by Amarie Avant
“I want to get a few shots of the roof’s angles. Set up the tripod here.” She dropped the blanket into the dewy grass, and then as if an afterthought, she mumbled, “Thanks.”
Looking through the lens, Raven felt his eyes roaming as she snapped pictures. Holding in her nerves, she took the camera off the tripod and took a few steps away from him as she snapped more photos, needing the distance. She tapped her lip to her finger and tried to keep her mind on photography.
“What are you thinking about?”
By the nearness of his voice, she detected that he was close, much too close. Raven stepped back on impulse, looking up at the glass house. This is the first time I haven’t been able to get lost in taking pictures. Inhaling deeply, she took in notes of flowers and tried to put her brain back into the creative mood.
“I’m trying to decide if I like this, but only time will tell. Pick up the tripod. There’s a clearing of leveled land about a mile away, unless you want to go to bed?”
“Nope.” Liam did as he was told. “Is this where you took those pictures from your portfolio?”
The space between them decreased as she stopped to glare. The sneaky snake had checked her out online. Though she gave her best frown, she knew he caught her smile when she turned around.
In the middle of grassland, Raven unfolded the blanket and tossed it up, letting it float to the pasture.
“What’s the difference between those cameras?” he asked when she exchanged the SLR camera.
“Well, Mr. Twenty-One Questions, this camera is for star trails. If I don’t fuck up, I’ll have captured the stars moving, based on the length of exposure. A twenty-minute picture, such as, will show the stars in a straight line, but having it open for one shot that lasts hours, provides a circular star trail. It’s beautiful.” She plopped down.
He sat. “Why don’t you turn it toward the moon?”
“The moon washes out the larger stars. Now, thank me for letting you in on this experience.”
“Thank you.” He laid back when she did. After a while, he broke the silence again. “This reminds me of home, when we were little.”
“Bellwood isn’t home anymore.” She had to let go of his large, warm hand. Until that moment, she actually enjoyed teaching him about photography. That moment was even more intimate than their quest to have sex on the kitchen counter.
She stood. I’ll start searching for apartments tomorrow.
Chapter 25
“I can’t have a guest wash dishes,” Raven said to Tyriq as she cleared the dinner table. He was dressed in basketball shorts and a jersey, and she couldn’t help but gaze at the definition in his arms.
“That’s not how I was raised.” He picked up a ceramic bowl with remnants of scalloped potatoes and followed her to the sink. “I stopped by for a game of b-ball and intruded on dinner.”
“I can’t even get Liam to wash the dishes.” Raven rolled her eyes at the giant as he and Royael exited to watch their evening cartoons.
“How about I wash, you dry?” Without waiting for a reply, Tyriq flicked on the stainless-steel faucet. After they’d gotten into the groove of cleaning, he mentioned her and Liam’s living situation.
“It’s difficult at times. You saw my crazy tactics to get a small kid and a grown one to eat broccoli. But it works. I’m taking extra courses at school now, so it’s convenient.” Raven hoped he couldn’t smell the crap she dished out. I’m indecisive, so shoot me. No, wait, you’re a cop.
When he handed her a cup, their hands touched. He gave her that contagious smile which sent sparks throughout her body.
“If you keep looking at me like that,” he began, leaning close enough for his chest to touch the back of her shoulder, warm breath tickling her neck as he gave a body-warming-warning, “I might forget where we are.”
“Exactly how am I looking at you?”
“Like you might take me down right now.” He licked his lips and grinned. “I’m not as strong as I look, Raven.”
“So you can’t handle me, Detective?” She laughed, knowing she shouldn’t take the bait, but he was funny and had a way of coaxing her around to his freaky innuendo.
“I might let you have your way with me for a few minutes.”
“Quit that!” She snatched the clean glass and they continued to wash dishes.
“So, I take it Liam doesn’t know about the B&E in Brinton.”
