Second Chance Christmas: BWWM Interracial Romance (Holiday Happiness Book 2) Read online

  Chapter Two

  The pain in his jaw made Toby aware that he was gnashing his teeth. He kept replaying his encounter with Brielle over and over again in his head. Perhaps, that’s the reason why he felt the onset of a headache. He needed to seek a way to escape from the glitzy event. If it wasn’t for the fact that he would piss off one of his important partners, he would have left without saying good-bye. But this was the start of his business relationship and he needed the man, at least for now. There was no way he could just walk away.

  “How’s it going?” Sebastian dropped into the seat beside him. “Are you okay?”

  “Do I look okay?” Toby growled under his breath. He rarely lost his temper. But just now he could feel its slow burn igniting in his chest. With great effort, he curbed his desire to kick a chair or vent in some other way. Violence was never an effective solution and would probably exacerbate the problem. He just needed to get out, that’s all. “Out of all the parties…”

  Sebastian ran a hand over his face. “I saw her, too.”

  Toby barely glanced at his oldest friend. The two men grew up together. After going to the same school and college, they parted ways when Sebastian chose to pursue a law degree and Toby went on to build a construction business from scratch. But through thick and thin, they were there for each other. Sebastian was the best man at Toby’s wedding, and if it wasn’t for him, Toby would have never discovered that the woman he loved, cherished, and married was cheating on him. Brielle really put a spell on him with her gentle ways and her apparent acts of kindness. But what he didn’t know was that while he was toiling away to put money in the bank for their future, she was scheming to get into bed with other men.

  Once he discovered her true nature, Toby distanced himself without a word of explanation, because he couldn’t bring himself to confront her. Had he done so, he would have fallen apart. It wasn’t just because he was angry, which of course he was, but more so because his heart damn near broke at the knowledge of her deception. He’d loved her with all his heart and soul. No other woman ever came close to making him feel what he felt for her. She was his sun and moon. He practically orbited around her. And to know that she was actually laughing about him behind his back was not only an affront to his dignity but also a deep kick to his heart.

  Alone with his devastated heart and soul, he escaped before he could make a complete fool of himself in front of her and others. Brielle alone held the power to annihilate him—and moving away from her as fast as possible was his only defense. Even now, his heart ached to see her. They could have been so happy together. And yet, she threw it all away for a quick romp in bed.

  Why? He longed to ask her. But doing so would unleash an avalanche of emotions that would unhinge his carefully built mental stability. He couldn’t risk getting hurt in quite that manner again.

  “If you want to leave, my car is right outside,” said Sebastian.

  “No. I have to stick it out at least until dinner is over. I’ll call a cab when I’m ready to leave.”

  “But we were supposed to go watch a game after this.” Sebastian patted his pocket. “I’ve got tickets.”

  Toby shook his head. “Sorry, man. I’ve changed my mind. What did she say to you?”

  Sebastian scraped his chair closer. “Who?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Not much. I just said, ‘hi.’ She seems to be doing well in her business. Sophia is singing their praises. Apparently all three sisters are in this together. Lexi runs the show, Brielle takes care of food, and Janay’s the financial head.”

  Dinner was served. Toby attacked his butternut squash basmati rice and broccoli and cheddar casserole with leeks, barely registering the rich flavors because he wanted to finish as quickly as possible. He was still trying to grapple with the surprise encounter with his wife—no dammit—ex-wife. One thing about Brielle certainly hadn’t changed and that was her beauty and grace. She was more elegant than any other woman that he knew. Her heart-shaped face took his breath away when he saw her, just like the first time when he set his eyes on her on campus. They’d hit it off the minute they met. He’d imagined growing old with her and planned a life full of joy and laughter—but instead…

  And yet even now, seeing her, his body clenched with desire. He wanted her as much as ever. What an idiot he was! Wasn’t once enough to learn his lesson?

  Time, it appeared, didn’t dull the hold she had on him.

