Harlequin Kimani Romance September 2014 Bundle: Seduced by the Heir\Secret Silver Nights\Someone Like You\Indulge Me Tonight (32 page)

Chapter 24

M
onique walked into her condo, placing down an armful of campaign stuff and kicking off pumps. She hadn't felt this type of elation from a day's work since arguing her last trial. That had been months ago, and until tonight she hadn't realized how much she missed the drama of the courtroom.

She reached for her phone to dial Niko. It was an automatic thought. Over the past few weeks they'd shared lively conversations on any myriad of subjects. They'd mutually agreed that the upcoming election wouldn't negatively affect them, and for the most part they'd kept to that agreement. As she scrolled for his number, she recalled the scene as she'd left the auditorium: Niko surrounded by friends, family and his throng of supporters.

“Maybe calling now isn't the best idea.”

Placing the phone on the counter, Monique decided to fix a cup of tea. As she poured water and decided on her desired herbal mood—Chamomile Calm—she second-guessed her decision to decline invitations by both her godmother and her campaign crew to join them for drinks. At the time, peace and quiet was all she'd longed for. Now, however, in the solitary aftermath of an exciting evening, she was keenly aware of how she missed her family. Under normal circumstances, her parents and brother would have been here with bells on. But a set of heart palpitations had sent her dad to Emergency two days ago. His condition stabilized and nothing serious was found, but the doctor advised bed rest for two days. Understandably, her mother wouldn't leave his side. Her brother, Ian, was in Ecuador, as part of a Doctors Without Borders team. Still, he'd found time to text her an encouraging message. His thoughtfulness made her smile.

While waiting for her tea to steep, she thought of Rob. He would have enjoyed this evening. Belatedly, she wondered whether or not she should have invited him. They didn't talk much by phone these days but had exchanged emails and texts. Reaching for her phone, she punched his number, then put the phone on speaker and sat at the kitchen island as it rang.

“Hello, Rob, it's Monique.”

A pause and then “Uh, hi.”

Monique frowned. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Yes, I have company. Is something wrong?”

“No, not at all. We had our mayoral debate tonight and I was going to share some of the highlights with you. But no worries...we can talk later.”

“Okay, we'll talk later. Goodbye.”

“Well, I wasn't expecting that,” Monique mumbled as she slid off the bar stool and walked over to dress her tea. Having been broken up for months, it shouldn't have surprised her that Rob was dating. God knew she'd moved on. As she took her cup to the bedroom and prepared for a shower, her heart was happy. Rob was a good man and deserved a woman who loved him.
Maybe,
she thought as she stepped into the shower stall,
our friendship will survive after all.

* * *

A few miles away, at the home of Ike and Jennifer Drake, a small but lively gathering was in full swing. Except for Reginald and Julian, all of Niko's siblings had been at the debate and were now here. Joining them were Bryce and a few other select members of Niko's staff along with his staunchest financial supporters. Their festive mood was proof of how well they'd thought their candidate had performed.

Ike Jr. watched Niko slip into an unoccupied room and close the door. He quickly followed. “Sneaking away for a moment of solitude?”

“I see I'm not going to get it,” Niko said with a smile, as he texted on his cell phone.

“How are you holding up?”

“Man, I'm exhausted. But Mom says that as the man of the hour it would be rude to be the first one to leave.”

“I'd say she has a point.” They laughed. “Things seemed to have gone well tonight. The crowd was fantastic.”

“Looked like the whole town showed up. I guess P.C. is ready for change.”

“I must say, there was one face I was expecting to see and didn't.”

Niko looked up from his phone. “Who?”

“Ashley. Considering her borderline harassment of you lately, I was on the lookout.”

“This is one of the biggest events that's happened here lately. She would not have missed it. Trust me, you may not have seen her but I guarantee she was there. Her and her messy mama, too.”

“I saw Joy. She was busy shooting daggers at the family while schmoozing up to Dick's wife, Cindy.”

Niko slowly shook his head. “Joy's a trip. I almost feel sorry for Ashley. With an opportunistic mother like that, she never had a chance.”

“I have to give it to you, little brother. You held it down tonight.”

“Thanks, Ike.”

“Especially given some of the B.S. being spouted. Dick was in rare form.”

