Red Carpet Redemption

by Yahrah St. John

  With his tight black curls, dark brown eyes and bushy eyebrows, Jayden bore a striking resemblance to Dane when he’d been young. Dane shook it off. He must be projecting because he felt sorry for him. He kneeled down. “I’m here to see if I’m a match to help you get better.”

  “Why would you do that?” Jayden asked.

  The innocent question caused all the adults in the room to laugh. “Because it’s the right thing to do.” Dane responded.

  “Do you mind if we get a few photographs?” Whitney inquired from behind them. Dane had been so engrossed with meeting Iris and her son, he hadn’t noticed that a photographer had entered the room and was snapping away.

  Iris glanced at Whitney and then back again at Dane.

  “Only if it’s okay with you,” Dane said. He sensed fear in her eyes, and he didn’t want to take advantage.

  Iris nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  “You mind if I pick you up?” Dane asked Jayden.

  Jayden immediately held out his arms and Dane eased him into his embrace and stood.

  The photographer asked Iris and Dane to move closer together into the frame. “Yes, like that. Smile, please. Heck, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you guys looked like a family.”

  Iris quickly glanced up at Dane, but he merely laughed.

  Within minutes, the photographs were taken and the nurse led Dane away for the cheek swab test that would register him as a bone marrow donor. Due to Jayden’s aggressive leukemia, they would have the results back within a week. The entire process was over with quickly, and Dane realized Iris and Jayden hadn’t needed to be there. It was merely a photo op to show America Dane wasn’t some lothario who couldn’t be trusted, but for him it was more. It was a chance to shed light on the issue of bone marrow transplants.

  When he was done, Whitney was waiting for him in the corridor. “That’s it for today. For the next couple of days, you’ll have a full calendar of appearances and events, which will hopefully bring up your approval ratings.”

  “Am I being rated?” Dane inquired.

  “Well, no, but we do informal polls on your image,” Whitney replied. “It’s my job to ensure you have the right kind of press.”

  “I appreciate it. Now if you’ll excuse me.” Dane headed for the playroom. He could still make out Iris’s form through the glass doors. He was curious to know her story.

  “Where are you going?” Whitney inquired.

  Dane didn’t answer. “If the PR stunt is over, you can leave. I’ll see you on the plane tomorrow.” He spun away and went inside the playroom. He found Iris huddled over the blocks with Jayden. As he approached, he noticed a wariness come over her and it made Dane nervous. “Hey.”

  “Hi.”

  “The testing didn’t take long, so—I was wondering if you wanted to grab a cup of coffee and maybe a cocoa for the little man.” Dane looked at Jayden, who was oblivious to them, too caught up with building a large tower with the blocks.

  “Just us?”

  Dane grinned. “You mean, you don’t want my entire entourage?” He glanced behind him to find the bodyguards were guarding the door. “Yes, just us.”

  She nodded. “Okay, sure.”

  Dane lent his hand and helped Iris up from the small chair. He was surprised when an electric shock surged through him at merely touching her. He was aghast at having a reaction when Iris was here with her sick child, and quickly stuck his hands in pockets.

  * * *

  Iris swallowed and tried not to show how hurt she was by Dane recoiling from her. When he’d touched her, she’d felt the zing low in her pelvis, awakening sensations she had almost forgotten. Her heart had fluttered, making her breath catch in her throat, but it was clear Dane was disgusted. Since he had no idea about her injuries, his reaction had to be because he found her lackluster. In comparison to his latest dalliance that she’d read about online, Lia Montgomery, Iris was sure she was. She’d perked up when he’d asked her to coffee, but now she understood it for what it was: pity.

  It didn’t stop her from staring at Dane from underneath her lashes. He was startlingly good-looking. With his hair cut short, his face was a marvel up close, all creamy tapioca skin, strong clean jawline, dark brown eyes, bushy ebony brows and tempting mouth. Dane was movie-star handsome and downright sexy without even trying. Take what he was wearing today, for example. The leather jacket, T-shirt and faded jeans were what any joe on the street would wear, but a woman could forget herself completely in his smile and would be thankful she had.

