Another terrified scream from Capri snapped him out of his trance. He bolted across the room and in one swift movement he pulled Avery Erikson off Capri. Tiberius was more furious than he’d ever been as he threw Avery into a wall and watched as he slid to the floor.
“Capri?” Tiberius called, as he stared at Avery. When she didn’t answer him, he turned. “Capri?”
“Hmm? What?” she jerkily replied, her eyes snapping to Tiberius’s face.
“Call the police,” he requested, not wanting to take his eyes off of Avery.
Capri was about to move, but the sound of sirens caught her ears. “I think that’s been taken care of.”
“Here, take this, too,” Tiberius grumbled, tossing Avery’s suit coat to a nearby officer. The police had taken statements from both Tiberius and Capri. Avery had regained consciousness in time to be escorted into a waiting police car.
Tiberius watched from the front porch as Avery’s shiny Porsche was towed away. “Can I get you some more tea?”
Capri shook her head against Tiberius’s chest.
Tiberius squeezed her shoulder and led her back inside. Capri dropped to the sofa and leaned back against Lewey, who was lying on it.
“Are you okay?” Tiberius asked, kneeling before her and patting her knee.
“I’m fine,” Capri assured him, though her usually melodic voice was eerily hollow and toneless. “Tiberius, I haven’t had a chance to thank you for getting here before Avery…”
“Shh…” Tiberius soothed, rubbing her knee.
“Reason number one for leaving the city,” Capri blurted, her anger surfacing.
The deep dimples appeared in Tiberius’s cheeks when he smiled. “Honey, I’m afraid that bastards like that are everywhere.”
Capri gave a solemn nod. “I know that. Guess I actually thought it’d be different here.”
Tiberius knew what she was trying to say. Before he could get another word out, though, Capri stood and walked away.
“Tiberius, I think I need to be by myself now, if you don’t mind.”
“You might need me for something.”
Capri smiled. She didn’t want to appear cold after all he’d just done for her, but she couldn’t face him or anyone just then. “You’re right next door. If I need anything, I’ll call you.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
The last thing Tiberius wanted to do was leave Capri alone, especially not that night. Of course, he knew that more than anything she didn’t need to be pressured and decided to leave her be.
T
here were charges to be filed and Capri was determined to see Avery Erikson pay for what he’d done. She spent the next day away from work after welcoming the morning by berating herself for being so naive. Being attacked like that had been such a real possibility when she’d lived in the city that she felt silly for thinking a move would change things. She’d learned the hard way that she was wrong.
Of course, work could not be ignored. The next day found Capri brushing off her woes and strolling into the studio offices bright and early.
“All right, all right break, it up!”
Kiva stopped nibbling on Rod’s ear and quickly turned toward the door. A big smile brightened her lovely dark face when she saw Capri. “Girl, what are you doing back so soon!?”
“That’s what I want to know,” Rod asked, standing when Kiva moved off his lap to go hug Capri. “I thought I told you to stay home a few days?”
Capri held on to Kiva and nodded at Rod. “You did, but I’d go crazy staying there all day.”
“So go lay on the beach or something,” Rod said, pulling her close. “How are you doing?”
Capri relished the tight hug, before stepping back. Her thick curls bounced around her face as she tossed her head back. “I’m fine. It could’ve been a lot worse.”
Rod’s slanted dark eyes narrowed even more. “We know. Tiberius told us about most of it. We didn’t come over because he said you needed to be alone.”
“He was right,” Capri confirmed, toying with the silver-tone zipper on her coral knit suit. “I’m glad he was there when I needed him, though. I’ll never be able to repay him.”
“I don’t think he’s expecting that. Tiberius is a great guy,” Kiva firmly stated when silence settled over the room.
Rod and Capri frowned and sent Kiva the strangest look. They both knew she wasn’t one of the doctor’s biggest fans.
Still, Capri couldn’t argue. “Yeah…he really is,” she agreed, before clasping her hands and giving Rod a pleading look. “If it’s okay I’m going to put in a half day.”
Rod waved his hand. “You don’t have to ask me that.”
The three friends embraced briefly before Capri said her goodbyes and left. When the door shut behind her, Rod turned to his fiancée.
“Tibe is a great guy? What made you say such a thing?”
Kiva pursed her lips and gave Rod a sour look. “I never said he was a monster. I just didn’t think he was the type of guy a woman like Capri would want to think about having a serious relationship with.”
Rod sat on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “So what happened to change your mind?”
“I happen to know he cares a lot about her.”
“And how do you know that?”
