He tried to hide the satisfaction he felt at her words. “I’m glad to hear that because I think you would make some lucky man a wonderful wife.”
“Thank you.”
The smile that touched her lips sent blood rushing through his veins, and he picked up his cup thinking that he dared not tell her he fully intended to be that lucky man.
13
Faith walked into the restaurant, glanced around, and saw Shane sitting at one of the tables in the back, one that overlooked the Intracoastal Waterways. Since he was sitting there, staring out at the water, he hadn’t seen her yet, so she stood still for a moment longer and studied his profile. Even from the side, his features were sharp, distinctive, and irresistible.
An achy feeling erupted deep within her that she was determined to control. There was no need to let overwhelmed emotions overtake her good sense. Shane was an adrenaline booster—that was for certain—but the only time she would need extra energy while in Hilton Head was on the tennis courts. Shane had sure gotten a high degree of workout from her today. She intended to get into bed early to be ready for her next training session.
“May I help you, miss?”
Faith turned. The waiter was probably wondering why she’d been standing there as if she had no place to go. “No thanks. I’m meeting someone here for lunch, and I see him sitting over there.”
“Then if you would kindly allow me to escort you there?”
“Thanks.”
Maybe it was the creaking of the floor that alerted Shane of their approach. He turned and fixed his gaze on her and stood. That achy feeling increased. “For a moment I thought you had stood me up,” he said, favoring her with a slow and seductive smile.
Faith couldn’t resist smiling. What woman would be that stupid? Instead she said as she sat in her chair, “And miss the chance for more free tennis lessons? No way.”
He chuckled as he sat back down. “So, your only purpose is to use me?”
Her smile widened. “You made the offer, Mr. Masters. I just merely took you up on it.”
“True, so I really can’t get upset, can I?”
“I don’t see how you can,” she said, draping the cloth napkin in her lap. “Have you had a chance to look at the menu?”
“No, I decided to wait on you.” He then motioned for another waiter, since the one who had escorted her to the table was now helping someone else.
Moments after their orders had been taken, Shane leaned back in his chair. “So, tell me something about Faith Gilmore.”
She waved away his request. “I prefer hearing about Shane Masters.”
“It might bore you to tears.”
“I’m willing to take my chances.” She grinned.
“All right, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He picked up his glass and took a swallow of water. Setting the glass back down, he said, “Like I told you that first day we met, my family is from Savannah. There are a lot of Masterses still living there, but I moved to Detroit after college. I went to University of Michigan on a tennis scholarship and decided I liked the area. I got both my undergrad and grad degree there and was fortunate to get a job there in the area as well. I owned an accounting firm. When I first went into business fifteen years ago, it was just me and my secretary. By the time I retired a couple of months ago, the firm employed over a hundred individuals.”
“Wow, that’s a huge increase.”
A smile touched his lips. “Yes, but as the economy grows, so does the need for capable accountants.”
“And are you, like me, the only child?”
He shook his head, grinning. “Heck no. There are seven of us: three girls and four boys, which includes one set of twins—male and female—the youngest of the brood. My father died thirty-five years ago when I was five. I don’t remember much about him other than he was good to his family and provided for us well.”
Faith nodded. “Are all your siblings still living in Savannah?”
“No, only one of my sisters and my mom are still living there, along with a bunch of aunts, uncles, and cousins. The rest of us are all spread out. My youngest brother, Quinn, is an attorney out in L.A. He’s married to the former Alexia Bennett.”
“Alexia Bennett? The singer?” Faith’s eyes widened.
Shane laughed. “One and the same. She goes by Alexia Bennett-Masters now.”
“Yes, I know! She’s my favorite R and B performer.”
“I’ll mention that the next time I see her. Then there’s my brother Grey, who’s married to Alexia’s cousin Brandy. They live in Orlando.”
Faith’s eyebrows shot up. “You Masterses like to keep things in the family, uhh?”
He shrugged, remembering the woman he was supposed to meet when he got to Orlando, a relative of Brandy’s on her mother’s side. “Not all of us. My brother Lake falls between me and Grey in age. He’s single and lives in Boston. Then there is Quinece, Quinn’s twin. She’s married to Kendall, and they live in Arizona; my sister Emily is married and lives in Boise.”
Faith raised a brow. “Boise, Idaho?” Since she had a job in advertising and marketing, she knew the percentage of African Americans living there wasn’t high at all.
Shane smiled. “Yes, nestled right at the base of the Rocky Mountains with astonishing scenery through every window of her home. She and her husband, Wayne, own a software company and are doing quite nicely. Then there’s Paula, the oldest of the clan. She and her husband, John, were living in Seattle for a while, but when their only child, Melissa, decided to go to college in Atlanta, they decided to move back home to be near Mom—so they claim, although we all know otherwise. Especially since my mother is rarely home these days. She likes traveling all over the States to see her grandkids.”
Faith said nothing for a moment then. “Do you have any children?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m forty, and I’ve never been married and I don’t have any children.”
Faith took a sip of her water, considering him. “A bachelor for life, then?”