  Impossible images flashed in her head of Dane without any clothes on. Each one was more inappropriate and more unlikely than the last. She blinked to clear her thoughts.

  They made it to the cafeteria with the two bodyguards flanking them. After the two men had surveyed the place, she, Jayden and Dane were allowed to make their way to a four-seater table.

  Iris was surprised when Dane pulled out her chair and scooted it underneath her before sitting across from her. When Jayden began to get fidgety in his chair, she reached inside her purse and fished out her iPhone. She handed it to him and watched with amusement as he found his favorite video game.

  “Regular coffee okay?” Dane asked. “Or are you one of these LA women who drinks a soy latte with no foam or something?”

  His low, rich voice washed over her like a caress and her body melted. “Nothing fancy for me,” Iris said. “With Jayden’s illness, I’ve gotten quite used to regular ole coffee from the hospital cafeteria.”

  “Two regular coffees coming up,” Dane said, rising again to his feet. “And what about you, Jayden?”

  “He’ll have milk.”

  Jayden glanced up at Dane. “You promised cocoa.”

  A broad smile spread across Dane’s sensuous lips. “So you do listen when you want to,” Iris teased, ruffling his curls affectionately. She looked at Dane. “A cocoa it is.”

  “One cocoa and two coffees coming up.” Dane sauntered away and Iris couldn’t help but watch him. The man had swagger. Lots of it. And a great behind to boot. She couldn’t believe someone as famous as he had the time to spare for her. Iris was nobody’s fool. She understood part of today’s exercise had been to garner good press for Dane. But if seeing a famous A-list actor like Dane registering to become a donor could help Jayden, she would take a hundred pictures with him.

  Dane returned several minutes later carrying two steaming cups of coffee and a cocoa with whipped cream on top for Jayden. “How did you manage that?” Iris wondered aloud.

  “I have my ways,” Dane said with a smirk, his dark eyes gleaming.

  Jayden immediately began drinking his cocoa and got a white mustache. “Go wipe your face, Jayden,” Iris said, laughing as she watched him get up to find napkins.

  “So tell me, Iris—is it all right if I call you Iris?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where’s Jayden’s father?”

  Iris frowned. “That’s a very impertinent question to ask.”

  “I’m sorry. I wondered where he was in all this and why he wasn’t here supporting you both. I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

  “No, I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I suppose I’m overly sensitive. It’s just me and Jayden. Though my parents have been wonderfully supportive since he was diagnosed.”

  “How long ago was it?”

  “About three months,” Iris replied. “Jayden wasn’t gaining any weight and was weak and lethargic, so I took him to the doctor. They ran a battery of tests that were initially inconclusive, but I knew something was wrong.”

  “A mother’s intuition?”

  “Something like that. I refused to give up so they kept digging and eventually Jayden was diagnosed with a form of acute lymphocytic leukemia.”

  “Had to be hard hearing the news. I mean, he’s so young.”

  “Yes, it was ver
y difficult, especially when I learned how hard it would be to find a donor. And then here you are.”

  “Don’t make a saint of me just yet,” Dane responded. “I’m only registering.”

  Jayden returned with the napkin and Iris used it to wipe his face, catching the spots he’d missed. “But you’re doing something and that means so much to me,” she said, meaning every word as she glanced up at Dane. Whether he was a match or not, or had just come to the hospital to boost his image, he was here, and it could mean the difference between life and death for her son.

  “What else can I do to help Jayden?” Dane glanced down at her son with genuine concern. “I feel like getting tested seems so small in the grand scheme of things.”

  “It isn’t. I wish more people like you would register. I think there’s a stigma attached to bone marrow donations because people have seen it on TV and heard it can be painful. But they’ve made advances and there’s more than one way to donate now.”

  “I’ll certainly make sure to talk about registering when I make the rounds on the morning and late night shows.”

  Iris’s eyes grew large. “You would do that?” She gulped a large amount of coffee in an effort to steady herself and not think about why Dane Stewart would help her, a nobody.

