“You still have no idea how to shop for kids, do you?” she said in Jake’s direction, her wide green eyes giving him a condescending look. “You’ll spoil them, you know.”
“That’s what uncles are for,” he said pulling his sister, Janet, in for a hug.
At 5’ 9” the top of her head fell right below his nose and he leaned in to take in the familiar scent of the blonde hair. This was the closest thing that came to home for him and he held on for a few seconds longer than normal.
“Okay,” she said, pulling away from him with a laugh. “I love you too big brother, but I’m a mess. The kids just finished breakfast and you’re early,” she said poking him in the chest.
“I have a very fast car,” he smiled back at her. He took in the pajama bottoms, baggy t-shirt, and bare feet. Her hair was in a sloppy loop at the nape of her neck. He had a brief memory of another woman with her hair looped in a rubber band.
“Can we see your car, uncle Jake?!” yelled Sam, the birthday boy.
Boys and their toys. Jake did have a very fast car; a Maserati Gran Turismo to be specific.
“Sure thing, buddy,” he said, hooking his thumb towards the door.
“Great,” said Janet. “David’s finishing up in the shower upstairs and I’m next. You can watch them for a bit while I get ready.”
Jake frowned.
“Oh stop,” Janet said, slapping him on the chest. “Twenty minutes won’t kill you. It might be good training for when it’s your turn,” she teased.
Jake gave a sigh of mock exasperation as he gave in. “Okay guys, let’s go have a look at Uncle Jake’s car.”
Janet smiled as he led them outside, taking one hand each.
Jake let the birthday boy sit in the driver’s side as he sat next to him in the passenger seat with Kenny on his lap. He watched, laughing as Sam made growling noises and pretended to drive the car as it sat there with the ignition off. Meanwhile Kenny pressed the knobs and buttons asking what each one was for.
This wasn’t so bad, thought Jake as he watched the two boys explore the car. Maybe he’d finally give in to Janet’s constant hints start thinking about starting his own little brood. Of course, he’d need a woman first. He thought of Natalie again, wondering if she wanted kids. Why couldn’t he get her off of his mind?
Jake was leaning against the railing of the deck in David and Janet’s backyard watching the mass of kids below him run around, throwing water balloons and shooting water guns at one another. It was a festive environment with blue and green streamers and balloons.
Now that the kids were busy playing, Janet took a breather to come lean on the rail next to him.
“So, I didn’t have a chance to mention it earlier, but I got the advance copy of the book,” she said looking out at the boys playing in the large backyard.
Jake turned to her with one eyebrow raised.
“For once, the dedication wasn’t your ‘beloved sister,” she said, smiling. “Should I be jealous?”
Jake gave a small laugh and looked down into the white paint covering the railing. “Yeah…about that.”
“Yeah,” she said looking at him, curiously. “So big brother has a crush. Who is this unicorn that was able to pierce that lone wolf façade you put on?”
Jake turned to her with curiosity. “Am I really that bad?”
“Well, when was the last relationship you’ve actually had?” she probed.
Jake’s eyebrows went up and he tilted his head, ceding the point.
“So, am I going to meet her or what?” Janet asked.
Jake laughed, shaking his head. “That’s the crazy part. It was a one-night stand.”
One eyebrow shot up on Janet’s face. “And just like that, you were hooked?”
Jake looked out at the boys playing, thinking about it. “I guess I was.”
“Did you at least keep in touch?” she asked.
“Not really,” he conceded. “I wasn’t sure she’d be interested. I did have the publisher find her and send her an advance copy though. I signed it and put a note in it, if that’s any consolation to you.”
“It’s not me you have to worry about,” she laughed.
Jake turned to her with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Well, Jake,” she said, taking on a paternalistic tone. “You don’t talk to this girl for how long? Then out of the blue she finds out you’ve written a character inspired by her?”
Jake thought about it. If Natalie actually read the book, she’d find her doppelgänger written on almost every page, along with a certain replay of the night they’d had. Perhaps he should have thought this whole thing out a little bit more.
Janet, chuckled as she saw the regret written all over his face. “Don’t worry Jake. It wasn’t that bad. Actually it was pretty…spicy. And Naomi?” She raised her eyebrows and blew out her lips with wonder. “How much is this woman like Naomi anyway?”
“If you’re asking if she’s black, yes she is,” Jake said, inspecting his sister’s face for a reaction.
“Jake,” she said, giving him a condescending look. “You should know I don’t care about that. I do care about the fact that she’s got my brother going gaga and he hasn’t even bothered to keep in touch with her.” She stuck a finger in his chest as she said this.
A scream of bloody murder rang out from the backyard and both heads turned to see a crying Kenny sitting on the ground, completely soaked, with the remnants of a burst water balloon near him.
“He hit me in the face!” cried Kenny.
“I didn’t do anything!” yelled Sam, in response. “He’s just being a baby.”
Janet sighed, rolling her eyes, and taking off to comfort her youngest. Jake watched as she bounded down the steps of the deck and bent down to wrap her arms around Kenny, while patiently giving Sam a talking to.
