“Do you have a game tonight, Reid?” Asha inquired.
“No, ma’am,” he replied.
“We’re having dinner with my brother and his girlfriend,” Nadia elaborated, “but that’s not until much later.”
“Well, I won’t keep you lovebirds too long. I just wanted to meet you and get a better sense of who you are.” Asha smiled at Nadia. “How tall are you, chére?”
“Five-five.”
“Hmm. Have you ever done any modeling?”
Nadia looked shocked. “Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Goodness, no.” Nadia laughed self-consciously. “I’m not modeling material.”
“You’re not tall enough for the runway,” Asha conceded with a languid smile. “But you could certainly do print work. You have an exquisite complexion and stunning cheekbones, and your lips are to die for. Truly, darling, you should count yourself lucky. Unlike many girls I work with, you don’t have to spend a fortune on collagen injections when you’ve been naturally blessed with a pouty pucker.”
“Amen,” Reid drawled, brushing his thumb across Nadia’s luscious lips. “They’re great, aren’t they?”
“Indeed.” Asha was smiling. “I can see that you enjoy them.”
“Oh, I do.” There was a wicked gleam in Reid’s eyes. “More than you can ever know.”
Nadia blushed hard.
Samara grinned.
Asha looked thoroughly delighted as she contemplated the young couple. Samara could see the wheels turning in her mother’s head. What was she up to?
“How tall are you, Reid?” Asha asked casually.
“Six-four.”
Asha made an appreciative purring sound. “You’re a tall drink of water, aren’t you?”
Reid winked. “I prefer Gatorade.”
Everyone laughed.
When the humorous moment passed, Asha steepled her hands under her chin, tapping her elegant fingers together. “So tell me, Reid. What kind of things do you like to see Nadia wearing? What are your top three favorite outfits of hers?”
“Hmm.” Reid stroked his stubbled chin with long fingers as he considered his answer. “Top three, huh?”
“Oui,” Asha said.
A purely rakish grin curved Reid’s mouth. “Well, I’m particularly fond of her birthday suit—”
Nadia gasped. “Reid!”
Asha and Samara burst out laughing.
“Sorry, babe. You know I couldn’t resist.” Reid brought Nadia’s hand to his mouth and reverently kissed her knuckles, grinning into her eyes. She tried to give him a stern look, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Reid playfully tweaked her nose before turning back to the camera. “In all seriousness, Ms. Dubois, I love the way Nadia dresses so it’s hard for me to narrow down my favorite outfits. The first time we met, she was wearing a white blouse and gray pants, and she reminded me of a naughty librarian. Totally hot.”
That made Nadia grin.
“I love seeing her in T-shirts and jeans and high heels,” Reid went on. “I love it when she wears my jersey, but that’s not an outfit so I guess that doesn’t really count. I love the outfit she wore on our first date. When I picked her up, she had on a low-cut black shirt with this little red plaid skirt and fishnet tights. Oh, man,” he reminisced, grinning and shaking his head. “We almost didn’t make it out the door that night.”
Nadia let out a breathy laugh and blushed, tucking her hair behind one ear.
Reid gazed at her, his voice softening as he ended by saying: “And most of all, I love the dress she was wearing the night she made my dreams come true by agreeing to be my wife.”
“Oh baby,” Nadia whispered, practically melting into her chair as she gazed back at him.
Asha and Samara shared a sentimental smile. No doubt about it. These two were the real deal.
Reid linked his fingers through Nadia’s, holding her tender gaze a few moments longer before he turned to smile at Asha. “Not sure if I answered your question—”
“You did,” Asha assured him, smiling. “Believe me, mon cher, you did.”
Reid and Nadia grinned at each other.
“Your wedding is in June,” Asha continued briskly, “so I’ll need to get started right away. After the holidays, Nadia, I’d like to fly you and your bridesmaids out to Atlanta for an initial consultation and fitting.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Nadia said eagerly. “Just say when and we’ll be there.”
