A Perfect Caress

by Nana Prah

  At the end of the telling, Lanelle felt better. Still without Dante, but it was good to discuss it. A quick analysis of Toshia as she made her way to the kitchen had Lanelle changing the subject. “Why does your ass look so big?”

  “I’m getting fat like you?”

  Lanelle leaped up and ran to her friend. Her belly was bulging a little, too. “Oh, my goodness! You’re pregnant.” Lanelle gathered Toshia into a tight hug. “How far along?”

  Toshia swatted Lanelle’s hand when she placed a palm on her belly. “You aren’t upset?”

  Lanelle could ring her friend’s neck. She’d been hiding her joy because of her? Once again she clung to Toshia. “I’m so happy for you I could Riverdance all over this house.”

  “Please don’t.”

  Lanelle tugged her to the dark mahogany dining room set and pulled out two chairs. “How many months?”

  The slightest twinge of jealousy rushed into her when Toshia rubbed her belly. She had no right to be anything but happy for her friend.

  “Six months.”

  “But you’re so small.”

  “I know, right? My mother said, with my eldest sister, she barely showed at eight months. By the time she got down to me, she claimed her belly was so big she couldn’t fit through doors when she tried to pass sideways.”

  Lanelle laughed.

  Toshia gestured to the bump. “I didn’t know how you’d take it, so I kept putting off telling you.”

  “You stuck by me through the hardest part of my life. Why wouldn’t I celebrate with you?”

  “Because it’s a reminder of what you lost.”

  The memory of Dante’s scent after making love slammed into her. “Do you know what he promised me?”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know why, but when I was with him, the fear of having a baby diminished. I could see myself pregnant with his child.” She rubbed Toshia’s belly. “I told him my dream was to be a mother, and he said he’d make it come true.”

  Toshia’s sniffles foreshadowed her tears. “He did not.”

  “And I believed him. Right before I lost him.”

  Toshia rolled her eyes and got up. “I’m hungry for some cake. Do you have any?”

  Confused at the attitude, Lanelle spun her around. “What?”

  “Sometimes you can be too dramatic to bear.”

  “Me? Me?” Lanelle poked the center of her chest. “Did I hold up a mirror? Me?”

  “There you go.” Toshia headed into the kitchen and smiled when she saw the half-eaten German chocolate layer cake under the glass holder. “I knew you wouldn’t disappoint.”

  Lanelle wouldn’t get any more information from Toshia until she fed her. Recalling how those hunger pangs had driven her crazy, she rushed to get things set. Nothing had satisfied her except what she’d desired. While Toshia grabbed two glasses and a carton of milk, Lanelle retrieved plates and a knife. She placed a slice on one.

  Toshia pointed to the piece of cake. “I hope that’s for you because it’s way too small for me and this little munchkin.”

  Lanelle laughed and doubled the size of the next piece. “Better?”

  “Much.”

  In the living room, she allowed Toshia to appease herself with the cake before going on the attack about her earlier reaction. “Okay, now tell me what you meant.”

  “Did Dante say he didn’t want to be with you?”

  “He told me it was too late for us. Plus, he hasn’t tried to contact me. I returned on an earlier flight than them, so I haven’t seen him since Italy.” She sighed. “I called Vanessa to make sure they arrived safely and she told me how sullenly Dante had behaved on the way back home. We’ve spoken a few times since then, but the topic of Dante never comes up.” She didn’t need Vanessa to be stuck in the middle of their mess.

  Toshia regarded her. “To be honest, I think you did the right thing not telling him.”

  Lanelle blinked. “You do?”

  “We’d been inseparable at school for three years before you told me. How long had you known Dante? You weren’t sure if you could even trust him. The paparazzi would probably pay millions for a picture of the elusive Eliana Astacio. Isn’t that why you make the members of every board you sit on sign a nondisclosure agreement?”

  “But I was still wrong.”

  Toshia put the empty plate down. “Yeah, you should’ve told him once you realized you could trust him. But...”

  “But what?”

  “You have to admit his reason for not liking you before he even knew who you were was ridiculous. Just because one rich chick bails doesn’t mean everyone will.”

  “I told him the same thing. So what should I do?”

  “Other than finding out who his ex is and kicking her behind?”

  The thought had run through Lanelle’s mind more than once. “Something that wouldn’t end up with Leonardo having to represent me in criminal court would be better.”

  “I’m not one to give advice—”

  Lanelle snorted.

  “—but I’d call him and apologize again.”

  “Do you think it’ll work?”

  Toshia shrugged as she reached for Lanelle’s plateful of cake. “I’m not psychic. You’ll just have to try it and see. If he doesn’t accept your apology, then he’s a jerk of magnum proportions and doesn’t deserve the wonderfulness of you.”

  She didn’t know about all that, but she hoped the time they’d spent apart had been as miserable for him as it had been for her, making him ready to forgive and forget.

  Lanelle felt better with a plan in place. Now, time to focus on her best friend. “Tell me how you’ve been feeling. Any changes?”

  “I found a damn stretch mark on my belly.” She rubbed her abdomen. “I cocoa buttered the bitch up.”