  Toby shook his head. He shouldn’t be taking this trip down memory lane. “They’re all here?” he asked Sebastian.

  Not that he had anything against her sisters, but of course, they were very close to each other. If Brielle was cheating on him during their marriage, the sisters knew about it and concealed it from him. He didn’t mind that they chose to be loyal to their sister. But he didn’t want to face them ever again.

  “Look who’s heading this way!” said Sebastian.

  Toby watched Janay stalk towards them in a winding path towards their table. She’d been a kid when Brielle and Toby got married. And look at her now. All grown up…and for some reason, looking very, very angry.

  He didn’t have to be Einstein to know that this encounter with Brielle’s kid sister wasn’t going to be a pleasant one. He set down the knife and fork. He murmured his thanks when a waiter seemed to pop out from nowhere and remove his dishes. He couldn’t help but be proud that Brielle had a cadre of courteous and efficient staff. Because of her need to get things done right, he wasn’t surprised that the service provided was quite good.

  “Look what the cat dragged in!” Janay stood beside them. “If it isn’t the dynamic duo.”

  Sebastian chose to keep his mouth shut. A wise move. In hindsight he should have done the same but Toby couldn’t help but answer her. How dare Janay treat him like a leper when he was the injured party? “Stay out of my way, Janay!” he said shortly.

  “You stay out of Brielle’s,” she hissed so that none of the other occupants of the table could hear her. “She’s too good for a man like you. If my man had deserted me like that…I would have clawed out his eyes.”

  “Maybe she got what she deserved. There’s justice in the world.”

  “What she got was years of misery. That’s not what she deserved. And if there was justice in this world, you would have been groveling at her feet.”

  So the little girl was all grown up and knew how to fight. But this wasn’t the time or the place. From afar he saw Brielle as she entered the ballroom, a tray of coffee cups balanced on her hand as she made her way towards their table.

  She was beautiful. The ivory-colored cardigan was buttoned in the middle, which emphasized her narrow waist and full breasts, and was layered with an equally white camisole. The hem of the India ink black skirt fell just below her knees, which in itself would have been modest, but because it was slim and narrow with a slit at the side, it drew Toby’s attention to her long, slender legs. Sensible charcoal-black shoes and a trendy, black-and-white polka dot scarf completed the ensemble. Brielle didn’t look beautiful in the outfit she wore. Ha! It was the other way around: the clothes looked beautiful on her. With deep chestnut-colored skin and her lob cut—as she usually called it—slicked back in a neat ponytail, she looked like a younger version of Drucilla Winters on her favorite soap opera, The Young and the Restless.

  Toby was so focused on the woman that he’d vowed to love and cherish before the priest and their guests all those years ago, that he’d almost forgotten that her sister, Janay, was still glaring at him, her arms folded.

  “Fine. You’ve had your say.”

  Janay caught the direction of his gaze and bent low so that her lips were a few inches away from his ear. “This isn’t over, Toby. I swear, it isn’t over.” With a cold, hard glance at Sebastian, she flounced away.

  “What the hell was that about?” asked Sebastian.

  “Damn if I know,” he replied. Why the hell were they blaming him? So what if he walked away without telling Brielle
that he knew about her various infidelities. He chose to make a clean break because he didn’t want to see her spin her lies.

  He was attuned to where Brielle was at any given time. He strained his ears to hear what she whispered to the waiter who came to serve their table, but he couldn’t make out what she said to him. He wrestled between desire for Brielle and disgust at himself for still wanting her so much, when the waiter excused himself and Brielle replaced him as their waiter to serve their table. He had such an urgent desire to touch her, the tip of his fingers actually tingled with the need. How he wished he could be somewhere else, to leave before he made a fool of himself.

  “Tea or coffee?” Brielle asked him.

  As if she needed to ask. She knew that if he had a choice between the two beverages, he was definitely a tea man. After all, having an English-born mother made him appreciate tea’s superior taste. Was she able to forget his preference so quickly? He remembered everything about her: what foods and drinks she liked and disliked and the fact she was allergic to shellfish.

