In The Market For Love

“No.”

No. “No?”

“Your attempt at softening me, then swooping in for the kill failed.” She shrugged. “Sorry. Better luck next time. And by next time, I do mean with someone else, because my answer is final.” She smiled and made a hasty escape from the building.

Alonso massaged the side of his face as if he’d been slapped. In a way, he had. Seemed he’d met his match in Vivian Moore. In more ways than one. But he was Alonso Wright. He wouldn’t allow this minor roadblock to trouble him. Everyone had a price. He just needed to discover hers.

He smirked. Doing so could be fun.

Chapter 4

Alonso stood at the 3-D table model of his newest development venture: a luxury hotel, condos, eateries and, most important, an event center named after his late grandfather. This was truly the one thing that made the project worthwhile.

He moved away from the table and stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, homing in on one area in particular. “No other location will do,” he whispered to himself. To be able to stand in this very spot and glance out to see his grandfather’s name featured prominently on the event center... “No, no other spot will do,” he repeated to himself. A wave of emotion crashed over him when he thought about how much he missed the man.

Phalonius Wright had been a good man—a great man—and the fact that Alonso was able to honor his grandfather in such a manner swelled him with pride. He’d come a long way and had the man who’d raised him to thank. And this was his way of doing so.

He folded his arms across his chest, his thoughts shifting to Vivian. Why in the hell was the woman being so stubborn? The damn house was falling down. And it wasn’t like anyone had occupied the dilapidated dwelling for years. Plus, he was offering her far more than the hovel was worth.

“What’s up, bro?”

He turned to see Roth Lexington, his best friend since kindergarten, stroll through his office door. When the tall man stood within arm’s reach, Alonso exchanged a manly hug with him. “What’s up, man? I thought you were out of town.”

“Got back last night.” Roth’s attention shifted to the layout. “Damn. When you said you were honoring your grandpops, you really meant you were honoring your grandpops. Man...this is amazing.” Roth eyed him. “I’m proud of you, dude. And you’re making your grandpops real proud, too.”

Alonso nodded. “Thanks, man. That means a lot.” He eyed his brainchild again. “Out of every project I’ve done, this is the one that means the most.”

“Any luck with the house you need to acquire to seal the deal?”

Alonso sighed heavily. “I’m in trouble, man.” He dropped into one of the two coffee-colored leather chairs.

“What do you need?”

This was one of the things Alonso respected most about Roth. He was a helluva friend. It was never What did you do? or What did you get yourself into? or any bullshit like that. It was always an instant How can I help? response.

Alonso leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’ve finally met her.”

“Met who?”

“The woman who’s going to be my ultimate demise.”

“Damn.” Roth took a seat adjacent Alonso. “This I’ve got to hear.”

Alonso spent the next hour telling Roth all about Vivian. From his horrible first impression at the hospital, to his scaring her off at the restaurant, and ending with his overwhelming attraction to her.

“Damn. That’s wild. The nurse turns out to be the same woman who owns the house.”

“I know, right? Sounds like something you’d see on a damn soap opera.”

“Sounds like destiny to me. Like it’s been determined for you two to connect with each other.”

“You sound like Ham. He all but told the woman I wanted her.” Alonso ran a hand over his head. “The strange part about it, I can’t stop thinking about her. I even dreamed about her last night.” He’d awakened harder than a piece of steel.

“Oh, yeah, she’s under your skin. You gonna pursue it?”

Alonso shrugged. “Nah. You know I never mix business with pleasure. But there’s something about this one I’m having a hard time ignoring. And damn, I’ve tried.”

Roth grinned. “Maybe she’s the one.”

Alonso laughed. “I don’t know about all of that. And I’m damn sure not looking for a relationship. I’ve traveled that dark road before. But I won’t lie, I did enjoy spending time with Vivian.” Despite how brief it may have been.

“Inez was a long time ago, Lo,” Roth said, using the nickname he’d called Alonso since they were tykes. “You can’t run from love—or destiny—” he smirked “—forever.”

“Says the man who dodges relationships like bullets.”

“I’m not dodging. I’m just waiting on the right one. She’s out there. But this ain’t about me. You gotta stop living in the past. Yeah, it was low-down what Inez did to you, but let it go. You’re a good brother, one of the best brothers I know. You deserve a happily-ever-after.”

