Forever Love (Arabesque) (14 page)

Prudence led, Val and Gia followed. She introduced them to several football players and members of the stadium front-office staff. They laughed and talked and then after a while a man came up behind Prudence and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hey, babe, are you doing okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” Prudence said. “You remember Val. And this is another friend, Gia Duncan.”

Michael smiled the winning smile he was famously known for. “Ladies, welcome. You both look amazing.”

“Hey, Michael,” Val said, hugging him warmly.

“Val, what’s up? Thanks for coming. Gia, it’s good meeting you. Thanks for coming and supporting the kids. Now, I’ve already told the guys to be on their best behavior. I also told them that my wife had invited a couple of her friends, so there are a couple of guys dying to meet you ladies.”

“Cool,” Val said happily. Gia just shook her head.

“Come on, I want you to meet my great-aunt,” Prudence said. Val followed. Gia hesitated a split second. “Hey, Mamma Lou, are you having a good time?”

“Yes, these football players are just as sweet as they can be. I can barely sit down when one of them isn’t grabbing me up to dance again. I’m having the time of my life.”

Prudence laughed. “Great. Mamma Lou, you remember my friend Val from the wedding, and this is another friend—”

“Gia, I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” Louise said.

“You know each other?” Prudence said.

“Of course, I’ve known Gia since she was a babe in my arms. She came to pick me up at the train station yesterday, but Keith was already there. And the funniest thing—”

“Hi, Mamma Lou,” Gia said quickly while kissing her cheek. She needed to put a swift end to her train station comment. Of course she had seen Louise Gates as soon as she walked into the huge ballroom. An eighty-year-old woman on the dance floor with two football players was hard to miss. She thought about Keith’s matchmaking warning and immediately figured that the mystery man might be here, as well. The last thing she wanted was to be matched up. But right now she didn’t have much of a choice.

Her cell phone beeped. She opened her purse and checked the text message, knowing exactly who the message was from. When she saw the one word her stomach twitched.

Now!

Chapter 14

“G
ood evening.”

The deep, sexy voice resounded right beside her. Everyone smiled happily. Gia looked up, stunned. She turned slowly. Keith was staring straight at her and he didn’t look happy. He looked menacing, but sexy as hell. Then, instantly, his expression changed as if it were never there. His family greeted him warmly with joyful hugs, loving kisses and unending smiles. He reciprocated generously. Gia watched as he took just a few seconds with each family member, but she could see they all felt special. Then he hugged and kissed Val like another sister.

When he addressed her, she smiled, giving nothing away. “Hi, Keith, it’s good to see you again.”

“Gia, how are you?”

As soon as he spoke, her heart thundered and her knees went weak. Everyone watched attentively. She did her best to appear unfazed, but inside she was a category-five hurricane. “I’m well, thank you. And you?” she said as pleasantly as she could.

He smiled and nodded. “I’m good. I’m surprised. I didn’t expect to see you this evening. I’m glad you came. We have a meeting next week in my office,” he said to the others.

The words
in my office
nearly knocked her off her feet. She nodded repeatedly. “Yes, we do. We’re looking forward to it.”

An instant sensual heat swept through her body when he leveled the last look at her. Then he casually turned to Rick Renault standing beside her. They shook hands and did the brother hug, joking briefly about the stunning women standing with them. Everyone laughed. She observed Keith and Rick. They didn’t seem like the best of friends, but it was obvious that they knew each other well.

Keith had done exactly as she asked—he was professional. The man who had curled her toes the night before and licked her like a lollipop barely acknowledged her existence. Yeah, sure, it was what she had wanted. They were going to be professional in public, but now she wasn’t so sure she liked it.

After a while the conversation changed to the weather, travel, family, sports and finally back to the benefit. Prudence excused herself to introduce Val to someone, and Marian and Blake moved on to mingle and speak with another couple. Mamma Lou, Rick, Keith and Gia were left talking about the amazing turnout and the beautiful decorations and dreamlike atmosphere.

