“Because holding something this major in would drive you insane,” Imani retorted.
“So far telling you hasn’t been any better.”
Imani laughed. “I’m going to give you the same advice you gave me. Put yourself out there. Take a risk. You never know what might happen.”
Naja shook her head. “No can do. That would be totally irresponsible of me. Sterling is asking for something I can’t give right now. I’m not going to pretend I can.”
“Why can’t you?”
Naja’s mouth fell open. “Who are you and what have you done with my big sister?”
One corner of Imani’s mouth twitched. “I’ve evolved.”
“Clearly.”
Imani reached across the table and took Naja’s hand in hers. “We’ll change the subject for now, but I’m not going to let this go.”
Naja did a good job of holding in her sigh of relief. “What else is there to talk about?”
“The Fourth of July party, of course. Everything is ready. All that’s left is for people to show up.” Imani’s eyes widened. “Hey, why don’t you invite Sterling to the party? You can hang out with him in a non-threatening environment.”
Naja grimaced. “Actually, I was hoping to meet someone more suitable for what I have in mind at your party.”
“Based on the RVSP list, I wouldn’t count on it. Your pickings would be slim, as a matter of fact, non-existent.”
“Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse.”
Imani released Naja’s hand. “So, should I add a plus one?”
“I have a feeling you will even if I tell you not to.”
Imani laughed.
Naja released a pent up breath and contemplated her next move. This entire situation was ridiculous. She should’ve known things wouldn’t go as she planned. Nope. Anytime she strategized something at least one thing went wrong. It was a big part of the reason why she’d hired two qualified assistants. They were the best at coming up with a backup plan. She could really use one right now.
Unfortunately, she would have no such luck in that area. She’d have to figure this out on her own. Imani definitely wouldn’t be any help. It appeared now that she’d found happiness with Carson, Imani wanted others to experience it for themselves.
To be honest, Sterling probably wouldn’t be a bad guy to have that with. At the age of forty-six, he seemed to be settled in life and more mature than a lot of men she’d had the misfortune of making the acquaintance of in the past. Nope, she didn’t have a problem with the age difference between them. What she did take issue with was the fact they were looking for two different things right now in their respective lives.
Naja stifled a groan. She hadn’t had enough sleep to deal with this sort of insanity. Luckily for her the waitress brought their food. Pulling her grilled chicken salad closer with one hand, she picked up her fork with the other. Before lunch was over, she’d have to figure out a way to invite Sterling to Imani and Carson’s party while getting him to understand it didn’t mean it’d go any further than that.
Today would prove to be very interesting. She just hoped she didn’t lose her mind trying to figure out a way to get out of this unexpected situation.
* * * *
Sterling sat on the patio, attempting to read the latest mystery book he’d purchased on his e-reader. At this point he was failing miserably. He hadn’t touched the screen to turn the page once and he’d been on the same one for at least an hour. No, instead his attention was on Naja.
Something about her deeply appealed to him. It went beyond her beauty and vivacious personality. The spark in her eyes along with her infectious smile had a euphoric effect on him. The fact he was fifteen years her senior should probably bother him, but it didn’t. He was interested in getting to know her better. Now he just had to convince her spending time with him wouldn’t be as bad of thing as she thought. The question was how.
This was the first time he’d even willingly thought about getting involved with another woman. Yes, Elton had been trying to persuade him lately, but his thoughts focused on trying to keep going after the unexpected loss of his wife. He loved Amelia with everything he had. She’d been a great wife, friend and lover. To lose her had been devastating.
The day she’d died, he’d kissed her as they’d walked out the front door together to leave for work. A few hours later he’d received an emergency call from one of his wife’s co-workers stating his wife had collapsed and was on the way to the hospital. That drive had been the most terrifying of his life. It wasn’t until after he’d arrived at the emergency room he found she hadn’t made it. She’d died the instant she hit the floor at work. The blood vessel in her brain had burst so she hadn’t stood a chance.
He’d been so distressed he couldn’t remember a full twenty-four hours after finding out Amelia had died. When he’d come to the next day, he’d been in the guest bedroom of Elton and Kate’s house. Elton had been sitting in the chair with a concerned expression on his face. The worst thing about that day was having to relive the events all over again. Next to that, arranging the funeral and then having to attend it.
The grief he’d felt at that point was indescribable. He wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy. He’d been on autopilot for the longest time after that point. If not for Elton, his parents and his siblings he might not ever have gotten himself back together. But he had and he was grateful.
Now it seemed he was ready to get his social life back on track as well. His attraction to Naja couldn’t be denied or ignored. The past twenty-four hours had proved that to him. The question was how far could it go? This was not the idea sort of situation to start up anything. Yet everything in him wanted to.
He was pulled from his internal musings by the sound of the doorbell. Without a doubt he knew who it was. Not many people knew he was in Myrtle Beach and those who did weren’t scheduled to stop by.
