“I found her in a shop in town. She reminded me of you as soon as I saw her.”
Our eyes met, and I swear I heard music. I swallowed hard, fighting back emotions; the kind that made strong men like me feel weak and defenseless. I was not only losing my heart to this incredible woman, she was stealing my soul too. I wiped a teardrop from each of her eyes with my thumb.
“She looks a lot like me, especially her hair.” She giggled even as unshed tears glistened in her eyes. “And her skin is the exact color as mine too.”
“Every angel deserves an angel. She’s all yours, sweetheart. Take her back to Atlanta with you.”
“I will. Thank you.”
I tapped her on her perfect ass and smiled. “Go upstairs and change into something warm. Put on a pair of boots too. We’re going out for dinner and drinks.”
“Hayden…” she whined. “I want to finish my song.”
“You will, but not tonight, babe. It’s Christmas Eve. There’re all kinds of activities in the town square. A choir will be singing carols, and I saw a flyer promoting a live nativity scene. I’m sure Santa Claus will be there too. Let’s go have some grub, and I’ll try to find some champagne for you. Then we can roam about. Go on and change now. I’ll be back in one hour.”
How much damn time did a woman need to take a piss? Natalie had excused herself from the table ten minutes ago to go to the little girls’ room and she hadn’t returned yet. I looked at the other diners all around the moderate size restaurant. The place was jam-packed. A young couple had told me earlier today while I was out shopping that this was the best eatery in the entire town, and they were right. Natalie and I had shared our meals and enjoyed the delicious Southern cooking. I had ordered fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, but I had eaten a healthy portion of her pot roast and mashed potatoes as well. As expected, there wasn’t any champagne on the wine and spirits menu, so she’d settled for a white wine spritzer. German beer was the best beer on earth, but none of my labels had made the list either. So, I’d ordered a couple of bottles of Heineken and made due.
Fresh out of patience, I left the table in search of Natalie. The restrooms were just beyond the little gift shop toward the back of the restaurant. As soon as I approached the area, I spotted her talking to two men. She looked innocent enough from where I stood although she was dressed a little too flashy for my taste in all black. Her jeans hugged her hips and ass much too snuggly and her boobs looked tempting to touch in a form-fitting turtleneck sweater. I had no idea what kind of animal fur her vest was made of, but it was nice, I guess if you were into slaughtering animals for fashion. Her hair was styled differently tonight. Instead of the loose curls, she’d gathered it all at the crown of her head into a cute, puffy ball. I liked it because it accentuated her flawless facial features like her high cheek bones and alluring, dark eyes. I missed her crazy curls, though.
Shit! I shouted on the inside when one of the rednecks reached out and touched Natalie’s shoulder. The grin on his face widened as he stared at her breasts. I counted to ten in an attempt to cool off, but it didn’t help.
That’s it! I marched right over to Natalie and cupped her elbow. “Say goodbye to your new friends, babe.”
“Hayden, don’t be rude,” she whispered.
“Rude, eh? You don’t want me to show you rude, sweetheart. Say goodbye to the nice men now .”
Chapter Nine
Natalie
I wanted to punch Hayden in the face for being such an asshole. He had acted a fool on me in front of those two truck drivers for no good reason at all. Jealousy was not an excuse for rudeness, but it was kind of cute, though. I smiled at the idea of this gorgeous hunk of a man turning green and acting territorial over me. Dude had boldly marked my ass and snatched me away from those two country bumpkins without hesitation like I was his prized possession. I swear I felt like I was his longtime boo instead of a chick he’d known just a few days and had shared only one kiss with.
Tobias had never made a fuss over me in the presence of male admirers. He was too full of himself and unfazed by the attention they gave me to even care. As a matter of fact, he used to get a rise out of watching men flirt and lose their cool over me. It actually boosted his self-esteem and put him on some bogus Superman shit. His cocky ass knew once the curtains closed and the spotlight faded, it would be just Tobias and Eesh. He would be the one sharing my bed, my life, and my world while other men would be left with just the fantasy, the illusion of the girl who entertained them on stage and in their dreams. Sadly, Tobias had taken me for granted. He had reaped all the benefits of a loving and loyal partner, but in reality, he was nothing more than a hanger-on, enjoying the free ride, overflowing with the glitz and glamour of my stardom.
