Aniyah slipped out of her bikini bottom. She untied her bikini top to fully expose her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to him. They were two naked souls.

Pulling him by the hand, Aniyah pushed him down onto the bed. She dove on top of him, working her magic all over his body.

"Tessa!" he screamed as he exploded.

He fell asleep. Aniyah sat up and looked at his limp body.

"Men-so weak," she said as she lay near him. "I guess I have to put up with your a.s.s for the rest of the night."

Before she went to bed she took a snapshot of the two of them in a compromising position.

Chapter 6.

The sun beamed through the sheer panel curtains in Milandra's bedroom. She awakened to the aroma of turkey sausages and bacon, cooked by the servants.

She sat up, stretched her arms, and yawned before she got out of bed. Sliding her feet into her slippers, she went to wake up her sisters. She called. "Kenley and Noelle; it's morning time."

Noelle awakened right away, but Kenley took her time getting up. The ladies went to their own bathrooms to wash their faces and brush their whitened teeth.

Making their way to the lower level of the house, dressed in white linen bathrobes, they entered the kitchen to see that Elsa, the head servant, had garnished the table with a bowl of a.s.sorted fruits, b.u.t.tered biscuits, and a blend of juices in crystal pitchers.

Elsa ran over and gave each one of them a tight squeeze. She wiped her eyes with the bottom of her ap.r.o.n. "Lord, I barely made it through last night. I'm sure going to miss your daddy and mama," she wept.

Kenley started to tear up. Elsa patted her on the back. "I don't mean to get you upset, baby girl. Go on and have a seat. Put some food in your belly."

The sisters sat at the table. Elsa stood over them and blessed the food. Another servant came behind her and scooped grits onto their plates. They helped themselves to the rest of the food, pampering their tongues with the taste of Elsa's morning breakfast.

"Everything is delicious, Elsa," Kenley said.

"Take your time," Milandra said as she watched her sister gulp down her food.

Of course, Kenley finished her meal first. She was about to get up out of her seat when Milandra announced: "We have an appointment right after breakfast."

"I'm going to stay in my room and return my friends' calls," Kenley informed.

"No, you're not. They're calling to be nosy for their parents," Milandra replied.

"Kenley, I do understand you want to talk with your friends, but I believe Milandra is right. For now, stay away from talking with your friends. We sisters can do things together today," Noelle said as she got up. "What do you have planned for us?" she said, directing her attention to Milandra, who had already finished her food and stood up.

"I have three ma.s.sage therapists waiting for us in the Spa Suite. This will help us to deal with the loss of Mother and Father," Milandra said, tossing her French roll up in a ponytail.

"Fine, let's make our way there," Noelle said. Her hair was, as Kenley's was, pulled back from her face.

Kenley said nothing. She followed her sisters to the lower level of the house, but lagged behind.

Three ma.s.seurs were in the ma.s.sage salon of the Spa Suite to relieve the tension built up in the sisters. There were three tables in a row in the room, where Alana and her oldest two girls had enjoyed getting ma.s.sages together several times before. Kenley, however, always found her way to the meditation salon of the Spa Suite. She would drown herself in the softness of the pillow-top mattress and plush covering on the king-sized bed. Or at times, she found her way into the spa tub with aromatherapy-scented bath oils.

Today was no exception. Kenley tiptoed into the meditation salon, removed her bathrobe, and jumped onto the bed, covering herself with organic linens.

Noelle and Milandra made their way to the ma.s.sage tables. They removed the white linen bathrobes that they wore and settled under a white sheet.

Milandra was the first to notice that her baby sister was not on her table. "Kenley, come in here," she called.

"I'm sleepy; I didn't get much sleep last night," Kenley said as she rested on the bed. She listened to the soft music that played on a radio. The curtains were drawn shut to block out the sunlight. The trickle of water from the tabletop aromatherapy fountain relaxed her. A few candles glowed and gave the room a fragranced vanilla scent.

"Kenley, the ma.s.sage therapist is waiting on you," Noelle called.

The last ma.s.seur stood like a body builder near the empty table. Kenley came into the room to see her sisters lying face down on the tables. She looked over at the ma.s.seur as he stood there and the other ma.s.seurs who worked on her sisters. "I'm not taking my robe off until they leave the room."

"Please leave until my sister gets undressed," Milandra said.

Kenley held on to the belt of her linen bathrobe until the ma.s.seurs exited. Once they were gone she removed her bathrobe and got on top of her table, face down.

The men returned and began to ma.s.sage each of them around the neck.

"Relieve yourself," one of the ma.s.seurs said to Milandra.

"This feels so good," Noelle admitted, wishing the hands that were on her body belonged to Baron. She thought of him as the ma.s.seur continued. A tingling sensation spread between her legs.

Kenley jumped. "Ouch! That hurts!"

"Sorry, Miss Houston," the ma.s.seur said as he slowed the rotation of his hands on her shoulders.

Kenley laid her head back down on the white cushion pillow. She tried to shut out the discomfort she felt from his hands. "This isn't relaxing at all. Spa tubs, now they are relaxing."

Kenley wrapped herself in the sheet and got up. She s.n.a.t.c.hed her bathrobe and dashed out of the room.

"Tell me we weren't as bad as Kenley is as a teenager," Noelle said, wondering.

"Mother always said Kenley was her most challenging child. She never wants to follow the family rules that have already been set for her."

