The Sweetest Love (Love Conquers All Book 5) Read online

  She was heavily focused on a spreadsheet when she heard a tap at her office door. Looking up, she wasn’t too surprised to see her boss — brother-in-law — standing in the doorway.

  “Roxanna, I need to see you in my office for a minute.” He didn’t wait for her to respond before pivoting on his heels and going back to his office.

  Sonia stared nervously at Roxy. Since working at the firm she’d only seen the boss personally summon an employee to his office once or twice, and it hadn’t been a good thing. “What’s that all about?” Sonia whispered, concerned.

  Hunching her shoulders, she replied, “I don’t know.” Well, she most likely did know, but she very well couldn’t tell Sonia she just found out the boss is family. At least not right away.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  “Good luck,” Sonia wished her as Roxy made haste out of the office.

  “Come in, shut the door and have a seat,” Kevin told her, leaning back in the firm leather chair.

  Roxy squirmed. She felt like she was under a microscope as he scrutinized her. Boy, this was really awkward. What was he thinking?

  “I knew you looked familiar to me,” Kevin commented, twirling a gold pen between his fingers.

  Uh-oh. She knew what he was thinking.

  Setting the pen down, he leaned closer, inspecting every inch of her face. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he whispered in awe, a grin spreading across his handsome face. “Starr said you had her eyes. And you and Karen do look alike. The only thing you don’t have like them are the dimples.”

  Roxy’s smile was sheepish. “So, I guess they told you?”

  Kevin threw his head back and laughed. “Yes! My wife,” Kevin pointed a playful accusing finger at Roxy, “your sister, kept me up for hours talking about you. I’ve seen her excited over a lot of things, but finding out about you was right up there with finding out we were having triplets.”

  Shaking his head he went on. “And if that wasn’t bad enough, as soon as I dozed off, Karen called. Starr didn’t come back to bed until about four this morning.” His eyes twinkled when he joked, “Girl, you disturbed my household.”

  The lump rising up in her throat was making it hard for her to breathe. She couldn’t

  stop the single tear sliding out of her eye and down her cheek. She accepted the box of tissues Kevin nudged across the desk to her. Dabbing at her eye, she smiled at her brother-in-law. “I was up half the night talking to my mother and friend about them, too.”

  Kevin nodded his head. He really liked Roxanna Harris as a person and an employee. She came to work on time, was a hard worker and a team player. He didn’t for one second think she would take advantage of the fact that she was now family.

  Getting to the point of why he asked her to come to his office he said, “How do you want to handle this?”

  Panic swept through Roxy. Handle this? What is he talking about? Oh! My! God! He’s not going to… “Are you firing me? Because I need my job! I’ve got bills to pay!” she rushed out in a panic.

  Kevin laughed. “No, no, calm down. I’m not firing you. What I meant was do you want the other employees to know we’re related?”

  Roxy let out a sigh and slouched in her seat. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, totally embarrassed by her panic-stricken outburst.

  “I really don’t think it’s anyone’s business, but I do want to tell Sonia, Jen, and Kay because we’re friends. I believe if I ask them not to tell anyone they won’t.”

  Kevin nodded his head in agreement. The three women she named had been with his firm almost from the beginning. He was confident that they could be trusted not to make their being relating office gossip.

  “Okay, tell them when you’re ready.”

  Roxy nodded her head. Her coworkers had been really nice to her, taking her under their wings and becoming her friend. She thought it was only right for them to hear the news from her.

  “Is that it? I have a lot of work to finish up.” Standing she grinned, “Wouldn’t want the boss to think I’m slacking off.”

  Kevin chuckled. “That’s it.”

  Just as Roxy’s hand touched the doorknob, Kevin called out her name.

  Looking over her shoulder she beamed when he said, “Welcome to the family.”

  She skidded to a stop. Nosy box one, two, and three were gathered around her desk peeping at something.

  “Oh, they’re beautiful,” she heard one of them whisper.

  “You think they’re from Adam?” another whispered.

