Trapped Into Marriage (3 page)

When Mark’s parents had died five years ago in a car crash, his childless, widowed aunt Marilyn Tucker had taken him under her wing. She’d always kept her family’s name and when she’d adopted Trisha, had raised her nephew and daughter as siblings. Keyonna knew Mark saw Trisha simply as a younger, adorable sister. But Keyonna’s feminine intuition had always told her that Trisha was more than a little attached to Mark and not in a sisterly sense.

Keyonna wondered about Trisha’s attitude when she’d arrived earlier that evening. Their meeting again had been far from cordial, and Keyonna figured the bad blood was still there between them. Was it possible Trisha could be jealous of the prospect of Mark rekindling his romance with her?

Damn. Keyonna told herself she did not need this drama. If the other girl wanted Mark, then she was welcome to him…

“Quite the heartbreaker, aren’t you?”

Keyonna swiveled round in surprise at the sound of that deep, unmistakable voice. There Nic
k
Vitale was, standing on the balcony just in front of her. His face was shadowed in the semi-darkness, the moon not bright enough to totally ward off the gloom. Instantly, Keyonna’s heart began to pound at his somewhat overwhelming presence. His voice, the way his clothes fit to his body, the icy rings in his deep brown eyes…they hindered her breath
ing
as she instinctively backed away when he stepped closer.

A sudden light breeze wafted over, lifting the flowing hem of her dress. But it wasn’t the unexpected chill that made Keyonna give off a shiver.

“Excuse me?” she heard herself mouth somewhat stupidly as she stared up at him. He was smiling but his dark brown eyes were as cold as ever.

“Oh, you heard me,” he drawled. He moved with long, easy strides of a panther and Keyonna had the distinct impression he might just be on the prowl. What on earth did he want with her anyway?

“Pardon me for asking, but did you get some kind of…kick, from turning the poor guy down like that?” He was standing inches away from her, looking forward into the gardens beyond so that Keyonna had a clear view of his profile. She was busy admiring the aristocratic planes of his features when his words suddenly hit her.

Keyonna spluttered for a few moments, her outrage surfacing at the evidence of this man’s sheer gall. “
What
? I can’t believe this,” Keyonna gasped. “It’s bad enough finding out you were eavesdropping on a private conversation – but then you actually had to come out here and hound me? Do
you
get some kind of kick from getting your nose in other people’s business?”

“Wasn’t my intention to eavesdrop,” Nic
k
Vitale said with a careless shrug, still not looking at her. “There I was, sitting
in the corner
, when you both came to occupy the other couch. I really couldn’t block out the conversation now could I? But the fact remains that I really did hate to see a decent guy trampled in the dust by the woman he loves – the woman who, unfortunately, doesn’t even deserve him.”

“Oh really?”Keyonna breathed, hand on her hip as she glared sideways at him. She dearly wanted to smack that judgmental look off his gorgeous face! Where did he get off speaking to her in such a manner?

“Yes, really,” he said mocking, finally turning to face her fully. Keyonna felt a clap of thunder hit her chest as he speared her with his penetratingly dark gaze. Damn but he was one fine, sexy bastard, Keyonna thought, glaring into his
sinfully handsome
face and wondering how it was she could detest a man so much and still find him hellishly attractive at the same time.

She must have her hormonal wires crossed or something because Nic
k
Vitale was everything she loved to hate in a man: egotistical, too handsome and rich for his own good – as well as probably racist. In fact, there was no ‘probably’ about it.
Keyonna told herself she
could feel his disdain and aversion for her person coming through in waves.

“I mean, that poor chap must have really been living in delusion all that time he was away, thinking he had a devoted lover waiting patiently for his return from the field. He was right; you couldn’t wait, could you? Girls like you never can
,
”
he drawled.

Keyonna’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Girls like me?”

Nic
k
Vitale actually laughed with derision
at her tone
. “You know; the cold, manipulating kind. Beautiful, but heartless. We’ve only had to connect a few times, Ms. Hayes, but I’ve been able to figure out a lot about you.”

Keyonna was so shocked and outraged she was struck with silence as he continued in that chilling voice of his.

“I pity the man dumb enough to actually fall for you. In fact, women like you repel me. You lead a guy on, and then break him up into tiny pieces when you realize you don’t want to play the game anymore.”

His words of condemnation really hit her hard but Keyonna was nothing if not matured and confident in her own worth. Growing up in a large family, surrounded by positive influences as well as her own personal development over the years from a shy young female to an accomplished professional woman gave her a strength not so easily shaken.

She was almost too furious to form words but she managed to let out angrily, “How dare you make such conclusions about me? You know nothing about what’s going on, least of all about the kind of woman I truly am.”

He merely huffed and Keyonna would have clubbed him then. She’d honestly never been spoken to in such a manner that smacked of disrespect; especially not from a stranger who didn’t know a damn thing about her. Why Nic
k
Vitale’s opinion even mattered was lost on her, but it hurt all the same that he thought so negatively of her. She really, really wished she could punch him in the face for saying the things he had.

But before she could react with physical violence as she so longed to do, Keyonna’s eyes shifted to beyond Nic
k
Vitale’s shoulder and saw that Mark was making his way back. She could see him approaching the balcony as he weaved through the crowded room beyond the bay windows close to where she stood, heading straight for where she stood with Nic
k
Vitale, both of them glaring at each other.

And then out of nowhere came the craziest, wildest idea.
Keyonna was almost snickering with evil glee as she thought of it.

Her mind racing, Keyonna turned to Nic
k
Vitale with a calculating, half-hooded look that had his dark brows furrowing with instant suspicion. But she merely smiled sultrily.

