“I guess she was trying to be nosy.”
“Yep,” Debra replied, then couldn’t resist a laugh. “She said she had a right to every detail.”
“And?” he prompted.
“I didn’t tell her a thing.”
“Good for you,” he laughed. “Let her little ass sweat.” There was a pause. “You miss me yet?” he asked. Like she’d be crazy enough to be honest.
“Nope,” she replied without hesitation. “But I’m assuming you’re missing me, since you’re calling.”
Rance chuckled heartily into the phone, and she grinned at the sound. “My mind is still on that ship and you, sexy.”
So is mine. “I can’t believe I’m hearing those words from Mr. Love-’em-and-leave-’em.”
“Love-’em-and-leave-’em? Is that really what you think of me?”
Now that he had called, telling her he missed her, Debra wasn’t sure what she thought anymore. This was so unlike the image she’d had of him, but then there were so many other things about him that hadn’t lived up to her first impression. “No. really.”
“Good.” He cleared his throat. “I was also calling to warn you.”
Startled, she had to laugh. “Warn me? Warn me about what?”
“There was a reporter at the airport asking questions… wanting to know if me and my new bride had been on our honeymoon.”
Debra nibbled on her lip. “Oh no! I told you playing that game was a bad idea. What did you tell him?”
“No comment. I was about to miss my plane,” he said with a sigh she heard through the phone. “But I’ll straighten this mess out. I promise.”
Mess. That’s how he saw it. She took a deep breath.
“How about some good news instead”
She heard the humor she loved in his tone. “What?”
“I’ll be in town the weekend after Memorial Day.”
That was two weeks from now. Her heart started banging against her chest again. “You are? Why?”
“Damn, I was hoping you’d wanna see a brotha,” he said, actually sounding offended. Or was he just pulling her leg? With him it was hard to tell.
She groaned softly, then sighed. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just curious why you’re coming to Sheraton Beach.”
“Maybe I wanna see you.” His husky voice brushed over her senses, leaving her tingling.
She shook it off and gave a rude snort. “Yeah, right. Let me guess… your visit has something to do with Danica’s birthday party.” She knew, because Bianca had ordered two hundred assorted cupcakes for her sister-in-law’s event.
But Debra wasn’t sure she was ready to see him. She needed time before she saw him again.
“Yes, I’ll be there.”
“That’s cool,” she said like it was no big deal.
Silence buzzed on the line and then she heard Rance breathe heavily into the receiver.
“What?” she prompted.
“Why you like giving me such a hard time?” he asked.
“I don’t. I’m just keeping it real. You said that’s what you liked about me.”
“I do like that about you. In fact, that’s just one of my favorite things about you.”
She couldn’t believe how open and honest he was being. “Thanks.”
“I can’t wait to taste your cupcakes,” he whispered.
“You already tasted my cupcakes this morning. They tasted like chocolate, remember?” Unable to contain herself she started laughing.
“Now who’s being nasty?” he laughed.
“That’s because you bring it out of me,” she purred.
“You’re something else. You know that?”
Debra smiled. “Yeah, I’ve been told that.”
They talked and flirted for almost an hour, and by the time they’d said goodnight Debra was more frustrated than she had been before he’d called.
Rance Beaumont was becoming more confusing by the second. One moment she had her mind all set to try and forget about him, and then the next…? She just wasn’t sure anymore.
*
Rance moved to sit out on the balcony of his apartment. He took a seat on the large padded chair and twisted the cap off a bottle of water as he stared out at the view in front of him. His historical building was located right in the heart of Center City, within walking distance of National Park, dining, and all-night entertainment. His cousin Diamere Redmond even owned a string of popular nightclubs in central Philadelphia. He and the basketball team frequented the popular hotspots whenever they were in the city.
He took a long thirsty swallow and thought about the days ahead. Tomorrow he’d be joining the team in Boston for game two of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics. Any other season he would be focused on nothing but watching plays and resting up for Tuesday’s game, but the only thing he’d done on the plane ride home was think about the cruise and Debra Anderson.
It was mind-boggling, but that’s all he’d been doing since he’d bid her goodbye in the parking lot. Rance tried to tell himself he was being ridiculous spending so much time thinking about a woman he barely knew. On the ride home from the airport he’d almost had himself convinced that the only reason he was so interested in Debra was because the weekend had been so quick he hadn’t gotten to spend the required amount of time for his infatuation to wear off. Instead, he was left remembering the amazing sex, her fantastic body that he hadn’t gotten to spend anywhere near enough time exploring, and remembering a personality that had him thinking about keeping her in his life.
It had started off as sex. He’d slept with many women in his career, enough that he had lost count. There was the wild sex and all those gorgeous bodies lying beside him, but when they’d run their course he’d considered those relationships over, no turning back.
With Debra it was different. It had only been a few days, yet he could still remember the way her body felt pressed up against his, smell the subtle scent of her skin, and feel the softness of her lips. He could still hear her soft laughter and the way she exhaled when he slid inside her body. He couldn’t think about Debra and not have a tightening in his chest or a stirring in another part of his body.
