“Mamamama.” Yasmine turned, braced her arms on Simona’s thigh and pulled to standing. Giving Simona a wide grin, showing her eight teeth, she clapped her hands.
Simona clapped along and said, “Yay! You’re such a big girl.” Yasmine had been walking for only a few weeks, but was getting faster every day, and childproofing had taken on new meaning. Simona scooped her up just as the little girl made it across the room to the table and reached for the phone. “Oh, no you don’t,” Simona said with a laugh. “I’m not paying for any calls made to Africa or China.”
Yasmine’s squeals of delight filled Simona’s heart. She just wished her sister were here to share it.
Their laughter was interrupted when the phone rang. Simona paused, thinking Donovan was calling back. She picked up the phone, checked the display and smiled upon seeing her grandmother’s number.
“Hey, Nana.”
“Hi, Simona. Sorry I missed your call the other night. Prayer meeting and Bible study ran over.”
“It’s no problem.”
“I planned to call you back last night, but Deacon Mitchell asked me to dinner.”
“Oooh, go, Nana! You’ve got a boyfriend?” At seventy years old, Frances Walker still possessed the ability to turn the heads of men at least a decade younger. She exercised, danced and lived a full life.
Her grandmother giggled. “Hush, girl. No. We just went out for a nice dinner.”
“Uh-huh, tell me anything. I might have to make a trip up there to check him out.”
“He’s a nice man. Been widowed about ten years. We had a nice time. I’m not the only one going out on dates, from what I heard,” she added with a chuckle. “You need to find a nice young man.”
“You always say that.”
“And I’m always right. What’s his name, and where did you meet him?”
“His name is Donovan, and I met him at the hospital.” She told her grandmother what happened with the cart.
“Is he a cutie-pie?”
Simona shook her head. “Yes, Nana, he’s a cutie-pie.”
“Does he have a good job?”
“I guess so. He works in music management—in an office—but I’m still a little unsure about exactly what it is he does. And after Travis, I want to steer clear of anyone who might be popular.”
“Oh, sweetheart. You can’t base every man on how Travis behaved. I never liked him. Always putting on airs.”
Her grandmother had always said there was something about Travis that didn’t ring true, and Simona wished she had listened.
“From what Eve told me, it doesn’t sound like this young man is the same.”
Eve talks too much. “No, he isn’t.”
“Well, it won’t hurt to spend some time with him.”
“Maybe.”
“You have a good head on your shoulders, so it’ll be all right. How’s my great-granddaughter? I saw the beautiful pictures. She looks just like her mama at that age.”
“She’s growing so fast. And yes, she does.”
“Have you talked to your mother?”
“Not since she called to tell me she was going to Cancun with Roy, or Rob, or whoever it is this time.”
Frances sighed heavily. “I wish she would just settle down with one man. She’s getting too old for this nonsense.”
Simona chuckled. Since her parents’ divorce fifteen years ago, her mother changed men almost as often as she changed her clothes. “Hopefully he’s the one. She did say she was in love this time.” Simona leaned over and plucked a penny out of Yasmine’s hand before she could get it to her mouth and was rewarded with a loud wail.
“Hmph. That’s a first. What did you do to my baby?”
“Kept her from eating a penny. I don’t know how she finds these things. I try to make sure I don’t miss anything, but she finds the tiniest specks.”
“All babies are like that. Go take care of her. We’ll talk soon. Love you, baby.”
“Love you, too, Nana.” She hung up, tossed the phone on the couch and picked up Yasmine. “Okay, little miss, it’s bath and bedtime for you.”
After putting Yasmine to bed, Simona showered and got into bed. She picked up the mystery novel she’d been trying to finish for the past two weeks. Two pages in, her mind went back to its favorite subject of late—Donovan. With his killer smile, sexy dimple and mesmerizing eyes, it was going to take every ounce of willpower she had to resist him. Her eyes slid closed as she recalled his hard body pressed against hers, the way his hand caressed her back, the intensity of his kiss. Even now, the thought of his soft, warm lips against hers sent a wave of desire through her. And, once again, thoughts of those same lips moving over her body seeped into her fantasy.
Simona’s eyes snapped open and she groaned. The man had kissed her only once and had her all hot and bothered. It was just a simple good-night kiss. Nothing more.
Yeah, but it was the best kiss of your life, good-night or otherwise, her mind argued.
She ignored the errant thought. Best kiss or not, she needed to maintain her distance, and she had only a short time to figure out how to get it done.
* * *
Simona rushed around her bedroom trying to get dressed. Instead of picking her up at seven fifteen as planned, Donovan had called and asked if she could be ready an hour earlier because he had to stop at his office first. Her bed looked as if it had been hit by a tornado, with the many outfits she had tried on and discarded. She threw up her hands. “Why is this so hard? It’s just a date.”
Yasmine raised her arms and giggled.
“Oh, so you think this is funny, huh?” The doorbell rang. “Let’s go get the door.” She opened the door to Eve. “Hey.”
