No Way Forward Read online

  Across the ballroom, her dad stood with Azalie clinging to his arm and laughing up at him. Her eyes sparkled and with each of her movements, her boobs bounced like they wanted to escape the skimpy dress she wore. Richard didn’t appear to be taking advantage of the view, but then they were so far away, Novette couldn’t be sure.

  Anger stirred in her as she watched them. Azalie had started teasing and flirting with Richard the second he entered the room that night. She walked around with him as he chatted with his guests as if she were his daughter.

  Ever since the maid confided her observations, Novette couldn’t get the two off her mind. Maybe the woman was wrong. Then again, the maid hadn’t said what she assumed must be going on. Novette shut down the gossip and sent the woman away after she was sure there was nothing else to learn about the situation.

  “You know, if you keep frowning like that, your face will get stuck.”

  Novette blinked up into the handsome face of a man she had met years earlier. “Felix Davenport.”

  He grinned. “You remembered. It’s been a while, Novette.”

  “Yes. Wait, did you just say my face will get stuck? Didn’t we used to say that in elementary?”

  “I was teasing you.”

  “Obviously.” She wasn’t in the mood for this self-absorbed rich kid. Technically, Felix was older than her, being twenty-eight, but he had seemed so immature before she left. Nothing had changed.

  “Sorry.” He shrugged. “I was remembering the past and how we played together. We were good friends.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “That’s how you remember us?”

  “Don’t break my heart, Novette.”

  She relented a little, and for the moment her dad and Azalie slipped from her thoughts. “Okay, we were friends a really long time ago, when we were in school. You have to admit everything changed in high school.”

  He nodded. “For one, I was sent to a private boarding school. We didn’t see each other for four years. You still look the same, so young and beautiful.”

  She ignored the compliment. “What are you doing now? I remember you were interested in becoming an architect. Did that work out?”

  A sense of coldness entered his features. “Not quite.”

  While he talked about his father’s company, she scanned the room. Enough diamonds to blind a person, not to mention all the pearls to go along with fancy dresses and heels, the ballroom was a who’s who of the well to do. Even still, there was a higher than usual number of young male guests in tuxes.

  Her gaze fell on Zaid. He stood against the far wall, next to French doors that led out to their extensive gardens. As a child, she ran around the gardens, which were laid out in a maze pattern, playing hide and seek with Felix, Azalie, and a few others.

  Zaid leaned as if completely relaxed. He even held a full glass of champagne in his hand, yet his gaze locked on her. She knew him well enough to know he was aware of everything and everyone around him and not relaxed at all.

  Zaid looked good in his black tux with a striking blue shirt to complement it. Among a room full of men with the most expensive and tailor made clothing, Zaid outshined them all. His broad shoulders fit snug in his jacket, and the material smoothed down over what she knew to be sensational abs. Charged with energy and power that didn’t come from a big bank account, he gave off an unmistakable presence.

  “What are you looking at?” Felix asked with just a hint of irritation in his tone.

  He started to turn around to see, but she touched his arm. “So why don’t you just quit your dad’s firm and go back to school? You have a trust fund that he doesn’t control, don’t you? At least that’s what I heard.”

  Felix rubbed his chin. “Maybe I will at some point, but I have other ambitions.”

  “Which are?”

  “To close a deal or two on my own at the company. I was given a vice president’s position because I’m my dad’s son, but I want them all to see that I can do the job.”

  “I understand that.” She admired the fact that Felix wanted to prove his worth and not just ride on his dad’s laurels. “Good for you, Felix. I’m proud of you.”

  He stepped a little closer to her. “Perhaps you can help me.”

  “Help you? I don’t know anything about your business.”

  “I have it on good authority that a certain merger is about to happen and your dad is in the middle of it.”

  “No idea what you’re talking about. Daddy handles criminal law not corporate.”

  “He’s making a shift, or he might be doing someone a favor.”

  She wondered if that was true. Had her dad changed since she was gone so that he would handle legal issues for corporations rather than individuals? Not that some corporations weren’t on the wrong side of the law, but it might be a good move if he grew a conscience.

  “I can’t help you. Giving out inside information that could affect trade is illegal. I’m not risking my freedom to line your pockets.” She was disappointed. “I thought when you said you wanted to prove yourself, you meant by your own efforts. Excuse me.”

  She started to walk away, but he grabbed her arm. “Hold on. Don’t get all high and mighty, Novette. I was only kidding. Come on. Be nice and dance with me.”

  She glared at him. He turned on the charming grin, which lit up his eyes and reminded her of that cute little blond she played with in the maze.

  “I can see you want to give in.” He grinned and leaned in so that he could whisper in her ear. “I promise, I don’t move like your standard white boy.”

  She snorted in amusement. “Fine.”

  They walked out to the floor to dance. He moved with the beat of the music, surprising her. Smooth and not awkward at all, he wiggled his eyebrows a little, waiting for her praise. She rolled her eyes.

  “Lessons?”

  “I had an affair with a professional dancer. She was…”

  “I don’t need the details.”

