* * * *
It must have been nine o’clock in the morning when Myra and Helen awakened Rebecca from her comatose sleep. She felt the small hands of her daughter nudging her before she opened her eyelids.
“Mom, wake up!” Myra was persistent, and her little voice was louder than usual.
Rebecca groaned, covering her ears, and turned in the lawn chair, thinking she was in her large bed.
“Mom!” She continued shaking Rebecca until she sat straight up in the lawn chair. “Come on, sleepy head, it’s nine o’clock. I thought we were leaving early to do the grocery shopping! I want to go to the aquarium. Then, can we go to The Hard Rock Café?”
Helen strolled out onto the balcony, flopping in a chair across from Rebecca. “Did someone say Hard Rock Café? Mom, I so want another T-shirt from there, but I want a few in black! I’m ready to roll.” Helen stared at 37
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Rebecca for a few seconds and blinked. “Mom, what’s up?” Helen held up her arms in question. “Normally you’re the first one up.” A smile etched itself on the teenager’s face. A hazy mist seemed to have taken up residence within Rebecca’s head because the urge to lie back down and go to sleep was overwhelming. Furthermore, she longed to remember the dream. It was teetering, right there, but she could not recall any of it.
“Honey, I’m getting up. Just a little slow moving today.” Rebecca rose to her feet and rubbed the back of her neck. “Geez, I shouldn’t have fallen asleep out here!” She stretched and looked at her plants adorning the balcony. “Oh shoot! I need to water my babies.”
“Already done, Mom.” Helen smiled. “That’s what we were doing while you were sleep, pretty much over an hour ago.”
“Girls, I’m sorry. Look, let me hop in the shower, and we’ll start our day, okay?” Rebecca bent down and kissed her youngest on top of the head.
* * * *
Rebecca felt invigorated after a twenty minute shower and dressing in one of the new outfits she’d purchased a few weeks ago. Certain images flashed in her mind, and she had been upset about something last night, but it still failed to register in her memory.
“You know, let’s hit up a few of the stores at The Gallery while we’re downtown. I’m in the mood to shop today. Geez, it’s hot out here!” Rebecca cranked the air conditioning a few minutes after the car ran.
“Yeah, the dog days of summer.” Helen laughed as she waved to one of their neighbors. “Check it out, Ms. Pierson had company last night.
Hmmm.”
“Stop being so nosey, Helen.” Rebecca’s jaw dropped when she glanced over at her neighbor’s parking spot. “Wow.” Envy shot through her veins at the sight of the well built man who opened the door for Ms. Pierson. Feeling a little embarrassed, she nodded when the woman waved to her. If only she could have someone like that, with an awesome personality to match.
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“Ew, Mom! You were not checking that dude out just now, where you?”
Rebecca peered into her daughter’s eyes. Helen wrinkled her nose up. “I swear, I’ve never seen you look so hard at a man in all my life.”
Rebecca giggled at the look on Helen’s face. “Oh Helen, just because I haven’t had a man in my life does not mean I don’t look.” Rebecca grinned.
“Normally, I’m more careful when my little ladies are around me.”
Helen shook her head and looked straight ahead. “Mom, I know what type of look that was.” Helen leaned over to her. “That was a lust filled look if I ever saw one.”
“Helen!” Heat rose to Rebecca’s face. Why did the girl have to be so damned observant?
Myra snickered in the back seat. “What are you laughing at, lady?”
Rebecca turned to look at her youngest, and was relieved when the girl’s gaze was glued to the Ipod. She had placed earplugs in her ears, and was singing the latest song by an infamous child star. Earlier, she had been watching a movie.
“Oh, she’s not paying any attention to us, trust me. She thinks our conversations are boring sometimes.” Helen glanced over at their neighbor.
“Aw man!” She shook her head. “Mom, can we, like, go now? I’m really not trying to watch dueling tongues over here.”
“Oh, Helen.” Rebecca pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the grocery store.
“Seriously, Mom, she’s had two different guys over there in the last month.”
“Yes, Helen, and that’s none of our business.”
“I know, Mom, but—
“I get your point, baby. Really I do. Perhaps Ms. Pierson is just lonely.”
“You don’t do that.”
“Well, I would never bring lovers around you girls like that.”
“So, you do date?” Helen stared at Rebecca for a few moments.
“Of course, baby girl. I’m no nun. A mommy needs to be taken to the movies, and dinner, and even a concert every now and again. I mean, there were times when I wanted nothing to do with anyone.” Rebecca’s grip 39
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tightened on the steering wheel. There were no lovers to speak of, with the exception of a few shreds of sexy dreams. At least, she thought they were sexy. The handful of men she’d dated were jerks, and were interested in one thing only.
“Where did you go?” Helen turned off her Ipod, tucking it inside her purse, and folded her arms, casting Rebecca a look that said she would not let up until she received an answer.
Heat flushed Rebecca’s face. “Helen, what’s up with the twenty questions?”
“Why are you blushing, Mom? I want to know, that’s all. Come on, don’t shut me out.”
Rebecca glanced out of the corner of her eye as Helen looked in the back seat to make sure Myra was still occupied. The child was singing another song.
