A Christmas Song (2 page)

“I know you’re both crazy, and you’d be foolish to pass up a chance to be with the people you love.”

Denise shook her head. “I am not in love with Trent.”

Bernard didn’t deny or confirm the allegation.

“You two can deny all you want, but I know better.”

“Bernard is right. What do you know? Just because you’ve been happily married for two years don’t make you an authority on the subject.”

“I don’t know why in the hell it doesn’t,” Keisha said, flipping the end of her brown weaved hair at Denise. “I fell in love with Jerome, married him, and we’re still screwing like bunnies two years later. Don’t pass up on the opportunity again. Love doesn’t often give second chances.”

Keisha was lucky they were such good friends or Denise might have slapped the smug look from the other woman’s face. “I’m perfectly happy being single and if Trent was interested, he would have stayed in contact with me all these years. So it’s safe to say his little infatuation with me is over.”

Bernard chuckled nervously.

Keisha turned on him. “And what about you? Are you going to let the possibility of getting a broken heart again stop you from being with M. J.?”

Bernard snarled at Keisha. “We were fifteen years old back then. Like Denise said, too much time has passed. What did you come in my office for anyway?”

“I came for Denise. The workers are waiting for her directions for decorating the tree.”

Denise looked down at her suit. “Let me go change. Tell them I’ll be there shortly.”

Keisha nodded and waved goodbye to them.

“Ooh, I hate her so much,” Bernard said. “I can’t stand the fact that she thinks she knows me.”

Denise tried to keep from laughing as she headed toward the door. “You’d die without her putting you in your place at least once a day. We might as well face it, when it comes to love, Sista has it going on.” She waved goodbye to Bernard, left his office, and went up to her suite of rooms to change.

§ § §

Denise changed into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and left her room. She walked through the busy lobby once she exited the elevator and headed to the main ballroom. She stepped into the room.
Where are my helpers
? There was supposed to be two or three guys assisting her. Fortunately, they’d left her a ladder.

The decorations were in boxes sorted by colors. Tinsel and garland had its own boxes. The string of colored lights peeped out at her.
Oh my gawd
. It was going to take the rest of the afternoon to untangle the mess. Maybe she’d mention to Bernard just to leave the tree decorated at the end of the year instead of stripping it. That way she wouldn’t have to tackle this next year.

She decided the best way to handle such a project was to start at the top and work her way down. Denise grabbed a box of red bulbs and headed up the ladder. Several hours had passed and she still had a long way to go. A loud bang, like a car backfiring outside the window scared her when she started down the stairs. She lost her footing and her life literally flashed before her eyes on the way down. Denise closed her eyes, prepared to hit the hard floor below. She landed on something solid.

“Hello, darling?”

Denise slowly opened her eyes. “Please tell me I’m dead.”

“Great catch,” someone said.

Trent stared down into her face. “When you fall for a guy, you fall for the guy.”

His lips were on hers before she could scream. Trent’s tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting like Wintergreen peppermint and trying to unloosen her fillings.

Denise tried to wiggle out of his arms, but Trent held on tightly. He did finally remove his tongue from her mouth.

“Hey, babe, bitchin’ boobs. Did you miss me?”

“Put me down.”

Trent put her down on her feet.

Egad, he’d grown taller since she’d last seen him, and more handsome.
Ooh, so not fair
.

The rest of the dude squad stared at her like she had something on her face.

Vince came forward. “Dee, is that you?” He pointed to her boobs.

Denise slapped his hand away. “Yes.”

Vince gawked. “They must have cost you a pretty penny.” Vince had shoulder-length dark brown hair, blue eyes, and the cutest baby face.

“They’re real.” She marched past them and headed out of the ballroom in search of the other workers. She heard several comments about the size of her behind as she stalked away.

Bernard appeared. “Have you seen the guys?”

“Yeah, why weren’t you there at the desk to greet them? They’re in the ballroom.”

Bernard grabbed her hand and dragged her back toward the ballroom. “Is M. J. with them?”

Denise shook her head. “Yeah. Ooh shit, you’re hurting my hand. Slow down.”

He didn’t stop walking fast until they were in the main ballroom again.

The four larger-than-life musicians stood near the Christmas tree holding their carry-on bags. Hopefully the rest of their luggage had been delivered safely to their suites.

Trent was the first to move, coming forward to greet Bernard. Instead of shaking his hand, Trent picked the smaller man up in a bear hug.

“What the hell have they been feeding you guys?” Bernard demanded.

They looked like a bunch of giants instead of the teenagers who’d left San Diego seven years ago.

Trent freed Bernard, placing him back down on the floor. “String beans.” He ruffled Bernard’s hair. His jeans rode low on his hips. He had a flat stomach and spectacular abs. A muscular chest peeped out from his unbuttoned sleeveless denim vest. Denise gulped. The man looked simply delectable.

Long lashed, light brown eyes locked with hers as her perusal made it up to his handsome face. Denise quickly averted her eyes, hoping she wasn’t drooling.

“You fellows look great,” Bernard said, walking around and shaking the other guys’ hands. Bernard looked as though he would faint as he made his way over to M. J.

