TheTemptationNotJustifiedAReFinal (9 page)

“He
plays this role like he’s holier than thou, but he’s as slimy as our father.
The family spent New Year’s Eve here at the house. I brought a woman with me,
and we stayed at one of the nearby hotels. Guess who wound up drunk in Roarke’s
room one night after we spent the day here?”

She
thought it was a rhetorical question, but he waited for her to answer. “Your
date?”

“Bingo!”
Derrick said bitterly. “You win the prize. He lured her up to his room to take
advantage of her in her drunken state.”

“How
do you know—”

“I know.
I’d been looking all over for her, and then I heard her laughter through the
door of his bedroom. I found them together in his bed, Celeste. She told me everything,
although he tried to deny it. Stay away from him. I’m surprised he didn’t try
to get you into bed when he met you at Avery’s last week. Obviously, he can’t
resist a pretty face, and I wouldn’t put it past him to try to seduce you,
too.”

Celeste
tried to dismiss Derrick’s words, but she couldn’t.

Not
only did he try, he succeeded. Her stomach twisted painfully. She hated the
thought that Derrick’s words contained any truth and she’d been a simple notch
on Roarke’s bedpost. Even though she’d had similar thoughts, hearing Derrick
voice them was crushing.

“Have
the two of you ever gotten along or been close?”

“Never.
And we never will.”

The
situation between Derrick and Roarke was worse than Celeste imagined. She
couldn’t tell Derrick about her and Roarke now. Not only would it hurt him, it
would only serve to further feed the flame of hatred he held for his brother.

What
would even be the point of telling Derrick? Roarke had made it clear what he
thought of her. He wanted her for sex, and that was all. The thought cut deep,
scraped the walls of her heart and wounded her feelings.

Nonetheless,
her thoughts and feelings didn’t matter. Her friend was hurting. Years of rejection
had spread and eaten away at him like an ulcer, coloring his perception of the
truth. She sympathized with Derrick’s predicament, but his pride left no room
for her pity.

“Now
you understand why my relationship with my dear brother isn’t all that great.”

“Yes.”
She watched as his breathing slowed to normal. “What about Phineas? Hasn’t he
been a good father to you?”

“Phineas
is an old white man who was unfortunate enough to fall in love, but smart
enough to realize you can buy anything with money, including a young wife. When
The Sperm Donor relinquished all paternal rights, my mother made Phineas adopt
me, and he got stuck playing stepfather to her half-black son.” With a wry
twist to his lips, he added, “Unfortunately for him, we came as a package
deal.”

Abruptly,
as if he suddenly realized he’d said too much, Derrick turned to the door and
swung it open. “Let’s get out of here.”

Before
they walked out, Celeste reached out and pulled him into a hug. He went rigid,
but she held on until his stiffened body loosened in her arms. He held her for
a brief moment and then released, letting his arms hang loosely at his sides.

Looking
deeply into his eyes, she whispered, “You have to let go of this anger you have
inside. It’s not healthy.”

As
luck would have it, Roarke appeared in the hallway at that moment, and her
stomach plummeted. He paused, and their gazes locked over Derrick’s shoulder.
The power of his stare rocked her insides. She could only imagine how the scene
appeared, confirming every contemptible thought about her, so soon after their heated
tryst.

Too
quick for her to decipher the look he cast in her direction, his face became a
shuttered mask so swiftly she thought she imagined it.

“Hey,”
Derrick said in a stiff voice, glancing over his shoulder at Roarke. Celeste lowered
her arms, and he looped his arm around her back. “More family’s arrived.”

“Yeah,”
Roarke said, staring down the hall. He didn’t look at her. He didn’t look at
either of them. “Cassidy told me. Everyone’s on the back porch.”

He
walked away, and they followed behind.

Moments
later, they joined the family downstairs. There, Celeste met three other people
staying in the house: Aunt Iris, a tall, dark-skinned woman who stood behind
the wheelchair of an older woman everyone called Granny, and their Uncle Reese,
who was in the process of prepping a couple of grills for the meat and
vegetables on a table nearby. She was also introduced to a few cousins staying
in one of the hotels with their children.

With
the sun high in the sky and the waves crashing nearby, Celeste relaxed into the
southern comfort of the beach house with a twinge of envy. The Hawthorne family
sipped lemonade and sweet tea and munched on snacks as they waited for Uncle
Reese to “do his thing” on the grill.

A
couple of hours later, with the groom, additional guests, and a few neighbors
present, the large group ate the bounty of food, seated on the back porch and
gathered around folded tables on the lawn. The Hawthornes were a big, loving
family and made her feel welcome. She thought how nice it would be for her
daughter Arianna to experience the love and camaraderie of a large family in
such an idyllic location.

Because
of the number of people at the house, she managed to keep her distance from
Roarke easily enough, though she couldn’t resist looking at him from time to
time.

After
a stomach full of chicken, ribs, rolls, sides, and dessert, Celeste sat next to
Matthew on the porch swing. She surveyed the group and listened with interest
to their conversation. Roarke leaned against one of the white posts, and Cassidy
stood next to him, her arm wound around his and her head resting below the top
of his shoulder.

Roarke’s
Aunt Iris asked him about marriage and children, and Celeste couldn’t help
listening attentively to hear what he had to say. The sting of jealousy ran
through her at the thought of Roarke married with children. He deflected his
aunt’s question by pointing out Cassidy was getting married tomorrow.

“Hey,
don’t shift the focus off you to me!”

“Thanks
for having my back.” He slipped his arm around his sister’s neck in a mock
headlock.

The
playful banter between the two continued. Cassidy’s obvious adoration for her
older brother directly conflicted with Derrick’s assessment of Roarke. In fact,
from her observation, Roarke was well regarded by everyone.

