Tonight

by Nana Malone

  “I knew it!” Deja felt her gut clench.

  “So what? A kiss. It was just a kiss, Deja. And Jon is constantly asking about you so it must have been good. Right? Is that why you make a point to ignore the poor guy whenever he comes into a room? Never mind. We decided to help you out.”

  “Help me?” Deja asked.

  Dee grinned.

  “Why can’t you two mind your own damn business?” Deja asked. “That would be a great help.”

  “Calm down! Dina and I thought it might be cool if you came to the island and got a chance to loosen up. Have some fun. They say a lot of things about Jon but boring isn’t one of them.”

  “It’s not cool.” Deja let her exasperation show. “And with him of all people.”

  “Jon is a nice guy. If you give him a chance you might find out you like him.”

  “The man is a wolf. He sleeps with hundreds of women. Lives that life. C’mon, Dee, you know what kind of jerk he is. You said it yourself before you married into this family!”

  “I was wrong. I judged him before I met him. Like you’re currently doing. Talk to him. See for yourself. He’s harmless.”

  “Okay, let’s stop.” Deja sat on the edge of the bed. “Forget the dating game. I haven’t seen you in so long.”

  Dee smiled. “We Skype all the time.”

  “Not the same and you know it.” Deja chuckled. “Sorry I missed the baby shower. Tell me what’s going on with you. Why is your blood pressure high?” She put her hand on her kid sister’s stomach. Tears glistened in her sister’s eyes.

  “I’m going to be a mother. Can you believe it?” Dee asked.

  “I’m so happy for you,” Deja nodded.

  “They said I couldn’t overdo it. The last trimester the baby is growing fast. I need to slow down and take it easy. Cliff is worried. That’s why we are sharing our second anniversary with friends and family. He thinks it will be calming to have you here.”

  “Will it be?” Deja asked.

  “This island calms me. I’m too happy for stress. But I can understand my husband’s fears. I don’t need him having anxiety attacks over my dance moves.”

  The sisters shared a laugh.

  “I wish Dina could have come,” Deja said through her smile. “I told her I’d pay for it. But she said no.”

  Deja touched her sister’s cheek. “Dina had to work. I’m here and Daddy arrives tomorrow. That’s all we need.”

  “Mama? Have you spoken to her?” Dee asked with a ring of hope in her voice.

  Their mother had been estranged from them in the past few years since the divorce. She didn’t come to the wedding, and she barely returned any of their calls. She thought her mom was punishing them for siding with their father during the divorce. Ironically it was dear old mom who would miss out on the most precious changes in her daughters’ lives. “Let’s not worry about Ma. We got some celebrating to do.”

  Dee grinned. “You have to get changed. Wear something cute.”

  “This is cute.” Deja stood and spun in her yellow summer dress.

  Dee arched a brow. “Okay, not cute. Wear something sexy. A bikini.”

  “Please, I’m not going to dinner in a bikini,” Deja laughed.

  “Everyone is. And let’s face it, Deja, you got the best damn body of us three. Tonight is going to be so beautiful. We own a private island not far from here. We have it all planned. Music, a man eating fire, and lanterns to light up the entire beach so we can dance and swim under the moon. I’m so excited!” she clapped.

  “I thought you weren’t coming?”

  “Well, I’m still working on that,” Dee winked.

  Deja looked her sister over. Dee was positively glowing with beauty and happiness. “The things I do for you,” Deja said with a chuckle.

  “Go on! Get dressed! Shoo!” Dee said.

  Shaking her head and blowing a kiss from her hand, Deja left.

  * * *

  Jon popped the twist cap off the bottle of ginger beer and drank it down. He dropped onto a wicker chair underneath the lazy blades of a large ceiling fan. The outdoor decks to the back of the resort faced the sea and a few tourists were out enjoying the day. He had intended to drift off to sleep on top of his favorite hammock under one of the palms but this was as far as he got. Jon took another long swig of the cool ginger beer.

