Perfect Timing

by Brenda Jackson

  Maxi smiled helplessly. She wasn’t surprised that now that she and Mya had cleared the air about what had put a rift in their friendship ten years ago, it seemed natural for things to be back to normal with them. In a way they were somewhat better. They were older, mature, and they knew what they’d missed out on during the years they hadn’t kept in touch. Neither wanted to go there again. True friendship was hard to find. And when two people had a history like they did, it was something you couldn’t discount or throw away because of a misunderstanding. Restoring their friendship had been much more than just an effort. For the two of them it had been crucial. She hadn’t realized just how much she had missed their girl talks until now. And there was so much she wanted to share with Mya. Things she hadn’t been able to share with anyone, not even her mom. Although she and her mother had a close relationship there were certain things you just couldn’t share with your mom. Like this intense attraction she had for Christopher.

  “What do you think is going on?” she finally asked.

  “You tell me. Of all the people for you to get your cabin mixed up with, you get Christopher Chandler, Mister Bad Boy himself. He still looks good, you know,” Mya said smiling.

  “Yeah, I know,” Maxi said grinning. “I would have to be blind not to know. And the reason for the mix-up is pretty logical when you think about it since we have the same last name. The computer goofed.”

  “Lucky you and Christopher.”

  Maxi shook her head. “There’s nothing going on between us, Mya. Although he’s made a few comments to let me know he’s noticed me as a woman, there’s nothing else there. It’s like old times when he and I were friends. There’s still a part of him he won’t share with anyone. So I guess you can say in a way he’s still a loner. I can tell that he still lives by his own rules and allows very few people to get close to him.”

  “Yeah, but you did get close to him once, Maxi. You got closer to him than anyone at school. And from the way he kept looking at you tonight, I believe you can do so again.”

  “But I don’t want to get close to him. A lot of things are going on in my life, Mya. A man is the last thing I need right now.” She inhaled deeply before continuing. “My doctor has informed me that I need surgery.”

  Mya sat up straight in her chair. “What kind of surgery?”

  “A hysterectomy. The doctor discovered I had fibroid tumors several years ago and lately they’d taken on a life of their own and have begun growing on me, literally.”

  Mya nodded. “Have you had a second opinion?”

  “Yes, and additional tests were taken to see if there’s any other way. So far there’s not. So that means unless I get pregnant before the surgery, I’ll never have a child.”

  Mya studied the dampness that appeared in Maxi’s eyes. She of all people knew what having a family meant to Maxi and it didn’t seem fair. First her fiancé had gotten killed and now this. She reached across the table and took Maxi’s hand in hers. “I’m going to pray that things work out for you, Maxi. And for some reason I believe they will. You are too good a person not to have the family you’ve always wanted.”

  Maxi smiled through the light tears clouding her eyes. “Thanks and I appreciate that. And please do keep me in your prayers. I’m going to need them. I’m okay when I don’t think about the trials and tribulations I’m going through, but when I do think about them they become almost overbearing and I ask myself why me? Then I stop and think about all the other blessings I’ve had over the years and that makes it easier to bear,” she said softly. “Like your grandmother always said, the Lord gives us strength to endure all things.”

  Mya smiled at the memory. “Amen, sistah.” Tiny lines curved at the bottom of her mouth. “And there’s always adoption. A couple that Garrett and I know adopted a little girl recently and she’s the most adorable child you ever want to see. Anytime Garrett goes around her it reminds him of the daughter he’s always wanted.”

  Maxi nodded. She remembered when they were in school together Garrett would say he wanted to one day have a daughter as beautiful as Mya. Maxi used to think that was the ultimate compliment a man could bestow upon the woman he loved, wanting her to be the mother of his child. “So the two of you plan to have another child?”

  “Yes, but no time soon. Luckily Garrett hasn’t brought the subject up lately and I’m hoping he doesn’t. I just got my career where I want it to be and don’t want to take time off to have another baby.” She tossed off the uncomfortable feeling she’d always had whenever she talked about her job and how much she enjoyed it.

