She was surprised to find Reid in the living room with her mother and Aunt Sherise. They were sitting together on the sofa, laughing and chatting as they looked over a family photo album.
“And there’s my little Nadia,” her mother cooed, pointing to a photograph on the page.
Nadia hustled into the living room, sputtering in protest. “Really, Ma? You’re showing him baby pictures?”
“Oh, hush.” Her mother waved her off. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You were a beautiful child.”
“Your mom’s right,” Reid agreed warmly. “You were beautiful. And this is an adorable picture of you.”
Dubious, Nadia made her way to the sofa to peer over their shoulders. When she saw the photo in question, she didn’t know whether to be amused or mortified. The picture had been taken on Halloween when she was six. She was wearing a leopard print leotard with a long tail and a headband with matching cat ears tucked into her big Afro. Her eyes sparkled as she shook a tambourine while flashing a toothy grin at the camera.
“She was dressed up as Valerie, the black tambourine player from Josie and the Pussycats,” her mother explained to Reid. “Nadia and Scarlett used to love watching that old cartoon. For Halloween that year, Scarlett dressed up as Josie, the lead singer. Nadia went as Valerie, and one of our neighbors’ little girls was Melody. I believe we have an old videotape of them performing together that night.”
“Really?” Reid looked over his shoulder at Nadia, his eyes glittering with laughter. “I’d love to see it.”
Nadia groaned and then laughed. “Why are you doing this to me, Ma?”
“What?” Her mother blinked, all innocence. “I see nothing wrong with sharing your childhood pictures and memories with Reid. This helps him get to know you better.”
Reid grinned. “You’re absolutely right, Mrs. Warner.”
When she grinned and patted his hand, Nadia rolled her eyes.
Aunt Sherise struck a thoughtful pose, her eyes twinkling. “As I recall from the comics, Valerie and Archie got married and had a child several years go. So if you think about it, Valerie ended up with a white boy.” She winked at Nadia and Reid. “Talk about foreshadowing.”
Nadia blushed while Reid and her mother laughed.
“Is there any way I can get a copy of this picture?” Reid asked.
Eden beamed. “Why, yes, of—”
“I don’t think so,” Nadia quickly interjected. “That picture doesn’t leave this house.”
“Aw, c’mon, baby,” Reid cajoled. “It’s a great picture.”
“Uh-uh. No haps.”
Her mother shared a conspiratorial smile with Reid. “Don’t worry. I got you.”
When he grinned, Nadia scowled. “What’re you doing up here anyway?” she said accusingly. “Aren’t you supposed to be downstairs watching football with the menfolk?”
“He was. We snuck him away.” Aunt Sherise winked at Reid. “But he didn’t mind. The Lions were losing anyway.”
They all laughed.
Closing the family album, Nadia’s mother suggested, “Why don’t you give Reid a tour of the house? I’m sure he’d love to see your old bedroom.”
Nadia raised an amused eyebrow. “You mean you’re actually letting me take a boy upstairs to my room?”
Her mother’s eyes glinted. “As long as you keep the door open, there shouldn’t be any problem.”
Aunt Sherise grinned, rising from the sofa. “And keep your phone close.”
Nadia gave her a curious look. “Why?”
“So I can text you a heads-up in case your father decides to come check up on you.”
Nadia and Reid laughed.
After her mother and aunt headed down to the basement, Nadia took Reid by the hand and led him up the curved staircase to the second floor. Although she wasn’t a teenager anymore, she suddenly felt like one as she ushered Reid down the carpeted hallway toward her old bedroom. He made her feel breathless with excitement, like a giddy teen with her first big crush.
She found herself humming Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” as she stepped through the open doorway of her bedroom and flipped on the light.
After she and Nelson went off to college, their mother decided to redecorate their bedrooms. Nadia’s new décor featured rich jewel tones with splashes of modern art. The pink wallpaper had been replaced with a fresh coat of taupe on all but one accent wall, which was painted a deep purple. Her small desk had been swapped out for a French armoire. Her canopy bed had gone from frilly to exotic with gossamer swaths of drapery, satin emerald bedding and silk pillows.
