Lana poked her head from around the other side of the wall. “Okay. I’ll let Carlos know. He went to pick up that order of nails.” Carlos was the project foreman.
“Thanks.” He stripped off his gloves, answered a few questions from the workers, then left. When he got back to the office, he stopped at his assistant’s desk to pick up his messages.
“There’s only a few here. Lorenzo took care of the rest.”
“Thanks, Loretta.” He sifted through them as he walked to his desk and saw one from Preston, wanting to know if there had been any updates on the case. Cedric sighed. I wish.
He lowered himself into his chair and sent a text to Randi first, asking if she’d be home tonight, then picked up the phone to call Preston. “Preston, it’s Cedric.”
“Hey, Cedric. Can you hang on a second?”
“Sure.” He heard muffled voices in the background. While waiting, he went through the rest of his messages. Most were from clients who had questions on their various projects, but nothing urgent. His hand froze on one from the McBride brothers. They were notorious for wanting to make extensive design changes midstream. He and Lorenzo had implemented steep costs for any late-stage alterations and, so far, the brothers hadn’t asked for more.
“Sorry,” Preston said, coming back on the line. “How’s it going?”
“We’re getting the framing redone on the damaged areas and should be done in two weeks. I got your message, and the police are still searching for the arsonist.”
“It’s been all over the news, and the mayor’s saying they’re close.”
Cedric scrubbed a hand down his face. “I think the mayor is playing politics. I spoke to the fire investigator and they’re still following leads, but they don’t have anything yet.”
Preston muttered a curse. “You don’t think this guy is going to come back a second time, do you?”
“I don’t, and I’ve hired a security company to do regular patrols.” It was another expense they hadn’t accounted for. However, Cedric and Lorenzo deemed it necessary. Neither of them wanted Preston to decide to take his business elsewhere. They had also agreed not to mention anything about the message left by the arsonist.
“Sounds good. And just so you know, aside from this hiccup, you do good work, so I don’t plan to pull out.”
“I appreciate that, Preston. We’ll do everything we can to keep the delays to a minimum.”
“Thanks. Talk to you soon.”
Cedric hung up, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. A wave of fatigue hit him. He needed to get a good night’s sleep tonight. In his twenties, he’d had no problems putting in extensive overtime, but his body was letting him know those days were long gone. As Randi had pointed out, he was closer to forty than not.
“So, you’re sleeping on the job now?”
He rolled his head in Lorenzo’s direction and sent him a hostile glare. “At least I’m not sitting on my ass in an office all day.”
Smiling, Lorenzo crossed the room and dropped down into a chair. “Oh, then you’re daydreaming about Randi?”
“No, I am not. Remember, I’ve been putting in twelve-and thirteen-hour days for the past week, so I haven’t seen her since we went to the glassblowing place.”
“All the more reason you’d be sitting here thinking about her. By the way, that was a good call. Desiree can’t stop talking about her paperweight.”
“Randi seemed to enjoy it, too.” Her reaction surfaced in his mind, along with the myriad emotions that had gripped him. Her tear-bright eyes and whispered thanks as she hugged him had opened places in his heart he never knew existed. Cedric had gotten caught up in her excitement and it had him contemplating what to do next to make her happy.
“I don’t think that adequately describes Randi’s response. By the way she jumped all over you, I’d say she more than seemed to enjoy herself. She’s in love with you.”
Cedric frowned. “What are you talking about? She’s never said anything like that.”
Lorenzo shrugged. “Maybe not in words, but the way she looks at you says so. And you’re in love with her, too.”
Cedric sat up straight. “I—”
Lorenzo held up a hand. “If you’re going to start lying about your feelings, you can save it. Don’t forget I’ve known you all your life, and I do mean all your life. You have never done the things you’ve done for Randi with any other woman, and she’s not the only one with stars in her eyes. I’ve watched you with her. You’re falling hard, my brother.”
Cedric slumped back against the chair. “I know,” he finally admitted. “I don’t understand what the difference is between her and any of the other women I’ve dated. It’s not like there wasn’t chemistry with them.”
“That’s the thing about love, you don’t always understand.” Lorenzo chuckled. “It’s scary as hell because you feel like you’re in a car with no brakes and about to go over a cliff.”
“Yeah.” His cousin had described exactly how Cedric felt. As hard as he had tried to keep from falling for Randi, he couldn’t stop the sensations from taking over. It still scared him. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Let it happen, Ced. Randi is an intelligent and beautiful woman. I know you were happy with being single—so was I—but trust me when I tell you, finding that one special woman is worth every risk you’re going to take.”
He weighed Lorenzo’s words. What if things didn’t work out between them? Where would that leave Cedric? He didn’t know anything about heartbreak because he hadn’t been in a relationship that wasn’t wholly physical.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering what happens if it doesn’t work out, but you can’t go into it with that mind-set. If you do, you’ll be setting yourself up for failure because you won’t give yourself completely. I tried that, remember? It doesn’t work.”
Cedric’s cell chimed. He checked the display and read the message from Randi: I’ll be home around 6p. If you want dinner, let me know. I owe you more than a salad. :)
He typed back: See you at 6:30 and I’m fine with salad as long as it comes with kisses.
