Rival's Desire

“Hellooo?” Vivian called as the express elevator doors opened and she stepped into a plush living room. Intrigue rehearsed and composed most of their songs out of Viv’s rooftop studio. When Vivian arrived, everyone was lounging, having snacks and watching TV. She had given them an extra key so they could enter if she wasn’t home yet.

“So, how was lunch, Viv?” Dacia Cartright asked as she and Ivory exchanged glances.

Vivian hung her purse and scarf on the rack near the elevator. When she turned to see the knowing smiles on her partners’ faces, her eyes narrowed. “Lunch was good.”

“Alindo’s was the place to be today, huh, Viv?” Anna Williams asked.

Viv frowned and leaned back against the paneled elevator doors. “How’d y’all find out about that?”

The four young women in the room burst into laughter at their friend’s discomfort. Vivian’s sour expression remained as she watched them practically fall over each other, tears of laughter rolling down their faces.

“Girl, it’s been previewed as one of tonight’s top entertainment stories!” Diane Melon informed her between the laughter. “The lunch spat between the diva and the jock.”

“Dammit!” Vivian snapped, stomping into the living room. “Please don’t tell me they’re makin’ this out to be my fault.”

Anna shrugged and toyed with a strand of her waist-length black hair. “Honey, from what we hear, you started it.”

Viv slammed her fists to the table. “Damn him!”

Ivory grinned and tapped Dacia’s shoulder. “I think they said that was how it started, Viv slammin’ her fists to the table.”

Dacia chuckled and propped the side of her round face against her palm. “Viv, what the hell did you all do to get thrown out of that place?”

Vivian let out a long dramatic sigh and flopped down on the sofa. “It was all Caesar’s fault.” She grimaced at the chuckles of doubt surrounding her. “Our grandmothers wanted us to have lunch with them to talk about running their company.”

“Running their company?” Diane asked, her large brown eyes widening. “For how long?”

Vivian shrugged. “We didn’t get all the details. The moment they told us we had to do it together, Caesar went off.”

“Mmm-hmm. So you just accepted it, huh?” Anna asked.

“No-o-o,” Vivian sourly replied. “But I didn’t act as badly as Caesar. After a while there was nothing I could do. I had to defend myself.”

Dacia pushed herself out of the armchair she occupied. “Well,” she sighed, “it looks like you both did a great job.”

“Look, can we just get to work?” Viv snapped, raising her hands in the air.

The girls sent each other knowing looks as they followed Viv upstairs to the studio. They decided to start that day rehearsing a song they were considering for the release party of their latest CD.

Viv did her best, but her timing and pitch were way off. Caesar had gotten to her more than she cared to admit. He was all she could think of.

“You know, Viv, I can’t understand why you’ve never been able to get along with that man,” Anna noted, propping one hand on her hip.

Dacia nodded. “I can’t, either. I mean, Caesar Morrison is…mmm, Caesar Morrison.” She sighed.

“Sexy,” Diane added.

“And, mmm…delicious,” Ivory concluded.

“And you sluts have one-track minds,” Vivian retorted, giving them each distasteful looks. “Caesar Morrison and I have hated each other since we shared the same playpen.”

“But, Viv, girl, that was when you two were kids. The playpen could be a lot more exciting now.”

The entire studio came alive with laughter over Diane’s comment. Even Viv couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her full lips.

“Listen—” she reached for her glasses “—I will admit that Caesar is fine, sexy and all that, but it could never work for us.”

“Why not?” Ivory asked. “He knows you’re not after him for his money. The two of you have known each other all your lives.”

Vivian shook her head at Ivory’s reasoning. “The man is just too pigheaded and too much of a sexist.”

Everyone groaned, but Viv stood firm. Luckily, they were able to get some real work done before parting ways for the evening. Vivian thought about all the advice her partners had given her during rehearsal. Of course, a relationship with the gorgeous athlete was out of the question.

“I hope that cools you down a bit,” Francine remarked, pulling the stylish sunglasses away from her face.

Caesar hoisted his muscular frame out of the pool. He reached for the thick towel hanging off the back of a chaise longue. “Funny,” he replied as he dried droplets of water from his body.

“Sweetie, is it really that hard to get along with Vivian? She’s so lovely and lively.”