Her mother had kept certain items for sentimental reasons. A large dreamcatcher hung on the wall next to the bed. Another wall held a collage of Polaroids featuring Nadia with Nelson or Scarlett, making silly faces and doing silly things. A tall antique bookcase held dog-eared copies of books she’d reread too many times to count. A long window seat lined with multicolored throw pillows still served as a cozy reading nook.
Nadia watched as Reid stood in the center of the room and looked around with a fascinated little smile.
“So this is your old bedroom,” he murmured.
“Yup.” She smiled, spreading her arms wide. “Welcome to my childhood sanctuary.”
“I like it. It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you. It’s been redecorated, of course.” She pointed to the purple accent wall. “There used to be a big poster of Usher right there.”
Reid smiled. “Usher, huh?”
“Oh, yeah. Like most girls I knew, I had the biggest crush on that dude. When I turned sixteen, my parents surprised me, Scarlett and Nelson with tickets to an Usher concert. We rode in a limo and had front row seats. When Usher sang ‘U Got It Bad,’ no one could tell me he wasn’t singing directly to me.” She crooned the words to the chorus, then sighed and grinned. “Good times.”
“I’ll bet,” Reid said with a chuckle, wandering across the room to study the collage of Polaroids. “I love how close you are to your family. I can tell how much you all mean to one another.”
“Absolutely,” Nadia agreed in a fond tone. “Family is everything.”
“Definitely.” Reid paused before the bookcase, trailing his fingers over the spines of the books. “I wonder…”
“Wonder what?”
Twinkling eyes met hers. “If I did some snooping around, would I find one of your old diaries?”
Nadia lifted an eyebrow. “Who says I kept a diary?”
He gave her a knowing look.
She conceded with a sheepish laugh. “Fine. I did. But you’ll never find them. I threw them away a long time ago.”
“That’s too bad,” Reid said with a lazy smile. “I would have loved to know all your secrets.”
She laughed. “I don’t think so. A girl’s gotta keep some mystery about her.”
“Fair enough.” Reid crossed the room to her bed and sat down. He was so big and male, he made the canopy bed look like it belonged to a toddler.
He leaned back on the pillows, his eyes heavy lidded as he stared at her. “Come here.”
Heat gathered low in her belly. He’d mouthed the same words to her that night as he stood outside the locker room after his game.
She stood there wavering, her teeth scraping against her bottom lip.
He patted the bed beside him. “Come sit with me.”
She grinned and shook her head. “I’d better not.”
He chuckled, watching as she moved to the window seat and sat down. After toeing off her pumps, she pulled her legs up on the cushioned bench to sit Indian style.
Reid smiled at her. “I can picture you laying there curled up with a book on a lazy summer afternoon.”
Nadia nodded, smiling softly. “This was my favorite reading spot.”
“No wonder. It looks very comfortable with all those pillows.” He got up and sauntered toward her. “I’ll have to install a window seat in my house.”
Her heart skipped three beats. �
��For me?”
“Of course. I want you to have a favorite reading spot at my house too.” When he winked at her, she felt the now familiar zip of electricity race through her body to curl her toes.
Reid sat down next to her on the window seat, put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. She snuggled into the side of his body and sighed contentedly, warmed by his masculine heat and the lingering aftereffects of good food and good wine.
“I really like your family,” he murmured into her hair. “They’re good people.”
“I’ve always thought so.” Nadia smiled. “And I think it’s safe to say they feel the same way about you. You were a hit with everyone, including my father.” She paused. “That is, once he finished threatening your life.”
Reid chuckled. “I don’t blame him for being protective of his daughter. I’m going to be the same way.”
Nadia grinned. “I can totally see you being an overprotective papa bear.”
“Damn right.” He moved some pillows out of the way and then leaned back against the wall adjacent to the window. The window seat nearly ran the length of the wall, so the bench was long enough for him to stretch out his legs. When he was comfortably settled, he pulled Nadia into his arms. She spooned up beside him with her head on his chest, her hand laying on his stomach and her legs tangled with his.
He rested his cheek on top of her head and sighed. “This is cozy.”
