While Zoe asked one of the vendors about his plants, Raina pulled Spencer aside. “I appreciate all the flirting, but you know this can’t work.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do,” Raina said. “This, you and me.” She pointed back and forth between the two of them.
“Because we don’t know the results?” he offered. “Well, we’ll know soon enough. Can’t we just let sleeping dogs lie and enjoy each other’s company?”
Raina tried to protest, but Spencer put his index finger on her lips. “Just for today. I’m having a lot of fun with you and Zoe, and I’d like it to continue. Is that so bad?”
Raina pursed her lips. It wasn’t bad. And she was having fun herself, too much fun, which was why she wanted to put some distance between her and Spencer. He was quite the charmer and he seemed to have a way with Zoe. She hadn’t seen her niece this happy, well, since before Alexa had passed. Sure, she’d been to a birthday party here and there, but Raina had watched Zoe and knew that she was putting on a show, acting happy because that’s what all the adults in her life expected. But Raina knew otherwise. She was there every night when Zoe would cry softly into her pillow because she missed her mother terribly.
“Okay, okay,” Raina relented. She didn’t want to fight with Spencer, and it was nice having the company.
It was dusk by the time they headed back to the car to put Raina’s groceries in the trunk. Zoe exclaimed, “We can’t go! We haven’t been on a hayride yet.”
“Zoe, it’s late, and we should head back so I can make dinner.”
“Spence.” Zoe looked at Spencer with pleading eyes to convince her aunt to stay.
It seemed her plea tugged at Spencer’s heartstrings, and he looked at Raina. “I know you have food in the car, but it’s cool out and it’s only a half-hour ride. What do you say?”
Raina rolled her eyes. Spencer was spoiling her niece. Whatever she’d asked for, from hot dogs to cotton candy to stuffed animals, he’d been unable to resist her. Raina had found it endearing that Zoe had him wrapped around her little finger, but she also knew she would pay for it later when Zoe was hyper and wouldn’t go to bed.
“Okay, one ride,” Raina replied.
A farmer helped them climb into a two-horse wagon filled with hay. A few moments later a family of four joined them, and soon they were trotting down the festival road.
“This is so fun,” Zoe said excitedly and then she promptly climbed up near the farmer in the front of the wagon and started asking him questions. Raina watched as the farmer allowed her to hold one of the reins while keeping his hand on the other.
“She’s adorable,” Spencer said from Raina’s side, and she turned to look up at him.
“Yeah, she is pretty special.” She watched him slide down farther in the hay and then open his arms to her.
“I promise I won’t bite,” Spencer said.
Raina debated with herself on whether she wanted to snuggle with him on the hayride. She threw caution to the wind and leaned back into his embrace.
Spencer’s arms settled around her, and Raina allowed herself to be comforted by him. She could feel the hard expanse of his chiseled chest behind her even with all her clothes on. And his arms, well they were rock solid and held her with ease. When Spencer tugged her ever so slightly to face him, Raina saw the sexy gleam lurking in his dark brown eyes. She knew she should resist what she knew was about to happen, but she didn’t.
Spencer’s lifted his head toward her and he brushed his lips briefly but firmly across hers. His lips were featherlight yet determined as they caressed hers, and a soft sigh escaped her. He threaded his fingers through her wavy curls and her lips parted of their own accord. His tongue slipped inside her warm and waiting mouth and explored the recesses, filling, learning and savoring every inch of her. He devoured her with his seductive kiss in such a possessive and primitive way that it left Raina wanting more.
Raina had to force herself to push Spencer away, her lips still tingling from his kiss. His heat and breath against her face overwhelmed her.
What the hell was she doing? Spencer could have been with Alexa! She’d gotten caught up in the moment and allowed herself to let go, and look what had happened. He’d been seducing her all day with his charms and she’d fallen prey to them like an innocent schoolgirl. “That kiss should have never happened.”