“You sound like a greeting card.”

Alonso pushed to his feet and stood in front of the window again. Inez. Damn, some women knew how to really break a man. “I trusted that woman. Trusting a woman. My first mistake.”

“You didn’t make the mistake. She did. You should have been able to trust her. She was your lady.” Roth came to stand by Alonso. “You can’t condemn every woman because of the actions of one.”

Alonso didn’t argue because Roth was right. However, Alonso would have never pegged his ex as someone who’d poke holes in his condoms in hopes of securing a wedding proposal—or a payday. He still wasn’t truly sure which one she’d been after. She got neither, a wedding nor a baby.

Dammit, he did get to condemn, even if inside he knew he was wrong for doing so. All women weren’t the same. He knew that. But remembering what Inez had done to him made that hard to remember.

“I have to stay away from this woman. I fade when I’m near her and become this sensitive, all-in-my-feelings brother. I don’t know what she does to me, but I don’t like it.”

“Sounds to me like she’s tapping into the true you. The one you try so desperately to hide from the world.”

Roth knew him better than anyone, so there was no use in trying to dispute the claim. He did hide himself. And for good reason. The only side people needed to see of him was his fearless businessman persona. Revealing any other side made him vulnerable. Not even his ex had seen the true depths of him. Why would he allow Vivian to? “I would never give a woman that kind of power over me.”

Roth laughed. “Never say never, man.”

“In this case, never is a damn good bet. Besides, Vivian Moore seems utterly unimpressed with either face of Alonso Wright.”

“Are you sure about that? The way you said she ran from the restaurant when you touched her makes me believe she’s not as unimpressed as you think.”

Yeah, his touch had seemed to stir something inside her. But was it interest or disgust? “There’s no interest there. Trust me. I’ve called her several times and she hasn’t returned even one of my messages.”

“Invite her to dinner?”

Had Roth not just heard a word he’d said? “Invite her to dinner?”

“Yes. If you want to gauge her interest, invite her to dinner. If she’s not interested, as you suggest, she’ll flat out turn you down. If she is interested, she’ll pretend not to be but will ultimately say yes.” Roth pressed his hand into his chest. “I personally think she’s very interested. And to downplay her interest, she’ll probably toss out something along the lines of, ‘Well, a girl has gotta eat’ or ‘My mother taught me to never turn down a free meal.’”

Alonso laughed at Roth’s animated delivery. “You’re a fool, you know that?”

“I’ve been called worse.”

Alonso released a heavy breath. This sounded an awful lot like chasing. Him chasing a woman... Not gonna happen. Hell, women chased him, not the other way around. And even if he bumped his head and decided to take Roth’s advice, there was still one small problem: the woman was ignoring him, which for some reason annoyed the shit out of him.

Why was he letting Vivian get to him? Any other woman would have long lost his attention. Why not her? What is so different about this one? Questions plagued him. He wouldn’t go as far as to say his interest in Vivian scared him, but it damn sure rattled him a bit. The notion made him laugh at himself. Alonso Wright, rattled by a female. This shit was a first, and wrong on so many levels.

He needed to reclaim his manhood. “Nah, dinner’s not an option. I have to think with the right head on this one. Keep the bigger picture in sight. I need her property. That’s the goal. The only one that matters. Strictly business.” Though it was truly less about business than it was about his own need. Possibly a selfish one. He didn’t have to glance in Roth’s direction to know he was flashing a disapproving look. “Go ’head and say it.” And as expected, Roth didn’t hesitate.

“Forget about business when it comes to happiness.”

“Shit. Happiness is business, because business equals money. And money makes everybody happy.”

Both men turned to see Garth Garrison entering the office. Garth was the builder Alonso typically contracted. They’d started out in the industry roughly around the same time and had tossed each other plenty of business along the way. He stood well over six feet with a commanding presence that always seemed to work in his favor when it came to getting dealings handled.

Garth eyed the 3-D model. “And this piece of business is going to make us a shitload of cold, hard cash.”

“Garrison,” Alonso said, addressing the man by his last name. He stuck out his hand as the man approached. “You better not have been out there flirting with my assistant again.”

Garth laughed. “Can I help it if she wants me?”