  He tugged her closer, a hand at her waist. “Don’t be jealous. I’m here with you now, and if you play your cards right, we can stir up something interesting.”

  “Um, no.”

  He laughed, treating her rejection like a joke. “You want to play hard to get.”

  “Boy, please.”

  His eyebrows rose at the way she spoke to him, and then his grin grew wider. “You’re different than you were before you left. I like it. What else is different?”

  She figured he hinted at intimacy and wasn’t going to have that conversation with him. He could mind his own business about whether or not she had relationships while she was gone. The fact was, she spent all her time trying to make enough to eat and sleep safely. Romance didn’t come into the picture, but he didn’t need to know that.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she teased. “I like the way you move.”

  “Hmm, I have a few more moves you haven’t seen. We can get out of here right now so I can teach you every one.”

  Why in the world did she play in to this? “I just got here.”

  “If you’re worried I’m not serious, don’t be. I can be persuaded to marry you.”

  “What?”

  He shrugged. “Makes me no difference. I’d like a kid eventually, and a wife might be nice. I could do worse. Plus, no matter who your dad is or his standing, Mom isn’t exactly keen on you being my wife. That’s a bonus right there.”

  She drew back to look into his eyes. “You’re not serious.”

  “She was okay with us playing together as kids, even fooling around.”

  “We never ‘fooled around.’”

  “I tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t believe it. She has it in her head that you’re like Azalie. Everyone knows she sleeps with anything in a suit.”

  Novette remembered her suspicions and tried to look around for her dad and friend, but Felix wouldn’t be ignored. He tightened his hold on her hand until she focused on him.

  “Ouch, Felix, don’t be so rough.”

 
; “Let’s go have some fun, and if you like, afterward I’ll give you my grandmother’s ring. It’s old and boring. I can get you something new later.”

  “This is a marriage proposal?” She couldn’t believe his attitude.

  When she tried to pull away again, he snatched her close, forcing air from her chest. His hand crept down her back. She blinked up at him in shock and then caught sight of Zaid over his shoulder. Her temporary bodyguard stormed toward them with a look in his eyes like he would rip Felix into little pieces when he reached them.

  Novette held up a hand to stave off Zaid’s approach. He halted mid-step, anger seeming to emanate from every pore.

  I can handle him.

  Zaid couldn’t hear her thought, but she hoped her expression said it all. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene, but part off her wanted to put Felix in his place for the lame proposal and his horrible attitude.

  With effort, she put a little space between her and her old friend so she could look at him. “Let me get this straight, Felix,” she began. “You’re telling me you’re only interested in marrying me because it would tick your mom off because I’m Black?”

  He chuckled. “Something like that.”

  “And you don’t have any feelings for me. I’m just a body for your future kids?”

  “I can’t say I don’t have any feelings. I’m attracted to you. I’ve always wondered—”

  “Don’t finish that sentence. Okay, look. First of all, I have more self-respect than to marry you. There are zero reasons for me to say yes to your proposal. You don’t have anything to offer. I mean I’m already rich.”

  He reddened.

  She only claimed to be rich to insult him as he had insulted her. Not for one second did she consider her dad’s money to be hers. She desired to make her own way in the world one way or another.

  “Secondly, I’m not attracted to you. So I mean… You get the picture, don’t you?”

  Her last words were spoken in a sweet tone. From the collar of his crisp white shirt to the roots of his hair, he reddened. No one could miss it.

  “Now, you can get your disgusting hands off me before I lodge my knee in a place you don’t ever want it to go. Are we clear?”

  From red to pale as death, he leaped backward, stumbled, and fell to the floor. She didn’t even need to follow through with her threat.

  “You’re…you’re…” he stuttered, scrambling to get up and wipe hands over his tuxedo front. Gasps of alarm erupted all around them followed with muttering behind hands. His color improved in an instant, and he glared at her. “You’re common, always have been and always will be. Doesn’t matter whose name is stamped on your adoption papers. We all know where you come from.”

  “Felix!” The squeak came from his mom as she rushed through the guests toward him.

  Before Mrs. Davenport could reach her son, Zaid arrived and smashed a fist into Felix’s face. He smacked hard onto the floor for the second time and didn’t get up. Mrs. Davenport screamed and dove for her son. Mr. Davenport appeared to catch her.

  “Don’t make a fool of yourself, Claudia.” Mr. Davenport held onto his wife while snapping his fingers at one of the servers. “Help me get my son to the car. He’s had a little too much to drink.”

  Novette expected any second for her dad to show up and scold her, but he was nowhere in sight. Neither was Azalie. Novette stood still, feeling eyes from every direction on her. A hand touched her arm, and she looked around. Zaid propelled her gently toward the French doors, and she stumbled along beside him, leaving the ballroom and everyone else behind.

  Chapter 11

  “He might have raised me, but I know what everyone thinks of me.”

  Novette felt the bark of a tree pressing into her palm. She leaned her forehead on her hand and shut her eyes. Not that it mattered much since so little light reached the area where she stood with Zaid.