  “Something wrong?” his brother asked.

  He didn’t bother to look up. He had overreacted. He knew it and it was too late to undo it. Deja must really think him a jackass.

  “Did you pick up Dee’s sister from the airport?” Cliff asked.

  Jon closed his eyes.

  His brother cast a cool look back at him from over his shoulder. “I asked you a question. Did you bring her?”

  “You know I did.” Jon sighed. He drank down the last of his beer and sat upright. He looked over to Cliff. “Got a question for you, little brother.”

  “I don’t have any time for games, Jon.”

  “It’s a simple question.” Jon waited a beat. His brother stared at him expectantly. “What keeps you up at night?”

  His brother turned to fully face him. He rested on the balcony with his back to the ocean wind and swaying palms. “The thought of anything going wrong with Dee and the baby when she goes into labor. That’s what keeps me up at night.”

  Jon nodded. “Want to know what keeps me up at night?”

  His brother blinked and then gave him a single nod.

  “That maybe Dad is right about me. Maybe what everybody thinks of me is who I am.”

  “You care what people think?” Cliff asked.

  “People? Hell, no. Dad? You? I pretend I don’t. Pretty good at it, too.” Jon chuckled. “But yeah. I guess I do.”

  Before Cliff could respond with one of his generic pep talks Jon stood. He shook his head and walked off.

  Chapter 2

  Sailing

  A fresh shower made all the difference. Jon walked out of the resort lobby to where everyone had gathered. The calypso band led the way. He inhaled the sweet fragrance of the evening wind blowing in from the sea and the tropical flowers that bloomed on every branch. With his hands in his pockets and his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses he had arrived almost in time for the dinner announcement in progress.

  “So again, thank you all for coming. Celebrating my marriage to the most special woman in the world.” Cliff kissed Dee and then kissed her swollen tummy. Most of those gathered cheered. Dee laughed and rubbed the top of her husband’s head. He then continued with his speech. “This evening we sail at sunset. It’s the most beautiful time on the island. Our island is just three miles off the coast. We will take my yacht and you will all be swept up in paradise. Join us tonight as we celebrate the day that changed our lives forever!” He raised his glass.

  The guests raised their glasses in salute to the toast. And Cliff kissed his wife. Jon had seen enough. He searched the smiling faces for the one person he intended to spend time with that evening. He found her. She sat at a table with friends of his parents. She clapped and chatted easily with the elderly couple. Deja, too, had changed. She wore a turquoise sarong that tied sexily just above her bosom. He couldn’t see much more. Her hair was smoothed back from her face and pinned neatly to the back of her head. Large white feather earrings dropped from her lobes. She glanced his way. When her eyes landed on him they didn’t shift away. Those damn eyes of hers. That was the beginning. The spark that had made him touch her in the elevator and want to again. He didn’t read the same disapproval he’d seen earlier in her stare and he seized the moment. He was an ass and he intended to say so.

  Jon made his way to the table. People began to rise from theirs. Many swarmed the couple with cheer and congratulations for the new addition to the Hendrix family.
To his relief the couple that were with Deja did so, as well. She was alone by the time he reached her. “May I?” he asked.

  She nodded but didn’t speak.

  * * *

  The words stuck on her throat and she could barely utter a sound. She’d been waiting to see him again. She’d rehearsed her apology in her head several times. He had changed into another white linen shirt but this time he wore blue shorts that stopped at his knees. The open buttons to the front of his shirt revealed the muscular length of his neck and chest. Kissed by the sun, the man’s skin appeared tanned all over. She had to swallow to be sure she wasn’t drooling.

  “I owe you an apology,” he began.

  Damn right he did! She gave him a pleasant smile but didn’t respond.

