That was just what she needed to hear. “How do you know so much?”
“Being an artist, I learned early on to take criticism. I realized I should ignore anyone who didn’t like my work.”
“The haters.”
“Nah, they’re not haters. They just don’t like my shit.” He shrugged. “No problem, because there are others who do. That’s who I create for.”
“Will you come to New York for my book signing and release?”
His gaze on her softened. “Of course. Where else would I be, except with my woman, supporting her.”
Chapter 18
They were really a couple. The idea blew Lindsay’s mind.
For the past two weeks, she had spent almost every single day with Malik. When they weren’t with each other, they talked on the phone. She completed as much work as she could in the mornings—recording podcasts, doing interviews, and conducting research, so she would have the afternoons and evenings free to go to Malik’s property. While he worked in the barn, she worked on her book with her legs propped on the porch railing or in the office space he set up for her in the house. The farm’s quiet solitude turned out to be the perfect environment for helping her concentrate. Coupled with Malik’s encouragement, she got a lot of writing done.
On the days she couldn’t go out to the property, she made a quick call so she could hear his warm voice coming through the line. It didn’t only turn her on, his voice calmed her. She became settled and less agitated whenever she talked to Malik. He had a calming spirit, which she hadn’t realized had been missing in her life.
She and Daisy got along well, too. It was not unusual for Lindsay to feed the Rottweiler and take her for walks while Malik worked.
As if to cement the fact that they were officially a couple, Malik invited her to his cousin Ella’s housewarming party. Ella had moved into the house back in January, and now that she had completed all the renovations, decorated, and settled in with her daughters, she was ready to have company over.
Lindsay and Malik walked into the house and made their way toward the great room where everyone had gathered. Friends and family sat around drinking, eating, and in general having a good time. When she and Malik walked in, someone yelled, “Look who’s here!”
Heads turned in their direction, and a series of hellos and cheers erupted from everyone gathered.
Over near the fireplace, Reese caught her eye and using his eyes telepathed a question from across the room. She considered looking away and pretending she didn’t see him but changed her mind at the last moment and faced him square on. She twisted her mouth into a wry expression and shrugged, letting him know she didn’t have a message for him from Nina. His lips flattened, he shook his head, and then he rejoined a conversation with his pregnant sister, Simone, and her husband, Cameron.
“Drink?” The question came from Tyrone, a good-looking former detective whose golden skin contrasted against the dark shirt he wore. He was Ella’s fiancé, having asked her to marry him on Valentine’s Day.
“I’ll take one,” Malik said.
“Nothing for me right now,” Lindsay said. “Where do we put the gifts?”
“Over there.” Tyrone pointed to a corner. “Right this way,” he said to Malik.
While Malik went to get a drink, Lindsay made her way to the area where gifts had been piled on a table and on the floor. Ella had requested everyone bring a toy for a toy drive her family’s foundation had organized.
Lindsay set down the gift-wrapped box just as Sophia, Ella’s oldest daughter who was almost five years old, walked up with a black Labrador puppy on a bedazzled leash. Her little sister, Hannah, followed close behind.
“This is my dog, Scwuffy.” Sophia crouched down and gave the wiggling puppy an affectionate squeeze.
Lindsay dropped to her haunches in front of the little girl. “He’s so cute.” She scratched behind the dog’s ears and watched as his tongue hung out and his tail wagged vigorously in enjoyment.
“He’s my dog, too,” Hannah said.
“You’re both lucky to have such a cute doggie.” Lindsay stood.
Ella hurried over with an apologetic expression on her face. She was a friendly and elegant woman, with dark brown skin and light brown eyes. “Glad you could come.” She gave Lindsay a hug. “Okay, girls, let’s go.”
“They don’t get to stick around for the fun?” Lindsay asked.
“No, ma’am. They’re not even supposed to be down here, but I let them come down for a little bit to see everyone. My nanny is taking them out so the adults can have grown-up time.”
“I hate gwown-up time,” Sophia said, pouting.
“Yes, my love, I know you do.” Ella rolled her eyes, and with her hands at her daughters’ backs, she shepherded them and their pet out the door.
For the next couple of hours, Tyrone and Ella took turns conducting tours of the house. An unscramble game was set up on an easel using magnetic letters, and several games of cards broke out, including a particularly boisterous game of Uno that ended up with lots of yelling and guests jumping up from their chairs with emotional outbursts.
As night fell, the festivities died down and the crowd of guests started thinning out. Lindsay took a moment by herself to sip on a cocktail the hired bartender had created. As she stood alone, Stephan walked up and flung an arm around her shoulders.
He was extremely good-looking, tall, and inherited his father’s fair skin. “So, you and Malik, huh?”
“Don’t start.”
“Just call me the matchmaker extraordinaire.”
“You were not matchmaking when you sent me to his house.”
She leaned into him because being in his company was comfortable. They had been friends for a long time, and despite being one of the most attractive men she’d ever encountered, she’d managed to keep their relationship platonic.
