Читать книгу: «A Case for Romance»
“Did you think I was going to take you to some ho-tel, mo-tel Holiday Inn?
“You should know me better than that. You only get the best, baby. And I didn’t want to keep our neighbors up since I think you’re gonna be loud.”
She opened her mouth for an indignant retort and got a mouthful of joy for her efforts. He covered her lips with his and kissed her until she was breathless. “I’m not loud,” she whispered.
“Yes, but you will be.” Still holding her hips, he pulled her closer, stroking and squeezing her butt. “Did I ever tell you what a cute bottom you have?”
“Actually, no, you’ve never mentioned it.”
MILLS & BOON
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MELANIE SCHUSTER
started reading when she was four, and believes that’s why she’s a writer today. She was always fascinated with books and loved telling stories. From the time Melanie was very small she wanted to be a writer. She fell in love with romance novels when she began reading the ones her mother would bring home. She would go to any store that sold paperbacks and load up! Whenever Melanie had a spare moment she was reading. She loves romance fiction because it’s always so hopeful. Despite the harsh realities of life, romance stories always remind readers of the wonderful, exciting adventure of falling in love and meeting your soul mate. Melanie believes in love and romance with all her heart. She finds fulfillment in writing stories about compelling couples who find true, lasting love in the face of all the obstacles out there. She hopes all of her readers find true love. If they’ve already been lucky enough to find love, Melanie hopes that they never forget what it felt like to fall in love.
A Case for Romance
Melanie Schuster
This one is for all my readers. You have encouraged me
in good times and lifted me up during bad times and
I appreciate every one of you. Stay blessed and keep
reading, the best is yet to come.
Dear Reader,
So many of you wanted to know if I was going to write about Ayanna finding love that I was glad I planned this story. Ayanna has been a dedicated mother for so long she’s forgotten all about being a woman. And when her beloved boys spend the summer with her mom in South Carolina, she has the perfect opportunity to have a little fun. She feels comfortable with Johnny Phillips because he’s the brother of her best friend. But he very quickly lets her know that he’s attracted to her in a very non-brotherly fashion. Their dating turns into a steamy affair that Ayanna assumes is just for the summer. Johnny doesn’t have any plans for ending their romance, ever.
I always like books in which the player gets caught up in his own game, and this is a variation on that. Johnny has always vowed that he would never get married, ever. But he can’t make that claim anymore; there’s something about Ayanna that has him sprung, totally caught up. The fact that she’s not taking their relationship as seriously as he is is a real wake-up call for him.
It’s not that Ayanna doesn’t have strong feelings for Johnny—she does. But she decides to get from him what she can, while she can. With Ayanna it’s a case of not getting her feelings hurt by not getting her hopes up.
I wanted to explore the idea that there are two big obstacles that can prevent you from getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, like Johnny, you don’t really know what you want, and sometimes, like Ayanna, you don’t think you can have it because you believe it’s out of your league.
What I have found is that you can make your wishes come true if you’re smart enough to know the deepest desire of your heart and you’re bold enough to go after it.
Stay Blessed,
Melanie
I Chronicles 4:10
MelanieAuthor@aol.com
Acknowledgments
To Gwen Osborne, Janice Sims and my sister Betty Dowdell for always being there for me. Your positive thoughts and prayers always sustain me. A special shout-out to Jan, who keeps me laughing.
And to Jamil, thanks for the running political commentary.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Chapter 1
P leasure swept over Ayanna like the warm water that was falling on her naked body. Standing under a waterfall in a secluded cove on a Hawaiian beach, her low moan was swallowed by her lover’s mouth, the mouth that had taught her more about love and sensuality than she thought possible. A week ago she wouldn’t have believed this kind of abandon was possible, but now she knew for a fact that it could happen. It had happened to her over and over again since their getaway had begun. Ramon had shown her passion beyond belief every day and night, and now he was giving it to her again.
