Desire in a Kiss

by Nicki Night

  “It started with my grandparents. They moved here from a small town in South Carolina. Both were great cooks, and my grandmother, Mary Kate, came from a long line of skilled bakers. People loved her pies. They opened a small restaurant in Amityville. As a kid, my father and his siblings worked the restaurant. When he graduated with an MBA, he started focusing on ways to expand the business, and Chandler Food Corp. grew from there.”

  Curtis nodded. “And what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?”

  Chris didn’t seem to mind the questions Serenity’s dad hurled his way. “It’s been pleasantly surprising getting to know her. She’s an amazing, smart and compassionate woman, and I’d love to see where this could go. I’ve never met a woman quite like Serenity.”

  Serenity couldn’t help but blush. Both she and her mother were tuned into the men’s conversation.

  “Yes.” A proud smile spread across Curtis’s face. “She’s quite special.” He looked at Chris, and his expression turned serious. “Which is why you should know that I’m retired from law enforcement.” Mr. Williams raised a brow.

  “I know that, sir. You don’t have to worry about me. I know a good woman when I see one, and I hold Serenity in the highest esteem.” Chris flashed her an adoring smile. “I also know you’re a huge sports fan.” Curtis smiled. “Speaking of which, who were you rooting for this season?” Chris asked him.

  “Man, those Knicks make me want to spit fire!”

  Just like that, Chris had turned the conversation around. Curtis’s passion for basketball unleashed itself for the next several minutes. Topics easily maneuvered from basketball to football, golf, smart investments and jazz greats. Before long, they were gabbing like old buddies.

  Serenity loved the way Chris engaged her father. By the time they were done with dinner, her father laughed hard, slapped the table, pondered other perspectives and showed off his extensive knowledge of politics, music and history. Serenity’s mother blushed, giggled and boasted about her new fit lifestyle. Her parents enjoyed talking about themselves. Chris learned as much about them as they learned about him. When dinner ended, the two couples headed to their respective cars.

  “Come on by anytime, young man,” Serenity’s dad offered. “Perhaps we can meet on the course one of these days.”

  She was in awe. Never had her dad presented an open invitation to anyone she had dated.

  Instead of going home, Serenity called Elisa and Rayne. The night ended with more cocktails, laughter and banter in Rayne and Ethan’s newly renovated den. Everyone who meant something to Serenity was smitten with Chris by midnight. By the time they fell asleep in each other’s arms, her feelings for Chris had reached new heights.

  Chapter 24

  Chris paced his small office at The Reserve. He huffed and dialed the number for the third time. There was still no answer. Kent and Ray were somewhere in the bar, handling business. He sat down and looked at his watch. There was still time. He hit the number again.

  “Hello!”

  Chris exhaled. “Hey, dude. Just checking in.”

  “No worries. I’m on my way.”

  “Great! See you there.”

  He placed the phone in his belt clip and went to search for Kent and Ray.

  “I’m heading out now,” he said to Ray, who was coming from the kitchen.

  “Take pictures,” Kent said to his back.

  Chris turned around. “That’s a good idea.”

  “Is Serenity coming back with you?” Ray asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Cool. Brynn asked. They really hit it off well.”

  Chris smiled. “That’s a good thing—I think,” he teased, and all three of them laughed.

  Chris said his final goodbye and jumped into the car. The surprise kept him smiling. What would Serenity say? What would the kids say?

  Twenty minutes later, Chris pulled up in front of the center where Serenity was rehearsing with her young people in preparation for the gala that week. For several nights, they’d worked tirelessly to get ready for the performance. Now that they were down to their final hours, Chris wanted to reward all of them for the effort they had put in—Serenity included.

  He had watched her give her all to her students, the kids at the center and her friend Rayne as they prepared for her wedding. Complaining wasn’t her style, but he knew that Serenity was tired and even a bit overwhelmed. With all that she was doing for others, he wanted her to feel special.

  He shut the engine and dialed the number one more time.

  “I think I’m right around the corner,” the voice said. “Yes. I’ll be there in two minutes.”

  “Perfect.” Chris exited the car and waited on the sidewalk.

  Moments later, a silver Range Rover with out-of-state plates pulled behind him. Pride swelled in Chris’s chest. He was glad to pull this off and could already anticipate the excitement that would erupt on the other side of the center’s doors when they walked into the rehearsal unexpectedly.

  “Glad to see you! Thanks for coming.” Chris greeted his surprise guest by shaking his free hand.

  “I told you. I’ll do anything for the kids. Thanks for inviting me. Do they know I’m coming?”

  “Nope.” A Cheshire smile eased across Chris’s lips.

  “Even better. Let’s make it happen.”

  Leading the way, Chris entered the center. At the reception desk, the woman’s mouth dropped slightly. She recovered quickly enough.

  “Good evening.” He flashed a megawatt smile.

  She cleared her throat. “Good evening. How can I help you?” She flipped her long hair behind her shoulder, offered a demure smile and looked back and forth between the two men.

  “We’re here for the Heartstrings rehearsal.”

