Page 52 of Love Me Carefully
He and Donald conversed in private for a few moments before Donald came back to inform her that Cable would be traveling with them because his parents had a house in Negril. Rosie could care less where the man was going, or where his parents had a home, but she bit her tongue and rode in silence to the airport.
Once there, Donald discovered that there was no small plane available to charter and announced he’d have to rent a car. Rosie was furious at the thought of now sharing a two hour drive with the strange man.
“If you wanted a threesome, you should’ve found yourself another woman,” she told Donald before Cable got in the car.
“We’re just giving the man a ride, Rosie. That’s all, calm down.” He spoke to her in that slow, placating voice he’d used last night, and Rosie suppressed the urge to scream.
Negril was beautiful. Its white-sand and sapphire blue water beckoned to her, and her heart leapt with joy as childhood memories burst into her mind. When she was young, her grandfather had taken her to the beach a couple of times. Of course they weren’t Caribbean beaches, so they didn’t share this pristine tropical look, but the beachy air beckoned the memories and had a fondness filling her chest. She wondered absently what it would be like to live on a beach, on this beach, with her husband.
The sky was filled with big, puffy white clouds streaked with golden rays from the sun. There was a light breeze moving throughout the palm trees, rippling the water. Inhaling deeply, she sucked in the tropical air, letting it course through her soul.
“Do you like it?” Donald asked her.
“It’s pretty,” she said praying the beauty of this place could kill the unsettling thoughts she was having about her relationship with Donald.
Donald chuckled at her attempt at boredom. He knew she liked it, he could see the lights dancing in her eyes. She was excited. This was good. Maybe she’d be excited enough to want to stay here forever.
* * *
Using his key, Terrell let himself into Rosie’s house. As he stepped into the foyer he inhaled the undeniable smell of Rosie, of home and of stability. Closing the door behind him, he fought the urge to plow his fist into a wall. Was she safe? Had Donald taken her against her will? These questions had plagued him from the moment Agent Blum told him his mother was most likely with Donald.
Leah insisted that Donald wouldn’t hurt his mother, and Agent Tobias was pretty sure of that fact as well. At this moment Terrell didn’t care what either one of them said. He wanted his mother home, safe and sound, with him. And as far away from Donald Douglas as he could get her.
He’d already called Seth, his investigator friend, and had him researching the ships leaving the Port of Baltimore in the last two days. Seth could get a complete guest list and let Terrell know exactly where Donald had taken his mother.
Taking the stairs two at a time, Terrell headed to the shower. After all that had transpired in the last two days, he needed hot water to refresh his mind so he’d think clearly enough to save his mother. But once he stepped under the spray of water his entire body came alive with thoughts of Leah and the previous night.
Her body was as gorgeous as he’d pictured in his mind. Even in the dim light of that basement he’d seen her clearly. And she’d given herself to him willingly—she’d trusted him just as he’d asked her to. Closing his eyes, he dipped his head under the nozzle and let the water pour over him. He could still smell her intoxicating scent, could taste the sweet nectar that he’d feasted on. His dick grew rock hard. Last night he hadn’t been carrying any condoms and so he couldn’t properly love her, but that would come in time. He had big plans for Ms. Graham, plans that they were both going to enjoy.
Grabbing the soap, he quickly scrubbed his body. After getting out of the shower, he brushed his teeth, almost choking on that awful toothpaste. All these years later, he was shocked to learn that his mother still used Aqua Fresh. He grimaced at the memory it brought back of medicine mixed with mint taste.
Grabbing his duffle bag, which he’d retrieved on his way to Rosie’s, he pulled out his laptop and plugged it into the wall. While it booted up, he slipped into clean boxers and donned jeans, a clean t-shirt and a button front shirt that he left undone for the moment. Moving over to his mother’s dresser, he searched for some lotion that wasn’t too girly. Just like the toothpaste, Rosie hadn’t changed her brand. Terrell poured the creamy lotion into the palm of his hand and began smoothing it up and down his arms and over his face, the smell of cocoa butter wafting through the room.
His laptop beeped, signaling that it was ready for his password. Punching the keys quickly, he waited for the appropriate program to boot up. He had limited information but was sure this database would come up with something. He keyed in a name, the city and the state and waited for a response. In seconds an address appeared on the screen.
* * *
Leah walked into her apartment, thoroughly relieved to be back in her own familiar place and out of danger. She switched the lights on and threw her jacket on the sofa. As she turned to go into her bedroom, she was startled to see an African fertility statue sitting on top of her television. Tilting her head to the side she wondered why it was in that particular place. Because it was tall and a bit bulky, she distinctly remembered putting it on the bookshelf.
Shaking her head, she lifted the heavy piece from the television and put it back on the bookshelf.Maybe I moved it, who knows?All she could think about right now was a nice hot bath. Then she’d be ready to deal with the world and all the things that had changed in it.
She passed the answering machine on her way to the back room of her apartment and decided to at least listen to the messages, even though she wasn’t planning on returning any calls until after her bath. Most were from Nikki, a few from Melinda, some from her mother, who was clearly agitated that she hadn’t been there when she needed her, and two from Leon.
Definitely deciding she’d deal with the messages later, she went to the bathroom, turned on the water and poured in her favorite vanilla-scented bubble bath until the bottle was empty. Closing her eyes, she let the soothing aroma tickle her senses as she tried to relax while the tub filled.
So much had happened in the last forty-eight hours her mind didn’t even know where to begin. The best starting point was probably that first kiss, the day Terrell had come into her office looking serious yet debonair. He’d thrown his jacket on the chair as if it belonged there while he’d watched her with those smoldering eyes of his. Even shielded by glasses she’d still felt their intensity as they followed her around the room. Before meeting him, she’d taken one look at the picture at Ms. Rosie’s station and assumed he was your classic nerd. Then she’d met him at the party and realized that nerds were coming in sexier packages these days. His quiet strength had called to her, pulling her closer and closer…
A ringing phone interrupted her thoughts. Taking a deep breath she tried to push visions of Terrell out of her mind as she moved to the other room to answer the phone. “Hello?”
“It’s about damn time! Where’ve you been? I’ve been looking all over the city for you! And what’s up with your cell going straight to voice mail?” Nikki paused for a hot second before continuing. “Girl, I got some news for you. You’re not gonna believe what’s going on!” Nikki’s voice rattled on the other end.
“Let me guess, the FBI’s looking for Donald, who is off somewhere on a cruise with Ms. Rosie. Two agents came to the shop yesterday morning and questioned you and Keesha, and you’re calling me to find out what I know.” Rolling her eyes toward the ceiling, Leah listened to her friend’s silence. “Is that about right?”
“How’d you know? What’s going on, Leah? You’re not telling me something.”
“I know, there’s a lot I’m not telling you, but right now I desperately need a bath. Can I call you back later?”
“Hell no! Not after I’ve been searching high and low for you. Uh-un, I’m comin’ over right now. You go on and get in the tub but leave the door unlocked so I can get in. I want to hear everything, and I want to hear it now.”
