An Unexpected Love (Women's Fiction/BWWM Romance) Read Free Page A

across
the yard. “My oldest. She’s seventeen, and nothing I do is ever good enough.
She’s mad at me, and I wish I knew exactly why.”
    “I have a fifteen-year-old myself.” He sat
against the table. “We haven’t always gotten along, so I understand.”
    “I think part of Aliyah’s problem is she’s
afraid of turning into me. Schizophrenia runs in our family. My dad had it, and
his mother had it and her mother.”
She moved her hands from the table. “I just wish Aliyah would talk to me about
it. If only she’d open up.”
    “It’ll get better.” He touched her
shoulder. “You just gotta believe that.”
    “Damn.” She tapped her forehead. “I’m up
here telling you all my business, and I don’t even know your name.”
    He held out his hand. “Cross Evers.”
    She shook his hand saying, “Cross Evers? Sounds
like a name in a romance novel.”
    He smiled. “And you’re Layla Oates-Sham.” He lifted his finger before she could speak. “Layla’s a
pretty name.”
    She tingled. “Thanks, but it’s just Oates
now. How did you know my name?”
    “I found out your name during my
investigation on you.”
    “And what else did you find out?”
    “I’m glad to say nothing else.”
    She got lost in his hazel eyes. “Why are
you glad?”
    He leaned in to her. “It gives me an
excuse to get to know you better.”
    She smiled.

 

CHAPTER FOUR
    “Martin, I told you...” Corrine Oates
walked around her spacious living room in her lavender Morgan Taylor Charmeuse
wrap. “…I think it’s best we keep business between us, and that’s it,” she said
into her cell phone.
    “Oh, come on,” he growled. “You mean to
tell me when you’re looking into that camera during your broadcasts every night
that you’re not wishing the camera wasn’t between us?”
    She smacked her lips. “Not really, no.”
    “Why do you like to torture me so much? I
know you feel something for me. We’ve worked together for six years.”
    She sat on her brown Divan couch, saying, “And
that’s one reason why I would never date you.”
    “What do you mean by that?”
    “Don’t play with me.” She grabbed the
opened bottle of red wine and filled the champagne glass. “You don’t think I
know you banged every female news anchor that’s ever worked for Channel
Twelve?” She sipped from the glass. “That’s why all of them left.”
    “So you’re going on rumors? That’s why you
won’t go out with me?”
    “No, that’s not the reason.”
    She crossed her legs as he breathed into
the phone, asking, “Then what is it?”
    She set the glass down, leaned her head
back, and tugged on her long, thick waves. “I’m not attracted to you.”
    “Is that right? Then who are you attracted
to?”
    An image of David’s tall, muscular, caramel
body flashed into her head. She shoved her hand between her legs to thwart that
familiar ache.
    “You don’t know him.” She grabbed her
glass. “I’m not trying to be a bitch, Martin, but…” Her doorbell rang, cutting
her off. “Hold on.”
    She ran out of the living room and to the
front door.
    “ Ooo ,” she
purred as she peeked through the peephole.
    She licked her lips as David stood on the
stoop, looking as delicious as ever.
    She fixed her wrap as she spoke into the
phone, “I gotta go, Martin.”
      “Corrine,
I…”
    She hung up as David rang the doorbell
again.
    “Just a minute!” Corrine backed up from
the door and checked herself out in the hallway mirror.
    “It’s me, Corrine. David!”
    She combed her fingers through her hair
and checked her teeth. She pulled her Charmeuse down lower so her cleavage
showed.
    She opened the door and leaned against it.
“Hi, David.”
    “Hi,” he mumbled.
    “Ooh.” She grimaced. “That looks like
another one of those I-had-a-fight-with-your-big-sister-again faces.”
    “Is it that obvious?”
    Just looking into those warm, brown eyes
gave her chills. “Come on in.”
    “You sure?”
    “You know I’m here