The Secrets of Paradise Bay

by Devon Vaughn Archer

  That was an understatement, Trey thought. Seemed like she had the golden touch when it came to singing jazz from everything he’d heard, which was plenty. Add to that the complete physical package one could envision of a stunning, shapely, sultry crooner, and it was obvious that Clyde had a winner in his jazz vocalist in more ways than one.

  “Why don’t you bring Stefani over for dinner tomorrow night?” Trey suggested. “I’m sure Ivana would love to meet her. Maybe they can even become friends.”

  Clyde hesitated. “Sounds good, but I’m sure Stefani has other plans.”

  Trey gazed at her, unwilling to give up so easily. “You’d be doing me a favor if you could come.” He didn’t want to pressure her, yet hoped she would feel at ease with him and Ivana, as an employee of the club in which he was half owner.

  “I’d love to come.” She looked up at Clyde tentatively. “If that’s all right with you.”

  “Why wouldn’t it be?” he said hastily and faced Trey. “We’ll be there.”

  “Marvelous.” Trey smiled, though he sensed his brother’s uneasiness for some reason. He assumed it had to do with fear of failure where it concerned a potential relationship, something Trey had never known Clyde to have with anyone. Maybe Stefani could provide the type of stability he needed in balancing his personal and professional life.

  Clyde forced a grin at Trey, and then Stefani, as they stood in the club. He was nervous about having dinner at Trey’s place for a damned good reason. He doubted Ivana would want to see him, and figured she probably wouldn’t be too crazy about meeting Stefani and becoming her friend. But he couldn’t exactly tell that to Trey. Not without admitting he had a one-night stand with Ivana and that she’d wanted it to go further. The fact that he passed on her offer wouldn’t win him many brownie points with Trey, considering that he’d already slept with his brother’s wife.

  Clyde bit his tongue. He had no choice but to go along with the program and hope Ivana didn’t do anything crazy, ruining things for both of them. Aside from damaging his relationship with Trey, the last thing Clyde wanted was to blow what had the potential to be something special with Stefani.

  “Your brother seems nice,” Stefani said after Trey left.

  “Don’t let that smooth voice and calm demeanor fool you,” Clyde told her.

  She frowned. “You mean he’s not so nice?”

  Clyde chuckled. “Just playing with you. Trey is a great guy and the best brother one could have. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

  “Then I guess we’re both in his debt, as I’m here as a result.”

  He smiled. “Good point. I’ll have to thank Trey later for that.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay with having me as your unofficial date for dinner with Trey and his wife?”

  “I’m more than okay with it,” Clyde assured her. “And, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to make that an official date.”

  Stefani showed her teeth. “I think I can handle that.”

  Clyde grinned while wondering if Ivana would be half as gracious.

  “I invited Clyde and Stefani over for dinner tomorrow,” Trey told Ivana that night.

  “You might have told me beforehand,” she complained.

  “Come on, it’s no big deal. Stefani’s the new singer at the club, so I thought it would be good if you got to know her.”

  “Why on earth would I want to get to know her?” Ivana’s lower lip hung open. “We have absolutely nothing in common.”

  “How do you know that? You might have a lot in common.”

  She doubted that. “Such as?”

  “Well, Stefani’s beautiful, for one, just like you; and Clyde is into her, even if he hasn’t come right out and said they’re dating.”

  Ivana bristled at the thought. So Clyde had found someone else to share his bed with. Was she better at pleasing him?

  Why should I be jealous? We’re so over and done with. He can bed whoever he wants. Can’t he?

  “Good for him,” she said, trying to keep her voice blasé.

  “I think its damned good for him,” Trey said.

  “To tell you the truth, I’m flabbergasted that he’s gone this long without any action that I’m aware of. Not that he’d share his sex-life details with me. We never really got that deep about it when we were younger. Why start now?”

  Maybe because you’d hate your brother if he told you where he’d gotten some action, Ivana thought. And your wife, too.

  “Some things are better left unsaid,” she told him.