  He removed his sunglasses and dropped them in his front pocket. Now she could see his bedroom eyes. They peered down at her under long dark lashes. She still couldn’t determine if they were blue or gray. His dark hair and light eyes were a striking contrast. His mouth took on a sensuous curve. Could the man read her thoughts, she wondered. His charm revealed more about him than any of the blog sites and magazines ever did. This was Jon Hendrix being sincere. And it was a real turn-on.

  “Earlier, you simply stated your opinion and I was rude to you. Guess you hit a nerve. I know what most people think about me. And some of it is true. But that kiss we shared, sweetheart? That was unforgettable. I’ve been trying to have a conversation with you ever since.”

  Deja reached for her glass of water. She took a sip of the cool liquid and swallowed. The knot that blocked speech in her throat cleared. She flashed him a polite smile. “I apologize, too. The kiss was...” She glanced away because the firepower in his gaze was just too intense. “Nice. But it was just a kiss, Jon. It happened two years ago...”

  “On this very day—” he interjected.

  She returned her gaze to him. “We should let it go.”

  “Agreed. Friends?” he asked and extended his hand.

  She glanced to his hand and then up to his smile. After a brief pause she accepted his hand and shook it in return firmly.

  “Got an idea,” he said and glanced back to the others.

  She looked up and saw several of the guests leaving to head toward the yacht. Her sister was laughing merrily with her husband guiding her steps.

  “Sail with me tonight.”

  “I intend to,” she said. “In fact we should be going now.”

  She made to rise but he grabbed her hand. “I have my own boat. We can go for a spin and then head to the island. A short spin,” he winked.

  Deja bit down on her bottom lip. Her skin grew hot and feverish under his touch. She hadn’t allowed herself to encourage the desires she’d suppressed for months. Dating in New York had been one disaster after another. She was done with fickle men and their trivial pursuits.

  “What trouble could we get into on the ocean?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Seriously?”

  “Yes. I want to sail with you. Talk. Get to know you. Hell, we’re family, right?” he asked.

  “True. Brother and sister,” she winked.

  “I wouldn’t go that far. More like brother-in-law and sister-in-law, or whatever. Yeah, forget the family remark.” He wrinkled his nose. Deja laughed again.

  “Damn,” he said smiling.

  “What?” she asked and her hands connected to her waist. She gave him a playful smirk.

  “No offense, sweetheart, but I’m surprised. I had no idea you had such a pretty laugh.”

  “Is that so? You thought my laugh was ugly?”

  “No,” he said and his gaze swept down. She realized that when she put her hands to her hips it had parted her sarong and he could see her bikini. Deja sucked in a breath to make sure her tummy was tight and allowed him the pleasure. Why not? Dee was right about her body. She had worked hard to maintain her figure. Sure she was full in the hips and ass, but that was all natural, as well as her breasts. She lacked no self-confidence in her physical appearance.

  Jon cleared his throat. He then licked and drew in his bottom lip. He dragged his gaze up from the tiny strawberry tattoo just above her bikini line to her face. “It’s the first time you’ve ever laughed around me.”

  Deja paused. He was right. Since she met him she’d given him a smile or two but not a genuine laugh. “Damn is right. This is the first time you’ve given me a reason to.”

  He nodded. “Let me give you another.”

  He stood and her gaze kept climbing as he did. His height alone could convince her of anything. “Okay,” she agreed.

  He dropped his head as if in relief. “The woman said yes!”

  Deja laughed again. What kind of trouble could they get into on a boat? He’d be more focused on showing off than kissing her. Though secretly she hoped he’d try.

  He walked around and extended his arm to her. Deja eased her arm into his.

  * * *

  Jon wasn’t prepared for what was under the sarong. When she stood his manhood jumped in his shorts. It was the sexiest white bikini he’d seen a woman’s curves tucked into. And he’d seen plenty. The sarong was long. It drifted to her feet and pooled behind her. But when she walked it opened and her legs were revealed. And she didn’t shy away from the unveiling. That was the difference between girls and women. Deja had to be in her midthirties. Other than the panic attack in the elevator she had a certain confidence about herself that he didn’t see in the young babes who shared his bed. He appreciated her direct manner. When she allowed him to walk her out from under the terrace, he dropped his gaze over to look at her once more. She glanced up at him and he shook his head again while smiling.