I wondered how Hayden would treat Zyeshia , the multi-award-winning singing diva and actress if she were his woman. I looked at him on the low in my peripheral vision as we walked hand in hand down the main street in the town square, which was crowded with people. My heart told me that he would be good to me and never purposely do anything to make me cry. He would always protect me too and keep a smile on my face. I had already experienced that with him over the past few days.
My mind flashed back to the night of the storm and his unexpected visit to check on me. It was so thoughtful of him to bring the lantern and candles. And he’d lit the fireplace so I wouldn’t freeze to death. Then there was the incident with the wolf. He had acted like a real superhero when I’d needed him. The Christmas tree and the pretty black angel had put the icing on the cake and the cherry on top. Hayden was a special guy, the kind I could fall hard for and give my heart to. I had never crossed paths with a man like him in my twenty-four years. I wondered if we had a fighting chance to make a serious connection beyond our holiday mountain retreat.
“What would you like to do now?” he asked and squeezed my hand gently.
I abandoned my thoughts and squeezed his hand in response. “Let’s go over there and listen to the singers.”
I allowed Hayden to lead me across the crowded street, making our way through the mob of people. It seemed like the entire town had gathered in the square for the Christmas Eve festivities. I would bet a nickel that folks visiting the mountains for the holiday were mixed amongst the locals as well. Hayden stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist after we found a nice standing spot with a clear view of the men and women singing. The group of twenty plus people were dressed in variations of red, green, and gold. I relaxed in Hayden’s embrace and quickly began to analyze the voices I heard singing in four-part harmony.
Off the rip, I thought of ways I could improve the quality of their sound. Call me picky, but music was my forte. I was music. Analyzing and coordinating notes, chords, and voice tones came as natural to me as breathing. That’s why my quintet of backup singers was the baddest group of voices in the industry, regardless of genre, hands down. I had personally handpicked each of them out of tens of thousands of men and women from all over the country who’d dared to audition to become a part of my coveted crew. Then I trained them and helped conditioned their voices to near perfection. Their harmony was so tight and smooth that it gave me tremors sometimes. If I had two hours to spare, I could whip the group singing before me into shape. They’d be ready for the world stage when I got finished with them.
A buzz swept over the crowd, and I felt electricity in the air. Children started running and mothers and fathers chased after them. When I looked in the direction of the sudden movement, I saw him for myself. Like a big kid, I laughed and clapped my hands at the sight of Santa Claus.
“Do you want to go over and give him your Christmas wish list?”
“Maybe I should. I’ve been a nice girl this year,” I teased.
“Come on. Let’s go and tell Santa what you want. But no sitting on his lap.”
I pulled my hand out of Hayden’s hold and planted it on my hip. “And why can’t I sit on Saint Nick’s lap like everybody else?”
“Because I don’t want you to. My lap is the only lap you’re allowed to sit on, babe. You got that?”
I didn’t answer Hayden because he hadn’t asked me a question. His words sounded more like a slick, half-ass law . Too smart to fight a losing battle, I walked along with him after he retook my hand and guided me in Santa’s direction.
“The line is too long, Hayden. And we’re the only adults in it.” I took in the many excited faces all around me, waiting to sit on Santa’s lap.
“But what about your Christmas list?”
“All I want is joy, peace on earth, and unconditional love. I don’t think Santa could fit all of that in his bag.”
Hayden looked at me like he could see inside my soul. Did he see my broken heart? And did he realize that I was falling for him? I shuddered at the thought.
“You’re cold. I better get you home so I can serve you a cup of hot cocoa with lots of whipped cream.”
Nah, baby, you need to take me home so I can serve you this hot cocoa between my thighs with my natural cream .
