He rose from his seat and hunkered down in front of her. Taking her hand, he said, “I promise to take good care of both my girls.”
She patted his hand. “I like you, Donovan. Well, this old lady is going to bed. I have church in the morning and a dinner guest afterward.”
He stood, helped her up and kissed her cheek. “Good night, Nana.” Now alone, he shook his head. He thought his mother was bad. Donovan turned off the TV and the lights, then went to check on Simona. He knocked softly on her door.
Simona opened the door wearing a skimpy shorts set that exposed more than it covered, and he groaned. “You don’t have anything else to sleep in?”
She smiled. “This is how I sleep in the summer.” She stepped back so he could enter.
Donovan crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes strayed to Yasmine asleep in a crib on the other side of the room. He patted the bed. “Come here, sweetheart.” He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. “How’re you doing?”
She released a deep sigh. “I’m okay. I honestly thought I had gotten over it, but I guess I’m still hurt by what Amber did.”
“That’s understandable. You were friends for a long time.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, by the way, Nana and I had a nice talk.”
Simona laughed softly. “In other words, she grilled you.”
He nodded. “She did. She would make a helluva lawyer. But I had no problems with it. She loves you.”
“What did you tell her?”
“The same thing I told you—that I’ll be here for you.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “Thank you, Donovan.”
“No thanks needed, baby.” They sat in silence for several minutes then Donovan said, “I should probably leave now because I want to strip you naked and make you scream my name, and I don’t want Nana to hear.”
Her head popped up, and her mouth gaped open. “You are so outrageous.”
“Me? I’m not the one who showed up at somebody’s office with no panties on. I couldn’t concentrate worth a damn all week.”
Simona clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. “But you enjoyed it?”
“You’d better believe it.” He took her hand and placed it on the solid bulge in his pants. “See what you do to me? And cold showers for the past several days haven’t helped.”
“Aw, poor baby.” She gave him a meaningful squeeze.
Donovan jumped up. “I’m going to bed.”
She chuckled and stood. “Night.”
He bent and kissed her. “See you in the morning.”
Donovan headed for his room and another cold shower. Soon as they got home, it was going to be him, Simona and his bed.
* * *
Simona had been at work only two hours Tuesday morning when the nurse manager asked to see her. Mrs. Battle rarely summoned nurses to her office unless there was a problem. Simona hadn’t had any trouble or complaints, so she had no idea why the woman wanted to see her. She knocked on the partially open door.
“Come in.”
“Hi, Mrs. Battle. You wanted to see me?”
She stood. “Yes, Simona. Please close the door and have a seat.”
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, but she did as asked. “Is there a problem with my performance?”
She smiled briefly. “No, Simona. You’re one of the most dedicated and compassionate nurses on staff.” She gestured to a chair. “Please.”
Simona perched on the edge of the chair and waited while Mrs. Battle walked over to a small conference table and retrieved what looked like a newspaper.
Mrs. Battle reclaimed her chair and clasped her hands together. “Something was brought to my attention this morning, and I wasn’t sure you knew about it.”
Simona’s heart hammered in her chest. “I’m sorry. I’m not following.”
“This,” Mrs. Battle said, and handed her the paper.
She took the paper and unfolded it. What Simona thought was a newspaper was actually a tabloid magazine. She carefully unfolded it and froze. On the cover was a picture of her, Donovan and Yasmine at Lake Merritt last weekend. But what captured her attention was the large headline that read, From Actor to Record Label Executive: Simona Andrews Has Cornered the Entertainment Market. There was an old picture of her and Travis, something about a possible secret love child and a host of other things that she couldn’t make sense of.
She gasped sharply. “No, no, no,” she whispered. She tossed the magazine on the desk with shaky hands and clutched her chest, struggling to draw in a breath. Her stomach dropped, and her heart raced. Simona squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of dizziness washed over her. This could not be happening again.
“Simona?”
Her eyes snapped open.
“I take it you hadn’t seen this.”
Simona shook her head quickly.
Mrs. Battle came around the desk and sat in the other visitor chair next to Simona. “How about you tell me what’s going on?”
Simona nodded, still not believing it was happening again. She shared the details of her relationship with Travis and their breakup, and those of her current relationship with Donovan. Mrs. Battle already knew the specifics surrounding Yasmine. “Is this going to cost me my job?” Simona asked shakily when she was done speaking.
The older woman shook her head. “Of course not. But you look like you could use some time off to deal with this.” She squeezed Simona’s hand reassuringly.
“Thank you. I think I’ll take you up on your offer.” Truthfully, she wouldn’t be able to do her job anyway with all the emotions swirling around in the pit of her stomach. What was she going to do? She had just started to get comfortable in her new home, and now she faced the possibility of having to move again.
Chapter 18
Donovan divided his gaze between the three people around the table. What was supposed to be a working lunch had turned into a Q & A session about his love life.
“Oh, come on, Donovan. Don’t keep me in suspense. I like Simona,” Audrey said.