  “Well, actions speak louder than words,” Trey stated thoughtfully. “For Clyde’s sake, I hope Stefani is the real deal, and that he recognizes it before someone else snatches her.”

  You mean like you? Ivana grew angry at the thought of Trey lusting after this singer the way he did Helene. She could imagine him trying to pull one over on her again, while coming out on top where it concerned his brother. Don’t even think about it. Ivana would sooner leave Trey—if not kill him—than be humiliated again by his wandering eye and overactive libido.

  “You didn’t tell me your brother was rich,” Stefani said, marveling at the size of the house before her.

  Clyde downplayed it. “I don’t really like to talk about much. It’s no big deal.”

  “I agree,” she said. “Just surprised, that’s all.”

  Now Clyde felt he was being overly defensive for some reason, as if he were competing with his brother. Maybe he was, in many respects. “Trey’s always been the go-getter in the family. It’s paid off for him. I’m only trying to hang in there without being left too far behind.”

  Stefani grinned. “Do I detect a little brotherly competition?”

  “Maybe a little,” Clyde conceded. “Comes with the territory. Trey is a tough act to follow, though. He’s motivated me to at least go after my dreams and let the rest take care of itself.”

  “Sounds like Trey has your best interests at heart.”

  “That hasn’t always been the case, but I think you’re right.” Clyde thought back to protecting Trey’s interests when Willie wanted them for himself, and the price he had paid. So maybe they were even now. For the moment, Clyde only wanted to get through this night without any major fireworks or embarrassment. “Ready to go in?” he asked his date.

  Stefani smiled with a nod. “Yes, it should be fun.”

  Clyde held his breath on that one.

  “Ivana, this is Stefani McNeal,” Trey introduced. “The jazz vocalist Clyde hired to sing at the club.”

  Ivana surveyed her. She’s lovely, just as Trey indicated, with a nice body to match. Feeling a tad envious, Ivana couldn’t help but wonder how she measured up to Stefani in Clyde’s eyes, not to mention Trey’s.

  “Thanks for having me,” Stefani said.

  “Thanks for coming,” Ivana responded nicely to keep up appearances. She met Clyde’s face with a hard gaze and he averted his eyes.

  “You have a beautiful home, Ivana,” Stefani told her.

  “It’s taken a lot of hard work, but we’re happy with it.” Ivana glanced at Trey.

  “Yes, we are,” he agreed. “But in the end, it’s just bricks, wood, plaster, and a lot of expensive things to fill it. What’s really important is that guests are as comfortable here as we are.”

  “That’s a great attitude to have,” Stefani said with a smile, eyeing Clyde.

  “My brother has always had a great attitude about all the important things,” Clyde indicated.

  Ivana begged to differ. Trey hadn’t considered his marriage important enough to keep from falling into the arms of another woman. Not that Ivana was faultless, having done the same thing when at her weakest moment, only to find that Clyde had cast her aside and put his focus on the attractive singer.

  Now Ivana was left to deal with the betrayal of both brothers, coupled with her own betrayal. She could only hope to make the best of her messed-up life, if it was possible.

  So far, so good, Clyde th
ought, having Ivana and Stefani under one roof without Ivana getting crazy on him. Let’s hope it stays that way. He had mixed feelings in returning to the house. It was there that Trey had put him up after being released, giving him a chance to get back on his feet. Clyde couldn’t thank him enough for that. But it was also where he had crossed the line, regretting it more than he could express. There was no turning back the clock, though. The damage had been done, and it was best to move on, which he was trying hard to do.

  He wasn’t convinced Ivana felt the same way, as she’d given him the evil eye ever since they’d arrived. Had Trey noticed? Stefani?

  “If everyone’s ready, then the food is served,” Francine said, entering the living room.

  “Let’s eat!” Trey voiced, leading the way. He put an arm around Clyde’s shoulder. “Hope you brought your appetite with you, little brother.”

