The Nicci Beauvoir Collection: The Complete Nicci Beauvoir Series Read online

  I left him to his painting and retreated to the bedroom to dress. Spying his phone on the bedside table, I toyed with the idea of calling my father.

  I was sitting on the bed, staring at the phone, when I saw David in the doorway. His arms were covered with paint and his hair was matted with sweat. I leaned back onto the mattress, relishing his eyes on me.

  David came into the room and climbed onto the bed. “I think I’m in the mood for something else.”

  His mouth came down on mine with a ferocious urgency. His teeth nibbled at the nape of my neck while his hands opened the front of my robe. I let him ease the robe from around my body.

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I murmured, “Far be it for me to deny the needs of an artist.”

  I dug my nails into his hard, muscular back and drew long scratch marks all the way down to his round butt. He trembled under my hands, as his teeth sank deeper into my flesh. David ran his mouth back up to my earlobe and traced the curve of my ear with his tongue.

  “Nicci,” he moaned in my ear, “let me show you exactly how much I need you right now.”

  His phone on the bedside table interrupted him. David’s arms were curled around me and he did not seem to be interested in answering the call. The ringing persisted and I heard him groan in frustration.

  “Do you want me to answer it?” I joked.

  He reached across me and grabbed at the phone, dropping it against the night table. After some fumbling, he finally placed the phone next to his ear.

  “Yeah?” he grumbled. “No, I haven’t checked my text messages. I’ve been painting.” His arm went around me. “Yeah, it was bad. Seems like it’s over now, though.” He paused. “I don’t know, Sammy.” I bolted upright in the bed. I turned to him and he shook his head. “No, I can’t say when. I’m pretty busy right now.” Another pause. “Yes, I worked all day and night.” He started kissing my back as I sat next to him. “No, Sammy. I don’t think that is a good idea. I told you I want to spend some time apart. I still feel that way.” He nodded his head. “Oh, by the way, is Eddie around?” He paused. “Nothing, I was just wondering if I could ask him something? Okay, I’ll hold on.” He held the phone away from his mouth and with his free hand pulled me back down in the bed. He held me close, despite my efforts to wiggle free.

  “Are you nuts?” I whispered.

  “You did say you needed to talk to him.” He returned his attention to the phone. “Eddie? I need to talk with you. Actually not me, your old friend, Nicci Beauvoir, needs to talk to you.” He grinned at me. “I, ah, just happened to run into her tonight and she told me she was looking for you. Something has come up and she needs to see you. She seems to believe that you and I have a close relationship. I guess she thinks since your mother and I are close friends—” I elbowed him hard and he coughed into the phone. “Anyway, she sounded very upset and said it was important.” He frowned. “No, no. I’ll call her.” He nodded, as he listened to Eddie. “You’ll stop by her place, tomorrow night, around seven. I’m sure that would be fine. I’ll let her know.” He smiled at me. “No, I don’t need to speak to your mother again.” He hung up and handed the phone back to me.

  I put it back on the night table, then punched him as hard as I could in the arm.

  “Ow!” He rubbed his arm. “Want to play rough, eh?”

  He rolled on top of me and pinned me beneath him. I struggled in vain against his weight. The more I endeavored to free myself, the wider his smile grew.

  His deep gray eyes were filled with desire. “I like it when you fight back.”

  I stopped wriggling. “Tomorrow night?”

  He let go of me and flipped on his back, wincing when hit the covers. I had forgotten about the scratches.

  He lay still, staring up at the ceiling. “You must know how he feels about you. He wouldn’t be bothered with anyone else. Considering the time frame, the sooner the better. Any idea how you’re going to tell the poor fool the news?”

  “I haven’t got a clue,” I admitted, getting out of the bed.

  I grabbed the robe off the bed and covered myself. “Are you going over to Sammy’s later? You might have a difficult time explaining your back.”

  He raised his eyes curiously at me. “I told you that was over.”