  She turned down the coyness in her smile as she answered. “Sure. They practice down that hall to your right.” She pointed long acrylic nails in that direction. Despite the soft pink of the polish, the pointed tips looked lethal. “They use the room all the way at the end.”

  “Thanks.” Chris nodded politely.

  “Have a great evening.” Chris’s guest tapped the desk, giving a polite nod, as well.

  “I will now,” she said under her breath.

  The two headed down the hall, past the sounds of screeching sneakers and balls bouncing against hardwood floors in a small gym. Chris felt the adrenaline course through his veins, giving him a rush. As he drew closer to the room, the faint sounds of music grew in volume.

  “Are you ready?” He turned back to ask his guest.

  “Wait!” He opened his case and withdrew his instrument. Chris took hold of the case as the guest propped the violin on his shoulder. “Now,” he said.

  Chris turned the knob, slowly pushing the door open with a creak. Peeking in, he saw Serenity standing before her kids, conducting them, with her back to the door. He stepped in with his guest behind him.

  “Yes!” Serenity encouraged them. “Pay attention, Chanel.”

  The youngster she’d addressed had stopped playing and stared with wide eyes past Chris.

  Two others stopped playing, as well. Their widened eyes matched Chanel’s, and their mouths dropped one by one.

  “Guys. Come on! What—” Serenity turned to see what had caught their attention. Both hands flew to her open mouth.

  Storm strummed the notes on his violin, continuing the song the kids seemed to have forgotten they were playing.

  For a few seconds, they all seemed stuck in their surprise until one girl screamed, dropping her instrument. Jumping up and down, she yelled, “OMG! It’s Storm Kensington! He’s really here!”

  Eating up their excitement, Storm continued playing, taking the remaining steps to where they practiced, in the rhythm he skillfully released into the
atmosphere.

  All the kids stood, giggling, covering their mouths or screaming. One girl put the back of her hand against her forehead and pretended to faint.

  “Yo!” one young man said over and over.

  “Chris!” Serenity found her voice. One hand covered her heart. She shook her head.

  Chris could tell she was grateful.

  Storm stopped playing, chuckling at the kids’ response.

  “No, don’t stop!” The young man who had been chanting “yo” was bobbing to the beat.

  “Then you’ll have to join me. Let’s go,” Storm challenged him.

  All of them scrambled for their instruments and played along with him. Serenity picked hers up and joined them too. Minutes later, they ended with a crescendo, laughing and still in awe that they’d just played with Storm Kensington.

  After the last note, they dropped their instruments and ran over to Storm. Serenity ran over to Chris, wrapped her arms around him and kissed all over his face. They turned to the kids lavishing Storm with their attention and watched as he managed their explosive energy and excited outbursts in stride.

  “Storm, can you play that new song from Champagne?” Chanel said to him.

  “Yeah. Teach us that, please,” another girl pleaded.

  Chris and Serenity stood watching Storm interact with the kids. Serenity leaned against his side, under his arm. Still shaking her head, she sighed.

  “Look at them. They’re so excited.”

  Pride filled Chris’s chest once again. “What about you?”

  “I can’t even describe how I feel right now. I know he said when we were at the concert that night that he would come by, but I just thought he was being nice. I never imagined he’d really come.” She turned to face Chris. “Thank you.”

  Chris looked down into her face and noticed tears rolling. “Are you crying?”

  Serenity pouted, staring up at him with puppy-dog eyes. Chris shook his head and both of them laughed.

  “They are going to remember this for the rest of their lives.” She stared back at them wistfully. “I’m never going to forget this.” She turned to him again. “I can’t thank the two of you enough, Chris.”

  He wanted to kiss her but decided to wait until they were alone. “I enjoy putting a smile on your face.”

  Her blush made the entire effort worthwhile.

  Storm finished playing the song and applause erupted.

  “Play another one.”

  “How about we play something together. What are you all working on for the gala?”

  A gasp. “You know about the gala!” one of the kids said.

  “I know a lot of things.”

  “Will you be there?” another kid asked.

  “Perhaps.”

  “You should come. He can come, right, Ms. Serenity?”

  “If he’s available and in town, he can absolutely come.”

  “Yeah!” they yelled together.

  For the next hour, Storm practiced with the kids, giving pointers on how to become a better player. He showed his versatility by playing other instruments. Chris hadn’t thought beforehand about joining them but ran out to his car and retrieved his sax from the trunk. He often brought it to The Reserve with him, especially on nights that they hadn’t booked any talent to play. He, Ray and Kent would take to the stage for jam sessions. Chris came back from the car and joined in, adding a jazzy flavor to their orchestra.

  Chris would never have anticipated having so much fun playing with those kids and made a note to visit Serenity’s rehearsals more. Now he truly understood her need to work with these kids and start her organization. Engaging with them triggered another side of him. Seeing their faces light up and the enthusiasm hit the roof made him want to hang with them more often. In that moment, he admired and desired her even more.

  Chapter 25

  As if the stress of the day couldn’t get any higher, Serenity received word from her contacts in Brazil. They wanted her to start the program right in the middle of their school year, requiring her to leave for South America immediately after her school let out for the summer. Her dream was coming true, but there was so much to be done before she could leave.

