Red Carpet Romance (3 page)

“Think about how much you can pay,
and we can meet again.” Her smile turned to a frown.

“I will. The role of Sam would be
perfect for me.”

She shot him a flirtatious look. “I
agree. And I’d love to rehearse some of those…scenes with you, too.”

She
doesn’t give up.
Quinn got the check and paid it. Jaden wound her arms
around his neck and kissed him long and hard before leaving. Other patrons
looked up and started whispering.
Damn,
Jaden! Wanted this meeting to be anonymous.
He extricated himself as nicely
as he could then headed out the door.

The fresh, spring air revived him.
After wiping off Jaden’s kiss with the back of his hand, he strolled along,
heading back to his apartment. Fortunately, he wasn’t recognized, which allowed
him to be simply a New York City resident enjoying a walk in the park.

Chapter Two

Susanna wheeled Junior out of the
elevator and almost bumped into Quinn in the lobby. “Another walk?” He asked.

“The fresh air is good for him.
Visual stimulation, too. We won’t be long.”

Crash opened the door, and she
sashayed out, swinging her hips as she hummed quietly. Quinn turned to watch
her. His gaze fastened on her hips swaying back and forth. His mouth went dry,
and his palms began to sweat. He noticed her hair, bouncing along with her
springy step.
Seems happy enough for a
girl in her situation.

A smile spread across his face. His
last girlfriend had been a crier and complainer. Her manipulative whining drove
him crazy. Didn’t seem like Susanna was that type at all.
He waited by the door until she entered Central Park and
disappeared from sight. Then he returned to his apartment.

Quinn opened the sliding glass doors
to his spacious terrace and went outside with a pad and pen. He pulled a chair
to the railing and sat down. After clicking the point down on the pen, he began
to make a list of his commitments. He’d be leaving for Los Angeles in two
weeks.
Can’t leave her alone with Junior.
Will have to take them with me.

A lopsided smile raised one corner
of his mouth at the thought of taking the lovely Ms. Barnes to his Malibu
apartment. When he looked up, he spied her across the street at the playground
in the park. The blacktop was deserted except for Susanna and Junior. He put
down his pen to watch.

Susanna parked Junior a safe
distance from the basketball hoop and picked up an unclaimed basketball lying
near the fence. She bounced it several times before crouching down and
dribbling like a pro. Quinn saw her maneuver the ball from hand to hand,
between her legs, and from one side of the court to the other.

In one fluid motion, she dribbled up
to the basket and made the perfect lay-up shot. Standing only five feet, seven
inches tall didn’t hinder her performance. He was fascinated by her weaving to
and fro, then executing perfect jump shots followed by dead-on hook shots.
Damn, she’s got a better hook shot than I
do.

Her
dad must have taught her.
She continued to work out on the court by herself.
With each minute her footwork became quicker, more confident, her shots bolder.
She was impressive by any standards. Perhaps slightly winded, she stopped,
sinking down cross-legged on the asphalt.

She lowered her head in her hands as
her shoulders began to shake barely enough for him to make out at such a
distance. After few moments, she stood up, wiped her eyes with her hand, rolled
the basketball back to where she’d found it, and returned to Junior.

Quinn’s chest tightened at
witnessing her sadness. The memory of the passing of his dad swept through his
mind and heart.
That day in the
hospital…he’d be so happy about Joe Martin. If only.
His eyes watered
remembering his beloved father. Reminded of the pain of his loss by Susanna’s
brief crying spell, Quinn raised his eyes, searching for her, but she had
disappeared farther into the park. The moment of his connection with her was
lost.

She’s
definitely coming with me.
He decided then and there to take Susanna and
Junior on his next trip to Los Angeles and anywhere else he needed to go.
It’s hard being alone. We’ll be a family
until Annemarie returns.
He took a deep breath, shuddered slightly, and
returned to his list.

Fits and starts, stop and go, his
schedule was choppy for the next few months. Then he’d be back on location for
the next Joe Martin movie.
Annemarie
better be back by then.
He tensed at the idea she might not come back
before he had to leave or that something would happen to keep her from
returning at all. His worries were interrupted by his cell phone.

“Hi, Jaden, decided to give me your
book?” He walked back inside.

