Kept Secrets (Secret, Love & Betrayal Novel Book 2) Read online

  Kalon held his hand up to silence the mayor. “You don’t have to get down on your daughter like this.”

  “This is my daughter,” John barked, “and I can say what the hell I want.” He slammed his fist down on the oak desk.

  Kalon stood from his crouching position. “I don’t have to listen to this.”

  He turned to leave, gripping Taylor’s arm to tug her up. She resisted and pulled her arm back from his grip. Mr. Fox made three quick strides to stand in front of the door.

  “Kalon, please take a seat,” Mayor Briggs commanded.

  Kalon hesitated a moment longer before he took a seat beside Taylor.

  “My lawyer is going to explain to you what you need to say to the media. You both may need to make a statement.”

  For an hour, Taylor and Kalon listened to Mr. Fox give them orders on how to handle the reporters that were staked outside of their homes and offices. Kalon occasionally glanced over at Taylor, but she stared straight ahead and tried to make sure no clear emotions showed on her face.

  Lastly, Mr. Fox ended with, “You both are high-profile people in the community. You both run successful companies that help a lot of people. So, don’t be surprised if some people don’t want to do business with you anymore. Several news channels will probably cover this story for the next few days. The heat will die out eventually, but until then, I will help you prepare your statements.”

  Mr. Fox nodded in John’s direction to signal that he was done.

  Taylor stood and put her over-sized Louis Vuitton bag on her shoulder. “Are we done?”

  Mayor Briggs moved until he stood behind his desk and said, “For now.”

  Taylor hurried past Kalon. Though she didn’t need the crutch as much anymore, she still walked with a small limp. She made it down the long corridor and dashed into the restroom to freshen up. Since the morning sickness had become so common, she always carried a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush with her. When she was done, she peered out of the door to make sure Kalon was nowhere in sight, then scampered toward the elevator and punched the down button. Taylor turned sideways just in time to see Kalon quickening his steps in her direction.

  Shoot!

  She stabbed the button several times, hoping to speed its arrival. The “ting” signaled that it had finally come, so she rushed inside and punched the close button. Kalon grabbed hold of the elevator doors to keep them from closing, forcing them open effortlessly and walking inside.

  Taylor rolled her eyes heavenward and hit the lobby button. She folded her arms across her bosom and glanced in his direction, wanting to smack that smirk off his face.

  Kalon reached out and hit the stop/emergency button. The elevator came to a sudden halt.

  Taylor parted her lips to speak, but Kalon silenced her by placing his finger on top of her lips. He brought his face close to hers. He must have smelled the minty toothpaste lingering on her breath, because his next reaction startled her; he swept his tongue inside of her mouth. He had advanced so quickly she didn’t see him coming.

  Taylor pushed at his chest with her fist, but Kalon held her mouth captive. He applied so much pressure that Taylor’s head pushed back against the paneled wall. Kalon gripped the back of her neck and deepened the kiss. His hands roamed across her backside, and gripped it in the palms of his hands. He rubbed his other hand over her breasts.

  She didn’t have the power to resist him any longer and found herself clinging to him. Kalon had never kissed her so passionately before. Her legs buckled, but Kalon held her up.

  Taylor finally managed to push him away, and she bent over to catch her breath. The more oxygen she tried to take in, the quicker it left. Her chest heaved up and down. She brought her fingers up to touch her swollen lips; they felt like they had a pulse of their own.

  Kalon lifted her face with his hand, and in his eyes was a look that mirrored an erupting volcano. She shivered at the thought of him bending her over and thrusting into her from behind.

  She shook her head loosely to rid herself of the images, hating that she was so weak in his presence. “Move, Kalon,” she snapped. She hit the stop/emergency button and the elevator whooshed downward.

  The doors opened at the lobby, and Kalon reached out to grab Taylor’s hand before she could getaway.

  “Let me go,” she barked, and scanned the area to make sure no one heard her. She lowered her voice.

  “I have to go, Kalon.”