  “Of course. Anything to help this little guy.” He glanced down at Jayden. “He should have his whole life ahead of him and if there’s anything I can do to prolong it, I will. Matter of fact...” He reached inside his leather jacket and produced a business card, handing it to Iris.

  Her eyes filled with tears and instinctively she reached for Dane’s hand on the table to squeeze it. “Thank you.”

  This time he didn’t pull away. Instead, he let her hold his hand a moment longer than was necessary. Iris’s heart bounced like a ball in her chest as she relived the excitement from his touch earlier. Her tummy fluttered and she could feel her breasts becoming taut as awareness flooded her entire being. She bit down on her lip, but when she glanced up at Dane, raw primal lust was etched across his face.

  * * *

  Dane took in the glorious brown eyes staring back at him. Sensation galloped in his chest from the shocking contact and enveloped him like wildfire. He’d felt it earlier too and it made him want to touch her shiny dark brown hair. Their gazes clashed and mingled and something unspoken fizzled in the air between them. Something Dane couldn’t define. Was it lust?

  He was taken by surprise because there was an answering hunger in her quiet gaze. Dane reminded himself he was repairing his public image, and to even consider messing around with Iris at a time like this would be low. Yet he couldn’t stop himself feeling this pull toward her and the boy. He wanted to be there for her, comfort her, protect her.

  With his self-discipline vanishing, Dane abruptly rose to his feet. “I have to go.”

  Iris did the same, and he noticed how she nearly matched him in height. “Of—of course. I’m sorry to have kept you.” She blushed alluringly as if she shouldn’t have been caught looking at him.

  “You didn’t, but I have an early morning tomorrow.”

  “Thank you again for registering.”

  Dane crouched down to say goodbye to Jayden, who’d already finished his cocoa. “I hope you get better, Jayden. I’m rooting for you.”

  Jayden glanced up. “Thanks, Mr. Stewart.”

  The young boy’s smile in spite of all he’d been through broke Dane’s heart, and he quickly made for the exit without looking back at Iris. He couldn’t. Instead, he pulled out his cell phone, made a call and snapped out instructions.

  The bodyguards followed him to the lobby and out through the main entrance, where his car had magically appeared, along with Whitney, who was now by his side barely keeping pace with him.

  “What was that about?” she asked.

  “What?” Dane was disconcerted. He was still thinking about the beautiful woman he’d left upstairs whom he’d given his private number to. It was something he never did, but Dane felt like he could trust her.

  “Iris Turner. You asked her to coffee.”

  Startled, Dane glared at her. “I’m not sure what you’re implying, Whitney. I was merely being nice. I would think you’d appreciate the positive press instead of twenty-questioning me.” He didn’t wait for a response as he hopped in his sports car.

  Adrenaline, sleek and sure, pounded through him as he revved the engine. Had the truth been written on his face? Could Whitney sense his interest in Iris? Her hand was so delicate, yet strong. He could still feel her touch as if she’d branded him, which was ridiculous. She was going through a lot and for some reason Dane wanted to help her. And if it was in his power to assist, he would.

  There was nothing more to it than that.

  Two

  One week later

  “You’re a match,” Dr. Lee said.

  It was early on a Monday morning, and she and Dane were seated in the conference room at Cedars-Sinai. Dane had flown in last night from New York after the premiere of his latest film. It was a departure from his usual body of work and would finally elevate him from heartthrob to serious actor. Early reviews were positive and Dane had left on cloud nine.

  He hadn’t expected this news.

  “Really?” Dane asked, stunned. He’d registered and done the test when he’d been trying to repair his bad boy image. It had worked. The press began to focus on Jayden’s illness and the media lost interest in his supposed affair with Lia. He’d been so busy doing damage control, he hadn’t contacted Iris. It was just as well because he couldn’t act on his attraction to the single mother.

  This was an unexpected wrinkle in his plans. “How is that possible? I thought chances were rare I would be a match.” He stared in disbelief.

  “It’s difficult to match the needed tissue type between donors and patients, so this is quite a surprise. Seventy percent of all bone marrow donations do come from people unrelated to the recipient, so only 30 percent come from matches with family members able to donate. And when I compared your genetic markers to Jayden’s, there was no doubt—you’re related.”

