The Second Time Around

by Angie Daniels

  “She’s fine.”

  Her face softened. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Are you really?”

  “Yes, I am.” And for some strange reason he almost believed her.

  “I’ve always like her independent spirit.”

  “You could have fooled me,” he said, leaning forward, resting his elbows on top of his knees. “I remember you trying to keep us far apart.”

  His mother scowled. “Just because I didn’t think she was right for you doesn’t mean I don’t admire her.”

  “No, you just didn’t want me marrying her,” he said bitterly.

  She sniffed. “At the time I was just trying to protect you.”

  “Protect me from what?”

  She smiled weakly. “A gold digger.”

  Jabarie pursed his lips, not at all surprised by his mother’s answer. Because Brenna was Shaunda’s daughter, so she expected the same of her.

  Jabarie gave her a long suspicious look. “Mother, as soon as I told you she was back in town you made it clear you didn’t want me seeing her again.”

  “I know, and your father and I had a long talk and I wanted to apologize.”

  “Why did you lie about the check?”

  “I was trying to spare your feelings,” she began between sips. “After Roger had that prenup delivered to her house and he told me about Anika being at your condo, I felt so bad I made him write her a check that I delivered to her house.” Pausing she glanced across at him as if to make sure he was really listening. “Part of me expected her to take the money and leave town, yet when she did I was a little disappointed because deep down I hoped she really did love you after all.”

  She does love me, or at least she used to. “What I can’t understand is how the two of you could set out to ruin your own child’s life like that?”

  She gave him a thorough once-over before saying, “We’ve always had your best interests at heart.”

  “You ruined not just my life but Brenna’s, as well.”

  “I know and I’m sorry.”

  His brow raised and he shook his head. “Sorry is not going to make everything better between us.”

  “Do you still love her?” she asked following a long silence.

  He looked her in the eyes. “With everything I am.”

  She took a sip and looked pleased by his answer. “Does she love you?”

  Sighing heavily, he shrugged. “I don’t know. She isn’t as willing to give her heart to me a second time.”

  “Give it time.”

  “Mother, time is something I don’t have on my side. She is leaving in a couple of days.” He rose. “I better go. Brenna and I are having dinner.”

  She looked up at him with eyes filled with remorse. “Can you please tell her I’m sorry?”

  He never had been able to stay mad at his mother for long. Leaning over, he kissed her cheek and nodded before saying, “I’ll do that.”

  Chapter 15

  Brenna made a mess of her room, pulling clothes from her closet and drawers. A lot were items that had been hanging in her closet for the last five years. Thank goodness she found something to wear because when she had agreed to come down and help her aunt with the store, bringing dress clothes was the last thing on her mind.

  It was almost seven o’clock and Brenna was standing in front of a full-length mirror, turning one way and then the other before she smiled in satisfaction. She was wearing a black slip dress with the hem just above the knees, high-heeled slides and an upswept hairdo. For some reason she wanted to impress Jabarie tonight.

  She heard a car pull up and stop out front. Heart racing with excitement, she glanced once more into the mirror. “You can do this,” she whispered then stared at her reflection for a long intense moment.

  Spending the evening with Jabarie was going to get her in a mound of trouble emotionally. What she needed to be doing was avoiding him until it was time for her to leave for Dallas. He was the last person she should be spending time with. “You shouldn’t be going anywhere near him,” she chastised then shook her head at her reflection. But she knew why she couldn’t stay away and her racing pulse was the answer. She loved Jabarie and despite everything, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. She would deal with the consequences and her pain later.

  The doorbell rang and she rushed to answer it and found Jabarie dressed in a beige linen suit. Her heart did a flip-flop. He looked gorgeous standing there holding another bouquet of fresh-cut roses in a cone of green tissue paper.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself. These are for you.” He handed her the bouquet.

  “Wow, more roses,” she said with a saucy grin. “Thank you.”

  His eyes twinkled amusingly. “A woman can never have too many roses.”

  Brenna took the flowers and brought them to her nose, inhaling the floral scent. Smiling, she looked up and found Jabarie watching her with a heated look in his eyes that sent want blazing through her body. Taking a calming breath, Brenna moved aside so that he could enter and move closer to her.

  “You’re beautiful,” he murmured then captured her upper arm and pulled her against him.

  She stared up at his heated gaze fully aware of what he was about to do, yet she didn’t care. Tonight she was going to have everything she wanted, because in a couple of days the magic would be over.

  Jabarie leaned down and kissed her. Temptation overtook her and she kissed him back. She might not be willing to give their relationship another chance, but she was perfectly willing to kiss him like there was no tomorrow. Leaning into the curve of his chest, she could smell his woodsy cologne, feel his body heat and she thought about how good it would feel to end the evening with him buried inside her body. Her lips parted and his tongue slid inside her mouth. She released a soft moan of delight and tasted a hunger as strong as her own, which filled her mind with all sorts of ideas. Too much more of this kiss and they weren’t going to make it to dinner. With difficulty, she pulled back and looked into his eyes to see if his desire mirrored hers. Yep. His eyes were glazed and his chest heaving. With a wink, Jabarie released her.

