Perfect Timing

by Brenda Jackson

  Jason.

  Maxi closed the book and a feeling of loneliness washed over her when she thought about him. They had met at the birthday party of one of her co-workers, Sandra Miller. He had been a neighbor Sandra had invited. Maxi had liked him from the very beginning. He’d been a dynamic conversationalist. And he’d been pretty pleasing on the eyes as well, with his handsome features. He had asked her out and from that night on they’d become almost inseparable. They had enjoyed each other’s company just that much. They’d been dating a little more than a year when he had asked her to marry him. Everyone thought they were the perfect match. And they had wanted the same things out of life—marriage and a big family.

  Maxi sighed deeply. The sudden loss of Jason had been a brutal blow. So was the thought that after her surgery, she would never be able to give birth to a child. She shook aside the brief moment of depression, not wanting to bring back into focus her conversation with Dr. Frazier. The last thing she needed was to feel sorry for herself. Seeing those red check marks under some of her classmates’ names, indicating those who were now deceased, had reminded her that at least she was still alive. Five people in her class had died since their last reunion five years ago. So no matter how big you think your problems are, someone else’s problems could always be bigger, which makes yours relatively small.

  Dr. Frazier had been right. Maybe she should consider going on her high school class reunion cruise. She had always enjoyed the friendships of former classmates and maybe at this time in her life when all seemed bleak, being surrounded by friends was what she needed. Besides, there was a good chance Mya would be going and maybe they would be able to spend some time together renewing their deep friendship that had somehow fallen by the wayside.

  Before she had a chance to change her mind, Maxi picked up the phone to call the travel agency that was handling all the arrangements. Since the trip was only six weeks away, she hoped it wasn’t too late.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Christopher

  Christopher Chandler stood in the doorway of his bedroom and gazed upon the naked woman who was lying in his bed. Soft light from a nearby lamp cast shadows over the bed, making the long, slender form that much sexier.

  He had spent the biggest part of his day behind closed doors with his top management teams. Everything was finally in place with the Landmark Project. He smiled. He enjoyed working deals, making lucrative investments, and being a mastermind when it came to major construction projects. Those things had made him a fairly wealthy man. And because of his dirt-poor beginnings, he’d sworn never to do without again.

  But it seemed that money, especially his, was like a magnet. It attracted a lot of people, some he could just as well do without. Like the woman sleeping naked in his bed. A part of him was angry and upset that she was there and wondered how she had gotten past security. Evidently she had convinced the guard at the gate that she had a right to be there. He shook his head. With a body like hers she could probably convince any man of anything.

  He walked toward the bed, deciding that since she had entered his private domain uninvited he may as well make it worth his while before tossing her out on that sweet little behind of hers. Pamela Carlyle was determined to get under his skin and he was just as determined to make sure she didn’t.

  No woman got under Christopher Chandler’s skin.

  He went into his bathroom and moments later returned stark naked. He walked over to the bar in the room and poured a drink of brandy before walking over to the bed to stand over the sleeping woman. “Pamela,” he said huskily. “Wake up.”

  He sipped his brandy and watched as the sound of his voice made her open her eyes. She smiled up at him, stretching against the pillows as her gaze took in as much of him that she could see from her position. “I know what you want, Christopher,” she purred softly, unfolding her naked body in one sensuous curve.

  “And I know what you want as well,” he said before tilting the glass he was holding and dripping a small portion of the dark liquid onto the upper part of her body, wetting her breasts. He grinned. “I guess I’m going to have to lick that off you.”

  “Yes, I guess you will.”

  And he did. But that was just the beginning. One thing Christopher Chandler knew was how to please a woman in bed and went about doing just that. He gave her just what he knew she had come for. She clawed his back, screamed his name over and over again, and bucked against his every thrust before finally reaching a climax that sent her over the edge.

  And he followed her, glorying in the feel of being inside a woman who knew just how to work her body to make a man revel in the power of “groan-deep-in-your-throat” sex. This was not lovemaking. This was hot, lusty sex. The satisfying of hormones, the ravaging of passion. It was a good thing he was wearing a condom or else she would have been filled to capacity with his semen. Something he wanted no woman to take into her body since he did not intend to have children. Ever. He would never marry and he refused to have a child labeled a bastard like he’d been while growing up.

  Feeling completely spent, he pulled out of her as the aftershocks of both their orgasms still trembled through them. He rose from the bed and went into the bathroom to dispose of his condom. When he returned wearing a robe, she had curled up in his bed and was drifting off to sleep. He walked over to the bed and nudged her awake. “It’s time for you to go.”

  She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him with a languid gaze. “Can I stay tonight?”

  “No. I like sleeping alone.”

  “I’ll make it worth your while, Christopher,” she promised in a soft, sexy voice, one that no doubt brought most men a quick hard-on.

  “You’ve already made it worth my while. Now I want you to leave. After I return from taking my shower I want you gone and the next time I come home and find you here in my home uninvited, I’ll do more than give you a good screw. I’ll toss you out on your naked behind.”

