by Tina Martin
What Donovan Wants
The Accidental Series, Book 4 (Donovan’s Story)
By Tina Martin
Copyright @ 2014 by Tina Martin
Smashwords Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written consent of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and products are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events is entirely coincidental.
Visit the author’s website at: www.tinamartin.net.
What Donovan Wants
~ Chapter One ~
Donovan sat immobile, laid back in the driver seat of his black Audi daydreaming about Teresa. He was painfully aware in this moment of all the times he missed telling her how much he loved her. All the times he could’ve left work early to be with her. All the times they argued over the silliest, most insignificant things that drove married people crazy. Now she was gone and all those clichés about loving someone while there were still here echoed loud and clear in his head on the hot June day. Had he known the exact date and time Teresa would’ve died, that she would pass soon after giving birth to their son, he would have mapped out a game plan of how they would spend each moment, up to the very last seconds. But that’s the tricky thing about death. It strikes unannounced, like a thief in the night and suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye you’re gone.
Dust in the wind...
It had been five years since he lost her and he never thought he could fall in love again. Actually, he never wanted to fall in love after that traumatic experience because when she died, something in him died with her. His desire to love had dissipated and working, burying himself in his career, took the place of the loneliness he felt in his heart. Then seven months ago, something unexpected happened. He met a woman named Shayla Kline.
Shayla had been new to the area and interviewed with him for an accounting position in his department at Zenadel Electronics. While she sat across from him, answering questions about her previous work experience, her skills in accounts receivable and data analytics, his eyes studied her. She was a perfect catch, until he realized that she was in love with another man, his old college buddy, Carter Williams.
He balled a fist, striking the steering wheel out of frustration. Why did he have to fall for Shayla? In his defense, when he first met and interviewed her, she was single, not seeing anyone and it wasn’t until after he’d gotten to know her, and fall for her, that she married Carter. If only he moved a little quicker, maybe things would’ve turned out differently.
Donovan punched the steering wheel again then rubbed his hands across his head. Starting the engine now, he contemplated driving away from the dock and not boarding the large cruise ship vessel docked there – the mini vacation his mother begged him to take. She said he needed to get away, take some time away from his highly demanding job and the strain of being a single father. She wanted him to get out and mingle, meet someone special and climb up out of the rut he was in. But all Donovan wanted to do was go back home, sit in seclusion and daydream about Shayla as he’d done occasionally and more frequently for the last two months.
In many ways, Shayla reminded him of Teresa and maybe that’s why he was so fond of her. Shayla was sweet, soft-spoken, fun to be around and beautiful. She was light-skinned with a head full of beautiful black curls that danced around her shoulders and down her back. Dimples gave her a look of innocence while her high cheekbones echoed sophistication. Why couldn’t she be his?
Why?
Unrequited love was doing a number on him mentally and physically. It was self-torture to want someone so badly only to have them deny you time and time again, like you weren’t good enough. Sadly, this was his reality.
Make up your mind Donovan. Are you going on this cruise or not? Getting some time away from his mother was the only benefit to getting on the ship. He wouldn’t miss her constant nagging one bit: “Son, you gotta start dating again,” and “My grandson needs a mother.” She was relentless and Donovan wasn’t trying to hear it. It would not have been so bad if she only said it once or twice, but every time she laid eyes on him she brought up something about him needing a woman in his life.
Donovan blew an angry breath, took one of his bags to check-in, then made his way through the line, finally boarding the ship with a smaller suitcase. This having been his first cruise, he marveled at the size of the ship. It was enormous, fully equipped with eleven decks, several perfectly decorated lounge areas and all the entertainment anyone could want – swimming, golf, basketball, volleyball, tennis, live music and dancing, just to name a few.
Donovan found his stateroom on the third deck, scoping out the décor of the room and peeping inside the bathroom to analyze its size, thinking to himself how tiny the space was. Then he sat on the queen-sized bed and tested it by bouncing just slightly. After filing his clothes neatly in the closet, he sat on the bed again and sighed. Why hadn’t love worked out for him? Even after he ditched the bachelor life, met Teresa, and was supposed to live happily ever after, things hadn’t worked out. Never did he imagine he would be a single father. But that’s where he found himself in life. Single, and somebody’s father. And after so many years of grieving Teresa’s death, he finally met another woman whom he saw a future with. But she was taken.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Who is it?” Donovan asked. Who could it be, knocking at his door? He didn’t know anyone on board and he planned on keeping it that way.
“Sir, I think you dropped this,” the voice of a man said from behind the closed door.
Donovan blew a frustrated breath, stood up from the bed and walked to the door with a lazy stroll. He opened it and saw a man standing there in uniformed clothes holding a shoe, which apparently fell out of Donovan’s bag as he carelessly dragged it up to the room. Having refused service, he took his own bags to his room.
“Yeah, that’s mine,” Donovan said, taking the Louis Vuitton shoe from the attendant. “Thanks.”