“That’s it right there,” Caesar replied, holding out one hand. “She’s too lively. The girl is loud and pushy…nothin’ but a headache I don’t need.”

“I think you’ve met your match.”

“My match?” Caesar mocked, his deep voice muffled by the towel covering his head.

“She’s a woman who isn’t so in awe of your looks and stature that she literally falls over herself to get your attention.”

“Granny, you know I don’t date stupid women,” Caesar proclaimed, tucking the towel around his lean waist before taking a seat next to Francine. “Besides, I don’t think Plum’s ever seen me that way.”

A look of disbelief crossed Francine’s lovely caramel-toned face. “Baby, if you believe that, you’re crazy,” she said, patting Caesar’s cheek. “You know, it would be so nice if the two of you came to an agreement before dinner.”

Caesar’s long, light brows drew close. “Go see Viv again? No thanks!”

Francine just smiled as she shifted position on the comfortable lounge. “I think it would be very nice if the two of you showed up on my doorstep ready to cooperate. Together.”

Caesar’s mouth fell open as he stared at his grandmother.

Viv began running a bath in her sunken Jacuzzi tub. Just as she was about to add a bit more bath foam to the bubbling water, she heard a loud commotion. The bottle fell into the bath as she rushed out of the room. She flew down the burgundy-carpeted staircase and through the living room. Obviously the deafening boom had come from outside, so something major must have happened. When she pulled open the front door and saw her neighbor seated amid a group of boxes, she almost laughed.

“If I see one smile, your butt is mine,” Alex Trevor threatened.

“What happened?” she asked, gathering her long, emerald silk robe in one hand as she stepped out into the hall.

Alex smashed one of the huge boxes with his fist and grimaced. “I put the damned wedge in the door to hold it open, but when I got back with all these damned boxes, the heavy-ass door must’ve closed on the wedge. Thereby, producing the loud boom you heard when I slammed into the door.”

“Well, it looks like I’m the only one that heard it,” Viv noted, looking down the long, empty corridor.

Alex huffed. “Those deadbeats,” he muttered, referring to the other two top-floor apartment tenants.

“Are you locked out?”

“Hell yes.”

Viv smiled and pulled a long bobby pin from the ball atop her head. “Stand back,” she ordered, coming to kneel before the front door.

Alex crossed his arms over his wide chest and frowned. “What are you doin’?”

“Just hold on,” Vivian said as she jiggled the pin inside the brass lock. A few moments later she heard a soft click and twisted the knob. “There you go.”

“Where the hell did you learn to do that?” Alex asked, kneeling in front of his door to inspect the lock.

Viv chuckled and patted the top of Alex’s shiny bald head. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, stooping to pick up one of the boxes. “Dammit, boy, what do you have in here?”

A sneaky smirk crossed Alex’s dark face. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Funny,” Viv replied, though she was happy that she was able to calm her neighbor’s quick temper.

For the next fifteen minutes, Alex and Viv worked on getting the boxes inside. Viv discovered Alex had asked his long-time girlfriend to move in with him and she’d accepted. All the boxes belonged to her.

“How much more do you have?” Viv asked.

“A crapload.”

Viv laughed. The full, throaty sound filtered out into the hall as she opened the front door. It reached Caesar’s ears just as he stepped off the elevator. His sparkling, light brown eyes scanned the long carpeted hallway for any sign of Viv. He spotted her with a tall, dark man. They were laughing and had their arms around each other.

“Thank you, sweetheart. I really appreciate what you did,” Alex said, pressing a kiss to Viv’s cheek.

“Ah, no problem, hon.” Then, she turned toward her apartment just as the door closed behind Alex.

“Viv!”

Gasping, she turned at the sound of the booming voice. Her dark eyes widened at the sight of Caesar Morrison bolting down the hall.

Chapter 2

“What the hell were you doing?”

Viv propped one hand on her hip and glared at Caesar. “Excuse me?”

Caesar had no idea how furious he appeared. “What the hell were you doing?” he repeated, his voice rising an octave as he frowned more fiercely.

Vivian only shook her head. “What are you doin’ here?”

“I asked you first,” he retorted, stepping closer until his huge frame towered over her.

Viv tossed a curl out of her face. “I was helping a friend.”

“That was obvious.”