He flashed an irresistible smile. “I don’t have anything against marriage. I almost married once, but a week before the wedding I found out she was pregnant... and the child wasn’t mine.”
“She actually told you the child wasn’t yours?” Faith blinked.
“Yes,” he offered somewhat quietly, as if he was remembering that time. “She thought I should know since she and the father of her baby planned to elope that night. But the real kicker was that he was someone I knew, someone I thought I could trust and thought was a friend. It seemed that they ran into each other at some business conference, and I understand things got rather carried away. They planned a few secret meetings after that. She claimed she wanted to call off the wedding but hadn’t wanted to hurt me.”
Faith blew out a puff of anger. The last thing she could tolerate was a cheating spouse or significant other. “She was actually going to marry you anyway?”
“Yes, but then she got pregnant and rethought that decision.”
“Thank goodness for that.”
Shane smiled again, wondering if Faith knew how stunningly beautiful she was when she got angry. “That was three years ago, and you’re right—I’m glad she called off the wedding. Especially since my generation of Masterses vowed not to marry until we found our perfect mates. I guess I’d been rushing things a bit, because Cherice was far from perfect.”
At that moment the waiter arrived with their food, and Faith was glad they had something to do to occupy their time. She wasn’t ready for the conversation to shift to her. Shane had shared a lot about himself, but there was no way she could do likewise. Admitting that your husband had left you for another man was not something any woman wanted to boast about.
A couple of hours later, Faith let herself into the house. She had to admit she’d shared a very pleasant lunch with Shane. Unfortunately, the conversation during the meal had shifted, but she’d told him only the basics, staying away from any details as to why she and Vir
gil had divorced. He had been too kind to ask, and she had been spared telling him a single thing.
After going straight into the kitchen, she pulled two notes off the refrigerator that were being held by a magnet. Monique wanted her to know she had gone shopping to buy some more jogging outfits. Shannon’s note didn’t say where she had gone but not to expect her for dinner and don’t be surprised if she didn’t come home tonight.
Faith pulled in a deep breath and gazed heavenward and said softly, “Cely, what are we going to do with her?”
It’s okay this time. Leave her alone. She’ll he fine. Faith whirled around. For a moment she could have sworn she’d heard Cely’s voice, speaking to her as if she’d been standing right there beside her.
Faith pulled in another deep breath. It had to be the wine she’d consumed at lunch. It hadn’t been enough alcohol to keep her from driving, just enough to get her relaxed ... and she had felt relaxed with Shane. And she looked forward to her next tennis lesson with him.
She glanced at her watch, knowing what she had to do. Withdrawing her cell phone from her purse, she punched in her parents’ phone number.
“Hello,” her mother answered as she always did, like she was annoyed about being bothered, especially when Oprah was on.
“Mom, it’s me.”
“About time you called. Your dad and I have been worried sick about you. The only thing that kept us from flying to South Carolina to check on you ourselves was knowing Dr. Ross-Fuller is living next door. Have you met her yet?”
Faith sighed. “Yes, Mom, we’ve met. I even had her over for dinner a few times. She’s nice.”
“I told you that she was. So, how are the girls?”
Faith shook her head, wondering if her mother would ever really acknowledge her, Monique, and Shannon as grown women. “They’re fine, and we’re having a good time.”
Before her mother could get all into her business by asking what kind of fun they were having, Faith quickly asked, “Have you started packing for your trip to Europe yet?”
“Yes, and your father insists that I buy all new things—so I’m going shopping again tomorrow.”
Faith knew she should be grateful that her parents, even after thirty-five years, were still happily married. Unlike Shannon’s parents, hers had been good role models. They would have been perfect if they hadn’t been so darn overprotective while growing up. A little sneeze could get her a ride in the ambulance to the hospital. Her father had been a well-known physician in the city, and it hadn’t been hard to get others to cater to his whims when it came to his one and only daughter.
For the next few minutes Faith let her mother go on and on about what the Oprah show had been about the day before and the day before that. Other than her charity work, Oprah was her mother’s most consuming pastime.
“Well, Mom, I need to go now,” she said, finally interrupting.
“But we just started talking.”
“Mom, we’ve been on the phone for almost an hour.”
“Well, wait just a minute. Your dad wants to speak to you.”
Before she could say anything, she could hear her mother put down the phone. After a long silence, she heard her father’s deep voice: “Faith Nicole?”
“Yes, Dad, and before you ask, I’m doing fine.”
“That’s good to hear. Do you need anything?”
“No, Daddy, I’m fine. How are you?”
“Doing okay. I’ve been playing a lot of golf lately. Retirement is great. I met this young man you might be interested in and—”
“Thanks, Dad, but that’s okay. Really it is.” She knew her father felt somewhat guilty since he was the one to introduce her to Virgil. Now he was trying to erase his whale of a boo-boo by fixing her up with someone else.
“Look, I got to go, Dad. I want to take a shower and get into bed early.”
“Don’t overdo anything, and stay away from the beach water.”
Faith shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Right. Talk to you later, Dad.”