“What am I going to do with you?”
Helen shrugged, her arms still crossed against her chest.
“Gee, you pick a fine time for a girl talk.” Rebecca laughed as she stopped at a red light. “Listen, I would never bring just anyone home to my girls. If I were to meet that special someone, I would have to know that he would love you both just as much as he loved me. It’s the package deal thingy, you know?”
“Yeah, I suppose. Althea Kennison’s mom is always bringing guys around. She tells me everything.”
“That’s got to be rough.”
“Yes, sometimes Althea spends the night with her grandmother. She says her mother sometimes forgets she’s even there, she’s so taken with men.”
Rebecca shook her head as she concentrated on her driving. “Now that’s just wrong. I’d rather be alone than to bring every Tom, Dick & Harry around my babies. You know I would never do anything like that, right?”
“Oh yeah, Mom. You’re so predictable.” Helen grinned.
“That’s right, baby. I’m the queen of my castle, and you girls are my two princesses.” Rebecca’s heart brimmed over with love as she pulled into a parking spot. She could do this, totally live her life without any man’s 40
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company. From out of nowhere, the nagging thought presented itself to her.
What about the times when her daughters were invited for sleepovers at friends’ houses? What about when they grew up, and were too busy with their own lives to visit? Up until last night, there had been no empty voids in her lives. For some reason, she felt like she was missing something.
Oh knock it off, Rebecca thought to herself as she and her kids walked into the grocery store. She giggled to herself. You’ll be doing a lot of traveling.
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Chapter Seven
The trip to the grocery store was a strange one, indeed. After perusing through the coffee aisle, an old, familiar presence captured Rebecca’s attention, provoking
long lost familiar feelings deep inside her. A certain mystical aura spread through the air and a chill sliced through her body. Just a few moments ago, the coffee section had contained ten other people. Now, the only presence gracing the aisle was that of herself and her girls.
Rebecca observed her children, who didn’t seem to pick up on the vibes she noticed. They appeared to be in their own world, and eager to end the grocery shopping trip. “Almost done, girls.” Sensing their eagerness to leave, she quickened her pace.
Further down the aisle, they roamed. In her haste to end the shopping trip, Rebecca bumped into a seemingly familiar man. She didn’t have a chance to see him because her face met with his chest. Before they collided, she did manage to catch a glimpse of a young boy, who looked to be around the same age as Myra.
A rich, masculine scent tingled and tickled her nostrils and she stepped back. How could she have been so damned clumsy? Rebecca’s heart skipped a beat when her eyes met with his. His eyes were black as obsidian and his ebony, collar-length hair was streaked with platinum strands. Her hands became clammy and perspiration beaded her brow.
When they collided with one another, her opened purse fell with a crash, spilling all the contents onto the floor. Rebecca stood, mesmerized, as the handsome stranger apologized and knelt down to collect her belongings as the children looked on. The flutter in her chest continued as she knelt down beside him, picking the contents of her purse up.
“I’m so sorry for not paying attention.” His voice disbursed sensual sensations in her, and moisture collected between her thighs. If she didn’t know any better, she sensed he picked up on that. She took a chance and peered into the dark abyss of his eyes, and his look confirmed what she thought. Of course, it had to have been written all over her face.
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As they rose, their eyes meshed, and they became captured within one another’s gaze. Every nerve danced with excitement as his voice encompassed her with a warm and fuzzy sensation. His brows knitted together and he cocked his head to the side as though pondering a long lost memory.
“Do I know you?”
Rebecca tried hiding the excitement brimming just beneath the surface.
Oh hell, the stranger had to have known the effect he held over her at this instance. She felt like she was back in high school all over again. No man had made her feel this way. At least, none that she could recall. The stranger caused her to wonder about the dreams she could not recall.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Rebecca laughed to cover her embarrassment. We did know each other. The thought entered her mind like a freight train coursing along at one hundred miles per hour. The children were observing their parents becoming smitten with one another. She heard them whispering among themselves, and strained to hear what they were saying.
To them, he was a stranger, but to Rebecca, he was something out of this world. Her cloudy memory fought to recall the dreams of the night before, but could not. Brief images of herself and this man flitted through her mind, and then they became foggier with each passing moment.
The man frowned, and reached out for her. “Are you all right, Miss?”
“Oh.” Rebecca laughed, and held the palm of her hand against her forehead. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“I’m Nicholai Beljoca, and this is my son, Alex.” The man extended his hand as he introduced himself and his son. The girls had become curious about Alex. The boy smiled at Rebecca and ventured toward her daughters.
In an instant, the children began talking amongst themselves. That seemed to bring the sexual tension in the air down a notch or two, but not completely.
Rebecca released a pent up breath and blinked several times. “I’m Rebecca Johnson.” The moment their hands touched, an electrifying aura seemed to surround them both, penetrating their bodies. She felt it, and was sure he had, as well. She could not help but notice the aroused look carved on the man’s handsome features.
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“It is a pleasure to meet you, Nicholai. These are my daughters, Helen and Myra.” The girls and Alex spoke, ignoring the adults, with the exception of saying a synchronized “hi.” The longer they lingered in the aisle, the more of an opportunity the children had to study them, as though they were beings from another planet.