  “Let me go put these in water.” She gave him a quick smile and moved inside the kitchen. Once there, she leaned against the counter and prayed for strength. Tonight she was going to need it.

  Brenna reached for a crystal vase from underneath the sink and filled it with water then lowered the roses inside. It was then that she noticed her hands were shaking. “Girl, you can do it,” she coaxed. All she had to do was remind herself that they were lovers spending a no-strings attached evening together. But why did that seem easier said than done?

  When Brenna reentered the living room, she found Jabarie sitting on her aunt’s worn couch that was covered by a multicolored afghan. He looked so out of place. The same as you in his world, a little voice whispered and she lowered the vase onto the coffee table. The entire time Jabarie was watching her intensely with his deep piercing eyes.

  “Let me grab my purse,” she said with a shaky breath then moved back to her room long enough to retrieve her purse. When she returned, Jabarie had moved over to the sliding door and was staring out back. She took a moment to take in his dominant stance and shook her head. It didn’t make any sense that one man could look that good. She cleared her throat and he swung around. Jabarie grinned, but there was no mistaking the longing burning in his eyes.

  “You ready to go?” she asked.

  He nodded then followed her toward the door.

  “Goodnight, Aunt Nellie!” she yelled loud enough for her to hear at the back of the house.

  “Goodnight, sweetheart. Have a good time.”

  After locking the door, she moved down the stairs with Jabarie, ready for their evening to begin.

  Jabarie had made reservations at Murphy’s, Sheraton Beach’s finest restaurant. They were escorted to a table at the far left of the room against a floor-to-ceiling window that captured a view of the ocean.

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nbsp; Brenna brushed up against him and whispered, “Don’t look now, but people are looking our way. The gossip is about to start.”

  He helped Brenna into her chair then moved around and lowered into the seat across from her. “What can they say except that I’m having dinner with the most beautiful woman in town.” To prove that he could care less what others thought, he reached across the table for her hand and brought it to his lips.

  Bubbling with amusement, Brenna snatched her hand back. “Quit! You’re embarrassing me,” she replied, and couldn’t resist laughing as she glanced out the corners of her eyes. “I’m serious. I guarantee you before our dinner is over, the news of us being here together will be all over Sheraton Beach.”

  “In that case, let’s give them something to talk about,” Jabarie said then leaned over and kissed her soundly on the lips, publicly declaring before anyone who was watching, that Brenna was his, then released her.

  “Would you quit it, please?”

  “No, I won’t,” he began as he rose from his chair and moved to the one beside her. “I love you and don’t care who knows it.” He lowered his mouth to hers again and the instant their lips touched, she didn’t have the energy to argue any further. Desire warmed her stomach and traveled to settle down low. She wanted him. It had been five days since their trip to Ocean City, but to her it suddenly felt like a lifetime.

  Pulling herself together, she pushed him gently away then looked up to meet the hungry look in his eyes that sent her pulse on a tailspin. Tonight was proving to be more difficult that she had imagined.

  Looking away, Brenna noticed a woman to the far right of the restaurant raising her cell phone to her ear. “Now you’ve done it,” she said. “The gossips are already flapping their lips.”

  He followed the direction of her gaze across the floor to a small table and chuckled. “Now you’re being paranoid. She’s probably on the phone checking in with the babysitter.”

  Brenna giggled along with him. He was probably right. She was being ridiculous. She reached for her water and sobered quickly when she noticed Jabarie staring at her. The candle at the center of the table flickered and shone light across his face. For the longest time he didn’t say anything, but neither did she. They just sat there gazing at each other.

  “Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” he finally said.

  “No,” she lied.

  “You look beautiful.” Jabarie reached for her hand again. “You are beautiful.”

  She paused, tilted her head to the side and studied his expression.

  Jabarie gave her a satisfied look that was full of promise of things to come. Her heart was beating way out of control, while a hot throbbing sensation settled in her stomach. She tore her gaze from his and looked down at her hand and tried to regain her composure. There was no way she was going to let lust take over her mind. Not tonight when it was so important for her to stay in control.

  To her relief, a waiter arrived. She ordered an apple martini while Jabarie ordered a glass of white wine.

  Glancing to her right, Brenna noticed a familiar looking woman at a table in the back waving at her. Even though she had no idea who she was, she simply raised her hand and returned the gesture. “Who is that?” she asked behind a tight smile.

  Jabarie followed the direction of her eyes and chuckled.

  Her gaze returned to his. “What?”

  “That’s Vanessa Wayne.”

  “What?” she gasped, then her eyes grew large and round. “Please tell me she no longer writes the gossip column for the Sheraton Beach News.

  “Okay,” he said as he reached for his water glass. “But I would be lying.”

  Brenna groaned. There was no way this was happening to her.

  “Look at the bright side. She’ll make it clear that the two of us are still madly in love with one another.”

  “I don’t think you left one shred of doubt about that,” she remarked dryly, then they both laughed.

  “I could have taken you to dinner, outside of town, but I don’t have anything to hide. This way everyone knows you’re the only woman I want.” Leaning over he gently pressed his lips to hers again then pulled back.

