Renaissance: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series Book 5) Read online

  What will he think of you?

  He nibbled one last time on her bottom lip, then pulled away to kiss her jaw, then the side of her lip, then her nose.

  She let out a long satisfied sigh and met his gaze, her nerves making her hands sweat. His smile nearly caused her heart to stop.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time, Tiffany Daniels,” he said with his rich deep voice near her ear.

  “Yeah?” she whispered. She couldn’t help the surprise that hit her and her heart fluttered.

  “Oh, yeah,” he looked at her and smiled softly. “Happy New Year,” he whispered while giving her an intense look. His mouth moved closer, getting ready to kiss her again.

  “Tiffany Hewitt?! Is that you?” a woman screeched from behind her.

  Tiffany tensed and whipped her head around to look into the eyes of none other than Deanna Love. Shit. What was she doing in New York? On her arm was apparently her latest sugar daddy. She’d never seen him before.

  “Well, look at you!” Deanna bellowed, with her fake blonde hair, her fake boobs, and her fake everything else.

  “Hi, Deanna. What brings you up from DC?” Tiffany asked politely, feigning interest. Deanna marched right over to give her air kisses.

  Tiffany had lived back and forth between Boston and the nation’s capital for ten years while married to her cheating politician of an ex-husband. Deanna Love was one of those daughters of rich parents who were politically connected, and Tiffany had seen her at many a political function over the years.

  “I came up for Donald. He’s one of the major donors to the Medical Center. Donald Martin, meet Tiffany Hewitt.”

  “It’s Tiffany Daniels now. Nice to meet you, Donald,” she smiled, shaking his hand. She turned their attention to Drew. “This is Dr. Drew Huntington.”

  Drew reached out to take his hand as well. “I’ve heard many good things about you, Donald. Nice to meet you,” Drew said with a smile.

  “Likewise. You’re a doctor at the hospital?”

  “A surgeon, yes,” Drew nodded.

  “So you went back to your maiden name?” asked Deanna, interrupting. “Not a lot of name recognition that way,” she tsked. The woman had the social graces of a slug.

  Tiffany just nodded.

  “I couldn’t believe it when I heard about your break up with Richard. You must’ve been so embarrassed to have all of your dirty laundry aired like that in public,” Deanna clucked her tongue. “I wouldn’t want to be seen after something like that. How tragic. And he’s still with her! In fact, I just saw in the news that an engagement may be in the near future. Well at least he won his seat again. Given the headlines, it’s a miracle, isn’t it?” she shrugged. “Voters are suckers for a pretty face, I guess. And with that beauty at his side and all the salacious gossip thrown in, I suppose his reelection was inevitable. But still,” she pouted, a glint to her eye. “How horrible it must have been for you.”

  The room seemed to shrink in on itself. The girl just wouldn’t shut up.

  “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’m afraid you’ll both have to excuse us,” Drew said abruptly. “We have some other plans and need to get going. Have a good rest of your night,” Drew said to Deanna, then looked at Donald and nodded politely.

  And just like that, Drew skillfully extricated them from Deanna’s clutches, put his hand on Tiffany’s back and walked them away from the piranha. “Hold on,” he murmured under his breath. “Almost there.”

  She was trying to control herself, but she was close to screaming her head off with the anger she was now feeling. She’d worked so hard to overcome the rage and shame she’d felt after her ex-husband’s extra-marital affairs. To have it thrown in her face so unexpectedly and on her own turf, caused her world to feel like it had been knocked off its axis.

  Someday she’d feel whole again. Although her marriage had been over for a long time, the divorce had only been final since the summer. She’d feel fixed and ready for another relationship soon, right? This sweet and gorgeous man who led her to a quiet corner was the kind of man she could see herself with, one with whom she would desperately want to try again. She just needed to build up her courage, to convince herself she could be worthy of a man’s love.

  And figure out what to do with the piercings, Tiffany. Men will get all kinds of ideas about you with those things. She wished she’d never let Richard pressure her into getting the things.

