Perfect Timing

by Brenda Jackson

  “Trust me, you don’t have to remind me, Mya.”

  “Okay then, you understand where I’m coming from, don’t you?” Mya asked. She raised her brow when Maxi’s attention was captured by something behind her back. Mya peered around to see what it was.

  Christopher.

  And he had seen them and was headed their way. Mya turned back to Maxi and watched as Maxi continued to looked at Christopher while unconsciously licking her bottom lip with her tongue. “You know what, Maxi?” Mya said breaking into Maxi’s deep concentration.

  Maxi broke eye contact with Christopher and looked at Mya. “What?”

  “I hope you remember my warning.”

  “Good morning, ladies.”

  Maxi smiled nervously at him, remembering the intimacy of the kiss they’d shared last night and the response he had gotten out of her just from kissing her. She was still tingling in the area between her legs that his fingers had touched. “Good morning, Christopher.”

  Mya couldn’t help but smother a grin. The sexual tension between Maxi and Christopher was so thick you could cut it with a knife. “Good morning, Christopher. You haven’t run into my hubby have you?”

  Christopher slowly shifted his gaze from Maxi to Mya. “Yes, in fact I did. He’s on his way up and said to tell you that as soon as he can grab a bagel and a cup of coffee he’ll be ready for us to go.”

  “You’re still going with us?” Maxi asked surprised.

  Christopher’s gaze returned to hers. “Yes, I’m still invited to go along, aren’t I?”

  “Sure, I just thought you might have changed your mind.”

  There was a moment of dead silence before he spoke. “Do you prefer that I not go, Maxi?”

  She shook her head. “Of course not.”

  Sensing that these two needed to be alone for a while, Mya cleared her throat and said. “I left my sunglasses in the cabin. Excuse me while I go back and get them.”

  Christopher took the seat Mya vacated. “Should we have told her that her sunglasses were sitting real pretty atop her head?” he asked Maxi, grinning.

  Maxi chuckled. “No. She would have found another excuse to leave us alone for a while.”

  Christopher nodded. He then studied Maxi. It may have been his imagination but to his way of thinking she still had that thoroughly kissed look on her face. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

  “Yes. What about you?”

  He started to tell her he had slept with a hard-on all night but decided that wouldn’t be the proper thing to do. Instead he said. “Yes, I slept hard as a rock.”

  As soon as he said it, a fission of heat curled around in his stomach. He watched her pick up a piece of toast then opened her mouth to receive it. He wished it were his tongue going into her mouth instead of that piece of toast. She must have felt his eyes on her and she slanted him a glance that almost took his breath away and made him realize just how beautiful she was. It should be against the law for any woman to look this good in the morning, he thought, gazing across the table at her. She had her hair combed back under a Dallas Cowboys cap, with little pearl earrings in her ears. He could tell she had on barely any makeup but she had such a natural glow about her that he thought she really didn’t need any.

  “So, do you plan to shop the day away?” he asked, thinking steady conversation would ease the tension he felt pressing against his zipper.

  “Yes, there’s a few items I want to buy. I told Mama I would bring her something back.”

  He nodded. Then there was dead silence again. After a few moments he said. “Maxi, why are we so uncomfortable around each other this morning?”

  Maxi took a sip of her coffee, ignoring the fact it had turned cold and said quietly. “I don’t know. You tell me. You’re the one who was gone when I woke up this morning.”

  “And you think I did it to avoid you?”

  She stared at him. “Didn’t you?”

  There was dead silence again.

  “Well, didn’t you?” she asked again when the silence stretched on too long.

  “Yes,” he said truthfully after a few moments. “We talked about some pretty heavy stuff last night, Maxi.”

  “Yes, we did. Would you have preferred that we hadn’t talked?”

  “No, not as long as we both understand that all those feelings are in the past.”

  She looked at him from beneath her lashes. “And where else would they be, Christopher?” she asked quietly.

