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Still mulling it over, she climbed into the shower and washed off. After she’d lotioned her skin and folded into a thick robe provided by the hotel, she lay across the bed. Because she hadn’t been able to sleep the night before, tiredness weighed heavy on her, and soon she drifted off into dreamland.
A hand stroking her hair woke her, and she swatted at it without opening her eyes. “Never touch a black woman’s hair without permission,” she muttered.
“Is that true?” came the curious reply.
Memory of where she was and who sat on the side of her bed came flooding back, and she popped up. “Nathan!”
“I’m sorry. You didn’t answer my knock, so I came in. It’s after six, and I wanted to check to see if you were hungry. We can go out, or I can arrange for a chef to come in and cook for us. Your choice.” While he spoke, his gaze dropped from her face to her chest. Too late, she remembered she’d thrown the robe on after her shower and nothing else. The garment gaped open, exposing the beginning swell of her breasts. One move would uncover a nipple, and Nathan had noticed. Alyssa jerked the robe closed and jumped to her feet.
“Yes, thanks for waking me. I’m starving. We can go out unless you want to stay in? I want to see the island at night.”
“Your wish is my command.”
When they stepped out of the hotel, a limo waited, and Nathan dismissed the driver from holding the door for her and did it himself. She thanked him and moved past, making every effort not to brush him as she folded into the dark interior.
“Do you travel often by limo?”
He smiled. “Not always. I have a couple of cars I tool around in now and then. The limo is convenient for getting work done without the hindrance of watching the road.”
She nodded. “I balance the books on the train into work. It’s convenient.”
When he gave a polite response, she wondered if he’d ever been on public transportation.
The restaurant Nathan chose was a beautiful whitewashed building, which, as nice as it appeared outside, took Alyssa’s breath away inside. Purple, blue, and white lights illuminated walls covered in simplistic but skillful artwork. None of the paintings were in actual frames, but each looked to have been created directly on the wall, and they connected in a way that brought a sense of peace and warmth over her just gazing at them. A bar with neon blue lights beneath the counter stretched along one wall, and tables covered with pristine white tablecloths had been arranged around the floor.
A host in crisp uniform stepped up to greet them. “Mr. Corde, it’s good to see you again, sir. I hope you’re doing well this evening?”
“Jeff, good, thanks.” Nathan shook the man’s hand, and as they were led farther into the restaurant, she overheard someone else informing another host that they had reservations. When she and Nathan were seated in a private room, she studied him in curiosity.
“Did you make reservations?”
His brows went up. “I have a standing reservation here.”
“Standing?” She unfolded the cloth napkin and laid it across her lap. So much silverware framed her plate, she wondered which was proper, and then didn’t care. “Oh, you mean they will oust anyone because it’s you?”
Rather than answer, Nathan turned to the waiter who approached their table. Again the two men seemed to know each other by name. Alyssa allowed Nathan to choose what she drank for the evening, and then she perused the menu. No prices were listed. A sign it costs an arm and a leg, I bet.
“So why are you doing this?” she questioned him when they were alone.
“You get right to the point, don’t you?”
She shrugged. “I don’t bite my tongue. Well, usually. I like to know where I stand, and I can’t help wondering if you just want a black woman in your bed. Maybe you have a thing for Trinity, but she ruined your plans by backing out at the last minute. You couldn’t very well admit the whole pretend boyfriend-girlfriend thing was a lie.”
He reached across the table and took her hand. Her fingers spasmed in his hold, and she jerked away. Nathan turned his hand over, palm up, and waited. With great effort, she placed hers back in his, and his thumb stroked her skin
in gentle, slow circles.
“No, I am not interested in Trinity. I know she has a boyfriend. I do not horn in on another man’s territory. There are too many single women in the world.”
She clenched her teeth and lowered her gaze to the table.
“I have had sex with a black woman before. It was brief and enjoyable, a one-night stand. We remain acquaintances, and I imagine if I gave any indication I wanted to continue, she would be willing.”
No confidence in himself at all. She just kept herself from rolling her eyes.
“While I’m free to come and go whenever and wherever I choose, I would not create a trip such as this just to get into a woman’s panties.”
“Okay, so my logic’s off,” she said. “And you can get whatever woman you want.”