While they talked, Gia took the opportunity to look at Keith more closely. There was no other way to put it, the man was gorgeous. Wearing the perfect tuxedo, he oozed sex appeal and it fit the body she knew all too well with style, class and exceptional taste. No lie, he could have stepped right off the cover of any fashion magazine.

Keith’s looking as good as he did, a parade of women passed by constantly. They openly stared at both Rick and Keith with one thing on their minds. Gia tried not to be affronted, but it was impossible not to take offense. They sashayed by wearing navel-dipped cleavage and dresses barely covering their butts. The statement was being made and it was impossible to miss. Keith and Rick were targeted. The women made their intentions known and it was obvious they didn’t care who either man was with.

The tempo of the music changed to something much slower. A female singer took the microphone and began singing an old-school favorite. Her voice was smooth and promising. The lights dimmed and the dance floor filled with couples moving in to dance more intimately.

“Gia,” Rick began, “would you like to dance?”

Gia opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything Keith answered for her. “Actually, Rick, the lady is with me this evening. I believe this is my dance.” He held his hand out. Gia took it, smiled at Mamma Lou, nodded to Rick and then followed Keith out onto the dance floor. He maneuvered them to the very center so that they were completely surrounded.

Keith raised her hand, his thumb pressed gently into her palm. Then he wrapped his arm possessively around her waist and drew her into his embrace. He caressed her bare back tenderly, making every nerve ending in her body quiver. She knew she needed to break this spell, but for right now this was all she wanted—to be in his arms just one more time.

Several women turned in their direction. Some smiled with warm acceptance, others with envious green. But she didn’t care. How can you focus on anything else when your body is on fire? “Thank you for that,” she said, barely recognizing her own voice.

“For what?” he asked.

“Rescuing me. I have a feeling that Rick Renault is the man Mamma Lou wanted to match me up with tonight. She’s your aunt and I know she means well, but there’s no way he and I are compatible. We wouldn’t last a week in the same room.”

Keith smiled inwardly. This was exactly what he needed to hear. And he knew she was right. Mamma Lou had completely missed the mark matching Rick and Gia together. They were complete opposites with absolutely nothing in common. Rick was also the least likely man to be matched with anyone. He was, by his own admission, professed to be a bachelor for life. But instead of saying anything, Keith allowed Gia to think otherwise. “You’re welcome.”

“I love this song and she sings it really well. It always reminds me of what love is supposed to feel like.”

“Have you ever been in love?” Keith asked.

“No, not really. At least I don’t think so.”

“If you don’t think so, then how would you know?”

“When I think of love I think of being in perfect peace. Not that he will be perfect or anything like that, but he’ll be perfect for me. We’d be completely comfortable together. There’d be no need for secrets because everything would be open.”

“What does that look like, the perfect man for you?”

“I’d think of him all the time and I wouldn’t be able to stop smiling. Seeing him would make my heart skip a beat and my knees weak. His touch would both comfort and thrill me. And his voice would send shivers through my body. And...” she added, then stopped. She realized that everything she’d just said was exactly what she felt with Keith.

“And what?” he questioned.

“And did I tell you that you look very handsome tonight?”

“Thank you. And you look ravishing,” he whispered.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“Although,” he began, dipping closer for her ears only, “I think I prefer you as you were last night.”

“Naked?” she asked.

He leaned back, looked into her eyes, then gripped her closer, spreading his fingers wide against her lower back and pressing her closer. “Yeah, that’ll work.”

She blushed shamelessly. “Right back at you.”

“Are you tempting me, Ms. Duncan?”

“Of course not,” she said innocently, licking her lips and feeling the burn of her body suddenly overwhelm her. “That would be wrong, particularly given our agreement.”

“Yeah, very wrong,” he whispered, moving his hips to grind against her. She felt the stiffness of his penis press close. She gasped, instinctively holding him tighter. He was masterful, knowing exactly what it took to excite her.

