Give Me More--A Sexy Billionaire Romance by A.C. Arthur (detective books to read txt) 📕

the table. Turning her attention to his father, she met Ron’s gaze and smiled.

“Why not now, sir? What better time than now to focus on a success story, when Black people and so many other marginalized groups are feeling the repeated sting of racism and baseless disdain in this country and oftentimes abroad as well.” Her brows arched as she spoke. “This story has the potential to build hope by showing how you and Mr. King were able to overcome adversity both within your inner circle and from the outside to build two of the most influential empires in the fashion industry.”

Across the table, Tobias took a breadstick, tearing a small piece from its corner before stuffing it into his mouth. He stared at Grace while he chewed.

“I think she’s right,” Riley said while Ron remained silent. “Chaz and I were determined not to carry the brunt of a feud that didn’t involve us and yet it still hung over us until the moment you and Tobias stepped up and called a truce. Both companies have experienced a steady bump in sales since that announcement, and I know it’s partially because of the unity the two of you showed within the industry when it mattered most.”

“What do you need from us?” Marva asked Grace while placing a hand over her husband’s.

RJ watched as his father glanced down at his wife’s hand. When Ron looked up again there was an expression of calm on his face that hadn’t been there moments ago.

“I’d like to interview each of you to get your thoughts on not only the feud but how you think it’s influenced who you are personally.” She paused and looked at Desta and Nina. “Or in your case, Desta and Nina, how you believe it shaped those you ultimately decided to love and commit to,” Grace said.

Grace believed that Desta and Nina decided to love and commit to Maurice and Major, the way she’d decided not to do those things with him. RJ hated that her walking away from him still bothered him so much. It was taking more strength than he thought he had to not confront her with all the questions that circled his mind about that long-ago night. He just wasn’t certain he was ready to hear the answers. “Be careful what you wish for” was a very real mantra in his mind, and if Grace told him something like she’d wanted to be with someone else or she’d fallen out of love with him, he didn’t know how he’d respond to that.

Desta gave a light chuckle. “Well, I don’t know about the deciding to love part. I’m not sure any of us made the decision to love, rather than having love find us and basically beat us over the head until we came to our senses.”

While Nina and Riley nodded their agreement, Tobias spoke up. “I don’t know about that. Once love is in the picture it can influence many decisions, good and bad.”

Now Grace did tense. RJ sensed it in her silence and when he glanced at her, the slight falter of her smile. The servers arrived with their food then, and the meal proceeded with much lighter topics of conversation. RJ appreciated the interruption. Love wasn’t something he wanted to hear about, especially not when the woman he’d considered the love of his life was sitting right beside him, not wearing his wedding ring. They survived the meal and were just finishing dessert when the next blow to the precarious state of his and Grace’s personal life came.

“So why’d you two break up?” Veronica asked. “You’re so lovely together.”

This time Grace visibly stiffened. There was no smile on her face and her wineglass was empty, so she couldn’t reach for it as a refuge—which RJ knew she wanted to do because he wanted to grab his glass and ask for another shot of vodka. Without hesitation he eased a hand beneath the table to where she’d dropped hers into her lap. He clasped her wrist and she relaxed enough that he could lace his fingers with hers.

“Let’s keep the past in the past,” Ron intervened. “And instead we can talk about this volleyball game that’s scheduled for tomorrow.”

Chatter around them began again and RJ leaned over to whisper in Grace’s ear. “Sorry about that.”

“No. Don’t be. I expected it,” she replied.

She was lying. He knew from the crinkle in her nose when she attempted to smile afterward.

“Oh, volleyball is going to be so much fun,” Riley said. “And now that Grace is here, we’ll be evenly matched.”

“What?” RJ blurted. He’d been hoping the uncomfortable part of this evening was nearing an end.

“She’s right,” Maurice chimed in. “Now it all works out, we’ll be evenly matched with Grace joining us tomorrow.”

“But Grace isn’t joining us tomorrow,” RJ replied, releasing Grace as if their entwined hands were the cause of his siblings’ suggestion.

“Why not?” Riley asked.

“It does make sense,” Desta said. “She evens out the women versus the men and if she’s here to interview all of us, it stands to reason that she’d also hang out with all of us.”

No, that definitely didn’t make sense. RJ had spent the better part of the day kicking himself for letting the “keep your enemies close” philosophy goad him into making this arrangement with Grace. He’d been especially annoyed with himself for kissing her because in the end—i.e., this morning—she’d simply turned him down again. She’d brushed off what had happened between them in the cabana as being “in the past.” Each time he saw Grace he felt as if he were locked into a front-row seat on a roller coaster of emotions. One minute he couldn’t resist remembering how good they’d been together, leading to the persistent need to touch her, kiss her and protect her from all harm. And the next minute, fresh anger churned in the pit of his stomach at the confusion that still plagued him over her abrupt departure. Now they had an