  They arrived to the lobby of one of Manhattan’s grandest hotels, and she turned abruptly. She needed to get out. She needed to breathe. It was killing her to leave, killing her. As politely and controlled as she could, she said good night to Drew.

  “I’m going to get going. Thank you so much for everything, Drew,” she began.

  “No,” he shook his head. “You’re not leaving. Not like this.”

  “Please, Drew,” she whispered, trying to keep it together. “I’m no fun right now, and you’re the last person on earth I want to be a grouch to,” she said, still fighting back her emotion.

  “Your ex-husband was an asshole, Tiff, not to mention the stupidest man alive for giving you up. Don’t let him take anymore away from you.”

  She smiled softly at him. “You’re such a good man, Drew.”

  He pressed his lips in annoyance, but touched her face gently. “But?”

  She shrugged, struggling for words. “I’m a scarred woman, mentally and emotionally right now. I’m,” she could feel her nerves getting the best of her and her diarrhea of the mouth hit her full on. “I’m a screwed up mess, Drew. I’m just not good enough for you right now. You deserve so much better than what I am.” She shook her head, trying to stop the tears hovering near the surface. “I’ve got to go. Please just let me go.”

  “Tiff, someday you’ll realize how wonderful you are, and that you already are good enough.”

  You don’t know what I’ve done…what I let him do to me.

  He continued so sweetly, rubbing her cheek. “I’m here to be your friend.”

  “You are my friend. Such a great friend, Drew. Thank you so much for tonight.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

  “Let me get you a cab,” he growled in frustration. “No ifs, ands, or buts.” He walked her to the coat check so she could get her things then walked her outside. She got into the cab, and as it started to pull away, she turned back to see him standing on the curb, watching her disappear into the night.

  Chapter 1

  Present Day

  “It’s gorgeous, Yan,” Tiffany squealed. “I can’t believe you’re engaged!”

  Ayanna beamed and looked over to where her new fiancé was standing. “I know. I can’t believe it myself.”

  All of the friends were gathered at Chez Catherine’s, a Manhattan restaurant owned by a friend of Ayanna’s. It had recently opened after being closed for renovations and now the circle of friends stood in their section of the room celebrating the engagement of Ayanna Sarin and Jonathan White. Jonathan had finally popped the question to his ballsy Sri Lankan beauty on Valentine’s Day. The friends were now together to celebrate some days later.

  “You deserve it,” Janie Callahan said, another girlfriend, and Tiffany’s soon to be sister-in-law.

  Ryann Thornton, yet another friend in the bunch, wrapped her arm around Ayanna’s waist and pulled her bestie of many years to her side.

  All of the women smiled at each other, one by one thinking about the last few crazy months. Since December alone, three of the girlfriends had gotten engaged to their significant others. The only two left were Tiffany, and Emily White, Jonathan’s cousin. Emily was in a serious relationship with Janie’s brother, Mike. She would certainly be beating Tiffany to the altar.

  Hell, everyone would be beating Tiffany to the altar. Did she even want to get married again? Yes, she knew she did. But she had married so young the first time and she had needed this time to find herself again. That thought caused Tiffany to look over toward Drew Huntington. He was smiling
and talking with some of the guys at the other side of the table and although he’d made eye contact with her and acknowledged her with a smile, they hadn’t spoken yet.

  It had been exactly 50 days since New Year’s Eve and the debacle that had become Tiffany’s embarrassing introduction into the New Year. She knew she needed to talk to Drew, but she was so mortified at her behavior, that she hadn’t had the balls to go up to him yet. He’d texted her a couple of days after the New Year’s party to check in on her and they had a short back and forth, but that had been the extent of their communication. He was obviously respecting her space because he had yet to approach her.

  He’s probably tired of your insecurities. Can you blame the guy? You even annoy the shit out of yourself, Tiffany.

  “Well, Em. It looks like you’re next,” Tiffany quipped, sending a humorous look to her friend and attorney.

