by Malone, Nana
Izzy ignored the itch in her feet to run to him and cuddle him and planted her feet. “What happened to your lip?” She held up a hand. “And don’t tell me you fell.”
Nick didn’t spare her a glance. He continued to glare at Jason, malice in his eyes. Her motherly alarm bells rang clear and loud, like a church organ in her head. Trouble.
Jason didn’t seem at all perturbed by Nick’s angry glare. He leaned back on the stool. Every bit the non-threatening male. “Didn’t you hear your mom?”
Nick swung his head in her direction, but cast looks of disdain over in Jason’s direction. “I fell… onto some guy’s fist.”
She knew it wasn’t the cool thing to do, but Izzy let her mother’s instinct take over, and she reached for him. He shook her off and turned his attention back on Jason.
“What happened?” Impatiently, Izzy tried to check his lip but he shrugged her off again. “Nick, just let me—”
Jason stood and moved over to the far counter, probably in an attempt to give Nick some room. “Did that happen at practice?” Jason’s voice was low and calm.
“Yeah, genius. What do you think? ‘Cause I’m her kid, I run with gang bangers or something?”
Dread curled its icy fist around Izzy’s windpipe and made it impossible to breathe. “Nicholas Reems, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I have not raised you to be rude and disrespectful. Apologize.”
Eyes wide, he stared at her, looking more like a wounded six-year-old than the man he pretended to be. “Can’t you see, Mom? He’s using you. It’s just like the guys said. You’re his flavor of the week.” Before she could respond, he tore out of the back room into the yard.
Izzy staggered back from the force of shock hitting her in the chest. He’d never spoken like that to her before. Nauseous with anger and confusion, she eased herself onto a stool.
Jason placed an arm on her shoulder. His hand abated some of the chill that had seeped into her bones.
“I’ll talk to him.” Then indicating the stove, he added, “You might want to check on the stove.”
Shit. Afraid to peer into the pan, she choked back the acrid smell of burnt onions.
****
Jason ambled over to the pool, careful to approach with caution. “You want to tell me what’s really going on?”
Stubbornly, Nick shook his head. “Nope.”
Jason shrugged. “Fair enough. But, I happen to know your mom’s had a hell of a couple of months and doesn’t deserve you taking verbal jabs at her.” He paused. “Me? Maybe. But not her.”
Nick considered, and puffed in a few shorts breaths before speaking. “Some reporter guy showed up at lunch asking a bunch of questions about you, and these guys at school cornered me after practice and said some stuff about how I think I’m all Hollywood and stuff.”
Jason let the anger roll through him and then seep out. Nick needed to talk about it. He didn’t need Jason to go on a rip about the reporters. He’d deal with the paparazzi issue later. He nodded. “Yeah, then what?”
“They talked shit about Mom.”
Jason did his best to stay cool. He was sure Izzy would want him to throw in a bit about how violence didn’t solve problems. “What did they say about your mother?”
“How I wasn’t special just ‘cause you’d taken my mom out once. And that she was just your flavor of the week skank. And some other stuff…” The words trailed off, and he snuffled, unable to continue.
“Other stuff?”
Nick clenched his jaw as blood infused his face. “One of them dropped the N-bomb and some other stuff, so I took a pop at him.”
Jason could only guess at the other stuff. No wonder Nick had gotten in a scuffle. Bullying kids could be a pain in the ass. Ignorant, bullying kids could be dangerous. It was worse when they had muscle to back it up. Nick wasn’t a small kid. “What does the other guy look like?”
Nick cracked a smile. “Worse.”
Jason nodded his satisfaction. “Good, I hope you made ’em pay. But for future reference, violence doesn’t solve anything.”
“I’ll make sure to tell her you told me that.” Head hanging, he added, “I’m sorry about in there. I was rude.”
Jason shrugged. “You had good cause to be a little miffed. Paparazzi showing up at school. It can be a lot to handle. I’m sorry you’re in this position. That is my fault.”
Seemingly off topic, Nick asked, “So, are you like dating my mom now?”