It was maddening that he’d had the overwhelming urge to call and talk to her on the drive to his parent’s house in Chester, Virginia, to return his mother’s BMW. As usual, Bettye Beaumont had had dinner waiting for him. For more than an hour Rance had been able to put thoughts of Debra aside, until after his father had dropped him off at the airport. Then he’d run into that damn reporter who’d confronted him with questions about his new bride. The picture he’d been holding was one of those they’d had taken together onboard the ship.
After he’d refused to make a comment, he’d boarded the plane to Philadelphia only seconds before they’d shut the door. As soon as he was seated in first class, Rance pulled out his phone to call and warn Debra about the media. However, they were preparing to taxi, and a tight-lipped flight attendant instructed him to turn his cell phone off, so he’d had to settle for the quick text message.
He brought the bottle of water to his lips and took a long drink.
Rance, you gotta get your head right.
The last thing he needed in his life was the distraction of wondering what she was doing, and if she was thinking about him, because he was definitely still thinking about her. In no way had the phone call been enough. Why was that? He wondered. He was an athlete. And single at that. Like she had called him: a love-’em-and-leave-’em man. Only he didn’t want to whip through Debra’s life. He wanted more.
Rance scowled and didn’t like that feeling. Debra made him feel unsure of what he wanted to do with his life and what direction to take, especially as only days before he’d had his future all planned out.
There was no way he’d changed that much in a course of a weekend. He refused to believe that, or that he had allowed a woman to get in his head.
He pushed out of the chair and went back inside, closing the sliding door b
ehind him, and glanced around at his bachelor pad. On the wall above his couch was a large photo of him, Dr. Dribble, in the air only seconds from slamming a ball into the net. That was who he was. An NBA starting player.
He was grateful he was rejoining the team tomorrow. He needed to stay focused and disciplined, and to succeed he needed to remember the cruise was over.
He and Debra were strictly friends with benefits and nothing more.
Chapter 13
Debra wheeled the tray into the front of the bakery where Jenna was arranging cupcakes in the pastry case.
“Make room for these.”
The plump young woman with platinum highlights rose from her squatting position and sniffed. “Mmmm, don’t tell me. Raspberry cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing.”
Smiling, Debra shook her head. “You’re getting real good at this.”
“Hey, I’ve been working here almost a year. I know every flavor we sell by heart.”
Debra admired Jenna, with her flair for drawing in the customers and learning all their names. It had been her suggestion to start having sample trays on the marble counter to introduce customers to Debra’s latest creations.
“Let me have those,” Jenna insisted, then wheeled the tray closer to the counter and began filling the glass display case with the cupcakes. Each had been garnished with a sweet raspberry.
Debra glanced around DebbieCakes, where the air was filled with the flavors and aromas that reminded her so much of Nana’s kitchen. There was a pressed tin ceiling and custom cake pan lights overhead. The comfy-chic interior had been sprinkled with birthday photos and framed cake recipes by her own grandmother. There were empty vintage cookie jars all around, but the long glass case gleamed with an elegant assortment of her decadent cupcakes. Fancy, frosted delights made from scratch and baked fresh daily. Debra was grateful her customers couldn’t get enough of the crave-worthy desserts. With the Memorial Day weekend days away, business was beginning to pick up.
Traditionally, Sheraton Beach kicked off the start of the beach season with a parade down Main Street. People were usually lined for miles. The strip mall where the bakery was located didn’t get the kind of foot traffic you’d find on Main Street, but it was definitely enough to keep her in business. With a brand-new Marshall’s department store at the far end of the parking lot, she had been receiving a steady increase of new customers.
And then there were her regular customers who were willing to drive miles for the bakery’s coconut cupcakes. If they called ahead, Debra would stash aside a few of her creations for some of her favorite customers, just to make sure she didn’t run out before they arrived.
The tiny storefront was scheduled to open at ten. Debra made her way to the front of the bakery and straightened the cozy tables that dotted the front of the interior, then stepped outside to the sidewalk patio. She raised the colorful umbrellas above the small bistro-size tables. With a sniff, she caught a whiff of the cupcakes inside the store. Jenna had arranged the popular Cotton Candy cupcakes on the pedestal behind the display window. The heavenly vanilla cakes were frosted in pink and blue cotton candy flavored cream cheese, then rolled in cotton candy crunch. They were a big hit with the kids.
“I’m going to walk over to the grocery store and grab some breakfast. You want anything?” Debbie asked as she stepped back into the bakery, the bell chiming overhead.
Jenna was polishing the counter with a spray bottle and rag. “No, I had my Wheaties this morning,” she joked.
Laughing, Debra walked to the back long enough to remove her apron and retrieve a few dollars from her wallet. On her way out she turned on the radio and the faint sounds of Kelly Rowland could be heard singing about her dirty laundry.
“I’ll be right back,” she said as she stepped out the door and walked along the sidewalk past several shops. She noticed a pair of green sandals in the window of a shoe store. She made a mental note to drop in and try on a pair.