“Welcome, Sir. My name is Mark. I’ll be one of the attendants on this deck for the duration of your cruise. If you need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to—”
“Okay man. Thanks.” Donovan pushed the door closed, dropped the shoe in front of the bathroom door then returned to the bed, just sitting there. Why on earth had he decided to go on this cruise? Was it too late to get off the ship?
He rubbed his hands over his head and sighed again before grabbing his key card and taking the elevator to the top floor. He didn’t even bother to look in the mirror or brush his hair before he left his room. He usually gave the utmost attention to his appearance – not in an obsessive fashion, but with the normal amount of consideration as any other male his age.
Donovan was a handsome thirty-five-year-old black man with a muscular build and a medium buttery brown complexion. He was tall, towering at about six feet, two inches. His eyes were dark brown and amazingly bright, and his bleach white teeth were the envy of dentists. His semi-curly, jet black hair hadn’t been cut in months but that didn’t take away from his appearance. If anything, it enhanced it. He was one fine-looking man – the kind of guy women couldn’t help but stare at.
Donovan found himself walking around the top deck, staring out into the harbor. The cruise staff were kicking off a bon voyage party, with techno music blaring from the speakers while they served drinks in logo-imprinted cruise flutes. He took a drink from a server, then stood next to the railing, staring out into the water, smelling the fresh ocean
breeze. Taking a pair of dark shades from his pocket, he slid them on his face, as his white short-sleeved, button-up shirt fluttered in the June wind. And they were off...
~ Chapter Two ~
Donovan woke up when he felt a soft hand against his forearm. He was relaxed, laid back in a blue lounge chair and when he opened his eyes, he saw a woman, about the same complexion as him with curly, black hair that fell around her shoulders. She was beautiful and for a moment, he thought he was dreaming. But when she waved her hand in front of his face, he knew this was no dream.
“Are you okay?” she asked, looking amused.
Donovan frowned. “Uh, yeah. Who are you?”
“Oh. Sorry. I was just passing by and you looked like you were in distress, so...”
Donovan flashed an annoyed squint her way. “That’s rude.”
“Rude? How’s that ru—”
“Well, as you can clearly see I’m not in any sort of distress,” Donovan replied, cutting her off. “Now, can I help you with something?”
She sucked her teeth and said, “Nope. Sorry to have bothered you.” She walked away and mumbled, “Such a jerk.”
Donovan stood up, stretched and walked back to his room. Sitting on the bed again, he thought about the kisses he practically stole from Shayla. Her smell, the sweet scent of sweet flowers, still lingered in his nose. How could he let himself become so dangerously infatuated with her?
* * *
After a two-hour nap, Donovan headed down to the dining room to have dinner at his pre-scheduled time of 6:30 p.m. He sat alone at a two-person table near the window. He ordered a glass of wine, chose lobster for his dinner entrée and a salad for an appetizer. Waiting for his food to arrive, he sat there scanning the dining area, looking at fellow travelers. A group of women sat at a round table nearby, but he noticed the place was mostly occupied with couples – another reason he didn’t want to board the ship. As a single man who’d just had his heart broken, the last thing he needed was to be trapped in open waters with kissy-kissy, lovey-dovey couples who couldn’t keep their hands off of each other.
He turned around in his seat to get a view of the rear of the dining room and that’s when he saw her, the woman who asked him if he was okay earlier. She was sitting with another woman, chatting it up and carrying on some gesture-filled, enthusiastic conversation. Now that he had the opportunity to see her from a distance, she looked young, wore a dark pink lipstick, her hair still hanging loose. He glanced away but something about her smile made him look again and this time, their eyes connected and he watched a magical smile fall from her face. He quickly glanced away, took a sip of wine and looked out of the window instead.
He finished his meal quickly then went to the outer deck to stare at the water as he’d done earlier in the day. Before long, he began to daydream about Shayla. He longed to hold her that very moment, to drown his hands in her sea of hair and kiss her lips yet again. While he was standing there with his hands in his pocket, he looked to his right and saw that woman again, just standing there, staring off into the darkness.
Is she following me or what?
She looked to her left and saw him looking at her. “Well, if it isn’t the rude guy.”
Donovan smirked and coolly slid his hands in the pockets of his slacks. “Rude? You called me a jerk, but I’m rude?”
“I called you a jerk because you yelled at me. I was trying to help you.”
“There was nothing to help with.”
“You were talking...loudly...in your sleep...scared a few people. I came over to see if you were okay.”
“And who are you? Cruise ship security?” he asked, looking mildly amused.
“No. Just a concerned citizen.”
“Well, if you want to police people who are speaking in elevated tones that’s ostensibly not to your liking, try the dining room. As a matter of fact, try every place on this ship.”
Donovan stared back off into the darkness.
“This is wonderful,” Kamila said in a sarcastic tone. “It’s not every day I get scolded for trying to help somebody.”
“Your help was not needed or solicited,” he said, looking at her again.
“You’re mean.”