“I disagree,” he whispered. “That kiss has been in the making since the moment I laid eyes on you. I’ve wanted to know if you would taste as sweet as you looked, and you didn’t disappoint.”
Raina’s breath hitched in her throat. He’d rendered her speechless. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, and her pulse had quickened.
“Auntie Raina.” Zoe jumped back down to join them, startling them both.
Raina looked at Spencer guiltily, but neither of them said a word. “Did you see me, Auntie? I was steering the horses.”
“Yes, babydoll, you did a good job,” Raina replied, finally finding her voice. “And it’s time for us to get off.”
As soon as the wagon came to a complete stop, Raina was scrambling down the steps the farmer had erected to help them off.
Raina was quiet on the ride back to her car at the laboratory, but Zoe filled the silence by chatting about how much fun she’d had, what she’d eaten, what she’d bought and what she’d made.
Spencer meanwhile was gripping the steering wheel. He only spoke when he exited to help Zoe out of the car.
“So you had fun today?” he asked, bending down to her height.
“I did. Thank you, Spence.” Zoe leaned over to give Spencer a hug and Raina felt deep in her stomach just how heartfelt it was.
Once Raina had safely ensconced Zoe in the backseat, she turned around to face Spencer. “Well thank you for a lovely outing. You can retire now from playing daddy.”
“Excuse me?” Spencer asked.
“You’re off the hook. You did a great job playing devoted father, but you don’t have to try so hard to seduce me. Clearly, you think I must be as easy as my sister.” Raina didn’t know why she was being so spiteful. Was she purposely trying to bait him into a fight? She must have angered him because his eyes blazed fire.
“You think that that’s what today was all about?” Spencer inquired. “Getting you into bed?” He laughed derisively and pulled out his cell phone. “All I have to do is call any number of willing females and they’d be all too happy to spend time in my company. I don’t need to hang out with an uptight workaholic caterer to get my jollies.”
Raina was stunned by his harsh words. She recovered to say, “Well, then, let me rid you of my deplorable company.” She reached for the driver’s door handle, but Spencer pushed the door closed.
“Raina.” Spencer sighed heavily. “Let’s not ruin a perfectly good day. I’m sorry if you feel I crossed the line with you earlier. I won’t apologize for kissing you, but perhaps I moved too fast. I just feel that there’s something between us.” He reached to grab her, but Raina was quicker and rushed inside the vehicle.
She locked the door but rolled down the window. “I’ll be in touch,” she said. Seconds later, she was pulling out of the space and leaving a stunned Spencer standing in the parking lot, staring after her.
Chapter 5
“You didn’t call me this weekend,” Summer said when Raina came into work on Monday morning carrying several recyclable grocery bags. “How did everything go at the laboratory on Saturday?”
“Fine,” Raina answered, wrapping her apron around her middle. She unpacked the delicacies she’d found at the festival and put them away in the cupboard and refrigerator.
She’d slept fitfully the past two nights after her kiss with Spencer. She felt guilty as hell for losing control and acting on her feelings. But it had been hard no
t to when he was being all charming and gallant, catering to her and Zoe’s every need. Spencer had shown her what her life could look like if he was a part of it, and she’d liked it.
“Don’t ‘fine’ me, Raina Martin,” Summer said, grabbing Raina by the shoulders and forcing her to look at her. “Are you holding out on me? What happened?”
“I’m not holding out,” Raina said, averting her eyes so she didn’t have to look at her best friend. Summer could always read her and knew when she was lying about something.
“Yes, you are,” Summer said. “Did something happen at the lab?”
Raina sighed heavily. Summer wasn’t going to give up pressuring her for answers, so she had better just get the Spanish Inquisition over. “Spencer met us at the lab.”
“Ah!” Summer released her shoulders. “And?”
“And he brought coffee and hot chocolate for me and Zoe.”
“I know there’s more, Raina, so you might as well just spit it out.”