“What are you trying to say?” she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Caesar poked a finger against her shoulder and watched Viv move backward. “I didn’t know you were givin’ it up to the neighbors, Plum.”

Viv’s palm ached to slap the handsome face before her. “You dirty weasel, I’m not givin’ it up to anybody. Not that I have to explain a damn thing to you!”

“The hell you don’t! What were you doin’ in there with him?”

“None of your business!” she cried, uttering a silent prayer of thanks that Alex was playing his music loud and couldn’t hear the squabble in the hallway.

Of course, the hall’s other tenants finally peeked out of their doors. One of Viv’s neighbors was so bold as to walk out into the hall and approach the shouting duo.

“Excuse me?” the man interrupted.

“What?” Viv and Caesar simultaneously roared.

An uneasy smile crossed the man’s face and his blue eyes widened a little. In his hands, he held a small book, which he offered to Caesar. “Could I get your autograph?”

Caesar switched modes easily and grinned while taking the book from the sports fan. “No problem, man, you got a pen?”

Vivian rolled her eyes and headed back to her apartment. “To hell with this!”

“Don’t walk away from me, Viv,” Caesar warned, even as he signed the autograph. “Here you go, man,” he said, returning the book. He followed behind her once the fan had returned to his apartment.

Viv held her head in her hands as she stormed into the living room. “Caesar, please! I don’t want anything more to do with you. Can’t you just leave me be?”

Caesar massaged the bridge of his nose and thought about his grandmother’s suggestion to work things out with Viv. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen, Granny.” He took a seat on the arm of Viv’s green-suede love seat. A moment later, he heard a deafening scream.

“Viv!” Caesar called, bolting from the love seat and sprinting up the staircase. He followed her agonizing cries to the bathroom. When he peeked around the corner, a wide grin brightened his face.

“Dammit!” Viv groaned. She stood on a floor teeming with water and bubbles. The tub had overflowed while she’d done a good deed for a neighbor and then argued with her nemesis out in the hall. When she heard the low, male chuckle behind her, she whirled around. “Get the hell out!”

Caesar forced an innocent expression to his face and leaned against the doorjamb. “But, Plum,” he said, then chuckled again, “I want to help.”

“You can help me by leaving,” she said, gathering the drenched hem of her emerald robe. The low chuckles she heard turned into fullblown laughter.

“What happened in here?” Caesar managed to ask.

Viv blew a curl out of her face. “I’d say that’s pretty obvious, wouldn’t you? The damned tub overflowed while I was helping Alex.”

Caesar grimaced at the mention of Viv’s neighbor. “I guess you should’ve been paying more attention to your own house, hmm?”

“You know, Caesar, I really don’t need to hear this now, okay?” She felt around the bottom of the tub for the bottle of bubble bath.

Caesar knew his teasing was only making things worse, so he left her alone. The sight of Viv toiling around in the water and foamy bubbles was as amusing as it was arousing. “Can I help?”

“You can stop acting like a buffoon and help me find the bottle of bubble bath.”

Caesar pulled off the stylish beige loafers and socks he wore and rolled up his shirtsleeves and pant legs. He walked down the three steps leading to the sunken bathroom. “You know, finding it might be easier if we shut the water off.”

Viv ground her teeth as she watched Caesar push the water knob in. “Thank you,” she whispered, continuing her search for the bottle. When her fingers brushed the plastic container, located at the bottom of the deep tub, she uttered a victorious sigh.

“You better get dressed if you plan to be on time for dinner.”

Viv stood and shook the water from her hands. “I’ll probably be late anyway. I really need to take a shower after spending the afternoon in the studio.” She headed through the opposite door that connected to her bedroom and used the phone on the nightstand to call housekeeping. After the call, she set the phone back on the receiver, and found Caesar lying on her bed. “Get out,” she ordered.

“Where will you take your shower?” he asked. His head was cradled in his hands as he stared at the robe clinging to her damp body.

“Don’t worry about it,” she sweetly replied. Vivien then headed to her wardrobe and disappeared behind the tall glass doors.

Caesar’s long brown lashes closed over his eyes. “I don’t have a choice. The grannies want us to come to dinner together.”

“What? Why?” Viv asked as she tied a belt around the waist of the short pink robe and stepped from the huge closet. When Caesar shrugged, she tapped a nail against her cheek. “I wonder what they’re up to?”