“Mommy, it’s time to go. We have everything we need,” Myra insisted.
Her cute nose wrinkled, and a tinge of red adorned her café au lait skin tone.
She placed her hand on her hip and tapped her foot.
“Um, young lady, take your hand off your hip. I’ll go when I’m ready.”
Rebecca shot her daughter “the look” until Myra dropped her hand from her hip. An innocent smile clung to her features. She was so impatient and eager to take advantage of the beautiful day. Who could blame her? “I promised we’d go to the Inner Harbor, and we will do that as soon as I’m finished here.”
Both girls grinned like Cheshire cats, causing Rebecca to blush. Helen shot her mother an I-told-you-so look.
“Now, she has everything she needs.” Helen’s words captured Rebecca’s attention as she glanced at Nicholai, then back at Rebecca. The sassy teenager possessed a smug look about her, and a twinkle danced within the depths of her dark eyes. She smiled and nodded, then turned her back on them as she whipped out her Ipod.
“Are you from around here?” Rebecca’s heart raced, as it became evident to her she needed to know all there was to know about this man. The look emanating in his eyes told her he harbored the same feelings.
“No, we just moved here from Norfolk, Virginia a few weeks ago. My son and I are staying over in Severn, near Fort Meade. This is the first chance I’ve had to explore this area. I’ve been so overwhelmed with work these past few weeks. A few colleagues offered to show us around, but I haven’t seized the chance.” He spoke with his hands, and appeared somewhat shy. His dark eyes twinkled with excitement.
“What branch of the military are you in?” Rebecca shifted her large purse to the other shoulder as she pictured him decked out in a military uniform 44
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while she remained naked, blindfolded, and bent over the small loveseat in her bedroom.
“I recently retired from the Army, and now working at NSA. I needed to become better acclimated with my surroundings. I could have shopped at the Commissary, but wanted to stretch my legs a bit. My son was also looking forward to seeing a movie today.” Nicholai flashed a smile in her direction.
His gaze did not end there. Those curious obsidian eyes continued gracing her body, leaving an invisible trail of fire in their wake. He smiled in appreciation and, suddenly, Rebecca knew that this was not some chance meeting.
“Now, excuse me for just a second, please.” Nicholai lowered his voice and smiled. “You’re making me forget what I came into the store for.”
Rebecca blushed and admired how polite he was. She had something to do with making him forget his necessities? Her heart swooned when he turned his back to her. Her eyes roamed over the ripped muscles that showed off through the black cotton shirt he wore. She gulped as her eyes flashed across his light blue denim-clad ass, and the temperature seemed to rise a few degrees.
He browsed the aisle for a moment, then picked up a large can of coffee from the shelf. “Well, that completes my shopping for the week.” A sensual grin masked his handsome features, muddling Rebecca’s mind. “I ran out of coffee this morning, and I’m such an animal when I don’t have caffeine coursing through my veins.” Rebecca laughed as she studied the smile lines around his eyes. God, how she would love to trace them after a heated encounter.
“I know, me too.” He was a man after her own heart. She couldn’t skip a morning without her coffee.
Rebecca and Nicholai spoke as they paid for their purchases. Sadness consumed her as she realized they wer
e about to part from one another. It couldn’t end now. Rebecca’s mind screamed for her to ask for a phone number, an address, something, anything! An invading force weighed on her like a ton of bricks. Things could not end like this. She knew in her heart if 45
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she ignored the chance to get to know this man, she’d live with regret for the rest of her life. In her book, that was not an option.
She looked over at Helen who was busy talking to Alex and Myra. The girl’s voice echoed in Rebecca’s mind. “Take a chance.”
Nicholai must have had the same feelings, she thought. The man followed them all to their car. Rebecca noticed the confused look on Alex’s face.
“Where are we going, Dad? Our car is over there.”
Nicholai patted Alex on the shoulder. “We’re just walking the ladies to their vehicle.” His brows knitted together, and it seemed like something was on his mind. “Um—Rebecca.” It appeared he had a hard time putting thoughts into words. Those fine, chiseled features of his held such a confused look. It was hard for Rebecca to believe that this large man had become riddled with fear. She knew what he wanted to say, and a voice screamed inside her, Ask me! Come on, hurry up!
“Okay, here goes. Look, don’t slap me or anything.”
Rebecca laughed a nervous laugh and cocked her head to the side. “Now, why would I slap you?” She twirled her hair around her index finger, wishing he’d get on with the question already.
“Do you have plans for the day?” Nicholai donned a pair of black sunglasses as a dark eyebrow arched. Rebecca fought the urge to reach out and trace the area with a finger. Had they been alone, she would have, perhaps.
She swallowed hard. “Yes, the girls want to go for a movie, and since the weather is so nice, I was thinking about going to the Inner Harbor today. I love the paddleboats.” She bit her lip as anticipation swelled through her soul. She imagined sharing one of the paddleboats with him. Her patience thinned, and she blurted out the invitation. “Would you and Alex like to join us?”
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