Hunted

by Sharon C. Cooper

  With a glass of amber liquor in one hand, he pulled her close and placed a kiss on her cheek as she entered the house. He then greeted Myles with a one-armed hug, which was awkward, seeing that he was still carrying Collin.

  Geneva stepped to the side while Mason offered his condolences to Myles, and conversation ensued. She inhaled deeply; the savory aroma wafting through the house tickled her nose and had her stomach growling. Knowing Aunt Carolyn was hard at work in the kitchen, Geneva couldn’t wait to eat.

  She stood in the open foyer under a magnificent Swarovski crystal chandelier and glanced around. The house might’ve been grand with crazy-tall ceilings, marbled floors, and elegant double-curved staircases, but it always felt warm and inviting. Probably because of the pops of bold turquoise on a couple of the walls and unique pieces of furniture everywhere you looked. There was a coziness about the home that made her feel welcomed the moment she walked in.

  “Honey, who’s at the door?” London called from the top of the stairs. Seconds later, she was on her way down.

  Geneva smiled as her friend practically glided down the stairs, looking like royalty in a white pantsuit with silver accents. She definitely didn’t look like a woman who had pushed out five babies over the last few years. London was petite, and it seemed her body bounced back into shape after each child.

  “Oh, my goodness, I’m so glad you guys were able to make it,” she said when she reached them.

  “Check out the birthday girl lookin’ all cute,” Geneva said and set down the gift bag in order to embrace her friend. “Your hair still looks good, girl.”

  Geneva had done London’s hair days before her shop had been destroyed. The short pixie cut was perfect for her face shape.

  London patted the sides of her head as she grinned. “Girl, I love this cut. I’ve been able to just get up and go without much fuss.”

  Being reassured with another satisfied client immediately made Geneva think about her salon. She lived to help women look their best, and she couldn’t do that with her beauty shop coated in soot. It would be a minimum of six weeks before she could get back up and running again. In the meantime, Myles suggested she start looking for a different place in a better neighborhood. If only it were that easy. She was already established where she was. Would her clients follow her to a new location?

  There was so much to consider, but she didn’t shoot down his idea—especially when he promised to help in any way he could.

  Myles hugged London, wishing her a happy birthday while she offered her condolences. Hopefully, all of the attention wouldn’t send him running for the hills. Like Geneva didn’t want to be constantly reminded of her salon, at least for the evening, Myles didn’t want to discuss his personal life.

  Coco barked and moved around in front of London with her tail wagging, trying to get her attention.

  “Coco, calm down,” Geneva said, tightening her hold on the dog’s leash.

  “You might as well let her roam around,” Mason said, “Because once the kids know she’s here, they’ll be all over her.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, there was a loud thump above their head and what sounded like a herd of elephants running toward the stairs.

  “Here they come,” London said, rolling her eyes. “So, Collin, I’m glad you came to visit us. How old are you?”

  Collin glanced at Myles.

  “You’re not shy. Tell her.”

  “Three,” he eventually said, then hid his face in the crook of Myles’s neck.

  London laughed. “Well, he’ll warm up soon enough when our crew finds out he and Coco are here.”

  Myles set Collin down just as some of the kids bolted down the stairs. The twins, who were identical boys, were the spitting image of their father, except they had full heads of hair.

  “Coco!” They said in unison before sliding to the floor to roughhouse with her dog.

  The last child pulling up the rear was Miracle, the second to youngest. She was closest to Collin’s age, and Geneva’s heart melted at the sight of her. She was petite like her mother and had two long ponytails hanging past her shoulders. Also, like London, she was dressed in all white with silver ballet slippers.

  Except her white top had a red stain in the center of it.

  She was too adorable, and Geneva couldn’t help the smile spreading across her face when Miracle walked up to Collin.

  “Hi,” she said and reached for his hand. “Do you want to play?”

  “She’s our social butterfly,” London whispered as Miracle held Collin’s hand while they walked up the stairs. Coco and the twins were right behind them.

  Mason squeezed Myles’s shoulder. “Don’t look so worried. He’ll be fine. They’re upstairs with the nanny, and I’ll check on them throughout the evening.”

  Aunt Carolyn appeared in the hallway that led to the kitchen and walked toward them wearing one of her cute cardigan twinsets. She loved her bright colors. This set was hot pink, paired with black pants. It didn’t matter when Geneva saw her, or whether the woman was cooking or baking something, she was always perfectly coordinated. Like this evening, with matching jewelry and hot pink flats.

  “Welcome! Welcome,” she said and made a beeline to Myles. “I have sweetness to share. Come get a dose.”

  They all laughed as she wrapped her arms around him and held on. Mason was her favorite nephew, but she was crazy about Atlanta’s Finest, especially Laz. But it was evident every time Myles came around that Aunt Carolyn had a soft spot for him. She held onto him for a minute, then turned to Geneva and winked.

  “My girl. Give me some love.”

  Geneva giggled and accepted the warm hug. She laughed even harder when Aunt Carolyn whispered in her ear, “You did good. That dark chocolate goodness is a keeper.”

