Black Butterfly Page 24

  His attention solely focused on her now. “Rehearsal was fine.”

  “Talk to me.”

  Sydney bit down on her bottom lip. “I don’t know where to begin.”

  “Start anywhere. Something bothering you?”

  “Yes.” When she looked over she saw such worry in his eyes, she could contain her secret no longer. “It happened to me when I first came to New York.”

  “It?” Nolen frowned.

  “I wanted badly to be accepted into the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe, very badly.”

  “You told me that the registration was full, right?” Nolen asked.

  Sydney averted her gaze. She focused on the commercial for tomato soup on the screen. Old shame and regret filled her with dread. Nolen wasn’t like Portia, and not nearly as paranoid about her wellbeing as Ricky.

  “Sydney?”

  “When I didn’t get in I tried another… place.”

  “Place? School?”

  She nodded instead of answering.

  “What school?”

  “The Dance Academy. Do you know it?”

  “American Dance Academy, yes, I've heard of it.”

  “I couldn't get an interview, so I… I tried to get the attention of a man named Ben Mendoza.”

  “And?”

  Sydney looked back to the television. “Portia said a little flirting would work. To just smile and pretend to not notice his flirts back. She said… well she said things would only go my way if I tried. And I, um, did.

  When things got to far out of hand, he tried to force himself on me. I don't know how I escaped him that day in his office, but it was the scariest time of my life.” She sighed. “Now he's back. His daughter is in Xenia's production and he's threatening to tell Xenia that I tried to seduce him. That, coupled with rumors about us, it just, it feels like . . .”

  Nolen pulled her close to him. “Come here,” he said. She did as he asked. She rested against his chest.

  “What's this man's name again?”

  “Ben Mendoza.”

  “I'm sorry Ben Mendoza scared you, hurt you. Don't worry, I'll—”

  “No.” She sat upright. “Don't get involved. It'll just blow up in my face. Please. Promise me you won't.”

  “I won't,” he said. “But I'll never sit back and let you be hurt.”

  “That’s sweet.” She sniffed. “I was more concerned of what you would think… of my role in this.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  Sydney chewed on the inside of her jaw. She decided on the truth. “Because I was such a bitch to you when we first met. Then here we are, it kind of looks like… I don’t know, like I planned it.”

  “Bullshit. You weren’t a bitch to me. Besides you stood up for yourself and I respect that. Ben Mendoza should have respect that. Someone needs to teach him some manners.”

  “Why are you okay with this?” Sydney pressed.

  He pinched her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. “We are flawed. We make mistakes. I’ve made my share. I’m not here to judge you Sydney.”

  The answer resonated within her heart and her insecurities subsided. “Thank you.” She relaxed against him once more. Then shot straight up. “Oh, I spoke to Trish earlier. She wanted me to ask you something.”

  “Ask me what?”

  “They want us to go with them to Todd’s place this weekend in Nantucket.” Nolen frowned. “Not interested.”

  “No? Why not?”

  He returned his attention back to the screen.

  Sydney snuggled him. Her hand eased down his lower abdomen to the bulge between his legs. He shot her another quick glance without moving his head.

  “What’s the problem,” she implored. “It’ll be fun.” Nolen shifted. He lowered his gaze to her stroking hand. She grinned slyly. “Is that a yes?”

  “Depends on how badly you want to go,” he answered.

  “Let me show you,” she said. Her hand slipped away from his erection when she lowered her legs. She eased down his front zipper slowly. Sydney’s excitement was so intense it burned like hot coals in the pit of her stomach. Her gaze flipped up to see if he was as excited as she was. Their eyes met. The heat, banked in his hooded stare over her actions confirmed it.

  The teeth of the zipper parted and his erection under silk boxers, hard and prevalent rose to greet her.

  She swallowed. She’d never performed oral before. She tried with Henry but always felt awkward, unable to suppress her gag reflexes in her mouth. Nolen was a sexual man, and he’d done it to her countless times. She wanted him, this way.

