Page 68 of Roark
“You look great in anything,” he said and looped an arm around her waist to pull her up against him.
It’d only been a few hours since they’d escaped to his room and had sex for what felt like the billionth time this week. Whoever said relationships that started under intense circumstances didn’t work out was a coward. Roark felt closer to Tamika now than he had a week ago, and he knew she was feeling the same way, because whenever she hadn’t been with her mother these past seven days, she was with him.
“Stay focused,” she said with a grin. “This party means a lot to your aunt. She said the Donovans need to show their resilience under extremely trying circumstances. Suri said she just liked big fancy parties. They’re both pretty excited.”
“Yes, they are,” he agreed. Roark was excited too, but that wasn’t because of the party or the beautiful woman he held in his arms. It was more about what was in his front pant pocket. “I don’t want to be here long,” he confessed.
She eased out of his grasp and took his hand. “Well, we should at least mingle a little, show everyone we’re here. I think they invited some people from the media just to make sure there was full coverage.”
“That sounds just like Aunt Birdie,” Roark said as they started walking through the open glass doors at the back of the Manor.
Since the fire, they’d all relocated to the manor. Work on Sandra’s cottage would be completed in a couple of days, and she and Tuppence would be leaving then. Aunt Birdie had a cruise lined up for next week, and Suri mentioned having a big budget meeting in a few days. So this was the best Saturday to have their little party.
A little party that was actually a very big party with two-hundred fifty guests.
They stepped out onto the tiled veranda, a warm evening breeze surrounding them. Above, the sky seemed full of stars, the moon shining extra bright, as if Aunt Birdie had dared them each not to show up. Roark chuckled at his thoughts and continued to look around at all the people moving about. The party stretched from the large veranda down the stairs and into the garden area of the manor.
White tables and chairs had been set up with dainty pink-and-white striped linens. Flowers were everywhere, from the center of each table to along the trellises lining the walkway, and in huge terracotta pots placed strategically throughout the veranda. His mother would’ve been pleased.
Roark could think about Maxine now without his chest constricting with pain, because he knew why she’d died and at whose hand. The knowledge didn’t make him forgive Kaymen Benedict, but it had given him the closure he needed.
“Hey, man. You clean up well.” Ridge was back to his joking self and by the looks of the beautiful woman on his arm, his dating life was also in full swing.
“You don’t look bad yourself,” Roark said as he noted his brother’s tuxedo was almost identical to his.
“Tamika, my dear, you look lovely as always.” Ridge released his date long enough to reach for Tamika’s hand and lift it to his lips for a quick kiss.
“You’re so full of it, Ridge. But thanks, you look really good too,” she said.
Ridge chuckled as he released her hand. “This is Yolanda.”
The woman with the striking light-brown eyes and high cheekbones smiled and extended her hand to Tamika first and then Roark. They talked for a few minutes, but Roark was glad when they walked away.
“She’s stunning,” Tamika said when they were gone. “Did you see her dress? And her hair? She looks like a supermodel.”
“Yeah, that’s usually Ridge’s type.”
“Oh, really? So, you Donovan guys have a type?”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “I definitely do not have a type.”
“Yeah, right,” she said, and Roark sighed with relief as Cade and his date walked up.
“Saved by the cousin,” he mumbled under his breath, and she elbowed him playfully.
“Hey man, don’t you two look lovely tonight.” Cade leaned in to drop a kiss on Tamika’s cheek. Roark hadn’t asked his cousin why or how he was still able to be here when his official job was in the US, but he planned to. “This is Miranda.” Cade introduced his date, and Roark and Tamika went through the formalities again.
“You should go over and see Aunt Birdie,” Roark told Cade when he mentioned he and Miranda weren’t going to be there long. Most likely because Cade had other plans for the lovely woman that didn’t include partying with two hundred fifty people.
Cade shook his head. “Uh, no, I think I’ll pass on that one. Besides, I have one final briefing with the police tomorrow morning that I need to be up early for, so I think I’m going to skip out.”
“Still no answers on how he got in?” Tamika asked him.
“Nah. The detectives had a log during the search, and everybody who entered and exited the house signed it. Even the guards vouched for the fact that they were at the only door the cops were allowed to enter or leave through, and they made sure everyone was signing that log.”
“Guess we’ll never know,” she said, her tone softer than it’d been before.
Roark moved closer, putting his arm around her waist. “Let’s not talk about this tonight. For weeks, this is all we’ve talked about. Let’s just have one night without it.”