He leaned back slowly. Their eyes connected. They said everything there was to say without speaking a single word. He licked his lips and she shivered. He smiled, knowing the effect he had on her. He dipped her hips, pressing his thigh between her legs. It was mind-blowing and arousingly sensual. He stroked the full length of her back, and every thought she tried to hold instantly shattered. It was as if they were making love all over again. This time they were in the center of a crowded room surrounded by hundreds of people. This was getting to be too much. She had no idea how she was going to walk off this floor when the song ended.

“Keith.”

“Yes,” he whispered.

She couldn’t respond. Her mind was a tattered mass of scrambled images from the night before. All she could focus on was their bodies entwined in the intimate dance of lovemaking and looking into his eyes as he sent her body skyrocketing to unimaginable climaxes.

“Um, I think we’re getting in trouble again.”

“Is that a bad thing?” he asked.

She wanted to say yes immediately, but she knew she couldn’t. But then again... Her heart pounded like a snare drum. He was holding her just right and moving his body against her, and between the two she was losing the battle. “Keith,” she moaned again. He dipped his mouth to her ear and tenderly kissed her lobe. “I think maybe...” His hot moist breath nearly vaporized her skin. Breathing was almost impossible. “Maybe...”

“Yes.”

“Um, I was thinking, maybe we can...”

“Make love right here, right now,” he suggested.

“Probably not the best idea,” she said, knowing he was joking.

“Are you sure?” he asked humorously.

She smiled and leaned back. They laughed quietly as he held her slightly away. The song was coming to an end and they both knew that they needed to calm their emotions down. Gia sighed heavily. “What in the world am I going to do with you?”

“Keep me,” he said offhandedly.

She smiled. “Oh, definitely that.” They smiled.

“So, when, where?” he asked her.

She shrugged. “I don’t know how we can do this.”

“Maybe we should start by just getting out of here.”

“Yeah, that sounds good, but I came with Val. She drove.”

“No problem. I’m sure Val will understand.”

“Yeah, I know she will.” Gia glanced around the dance floor, seeing the many couples around them. Most were football players with young “barely dressed in anything” women dancing impossibly close. Then she spotted Rick dancing with Mamma Lou. “Uh-oh, that’s not good. Looks like Mamma Lou gave up on me and now he’s next. Do you think he knows he’s in trouble?”

Keith glanced over to see the odd pair enjoying their dance as women of all ages stared enviously at them. He chuckled. “If he doesn’t, he will soon enough.”

* * *

“You realize, Mrs. Gates, they’ll be taking my player card for this,” Rick said, releasing her to slowly turn around, then back to him again.

Louise smiled brightly. “Call me Mamma Lou, dear. Everyone does. And you’re not a player. You’re just a wonderful man who hasn’t found the right woman yet. But no worries, that will change soon enough.”

Several women stood along the side of the dance floor watching them enviously. Rick knew they stared and he knew exactly what they wanted—him. “And don’t you even look in their direction. We both know they don’t mean you any good. They’ll just take half your money and make a mess of your life.”

Rick smiled and chuckled as he held Louise gently and carefully glided her around the floor. “Yeah, but you have to admit, they do look good in those dresses.”

Louise glanced over to see the women openly staring and nearly drooling at her dance partner. She chuckled. “What dresses? I see two stickers and a rubber band.”

Rick laughed out loud while shaking his head. There was no way in his wildest dreams that he would think he’d be on the dance floor with an eighty-year-old woman while in a room filled with very willing good times waiting to happen. But here he was. And even more amazing, he had no idea how he had let this wonderful old lady talk him into putting the moves on Gia just to get Keith to step up, but she did that, too. But to her credit, as soon as Keith took Gia’s hand he knew Louise Gates was right. They had love in their eyes.

“I have to admit, you were right, they do look good together.”

Louise nodded. “Yes, they do. Now, Rick, tell me about you. I want to know everything. “

“Okay, let’s see, I’m a football player for the Philadelphia Knights. I’ll be a free agent when my contract expires at the end of this season. I’d like to head back to my hometown.”

“Where’s home?” she asked.

“I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.”

“Oh, I have quite a few very good friends down in Louisiana,” Louise said, smiling and nodding as Rick continued. She listened closely, knowing of course that he’d be absolutely perfect for her next little project.