  “Always,” Clyde said, smiling thinly. He glanced at the women taking up the rear. Stefani grinned at him, looking as lovely as ever. Ivana was unreadable, but she seemed to be adjusting to the idea that what they had was over and that even friendship was probably a bad idea at this point. Maybe now she would give her relationship with Trey a real chance to succeed, just as Clyde was interested in seeing if anything good could come out of his attraction to Stefani, which seemed very mutual.

  “Did you have to stick it in my face?” Ivana asked Clyde bluntly. She had followed him into the huge downstairs bathroom while Trey showed off his vast collection of jazz CDs to Stefani.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You know damned well,” she retorted. “Bringing another woman to my house to show off.”

  “Wasn’t my idea to come here,” he told her. “And even then, why would I want to stick anything in your face?”

  Ivana wickedly cast her eyes down below his waist. “You tell me. You seemed to do a pretty good job of it before.”

  “Give it a rest, Ivana.” A vein bulged in Clyde’s temple. “What happened between us is over and done with. Let’s not go there and stir up a hornet’s nest.”

  Ivana sneered. “So is she really all that?”

  “We’re not dating, if that’s what you’re asking. Not yet, anyway. But Stefani is all that when it comes to singing.”

  Ivana gave him a dismissive look. If they weren’t dating, it was only a matter of time before he got into Stefani’s panties. She supposed it would have happened sooner or later that he’d find someone safe to be with. Didn’t mean Ivana had to pretend there weren’t still mixed emotions where it concerned Clyde and their hot night of passion. Even if her heart belonged to Trey.

  “Go back to your singer,” she told Clyde through puckered lips. “Hope you don’t break her heart. You Lancaster brothers seem to be very good at that.”

  “Maybe you should look in the mirror at your own faults, Ivana, before jumping on us,” he suggested. “We all step off the wagon at some time or another in our lives. When it happens, you have to deal with it and not drown in the muddy water.”

  “Spare me the philosophy crap, Clyde. It’s not you.” Ivana peered at him. “Or are you becoming your brother without even realizing it, Mr. Jazz Club Co-owner?”

  Clyde bristled. “I think you know the answer to that.”

  “Question is, do you?—considering you’ve been everywhere he has and more.”

  He jutted his chin, but offered no response as they joined Trey and Stefani. Ivana wondered if she should have kept her mouth shut and not been so brutal, since what they had was over and done with. Or had he got everything he deserved?

  “Thought we’d head out now,” Clyde told Stefani.

  Trey frowned. “But you practically just got here, and the night’s still young.”

  “Actually, we were thinking about catching a late movie,” Clyde said, gazing at Stefani.

  She offered a brief smile. “I’m always up for a good movie.”

  It was obvious to Ivana that he was lying through his teeth in a bid to get away from them—or her. Maybe it was a wise decision, all things considered, for having him there only made her feel guiltier.

  “Well, the movie’s on us,” Trey said, putting an arm around Ivana. “Clyde probably told you that we own a few movie theaters in town.”

  Stefani was taken aback. “No, he didn’t.”

  “I didn’t want to overwhelm you with the fact that my brother practically owns half the city,” Clyde joked.

  Stefani gave a little laugh. “Well, I suppose it could be a bit daunting, but fun to know.”

  “It’s not a big deal,” Trey said, downplaying. “I just want you to enjoy the movie. And throw in some popcorn and a drink as our treat.”

  “You’re very kind, but—”

  “Don’t argue with him,” Ivana cut in. “When Trey wants something, he usually doesn’t take no for an answer.”

  “Well, in that case, guess I won’t say no,” Stefani said with an uneasy grin.

  Ivana looked up at Trey, imagining he was pleased that she put him on a pedestal. She had a feeling Clyde had mixed emotions on the issue. For her part, Ivana had grown tired of fighting with the two brothers. She just wasn’t sure how to resolve the issue that was threatening to tear them apart.

  “What was all that about anyway?” Stefani asked Clyde during the drive.

  He feigned ignorance, angling his eyes at her. “I don’t follow you.”

  “I didn’t realize we had talked about seeing a movie.”