  “And how does Garrett feel about you working? I thought it was a long-standing rule in the Rivers family that the Rivers women don’t work.”

  “It still is, trust me. None of his brothers’ wives work. We’ve had a number of arguments about it. But what good is having a college degree if you don’t ever use it? I wasn’t one of those women who went to college looking for a husband. I already had one when I got there. You know how it is for me. I’ve always enjoyed keeping busy and raising the boys just isn’t enough. I want to feel more useful than that.”

  Maxi smiled, nodding. “What will you do if Garrett brings up the subject of another baby?”

  “I don’t know. I recently got a promotion at work and haven’t told him about it yet. I’m stalling because I know he’s not going to like it if it means I’ll have to travel more.”

  “And will you have to travel more?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. The client I’ve been assigned to operates his business in Orlando.”

  “Orlando is a long way from Dallas.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. I have to pick a good time to drop the bomb on Garrett.”

  “When do you start your new position?”

  “Next month, which means I’ll be going away quite a bit at the beginning of football season. That’s going to be hard since I’ve never missed any of his games, both home and away. I really don’t know how he’ll handle that. I have a specific place where I sit in the stands and if he glances up, he’ll expect to see me there.”

  Maxi nodded. “Things will work out for you and Garrett. The two of you have been together too long for it not to. I don’t know of two other people more in love and dedicated to each other after all these years. You can still make him smile like you used to.”

  Mya chuckled as she remembered how she had him smiling earlier that day. “Yeah, I can make him smile,” she agreed.

  “Keep the intimate details to yourself,” Maxi said jokingly. “Thinking about something like that is pure torture. I haven’t been intimate with anyone since Jason.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “No I’m not. Although I’ve dated occasionally, there hasn’t been anyone who has interested me enough to take things to that level. I guess you can say Jason spoiled me for any other man. I don’t want an affair with anyone where I’m just considered his possession. I want more. I want the same thing Jason offered me—a chance to have a lasting, loving, and fulfilling relationship with someone who loves me.”

  Mya studied Maxi for a long moment before asking. “What about this thing with Christopher? You can’t convince me you’re not attracted to him.”

  “Well, yeah, it would be hard for any woman not to be attracted to him. But what’s new? I was attracted to him in school.”

  “But I bet you didn’t know he was attracted to you as well. In fact it went beyond attraction. According to Garrett, Christopher pretty much warned all the guys away from you.”

  Maxi lifted a brow. Was that what Garrett had meant when he’d made that comment earlier that night? “Garrett told you that?”

  “Yeah, can you believe it? And from the way Garrett talked, it had been going on for a long time and not just during our senior year of high school.”

  Maxi briskly pushed away the romantic thoughts that began swarming around in her head. “But he never said anything about it to me.”

  “Do you really think he would have
back then? He probably saw himself as not worthy of your affections and decided not to pursue anything with you. But evidently he figured just because he wasn’t going to pursue you didn’t mean you were open game to anyone else. According to Garrett it was understood that you belonged to Christopher and he protected you from all those other guys. That’s the reason he and Ronald never got along.”

  Maxi inhaled deeply. “Ronald said something to that effect tonight but I refused to believe him. I had no idea.”

  “And evidently Christopher wanted it that way.” Mya lifted a curious brow. “Now that you know how he felt about you back then what are you going to do about it?”

  “Nothing. That was years ago, Mya. He probably hasn’t given me a thought during the past ten years.”

  “But he’s evidently giving you some thought now. While you were circulating around the room tonight he was watching you with enough intensity to make every single male at the reception know you’re still off limits.”

  Maxi regarded Mya’s statement thoughtfully for a moment, her mind recalling that night’s event. Whenever she had looked up, she had noticed Christopher’s eyes on her, his expression controlled, his gaze sharp, clear, piercing, as he regarded her with open…What?…Interest? Admiration? Lust? The thought that his full attention had been focused on her sent the blood racing through her veins.

