A Hard Man to Love Read online

  “Except the people you feel comfortable discussing it with don’t want to discuss it with you.”

  “Whatever.” She took a sip of her water. “Can I just say one little thing?” She leaned over the table and lowered her voice. “Sometimes, when we’re making love, he talks to me in Spanish. It’s so sexy. Ohmigod.”

  “Do you know what he’s saying?” Eva asked.

  “Yeah, he might be saying, ‘Oh, my back, my back.’” Celeste laughed at her own joke.

  “Ha ha. Very funny.” Cassidy shook her head with a smile. “No, I don’t know what he’s saying, but I’ve started taking a Spanish course. When we went to see his abuela—that’s grandmother in Spanish—in Puerto Rico for her ninetieth birthday last month, I couldn’t communicate with her and some of the other family members. I thought it would be nice for me to learn some words and phrases to ease communication.”

  “Good idea. I’m sure Antonio will appreciate it.” Celeste signaled for the waiter. “We better get moving if we want to get to the next store in time for our appointment. I can’t wait to see all the cute little baby outfits.”

  “Let me run to the bathroom,” Eva said, rising from the chair. She placed the credit card on the table to cover the meals. “I swear my bladder’s down to the size of a pea. Go ahead and get the chocolate dessert for your husband.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice,” Cassidy said.

  After Eva used the bathroom, she pulled out her lipstick to touch up her lips. As she stood there, a woman came in, but instead of going into one of the stalls, she walked over and stood next to her.

  “Hi,” the woman said. Her dark brown eyes gave Eva a once-over, as if she were checking her out.

  “Hi,” Eva said cautiously. A knot of unease settled in her gut.

  The other woman was much taller, and her hair was cut very low in a short Afro. The haircut complemented the strong bone structure of her face. Her polished, stylish appearance made Eva think she came from a wealthy background.

  “You’re Eva, right? Derrick Hoffman’s new wife.”

  The knot grew larger. “Yes, that’s right. Were you at the wedding?”

  “No. I’m an old friend of Derrick’s.”

  The way she said the words, Eva knew immediately there had been nothing friendly about their acquaintance. She practically licked her lips when she said his name.

  “My name’s Johnnie. When you passed by my table, I wasn’t sure at first if you were Derrick’s wife. I’m in Atlanta almost as much as I’m in New York because I have a place there. I saw the announcement in the society pages.”

  Eva nodded, not sure what to say. “Oh, okay. Well, it was nice to meet you.”

  As she turned to go, Johnnie said, “Well played, by the way.”

  Against her better judgment, Eva stopped and turned around. “Excuse me? What does that mean?”

  “It means exactly what I said. Getting pregnant was genius. The ratio of women to eligible men in Atlanta is something outrageous, isn’t it, like ten to one or something? At least that’s what I keep hearing, but who knows if those statistics are true? I’ve always been able to find a man.” She laughed softly with the confidence of someone who understood her appeal and capitalized on it. “Whether those numbers are true or not, you hit the jackpot by scooping up one of the most eligible bachelors in the city off the market, and right after his daddy left him all . . . that . . . money.” Johnnie proceeded to pat her short hair, though it didn’t need it.

  Eva suddenly felt hot all over. How many people knew about the pregnancy? How many other people thought the same thing? She felt the need to defend herself.

  “Not that my marriage is any of your business, but I didn’t plan to get pregnant to nab Derrick.”

  Johnnie’s eyes looked back at her from the mirror. “Please don’t take what I said the wrong way. I’m not mad at you; I’m jealous. Wish I’d thought of it first. He was always so careful, though. He always wore a condom, and he only used condoms he bought, as if he didn’t trust me.”

  Eva swallowed down the nausea creeping up her throat. She didn’t want to hear about any of Derrick’s past sexual exploits, and she certainly didn’t want to talk to one of his previous lovers about his habits in bed.

  “Maybe he had reason not to.”

