“Better. Stomach is still a little…well, you know. But his fever is lower, and he’s crying less.”
“You were amazing last night. Knew just what to do.” He squeezed her hand.
“Me? Hah! I knew nothing. Annie is the one who saved us a trip to the emergency room.”
“Let’s send her flowers, okay?”
She smiled broadly at him. “Perfect!” Damn, he’s so nice!
“Give me the address. I’ll call right now.” He pushed to his feet and pulled out his phone.
Susanna scribbled the address quickly on a paper napkin while Junior fussed. “I’m coming, little one. Hang on a minute.” His eyes followed her movements while he made a soft whining sound.
“Roses…” she heard Quinn say as she turned back to the fretting baby. A tap on the shoulder got her attention.
“Red?” Quinn looked at her.
“Peach or pink,” She corrected.
He nodded. “Make that peach, if you have them, or pink if you don’t. Yes. Right. Two dozen. Yes, in a vase.” He hung up and returned to his chair.
“In a vase? That wasn’t necessary.”
“She’s got a couple of kids? No time to arrange flowers,” he chuckled.
“How would you know?” She looked up at him while pulling the empty spoon from the infant’s mouth.
“Taking care of Junior is a full time job.”
“Does that mean you don’t want more kids?” She put a spoonful of fruit in the baby’s mouth.
“More?”
“I mean, more than just Junior.” She cocked an eyebrow at him.
“What’s for dinner?” he asked.
“Changing the subject?”
“You guessed it.” He sighed. “I’m not as bad as you think I am.” He stood up.
When she didn’t agree with him, he left the room. The silence was deafening. “I think I messed up, Junior.” The baby stared at her with big, brown eyes. A line of drool dripped out of his mouth as he made a gurgling sound. “Maybe I should give him another chance. What do you think?” The baby smiled at her, squeaked, and then spit up down his front. “Crap!”
Quinn ducked his head into the kitchen. “Any word on dinner…holy hell!”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’m cleaning it up.” She held up one hand as she mopped the floor with a paper towel. Junior smiled in his seat.
“How about I order pizza?”
She let out a breath, blowing hair out of her eyes. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
* * * *
Susanna set up the baby monitor on the dining room table while Quinn doled out slices of meatball and pepper pizza. The smell made her stomach rumble.
“Two?” He asked.
She nodded. “I’m starved. I forgot to eat lunch. My clock was out of sync today.”
“Maybe because you were up half the night with Junior. How is he?”
“He seems better. Still a little feverish. When I took his temperature half an hour ago, it was 100.5…much better than last night.”
Quinn popped the top on his beer and opened a bottle of iced tea for Susanna. As they sat down to eat, she noticed his gaze skim over her low-cut tank top and snug jeans. An appreciative grin lit up his face.
“Junior and I had a talk about you…”
“Oh?” He lifted his eyebrows. “And what did he have to say?” A smile tugged at his lips.
“He said maybe I should…give you another chance.”
“Not jump to conclusions?”
She took a bite and nodded at him.
“What are you so afraid of?” He inched closer to her. “You might like me? You still think I’m the big, bad movie star who’s out deflowering virgins every night?”
Heat slowly rose to her cheeks. Spot on, dammit! No glib answer came to mind, so she kept her head down and continued chewing.
“Cat…no, wait…baby got your tongue?”
A whimper came across the monitor. Slowly it changed to a soft cry, Junior to the rescue. She finished chewing, swallowed, and got up from the table. “Junior calls.”
“Don’t think you’re off the hook,” Quinn called after her.
She tiptoed into the bedroom, afraid to wake the baby if he had fallen back to sleep. His hair was matted down on his sweaty little head, and his eyes were open. When he saw her, he let out a yell. “I get it. You want out. Okay.” She lifted him up and carted him to the kitchen, where she prepared another bottle of Pedialyte.
She held him in her lap at the dining table while Quinn ate and drank. Junior sucked contentedly on his bottle. Susanna stroked his head. “His head is wet. Please get me the ear thermometer?”