  Lanelle relaxed as Toshia entertained her, putting Dante out of her mind. At least for a short while.

  Chapter 29

  The smell of his sister’s irresistible gumbo had Dante’s stomach grumbling for the first time in over two weeks. These days he ate solely for sustenance, not for enjoyment as they’d done in Italy.

  Cynthia stirred the contents of the pot. “So when are you going to get off your high horse and call Lanelle?”

  “Yeah, Uncle D,” Vanessa supported her mother. “Did you hear she took down an embezzlement scam that’s been happening for years? I still can’t believe we know an Astacio. Miguel is so hot. I wonder if Lanelle will introduce him to me.”

  Cynthia pointed the spoon at her daughter. “You aren’t going anywhere near that playboy. And remember, you promised not to tell a soul.”

  “How about her older brother? He’s a lawyer. Can I meet him?”

  “Vanessa,” Cynthia growled.

  “Fine, Mom. The only Astacio I’ll hang out with is Lanelle.” She glared at Dante. “If she’ll still be my friend.”

  Dante had nothing to say on the matter. Vanessa could be friends with whomever she wanted. He’d prefer liars be excluded. He’d stayed away from his sister’s home so he wouldn’t be harassed about Lanelle. It helped that he’d had to play catch-up at work with back-to-back meetings.

  Cynthia sat at the table adjacent to him. “You know I never liked your ex, Martha. She was always so stuck-up and hoity when I came to visit you on campus. And I know she didn’t like me, either, but she’d play pretend when you were around.”

  They’d had this conversation years ago when his ex-fiancée had dumped him.

  His sister shook her head. “It’s not my job to convince you of anything—your heart should be taking care of that. All I know is I’ve never seen you as happy with a woman as you were with Lanelle. She’s the same woman you fell in love—” She held up her hand to stop him from speaking. “Don
’t you dare lie to me.”

  “You mean, like she did to me?”

  Cynthia waved down a hand. “She went into self-preservation mode. People like Vanessa would be all over her if they knew her real identity.”

  Vanessa sat up straight in protest. “Hey.”

  Her mother ignored her. “Tell me you didn’t honestly expect her to tell a virtual stranger when they first meet you that she’s an heiress when she’s kept herself hidden from the world for years.”

  “I’ve thought about it, but how can I forgive her for putting my workers in danger when she could’ve just told me the truth?”

  Cynthia placed a hand on her hip as she glowered at him. “If you hadn’t talked about her to her face, maybe she wouldn’t have felt so intimidated to tell you directly.”

  The air he blew through his lips caused them to vibrate. “She’s fearless. Afraid of nothing.”

  Cynthia stood. “Except losing you. Love will make a person do some pretty messed-up things.” When she went back to the stove, Dante knew lecture time had finished.

  Vanessa nodded as if she’d experienced it all before. “I remember what you told me when I was going through chemo. The things you want, you will fight for.”

  “And then you vomited all over my brand-new loafers.”

  She chuckled. “Chemo was horrific, but that was funny. She’s special, and you know it. Please don’t let her go, Uncle D.”

  The spare moments he’d had over the past couple of weeks had been spent contemplating and remembering Lanelle. His pride had been beaten and fried over the fact that she’d been able to deceive him. And yet he was a little embarrassed he’d actually put Eliana down, even though he’d never met her.

  He took a deep breath, and the aromatic, spice-laden air filled his lungs. He loved Lanelle. He always would. Not for the first time, he wondered if he’d be able to forgive her.

  * * *

  Interrupted by her doorbell during the six o’clock news, Lanelle plodded to the entryway in her hot-pink fuzzy slippers. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and Toshia would’ve barged in again using her key. Nobody stood at the entrance of the peephole. She lowered her voice to make it sound more masculine. “Who is it?”

  He stepped into the scope of the peephole, and her breath caught at the warped sight of him. “It’s me. Dante.”

  What was he doing here? She’d called him a few times yesterday, with the call going to voice mail. The fourth time, she’d left a message apologizing once again for having deceived him and endangering his workers.

  When she hadn’t heard back, she figured she’d blown any chance she’d ever had with him.

  Admonishing the butterflies in her stomach to settle down didn’t help. She glanced down at her unattractive, old, faded, stretched-out jogging suit and calculated how long it would take to dash to her room and change. Way too long. She opened the door. A sweep of her hand indicated he should enter.

  He moved into her foyer, pivoted in her direction and passed a hand over his head. He looked as tired as she felt, with dark circles under his eyes. His designer suit hung a little loose on him. Her heart lurched, knowing that she’d caused him so much pain. She pushed down the lump in her throat. “Let’s go have a seat.”

  His stare kept her immobile. “What does your family call you?”

  It took her a moment to understand the question. “Depends on who you talk to and when. But mostly they call me El.”

  He nodded. “It could work for either name. Which do you prefer?”

  “From your lips? Lanelle.”

  He winced at the slight reminder of how he’d spoken about Eliana. “I got your message. I’m sorry I couldn’t call back.”