  He looked at her, inwardly acknowledging that he was the uncertain one. Like he told her whatever feelings they’d once had for each other should remain in the past but a part of him wished to hell they were in the present, and that was what was bothering him more than anything. During the last few years, after hearing about her pending marriage, he hadn’t thought about her…at least the majority of the time he hadn’t. But he knew things wouldn’t be that easy once he returned to Detroit; especially since he had kissed her, had touched her, and had tasted her. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be a torment he would have to find a way to deal with.

  “And where else would they be, Christopher?” Maxi repeated when he had not given her an answer.

  “Nowhere but in the past where they belong. What we felt for each other was then and this is now. I’m not looking for an involvement with anyone, Maxi.”

  “Neither am I.”

  He held her gaze for a moment then nodded, satisfied with her answer. “So things are back to normal and we’re just friends again. No more kissing, no more touching, no more—”

  “Looking at each other funny?”

  He looked at her and she grinned. He shook his head and grinned back. Leave it to Maxi to make an uncomfortable situation comfortable. “Yeah, and no more looking at each other funny.” He reached his hand out to her. “Come on, let’s go find Garrett and Mya. I intend for us to enjoy ourselves in the Cayman Islands.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Three nights later at the class reunion banquet, Christopher sat at a table with Garrett, barely listening to what he was saying. His mind was all wrapped up in thoughts of Maxi. They had spent the remaining days of the cruise sticking to the agreement they had made. He wasn’t supposed to think about kissing or touching her but that’s all he’d been thinking about. And he wasn’t supposed to look at her funny. But several times he had caught himself looking at her funny anyway and he knew that on more than one occasion she had noticed him looking. Hell. So much for breaking his own rules. To make things easier on them, he usually left the cabin early and came back late when he knew she would be asleep. He wasn’t sure how she spent her days but they weren’t with him. Other than the day they had spent together with the Rivers touring the Cayman Islands, they had basically gone their separate ways ever since.

  “I don’t like talking to myself, Chandler. If I’m boring you, just say so.”

  Garrett’s words cut into Christopher’s thoughts. He took a quick glance into the other man’s face and smiled apologetically. “Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.”

  “Yeah, that was obvious. I see Maxi still keeps your mind in a spin.”

  Christopher lifted a brow. He wasn’t sure he wanted to discuss Maxi with Garrett. After all, the man was married to Maxi’s best friend and there was no doubt in Christopher’s mind that anything he said to Garrett would probably get back to Mya. When two people had been together for as long as Garrett and Mya had, they usually shared everything. But still…

  “What do you mean she still keeps my mind in a spin?”

  Garrett chuckled. “That’s just a figure of speech. What I mean is that it’s nice to know Mya and I aren’t the only two people in our high school class who’re still into each other after ten years.”

  Christopher took a sip of his brandy. “Now that’s where you’re wrong, Rivers. Maxi and I aren’t still into each other. Being on this cruise is the first time we’ve been together in over ten years.”

  “So, what’s that supposed to mean
? A lot could have happened in seven days.”

  Christopher frowned. “Trust me, it didn’t.”

  Garrett took a huge swig of his beer before saying. “The cruise isn’t over yet. This ship doesn’t pull into port until tomorrow. And the way I see it, it’s either you or Swindel and personally, I prefer seeing Maxi end up with you.”

  Christopher shot Garrett a disapproving glare. “What do you mean it’s me or Swindel? Maxi isn’t interested in him.”

  “No, but he’s interested in her. Just like you, he always had a thing for Maxi. He’s just been going about it the wrong way. One day I expect he’ll wake up and realize he can’t use the same approach with her that he uses with other women. She’s not impressed by what possessions a person has or doesn’t have.”

  Christopher nodded. He knew that much was true. “Swindel will be wasting his time.”

  “How can you be so sure of that?” Garrett asked. “Who knows what might happen if Swindel turns over a new leaf? Remember he still lives in Savannah and you don’t. That makes the playing field uneven, so to speak.”