Quinn returned with the handy gadget. The result was normal temperature. Her gaze connected with Quinn’s. “It’s normal,” she whispered, smiling. The baby’s eyes began to close as his sucking slowed. She stood up slowly and crossed the room as quietly as possible. When she returned, Susanna plopped down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and sighed.
“Wow. He’s okay.” Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Quinn took his drink and joined her.
“Never been so scared before in my life,” she muttered.
When he took her in his arms, her head rested on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, taking in his masculine scent mixed with a faint whiff of beer and aftershave. “You were amazing. I’d trust my child to you any day,” he whispered into her hair.
“You have.”
“Dammit!” he yelled, grabbing her upper arms and holding her away from him.
“Just kidding.” She blinked, trying to form a convincing smile.
“Kidding?” A twinkle came into his eye as he suddenly jerked her across his lap and smacked her bottom gently with the flat of his hand. “How’s that for kidding?”
She shrieked and kicked her legs, squirming to get away from him. “You’ll regret that! This means war!” Trying not to smile, she freed herself then jumped on him, grabbing his sides, poking and tickling.
Quinn tried to fight her off, but she was relentless. He alternated between yelling and laughing as the two of them tussled on the sofa, falling sideways. Quinn seized the advantage, fastening his hands on her wrists and wresting them to her sides. He raised them above her head as he lowered himself on top of her. His mouth claimed hers in a hard, passionate kiss.
When he released her, she wound her arms around his neck. He combed his fingers through her hair, sliding one down to caress her cheek. His tender touch melted her heart. Susanna softened against him, opening her legs to cradle him between them. He shifted his weight to his thighs and knees to keep from crushing her. Desire for him swept unchecked through her body. Bad dad or not, she wanted him with every fiber of her being.
His head came up, and their eyes connected. He brushed the hair off her forehead and kissed the tip of her nose before assaulting her mouth again. He coaxed hers open to slip his tongue in for a second or two. He nibbled on her lower lip and placed his hands at the base of her neck. “Oh, baby. I want you bad,” he whispered.
“You? Who? The movie star?”
“There’s the movie guy, the Joe Martin guy, and then there’s just me…a man.”
“So who wants me?”
“The man.” He nuzzled her neck, planting small kisses up and down the column. He eased the broad strap of her tank top down a little, kissing the newly exposed skin. His hand closed over her breast and squeezed gently. Heat shot through her veins at lightning speed.
Susanna groaned. Oh, God. Must have him. She dug her fingers into his shoulder muscles and arched her back, crushing her chest against him. “Touch me,” she whispered in his ear. He cradled the other breast while his thumb searched for her peak. Her core was on fire, and Quinn Roberts was the only one who could put it out.
She pressed her hips to his, and he moaned. She worked her hands down his back, feeling his strength until she got to his butt. A squeeze told her exactly what she wanted to know�
��it was firm, strong, and cute.
“If you’re going to do that—” She cut his words off with her mouth, kissing him hungrily, starved for his love. He moved his fingers underneath her top and inched them slowly upward. Then his cell phone rang. They froze.
“Crap!” He said, shaking his head. “This better not be Chaz.”
Quinn sat up and fished his phone out of his back pocket. He checked the dial then bolted upright. “Yes, hi, Mr. Sumner. No, no, sir, this is the perfect time to talk about BLIND LOVE.” He looked up at her, shrugged, and mouthed the words “I’m sorry.”
Susanna’s head fell back in disappointment and resignation. A dry mouth drove her to fetch a glass of water from the kitchen. When she got back, Quinn’s words were getting a little heated.
“But I’m more than that. I know I can do it. I did tons of summer stock…I know that’s not the same, but…give me a chance, Mr. Sumner. I know it’s an expensive roll of the dice. Yes. But people will come to see me because of Joe Martin. What? No. No. Definitely not.”
She sighed and padded to her bedroom. Junior’s soft even breathing reminded her how tired she was. After stripping off her clothing, she slipped into bed, still listening to the rise and fall of Quinn’s voice on the phone. Though her body was tired, her senses were still acute. She drifted off to sleep, remembering the feel of his hands on her body and his lips on her skin.