They calmed down into a mellow mood, their bodies absorbing the lotion from the firm hands of the ma.s.seurs.

In the farthest part of the Spa Suite, Kenley sat in bubbling heated water. Her head rested on a spa pillow. She thought of how in the next few months she would be the only sister in her family without her parents to share her sweet sixteenth birthday. Earlier yesterday she debated with her mother about where to have her party, the Lake Murray Yacht Club or at the poolside? By the middle of the day she had persuaded her mother to let her have two parties. By the end of the day, she was left without either parent. She would return the dress. What would a celebration be without her parents being there to shower her with love and gifts?

Kenley held back the tears. She reached over on the spa tub and hit a b.u.t.ton. A television screen slowly popped up from the foot of the spa tub. She changed the channel to see her parents' faces plastered on the news and news reporters camped out on the grounds outside the gates of the estate, hungry to share her family's tragedy with the world.

Kenley was familiar with the media reporting good and bad things about her family, but the one thing that startled her was the last statement that one of the reporters had said. "The question is, where is the fourth daughter?"

"The nerve of them!" she shouted.

Kenley turned the television off. She pressed the b.u.t.ton and the television disappeared back into the caddy on the spa tub. As she got out of the tub, she splashed water on her hair.

Dripping water onto the hardwood floors, in her two-piece bikini, Kenley ran to the ma.s.sage salon. "Milandra! Noelle!" she yelled. "Guess what I heard on the news."

Milandra looked up at her, recalling how thin her body used to be, like Kenley's. She noticed her sister dripping water onto the ceramic tile floor. "Kenley, get a towel."

Noelle wondered what was reported about their family. She prayed it wasn't anything about Baron and her. "What's on the news?"

The eldest sister watched the ma.s.seurs diligently focusing on Kenley. "You're dismissed," she ordered. The ma.s.seurs marched out immediately.

Milandra sat up and put on her robe. Noelle followed.

"Kenley, you must be careful how you speak around the help and others. We're the Houstons. People feed off of gossip about us."

"What did you hear?" Noelle demanded to know.

"On the news it said, and I quote, 'The question is, where is the fourth daughter?'"

Milandra's eyes lit up. "Fourth daughter? They'll go to any length to make up such gossip about our family."

Noelle agreed. "Yes, that's going too far."

Kenley busily dried off with a towel. "Well, we know they're not talking about Mother. So they must be speaking of Father. Could it be true?"

"Kenley, I wonder about you sometimes. Are you loyal to this family?"

"How dare you, Milandra, think I'm not loyal to my family? But Father was a handsome and powerful man. He could have had any woman he wanted."

Milandra went up to Kenley. She s.n.a.t.c.hed her by the arms and shook her. "Stop it! Stop talking that way about Father and he's not even buried yet."

Noelle pulled Milandra away from their baby sister. "She has a right to her opinion," she commented.

"Are you turning against the family, too?" Milandra asked as she turned to face Noelle.

"Never," Noelle said. She knew that if her sister found out about Baron she would think she did.

Kenley stormed out of the room and cried, "I want Mother and Father."

"See what you've done. It's only been one day since Mother and Father's death. Please, I beg you, Milandra, let's not grow apart."

The sisters hugged. "The media is cruel," Milandra said.

"Yes, we won't read nor watch any television to hear the vicious lies."

"We need to call Mr. Chavis," Milandra suggested. "He'll handle such gossip."

Milandra called him but got no answer.

Every chance Noelle got she tried to contact him and she, too, received no answer.

Chapter 7.

Baron woke up, covered with a sheet, but realized that he wasn't in his house. His head throbbed from the after-effects of the rum. He felt as if he had a couple of paperweights on his forehead. Peeking under the cover, he discovered that he was stripped of his clothes.

The Latin music playing didn't help his aches and pains. He looked up to see Aniyah dancing. She twirled her nude body to the music. "You like?" she asked.

"Oh, no, Aniyah, tell me I didn't."

She threw herself on top of him. He tried to push her away, but she swung her arms around his neck.

"This is a serious mistake. Whatever part I've played in this, I'm deeply sorry."

"You were drunk. You thought I was my mother."

He recalled his old love, Tessa Sanchez. "Oh G.o.d, forgive me."

Baron grabbed Aniyah and tossed her off him. He got up and looked at his cell phone to see that he had numerous missed calls, one or two from Milandra, but most of them from Noelle. "I have to get out of here. I should be planning your father's funeral. s.h.i.t!" Baron recalled who she really was. He slipped on his clothes.

Aniyah laughed. "You called my papa a b.a.s.t.a.r.d last night."

Astonished, Baron wondered what else he had said while under the influence.

"It must have been the rum talking." He looked over at her nude body. "You've got a bathrobe. Put it on."

She walked up behind him and put her arms around his waist. She licked his neck. "I want you to be my lover." She pushed her hands down in his pants.

Baron pushed her hands off of him. "You're tempting, but I can't."

Aniyah came around him and stood in front of him. She pierced her eyes on him. "You will be whatever I choose you to be."

Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him, rubbing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against him. Taking her left knee, she pushed it up into his crotch.

For a moment, Baron kissed her back; but again, he fought her off. "I can't do this. Aniyah, you're beautiful. You're so much like your mother in looks, but you could never replace her."

Aniyah became annoyed. "You're the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I know exactly what you told me last night."

"What did I tell you?"

"You told me that Papa found out about you and my half-a.s.s sister."