Because You Love Me ; Journey to My Heart

by Terra Little

  “That’s cool. Have you seen him perform live?”

  “Unfortunately, no. Not yet, anyway. Have you?”

  “I had the pleasure of catching his show in San Diego once. In a word, he’s mesmerizing.”

  She smiled. “I can only imagine.”

  “I’m not as familiar with Masego, but I have heard the song ‘Tadow,’ featuring Masego. I like that one in particular.”

  “Oh, yeah, why?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know—something about the groove reminds me of when my brothers and I used to play together. Growing up, we had ourselves a little band.”

  “Really! Where did you play?”

  He laughed. “At home. We weren’t actually good enough to leave the basement.”

  “Oh my God. I bet it was fun, though.”

  “It was. We listened to everybody and tried to mimic them. I’m particularly well versed in old-school music because my brothers are older than me. But I listen to a little bit of everything.”

  “What instrument did you play?”

  “Guitar, a little bit of the keyboard.”

  “Wow that sounds fun. So, where are you from Laurent?”

  “Palo Alto, California.”

  “What brought you to our little town?”

  “I’m kind of working on the Rival Hotel’s brand.”

  “Do you travel a lot, checking on hotels?”

  He rocked his head from side to side before nodding. “I do, yeah.”

  “Well, you’re staying in the second-best establishment in this town. The first one being the Coleman House bed-and-breakfast, of course,” she said with a wink and smile.

  Laurent rocked his head in time with the beat of the music and returned the smile. He was staring at her, which made her a tad uncomfortable.

  “I like your hair,” he finally said.

  The compliment came out of the blue. On reflex she reached her hand up and touched the curls that couldn’t be tamed today, so she’d just let them fly. “Thank you.”

  He pulled his chair closer and leaned in. “So, Tracee, why are you celebrating your birthday with your girlfriends and not your man?”

  “If I had a man, do you think I would have invited you to join us?”

  He straightened up. “No, I guess not. Or, I’d hope not.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t disrespect my man like that.”

  He grinned at her.

  Sam joined them at the table. Two of Tracee’s girlfriends had already grabbed chairs on the other side of her, while Mae hadn’t stopped dancing.

  “Lau, I’m gonna have to bounce. I’ll give you a call tomorrow, bright and early,” Sam said to Laurent as he turned up the rest of his beer.

  “I’ll be ready,” Laurent said.

  “You guys going fishing in October?” Tracee asked.

  Sam almost choked on his beer and quickly jumped back to keep it from running down his shirt. He looked down at them, smiling. “I don’t fish anymore.”

  “He’s taking me golfing,” Laurent said, before standing up and giving Sam some dap. “Get home safe, and tell the missus I hope to see her again before I leave.”

  Sam set his beer bottle on the table. “I’ll do that. You guys enjoy your night.”

  Tracee checked her watch. It was only 9:00 p.m., and the restaurant wouldn’t be closing until ten thirty.

  “Would you like something else to drink?” Laurent asked after Sam left.

  Tracee held her hand over her empty glass. “No, thank you. Maybe a glass of water.”

  “You got it.” He stood up and returned to the bar.

  Mae finally grabbed Sam’s vacant seat. “I see you and Mr. Rude are hitting it off.”

  Tracee shrugged. “He’s nice. And I’m just being friendly.”

  “Uh-huh. I know that seductive friendly look of yours.”

  Tracee shrugged. “What? He’s cute.”

  Laurent returned with her water. They spent the next few minutes chatting it up about the new voices in R&B before Laurent asked Tracee if she wanted to dance.

  “How about one dance with the birthday girl? Be forewarned, I’m not Fred Astaire, but I can hold my own.”

  She laughed. “Then maybe you can hold it for me, too. I’ll try not to step on your feet.”

  Two more of Tracee’s girlfriends danced over to her to say goodbye. They exchanged quick hugs before Tracee joined Laurent on the dance floor.

  The DJ played a mix of pop and hip-hop, to Tracee’s delight. Laurent moved out of one move into another with ease. He wasn’t anything like her, black girl with no rhythm. “I thought you said you couldn’t dance?” she asked him a few minutes later.

  “I can’t, but that doesn’t stop me from trying.”

  After a few tracks, the DJ announced it was time to slow it down. Tracee thought she would scream when he played “Tender Love” by Force MDs, which was one of her favorites. But that was a slow jam, so she turned to walk away, but then Laurent took her hand.

  “You’re not leaving me, are you? This is a classic.”

  Her eyes widened. “I know, but I’m not really a slow dancer.” She turned to walk away again, but he didn’t let go of her hand. She glanced back at him.

  “Let me teach you,” he said.

  The look in his eyes when he said that made her insides turn to jelly. He bit his bottom lip and raised a brow, waiting on her answer. She’d bet he could teach her a lot of things. The intensity of his gaze drew her like a bee to honey. “Okay, but don’t blame me if I step on your feet.”

  He laughed and placed one arm around her waist while he kept holding her other hand. She tried to keep a little distance between them.

  “How long did you say you were going to be in town?” she asked, merely to make conversation.

  “Hopefully I’ll be on a plane headed back to California by the weekend.”

