Chadwick's Rare Find (An Intriguing Romance Novel) (14 page)

“I know one of her clients. His name is Clarence Rochester. He teaches for the University of Atlanta, but he does it online.  Anyway, he said she is the best in the valley.  He said that all the men are crazy about her and they get massages just to feel her hands on them.  It was disgusting how he talked about her.  She is not as innocent as you think.”  

“Why didn’t you just tell me this in the beginning?”  Chadwick asked. 

“When she didn’t call to check on you, I thought I didn’t have to worry about her anymore.  Then she called and I answered the phone.  It was easier just to tell her you had gone back to Atlanta.”  

“Vana, who do you think you are?  My life is mine.  I decide who I date and who I don’t date.  Stay out of my business.  Just for your edification I would like you to know that her house burned down.  That’s why she was days late in calling me.  I also want you to know that I believe every word that slime-ball, Clarence Rochester, said.  I can understand men wanting Brittany’s hands on them.  I want her hands on me!  But what he said doesn't have to mean that she has slept with any of them.  So, none of this changes my opinion of her.” 

“I will stay out of your business, if that’s what you want.  Just remember I warned you.”  Vana got up and stormed past Chadwick.   

He caught up with her before she got out of the dining room.  Catching her forearm in a vice grip he swung her around.  Putting his finger in her face he said, “Vana go pack your bags.”  

“What? You have lost your mind.  I’m not going anywhere!” 

“Oh yes you are.  You can’t stay here.  Adanna has invited Brittany and her sisters to live with her until their house is rebuilt.  I won’t have you being mean to them.  They have been through enough.  Get your stuff.  I’m leaving in thirty minutes.  I have to go back to Atlanta for a week.  You’re going with me.”  

“In case you have forgotten, I am grown too.  You and nobody else can tell me what to do.  I won’t mess with your little girlfriend, but she better stay out of my way.”  Vana snatched her arm out of Chadwick’s grip and tried to leave again. 

Chadwick jerked her back. “Vana, if I get one report that you have done or said anything remotely hurtful to any one of those girls, you and I are no longer brother and sister.  You are dead wrong this time.  Brittany is exactly who I think she is and she is going to be my wife.  I would hate to gain a wife and lose a sister, but I’m prepared to make that sacrifice.”  With that he let her go and left the room.  

Chadwick was honest enough to admit that some of what Vana said bothered him.  He didn’t like the idea of Brittany touching on other men.  However, he felt it was probably natural for him to feel this way.  ‘How to deal with it?’ was the question.   How would Brittany react if he asked her to narrow her clientele down to women only?  After all some of those men could be rapist.   

As Chadwick climbed the stairs, he could hear their laughter.  Adanna would enjoy the Bradfield girls.  It was obvious that she had found a kindred spirit in Amber.  They were already planning a party.  Christy had been so excited about moving out of the hotel and into Adanna’s  ‘big house’,  that she had run around hugging and kissing on everyone until Amber threatened to leave her with Mrs. Viola Maybell, if she didn’t stop.  

“What time do you need me to take you to the airport, Chadwick?”  Adanna approached him in the hallway in front of his room. 

“In about thirty minutes.  I had a talk with Vana.  She might be nasty this week.  So, watch out for her.  Don’t let her get her claws in the girls.  I’m going to try to get back before the week is up. You might need me here.”

“I think Vana is the one you need to be worried about.  That Amber is tiger when it comes to her sisters.  Vana had better settle down.  What’s wrong with her anyway?   She’s not usually this mean.” 

“She has it in her mind that Brittany is a fake.  She said that Clarence Rochester told her that Brittany had a reputation in the Valley; all the men get massages just to have her hands on them.  This made Vana jump to the conclusion that Brittany is not as innocent as she seems.” 

“Vana is jealous because she knows Brittany is the one. She’s afraid she is going to lose you.  Just be patient with her, Chadwick.  She’ll come around.”  

Chadwick smiled down at Adanna.  It was good having two different kinds of sisters; one with fire and one with heart.  Adanna was all heart. Their mother called her a sponge.  She said Adanna soaked up emotion.  She had to be careful of the people she let into her life, because the wrong friends could ruin her. Adanna had no faculty for blocking negativity.  She was a definitely a sponge.  

“I need to see Brittany before we leave.  What’s she doing?”  He asked. 

