Authors: Angie Daniels
Angie Daniels
203
The barmaid turned around and gave him a concerned look.
“Sexy, I think you need to slow down.”
London gave her a dismissive wave. He’d been running a tab for the last two hours, and now she wanted to start complaining. “Sandy, quit acting like my mother and give me another one.”
Mumbling under her breath, she resumed pouring the contents of a shaker into a martini glass, then garnished it with an apple slice. “London, why don’t you go on home to that beautiful little wife of yours.”
He responded to her suggestion with pursed lips and a single raised brow that caused her lips to form in an
O
. The message came across loud and clear. There was trouble in paradise. Sandy nodded and moved to the other end of the bar.
Staring straight in front of him, London caught his reflection in the mirror behind the bar. What he saw caused him to rake a hand down the length of his face. Pathetic.
What right do you have to be jealous?
he wondered. Bianca had made it clear from day one that their marriage would be one of convenience only. The sex was just a bonus. In no way was love now or ever supposed to have come into play. They agreed to stay together for one year and part without scandal as friends.
So what’s the problem?
The problem was that somewhere along the way his emotions had gotten involved and he had fallen in love with his wife. After their honeymoon and with her agreeing to let whatever happened happen, he thought that maybe, just maybe, Bianca had fallen in love with him, too.
Sucker.
London scowled at the man in the mirror for being so stupid and for letting his guard down.
The crowd yelled, drawing his attention to the television. Apparently, Kobe Bryant hit a three-pointer, giving the Lakers a twelve-point lead.
At least someone was having a good night,
he thought.
Sandy returned with a drink and a firm warning that it would be his last. London thanked her for the drink, then moved over to a table in the corner and took a seat. In an attempt to push thoughts
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of Bianca aside, he managed to watch bits and pieces of the next quarter of the game. After a while his body as well as his mind had relaxed. The liquor had finally begun to kick in. Good.
“I hear you need a ride.”
He looked up to see Jaden standing over him. “Don’t know where you got that crazy idea from.” But even as he asked, with a side glance he spotted Sandy glancing in their direction. She had seen the two of them in there often enough to know who to call to pick him up.
“Have a seat and a beer.”
“Nah, one of us needs to drive.” Jaden straddled the chair across from him, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
“Shouldn’t you be at home with your wife?” London snapped, his eyes blazing over at Jaden.
Jaden frowned and reached for a handful of popcorn on the table. “She’s at one of those home-decorating parties.”
London nodded, then turned his attention to the game. Jaden swung his chair around and followed suit.
“I need to say something before the game comes back on,”
Jaden said during a commercial break. He glanced down at his hands and up again. “I owe you a big apology.”
London reached for his glass and took a sip. “About what?”
“Collin. Bianca told me everything.”
Surprise flickered through London’s brown eyes. “So you know—”
“I know you married her to save the family from scandal. I know that you’re not the father—”
“I
am
the father. That little boy is mine.”
Jaden grinned. “Good answer.”
London lowered his glass while Jaden continued.
“I’ll admit I wasn’t too happy to know my best friend was messing with my sister behind my back, but after seeing how happy she is and after her telling me how much she loves you, I’ve changed my mind. You have my blessing, man.”
Jaden continued to talk but all London heard was
how much
she loves you.
“Bianca told you she loves me?”
Jaden shrugged. “Yeah, not that she needed to. It was written all over her face.”
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Why hadn’t she ever bothered to tell him? Probably the same reason why he’d never told her. Too damn stubborn.
But if she loved me why was she with Collin?
“Look I got to go.” Without explanation, he rose from the chair and hurried across the bar. Jaden came right behind him.
“Whoa! Hold on there. You’re not going anywhere,” Jaden said, as he grabbed London’s arm.
London looked down at his hand then back at Jaden. “I need to get home and nothing is going to stop me from getting there.”
“That’s why I’m here.”
“Then take me home now,” London demanded.
As far as London was concerned, Jaden didn’t drive fast enough. Before he even had the car parked, London jumped out and raced into the house. He wasn’t in there five minutes when it hit him. Bianca had left him.
He walked the length of the house one more time. This had to be some kind of mistake. As he made his way down the hall a third time, Jaden grabbed his arm.
“London, man, she’s not here.”
“Where is she?”
Jaden shrugged. “I’m not sure, but it can’t be too hard to figure out. Not in this little town. Let me make a few phone calls.”
London raked a hand across his head as he moved back to the bedroom to check for a note or something. Two minutes later he lowered himself onto the bed. Nothing.
His wife was gone and it was all his fault.
She loves you.
Then where was she?
he wondered. Jealousy started to rear its little head again. Maybe she was with Collin. Visions formed in his head of her lying in her lover’s arms.
He heard footsteps coming down the hall. He looked up to find Jaden standing in the door. “Bianca’s at my parents’ house.”
He rose from the bed. “Then let’s go and get her.”
“Oh, no!You need to get some sleep and sober up a bit.You can talk to her tomorrow.” Jaden pushed him back down onto the bed.
“She left me, didn’t she?” he searched his brother-in-law’s eyes for answers.
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Jaden hesitated. “Mother said Bianca was very upset. She asked to stay in her old room for a few days. It’s probably for the best.”
London pulled his keys out of his pocket and tried getting up again. “I have to talk to her.”
“Not tonight. It is too late to be knocking at Mother’s door unless you want to get on her bad side. Trust me, man, you don’t want to piss my mother off.”
He was quiet for a long moment before he nodded.
Jaden snatched his keys from his hand. “I’ll keep these and bring them back in the morning on my way to work. Get some rest.” He headed toward the door.
“Jaden?” London called after him.
He looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“I love her.”
Jaden’s shoulders sagged as he nodded. “I believe you. That’s how I know the two of you will be okay.”