“Mmmm…and what game am I playing now, Mr. Judge and Jury?” Keyonna purred, leaning close and wrapping her arms around his neck.

She felt his solidly built frame go rigid with shock, right before she inched upwards on tiptoe and locked her lips
firmly
with his.

His mouth stayed pursed beneath hers and still they felt as soft as silk yet deliciously
manly
. Keyonna’s heart pounded with excitement as she shut her eyes to the dazed look on his face, tightening her hold around his neck. She was faintly conscious of Mark now standing in the open entrance of the balcony where she heard him come to an abrupt stop.

Meanwhile, Keyonna
continued to kiss
Nic
k
Vitale with all the passion she could fake.

Fake
? Well…maybe she wasn’t being totally honest. Because just at that moment, he’d let his lips finally thaw against hers, opening up his moist heat to her probing tongue which he
now incited
with his while his hands clamped
heavily
on her waist.

Keyonna kept chanting to herself that this was just a ploy; to put this damnably arrogant man in his place – as well as to show Mark that she truly, honestly did not love him anymore.

And yet all of a sudden, the tables turned and Keyonna realized she wasn’t proving anything – not to Mark. Maybe to herself though
.

B
ecause now she knew that all those smoldering tingles she felt whenever she was near this handsome, undeniably sexy man called Nic
k
Vitale wasn’t dislike as she’d believed, but an earth-shattering attraction she could no longer deny.

Chapter Three

At the same time Keyonna came to that startling revelation, Nic
k
Vitale seemed to suddenly return to his senses and gripped her shoulders, wrenching her from him.

His expression was glazed with a mixture of desire, shock and fury. “What the
hell
…?”

“Nick!”

They both turned round at the sound of that shrill voice, and Keyonna noticed for the first time that it wasn’t just Mark who’d appeared on the balcony. Behind the staring Mark stood a young and beautiful woman, her skin glowing with a rich deep tone much like Nic
k
Vitale’s own. She was very slim, her model-like figure sheathed in a fabulous white floor-length dress.

Keyonna’s eyes widened, struck by how lovely the woman was, though she looked no more than twenty three. She had dark blue eyes and long blonde hair falling straight from her perfectly curved face. Her red-coated lips were hanging open, her expression a mirror of Mark’s who at last found his voice.

“Keyonna! How could you even…?”

Keyonna face creased in a grimace at Mark’s blustering tone, just as Nic
k
Vitale shoved her aside, going quickly to the sexy looking beauty.

“Rachel, I can explain,” he began, but the young woman was already turning to stomp away.

“Spare me,” the blonde said coldly, her back to him as she stalked off, throwing over her shoulder, “Just you wait until I tell Daddy about this.”

Nic
k
Vitale made to go after her, but Keyonna saw him stop in his tracks as he heard Mark say accusingly to Keyonna, “So this is the other guy, Keyonna. I just knew you were lying.”

Before Keyonna could even think of a reply, Nic
k
Vitale turned his gaze on Mark and said calmly, “No, I definitely am not the “other guy”. But a word of advice my friend; give it up. She’s obviously more than you can handle. Trust me I know what I’m saying.”

And with that, he disappeared through the French doors after the woman he’d called Rachel.

Mark stared dazedly after the departed Nic
k
Vitale before facing Keyonna once more.

“Don’t say another word,” Keyonna cut in swiftly, holding up a palm the second his lips parted. “If I still haven’t managed to convince you that it’s over between us, then there’s nothing else I can do or say. I’m leaving.”

He didn’t try to stop her, thankfully, and Keyonna brushed past him into the crowded ballroom where the party was still in full swing, people filling the dance floor while the lively band played popular tunes. Keyonna felt some relief in the fact that everyone else was blissfully oblivious to the little drama that had taken place just outside on the balcony. Glad too that neither Nic
k
Vitale nor his woman friend were anywhere to be seen, Keyonna hustled for the exit.

She was still shuddering as her mind played over the whole cringe-worthy evening. Finding her purse and coat she headed straight out of the house. Once in the cool night air, she heaved a deep sigh of relief and swore that this would be the last time she’d venture into the walls of the Tucker home.

And hopefully, the last time she set eyes on that tempting devil, Nic
k
Vitale…

Keyonna made her way out of the open wrought iron gates and began to stride quickly down the tree-lined sidewalk while trying to punch out a number for a cab on her cellphone. She suddenly became conscious of a sleek automobile grinding to halt next to her.

Nic
k
Vitale was behind the wheel. He pushed open the passenger door for her. Keyonna stopped dead, staring at him.

“Get in,” he ordered curtly, leaning across the front passenger seat so she could look into his cold, dark eyes. “Right now.”

“You must be out of your mind,” she told him coldly, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she continued walking. She refused to look his way even as the powerfully sleek car began to slowly roll along after her.

“Don’t make me come out and bodily make you, Keyonna,” he said gruffly, and at the sound of her name on his lips, Keyonna paused in her stride and then swiveled to face him.

“I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I’m not afraid of you, Mr. Nic
k
Vitale,” she bit out with a scornful smile while meeting his icy glare. And then she sighed deeply. “You know, I’m getting more and more surprised at you. I mean, haven’t I embarrassed you – and myself, enough for one night?”

“Keyonna…”

Throwing her hands up at the growl in his tone, Keyonna finally let out a sound of capitulation. Not like anything worse could happen. For what it was worth, Keyonna actually felt a deep remorse. What she did had been unthinkable – uncalled for and downright stupid. One way or another, he may deserve some sort of apology. So okay, he’d been an annoying, interfering beast, but she really should have thought it through before kissing him. She’d never, ever done something so reckless in her life and now that the high had crashed down, she felt like a total idiot.