Lie to Me Read online

  Sydney exhaled. “I love you, too, Noah. I especially love the way you loved me. Twice.”

  Noah laughed. “I’ve been out of the game for years. And now I’m free to have legitimate, God-sanctified sex anytime I want. I’m making up for lost time.”

  Sydney chuckled and said in a sultry voice, “You sure are. I’m so glad we waited for marriage, but if I had known it was going to be like this …” She reached up to wipe the sweat rolling down his face. Noah’s hair matted against his skin. She ran her fingers through his damp hair and gazed into his eyes.

  He loved the look of love reflected there. There was a time when she had looked at him with disgust and he never wanted to see that again. Noah had been a rebellious teen, joining a White supremacist group, The Avengers. He had a swastika tattooed in his head, which he had tried to remove once he met Christ. However, a faint outline of the insignia remained. It was revealed when he had to have brain surgery after a beam fell on him by an accident arranged by Matthew, one of the Avengers.

  Noah hadn’t told Sydney for fear she wouldn’t date him. From the moment he saw her, he knew she was the one. Love wasn’t about skin color. Despite his past, their love had conquered.

  Sydney tapped his chin. “What are you thinking about?”

  Noah smiled. “I’m thinking about how much I love you.” He cupped her bottom, pulling her closer to him. “Thank you for marrying me. My past is a tough thing to overlook.”

  She touched his cheek. “The past is the past. It doesn’t affect our future. I married you because I couldn’t picture my life without you. Being abducted by a racist madman put things in proper perspective.”

  Noah shuddered. “Matthew wasn’t only a racist. He was a maniac.” He drew her even closer, remembering how Matthew and his two goons had captured Sydney, intending to hang her. Matthew hated that Noah had fallen in love with a black woman.

  “Yes, he was a spawn of Satan.” Her brown eyes went dreamy. “But, then you swooped in and rescued me.” She kissed his cheek. “My true hero.”

  “Don’t forget I had help,” Noah said, referring to his former bodyguard, Hunter Fox.

  Sydney waved off his comment. “My love for you gave me the energy to fight back. So in my book, you’re my knight in shining armor.”

  Noah kissed Sydney, ready for another lovemaking session. After a few moments, Sydney ended the kiss and moved out of his arms.

  He felt the loss of her warmth. “Where are you going?”

  “I’ve got to use the bathroom and I need to brush my teeth. Don’t you have some praying to do or something?” Sydney asked, scooting closer to the edge of the bed.

  He slipped an arm around her waist. “I prayed right before dawn.” Noah started every morning with prayer then worked on his sermons. Sometimes Sydney would join him, but most often than not, she chose to stay in bed. Noah welcomed the one-on-one time with God.

  He and Sydney had prayer together every evening, except for Wednesdays when they were at Bible study.

  However, Noah returned to the topic uppermost on his mind. “Can I come with you?”

  Sydney shook her head. “The bathroom is the one place where I draw the line. I don’t care how close we are. You’re not coming in there with me when I have to handle my business.”

  Noah swatted her bottom. “As personal as we get, I can’t believe you have those hang ups.”

  “I don’t care.” Sydney slipped out of the bed. “We’re one, but we won’t ever get that close.”

  “I’m going to bust in on you one of these days,” he teased.

  Sydney scurried to the bathroom door, slamming it shut. Noah heard the lock click and grinned. Since she’d use the bathroom in their master bedroom, he knew she was doing number one. Sydney went into the guest room if she had to do number two. Noah told her she didn’t have to do that, but Sydney refused. Noah wondered what she would say if he told her that she tooted in her sleep. He chuckled. If he did, she’d probably stop sleeping next to him and start sleeping in the guest room.

  Noah crossed his legs at the ankles, content to remain naked in bed and wait for his wife to return. He heard the toilet flush and the faucet come on. Within seconds, Sydney opened the door.

  To his keen disappointment, she was wearing a cream satin robe.

  Noah sat up. “Why’d you put that on?”