  Dane sat back in his chair. “Pardon me?”

  “If I was a betting man...” Dr. Lee began, then paused for several beats. “I would say that you’re Jayden’s father.”

  “No,” Dane shook his head and jumped to his feet. “That can’t be. I never met Iris before last month. You’ve got this all wrong, Dr. Lee. There’s no way Jayden could be my kid. You need to run your tests again.” His mind raced to recall a moment he could have met Iris. A drunken encounter he could have forgotten maybe? But no—that wasn’t possible.

  Dr. Lee sighed. “Well, that’s why I wanted to bring you in. Quietly, of course.” He looked out the glass partition at Dane’s two bodyguards waiting outside. “I wanted your permission to run a DNA paternity test.”

  Dane stopped pacing. “A DNA test?”

  “Yes, it will give us irrefutable evidence and set the record straight.”

  “That depends. Do I have your word you’ll treat this with absolute discretion? I can’t have this leaking to the press.”

  “Understood. And you absolutely have my word I’ll keep this confidential. But in the meantime, I need to know if you’re willing to donate your bone marrow to Jayden. Whether you’re his father or not, you’re a match. I’d like to take a sample of your blood and confirm the human leukocyte antigen match. Once I confirm, you’d meet with a counselor to talk about the procedures, benefits and risks of the donation process. And then you can decide whether you’re comfortable with donating.”

  Dane wiped his hands across his face. This was surreal, but he was sure of one thing. “Of course I’ll help. That was never the question. Jayden is a very sick little boy and from what I’ve heard he doesn’t have much time. But I need to know if he’s my son.”

  Dr. Lee rose from his seat. �
��Excellent, Mr. Stewart. Ms. Turner will be so relieved but probably shocked once she hears of the connection.”

  “She can’t know,” Dane replied.

  Dr. Lee frowned. “What do you mean? I need her permission to run a DNA test.”

  “I understand that, but,” Dane pronounced, “under no circumstances am I going to rip that family to shreds and have the press crawling through their lives if this is merely a case of mistaken identity. This has to be kept under wraps until we can run a test.”

  “I understand you’re apprehension about the DNA test, but it’s more of a formality for legal purposes. I’m certain the additional blood test you’re required to undergo will further confirm you’re Jayden’s father,” Dr. Lee replied.

  “I don’t know. Let me figure this out. What I need from you is discretion. Promise me, Dr. Lee, you will keep this between us until we know more.”

  “All right. I’ll keep your genetic connection to myself, but I’d like to give her some hope and at least tell her you’re a match. Let’s reconfirm the match.”

  Dane nodded his acquiescence. “I’m here, so let’s do this.”

  * * *

  Two hours later, Dane slid into the back seat of the SUV waiting for him outside a secluded section of the hospital. For once he was grateful to be alone with his thoughts, so he could absorb the bombshell Dr. Lee had dropped on him. Dane had reacted on autopilot throughout the testing, not caring one bit about being poked and prodded. Now that he was done, he was finally free to feel, well, dumbstruck.

  Jayden Turner could be his son!

  But how? He’d never met Iris until that day a month ago. And since then he’d pushed all thoughts of the slender beauty out of his mind. Until now. One thing was certain: if they’d ever met, Dane was sure he’d remember her.

  Then it came to him.

  Eight years ago, he’d arrived in Los Angeles to make a fresh start. Considering he’d snubbed working for his father, Dane had been determined to live on his own without any help from his family. However, he’d quickly learned how expensive it was to live in the city and after toiling at two, sometimes three jobs he’d barely made ends meet. A year in, he’d had a particularly rough patch, when he’d blown off work to go on some auditions. Dane knew he’d be discovered. He hadn’t been. Instead, he’d found himself without a job. Desperate to pay the rent, he’d taken the advice of several other starving artists and gone to donate at a sperm clinic. They’d happily accepted him since he fit certain criteria and he’d signed a contract for a few months. He’d never thought it would come to anything, but he had been selected once. And apparently once was all it took.