  “Probably so,” whispered the other.

  “Hey! What’s going on over there?” she shouted and laughed when all three women jumped and swung around wide-eyed.

  “Girl, what’s wrong with you scaring us like that?” Kay fussed, placing her hand over her pounding heart.

  Stepping into the office, Roxy rolled her eyes. “Y’all are at my—” Roxy’s smart retort was halted by the beautiful bouquet of exotic flowers on her desk. They were absolutely breathtaking. She didn’t have to read the card to know who they were from, but reached for it anyway.

  Her fingers trembled as she removed the envelope and opened the card.

  Roxy,

  I changed my mind. I do want something from you. Have dinner with me tonight?

  Adam

  “Aw…” Roxy dreamily breathed out. This day just kept getting better and better.

  “What? What did the card say?” Jen asked while trying to sneak a peek over Roxy’s shoulder.

  Laughing, Roxy protectively clutched the card to her chest. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

  “Come on, girl. Tell us what it says,” Sonia pleaded, sidling up real cozy to Roxy.

  Shaking her head, she replied, “Uh-huh, I’m not telling.”

  Kay leaned her hip against the desk and crossed her arms over her chest. Zeroing in on Roxy, her top lip twitched, the beginnings of a smile forming. “We know the flowers are from Adam. It’s not our business what’s on the card.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Jen mumbled under her breath, still craning her neck to get a peek.

  Rolling her eyes at Jen, Kay didn’t bat an eye when she said, “What I want to know is why the boss man called you into his office.”

  The content of the card no longer held interest. The other two women in the room perked up, their expected gazes gawking at Roxy.

  Lord have mercy, these three were a hot mess. Each of them had inched their way closer to Roxy. She couldn’t help but to laugh at them. She was tempted to make them wait until the end of the day to tell them her news.

  “Y’all are about some the nosiest folks I’ve ever seen.”

  When three sets of pouty lips frowned at her, she laughed even harder. She held up her hands in surrender when Jen put her hands of her hips demanding, “You better stop that laughing or else…”

  “Alright, alright, I’m going to tell you, but not in here.” Turning serious, she eyed each of them. “Sometimes the walls have ears. Know what I mean?”

  She waited until each of them nodded. This was family business and she didn’t want to risk being overheard. “We’ll take a walk at lunchtime.”

  Chapter 22

  Roxy squealed in delight. This was the most fun she’d ever had on a date. She’d thought their first date was going to be in some fancy-pricey restaurant. That is until Adam showed up at her door dressed in jeans riding low on his lean hips, a black short sleeve polo shirt, and Nike shod feet.

  “I thought we were going to dinner?”

  Nonchalantly shrugging a shoulder, he said, “I changed my mind.”

  Glancing down at her aqua halter dress and heels, she was way overdressed. Pivoting on her heels, she retreated to her bedroom, returning in less than ten minutes in jeans, a yellow t-shirt, sandals and a black leather wristlet containing her keys and some cash. “I’m ready.”

  Twenty-five minutes later, Adam was pulling into the parking lot of Dave and Buster’s on Delaware Avenue. Like two overgrown
kids they nearly skipped into the adult playground.

  First they hit the simulated racing cars. Roxy rolled her eyes at Adam. The big showoff had selected the manual drive and was cruising around the track with ease. Meanwhile, she had crashed into the guardrail, hit three pedestrians, and spun out of control while in automatic drive.

  Adam threw his head back and laughed when she grumbled, “This stupid game is rigged anyway.”

  Next they played Night of the Living Dead. It didn’t take her long to get used to the toy gun. Adam may have out drove her, but she was holding her own blasting away gory, flesh-eating zombies.

  Over the next ninety minutes they played Ms. PacMan, Pinball, skeet ball, Centipede, Galaxia, and now they were standing side by side shooting hoops. Squealing, she threw ball after ball. Some made the basket and some didn’t… well, most of them didn’t.

  With fifteen seconds left on the clock, she glanced at her score and then Adam’s — 12 to 58. She rolled her eyes. Showoff.

