Mistaken Identities Read Free

wasn’t Nola, she would be one of the luckiest women on the planet.
    Roman interrupted her thoughts. “Baby, aren’t you going to get over here and thank Gray?”
    “Of course.” She smiled and moved closer to him. He drew her into a hug, and she went easily. “Thank you so much. I can’t believe you would give us such an incredible gift, but I’m grateful. Thank you.”
    “My pleasure.” His voice rumbled just beside her ear as he held her, and then he backed off.
    The party continued on into the night. Tonya mingled among the guests, meeting new people, but mostly she stayed close to Roman, Grayson, Nola, and Letreece. At four in the morning, when most guests had gone home, she sat curled up on the couch next to Roman with her head on his shoulder. A few too many mixed drinks left her lethargic.
    She yawned and struggled to keep her head up. Through the haze that was her vision, she caught the amusement on Grayson’s face. “You two need to spend the night here,” he told Roman. “You’ve both had a little too much to drink.”
    “Is she even legal?” someone else asked. Tonya thought she remembered the guy’s name was Ted. He’d been kind of a jerk most of the night and had run after Letreece. Tonya didn’t think her friend dated white guys, given all her boyfriends Tonya had ever seen were black. She could be wrong.
    “For your information, I’m twenty-two,” she mumbled, her tongue heavy.
    Ted’s eyes widened. “Wow, then Roman is robbing the cradle. What’s he, like thirty?”
    Grayson stood up, his face a thundercloud. “Yes, same age as I am. I think it’s time for you to go home, Ted.”
    “But I—”
    “Good night .”
    Nola snorted, and Ted headed toward the door. Letreece looked at Roman and also stood. “I guess I’ll get going. Ted, you want to give me a ride?”
    Tonya pushed herself upright. “Are you sure, Letreece?”
    She sucked her teeth. “I’m fine. Call you tomorrow. Later.”
    Tonya must have responded, but then she thought she’d fallen asleep. The next time she opened her eyes, Roman snored at her side, and no one else was around. The house sat quiet, and most of the lights were turned off. She shoved at Roman.
    “We should go upstairs.”
    He snorted and scratched his side, but didn’t budge. She gave him another shove and then put a hand to her head, which spun like a top. This was why she didn’t drink much. She needed to go to the bathroom bad, but when she stood, the floor came rushing up to meet her face. The carpet muffled her small cry, but the next instant, strong hands curved around her waist and hoisted her to her feet.
    She blinked and looked into Grayson’s eyes. “I fell,” she said stupidly.
    He grinned. “I noticed. Come on. I’ll help you to bed.”
    “No, that’s okay. I have to get Roman.”
    “I’ll get him after I get you settled.”
    She protested some more, but he ignored her and held her tight to his side. Clinging to his shirt, she cursed herself for being in this position. The last person she needed to see her this way was Grayson. Even if he was Roman’s friend, he was also her soon to be boss. When she stubbed her toe halfway to the bedroom he had assigned her, he made an inpatient noise in his throat and whipped her into his arms.
    “Put me down, Gray. I can walk.”
    “Apparently not.”
    “So embarrassing. I’m just a little dizzy.”
    “Don’t worry about it.”
    She peeked up from his chest into his face. His gaze focused forward as he climbed the stairs, and he showed nothing of what he thought of her drunkenness, but she had the impression he didn’t think much of her. After all, it was just as Ted had said. Being fresh out of college and eight years his and Roman’s junior, she must seem like an opportunist, someone after Roman because of his prospects. Grayson had never said so, but she did wonder.
    When he kicked the bedroom door open and dumped her on the bed, she looked again into his face. He turned