Seasons
of Love: Coming HomeSeasons
of Love: Coming HomeChristmas, Kwanzaa, & New Year's -
a time of new and cherished traditions, joyful reunions, delightful chaos...and
happiness only the most special of holidays can bring. Now, three of Arabesque's
best-loved authors give you stories bright with the spirit of the season and
the promise of new love...
In Kim Louise's Impromptu, practical-minded Wanessa Taylor is determined to have the perfect New Year's wedding. But she didn't anticipate that her best friend's attractive brother Byron would save her from one potential disaster after another - and iadvertently steal her heart...
Real-estate developer Noel Peterson in Niqui Stanhope's The Gift has the deal of a lifetime on the table-and no time for holiday sentiment. It will take a Kwanzaa festival and dedicated community leader Nathaniel Hawkins to show her the true meaning of success - and lifelong joy...
Burned by romance, cynical executives Nia Randolph and Michael Vincent in Angela Winter' Coming Home are home for the holidays to keep their newly engaged siblings from making a terrible mistake. But it isn't long before an unexpected attraction has them discovering the season's most passionate magic...
An escape to the back room, where the planning was taking place had now resulted in a visit from Robin, which was enough to send her in search of another space. Nia just needed a few moments more, and she would be all smiles for Ellen. For everyone.
The coat check area seemed empty at the time, except for an attractive man on his cell phone. He was tall, with pecan brown skin and a trim, muscular build. Even in casual khaki pants and a blue button down, something about him looked conservative and professional. Whatever the case, he wasn't bothering her, so Nia took a seat in the phone booth next to him. She grabbed the phone, just in case someone walked by and she could pretend to be making a call.
She took the scrunchie wrapped around her right wrist and used it to put her long, wavy auburn hair up in a ponytail. As it usually did at some point every day, it was starting to get on her nerves. She was going to get it cut as soon as possible. She had let it grow for Joe. He said he liked long hair.
So, you see Mama, I had tried to please him somewhat.
"I'm sorry Matt." Michael took a deep breath, returning to his cell phone. "I don't mean to be short with you. I just want to make sure everything is okay. I know you've handled the office plenty of times when I've been away, but it's the holidays. Things tend to fall through the cracks a lot. I'm under a lot of stress."
"How's it going in Chi-town?" Matt Becker, the only other Senior Partner with Shanahan and Smith Investments besides Michael.
"Not good. I showed up late, so I didn't get a chance to pull my brother aside. I don't know who these Randolph's are, but I'm pretty certain they're a bunch of working class social climbers. They're probably all in on this."
Nia's eyes widened. Had she heard that right? She peeked around the barrier of the phone booths.
"They're probably the ones that convinced her to latch on to my brother so they can get somewhere. I wouldn't put it pass them. I've been through this before. Jamie doesn't know what he's gotten himself into."
Nia bit her lower lip to keep from saying something. Her stomach tightened, and she felt her usually reserved temper, begin to heat up.
"A family of gold diggers," Matt said with a laugh. "You're being pretty presumptuous."
"I don't think so," Michael answered. "This whole thing smells. Some nurse out of nowhere all of the sudden shows up. I still don't believe she isn't pregnant. She could be blackmailing him. She's nothing like the caliber of women that Jamie usually dates. What other reason could there be?"
Nia couldn't take it anymore.
She leaped from her seat and right into Michael's face. He backed up, surprised by the sudden presence of a beautiful young woman. Those electrifying green eyes stood out for him. And man were they angry.
"Maybe he loves her!" she shouted. "Have you ever thought of that?"
"Who are you?" He backed up, but she only moved forward.
"I'm part of that whole family that smells to you. I know who you are, Michael Vincent. You're an elitist asshole, who happens to think so little of women that you can read them like a book before you even meet them."
"I...I...I." Michael realized what had just happened. Man had he stepped in it now. He had to do damage control.
"I...I...I..." She mocked him, taking pleasure in the flicker of anger that showed in his black eyes in response. "I'll have you know, Ellen Randolph is about the best thing that could ever happen to any man, including your brother. No, she doesn't come from money, but that never mattered to her. Never, as in it still doesn't. And she's still a ton of steps above any debutante you and or your brother may have assumed was good enough for you. I question whether or not your brother is good enough for Ellen. I mean, if he's anything like you, I'll grab my sister and head for the hills."
"Look." Michael tried to control his temper, but it was hard. No matter how attractive she was in this black, fitting sweater dress, nobody talked to him like this.
"No, you look," she corrected, looking him up and down. "Men like you. Men like you that think you know what every woman is after, what every woman is worth are the reasons why relationships fail. You don't know anything. You don't know my sister or the rest of my family. And you certainly don't know me. So, Michael Vincent, I suggest you stick with what you do know, and keep your mouth shut about the rest."
She was gone before he could get another word out, but the damage had been done. No one got away with telling him off! Who did she think she was?
"Michael! Michael!"
Michael lifted the cell phone back to his ears. "Hey, Matt. I'm sorry about that. Had a little problem there."
"Sounded like someone was ripping you a new one."
"Something like that. Look, I have to go. I'll call you later."
Hanging up, Michael was still shocked enough to be frozen in his steps. This was great. Just great. The situation was bad enough. Now she was going to go off and tell everyone what she'd heard him say, and he would be the bad guy. His usual label within his own family. She took it out of context.
And who was she to tell him who he was? No matter how attractive she may have been, Michael didn't take lip from any woman. She had quickly presented herself as an obstacle, but she didn't know whom she was up against. Michael had made a living crushing his obstacles and running right over them.
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