  It had taken three weeks before Sydney let him see her naked in the daylight. If he had his way, Noah would make it mandatory that they shed clothes upon entering their home. He mused, picturing Sydney wearing nothing but her shoes. She had an obsession with shoes, and Noah loved to see her in them. But, he knew Sydney wouldn’t go for that.

  “I have to eat, Noah,” Sydney pointed out. “And, so do you. Besides, we can’t spend all day in bed.”

  “Why not?” Noah swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. He dragged on a pair of dark blue jeans.

  He saw Sydney’s eyes darken and hid his knowing smile. Her silk robe loosened. Noah zoned in on her bare cleavage. His mind shifted. Maybe…

  Sydney must have read his mind. “No, no.” She held her hands up to shield his advances, then retied and secured her robe. In a firm voice, she declared, “We have to go see Gramps.”

  Noah stopped and turned his head to look at the digital clock on Sydney’s side of the bed. His jaw dropped. “It’s eleven, already? Where did the time go?”

  Sydney lifted an eyebrow.

  Noah pushed his feet into a pair of battered leather flip-flops. “I’ll go throw something together for us to eat. Why don’t you get showered in the meantime?”

  “No, I’ll go make breakfast,” Sydney said. “I know that trick well. You always linger until I’m in the shower and vulnerable before you jump in. Then the next thing I know, an hour has passed. Frankly, Skins, you’re insatiable.”

  “I hate that nickname,” Noah said, but he would tackle that another time. He gave her a forlorn expression. “I love looking at my wife. What’s wrong with that?”

  She reached up and patted his cheek. “Get dressed, Noah,” she ordered, before sashaying past him toward the kitchen.

  3

  Sydney opened the refrigerator. She took out some eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and bread to make French toast, then retrieved the griddle and a large bowl. Sydney cracked the eggs and poured them into the bowl.

  Suddenly, the rawness of the eggs assaulted her nose. Putting her hand over her mouth, she vaulted to the guest bathroom and hurled. Sydney emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. What happened? She wondered. She placed her hand over her stomach. She hoped she wasn’t sick.

  “Sydney?” She heard Noah call out. His voice sounded like he was in the kitchen.

  Sydney washed her mouth and face and quickly braided her curly hair. Composed, she exited the bathroom. “I’m coming.” She walked the small path and entered the kitchen to see Noah beating the eggs.

  “Are you okay?” He groaned when some of the yellow slick substance sloshed out of the bowl. He ripped off a paper towel to clean it up, then returned to whipping the eggs.

  “Yeah. I cracked the eggs and my stomach turned. I don’t know…”

  “If I didn’t know better, I would think…” Noah stopped and pushed the bowl aside. “That’s not possible,” he whispered.

  Sydney was subjected to keen scrutiny before Noah asked her in a low voice. “Did you pick up a bug?”

  She shook her head and did some quick mental calculations, then touched her chin. “What if I’m pregnant,” she murmured. Her next thought was of her possible promotion at work. Sydney had been recommended for partnership at The Welchman Group. Could she handle a baby and a tougher work schedule?

  Noah’s eyes widened.

  Sydney walked over to pull her iPad out of her bag, which she’d left on the couch the night before. With some rapid sweeping of her index finger, Sydney pulled up her calendar and counted the weeks. Her heart pounded. When was her last period? She skimmed for the pu
rple ‘P’. She usually marked her calendar with a ‘P’ to signify her monthly flow.

  She swiped to the previous month. There was no ‘P’ in March. She must have been too busy to note it.

  “Sydney?”

  Sydney looked toward her husband who leaned against the mauve colored wall.

  “I know you didn’t get your period last month. But, I figured it was stress-related. You work so hard that…” A light blush grazed his cheek.

  She tilted her head. She had been buried under two million-dollar cases. “You sure?”

  He nodded. “Believe me, I’m sure.”

  Sydney’s mouth popped open. Married life was really…personal. “I guess I’ll take your word for it,” she said, trying not to get tongue-tied. Sydney avoided his eyes. “I don’t think I’m pregnant, though.”

  “I don’t think you are, either. But, if you take a pregnancy test, we’ll know for sure. Let’s skip the meal and find out.”