  Kalon bent down to whisper into her ear while holding her hand, “We need to talk, Taylor. Meet me at my house in four hours and make sure you’re not being followed.”

  Taylor snatched her hand away and strutted out of the City Hall building.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Ari sat watching Adrianne play with the dolls in her bedroom. Placing a doll into the pink doll house, she mumbled to herself, “Tara, you stay right here.” Crawling on her knees, she placed the other doll in a purple stroller. “Miley, you stay here until I come back.” Ari smiled.

  He had agreed to stay with Maci and attempt to be a family. He had called his job and asked for a leave of absence, explaining that he was having some personal issues. He had also placed a few calls to Taylor, but as usual there was no answer.

  Rehashing the last thirty minutes before Jay left Detroit, he had promised Ari that he would find out who was helping Maci and call in a favor to one of his friends, who was a lawyer, to see how he could get his joint custody back. Ari didn’t want to know how Jay knew a lawyer. Some things were better left unasked.

  “You’re doing the right thing,” Jay said. “It’s best to stay here to keep a close eye on Maci, until I can get more info.” Ari held out a fist for some “dap” and Jay tapped his own on top.

  Watching Jay’s truck disappear, the moment it turned the corner, Ari trudged back toward the house. Maci stood at the top of the porch, smirking. She positioned her lips for a kiss. Ari brushed past her and walked into Adrianne’s room. Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he now sat in the corner of the room watching her playing.

  “Daddy,” Adrianne shouted.

  Ari focused his attention on his angel squatting on the floor and dangling a Barbie doll from her hand.

  “Come and play with me.”

  Ari missed moments like this, when he would scuff up his knees to play with his daughter. Her long curls bounced around her head as she wiggled the doll back and forth, singing a song only she knew the words to. Her voice mimicked Olive Oyl from Popeye’s.

  “Okay, baby, what do you want Daddy to do?”

  Ari could predict her every move. She always handed him the blonde doll and told him to give the baby a bath. He followed instructions as she bossed him around like she was the mother. Peeking out the corner of his eye Ari, noticed Maci standing at the threshold. She plopped down beside him on the floor and took one of the dolls, joining in.

  Ari frowned, but moved closer to his daughter.

  Maci locked a gaze on him and there was nothing except fire in her eyes.

  ***

  Ari was staying in the guest bedroom, one door down from Maci, and could hear her stumbling around in her room. He had bathed Adrianne and tucked her into her bed, so Ari walked the few steps down the hall to peep through the crack of Maci’s door. She sprayed two pumps of perfume on the side of her neck and smoothed her hand down the back of her short hair. Ari shook his head as he turned around to head back to his room. Maci had to be getting ready for a hot date. Ari stripped out of his clothes, marking a path to the en-suite bathroom.

  He had his eyes closed, face tilted upward in the shower, and the water was spraying onto his face. He turned around to grab the shower gel and nearly froze when he encountered Maci’s naked body.

  “What are you doing in here?” Ari asked.

  He tried to cover his manhood with his hands, but Maci advanced toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and started to place small kisses on his throat. Maci dropped the kisses down the center of his chest
and traced his nipples with the tip of her tongue.

  Ari hissed at the tiny bit of pressure. He removed Maci’s arms from around his neck and braced them to her side. They stood under the warm water, staring into each other’s eyes. Maci freed her arms and dropped to her knees, taking his nine-inch shaft into her mouth.

  Maci sucked, licked, and teased his manhood; just like she had the first night she had met him in Miami. That moment was taking him back to their taxi cab scene on the way back to his hotel.

  Ari gripped a handful of Maci’s short hair and he fell against the shower glass. He thrust into her mouth once and then twice before he released that white, creamy liquid. Maci pulled back, stared him straight in the eyes, and licked her lips.

  “That was good,” she said.

  Ari lifted her from the floor and positioned one of her legs around his back while holding her upper thigh. He entered her thin frame with one smooth thrust.

  Maci squealed.

  She held on to his back as Ari pumped in and out. His second release was pushing forward, and Ari pulled out of her frame before it reached the tip. With a strong grip, he stroked his shaft once and a few more times until he came. Maci gave him a sensual kiss on the lips and slid out the shower as quietly as she came.