London watched him leave, hoping he was right.
Chapter 34
“Bianca, sweetie. You know I love you, but you can’t stay with me forever.”
Bianca looked over at her so-called best friend and rolled her eyes. “Some friend you are.” Actually, Debra had been a wonderful friend, allowing Bianca to crash at her house after her mother started getting on her nerves. She could have easily taken a suite at the hotel but then she’d have to run the risk of bumping into that snake Collin, who was still there milking the hotel for everything he could.
“Because I’m your friend and because I love you, I’m going to tell you like it is.” Debra paused and scowled. “Go home and work out your marriage.”
“According to my husband, I don’t have a marriage. I have an arrangement. Believe me. London has already said more than enough.” Bianca felt sick to her stomach every time she thought about their last conversation.
Debra took a seat on the rose-upholstered couch, shaking her head with disbelief. “I still can’t believe London said that. Are you sure you heard him right?”
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“Yes, I heard him right. Goodness, Debra, whose side are you on?”
“Yours, of course, but I’m trying to be open-minded.”
“And so am I. But it is what it is. If London doesn’t think our arrangement is working out, what else is there to say?”
“That you love him. And you want your marriage to work.”
Bianca frowned at that idea. “There is no way in hell I’m putting myself out there like that for him to throw my words back in my face. I love him, but there is no way I’m going to beg him to be with me or my child.” She leaned back on the armchair and blew out a big breath. “I’ve got enough problems right now dealing with Collin.”
Debra gave a rude snort. “That isn’t even worth wasting your breath on. Tell that man to go to hell and kick him out on his butt.”
“Right, and he’ll drag me to court so fast my head will spin.”
“So let him. What’s the worst that can happen?”
She bored angry eyes in Debra’s direction. “Him getting joint custody of my child. Collin has no interest whatsoever in having children. The only reason he’s interested now is because of my money.”
Debra leaned forward with her elbows resting on her knees.
“I told you that man was scum.”
“Yes, I know, but this is not the time for I told you so. I’ve got big problems. No husband and a father I need to pay to stay away from my child.”
Debra shook her head with disbelief. “Are you seriously going to give him money?”
Dragging a leg to her chin, she gave a reluctant nod. “Yep.
Whatever it takes. I’m meeting him at the bar in the hotel tomorrow evening with a check.”
“You know it’s never going to stop. As soon as the money runs out, he’ll be back at your door demanding more.” Debra pursed her lips with disgust.
“No. I’m not that stupid. I had my lawyer draw up papers for him to sign. The second he cashes that check, he’ll relinquish all rights to his child.”
Grinning, Debra mumbled, “I guess you’re smarter than you look.”
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Bianca snorted rudely. “Not smart enough obviously, otherwise, I’d know what to do to get my husband to love me.”
It was well after seven o’clock and London was in his office at the back of the restaurant, going over the supply orders. He’d been looking at the same thing and still couldn’t seem to get the ordering right. All he could do was think about his wife.
London tried for over a week. Making phone calls, arriving at Beaumont Manor unannounced, but nothing worked. Bianca refused to talk to him. Then yesterday Jaden told him that Bianca was no longer staying at his parents’. Unfortunately, he had no idea where she was staying. London spent the entire evening wondering if she was now living with Collin.
He reached for an eraser, removed an entry that he’d added twice, tried to brush Bianca from his mind and told himself that it was probably for the best. She and Collin and the baby could now live happily ever after.
At that thought, the pencil he’d been holding snapped in half.
That was his child she was carrying and Bianca was his wife!
The question was what was he going to do to get them back?
“Knock knock.”
His eyes snapped in the direction of the door, where he found Debra boring angry eyes at him. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong is your marriage,” she began with her hands at her hips. “I came over here to see what you’re planning to do about it.”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? London, I’m surprised at you. I really thought you loved Bianca.”
“I do. My wife doesn’t love me.”
She chuckled. “Then you’re blind. That woman is so crazy about you that that is all I heard last night and this morning.”
His brow rose. “Bianca’s staying with you?”
Debra frowned. “Where else would she be staying?”
He looked over at her, then finally shrugged his broad shoulders. “I figured—”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You figured what?”
There was no point in beating around the bush. It wasn’t as
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if it were a secret. “I figured she and Collin were trying to work things out.”
“Work things out? Puhleeze,” she said with a rude snort. “The only thing that creep wants is money.”
“Money?”
She moved into the chair across from his desk and told him about Collin blackmailing Bianca for money. The more she talked, the angrier he got.
It had all been a big misunderstanding. He had put the brakes on his relationship and hurt his wife’s feelings all for nothing.
“She’s meeting that creep tomorrow night.”
“Not if I can help it.” Abruptly, he rose from the chair and reached for his keys. He was going to get his wife back, but first he needed to deal with Collin.
Chapter 35
The following afternoon London knocked heavily on the double doors to the penthouse suite. It wasn’t long before he heard heavy footsteps across the carpet and the door opened.
“Yeah?”
London looked at the man standing on the other side of the door and forced a tight smile. “Collin Clark?”
“Who’s asking…” His voice trailed off as a lightbulb went off in his head. “Hey, don’t I know you?”
“No, but you’re about to.” Without waiting for an invitation, London pushed past him and stepped into the spacious room.
Plush, cream carpet. Blue furnishings. A fully stocked bar in the corner. According to the hotel staff, Collin had been greedily helping himself to the bar. In fact, the hotel bill had already reached five figures.
“Hey, wait a minute. I didn’t invite you in.”
London swung around and glared at the shorter man, who quickly pulled back, realizing that he was no match for London Brown. “I’m here on my wife’s behalf.”
“You’re Bianca’s husband?”
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“Yes.” And nothing or no one was going to change that.