  Her principal would need to find a music teacher to fill in for her by the time school started back. Surely he wasn’t expecting her leave to begin so soon. Rayne would have to step up and do more to run the organization here at home. They might even need to hire someone else. Their operating budget was nearly nonexistent, so Serenity wondered how that would work out. And Chris...she was going to be away until December. She would come home for about two months during their summer break and would have to return for the next year for another four to five months. How would their relationship survive—if at all?

  Serenity couldn’t dwell on that. Heartstrings’ gala would start in a few hours. Her mind needed to be on meeting Rayne at the gallery to set up. She’d taken the day off to get things in order.

  Pushing past the speed limit, Serenity kept an eye out for state troopers. Her board members were coming to help set up, as well. Two of them were already at the venue when she arrived. Together, they emptied the back of Serenity’s SUV, carrying loads of boxes inside. A while later, her mother and Rayne showed up. Elisa came a few minutes after that. Her mom worked with the caterers to set up the food and finalize the layout for serving the guests. The other board members arrived and set up the raffle prizes, items for the silent auction and a table where guests would check in. Everyone chipped in with decorations, covering the tables with rented red linens, centerpieces shaped like instruments, framed pictures of the kids they worked with and gift bags with chocolates molded into guitars, violins and pianos.

  Within hours they transformed the place. The art adorning the walls created the perfect backdrop. Alberto, the owner of the gallery, had given Serenity the space for free. She thought back to the gala she attended with her coworker a few weeks back when she had discovered the truth about Chris. As swanky as that event had been, Serenity realized that she preferred the artsy charm of the gallery. It fit for now.

  “What do we need to do now?” Elisa asked.

  “Go home and get dressed,” Serenity instructed. “I have my clothes with me. I can change in Alberto’s office. I’ll stick around here and make sure we didn’t forget anything. Thank you all so much for your help.”

  “Yes,” Rayne added, “we couldn’t have done this without you. I’ll be here with Serenity. See you all at five thirty.”

  Serenity’s mom kissed her cheek. “Dad and I will be back just before five. Make sure there’s more than one copy of the guest list. Elisa and I will each need a list so we can get people checked in quickly.”

  “There should be at least three copies in the boxes under the check-in table.”

  “Okay, good. See you later, sweetie.”

  “Bye. Bye.” Elisa kissed Serenity’s and Rayne’s cheeks before heading out.

  When everyone had left, Serenity and Rayne sat down at one of the tables. Both women sighed.

  “We did it, Serenity.”

  “Our second gala.” She smiled. Serenity tilted her head and looked pensively at her friend. “How will you manage by yourself?”

  “Pfft!” Rayne waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t you worry. You’ve been doing most of the work since we started this. By the time you leave, the wedding will be over, and I will be able to dedicate much more time to the organization. You focus on those kids in Brazil. This is your dream.”

  “I know. I still can’t believe it’s happening. It was just a crazy idea when I first mentioned it to Darcy. The more we talked, the more we wanted to make it happen. Remember?”

  “Yes, I remember. I’m still reeling over Darcy moving back to his village after being here and teaching at our school fo
r so many years. That last trip he took really impacted him. And now the organization he started does so much for those kids. Adding music is going to be amazing.”

  “Dr. Stein is going to have a fit when I tell him I need to begin my leave of absence earlier.”

  “I know. But it’ll work itself out.” Rayne looked at her watch. “Let’s go through the checklist one more time, and then we can start getting dressed.”

  They looked up as the band was coming through the door.

  “Right after we get them set up,” Rayne said, standing.

  “Welcome!” Serenity stood and walked over to greet the gentlemen carrying the equipment. They wore tuxedos and white shirts.

  The lead singer, a woman, dressed elegantly in a black gown, said, “Great seeing you two again.” After greetings and hugs, she asked, “Where would you like us to set up?”

  “Right over here.” Rayne waved her hand and led them to an area reserved for them on the side opposite the food.

  One by one, the ladies went to freshen up and change. A while later, they emerged dressed in cherry red gowns, the company’s colors. Serenity’s shapely dress was set below her shoulders and opened at the bottom in a trumpet style. Rayne’s strapless sweetheart top hugged at the waist and then flared into a full ball skirt that hid her silver shoes.

  The two of them looked around, making sure everything was in place. Time moved at a quickened pace. Serenity’s mother and father walked in. Avis looked stunning, her hair pulled into a neat bun perfectly set at the back of her head and wearing a strapless red jumpsuit with an extra piece of material that flared at the waist and flowed to the floor behind her. Curtis wore a black tux and bow tie and a cravat peeking out from his breast pocket.

  Shortly after their arrival, the rest of her team came and prepared for the guests. The band created a backdrop of soothing tunes as guests mingled and drank cocktails. White-gloved catering staff passed around hors d’oeuvres on ivory porcelain platters among the intimate crowd of family, friends and coworkers. The director of the center arrived with Serenity’s kids and their parents. She ran over to greet them, boasting of how wonderful they looked in their dressy clothes. She was so proud of them. She directed them to the back room with their instruments to prepare for their performance.