Tiana (Starkis Family #3) Read online

  “You want me to prove to you that she means nothing to me?” he asked, reaching for his phone. “Gladly.”

  “I don’t want you to do anything for my benefit.” I was helpless to stop him as I watched him dial her number. I didn’t want to be here to hear him talk to his lover, or former lover, or whatever she was, about why he couldn’t sleep with her tonight.

  He held the phone away from his mouth while he waited for her to pick up. “I’m doing this for us, because I don’t want there to be a doubt in your mind about how much you mean to me.”

  I was mortified when I heard her voice on the other end. I turned to face the mirror when Blake cut her off mid-sentence. Looking at my ravaged reflection, I tried to tame my hair while I pretended not to listen to the exchange.

  “Listen, Jackie,” he said, watching me in the mirror, “I’m sorry, but there’s been a change of plans. You can’t come over tonight, or any other night for that matter.”

  I released the breath I’d been holding as I wondered how many other Jackies were in Blake’s life. Would this happen over and over until I just couldn’t trust him anymore?

  “I have a girlfriend now. I would have told you sooner, but it, uh, just sort of happened.” He sighed. “No, I didn’t just meet her. I’ve known her for years.” He listened to her, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. “I know I said I wasn’t interested in a relationship, but she’s… different.”

  I couldn’t deny I was pleased by the characterization, but it didn’t change the fact that Jackie’s text had planted seeds of doubt that weren’t there before.

  “Please don’t call or text or—” He clenched his jaw, looking angry. “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Punching the button to disconnect the call, he scowled at me. “Happy now?”

  “Clearly you’re not.” I didn’t know what I’d done to warrant his anger. “I didn’t ask you to call her and tell her not to come, you know. I would have been perfectly happy to leave so she could have come over.”

  He threw his cell phone at the wall, prompting Rosie, who’d been napping in the hall, to yelp and run in the other direction. I didn’t blame her. I felt like doing the same.

  I grabbed my purse. “That’s it—I’m out of here. If you want to throw a temper tantrum, kindly wait until we leave to do it.”

  He lunged for the bedroom door, slamming it before I could escape. With his front pressed to my back, he whispered, “I’m so goddamned sorry about all of this, you have no idea.” Resting his head on my shoulder, he said, “Please, Ti. You can’t leave me over this.”

  I curled my hand around the knob, preparing to leave. “How many other women do you have on speed dial?”

  He glanced at his shattered cell phone with a rueful smile. “None now.”

  “This isn’t funny,” I said, opening the door a crack before he slammed it shut again. I sighed as my frustration mounted. “You can’t keep me here against my will.”

  “I know that. I’m just begging you to give me five minutes, that’s all.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Given what we shared in that bed, I think you owe me that. Don’t you?”

  “What you shared with me in that bed?” I shouted, spinning around. I slipped under his arm, which was braced on the closed door, and tore the sheets off the bed as tears assailed me. “What about what you shared with Jackie and probably dozens of other women in this bed?” I was screaming and sobbing and utterly humiliated as I tore the duvet off the bed, taking the lamp with it. The delicate glass base shattered, making me feel even worse.

  He rushed toward me, side-stepping the broken glass, and swept me up in his arms.

  “What are you doing?” I demanded.

  “You’re going cut your feet.”

  “I don’t care about that,” I said, swiping at the tears staining my face.

  “Well, I do.” He carried me down the hall, kicking open doors as he went. “I’ll replace that goddamn bed tomorrow. You’ll never have to see it again. In the meantime, there are four other beds in this house. Take your pick.”

  “I already told you I’m not staying here tonight. I can’t.”

  His eyes captured mine, and that was when I noticed I wasn’t the only one struggling to get my emotions in check. I’d never seen Blake misty-eyed, and I had to admit, knowing he was hurting as much as I was took the edge off my anger.

  “And I can’t let you leave.” He closed his eyes while Rosie danced around his feet. “If I let you leave, you won’t come back.”

  I didn’t know whether I would or not, but I needed time to think, to process everything that had happened and decide what to do next, without his hard body next to me, trying to influence my decision. “I have a lot to think about.”

  “The only thing you need to think about is how much I love you.”

  I believed that he loved me. I loved him too. But would that be enough to fight his penchant for wild women, or my father’s strong will?

  “Please,” I said, desperate to escape not only him but my feelings for him. “Just let me go. I need to go home to think.”

  He reluctantly set me down. Wrapping his arms tightly around my waist, he buried his face in my neck while lifting my feet off the ground. “As long as you promise to call me tomorrow.”

  “I promise.” No matter what I decided to do, I owed him an answer face to face.

  Chapter Eight

  Blake

  “No, you heard me right,” I said to the stunned florist on the other end of the phone line. “Five dozen multi-colored roses, and I want them delivered before lunch. Tiana Starkis at Starkis Towers on…”

  My voice trailed off when I realized Damon was in my doorway. Shit. I did not need to deal with an inquisition when I’d barely gotten any sleep. I couldn’t even handle forcing down a mouthful of the eggs I’d ordered for breakfast.