She froze, her smile dimming. How did Tyriq know what she’d done to Elise after Liam left her pregnant? She'd been foolish, young, and full of hormones, so doing something stupid was inevitable. Her record had been expunged, thanks to Grandpa Otis. Shame crept up her neck, clogging her throat. She became butterfingers as he handed her a saucer.
“Don’t worry, Raven.” He put his hand on her shoulder, and then apologized for its wetness. He laughed, though her echo was a forced chuckle. “I won’t tell him if you don’t.”
“Tell him what?” Liam asked.
They both turned to see the man in question picking up Mookie from Royael’s chair.
Raven opened her mouth, but Tyriq spoke instead. “I wasn’t going to mention that I would accompany Raven to the opera that y’all talked about over dinner. You didn’t make any stipulations to the dare, and if she has to endure a night of hollering, at least she shouldn’t have to do it solo.”
Liam nodded and walked out with the bear.
“Thanks,” Raven whispered as she went back to wiping dishes.
“It’s the least I can do. Besides, it’s a date.”
She smiled as he winked. Then he went right ahead with those charming jokes. Raven laughed, trying not to take his words seriously. “I have something important to—”
Tyriq’s phone went off. “Hold that thought. It’s my job.”
She took over the washing, wondering if he'd be just the guy to help Charlene find the rapist. She would need his utmost trust to keep her mother’s privacy. When he came back, he apologized but said he had to go.
***
The morning sun danced along the flecks of orange paint on the Challenger. Raven’s favorite color. She folded her arms to stave off the spring chill.
“Do you like it?” Liam searched her eyes for a glimmer of happiness.
“I … I …” Her psyche was overwhelmed with desire for him. Only Liam had the ability to make her feel so lost and insecure. Everything he did was so very thoughtful, from being a goofy sap alongside his daughter at the 90s pageant a week back, to hiding fifty extra Mookie bears in one of the many extra bedrooms.
Her throat clogged. She didn’t want another thing from Liam unless she had him. “Thanks.”
“You don’t sound thankful.” He towered over her, attempting to search her gaze, but her line of vision hadn’t met his since the day she forgot herself once again and fell totally and utterly in love.
Thumb and index finger rubbing together, Raven said, “Well, I am grateful—”
“It’s always an issue of money, isn’t it?”
“What are you talking about?” Raven finally looked up at him.
“I know you don’t prefer when I take Royael on shopping sprees or come home with a new set of diamond earrings or … or when I previously offered to buy you a car. Hell, I even tried to give you the keys to one of my cars.”
“Liam, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Granted, sometimes I say she’s spoiled. Of course, Royael is a little diva.”
“Do you think I’m trying to shove money at you or use it as a mechanism to compensate for time lost?”
She scoffed. “Why would I think that? You don’t even go out on dates these days. If it’s not for work, you give all your time to Royael. And then you even apologize when you have to travel to Santa Monica. Liam, I know you didn’t get in not one wink the other day while making that turn-around trip to read at Royael’s school. She could have easily switched Fridays.”
His broad shoulders seemed to cave a bit. “You’re acknowledging my attempts, but hones
tly, Re, there’s tension between us. I can forever apologize for having been a piece of shit as a dad, but tell me when I’m doing something wrong here. We’re a team, I need you.”
We’re a team, I need you. Raven’s eyes closed for a moment, and she chewed anxiously on the inside of her bottom lip. “Liam, I’ve got a lot of fucking issues, a friggen’ boatload of them, and your role as Royael’s father is not one of them. At least, not anymore. Liam, you’re a good damn good father. And I’m thankful that you’ve stepped up to the plate. I’m thankful for the car.”
He placed his hands on his hips. “I still hear a caveat.”
“But!” Her hands balled at her sides. “But I’m fucking frustrated!” God, he must think I'm psychotic! But I can't explain these thoughts, these desires.
“Why? I will be there for you, Raven.”
She looked down the street, lined with pine trees and not another soul for miles, hands on the top of her head. “Don’t. Don’t be there for me in this way. Don’t be there for me like you once were. It’s so much better for us. It’s time for me to find a place.”
“I don’t want you to go.” His voice vibrated against her chest.