“You’re not dressed yet?” Eve asked as she entered and took Yasmine. “Donovan is going to be here in half an hour.”
“I know. I can’t decide what to wear,” Simona said, going back to her room with Eve following. When they got to the room, Eve laughed.
“Girl, you have more clothes on the bed than in your closet. It’s a concert. You’ll be fine wearing a dress or pants. What is Donovan wearing?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t ask.” She held up a cap-sleeve, curve-hugging royal blue dress, turning it one way, then another.
“That’s nice. Put it on. Yasmine and I will be waiting.” Eve walked out, closing the door behind her.
Simona slipped into the dress, applied light makeup and sat on the edge of the bed to put on her shoes. The strappy black sandals added four inches to her five-foot-six-inch frame. She stood in front of her floor-length mirror and surveyed the look. Her stomach wasn’t as flat as she liked, but the ruched design of the dress concealed it perfectly. She added large silver hoop earrings and released the clip on her braids. Tonight she decided to leave her hair down. It had been a while since she’d gone on a date, and she looked forward to a nice evening out. Smiling, she picked up her small black shoulder bag and left the room.
“You look great, Simona,” Eve said when Simona entered the living room.
“Thanks.” She glanced down at her watch. Donovan would be arriving any minute.
“If Donovan is the gentleman I think he is, he’ll be ringing that doorbell shortly.”
Simona nodded. “I still haven’t decided whether this is leading anywhere, so I’d rather not tell him about Yasmine yet.”
“We’ll wait in the bedroom until you leave, but you need to hurry up and decide.”
“I know, and I will. Thanks, Eve.” The doorbell rang, and Simona’s belly fluttered. She waited until Eve had taken Yasmine into the bedroom before going to the door.
When she opened it, the sight of Donovan standing there in all his handsomeness with a single long-stemmed yellow rose made her heart skip a beat.
“Wow!
You look absolutely beautiful,” he said, extending the rose.
“Thank you, and thank you for the rose. It’s lovely. You don’t look so bad yourself.” Instead of the dress shirt he had worn the past two times she’d seen him, tonight he had on a pale gray silk T-shirt that displayed his muscular biceps paired with navy trousers. “I’m ready. I know you have to make a stop first.” She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her.
He gave her a curious look and guided her to his car. Starting the engine, he glanced her way, letting his eyes linger on her bare legs before raising them to meet her eyes. “I hope the change in time didn’t interfere with your plans.”
“No, you’re fine. Do you have to pick up some work?”
“Nope. I left the tickets sitting on my desk.”
Simona chuckled. “Well, yeah, I guess we’ll need those.”
Donovan shook his head. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“It happens to the best of us.” She settled in for the ride, and they made small talk until he arrived at an office building.
He parked in the garage, hopped out and came around to her side. “It should only take a minute.”
For a brief moment she considered waiting in the car, but curiosity got the best of her. She wanted to see exactly where he worked. Inside the elevator he pressed the button for the sixth floor. The car rose swiftly, and when the doors opened, Donovan guided her across highly polished floors to a hallway. An empty reception desk sat at the entrance, with RC Productions written in large gold letters on the wall behind it.
They stopped at an office near the far end of the hall. Her gaze narrowed upon reading the nameplate: Donovan Wright, Executive Vice President. So much for him just overseeing a few departments.
He unlocked the door and flipped a switch, illuminating a large outer office, which she assumed belonged to his secretary. The inner office was even larger and had a small conference table with seating for six over to one side. A huge mahogany desk sat on the opposite side. She wandered around the room, looking at the gold and platinum records hanging on the wall, and felt a measure of unease.
“I thought you said you weren’t a recording artist.”
“I’m not. Most of the offices have them.” He held up the tickets.
Simona pointed to one then another. “So, the D. E. Wright inscribed on this one and this one is not you?”
He sighed. “Yes, it is, but only because I was one of the writers on the song.” Coming to where she stood, Donovan gathered her in his arms. “What’s going on, Simona? Every time the topic of my job comes up, you seem... I don’t know.”
Not ready to share her past with him, she said, “I’m just curious, that’s all.”
“I can assure you I am not a singer. The only reason my name is on it is because the artist insisted.”
She wanted to believe him, and he hadn’t given her any reason to think he was someone other than who he said. But the thought of having a repeat of her last relationship made her think that this might be their last date.
He tilted her chin. “Simona, are you sure there’s nothing bothering you? I really like you, and I’m hoping we can spend more time together.”
Staring into his earnest eyes, she heard herself say, “So do I.” So much for that little self-speech about this being the last date. He lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She leaned up and impulsively ran her tongue across his bottom lip. He captured it with lightning speed. She heard him groan as he deepened the kiss. His hands roamed down her back and over her hips. Simona felt his fingers slip beneath the hem of her dress to caress her bare thigh, and she moaned softly.
He transferred his kisses to her jaw, the curve of her neck and shoulder. “I can’t get over how amazing you look in this dress,” Donovan murmured, moving back to her mouth.
Simona’s body trembled with a need unlike anything she had ever experienced. She clung to him as his mouth plundered hers and his hand moved higher up her thigh, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her.