  “It’s not hard to find,” I muttered. “Let me put my receptionist on—she’ll give you my credit card information.” I held a finger up to Damon while I gave my receptionist instructions to complete the call.

  “You want to tell me what that was about?” Damon asked, gesturing to the landline I’d just hung up.

  “Not really.” I leaned back in my leather swivel chair, wondering why I hadn’t stayed in bed. I hadn’t accomplished a single thing this morning, and the afternoon wasn’t looking any more promising.

  “You’re sending flowers to my sister.”

  “So?”

  I rubbed my eyes before searching through my desk drawer for the eye drops I usually stashed there. My life consisted of a lot of late nights of entertaining, drinking too much, and getting too little sleep. I usually needed a little help masking my sleep deprivation and hangover, but today my head hurt and my eyes were bleary for a completely different reason. I’d had a few shots after Tiana left, to numb the sting I’d felt when she walked out on me, but I wasn’t hungover. I was hung up. On her. And I had no idea what to do about it.

  “So I want to know what it means.” Damon closed the door to my office and claimed the guest chair across from me. “Are you guys dating now or what?”

  “We’re…” I had no idea how to define our relationship, especially since I didn’t know whether Tiana would even speak to me again after last night’s debacle.

  I still couldn’t believe I’d been stupid enough to forget my date with Jackie, one I should have canceled long before Tiana had to see that damn text message and start questioning everything all over again. She already had plenty of reasons to doubt me, and I’d just handed her one more on a silver platter.

  Damon frowned. “You’re what? Just spit it out.”

  “What the hell is it with your family?” I said, letting my temper loose after hours of trying to control my self-directed rage. “Why the hell do you think you all get a say in the way Tiana lives her life? She’s a grown woman! She can sleep with anyone she goddamn well pleases!”

  Damon’s eyes narrowed before he leaned forward. “You’re sleeping w
ith my sister? Since when?”

  If Damon wasn’t taking it well, Deacon would go ballistic when he found out. “It’s none of your business.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Kessler. If you hurt her, it will be my business.”

  I had to get it together. It wasn’t just my future on the line. I’d made commitments that I intended to honor. Damon and I had founded Kestar Investments several months ago when he decided he was ready to get out from under his old man’s thumb and I decided I was ready to take a more active role in my investments. So far it had been a stellar union, setting us up to turn a nice profit while helping young entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground, but if my feelings for Tiana affected my partnership with her brother, our business would suffer. That wasn’t fair to all of the people who’d already put their faith in us when we assured them we would help them realize their dreams.

  I forced myself to take a calming breath. “I understand you’re concerned about Tiana. You two are close, but she’s a grown woman, Damon. You have to trust that she can make her own decisions, whether or not you agree with them.”

  “You know why I’m concerned,” Damon said, giving me a pointed look. “Why both me and Deacon are concerned about this. You’re a lot more…” He cleared his throat, breaking eye contact. “Experienced than Tiana.”

  “And you don’t want me corrupting her, right?” I laughed, even though I found no humor in the situation. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of turning your pure and innocent sister into a dirty girl.” I regretted the words as soon as they came out of my mouth. It sounded as if I didn’t respect Tiana, and I did. So much. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It was out of line.”

  Damon’s glare continued to slice through me. “You’re damned right it was out of line, man.”

  I scrubbed my face with my hands. I couldn’t get rid of Damon until I offered some explanation that satisfied his curiosity about my relationship with his sister. “The truth is, I’ve had feelings for your sister for a long time. A really long time.”

  Settling back in the chair, Damon crossed his arms. “Anyone could see you two had chemistry. But I didn’t think you’d act on it. I mean, come on, it’s no secret how my old man feels about you.”

  “I don’t give a goddamn if Demi hates my guts. I don’t want to date him. I want to date his daughter.”

  Damon raised an eyebrow, looking more amused than angry. “You may not care, but I don’t have to tell you that Tiana has always been Daddy’s little girl. He adores her and would do anything to protect her.”

  “He doesn’t need to protect her from me,” I said, feeling the tight clench of frustration deep in my gut. I hated that so many obstacles were in my path, but I hated even more that I was the one who’d created most of them.

  “Are you sure about that?” When I responded with a vicious scowl, Damon raised his hands. “You can’t blame me for asking, Blake. Look, as a partner, you’re top-notch. As a friend, I know my brother and I can always count on you. But let’s face it, you don’t do relationships well.”

  That was a massive understatement, but I wouldn’t admit that to Damon. “People can change. You and Deacon are prime examples of that. You guys didn’t do commitment either, and look at you now. Deacon’s psyched about having a baby with the love of his life, and you’re planning a wedding with yours.” Deciding to go for broke, I lowered my voice. “I just want what you guys have, man. Is that too much to ask?”

  I probably didn’t deserve a happy ending, not after the way I’d treated women for most of my life, but if there was such a thing as penance, I’d say a hundred Hail Marys for a chance at a life with Tiana. All I wanted was a chance to prove to her that I could be the man she’d always wanted.

  Damon’s expression softened. “You’re serious about this? About her?”