He bookmarked the page on his e-reader then made his way inside. Just before he opened the door, he took a deep, calming breath, only to have it get stuck in his throat the instant Naja came into view. If he didn’t know any better, he would say she’d become more beautiful in the past twenty-four hours since he’d last seen her.
Today she’d donned a floral pink strapless sundress. The dress covered everything, yet revealed just what he wanted to see. She was a very shapely but toned woman. His palms itched with the yearning to trace her curves.
“Hi, Sterling.”
He blinked at the husky tone in her voice. She was too damned tempting. Clearing his throat in an attempt to pull himself together, he smiled.
“Hi, Naja. I must say this visit is a surprise.”
She laughed. “Is it? I would’ve thought you’d be expecting me.”
“I have to admit I hoped, but I didn’t presume anything.” He stepped back and opened the door wider. “Would you like to come in? I was sitting out back.”
“Sure.”
He extended a hand toward the back door, indicating he’d follow her lead. When they reached the kitchen he stopped at the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water. Once they made it outside, he pulled her chair out with his free hand and waited for her to sit. He placed a bottle in front of her as he took his own seat.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“You’re welcome. How has your day been?”
“Awesome. Just finished eating lunch with my sister.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“It was. This is the first time Imani and I have been on vacation together in a long time.”
He scratched his jaw as he tried to figure out what to say next.
“Do you always wear a beard?”
He glanced over at her. “What?”
“Your facial hair. It doesn’t look like you’re completely comfortable with it.”
He chuckled. “You’re very observant and correct. I’ve only had it for a few weeks. I keep it trimmed, but I’ll probably cut it off before I leave Myrtle Beach.”
&
nbsp; “Such a shame. I think it suits you.”
“Thank you. We’ll see how difficult it is to keep up and I’ll make my decision after that.”
Sterling opened his bottle of water as he stared out toward the shoreline, allowing a comfortable silence to settle between the two of them.
“Do you have any plans tomorrow night?”
That was the last thing he expected for her to ask, he’d go with it for now. “No. I was just going to sit out here and enjoy a firework show or two. Do you have any?”
“Yes, and I’m hoping you’ll join me.”
He glanced over at Naja and saw one corner of her mouth titled upward. The smile could only be described as wicked. He wasn’t quite certain he wanted to know what she had on her agenda, but he’d ask anyway. “Depends on what you have going on.”
Naja leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. “My sister and her boyfriend, Carson, are having a Fourth of July party at his place tomorrow night. Imani is dying to meet you so I thought the two of you could become acquainted there.”
Sterling was grateful he’d held off on taking a sip of water. No way would he have gotten it down without practically choking to death. He had to be dreaming. His imagination was running wild and he would wake up any moment.
“Sterling?”
He blinked slowly. “Yes?”
“Do you want to go?”
His hand trembled slightly as he sat the bottle down before turning his attention to the breathtaking woman sitting across from him. “Do you remind repeating yourself?”
Naja laughed. “I know you’re not hard of hearing.”
“You’re right. But I’m pretty positive I’m still in my bed asleep so I’m just trying to draw it out a little longer.”
Her head tilted to the side as her grin widened. “Dreaming, huh? Well, I definitely want you to have the experience of waking up with a smile on your face, so let me make sure it’s worth your while.”
Before he could say anything else, she stood and stepped closer to him. She cupped his face between her soft palms. “Now,” she whispered, lowering her head toward his. “Let’s make this real good.”
She brushed her lips over his in a soft kiss that sent shivers racing down his spine. In the next instant, she captured his mouth in a nerve tingling kiss that seemed to steal the very breath from him. He let his arms drift upward to wrap around her lower back as he drew her between the vee of his legs.
The kiss was pure bliss. It was passion thrumming, then coiling, low and hot, deep within him. The kiss tasted of sugar and strawberries. Her thighs were crushed with an enticing, sensual pain to his solid erection as she returned the angry kiss in total abandon.
This kiss should never end. He definitely didn’t want it to. Neither did Naja for she raised her head a fraction of an inch to draw in a quick breath, then slanted her mouth over his again in the opposite direction, sweeping him under the spell of another passionate kiss.
His mind ceased to function. This kiss was spectacular, surreal, so sincere and real. She constantly surprised and delighted him in a way that somewhat frightened him. She was a unique individual, special, rare, like no woman he had met before. And he wanted her with an intensity that had him on the verge of combustion. Along with the insistent need was another emotion he couldn’t name. Even as her kiss consumed him, he felt revived.
Finally, Naja ended the kiss unhurriedly. Her heavily lidded eyes told him she was just as affected by the kiss as he was. Unhurriedly she retook her seat. “Are you still hoping this is a dream you will wake up from?”
He shook his head. “No, now I’m wondering if things could get any hotter between us.”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to take a chance to find out.”
He interlaced his finger and leaned forward. “Are you sure about that?”
“One hundred percent positive.”
“What changed your mind?”
“I’m not saying I have,” she murmured. “I’m simply stating I find you intriguing. I want to hang out with you, just as casual acquaintances. If it leads to more, great. If not we’ve still had an enjoyable time and can return home with those memories.”