“To what do I owe this honor?” Alonso asked.

Before Garth answered, Roth clapped Alonso on the shoulder. “I’m going to head out, man. I just stopped by to say what’s up. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Alonso wasn’t sure what the deal was with Roth and Garth, but whenever Garth came around, Roth always made himself scarce. “Okay, man. Are we still on for B-ball this weekend?”

“Absolutely. Gentlemen.”

As Roth moved past, Garth chuckled in what Alonso took as a condescending manner. Obviously the man had no idea Roth was one hornet’s nest you didn’t want to poke. When Roth stung, he stung hard.

Refocusing on the table model, Garth said, “This shit is going to be spectacular. So when are we breaking ground?”

Alonso blew out a heavy sigh, the name Vivian Moore flashing in his head. “Still trying to tie up a few loose ends.”

A hint of concern spread across Garth’s face. “Is there a problem?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Alonso hoped Garth would drop the subject there, but of course it couldn’t have been that simple.

“Is it with the last house you need to acquire? What happened to the letter you were going to send? That would definitely get the ball rolling for sure.”

Alonso thought about the letter he’d written with the intent of sending it to the building code division. He retrieved the scathing correspondence from his drawer and studied his signature. A second later, he stuck it back inside. “I’ll give her a chance to come to her senses before I force her hand. That’s the gentlemanly thing to do.” Plus, after spending time with Vivian, he wasn’t sure this was the route he wanted to take any longer.

Garth barked a laugh. “Alonso Wright a gentleman?” He laughed again.

Alonso wasn’t offended by the ridicule. Very few people truly knew him.

“Well, I know people. Say the word and I’ll make sure it’s declared uninhabitable. Then she’ll have to sell. That bit—”

“Whoa,” Alonso said, flashing his palms, a hint of unexplainable anger swelling inside of him at the idea of Garth calling Vivian that word. Finding his calm, he said, “I got it handled.”

“I hope so. This...woman is standing in the way of my money.” Garth checked his watch. “I got a meeting to get to.” He turned and started away. Stopping, he faced Alonso again. “You let me know if you need me to handle it. They don’t call me the Problem Solver for nothing.”

A smug Garth ambled away.

Alonso’s grandfather used to say an overly confident man was dangerous and a man controlled by money was deadly. Lately, Garth had become both, which made him a liability Alonso didn’t need. He already had enough problems. Namely, Vivian Moore. The seductive siren had whipped some kind of spell on him.

* * *

“Jesus Christ! This man just doesn’t give up.”

Vivian deleted the fifth voice mail message she’d received from Alonso Wright since their meeting two weeks ago. Hadn’t he picked up on the fact she’d been avoiding his calls? Mainly because since their lunch she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the brash man.

So not good.

“Who?”

Vivian joined Tressa at the round table inside the nurses’ lounge. “Alonso Wright. That real estate developer I told you about who is determined to purchase my grandmother’s house. My house,” she corrected.

Tressa bit into a carrot. “Don’t companies like his usually have people who handle the grunt work? Are you sure the house is the only thing he’s after?”

Vivian shot her a scowl. “Eat your rabbit food.”

“Tell me again how you attempted to make a dramatic exit and forgot your purse.” Tressa—her soon-to-be former best friend—laughed as if it’d been the funniest story she’d ever heard.

“Is that what friends do now? Laugh at each other’s pain?”

“Aww. Come here.” Tressa stood, rounded the table and draped her arms around Vivian’s neck. “It’s okay. We’ve all made fools of ourselves in front of men we like.”

When Tressa burst into laughter again, Vivian shooed her away. “It’s not funny. And I don’t like him. At least, not in the way you’re suggesting.” Like him. Please. Tressa flashed her signature do-I-look-dumb-to-you expression. “Okay, maybe there’s something about him I’m drawn to. But any woman would be drawn to him,” she said in an attempt to downplay her attraction. Then it hit her. Had she really just admitted that aloud? And to the woman who’d been trying to play matchmaker for the last year.

“Obviously there’s something about you he’s drawn to, as well.”

“Yeah, there is. It’s called business. I have something he wants, remember?”