“Umm-hmm,” she purred. “Very cozy. I could fall asleep at any moment.”
“Me too.”
“It’s that tryptophan mojo.”
“Uh-huh,” Reid murmured, his hand running slowly up and down her back. “Dinner was incredible, by the way. I’m definitely helping myself to another plate before we leave.”
Nadia grinned. “As if Mom and Aunt Sherise needed any more reasons to love you.”
He chuckled softly, nuzzling his face into her hair. “Your mom is really beautiful. You look like her, you know.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
“It’s true. Your complexion is a couple shades lighter than hers, but you have the same gorgeous eyes and high cheekbones.” He hummed with appreciation. “I must say. You’ve got some good-looking women in your family. Damn.”
Nadia giggled. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the eye candy.”
“Definitely.” There was a smile in his voice. “I love that picture of you and your cousins on your Instagram page. You know the one I’m talking about? The one where you’re all dressed up and looking glamorous.”
Nadia smiled languidly. “I know the picture you’re talking about. It was taken at a sorority charity ball in Washington, D.C. The theme was ‘Celebrating Old Black Hollywood.’ All the women dressed up as vintage cinema stars like Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, Diahann Carroll and Lena Horne.” She smiled. “That’s one of the most popular pictures on my Instagram page.”
“I can see why,” Reid drawled. “All of you looked stunning.”
Nadia grinned. “Thank you kindly.”
“Just speaking the truth.” He kissed the crown of her head. “There were about twenty women in that picture. Are they all your cousins?”
“Most of them. A handful are Scarlett’s cousins from her mother’s side of the family.” Nadia smiled, tracing lazy circles on Reid’s stomach. “Mom and Aunt Sherise grew up together in Hampton, Virginia. They’ve always been as close as sisters. When Aunt Sherise met Uncle Lavell and found out he had a twin brother, she insisted on introducing him to her best friend. Dad was already seeing someone at the time, but it wasn’t serious. The moment he and Mom met, it was love at first sight. That was the only reason Mom’s family forgave her for choosing Howard University over Hampton. If she hadn’t gotten a good husband out of the deal, she’d probably still be on her parents’ shit list.”
Reid laughed. “Damn. It’s that serious?”
“Are you kidding? Attending Hampton University is a sacred tradition in my mother’s family. Same goes for Aunt Sherise’s. Their ‘defection’ caused quite an uproar, but they braved the fallout together.”
“And came away with good husbands,” Reid added importantly. “Twins.”
“Exactly.” Nadia grinned and cuddled closer to him, soaking up his warmth as he stroked his palm gently down her back. Soothed by his caress, she soon felt her eyelids growing heavy.
“Do you like dogs?”
It took a moment for the question to register. “Dogs?”
“Yeah.” Reid’s voice was lazy. “Do you like ’em?”
“I do.” She smiled. “I assume you do as well.”
He was amused. “Why do you assume that?”
“Because I’ve never met a white person who doesn’t like dogs.”
His laugh was a deep rumble against her ear.
She grinned. “Did you have a dog when you were growing up?”
“We did. A black lab named Pepper.” Affection warmed his voice. “He was great, really playful and rambunctious. He loved being on the ice. While I practiced, he’d be out there running and sliding and romping around. Every time I hit the puck, he’d chase it down and bring it back to me.”
Nadia smiled, enjoying the poignant images his words evoked. “He sounds like a very special dog.”
“He was,” Reid said fondly. “He was the best. And he lived a good, long life.”
“That’s good,” Nadia said warmly. “Do you want another dog?”
“I do. But I’m on the road all the time, so it’s not very practical. When I have a family, I’d definitely love to get a dog for my kids to enjoy.” He paused. “That’s why I asked if you like them.”
Nadia’s heartbeat quickened, as it always did whenever he alluded to their future. “I’m sure your kids will love having a dog as much as you did. And…how many was that again?”
“Kids?”
“Yes.”
“At least three. Preferably four.”
Nadia smiled against his chest. “Like your family.”
“Uh-huh.” There was an answering smile in his voice. “What do you think?”