  Hurt that he didn’t bother to explain why, she lowered her gaze to her slippers and waited for him to get to the point of his visit so she could curl up on the couch and cry.

  “Eliana Astacio,” he said softly.

  She lifted her head.

  “I’m sorry I offended you. I had no idea you were this gracious, passionate, loving, funny, adventurous woman. I made a mistake. I based my opinion of you on a prior relationship with a woman of your similar social standing who hurt me. I was a fool to do so.”

  Lanelle wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her top and swallowed hard.

  “Lanelle Murphy,” he said, once again in a reverent tone. “I am truly sorry for being selfish and expecting you to tell me right away that you were Eliana, especially when I showed such disrespect toward a woman whose father I’d worked with and liked. You had every right to protect yourself from people who may have wanted to do harm. I believe you when you said you were going to tell me.”

  Her heart mended with every word. She’d chosen the right man to love, even if he might not want her anymore.

  He broke eye contact to look into the mirror that hung to his left. After a moment he returned his gaze. “I’m still upset that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me that my workers were in trouble, but I can understand why you did. You thought I would hate you because I detested who I thought Eliana was.”

  Lanelle shook her head. “It’s no excuse. I regret that moment of cowardice. I’m so sorry.”

  He pointed between them. “Other than what would’ve happened between us, you telling me wouldn’t have mattered. My worker fell through the wall a couple of hours before Brad did the inspection.”

  A sob of relief escaped. It wasn’t her fault. She’d always feel ashamed for not acting when she should’ve. “I’ll never be such a coward again. Never put my fear over doing the right thing. I promise.”

  He smiled. “I believe you. Whatever you set your mind to, you achieve. All a person has to do is read any kind of media to see how you stomped down those project embezzlers. You are one powerful woman.”

  Lanelle nodded once and waited. Would they be able to be together?

  “Eliana Lanelle Gill Astacio.” He hung his head. “I was no better than the asshole ex-husband who abandoned you.”

  She would’ve rushed to him in denial, but she didn’t know how he’d react. “You were justified in your anger. I was in the wrong, too.”

  “But I shouldn’t have closed you out. That was my greatest mistake and I will always regret it.”

  A huge weight lifted off her shoulders. At least now, if they couldn’t be together as lovers, they could sustain their friendship. “I forgive you, Dante.”

  “El,” he said with a small smile. “I’ve missed you so much. I felt as if my heart was torn from my chest and shoved back in. Will you please take me back?”

  She couldn’t help the smile spreading across her face. “Yes. I missed you, too, Dante.”

  He swung her into his arms and landed a hard kiss on her mouth. Easing the tension, he teased her lips. Her body responded by returning the caresses and grasping his shoulders. She never wanted to be away from him again.

  When he pulled his head back, she followed, refusing to let the kiss end. This time their tongues met. She relaxed, his cologne and hard body making her melt into him.

  Desire took over as he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue inside the crevices of her mouth. Him naked and filling her became her only priority.

  He wrenched his mouth away. “I’ve missed you so much.” He peppered kisses over her face in between the words.

  With an audacity she’d found the courage to exhibit only with him, she purred, “Then show me.”

  “Which way to your bedroom?”

  “It’s upstairs.” She nuzzled his neck, then clasped onto his hand and rushed into the living room. “Much too far away. The sofa will do for now.”

  * * *

  Dante’s hand roamed over Lanelle’s abdomen. He held it still at her giggle.

  “I thought my loving would’ve been enough to
make you sleep,” he teased.

  “Considering I did all the work, I should be tired.”

  Tilting her chin, he rubbed the tip of her nose with his. “I helped a little.”

  “If you say so.” She snuggled into him.

  Dante rolled her onto her back and tickled her.

  “You helped. You did,” she relented in between giggles.

  He picked up the blanket from the floor and repositioned it to cover them, then wrapped his arm around her as they spooned. Life couldn’t get any better.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked when she stiffened.

  She sat up partway, taking the afghan with her and leaving his upper half exposed. The sadness in her eyes worried him. After the miserable two weeks they’d endured, he never wanted to see her upset again. He still couldn’t believe she’d forgiven him and was willing to give him another chance. He’d do everything in his power to avoid disappointing her again.

  “Putting the Rh factor aspect aside, what if I’m never able to carry a baby to term?”

  He grabbed her hand and kissed the palm. “I love you, Lanelle.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but he rushed on. “If we’re blessed with children, they’d be a complement to our relationship, not the center. We can try to have kids if you want, or look into other options when the time is right. Or we could grow old with just the two of us hanging around in ratty jogging suits together.”

  She smacked his shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting company.”

  He flinched and rubbed the offended area, smiling. “What do you say? Will you have me as your one and only man? Or do you want to just have incredible sex every chance we get?”

  “How about both?”

  “We can make it happen.” Throwing the blanket off, he lifted her. “Now show me to your bed.”

  She fanned herself with the hand not wrapped around the back of his neck. “I do like a strong, macho man who takes charge.”

  His step faltered. “Since when?”

  “That’s right, I don’t.” Her eyes held a teasing glint. “You’d do well to remember that, Mr. Sanderson.”