“I guess someone’s hungry,” Terrence said with a chuckle.
“I didn’t eat much at lunch because I knew I was going out.”
“Well, let’s bless this food so you can eat.” Taking her hand, he recited a short blessing.
“Aw, your grandmother would be so proud.”
“What?”
“You blessing your food without her standing over you.”
“Hush, girl. I see you still do it, too.”
“Always. Although I do have to remind my brothers sometimes, since they lose their minds when I cook for them.” She cut into a crab cake.
“You cook that well, huh? Well, maybe you’ll take pity on me and prepare something for me.”
“I don’t know about cooking all that well, but I owe you, since you cooked for me.”
They continued to converse softly while eating.
Terrence set his fork on the plate when he was done. “Are you up for some dessert?”
“Dessert? I don’t know. I’m not sure I could eat another bite.”
“Come on,” he cajoled. “We can share if you like.”
“Oh, okay.” She pointed at him. “If I gain weight, I’m coming after you.”
“I’m sure one little shared dessert won’t hurt.”
“How do you stay so fit, eating like this and being on the road so much?”
“Believe it or not, I don’t eat like this often. I typically eat more fish, chicken, fresh vegetables and fruits. I don’t drink a lot of alcohol, and I try to work out at least four times a week.”
“Well, it shows,” she said without thinking, remembering him shirtless. Her face heated.
“Thank you. I’m glad you like what you see.” He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, laughing softly. “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” he whispered.
She was almost afraid to ask. “What?”
“When I look at you, I really, really like what I see.” Leaning closer, he lowered his voice even more. “And I want to see more...so much more.”
Janae could barely breathe. She clasped her hands together in her lap to try to stop the shaking. I am in so much trouble, she wailed inwardly.
He picked up the dessert menu. “So, what should we have for dessert?” He asked the question so innocently.
“Um...why don’t you choose?”
“Do you like chocolate?”
She nodded.
“How about the hot chocolate cake?”
“That’s fine. I need to go to the ladies’ room.” She needed a minute to get herself together. He stood and pulled her chair back. She gave him a small smile. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.”
Once in the bathroom, she walked over to the sink, wet a napkin, then dabbed it on her face. Every nerve in her body was on fire. She’d never felt these sensations before—not like she had a lot of experience with men and sex. Okay, hardly any. She hadn’t felt anything like this those couple of times she’d been with Carter and Lawrence. If she were honest, she hadn’t felt much of anything at all. But this man elicited feelings deep inside without even touching her. And don’t get me started on his kisses.
Janae took a couple of deep breaths and gave herself a pep talk. “You can do this. You’re not going to fall for him,” she mumbled under her breath. “He already told you music was his only love.” Inhaling deeply one last time and satisfied that she was back in control, she tossed the napkin and went back to the table.
Terrence stood as she approached and seated her. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I see dessert arrived.”
He handed her a spoon. “Taste and tell me what you think.”
She cut into the cake, and the melted center oozed out. “Mmm,” she moaned. “So, so good.” He stared at her strangely. “What?”
“That good?”
“Definitely, but don’t take my word for it.” She waited for him to take a bite. “Do you like it?”
“I do. You’re right, it’s very good.” He slowly removed the spoon from his mouth and licked his lips.
The heat at their table intensified, and she was surprised the outer cake didn’t melt right along with the center. “So, are you working on any new music for yourself?”
He leaned back in his chair and nodded. “I’ve done about four tracks so far. I’m looking to finish the project by September, hopefully to debut on the cruise in late October.”
“Wow. Cool. Since it’s already the end of May and you’re going to be doing all this traveling, will you have enough time?”
“I’ve limited the number of concerts this summer so I can finish. After I come back, there’s a release party for one of our groups, then I’ll be stationary for close to a month. Speaking of the release party, would you like to go with me?”
She paused with the spoon midway to her mouth. “I...I don’t know.”
“It’ll be fun.”
“When is it?”
Terrence gave her the information, then added, “I’ll pay for your flight. It’s going to be at one of the hotels in L.A., and we’ll stay the night.”
“Can I think about it and let you know next week? I know you’ll be busy, so I’ll just leave you a message.”
“I can work with that.”
They finished dessert, settled the bill and talked for another forty-five minutes.
“As much as I don’t want to, I’d better get you home. I still have a few things to do before leaving tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. So did I.”
Terrence walked Janae to the door when they reached her house. “I’m not going to come inside.” He cradled her face and lowered his head.
Janae came up on her toes and met him. The moment his mouth touched hers, she moaned. The kiss started gentle, then passion exploded and she gripped his shoulders.
He tightened his grip and moaned deep in his throat. He worked his hands into her hair, tugged to tilt her head for better access and angled his head to deepen the kiss. Terrence slowly lifted his head. “I’ll talk to you this week, baby.”
Janae nodded. Her heart beat so hard, she was sure a heart attack was imminent. “Safe travels.”