Could
it all be an act?

It
was possible. Hadn’t her own husband fooled her into thinking he was a loving,
giving person interested in a monogamous relationship, when all along he’d been
“giving” his loving to as many women as he could during their marriage?

She
wondered if the old adage had merit in Roarke’s case: If it seems too good to
be true, then it probably is. Still, how much of what Derrick said about Roarke
was truth and how much misconstrued because of jealousy?

Chapter
Eight

Celeste
awoke the next morning feeling groggy. Stressed over the previous day’s events,
she’d hardly slept a wink. After a somewhat revitalizing cup of coffee, she
inquired about Derrick’s whereabouts and found out he’d already left for the
day. No one knew when he would return. When she called his cell phone, it went
straight to voice mail, and that’s when she decided to go exploring on her own.

In
Pier Village, the center of activity, she would find quaint shops and
restaurants. It wasn’t too far, and the walk would be good exercise. She made
up an excuse for why she couldn’t stay for breakfast, but the truth was, she
didn’t want to sit through the meal with Roarke.

As
she left the house, she heard the wedding planner bark orders across the yard in
the middle of a cyclone of activity. A local spa unloaded a couple of massage
tables and other items from the back of a van. The bride and her wedding party
would have massages, facials, and other services to help them get ready. When
she returned, no doubt delivery trucks would be all over the yard as the setup
for the wedding continued.

The
ceremony would take place outside in front of over three hundred guests, the
majority of whom were Cassidy’s family and friends, and they would move into
the tent for the reception. The groom, Antonio Vega, was an Afro-Latino from Puerto
Rico. Most of his family still lived there. His immediate family, which
included Lorena, the maid of honor, his brothers, and parents, would be in
attendance, along with others who resided stateside.

Her
own wedding hadn’t been such a grand event. Short on cash, she and her ex arranged
a small ceremony in his mother’s living room, and they never got around to a
honeymoon. Despite the lack of a fairy-tale beginning, Celeste had been happy
because at the time she thought she was marrying the man who would remain her
husband until death separated them. She’d been too naïve to see the signs at
the time, and the example of her parents’ successful marriage before her
father’s death had distorted her views on marriage and partnership.

She
laughed to herself. What a difference a year could make. Before long she
suspected her husband of cheating, and a short time later found the evidence.

With
sunglasses on and her hair pulled back into a braided chignon secured into a
neat knot at the nape, Celeste started toward town. Five minutes into her walk,
a black car slowed beside her, and the owner honked the horn. Roarke sat in the
driver’s seat and rolled the window down.

“Need
a lift?” The mirrored shades he wore blocked her ability to see his eyes.

“I’m
going down to the village. I don’t mind walking,” Celeste replied. Despite the
barrier of steel between them, her pulse began a thunderous race at his
presence. Sitting in the car with him was not a good idea.

“Hop
in,” he said, popping the lock. “There’s no point in walking when you can
ride.”

Except
when the person you accepted the ride from was a man you were insanely
attracted to, and the word “ride” sent your mind off in an X-rated direction.

“Thanks,”
Celeste mumbled once she settled into the passenger seat.

Inside
the car, she became even more aware of him. Her senses drew to him like metal
splinters to a powerful magnet. Her skin prickled from sitting so close, and
her nostrils captured the morning freshness of soap and his distinctive
aftershave.

“Do
you have any particular place in mind?” Roarke asked as he shifted the car into
gear.

“No.
I planned to eat breakfast first and then map out a plan for the day.”

“I’m
going to eat breakfast, too. I’m headed to the 4th of May Deli on Mallery
Street. They have good food. You should try their seafood omelet. They use
local shrimp and crab. If you have a hearty appetite, add a short stack of
pancakes.”

Celeste
glanced sideways at him. “Sounds delicious, but . . . do you think it’s a good
idea?”

“What?”

“You
know what.”

“For
us to spend time together?”

“Yes.
After yesterday, I’m not so sure . . .” Celeste knotted her fingers in her lap.

Roarke
turned his head toward her and then back to the street. “Yesterday shouldn’t
have happened,” he agreed in a slow, careful voice. His grip tightened on the
steering wheel. “Again, I apologize. I was out of line for what I did and said.
Today is a new day. As you pointed out yesterday, we’re both adults. We’re only
having breakfast, but if you prefer, I could sit at a different table.”

She
would
prefer
not to have to be so close to him and suffer through this
hands-off policy. “That won’t be necessary,” Celeste said. “I’m sure we can
tolerate each other through a short breakfast.”

The
planes of his face set into hard lines, but he didn’t say another word until after
he parked the car and they entered the deli.

Once
they’d ordered, Roarke made an obvious effort to generate conversation between
them. “Are you doing one of the tours?”

Celeste
nodded.

Seated
across from her with his sunglasses off and wearing a dark blue shirt with
jeans, he bore the casual air of a summer vacationer. Trying to crush the
fluttering of her heart at how attractive he looked in the casual clothes, she
lowered her gaze. She spread a brochure and map she’d lifted from an
information box at the airport on the table.

“There
are so many choices, though.”

“One
place you definitely want to visit is the lighthouse. It’s a historic landmark,
and it would be a shame for you to leave without seeing it.”

Celeste
sighed. “I should’ve planned this better. I don’t know where to begin, and I
won’t be here a long time.”

“We
could rent a golf cart to get around in. A lot of visitors like the pace and
convenience.”

Celeste
raised her eyebrow. “We?”

A
look of puzzlement, then realization dawned on his face. “Oh, I did say ‘we,’
didn’t I?” When he laughed, his face softened. Warmth replaced the frost
present in his eyes since yesterday.