“Probably waiting on you,”  Adanna said and made her way down the stairs, hoping to avoid Vana.

Adanna had seven bedrooms on her second floor.  The third floor had a huge media room and gym.  From the outside Adanna’s home looked monstrous.  This was because the use of space was not conventional.  Instead of the bedrooms being on either side of the hallway, they were all on one side of a hallway that curved in an S fashion.  Each bedroom was spacious with its own separate bathroom.  

Chadwick’s room was the first one to the right as one reached the landing.  Next to Chadwick’s room was Brittany’s.  Christy, Amber, and Vana ended the procession with one vacant room before reaching Adanna’s bedroom.  Adanna had chosen her bedroom in order to maintain a sense of privacy when she had guest.  Being on the other side at the end gave her freedom to leave her room without being noticed as there was a private, in-wall staircase across from her room leading to both the third and first level floor . 

Chadwick went into his own room to retrieve his travel case. Then he went to Brittany’s door and knocked.  She opened it immediately. 

“Come walk me out, Brittany.  I have to get on this next flight or there’ll be trouble at the office.”   Chadwick noticed she had changed.  She had on a pair of loose-fitting shorts and a blouse that stayed on by tying the straps over each shoulder. She was barefoot. 

“Let me get my slippers,” she said and hurried back into the room. Chadwick couldn’t look away from her long legs.  They were milk and honey legs, not a mark anywhere.  

“I talked to Vana,” he began as she came out of the room.  “I need to talk to you about it, but I don’t have time right now. You do still have your cell phone?”  They walked side by side down the stairs. 

“Yes.  I have it with me.” 

“I’m going to call you tonight after I leave the office.  It may be late so take a nap.”  He was grinning at her.  They had reached the front door.  Chadwick opened it and Brittany walked underneath his arm, as he held the door open.  The sun was going down and it cast an orange glow over the valley.  It was a beautiful sight.  They both took a moment to look down into the valley.  Adanna’s home was at a high elevation and she had a wonderful view from every angle. 

“I’m going to miss you, Brittany.”   Chadwick walked in front of Brittany and faced her.  His black bag hung off his shoulder.  He had on a cream-colored dress shirt and khaki pants.  His shirt was unbuttoned at the neck and Brittany could see smooth skin beneath his neckline.  She wondered if he had chest hair.   

“Well, we are getting off to a good start aren’t we.  We decide to date and then you turn around and leave me.”  Brittany wasn’t comfortable with good-byes and she was not about to play the weeping maiden sending her man off into the sunset. 

“Give me something to remember you by.”  Chadwick had moved closer to her.  Brittany willed herself not to step back.  

“Like what? Would you like a lock of my hair?” She was all levity, as Chadwick was closing in for the kill. 

“No.  That’s not what I want.”  Brittany felt like a piece of cheese in a mouse trap.  She didn’t know what she was doing.  He obviously knew what he was doing though.  She suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to squirm.  She held still by strength of will. 

“What do you want then, Chadwick?” She whispered as his head slowly descended.  

“This,” he said in a hoarse whisper against her lips.  Brittany’s knees buckled.  Chadwick dropped his bag and grabbed her waist in between big, strong hands.  The onslaught of his tongue was gloriously furious.  Brittany wrapped her arms around his neck and held on.  She felt his leg wedge between hers as the kiss deepened.  His hard thigh made contact with her womanly center and the sensation overwhelmed everything around her. Chadwick lifted her further onto his legs. It was as if she had been touched by a branding iron. 

“Do you all realize that my neighbors can see you? Stop it, right now.” 

Adanna’s indignant voice seemed far away.  Brittany couldn’t reel herself in. Chadwick sat her away from him, but he kept his hand on her waist to steady her.  

Adanna climbed into the car with a disapproving frown on her face. “How in the world can two people get to know anything about each other with all that going on?  It’s a good thing that idiot is leaving.”  She fussed to herself as she stared at poor Brittany trying to get her equilibrium.  Adanna had seen enough.  She blew the horn.  

“Get in this car right now,” she hissed.  Her eyes flashed from Brittany to Chadwick.  She made a “tut, tut” sound at Brittany and rolled her eyes at Chadwick.  At forty years of age, Adanna had been a silent, but strong force in her family.  Chadwick and Vana felt she was soft in many ways, but there were times when they saw glimpses of what made Adanna rightfully their eldest sister.  Now was one of them.  