We continued our slow stroll down the street, heading toward the lot where Hayden had parked his sleek midnight Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Dude had made it clear to me that he was presently without a job. Well, his last gig must’ve paid him a grip because his whip wasn’t a cheap one. And it was custom loaded with every luxury a true baller would want. It had seat warmers, a hands-free internet connection, a TV, and a surround-sound stereo system that had blasted some awful German, heavy metal bullshit all the way to the restaurant.
We were a few feet away from Hayden’s SUV when a group of older kids came rushing by. A young lady with long purple hair and multiple facial piercings turned around and pointed at me with stars in her wide amber eyes.
“Hey, y’all, it’s Zyeshia! It’s Zyeshia! Holy crap, it’s really her.”
I was horrified by being noticed in this neck of the woods, but I maintained my cool and ignored my excited fan. I dropped Hayden’s hand and took off running before I looked over my shoulder and yelled, “The last one to the truck has to swallow a raw egg!”
“I’m glad you like your go kart, Lil’ D, but please be careful riding that thing. Okay, baby boy?”
“I’ll be careful, Eesh. When are you coming home?”
“I’ll be back January second, remember? We have a date to go to the Hawks game. I’ll be performing there too.”
“Oh yeah! I forgot. Is Tobias coming with us?”
“No, baby, he’s not coming with us. He and I broke up, and we’re never getting back together.”
“I’m glad, Eesh. I never liked the guy. He’s a loser.”
Three taps on the front door caused my heart rate to accelerate with anticipation. Hayden had walked me inside my cabin after we came back from dinner and then left, promising to return soon. Forty-five minutes had passed. I guess that was soon enough.
“Yeah, Tobias is a real loser, Lil’ D. Well, I’m going to hang up now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Merry Christmas, Eesh! You’re the dopest big sister ever.”
“Aw, I think you’re dope too. Merry Christmas, baby boy. Good night.”
“Good night.”
I pressed the power off button and hurried to the door before Hayden could knock again. I felt lightheaded when I opened the door and saw him standing on my porch in a pair of faded, well-worn jeans with a rip at each knee and a charcoal, chest-choking, cable-knit tee. A black leather bomber jacket and matching hiking boots set off his entire casual outfit. I felt myself becoming intoxicated by all the testosterone seeping from his pores. Whew! He was one-thousand-percent male. The moonlight washing over him gave his appearance that rugged come-and-get-it glow that caused my core to ache with temptation. Dude looked good enough for me to pour honey all over his magnificent body and lick him slowly until he melted away.
“These are for you, babe,” his low baritone timbre rumbled as he offered me two small perfectly wrapped gifts. “Merry Christmas.” He followed through with a forehead kiss.
“Thank you.” I took the two gifts and stepped aside so he could cross the threshold. “Hayden, I feel like a real buster because I didn’t get you a present. Before dinner this evening, I hadn’t been outside this cabin since…” I lowered my eyes when I thought about how he’d carried me up the trail home after that nightmare with the wolf. I closed the door and locked it. Then I turned around to stare at him.
“I didn’t buy you those gifts expecting something in return, sweetheart. I just wanted to put a smile on your face. That’ll be a nice enough Christmas present for me. Let’s sit down so you can see what I got for you.”
“Okay, but can you please light a fire first? I prefer the heat from the fireplace downstairs over the central unit.”
“Sure, babe.”
I took a seat on the sofa while Hayden went to the back of the cabin to get wood for the fire. I shook each gift box close to my ear, hoping to guess what was inside of them. Both rattled. I scrunched up my face, clueless. I didn’t know Hayden well enough to read his mind so I was stuck on zero. But I could read his moods, different tones of voice, and body language just fine. Together, they told me he was a very thoughtful man who was sometimes aggressive, but he could also be as gentle as a lamb when necessary. He was a very sensual being too. However, none of those things gave me a hint about the surprise Christmas presents he’d bought me. The mystery behind the gifts added romance to the mix. A girl was looking forward to an unforgettable night.