Lorenzo laughed and stood. “That smile on your face says you’re going to have a good evening.”
“Yeah, I am.” What else could he say? “Before you go, I got a message from the McBrides. Any idea what they might want?”
“I hope they’re not trying to make any more changes. I’m seriously considering not taking on any more of their projects.”
“I hear you.” In Cedric’s mind, not all money was good money, especially if it interfered with their other contracts. “I’ll call them tomorrow.”
“You taking off soon?”
“As soon as you get out of my office. I need to go home and shower.”
Lorenzo just shook his head. “I want my money.”
Cedric smiled but didn’t comment. At the rate he was going, he would definitely be paying that $200. He didn’t see himself holding out until the end of the year or the end of the summer, for that matter. He was ready to lay his cards on the table and tell Randi he was in love with her over the weekend. Lorenzo seemed to think she felt the same, but if she didn’t, she would by the time they made it back to Sacramento on Sunday. He planned to make sure she was falling right with him.
* * *
“Hey, Randi. Hang on a minute.”
Randi groaned and rolled her eyes. If one more person calls my name... She had been trying to leave the office for the past fifteen minutes, but there had been one thing after another. As it stood, she should have been gone forty-five minutes ago, and if she didn’t leave soon, she wouldn’t have time to take a shower before Cedric arrived. She was anxious to get their weekend started. The thought of two days with no interruptions had her almost jumping for joy. She turned to her coworker. “What’s up, Dena?”
Dena
waved an envelope in the air. “This is for you. It came to me by mistake.”
“Thanks.” The front had her name on it in big, bold letters. She assumed since it didn’t have an address, it had come from somewhere in-house. Hopefully, it contained the information she had asked for on any previous construction site fires that had occurred in the past year. She stuck it in her bag. “See you on Monday.” She hurried out of the building and to her car before someone else stopped her. Blessedly, no one did.
Traffic was still a nightmare and it took her almost double the normal time to get home. Randi stopped to get the mail from her box and dumped it in her bag. She threw up a wave at a neighbor and rushed inside. She tossed the mail on the counter before grabbing some cheese and crackers from the kitchen to stave off the hunger and continued to her bedroom. Thankfully, she had already packed and only needed to add her toiletries. She finished her snack and went to take a quick shower.
When she finished, she still had a few minutes, so she made half a turkey sandwich. It would take at least two hours to get to Tahoe and she figured Cedric would want to head straight there, instead of stopping for food. Two bites in, her cell rang and she retrieved it from the counter, where she’d left it plugged in to the charger. “Hey, sis.”
“Hey, girl. What are you doing on Sunday? Since Mom and Dad are going to be here, I thought we’d go out for brunch somewhere.”
Randi had completely forgotten that her parents were going to be there for the weekend. She’d had to opt out on going to the premiere tonight because she hadn’t known what her schedule would look like and Iyana had needed to get the tickets early. “I’m going to be out of town and I’m not sure what time I’ll be back. It definitely won’t be in time for brunch. What time are they flying out?”
“They aren’t leaving until Monday. And where are you going? The better question would be who you’re going with.”
“I’m going up to Tahoe with Cedric,” she said around a bite of her sandwich.
“This is getting pretty serious.”
“It feels that way, but he hasn’t said anything aside from wanting us to take things one day at a time.” It had been on her mind since last night when Cedric came over. After dinner he’d given her the most sensual bath she had ever had in her life. When he made love to her, there had been something different in his kiss and in the way he touched her. She couldn’t put her finger on exactly what, but she’d felt it. She hadn’t told her sister about Cedric’s surprise or how it made her feel, and didn’t have time to get into it tonight. “Cedric will be here in about ten minutes, so I’ll call you when I get back. If it’s not too late, I’ll stop by.”
“You might as well just bring Cedric because you know Dad is going to want to meet him, especially when I tell him why you can’t come.”
“More like grill him,” Randi mumbled, popping the last bit into her mouth. Though she was an adult, Randi didn’t like to flaunt certain aspects of her relationship in front of her parents and considered asking her sister not to mention the whole out-of-town thing. But she’d never made a practice of lying to her parents and wouldn’t start now. That left another problem. Introducing Cedric to her father might give Cedric the impression she was looking to take the relationship to another level. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I don’t want Cedric to think I’m trying to rush him into something more serious.” Just because she had fallen in love with him didn’t mean he felt the same.
“True, but like I said, Dad most likely won’t take no for an answer. You can bring him here or I guarantee you he’ll come to you.”
“I know. Anyway, I need to go.”
“Have fun.”
“I plan to. Talk to you on Sunday.” She thought about what Iyana had said. Randi knew her father would be full of questions if she chose not to bring Cedric over. She couldn’t decide which would be worse—Cedric thinking she was pushing him toward the aisle or her father questioning Cedric like a prosecutor going after a witness on the stand. Neither situation appealed to her, but she had two days to figure it out.