  Anger flared in Pamela’s eyes and she reared up at him. “Why you bas—”

  “That’s exactly what I am and don’t ever forget it. It describes me perfectly since I have no idea who my father is.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I like choosing the woman I want warming my bed. Don’t ever put too much stock in anything when it concerns me, Pamela. Understand?”

  She angrily tossed her long, shapely legs over the bed. “Oh, I understand, perfectly. But one day you’ll get yours, just you wait and see.”

  Christopher smiled. “Besides being a good lay, I take it you’re also a fortune teller as well?” Not giving her a chance to respond he turned and headed for the bathroom then stopped and turned around. “Remember what I said, Pamela. Don’t ever show up here again uninvited.”

  He then entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

  Twenty minutes later when Christopher walked out of the bathroom freshly showered he heard the doors to his kitchen cabinets opening and closing. Thinking that Pamela had not left like he’d told her to do, he tightened the sash of the robe around his waist before angrily leaving his bedroom and walking into the kitchen. “I thought I told you to—”

  He stopped upon seeing the person in his kitchen was not Pamela but his best friend Gabriel Blackwell.

  Gabe lifted a dark brow. “You thought you told me to do what?”

  Christopher frowned. “Nothing. I thought you were someone else.”

  “Someone like who?”

  “Pamela. She evidently talked the guard into letting her inside here. When I got in she was asleep, lying naked on my bed.”

  Gabe grinned. “Must have been some sight.”

  Christopher couldn’t help but return his best friend’s grin. “It was.” He then studied Gabe. They had been together the better part of the day going over things at the office and in a long string of meetings. In addition to being his best friend, Gabe was also his business partner. “What brought you by? I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “I’m sure you weren’t. I decided
to pay you an unannounced visit to make sure you hadn’t brought any work home from the office. You work too damn hard, Chris. What you need is a vacation.”

  “A vacation?”

  “Yes, a vacation. I order you to take some time off.”

  Christopher smiled shaking his head. “You order me?

  “Yes.”

  “That’s cute, Gabe. Real cute.” Christopher gazed at the man standing before him. Their friendship had spanned nearly ten years. After leaving Savannah he had made his way to Detroit where he’d had the good sense to apply for work at a construction company that Gabe’s father owned. The older man had taken him under his wing and later, he had talked him into furthering his education right alongside his son. Christopher decided on a degree in industrial design and Gabe in structural engineering. Then they both graduated with MBAs at the top of their class. Omar Blackwell, who had since retired, had signed ownership of the business over to Christopher and Gabe. Christopher, who never had anyone take an interest in him before, other than a former teacher Mr. Thompson, had felt nothing but gratitude and appreciation for the Blackwell family; a family he’d been adopted into.

  “No, Chris, I’m serious about you taking a vacation. Mama’s orders. She’s worried about you. When you were at the folks’ house for dinner on Sunday, she picked up on how tired you looked. And you know Mama. She likes worrying about us.”

  “Why didn’t you explain to her that the reason I looked tired was because I’ve been staying up late working on the Landmark deal?”

  Gabe shook his head. “That would have only verified her claim that you’re overworked. Do yourself a favor, don’t argue with Mama. Take some time off and go somewhere or you’ll have her breathing down our necks and constantly checking up on us.”

  Christopher nodded, knowing Gabe was right. Joella Blackwell was a force to reckon with and they knew when she spoke she meant business. “I’ll call her and promise to take a trip somewhere in a few weeks. There’s no way I can leave now with the Landmark Project nearly finalized.”

  Gabe nodded, knowing just how much that particular deal meant to Christopher. “But you do promise to take time off soon? And I mean a real vacation and not one of those ‘let’s make a deal’ business trips.”

  Christopher thought for a minute. He had received a newsletter that had been forwarded to him from Mr. Thompson advising him of his high school reunion, a seven-day cruise to the western Caribbean. He had a mind to go just for the hell of it since most of his former classmates probably thought he was in jail serving time, or even worse, dead. “Yes,” he finally replied. “It will be a real vacation.”

  “Okay, then please let Mama know so she’ll stay off our backs.” Gabe laughed. “At least until she decides to stick her nose into something else. She’s still intent on marrying us off so don’t be surprised when she starts sending those single church women our way.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Garrett and Mya

  Mya Rivers looked across the room at her husband who was surrounded by an army of beautiful women. She had long ago learned not to get jealous when it came to Garrett. Some women it seemed liked athletes and cared less for their marital status. In fact they were challenged by it. That was one of the reasons she was paying close attention to the woman standing on Garrett’s right. The brazen hussy had patted him on the butt when she thought no one was watching.

  Stopping a passing waiter, Mya took a glass of champagne from the serving tray and took a sip. To toast the beginning of the new football season, the owners of the Dallas Cowboys had thrown this extravagant party. The players would be reporting to training camp next week.

  Deciding she had seen enough of women throwing themselves at her husband for one night, Mya took another sip of champagne and walked toward him. Even she had to admit that at twenty-eight and six-feet-four inches of delectable dark meat, Garrett Rivers looked good. After all these years she still enjoyed looking at his well-proportioned body and its masculine yet graceful curves.