  The comment came out before she could censor it, but in all honesty, she didn’t want to. This woman had no right to approach her with this type of conversation. It was insulting, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let her or anyone else make her feel guilty or embarrassed about something she didn’t do.

  Johnnie stopped admiring herself in the mirror and faced Eva head-on. She placed one hand on her hip and smiled like someone who relished knowing a secret no one else was privy to. “It doesn’t seem like I’m the one he had to worry about, now does it?”

  Somehow Eva restrained herself from slapping the smirk off of Johnnie’s face.

  The bathroom door opened, and in walked Cassidy.

  Johnnie smiled. “Hi, Cassidy. Good to see you again.”

  “The pleasure’s all yours,” Cassidy said loud enough to be heard as Johnnie took leave of the bathroom. She walked over to Eva. “What did that catty bitch want? I saw her come in after you and thought she might be up to something.”

  Instead of answering, Eva asked, “How do you know her?”

  Cassidy sighed. “She’s someone from Derrick’s past and the daughter of one of Phineas’s old business associates. No one important.

  “Our family got together for New Year’s, and he brought her with him. I didn’t like her in the first place, but then she got drunk and tried to seduce Roarke. Believe me, it created major problems. We didn’t see her again after New Year’s Eve. I guess he got rid of her.” She touched Eva’s arm. “Hey, whatever she said, don’t let it get to you. She’s probably jealous. Derrick has a really good business sense—I guess that’s why Phineas left him everything—but he didn’t have the best judgment when it came to women. We’re all trying to figure out how he ended up with someone like you. You’re so normal.”

  Eva laughed shortly. “Yeah, I’m normal.”

  Apparently, normal didn’t cut it for Derrick. Even though Johnnie may not have been liked by his family, she was the one he chose to introduce to them.

  Not her.

  Chapter Nine

  Eva refused to let the unexpected conversation after lunch spoil her day out. Growing up as an only child, she’d always longed to have siblings. By marrying Derrick, she felt as if she’d gained two new sisters and intended to enjoy the time in their company.

  Their trip ended on a positive note when they entered FAO Schwarz and shopped for items for the baby. Eva bought a few stuffed animals and other toys. She picked up items for Arianna, too, and insisted Celeste accept the gifts when she tried to protest.

  Just after seven, they were on the plane and being served a gourmet meal. They then migrated over to the lounge after dinner.

  Cassidy lay down on one sofa, using a cushion as a pillow. She yawned. “I ate too much, I need a nap, and my feet hurt. I wish my hubby was here to rub my feet for me.”

  Celeste curled her legs up under her. “We’ll get there soon enough.”

  “I’m so spoiled, aren’t I? He’s so good to me.”

  Eva felt a pang of jealousy—a common occurrence throughout the day. Celeste and Cassidy were so happy in their marriages, with husbands who loved them and whom they loved. All day she’d listened to their cute stories and had nothing to contribute because she and Derrick didn’t have the same kind of relationship.

  He seemed further away now than ever before, even though in reality he slept only a few feet from her. He was giving her what she’d said she wanted, but she didn’t really want this. She wanted to feel special, the way Antonio made Cassidy feel.

  Derrick provided the basic needs of food and shelter, but there was one other need she had that he couldn’t fulfill, the need for love, and he had no interest
in fulfilling it, either. He wanted her sexually, but otherwise, he couldn’t summon enough of an interest to spend any time with her.

  Their marriage was a joke. They barely spoke, they slept in separate bedrooms, and whenever their paths crossed, they spoke in monosyllables to each other.

  “I’m exhausted, but I had a good time,” Eva said. “Thank you both so much for spending the day with me.”

  “Our pleasure,” Cassidy said. She yawned again and closed her eyes. “Plus, we got some goodies. Thank you for the jewelry.”

  “You’re welcome. It was the least I could do since you took the time to plan the day and spend it with me.”