The striking redhead also had a lot of hair, but was shorter than Trent by several inches. It rested around his shoulders and back in auburn waves. He gazed down at Bernard giving him a lopsided smile as he shook the shorter man’s hand. Bernard acted more demurely than usual, blushing as M. J. spoke to him.

“I know you guys must be tired. Let me show you to your rooms,” Denise said once the fellows stopped bonding.

Dante approached first, putting his hand out to her and leading her out of the ballroom. “I can’t believe how beautiful you’ve become. You were always pretty, but now you’re gorgeous.” Dante dwarfed her. He was slimmer than the other three, with short blond hair and hazel eyes.

“I’m still me.”

“Yeah, but with so much more boobage and a big caboose,” Dante declared.

Denise chuckled. Dante used to tease her shamelessly for her boyish figure. The two of them used to have long movie nights where they stayed up watching the classics like Dracula and Godzilla. He always insisted she pop him popcorn and smother it in butter. He also liked to have an orange soda with the popcorn. Being a celebrity now he probably only drank champagne.

The rest of the rockers followed them out of the ballroom, through the lobby where some of the employees gawked at them, including the two guys who were supposed to help her with decorating the tree.

“Go finish the tree,” she said in Spanish to the twins Jose and Juan. They were nineteen, as cute as buttons, but very flirty. Jose looked down at her hand still being held by Dante and frowned. Denise ignored him. Both brothers were a little over-protective of her and had been from the moment Bernard hired them.

Jose walked off after cutting his eyes at Dante.

Dante chuckled. “I didn’t figure you for a cougar.”

Denise chuckled too. “Don’t be stupid. He’s just a kid.” It was no secret that Jose had a crush on her, but she always kept their dealings very professional.

The group arrived at the elevators and both elevator doors opened when she pressed the button.

Dante freed her hand long enough for her to enter. He and Trent followed her inside the first elevator, while M. J. and Vince boarded the second elevator with Bernard. Both elevators opened on the twelfth floor at the same time and the six of them exited. Bernard took M. J. and Vince to the right, while Dante and Trent followed her to the left. They arrived at Dante’s room first.

Dante’s suite had a lot of amenities, like a stock bar, a huge California king-sized bed, and was decorated in green and brown. Dante’s luggage rested on the floor near a huge double door walk-in closet. A long-stemmed red rose rested on the bed.

Denise walked over to the entertainment center and opened the door. Inside was a wide screened television, a DVR, and a video game center. “I had this stocked with some of your favorite movies.”

Dante put down his carry-on, lifted her in his arms, and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Thanks. I’m honored you remembered.” He placed her gently down on her feet.

“Why wouldn’t I remember? I love a good classic too. Dinner should be ready at six and will be served in the first dining room. You do remember where it’s located?”

“Sure. I ate some of my best meals in that room.”

Denise headed toward the door. “Just pick up the phone and dial zero if you need anything.”

“Is that the number to your room?”

Denise shook her head. “No, that’s the front desk. You’ll have to dial my suite number in order to talk to me.”

“Which is?”

Dante had always been a big tease. “Ten-thirteen.” She and Bernard lived in suites on the same floor of the hotel.

Dante smiled at her. “I’ll remember.” He checked her out from head to toe.

Denise blushed. Dante had grown seriously cute.

“Can I see my suite now?” Trent asked. He’d been standing in the door watching, but not speaking.

Denise nodded. “Yes.” She moved out of Dante’s glare and into his. “This way.” She had to squeeze around him to get out of the room. Denise led him down to the next suite and opened the door. Trent’s suite was similar to Dante’s, except it was painted blue and beige and stocked with a couple of cases of imported water and fresh fruit. She’d had housekeeping remove all the salt from the snack area in his room so he wouldn’t be tempted. He even had salt-free popcorn. Trent walked in first while she closed the door. Denise turned and nearly bumped into him. Trent trapped her between him and the wall.

“What’s this flirting shit between you and Dante?” He gazed down at her with those light brown eyes and a pissed off look on his face.

“What flirting? You know Dante and I have always been close.”

Trent reached down and took the barrette from her hair. The waves slid down her shoulders and landed just above her breasts. “How close?”

The scent of his cologne made her dizzy with desire and the deep voice didn’t help either. “Movie buddy close.” If Trent got any closer, he’d be all up on her.

He reached down and played with her hair, twirling a strand of it around his finger. “You know I don’t believe in sharing. I’ve come all the way here just to see you and I find you giving eye contact to a guy young enough to be your brother and giving my band mate a little too much face time.”

“I see you’re still as possessive as ever.” She slapped his hand, moved it out of her hair, and tried to push him away from her. She laid her hands against his bare chest and pushed. “And you’re imaging things. Dante is just being nice.”

“What about the kid?”

“He’s delusional.”

Trent moved away and gave her room to breathe.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest from having him so near her.

Trent reached down and picked her up in his arms. “I’ve missed you.” He had his lips on hers, kissing her before she could respond. He acted like everything was still okay between them and the last seven years hadn’t passed.