  “Okay, it’s good seeing you two,” Aunt Carolyn said, releasing Geneva, “but I need to get back in the kitchen and check on my peach cobbler.” She disappeared back down the hall just as fast as she had appeared.

  “Y’all come on in and make yourself at home,” Mason said, leading Myles toward the back of the house and probably to the walkout basement where the guys usually hung out.

  “And you,” London said, looping her arm through Geneva’s and giving her a wicked grin, “got some explaining to do. The ladies are in the family room. Before we go in there, I want all the details about you and Myles, even the nasty stuff.”

  Geneva burst out laughing. “I knew you were a closet freak.” She jabbed her finger at her friend. “That’s why you got all those doggone kids. Always trying to blame it on Mase. Now the truth comes out.”

  “Shhh.” London waved to quiet her and glanced around conspiratorially. “Don’t tell nobody.”

  Geneva laughed even harder. After the last few days she’d had, this was what she needed—girl-time with the women in her life.

  Who knows, maybe they can give me some pointers on how to handle Myles.

  *

  An hour into the party, Myles was ready to call it a night. If it weren’t for Geneva and Collin, he would’ve left fifty-five minutes ago. Actually, if it weren’t for them, he probably wouldn’t have attended in the first place. Not because he didn’t enjoy being around his friends. No, it had everything to do with his brain working overtime.

  Seeing Whitney lying in the morgue the other day had shaken him more than he thought possible. He still hadn’t wrapped his mind around the fact that he’d never be able to talk to her again. But it was seeing her lifeless body that brought it all home.

  She was gone.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten choked up. Yet, seeing her like that had roused emotions he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Even now, the tightness in his chest brought on by memories they’d shared was almost suffocating.

  How was he going to make it without her? How was he going to raise a well-rounded child without her input? They were a team. They might not have ever been in a romantic relationship, but he l
oved her more than he could’ve ever expressed. He needed her as much as Collin did.

  Standing at the entrance to the kid’s playroom, Myles watched his son sitting at a small table across from Miracle, coloring. Since meeting downstairs, the two kids had been inseparable, and Coco was always close. Even when Mason’s oldest son had taken her outside for a few minutes, the moment the dog entered the house, she was back at Collin’s side.

  Myles felt awful about Whitney, but he was glad Geneva and Coco were filling a void.

  Thinking of Geneva, he turned from the door and headed back to the first floor. The women were laughing and talking in the family room, while the men occupied the basement, watching an NBA game and talking trash.

  When Myles reached the bottom step, Geneva was exiting the kitchen with a small plate of food.

  “Hey you,” she said and walked up to him, kissing him on the lips as if it were the most natural thing to do.

  When she started to pull back, he caught her around the waist and held her close. “I’ve missed you,” he said, unable to stop the words before they flew from his mouth. He couldn’t ever remember saying that to a woman. Ever.

  A slow, sensual smile spread across her tempting mouth and had him wanting to carry her out of there. He’d give all the money in his wallet for some quality time with her.

  If only they weren’t in a house full of people…

  Myles couldn’t wait to get her alone, though he didn’t know when that would be. How they were going to make a relationship work was a mystery to him. It was also wild that he wanted it to work. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t think of anything he wanted more than he wanted her, and it was a good feeling.

  “I missed you, too. I started to come downstairs a couple of times, but I stopped myself. I didn’t want to come across as clingy,” she whispered close to his ear, and her sweet-smelling perfume was doing wicked things to his body.

  He placed a lingering kiss on the spot just below her ear that always got her revved up. “Feel free to be clingy anytime.”

  Geneva moaned and slipped her free arm around his waist, making the front of their bodies flush.

  “If you keep kissing me like that, you’re going to get something started,” she crooned.

  Myles released a long sigh. That’s exactly what he wanted to do, but it wasn’t the right time or place. He was still kicking himself for the other morning when they were in bed, and he stopped what was about to be some wild sex.

  Never again. The next time either one of them got something started in the bedroom, they were going to finish it.

  Geneva eased out of his hold and held up a small pastry. “Taste this. It literally melts in your mouth.”

  Myles wasn’t much of a sweet-eater, but having her feed him was too tempting to pass up. He opened for her, their eyes not breaking contact as he savored the sweet treat. Chocolate and marshmallow burst onto his tongue. She was right. It practically melted in his mouth.

  “That’s amazing,” he said just before she fed him the rest of it. He locked his mouth around her finger, causing her to gasp before she started laughing.

  Slowly easing her index finger from his mouth, she said, “Oh, you’re really playing with fire.” She leaned in and kissed him, her lips as sweet as the treat he’d just eaten.

  Yeah, he wanted her.

  Someone cleared their throat, and they both looked over to find Laz shaking his head with a smirk on his face. How had he walked into the house without either of them noticing?

  “Knock that shit off. Or better yet, take it somewhere else,” Laz said and kept walking. No doubt he was going in search of Journey and their daughter.

  “I love the way you think, brother-in-law,” Geneva called after him, then returned her attention to Myles. “I need to get back in there and finish watching a chick-flick. But the moment it’s done, I’m coming to find you, and we’re going to pick up where we left off. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Myles watched her walk away, not missing the extra swing action of her hips.