“And you’re annoying.”
Kamila’s mouth fell open. “Annoying?”
“Yeah. Annoying. I didn’t come on this cruise to make friends, nor hear little girls tell me how they tried to save the day.”
She furrowed her brows. “And where do you see a little girl?”
Donovan turned his back to her and as he walked away, he said, “I don’t see her now.”
Freakin’ jerk, she thought, but still keeping things light-hearted, she yelled, “My name is Kamila, by the way.”
The man was discourteous, but she was accustomed to dealing with men as such. Her ex-boyfriend, Tony, was the king of the jerks. He cheated on her and made her out to be the bad one. Still, she stood strong and her best friend Lori convinced her to come on the cruise to get away from the situation. She wasn’t on this ship to make friends either...
~ Chapter Three ~
“Oh my goodness. This breakfast buffet is the truth, girl,” Lori said, sitting across from Kamila, stuffing her mouth with eggs, chased by a generous spoonful of cheese grits.
“Yeah, it’s good. Who would’ve thought that cruise food would be this delicious?” Kamila took a bite out of a strip of bacon and saw the man who she’d dubbed ‘the jerk’ sitting near a window with a plate of food in front of him but he wasn’t eating. He looked like he was in deep thought.
“Who are you staring at?” Lori asked her.
“You see that guy over there by the window?”
Lori turned around and got a quick look of the guy. “Yeah?”
“That’s the same guy that was sitting by the pool yesterday...the one I went over to check on.”
Lori looked at Kamila sideways. Was she really interested in some strange man she met on a cruise, especially after Tony had shattered her heart? Kamila wasn’t the type to hop from man-to-man. She wasn’t even the type of woman who would be brave enough to approach a man. “Well, let me wipe that drool from your mouth,” Lori said, then laughed. “For a woman who just came out of a bad situation, you are staring mighty hard.”
“Oh, whatever.”
“No, it’s not whatever. You are staring at that man like you want him on your plate, laying next to those strips of bacon.” Lori laughed while falling back in her chair.
Kamila smiled, rolled her eyes and stood up. “I’ll be back, silly.” She took her plate of food with her and made a beeline for ‘the jerk’s’ table.
Donovan looked up and saw her approaching, mumbling some unpleasantries under his breath. Is this girl for real?
Kamila sat down and said, “Hi.” She planted a wide, bright smile on her face.
“You don’t give up do you?”
“I just think it’s completely unfair that you’re traveling alone and you look miserable. So I’m making myself available for you.”
Donovan furrowed his brows. “You’re making yourself availa...look, um, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m a very grown capable man. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m a very grown, capable woman and—”
His laughter cut her off.
“What’s so funny?” she inquired, eyebrows raised.
“How old are you? Twenty?”
“I’m twenty-six.”
Donovan snapped his head back, analyzing her. She sure didn’t look twenty-six. More like nineteen. “You look a lot younger than twenty-six.”
“Thanks, I think.” Kamila picked up a strip of bacon, took a bite then asked, “How old are you?”
“Look, ah...” he said, searching for her name.
“Kamila,” she said.
“Right...Kamila. Listen, I’m trying to enjoy my breakfast in peace.”
“Me too, so things would work out a lot better for the both of us if you pulled that
thorn out of your flesh and talked to me.” She held his gaze for a moment, finding their exchange comical, but she didn’t crack a smile because he looked to be seriously irritated.
“I don’t have a thorn in my flesh,” he snapped.
“Okay, well the stick up your butt, the chip on your shoulder...get where I’m going here?”
With cold eyes, he said, “I didn’t come on this cruise to make friends.”
“I know. You told me that already.”
“Then why are you bothering me?”
“Why do you think I’m trying to be your friend? That a bit presumptuous of you, don’t you think?”
He frowned and looked out the window again.
“Tell you what...tell me how old you are and I’ll take my plate, leave you to your misery and go back over there with my friend,” she propositioned.
“I’m thirty-five,” Donovan said quickly.
Kamila smiled but didn’t move.
“Thought you said you were going to leave?”
“I lied.” She shot an evil grin his way.
“So not only are you annoying, you’re also a liar.”
Kamila’s mouth fell open. Did he just say that out loud? She couldn’t even think of a smart comeback for something so cold-hearted and brash.
Since she didn’t leave, he decided to. Standing, he said, “I’m not in the mood for your frolicsomeness, so do me a favor and please, just leave me alone from now on.”
Kamila watched him walk away. He had a sexy walk to go along with that well-maintained body, but his attitude sucked. He was rude and he didn’t want to be bothered, so she wouldn’t bother him again.
* * *
Donovan returned to his room, took out his cell and found Shayla’s number. He promised himself he wouldn’t bother her again, but even after months of not speaking with her, he still wanted to hear her voice, to talk to her. He needed to, like it was an addiction and having contact with her would be his fix. Using the phone on the nightstand, he dialed her number, feeling his heart race as he anxiously waited for her to pick up.