Once she hung up the phone, Faith quickly made her way to the wine rack. After talking to her parents, she definitely needed a drink—even if it was a mild one.
“I had a lot fun today, Anna,” Zach said, giving her a smile. It was late afternoon, and they were just getting back to her house from their island adventure.
“I’m glad. Would you like to stay for a while?” she asked, setting her purse down on the coffee table.
“What I would like to do,” he said, pushing away from the closed door, “is take you out to a dinner and a movie. Do you think you’re up to it?”
Anna sat down on the sofa, kicked off her sandals, and then proceeded to rub her sore feet. “Yes, just as long as I can wear some flat shoes.”
“You can wear anything you want,” he said, coming to sit beside her. He leaned down and shifted her legs to his lap. At her startled expression, he said softly, “Let me do this for you.”
Zach could tell from Anna’s expression that she didn’t know what to say. So she didn’t say anything, which was fine with him because he needed this time to concentrate ... on both her feet and on her. As he began massaging her ankles and heels, he watched her lean back and close her eyes. He knew she hadn’t expected this. He hadn’t expected it either. But after spending all afternoon with her and part of the evening, he knew he wanted to touch her in some way, and for now this was the safest. Anything else might just push him over the edge, and he planned to do just what he promised his parents and her uncle. He would take his time and go slow. More than anything he wanted to show her they were good together and that as one, they could handle anything, including the media.
“Umm, that feels good,” she murmured softly. “You might be in the wrong profession.”
He smiled. “I can say the same for you. You have pretty feet. They are small but pretty. Have you ever thought of being a ballet dancer?”
He heard her small chuckle, and the sound set off a quivering in his middle. “No, I never gave that much thought. But I did want to become a movie star after coming to the United States at seventeen and seeing my first Cicely Tyson movie. I thought she had so much style and grace.”
“And what about before you came to this country? Did you have any dreams then?”
He watched her eyes slowly open, and sadness appeared in them that he’d never seen there before. He went still when she said, “Yes. I would dream every night that one day my father’s family would decide to want me and come get me from that orphanage in Saigon.”
A part of Zach wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms to give her the kiss he’d been dying to give her all day—even before today. How about for the past year. Instead, he said softly, “They were looking for you, Anna. You know that now. For all those years you were dreaming, they were looking.”
She smiled as she met his gaze. “Yes, I know that now, and that what’s made everything so special to me, Zach. I was being loved even when I didn’t know it.”
He nodded. It was on the tip of his tongue to say, And you’re still being loved and don’t know it, sweetheart. He needed to put distance between them before he did kiss her, so he slowly shifted her legs from his lap and stood up. “I’ll leave so you can get some rest. Since we had a huge lunch, what about a late dinner and one of those midnight movies?”
“Sounds good to me. Anything in particular you want to see?”
He shook his head as he placed his hands in his trousers, still tempted to pull her off the sofa into his arms. “Whatever you decide is fine with me,” he said.
“All right.”
She was about to stand when he said, “No, I can let myself out. I’ll see you later, in a few hours.”
And without giving her a chance to say anything else, he quickly headed for the door.
14
As Adam washed and dried his hands at the sink, he glanced over at his newest acquisition. In just a few days he’d made a lot of progress, but there was a lot of restori
ng yet to be done. When Kent had said the vehicle had had a rough life, he truly meant it. The previous owner evidently hadn’t fully appreciated what a gem he’d possessed. But no matter, Adam was the new owner and he would give this baby the respect it deserved.
Talking about respect...
Not for the first time he couldn’t stop his thoughts from turning to Dr. Shannon Carmichael. The proverbial spoiled little rich girl who grew up to become the spoiled and rich woman, she was used to having her way in all things, even in her selection of men.
After she’d left the other night, he had gone up to his apartment and instead of immediately taking a shower, he contacted the guy who handled investigative work for his family’s law firm. In a matter of hours, Adam had been given all the info he needed on the good doctor. She had been telling the truth about how she viewed things in life. She’d never been married and, according to what he’d read, it didn’t seem likely she would be doing so anytime soon or ever. And although she wasn’t a celebrity by any means—definitely not in the same ranks as a Paris Hilton—because her parents were such well-known educators in this country, the media had evidently found her social life interesting and had pegged her with the nickname of “The Prize.” It seemed a lot of men wanted her, but she was too discriminating for any of them. According to the report, to say she was nit-picky was an understatement. But the one thing that seemed constant was that she preferred dating professional men, especially those with titles behind their names. If you didn’t have one, then save yourself the trouble*
Adam remembered how she had shown up unexpectedly that one night. After his brash behavior, he was certain that he had seen the last of her, since it had been a week already and she hadn’t shown back up. For women like Shannon, a bruised ego was something they didn’t get over. One part of his mind thought, Good riddance. But another part—the part that had kept him walking the floor at night with a hard-on followed by a cold shower every morning— could just imagine what he’d rejected. Maybe he’d been a fool to turn down what she’d so blatantly offered.
What a Woman Wants Page 10