Owner of a Broken Heart Page 4
As close as the four Richardson sisters were, Alex and Yolanda fought like cats and dogs most of the time. Nina knew it was because they both wanted to be in charge of everything. When it really counted, though, no bond was stronger. If you messed with one of them, then you messed with all of them.
“Promise me that you will be nice to Alex. I don’t want to play referee between you two all weekend.”
“I’ll be on my best behavior,” Yolanda said. Nina didn’t buy a word of it.
* * *
It was after seven before Clinton finished up his work. As he was about leave, he spotted Sheldon, Nina, and Alex heading out. “Clinton,” Sheldon called out. “You’re still here?”
“Yes, sir. I’m getting ready to leave, though.”
“Why don’t you join us for dinner? We’re going to the restaurant down the street. You can tell me all about your first day on the job.”
“I don’t want to impose.” Clinton noticed the scowl on Alex’s face.
“It’s no imposition,” Sheldon said. “I told you, we’re all family here.”
Clinton smiled and glanced over at Nina, who returned his smile. He noticed that she’d changed her clothes; opting for a knee-skimming brown skirt, a pair of nude heels, and a snug-fitting and low-cut white top. Her breasts looked ripe for kissing. Shaking his head, he turned away from her. She was his boss’s daughter. Besides, the way she looked, there was no way Nina Richardson was single. Clinton knew there was a man somewhere waiting for Nina to return to him.
“Mr. Richardson, thank you for the invitation, but . . .”
“No buts. You’re dining with us, no more arguments.” Sheldon shot Alex a stern look as if he knew she’d have something to say.
Clinton smiled in defeat. One thing he knew for sure: If Sheldon knew what he was thinking as she stared at Nina, he’d rescind that invitation quickly.
“All right,” he said, tearing his eyes away from Nina and focusing on Sheldon. He couldn’t help but wonder what his life would’ve been like with a father like Sheldon Richardson, who obviously loved his daughters. He noticed how he held their hands as they walked. Sheldon listened intently as Nina told a story about a funny interview she had with a Carolina Panthers wide receiver and smiled as Alex talked about mundane business issues.
Clinton Jefferson Sr. never showed an interest in anything other than football and basketball. When he saw that his son would rather read a book than tackle or dunk, he stopped showing an interest in him as well. It didn’t matter that Clinton had been a star student at North Charleston High School. It also didn’t matter that Clinton had received full scholarship offers from Duke University, Howard University, and the University of South Carolina as a junior in high school because of his academic achievements. Clinton Sr. thought his son was soft and he didn’t have anything to brag about when other men talked about how their kids made the papers for some heroic deed under the Friday night lights on the football field.
Had it not been for his mother, Eliza Jefferson, Clinton would’ve never had the desire to do anything positive with his life. Eliza had always told him how proud she was of him and praised him for his good grades and gave him treats when Clinton Sr. wasn’t looking. Clinton tried not to harbor bitter feelings toward his father, but that was hard because when he’d graduated from Howard with the highest honors, his father hadn’t bothered to show up.
Looking at the Richardsons, Clinton longed to be a part of a loving family just as if he were still a twelve-year-old boy.
Once they arrived at the Blakemore Carriage House and Restaurant, Clinton did feel like a member of the family. Sheldon included him in their conversation, complimented him on his first day of work, and even joked that Alex wasn’t as mean as she pretended to be.
“I’ll do anything to protect my family,” she said as they took a seat.
“And that’s why we love you,” Nina said. Clinton felt as if Nina was struggling to keep her eyes off him. Nah, he thought. There’s no way she’s checking me out. He glanced at Alex and the scowl on her face told him that she’d noticed the same thing.
“Nina, has that hotshot school in Charlotte lost a game yet?”
“No. And they should easily beat their next opponent.”
“You cover all sports, huh?” Clinton asked.
Nodding as she sipped her water, Nina said, “I don’t see why people make such a big deal about high school football. Those players are just kids and they try to elevate them to a celebrity status. Sure, it sells magazines and newspapers, but just think what it does to these kids mentally. We create the arrogant athlete and then tear them down once they act as if the world revolves around them.”
And the kids who don’t even play sports feel even worse, he thought bitterly. “Then why do you write about it?” Clinton asked.
Nina shrugged. “I like sports, it was how Daddy and I bonded.”
“It was how she got out of cleaning up with the rest of us on Sunday afternoons,” Alex said. “You weren’t even slick.”
“I did my fair share of work.” Nina poked her lip out and Clinton’s cock throbbed with desire.
Too sexy.
“No, you didn’t,” Sheldon said with a laugh. “I’ll freely admit that now. I feel so used. The only reason you watched football with me was so you wouldn’t have to mop.”
“Daddy, just think about it, had you made me mop, I wouldn’t be able to get you those Dallas Cowboys tickets.”
“You let her get away with it,” Alex said, joining in the laughter. “That’s it, I’m never cleaning another thing and Nina, you need to stay for at least six months to put a dent in all the work you got out of as a child.”
“Oh please,” Nina said. “When you went away to college, I more than made up for it.”