Terrence folded his arms and laughed. “I have to say I’m enjoying watching you squirm the way you did me.”
“And as I said before, I’m not running like you were,” Donovan said. He turned to face Brad. “Do you have something to say?”
Brad held up his hands in mock surrender. “No way. The last time I said something, it ended with my wife calling me dense and giving me the silent treatment for six hours.”
They all laughed, recalling the incident right after Terrence and Janae met. Brad had assumed that Janae was another booty call before he knew the truth. Donovan turned back to Audrey. “Yes, Audrey, I’m in love with Simona.”
“Ooh, goodie! I heard she has a little girl.”
He reached into his pocket for his cell and brought up the photo of himself and Yasmine that he couldn’t resist taking on her birthday. “Her name is Yasmine, and she just turned one.” Donovan passed the phone to Audrey. “She’s actually Simona’s niece. Simona’s sister and her sister’s fiancé were killed in a car accident.”
“That’s so sad.” Audrey adjusted the phone so Brad could see. “She’s adorable, Donovan. Look at those little ponytails and that big smile. She has a head full of hair. And you look like a natural holding her. Brad and I have been talking. And since I can’t have children, we’re thinking of adopting.”
“That’s great,” Donovan said.
“I get first dibs on godfather,” Terrence said, reaching for the phone. They all laughed. “She’s a beautiful little girl. She and Nadia need to meet.” He held the phone out to Donovan. “I bet you were a goner the first time you held her and she turned those bright eyes on you. That’s what happened to me with Nadia.�
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Donovan stared at the picture, remembering the night Yasmine was sick. “Yeah, man. She stole my heart. Anyway, isn’t this supposed to be a working lunch?” His cell rang as he was putting it back in his pocket. He didn’t recognize the number on the display. “Let me get this.”
“Hello. May I please speak to Donovan Wright?” It was a female voice he didn’t recognize.
He frowned. “Speaking.”
“Donovan, this is Frances Walker, Simona’s grandmother.”
“Nana? Is everything okay?” he asked with concern. He had given her his number with instructions to call if she ever needed anything.
“I don’t think so.”
“Are you sick? Do I need to find Simona?”
“It’s not me.” She paused. “It’s Simona. My neighbor brought me one of those trash magazines, and there’s a picture of you, Simona and Yasmine at Lake Merritt on the cover.”
Donovan’s heart pounded in fear, and he didn’t realize he was standing until he took a step. “What are you talking about?”
“Honey, I need you to get to my baby.” Her voice broke. “I don’t think she can take this a second time.”
“Does she know about it?”
Terrence rose from his chair and mouthed, “What’s going on?”
Donovan held up a finger.
Nana continued. “Yes. I called to warn her, and she told me that someone at her job had given the paper to her manager. The woman is going to let her take some time off. Donovan, I’m afraid of what she might be thinking. She loves her job and...”
“Nana, don’t you worry. I’m leaving right now. I promised you I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and I won’t. As soon as I find out how she is, I’ll call you.”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Now, I need you to stay calm and try not to worry. I’ll take care of her and Yasmine.” He completed the call and paced. He was going to kill somebody. Who would do something like this? No one even knew she’d been home...except Amber.
“What’s going on, D?” Terrence asked anxiously.
“That was Simona’s grandmother. Remember what I told you about Simona’s ex?”
“The wannabe actor?”
“Yeah. Apparently, while we were in Oakland this past weekend, someone took a picture of us and it’s on the front cover of a tabloid. I need to get my hands on that article, then I’m going to get Simona and take her and Yasmine to my house. After that, I might be needing bail money.”
Audrey stood. “I’m on that article. I know someone in publicity who can get their hands on it in a matter of minutes from the paper’s website.”
Brad clapped him on the shoulder. “Let me know when you’re ready to make a statement. I’m going to get to the bottom of this and find out what your legal rights are.” He sailed out behind Audrey.
“What do you need me to do, Donovan?” Terrence asked.
“Can I borrow the SUV so I can take Yasmine’s crib to my house?”
“I’ll do you one better. I’m coming with you.” Terrence hit the intercom. “Mrs. Lewis, we have an emergency. Donovan and I will be out of the office for the rest of the afternoon. Please reschedule any appointments.”
“No problem.”
“I’ll be in your office in two minutes. Let me call Janae and tell her what’s going on.”
Donovan nodded and rushed to his office. Audrey came in right behind him with the magazine.
“Donovan, it’s not good.”
He scanned the headline and the picture. Inside, he quickly read the article. Secret love child? His jaw tightened.
“If you need anything, call me,” Audrey said, rubbing his arm in a comforting manner. “I plan to make sure Brad sues everybody from the person who started those lies and everybody who made a comment to the magazine, to the stores that carry this trash.”
“Thanks.” He grabbed his jacket, met Terrence in the hallway and the two men raced out of the office.
Eve met him at the door holding Yasmine.
“Hey, Eve. Where’s Simona?”