  “Why do you say hopefully? What could stop you?”

  “I have a business meeting this week that I should have had yesterday. If there’s another delay, I could potentially be here a little longer.”

  She nodded, secretly hoping something trivial went wrong and she’d have another chance to see him. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the music for a minute when she felt Laurent pull her closer. They were really slow dancing now. She could feel the contours of his body pressed against hers, and she liked what she felt. The way he controlled her body and moved his hips said a lot about him. He could definitely hold his own, and yet she felt he was holding back.

  “You’re doing pretty damned good,” he whispered in her ear. “I still have all my toes.”

  She whispered back, “Consider yourself lucky.” Mr. Wood and his wife danced near them. He held his wife close, with her head on his chest. The love they had for one another came through in their dance. It was a beautiful thing to watch.

  Tracee found herself wishing Laurent would wrap his arms around her body. She wanted him to run his hands up her back and grind into her like the boys used to do at high school basement parties. She could feel how hard and toned his body was, which made her weak in the knees. And his cologne smelled so masculine and tempting. Then the music slowly faded away. She opened her eyes and released her bottom lip that she hadn’t realized she’d been squeezing.

  Laurent let go of her hand and took a step back. He smiled down at her. “Thank you.”

  She sucked in a quick breath to keep from passing out—he was so fine. “No, thank you, that was nice.” She spun around and wanted to shoot herself. Why did she have to say it was nice? As he followed her to the table, he placed his hand at the small of her back, and the muscles in her center contracted. Being around this man made her feel sexy.

  Mae sat with an elbow on the table and her chin in her palm, staring at them. “You
guys looked great out there,” she said as Laurent pulled out Tracee’s chair.

  Laurent held his chair back and looked down. “And she didn’t step on my feet once.” Everyone laughed as he sat down.

  “While that was beautiful to watch, it reminded me that I need to go home and make a phone call before it’s too late,” Mae added, reaching for her purse. “Tracee, do you want me to help you put some of your gifts in the car?” she asked as she stood up.

  It was time Mae called her boyfriend, John, before he went to sleep. Tracee looked at the gifts on the table and decided she only needed help with two of them. It was getting closer to closing for the restaurant and she should be leaving herself, but she wasn’t ready to leave Laurent. “Uh, yeah. I guess it is getting late.”

  “Unless you want to finish your water and maybe Laurent can help you out?” Mae offered.

  “Yeah, sure. When you get ready to go, I’ll walk you to your car and help with anything you need. I was kind of hoping you’d stick around a bit. I’m enjoying your company.”

  Tracee looked from Mae’s beaming face to Laurent, who held his bottom lip between his teeth, smiling. He was stunningly beautiful. “I think I will stick around for a bit. If you’re sure you don’t mind helping me out?”

  “Not at all,” he said, reassuring her with a smile.

  Tracee stood and gave Mae a hug, thanking her for everything. Mae whispered in her ear, “Call me the second you get home.” When Tracee released her, she winked at her. Tracee smiled at her best friend. “I’ll do that.”

  When she sat back down, she noticed the party atmosphere they’d brought to the deck had vanished. Now there were only a few couples sitting close together enjoying the music and the ambience from the giant heaters, and the starlit sky.

  “Thanks again for the dance, and sharing your birthday evening with me,” Laurent said.

  “I should be thanking you for livening up my night. Those are my book club sisters, and I love them, especially Mae, but they all have families or men to go home to. I take all my gifts to my lonely apartment.” The minute she said that, she realized she’d just told a man she didn’t know very well that she lived alone. How stupid of her.

  “Well, good friends are hard to come by. Even harder than a man for some women, I’m sure. I can count the number of good friends I have on one hand. The men in this town are stupid if one of them is not at home waiting for you.”

  Tracee laughed. “You’re right about having good friends. But I’m more focused on my business these days. I really don’t have time for a man. Besides, I’ve been told my standards are too high.”

  “Ah, a woman with high standards,” Laurent said.

  “I think every woman should have high standards, don’t you?”

  He nodded. “I agree. So should a man.”

  “Is that why you’re single? Or are you waiting for somebody who likes to go fishing with you?”

  He laughed and tilted his head, staring at her. “How do you know I’m single?”

  Tracee finished off her wine. “Because you’re sitting here with me instead of lying across the bed in your hotel room talking to your girl on the phone.”

  He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table. “You’re right, there isn’t a woman in my life right now. And I’m sitting here with you because I want to know more about you. I’ve never met a pastry chef who works at a bed-and-breakfast before. How do you like it?”

  “I love it. I’m surrounded by my family all day, and people on vacation who are usually in a good mood. My cousin Rollin sets the example and goes the extra mile for his guests on a daily basis. He’s very personable. And his wife, Tayler, she’s the best. I’ve learned so much from her about business it’s crazy. We have a U-pick store, where customers come out and pick their own organic vegetables. It was Tayler’s idea to start selling some of my cakes and pies in there. And Tracee’s Cake World grew from that.”

  “You sound very passionate about your work. I know that carrot cake on Sunday was the best I’ve ever had.”