  “As serious as a heart attack,” I said, feeling a tightening in my chest when I thought about what it would do to me if she ended us before we’d really started. “I can promise you I would never do anything to hurt her. Not intentionally.”

  Looking thoughtful, Damon said, “You don’t act like a guy who’s thrilled to finally be getting a shot with the woman of his dreams. What’s wrong? Is she giving you a hard time already?”

  I hadn’t intended to confide in Damon about my argument with Tiana last night, but I could use some advice. Since he no longer seemed appalled at the idea of me being with his sister, I decided to be honest with him. “We got into it last night.” I nodded at the phone. “That’s why I sent her flowers. I wanted her to know that I was sorry and wanted to make things right.”

  “What happened?” Damon asked, folding his hands over his stomach. “Daddy Dearest coming between you already? She mentioned something about going over there for dinner to welcome Christos to town.”

  “Yeah, she went over there, but she set that guy straight. I don’t think he’ll be a problem anymore.”

  Damon shook his head, his disbelief evident. “I think you’re underestimating Demi’s ability to manipulate a situation. He wants Tiana to marry this guy, and he’s going to do anything in his power to make sure that happens.”

  I rolled my eyes at the absurdity of the notion that Demi could force his grown daughter to do anything against her will. “Yeah, well, she’s already decided it’s not gonna happen, so it won’t. Demi will just have to deal.”

  Damon smirked. “I suppose you’ll be the one to tell him that?”

  “With pleasure.” We shared a smile. Damon knew putting his father in his place was one of my favorite pastimes. “If he tries to throw his weight around or intimidate Tiana, I have no problem telling him to back the hell off.”

  Damon laughed. “I gotta say, I love watching you two go at it. It’s like watching two bulls charging at each other. You know it’s going to get ugly and probably end in a bloodbath, but you can’t look away.”

  I was amused by Damon’s analogy since going toe-to-toe with Demi had often felt like that. “He can’t stand the fact that he and I are on equal footing. He’s used to everyone kowtowing to him ‘cause he’s the almighty Demi Starkis, and he knows that shit ain’t gonna fly with me ‘cause I have just as much money and wield just as much power as he does. Just ‘cause I don’t flaunt it the way he does—”

  “Does Tiana know you inherited billions from your grandfather?” Damon asked. “I mean, she knows that you’re from old money and your family hit it big in oil, but does she know you got it all when your grandfather died?”

  “No.” I was pretty tight-lipped about my inheritance, mainly because I didn’t want people to treat me differently because I wasn’t a multi-millionaire but a billionaire. “I’ll tell her when the time is right. But you know Ti. Shit like that doesn’t matter to her.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Damon shook his head. “My sister is the only woman I can think of who could honestly say she didn’t care that she was dating a billionaire.”

  “And that’s why I love her.”

  Damon looked shocked. “You love her? Seriously?”

  “Yeah. I want to marry her.”

  “Wait a minute,” Damon said, rubbing his temples as he closed his eyes. “What did you just say?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Come on, Blake. Don’t you think this is all happening a little fast? You’ve been dating, what, a minute?”

  I wouldn’t disrespect Tiana by telling her brother what had happened between us five years ago or that my feelings for her had been building ever since then, even when she was thousands of miles away, living a life that didn’t include me. “I’m not asking you to understand. I’m just asking you to respect my feelings and not try to dissuade your sister. If you never believe another thing I tell you, believe this. I am going to marry that girl someday, Damon.”

  “I don’t even know what to say,” he said, swiping a hand over his face. “Does Deacon know about this?”

  “He will, when the time is right.” I stood, reaching
in my desk for my car keys. I still had to replace my damaged cell phone. I felt lost without it. “In the meantime, I’m going to see your sister.”

  “Hey, you didn’t say what you guys argued about last night.”

  “Another woman.”

  Damon’s amusement turned to ferocity in a split-second. “If you tell me you cheated on her already, I swear to God—”

  I raised my hand to silence him. “I didn’t. You remember Jackie? I think I introduced you to her once when you stopped by my place?”

  “Yeah, what about her?”

  “We were supposed to hook up last night. I forgot all about it ‘til she sent me a text. Tiana read the text, and let’s just say she wasn’t happy.”

  “Jesus,” Damon said, rolling his eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

  I slapped his back on my way out of the office. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  Chapter Nine

  Tiana

  I looked around my office, now inundated with fragrant blooms. I was torn between frustration and adoration. I hated that Blake thought he could fix this with flowers, almost as much as I hated that he was sending a clear message to my entire office, including Chris and my father, about my relationship status. But I adored him for trying so hard to make amends.

  Last night hadn’t been his fault. I believed that he’d forgotten Jackie was coming and hadn’t been intimate with her in some time, but it had reminded me that probably dozens of women out there would, given the chance, stake a claim to Blake. Any of them could resurface at any time, bringing all of my jealousy and insecurities back to the surface.

  “Whoa,” Chris said, taking a step back when he tapped on my half-open office door. “Does someone have a secret admirer or what?”

  “Not so secret,” I muttered. There was no point trying to hide it when the evidence was staring him in the face, but I still wasn’t anxious to reveal who the sender was.