“Très bien. We’ll choose a weekend that works for Reid so that he can accompany you. Your brother can come, too, so the groom won’t be the only guy. My husband and I, along with Samara and her husband, will have all of you over for a small dinner party.”
“Really?” Nadia traded excited glances with Reid. “We’d love that!”
Asha smiled. “Excellent. It’s a date.”
Reid and Nadia beamed with pleasure.
“Mason will join us, of course.” Asha’s eyes twinkled. “Perhaps he might hit it off with one of Nadia’s lovely bridesmaids.”
Reid grinned conspiratorially. “That’s the plan.”
Everyone laughed.
As soon as the call ended, Asha clapped her hands together and exclaimed, “I love them! They’re absolutely delightful!”
Samara was grinning. “They are pretty adorable, aren’t they?”
“Adorable? Ils sont magnifiques!” Asha declared, kissing her manicured fingertips. “They’re the perfect couple to launch our Forever collection for younger brides.”
“Totally agree,” Samara said without hesitation. “They would be perfect.”
“Absolument. They’re positively gorgeous. But even better than that, they’re madly in love! You can’t manufacture that kind of chemistry.” Asha’s eyes gleamed with inspiration and excitement as she drummed her nails on the table. “I’ll need to fly them out to New York to do photo shoots for the advertising campaign. I’m picturing—”
“Whoa,” Samara laughingly interjected. “Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself? Let’s not forget that Reid is a hockey player—”
“I know. All that brawn and rugged masculinity? All that leashed testosterone? Mon Dieu,” Asha purred, fanning herself. “That sweet little girl is going to have her hands full.”
“I’m sure she already does,” Samara said with another laugh. “But what I was saying is that Reid is a professional hockey player, so he probably doesn’t have time to be our spokesmodel. He’s on the road a lot—”
“That hasn’t stopped him from accepting other endorsement deals. What’s one more?” Asha pressed a button on the speakerphone to summon her senior assistant, who’d left after setting up the Skype call. “Charvi, I need you to put together a portfolio for Reid Holden and Nadia Warner. I’m considering them for our Forever campaign and I want to see how well they photograph—separately and together.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Asha’s efficient assistant was already searching Google, her fingers clicking across her computer keyboard. “I see that Reid has endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, Ford, Goodyear and Bauer. So finding plenty of shots of him will be a piece of cake. Nadia might be trickier but— Never mind. Her Instagram is a goldmine.”
“Excellent. Get those portfolios to me by four o’clock.” Asha clicked off the speakerphone and smiled in satisfaction. “I’ll have to thank Mason for putting those beautiful young lovebirds on my radar.”
Samara chuckled, shaking her head at her mother. “You are truly a force of nature. What Asha Dubois wants, Asha Dubois gets.”
“Oui, c’est vrai,” Asha blithely agreed. “And you’re a perfect example of that, ma chérie. I’ve always wanted you to come work for my company, but you resisted for years. And now here you are.”
Samara sighed. “C’est vrai.”
What else could she say? Asha was right. For years Samara had wanted absolutely nothing to do with House of Dubois. She was so angry with her mother, so hurt and damaged by
their toxic relationship, that she’d refused to even consider the possibility of working for her. It was only after they reconciled that she’d had a change of heart, and she’d never looked back.
Smiling at the thought, Samara selected a red macaron from the plate of pastries and bit into it, savoring the exquisite raspberry flavor. “I know we’ve been tossing ideas back and forth, but I think I’ve finally come up with the perfect way to tell Marcus about the baby.”
“Really?” Her mother looked intrigued. “Do tell.”
Samara grinned at her. “It’s definitely dramatic, and it definitely promises to be memorable. But…”
“But what, chére?”
“But it’s going to be pretty extravagant,” Samara admitted. “Extravagant and expensive.”
“Extravagant and expensive? Now you’re speaking my language!” Asha cupped Samara’s face between her hands, kissed her on the forehead and smiled excitedly. “Tell me your idea so I can help you plan your surprise, darling. It’s going to be spectacular. Just you wait!”
11
Burgundy, France
Two weeks later
Christmas evening
The cavernous halls of the palatial château were ringing with laughter, the babble of voices and the squeals of happy children running and playing.