  The closer Mya got to him the angrier she became. The woman had boldly fondled him again. That was one fondling too many. Mya eased up beside him, on the same side where the woman was standing. Upon seeing her Garrett automatically slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his side and made introductions. “This beautiful lady is my wife, Mya,” he said. “Sweetheart, you do remember these ladies, don’t you? They used to be part of the Cowboys’ cheerleading squad a few years back.”

  Mya dutifully smiled at the women. “Yes, I remember them,” she said. “Nice seeing you all again.” She then turned her attention to the woman who had patted Garrett’s backside twice that night. The smile on Mya’s face wavered slightly. The woman was young, probably in her early twenties. Unlike the other women who’d been Dallas cheerleaders in the past, this sistah who’d been introduced as Paige Duvall was too young to be a “has been” and was probably a part of the current squad. “Are you a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader?”

  The woman smiled. “Yes, I’ll be joining the squad this season and I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she said throwing Garrett a flirty grin. It bothered Mya when he grinned back. Turning to Garrett, she said, “Do you mind if we leave now? I have an early flight out in the morning and need to pack.”

  “Sure. I’m ready to go whenever you are.” He turned his attention back to the ladies. “It was nice seeing you all again.” He then gave the younger woman a warm smile. “Welcome to the team, Paige. The players appreciate the cheerleaders out there on the sidelines cheering for us.”

  “The pleasure will be all mine,” she said, her gaze never leaving Garrett’s face. She then forced her gaze from Garrett and looked at Mya and smiled. “It was also nice meeting you, Mya.”

  Mya said very little on the ride back to their place. Their three-year-old twin sons, David and Daniel, were spending the night with friends. The boys had been named after their grandfathers. David Rivers was Garrett’s father and Daniel Ross had been hers.

  “Okay, let’s have it, Mya. What’s bothering you?” Garrett asked the moment they had entered their home.

  “Nothing is bothering me,” she snapped, walking straight to their bedroom. She had promised herself not to bring up what she’d witnessed at the party, making too much of a big deal out of it. She had been with Garrett long enough to know women threw themselves at him all the time and in the past she’d always been able to handle it. But for the first time tonight she had felt threatened. That young bimbo had all but made her intentions clear. She intended to do more than just cheer for the Cowboys on the sidelines. She had her eyes set on one player in particular.

  When Garrett entered their bedroom moments later, he found his wife sitting in a recliner chair near the bed. Although she had told him that nothing was bothering her, he knew something was. He leaned back against the doorjamb and stared at her, thinking just how long they had been together. Just how long he had loved her. He had fallen head over heels in love with Mya from the time they had been in junior high school. Mya and football had been the two things that had always dominated his life.

  He slowly walked over to her. “Come here,” he said softly, pulling her to her feet. He then sat in the recliner and pulled her down into his lap. “There is something bothering you so let’s talk about it. Remember our promise? There would never be any secrets between us.”

  Mya nodded, remembering that promise they had made long ago while still in high school. She took a long breath before saying. “She touched you. I saw her do it. She touched you twice and you seemed to have liked it.”

  Garrett didn’t say anything for a moment. He knew who and what Mya was referring to. He had hoped she hadn’t witnessed Paige’s boldness. “Yes, she touched me, honey, but it meant nothing to me. Women have touched me before. You know how bold some of them can get about men they consider super jocks. The most important thing is that I don’t touch back. The reason I didn’t react was because I hadn’t wanted to make a scene. Howeve
r, had she done it a third time, I would have said something to her about it.”

  He looked down into Mya’s face. “You do trust me, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but I don’t trust her. There’s something about her that I don’t like. For some reason she—”

  Garrett touched his lips to hers. “Don’t ever feel threatened by any woman, Mya Ki’Shae Rivers. Ever. You are the only one who has my heart. You should know that. You’re the one I come home to every night and the one who sleeps in my bed. You and the boys are all I want and all I need,” he said before bringing his mouth down and fully kissing her.

  Garrett was an accomplished kisser. And as far back as Mya could remember he always had been. Moments later, after he had thoroughly ravaged her mouth, she snuggled against his warm chest while he held her in his arms.

  “Do you have to leave tomorrow, Mya?” he asked softly, a few moments later.

  Meeting his gaze, she noted the quiet disappointment in his voice and didn’t answer him for a while. She knew he was still trying to come to terms with her working outside the home. Her management position with a well-known investment firm required occasional travel. Although she’d always made sure the boys were taken care of in her absence, she knew Garrett didn’t like the idea of her working. He came from a generation of Rivers who believed a man took care of his family, and the woman’s place was in the home, taking care of her man and her children. Her and Garrett’s biggest arguments had been about her wanting to utilize her degree in Finance. Even while she was home there was little for her to do since they had a housekeeper who doubled as a babysitter. She had felt the need to get a job, not that she needed one financially, but because she wanted to feel useful.