Chapter Seven
Monday, Susanna and Junior were up early, roused by the brightness of the early morning sun. He was fever-free and hungry. She fed him, changed him, turned on the coffeemaker, and was ready for a walk by seven-thirty. The resonance of a deep voice stopped her at the door.
“Hey, wait.” Quinn padded down the hall in his boxers, rubbing his face and stifling a yawn.
“Good morning. How’d it go last night?” Junior picked up a plastic donut and put it in his mouth.
“The phone call with Sumner?”
She nodded, her gaze stopped on his chest, and her pulse kicked up.
“No go.” He scratched his chin.
“Seemed like you were winning the argument when I went to bed.” Susanna forced her eyes to meet his.
“Yeah well, he’s not a risk-taker. And he sees this project as a big risk.”
“I’m sorry. You have others to talk to, right?”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you. I’ve got a bunch of meetings today and tomorrow. Then we return to New York for the premiere there. Will you go with me?”
“Are you asking me out on a date?” She cocked an eyebrow at him, and he blushed, his gaze falling to his hands.
“Guess so. Yeah.”
“Sure. It’ll be fun.”
“You have to see the movie again.”
“I loved it. No problem. Will there be another big party?”
“Of course. Hollywood comes to New York.” He grinned.
“Junior’s better today. He needs to get outside, so we’re off for some fresh air.”
“Glad to hear it. By the way…I’m sorry about last night.” He approached her, touching her hair. Control yourself! The temptation to touch his bare chest was overwhelming. Clamping her hands firmly around the stroller’s handlebars was the only way to ensure she wouldn’t assault him right then and there.
“Me, too.” Increasingly nervous in his half-naked presence, she exited quickly, opening the door and pushing Junior outside. “Gotta go.” Fresh air and time to think cleared Susanna’s mind. She carried on a one-sided conversation with the baby on the pros and cons of getting involved with Quinn.
While there seemed to be more cons than pros—his traveling, his risky business, his exposure to a ton of sexy women, his shady relationship to Junior—she kept searching for more reasons to plunge in. I could just sleep with him. Not get involved. She wasn’t built that way. Who am I kidding? The minute I sleep with him, I’ll be in love with him. If I’m not already.
A wry smile claimed her lips as her eyes scanned the scenery. The sound of cars whizzing by blended with the subtle crashing of waves to create background noise that lulled Junior to sleep. Susanna lingered on a bench to breathe some of the fresh, salt air and tuck a blanket securely around the baby. Resist Quinn? I doubt it.
Upon arriving back in the apartment, Susanna put Junior down for his nap. She opened her book to force thoughts about Quinn Roberts out of her head. She dozed, unable to control her dreams, which centered on the handsome movie star sharing his space with her.
After feeding lunch to Junior and Quinn, she and Junior again went exploring in the neighborhood, winding through apartment complexes and past empty lots. Quinn went out to meetings and interviews.
While the baby took his afternoon nap, Susanna padded into the kitchen to get an early start on dinner. Having returned half an hour earlier, Quinn was on the phone in the living room, pacing. She picked up bits of his animated conversation but couldn’t tell if it was going well or poorly. Tonight she was preparing sautéed scallops and a salad with beets, goat cheese, walnuts, and dried cranberries.
While the scallops cooked, she called her sister.
“You’re a miracle worker. Junior is fine.”
“Told ya. Hey, after three I oughta know, right? Thanks for the flowers.”
“They were Quinn’s idea.”
“Classy guy.”
Susanna grinned. “I need your help with something else.”
“What?”
“Quinn’s taking me to the New York premiere of his new movie. I need a sexy, long dress. Got any ideas?”
“You’re going on a date with your employer? Isn’t there a rule about that somewhere?”
“It’s not like that. Not like an office.” She turned the stove down.
“Oh, I see,” she tried unsuccessfully to muffle a chuckle.
“It isn’t!” Indignation made Susanna’s voice rise.