“Oh, you have something he wants all right and something tells me it has very little to do with business. Him brushing crumbs from your cheek. Calling to make sure you got home safe after your lunch meeting. Uh...that doesn’t sound like any business practices I’ve ever heard of. Sounds personal to me. Really personal. Romantic, even. You two are like a happily-ever-after just waiting to happen.”

Vivian glared at her starry-eyed friend. “You think that because you’re a female Cupid. Always floating around shooting arrows in people’s asses. Everything to you is romantic.”

Tressa laughed. “Maybe. But you have to admit, it feels good to be chased, right? Gotta love a determined man.”

“I’m not being chased, and this isn’t determination. It’s borderline harassment.”

Tressa reached across and snagged one of Vivian’s strawberries. “Are you attracted to him?”

“No.”

“Bullshit. You’re doing that thing.”

That thing? Vivian’s brow furrowed. “What thing?”

Tressa pointed to Vivian’s hand. “That thing you do when you’re lying or nervous. Tangling your fingers together.”

Did she really? Vivian eased her hands into her lap. “Okay. Maybe a little.” Tressa shot her a narrow-eyed gaze that screamed: Liar, liar pants on fire. Dammit. The woman could read her like a book. “Okay, okay. Maybe a lotta.” She groaned. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m not trying to reel him in. I’m trying to toss him back. Besides, he wants my house, not me.”

“What if I’m right and he does want you? Then what?”

Vivian glanced away briefly. “I don’t think I’ll ever trust a man again. Not after...” Vivian refused to say the bastard’s name. “I’m not willing to sacrifice any more pieces of myself, or my heart.”

A somber expression spread across Tressa’s face. “That lowlife you dated was just one row of sour grapes. Don’t let his inability to be a man taint the entire vineyard. Who knows, this Alonso Wright could be the one you’re destined to stomp grapes with.”

Vivian burst out laughing. The serious expression on Tressa’s face made her laugh even harder.

“I’m being serious here, Vi.”

A failed attempt at composing herself earned Vivian a scowl from Tressa. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that your analogies crack me up. So poetic, yet so...hilarious, at times.”

Tressa dismissed her with a wave of the hand. “Anyway...”

“Can we talk about something other than my lacking love life? Everyone can’t be as blissfully happy as you and your dynamic fiancé.”

A wide smile crept across Tressa’s face as she eyed the engagement ring she’d recently been given. A small part of Vivian envied the happiness Tressa had found—even if she wasn’t overly fond of her fiancé and thought Tressa might be moving just a little too fast. But a larger part was overjoyed for her. She deserved all the happiness she could handle. She was a good person, but more important, an amazing friend. Vivian cherished their relationship.

Tressa bit into another carrot. “Maybe you should consider selling, Vi.”

Tressa’s words snatched Vivian from her thoughts. Vivian shot Tressa a razor-sharp glance. Of all people, Tressa knew how much that house meant to her. “Excuse me?”

Tressa flashed her palms in mock surrender. “Before you slice me in half with that look of death, just hear me out. A year ago, I would have been the first to say let him take that three hundred thousand and stick it up his bleep.” Tressa’s tone softened. “But, sweetie, that was before Tyler—the spineless bastard—ran off with all the money you’d saved to renovate the place.”

Tyler. Even thinking her ex’s name boiled the blood in her veins. Her hand tightened into a fist as anger swelled inside her. How’d she ever fall for a con man like him? She answered a moment later. Because I let my guard down. And because of it, The Irma Moore House—named after her grandmother—she’d intended to open for homeless families had suffered.

Vivian’s eyes lowered to the pimento cheese sandwich she no longer wanted. “Yeah, I’ve thought about it.” Many times. But there was no better way to honor her Nina—a woman who’d given selflessly to others all of her life—than by converting the house she’d loved into something steeped in love.

Tressa touched her hand. “Vi, are you okay?”

Vivian glanced up, pasting a forced smile on her face. “Yeah, I’m good.” She didn’t care how much Alonso Wright offered her. She didn’t want one red cent of his money. Wanting him...now, that was a different story.

“You should—”

Tressa’s eyes went big. The expression on her face—a mix of surprise and caution—forced Vivian to turn to see what had her so stunned. The second her eyes landed on Alonso, her pulse quickened. What in the hell was he doing there?

