The Temptation of a Good Man by Delaney Diamond

Author:Delaney Diamond [Diamond, Delaney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, United States, African American, Romance, Health; Fitness & Dieting, Relationships, Love & Romance
Amazon: B005NIOJA6
Publisher: Delaney Diamond
Published: 2011-09-19T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Celeste awoke the next morning feeling groggy. Stressed over the previous day’s events, she’d hardly slept a wink. After a somewhat revitalizing cup of coffee, she inquired about Derrick’s whereabouts and found out he’d already left for the day. No one knew when he would return. When she called his cell phone, it went straight to voice mail, and that’s when she decided to go exploring on her own.

In Pier Village, the center of activity, she would find quaint shops and restaurants. It wasn’t too far, and the walk would be good exercise. She made up an excuse for why she couldn’t stay for breakfast, but the truth was, she didn’t want to sit through the meal with Roarke.

As she left the house, she heard the wedding planner bark orders across the yard in the middle of a cyclone of activity. A local spa unloaded a couple of massage tables and other items from the back of a van. The bride and her wedding party would have massages, facials, and other services to help them get ready. When she returned, no doubt delivery trucks would be all over the yard as the setup for the wedding continued.

The ceremony would take place outside in front of over three hundred guests, the majority of whom were Cassidy’s family and friends, and they would move into the tent for the reception. The groom, Antonio Vega, was an Afro-Latino from Puerto Rico. Most of his family still lived there. His immediate family, which included Lorena, the maid of honor, his brothers, and parents, would be in attendance, along with others who resided stateside.

Her own wedding hadn’t been such a grand event. Short on cash, she and her ex arranged a small ceremony in his mother’s living room, and they never got around to a honeymoon. Despite the lack of a fairy-tale beginning, Celeste had been happy because at the time she thought she was marrying the man who would remain her husband until death separated them. She’d been too naïve to see the signs at the time, and the example of her parents’ successful marriage before her father’s death had distorted her views on marriage and partnership.

She laughed to herself. What a difference a year could make. Before long she suspected her husband of cheating, and a short time later found the evidence.

With sunglasses on and her hair pulled back into a braided chignon secured into a neat knot at the nape, Celeste started toward town. Five minutes into her walk, a black car slowed beside her, and the owner honked the horn. Roarke sat in the driver’s seat and rolled the window down.

“Need a lift?” The mirrored shades he wore blocked her ability to see his eyes.

“I’m going down to the village. I don’t mind walking,” Celeste replied. Despite the barrier of steel between them, her pulse began a thunderous race at his presence. Sitting in the car with him was not a good idea.

“Hop in,” he said, popping the lock. “There’s no point in walking when you can ride.

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