“I’m trying to, if she’ll have me.”
“Maybe it’s not a good idea if she’s a flavor of the week.”
Jason got the message loud and clear. Nick was Izzy’s protector, and he didn’t want Izzy hurt. “She’s not. I care about her. I’m trying to convince her to let me stick around a while.”
“Okay.”
Jason smiled to himself. As if it were that easy. Say okay, and all was right with the world. “Not so fast. You still owe your mom an apology.”
A crimson sea washed over Nick’s face as he winced. “I swore in front of her, and I was rude. That’s going to be no phone for a month, at least.”
“How about we start with dinner and a sincere apology. I hear it can take you far.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Izzy needed a distraction. Screw a distraction, she needed sex. Because of Nick’s mood the night before, Jason hadn’t spent the night, and she was still humming with the tension. Every look, caress, stolen kiss, reminded her of her trip to Malibu. And all she’d been able to think about was another trip to Malibu, but their schedules weren’t compatible, so she’d have to wait.
She scooted out of her office and went in the hunt of chocolate. If she couldn’t have sex, Dove chocolate would make a fine substitute. “Hey Jessica do we—” She pulled up abruptly when she saw Jessica shove something in her desk.
Eyes wide, Jessica rolled her chair in front of the desk drawer as if to hide something. “What’s up Izzy? What do you need?” She paused for a second then added rapidly, “I’ve got your appt book for the day. A couple of sittings, but nothing maj—”
Something wasn’t right. Izzy scrutinized Jessica’s ramrod-straight posture and tightly clenched hands. “What gives? What are you hiding?”
Jessica turned a shade of pink. “Uhm, so….” Her voice trailed off, and she looked away.”
“Spill it, Jess. I haven’t got all day. What’s the matter with you?”
Jessica reached into the desk and pulled out what looked like a magazine from the desk drawer. “Iz, you have to promise me you’re not gonna tweak about this?”
Izzy’s brow furrowed. “Tweak?”
“Yeah, you know. Trip, bug out, push button panic, and shit a cold purple Twinkie?”
“Shit a wh—? Never mind. I know what to tweak means. Now show me what you’re hiding.”
Jessica pulled the glossy, weekly gossip rag from the desk. “I’m sure it’s not what it looks like. You know how these people like to deal funk.”
“Deal fu—”
“Hose, bag, make shit up…” Jessica’s definitions trailed off.
“Give me the magazine.”
Her hands trembled, but Jessica handed over the Us Weekly. Initially, Izzy didn’t see any cause for alarm. But when her eyes trailed the bottom left corner of the cover, her heart seized, threatened to lock up and never beat again.
“The image is all fuzzy, and probably photo-shopped to hell. It’s probably not even him.”
Izzy continued to stare at the image and the title above it. “Tennis’ bad boy on the rebound from Cienna.” The small print around the image added, “He never wastes any time.”
Nausea overtook her stomach and churned her breakfast yogurt around and around in circles. How did these things happen? Needing to sit down, she stumbled to one of the reception chairs and eased herself into it. This could not happen to her. Could. Not. Happen. She told herself over and over.
Concerned, Jessica brought her a Dixie-cup of water. “I’m sorry,
honey. I tried to warn you. Guys like Jason, you enjoy once and move on. They’re not relationship types.”
Izzy drew her head up. “What are you talking about?”
Jessica’s dark brows drew in. “Ain’t we talking about the same thing, honey? Your wannabe man. Two-timing like a Mo’ Fo’?”
Izzy was confused. “Huh?”
Jessica’s eyes rolled. “Mother Fu—”
“I know what Mo’ Fo’ means Jess. I’m confused about him two-timing.”
Jessica’s mouth thinned, and her eyes widened. “I didn’t know you were so down with the open relationship thing—”
Izzy lost the tenuous tether on her emotions. “For fuck’s sake, Jess. He’s not two-timing. That’s me in the photo.”
Jessica did a perfect impression of a frog’s bugged eyes. “You’re shitting me.”