Her stomach was fluttering. “I think big families are great.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” He sounded glad. Really glad.
She closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat. It was a little unsteady, a little fast. Just like hers.
She inhaled a breath and let it out slowly before speaking again. “Do you think children thrive better when their mothers don’t work outside the home?”
He was silent.
She frowned. “It’s not a trick question, Reid.”
“I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “I definitely benefited from having my mother around all the time. But I know there were times she missed not having a career. I know how much you enjoy your job. I wouldn’t want you to do anything that would make you unhappy.”
Nadia toyed with one of the buttons on his shirt. “I think I’d want to work at least part time.”
“Okay.” His arms tightened around her, holding her even closer. “Everything’s negotiable.”
Something like relief tingled through her. She sighed deeply and smiled. “This is such a grownup conversation we’re having.”
Reid chuckled softly, rubbing his cheek against her hair. “Speaking of grownup matters,” he drawled, “I just thought of something.”
She angled her head back to look up at him. “What?”
There was a wicked gleam in his eyes. “We’ve never done it on a window seat before.”
She laughed even as a shaft of need shot through her. “And we’re not gonna do it now.”
“Why not?”
“Seriously? You’re still on probation with my father. So unless you’re trying to get yourself killed, you’d better keep that beast in your pants.”
Reid laughed. “Spoilsport.”
She grinned. “Lifesaver, you mean. As in, I’m saving you from certain death at the hands of an angry black father.”
Grinn
ing, Reid tipped her chin up and leaned down to brush a soft kiss across her mouth, staring into her eyes. “We’ll finish this later at my house.”
“Yes.” Her voice was breathy, her stomach aflutter. “But not too much later…”
25
One week later, the Rebels arrived in Detroit and checked into their hotel.
After going up to his room to drop off his bag and change out of his suit, Reid left the hotel and took a cab to his younger brother’s place. He kept a car stored in Ryder’s garage so he’d have his own transportation whenever he came to town.
He’d asked his father to meet him over there so they could talk in private. He had a sensitive matter to discuss with the old man, a personal request he didn’t want Roark’s live-in girlfriend to overhear.
The cab hurtled along the streets, passing the General Motors headquarters and renovated high-rises, the towers of downtown Detroit glimmering in the morning sunlight. Reid stared out the window, barely registering the familiar scenery. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Nadia. She was arriving that evening, and he couldn’t wait to see her.
Unfortunately, it would be a good while longer because he had practice followed by a mandatory team dinner tonight. His sisters had eagerly volunteered to pick up Nadia from the airport and drive her to the hotel, which was the same hotel where the team was staying.
Reid hadn’t seen his baby in three days, so he fully intended to spend the night with her, making up for lost time. Viggo had promised to cover for him in case Coach did a surprise bed check. Good looking out.
On the way to Ryder’s townhouse, the cabbie could barely contain his excitement at having Reid in his vehicle. He asked him a bunch of questions and talked his ear off about Saturday night’s game against the Red Wings.
Soon they arrived at his brother’s brownstone, which was situated in a converted warehouse on Detroit’s riverfront. Reid gave the cabbie a generous tip and autographed some items for his grandkids, then shook the man’s hand and got out of the car. He strode up the walk, jogged up the brick steps to the front door and let himself inside with his key.
Ryder’s townhouse wasn’t your typical spartan bachelor pad. Avery had decorated the place with her brother’s personality and lifestyle in mind. The result was a sleek, minimalist décor with angular furnishings in a masculine palette of blacks, whites and grays. The art work consisted of black-and-white photographs that revealed glimpses into Ryder’s life by capturing him at various moments: sitting astride a tricked-out Harley, one hand on the throttle; napping on the hood of a gleaming 1969 Ford Mustang; standing with a group of oil rig workers, their faces covered in sweat and grime. There was even an old picture of him and Reid grinning boyishly with their arms slung around each other’s necks at a baseball game when they were children. The vintage photos added warm touches to the décor and made great conversation pieces, although Ryder grumbled that displaying too many pictures of himself could make him look like a self-absorbed prick.
Wicked Games (Denver Rebels) Page 35