The Secrets She Keeps

By Raven Gray

Jubilee Davis is not as holy as her name implies. The last thing she wants is to be a good girl in a committed relationship. In fact, the mere mention of the word is enough to send her running right into the arms of another man, one who understands that it's all about sex and that she's too busy making money moves to offer anything else.


Moses Wyllie is far from a saint himself. He was born with looks and money, though neither was able to save him from a painful past that still haunts him. He seeks regular therapy sessions between the legs of beautiful women who understand that his heart is never open for discussion.


They would've been perfect for each other except Jubilee thinks their twenty-three-year age difference is too much. Moses knows Jubilee is off-limits, not only because of her age but also because her older brother is his best friend, and in fact, her family practically raised him. They know his philandering ways and he's not what they want for the baby of the family.


So why was he stupid enough to hit on her? Luckily, she turned him down.


They had the best of intentions, and on the road to Hell, they found Heaven in each other's arms. But as long as nobody knew, what would be the harm, right?


The Secrets She Keeps is an interracial romantic novella with a plus-size heroine and a wounded man who has to right the wrongs of his past to make a future with the woman he loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raven Gray Books
• Release date: Aug 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201367312

Raven Gray

Raven Gray writes romance books about curvy women and the hot men who love them. She became hooked on the genre from the first Mills & Boon she read from her mom's collection when she was far too young to know anything about love. Through the decades and innumerable stories, there was a very narrow view of what was considered beautiful. The romance landscape has made progress over the years but there is still a need for more amazing stories featuring diverse characters and standards of beauty.

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Do you want more stories like this one? Or perhaps you’re a fan of steamy interracial romance or sensual, romantic stories featuring plus-sized heroines. I love writing them all. I write PNR under Garnell Wallace, and plus-sized romance under Raven Gray for all platforms. I write interracial romance under Jubilee Brown, which is exclusive to Amazon and perfect for those in KU. Subscribe to my newsletter for updates on all new books and novellas and my backlist titles. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing them.

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1-JUBILEE

Isat in Mrs. Thompson’s living room sipping tea from a dainty cup and hoping I appeared poised and calm. On the inside, I was a ball of nerves because she’d proudly informed me she’d had a visit from Moses Wyllie earlier that morning. I could barely afford her asking price, and I knew Moses was only interested in the house because he knew I wanted it. He was all up in his feelings because I’d refused to go out with him. I guess it was hard for him to believe that any woman could resist him. Unfortunately for me, he had very deep pockets and connections in town and could afford to buy a house just to be petty.

My hands trembled and rattled the little pretty teacup with pink flowers resting on the equally charming saucer. I placed it on the antique table in front of me and focused on Claudine Thompson, who was well into her monologue about her late husband’s accomplishments in New Orleans. The Thompson’s were as well-known as the Wyllie’s and it was highly likely she’d want to sell her house in the historic French Quarter to their current patriarch, Moses, but I was hoping that a little charm and common ground would sway things my way. I doubt Moses had taken so much time drinking tea and pouring over endless albums of her kids and grandkids, all who’d moved away hence her reason for selling the house.

When Bertram and I first met, his parents hated me, not because I was white, but because I was white trash. She chuckled and wiped the sides of perfectly lined lips with a cloth napkin. Everyone thought he married a white woman because that’s what black men with money seemed to do, but in reality, we loved each other, and I never cared about his money.

I smiled.Not everything is about money, is it?I hoped that for someone as wealthy as she was, money wouldn’t be the deciding factor in her decision, and she’d want someone who could appreciate the history of the house instead of letting Moses buy it and then sell it for twice the price. For him, it would be nothing more than a good business deal when for me it would be so much more. I would make sure it went to a good black family because I wanted more of us in the best areas of the city. I didn’t have Wyllie money, but Claudine and I shared a common history and passion, and that had to count for something.

Her blue eyes twinkled.No, it isn’t dear.

The Wyllie family had ruled New Orleans for as long as I could remember. Their wealth had started from sugar in the eighteen-hundreds and now they had their hands in energy, manufacturing, international trade, and real estate.

I’d grown up in The Lower Ninth Ward, one of the poorest neighborhoods, that was ruined by Katrina. Seeing my family with nothing had defined what I wanted to do with my life. I’d graduated from Georgia State University with a BBA in entrepreneurship and immediately returned home after graduation and started my business buying and flipping houses. I’d started with one small house and worked my way up and my goal was to not only make homeownership affordable for more people of color but, also, to buy and flip more houses in well-to-do areas and inspire minorities to rise to higher economic levels. I knew I was fighting a losing battle going up against Moses. I was twenty-two, and he had twenty-three years on me and millions of dollars, and I feared Mrs. Thompson would see him as the better option for her beloved home. At least I’d learn a lot in the process.

After I’d outlined my plans for her property, I accepted a jar of tayberry preserve which I’d never heard of before she suggested I try some on the little biscuits she served with tea.

It’s a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry and is named after the River Tay in Scotland. It’s larger, sweeter, and more aromatic. As you know, I like mixing things up.

Thank you. I’ll have it for breakfast tomorrow. She offered a wrinkled cheek, and I kissed it just as her phone rang. She politely excused herself and walked over to a little side table where she had one of those old-fashioned-looking phones from the nineteen- forties or fifties. I stiffened when she mentioned Moses’ name. That son-of-a-bitch must’ve known that I was meeting with her.

As I listened to the one-sided chat where she mentioned she was in a lovely meeting with me, my heart sank because I knew he was about to play dirty.

After she hung up, Mrs. Thompson gave me a sheepish grin. I’m sorry dear; Moses Wyllie has made a very generous donation to the library.

I was sure he’d offered her far more than the asking price for the house and now he’d offered to make a donation to the library which bore her husband’s name and the stunned look on her face told me just how generous he’d been. Anyone who’d spent more than five minutes with the aging socialite knew how much she loved accolades for her husband. Moses had stroked her ego in a way I couldn’t and I had to concede defeat. The Wyllie’s always got what they wanted- except for me. I took great pride in that. Moses could kiss my black ass.

I shook my head and smiled. It’s okay. You have to go where your heart leads you. I didn’t want to upset her because she was a sweet old woman who was missing the man she loved. Moses had played with her emotions to get what he wanted. From the minute I’d heard that he was interested in the house, I’d known I didn’t have a chance in Hell. I just wanted it badly enough to try.

When I’d first enquired about the house, Mrs. Thompson had mentioned that Moses had been interested in the house, though he’d