  Attorney Emily White had actually been the woman who’d inspired Tiffany to start the charitable foundation called Renaissance Girls, almost five months earlier. The idea was born from Tiffany’s bad marriage and Emily’s own charitable program called BoysToMENtoring. Emily’s program had begun that previous fall in a private high school in the City where Jonathan taught Business and Finance. Jonathan, along with all of Tiffany’s girlfriends’ significant others, was a participant in the mentoring curriculum which was designed for boys in middle and high school. It called on men from the community to mentor the boys in conflict/resolution, as well as teach them healthy ways of relating toward women, touching upon topics such as domestic abuse and rape. The program was implemented into PE and Health classes and was being piloted in a Boston middle school as well.

  After years of being on the receiving end of a manipulative, as well as mentally and emotionally abusive husband, Tiffany was intrigued by Emily’s program. It was that very program that made Tiffany form her plan for her own foundation. Wouldn’t it be great to have a similar program where girls could also benefit from the same type of opportunity? A safe place for them to go to, in the heart of the City, to proactively learn how to be strong women who stand up for themselves? With Tiffany’s political connections and her business degree, she already had the ‘know how’ to get the foundation started. Because she had some money of her own, but had also made a nice chunk of change from divorcing her rich ex that previous summer, it gave her a perverse pleasure to use it for building little girls up to prepare them for the Richard Hewitts of the world.

  The men currently at the party were mentors in Emily’s program, including Drew, and Tiffany’s twin brother, Luke. Jonathan, whose engagement they were celebrating, was obviously there, as well as two men who were close family friends, Jeremy McCallister and Mike Callahan. Jeremy, or Jem as family and friends called him, was recently engaged to Ryann Thornton. Mike, Janie’s brother, was dating Emily.

  Now, as Tiffany was starting her own foundation for girls, she called upon those same men, as well as her girlfriends, to give of their time and talent to help with offering classes after school. She had an appointment with her architect in another week to finalize the details so they could be ready for the opening at the end of March to officially welcome them to the community in Harlem where the foundation was based.

  “Yeah, well,” Emily finally replied, “if it were up to the Sergeant over there, we would be married already.”

  “And if I know my brother at all, he’s got something cooking. Not as good as me, of course.” Janie smiled. Together, she and Ayanna owned a local catering company in the City. “As you know, he likes to plan things out and do elaborate surprises, so get ready, sweetheart,” she laughed to Emily.

  “I’m ready for whatever he dishes out,” Emily said with a beaming smile.

  They all laughed knowing how true that statement was. In addition to being an attorney for non-profits, Emily was a master in Krav Maga. She was all of five foot nothing but she’d laid the giant Michael Callahan on his back more than once while tangling with him on the mats. And the NYPD sergeant loved every second of it. He was always the first to happily tell people that Emily was more than capable of kicking his ass.

  “It’s hard to believe how much has happened,” said Ryann, the attractive auburn haired and hazel eyed woman. She looked at her own engagement ring which had been put on her finger sometime in mid-December. She and Jem had begun dating the summer before and their whirlwind romance seemed to inspire all of their friends, with Janie and Luke following suit with their own engagement on Christmas Eve.

  It had been through Ryann that Tiffany had actually met Drew. As a surgeon who specialized in gunshot wounds, his services were unfortunately needed the previous 4th of July when Ryann had been shot during a robbery at the Manhattan Institute for Art and Design where she worked. That was how everyone had met him, and he had been welcomed into the circle of friends ever since.

  Ryann reached her hand out to Tiffany and squeezed her arm. “How are you doing?”

  Tiffany knew she was asking about Drew.

  “I’m working on it,” Tiffany mumbled. “I just don’t want to get involved with someone until I feel a little more fixed.”

  Janie snorted. “When are any of us truly fixed, Tiff?”

  Ayanna joined in, agreeing. “Seriously, right?”

