In Her Neighbor's Bed (The Beaumont Series)

by Angie Daniels

  She glared out the corner of her eyes. “Yes, I guess you did.”

  “We wanted something small and personal…just family and our closest friends. Right, sweetheart?” Scott asked between kisses to her palm.

  Zanaa gave him a sidelong glance. “Actually I want something Zanaa gave him a sidelong glance. “Actually I want something large. You see! That’s something else we disagree on,” she interjected.

  Scott chuckled. “Sweetheart, we can get married in the middle of McDonald’s if you want. All that matter is that we’re together.” It took everything he had to hold it together at the look of dismay on her face. He was starting to enjoy himself.

  Paulette’s eyes danced with excitement. “Zanaa, remember when we were young you dreamed of getting married on the beach?”

  “Yes, that hasn’t changed.” Zanaa wiggled her hand free and reached for the flute Jonathan had refilled and brought it to her lips. “I still want to get married barefoot in the sand.”

  Paulette clapped her hands with enthusiasm. “I can’t wait to start planning a wedding for a wedding planner. How funny is that?”

  Scott chuckled. “I think it sounds wonderful.” Glancing around, he noticed several couples moving out onto the dance floor, holding party favors. He reached for his hat, placed it on his head then reached for Zanaa’s hand. “Come on. Clock’s about to strike midnight.”

  The two couples grabbed their party favors and joined the others on the floor. Scott pulled Zanaa against him then whispered, “I know what you’re trying to do.”

  She tilted her head back to look at him. “And it would have worked if you weren’t so stubborn.”

  Eight, seven, six. “Sorry, baby, but I’m not ready yet to let you go,”

  his breath feathering her nose.

  She was shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe what was happening between them. “It’s not up to you,” she argued. Five, four, three.

  “Sorry, but I’m afraid it is.”

  Happy New Years!

  Around them others were blowing horns and shouting. Scott stared down into Zanaa’s eyes. “Happy New Years, sweetheart.”

  She couldn’t resist a smile. “The same to you.”

  He brought his mouth down over hers and kissed her like he was a thirsty man and she was a tall, ice cold drink. Her mouth opened underneath him and he swept inside, tasting, seeking, and enjoying her acceptance of what was happening between them. He felt her heartbeat acceptance of what was happening between them. He felt her heartbeat pounding against his chest and knew it matched the rhythm of his own heart. “You want me?”

  “Yes,” she confessed. “Yes, Scott, I want you.”

  He knew exactly how she felt. “Go find your sister and tell her we’re leaving. I’m going to get a cab.”

  “But—”

  Scott shook his head. “No buts. We’re out of here. I can’t wait another moment to be inside of you.”

  *

  As soon as the cab came to a complete stop, Scott had already paid the driver and was climbing out the rear, holding her hand. Zanaa found her keys first.

  Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. Scott wanted her and she couldn’t deny she wanted him as well. Zanaa knew she’d pledge not to sleep with Scott again but the heart wants what the heart wants and she wanted him. Maybe he didn’t want her in his life permanently but right now she would take what he had to offer, and would deal with the consequences later.

  *

  The moment he shut the door to the condo, she rose on her tiptoes, and kissed him, her tongue slipping between his lips, tasting him.

  The sensual feast of her soft mouth warmed his loins. He and Zanaa both knew they needed to have a serious discussion. But right now the only thing either of them was interested in was their sexual needs. No other female would do, now, tomorrow, probably ever as far as Scott was concerned. Zanaa was the only woman capable of giving him what his body craved.

  Slowly, Scott undressed her then himself, kissing and caressing all the while. Sitting up, she slipped her legs over him in preparation to ride him right there on the couch. But Scott scooped her in his arms and carried her down the hall to her bed. Tonight he needed to be in control of their lovemaking. He wanted to be the one doing the giving. Scott stripped off lovemaking. He wanted to be the one doing the giving. Scott stripped off his clothes and sheathed his hardened shaft then lay down on the cool linen sheets beside her. Determined to enhance her arousal, he ran a finger over the high peaks of her breasts, traveling downward and traced the curve of her hips. He loved her naked body. All those thick lush curves. As he caressed her smooth thighs, his hands dipped between her legs. He played with her soft, moist folds until she withered and moaned.

  “Please, Scott. Now!” she cried, sounding on the verge of release.

  Sliding into her, he struggled to hold on. She was tight…hot, their union felt more perfect than any other they’d shared. He pressed small kisses along her neck. “Sweet Zanaa. You’re everything to me. I don’t want anyone but you.”

  Goodness, what was he saying? He wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship. There was no way he was opening himself up for pain and heartache, but when she tightened her vaginal walls and started whispering his name, he lost the ability to think straight, to process the raw emotions inside him. He wanted only to enjoy her, and make sure she enjoyed him in returned.

  Scott withdrew then pushed gradually into Zanaa again as deeply as he could go. The steady rhythm of his thrusts made her moan, “Yesss, yesss!” Zanaa touched him, stroking his arms, back and his buttocks. They kissed with open mouths, sharing the very breath in their lungs. Her golden eyes held intense desire and she reached up to trace his cheekbones with the tip of her finger. “Scott,” she murmured. “Baby…I love you.”