  Maxi released a deep sigh. “Even if there is interest on his part, Mya, the timing right now is lousy.”

  Mya sat back in her chair smiling. She had noted Christopher’s interest in Maxi tonight, which had prompted her to ask him a few questions. “I happen to disagree, kiddo. I think it’s perfect timing.”

  The light from the hall caught Christopher’s attention when Maxi entered the cabin returning from the midnight buffet. “Enjoy yourself?” he whispered to her in the darkness.

  “Oh, Christopher, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “You didn’t. I wasn’t asleep. Did you enjoy yourself?”

  She turned on the lamp on the dresser, bringing light into the room. He lay in bed, flat on his back with his head propped up on the pillow and wearing pajamas just for her modesty. She met his eyes. Again the look in them was intense and almost took her breath away. “Yes, Mya and I almost ate ourselves silly. You should have joined us,” she said softly, finally answering his question.

  “I ran into Garrett in one of the casinos and hung out with him for a while, then decided to come back here and turn in.” He tried not to notice her removing the flower from her hair, with such care and attention. A part of him imagined her touching him exactly that same way. He cleared his throat. “Will you be hanging out with the Rivers tomorrow?”

  Tomorrow was deemed a “fun day at sea.” A lot of different activities had been planned as the ship made its way toward the Cayman Islands. “No, Mya and Garrett will be doing their own thing. Although she invited me to join them, I didn’t want to intrude on their time together. Why?”

  “No reason. I think I’m going to just chill by the pool and read an interesting book I brought along.”

  She nodded. He was letting her know in a nice way that he didn’t intend to spend any time with her tomorrow. “All right.” Without saying another word she pulled her pajamas out of the dresser drawer and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  A short while later Christopher watched Maxi come out of the bathroom wearing a pair of silk pajamas. They were red. His favorite color. And in his opinion she looked sexy as hell in them. Although she didn’t look over in his direction his eyes stayed on her as she turned off the light.

  “Goodnight, Christopher.”

  “Goodnight, Maxi.”

  He heard the sound of her knees touching the floor. She was saying her prayers, he concluded, and tried to recall the last time he’d said his. His body tightened moments later when he heard the sound of her pushing the covers back to slip into bed.

  He lay awake for several long, tormented hours listening to the evenness of her breathing, letting him know she had drifted off to sleep. He shifted position in bed thinking just how deep Maxi was getting under his skin. Desire was a powerful emotion when it came to Maxine Chandler, and he was determined to be careful how he dealt with it.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Christopher tried shutting off thoughts of Maxi as he picked up the telephone to call Gabe. He had gotten out of bed early that morning and had quickly dressed and left the cabin without waking her. He had spent his day lounging by the pool, reading. Only once had he seen her from a distance. She’d been with Connie Adams and Geri Hunter, two women from their group who had also come on the cruise as singles.

  He tapped his hand against the phone as he waited for his call to connect. He was dialing Gabe’s private number.

  “This better be good, Chris,” a rough voice snarled into the phone.

  A smile lifted one corner of Christopher’s mouth. “How did you know it was me?”

  “This is my private number. I talked to the folks earlier so I figured it must be you. Why are you calling me? I thought you understood you were to enjoy yourself and not worry about things here.”

  A tiny frown flickered across Christopher’s brow as he released a deep sigh. “I know, but it’s hard.”

  “Then try making it easy. Go find a woman to spend time with. I’m sure there are quite a few on that ship. I understand that more and more women are going on cruises alone looking for Mr. Right, or Mr. Wrong, depending on the way you look at it.”

  “So there’s nothing I need to know?”

  “No, there’s not. Everything’s fine, so relax and enjoy yourself. And you better hope I don’t tell Mama you called checking up on things.”