  There was no way she was going to beat him. But… she could always distract him.

  An impish smile curved her glossy lips. With the swing of her curvy hips, she knocked Adam slightly off balance. She snickered when the ball dislodged from his large hands and the game’s buzzer went off signaling the game was over.

  “Oh, it’s like that?” he asked, chuckling.

  Swinging her hips, she nudged him again. Laughing she said, “Yeah, it’s like that! You’re beating the snot out of me! And at every game, too!”

  “What? Did you think I was going to take it easy on you because you’re a girl?” he taunted.

  Putting her hands on her hips, she gave him an incredulous glare. “You could have at least let me beat you at one game.”

  Adam shrugged his broad shoulders. “Nah, I couldn’t let some girl beat me.”

  What else could he say? His competitive nature wouldn’t let him go easy on her. Besides, he loved the fact that she wasn’t all prissy and had played each game with gusto, determined to give him a run for his money. She didn’t even flinch when she chipped a nail.

  “Why you little…” This time when she swung her hips, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Her arms slid up his broad chest and around his neck. She shivered when he leaned down and his soft lips brushed the shell of her ear. “I see someone is a poor sport.”

  “Am not,” she pouted.

  Trailing kisses from her ear, along her cheek and landing on her lips, he gave her a tender kiss. “Yes… you are.”

  Just as Roxy was about to pout out another denial, loving every minute of how she felt in his arms, a group of high school guys strolled past them. She and Adam burst out laughing when one of them yelled over his shoulder, “Take shawty to da hotel!”

  Grabbing Roxy by the hand, he gently tugged her along.

  Following his lead, she smiled up at Adam. “Where are we off to now?”

  “Da hotel, shawty,” he drawled, out giving her a sexy wink.

  Swinging her arm, she playfully slapped him in his rock hard abs. “You wish,” she sassed as he led her toward the restaurant area.

  “I had a really good time tonight, Adam.” Roxy said as she slid the key into the lock of her front door. She didn’t want the night to end, but knew she had to get inside and to bed. Tomorrow was the monthly staff meeting which took place at 7:30 a.m.

  Although this wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination the typical first “romantic” date, she couldn’t have been happier with how the evening had gone. In between their good-natured competitiveness, the night had been peppered with his large hands on the small of her back, at her waist, and their fingers intertwined as they walked through the arcade area. She wondered how their legs would feel intertwined in passion. And when he stepped up close behind her, wrapping his muscular arms around her in the simulated batting cage to show her how to swing the bat, her knees had buckled like jelly. The feel and warmth of his solid body keeping her steady felt like heaven. That time she wondered how the weight of him would feel on top of her as he erotically moved in and out of her body.

  Easing in behind her, Adam closed the door. Roxy willingly went into his embrace when he turned her around to face him. He was pleased when she encircled his neck with her delicate arms. Leaning down, he brushed his lips to hers. “You sure you had a good time?”

  It wasn’t that he was trying to test her reaction by showing up leisurely dressed and ready to play. For some reason all throughout the day, his thoughts had been centered around the Rosario family, particularly, Mr. Rosario. How was the man supposed to pick up the pieces of his shattered life without his beautiful wife and lovable little girls? No amount of money would ever compensate his loss.

  He didn’t know if it was the right thing to do. But he found himself picking up the phone and dialing his former client. During their conversation he shared Abby’s story with Mr. Rosario. His throat constricted from the lump of emotion when Mr. Rosario said, “Now I know why you cared so much.”

  Sitting in a dimly lit restaurant wasn’t what he was in the mood for. He needed something to lighten his morose spirit. And subjecting Roxy to his brooding all evening would not have been fair, let alone a romantic date.

  His heart had skipped a beat when she opened the door looking simply gorgeous. The aqua dress against her cinnamon skin made him want to reach out and touch her to see if she was really as satiny as she appeared. His fingers had itched to be threaded through the thick curls resting against her shoulders.