“I have to go.  She’s mad at me.  Not you, Brittany.  She’s mad at me and she should be.  I keep losing control with you.  I’m sorry.  I’m going to call you tonight.”   

Adanna was still blowing the horn.  Chadwick ran and hopped into the car.  Brittany stood where she was like a statue and watched them drive away. 

Brittany entered the foyer to be met by an enraged Vana.  Vana had seen the whole disgusting kiss from the gym on the third floor.  How could Chadwick say this woman was innocent and then kiss her like a whore for everyone to see in the front yard?  It would have been laughable to Vana if she wasn’t so mad.  So, Brittany thought she was fooling everyone.  Vana would see about that. 

Brittany made two attempts to get past Vana to no avail.  Fed up, she stood back and stared at her.  She started at Vana’s feet and made her way up to Vana’s eyes.  Their dislike for one another was as large and as real as another human being standing in between them. 

“I don’t like you.”  There, Vana had thrown the gauntlet down. 

“Move, Vana.” Brittany would give her another opportunity to get out of the way.  She knew what Vana was up to.  Anybody who looked a person in the eye and said they didn’t like them was looking for a fight. 

“Who are you to tell me to move? This is my sister’s house.  I can stand anywhere I want.”  

“How old are you.  What, thirty, thirty-one? You’re almost ten years older than me.  Why are you being so childish?”  

Vana reached out and slapped Brittany across the face with all her might.  It stunned Brittany, who stumbled back.  Grabbing the injured side of her face, she glared at Vana. 

Vana watched in amazement as Brittany’s caramel-colored eyes turned pitch black.  This unnerved Vana so badly that she too stumbled back.  Brittany was on her in half a second.  She had her around the neck and was trying to drag her to the ground.  They rolled into a table sitting against the wall.  It had a nice floral arrangement on it.  The table and floral arrangement both crashed to the ground.  

Brittany climbed on top of Vana and grabbed fistfuls of her hair.  She started slamming Vana’s head against the marble floor.  Vana tried to buck her off, but Brittany’s tall frame didn’t budge.  So, Vana punched her in the stomach.  Brittany cried out and rolled off.  

The sound of running feet could be heard.  “Oh, my God, Amber, look at them!” Christy was screaming. 

“Stop it! Get Vana, Christy,” Amber ordered as she dragged Brittany back by her arms.  

“That witch slapped me!”  Brittany screamed.  She tried to kick Vana as Christy dragged her back by the arms.  

Amber shook Brittany.  “Settle down.  We’re going to handle this, but not like this.”  Looking past Brittany, Amber said, “Vana, be still.  It is three of us Bradfield girls against one of you.  Your family is not here.  We can break you in half if we wanted to.  If you have a lick of sense in your head, you will do exactly as I say and settle down.”  Amber’s warning effectively put a stop to Vana’s struggle.  She slumped in Christy’s arms.  

“Get to the kitchen.  Right now!  Everybody!  I’ve had enough drama to last a lifetime.  This ends now.”  Everyone marched to the kitchen.  Vana and Brittany were seated across from each other in the kitchen booth.  Christy and Amber stood, as guards.  Any outbreak of violence and they were ready.  

“Now Vana, just what is your problem?  If you are jealous because your brother is dating Brittany, then you’re a fool.  Brittany is not his first girlfriend is she?”  

“No, and this is not about my brother dating.  It’s about her lying about who she is.”  Vana wanted to say more, but she realized she was outnumbered. 

“What lie?”  Amber asked. 

“Clarence Rochester.  I happen to know that you know him.” Vana smirked at her.  

Brittany had no idea what she was getting at, but she did know Clarence Rochester.  He was one of her clients.  He was a sleazy man and disgusting in every way. She had tried to have sympathy for him and to like him, but he was too perverted to be pitiable.  She was always uncomfortable with him and that is why she and Susan handled him together.  Brittany had sense enough not to ever be alone with him. 

“Yes I know him.  He is one of my clients.” 

“Haven’t you slept with him?”  Vana asked. 

Amber eyes almost fell out of her head.  Christy gasped.  Brittany fell out laughing.  She tried to give an answer, but the only thing coming out of her mouth was loud laughter.  She knew she was a sight.  Her hair was all over her head.  One breast was hanging out because Vana had torn her shirt to shreds, but she still laughed.