  Never breaking his stare she reached inside the opening of his boxers and withdrew his cock, warm and firm to the touch. Nolen parted his knees and slumped down further into the back cushion. Sydney sucked in a deep breath. She was nervous, but her own arousal made flutters in her stomach fleeting.

  Sydney dropped to her knees. She scooted over to get positioned between his parted thighs. Taking her hand up and down his upward turned shaft from the base to the cock head, she grew bolder and confident. In the light of his theater she could see every veined inch of him in detail. She marveled at how strong and powerful he felt under her touch.

  Remembering to breathe she brought her mouth forward, and opened wide. Careful of his girth she wrapped her lips around her teeth to aide in his easy glide. He went in slow but strong and her lids fluttered shut to the salty taste of his cock over her tongue. One moan from him and she lost it, making her suction harder as her head bobbed up and down, and his erection filled, then slipped from her mouth. She continued swallowing him, inch after inch until he hit the back of her throat, forcing her to release.

  “Damn Sydney, oh damn.” He groaned.

  She smiled and worked her fist around his cock in time with her mouth. He thrust upward and shoved past her tongue, tapping the back of her throat.

  “Loosen your jaws babe, you can take it.” He nearly growled.

  She did what he asked and soon realized she could. It was he who couldn’t take it. Her gaze lifted as her tongue swirled around his thickness. His head had dropped back, the veins in his throat profound as his Adams-apple bobbed from his deep swallows. Oh yes, he was hers.

  He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her face from his cock. The swift tug stung and she gasped in surprise, barely missing his eruption. Sydney smiled. He groaned through his ejaculation. Wiping her mouth she stood and put her hand to her hip. “Ready for bed?”

  Sydney stood at the foot of the bed, pulling her fuzzy sweater down her head.

  “Morning,” Nolen said, ogling her with sleepy eyes as she finished dressing. “You slipping out of here without saying goodbye?”

  “Of course not. Just getting dressed so I can fix us some breakfast before I leave.”

  “Come here,” he said, propping both hands behind his head on the pillow and staring at her mischievously.

  She sat on the side of the bed. “It’s early. You should go back to sleep.”

  “Look in the drawer,” he said, indicating a small cherry wood nightstand.

  “The drawer, huh?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “The drawer.”

  Sydney pulled open the drawer to see a square black box with a white ribbon. “Now what’s this?” she asked, waving the box in his face.

  “Open it.”

  She pulled off the ribbon, and then looked at Nolen, who was watching her intensely. “I really wish you wouldn’t buy me things Nolen. It makes me uncomfortable, and it’s not necessary.”

  “Oh, I had to get you this,” he said seriously.

  Now more than curious, she moved the black tissue paper aside and pulled out a cell phone.

  “A phone, Nolen?” she asked, laughing.

  “What young woman in the city doesn’t have one?”

  “I’ve had one, I’m in between phones.” She shot back.

  “Well you don’t have one now. So here. See it’s not a diamond broach it’s something practical. I can’t s
tand not being able to reach you during the day.”

  Sydney rubbed her finger over the front of the iPhone and it woke. The icons appeared under a glossy screen. “Wow, an iPhone, I’m impressed.”

  “Good. Make sure you keep it on.”

  “I’ll pay the bill,” she said, looking over at him.

  “No,” he said firmly. “It’s a company phone, so you can’t.”

  She leaned over to give him a thank you kiss, and Nolen pulled her down, flipping her onto her back.

  Giggling, she dropped the phone onto the bed and pushed at his hands, which were now clawing at her clothes.

  “Nolen, I just showered, and I want to fix breakfast before I leave.”

  “Stop fighting me,” he said in his husky voice. “New rule, we shower together.” He bit her bottom lip.

  She checked at her watch while he kissed along her neck, then down to her cleavage, she realized that it was easier to give him his morning love than struggle against it, only to find herself giving in later anyway.

  Maybe they’d get out of bed in time to salvage some of the morning before she had to catch the train to the studio. Either that, or she’d have to skip her shower and breakfast. Last week it was her idea they get tested.