“Ramon.” She sighed as his hands tightened on her butt, pulling her closer to his rock-hard manhood. The sigh turned into a sudden gasp as he lifted her so she could straddle him. The powerful muscles of his thighs were braced to hold her as she clung to his broad shoulders. He looked into her eyes, and her already rapid heartbeat seemed to triple. The way he was filling her yearning body was enough to make her faint, but the look in his ebony eyes was drowning her in sensation. Her nipples were so huge and hard she thought they might explode, but Ramon took one in his mouth and sucked hard and fierce so that the only explosion possible was the one they shared as—
“Oh, crap!” Ayanna dropped the handheld shower attachment and groaned. Once again, the boys had used up the hot water before she’d gotten through with her shower. The now ice-cold water had jolted her out of her fantasy. It was her favorite one, too, the closest thing she had to any kind of sex life. Goodbye, Hawaii; hello, Chicago . She gritted her teeth resolutely and turned off the water before pulling back the shower curtain and reaching for her towel. As much as she didn’t want to spend the money, she was going to have to get a new water heater. Her current one couldn’t keep up with the demands of her two adolescent sons.
“When they were little, I practically had to stand over them with a stick to get them to bathe. Now they have to spend an hour apiece in the shower like they’re mack daddies or something,” she muttered. She wrapped herself in a fluffy pink bath sheet and laughed at her reflection in the mirror. “Well, at least they’re clean. And who needs a sex life anyway? I’ve done without this long. I may as well go for the record.”
She patted the excess moisture from her short curly hair and added some leave-in conditioner. With her usual efficiency, she dried her body quickly and put on her favorite scented lotion before getting dressed. It was Saturday morning, and she could have slept in a little longer, but she and the boys were going to a housewarming party that afternoon, and there was breakfast to be cooked and errands to be run before they left.
Ten minutes later she was dressed in jeans and a peach T-shirt and heading to the kitchen with a bag of laundry. Alec, the younger of her sons, appeared in the doorway. He took the laundry from her hands and stopped her from entering the sunny kitchen.
“Don’t come in yet, Ma. We’re making you a surprise,” he said with his endearing smile.
“A surprise? For me? What’s the occasion?” She returned the smile, flashing dimples that looked just like Alec’s.
Cameron’s voice answered. “We just wanted to do something nice for you. Okay, it’s all done. You can let her in.”
Alec stepped aside and bowed as he gestured Ayanna to the table, which was set for three. “Have a seat, Ma. We made breakfast.”
“Aww, you guys are so sweet! What did I do to deserve this?” Ayanna had to blink away tears as she looked at the effort they had put forth. There were cloth napkins with napkin rings and even a bouquet of daisies in the middle of the table. And the food smelled and looked wonderful. “You made me waffles?”
“Yeah, Ma. Waffles and turkey bacon and grits and scrambled eggs. And it’s all gonna get cold if you don’t sit down and eat,” he warned.
Ayanna beamed at the two loves of her life as they bowed their heads to say grace. They had always been sweet, cooperative children, and even now that Alec was fourteen and Cameron was sixteen, they were still good kids. The three of them shared a very strong resemblance, with the same rich brown skin and curly black hair. They all had the same big expressive eyes with long lashes, too; but that was all they shared. Her boys were now young men who towered over her. Ayanna was five-foot-six and slender, and she barely came to their shoulders these days.
Their hearty appetites were to blame for some of their growth. They loved to eat so much that they’d begun to learn how to cook so they could fend for themselves when they went off to college. “These are delicious,” Ayanna praised. “And so are the grits and eggs. I can’t believe you guys did this all by yourselves.”
“I made the waffles and bacon, and Alec did the rest. And we’re going to clean up the kitchen, too, as soon as you’re done.”
She obediently finished off her meal between compliments. “This was the best, guys. And to show you how much I appreciate it, we’re going out to dinner after church tomorrow.”
“Aww, Ma, you don’t have to do that,” Cameron protested.
“That’s right,” Alec added. “We didn’t do this to get points or anything.”
“That’s why we’re going to Dave & Buster’s tomorrow. Just because you didn’t expect a reward,” Ayanna told them.
With big smiles on their faces, the brothers gave each other high fives. Dave & Buster’s was one of their favorite places to go. They liked the games and excitement as much as the food, and since they didn’t go out often, it would be a real treat for the family.