Chapter Ten
Natalie
I came close to having an orgasm watching Hayden strip out of his jacket and long-sleeve tee. Now, in just a wife beater and jeans, his solid pecs teased me. His biceps did too, especially the ones on his right arm tatted with all kinds of symbols and words in colorful ink. Damn whatever was in those gift boxes. I’d rather have him . My eyes stayed glued to his as he lowered all those muscles to the floor and sat down on the area rug in front of the fireplace he’d just lit.
“Come here.” He reached out to me with both arms.
I left the sofa, holding my gifts, and rested my knees on the rug. I gasped when Hayden took hold of my waist with his huge hands and settled me on the floor between his legs. I leaned back against his chest and relished in the feel of his firm pecs and six-pack supporting my back.
“Open the smaller gift first.”
Without a word, I snatched the white bow off the box and tore into the red wrapping paper. Hayden crumpled it and the bow into a small ball and tossed them aside. I opened the box and was deeply moved by the unique earrings, each made of four polished, natural stones in the prettiest colors.
“Thank you so much, Hayden. They’re gorgeous.” I kissed his cheek and got a whiff of his woodsy aftershave lotion. He was pushing every one of my feminine hot buttons tonight.
“They were handmade by a woman who was born and raised in Ellijay. She only uses stones found in the Blue Ridge Mountains to make her jewelry.”
I opened the larger gift and was pleasantly surprised by a pretty bracelet that matched the earrings. “I love both gifts, Hayden, which makes me feel even worse for not buying you anything.”
“Don’t sweat it, babe. I know what you can give me for a gift.”
His warm breath tickled my ear and caused me to shiver. “What?”
“I want to hear one of your songs. Any one will do.”
Hayden’s request sounded simple, but it wasn’t. He obviously wasn’t a Zyeshia fan because my face wasn’t familiar to him, but that didn’t mean he had never heard any of my music before. I was a superstar all over Europe, including Germany. I had performed in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, and Düsseldorf more than once. It amazed me that Hayden had no clue who I was.
I should’ve been offended that he didn’t recognize me, but I wasn’t because it was a blessing in disguise. However, my face was one situation, but my voice was something altogether different. What if Hayden had heard one of my songs before at a nightclub o
r on the radio or in a jingle on one of the many worldwide commercials my voice was featured in? I was far from cocky, but this voice was unforgettable. Once you heard it, it would be forever engrained in your music memory. Those weren’t my words, though. The legendary Clive Davis, the man who had discovered me as a seventeen-and-a-half-year-old high school senior, had said that about my voice in a Rolling Stone Magazine interview five years ago.
“Babe…” Hayden brushed my hair away from my neck and planted a butterfly kiss on the exposed skin. “I want to hear a song.”
My entire body was lit and vibrating with passionate need. I couldn’t think clearly. Mmm …how I wanted this man.
“Y-you…you didn’t let me finish my song. Remember?”
“You’ll have to sing another one for me then. I’ll settle for an old one. It makes no difference as long as you sing it for me .”
Determined to hear me sing, Hayden stood and then reached down and helped me to my feet. He eased his arm around my waist and escorted me into the dining room where I had set up my digital piano with an attached recorder, an amplifier, and a microphone. My pulse was pounding in my ears like an African drum. That’s just how nervous I was. No matter how deeply I inhaled, I couldn’t slow down my racing heart. I sat down on the piano bench and hit the power button, bringing all my equipment to life. Hayden took a seat also but in the opposite direction. His back was against the piano, so he was facing me.
I had performed before a half a million people on a soccer field in Sydney, Australia, and a million adoring fans in Johannesburg, South Africa once chanted my name for twenty minutes, demanding an encore after a full concert. I had done the Super Bowl halftime show two years ago, and a month later, I sang at Buckingham Palace for the royal family at the request of Queen Elizabeth. Zyeshia was funky-fresh, fierce, and fearless on a stage, but in the presence of this audience of one…this desirable man, I was nervous and frightened to death.
Hot Holiday Love: an Interracial romance Page 6