  “Not as far as Sammy is concerned. Be ready for a battle. Sammy is not the kind of woman you just dump. Not without serious repercussions.”

  “Are you saying I should stay with her and keep you on the side?” He sighed, and let his head fall against the pillow. “Think about it, Nicci.”

  I stood in silence, unable to answer. I knew how everyone would see this; David was just moving on to a younger, yet still financially viable model.

  “I’m not sure what to think,” I finally asserted.

  “I would rather hold on to you than hold on to the financial interest of a fickle Sammy.”

  “I know Sammy. She won’t be satisfied until she has you and Beauvoir Scrap.” I left David on the bed and walked out of the room.

  In the bathroom, I examined my reflection in the mirror. My eyes had deep circles under them and my body ached with fatigue, but my soul was rejuvenated. I was glowing like a neon sign.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” I mouthed to the mirror. “I hope you are real damned sure.”

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, the smell of brewing coffee coaxed me from my warm bed. I made it downstairs in time to find my father pouring two mugs of the black liquid. He smiled as I shuffled into the kitchen and grabbed the mug from his outstretched hand.

  “I know you could use this. I heard you getting in pretty late.” He sat down at the breakfast table with his coffee and the newspaper.

  I tried to figure out how to introduce my information from David into the conversation. I was standing at the counter, mug in hand, when he looked up from the paper.

  “Did you get a lot done at the library?”

  “Not really.” I sipped my coffee.

  “Oh, why not?” He turned to his newspaper, searching for the business section.

  “I went to David Alexander’s place last night.” My father put the paper down on the table and stared at me. “He called and wanted to see me,” I continued. “David told me some things I need to talk to you about.”

  He furrowed his brow. “What things?”

  I sat down next to him at the kitchen table. “Sammy is up to something. Apparently, she is scheming to start a price war with Beauvoir Scrap. David feels she might succeed.”

  “What are you talking about? This is nothing I haven’t heard a million times before.”

  “David told me Sammy has some Russian oil leases that have suddenly been found to be bubbling with oil. She’s waiting for the survey results to be released to the press. The news will raise the price of her stock in her drilling company. She can then use the cash from her stocks to lower her prices and push you out of the market. Sammy is going to use Uncle Lance’s mistakes to her advantage.”

  “I don’t understand. This man told you all of this? Is there any reason he told you these things?” He shook his head. “I thought he was a friend of Sammy’s.”

  “David used to be a friend. He said he didn’t like Sammy’s way of doing business. He wanted me to warn you.”

  My father scowled with distrust. “How do you know this information is accurate?”

  I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought. “Maybe you should talk to David, if you don’t believe me.”

  Dad sat back in his chair. “If Sammy finds out he has leaked this to us—which I’m sure she will—she could run him out of town.”

  “I know.” I took another sip of my coffee.

  “Then why did he do this?” He watched me curiously. “This man is risking a great deal for you, isn’t he?”

  I didn’t say anything. I peered into my coffee, avoiding his question.

  “I guess you took my advice.”

  I looked up at my father. “
What advice?”

  “You gave the man a chance.”

  I decided to ignore his comment. “And Sammy? What about everything I’ve told you?”

  He sat silently, mulling it over. Then, he slapped his hand against the table. “I better get to the office and see what I can find out. None of this information can be verified, but I can find out if anyone has heard any rumors. Your man may be right. If this is what she has planned…she could hurt us.” He kissed my forehead. “You’d better invite David over, so I can talk to him myself.” He walked quickly out of the kitchen.

  I sat back in the chair and held the warm mug in my hands. “One down, one to go.”

  ***

  Later that morning, I called Colleen to tell her about my meeting with Eddie. She squealed with delight when I told her the news.

  “What a great idea! We set him down and tell him the facts. Then, he proposes.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not sure what he will say.”

  “When he realizes that marrying me is the best solution, he’ll agree.” She sounded as confident as a peacock.