  Balling up his fist, he hit the white tile wall. “Shit!”

  ***

  Standing outside of Adrianne’s school waiting for her to come out, Ari thought about the things he allowed to happen the night before. He knew now that Maci thought they were couple, which was just how twisted her mind worked, but for some reason he was vulnerable to Maci’s touch. The truth was that he loved women and sex.

  His father had spawned these cheating habits. When a seven-year-old Ari used to sit in the car and watch his father kiss different women as they stood in the doorways, Ari got a picture in his mind that this was what men were supposed to do.

  Even though Ari had a hard time being faithful, he loved his wife and was confident that they would work it out.

  He hoped Jay could find out something soon so he could put some distance between him and Maci. His phone vibrated in his right pocket. Sliding his thumb across the screen, he answered, “Just the person I needed to hear from.”

  “Are you alone?” Jay asked.

  “Yeah, waiting on Adrianne to get out of school, but what’s up?”

  Jay was silent on the other end.

  “Hey, Jay, you there?” Ari asked, leaning against his car.

  “Yeah, man. I just sent a link to your email. You need to see something.”

  Ari shifted his weight to his other leg. “You found something out about Maci?”

  “Naw, you got other problems,” Jay replied.

  “A’ight, call you back.” Ari ended the call and logged into his email account. He clicked on the link, and immediately the headline caught his attention.

  The TMT Gossip rag headline read: Mayor Briggs’ daughter recovering from the hospital with her lover.

  A picture of Taylor lip-locked with another man made Ari’s jaw tighten and sent his temperature boiling. He texted Jay.

  I’m heading back to Chicago.

  Within seconds, Jay replied, What are you going to tell Maci?

  Ari paused before he typed back, I’ll figure it out.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Making a dash from the curb into the side door, Taylor held her hand up to her face as she pushed her way through the countless reporters outside of Lacy Touch beauty salon.

  “Damn, girl, it’s pretty bad, huh?” Lacy asked, shaking her head as she shut the door behind her.

  Taylor half-smirked. “Yeah, you can say that.”

  Because she had to evade reporters every time she stepped out of her front door, Taylor was a few hours late for her appointment. Luckily, Lacy had been her hairstylist for the past ten years and was also considered a good friend. She was a little on the nutty side, but still cool people.

  Lacy led Taylor to a secluded room, which was reserved for high-profile clients who wanted to avoid the public and media. And right now, Taylor Briggs was as high-profile as they came. A black swivel chair sat in the center of the room and two hair dryers were lined up on one side of the wall, while one sink bowl sat on the other side. A few art pieces hung around the small room. The bright orange paint on the walls complimented Lacy’s style well.

  Lacy placed a black cape around Taylor’s neck.

  “Girl, I read the paper, is it all true?”

  Taylor hesitated for a moment. She had confided in Lacy over the years, and none of her issues had ended up on Entertainment News. And right now she needed a friend.

  “Yeah, it’s true,” Taylor said, sighing.

  Lacy parted her hair in four sections and started to apply the relaxer. “Damn, girl, I know it’s hard being the daughter of the mayor. You’re not entitled to any privacy. All your business is splattered all over the city.”

  Taylor chuckled.

  “Girl, screw them reporters. If they’re still there when you leave, give them the middle finger and tell them to kiss your left ass cheek.”

  “Your ass still crazy,” Taylor said, trying to control her giggles. Lacy knew how to brighten someone’s day.

  Lacy smacked her lips. “I’m just saying.”

  Taylor’s fun time was short-lived when her mother and sister, Toni, entered the room.

  She didn’t need to feel her mother’s wrath; she had been avoiding her phone calls since the story broke. If she had known her mother had an appointment with Lacy today, she would have postponed hers.

  “Hello, Taylor.”

  Tammy blew air kisses on each side of Taylor’s cheeks.

  “Hello, Mother,” Taylor said, her voice as aloof as she felt.