  “Well,” Emily began, “as someone who’s been on the receiving end of all of your advice at one point or another, I can honestly say that the ‘baggage’ never goes away. But it can be unpacked and rearranged so that it becomes more compartmentalized and manageable. Then you start pickin’ through the stuff that’s in there and start chuckin’ it. When you find the partner who can help you do that,” Emily said, “it’s all the better.” She looked at Tiffany. “I can think of someone who does a pretty good job of fixing people. And there isn’t a doubt in my mind that he’d like to fix you, if you know what I mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  They all chuckled and Tiffany smiled, slightly embarrassed. “I must be the most annoying person in the world to him. I mean, it’s been months since the divorce, and even longer since I was with the jerk. When the hell am I going to get out of my head and just live again?”

  “Richard did a number on you. It’s understandable that it might take a while,” Janie said.

  “I guess. I’m just so tired of feeling this way,” Tiffany responded.

  “Then stop,” Ayanna said, giving her a pointed look.

  Tiffany let her gaze meet all of her best friends’ eyes. Ayanna was right. It was past time. And as Tiffany let her mind latch onto the possibilities before her, she nodded and made a decision.

  ……

  “Alright, Tony. I need a change. It’s a new year, a new job, and a new life. Do whatever you think is best,” Tiffany said to her hairdresser some days later while she looked at him in the mirror, her hair freshly washed.

  Tony rubbed his hands with glee. “Music to my ears. I’m gonna make you look even sexier than you already are, girlfriend. Heteros and metros, beware.”

  He grabbed his scissors and went to work.

  It had been nearly two months since New Year’s, and she had finally decided she was going to call Dr. Drew Huntington. Even though they’d seen each other a week and a half earlier at the engagement party, they’d spoken only once at the gathering. He was polite as always, but after months of allowing her insecurities to stand in the way of making her interest in him known, it was evident he didn’t know how to act around her. Rather than proactively seeking her out at the party, he allowed her to be the one to make the first move if she wanted to talk. And of course, since she’d still been working on her ‘issues’ and her ridiculous nerves around him, that didn’t lead to many conversations.

  She sighed as Tony cut and styled. Well, she was done with being afraid. She was ready. And this new haircut was going to help her with her next move. By the end of the forty-five minutes in Tony’s chair, she had a hard time recognizing the woman staring back at her; this confident, fearless woman who could take the wo
rld by storm in no way resembled the same woman who’d run away from the good doctor on New Year’s.

  No, this woman wasn’t afraid of anything. Tiffany looked into her light blue eyes and examined the new swing of her dark shorn tresses. Its new length hit the top of her shoulders with her hair just a touch shorter in the back. Parted on the side, the hair fell sexily over one eye, and the added layers gave her more volume. Even though Tony had removed several inches, the cut still made her appear to have long enough hair to tie back in a ponytail or topknot.

  She felt…lighter. More free. Taking a cleansing breath, she smiled brightly at Tony then gave him a hug.

  “I love it.”

  “You look gorgeous, which isn’t difficult to begin with,” he said happily, running his fingers through her hair, still primping and fluffing. “What I wouldn’t give for your skin,” he muttered. “You’ve got one of the most flawless complexions I’ve ever seen.”

  She rolled her eyes, but said graciously, “Thank you. It’s all thanks to the parental units, I’m afraid. I can’t take any of the credit.”

  Her dad, who worked for NATO, was an American of British descent and was tall and fair with light blue eyes. He’d met Tiffany’s mom, a Spaniard, when she’d been working as a Communications Director and he’d been an American diplomat in Spain many years earlier.

  It wasn’t difficult to see how Tiffany’s mother swept Mr. Daniels off of his feet. Her mom had been blessed with dark eyes, dark hair, olive colored skin, and curves that didn’t quit. Both Tiffany and her twin, Luke, inherited the perfect blend of their DNA. Their height and light blue eyes came from their dad, and their olive toned skin and black hair came from their mom, giving them their striking appearance.

  “Well, either way, you’re a stunner. And I’m honored you gave me free rein today. Go out there and conquer the world. I can’t wait to hear more about the foundation when you come back.”

  “By that time, we’ll be up and running. The first classes are due to start in May. Maybe you can give some classes on the art of hair styling,” she suggested.