  He glanced at Brielle, and a rush of adrenaline coursed through his body like a gush of water from a hydrant, when he saw a slight smile on her plump lips. After his encounter with her sister, Janay, he didn’t think Brielle would be quite like this, pleasant. Gratefully, he picked up the cup of tea she’d placed in front of him and took a sip. It was delicious. Whatever else was wrong with her, she did manage to spin magic in the kitchen. After finishing his tea he rose to say good-bye to the host and hostess, his new partner Pete and his wife, Sophia. Sebastian chose to stay for a little while longer. Toby slipped out and dragged in a deep breath.

  And then it hit him.

  A strange feeling.

  A heaviness in his head.

  And it felt as if it was spinning, whether from stress or tiredness he didn’t know. He’d been traveling heavily this past week and planned to take a break next weekend. Digging out his phone from his pocket, he swiped across the screen to call a cab. But much to his disgust, the numbers and names actually swam in front of his eyes. He couldn’t even distinguish the names and numbers on the screen.

  What the hell is going on?

  An arm slipped around his waist and someone took the phone from him. “Here let me help you.”

  Even through the wave of dizziness that overcame him, he recognized the voice. “What are you doing?” It was meant to be said in his meanest, toughest voice, but much to his disgust his words were indistinguishable from a groan.

  Why was she leading him to that cab?

  He didn’t actually call one, did he?

  Where the hell she was taking him?

  He wanted to tug his arm away from hers, but he lacked the strength to even try. Perhaps, if he did, he might only succeed in falling flat on his face. Then he thought it might be better to lay supine on the ground rather than allow her to take him to God-knows-where, but he couldn’t muster the energy to protest or to step away.

  She opened the door of the cab, gently guided him into the seat, and bent to tuck his legs away. Toby could see the driver turn his head to gawk at him.

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “Too much to drink,” she said as she wrinkled her nose. She joined him in the back seat.

  What was she talking about? He didn’t even touch a drop of alcohol at that party.

  Why was she looking at him as if he was a piece of shit she’d step on with her new pair of shoes?

  And where did she think she was going with him?

  He wanted to tell the driver to kick her out and take him to his hotel. He opened his mouth, but his mind was fuzzy and he couldn’t put two words together. His mouth snapped shut.

  He needed to rest for just a second.

  Needed to gather his strength.

  All he needed was a few seconds…a few seconds to…

  ****

  His head was heavy and his eyes felt sticky when he tried to open them. Toby glanced at the unfamiliar ceiling until his head stopped spinning. Carefully, he turned his head and took stock of his surroundings. He was in a room that held a cabinet and a desk. Drapes were pulled across the window so he couldn’t tell if it was night or day. Groaning, he tried to sit up, but it was then he realized that his hands were tied to the bed.

  What the hell was going on?

  Where was he and who brought him here?

  Had he been kidnapped?

  Who would dare do such a thing?

  He couldn’t believe his luck. Did he come back to New York only to fall into the wrong hands? Was this the work of a gang that wanted ransom, or was this done by one of his competitors? He’d probably rubbed a few people the wrong way during his sharp climb to the top of the construction industry, but would anyone stoop so low as to kidnap him?

  Whoever it was, he would pay for it when he got out of here.

  The door opened. The coldness that hit him in his solar plexus was sudden. His eyes were liars, for the person he saw before him couldn’t be who he thought it was. It couldn’t be the same person who’d offered him a cup of tea.

  No sir!

  Yet the glare was unmistakable. She wouldn’t dare. Would she? But she was right in front of his eyes. She held a saucer that contained a bowl that had the delicious scent of soup made from scratch. “You?”

  Brielle cocked her head and then shook it. “I’m glad you’ve recovered. You need to eat something.”