  Christopher glared at Garrett. If the man was trying to get him angry, it was working. But still, he was determined to keep his cool. “There is no playing field, Rivers. Maxi and I are nothing more than friends. Whatever I felt for her ten years ago is dead and buried, and I intend for it to stay that way.”

  Garrett nodded slowly. “Okay, if that’s the way you feel. Then it shouldn’t bother you that Swindel and a few others have zeroed in on the fact that you’ve taken a step back.”

  Christopher frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Garrett smiled. “What I’m talking about Chandler is that for years everyone knew there was an unspoken understanding of just who Maxi belonged to, even if Maxi never knew it herself. Now for the past few days you’ve been trying to make it obvious that you no longer have a thing for her, and that leaves it wide open to anyone who may have been interested but who’d always kept a safe distance for fear of your wrath. Now technically, you’ve given them your blessings. Take a look.”

  Christopher’s gaze followed Garrett’s across the room. Maxi had just walked in and immediately she was surrounded by a number of the single men from their class reunion group. But what irked Christopher more than anything was the fact that somehow Swindel had worked his way to her side and had his hand on her arm.

  Christopher took a deep breath and swallowed his rising anger. “Your wife is also surrounded by them, Rivers,” he decided to point out.

  “Yeah, but they know Mya’s taken. My name is stamped all over her. Make no mistake about it, although my woman looks good too, those men are there because of Maxi. For the first time you aren’t her protector and they’re taking full advantage of that fact. Things should be real interesting tonight, Chandler. Real interesting.”

  Christopher glanced around the table. Just as Garrett had predicted, things were real interesting. When Maxi and Mya had finally made it to their table, those men, including Swindel, had had the audacity to follow and each took a seat. And it didn’t help matters that the outfit Maxi was wearing was enough to give a man cardiac arrest because it afforded everyone a glimpse of her lush cleavage every time she leaned forward. And you better believe that, other than Garrett, who was too caught up with how good his own wife was looking, every man’s gaze at the table was centered on Maxi. Although Christopher knew she hadn’t intentionally dressed provocatively, her outfit was provocative just the same. Hell, a plain flannel gown buttoned up to the neck would look provocative on Maxi.

  He studied the faces at the table. It was crowded and it seemed everyone was speaking at once, all vying for Maxi’s attention, but it was Colter Watson’s deep, loud voice that eventually captured it.

  “So, Maxi, I hear your church is one of the ones that protested the proposed tearing down of the houses in that old housing project off Vine Street.”

  Christopher’s interest was immediately drawn to the conversation. He listened to Maxi’s response. “Yes, the city plans to tear them down and rezone all that land for commercial use. The sad thing is that they have no plans to build more housing elsewhere for the people who live there. Literally, that will be putting them out on the streets.”

  “But think of the additional revenue the city will make if they sell the land to a developer,” Ronald Swindel said before glancing across the table at Christopher. “It’s my opinion that the people who live in the Vines will eventually find somewhere to live. I support the tearing down of that neighborhood. It has been an eyesore in Savannah for years. Nothing ever came from out of the Vines but trash.”

  Everyone got deathly quiet at Swindel’s insult since it was a known fact that Christopher had lived in that particular housing project from the time he was born until the time he had moved away from Savannah.

  Christopher put down the drink he was holding, deciding to knock the hell out of Swindel once and for all. But then, beneath the table he felt Maxi’s hand lightly squeeze his thigh, a silent plea for him not to. He inhaled deeply to contain his anger as he met Swindel’s glare. The man was just waiting for him to respond and he was more than willing to do so by putting a fist in his face. But Maxi’s hand on his thigh stopped him. His fingers slipped beneath the table and tightened over her hand to assure her he was okay and that he wouldn’t cause a scene.