“I believe you. Now convince yourself. So…you’re going out with that hunky, gorgeous guy, Quinn Roberts, eh?”
“Went to the first premiere here in L.A., too,” she sniffed.
“I’m impressed, little sister. But we do need a fabulous dress for you. I’ll go look at Bergdorf.”
“Can’t afford Bergdorf.”
“I’ll charge it. You can pay me back after the estate is settled. You’ll have the money then.”
“Don’t go hog wild, Annie. No topless or anything.”
Her sister cracked up over the phone. “Tasteful and dignified…but sexy as hell, Susie. You’re going with Quinn Roberts, not some slob from Outer Mongolia. You’ve got to look the part.”
“True. Go for it.” She stirred the scallops gently.
“Are you sleeping with him? Are you and Quinn living together?”
“Of course not! Annie!” Susanna dropped the wooden spoon.
“I don’t know how you can resist him. Under the same roof and all.”
She peeked around the corner and spied Quinn deep in conversation. “It isn’t easy,” she giggled. Annie burst into laughter.
“I knew something was going on. I don’t care if he is a movie star. He couldn’t be around a woman like you for long without making a pass.”
“Annie, this topic is now closed.” She turned off the stove.
“Love you, girl.”
“Love you back.” She put her phone down and placed the salad on the table.
“Is that dinner I smell?” Quinn lurked by the archway.
“It is. Come, sit down.”
After doling out the food and passing him a lemon wedge, she handed him a bottle of Chablis. He uncorked it and poured two glasses. She couldn’t help but see how distracted he was, a frown creasing his brow, his shoulders hunched forward. No good news on the book. She kept her gaze on her plate and ate in silence.
“Good,” he muttered after taking a mouthful.
She looked up and smiled. He nodded and continued to eat. Her smile faded and her heart lurched. The man who has everything, but he can’t sell that story.
Suddenly, he appeared like any other man, a man who’d had a bad day at the office or didn’t get the promotion or raise he was expecting. Big star or no big star, Quinn was frustrated and down about being trapped in one role by the Hollywood power brokers. His pain penetrated her psyche and stung her, too.
“Maybe tomorrow will be better,” she reached over and squeezed his hand.
His eyes widened for a moment as his gaze caressed her face. “Maybe.”
* * * *
Quinn arose early. Susanna was feeding Junior.
“Let me know when he’s dressed. I need a run. I’ll take him with me.”
“But you with a baby?”
“Tough. So what? I’ll be running, no one will recognize me. So what if they do?” He disappeared into his bedroom. In fifteen minutes, he emerged in running shorts and a tank top. Energy dripped off him. Running will clear my head. He warmed up with some bends and stretches. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Susanna watching him. “I’ll be careful. You deserve some time off.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.” He grabbed his ankles, stretching his leg up behind.
She strapped Junior into the stroller, and Quinn wheeled him out the door. The air was cool, brisk, and refreshing at seven. He looked around then headed south to the crosswalk.
“Your first run, Slugger.” Quinn started slowly, keeping steady so as not to upset the buggy. He got into a rhythm and began to think about what he needed to do next to get a producer for the book. After one producer backed off when he found out Quinn hadn’t purchased the rights yet, the actor knew he had to strike a deal with Jaden before he could nail down a deal with a production company.
“Okay. Fifty grand for the rights.” A sound came from the baby, drawing Quinn’s gaze. “So you think that’s too much, Junior? I do, too. I’m trapped. Pay it or lose it.” The baby gurgled at him. Quinn slowed his pace a bit.
“Yeah. But I’m not sleeping with her. I have my standards. Besides, Susanna’s my girl,” he said. Junior burst into giggles, and the two males chuckled, chortled, and laughed for the next block.
The steady pumping of his heart calmed Quinn. Patience. Perseverance. Don’t give up. As the adrenalin flowed and the dopamine flooded his brain, a sense of calm purpose settled over him. He finished his run, continuing his conversation with Junior until they reached the apartment.
Red Carpet Romance Page 9