  Toby tugged the ropes that bound him. Obviously, she hadn’t forgotten the skills she’d learned as a Girl Guide when she was a kid. “You brought me here?”

  “Yes.”

  He couldn’t believe her nerve. What the hell was she planning to do with him? “You think you’re going to get away with this?”

  “Actually, I already have.” She scooped a bit of the soup with the spoon. “Now, open your mouth.”

  He opened his mouth to tell her to back away from him, but she thrust the spoon in and he was forced to swallow. Bit by bit, she fed him while he glowered at her with all his might. When he was free from his ropes, he was going to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget.

  Had she lost her mind?

  What was she hoping to achieve with this stunt?

  Wasn’t it enough that she stomped on his heart and made him bleed for years?

  Obviously not.

  She wanted to play games with him now.

  As soon as he was free, he was going to bring the police down and get her thrown in jail. And this time, he would stick around to make sure that she suffered as she’d made him suffer.

  No way was he going to let her get away with this crime.

  Chapter Three

  Brielle took deep breaths as she emerged from his room. Even now she could barely believe that she’d actually kidnapped her ex-husband. Would temporary insanity be considered an adequate plea when he dragged her into court? She was sure that Toby would leave no stone unturned to suitably punish her for this lack of judgment.

  What on earth prompted her to take such a drastic measure?

  He was, of course, responsible for this mess. If he’d just told her the real reason why he left her or at least rendered an apology, then that fire in her heart wouldn’t have blazed out of control. Never in her life did she behave with such a lack of concern for the consequences of her actions. She was the mature and wise one in the family. She was the one on whom others depended. She was always calm, controlled, and restrained. Anyone who knew her would be shocked by what she did.

  He was the one who turned her into the monster she’d so obviously become. Concocting a brew and kidnapping a man against his will were certainly not one of her best ideas. But it was already done. She was committed. And she would see this through. He was going to make her suffer anyway, so she might as well learn all that she could through this exercise. After rinsing the bowl and saucer in the sink, she washed her hands and braced herself. Now that he wasn’t hungry, he would be in a much better mood to listen to her.

  Once again, sh
e glided across his room with feigned confidence. His intense leaf-green eyes tracked her movements across the floor. The muscles in his shoulders strained as he yanked the ropes that bound him. Suddenly, he pulled hard and the bed actually scraped against the floor. She jumped; her heart raced. The man was strong. And even in this state, he looked attractive, good enough to eat, actually. Desire ran through her veins. Brielle curbed it with a vicious shake of her head.

  She walked towards him. “I’ll loosen the ropes.” He stopped moving immediately. “I’m sure you need to go to the bathroom.”

  Toby grunted.

  “Obviously, I won’t be able to tie you back once you’re free. And it’s not my intention to do that anyway.” She pointed to the door. “There’s the bathroom.” She inched closer. “Now, don’t move until I’m done untying you.”

  With hands that trembled, she loosened the ropes and allowed them to glide down on the bed. He sat and she stepped away, taking care to maintain a safe distance between them. Without saying anything, he stood and ambled to the bathroom.

  All right. Step one completed.

  Although she had expected a verbal altercation as soon as he slid off the bed, she accepted the temporary respite and escaped into the living room. Rather than waste her time pacing the floor to await his return, she busied herself in the kitchen. By the time he came out, she’d just switched off the oven.

  “Where’s my phone?” he demanded.

  She glanced up. “You’re not going to get it.”

  He growled deep in his throat. The sound sent a thrill of panic down her spine, but she stood resolute. This wasn’t the time to back away from the confrontation. Didn’t she bring him here for this purpose? Soon, her questions would be answered and he would be able to go on his way. Back to the life he’d continued without her. She would likely never see him again, except perhaps in court. So it was better to have her say now. “I want to know why you ended our marriage.” Her muscles tightened in readiness, because she was ready to face whatever he dished her way. “As soon as you give me an answer, I’ll give you the phone and you can be on your way.”