  “Thank you.” She hesitated a moment before posing a question. “Let me ask you something. Did you know I was going to be there on Sunday?”

  He looked surprised. “No, why?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. The first thing that ran through my mind tonight when I saw you was how strange it seemed that I keep running into you in such a short time span. This town is not that small.”

  “If you’re still questioning whether I’m following you, relax, I’m not. Sam suggested this place since it was close to the hotel, and I don’t really know my way around. He also invited me to brunch Sunday with him and his wife. I had no idea you’d be at either place. But I’m glad you were. It gave me a chance to properly apologize for Saturday morning’s incident.”

  Tracee waved him off. “Oh, let’s not bring that up again. It’s water under the bridge. Completely forgotten.”

  He nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Well, it looks like the DJ’s ready to shut it down.” The music had switched to piped-in jazz while the DJ started putting his equipment away. Only one other couple remained on the deck now. “I guess we’d better leave, unless we want to get locked up here.”

  Laurent stood up and helped Tracee with her chair. She started picking up gift bags and wrapping the balloons around her wrist. He grabbed the heavier bags and followed her downstairs and out of the restaurant. Tracee had backed her car in close to the front door. She reached in her purse and popped the trunk with her key fob.

  After they placed the packages in her trunk, they walked around to the driver’s door. She unlocked the door and leaned in to tie the balloons down so they would be out of her way. When she stood up, Laurent was standing there holding his car keys. “Where’s your car?” she asked.

  He pointed to a dark blue Elantra parked across the lot from hers. “It’s a rental.”

  She nodded as they stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. She wondered if he was going to ask her out again before he left town. If he asked, she would definitely say yes.

  Laurent held out his hand. “Well, Tracee, it was definitely a pleasure meeting you and celebrating your birthday with you. In fact, it was the highlight of my trip.” He smiled, flashing his bright white teeth at her.

  She shook his hand. “The pleasure was all mine.” He held her hand a little too long, causing her to lose herself in his eyes. She hadn’t even noticed him take a step closer to her until he leaned in. She smiled up at him. “Good night.” The words sounded stifled coming out of her mouth.

  “Good night,” he said, slightly above a whisper.

  He let go of her hand and eased his hand around her waist. Then he did it! He kissed her. A soft and gentle touch on the lips. She froze, so he came back for more. This time she closed her eyes and parted her lips, inviting his tongue inside. All the nerves in her body tingled with excitement. She needed to sit down. She could taste the beer on his breath and the desire in his mouth, and she didn’t want him to stop.

  When he released her lips and lowered his hand from her waist, she wanted to scream. Oh, God, she wanted more.

  “A birthday present, from me to you,” he said, arching a brow.

  Be still, my beating heart! Her eyes fluttered. “And the best one I’ve received all night.”

  Laurent took a step back, laughing. “Get in the car. And do me a favor?”

  She opened the car door. “Yes.”

  “Ring the hotel once you get home. I’m in room 319. Let me know you made it home safe.”

  “I’ll do that.” He held the door while she climbed inside. She closed the door and waved bye to the best-looking man she’d ever met. To a man who’d just kissed her and made her want to take her panties off right there in the parking lot.

  Chapter 6

  Laurent stood in the parking lot watching
Tracee’s car pull off. He wasn’t ready to let her go, but he had no choice. When he licked his lips, he could still taste her. The smell of her perfume was still in his nostrils. Once her car was out of sight, he headed for his rental.

  Inviting a woman back to his hotel didn’t seem like the right thing to do, but the more he thought about it, the more he thought maybe he should have asked her up. It was her birthday and she’d probably be spending the rest of the night alone. He climbed in the car and started the motor. He shook his head, smiling to himself. If Tracee came anywhere near his room tonight, he’d make sure she wouldn’t want to go home until tomorrow—if then.

  His cell phone rang, interrupting the luscious thoughts he was having about Tracee Coleman. He glanced down at the caller ID. It was his father. He squeezed his eyebrows together and was tempted not to answer, but he put the phone to his ear as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Hello, Dad.”

  “Laurent, imagine, if you will, me sitting in my den enjoying my afternoon cognac when I open this terribly disappointing report you sent me earlier.”

  Laurent shook his head. Time to get Tracee off the brain and talk business with his father, who had undoubtedly expected a miracle from him.

  * * *

  Thursday morning got off to a great start. Laurent went for a quick run before showering, then grabbed some breakfast. He’d dressed in a basic suit so as not to appear too overdressed for the clientele. This deal was sweeter than what his father had originally proposed, and according to their financials, the Patels would be fortunate to get what he offered. When Mr. Patel and his sons entered the room, Laurent was ready to do business. He’d waited long enough to lay his cards on the table.

  Minutes into the meeting, however, something went wrong, and the entire mood shifted. Mr. Patel went from “I’m listening” to “now it’s time for you to listen to me.”

  “Laurent, I understand everything you’ve shown me, and I appreciate the work you’ve put into this deal. However, the Rival Hotel is deeply rooted in the community of Danville. For starters, we’re loyal to our employees, and in return they’re loyal to us. I’ve only had to fire one person since the day we opened our doors. Do you know of another establishment that can say that after ten years in business?”