“He told me.”
“Ha! And you believed him?”
Kiva shrugged. “Yeah, but it wasn’t easy. You know Tibe is the first one to tell a person how much he hates serious relationships. I think that maybe Capri is changing that for him. I also think that he’s scared to death about it. It’s not easy for a man like Tibe to walk away from that player lifestyle.”
Rod gave her a sly smile. “So you’ve decided to help him out?”
“Well, I don’t know what I’m doing. I do know that I’m gonna
stop discouraging Capri from giving him a chance. I think he may really be serious about her.”
“What do you have in mind?”
Kiva pushed her hands into the front pockets of her long, beige linen skirt and sighed. “I’m going to give Capri a few more days, and then we’ll invite them over for dinner.”
A look of feigned surprise came over Rod’s handsome dark face. “
We’re
inviting them?”
“Mmm-hmm. I just hope Capri’ll come over when she finds out that Tiberius will be there.”
Rod shrugged. “So don’t tell her.”
Kiva smiled. Walking over to Rod, she slid her arms around his neck. “Mmm…great minds think alike.”
After work, Capri had decided to spend the remainder of the afternoon lounging on her cozy patio. She tried to concentrate on the book in her hands, but kept glancing toward Tiberius’s house. Tossing the book to the edge of the lounge, Capri closed her eyes and leaned back. After a moment of silence, the phone rang. She stared at the small, gray cordless for a moment before reaching to grab it off the table a few feet away from her.
After the fourth ring, Tiberius knew he should’ve hung up, but he kept the phone pressed to his ear. He hadn’t seen Capri in several days and knew he at least needed to hear her voice. His heavy brow wrinkled as a dark frown clouded his face. “Where is she?” he grumbled.
“Hello?”
Tiberius had just pulled the phone away from his ear when he heard the soft voice on the other end. “Capri?”
“Tibe?”
“Yeah…I was just about to give up on you.”
Capri closed her eyes and imagined him standing before her.
After so many days of not seeing Tiberius or talking to him, a phone call was a welcome treat.
“You okay?” Tiberius asked, his voice sounding soft, but concerned.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just getting a little rest.”
“I’m sorry, was I disturbing you?”
“No, no, I’m glad you called.”
“You are?”
Capri hesitated, before nodding. “Yes.”
Tiberius grinned and leaned back in his office chair. Capri would never know how much her tiny admission meant to him. “So, did you go in today?” he asked, not wanting to scare her away by making the conversation too intimate.
“I showed up for a half day. Rod let me have the rest of the afternoon off.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Positive.”
“Have you, um…heard anything about Avery?”
“Well, my lawyer and I think we’re getting the run-around and I’ve got the feeling the bastard’s slimed his way out of this kind of thing before.”
Tiberius grimaced. “Well a mess like this can drag on for a while, especially when a quote-unquote
celebrity
is involved.”
Capri sighed and pushed her curls out of her face. “I know that. I just want to make sure that he has an attempted rape conviction on his record. I don’t want it swept under the rug like it never happened.”
“Good for you,” Tiberius encouraged, though discussing Avery Erikson was triggering his anger. “Look, can we drop this subject?”
Capri laughed. “Fine with me.”
“I’m here if you ever need to talk about it, though.”
“Thank you. And I need to apologize for the way I acted that night. I shouldn’t have pushed you away after you helped me.”
“After what you’d just been through? Please, I assure you I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Meaning?”
Capri shook her head. “Listen, it’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
The rich, deep tone of Tiberius’s voice sent such pleasurable sensations down Capri’s spine she could’ve talked to him all night. “You know, Tibe, I really don’t want to waste the little time we have talking on something so heavy, all right?”
“Fine, but I hope you won’t keep me guessing too long.”
“I promise I won’t,” Capri told him, feeling as though they were talking about two different things.
The rest of the conversation was soothing and calm. In spite of all the hurtful words and misunderstandings Capri and Tiberius talked like old friends, neither of them wanting to hang up.
“She’s here.”
“How does she look?”
“Tibe won’t be able to keep his eyes off her.”
Satisfied, Kiva nodded and turned back to the mirror to finish the elaborate coiffure she was creating. As promised, she’d waited a few evenings before inviting Capri and Tiberius over for dinner.
“You sure about this, Kiva?” Rod asked, brushing invisible lint from the collarless charcoal sport coat he wore.
“It’s just dinner, baby.”
“True. But you’re messing in a situation that has nothing to do with you.”