  Nolen had no problem with the suggestion. In fact he had his test results for AIDS and any other STD in her hand the next day. She had to scramble to the clinic to get hers. Now she was glad they did. With a clean bill of health they could really enjoy themselves.

  Nolen drew down her pants. Sydney kicked her feet to assist with them coming off her ankles. Her panty was next. With two fingers he rubbed her slit then she felt herself open as he eased his erection in. Her butt cheeks clenched, and he thrust deeper. Sydney grabbed his arms, throwing one leg around his waist. He gave a hard thrust and he was inside. She moaned, satisfied. Nolen pumped with quick jerking thrusts that had her suppressing squeals of pleasure. Instead she went with it, and gave him as good as she got.

  Todd awoke to the aroma of scrambled eggs and buttered toast. Week two and his golden hair beauty remained at his side. He found it hard to imagine a time without her. She fit into his life so easily. He moaned and turned over, almost toppling the hot coffee on the breakfast tray Trish had placed over his lap.

  “You don’t have any bacon or sausage, so I just made eggs,” she said, sitting beside him.

  Todd squinted through his heavy lids, smiling at her pout. “I’ll go to the store and get the things you like.”

  She scooped up some eggs from his plate with a fork and brought them to his mouth. “You don’t have to.

  I wasn’t complaining. Besides I don’t stay here, I’ve just been hanging out the past week or so.” Todd chewed on his eggs and winked at her. He saw why her friends coddled her. She was pretty spoiled when she let her guard down, but her sweet manner made her charmingly childlike. Spoiling her would be his life’s new passion.

  “What are we going to do today?” she asked, taking a bite of his toast.

  “Hey, I thought this breakfast was for me?”

  She grinned as she chewed. “Sorry. I’m greedy.”

  “For someone so tiny, you sure do eat a lot.”

  “I’ve never had a problem with my appetite,” she said, shrugging.

  Todd shook his head, smiling. “I have a photo shoot here today.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. And we’ll leave for Nantucket tomorrow to get everything prepared for Sydney and Nolen.”

  “I need to go home and get some more clothes. It’s freezing on that island this time of year.”

  “Why don’t we go shopping?” Todd suggested.

  Trish frowned and shook her head. “I can’t let you do that.”

  “I haven’t paid you for the painting.”

  She shrugged. “That's because you won't sit still and let me finish it.”

  “Let me do some nice things for you. It’s only money. You and I grew up with it. Neither of us cares for material things, so why not indulge me in this?”

  She lay back on the pillow next to him and stared into his eyes, smiling. “Can I watch the photo shoot?”

  “You promise to be good?”

  “I promise!” she said, rubbing her nose against his.

  “Then you can watch.”

  “Great! Now eat what’s left of these eggs so we can play,” she said as she sat up, grabbing his fork and eating more off his plate.

  Chapter 14

  Falling in Love

  “You can’t come in here!” Annemarie shouted at the tall black man who barged past her into Nolen’s office. Nolen looked up at the unexpected visitor, who was wearing a khaki-colored trench coat over his dark blue suit. He knew exactly who the intruder was, and so did Annemarie.

  “I’ll call you back,” he said then hung up.

  Annemarie pushed past the man and headed straight to her boss’s desk, her glasses balanced on the tip of her nose and her face red with anger. “Sir, I can have security throw him out. He just barged in here.”

  “It’s ok, Annemarie. Give us a moment.”

  She glared at the intruder before closing the door behind her.

  Nolen leaned back in his large leather chair and stared at the investigator from the Securities and Exchange Commission who’d been tailing him for years. He said nothing while Mitchell walked around the office, examining the exotic artwork from all over the world. Spotting a four-foot tall hand-carved ivory statue of a man with an elongated head and puffed belly, he looked back at Nolen, smiling. “That’s from West Africa, the Yoruba people, right?”

  Nolen nodded, and Mitchell shook his head. “Damn. This stuff should be in a museum.”

  “Is that why you’re here, to admire my taste in art?”