“You don't know the half.” He shared Dick's earlier comments.

“Doesn't surprise me. He's a part of the old guard who aren't ready to give up their post and realize that times have changed.”

“I wanted to punch him in the mouth.”

“Yes, I'd feel the same way if someone talked about my woman.” Niko voiced a stern denial, which elicited a chuckle from Ike. “You know I'm right. Terrell and I have suspected it for a while. From our keen observations and your reaction just now, I'd say we're right.” He looked at Niko for confirmation. A church mouse could not have been quieter.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” he finally said.

Ike's smile broadened. “Oh, really? Then you probably don't know why I'm getting bills for services rendered by the cleaning company for the San Francisco condo?” Niko's brow rose ever so slightly. “You forgot that I manage the family expenses and regularly check the books? I know I haven't spent the night there. I could ask Mom and Dad if they've been there recently but—”

“Okay, you've got me. So you can stop looking so smug.”

“Don't worry, little brother. Your secret's safe with us. She's definitely the total package—smart, successful, attractive. I can see why you're interested. But I don't need to tell you that you should be very careful.”

“No, you don't need to tell me.”

“Obviously someone does. If you were sloppy enough that I found out about your tryst, know that others who are watching might catch something, too. The last thing your campaign needs is this to hit the news, and the last thing our family needs is a scandal.”

Niko eyed his brother for a moment, then released a deep breath. “Point well taken, Ike. I'll be careful.”

“I appreciate careful but I'd much prefer patient. Can you wait until after the election to pursue this relationship?”

“It won't be easy but...I can try.”

Ike smiled. “That good, huh?”

“Even better,” Niko replied, before heading to the door and out of the room.

* * *

Monique tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Even though she'd erased it, Niko's naughty text message continued to play inside her head. It had been weeks since they'd been together and her body was having withdrawals. Back in her college days, her cousins used a phrase when a woman was head over heels for a man. They called her “whipped.” Monique could never understand what that meant. Until now. Frustrated, she tossed back the covers and hopped out of bed. At the unexpected sound of her cell phone ringing, she jumped again.

“Niko! You scared me.”

“How'd I do that from across town?”

“By calling at this ungodly hour. Do you know what time it is?”

“Time for me to come over and—”

“Don't you dare,” she rasped between clenched teeth as she snatched on a robe and proceeded to the kitchen.

“I'm not.” Niko's chuckle was low and sexy, causing Monique's resolve to falter. “But I want to.”

“Me, too. But it's not going to happen.” Monique reached for a glass and filled it with water before heading back upstairs.

“You're right. We've already been busted.”

She froze, barely finding her voice enough to utter, “Who?”

“Relax, sweetheart. Fortunately for us, it was family.” He told her what Ike had earlier shared. “He suggested that we take a break until after the election, but
that's
not going to happen.”

“I think it's a wise idea.”

“Wise, perhaps, but not likely.”

“Why not?”

“Did you read the text I sent?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know why.” His raspy voice caressed her like a breeze, causing her nipples to harden and her walls to contract.

“I can't believe you did that. Of course, it's been deleted. Emails and text messages are like smoking guns.”

“How was what I said controversial? Animal lovers would be pleased to learn how much I adore...kitties.”

“Ha! You're incorrigible.”

“You haven't seen anything yet.”

Monique got into bed and snuggled under the cover, wishing that it were Niko instead of her pillow she was hugging right now.

“You were in your element tonight.”

“I really enjoyed this evening. The courtroom provides an aspect of it, but I hadn't engaged in a straight-out debate since college.”

“You haven't lost your touch. Had the constituents waving their support with flags I'd purchased!”

Monique laughed. “I assumed the city passed those out. You'll notice I didn't beat you up too badly. Most of my arsenal was saved for Dick. That guy's a piece of work.”

“I admit I wanted to punch him earlier.”

“Why?”

“Because he was living up to his name. I guess it's to be expected. He's a product of his environment and era, born with a silver spoon, grew up in affluence. What is now patently offensive is probably how he was taught. I wouldn't pay him too much attention.”

“As long as his numbers remain low.”

“Exactly.”

Monique yawned loudly. “Wow, excuse me. That's my cue for sleep time.”

“Busy day tomorrow?”