They made good on their promise to clean the kitchen, which they did loudly and cheerfully with Kanye’s latest CD blasting as they put things back to rights.
Trying to ignore the loud music, Ayanna put a load of clothes in the washing machine. Maybe I don’t have a love life, but what I do have is wonderful, she thought. I have two beautiful boys, a nice home, a good job and a future. Life is good, and sex is probably overrated anyway. Can’t miss what you haven’t had, now can you?
A few hours later, their weekly errands were done, and they were on their way to the party.
“So, Ma, did Miss Billie do all the work herself on this house?”
“Pretty much,” Ayanna answered. “She designed all the changes and supervised everything, but a crew from Hunter Construction did the actual work. She got her hands on a few things, though.”
“Billie” was Billie Phillips Wainwright, one of her bosses at work and a very good friend. She’d been a top runway model until she quit modeling. Now her career was in home renovation with her brother-in-law Nick Hunter. When she married Jason Wainwright he’d surprised her with a big brick mansion, which she had remodeled and refurbished. The party was an open house for all her family and friends to see the end result of her hard work.
When they pulled up in the big circular driveway of Billie and Jason’s house, there were several cars parked already. “Alec, will you get the cupcakes, and Cameron, please take that pan of bread pudding for me? Thanks, guys.” The food was superfluous because all the women in Billie’s family were there and they could all throw down in the kitchen. But Ayanna’s Southern roots wouldn’t let her go anywhere empty-handed, and her desserts were welcome everywhere because they were too good to be believed.
The recently wed Wainwrights came out of the side door of their new home to welcome Ayanna and the boys. Billie’s eyes widened when she saw the packages being carried by Alec and Cameron. “Yummy! You shouldn’t have, but I’m glad you did. Whatever it is I know it’s good,” she said. “Jason, look what Ayanna brought for the party.”
Jason had his arm around Billie’s slender waist and gave her a soft squeeze before greeting Ayanna with a hug. “I hope it’s some German chocolate cake. That last one you made was the bomb. Here, guys, let me take those and you go hang in the back.”
Since Jason had inherited some teenage nephews via marriage, Cameron and Alec were more than happy to comply. The backyard with its large patio and the tennis court beckoned, along with the prospect of an afternoon with friends near their age. Billie’s big black dog, Sadie, was already in the yard and ran to greet them with her usual happy smile.
Billie held the door open for Jason, and she and Ayanna followed him into the big kitchen with all its new appliances. As Jason put the desserts on the counter, Ayanna grinned at him.
“You’re in luck. I made cupcakes. Half are German chocolate and half are red velvet. And there’s some pineapple bread pudding, too.”
The swinging door between the dining room and the kitchen flew open and a loud voice boomed out. “Did somebody say red velvet? Who said red velvet? Is there seriously some red velvet cake on the premises?”
Ayanna burst into laughter with everyone else except the source of the voice, Billie’s older brother, Johnny Phillips.
“Don’t play with me. I just came back from the motherland. I’ve been delayed for hours in every major airport in the world, I may never see my other suitcase again and they were talkin’ about strip-searching a brother at O’Hare just ’cause they could. So I’m not in the mood to kid around,” he said sternly.
The afternoon sun streamed through the windows and glinted off his smooth shaven head. His slightly almond-shaped eyes were intense as his arms were crossed over his bare chest, and he towered over everyone as his expression demanded an immediate answer. Ayanna laughed again.
“Hello, Johnny. It’s nice to see you, too,” she said pointedly. “Yes, I believe the words red and velvet were used in the same sentence. Do they have special significance for you?”
Her last words were muffled because Johnny took a couple of steps toward her and gave her a big bear hug that lifted her off the floor. “I’m sorry, Ayanna. I didn’t even speak to you, and I’m all over you for your cake. That was just wrong,” he said contritely, kissing her on top of her head. “You smell good,” he added as he set her down.
“So how was your trip? And how long are you going to be here?” She smiled up at him.
Johnny draped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m not saying another word until I get my fix.” He was completely comfortable with his lack of attire, but his younger sister wasn’t impressed with his rugged physique.