“We’ll work out a routine for Royael. Sunday through—”
Liam grabbed her chin, and forced her face upward. “I said, I don’t want you to go, Re. You. All I want to do is worship the ground you walk on. And love you, and keep you just for myself. You want that, I know it.”
Warm rays of the sun played off his sandy-brown hair. Raven’s gaze alternated from his searing hazel eyes to a blue jay flying to the nature surrounding them. Instinct told her to jump ship, but her heart called out to him. Head snuggled against his chest, she too breathed freely for the first time in years. She needed to be closer; she craved it.
She felt an insatiable tidal wave as his hands lifted her and her legs wrapped around his buff waist.
Madness drove him into the house, up the stairs, across the bridge toward the bedroom. He kicked the door closed with his foot, only to slow down and place her, like a jewel, on the bed. The seconds that it took his hands to leave her body and tug her shirt over her head were pure torture. She leaned forward, snatched his tank top, and ripped it off. She kissed him hard on the chest as his hands roamed through her hair.
The feel of his cock against her lips was engraved in her mind. The technique she’d learned from him before made her soften her jaw, to take in more of him. Raven’s throat relaxed. Her mouth watered for that faint taste of his power, his seed, while her lips continued its trail down Liam’s abdomen.
Sunday.
Raven’s eyes widened to those ever-racing thoughts as she wrenched his shirt in her hands. “It’s Sunday!” Shame slammed into her chest.
“Yes, it’s Sunday.” He leaned in to kiss her again.
She turned away. They weren’t related, Raven knew that with all of her heart. But becoming too friendly while raising their daughter would be Raven’s demise.
Chapter 26
Raven stifled a yawn after she gulped down a double shot of espresso and threw the cup into the wastebasket. Going through the swinging doors, she returned from a much-needed pick-me-up to see Cassidy shouting out orders. Getting into the barista groove, she helped trim the line.
“Why are you still working here?” Cassidy leaned against the counter and wiped her brow, once the afternoon patrons stopped flooding in. “You’re overloading on classes. Not to mention, I’ve seen you and Royael in magazines for Christ’s sake—just going to the movies!”
“I dunno. The free coffee.” She shrugged. I get to avoid Liam for a couple extra hours. Since yesterday’s episode, I can’t look him in the face.
Cassidy opened her mouth, geared toward a serious answer when her eyes bugged out. “God, he’s enough incentive for this busy day.”
Raven looked toward the door to see Detective Tyriq Tate. He had an aura about him. Most of the female patrons stopped chattering or typing on their laptops to stare at the way his V-neck clung to lean muscle. His lips curved upward when he noticed her, and she almost didn’t notice all of the jealous-eyed daggers.
“Hello, Tyriq.” She came around the pastry display and gave him a hug. He held on for a nanosecond too long. She wouldn’t fight a few extra seconds, though. He smelled divine and kept her mind off Liam.
“Well, well, well … Raven looking as beautiful as ever.” He drank her in, stopping on her camisole and brown belt cinching her waist.
She introduced him to a gawking Cassidy and had to clear her throat for Cassidy to respond to his outstretched hand.
“Well, Cass, I’ll be going now.”
“Delicious and nutritious, dark chocolate is filled with antioxidants,” Cassidy jokingly whispered as Raven came back around the stand to grab her purse. They hugged, then Raven clocked out.
“You’re right on time. I just made this for you.” Raven handed him a cup of coffee drizzled with chocolate as he held the door open. A gust of air blew at her maxi dress then she was assaulted by heat. She side-stepped a couple strolling hand in hand and bumped into his chest. “Thanks for meeting me. I really need you, uh … need your help.”
“Of course, should we go to your place or mine?” As if sexy-slanted eyes weren’t enough to have her feeling like goofy Cassidy, Tyriq shaded those dark eyes and licked his lips.
“Oh, Tyriq.” She strolled down the sidewalk, glad he no longer mentally disrobed her. Though, he acted like they were old friends, lovers even. Her cheeks warmed as he stepped closer to let a jogger with a fluffy dog pass, sending notes of citrus and seawater with a bit of testosterone her way. “I need you to find someone for me.”