“Yes. Devante is a traffic stop away from going back to jail. I have to do some work on his case. Hopefully I can do all I need from here and not have to fly to L.A.”

“You were afraid that he might pick up old habits by going back there.”

“Hard to avoid when the other perpetrators are relatives.”

“He's lucky to have you in his corner. You're a good woman, Mo Slater.”

“Why, thank you, Mr. Drake. For someone running as an independent, you're not bad yourself.”

The sound of his laughter as she ended the call was the last thing she heard before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter 25

T
he following Tuesday at 7:00 a.m., every mayoral candidate assistant was at the
Cove Chronicle
offices, ready to snap up that week's publication. The true yardstick of the past weekend's debate, the latest election polls, were between these pages, and everyone's camp wanted to know how well they did.

Lance was first in line, grabbing his copy and making a beeline to his truck. Within minutes he was at Monique's house, ringing her bell.

“How do we look?” Monique asked as she opened the door. She'd been up since dawn, handling some of her attorney obligations after a heartwarming phone call with her parents.

“I don't know. I came right over.”

He handed her the paper. As expected, the article on the mayoral debate was front-page news. The Race Is On! was the story's caption, with the poll numbers front and center, bolded and set apart with a text box.

“Wow! We're closing the gap!” Monique's eyes shone as she sat at the dining-room table and spread out the paper.

Lance joined her. “‘Drake, thirty-three percent,'” he read. “‘Slater with thirty'! Oh, my goodness, Ms. Mayor...we're only trailing by three percent!” He reached for Monique, pulled her out of the chair and began dancing around the room.

“Okay, Lance, calm down!” Monique demanded, amid a peal of laughter. However, it was hard not to be giddy. Last month they'd trailed Drake by over 10 percent. She returned to where the paper lay and continued to scan the article. “‘While Drake remains the front-runner, Slater is gaining ground by obviously drawing supporters from both the independents and Republicans. This is most evident in the decrease in Republican candidate Dick Schneider's numbers, which are down thirteen percent from the poll taken two months ago. Currently, he is carrying twenty-seven percent of the vote while Libertarian candidate Buddy Gao remains at ten percent.'”

“This is great news! We're going to beat them, Mo. We can do it!”

“It's very good news, Lance, but we can't get comfortable. There are still three weeks to go. Anything can happen. So we have to stay focused, keep knocking on doors and passing out flyers, keep calling our constituents and asking for their support. If I'm elected—”

“When you're elected...”

“—there will be plenty enough time to celebrate.”

* * *

Niko sat at his parents' dining-room table, where at his mother's insistence he'd joined the family for breakfast. Ike had just read aloud the newspaper article on the mayor's race. Everyone had an opinion.

Niko reached for his cup of coffee. “There's no denying it. She was excellent the other night, as I knew she would be. I'm not surprised at the jump in her numbers. But I'm not worried, either.”

“Son, I wouldn't be overconfident. I've been reading up on her via the internet and she's quite accomplished.”

“Easy on the eyes, too,” Terrell added.

“She is rather attractive,” Jennifer added, pouring more tea into her cup. “But she's definitely more than a pretty face. Niko, as confident as I am in your skills, I think you may have met your match.”

“I never underestimated Monique's abilities. If you'll remember, she was the one who bested me for the championship in a college debate.”

Jennifer looked over in surprise. “That's her?”

“Yes. I reminded Dad about it. I thought he'd told you.”

“He most certainly did not,” Jennifer replied, with a playful slap on her husband's arm. “So she's smart as well as cunning. How interesting.” Jennifer's eyes were speculative as she gazed at her son and pondered this news. “I'd like to get to know her. Wonder if she'd accept a dinner invitation.”

Niko frowned. “Mom...”

“Now, that would be an interesting meal.” Ike Jr.'s eyes were filled with humor as he studied a slightly squirming Niko while taking a drink of juice. “After watching how she handled the debate, I'm tempted to vote for her myself!”

“What y'all need to do is take your focus off of my competition and put it back where it belongs...making these last weeks count. With that being said—” Niko pushed back from the table and stood “—I've got to get to the office.” He walked over to his mother and kissed her forehead. “Thanks for breakfast. Terrell, you coming by the campaign office later?”

“Yes, Teresa and I will be there in an hour.”