  They had left the house, and the music from the ballroom faded. Trees surrounded them on every side. She pictured the layout of her dad’s land and knew exactly where they were. The Southside of the property was prettiest with a multicolored carpet of wildflowers during the spring.

  Rose bushes lined both sides of the pathway, but the time of blooming was past. She recalled the perfumed scent and how she had loved exploring the maze. When something bothered her, this was the place she escaped to. Zaid knew that, and she supposed so did Azalie and Felix.

  “Felix Davenport’s words don’t reflect the thoughts of the other guests.”

  “Yeah, right. I saw the looks on their faces.”

  “Did you?” Zaid raised her chin. She shook a little but suppressed the emotions that threatened to run rampant. Embarrassment and humiliation choked her. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

  “Don’t try to cheer me up, Zaid. I’m not in the mood. I just want to feel sorry for myself for a few minutes.”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  She looked at him but realized the shadows hid his expression. He looked dark and mysterious—well, more so than usual. Regardless, the fact that he showed up when he did and whisked her away warmed her. He was always like that.

  “I’m not stupid. I know what my dad was doing tonight. He tried to pretend he changed, but there were so many single men in there. I’d have to be blind not to notice. Jeez, doesn’t he get it? Just because he wants to play Daddy Warbucks doesn’t mean everyone will accept me.”

  Zaid made a sound like a snort. She wasn’t sure. “What do you know about Annie at your age?”

  “We have cable.”

  This time she didn’t mistake his chuckle. “I’m sure your father loves you.”

  “Hmm.”

  “In his own way.”

  “He thinks the best way is his way. He wants to control my every waking moment. If it wasn’t involuntary, I’d probably have to ask his permission to breathe.”

  “You’re exaggerating.”

  “Whatever.”

  He leaned against another tree. She couldn’t help but follow and touched his back. The muscles tensed. Energy seemed to pulse from him, warming her hand and spreading over her body. She tried to resist but found herself moving closer to lay her cheek against his broad back. He allowed it, not moving away.

  “It doesn’t matter what any of those people think about you, Novette.”

  “I appreciate you saying that, but it does matter. Can you imagine me giving in to what Daddy wants? I’d marry a man who thinks I’m beneath him. He’ll be like Felix and think I’m ‘common.’”

  Zaid spun to face her. “You’re not!”

  “Thanks for the passion. It’s funny. When I think about how I lived while I was gone, maybe it proves I’m common. Daddy brought me home from that orphanage when I was still a baby. From birth until now I lived in the lap of luxury, but what matters to his guests is that privilege doesn’t run through my blood.”

  “Aren’t you judging them?”

  “How can you say that?”

  He spoke with calm reason, her anger not riling him at all. “You’re assuming that every person at the party has a superior attitude based on their birth and blood line. You’re saying they have no compassion and no heart and that they’re ugly and look down on you because of who they are. You don’t have personal knowledge that they’re all like that, but you’re okay judging them harshly. Tell me how that’s different from what you think they’re doing to you?”

  Her mouth fell open and she stumbled back away from him. She clenched her hands into fists at her side. “So you’re on their side?”

  “Think, Novette. I know you can see what I’m saying.”

  She forgot about her attraction to him as she battled not to smack his face. Then the truth of his words came through. She had never thought of things the way he outlined them. All she’d done was lick her wounds and feel sorry for herself.

  “Okay, fine. What you’re saying makes sense. But there are still people who look down on me.
”

  “And there are some who don’t.”

  “So?”

  “So.”

  She glared at him.

  He stepped close again, and this time he took her in his arms. When his lips touched hers, her heart stopped. She melted against him and ran her hands along his back. Tilting her chin higher, she gave him greater access to her mouth. His tongue invaded and stole her ability to reason.

  What had they been discussing? She didn’t care. All she wanted was to go on kissing Zaid. Their first kiss, the most amazing sensation she had ever felt in her life. Her heart beat so fast it almost ached. She clung to Zaid, kissing and kissing him under the cover of darkness and alone with him in the maze.

  After an eternity, he raised his head. They stayed in each other’s arms. She worried that she should get things clear with him, to know where they were going or if they could go anywhere. Did he want a relationship, or was this a moment of weakness?

  Her dad came to mind, and she pulled away. To her disappointment, he let her go. A breeze stirred, raising goose bumps on her bare arms. She rubbed her skin. He took his jacket off and set it across her shoulders.

  “Thanks.” She buried her nose in the material as she held onto both sides of the jacket. His familiar scent teased her senses.

  “You’re as good, even better a person than all of those people at the party.”

  She smiled. “Thanks, and I know you feel that way. But I don’t want to discuss it anymore.”

  “Okay.”

  “Zaid.” She hesitated because a part of her didn’t want to know the answer to the question she intended to ask. “What do you know about my dad and Azalie?”

  Chapter 12

  Novette’s question startled Zaid. He expected her to ask about the two of them and where he saw things going after that kiss. He wasn’t ready to answer, so the fact that she didn’t ask relieved him. On the other hand, her actual question filled him with trepidation.