Izzy shook her head. “I shit you not.”
Jessica grabbed the magazine and thumbed through to the feature page for a bigger image. Izzy wanted to curl up and vanish. Things like this were not supposed to happen to her.
Sure enough, there was a bigger image. Clear as crystal, she could make out Jason’s face. Thankfully, God heard her prayers, and her face was obscured. However, her head was thrown back in obvious ecstasy. Her skirt bunched up around her upper thighs. There was no question what they were doing.
Jessica’s voice broke through her haze of despair. “I don’t get it. When did this happen? I thought you didn’t do the do until last week?”
“We didn’t. This is from when Nick and I stayed in Malibu. If you look closely enough, you should recognize the skirt. It’s yours.”
Jessica narrowed her eyes and scanned the image again. A grin spread across her face. “Hey, what do you know? My skirt is famous.”
“I’d taken your advice, like the moron I am, and tried to seduce him. We were having some serious extracurricular activities until he saw a photographer on the beach with his creepy telephoto and serious flash.”
“Holy cow.”
“I know. Needless to say, that put a stop to any fun we were having. He called security, but I don’t think they ever got the guy.”
“My, my, Izzy Connors. You are an adventurous one. On the balcony? I never thought you had it in you.”
Heat flushed Izzy’s body. “It was your idea for me to go and get what I wanted.”
Jessica conceded. “Yeah I guess you’re right.” She indicated the magazine and asked, “What are you gonna do about this?”
Izzy stood up. “The only thing I can do. I need to talk to Jason.” She checked her watch. “He has physical therapy downtown at twelve. I can probably catch him before he starts.”
“I mean what can you really say? It’s not his fault someone got a picture of you guys.”
“It might not be his fault, but when people start splashing pictures of me on a magazine, something about it isn’t right. He lives a high profile life, and we don’t.”
“Hmmm.”
Izzy’s eyes narrowed. “What’s the hmmm for?”
“Izzy, you chose to try a relationship with this guy, even against my better warnings. You chose to jump right in. You can’t pick and choose the parts you want. You gotta take it all, the good the bad and the ugly.”
She wasn’t picking and choosing. She was trying to protect her family. Maybe she’d gotten too carried away with Jason. Maybe they needed to slow things down. Maybe she just needed to talk to Jason.
“I know. I’ll talk to him. There has to be a way to keep us out of the glaring paparazzi bulbs. Like normal people.”
****
Jason knew she’d be in the lobby before he even got into the building. He’d seen her car as he pulled into the parking lot. He’d also seen the US Weekly that morning. He was such an idiot. Should have just gone after that photographer himself as opposed to letting security try to find him.
Then those pictures wouldn’t have come out. In truth, though, nobody would recognize her in the photo. They’d all recognize him, though. He didn’t want to think about the hell Nick would catch at school if any of the kids found out the woman in the picture was Izzy.
He walked into the lobby but didn’t pause when he saw her. He lowered his voice, mumbled, “Follow me,” and motioned her in the direction of the locker rooms.
She looked askance but followed him anyway. When they were in the private changing room, he dropped his bags before he turned to face her. “Paparazzi followed me to the gym. They’re not allowed on the property, but they would have loved a shot of you in the lobby.”
Eyes wide, her full lips parted. “Are you serious?”
“Since last night, they’ve been on me like flies on shit. The only reason they haven’t found you yet is every time I’m coming to see you, I switch cars and drive around aimlessly for an hour before actually coming to you.” He shrugged. “Either that, or they haven’t put two and two together that you are my photographer and date to the opening last week. It won’t take long though.”
She turned to stare at the door they’d come through. “Is that how you live your life every day?”
He nodded. “Pretty much. Sometimes it’s my own fault. I’m out at a club and do or say something stupid. Mostly, I’m going about my life and they’re not there, but if they smell a story, they’ll hang around until I’m less interesting.”
“I—I didn’t really realize what it must be like. I mean you’re coming to physical therapy. What’s so interesting about that?”