  Within a few minutes, Cassidy was dozing on the sofa, and Celeste and Eva talked quietly. Celeste shared her advice about pregnancy and told Eva what to expect in the coming months.

  “I can’t wait until I start showing more,” Eva confessed. She patted her stomach.

  “You’re so lucky. You know that show where they feature women who go into labor and didn’t even know they were pregnant? I was the complete opposite. I had a baby bump early on. At six months pregnant, everyone thought I was full term. By the time I was full term, I could barely get around, my hips and thighs were ten times this size”—she waved her hand in the general direction of her hips and thighs—“if you could believe that—and my face, oh, don’t get me started on my fat face and neck.” She smiled wistfully. “But I love my baby girl. I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

  “From what I understand, you and Roarke got married very quickly . . . ?”

  “Mhmm. I’ll spare you the details. Here’s a quick summary. I met him the week before Cassidy’s wedding, but nothing came of it. I went to the wedding with Derrick, and we met again and realized we wanted to be together. It was crazy and spontaneous.”

  “I didn’t know you went to Cassidy’s wedding . . . with Derrick?”

  Celeste looked slightly embarrassed when she realized her slip. “Not with Derrick. I mean . . . well, he needed a date, and I agreed to go with him, but we’ve always only been friends.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’m sorry, Eva, I wasn’t thinking. Believe me, it was nothing. Derrick covered the costs of the trip as a favor because I couldn’t afford to miss work.” Then she added with a wince, “You and Derrick were together at the time, weren’t you?”

  “Well . . .” Eva hedged. She didn’t want Celeste to feel bad. Derrick chose to go with her because he wanted to. Eva’s feelings on the matter were irrelevant, and Celeste’s disclosure proved once again that she had not been as important to him as he had been to her. “Actually, we stopped seeing each other around that time, so really, it’s not even an issue.”

  “Oh, that’s why he said his plans fell through and he had to find another date.”

  The words caused a sharp stab of pain in her chest. Even before Celeste, there had been someone else he planned to take?

  “Good, because this conversation was about to get awkward. And I’m glad the two of you worked out your differences and found your way back to each other.”

  “Thanks.”

  Eva put on a brave front for Celeste, but inside, her heart seized up with pain. What reason could there be for him to share his life with other women in such an intimate way, but not with her?

  Over an hour later, Celeste and Cassidy drove away in their respective cars. With Svana’s help, Eva trudged upstairs with all her purchases. Derrick wasn’t home yet, so she took a shower and donned a peach nightgown.

  By now, her hurt had transformed into anger. The more she thought about the conversation with Celeste, the more upset she became. She walked over to the door leading into the sitting room of their suite and cracked it open so she could hear Derrick when he came in.

  He would not ignore her tonight.

  ****

  Derrick rose from behind the desk he’d been practically fastened to all day. Across from him sat his vice president of operations and his CFO, both of whom he had come to rely on heavily in recent weeks. With their help, he expected to distribute a package about the financial health of the company to all the firm’s employees and leak key elements to the top business outlets in print and digital media.

  The purpose was to show the stability of HLC as they moved toward expanding their reach by entering a strategic alliance with a key player in the Greek shipping industry. If he could ink the deal, a negotiation his father had been working on before his death, it would expand HLC’s interests abroad and capture a significant percentage of the international logistics market.

  “All right,” he said. “That’s enough for today.”

  “Do you need us this weekend?” his VP of operations asked.

  Derrick stuck the pages he’d been writing notes and figures on into a file. He couldn’t tell if the tone of her voice was hopeful because of the hefty additional wages she earned for working on the weekend, or because she looked forward to getting a break.

  “No, I’m good. Let’s take the weekend to think about what we discussed today. We’ll meet in here first thing on Monday morning and tweak our plans if necessary.”

  After they left, he dropped the files in his briefcase and snapped it shut.

  He didn’t relish going home and sleeping next door to a wife he couldn’t touch. Before Eva moved in, he never stayed this late at the office. He took the work home and finished up there.