He squeezed her hand, turned and walked away.
She closed the door and banged her head softly against it. “What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be falling for him.” The phone rang, eliciting a groan. “Probably Karen.” She wasn’t in the mood tonight.
“Hello.”
“Hey, baby girl.”
She groaned inwardly. “Hey, Devin. What’s up?”
“I’ve been calling you for the past couple of hours. Where’ve you been?”
“Devin, I know you don’t think I’m going to start reporting my whereabouts to you. What is your problem lately? You’re worse than usual.”
“Just concerned about you, that’s all.”
“What gives, Devin? That can’t be it.”
“I’m still concerned about that new guy you’re seeing and about Lawrence harassing you. You haven’t had any more trouble out of him, have you?”
Janae took a deep breath. Why did she have to have big brothers?
“You’re quiet, Jan. What’s up?”
“I saw Lawrence on Saturday. He tried to get in my face, but Terrence handled it. I’m sure I won’t have any more problems.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Did I not just say Terrence handled it? He knocked Lawrence out with one punch. When we came out of the store, he was gone. Can we please leave it at that?”
Devin grunted. “I guess. What’s up with you and Terrence?”
“Nothing much. We’ve hung out a couple of tim
es. Did you call for something? Because I’m about to take a bath.”
“I wanted to check on you.”
She let out a frustrated breath. “I’m fine, Dev. I promise.”
“Okay, baby girl, if you say so. By the way, that check still hasn’t cleared. Do I need to come over there?”
“I’ll deposit it tomorrow,” she mumbled. “Can I go now?”
Devin laughed. “I love you, sis.”
“I know. I love you, too. Good night.” She dropped the cordless in the base, then trudged down the hallway to her bedroom.
Lying in a tub filled with bubbles, Janae leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Terrence’s handsome face drifted through her mind. And those sexy, full lips framed by that neatly barbered goatee... Man, what those lips did to hers. She couldn’t help but fantasize about his lips all over her body. The thought was so vivid, she could actually feel its touch. Her breathing increased, her breasts tingled and the space between her legs throbbed. Her eyes snapped open. She sat up so quickly, water splashed over the side of the tub.
“Oh, my goodness. What is happening to me?” She quickly washed up with shaky hands and stepped out. No man had ever elicited these types of feelings within her before. Not until Terrence.
Chapter 11
Terrence leaned his head back against the airplane seat and closed his eyes. It was becoming harder and harder to stay away from Janae. What am I doing? He’d never had a problem controlling his emotions when it came to women. But, like he said before, it was as if this petite schoolteacher had bewitched him. And what possessed him to ask her to accompany him to the release party? He’d never taken any woman to any function, for publicity or otherwise.
Their verbal play at dinner, coupled with the remembrance of her soft moans while eating that cake, still had him aroused and wondering how that chocolate would have tasted on her skin. He didn’t think he’d ever get enough of kissing her. Another problem. Yeah, he needed to be away from her for a while. Maybe by the time he came back, he’d have his head on straight.
“Excuse me, sir. Would you like something to drink?”
He opened his eyes to see the flight attendant leaning a little too close with a wide, flirty smile. “No. Thanks.” He reclosed his eyes, hoping she would get the hint. She was the third woman who’d flirted with him since arriving at the airport, and he’d ignored them all. The only woman occupying his mind was a sweet, sexy angel he should be trying like hell to stay away from. His cell vibrated in his pocket, reminding him that he hadn’t turned it off. He read a text from Donovan to call. He took a quick glance at his watch, seeing he had some time before takeoff.
Donovan answered on the first ring. “Hey, T.”
“What’s up?”
“Are you back yet?”
“The plane will be leaving in a few minutes. I should get in around eleven.”
“Do you need me to pick you up?”
“No. My car is in the lot. Is everything all ready for tomorrow?”
“Yeah. So, how’re things with you and Janae?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Man, at the rate you’re going, you should start buying stock in the airlines. You know exactly what I mean. You’re already half in love with the girl.”
“I’m not in love with anybody,” he retorted. “I just like spending time with her.”
Donovan laughed. “Whatever you say. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Terrence disconnected and powered off the phone. Love? Him? Not hardly. That was the one thing he couldn’t allow.
* * *
Seated on his friend’s deck in Dallas, Terrence couldn’t keep his mind from wandering to the woman who’d invaded his dreams for the past few nights. Dreams so erotic, he’d had a difficult time convincing himself they weren’t real. He’d gone to bed with a hard-on, awakened in the same state, and had taken so many cold showers, it was a wonder he hadn’t contracted pneumonia.
Janae hadn’t called to tell him whether she’d accompany him to the party. If she agreed to go, Terrence knew he would have a hard time keeping his hands to himself, especially since they would share a suite. He’d reveled in the feel of her hands moving slowly over his chest, and closed his eyes—the smoothness of her skin gliding against his, the heat of her touch.
