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Chapter 1
The black-stained, pecan-wood flooring cooled the heels of Caden Archibald’s bare feet as he strolled through the long hallway toward his office. Two oversize garnet-colored velvet pillows still lay in the center of the parlor room from his painting party last night. Three of his college fraternity friends spread themselves in the bay windows to his left. One slept on the floor with the velvet pillow propping his feet.
Bottles of Ace of Spades champagne and William Chase gin clanked together in the box Caden’s maid carried at her hip. The pretty blonde in the gray-and-white uniform that matched the interior of his three-story riverfront home smiled at Caden. The devilish grin on her face reminded him he needed to grab a shirt before jumping on the video call with his mother, Kit Archibald.
“Dear God.”
Caden chuckled to himself. His best friend and business partner at A&O Sports Agency stumbled out of the library with dried green paint across his face. “You okay, Kofi?”
Kofi Odem, who stood an even six feet, bent over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. The tips of his dreads touched the floor. “Why is it so bright?”
The drapes of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the dining room across from the library were pulled open, letting in the morning light. “It’s called daytime,” Caden answered. “You’re up every morning at the same time. I fail to understand why today is so hard.”
“Because last night you had me over here drinking bottles of alcohol.”
A laugh threatened in the back of his mind, but Caden decided to suppress it. “We’ve been out of college for just eight years. You’re telling me you can’t hang anymore?”
Kofi gave his head a slow shake. “No, man, I’m a married man with two children.”
“I love Michele and my godsons to death, Kofi. I’m sure Najee and KJ keep you busy, but your home life is incredibly dull.” A deep shiver rolled down Caden’s spine. One woman for the rest of his life? She’d have to work some form of magic spell on him.
Being raised by a mother who sponsored beauty pageants, women had been at his beck and call from an early age whether he sought it or not. Caden’s brothers indulged, and for the most part, he stayed out of their way???unless their behavior impacted business. His father, Ellison Archibald, believed it natural for men and women who worked closely together to develop feelings. But after witnessing the pain his mother went through when his father had acted on some of those feelings years ago by taking up with a mistress, Caden had sworn off marriage.
Coming to his full height, Kofi braced the doorjamb. “If I weren’t so hungover, I would knock you out.”
“You’d try,” replied Caden with a lazy yawn.
Caden continued down the hall with Kofi close behind. “Don’t knock married life until you try it.”
“Not going to happen.”
“I wake up, have a cup of coffee in bed, and sometimes I’m even served breakfast in bed by a beautiful woman. And sometimes I even serve her breakfast in bed, too.”
While Caden knew what Kofi meant, he still taunted him, waving his hand toward the open space of the gray-and-white marbled kitchen, where Chef Ebony prepared what smelled like bacon, bananas Foster and French toast. A very wise investment, he thought to himself. Ebony McCartney had recently left the Aqua Star Seafood Kitchen off Resort Drive to start up her own spot, and Caden had scooped her up.
“You’re welcome to get in one of the beds upstairs and I can have Ebony bring you breakfast.”
Upon hearing her name, Ebony turned around with one hand on her hip and waved a honey-covered spoon at them. The thick sweet liquid drizzled to the floor. “You know good and well there’s one Archibald for me.”
With a shake of his head, Caden continued on.
“You can’t tell me you like living like this?” Kofi went on. “A carousel of women?”
“Relax,” said Caden. “Last night was a special occasion. Our bruh is joining your ranks of marriage. I had to send him out with a bang.”
Kofi caught up with Caden’s pace. “I see why you had it two weeks before the wedding. It’s going to take at least that long for Shawn to recuperate. Are you going to come to his wedding?”
If marriage put the fear of God in Caden, the idea of attending a wedding with so many single women eyeing him as a prospect scared the living daylights out of him. No, Caden preferred to spend his time with the groom on an extended party. If Caden had his way, he would have had a bachelor party last the entire summer, but as it was, he was going to have to cut a portion of his weekend of celebration short. His mother needed him.
Caden opened the doors to his office. An oversize desk was filled with client files, which cluttered the inkblot calendar. He strolled over the Persian rug handed down from his grandfather and found the remote control he used to lower the computer screen. An icon of a phone ringing popped up, giving Caden enough time to grab a button-down shirt from the armoire by the window and shrugged into it as he closed the blinds to conceal his location.
“So nice of you to join us, Caden.” Kit’s voice filled the office. “Kofi—” her voice softened at the sight of her unofficially adopted son “—thank you for making sure he arrived for this meeting.”
“And without a naked woman by his side.” The snarky commentary came from Aunt Em. She was Caden’s double aunt, meaning she and her sister Kit had married brothers. Emily Archibald had the reputation to tell it like it was, while Caden’s mother often looked at Caden with rose-colored glasses.
“Leave him be, Em,” Kit scolded. “He works hard.”