“Then he invited us to the Coconut Grove Harvest Festival.”
“Really? I wanted to attend, but I couldn’t convince Ryan to come with me. Since we’d been working a few late nights, he’d missed me and wanted me all to himself this weekend. We barely came up for air.”
Raina smiled. Ryan Tucker was Summer’s live-in boyfriend. They’d been together since high school. They knew everything about each other and could finish each other’s sentences. Raina had always envied their enduring relationship. “Well you missed some great locally grown food, I brought some cheeses and pâtés that we can use for our next party.”
“That’s work, and that’s all fine and good, but why don’t we get back to your date with Spencer?”
Raina flushed bright red. “It wasn’t a date.”
Summer raised a brow. “Wasn’t it?”
“No, it wasn’t.” Raina shook her head furiously, more to convince herself than Summer. “We simply took Zoe out for a day on the town. She was able to make crafts and play games...” Her words trailed off and she went over to the sink to wash her hands.
“So, this was all about Zoe?” Summer asked and then chuckled at her question. “Who are you trying to fool, Raina? Me? Or yourself? It was most definitely a date whether your niece accompanied you or not. Spencer Davis was dying to take you out and he found a way to accomplish it without scaring you off.”
“Well, he did that when he kissed me.” She dried off her hands with the towel hanging on the wall rack.
Her sentence momentarily shocked Summer into silence.
“Did you hear me?” Raina asked. “I said he kissed me.”
Summer blinked several times before inquiring, “Well, did you kiss him back?”
Raina rolled her eyes. “I didn’t have much choice. He kind of took over the situation, convincing me to respond to him. It was all very disconcerting.”
Summer watched Raina and noticed how her eyes grew wistful. “Sounds great if you ask me.” She gave a hoot when Raina swatted her with the towel.
“And it was,” Raina admitted. “And that’s the problem, Summer. You know I can’t get involved with Spencer. He was involved with my sister, possibly fathered her child.”
“Yeah, well, forgive me, but your sister is gone and you’re still here. And you’ll know soon enough if Spencer’s the father. Until then, you shouldn’t wind yourself in circles over this. You don’t know anything yet. There was no harm in kissing a sexy, attractive, available man.”
“No, but Zoe needs a father,” Raina said. “It isn’t fair that I put my needs above hers.”
“And you need a man,” Summer replied and then held up her palm in defense because she knew Raina was about to go into attack mode. “And I don’t mean in a needy way, but like me and Ryan, you need someone to complement you. Spencer Davis could be that person. You’re entitled to some happiness, Raina.”
“I know that.”
“Do you?” Summer asked. “Because you’ve been so worried about being there for Zoe and comforting your parents that you’ve overlooked yourself and your own needs.”
“I’m all they have left.”
“I know they all adored Alexa, but you’re not the consolation prize.”
Raina stared at Summer. “I know that.”
“Do you really? Because I’ve always thought you were amazing, Raina Martin. You just need to know it. So how did you leave things with Spencer?”
Raina frowned. “Not good. I accused him of trying to play daddy. I told him the role didn’t suit him and he shouldn’t try so hard to get into my panties.”
“Ouch!”
“I know it was harsh, but I had to push him away until I know the truth. Otherwise he’d keep coming on strong.”
“When will you know the results?”
“Before the end of the week. It can’t be soon enough.”
* * *
Spencer stared down at the piece of paper showing the test results. It had been couriered over to him earlier that morning. The first set against him and Zoe showed what he already knew: he wasn’t Zoe’s father. The second test also proved exactly what he’d thought; his brother was Zoe’s father.
The paper slipped out of Spencer’s hand and fell onto the mahogany desk. Cameron would never know he’d fathered a beautiful little girl like Zoe Martin. She was bright and funny just like Cameron, but he would never get the chance to see her first recital, help her drive her first car, watch her go to her prom or walk her down the aisle. All those moments had been stolen because of the accident.