Sheldon nodded. “Because Robin and Yolanda weren’t as protective of their baby sister as you were, Alexandria. They made her do more than her fair share and I let them get away with it.”
Alex laughed and for the first time, Clinton saw her as human. She might not be that bad, he thought. Then again, Nina can make anyone smile. He watched her as she toyed with her jet-black ponytail. He knew that her hair was silky and wondered if he’d ever get a chance to run his fingers through it or feel it fanning across his face as they woke up in the morning after a night of passionate lovemaking. It had been a long time since a woman enthralled him. She had a light that made him want to know everything about her. Then again, it could be the forbidden fruit thing too.
“Did you play any sports?” Nina asked Clinton. “Oh, I forgot, you’re not into sports.”
“I run and that’s as sporty as I get,” Clinton said. “Running clears my mind.”
“Maybe we can run together before I go back to Charlotte. Charleston has the best running trails ever.”
Alex cleared her throat. “When are you going to have time to run? Nina, you’re not going to be here that long, are you?”
Nina narrowed her eyes at her sister as if Alex was on the verge of telling some secret. “I work for myself and I can stay as long as I want.”
“Girls, you know the rules. No arguing at the dinner table.”
“Yes, sir,” they said, sounding as if they were young children.
Clinton fought back his laugh, unable to believe that Alex could act so humbly when she treated him as if she was the queen of Charleston and he should bow when she walked into the room. Then again, she was showing the proper respect to her father. Clinton wished he had a father he could respect.
Nina leaned in to Clinton. “I hope we’re not scaring you. We’re not crazy. And if you’re around this weekend you’ll get to meet my sister Yolanda.”
“Really,” he said.
“But it’s a surprise, so don’t let Evilene know.” Nina nodded toward her sister.
Alex rolled her eyes at Nina as she whispered to Clinton.
“I won’t,” he replied, smiling at Nina and enjoying seeing a different side of his boss.
Begrudgingly she left the restaurant and Nina and Clinton were left alone.
“So, what’s good here for dessert?” Clinton looked over the dessert menu the waiter had dropped off at the table.
“Anything chocolate.” Nina waved for the waiter and when he approached the table, she ordered a molten chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. “We’re going to need two spoons, if you don’t mind.”
Clinton was charmed by her genteel way with the waiter and was still trying to figure out how she and Alex were related.
“All right,” she said, meeting his stare. “Tell me the truth, how was your first day?”
“Well, your sister is something else. A taskmaster is the nicest thing I can say. If she had a whip, I really think she would have beat me.”
Nina smiled. “She will grow on you, trust me. Just think of it as corporate hazing. You and my daddy seem to get along great, though.”
I wonder how well we would get along if he knew the thoughts I was having about his youngest daughter right now. He’d probably fire me in two seconds flat.
“Your father is a very special man. I’ve admired him for a long time. What he’s done with his property is legendary.”
“Then you should’ve known he’d never sell his business,” Nina said as she smiled at him. “Tell the truth. You’re here to cause trouble, aren’t you?”
“Nina, I don’t cause trouble and I’m not trying to take anything from your father.”
“Really? But you did work for his competition?”
“Your dad has no competition. I worked for Randall Birmingham because I didn’t know any better.”
She folded her arms across her chest and Clinton’s eyes fell to her perky breasts. Why did she have to be so sexy?
“What’s with the silence?” Nina asked after a beat passed.
“Nothing, just thinking about dessert.”
“So, you’re saying my breasts look like cake? Because you’ve been staring all night.”
Clinton laughed. Busted. “You have to know you’re a beautiful woman.”
Nina shrugged. “I’ll take your word for it.” She offered him a sly smile.
Clinton licked his lips, wondering if Nina’s lips were as soft as they looked. “You’re something special, Nina Richardson.”
“That’s because you’ve only met Alex.”
He leaned across the table and placed his hand on top of hers. “No, I’m saying that because I’ve met you.”
Nina trembled and inched closer to him. “You’re one of those guys who always know the right thing to say, huh?”
“I’m a man who tells the truth. And if I’m being honest, I haven’t been able to get you off my mind all day.”
“Really? Glad to know that it wasn’t a one-sided thing.”
Clinton smiled. “Have you had a chance to look at yourself in the mirror lately? You’re kind of a big deal.”
Nina was closer to him, their faces inches apart. “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.”
“Definitely not the guy who says things he doesn’t mean.” There was no way he could be this close to those lips and not get the answer to a burning question. Were her lips soft?
Lifting his head slightly, Clinton brushed his lips against Nina’s. With the lightning-quick reflexes, Clinton brought his lips down on top of hers, sucking on her lips, tasting their succulence and forgetting she was Sheldon’s daughter or they were in a crowded restaurant. Her lips were so soft he wouldn’t have been able to pull away from her if Jesus himself walked into the restaurant and commanded it.
Nina, on the other hand, didn’t feel that way. She yanked away from him and slapped hard enough to nearly knock him off his chair. “Are you crazy?” she snapped as she rose to her feet. Her eyes flashed anger as she glared at him.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that,” Clinton stammered. Had he misread her signals? He could’ve sworn she’d been flirting with him, but that blow to his jaw told another story.