“What's going on at the office?” Ike Sr. asked.

“A plan to ensure that I'll win this election...no matter what.”

* * *

Still charged up from the morning's news and a hard but productive twelve-hour day, Monique put on her walking shoes and headed outside. She was just minutes into her power walk when her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and slowed down a bit as she answered. “Hey there.”

“Counselor!” Niko's voice boomed through her earbuds. “Congratulations on turning this into a real race!”

“Thanks, Niko. I'm thrilled, but needless to say, it's not over until it's over.”

“Definitely not, especially since I'm going to do everything in my power to defeat your sexy behind.”

“I have no doubt about that.”

“Your performance at the debate has definitely garnered its share of attention. You were even the topic at the family breakfast.”

“Oh?”

“Ike Jr. said he was tempted to vote for you.”

“That's not likely to happen.”

“No, but it's a testament to how impressive you were the other night.”

“I appreciate that, Niko, and given that we are opponents, I'm impressed with your kindness. It sounds sincere.”

“It is.” A pause and then “What are your plans for the homestretch?”

“More of the same—canvassing neighborhoods, phone banks, knocking on doors. But I have to go to L.A. to finish handling Devante's case.”

“Couldn't get it done from here, huh?”

“No. He violated parole by leaving where I'd placed him and staying with his cousin, a felon. There's a new parole officer. His paperwork got screwed up. It's a mess.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“I'm hoping to be able to finish in a couple days, but it might take a week.”

“Okay. Keep in touch.”

“I will.”

“Turn off the television. Turn off your phone. And get some sleep. You need it.”

“You're right. Good night.”

Later, as Monique flipped through the channels after packing for her trip, she felt tired but happy. Since moving to Paradise Cove, her life had changed in ways she could not have imagined. Having just broken up with Rob months before coming here, a relationship with Niko had been the last thing on her mind. Sure, when she'd allowed herself to dream, she'd imagined it. But the reality was imminently more amazing.

Reaching over to turn off the bedside lamp, she was surprised to hear someone on television saying her name.

“Monique Slater,” the professional yet somber male voice intoned, “running for mayor on a platform that promises Paradise Cove a new day.” An intrigued Monique reached for the remote and turned up the volume. “Yet while working as an attorney in Los Angeles, she was fired for improper conduct...dating a client.” Monique's mouth dropped, along with the remote from her hand. “Questionable conduct. Questionable character. Questionable acquaintances. Is this the type of person you'd trust to lead you anywhere? I don't think so.” As a picture of a mean-looking Monique dissolved into a picturesque view of Paradise Cove, a pleasant female voiceover said, “Paid for by Independent Citizens for a New Paradise.”

Independent Citizens? For several seconds she sat there, stunned. Her hand crept to her chest, heartbeat hammering against it as the words replayed in her head. This couldn't possibly have come from Niko's independent party, she thought. But that was what the ad had said. Grabbing the remote, she punched the guide to see the channel. More shock. The television hadn't been on the town's community station, but on an ABC affiliate.

There had to be an explanation. She got out of bed and placed a call. It rang several times and then went to voice mail. “Niko, it's me. Please call as soon as you get this message.” She was about to contact Lance when a comment Niko had made earlier crossed her mind. The force of its implication was chilling.

I'm going to do everything in my power to defeat your sexy behind.
“No,” Monique muttered, pacing across her bedroom floor. “He wouldn't.”

Turn off the television. Turn off your phone.

Words that previously sounded caring now seemed dubious at best. “He didn't want me to see it, wanted me to leave town while this poison spread.” No, not possible. She couldn't fathom that someone who had kissed her so tenderly and loved her so completely could possibly stab her in the back. But the thoughts and memories kept coming, particularly snatches of one specific conversation.

Have you ever dated a client?

I was fresh out of law school.

During one of these visits is when things got carried away.

It shouldn't have happened.

I shared some things that I hadn't planned to. I know we're in what's sure to become a highly contested race but—

She called Niko again. No answer. “Calm down, Monique. He always calls back.”

After a sleepless night, she headed to the airport. Her godmother, Lance and a couple of workers from the campaign office had seen the commercial and immediately called with their advice and support. She'd phoned Niko several times and left another message. Her calls were not returned.