it seemed he did, too, but she needed him out. She cleared her throat, and it appeared Nicholas remembered his question.

  “Why couldn’t the baby’s father keep him until your babysitter could pick him up?”

  Ashley knew
that the question would come eventually, but didn’t think it would be this soon. “Not that it’s any business of yours, but Marcus doesn’t have a father.”

  “Unfortunately, Ms. Miller, it is my business. This is a construction company, not a daycare,” he said harshly. “What if a customer had come in? What would you have done then?”

  Ashley hated not having an immediate answer. “You’re absolutely right, Mr. Maxwell, and I promise you that it won’t happen again.”

  He winced at that. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean what I just said. If something like this happens again, I don’t have a problem with you bringing him into the office. I’d rather have you here at work than having to miss a day and the work gets behind.”

  Again silence descended—until the phone on her desk rang. Ashley breathed a sigh of relief. She prayed he’d leave while she was on the phone, but with her luck she should have known better. After taking the call and replacing the receiver, she turned to her unwanted guest with a forced smile in place. “I’m sorry, Mr.…I mean Nicholas, but that was the guard downstairs. I have a client waiting to see me.”

  “Oh, sure, I’ll let you get back to work; just remember, if you ever need any help with Marcus, please let me know. I know how hard it can be for a single mother.”

  Though a little surprised by his comment, Ashley decided not to inquire about it. Riding down in the elevator, she wondered how he knew how it was to be a single mom. She also thought about how well his clothes fitted him; just the thought sent ripples of something foreign throughout her body. Ashley shook her head to clear her mind of the erotic thoughts running through it. Luckily, she had herself somewhat under control when she greeted her client.

  Chapter Two