  Brenna wanted to correct him and make sure that he understood that what they had ended the second she boarded that plane to Dallas, but she didn’t have the heart to spoil their evening.

  Their drinks arrived and as soon as they were alone, Jabarie raised his glass in a salute. “May our time together be unforgettable.”

  She couldn’t resist touching her glass to his with a faint clink.

  The waiter returned with their house salads and their conversation drifted to the hotel’s recent renovations and the Las Vegas construction. As the meal progressed, their conversation shifted to music and movies while they enjoyed their delicious steak and lobster dinners. By the time apple crisp and vanilla ice cream was being delivered, Brenna asked the question she’d been dying to ask all evening.

  “Was your mother surprised to see me?”

  Jabarie took a bite while nodding his head in amusement. “Yep, although I had already told her you were back.”

  “Oh,” she murmured and waited for him to continue.

  “She told me to tell you she was sorry,” he said between chews.

  Brenna practically choked on an apple. Quickly she grabbed her glass of water and took a sip then coughed.

  “Are you okay?” he asked and tapped her lightly on the back.

  She nodded. “I’m fine. I was just surprised by what your mother had said.”

  He shrugged. “I guess she’s trying to change.”

  Brenna found that hard to believe, but decided it wasn’t her place to judge.

  “The evening is still early. Let’s go to the Starlight Lounge so we can dance,” he suggested, and she had to laugh.

  “There will be no stopping the rumors about us,” she said, her thumbs playing with the bowl.

  “Good.” He signaled for the waiter and as soon as he took care of the bill, they rose.

  Happily, Brenna offered him her hand as they moved through the restaurant and out the door. They drove the short distance on Main Street to the Starlight Hotel, Sheraton Beach’s oldest hotel. Jabarie placed his hand at the small of her back and escorted her across the marble lobby floor with its high ceilings and abundance of foliage complementing the area. They moved to a dimly lit lounge where a band was playing and excitement made her heart race. Jabarie led her to an empty booth in a secluded corner off the dance floor, where he ordered her another martini and a shot of cognac for himself. They then sat there for the longest time with his arm around her, listening to music and enjoying their drinks.

  When he asked her to dance, she went to the dance floor and into his arms, letting go of her fears about the future and simply enjoying the moment.

  Slow dancing to old school music added more fuel to the fire. Holding her close, Jabarie’s hands moved gently down to the small of her back. “It’s like we’ve been doing this forever,” she said feeling herself getting caught up in the moment.

  “I know,” he said. “And now that I have you in my arms I have no intentions of letting you go.”

  “This feels really nice,” she admitted, gazing up into his thickly lashed eyes.

  His eyes moved to her mouth as he whispered, “It’s only the beginning.”

  She opened her mouth to remind him that her stay was only temporary, but before she could get the words out, he seared her lips with a steamy hot kiss. She was lost and she gave as good as she got. Who was watching was the last thing on her mind. When Jabarie finally pulled back, his gaze roamed over her features. She was speechless.

  His breath brushed her nose, causing her to shiver. “Brenna,” he murmured, “I want you naked in my arms.”

  She gasped and gazed up at his intense eyes. Before she could find the words, the music changed to a fast number. She stepped back and continued to dance, but after two more numbers, he caught her hand.r />
  “I’m ready to go.”

  “Okay,” Brenna replied and he took her arm and led her outside into Delaware’s breezy night air.

  As soon as they were in the car, they rode in silence for a few minutes. Jabarie’s hand rested on her knee and her leg trembled. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and somehow she had to get them under control. Brenna shifted on the seat and stared out the window. When he made a right at the next corner instead of a left, she glanced over to him and asked, “Where are we going?”

  “To my place,” he answered as he adjusted the rearview mirror.

  Brenna was certain, Jabarie’s condo gave his mother nightmares. Except for the piles of paper all over the place, the three-bedroom, two-bath, beachfront property still looked the same as it did when she’d left Sheraton Beach. Clean white walls. Plush taupe colored carpet and almost no furniture.

  “I see you’re still bringing your work home,” she said dryly as she lowered onto the couch.

  “Not much has changed.”

  Her eyes traveled around the partially furnished room “I see. Although by now I would have thought that this place would have looked a little more, uh,…lived in.”

  Jabarie playfully winced as he removed a stack of papers from the glass-top coffee table and carried them over onto the dining room table. “You forget, I never intended to be in this place this long.”

  He was right. Two weeks before their wedding, he had surprised her by putting a deposit down on a small beachfront property not too far away that was supposed to have been their first home together.

  “Whatever happened with that house?” she asked as he moved onto the brown leather couch beside her.

  Jabarie reached for a remote control and pointed it toward the stereo before answering. The sounds of John Legend flowed through the room. “One of my dad’s partners bought it as a tax write-off.” He looked at her and shrugged. “I didn’t want it if I couldn’t have you. It hurt too much.”

  Brenna knew all about hurt. She still ached in a lot of places including her heart, but this would probably be their last night together and there was no way she could deny herself.