  I couldn’t bring myself to disillusion her. “Come over after seven. And Colleen, don’t tell anyone else. We have to be careful.” She swore a vow of silence before she hung up.

  I spent the rest of the day trying to read from my abnormal psychology textbook, but I had a difficult time concentrating. The news about Sammy, the business, Eddie, and my night with David, kept swirling around my head. Three chapters later, I was convinced I had schizophrenia.

  The doorbell rang at six-thirty, saving me from further self-diagnosis. I ran downstairs expecting to see my father standing at the door. He often forgot his keys, and would ring the bell when he knew I was home. When I opened the door, a polished and posh-looking Eddie greeted me. He was standing in the fading evening light wearing a casual gray jacket, pressed black slacks, and holding out a red rose.

  “Eddie!” I said, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.

  “I decided to come early.” He shoved the rose to me. “I’m glad you wanted to see me.”

  I took the rose and stifled a groan. “Eddie. I’m, ah…you’re really early.”

  As he came inside, I glanced hopefully out into the driveway. Where was my father? I needed someone else to show up, anyone would do. I ushered Eddie into the living room to the right of the entrance.

  “I got the impression from David that you needed to see me right away.” He wandered into the living room and sat down on our cream-colored sofa. “I have to admit I was surprised you went through David. He can be very manipulative.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Interesting choice of words. Funny, I always found the man pleasant. That doesn’t matter now.” I waved my hand, brushing the matter aside. I glimpsed the rose. “I’ll just go get a vase.”

  I darted out of the living room before he could reply and went straight to the kitchen. I called Colleen, but there was no answer. While I was searching the kitchen for a vase, I was suddenly jarred by a memory.

  After my mother’s funeral, the house had been inundated with all varieties of flowers, haunting every room with their sweet aroma. One day, disgusted with the ever-present reminder of her death, I tore around the house and threw away every bloom and every vase. I swore then there would never be another petal in the house again. And until now, there hadn’t been. Looking down at the small helpless bud in my hand, I forced myself to choke back the tears. I gripped the kitchen counter to steady myself. Once I had pushed aside my memories, I reached up into the cabinet and retrieved a tall iced tea glass for the rose.

  I returned to the living room to find Eddie standing by the fireplace, inspecting a gold French clock on the mantle. He turned to greet me with a warm smile and then took a seat on the sofa. He motioned for me to sit next to him. I had a seat in a high backed chair across from him, instead.

  “I know why you wanted to see me, Nicci.”

  “You do?” I asked, surprised.

  “I got the impression at the lawn party last May that you’ve been interested in me, like I’ve been interested in you. I thought maybe you asked me here tonight to talk about us.”

  My mouth fell open. I quickly recovered and tried to smile. “Eddie—”

  “Oh, I know we’ve been friends for years,” he interrupted, “but sometimes something deeper can grow out of the best of friendships.” He sounded like he had been rehearsing this.

  “Eddie, look, you’ve got this all wrong.” I sighed and my shoulders rolled forward under the weight of what I was about to say. “Colleen is pregnant. And please do not deny that the child is yours.”

  His green eyes were wide and his pale face grew redder with each passing second. He stood from the sofa, appearing anxious.

  “What am I gonna do?”

  “Marry Colleen,” I answered.

  “Is that what you want me to do, Nicci? Do you want me to marry her?”

  “Yes, Eddie. I think it would be better for all concerned. She won’t get an abortion and she could cause problems for you.”

  He walked over to the mantle and started playing with the gold clock. “I guess I’ll have to marry her, huh?” he mumbled.

  The ringing of the doorbell gave me the opportunity to make a hasty retreat from the oppressive atmosphere in the living room. When I opened the front door, Colleen was standing on the front porch. She was dressed in a pair of very tight pink jeans and her brown hair had been teased to maximum volume.