  Oh, yeah, they were definitely going to pick up where they left off.

  Chapter Eleven

  Myles was heading back down the stairs when Laz caught up to him.

  “You and Gen looked pretty cozy up there.”

  “Yeah, you all right with that?” Myles asked, even though it didn’t matter what anyone thought. He did whatever the hell he wanted to, and Geneva was no different.

  “Cool by me. She needs someone solid like you who ain’t gon’ take crap. Though I have to admit, I’m shocked that you kept her attention. You know I usually refer to her as the man-eater. Chews them up, then spits them out. Yet, you’ve lasted longer than most. That’s impressive. I just hope you both know what you’re doing, especially with your current situation.”

  Myles nodded in agreement. He had talked to Laz late last night and filled him in on what little he knew about Whitney’s accident.

  Myles knew he had no business starting a relationship with Geneva, especially now. All his focus should be on raising Collin. Problem was, Geneva was in his system, and he couldn’t shake her. Not that he wanted to. If anything, he wanted to be with her morning, noon, and night. A first for him. He was crazy about the woman and was actually looking forward to seeing how things played out between them.

  Myles followed Laz to the buffet table that was set up near the patio door. Aunt Carolyn had prepared enough food to feed an army. She had a nice spread on every floor of the house.

  “I need to holler at you about something,” Myles said.

  Laz grabbed a paper plate. “All right, you can talk while I get something to eat. I’ve been waiting all day for this.”

  Myles looked around the basement, trying to figure out where they could talk in private. Like the rest of the house, the space was huge. There was a game room where a poker table and pool table took up much of the area. A theater room was tucked away at the far end of the basement and was large enough to seat twenty people. Some of the guys were in there, still watching the NBA game.

  A few feet away from where he and Laz were standing, a seventy-two-inch flat-screen television hung on the wall, and some of the younger security specialists were playing the latest Madden. To say they were loud was an understatement.

  “How about we talk outside on the patio?”

  “Works for me. Grab me a beer, would you?” Laz said around a mouthful of food and headed to the door that led to the covered patio.

  Once they were outside, Myles turned on one of the heaters, and they sat at one of the patio tables. It was colder than usual for an October evening, but the quiet atmosphere was enjoyable. The patio overlooked a fenced-in Olympic-sized swimming pool and beyond that was the guest house. The property sat on two acres, and Myles was curious to see what else Mason and London had planned for the land.

  “So, what’s on your mind?” Laz asked between bites.

  Myles took a long drag from his beer before speaking. “Why’d you get Geneva a gun?”

  Laz huffed out a breath but didn’t seem surprised by the question. “What was I supposed to do? She came to me and told me she was having trouble with some punk kids and wanted a gun.”

  “And you didn’t think to talk her out of it?” Myles snapped and glared at his hazel-green-eyed friend, who resembled the actor Theo Theodoridis. Sometimes he just couldn’t figure the guy out. “A convicted felon comes to you because she’s having trouble with some thugs, and you give her a gun? What type of sense does that make? Heck, you could’ve even gotten Ham to put someone on her,” he said of their boss, Hamilton Crosby. Geneva was part of the Supreme Security family, and they always took care of family.

  “I suggested that, but Geneva said it wasn’t serious enough to have a security detail.”

  “Not that serious? Yet, she needed a gun.” Myles gritted his teeth to keep from saying something he might later regret as anger boiled inside of him.

  Laz and Geneva were two of a kind�
�hotheads that didn’t always think before doing something stupid.

  “Does Journey know?”

  “Of course not. She would’ve killed me. You know Gen is like a little sister to me.” He shrugged. “I wanted to help her out. She asked for a gun. I gave her one.”

  “Even though it could land her in jail,” Myles said as a statement more than a question as he tried to hold onto his temper that was slipping.

  “That wouldn’t have happened.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I know people, and I would’ve gotten—”

  “Dammit, man!” Myles pounded his fist on the table, making their beer bottles rattle. “You might know people, but you can’t control everything, especially the justice system.”

  Myles could admit that Laz was well connected. As a former police detective, he knew people on both sides of the law. And when he put his mind to anything, legal or not, things happened. Laz was a force to be reckoned with, and Myles was glad they were on the same team. His friend wasn’t a man he’d want as an enemy.

  “Why didn’t you tell me Geneva was having trouble?” Myles asked.

  “Dude, why would I?” Now Laz was the one glaring. “Your ass said that there was nothing going on between you two. Y’all was just kicking it. I think those were your exact words. But then Journey said that she had a feeling something more was developing between you two. I figured I’d test her theory.”

  “And you set me up,” Myles finished, thinking about how Laz had asked him to stop by Geneva’s shop and help her lock up. He was glad he had because there was no telling what those thugs would’ve done to her.

  Laz shrugged again and finished off the chicken wing he’d been chomping on. “What can I say? I’m married to a brilliant woman. I would’ve bet money that you and Gen were just hanging out. Clearly, I would’ve lost that bet.”

  Myles didn’t say anything as he stared out into the night. What could he say? He and Geneva hooking up had caught him off guard months ago during Kenton and Egypt’s wedding reception and even more so now that they were dating exclusively.