  The agent turned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Isn’t it illegal to import some of these pieces? I could have sworn that the Yoruba people were trying to stop the black-market trade of their artifacts.” Nolen swiveled in his chair. Short on patience and time, he had no intention in allowing him to drag this visit out. “Why don’t you go back to the SEC, crack open one of those law books, and look it up? Then let me know.”

  “I might do that,” Mitchell said.

  Shrugging, Nolen waited as Mitchell took off his coat and placed it neatly on the back of his chair before sitting down. The man was in his mid-fifties, he should have chosen a job as a schoolteacher instead of morality police. Every uninvited visit he’d share some trivia, or toss out some unknown fact. Nolen suspected he did so to show how smart he was, since everyone whispered of Nolen’s IQ, and business savvy. Whatever his reason, it bored Nolen.

  “So, I read in the paper that you dumped Delstar? Rumor has it you’re making moves with another company, some even say the company is Hollister,” he said, crossing his long legs. “Any competing interests?” He flashed Nolen a pearly white smile.

  “None that I know of,” Nolen replied calmly.

  “Funny thing is, we’ve got a little investigation going on right now, and your name just keeps popping up.”

  “What kind of investigation?”

  “The kind that ends in federal indictments.”

  “Is that why you’re here? You want to warn me about indictments? Haven't you tried that before? Didn't work out too well for your position in the SEC.”

  Mitchell glared at him. “You’re a punk kid in an expensive suit. You were hustling long before you went Ivy League. I know who you are, and who you aren’t Adams. Insider trading is your game. Your hands are dirty, and I won’t stop until I find out how!”

  “I’ve been warned,” Nolen said, leaning forward on his desk. “Now get your ass out of my office before I take the pleasure of removing you myself.”

  Mitchell sneered. “There he is. The real Nolen Adams.”

  Nolen glared.

  Mitchel reached for his coat. At the door, he turned and looked back. “You know, there’s another rumor.”

  “Really?” Nolen mumbled, ret
urning his attention to the work on his flat screen monitor.

  “Heard the F.B.I. thinks they may have located your father." Nolen's gaze slowly lifted. The agent sneered. “He's surfaced again.”

  “My father is dead.”

  “You and I know he isn’t. This time he might not slip past the feds. Maybe I can get you both a cell to share."

  Nolen smiled. “You’re bluffing, the man is dead.”

  Mitchell arched a brow. “Am I? We’ll just have to see. I’ll be back.” Annemarie walked in immediately after agent Mitchell left. “Sir, I’m so sorry about this!” Nolen waved it off. “Find out about these indictments and if our friendly COO is on the list. I want to plug any leaks out there. Move the money from those offshore accounts and close them.”

  “I have you down to leave for Nantucket tomorrow,” Annemarie said.

  “I never said…”

  “Yes sir. Todd Ellison called. He wanted to make sure he coordinated your flight in.” The phone in his pocket rang and he jumped, forgetting he had it turned on. The caller ID showed Sydney’s new number, and he marveled at her perfect timing.

  “Hello,” he said.

  “Hey, yourself. You’re the first call I’ve made on my new phone.”

  “Well I’d better be the first one you call. I’m not into sharing my lady.”

  “I do have one concern, though,” she said.

  Nolen sat, waving Annemarie off. He rocked back in his chair, staring at the buildings that surrounded his office. “What’s that?”

  “My phone has twelve numbers programmed into it—your office phone and the numbers to all of your homes. I’ve even got the phone number for your jet.”

  “I think I might have missed a couple of numbers, but since you won’t be going anywhere, we should be ok.”

  “Whatever.” She snorted. “Anybody else would be calling Bellevue for you, sweetheart.” She laughed, and he laughed with her. “What should I pack for our trip to Nantucket? And don’t say we’re not going because we have the days off.”

  “Pack nothing. We’re going shopping.”

  “No.”

  “Yes. Do you know what this weekend is?”

  “Don’t care.”

  “What kind of girl are you? First, you don’t like flowers and gifts. Then you don’t have a cell phone. And now you don’t know when Valentine’s Day is?”