  How can I explain without divulging things I shouldn’t? Clyde looked back at the road over the steering wheel. “Guess I just felt a bit stuffy in there. And with Trey seemingly ready to invite us to stay the night, I had to think of some way for us to leave.”

  Stefani chuckled. “So it’s a brother thing, huh?”

  “Yeah, something like that,” Clyde said. Along with a sister-in-law thing. He wanted to kick himself for allowing Ivana to get under his skin. And to think he believed she might have been starting to come around. Instead, it was the same old bitter and jealous woman who seemed determined to stir up the pot and make him sweat.

  “Are we still on for a movie?” Stefani regarded his profile. “Or was that simply to get out of there?”

  “Unless you have something better in mind?” Clyde turned to her, hoping that was the case.

  “We could go to your place instead,” Stefani suggested.

  Clyde, who had been a perfect gentleman around Stefani, felt his libido go up a couple of notches. Only yesterday Raymond had moved out, finding a place not far from the club. Maybe things were happening as meant to be. One could only hope.

  “Sure, we can go to my place,” he said. “As long as you don’t expect a replica of my brother’s grand estate.”

  “No expectations,” she promised. “Let’s just play it by ear.”

  “Okay by me.” Clyde imagined nibbling on her ear, then the other, and much more thereafter. The notion agreed with him wholeheartedly.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  The moment they stepped inside the loft, Clyde and Stefani were all over one another. They ripped off each other’s clothes and barely made their way to Clyde’s platform bed. It was Stefani who pushed Clyde onto the matelasse coverlet, admiring his six-pack abs and tightly muscled physique. Her eyes lowered to his magnificent, full erection and she felt a tremor at the thought of it being in her.

  She bent down and kissed his penis, licking the shaft once, teasingly, and feeling Clyde shudder, before trailing hot kisses along his stomach and up his chest. When Stefani’s mouth arrived at Clyde’s handsome face and waiting lips, she went for them with the passion of a woman who somehow felt as though she’d met her match in Clyde Lancaster. She didn’t know who he’d been with before her, or what issues there may have been, but in Stefani’s mind it was ancient history, just as her own intimate past. She wanted only to focus on the here and now, and sensed Clyde felt very much the same way.

  As though they were longtime companion
s, Clyde and Stefani began to make love zestfully and tirelessly, exploring each other’s bodies, inhaling scents, and leaving no stone unturned.

  “You feel wonderful inside me,” Stefani murmured in Clyde’s ear as she absorbed his measured, mighty thrusts, wanting him to go deeper and deeper. She nibbled at his earlobe and ran her hands over and across his shaven head, wanting to enjoy every bit of him.

  “I’m loving being in you,” Clyde spoke in a throaty voice as Stefani wrapped her legs high across his back, holding him tightly while they went at each other with utter abandon.

  Clyde pulled Stefani atop him and they continued to have hot sex without missing a beat. He held her thin waist and arched his back to meet her time and again as she rode him lustfully. Soon, they were on their sides, kissing, licking, tickling, touching, and caressing, before changing positions and starting all over again as though neither could get enough of the other.

  By the time they shared an explosive climax, their bodies were wet with lust and spent energy. Clyde put his tongue in Stefani’s mouth, enchanted by her taste, before sucking her lips and thrusting himself into her during one final burst of dizzying heights. He slumped beside Stefani while catching his breath and trying to come to terms with what just happened. It was unreal, yet the most real thing he may have ever experienced.

  “Did I just dream that?” he asked with a low laugh

  Stefani hummed and ran a finger down his chest enticingly. “If you did, then we were both in dreamland.”

  “Then don’t ever wake me up. Unless, of course, I’m opening my eyes to you.”

  She flushed. “Guess we make a pretty good team, huh?”

  “More than pretty good,” Clyde said. “How about a great team!”

  Stefani raised her chin. “Do you think it’s a good idea to mix pleasure with business?”

  He didn’t have to think about it very long. “Yeah, in this case, it’s very good.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.”