The Secrets of Paradise Bay (8 page)

Trey bounced a basketball, eyeing Clyde, before making a move around him toward the basket. Just when it looked as if Trey had a step on him and was about to go in for an uncontested dunk, Clyde seemed to come from nowhere and practically glided through the air, swatting the ball away.

“Get that stuff out of here!” Clyde said, rising to the challenge.

“Foul!” Trey declared, having been knocked on his ass in the exchange.

“I don't see any referees around here,” Clyde countered. “Hope you're not getting soft on me, big brother?”

“Not a chance!” Trey picked himself back up, feeling the adrenaline rush of a good workout and some not-so-friendly sibling competition.

Clyde bounced the ball this way and that, sizing up his opponent before he whizzed by Trey and headed toward the basket. Determined not to let him score, Trey slammed into him as the ball went flying out of bounds.

“Sorry, little brother, no can do!” Trey felt a sense of satisfaction.

The two went back and forth with the physical play, making the other work for each and every basket, without backing down an inch in the desire to come away with a victory . During one hard foul they nearly came to blows.

“Hey, what's your problem, man?” Clyde touched a tender spot on his perspiring bald head, which had just been hit with the ball.

Trey did not flinch from the taller, stronger Clyde. “So what happened to the no-referees-around bit? Or does that only work one way?”

Clyde stepped back, forcing a grin. “No harm, no foul, right?” he said, tracking down the ball. “Let's get it on. . . .”

“Yeah, let's.”

Trey realized he may have been laying it on a bit thick. Yes, he felt a need to be the leader, not the follower, in their brotherly rivalry, but not to the point where it only ended up putting more distance between them. The point was, to win fair and square, while educating in the art of sportsmanship.

Easier said than done sometimes.

Ivana watched from the angled window in the master bedroom as Trey and Clyde played basketball in the backyard, resisting the urge to go out on the balcony. Both men were bare-chested, wearing shorts, and well, yes, looking sexy. She particularly honed in on Clyde. His body glistened with perspiration, and was well-developed with a six-pack that Trey could only dream of. She could imagine her hands all over him, foolish as it sounded, and his hands on her. Exploring her inch by inch.

The mere thought got Ivana all hot and bothered. She sought to cool it off by tasting the chocolate martini in her hand. It did little to help, so she forced her mind turn to something less tempting.

Ivana refocused on the one-on-one basketball. She could tell that it was more than just a game to Trey and Clyde. Both seemed to want to prove himself to the other. She suspected this had always driven their relationship from childhood. Obviously, for the most part Clyde had gotten the short end of the stick, while Trey had come out the winner far more often in the battle of the brothers. Not including physique, in which Clyde was the clear victor. She wondered if this was what it was like for most siblings throughout their lives. She wouldn't know, given that her parents had stopped with just her and showed little inclination to give her a brother or sister.

Judging by the obvious undercurrent of animosity between Trey and Clyde even during good times, Ivana thought it may have been a good thing that she had gone it alone. That didn't mean she wanted no family of her own. She'd always hoped to have at least two children, to be there for one another. But then she had the miscarriage and well, so far things had not been right between her and Trey to think about trying to have another child. Much less two.

Though Trey seemed genuinely saddened in losing their baby girl, Ivana wasn't so sure that things had not gone according to plan for him.
Maybe he never really wanted a child and got his wish
.

Ivana had gotten so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to notice someone had entered the room and come up behind her.

“Now just what's so damned interesting out there anyway?” the voice said, giving Ivana a start.

Ivana swiveled her head and saw the smiling, beautiful walnut face of one of her best friends from her modeling days, Naki Aboule.

Ivana felt the long, thin arms wrap around her even as she returned the favor. She had met Naki in Paris during a fashion show. She and the six feet one Nigerian beauty had hit it off right away. Naki had tried to talk Ivana out of giving up her burgeoning career for a man, but failed to do so, as Ivana was convinced that love was much more important than all the glamour, fashion shows, and money in the world.

Was I that naïve?
Ivana wondered, stepping away from her friend, who had gone on to even more international success since then.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in disbelief.

Naki tussled her thick, short dark hair. “I came to see you, darling. Don't you think it's long overdue?”

“Yes, I do,” Ivana admitted, feeling bad that she hadn't exactly gone out of her way to visit Naki or others she knew in the modeling business. Ivana had convinced herself that once she'd broken ranks, they had no use for her as a married, retired model.

“Well, I wanted to surprise you—and apparently I did!”

“Scared me to death was more like it,” Ivana said, “but in a good way.”

“You know me—totally unpredictable.”

“And beautiful as ever.” Ivana admired her tall, sleek figure in a print tunic and twill gauchos.

“Look who's talking, girl,” Naki said. Her big brown eyes peered at Ivana's bracelet. “Are those diamonds?”

“Yes,” Ivana admitted. “Trey gave it to me.”

Naki gave an envious smile. “Obviously your man is taking real good care of you.”

I wish
. Ivana had not spoken of Trey's infidelity with many people, preferring to keep it private, so long as they were still together. Maybe had she been still in the loop, it would have been easier to talk to Naki about it.

“Guess you knew what you were doing all along when you gave up the hard life of a model for domesticity.”

Ivana pasted a smile on her lips and diverted the subject for now. “So how long are you going to be in town?”

