But she’d taken a leave of absence from the company after she’d opened the restaurant with her friends. Serena didn’t need a man tosave her or to provide her anything. She’d done a good job of providing for herself. All she wanted a man for was to do just what Antonio had done earlier that day. At least, that’s what she told herself.
Honestly, she would be open to love and what Jade and Kandace had if she wasn’t afraid. Fear caused her to protect her heart with a bulletproof shell. She knew her heart was too fragile for her to risk—again. Maybe Serena would never get over what Emerson Bradford did and how he’d dismissed her because the studio hadn’t given the green light to their movie. Had she just been his while the industry buzzed about his movie? Had their love only been a publicity stunt?
Serena had broken every rule when it came to Emerson and she’d been left with a broken heart. She had the scars to prove that everything she’d ever thought about love and dealing with the opposite sex had been true. She wasn’t going to take that risk with Antonio to see if he was different, though she thought he could be. The way he made love to her, making sure she was pleased and satisfied while they were in bed made her think there was more to him.
“Hello, Serena,” Jade said, once again interrupting Serena’s thoughts. “Are you ordering dinner or what?”
“Actually, we should go out. It isn’t often that James lets you out of the house these days,” Serena joked. “Besides, we should scope out the competition and see what’s going on in the restaurant world while we’re closed.”
“But let’s not stay out too late,” Jade said. “My son is finally sleeping through the night and his father and I have some things we need to go over in bed.” The glee on Jade’s face made Serena smile in spite of her cynical self. She knew it wouldn’t be long before Jade and James added another baby to the Goings family.
Antonio tucked A.J. into bed and kissed his son of the forehead. “I love you, man,” he whispered to his sleeping boy. Antonio had hoped that Casey would’ve left when A.J. went to sleep, but when he walked into the living room, she was still sitting on the sofa.
“Casey, you don’t have to spend the night,” he said as lightly as he could.
“I hadn’t realized it was so late,” she said as she yawned.
“Yeah. A.J. is sound asleep.”
She smiled at Antonio but didn’t move. Antonio sighed and took a seat on the love seat across from the sofa, focussing on the TV. “I guess I should get going,” she finally said as she rose from the sofa. “Do you need me to watch A.J. tomorrow?”
“No,” Antonio said. “He’s going to a program at the library tomorrow and then we have evening plans.”
“Oh,” she said. “Then I guess I can get some laundry done.”
Antonio stood up and walked Casey to the front door. “You deserve a break.”
“I don’t mind spending time with you two. It makes me feel closer to Marian.”
“Casey,” he said.
“I know it seems silly, but my sister loved you and her son. Being in her house and around you reminds me of her,” she said, then hugged Antonio tightly. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
After she left, Antonio knew he was going to have be honest with his sister-in-law and let her know that the marriage she thought he’d shared with her sister wasn’t as beautiful as she wanted to believe. Maybe she could get some closure and move on with her life. Finally, Antonio felt it was time for him to move forward with his life. And he could thank one person for that. Serena Jacobs.
From the first kiss they’d shared in the Westin to the afternoon they’d spent together, Antonio finally felt that he could be with another woman and not feel guilty about it. He’d never been the type of man to have meaningless affairs. He didn’t know if Serena would be able to accept his family situation. He’d known two types of
Honestly, she would be open to love and what Jade and Kandace had if she wasn’t afraid. Fear caused her to protect her heart with a bulletproof shell. She knew her heart was too fragile for her to risk—again. Maybe Serena would never get over what Emerson Bradford did and how he’d dismissed her because the studio hadn’t given the green light to their movie. Had she just been his while the industry buzzed about his movie? Had their love only been a publicity stunt?
Serena had broken every rule when it came to Emerson and she’d been left with a broken heart. She had the scars to prove that everything she’d ever thought about love and dealing with the opposite sex had been true. She wasn’t going to take that risk with Antonio to see if he was different, though she thought he could be. The way he made love to her, making sure she was pleased and satisfied while they were in bed made her think there was more to him.
“Hello, Serena,” Jade said, once again interrupting Serena’s thoughts. “Are you ordering dinner or what?”
“Actually, we should go out. It isn’t often that James lets you out of the house these days,” Serena joked. “Besides, we should scope out the competition and see what’s going on in the restaurant world while we’re closed.”
“But let’s not stay out too late,” Jade said. “My son is finally sleeping through the night and his father and I have some things we need to go over in bed.” The glee on Jade’s face made Serena smile in spite of her cynical self. She knew it wouldn’t be long before Jade and James added another baby to the Goings family.
Antonio tucked A.J. into bed and kissed his son of the forehead. “I love you, man,” he whispered to his sleeping boy. Antonio had hoped that Casey would’ve left when A.J. went to sleep, but when he walked into the living room, she was still sitting on the sofa.
“Casey, you don’t have to spend the night,” he said as lightly as he could.
“I hadn’t realized it was so late,” she said as she yawned.
“Yeah. A.J. is sound asleep.”
She smiled at Antonio but didn’t move. Antonio sighed and took a seat on the love seat across from the sofa, focussing on the TV. “I guess I should get going,” she finally said as she rose from the sofa. “Do you need me to watch A.J. tomorrow?”
“No,” Antonio said. “He’s going to a program at the library tomorrow and then we have evening plans.”
“Oh,” she said. “Then I guess I can get some laundry done.”
Antonio stood up and walked Casey to the front door. “You deserve a break.”
“I don’t mind spending time with you two. It makes me feel closer to Marian.”
“Casey,” he said.
“I know it seems silly, but my sister loved you and her son. Being in her house and around you reminds me of her,” she said, then hugged Antonio tightly. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
After she left, Antonio knew he was going to have be honest with his sister-in-law and let her know that the marriage she thought he’d shared with her sister wasn’t as beautiful as she wanted to believe. Maybe she could get some closure and move on with her life. Finally, Antonio felt it was time for him to move forward with his life. And he could thank one person for that. Serena Jacobs.
From the first kiss they’d shared in the Westin to the afternoon they’d spent together, Antonio finally felt that he could be with another woman and not feel guilty about it. He’d never been the type of man to have meaningless affairs. He didn’t know if Serena would be able to accept his family situation. He’d known two types of
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