Spencer shook his head. Now it was up to him to do right by Cameron’s child. He had Cameron’s full power of attorney and therefore was legally responsible for her and her inheritance. He was thinking about how he was going to set up a trust for Zoe when Raina came bursting through the door of his office, holding the results in her hand.
The look on her face told him that she’d seen the results and knew he wasn’t Zoe’s father. He would have thought she would be happier, but she looked devastated.
“So, you’re not the father,” Raina said, running her fingers through her black hair, which hung in long tumultuous waves down her back. He’d never seen her hair in its natural state. It was wild, unruly and completely sexy.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Davis.” Mona was standing behind Raina. “She just barged in.”
Spencer held up his hand. “It’s okay, Mona. I can take it from here.”
After eyeing Raina suspiciously, Mona reluctantly closed the door behind her.
“Would you like a glass of water?” Spencer asked, rising from his seat to go toward his wet bar. He grasped a tumbler and opened a bottle of water and poured the liquid inside.
“I don’t need any water,” Raina spat as she glared at him from the doorway. “I don’t understand these results. I was almost certain you were the father.”
“I think you should come and sit.” Spencer motioned to the plush leather sofa.
“I’d rather stand,” Raina said, as if she was afraid to come near him.
“Fine, have it your way,” he said, unbuttoning his suit jacket and sitting down on the sofa. She was as stubborn as a mule and could stand while he told his story, Cameron’s story. He sipped on the water he’d poured for her.
“You knew my sister and the timing was all right.” Raina shook her head. “I don’t understand. It all made sense.”
“Well, I for one am happy about the results,” Spencer replied.
“I just bet,” Raina responded,. “Now you don’t have to worry about me coming after you for child support. And you don’t have to worry about playing daddy because Zoe’s not yours. You can move on with your life.”
“It’s not that simple,” Spencer said, sitting up. “I was never concerned about supporting Zoe if she was my child. I
am more than capable of taking care of her.”
“Then what did you mean?” Raina asked. She stopped as she walked toward him. “Wait a minute. If you’re not Zoe’s father, then you know who is.” She was starting to put the pieces together. “There was a reason my sister told me to come to you for help. You know something. What is it?” Her eyes pierced his, demanding the truth.
“Yes. I know who Zoe’s father is,” Spencer acknowledged.
“Then why did you put me, put Zoe, through this?”
“Because you were so absolutely sure you were right that for a second I started to doubt myself. My recollections of that time period are a bit hazy.” He paused. “All the drinking and partying. I wondered if there was any truth to what you were saying.”
“Okay, that’s plausible,” Raina said as if mulling over her words. “But you figured this out before the test came in, didn’t you?”
Spencer was surprised by her quick perception. “Yes, I recalled that Alexa was seeing my brother during that time.”
“And you think he’s the father?” She began pacing the floor. Then she turned back to Spencer. “Why?”
“Cameron met Alexa the same night I did. The same night that photograph of us was taken. They had a hot and heavy affair that lasted over a month. It fizzled when Cameron got caught cheating on his wife with another woman other than your sister.”
“But that doesn’t mean he’s the father,” Raina countered. “We shouldn’t leap to conclusions like I did with you.”
“I’m not speculating,” Spencer said. “I’m certain.”
She peered at him with those almond-shaped eyes. “How can you be so sure?”
Spencer sighed. “Because I ran a second paternity test at the laboratory in conjunction with ours.”
“You did what?” Her voice rose several octaves.
Spencer stood and leaned over his desk so he could produce the second set of paternity results. “I wanted to be one hundred percent sure before I raised your hopes again. And I am now.” He handed Raina the results.
Raina’s eyes quickly darted over the test. When they came into contact with his again, they blazed with anger. “And why would you keep something like this to yourself?” she demanded. “Was this just a way to get closer to me? You had no right to keep this information from me.”
A Chance with You Page 6