“All right, but you and Liam are making me consider consulting as a PI on the side. He’s got me looking for Lucinda, and now, you …” He shrugged, taking a notepad out of his jean pocket.
She looked away for a moment and bit her lip. Liam’s looking for his old maid. Why?
Tyriq cleared his throat, and Raven thought about the task at hand—the imperative mission of helping Charlene. “My mom was raped twenty-three years ago at the age of fifteen on her way to Hollywood ...”
When she finished her story, his head cocked. “Charlene Shaw, the actress? I swear I saw the two of you in the papers a few weeks ago, but was in the opposite check-out line.”
Raven smiled for a moment. After their recent argument, Charlene publicly acknowledged her. That, she knew, was the end of their tension.
Her face became serious again. “Yes. It was a hard road to fame.” She shoved her hair behind her ear, feeling self-conscious under his concerned gaze.
“Raven, I don’t have enough time to invest to finding Roy.” He pulled out his wallet. “I know a guy that can get it done. Stork can do the job.” After she had a moment to put the card in her purse, he asked, “Do you have any plans this Friday?”
Liam’s looking for Lucinda. Okay, stop it, Raven. Stop it! There might not be a connection, but Tyriq’s a busy person and I’m sure he gets a lot of female attention. “I …”
“Think about it. If you ever need me, I’m a phone call away.” He held her gaze as she nodded in a daze, mind on Liam again. That searing moment between her and the detective was like a candle being blown out. Tyriq gave one last smile before swinging a leg over his silver Harley. She couldn’t deny that there’d been a spark between them. A glimmer in her heart wanted to find out how life would transform if she chose the road that would lead to him.
Chapter 27
Over dinner at Texas Roadhouse the night before, Sharon had said, “We’re often afraid to achieve our deepest desires.”
Raven got out of bed to that thought. She was petrified, but glad Sharon understood that she wasn't going to hurt Liam, no matter what. They'd parted ways making arrangements to meet for happy hour the following Thursday, and Raven was glad there'd be no more talk of screwing him over.
While she brushed her teeth, the doorbell rang. Descending the stairs, she rubbed h
er hand over her rumpled PJ shirt, noticing a cream-colored car through the living room glass. An expensive, old money car, unlike Liam’s flashy rides.
She opened the heavy, carved-wood door with both hands to a woman with white-blond hair and green eyes. Her eyebrows rose at the lady’s extravagant mauve gown with embellished neckline.
“Wait a minute.” Raven’s eyes dimmed in uncertainty, and then widened. “Are you, are you … You are DuPont’s masterpiece. His muse!”
“Yes, I am. Most people know the model, not the photographer. And even more people know me by name, Estella Delacroix.”
Her jaw dropped as Estella pulled her into a hearty hug. She had the same emerald eyes as the Ice Queen, but her platinum-blond hair wasn't a blunt cut. Raven was also shocked that floral perfume lingered at her nostrils when the woman pulled away. “I …”
“You’re Raven Shaw.” Estella patted her back. “And you, my dear, have impeccable taste in photography.”
“When you did that pose in the 60s, the one where you bent backwards and …” Raven had to admit she was the first woman with a French accent that she didn’t automatically dislike. “Liam never told me he was related—”
“I’m his grand-mère, but he doesn’t like me all that much.”
“Where are my manners? Come in.” Raven moved to the side, noticing a chauffeur taking mounds of luggage out of the trunk. He placed them just inside and the canvas luggage stacked almost as tall as the bonsai tree. Estella bid him farewell, then turned back to Raven, tapping a finger to her lips.
“You’re too petite to be a model. Nonetheless, you know great photography so it’s safe to assume that you’re of like spirits?” Estella linked arms with Raven as she stared at the luggage in bewilderment. “Let’s leave this to Liam. Point me in the direction of the kitchen. We’ll have refreshments, and you can tell me all about your photography. How does that sound?”