“Not yet. I’m going to be in LA for
the premiere of
Joe Martin’s Himalayan
Adventure
. Do you have a date for that?”

“Hadn’t thought about it.” Quinn
plopped down on the sofa.

“How about me? We don’t have to be
lovers, unless you want to…I could use the publicity.”

“Sure, why not?”

“Good thing you said ‘yes’ because I
just bought a dress.”

He laughed. “Pretty confident,
weren’t you?”

“I’m always confident when a man
wants my book.”

He chuckled then looked up as the
front door swung open. Susanna came in, singing to Junior. “E I E I OH.” Her
hair, fluffed by the breeze, her eyes shining, and her pink lips parted in a
broad smile made her more beautiful than ever.

“Who’s that?” Jaden asked.

“Gotta go,” Quinn said, clicking off
the phone, unable to pull his gaze away from Susanna.

She leaned over to pick up Junior,
unconsciously giving Quinn an excellent view of her ample cleavage. His mouth
went dry. His fingers tingled. She picked the babbling baby up over her head
and cooed at him. Quinn’s stare slowly swept over her breasts and down her flat
belly to her hips, ending up sliding down her slim legs. He couldn’t stop a
lusty smile from curling his lips.

* * * *

“What?” Susanna noticed him staring
at her. “Is something showing?” She chested Junior and tugged at her T-shirt
with her free hand.

“Nothing. What about dinner?” He
rose from the sofa, putting his notebook in his back pocket and dropping the
pen on the coffee table.

“Dinner?”

“Yeah. We all gotta eat. Think
you’ve got food for Junior, but what about us?”

“Don’t you have anything in the
fridge?” She settled the baby on her hip and walked into the kitchen with Quinn
close behind. After opening the refrigerator and then the freezer, she turned
to him. “Nothing but beer, a lime and some old cheese.” She inspected the
cabinets. “And every kind of sweet cereal known to man.” She closed the cabinet
door.

“Guess we’ll have to go food
shopping.” He lounged against the granite counter.

“
We?
Am I a cook now too? I don’t remember that as part of the job description.” Her
eyes widened.

“I think we need to iron out some
things. How about a drink first?”

She nodded as she placed Junior in
his highchair.

“Vodka and tonic okay?”

“Sure.” Susanna gathered the
ingredients for Junior’s dinner of strained meat, strained vegetables, and
fruit before she sat down opposite the little guy. When she fastened a bib on
him, he became excited, kicking his legs and gurgling. His eyes brightened.
“Look at him. He knows it’s dinner time.” She grinned.

Quinn stared at Junior. “You’re
right.”

She mixed the meat with a little bit
of green beans, watching Junior’s eyes following her moves. “He’s adorable.
What a riot. He’s excited about dinner.” She laughed.

Quinn mixed two vodka and tonics,
added a slice of fresh lime, and handed one to her. She took a sip then placed
the glass on the table out of the baby’s reach. “Mmm. Good.”

They sat in silence watching Junior
eat his food. Susanna cooed at him, opened her mouth when she wanted him to
open his, and laughed when he laughed. As Quinn’s gaze took in her antics, a
slow smile crept over his face.

Holding a bottle with juice, she sat
back and took a sip of her drink with her other hand. Then she picked up Junior
and took him into the living room. She placed him on a big blanket on the
floor, setting plastic baby keys and a few small, rubbery toys within his
reach. He grabbed the ring of keys and shoved them in his mouth, gumming them
and drooling. Quinn followed her with both glasses.

“He’s teething.” She announced,
wiping his chin with a cloth diaper.

“Talk. Now.” Quinn cupped his hand
under her elbow and helped her to a standing position. He escorted her to the
sofa. Susanna sank down next to him and took a sip of her drink.

“We need to clarify what your duties
are. I’m paying you five hundred a week to take care of Junior. But according
to the agency, that’s only for six days a week. I need seven days a week. I
know that’s tough, but it’s only for two months. Also, I’d love it if you
cooked. Can you cook?”

She nodded. “Cooked for my parents
when my mom was sick.”

“Sick?”

“She died of cancer three years
ago.”

“I’m so sorry.” He placed his hand
over hers.

“You were saying,” she said, sliding
her hand away from his.
He’s a hunk, but
this is his kid. He doesn’t want to take care of him at all? Not even one day a
week?