She didn’t doubt that he appreciated their relationship, too. He’d been surprised that she didn’t fall for his attention when he hit on her, and so they’d segued into a comfortable friendship—the kind most people didn’t think could work because they were members of the opposite sex.
He’d told her once she was one of the few people who’d never tried to get anything from him, who’d only wanted to be his friend. It must be draining to live a life where, because of your wealth, people were always expecting favors or gifts, which meant you never knew who to trust.
“I didn’t consciously plan to get you two together, but maybe on a subconscious level I knew you were a perfect match. Little did I know I’d lose my girl to my cousin.” He squeezed her shoulder. “I couldn’t have lost out to a better guy. He’s a lucky man.” He smiled down at her.
“Thank you,” Lindsay said softly.
But maybe she was the lucky one. Across the room, Malik was involved in a conversation with Tyrone and Cameron. She couldn’t help laughing softly to herself when she thought of the ridiculous way their relationship had started, and now she couldn’t imagine being without Malik.
“So, I guess congratulations on your engagement are in order.”
“You know as well as I do that our engagement isn’t real.”
He looked askance at her. “Is that what you think? You got this man—a veritable hermit—on radio, inside the Perimeter, and having sex again.” He bent his head to her ear. “If I know Malik’s possessive ass the way I think I do, it’s a wrap. My cousin is all in and done.” Satisfied with his assessment, he smirked and took a swig of whatever was in his glass.
“You’re crazy,” Lindsay said, though her heart fluttered a bit faster. She didn’t want to put too much stock in Stephan’s words. She hesitated to set her expectations too high.
“Uh-oh.” Stephan’s gaze slid to where Malik was still in conversation with the other men. “Your fiancé gave me the evil eye.”
“He did not.”
“I better behave.”
“You? Behave?” Lindsay teased.
“I’ve been known to
behave on occasion,” Stephan bantered back.
Lindsay gently elbowed him in the side. “I’m going to let the world in on a secret. You’re not as bad as you pretend.”
“Hey, watch your mouth. Don’t go spreading vicious rumors about me.” He grinned. “Linds, I’m going to leave you alone for now. Happy for you, sweetheart.” He kissed her temple.
Walking away, he said to the room in general, “Hey, I heard there’d be strippers here. Was that a phony story circulated to get me to show up?”
Moans and jeers went up from those assembled, and Simone tossed a rolled-up napkin that hit him in the head.
Lindsay laughed and then noticed Malik looking at her. Her breath caught. There were times she couldn’t believe she was with him. He smiled through the biting of his lip, and she smiled back.
He held up the bottle of beer, as if toasting her, which was their secret signal for when either of them was ready to go, and all she could do was smile. They’d established it after a long reception at the CNN Center downtown.
It was nice to be part of a couple. She didn’t realize how much she had missed having the type of closeness and camaraderie she and Malik shared. Something as simple as having signals made their relationship special and unique.
Lindsay flashed five fingers twice, indicating she wanted ten more minutes. Malik nodded and resumed the conversation with Cameron and Tyrone. He was such a homebody that he wanted to leave even though he was having a good time. She had work to do getting him to be more social, but there was time.
Lindsay blinked. Wow, did she really just think that? Was she actually thinking about a future with this man?
Yes, she was. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Lindsay finished brushing her teeth and tightened the paisley silk scarf on her head. She’d taken to wearing one to bed when she slept over at Malik’s house because of his cotton linens, which wreaked havoc on her hair. She needed to bring over some silk pillowcases to use on his bed but kept forgetting.
She squirted lotion on her hand, turned off the light, and exited the bathroom. Malik was lying on the bed, bare chested under the blankets, arms folded behind his head.
“What did Stephan say to you tonight?” he asked.
“Mind your business.” She rubbed her hands together to work the lotion into her skin.
“Come on, tell me what he said. Knowing Stephan, he probably made a pass at you, didn’t he?”
“No, he did not. That’s all I’m telling you because that was a private conversation between two friends.”
“So he behaved himself?” He rolled onto his side, watching her movement across the floor with the faintest of smiles. He always looked at her as if she were the most alluring woman he’d ever seen. A woman could get spoiled having a man gaze at her like that.
“Yes.” She climbed into bed and faced him.
“Hey.” One blunt fingertip traced the outline of her lips.
“Hey.” Her heart constricted with emotion as she gazed into his eyes.
A moment of quiet settled between them.
Malik’s face suddenly became serious. “I’m falling in love with you,” he whispered.
Lindsay tried not to burst into tears of happiness. “I’m falling in love with you, too.” She was so close to crying, she had to swallow a lump in her throat.
They kissed, with the tips of their tongues barely touching, their mouths moving over each other with nothing but affection. When the kiss ended, Lindsay sighed and Malik pulled her into his arms and gave her a forehead kiss.
She snuggled close and rested her head on his shoulder. The last thing she remembered was being ridiculously content before she fell asleep.
Chapter 19
Malik watched as Lindsay woke up and stretched. From behind her, he cupped one breast and squeezed.