  Derrick shook his head. He was running from a woman half his size, and all because he’d agreed to give her time. It was just as well. He got plenty of work done and felt a lot better about the direction the company was going in than he did when he first took over.

  In the outer office, his administrative assistant was logging off her computer. Her head snapped up when she heard him.

  “Do you need anything else, Mr. Hoffman?”

  She’d been his father’s admin, too. Since she was young and attractive, he’d had his doubts about his father’s decision to hire her, but having worked closely with her, he grew to appreciate her work ethic and professionalism. He’d been tempted to sleep with her when his father was alive, but now he was glad he hadn’t. He would have jeopardized a relationship with a great assistant.

  “No. Have a great weekend. I’ll see you next week.”

  When he arrived home, he didn’t go upstairs right away. He entered the study, which had been his father’s. Two of the dark walls were filled with books on built-in shelves. File cabinets took up half of one wall. In the center of the room sat a heavy wooden desk, directly across from the fireplace, above which hung portraits of his mother and father.

  Set off by itself sat a cabinet humidor, polished until the wood gleamed. Phineas had been a cigar aficionado, and Derrick had given him the large piece of custom-made furniture as a gift for the storage and preservation of his cigar collection.

  He removed a cigar from the cabinet and lit it, then stepped out onto the terrace. Holding it between his index finger and thumb, he took a puff and let the smoke ease past his lips.

  What would Phineas think of his progress so far? Would he be proud? Was he on the right track? He hoped so. The success of the company depended on his ability to think and strategize in the same way his father had when he was alive.

  If all went well with the Greeks, the only other major item on his plate would be the court battle with his family.

  When he finished smoking, he went upstairs to get ready for bed. He looked forward to a shower and a night of rest.

  Chapter Ten

  With the door cracked open, Eva heard Derrick the minute he entered their suite. Her heart started into a sprint like a racehorse jumping forward at the crack of a gun. She hopped from the bed, where she’d been rereading the same page for the past half hour, and clicked the door shut. Pacing the floor, she decided to give him time to get settled before approaching him.

  When she felt enough time had passed, she pulled on the lace-edged robe that matched her nightgown, knotted the band around her wa
ist, and went to the connecting door and knocked. The absurdity of having to knock on her husband’s bedroom door infuriated her. No response came from his side, so she knocked again, louder this time. Still no answer. Couldn’t he hear her?

  She twisted the doorknob and stormed in, but came to a halt in the middle of the room when she found it empty. As the door clicked close behind her, she took a look around. It was decorated in masculine tones, dark, heavy wood and varying hues of the colors brown and black. Without a single flower or soft color in sight, no one could mistake this for anything but the room of a driven, potent male.

  Her eyes strayed to the huge, perfectly made bed with a wrought iron frame. It was custom-made and sat high off the floor. To get in, she’d have to climb up . . . Her thoughts screeched to a halt, and she tore her eyes away, noting the clothes tossed carelessly across one of the armchairs near the window. Where the hell was he?

  In answer to her question, the bathroom door opened, and Derrick emerged in an unexpected way. He strolled out, naked as the day he was born, rubbing a towel across his wet skin.

  It had been so long, she’d forgotten the type of sensual power the sight of his bare skin wielded. For a moment, she couldn’t remember why she’d gone there in the first place, reason vanishing as her eyes drank in every piece of sinewy flesh.

  Breathing, normally an instinctive process, became a chore that needed a heightened level of coordination she became incapable of performing. A sheen of water remained layered over his golden skin. He paused at the sight of her, and she shamelessly focused on the muscles of his arms, his hair-sprinkled chest, and rock-hard abdomen.

  Her thighs clenched as her gaze traveled further south to the thick shaft hanging between his muscular legs. A long time passed before she was able to tear her eyes away, and only because it made a show of rising halfway in a slow salute to her.