  A tidal wave of emotions swept over him. He forgot his attempt to keep the pace slow and steady, to prolong the act. Her confession pushed him over the edge and he lost himself to the wild ride for fulfillment. He brought her legs tightly around him and together they rode the storm. He pumped wildly and she met his strokes and it wasn’t long before he felt the tensing of her body, heard her cries of joys as she came. The sounds caused him to convulse and he came right behind her, emptying himself into her in one final exhilarating plunge.

  Long moments later, in the extraordinary peace of the aftermath, he returned to reality. It was then that he realized there was no point in denying it a moment longer. He was in love.

  denying it a moment longer. He was in love.

  How in the hell did he let that happen?

  Zanaa snuggled up close. “Thanks. I needed that.”

  “So did I.” And he did. She had become an addiction he didn’t know if he could do without. He didn’t want to feel like this. He had made a pledge he would never let a woman get that close to him again and instead of holding his grounds, he had allowed himself to get caught up in the whole engagement, lowered his guard and had fallen in love.

  And she loves me.

  Scott felt tightness at his chest. He couldn’t think nor breathe.

  “Sweetheart, I better go and let Henric out.”

  “Okay,” she murmured. “Don’t keep me waiting long.”

  He gave her a long searing kiss as if it were their last because as much as he hated it, he had to end their relationship. Holding her in his arms, his temperature began to rise and before long he was sliding deep inside her, once again riding the storm. Emotion flooded his body and soul. How was he supposed to let something so wonderful go?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Zanaa was sitting at the kitchen table, thumbing through the latest copy of Jet magazine with Keisha Cole on the cover. She loved to read about people finding love again. Keisha’s relationship sounded powerful and stronger than anything she’d ever experienced before. Why couldn’t I be so lucky?

  Thirty-two hours after that amazing New Year’s morning, Zanaa was still waiting for Scott to return to her bed. The sex
had been better than any other time they shared before, and she thought when he told her she was an addiction, it meant their relationship had grown, and maybe just maybe they really did have a chance of being together as a couple. But Zanaa had been wrong. Scott had left. Snuck out like a coward and had yet to return.

  Baby, I love you.

  Rising, she moved over to the coffee pot and poured herself another cup. How could she had been so stupid and blurted out the one phrase she swore she’d never say to him? At first she thought Scott hadn’t heard her, but now she wasn’t so sure. She had a feeling her words had scared him away, which was why Scott still hadn’t returned or even called with some lame ass excuse.

  Now she didn’t know what to do. Zanaa released a heavy sigh of frustration and returned to her seat. She brought the cup to her lips and sipped while she allowed their last night together to flash through her mind. It was so amazing just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.

  Zanaa brushed them away, disgusted at herself for even appearing that weak and vulnerable. The one thing she wasn’t going to do was cry over a man who clearly wasn’t worth it.

  Their relationship had been based on nothing more than sex. Sure Their relationship had been based on nothing more than sex. Sure he did her a favor but he gained a great deal in return from their fake engagement. All she wanted to do now was give him a piece of her mind.

  Her first inclination was to walk next door and pound on his door, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. He walked out on her. Scott had left, leaving her feeling like she had been nothing more than a booty call. Not the other way around. There was no way she was calling him, she reminded herself with a stubborn tilt of her chin. When she had awaken to find him missing, she had been concerned but after the minutes turned into hours and the hours added up to an entire day, her worrying stopped and she instantly became pissed.

  How could she have been so stupid to allow him to make love to her again, especially after she swore she never would? Zanaa closed her eyes as the answer knifed through her head. She was in love and the heart wants what the heart wants. She felt a dull ache at her chest, an emptiness that only Scott could fill. But he would never love her. That much she knew and as painful as it was she had no choice but to accept that what they had was officially over.

  Stupid. Stupid.

  How in the world could she blurt out she loved him? She wanted to scream every time she thought about how careless she had been.

  Nothing ran a man away faster than a woman telling him how she felt. She knew that. No wonder Scott hadn't called. In fact, things had been so quiet next door, she was certain he had temporarily moved out long enough for her to get the hint to get on with her life. Well one thing about her, she knew how to take a hint. As far as she was concerned, he didn't even have to speak to her when they passed each other outside their complex. It didn't matter to her one way or another.

  Why are you lying to yourself?

  Because if she kept telling herself it didn't matter then maybe she just might start believing it, and then she could get passed the pain and get on with her life. But right now everything reminded her of him. She couldn't even have a conversation with her family without someone bringing up Scott’s name.

  Zanaa closed her eyes and thought about the mess she had gotten herself into. When she opened them again, she stared down at the yellow diamond and tears filled her eyes. Why do I love him so much? They hadn't even been together long enough, at least in her book, for her to feel this way about a man, yet Paulette had warned her that sometimes love hits you hard. Well, she definitely had been hit with a club over hers because she felt him with every breath.

  Glancing down at the ring again, Zanaa was tempted to take it off and throw it across the room, but she wasn’t that type of woman. She would give him until Monday and if she still hadn’t heard from him then she’d knock on his door long enough to return the ring.