“Oh, just a couple of days. I have a gig in San Francisco coming up. Thought I'd divert to the Pacific Northwest for a little R and R, if you'll put me up?”

“Don't be silly,” Ivana said with a wave of her hand. “Of course you can stay here. Stay as long as you like. I could certainly use the company.”

“Looks like you already have company,” Naki hummed, and moved to the window. “Who is that absolutely gorgeous creature playing ball with your husband?”

“It's Clyde. Trey's brother.”

“Well, no wonder you were caught gaping. The good looks obviously run deep in the Lancaster family.” Naki faced Ivana. “Tell me that Clyde is single and looking.”

Ivana felt a twinge of jealousy that Naki was already throwing herself at Clyde before they ever met formally. And, as he was definitely available, Clyde just might fall under her spell.

“He is single but I don't really know if he's looking.”

Naki beamed. “Well, that's close enough. All of a sudden it looks like the trip could be much more interesting than merely catching up on our lives.”

Maybe more interesting than I care for it to be
, Ivana told herself.
I'm not in the mood to play matchmaker, though it doesn't look like Naki will need my help any in that department
.

 

 

“So where have you been all my life?” Naki queried flirtatiously to Clyde as they sat in the living room with Trey and Ivana.

Clyde grinned and might have asked the same thing of the attractive lady, had he not sensed that Ivana was staring him down as though Naki was invading her territory. He hoped Trey didn't get the wrong idea. Though, at this point, Clyde wasn't sure what the right idea was where it concerned him and Ivana.

She's my brother's wife. But that's certainly not the case with her friend
.

“Oh, I've been around,” he responded, albeit not somewhere she'd want to be. “Though I've yet to get to some of the places you and Ivana have been.”

“All overrated, trust me,” Naki said.

“If you say so.”

“Would I lie?” she giggled, and sipped red wine.

“Are you still living in New York?” Trey looked at Naki.

She returned his gaze. “London, actually. Been there for three years now. Much more charming in a retro and artistic way than Manhattan.”

“We'll have to go there and visit her sometime, Ivana,” he said.

“I'd like that,” Ivana said, tasting her drink. “London's a great city.”

“Then consider it an invitation,” stated Naki. “You're all more than welcome to visit any time I'm there.” She rested her eyes on Clyde. “Especially your good-looking brother-in-law.”

Clyde blushed, ignoring the resentment he felt from Ivana at the notion. As far as he was concerned, he had to keep all options on the table at this point. At least the ones clearly available, ready, and more than willing.

“Sounds like a plan,” he told Naki.

“How long will Naki be staying?” Trey asked Ivana when they were finally able to get a moment alone.

She looked at him suspiciously. “Why do you ask?”

He paused, not wanting to add more tension to their lives, but also feeling it necessary to try and keep her from backpedaling to the substance abusing, partying, and promiscuous lifestyle he was able to pry her away from. As far as Trey knew, Ivana had never been into the hard drugs of the modeling world, but he suspected Naki had been and probably still was.

“I think Naki's a bad influence on you,” Trey came right out with it. “The last thing either of us needs is her hanging around here getting high when talking about the good old days.”

Ivana's chin jutted. “First of all, Naki is not a bad influence on me. Just the opposite. She's a good friend and always has my best interests at heart, which is more than I can say for you. Secondly, Naki does not use drugs. She has too much respect for her body to go down that road. As for the ‘good old days,' why shouldn't we talk about them? It was part of my history and I won't let you take that away from me too.”

“I don't recall taking you away from anywhere you wanted to be,” he said, feeling the sting of her words.

“You wouldn't, after getting what you went after.”

“This isn't about us. I simply want to keep you from getting caught up in two worlds and not being sure which one you belong to.”

“I don't need you to protect me from my friends,” Ivana insisted. “Least of all Naki. I chose your world and have to live with it, just as you do for choices you've made. Now if you don't mind, I have my own welcome visitor to make feel right at home.”

Trey cursed under his breath as Ivana walked away. With Clyde taking up an extended residence, he didn't have much of a leg to stand on where it concerned Naki. Maybe Ivana had matured enough so that Naki would come and go without putting the wrong thoughts in her head.

One could only hope.

When Naki boldly kissed Clyde smack-dab on the mouth the next day by the pool, he had hoped that sparks might fly. Or the earth would shake. But the truth was, in spite of her beauty and obvious sex appeal, he felt nothing. Not that he had an issue with bedding someone for the practice, if nothing else, after a long dry spell. He didn't want to give Naki a false impression that this could go somewhere—even from long distance. She wasn't really his type, though Clyde had yet to figure out who was. The women in his past did not fit into any particular image, and he liked it better that way.

Naki also wasn't Ivana, who made his blood run hot whenever Clyde allowed it to. Taking her friend to bed would only make him wish it were Ivana, and perhaps make things that much more strained when around her.

Clyde still felt the kiss on his lips as he pulled back from Naki, dressed in a V-front bathing suit, “Look, I think you're hot, but—”

“But you're into someone else?” Naki frowned.

Clyde nodded and glanced at Ivana, who was approaching them from the house. “Something like that.”

Naki ran a hand through wet hair. “I feel like such an idiot!”

“No reason to,” he insisted. “You're anything but an idiot. If I'm ever in London, I'll definitely look you up.”

Naki forced a smile. “That would be nice.”