  “It doesn’t surprise me that you would think that way, Ronald,” said Maxi, who had been fuming ever since he’d made the slur and finally spoke up, breaking into the silence surrounding the table. “But I happen to disagree. More than just trash came out of the Vines. I can’t help but admire people who can rise up above their less than desirable situation and make something of themselves. I would think all of us could appreciate that.”

  Ronald cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed by Maxi’s statement. “What I meant is that I used to get more calls from that area of town than any other area. There was always something going on over there regarding drugs, prostitution, and domestic violence. You name it, the Vines had it.”

  “Yes, and fortunately that meant job security for you, didn’t it?” Maxi asked in a curt tone. She had everyone’s attention because it was evident that she was angry. And one thing everyone knew was that it wasn’t easy to get Maxine Chandler angry but Ronald Swindel had succeeded. Ronald knew it, too, and was trying desperately to back-pedal into her good graces.

  Christopher sighed when it occurred to him that Maxi’s hand was still resting on his thigh and his hand was still covering hers. They were breaking one of their rules of not touching, but he didn’t want to pull his hand away and it appeared neither did she.

  He had watched her dance with just about every man at the table, including Garrett, and when another song, a slow one, started playing he knew it was now his time to dance with her. But before he could ask her, Swindel stood up and reached his hand across the table for hers, smiling.

  “Finally a slow number. Come on, Maxi, let’s dance.”

  Maxi couldn’t believe that Ronald couldn’t see how upset she was with him. She looked at his outstretched hand before saying softly. “Sorry, Ronald, I’ve promised this dance to Christopher.” She then looked over at Christopher hoping he wouldn’t make her into a liar.

  He didn’t.

  He stood when Ronald had the common sense to sit down. Taking Maxi’s hand in his, Christopher led the way from their table to the dance floor. Once there he pulled her in, wrapped his arms around her and with the music playing softly in the background he began moving slowly in place.

  The moment their bodies touched, Christopher wondered why he had been avoiding the feel of this for the past three days? Why had he set himself up for such punishment? She felt wonderful in his arms and when she slipped her arms around his neck, he thought he had died and gone to heaven. The feel of her breasts on his chest was torture in one way and rapture in another. And the alluring scent of her perfume was something else he had to contend with. He pull
ed her closer when he realized the times she’d danced with others tonight had been fast numbers, including the one time she had danced with Swindel, but she had reserved this slow number just for him.

  A part of him wanted to whisper to her that he had missed her these past three days. He had missed being around her, kissing her, touching her, and the freedom of looking at her funny. He had missed everything about her. And he had been miserable. He had felt alone. It was ironic that he felt that way since his main reason for coming on the cruise was to be alone and to rest. But once he had run into Maxi, that had changed. Like always, she had been like a magnet pulling him in, and he hadn’t been able to resist. And he hadn’t been resting at night knowing she was in the same room with him, just on the other side. So close, yet so far away. He had dreamed about her every night and flashes of those dreams were on his mind now. Vividly. He felt his body harden.

  “A penny for your thoughts,” Maxi said breaking the silence between them.

  Christopher looked down at her. It would probably scare her to death if she knew he’d been thinking of the many ways and positions that he wanted to make love to her. Instead of answering her, he continued to stare at her and knew the exact moment she got an idea what he’d been thinking. He was sure his hard front pressing tight against her middle was a dead giveaway. He watched her quick intake of breath, then continued to watch as her bottom lip quivered nervously. He wanted so badly to take his tongue and calm those lips.

  “It’s not working is it, Christopher?”

  He didn’t pretend not to know what she was talking about. “No, it’s not.”

  She let out a deep sigh. “I’m sure we can survive this one night since the cruise ends tomorrow.”

  This one night. It suddenly occurred to him that that’s all they had. “I’m not so sure about that,” he said huskily.

  “Why?” she asked. He could tell she was confused. But then so was he. What they had felt for each other ten years ago shouldn’t be coming back to toy with them, especially when those feelings had no place in either of their lives now. And especially when a relationship was the last thing he wanted with any woman, including Maxi.