Earlier in the day he had been thinking about having kids…and he couldn’t even communicate with the only woman he thought about having them with. In the long lull that came about between manuscript and publication of a book, she had slipped into his subconsciousness, popping up every once in a while out of the blue. When he saw a girl walking by in UGGs. Passing by the milk section at the grocery store. He was embarrassed to admit that he still had her underwear tucked in a corner of one of his dresser drawers like some pervert. He wondered what she was up to now. What would she think of the book?
NATALIE
Natalie was in line at FedEx to pick up the package that hadn’t been left on her doorstep. She had come back from Starbucks this morning to find the “Sorry we missed you” note stuck to the door. Having no idea what it could be, she decided to stop by to pick it up on her way to her parent’s house out of curiosity.
Her mom and dad were off to New York this afternoon and, dutiful daughter that she was, Natalie had offered to drive them to LAX and house sit and take care of Pooh Bear, their crazy Pomeranian, for the week they were gone. It didn’t hurt that they had a pool and premium cable, complete with HBO. She needed to get caught up on a few shows.
She stood impatiently in line waiting her turn. Maybe it was a belated birthday present. She had just turned the big 2-9 a week ago. She sighed as she pondered this. The end was nigh. Her dating life just seemed to be going downhill. Updating her profile page on the dating site to reflect her new advanced age probably wouldn’t help anything, especially since she wanted kids. She ran the timeline in her head: 2 years to date; 1 year engagement; a few years to enjoy being child free; first kid; second one 2 years later. Jesus, she’d be almost 40 before it was all said and done.
“Next!” a voice rang out.
She snapped out of her contemplation and walked up to the counter with the slip in her hand. The woman went in back and returned with a medium sized box. Natalie took the box and shook it curiously. Whatever was inside slid back and forth heavily. It sounded like a book.
She ripped the top open as she walked back to her car. She thought of the books on her wish list on Amazon
. Maybe someone had seen it and bought her something as a birthday gift. She was pretty sure Amazon didn’t use FedEx though. Curiosity was getting the best of her.
She sat in the driver’s seat of her car as she reached in to pull out the book. It was a hardcover edition: In the Heat of the Moment, by Jake Steele.
Natalie frowned, looking at the cover. She turned to the description written on the back of the book.
Nick Zane is at it again. A threat to the British Parliament from the notorious terrorist organization, ONUS, leads Nick on a hunt from the streets of London to the desserts of Syria. In order to stop the deadly plot against one of America’s closest allies, Nick must join forces with the sexy Naomi Davidson of MI-6. Will Nick be able to keep his trademark cool when the danger starts getting close…or will his new partner cause him to get lost in the heat of the moment?
Natalie’s frown only deepened. Apart from the implied love interest, it certainly didn’t sound like any book she’d be interested in. She picked up the FedEx box again to read the address, thinking maybe she’d received the wrong package. Her correct name and address were on the front.
She flipped open the front cover and saw the bold handwriting in black marker.
To Natalie,
Thanks for keeping me warm that night in Tahoe.
As promised, my book.
Jake
Her mouth fell open as she read it again. She opened the back flap inside the book and saw the familiar face staring back at her. Her heart skipped a beat as vivid memories of their night came back to her. She could feel her face grow warm as the blood rushed through her body. He looked even better than she remembered.
It was a nicely done photograph of him sitting on a concrete ledge somewhere outside. His legs were spread and one elbow rested on each knee as he leaned in, hands crossed, to give a serious look to the camera with those piercing hazel-green eyes. His clothing was just as casual as his pose: a plain gray t-shirt, snug enough to show off the fact that he lifted weights, but not so snug that he looked like he was showing off; a faded pair of blue jeans and a pair of brown laced hiking boots. Ruggedly handsome.
The women looking at this photo probably got their panties wet before they even read page one.
Natalie could feel her own body responding as she looked at the photograph. She flipped back to the handwriting on the first page. Her fingers traced the black ink, remembering his touch that night in Lake Tahoe. She smiled guiltily as a shiver ran through her body.
That’s when she noticed the dedication above the writing:
This book is dedicated to Natalie, my muse, and the inspiration for Naomi.
Natalie’s face creased with confusion. She looked at the description on the back and noted that Naomi was a character in the book, a “sexy” character in the book. She wasn’t quite sure how to take that. Part of her was obviously flattered. So Jake thought she was sexy, huh?
Another part of her wondered exactly how this “Naomi” had been written. Did she even look like Natalie? Was she actually black? That would be interesting. She’d just have to dig into it and find out.
Natalie turned back to the picture of Jake in the back, with a smile. So Jake Cavanaugh was really Jake Steele. Her dad would get a kick out of that. He loved this series.
Dad!
Natalie’s head snapped up remembering that she had to pick up her parents to take them to the airport. She threw the book on the passenger seat, forgetting about it, and turned on the engine. If she didn’t get a move on, she’d be late. Even on Saturday, L.A. traffic was terrible.
Her parents were waiting outside by the time she pulled up.
“Sorry, sorry!” she exclaimed as she jumped out of the car to hug them.