  Sydney glanced at the clock.

  “I agree. I’ll clean up here while you go get the test.”

  Noah dumped the egg batter down the garbage disposal and headed out the door. Sydney washed the bowl and put away the griddle. Then she brushed her teeth and took a quick shower. Sydney lathered her body with lotion and plucked a sleeveless sundress from her closet to wear. Once she was dressed, Sydney waited by the front door for Noah to return.

  “Good, you’re back,” Sydney held out her hands. He made it back in less than twenty minutes.

  Noah kicked off his sandals. “Yes, and let me tell you it was no easy feat. I browsed the aisles for a while before I found them tucked away near the feminine products.” His eyes were wide. “I had no idea there were so many different brands. I read several boxes, each assuring a ninety-nine percent accuracy rate. In the end, I grabbed three different kinds.”

  She crooked her fingers and held out a hand. “Hand them over.”

  He placed the bag in her hand and Sydney walked into their master bath.

  Noah was right behind her. The only sound was the crinkling the bag made as they trudged into the bathroom. She took the three boxes out of the bag and allowed the plastic bag to fall to the floor. Noah sat near the toilet while Sydney investigated the three boxes.

  She opened one and read the directions. She raised a brow. “Do you intend to watch me pee on a stick?”

  She hoped not. Noah needed to wait outside the door.

  Noah nodded. “I want to find out the same time you do. So get to it.”

  Sydney went over to him and kissed the top of his head. “You have three seconds to get out of here or I won’t do it.”

  He looked up at her. “But, what about us sharing everything?”

  “We can and we will. But, not this,” Sydney replied in a firm tone.

  Noah closed his eyes. He was probably praying for patience, but she wasn’t going to change her mind. He opened one eye to peer at her. She folded her hands and tapped her toes.

  “Fine,” he hoisted to his feet. “But, I’ll be right outside the door.”

  “Whatever.”

  Sydney waited until Noah left to lock the door. She turned on the faucet. There was no way she wanted him hearing her go. Sydney took the stick out of the box. Her heart hammered against her chest. She awkwardly navigated the stick to the ideal place.

  Noah banged on the door. “What’s happening? What does it say?”

  Sydney rolled her eyes. “You’re not helping.” She finished the task, rested the stick on a paper towel and washed her hands. Within seconds, the answer appeared.

  “Are you pregnant or not?” He yelled through the door. She ignored him. “Sydney Ariella Charleston, if you don’t open this door…I may—”

  “I’m coming,” Sydney yelled. She grabbed the stick and opened the door. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Noah’s face when he saw the news.

  “The suspense is maddening. C’mon, sweetheart, you’ve got to tell me.”

  With a blank face, Sydney held the stick.

  4

  “A plus sign,” Noah shouted. “I see a plus sign. We’re having a baby.” He grabbed Sydney and plastered tiny kisses across her face. “I’m going to be a father. You’ve given me the best gift imaginable.” Noah slid to his knees. His hands circled her waist. He rested his head against her abdomen. “Hey, little one,” he said with awe. “This is your Daddy speaking. I’m in love with you already. I can’t wait to meet you.”

  Sydney looked down at Noah. Tears moistened her eyes. She felt like she’d just climbed Mount Everest or won an Academy Award. She would work out the job situation if she were promoted. Sydney could do both. She was sure of it. At thirty-four, that would be a major accomplishment. She couldn’t pass on that.

  Sydney kissed the top of Noah’s head. Then she said, “Mommy loves you too, Baby.”

  Noah stood and kissed her. He lifted his hands. “Thank you, Lord. Thank you for blessing us. You’re worthy to be praised.”

  Sydney remained in a daze as they left the house, barely registering the light April showers. She had to tell herself to act normal when they got Gramps.

  Noah drove to the Cracker Barrel on Kings Highway. It was the only one in Port Charlotte and since it was right off the highway, it remained packed from the time it opened until closing. The restaurant was one of Gramps’ favorite places to go on Sunday. Nelson “Gramps” Charleston’s eyes darted between her and Noah.