“Um, I hate to point out the obvious, but why are you in my kitchen half-naked? Where is your shirt?” Billie asked with a frown.
Johnny didn’t look embarrassed in the least. He glanced down at his broad chest rippling with muscles and shrugged. “I was on my way to the car to get my stuff when I heard the magic words that made me lose all reason. Are you going to help a brother out or what?” His warm black eyes crinkled in a smile that made Ayanna’s knees a little weak, but she ignored the sensation.
“If you put on a shirt, I might let you sample a little somethin’,” she teased.
“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed and went out the back door, jingling the keys he retrieved from the pocket of his jeans.
She washed her hands at the kitchen sink, and by the time she finished, Johnny was back with a garment bag. “Can I get a taste now? You’re not going to make me wait until I go upstairs and put something on, are you?”
Glancing up at him with a grin, she daintily opened the white bakery box and took out a perfect cupcake with a thick, enticing swirl of cream cheese frosting on top.
“Here. Now you’ve got your fix so you can get dressed and tell me all about your trip to Africa.”
“Not yet, woman! Let me savor this before my pop comes in here and we have to fight over it.” Johnny had peeled off the cupcake paper and closed his eyes. His strong, even white teeth sank into the pastry, and he devoured it in two bites while moaning like he was in the throes of ecstasy. “Damn, that was good. That tastes like more, ’Yanna. Come on and hook a brother up,” he pleaded. “Just one more?”
Ayanna was about to give in to his request when his other sister, Dakota Phillips Hunter, came into the kitchen with her new baby on her shoulder. “Johnny, leave this poor woman alone. What’s he trying to get from you, Ayanna?”
By way of answer, Ayanna tipped the box so Dakota could see the cupcakes. “Oh, shoot. Well, you’re on your own, girl. Nothing comes between a Phillips man and his need for high-quality sugar in the form of a delicious dessert. The groom’s cake at my wedding was red velvet, and he ate the entire thing. I saw him do it. Go for it, brother.”
The box had lost all interest for Ayanna. She was much more interested in getting her hands on Dakota’s baby girl. “Knock yourself out, Johnny. I want to see this little cupcake right here,” she cooed, holding her hands out.
The two women sat down in the dining room so Ayanna could dote on the baby. Johnny helped himself to two more cupcakes before joining them. “Ayanna, you’re gorgeous, and you can cook. If I was a marrying man, I’d be chasing you down,” he said sincerely.
Ayanna laughed softly and looked at little Bethany Anne Hunter, who was gurgling softly in her arms. “Sweetie pie, your uncle is nice, but he’s crazy.”
Johnny polished off the third cake with a deep sigh of enjoyment and licked a bit of frosting off his finger. “I might be crazy, but I know a good woman when I see one,” he said with a wink.
The blush only showed on her cheeks, but Ayanna could feel it from the bottom of her feet all the way to the top of her head as she pretended that she wasn’t listening to his joking. She cuddled Bethany to her shoulder and inhaled her sweet baby scent before stealing a look in Johnny’s direction. Luckily, he was talking to Dakota, and she got a good look at his long, muscular frame and sexy rear end. Her face filled with heat again as he turned just in time to see her staring at him, and he winked at her again; but this time it was slow and sexy. She knew she looked like a critter caught in the high beams of a semi, but she couldn’t look away to save herself.
She really didn’t have a choice in the matter because someone came into the room to join them.
“Johnny, sweetheart, what is taking you so long? I’ve been waiting for you,” a feminine voice purred.
Ayanna felt a weird sensation creep over her, but it wasn’t the same pleasurable feeling she’d enjoyed earlier. This was dangerously close to jealousy, something she hadn’t experienced in years. And she hadn’t missed it one bit, either.
Chapter 2
A yanna had to put on her best game face and act as though nothing were amiss, when in reality, she was a little unnerved to hear the dulcet tones of Dr. Davina Wainwright. She was Jason’s sister, and she never let anyone forget that she was the most beautiful woman in the room as well as one of the top cosmetic surgeons on the East Coast. She was also one of the snottiest people Ayanna had ever met in her life. The only one who could top her was Cloris, the other Wainwright sister. She, too, was a plastic surgeon.