That Christmas afternoon, everyone was gathered in the luxurious solarium. It was a huge room, high ceilinged and bright with glass walls that overlooked the lavishly manicured gardens. Furnished with many sofas and chairs, the solarium was perfect for entertaining large groups. At the center stood a soaring conifer tree festooned with hundreds of twinkling lights and expensive ornaments made from diamonds, emeralds and Swarovski crystals, making it one of the most opulent Christmas trees most people would ever behold.
The Christmas gifts had been opened, the sumptuous holiday feast had been served and devoured. And now the revelers sat around laughing and drinking cinnamon-infused wine while they waited for the evening’s entertainment.
Samara sat cuddled up beside Marcus, his muscular thigh pressed tight against hers, his arm slung across the back of the sofa as he played in her hair.
Meeting his eyes, she smiled and mouthed, Love you, baby.
Love you too, he mouthed back and winked.
There were several conversations going on at once. Some of the men were making plans to go bass fishing tomorrow. The avid outdoorsmen—Sterling, Stan, Magnum and Navarro—were especially eager to hit the lake.
Most of the women would be flocking to Paris for a leisurely day of shopping, starting at Asha’s posh boutique along the Champs-Élysées. The men would join them that evening for dinner at Le Meurice, one of the finest restaurants in Paris.
All the children were staying behind with Mama Wolf and Prissy’s mother, Dinah, along with the two nannies Asha had hired for the holidays. They had an exciting day of activities planned for the kids, including a magic show and scavenger hunt.
As Samara gazed around the solarium that wintry Christmas afternoon, her heart warmed at the festive scene before her.
Mama Wolf sat in a high-backed upholstered chair that fittingly resembled a throne. The beloved family matriarch was flanked by Dinah and Lexi’s mother, Carlene. The three women’s heads were bent close together as they talked and laughed.
All the married couples were booed up, Samara noted, grinning at the sight of her mother, Prissy, Winnie and Georgina curled up next to their husbands, their faces glowing with smiles and laughter.
Samara couldn’t be happier for Georgina. After losing Quentin’s father more than thirty years ago, she’d finally found love again with a wonderful man who worshipped the ground she walked on. She deserved every ounce of happiness that Henry Duncan had brought into her life.
Watching the older couple, Samara hoped that a second chance romance was also in the cards for Dinah and Carlene.
The thought made her smile as her wandering gaze landed on Quentin and Lexi. They sat close together on a velvet settee, smiling down at their beautiful young children. Junior played noisily at their feet while Alexandra sat on her mother’s lap contentedly sucking her thumb. The baby girl’s bright hazel eyes reflected the lights from the gigantic tree, which currently held her rapt attention.
Michael and Reese sat nearby holding hands while Manning and Taylor canoodled in a corner like a pair of honeymooners. Taylor insisted that they were done having children. But since she hadn’t gotten her tubes tied, and she and Manning could never keep their hands off each other, an “oops baby” could come any day now.
The same went for Zora and Maya. The twin sisters shared a sofa with their husbands, who sat on either side of them. Zachary, who bore a striking resemblance to the actor Michael Fassbender, was whispering naughty things in Zora’s ear while Navarro playfully nuzzled Maya’s neck, making her giggle like a schoolgirl.
A proud Native American with chiseled good looks and raven-black hair worn long enough to brush his shoulders, Yuma Navarro was Manning’s childhood friend and the executive vice president of Wolf Biotech. He’d met Maya during one of her family’s summer visits to Denver. As the story went, Navarro had been playing basketball at Manning’s house when Maya wandered outside to the backyard. Navarro had taken one look at her and lost his heart. Luckily for him, Maya fell just as hard. Three decades later, now married with three kids, they were still madly in love.
A raucous shout of laughter drew Samara’s attention to where Montana, Magnum and Maddox sat around drinking winter ale and swapping jokes.