Debra stepped into the grocery store and went to the small counter in back where they served fresh brewed coffee and breakfast sandwiches. She selected a sausage and cheese croissant and a bottle of orange juice, then made her way to the front counter for the morning newspaper.
She was reaching down when she spotted one of those tabloid magazines with Rance and some female on the cover.
Quickly, Debra snatched the magazine off the rack and thumbed through it until she found the article.
NBA Star Caught Cheating on New Bride
She went completely numb.
There he was with his arm curved around some model. Some beautiful, tall, model in a long designer gown. In the far corner of the page was a picture of Debra and Rance on the day they’d been jogging around the deck.
Damn them.
Apparently, that sweet old couple had sold the photo of Rance and his “darling” girlfriend to the media. It wasn’t the most flattering picture, especially with her hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail.
Rance, of course, looked like every woman’s fantasy, and it was irritating. Standing beside the model, he was dressed in a black suit that was tailor-made for him. Debra finished reading the article that accused him of jilting her for a fashion model, and simmered in jealousy.
Great.
The words were a blur on the page now. Debra returned the magazine to the rack and moved in line. She didn’t even know why she was upset. It wasn’t like they had really been a couple. Yet when he said he would handle the rumors, she didn’t think he’d meant going out on a date with a beautiful model. She should have been pleased Rance had explained that they had pretended to be married just so they could participate in the Newlywed Game, but she wasn’t.
If it had been anyone else she probably would have been laughing. Instead, she was wishing she and Rance had been much more. That was ridiculous, of course. He had made it perfectly clear he wasn’t looking for anything serious, and so had she. Or at least that’s what she thought she had wanted before Bianca’s sexy cousin wiggled his charm into her life. Now all she could do was think about him.
She paid for her purchases and headed back down the sidewalk. She took a bite of her sandwich and thought about the past two weeks. She and Rance had spoken almost every night since the cruise. Rance had shared his frustration about still not playing, and she’d told him about the bid her lawyer had submitted for the property on Main Street. They laughed and joked like lifelong friends. There was an occasional flirt and his deep voice did crazy things to her insides, but overall she had just been enjoying what they had. She just wasn’t sure what the hell to call it.
Anyway, after seeing the tabloid, she realized that what she felt for him was more than just friendship. She wanted to be that woman on his arm, smiling adoringly into his eyes. She wanted to matter.
Debra tried to swallow the bite of sandwich that felt like a lump in her throat. She unscrewed the orange juice and took a swallow or two, then sighed long and hard. She needed to get it together. There was no relationship, and the sooner she got her heart to listen, the better. Otherwise, she was headed for big trouble.
Chapter 14
“Thank you so much for bringing my favorite cupcakes.”
“No problem. Bianca said they were her birthday gift to you.”
Danica nodded. “They are. Ever since I had them at her Christmas party last year, I’ve been talking about them.”
“You know you can always come to the bakery. The lemon is my special on Wednesdays.”
“I know, but I’ve been trying to stay away from them. My hips are wide enough after having those Beaumont babies,” she added with a scowl.
Debra gave the former runway model a once-over. Her curves were still in all the right places. Debra remembered when the redheaded beauty had graced the cover of Essence magazine. For the last five years she had been happily married to Bianca’s brother Jaden, who once had been the black sheep of the family. While the other three siblings had taken their places at the Beaumont Corporation,
Jaden had joined the army and later returned to Sheraton Beach and opened his own chain of auto body shops, Auto Beau. With his good looks and Danica’s beauty, they were clearly a gorgeous couple, and were now the proud parents of two.
“Where’s Bianca?”
Danica bit into a cupcake and moaned before answering. “She’s on her way. There was a small fire at the Wilmington restaurant and she and London drove up to check it out.”
Debra nodded. Bianca had called her this morning to tell her there had been a grease fire in the kitchen that had taken longer than normal to contain. There appeared to have been minimal damage, but London had been freaking out about it all morning. “I’m hoping everything is okay.”
“So am I. Mmmm, this is so good. Too good. That’s why I try to stay away from these,” Danica managed between chews.
Debra was beyond pleased at the fruits of her labor. “That’s the idea. I want everyone addicted to my cupcakes.”
“Girl, if you were on Main Street, you wouldn’t be able to bake these fast enough.”
“I know, which is why I desperately want Kona Donuts.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, that would be wonderful! Did you know it was up for sale?”
Debra gave a weary sigh. “Yep, and it’s way outta my price range.”
Danica pondered her response before saying. “You ever thought about having a few silent partners to go into business with?”
Debra held up her hand and shook her head. “No, Bianca already offered, and I told her no. If I can’t do it myself then I figure God’s tryna tell me something.”
Danica gave her another long penetrating stare before she finally nodded. “Okay, I’ll respect your decision, just as long as you don’t stop baking these. I guess I’m going to start having to drive out to your bakery on Wednesdays.” She slowly licked cream cheese from her fingers.
Do Me Baby (The Beaumont Series) Page 12