Both the sisters were tall and thin and quite pretty in a heavily painted sort of way. Since Billie had married into their family they had toned down a little bit of the diva behavior because they were never the prettiest anything when the Phillips sisters were in the room. They had refused Billie’s invitation to be her bridesmaids, but once they found out that Billie’s wedding was featured in every fashion publication in this country as well as the UK and France, they realized what a huge mistake they’d made in being rude and changed their tune.
When they saw all of Billie’s A-list celebrity friends at the wedding and reception, they had done as Jason predicted and tried to join Billie at the hip. Luckily, Billie saw right through them like they were glass. Both of them lived in New York, but lately they’d spent a lot of weekends in Chicago. Ayanna had once suggested that they were trying to make amends, and Billie had just rolled her eyes.
“That’s sweet, Ayanna, but their motives have nothing to do with being sisterly. It’s all about meeting potential celebrity clients and maybe a man or two. Nip and Tuck don’t fool me a bit,” Billie had said with a sniff.
Ayanna wasn’t about to let the presence of one of the snotty sisters ruin her day. She enjoyed being around Billie and Dakota too much to allow the woman to get on her nerves. She toured the house with Billie, who was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning to show off her dream house.
“The floors are bamboo, because it’s a sustainable resource. And all the paint is environmentally friendly, too,” she said as they looked in the second floor rooms. Billie put her arm around Ayanna’s shoulders and gave her a sisterly hug. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You were with me when I picked out a lot of this stuff. I’m just house-proud right now,” she admitted.
“And you should be,” Ayanna said. “This place is magnificent. One day I’m going to have a bigger place. I love my house, but the walls are going to close in on us in a little while. The boys are getting so big!”
“These walls are going to close in soon, to hear Jason tell it. He’s decided he wants a bunch of kids and as soon as possible,” she murmured with a blush.
“And somehow I think you’re going to indulge him in this wish, aren’t you?” Ayanna stopped peeking into the bedrooms and ceased walking so abruptly that Billie bumped into her. “You’re pregnant already, aren’t you?”
By way of answer, Billie just showed all her perfect teeth in a big grin. “That question will be answered this afternoon. But if you can keep a secret for a couple of hours, the answer is yes. Jason was determined I get pregnant on our honeymoon, but it took a little longer than that. But in about six months, there’s going to be another baby around here.”
Ayanna’s face lit up. “First Toni and Zane with little Brandon, then Dakota and Nick with little Bethany and now you and Jason are getting ready to add to the mix. Y’all don’t mess around when it comes to popping out those babies. Do any of you folks wait a year before reproducing?” she teased.
She was referring to Zane Beauchamp and his wife Toni. Zane owned the paper where Dakota worked. Dakota and Toni were very close and their babies were a few months apart in age.
Billie laughed. “It was almost a year for me and Jason. Of the three couples, we showed the most restraint,” she said airily.
“Y’all are gonna be in restraints when junior keeps you up all night.” Johnny emerged from one of the guest rooms, this time fully dressed and looking good. “I don’t know how people put up with all that racket. Ayanna, you have two boys, how did you handle the late-night feedings, the colic, walking them all night, potty training and all the other fun things nobody tells you about being a parent?”
He ducked when Billie aimed a punch at his shoulder. “Hey, I’m just trying to get somebody to talk sense into you people. There’ll be babies all over this house in a few years if you don’t cool your jets. Tell her about it, Ayanna.”
Her face had changed into a rigid mask bearing a stiff and very phony smile. “I can’t help you there. I didn’t go through all of that with my boys. I adopted Alec when he was four and Cameron was six, so I got to miss all the fun of carrying a baby I loved from inception to delivery. I’m, um, going to go see what they’re up to. See you later,” she added hurriedly as she dashed down the stairs.
Johnny looked helplessly at Billie, who was staring at him with great exasperation. “You have a big mouth, you know that?” she said.
“How was I supposed to know I was saying something stupid? You never know when you’ve said something stupid until it’s out there and you’ve made a daggone fool out of yourself,” he said gruffly. “You could have given me a heads-up. You know I like her, and this is the first time we’ve had a chance to get together.”