Several feet away, Mason stood by the tiered marble fountain flirting with one of the nannies, a twentysomething beauty who’d migrated to Paris from Senegal. A self-proclaimed “chocoholic with a weakness for fine dark-skinned sistas,” Mason had been instantly captivated by the nanny’s glowing brown skin, entrancing smile and lilting French accent.
“Oh, Michael darling,” Asha called over the buzz of voices, laughter and holiday music.
Michael broke off his conversation with Marcus and Quentin to smile inquisitively at his stepmother, whose eyes were twinkling with merriment.
“We took a vote, dearest, and we unanimously agreed that your holiday show should be taped here every Christmas.”
Michael laughed as several others raised their wineglasses and chimed, “Hear, hear!”
The crew of Michael’s Emmy-winning cooking show, Howlin’ Good, had arrived two mornings ago to shoot the annual “Holidays With the Wolf Pack” episode. With the château’s enormous gourmet kitchen serving as the set, everyone had gathered around Michael for a boisterous, rollicking good time that continued long after the cameras stopped rolling.
He grinned at Asha. “Drew had the same idea,” he said, referring to the executive producer of Howlin’ Good. “He loved the château and the vineyards. He thought the taping was a huge success, and the whole crew thoroughly enjoyed your hospitality.”
“They sure did,” Prissy confirmed, her head resting on Stan’s shoulder. “They couldn’t stop raving about dinner and the complimentary bottles of wine you gave them.”
“They were delightful guests,” Asha said, smiling graciously. “I do hope they can come back.”
“They’d love to,” Michael assured her. “But flying the whole crew out to France once a year would get pretty expensive. So the network execs probably won’t go for it.”
“But you’re one of their biggest stars,” Asha pointed out. “Surely you can persuade them?”
“Oh, he can,” Reese purred, sliding a suggestive smile at Michael. “My husband can be very persuasive when he wants to be.”
“TMI,” Manning called out jokingly.
Michael snorted. “Says the man who’s had his tongue down his wife’s throat all night,” he quipped, drawing howls of laughter from the others.
Looking around at the sea of animated faces, Mama Wolf beamed with happiness and contentment. “What a wonderful Christmas this has been,” she declared.
All laughter
and conversation ceased as everyone turned to smile at the family matriarch.
“You know,” she began philosophically, “as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ today, I feel like the most blessed woman on earth. Not only has God given me an abundance of loving family and friends, He’s also blessed me with the precious gift of time. During my long life on this earth, I’ve witnessed many tragedies and experienced just as many triumphs. I’ve seen our country progress in some ways and regress in others. Because of God’s grace and mercy, I was able to do something I never thought I would—cast a vote for our first black president. Not once, but twice.” She smiled, her dark eyes shining with satisfaction. “If the Good Lord calls me home tomorrow, I’ll leave this earth with no regrets.” Pause. “But I sure wouldn’t mind if He kept me around a while longer to enjoy more of these holiday gatherings. They give me life, as the young folks say.”
Hearty laughter and shouts of “Amen” filled the room. Mama Wolf smiled radiantly as everyone got up and went over to hug and kiss her.
When it was Samara’s turn, the family matriarch gently cradled her face between her hands and confided in a hushed voice, “I had one of my fertility dreams not too long ago.”
Samara grinned. “Did you?”
“I sure did.” There was a conspiratorial gleam in the old woman’s eyes. “Every time I dream about waterfalls, one of you girls turns up pregnant. Am I going to find out who’s expecting during tonight’s special performance?”
“Yes,” Samara said with a twinkling smile. “But something tells me you already know.”
Mama Wolf beamed ecstatically, then hugged her long and hard. “Congratulations, baby,” she whispered in her ear. “I’m so happy for you and Marcus!”
Samara laughed, returning her fierce hug. “Thank you, Mama.”
Just then the older children stampeded into the room, squealing with laughter as they chased one another around the sparkling Christmas tree.
As Milan ran past her parents, Marcus reached down and scooped her right up. She burst into high-pitched giggles as he swung her into the air and blew raspberries against her neck.
Oh Baby: A Holiday Novella (Wolf Pack Book 9) Page 9