“Cooking, just dinner. I’ll get my
own breakfast and lunch. Junior seven days a week. How much extra do you want?”

She sucked on her lower lip and
rolled her eyes to gaze at the ceiling.
How
much is that worth? He’s a rich man, I’d bet. Hmm.

“Uh…I don’t know because this is my
first job like this…seven fif—”

“How about a thousand a week?”

She gulped, then nodded. “Works for
me,” she squeaked out.

“Good. That’s settled. Now, dinner
tonight. How about I order something in?”

“That’d be great.” She took another
sip and glanced at Junior, who was happily amusing himself.

“What kind of food do you like?” He
pulled out his cell phone.

“Anything.” She shrugged.

“French?” Quinn raised his eyebrows.

Her eyes lit up. “I’d love that.”

Quinn snapped open his phone and
dialed. “Jean Marc? It’s Quinn. What’s your specialty this evening?”

Susanna returned to the floor and
Junior’s company. He gurgled and reached for a yellow ring with bumps on it.
She pushed it closer to him, watching his progress.
French food with Quinn Roberts, snug in his apartment. Some might
consider this a romantic date. What happens in two months? He loses his kid? He
doesn’t seem to care. I could never love a man who didn’t love his child.

The corners of her mouth drooped.
Love? Get real. He’s a movie star. You’re
nobody. Don’t even think about love. This is a job, nothing more.
When she
refocused her eyes on the baby, he was fast asleep. She picked him up and carried
him into his room. After changing his diaper and snapping him into a sleeper,
she laid him down for the night. Susanna toed off her shoes, wiggled her toes,
then padded into the living room.

“I hope you don’t mind I ordered for
both of us?”

“Fine. As long as you didn’t order
calves brains.” She grimaced and shuddered.

He chuckled. “No.
Coquilles Saint Jacques
, my favorite.
Scallops.”

“Sounds great.”
He’s nice, how could he be so cold?
She entered the kitchen to set
the table.

Quinn was right behind her, placing
her drink on the table with his. He opened the refrigerator. “Wine? Chablis?”

“Lovely,” she said, tossing him a
shy smile. “Going to wash up.” Susanna retreated to her room and closed the
door. She washed her hands and face, re-applying light make-up and a touch of
lilac scent. Ripping her T-shirt over her head, she donned a fresh one in coral
and a pair of earrings made from tiny seashells. She was quiet as a mouse, with
one ear tuned in to the even breathing of the baby in his crib. When she returned
to the kitchen, she caught the tail end of Quinn’s phone conversation.

“Right. I’ll have her call you.
Thanks, Mag. I know. Love you, too.” He looked up when she came in. His gaze
lingered on her chest. “Nice,” he murmured.

“Love who? Oh, no questions, sorry,
I forgot.” She sat down, took a hefty draught, and finished her drink.
Jealous, in one day? Calm down, sister.

Quinn applied the corkscrew to the
wine bottle. “My sister, Maggie. She’s my secretary. I prefer to hire people I
trust.” Quinn pulled the notebook out of his back pocket and tore a piece of
paper out. He wrote something down and handed it to her. “This is her phone
number. She’s expecting your call. Tell her what you need to take care of
Junior. The audio thingy…”

“You mean baby monitor?”

“Yeah, yeah. That. Whatever. She’ll
order it and make sure it’s delivered here.”

“Even a rocking chair?” She lifted
her eyebrows.

“Even a rocking chair.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded. The buzzer rang. The food
had arrived. She poured the wine while Quinn answered the door. Hunger gnawed
at her stomach. Camping out at her sister’s apartment, sleeping on the couch,
and helping with her kids, meals had been slapdash at best. A steady diet of
chicken nuggets, scrambled eggs, and fast-food hamburgers made her queasy. She
survived on as little food as possible to keep her stomach from objecting. She
craved real food, grown-up food, a civilized meal.

Quinn raised a large bag as he came
through the archway into the kitchen. Susanna’s mouth watered. He unwrapped the
food—
Coquilles Saint Jacques
, wild
rice, and
haricot verts
. Napoleons
for dessert. She tucked into her food, chewing slowly, closing her eyes to
savor every bite.