  “What’s got you two so worked up? You’re bouncing in your seat. I can’t put my finger on it,” Nelson asked. He cut into his pancakes.

  “What do you mean?” Noah asked.

  Sydney mouthed, “Tell him.”

  “I mean you’ve been chattering like magpies and giving each other the googly eyes.” Nelson took a swig of his orange juice and pointed his fork her way. “Sydney, you not pregnant already, are you?”

  “Gramps, how did you guess?” Sydney’s fork dropped onto her plate. It made a loud clang, but no one noticed. “How did you know?

  “And, here we thought we were doing a good job of acting normal,” Noah added.

  Gramps smirked. “You two were grinning like hyenas from the time you came to pick me up. It was the only logical explanation.”

  Noah nodded. “Yep, Sydney’s pregnant. She just took the test and you’re the first person we’ve told.”

  Nelson slapped Noah on the back. “Congratulations, I knew you had it in you.” Gramps came over to give Sydney a hug. Squeezing her tight, he said, “I’m so happy for you. You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

  “Thank you.” Sydney basked under his praise.

  “Maybe this is what you need to take some time off your job,” Gramps said, ending the embrace. “I’ve never seen a woman work as hard as you do.”

  Sydney shifted. “Ugh. Yeah…” She had no intentions of slowing down. But, she wasn’t about to argue with Gramps.

  Nelson resumed eating his breakfast of scrambled eggs, pancakes and hash browns. He pointed toward her food. “Is that enough, considering your new status? Your toast and jelly is kind of sparse.”

  Sydney lowered her eyes. “I know. I’ve been feeling kind of queasy so… But, I plan on eating more once my stomach settles.”

  Noah reached over and rubbed Sydney’s tummy. “Can I do anything to help or get you something?” The concern in his eyes made her heart smile.

  She touched his cheek. “No, Hon, I just have to wait for the feeling to pass.”

  “I never did get why they call it morning sickness when you get sick all day,” Nelson chimed in as he piled a hefty portion of eggs on his fork.

  Gramps put the food into his mouth. Suddenly, it was all too much. Sydney’s stomach rebelled. She jumped out her chair. “Sorry, I’ll be right back.” She bolted toward the ladies’ bathroom, holding her mouth. She made it into the stall just in time.

  She heaved until there was nothing left. When she stood to wash her mouth and wipe her face, Sydney stared at her reflection
. The woman staring at her had worry in her eyes. If today were an indication of days to come, she wouldn’t survive in the courtroom.

  She touched her chest. Could this baby end her bid for partner?

  5

  “Bells, come on. Just this one time. I won’t ask again. Please.”

  “No.” Belinda chuckled. They stood in the living room of her two-bedroom home, which was actually the guesthouse on her father’s land near the beach on Harbor Boulevard.

  She grabbed Lance’s wondering hands. “My body is screaming right now, but we have to fight these feelings. Besides, you know you’d feel guilty afterwards. I’ve been reading The Wait and—”

  Lance cut her off. “I don’t want to hear about some book, especially since I think they’re lying. It’s hard to resist temptation. That’s why we need to go to the justice of the peace. It’s been over a year since our engagement. Fifteen months to be exact. I want you as my wife now.” He pulled her close to him to emphasize his point.

  Belinda extricated herself from Lance’s arms. “We’ve got to do this right. Once we’re married, we’ll have the rest of our lives to—you know. Plus, Judge Vincent Santiago would have your head if you robbed his only child of her dream wedding.”

  Lance released a loud sigh. “You’re right. This waiting was a little more difficult than I anticipated.” He released several harsh breaths. “Okay, Lance. Think about something else. Eggs. Paint. Rain…”

  Belinda chuckled and held him in a loose embrace. “Let’s get out of my house. We shouldn’t be alone. Let’s go by Carmela’s Closet and check on the deliveries.”

  Belinda had started Carmela’s Closet to help young women find clothes for job interviews. She had named it after her mother, Carmela Santiago, who had died of cancer when Belinda was in her teens.

  “I don’t want to,” Lance whispered. “I want to…” He stopped and uttered a quick prayer. “Weeping may endure for a night…”