“Donovan,” she whispered, breaking off the kiss. Her chest heaved as she tried to slow her breathing. His eyes glittered with desire, and she closed hers so he wouldn’t see the longing in them.
“We’d better get out of here,” Donovan said, his breathing as labored as hers. He locked the office and led her back to the garage.
Simona sat in the car with her hands clasped together in her lap, still attempting to bring her rampant emotions under control—not to mention the insistent throbbing between her thighs, the pounding of her heart in her chest. Neither spoke much during the drive, giving her some time to think. She needed to get herself together. She couldn’t afford to fall so easily for this man, no matter how fine he was or how his kisses made her feel.
Her attention was drawn to all the traffic leading to Club Nokia. Even though she had lived in LA for a year, Simona hadn’t explored her new city. She spotted Staples Center, JW Marriott and a movie theater, among other things.
“I never knew all this was here,” she said.
“You’ve never been over here?”
“No, I’ve only lived in LA for a year.”
Donovan slanted her a quick glance. “Really? I thought you grew up here. Where are you from?”
“Oakland.”
“What made you move here?”
“I needed a change, and taking the job here was a great learning opportunity, so the decision was easy.” It wasn’t a total lie.
He nodded. “Have you visited many places since you’ve been here?”
“Actually, this is the first place I’ve gone, aside from a few local restaurants.”
“Not even Disneyland?” he asked with a smile.
She returned his smile. “Not even Disneyland. The only amusement park I’ve been to is Six Flags in Vallejo.”
“Aw, Simona, you have to go to Disneyland at least once.” He parked in the underground lot of the club and rotated his body toward her. “I tell you what, since you’re a relative newcomer to LA, how about I show you around? We can go to Disneyland and any other place you want to visit. What do you say?”
He really needed to stop smiling at her. That darn dimple and those sparkling eyes in his too-fine face melted any resistance she had built up on the ride here. “Okay.”
“Great. We’ll coordinate our schedules.”
When he got out of the car, Simona banged her head softly against the seat and groaned. How hard is it to say the word no, Simona? her inner self chastised. Or to at least say you’ll think about it. He made it so easy to say yes. At the rate she was going, she would be totally under his spell before the night ended, or worse...falling in love.
Chapter 7
Donovan held Simona’s hand as they entered the theater. He was surprised to learn Simona had not grown up in LA, but it would be his supreme pleasure to escort her around town. This gave him the chance to spend time with her, getting to know her under the guise of being a good host.
Glancing at her, he couldn’t get over how gorgeous she looked in that body-hugging dress. He had almost swallowed his tongue when she opened the door. Holding her the first night they had kissed, he’d felt her curves. However, he had no idea those loose-fitting scrubs hid a body that sexy. Remembering the feel of her silky bare thigh beneath his fingers and the seductive taste of her kiss sent a jolt directly to his groin, and Donovan tried to force his thoughts elsewhere as he guided her down the aisle. They were seated with ten minutes to spare.
“How did you get front row seats?” Simona asked, cutting into his musings. “Is this another perk of your job?”
He hesitated briefly before nodding. Donovan still sensed that she had been less than forthcoming about her thoughts regarding his job. She wasn’t telling him something, and he wondered why she was so uncomf
ortable. “Sheila Martin is one of the label’s artists. She’s been with us close to two years, and this is her first project. She’s had great reviews and sold out in smaller venues, so her manager wanted to try something larger. From what I understand, this will be a sellout, as well.”
Simona nodded. “She has an amazing voice. Reminds me of Jill Scott or Gladys Knight—not so much in style, but in the strength of her voice.”
“In other words, like an old-school R & B singer.”
“Exactly,” Simona answered with a smile.
The lights went down, and Sheila hit the stage. Throughout the concert, Donovan stole glances at Simona. She seemed to be enjoying herself, if the way she moved her body in time with the beat was any indication. The last woman he had taken to a concert bugged him the entire time about whether he had backstage passes, and if there were any after-parties. By the time the concert had ended, he was so irritated that he’d taken her home as soon as the last song was over and dropped her off with a “don’t call me, I’ll call you” line and immediately blocked her number from his cell. Since that date a year ago, he had been leery of disclosing his true job and had gone out with only a few women, none of whom held his attention like the one sitting next to him.
Donovan could list a dozen reasons he should tread lightly where Simona was concerned—the possibility of having his heart broken topped the list—but for the first time in his life he felt like a car careening out of control with no brakes. He turned his attention back to the music.
“Wow, she was great,” Simona said when the concert ended. “I’m even more anxious to add her to my collection.”
“Actually, you can purchase one tonight, if you want. They’ll be selling autographed copies in one of the VIP rooms shortly. And before you ask, yes, I’ll have access before they let the general public in. Consider it another perk. Would you like to go?”
“Are there going to be lots of media and cameras?”
“Probably.”
“Then no.”
Donovan angled his head thoughtfully. Her curt reply gave him pause. “Are you camera shy?”
It's Only You Page 6