“I guess they want to make sure the company’s in the best hands.”

“Humph. Yeah, emphasis on hands,” Viv noted, coming to stand in the middle of the room. “I just don’t get why they want both of us to run the place.”

“I guess they didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

A small furrow formed between Viv’s arched brows. “Excuse me? How would they be hurting my feelings?”

Caesar snuggled his mammoth-size frame deeper into the bed and smiled. “Plum, it’s obvious I’m better qualified for the job. Granny and Miss Carly know it, they just didn’t want to upset you.”

“You know, Caesar, you’re just dense enough to think something crazy like that.”

Caesar opened one eye to see Viv towering over the bed, a murderous expression on her face. “Did you forget my major was business?”

Viv gave him a tired look. “No, I didn’t forget. Business was my major, too, plus I had a minor in public relations.”

Caesar let out a deep breath. “Please! If anyone knows about PR, it’s me.”

Viv rolled her eyes and walked away from the bed. “I deal with fans, executives, cosmetics people, magazines—”

“So do I,” Caesar replied in a haughty tone.

“Forget it,” Viv said, raising her hands above her head as she walked out of the room.

“So, do you want to use my shower or not?”

Viv returned to the bedroom, suspicion clearly etched in her dark almond-shaped eyes. “You’d actually let me do that?”

Caesar propped himself up on his elbows. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it, Plum.”

Viv watched him for a few minutes before her gaze faltered. “No, thanks.”

“You scared?”

The taunt stopped her in her tracks. “Scared of what?”

One sinewy shoulder rose just slightly. “Of what might happen.” He taunted her so covertly it might have been imagined.

Vivian’s full laughter burst forth. “Only in your wildest dreams, sweet stuff.”

Caesar decided not to respond. Silently and arrogantly, he assured himself that if he decided to have her, she wouldn’t think of refusing.

Viv could see the doubt on his handsome face and decided to prove him wrong. “Give me a few minutes to get my stuff together,” she finally told him as she waited for him to leave the room.

Her housekeeper had already arrived by the time Viv got dressed and packed her outfit for dinner. As she headed downstairs, she could hear the woman’s laughter. Vivian shook her head. Obviously, Caesar was turning on the charm.

Indeed he was. Shelly was seated close to Caesar on the sofa. Whatever he had said was causing the girl to laugh uncontrollably. Vivian ran her fingers through her silky curls and watched them for a moment. She cleared her throat to bring an end to the amusing conversation. Unfortunately, she wasn’t noticed. A few more minutes passed before Viv bustled into the living room and cleared her throat, much louder that time.

Shelly’s brown eyes widened when she saw Viv. “Oh! Hello, Ms. Desmond.”

“Hey, Shelly,” Viv replied, shooting Caesar a sour look. “Did they tell you what happened?”

Shelly nodded quickly. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll have it taken care of in a minute.”

Viv raised her hands. “I think it might take more than a minute, Shelly. You may even need some help. I made a pretty big mess in there.”

“Humph, I’ll say,” Caesar noted as he lounged on the sofa and toyed with his hair.

“Anyway,” Viv sighed, “you don’t have to rush. I don’t need the bathroom right now.”

Shelly nodded toward Viv. She sent Caesar an adoring smile before leaving the room.

“I hope you’re not too upset,” Caesar told Viv, noticing the stern look on her face.

“Upset about what?” She pushed her hands into the back pockets of her snug-fitting jeans.

Caesar propped his feet on the oak-trimmed edge of the glass coffee table and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I was havin’ a few laughs with Shelly.”

“So?”

“I know you tend to get upset when you see me with other women.”

Viv’s mouth fell open and she stared at him like he had two heads. “What the hell are you talking about? I never get upset over you and other women.”

Caesar propped one index finger along his temple. His gorgeous brown eyes twinkled mischievously. “Maybe a better word would be jealous.”

“Jealous!” Vivian cried. “You know, Caesar, you’ve always been arrogant. But, after all these years, even you should know how much I hate your guts.”

Caesar pushed himself off the sofa and retrieved Viv’s duffel and garment bag. “I understand why you keep saying that. You’re trying to convince yourself.”

“Convince myself of what?” Viv asked. She frowned as she looked up into his handsome face.