  “My boat’s over there,” he said.

  She nodded. She glanced back to spot her sister and the rest of the guests. A few were walking around on the boat, drinking. “We won’t be far behind,” he assured her.

  “Mmm, okay.”

  The speedboat was docked. They walked in the sand with their feet sinking and holding hands. She was quiet but observant. He watched her slyly as she took notice of everything they passed. Didn’t Cliff say she was a teacher of some sort?

  “So what do you do?” he asked her.

  “Do?”

  “For a living, I mean. I think Cliff said you taught school. Is that right?” he asked.

  She smiled. “College. I teach African-American studies at New York University.”

  “New York, huh? I thought you lived in the bay area?” He had assumed she did. He had just never bothered to confirm it.

  “No. Grew up in Oakland. But I left. In fact I moved to New York and accepted my job right after the wedding.”

  “Oh, cool,” he said and they reached the pier. “Here we are.”

  He owned a Baja two-seater speedboat. Equipped with a booming Jensen sound system and 320 horsepower. It was black with orange racing stripes down the sides and the front.

  “There she is! Her name is Stella,” he announced.

  Deja brows lifted. “She’s interesting.”

  “Interesting! She’s a beaut!” He grabbed her by the waist and she gasped. He swiftly lifted her and put her over the side of the pier into the boat. Quickly he untied the vessel from the pier. Deja laughed playfully when he hopped in. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “I think so,” she said.

  He turned the key and reversed out into the water.

  “So do you live in Miami?” she asked over the motor and the music blaring from the sound system.

  “Sometimes. Got a place in New York, too.” He gave her a sideways glance. She shook her head, smiling. Jon swerved and spun the wheel and sped out over the waters. The slice of the waves sprayed water along the sides and a bit inside the boat. But she wasn’t one of those silly women afraid
to get wet. In fact she tilted her head back and smiled.

  “I would think you didn’t like the water?” he asked. “Most claustrophobics don’t.”

  “It’s okay for me,” she said. “I was forced into swim lessons and competitions since I was seven. Won several. But it was my mother who wanted the next Olympian. Thankfully my father saw how miserable I was at ten and put an end to it.”

  Jon understood. “Parents try to mold their kids into them, don’t they,” he said rather than asked. He slowed down on the speed and led them into a nice glide. He decided to take them west instead of east and circle back. Prolong the journey a bit. “My father had those kinds of expectations of me. First class all the way! He put me in the best schools, got me an Ivy League degree,” he said, casting a wry smile.

  “So why did you go into sports management? Was that his idea?” she asked.

  Jon glanced from the ocean ahead to the beautiful woman next to him. “No. I did it to piss him off.”

  She chuckled. “Are you serious?”

  He nodded. “Yes. Dad groomed his sons for hotel management. We’re Hendrix men and expected to take the reins from him and lead the Hendrix dynasty into the next century. Or some bullshit. I wanted the opposite. Started my own business. Got ahead of a few draft picks before they knew better than to sign with me and I landed some good deals. The rest is history.”

  “Ah, well, I guess no matter what our parents wanted we are our own people, aren’t we?” she smiled.

  “Definitely. Look,” he nodded to the sunset.

  * * *

  Deja looked up to the sky. The timing was perfect. The sun was an orange globe submerged halfway into the sea. It was visual poetry. She relaxed next to him while they watched the sun’s descent. He switched the music to something bluesy and the lull of the boat was almost as seductive as the tips of his fingers light and gentle as they brushed her arm. When the last of the sun disappeared darkness engulfed them. Jon switched on the lights to the speedboat. They were alone.

  “Where’s the island?” she asked.

  “Here.” He tapped the navigation panel. “East. There!” he pointed out to the ocean.