She moaned and arched into his touch. “What are you doing?”
“I thought this was what you wanted.” He kissed the crook of her neck.
“How do you figure?” She angled her neck so he could cover more area with his mouth.
“Because you stuck out your breasts, arched your back, and pushed your butt in my face.” He pressed his erection against her bottom.
“I was stretching, and what you did is called jumping to conclusions.”
“Mmm. Is that what it’s called?” He slid a knee between her thighs. “Morning.”
“I’ve gotta go. I can’t with you.”
He growled his disappointment as she extricated herself from his arms and slid from the bed. She’d become addictive in a short time, and he selfishly wanted to keep her close every minute of every day. His eyes lingered on her heart-shaped bottom as she padded to the bathroom, and then Malik lounged back against the pillows, resting his head on top of his folded arms.
Being with Lindsay had turned out to be one of the best decisions he’d ever made. Not only because of the great sex, which had gotten better since he’d shown her a clean bill of health from the doctor, something he wished he’d produced sooner. But Lindsay was great for his career, too. Last night they’d attended an interview for a local TV station where she talked about her upcoming book, continuing the ruse of a fake relationship that no longer felt fake because the feelings he’d developed for her were very real.
When they’d returned home last night, the hits on his site had spiked astronomically. He sold one piece through his website, thanks to the web guy he’d hired to create a storefront. All he had to do was take photos of each new work of art and upload it with specs, details of the metals used, and set a price. Lindsay had pushed him to streamline his process, and she’d been right. Again. He couldn’t imagine his business or relationship getting any better.
Lindsay exited the bathroom, smelling like almonds and springtime. His bathroom and bed linens contained the same fragrance. To him, it was the sweetest scent in the world.
She’d put some kind of product in her short blonde hair to give it a spiky design at the top while smooth on the sides. The skirt and heels showed off her beautiful legs, and the colorful blouse dipped low enough to show a hint of cleavage without being indecent.
Malik swung his legs over the side of the bed. “So you’re leaving me.”
“Yes, I’m leaving.” She strolled over and stood between his knees, placing both hands on his shoulders. “Wish me luck.” She and her attorney had a meeting with True Amour, an online dating service interested in a partnership agreement and sponsoring her podcast. They were one of the companies she’d networked with at the Podcast Movers & Shakers reception.
“Good luck, although you don’t need it.”
“Thank you.” She dropped a kiss to his lips. “I better go. Don’t want to keep these guys waiting.” She tucked her purse under her arm and took a deep breath.
“Call me and let me know how everything went.”
“I will.” She opened the door.
“Lindsay.”
She looked back at him.
“I love you.” He meant it, from the depths of his soul. Though he’d said the words once before in a previous relationship, they never carried this much weight, this much meaning. Lindsay was the woman for him. There was no turning back.
She smiled, her hazel eyes softening and a blush tinting her cheeks. “I love you, too,” she said softly. “See you later.”
She did it!
Jaunty steps took Lindsay from the private room of the Italian restaurant where the meeting had taken place several minutes ago. She’d stayed behind to finish her glass of wine and bask in the revelation that her career had gone up another level.
The meeting with her attorney and the execs from True Amour had been very productive. True Amour agreed to promote her podcast on their website, and they would advertise on her podcast, paying a set sum for every 1000 listeners that downloaded the show. She could hardly wait to tell Malik the good news.
With her phone out, she didn’t pay attention as she wound her way through the table
s.
“Lindsay!”
She halted and turned to see her mother, Gloria Winthrop, standing at a table near the window she’d just passed.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Surprised to see me?”
“A little.”
“I’m sure. Since you never call or come to visit.”
Her mother always dressed to the nines and looked quite impressive in everything she wore, like those women in the vintage black glamour shots from back in the day that were often shared online. Today was no different. She wore a dark-haired wig styled in a bob and a peach-colored two-piece suit whose top cinched at the waist and flared at the hips.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Gloria asked.
“My office.”
“Have a seat.” Gloria sat down, but Lindsay remained standing.
She didn’t want to talk to her mother, because no doubt the conversation would kill her good mood. Ever since her late teens, after her father died and resentment settled in Lindsay’s spirit, their conversations devolved into barbs and insults.
“Have a seat, Lindsay. My goodness, I haven’t seen or talked to you in months. Surely you can spare a few minutes for your mother.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Lindsay dropped into the chair across from her, noting the half-eaten salad and glass of wine on the table.
“You’re quite the big star now, aren’t you? And engaged, I heard?”
Lindsay simply nodded, wondering where the conversation was headed.
“I hope he’s good to you. Perhaps one day you’ll bring him by.”
“Why would I do that?”
Gloria arched a penciled brow. “Because you’re my daughter. Is that too much to ask, that I meet the man you’re going to marry? The man you love.”
“Love? That’s not a word I’ve heard you use too often,” Lindsay said dryly.
“You think I don’t know anything about love? I know plenty about love.”
Wild Thoughts Page 12