Billie didn’t have time to ponder this revelation because Johnny was still talking. “Besides, those kids look just like her. How come they look like triplets if they’re not hers?”
Billie sighed and put her hand on her brother’s arm. “Because they’re related by blood. Those boys are her sister’s children. She died when the boys were quite young, and Ayanna was their guardian. She adopted them and has done her best to raise them to be the delightful young men they are today.” Billie looked reflective for a moment. “She’s sacrificed a lot for Alec and Cameron, although she doesn’t consider it to be any kind of burden. They’re her whole life, and she loves them devotedly.
“Now what’s this about you liking Ayanna?” she asked with a frown. “Your track record with the ladies isn’t one I want to wish upon my best friend. If you want to play, stay away from my girl. She’s isn’t your normal disposable party favor, so don’t even think about it.”
The warm clasp on his arm was replaced by a sharp pinch. He jerked away from her looking stunned. “That was just wrong, Billie. In the first place, you make me sound like some ol’ cheap playa, and in the second place, I think you left a mark, you wildcat. Does Jason know about this side of you?”
“I don’t think you’re cheap,” she said earnestly. “I think you’re a very high-priced playa, top-shelf, in fact.” She turned to run down the stairs and looked at him over her shoulder. “And Jason knows all about my wild side, and he loves it. He encourages it,” she added, wiggling her hips as Johnny covered his ears and made a horrible face.
“Oversharing, little sister. That’s called oversharing.”
Ayanna felt like a nitwit for her reaction to Johnny’s innocent remarks. After she reached the first floor, she got a glimpse of Davina regaling Toni and Zane Beauchamp with a story about her illustrious medical practice, and Ayanna quickly slipped out of the French doors that led to the big terrazzo patio. It was a soothing place with comfortable chairs and big potted plants surrounded by a low brick wall. Taking a deep breath, she watched her boys playing a noisy game of basketball with Nick’s nephews. Sadie was also playing, running back and forth and barking with gusto.
Why did I act like that? It’s not the first time the subject has come up, she thought. So why did I act like I was running from the law or something?
Just then she felt two strong hands on her shoulders. Johnny turned her around to face him. “I didn’t mean to say anything out of line, Ayanna. Are we still friends?”
She looked up at his handsome face, which was completely serious for the first time she could remember. Johnny was always laughing and making jokes, so this was quite a change. “We’re fine. You didn’t know my boys are adopted, and there’s no real reason that you should’ve known. But it’s not like it’s a secret,” she told him.
He nodded and continued to look at her like he was trying to memorize her face. “I just realized that I don’t know very much about you,” he said thoughtfully.
Ayanna was looking at him with the same kind of intensity. “No, I guess you don’t. I met you at Billie’s wedding, and I’ve seen you a few times since then. It’s not like you live here in Chicago or anything.”
Johnny didn’t seem to be listening to her. His big palms were making circles on her shoulders, and he showed no interest in removing his hands from her body. But he was paying attention, as his next words demonstrated. “Well, I think we should start remedying that. I’m moving here, and I think getting to know you better is going to be a priority.”
“You’re moving here? Permanently?” Ayanna sounded slightly breathless.
“Yes, I am. Didn’t Billie tell you? Let’s get something to eat and talk about it some more.”
“Is food all you think about?”
“Pretty much. Food and sex. What else is there, besides football?” Johnny’s face resumed its normal, humorous expression as he smiled down at her.
Ayanna’s eyes widened. “You need Jesus, Johnny Phillips. You need help.”
“So are you gonna help a brother out or what?” His hands flew off her shoulders as he heard Davina’s voice float out through the French doors. “Billie, where’s that brother of yours? He just disappeared.”
“Help me get away from that succubus,” Johnny said urgently. “She’s been on me like a duck on a june bug, and I’m trying not to hurt her feelings. Come on. Let’s go in the side door.”
“Johnny, you’re crazy!” Ayanna’s dimples wreathed her smile as she allowed him to hustle her away from the sound of Davina’s voice.
“No, I’m not. I need help, just like you said. Help me stay away from the man-eater and I’ll give you anything you want.”
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