He shrugged. “They’re hoping I’ll injure myself even more, and they’ll get a photo of it. Or they hope I use PT as a ruse to meet a beautiful woman.”
She ducked her head in embarrassment. “You’re not supposed to say stuff like that. I’m here to read you the riot act.”
He cringed. “Us Weekly?”
“So you’ve seen it?” He splayed his arms. “What the hell, Jason? Is this what it’s going to be like? People following us around everywhere?”
Desperate to calm her down, he reached for her. “You have every right to be pissed.”
She shrugged out of his hold. “Damn right I do. You can imagine my shock when Jessica showed me the stupid picture worried you were going to hurt me. You can imagine her shock when I told her I was the one in the picture.”
He couldn’t help the shit-eating grin tugging at the sides of his lips. “Was she jealous?”
“Jason!”
He laughed. “I’m sorry, baby. But this is part of it. If you want to do this, we can continue to try to exist in the little cocoon of your house or my house, but I don’t want to. I want to live our lives. Go see a match of Nick’s. Maybe take one of those photo vacations you always talk about. I don’t want to hide.”
“I don’t suggest we hide, but—”
“Then what do you suggest? If your suggestion is you walk away and pretend we never met, I’m not interested. We’ll find another solution.”
Deflated, her shoulders sagged. “Well that just takes the sport out of being pissed.”
He pulled her in close. “Baby, I know it’s not what you signed up for. But remember, you’re giving me a chance. Giving us a chance. I promise I’ll do what I can to keep you and Nick out of it. Right now, they just think you were a date to an event. They don’t know that you’re—” He abruptly stopped himself before he revealed too much. It was too early to tell her he loved her. She’d bolt. He amended his statement. “That we’re involved. They’ll find out soon enough, though. And, when they do, the best way to get rid of them is to live our lives. They’ll get bored eventually.”
She folded her arms across her chest, but her spine and shoulders softened. “I don’t want to be the subject of tabloid magazines. It was a real shock to see myself on the cover of Us Weekly.”
He grinned at her and hoped for forgiveness, hoped she’d adjust like he’d learned to. “I gotta say, you look like you were having a blast though.”
Annoyed, she smacked him on the arm. “That’s not
funny.”
He dodged another swat and drew her closer so she couldn’t take any more swipes at him. “C’mon, tell me the truth, you came all the way down here because you missed me didn’t you?”
She wiggled and tried to free herself, but he held her tight, breathing in her unique scent of jasmine, vanilla and spice. His memory flashed to their night in Malibu. The way her hair felt between his fingers. The petal soft texture of her skin. The way her legs tightened around him when she was ready to come. He needed her. But, like last night, making love would have to wait.
Once he and Nick had come back inside, and Nick had apologized to Izzy, they’d had a fun night. Nick salvaged the Pad-Thai. They’d laughed. Played a spirited game of Gin Rummy. Like normal people. First time he’d felt normal in years.
Jason hadn’t touched Izzy aside from the casual touches of two people in close proximity. After his chat with Nick, he figured it was a good idea to give Nick a chance to adjust to the idea of him before he started groping his mother in public.
But he missed her. Missed the smooth glide of her skin on his. Missed the way her eyes darkened when she was about to—
She giggled. “Jason, I think the racket in your pants wants to go a couple of games.”
He groaned, but didn’t let her go. Planting kisses on the baby-soft hair at her temples, he murmured, “Forget games, he’d like to go several matches.”
“Several huh?”
He nodded as he tried to temper the insistent urging from his body to be as close to her as humanly possible. “A whole tournament.”
She rose on tiptoe, and he bent his head to meet her half way. She brushed her lips to his before breathing out, “We should do something about that and give him a proper workout.”
His cock jerked inside his shorts. Izzy would be the death of him. “You shouldn’t tease a starving man like that.”
“Who’s teasing?”
“Iz—”
She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him in for another kiss. Her lips tasted of coffee and strawberries, the flavor of her drifted over his tongue and drew him in. He smiled into the kiss and wished he could stay like that forever.