  Previous women he dated would have been incensed and thrown a hissy fit with his change of plans, but not Roxy. She had gone with the flow.

  Looking up at Adam, she smiled before standing on tippy-toes and kissing his full lips. “Yes, I’m sure. I had a lot of fun even though you beat me at every game,” she reminded him again for the umpteenth time.

  “Aw… stop being a poor sport.”

  “I’m not—”

  Adam glided his tongue inside her opened mouth, cutting off her retort. Roxy moaned, pressing her lush body into his as he deepened the kiss. She moaned even louder when his hands slid down her back and cupped her bottom, pulling her against the huge bulge in his pants.

  Roxy’s heart began to beat faster at the intimate feel of him. The pulse between her legs was an aching throb pleading to be satisfied. She wantonly pressed her pelvis into his. But it wasn’t good enough. She needed more, she wanted more. To heck with getting to sleep… who needed sleep anyway?

  She groaned in disappointment when his hands left her bottom. Her disappointment was short lived as he threaded his fingers through her mass of curls and began massaging her scalp, causing her to whimper.

  Roxy didn’t know which was more erotic, the way his tongue was making love to her mouth or the way his large hands were massaging her scalp. Both were making her panties wet with need.

  Breaking the kiss he whispered against her lips, “Feel good?’

  “Mmmm-hmmm,” she purred, having no control over her neck muscles as her head lolled back in his large hands.

  His erection grew even harder. And why wouldn’t it? Here this woman was in his arms, eyes closed, lips kissed swollen, and breasts heaving in want of him. Pulling her face closer, he crushed his mouth against hers, showing her mouth no mercy as he devoured her.

  Tonight. Tonight would be the night he’d make Roxy his woman. Tonight would be the night he’d kiss every inch of her body.

  Lowering her to the floor, he began trailing kisses up and down the column of her neck. “Roxy, I want you so bad right now I can’t even think straight,” he huskily whispered between kisses.

  “I know and I want you, too,” she breathed out, quivering in anticipation.

  That was all he needed to hear as he reached for the hem of her t-shirt and began peeling it off. Her bra was next to go. Leaning down, his lips tenderly closed around a pebbled nipple.

  “Mmmm…” Roxy moaned. The suckling, nipping and tender nibblin
g was driving her insane.

  Licking and kissing his way over to the other breast, Adam wanted to know, “Do you have any protection here?”

  “Huh? What?” she answered in a heated haze.

  “Protection? Condoms?” Adam didn’t walk around with condoms in his wallet. His days of indulging in one night stands were far behind him.

  Letting out a long, disappointing sigh, she answered. “No. I haven’t had sex with anyone in a really long time.” She didn’t bother to tell him the last time she’d been with a man was five years ago.

  Sitting up, he rubbed a frustrated hand over his head. What she told him just seemed to make his erection that much more painful, aching to be inside of her. She had to be exquisitely tight.

  She sat up and crossed her arms over her naked breasts. It had never occurred to her to have condoms at her place. There wasn’t a need to have them there until now.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, somehow feeling this was her fault when she knew neither was at fault.

  Pulling her to him, he gulfed her in his arms and kissed her forehead. “Baby, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about. Tonight just wasn’t our night.”

  His male ego wasn’t ashamed to admit he was thrilled that she didn’t have a box of condoms laying around waiting for the next man to jump in her bed.

  Roxy snuggled in the embrace. “No, tonight wasn’t our night.” But you better believe I’ll be ready the next time. Tomorrow she was making a stop at CVS on the way home from work.

  Chapter 23

  “Oh Mommy! Look at you! You are gorgeous!” Roxy gushed in excitement as she fluttered around her mother like a butterfly. The new hairstyle and modest makeup was just enough to make her sparkle. As she continued to circle her mom, she clapped her hands like an overjoyed child at Christmas.

  Her mother had actually taken her suggestion and done something with her hair. She hadn’t done anything radical like chop all her hair off. Her tresses were flat ironed, cut in long layers, flowing around her shoulder and down her mid-back.