  She bolted past me. “Is he here? I saw his car in the drive. Did you tell him? What did he say?” The questions came so fast I could hardly get a word in.

  Colleen was just about to head toward the living room, when I grabbed her arm, stopping her. “I told him, but I want you to make sure this is what you want. There are other alternatives.”

  She shook my arm off. “Don’t screw it up for me, Nicci. Eddie always chased you around like a puppy dog and now that I’ve got him, you’re jealous. Admit it.”

  She hurried to the living room, and then Colleen squealed with delight. I hung back and waited, listening for sobs or breaking furniture. Soon Eddie and Colleen emerged arm in arm from the living room. His face looked blank and very pale. Colleen was smiling incandescently, as she dragged him toward the door. My heart went out to Eddie. He was her trophy, to be displayed proudly on public holidays and social occasions. He was a condemned man.

  “We are going to see Eddie’s mother and tell her the good news,” Colleen gloated when they breezed pass me. “Then we can go to my parents’ house, and then I guess we should stop by my friend Mona’s house.”

  On their way out the front door, Eddie waved good-bye while Colleen completely ignored me.

  After dealing with the drama of Eddie and Colleen, I decided I needed a drink and headed for the bar in the back den. This had always been one of my Uncle Lance’s favorite rooms, not only because of the bar, but also because of the big screen television set.

  I poured some vodka and orange juice into a glass. I was debating taking my drink upstairs to my bedroom, when I heard the front door open and my father called out to tell me he was home. A few moments later, I heard the voice of a second man. At first, I thought my father had brought Uncle Lance home for dinner, as he often did. Then I realized the voice could not be Uncle Lance’s, because my father was laughing with this man—something he never did with his brother.

  I followed the voices into the hallway. When I turned the corner, I almost dropped my glass.

  “David!”

  My father smiled at my reaction. “This young man and I have been discussing that little venture of Sammy’s.”

  “What? When?” I questioned.

  “I went to your father’s office this morning,” David explained.

  “He called me and we decided to meet and discuss the details,” my father added. He pointed to my glass. “I could use one of those. David, what can I get you?”

  “Bourbon, thanks, Bill.”

  As
my father walked into the den, I whispered to David, “Bill? You’re calling my father Bill?”

  He pecked my cheek. “Let’s join Bill at the bar, shall we?”

  In the den, Dad was standing behind the bar, humming to himself and pouring drinks. “Your Mr. Alexander here,” he began, “told me everything. Fortunately, we found out ahead of time and can stop Sammy.”

  “How?” I asked looking from David to my father.

  “David suggested it.” My father nodded at him. “We buy stock in her drilling company. It’s sure to go way up in value and we can sell off when we have made a tidy profit. The cash from the sale will help keep Sammy at bay and can pay off some of our debt. We could even improve our services by putting some of the money back into the company. This information could be a real windfall for us.”

  “Is that wise?” I probed, taking a seat on one of the bar stools. “I mean, you don’t know for sure of any of this is really going to happen. It all depends on these survey reports coming out, doesn’t it?”

  “Sammy already knows what those reports are going to say. This way we can turn the tables on her. Surprise her with her own gunfire,” Dad chuckled.

  “I’m glad you’re happy about this.” I shifted my gaze from my father to David. He was leaning against the door to the den.

  “Me too. Otherwise, you may have ended up supporting your old man.” My father placed a drink on the bar and peered up at David. “Bourbon for you.”

  David slowly sauntered to the bar and took a seat next to me.

  My father grinned at the two of us. “I guess I better send out a few more e-mails. Why don’t you two go out and have a nice dinner?” Without waiting for an answer, Dad picked up his drink and walked out of the room. He winked at me as he passed by.

  I listened to his footfalls in the hallway, as he went to his study and shut the door.

  David’s eyes traveled up and down my body. His mouth curled into a leering grin.

  “What did you tell him?” My voice was tense.

  “I obviously skipped over what happened last night.”