“Hey, Monte. You all right, man?”
His eyes popped open. “I’m good. You ready to work?” He sat up straighter in the chair.
Michael dropped a folder in front of him and took a seat. “Did you get a chance to hear the music yet?”
“Only once. What’s the title of the song?”
“‘Your Touch.’”
Terrence groaned inwardly. Wasn’t he trying to get his mind off Janae and her touch? “Let me see what you’ve got so far.” For the next two hours, they went back and forth over the lyrics and the music.
“Man, you sure you don’t have a woman stashed away somewhere?” Michael shook his head. “The way these lyrics fell out of your mouth makes me think you’ve had some up close and personal practice.”
“Nah, man. I’m building off what you’d already written and the feeling you said you wanted to convey. I think this should be your first single from the project.”
“Yeah. I think this one’s gonna blow up. It’s even better than the other one we finished. I’ll get in the studio this week to start recording. When it’s done, I’ll send it to you.”
“Can’t wait to hear it.”
“Where’re you off to next?”
“After I leave here next Wednesday, I have concerts in New York on Friday and Philadelphia on Saturday, then D.C. for a couple of interviews at the beginning of the following week. Then, Kaleidoscope’s CD release party is on Saturday of that week.”
“I heard about that. I’ll probably fly in on Saturday morning so my beautiful wife and I can see some L.A. sights before the party. See, if you had a woman, we could double-date, and you could show us around.” His gaze turned thoughtful. “Hey, I know someone who would be good for you. She’s—”
“No, thank you. I can handle getting my own woman if I wanted one.”
“You know, you aren’t getting any younger,” Michael said with a raised eyebrow.
“Just because you recently got married doesn’t mean I need to. Marriage isn’t for everybody.” Terrence stood. “I think it’s time to go inside. It’s not even summer yet, and your Texas heat is already on the way.”
* * *
“Sooo, I see things are heating up with you and Terrence,” Karen said as soon as she and Janae were seated in the restaurant the next evening.
Janae shrugged. “It’s not like that. He’s cool and we like hanging out.” Wow, I didn’t even blink with that lie.
“You can lie to someone who doesn’t know your little bitty behind, but not to me. First of all, no man is gonna fly to see you twice in less than a week, especially for a few hours. Second, I saw the way he looked at you. He is definitely smitten, and so are you. So, let’s try this again.”
The server came to take their order, interrupting Janae. As soon as he’d departed, Karen folded her arms across her chest and waited.
Janae sighed. “Fine. I really like him. He’s charming, has a great sense of humor and is easy to talk to.”
“Sounds like the recipe for a great relationship.”
The server returned with drinks and warm bread. Janae broke off a piece, spread some butter on it and took a bite before answering.
“It’ll never come to that. He’s already told me that music is his only love.”
“Please. All men say stuff like that at the beginning. He’s probably trying to feel things out.” She took a sip of her drink.
“I don’t think so,” Janae murmured, thinking back. “It wasn’t so much
what he said, but how he said it...like he had no intentions of ever changing his stance.”
“What’re you going to do?”
“I have no idea. He’s going to be out of town for the next couple of weeks.” Janae finished her bread and took a sip of her drink. The conversation tapered off for a few minutes. She debated telling Karen about his invitation. She needed to talk to someone about it. “Terrence asked me to accompany him to a CD release party in L.A. when he gets back.”
Karen’s jaw dropped. She didn’t say anything for the longest time, during which the server returned with their meals.
“Usually you have a lot to say, Ms. Morris.”
“I’m really surprised, that’s all. You know I love Monte, so I’ve been following him since the beginning. Believe me when I tell you he’s never, and I mean never, taken a date to a function. At one time, it was a hot topic in all the entertainment corners. I’ve read that he may have been occasionally seen out at dinner with a lady, but that’s about it. He’s always declined to talk about his personal life. You’re going, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. I have nothing to wear, and you know how I feel about being in the spotlight.”
“See, this is why you need me as your friend. You are going,” Karen said, pointing at her. Then she rubbed her hands with glee. “We’re going to have so much fun shopping for an outfit.”
Janae groaned. “Oh, no. I hate shopping with you.”
Karen laughed. “Eat up, missy. You’re going to need your strength. Lucky for you, tomorrow is Saturday. We have all day.”
* * *
Janae was still unsure about going to the party with Terrence and said as much to Karen the next day as they shopped.
“I don’t know why. You said yourself that he’s a nice guy. Here’s a cute dress.” Karen held it up.
“What dress? I’m not wearing anything like this. There’s not enough material to cover anything.” Janae snatched the dress and shoved it back on the rack. “This is not working. I think I should just decline.”
Karen grabbed her by the arm and dragged her over to another rack. “You aren’t declining that invitation. Now let’s find you something to knock Terrence’s eyeballs out.”
Just to Be with You Page 11