Topaz laughed. “I’m glad you like the entertainment!”
“Sista after my own heart!”
Topaz squeezed the wheel tightly and tried not to become too heady over the sentiment. The drive ended a few acres outside a huge farm. Shutting down the engine, Topaz left the car, taking her cell phone with her.
“Top E Towing and Mechanical.”
“Hey, James, put Darryl on the phone, will you?” Topaz asked, smiling as she waited for the connection.
“This is Darryl.”
“Broken down out here in the middle of nowhere! Darryl, when I get back to the shop, I’m gonna—”
“Wait a minute, what happened? I know me and Stacy came correct on that job and—”
Topaz began to laugh, bringing a halt to Darryl’s defense.
“If you wasn’t my boss, I’d have to kill you,” he calmly shared.
“I’m fine and the car is great. Y’all did a real good job.”
“Thank you,” Darryl indignantly replied.
“Tell everybody I’ll be back soon,” Topaz instructed, laughing again before she ended the call.
“Time to head back?” Alex asked as he leaned against the hood.
“Not for a while,” she said, waiting to hear if he’d suggest other plans.
Alex looked behind him, studying the car momentarily. “Mind letting me behind the wheel?”
Topaz smiled and waved her hands. “Be my guest,” she urged, already walking around to the passenger side.
Inside the car, they simultaneously readjusted their seats.
“Can I fit?” Alex drawled, recalling her earlier taunt. “You’re almost as tall as I am.”
Topaz rolled her eyes. “Please, you’re seeing me in these high heels. I’m nowhere near your league.”
Alex’s stare scanned her long legs—unconscious of how intently he watched her. When she shifted beneath his gaze, he grinned and turned his attention to the car.
“Oh, I love this area!” Topaz cried sometime later. Alex had taken the ride even farther. The remote housing development was home to many of the city’s football and basketball players—not to mention other prominent figures in the Charlotte area.
“Sometimes I drive by the outskirts just to catch a glimpse of the houses,” Topaz said.
“You’ve never seen any up close?”
“Only at night, if I attend a party out here.”
Alex nodded. “Well, it’s even nicer during the day,” he said as they zoomed toward the gated community.
Topaz was very much like a little kid as she pointed, oohed, and aahed at the breathtaking mansions. When Alex parked the car in the cobblestone drive of one of the houses, Topaz grew quiet.
“Don’t tell me you know who lives here,” she whispered when he opened the passenger-side door and helped her from the car.
Alex glanced at the elegant, white brick mansion and shrugged. “Actually, I know the guy pretty well, since he’s me.”
Stunned, Topaz regarded the dwelling with increased interest. “I had no idea the newspaper business paid so well.”
The teasing remark removed the softness from Alex’s gaze. Topaz could see something rigid and guarded take its place in the bluish depths of his eyes.
“Would you like to come in?” he invited, having quickly masked the cold look he’d harbored. “I only stopped because we were close by,” he explained. “If you feel uncomfortable—”
“Not at all,” Topaz interrupted. Though pleased by his consideration, she wasn’t about to pass on an opportunity to tour the incredible house.
Alex watched her bounce ahead of him. His extraordinary stare took on something tender and probing as he followed her across the drive.
“This is so incredible,” Topaz breathed much later as she stood on a huge terrace overlooking the back lawn. The structure branched off from the kitchen and was furnished with a square glass-topped dining table and matching cushioned oak-backed chairs. Chaise longues were situated in cozy corners with huge umbrellas providing shade, while tall leafy ficus trees hovered nearby.
“Thank you,” Alex replied for what had to be the twentieth time. He handed her a glass of lemon tea, then took in the view as well.
“I suppose a place like this comes in handy when you throw those wild weekend parties, huh?” she teased.
Alex chuckled. “I wouldn’t know,” he told her, smoothing one hand across his clefted chin. “I leave that stuff to everybody else. I like my privacy too much.”