  The phone rang, intruding her thoughts. Eager for the distraction, Zanaa moved over to the phone on the wall and answered it before the third ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Zanaa,” Barbara began and immediately she sensed something was wrong.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, tightly gripping the phone.

  “It’s Madea. She’s in the hospital.”

  *

  He was miserable.

  Scott folded his arms across his chest and faced the window as memories of New Year’s Eve and the weeks leading up to it came flooding back. Powerful, explosive, and passionate. The time he’d spent with Zanaa was nothing at all like he had expected it to be. He thought their arrangement would be easy and a way to get what he considered to be the best sex he’d had in forever. He didn’t want the commitment or the emotional aspect of a relationship and he most definitely didn’t need anything permanent.

  For a man who spent a great deal of time making sure no woman wanted more than he could give, it should have been a breath of air to have met a woman who wasn’t interested in anything more than a fake engagement. He thought it was going to be fun, sleeping with the girl next door. Yeah, right, he thought with a scowl. That was before he discovered door. Yeah, right, he thought with a scowl. That was before he discovered the sex was more potent than anything he’d ever experience. But then Zanaa confessed she loved him and he snuck out the bed, and never came back.

  The following morning, he drove to New York City to meet with his agent to discuss his contract with Destination Games. The corporation was signing him to a three game, multi-million dollar deal. But after an afternoon that started with lunch before driving over to his agent’s office, he realized meeting the board members today was not a good idea. His mind was somewhere else.

  You walked out on her.

  Scott felt like a true ass and had picked up the phone several times to call her but couldn’t bring himself to do it. What was he going to say to her? Sorry but something else came up. Yeah right. There was no way in the world Zanaa was going to believe him. He wouldn’t be surprised if she slammed the phone down on his ear the second she heard his voice. He couldn’t blame her if she had. And now that he planned to be in New York through Thursday, she was really going to think he had walked out on them.

  You could just tell her the truth.

  Absolutely not. There was no way he was admitting his feelings for her because it would only complicate matters. Zanaa was looking for a committed relationship. Love and marriage, three children, and the white picket fence. He had already tried going down that road and it just didn’t work for him. The pain of heartbreak, and the getting over her and getting on with his life was more than any person should have to endure. And only a fool would want to give love a second chance. Yet at the same time he couldn’t imagine his life without Zanaa in it.

  So what are you going to do?

  Standing in front of a window of his Manhattan hotel, Scott stared down at Times Square, which was lit up like Las Vegas. Any other time he was in New York, he would have called Christina, Janine, or one of the other women he had dated over the years. They would have gone to dinner, taken in a play then returned to his hotel for a night of sexual pleasure. But for some reason he could not bring himself to call any of pleasure. But for some reason he could not bring himself to call any of them to come and join him. Instead he was up in his room, waiting on room service, and thinking about a curvaceous beauty who had his head spinning and heart pounding. He loved her and all he could do was keep telling himself he was doing the right thing.

  It’s just sex. It’s just sex.

  He tried to convince himself but he knew it was more than that. A lot more, only he was too stubborn to admit it. His life was perfect the way it was. There was no way he wanted her in his life permanently. So why wasn’t his heart listening?

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Madea, you can’t be scaring us like that,” Zanaa said, scolding the older woman, lying in a large poster bed.

  While frowning, Madea gave her g
randdaughters a dismissive wave. “How’s an old lady supposed to have fun with you young folks, telling her what to do all the time?”

  Paulette frowned. “Sure, but kickboxing?” There was no mistaking the incredulous quality of that single word.

  Barbara shook her head and took a seat in the rocking chair close to the bed. “I think you need to stick to water aerobics.”

  “That handsome young man teaches the class and I wanted to show him I still had it,” Madea admitted with a sheepish grin and a shrug of one frail shoulder.

  Zanaa’s face crinkled with laughter. “You got it all right. You just earned yourself a couple of weeks off your feet.” The past several hours had been the scariest of her life. Only minutes after her sister called, she packed a small bag, hopped into her car and hurried to Virginia. Zanaa was relieved when she arrived at the hospital and found out Madea had thrown out her hip…again.

  Madea cringed at the reminder. “Enough about me. When are we going to start planning a wedding?”

  Zanaa’s stomach did a nosedive. She stared at them unblinking.

  Why had she allowed things to spiral out of control with Scott, especially since he’d been honest from the beginning? He had no interest in a committed relationship. “Uhhhh, I don’t know.”

  Paulette shifted on the bed and faced Zanaa who was sitting on a window seat in front of a large bay window that overlooked the massive front grounds below. “You told me you wanted to get married this summer. So let’s start planning something.”

  summer. So let’s start planning something.”

  Her heart was pounding heavily in her ears so loud, she was afraid they could hear it. “Well, I-I was going to start planning next month.”

  Barbara’s gaze widened. “Come on, Zanaa. You’re always planning weddings for others. Let us plan yours.”

  Paulette nodded in agreement. “Don’t forget you told me on New Year’s Eve we could. Why don’t you stay for the weekend? It would be fun, the three of us going to look for a gown together.”