Vivian’s eyes raked the length of his lofty physique. The black T-shirt he wore revealed more of his chiseled frame than she’d seen during either of their previous encounters. The relaxed-fit jeans drew her attention to his lower half, which was just as impressive as the upper. Was there any piece of clothing he didn’t look scrumptious wearing?

Finding his eyes—and her breath—she stood. “What are you doing here?”

He neared her, holding a bunch of fresh tulips. “You’re ignoring me, and I wanted to know why.” He shrugged. “So I thought I’d ask.”

The closer he got the warmer the room grew. If he took one more step, she’d suffer heatstroke. “I—I’m not ignoring you. I just wasn’t aware there was anything left to discuss.” He flashed a half smile packed with so much sexiness and beautiful mischief she tingled all over.

“Um, I should get back on the floor.”

Shit. With Alonso’s presence, Vivian had forgotten Tressa was even in the room. His eyes lingered a moment more on Vivian before sliding to Tressa.

“Don’t let me rush you off,” he said.

“I have things to do.” Tressa stuck out her hand. “I’m Tressa Washington. Vivian’s best friend.”

Alonso took Tressa’s hand. “Alonso Wright. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too. Do you believe in destiny?”

“Tressa!” Vivian forced through clenched teeth. When Alonso flashed her a quizzical expression, she sputtered a nervous laugh.

“I have to go.” Tressa reclaimed her hand and disappeared from the room.

God, she was going to kill that woman.

Alonso chuckled. “She sure is interesting.”

And a dead woman.

An awkward silence played between them. Alonso’s eyes combed slowly over her face. When they lowered to her mouth, a bout of nerves shook her. In an effort to thwart the effects of his gaze, she said, “So...” Alonso’s eyes jerked upward as if her words had startled him.

“These are for you. Tulips.” He pushed the vibrant flowers toward her. “Your favorite.”

Yes, they were, but how did he know tulips were her favorite? Was he stalking her? Apparently, he read the questioning on her face.

“I pay attention to details. It makes me good at what I do.”

He captured her hand and flipped it palm-side up, then smoothed the pad of his thumb across the single red tulip tattooed on her wrist. The sensation of his warm touch and delicate stroke ignited her entire body. Her nipples beaded in her bra and she prayed it wasn’t pronounced enough that Alonso would notice. She was afraid to look.

Reclaiming her hand, she said, “Thank you. They were my grandmother’s favorite. Mine, too,” she said as if he didn’t already know that.

Again, Alonso scrutinized her as if committing her features to memory. He’d eyed her in a similar manner at the restaurant, too, she recalled. What exactly did he see when he stared at her that way?

“Why are you here?” she said, breaking the silence.

“Have dinner with me.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you think I’m a nice guy.”

“Actually, I don’t think about you at all.”

“Liar.”

Vivian’s brows bunched. “Excuse me?”

“The way your eyes smiled when you looked at me suggested you have thought about me.” He shrugged. “At least once or twice.”

“The way my eyes...” She laughed, attempting to strip away the nervousness that lingered just below the surface. “You are hilarious.” He flashed one of those soul-stirring smiles. If that hadn’t been enough, he performed that two-fingered beard massage thing that was quickly becoming her kryptonite. Why in the hell did she find the move so damn arousing?

Alonso folded his arms across his chest and rocked back and forth on his heels. “Well, I guess I was wrong.”

“I’m sure that was hard for you to admit, being wrong, but it happens to the best of us.” Oh, she would sacrifice a limb to know what raced through his head at the moment. The roguish expression on his face made the possibilities endless.

“About that dinner?”

He was a persistent one. She scrutinized him. What kind of game are you playing, Alonso Wright? Clearly, this was some elaborate scheme he’d cooked up in an attempt to persuade her to change her mind about selling the house. She’d played the fool once for a man, but wouldn’t again. This time she would wield the upper hand and beat him at whatever diversion he’d crafted. “Okay.”

Alonso’s brow arched in what she took to be surprise. Had he expected to have to put up more of a fight? He wasn’t the only astonished one. Typically, she wasn’t one to play games, but he made the challenge so damn appealing. Maybe she should have made him work a little harder.

“Okay?” Alonso said, his words dripping with uncertainty.

“Yes, okay. Unless you’ve already changed your mind.” She mimicked his folded-arm stance. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”