She threw the napkin away and went to make sure she had everything ready. Cedric arrived a few minutes later and she could only stare at him. Her gaze roamed over his handsome face. He looked good in anything he wore, but somehow, the jeans and silk pullover tee made him even sexier. He unleashed his full-dimpled smile and her pulse skipped. He leaned in for a slow, sensual kiss that made her senses spin. “Hi,” she finally managed.
“Hey. Ready?”
“Yep.” She pointed to her bag on the floor by the door.
Cedric leaned down and picked it up. He held her gaze intently. “I missed you.” He kissed her once more, took her hand and led her out to the car.
He’d missed her? The way he’d stared at her made her breath stack up in her throat.
“I checked the traffic before I left and we should make good time. There were a couple pockets farther up the hill, but hopefully, they’ll be cleared up before we reach that area.”
“As long as I don’t have to drive, I’m not worried about the traffic,” she said with a laugh. “I’m just going to make myself comfortable over here in the passenger seat and let you handle the road. Oh, and I’m sure with all those rules about how to treat a woman, at least one of them has to do with me not driving.”
He chuckled. “There might be a rule like that, but I won’t have any problems breaking it if you keep talking smack.”
Randi laughed. She reached over, turned up the music and danced in her seat. “I’m not talking, I’m dancing to the music.” She settled in the seat and as the miles passed, the tension she’d been carrying started to drop away in waves. She had no idea she was falling asleep until she felt a touch on her arm.
“Wake up, sleepyhead.”
“Are we almost there?” Randi sat up, bleary eyed, and surveyed her surroundings. Not seeing anything resembling a hotel, she frowned. “Where are we? There aren’t any hotels here.” She saw only a handful of cabins. All sat a good distance apart but had a clear view of the lake.
Cedric laughed softly. “That’s because we’re not staying in a hotel.” He helped her out of the car and gave her a quick kiss.
She remembered Tahoe had several cabin-lodging properties. This one seemed to be a newer development. She followed him up the driveway and across the wide covered porch to the front door. He unlocked it and gestured her in. Randi didn’t know what she expected, but it certainly wasn’t the elegantly decorated living room. Comfortable black leather furniture, modern lighting and gleaming wood floors hardly qualified as rustic. “Wow, cabins have come a long way.” She ventured left and entered a full kitchen filled with modern appliances and a table that seated six. Cedric came in a moment later carrying several grocery bags and placed them on the counter.
“As soon as I bring everything in, I’ll give you a tour.”
She turned his way. “You’ve been here before?” It shouldn’t have bothered her that he might have brought some other woman here, but it did.
“Yep.”
Randi waited for him to elaborate, but he disappeared around the corner. Her curiosity would have to wait. Minutes later, she heard the front door close and he stuck his head in the kitchen.
“Okay, that’s everything. Come on.”
He led her through the two-story cabin. Two smaller bedrooms, each with its own bath, were on the lower level, while the master bedroom took up the entire upper floor. It had a sitting area with a fireplace and a private balcony with what she knew would be an incredible view of the lake. The bathroom reminded her of the one at Cedric’s house. “This is really nice. How did you find this place?”
Cedric fit himself behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “I built it.”
She spun around. “This is your house?”
He nodded. “The other two belong to Lorenzo and my brother, Jeremy. Jer
emy bought his land a couple of years ago and asked me to design him a cabin. Zo and I decided to do the same before someone else bought up the rest of the land.”
A perfect place for an intimate getaway, she thought grimly. “You must come up here a lot.”
“No. I finished it just before winter last year and this is the first time I’ve been here for pleasure, instead of work.”
Relief flooded her. “Thank you for inviting me to your special place.”
“A special place for a special lady. Are you hungry?”
Still trying to process his statement, it took her a moment to answer. “Um, no, but I’m freezing. Do you have anything hot to drink?”
“I have just the thing.” He turned on the fireplace, then adjusted the thermostat. They went back downstairs to the kitchen and he dug through the bags. He held up a tin. “Hot chocolate.”
Randi smiled. “Too bad we don’t have the stuff to make s’mores. That would make it perfect.”
“Ah, but I do, and I have a fire pit where we can roast the marshmallows.”
“You sure know how to start a weekend.”
Cedric winked. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, baby. As a matter of fact, I know exactly how to make it even better.” He trailed kisses down her neck. “And I can warm you up much better than hot chocolate,” he murmured.
She wholeheartedly agreed. He was the best hot chocolate she’d ever tasted, and she forgot all about being cold the moment his lips touched her skin.
“So, do you want the hot chocolate, or...?”
“I’ll take the or for two hundred, Mr. Hunter.” He swept her into his arms and strode up to his bedroom. He placed her on the bed and followed her down, his mouth connecting with hers. His hands were everywhere, heating her up from the inside out.
Cedric lifted his head and held her gaze. “I hadn’t planned to do this tonight, but you make me lose control.”
She reached up and caressed his face. “That makes two of us.”
“I need to tell you something.”
Randi studied his serious expression and her heart started pounding. Was he having second thoughts about their relationship and wanting to go back to their original arrangement? She had promised herself she wouldn’t settle in a relationship. Not sure she wanted to know, she asked the question anyway. “What is it?” The words came out far softer than she had intended.
Spark of Desire ; All for You Page 17