“That easy?”
“Yes. Thanks to my sister I realize I’m making this more complicated than it has to be.”
“So, you no longer have any desire to get me into bed.”
The expression on her face became downright sultry. “Oh no, I still have every aspiration to get you into my bed, in the shower, on the couch, kitchen table and possibly even on the beach at night, but for now I’m going to play by your rules and see what comes of it.”
Sterling reached for his water and took a huge gulp before he burst into flames. Wicked images of the words she’d just whispered raced through his mind. It was everything he could do keep from taking her hand and dragging her onto the wood of the porch beachgoers be damned. The woman across from him tested his self-restraint and frankly, he didn’t have much more left.
Closing his eyes, he took a few settling breaths. He had to get himself under control or he would crash and burn. When he felt that he had, he reopened his eyes and found Naja watching him intently. He should say no, but he just couldn’t get his mouth to form the words. Yep, he was in deep trouble.
“What time does the party start?”
Chapter Five
Sterling couldn’t believe how relaxed he felt considering the fact he was walking up the driveway to a party his date’s sister and her boyfriend were throwing. This was the last thing he’d expected to be doing on Fourth of July, but he was looking forward to it. He wondered if Imani was as spunky as Naja. If so, he planned to ask Carson for some pointers on how to proceed. Because honestly, he was at a loss. Naja kept him on his toes and he wasn’t quite sure what to expect from her.
When he’d gone over and knocked on her door a little while ago, he’d honestly expected a ploy of some sort to get him to stay in with her. Instead, she’d only invited him in long enough for her to grab a small clutch purse then ushered him outside while she locked up.
Now as they neared the house, he heard a party in full swing. The front door was open, but the screen door closed. When Naja reached out to open the door he gently brushed her had aside and grabbed the handle himself.
“Such a gentleman,” she murmured with a smile.
“I try to be, but believe me, you make it hard.”
“I can’t say I ever recall a time when that’s been a bad thing,” she whispered in his ear, then straightened as she stepped inside the beach home.
He didn’t have much time to get himself together because the instant they entered the house a woman called out to Naja. The similarities in their appearance and the grin appearing on his date’s face told him it had to be her sister.
“Imani,” Naja responded, confirming his guess.
He stood aside patiently as the siblings embraced. While there were definitely similarities between them, there were quite a few differences. Naja was taller, her hair much shorter and her body a lot curvier.
“And you must be Sterling.”
He pulled himself out of his inner musings, smiling as he made eye contact with the woman in front of him. “Yes, I am. You must be Imani.”
“Got it right on the first try. I’m glad you could make it. I wasn’t sure Naja was going to extend the invite.”
“Wow, Imani. Subtle today, aren’t we?”
He chuckled. Yeah, Carson could definitely give him some advice.
“Please ignore her. She doesn’t like being in situations where she doesn’t have complete control.”
“Ha! You’re one to speak.”
“Are the two of you at it again?”
Sterling glanced at the man who walked up to join him. When he placed his arm around Imani’s waist, it wasn’t hard to figure out he was Imani’s boyfriend.
“It seems they are. I take it they are like this all the time?”
“Even
over the phone,” he replied as he extended his hand. “I’m Carson Baxter. Welcome to the party.”
“Sterling Henson,” he responded in kind, accepting the firm grip. “Glad I was able to make it.” He turned his attention to Imani. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, especially since I hear you’re the reason I secured an invite.”
One corner of Imani’s mouth twitched. “I’m sure it wasn’t the hardship my sister would have you to believe. Now, are you ready for your interrogation?”
“Imani,” Naja protested.
“Oh, don’t even try it. After the grilling you gave Carson, I deserve the right to return the favor.”
Sterling watched in amusement as Naja’s mouth opened and closed several times with no sound coming out. Evidently realizing she was fighting a losing battle, she sighed heavily.
“Fine. Knock yourself out. Carson, I guess we’re on our own. Show me to the food. I’m starved.”
Sterling studied Naja as she walked away with Carson. She was so beautiful it was a crime.
“Don’t worry. Her bark is worse than her bite.”
He turned his attention to Imani. “You think so?”
“I grew up with her and lived with her. I’m positive. Would you like something to drink?”
“A beer if you have it.”
“Right this way.”
As Imani led him to the kitchen, he took in the décor of the beach house. It was very homey feeling.
A few moments later a beer was pressed into his hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go out back. Even though this is supposed to be a beach party most of the partygoers are inside.”
He followed her out back and held her chair out as she went to sit.
Imani chuckled in response. “I see why you make Naja nervous.”
“What do you mean?” he asked as he sat down.
“Let’s just say you aren’t her type.”
“I’m not sure if I should be offended or not.”
Imani took a sip of her drink. “It’s a compliment. She usually goes for men who don’t present a challenge. They’re okay with having a casual acquaintance. Typically they don’t ask her for more than she’s willing to give.”
One Hot Summer Anthology Page 12