Kiva sighed and leaned against the dresser. “Like I said, it’s just dinner. Now I know I’ve been real hard on Tibe in the past, so this is my way of making that up.”
“And what about Capri?”
Kiva rolled her eyes and checked the backs of her diamond studs. “Please, Rod, I’ve seen how she looks at him. She’s trying to protect herself, but it’s still obvious that she’s very interested in him.”
Rod stepped closer to his fiancée and slid his large hands around her waist. “I just hope this amateur attempt at matchmaking won’t blow up in your face.”
Kiva closed her eyes and relished the feel of Rod’s hands roaming over the light, airy material of her dark-chocolate slip dress. “I don’t think there’s a chance of that happening.”
“Thanks again for inviting me over,” Capri said, as she accepted a glass of wine from Rod. “It’s been a while since we’ve gotten together for dinner.”
“I know that’s what I was telling Rod,” Kiva called from the kitchen, winking at her fiancé when she saw him.
Capri took a deep breath and ventured down the short hall that led to the dining room. The elegant room was on the side of the house overlooking the ocean. It was encased in glass and gave a spectacular view day or night. Capri took a sip of her drink and soaked in the relaxing atmosphere. The soft jazz from the built-in speakers made her want to pull up a chair and stare out into the night.
Turning away from the arched doorway of the dining room, Capri took a moment to admire the table. The fine china, shining silverware and delicate crystal added even more beauty to the already dazzling room. Suddenly, though, a frown wiped the easy look off her face and she quickly headed back to the kitchen.
“Kiva? Why is the table set for four?”
“Um…” Kiva glanced over at Rod who shrugged. “Well, uh…I always set an extra place.”
Capri toyed with the thin gold chain around her neck and nodded.
She turned to head out of the room, and then whirled around again. “You guys didn’t invite Tiberius for dinner, too, did you?”
Rod and Kiva exchanged glances and were speechless. That, however, was enough for Capri. She set her glass on the kitchen table and saluted them.
“Good night,” she said.
“Capri, wait!” Kiva called as she and Rod rushed out of the room.
Capri raised her hand. “Listen, you two, I appreciate what you’re doing, but I’ve thought about it and there’s no future in it, so why bother?”
“You can give him a chance.”
Capri gave Kiva a solemn smile. “There’s no reason to. Good night.” She left Rod and Kiva staring after her as she grabbed her purse and walked toward the foyer. When she pulled open the door, she slammed right into Tiberius.
“Whoa,” Tiberius exclaimed, his big hands immediately settling around Capri’s hips.
Capri looked way up into the intense brown depths of Tiberius’s eyes and tried to balance herself. “Sorry.”
“No problem,” he softly assured her, letting his hands drop so she could step back. His warm gaze swept her tiny form encased in a sleek, black halter jumpsuit. The neckline dipped low to give an unforgettable view. The suit molded to her curves and flared into a slight boot leg showing off her black platform mules. Tiberius took his time enjoying the sight before him, and then gave her a funny look. “Um…Kiva didn’t tell me you would be here. Have y’all already eaten?” He glanced at his watch.
Capri shook her head, her curly bob bouncing around her face. “Uh—no. Kiva was just finishing up.”
“Oh. So where are you going?” he asked, walking inside and making her move away from the door.
Capri’s doelike gaze was wide. She watched him push one hand
into the pocket of the stylish black trousers he wore with a matching long-sleeved collarless shirt. As he stood there waiting for an answer, she was at a loss for words.
A knowing smile brought to life the dimples in Tiberius’s cheeks. In a smooth gesture, he softly patted Capri’s shoulder, moving her farther into the foyer. Before anything could be said between them, Rod and Kiva were out front.
“Tibe! I’m so glad you got here!” Kiva sighed in relief as Rod shook hands with his friend. “Is everything okay, Capri?”
Choosing not to make a scene, Capri nodded and walked back into the house. She missed the triumphant smile Kiva sent to Rod.
Kiva’s dinner was a smorgasbord of heavenly dishes. There was roasted chicken, juicy and seasoned to perfection. There was also a cheesy macaroni casserole, delicious steamed broccoli with a light butter sauce, steamed cabbage, fluffy cornbread, and a crisp garden salad topped with a creamy light dressing.
Everyone filled their plates several times and ate heartily. When Kiva mentioned dessert, no one knew if they had room.
“So, Kiva, I guess you and Rod won’t be registering for any china?” Capri asked, sipping from her wineglass as she eyed the impressive array of china on the table.
“No, we’re most definitely registering for it. All this is old stuff our parents gave us.”