“Hi. She got here about thirty minutes ago and went straight to her room. She’s been crying, and even Yasmine senses something’s wrong.”
Donovan reached for Yasmine. “Come here, angel. You worried about your mama?” He kissed her temple. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her. Eve, this is Terrence Campbell. Terrence, Eve, Simona’s neighbor.”
“Oh, this man needs no introduction,” Eve said with a smile. “I love your music. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Thanks, and same here,” Terrence said.
“Eve, can you pack up some of Yasmine’s things? I’m going to take them home with me. Terrence will help you.”
“Of course. Let me take her.”
He left them to their task and knocked on Simona’s door. “Simona, it’s me. Can I come in?” When she didn’t answer, he tried the knob and found the door unlocked. He peeked in and spotted her curled up on the bed. His heart broke. Closing the door behind him, he kicked off his shoes and eased onto the bed, pulling her into his arms. For a few minutes, he just held her. “Hey, sweetheart. It’s been a pretty rough day, huh?”
“I have to leave. I can’t do this again, Donovan. I’ve tried so hard to do the right thing,” Simona cried.
“No, you don’t and you won’t. You and Yasmine are going to hang out at my house for a few days until this blows over. Eve’s packing up Yasmine’s things, and Terrence is here with his truck to carry her crib.”
She lifted her tearstained eyes to his. “I can’t do that. What about your job?”
“I don’t care about my job right now. It’ll wait. You’re far more important to me. So I want you to pack your stuff.”
“But—”
“No buts, baby. I love you, and I promise I’ll take care of this.”
Her eyes widened. “What did you say?”
Caressing her face, he repeated himself. “I said I love you, and I will take care of this mess.”
She angled her head as if trying to process his words, then finally agreed.
Donovan sat up. “I’ll wait for you out front. I’m going to see if Terrence needs help.” He kissed her tenderly. “It’s going to be all right, Simona.”
“Okay,” she said in a small voice.
He took a moment to call Nana on his way to help his friend load the truck. It hurt him to see Simona like this, and it was all he could do not to hop on a plane and track Amber down. Whoever had done this would pay, and pay dearly.
* * *
Simona took in the immaculate yards and expensive homes on the street as Donovan turned into a driveway with a three-car garage. He pressed a button, and two of the doors began to rise. Terrence backed his SUV halfway into one, and Donovan drove into the other one.
“I’ll get you settled, then help Terrence unload.”
“I can help.”
“We can manage.”
He got out and came around to her side. She slowly emerged from the car and gathered Yasmine from the backseat. Instead of going through the garage, he led her around to the front door and stood back to let her enter. Her eyes widened as she entered a large foyer with marble flooring.
Simona took in her surroundings as she followed Donovan down the hall. She noted formal living and dining areas across from where they entered, which she assumed was the family room. The deep tans and browns throughout gave a definite masculine feel to the house. Although the furniture was expensive, the atmosphere still felt homey. The walls held two landscape pieces similar to the ones she had seen at Terrence and Janae’s house, and she wondered if the same artist had done them. Donovan’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Make yourself comfortable.”
&nb
sp; “You have a beautiful house. How long have you lived here?”
“Three years. I got tired of hearing doors slam and feet pounding on the stairs at all hours of the night when I lived in my condo. I found that I like the peace and quiet.”
She laughed. “I remember the same thing in my apartment.” Simona pointed to one of the paintings. “This is spectacular. Where did you get it?”
“Janae painted both of them. I bought them when she had her first gallery showing a year ago.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. She does amazing work. I’m going to help Terrence. Feel free to explore, and don’t worry about Yasmine breaking anything.”
“You say that now.”
He smiled and tweaked Yasmine’s nose on the way out.
“Donovan,” she called after him. He stopped and turned. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Simona took one more glance around. “Let’s go check this place out, Yasmine.” The rest of the house was just as spectacular. She counted four bedrooms, a weight room and five bathrooms. Her favorite room by far was the kitchen. It had to be almost three times the size of her small one and contained every gadget a professional chef would need. She chuckled, remembering that Donovan didn’t know how to cook well, and wondered why he had bought a house with such a large kitchen.
After their tour, she and Yasmine sat in the family room and waited for Donovan. Simona had to constantly chase Yasmine around to keep her from destroying the room. “He definitely needs some childproofing,” she mumbled. She found a toy in one of the bags Donovan brought in that held the little girl’s attention.
Leaning back on the couch, she thought about Donovan confessing to loving her. She remembered him saying it that night in his office, and at the time, she hadn’t thought he meant it. Today, his words left no doubt in her mind. But now she had to deal with this mess. She tried to figure out how someone found out about her and Donovan. Even more puzzling was why he or she felt the need to start more rumors.
It had been over a year since she had seen Travis, so what would he have to gain by making that crazy statement about her being the type of woman to use a child to get money? She racked her brain trying to come up with a reason. Simona bolted upright. “Amber,” she whispered. But why? Amber had apparently moved on with her life and gotten everything she wanted in her career.
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