Instead of replying, Caesar grinned and patted her bottom.

By the time Caesar parked in front of the condo he owned in Manhattan, Viv was a bundle of nerves. She had always counted on him enjoying their sniping and arguing. The constant quipping was the only thing that kept her from thinking about how attracted she was to him. If he tried to change tactics now, she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“I just won’t let that happen,” she softly promised herself.

“You say somethin’, Plum?”

Viv saw the expectant look on Caesar’s face and realized she’d spoken out loud. Quickly, she shook her head.

Caesar stepped out of the black Expedition and handed his keys to the valet. Viv took a few minutes to get a handle on her emotions and accepted Caesar’s help when he opened the passenger door.

“You can take off the glasses, you know.”

“What?”

Caesar grinned as they strolled the gorgeous, airy interior of the building. “People are real cool about seeing famous faces in here.”

Viv pulled the stylish, cat-eyed glasses from her face and perched them on top of her head. “I don’t mind the fans a bit, it’s the press I can do without.”

Surprise registered on Caesar’s sinfully handsome face. “You mean, you don’t relish the chance to get in front of the camera as much as you can?” he asked as they approached the elevators.

“The press always catches you at the worst time,” she replied wearily, refusing to let him rile her.

Caesar grinned as the elevator doors closed behind them. “You got a point there.”

“Did you know our lunch at Alindo’s was on the news?”

Caesar only shrugged as he pushed his large hands into his navy trouser pockets. “Doesn’t surprise me. But now I understand why you hate the press being around. You’re always on your worst behavior and they always catch it on tape.”

Vivian clenched her fists so tightly she could have drawn blood from her palms. “You just can’t let it rest, can you?”

Caesar pretended to be confused. “Let what rest?”

Viv closed the tiny distance between them in the elevator and poked her finger against his shoulder. “You just can’t let it go. You have to cut me down as often as you can.”

“I’m not cutting you down. You just can’t handle the truth.”

“Oh, please, spare me, Caesar! Let’s not talk about not being able to handle the truth!”

Caesar’s long sleek brows drew close as he frowned. “I’m not the one who’s been griping all day.”

“That’s because you get off on making me look bad!”

“Love, I don’t think you could take what I get off on,” Caesar softly assured her, the erotic curve of his mouth twitching in amusement.

Viv shook her head and gave Caesar a sour look. “You really are an arrogant jackass.”

Caesar brought his face close to hers. “I’m getting tired of the name callin’, Plum.”

Completely oblivious to the steely edge in Caesar’s deep, rough voice, Viv took a step closer. “And you mean to do something about it, do you?”

When the elevator doors opened, Vivian was thrown across one of Caesar’s powerful shoulders. Her heart pounded wildly as she beat his wide back with her fists.

“Caesar, dammit, wait! My glasses!”

He ignored her, holding her legs snug against chest. He carried her out of the elevator to the polished oak door at the end of the long corridor. He whistled a little tune, unmindful of Viv’s loud voice and her pounding upon his back. He stepped inside the gorgeous, warmly furnished condo and pushed the door shut with his shoulder. He went directly to the bathroom and deposited Vivian on the toilet.

“Get dressed,” he ordered, his stern expression brooking no argument.

The steamy, invigorating shower soothed the tension in Vivian’s shoulders. The powerful spray of water hitting her body felt so wonderful, she dreaded getting out.

“Oh, no,” she groaned when she shut the water off. She realized her bag had not been brought in and Caesar hadn’t been thoughtful enough to provide her with a fresh towel.

Her search through the closet provided no extra towels. “Dammit,” she sighed, propping her hands on her hips and debating on whether or not to risk prancing naked outside the bathroom. “I don’t have a choice.” She pulled the door open and peeked out into the hall. “Caesar?” she called, hoping he wasn’t upstairs. There was no answer, so she sprinted out the door and found a huge bedroom.

She spotted her leather bag on the white oak dresser. “Thank you,” she whispered. She retrieved a thick, dark blue towel and dried her face. Setting the towel on the dresser, Viv bowed her head and took several, refreshing deep breaths. When she opened her eyes and looked into the mirror, she found Caesar leaning against the doorjamb. Unmindful of her nudity, she turned to face him. “What are you doing here?”