Dropping into her chair with tears in her eyes, Nina turned away from him. “I’m sorry, this wasn’t about you.”
“I’m confused,” he said, furrowing his brow. Wasn’t he the one who’d been kissing her?
Chapter 5
Nina wiped her eyes with her napkin. “I’m going through something and I don’t want my father to know about it. Why I kissed you, I don’t know.” What Nina didn’t tell him was how good the kiss felt and if the situation was different, she would have been flattered by the kiss and even would’ve enjoyed it.
“Are you in serious trouble?”
“Not really, I just fell for the wrong man and got my heart trampled,” Nina said as more tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I would’ve thought you’d be the one out here breaking hearts, as cliché as that sounds.” Clinton found that hard to believe. On the outside, Nina looked like the perfect woman. And with a smile as warm as hers, there was no way a sane man would want to run away from her. But experience taught him to never judge a book by its cover, no matter how sexy and alluring it was.
Nina paused, looked at Clinton as if she was sizing him up to see if he was trustworthy enough to tell him her sad story. “I know I don’t know you and after what you just did, I shouldn’t even be talking to you. I was with this guy for a year. I thought we were developing something real, but it turned out he was just a user. He got all the sex, free dinners, and just about anything else he wanted from me. All I wanted in return was for him to love me. But, he was out there with another woman. And I’m looking like boo-boo the fool.”
Clinton placed his hand on top of Nina’s. “You gave way too much to someone who didn’t deserve it. Sometimes, men don’t realize a diamond when they see one.” Part of him wanted to kiss her again, but not passionately, just soft enough to let her know that he cared and that all men weren’t like the jerk that she was describing.
“Well, I’m done. With men, with love, with all of it. Maybe Alex has the right idea, all work and no play.”
“I can’t let you do that. You can’t give up or turn bitter because one man hurt you,” Clinton said.
“Whatever.”
Clinton didn’t mean to laugh, but in her indignant anger, she was cute as a button and funnier than an improv comic. He struggled to control his laughter before he said, “Maybe it’s the kind of men who you date. Most men would look at you and see a young, sexy woman who has it together and think, I want her.”
“Is that why you kissed me? You want me, Clinton?”
“Yes. But we’re not talking about me.”
“You’re a man, aren’t you?” Nina folded her arms underneath her bosom, drawing Clinton’s attention to her chest again. Licking his lips, he turned away from her chest because he found himself wondering about her nipples.
“If you have to ask then I didn’t kiss you right.” A slow smile spread across his face. “Do we need to try again?”
Nina laughed despite herself. “So, Clinton, what do I need to do to make myself irresistible to the right man?”
Just walk in a room like you walked in my office earlier, he thought. “To the right man or to the man who you claim to love?”
Nina sucked her teeth. “Just answer the question.”
“Nina, if you want that clown back, then you need to make him see that you’ve moved on. Men, at least the immature ones, hate to think that someone else has taken their place. The old adage is true: Success is the best revenge. Calling him and asking him to explain his actions is going to show him you still care. Even make you look a little too desperate.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If he had any feelings for you at all, it would burn him up to see you’ve moved forward and are enjoying your life.”
Nina bit her bottom lip. “What are you doing Monday night?”
“Working.”
She shook her head. “You’re coming to Charlotte for the Panthers game. Think of it as a way to bond with my father and to help me test your theory. So, do we have a date?”
“I can’t let you use me to get back with or at this knucklehead. Why not just move on for real instead of playing games?” Suddenly, he felt jealous and didn’t want to see another man look at her with lust in his eyes, the way he’d been looking at her all night.
“Help me with Lamar and I’ll get Alex off your back,” Nina bargained. “Besides, watching him squirm will make me feel better.”
“Your sister really hates me that much?”
Nina nodded. “It’s more like mistrust. But I can help you with that and you can help me with my issue. It’s a win-win for everybody.”
“Lamont doesn’t deserve you,” Clinton said.
“Lamar,” Nina corrected. “And you may be right, but my heart isn’t listening at the moment. If he doesn’t mind seeing us together, then I’ll know I need to move on and I’ll do it.”
Clinton held his right hand out to Nina. “All right, you have a deal.” With those words, he knew that his fate was sealed because there was no way he’d be able to resist the charms of Nina Richardson.
One day soon, he was going to brand her his and have her in his bed. That is, if he could get her to stop thinking about this Lamar person and make their ruse real.
* * *
By the time the weekend rolled around, Nina’s sad thoughts of Lamar had been replaced by the memory of Clinton’s kiss and her plan to take him to the game on Monday night. What was going to happen after the game gave her more pause than what Lamar’s reaction would be to seeing the couple. What if Clinton wants to come back to my place for a nightcap and if he kisses me again? I won’t be pushing him away, Nina thought as she flipped over on her stomach. If he kisses like that, I wonder what else those sexy lips can do. This is crazy. I don’t know this man. So why does he keep invading my head?
“I know someone in this family better welcome me,” Yolanda called out, interrupting Nina’s lustful thoughts.