  Toni took a seat in a chair situated in the corner.

  “Did you get my calls?” Tammy asked.

  Taylor extracted the phone from her purse and pretended like she was scrolling through the call index. “I’m sorry. It doesn’t look like it.”

  Tammy paced the mid-sized room, her black stilettos clicking against the tiles. “Hmmm … I see.”

  Her mother eyed her with that ‘I know you’re lying’ type of stare.

  Taylor kept her gaze on her mother. One thing she learned from her father over the years was never to let your opponent see your fear. The strategy had worked in her business meetings. Hopefully, it would work on her mother.

  Lacy placed a hand on Taylor’s shoulders. “Time to go to the bowl.”

  Taylor walked the few steps to the sink and sat in the chair. With her head tilted back, she closed her eyes. Kalon’s thick lips popped into her head.

  A few minutes later, she opened her eyes to find her mother standing over her, arms folded. “You found a way to destroy the family.”

  “Mother, this is not the time, nor the place, to have this conversation,” Toni chimed in.

  Tammy threw her hand in the air. “It doesn’t matter where we have this conversation. They already have our family name trending down the highway,” she shouted. “Thanks to my eldest daughter.” She frowned at Taylor.

  Pacing the tile floor, Tammy’s heels made a loud clacking sound with each step she made. She turned and locked Taylor with an intense stare.

  “I remember when you were a little girl; you always defied mine and your father’s orders. We tell you not to go up the hill, and the next thing I know you’d be up the hill. I say, Taylor, I want you to go to the college, your father and I went, too. However, you go and enroll somewhere else.”

  Tammy threw her hands in the air. “Why did I even bother trying to put you on the right path?” Taylor frowned, her head still tilted backward.

  “And now this? Unbelievable! I thought you could cover your mess.”

  Taylor leaned her head forward. “What do you mean you thought I could cover my mess?”

  “Never mind.” Tammy snatched her clutch purse off the chair and slammed the door on her way out.

  “Damn,
that was intense.”

  Toni chuckled at Lacy’s remark as she blotted Taylor’s hair with the towel.

  “I thought you knew our mother.”

  “Girl, honey child, I know Mrs. Tammy can flip at the drop of a hat,” Lacy replied.

  Toni squinted at Taylor and crossed her legs. “I don’t agree with Mother,” Toni said, angling her head to the side. “Whatever you do is your business, and like I say all the time, you’re a Briggs, you’ll figure it out.” Toni sent Taylor a wink.

  Taylor put on her best smile. “Thanks, sis, but I’m good.” She glanced in Toni’s direction and added, “Peachy.”

  ***

  Taylor entered her home and deactivated her security system. Slinging her purse on the couch, she strolled over to the kitchen and checked the time displayed on the microwave. Kalon had asked her to meet him at his home four hours ago. She had gotten her hair done and stopped at the ice cream parlor, ordering a two-scoop, double chocolate waffle cone. Her cravings had kicked into high gear over the past few months.

  She undressed and stretched out in her bed, wearing nothing but her bra and panties. Rolling over on her side, a tear escaped her eyelid. She wiped it away, brought her knees up to her chest, and cried. Being the daughter of a politician was something she had never asked for. Taylor wanted out. All she ever wanted was to be happy and live a normal life.

  Ever since she was a little girl it was always, “Stand up straight, Taylor. Use proper English, Taylor. You are a role model, Taylor.” She was not allowed to make any mistakes.

  Practicing proper etiquette didn’t teach her anything about cleaning up “her mess.”

  “Mess!” The word still rang in her ears from when her mother used it.

  Hell, Taylor figured since she was already on the road to destruction she might as well do what she wanted.

  She walked over to a tan, four-drawer chest, pulled out a pair of blue jeans, and slipped a blue maternity sweater over her head. Finally, she slid into her black riding boots.

  Doing a once over in the mirror, she headed for the door. She peeked through her blinds to see if any reporters were lurking on her lawn. The coast seemed clear, so she hopped into her leased Benz and was headed to Kalon’s loft.