  Christopher could feel his lips curving into an even deeper smile than before. “Hey, I’m sure you have the good sense not to. If I suffer, so do you, pal. Remember that.”

  “Yeah, yeah, just don’t call back. We’ll see you in a week. And do like I said and find yourself a woman.”

  Christopher whirled around when he heard the sound of the cabin door opening. His gaze immediately connected to Maxi. He felt his muscles tensed. He couldn’t delude himself regarding his feelings for her any longer. Although he wasn’t sure just what the hell those feelings were, he knew he could not put distance between them any more than he could make this ship turn around and go back to Tampa. No matter how much he’d tried not to think about her today, he had. No matter how much he’d tried getting into the book he was reading, she was never far from his mind.

  “Hey, Chris. You still there? Did you hear what I said? Find yourself a woman.”

  Gabe’s voice on the other end of the phone reminded Christopher that he was still talking to someone. “I already have,” he replied gruffly before hanging up the phone on his friend. “Hi,” he greeted Maxi softly as he placed the phone back in the cradle. He tried not to notice how good she looked in a pair of khaki shorts and a polo shirt. He cleared his throat. “How was your day?”

  He felt tension, the same tension he’d experienced earlier, slowly ebb from Maxi as she entered the room and closed the door, letting him know that he wasn’t the only one uptight. She continued to look at him as if he was a puzzle she didn’t know where to start putting together. “Fine, and yours?”

  “It was fine, too,” he said shifting to another foot, suddenly feeling shy and uncertain around her. The thought that he was behaving in such a manner with any woman was alarming. “Made any plans for dinner?”

  She met his gaze. “No. Have you?”

  He shook his head. “No. Would you join me for dinner?”

  “Sure,” she answered, meeting his gaze. “Do you want to keep our second dinner call or do you want me to change it to the first?”

  “Second is fine since I want to go back by the pool and finish up the book I’m reading,” he said like he really thought that would be possible.

  “Okay. I’m just going to lie down and take a nap for a while.”

>   He smiled. “I’ll catch you later.”

  Taking a deep breath he walked passed her as he left the cabin.

  Later that evening, Christopher watched as Maxi nibbled on a succulent piece of shrimp. He was getting turned on—big time, literally, just watching how she was devouring the piece of seafood with her mouth. He’d never seen anything like it. His dark gaze followed every movement her mouth made. He inhaled deeply, wishing he could replace the shrimp with his tongue and let her nibble on that for a while. He changed position in his seat, trying to relieve the ache consuming the lower part of his body.

  His sheer sexual magnetism toward her had increased ever since she had walked out of the bathroom dressed for dinner. Tonight was Captain’s Night and he had chosen to wear a black tuxedo and she was wearing the most sexy-looking gown he’d ever seen on a woman’s body. Just like her eating of the shrimp, the shoulderless tea-length white gown was a total turn-on. He wasn’t sure how much longer he would last before the zipper on his pants burst at the seam. He was glad he was sitting down and hoped he would cool off before he had to stand. Exposing such an arousal would be embarrassing.

  Maxi looked up and flinched slightly at the impact of Christopher’s piercing dark eyes. “Is something wrong?” she asked wondering why he was watching her so intently. Then she recalled her and Mya’s conversation and swallowed the lump in her throat.

  Almost reluctantly, Christopher shifted his gaze from her mouth to her eyes. “No, nothing’s wrong. Why do you ask?”

  “Because,” she said, saying the single word softly under her breath. “Your eyes were glued to my mouth.”

  A few seconds ticked by before he responded. “Were they?”

  “Yes.”

  “Umm…I was just wondering.”

  “About what?”

  “Has anyone ever kissed you senseless?”

  His statement sent a vivid picture to Maxi’s sexually charged brain. “No.”

  “What about your fiancé?” he asked. His eyes seemed to harden and locked with hers. “Didn’t the two of you ever do some heavy-duty kissing?”