“It’s fine, dear,” her mother said, kissing her on the cheek. “We still have time.”
“Have you forgotten we live in L.A.?” her dad reminded her mom. “Nothing in this city is ever ‘fine’ when it comes to driving anywhere.”
Her parents lived in Ladera Heights, in the same house Natalie had grown up in. It was a mostly African-American community of beautifully manicured lawns and retro, mid-century style houses. A far cry from the small apartment Natalie lived in near the U.S.C. campus. Staying here for a week would be like a mini vacation.
“Don’t worry, the airport is just up the 405,” Natalie said, grabbing her mom’s rolling suitcase and leading it to the trunk of her Toyota Corolla.
“You say that like it’s supposed to make me feel better,” her dad grumbled, putting his bag in the trunk and heading to the passenger side.
“You’ll get there in plenty of time,” she assured them, stuffing her mom’s bag in the trunk.
“What’s this?” she heard her dad say. “You read Jake Steele? I would have thought he wasn’t up your alley.”
Natalie’s head popped up over the trunk. “What?!” she exclaimed. Dammit! Why had she left the book on the car seat?
“Hmm, I haven’t seen this one before,” he said, opening the side door. “I thought I had read them all.”
“No, Dad it’s—”
Too late, she saw him reach in and pick up the book, turning it over to read the back. “This is a new one,” he exclaimed, reading the description. “Naomi? What’s with this Naomi character?”
She shut the trunk and quickly walked over to try and rescue it from his hands. He held it away from her, giving her a scornful look. She cringed when he opened the front and saw the handwriting.
“To Natalie, Thanks for keeping me…” he mumbled the rest of the words to himself.
She stood there, feeling like a 5-year-old who had just been caught stealing a cookie, as he gave her a long inquiring look.
“He’s a friend, Dad. That’s all.” Even to her own ears it sounded lame.
“A friend that you keep warm at night, huh?” he said.
“Can I just have it back?” she said desperately, reaching for the book again. “You’re going to be late!”
“Nonsense!” he said, pulling the book out of reach again. “Honey, I don’t care what business you get up to with your ‘friends,’ but this is a new Nick Zane novel and I’ve got a 6 hour flight ahead of me. You don’t even like these kinds of books.
“I think it would be a gracious gesture of a loving daughter to let her father have first dibs,” he said congenially.
Natalie stared at him open-mouthed. “Daddy!” she pleaded, slipping into the label she only used when she was mad or happy.
“Can we please take this into the car?” her mother chimed in. “If you two keep at it, we really are going to be late!”
Her dad gave her a pointed look, holding the book out of reach. She sighed ruefully and rolled her eyes, jogging around to the driver’s side. Her dad got into the passenger side while her mom sat behind her. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she turned on the ignition. He was re-reading the front page.
“Well look at that,” he said turning around to his wife. “Natalie is the ‘inspiration for Naomi’ it says right here. Our very own daughter is a ‘muse,’ ” he said teasingly.
“How well, do you know this man, Natalie?” her mother asked with blatant curiosity.
“He’s just a friend, you guys!” Natalie insisted, backing out of the driveway. They both laughed.
As she headed toward the freeway she sincerely hoped that there wasn’t too much similarity between Naomi and her…at least as far as her interaction with Jake.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
JAKE
“The early reviews are in and they loved it.”
Jake was with Martha at Kelly’s again. He was digging into a Spanish omelette, nodding his head after taking a full bite. He washed it down with a gulp of black coffee.
“That’s great,” he said. “So why the big secret to lure me down here again? You know you don’t have to play coy if you just want to check out my body, Martha,” he teased.
“Don’t make talk you can’t follow up on, sonny,” s
he chided. “If you’d seen me in my heyday, you would be putting your money where your mouth is.”
Jake laughed in response, enjoying the banter. He really was curious, though. Martha had called with some “good news” that he “probably might not like.” Whatever that meant.
“So I guess that’s the ‘good news?’ ” he said. “So what am I not going to like then?”
Martha pursed her lips and gave him a speculative look. Finally she sighed and said, “They want you to do a book tour.”
Jake dropped the fork full of egg and potato and leaned back in his seat. He brought his head back with a groan. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here this morning.”
Then he brought his head up to look at her accusingly. “You’re going to try and talk me into it aren’t you? That’s why you wanted to meet me face to face; butter me up with breakfast, try and sweet talk me into it?” he charged.
“Well it’s your own fault for coming out of the closet, so to speak,” she replied. “Now that they have a face, people are hungry to know more about the man behind it.”
“If I say no?” he prodded.
“It’s your right,” she said, matter-of-factly, “but don’t you think the people who support you deserve a little something in return? And besides, what is it to you? You get to fly to the best cities in the country and stay at nice hotels, all on Wright’s bill. Think of it like a vacation.”
“A vacation full of people with nothing better to do than come hang out at bookstores and hear me read a page from my book,” he grumbled.
“Hey!” Martha said sharply, “These are your fans. They pay your bills, sonny. More importantly, they pay my bills. I won’t have you putting them down.”
One Night: A BWWM Interracial Romance Page 8
