Red Carpet Romance (5 page)

“Looking for someone to watch the
baby while I shoot a few hoops.”

“Your kid?”

“I’m the nanny.”

“What would that mean? Does the kid
need anything?”

She shook her head. “He just had a
bottle. He’s teething, so chewing on one of his soft toys would occupy him.”

“I’ll do it.”

“You?” Her eyebrows shot up.

“Why? Don’t think I can watch the
tyke?”

If he had been a bird, his feathers
would have been ruffled. She smiled. “Don’t doubt you for a moment. But I don’t
even know you.”

“My name is Max. Max Webster.” He
extended his hand, then pulled a card out of his back pocket. “Here’s my
address.”

She looked over the card, which showed
only his name and a tony address two blocks up from Quinn. “Fancy building.”

“They don’t let serial killers in
our building. They’d never get board approval,” he said with a straight face
and a twinkle in his eye.

Susanna laughed. “Susanna Barnes.”

“Lucky kid to have a nanny like
you,” Max said, eyeing her figure.

She made a face at him and moved
away an inch or two.

“What did I do?”

“I recognize a leer when I see one.”
She frowned at him.

“Hey, looking isn’t against the law,
is it?” He shrugged.

“Well, no, but…”

“So humor me. Let me look at you.
You’re a beautiful sight for these old eyes.”

“You’re not that old.” She crossed
her legs.

“Old enough to be your father…and
then some,” he laughed. “So are you going to shoot a few and leave this little
one with me?”

“I don’t know.”

“I have grandchildren.” He raised
his eyebrows.

That did it.
How dangerous can a grandfather be?
“I’ll be right over there,
watching you. That hoop next to the door. I can run out of there in a second,
and I’m fast. I’ll run you down and beat you to death with this basketball if
you harm a hair on Junior’s head.” Her face clouded.

He put his hands up. “I surrender!
You got me. Now what would I be doing hurting a lovely little baby like this?”

“I don’t know. I don’t trust anyone.
He’s been given to me to keep safe.”

“Have it your way,” Max said,
picking up his newspaper.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to insult
you. Just that I’m responsible, you know?”

“Go. Have five minutes. Keep your
eye on me. He’ll be safe. I’m very protective. What’s his name?”

“Junior.”

“Junior? Really? You’re joking,”
Max’s eyebrows shot up.

“It’s the truth. All right. Five
minutes.” Susanna got up slowly. She kissed the baby on the top of his head and
bounced the ball along the narrow path to the court. Keeping watch on Max and
the infant, Susanna warmed up. She dribbled, did some layups, took some foul
shots, and ran, moving the ball up and back on the court.

All the while, Junior watched her or
shifted his big, brown eyes to Max’s face. After a few more minutes, having
worked up a good sweat, Susanna returned to the bench. She broke out a bottle
of water and chugged the whole thing.

“You’re good. Damn good. Where’d you
learn to play like that?” Max asked, moving the stroller back toward her.

“My dad.” She stroked Junior’s head.
The baby gurgled.

“He must have been a good coach.”

“He was. Coach Joe. Ever heard of
him?”

“The winningest coach in college
basketball for five years running?”

“That’s him.” She tossed the empty
water bottle in a nearby trashcan.

“Wow! I’m impressed. He must be very
proud of you.”

“He was…I guess.”

“Was?” He rested his arm on the back
of the bench.

“He died a few months ago.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, placing
his hand on her forearm. She covered his with hers, pasting a feeble smile on
her lips. “How old are you?” He deftly changed the subject.

“Twenty-eight. Be twenty-nine soon.”

“Maybe now you can help me. I need
some advice.” He folded his newspaper and put it down.

“From me?”

“It’s about my son. He’s around your
age. Help me to understand. Tell me what to do.”

“What’s the problem?”

“I want him to be responsible, get a
job. Be an adult…”

“And?”

“And he just wants to fuck around,
do school forever, and become…uh…Peter Pan and never grow up. Four years of
college and now art school? Give me a fuckin’ break! How’s an artist going to
make a living?” He blushed. “Sorry about the language.”

* * * *

When Quinn returned from the gym,
the first thing he noticed was the stroller and basketball were missing.
Guess she’s not pissed at me anymore, or the
basketball would still be here. Women never accept a gift when they’re still
mad, except gold diggers.
He headed for the shower.

When he finished, he wrapped a towel
around his waist and went out on the terrace. Drying his thick, silky hair with
another towel, he stood and looked at the view. A few bars of “Summer Rain”
drew his attention to his cell phone.
It was Chaz Duncan, star of the
West of
the Sun
Sci-Fi series and Quinn’s best friend.

“We got your message, but I wasn’t
sure what you meant. Annemarie left her baby with you?”

“Yeah.” Quinn sat down on a chair.

“You’re taking care of a kid?”

“I got a nanny.”

“So you’re a father now? Should I
congratulate you?”

“It’s complicated.” He combed his
fingers through his damp hair.

“Stop messing around. Is this your
kid or not?”

“Can’t say.”

“I always thought you and Annemarie
had a secret thing going.” Chaz chuckled.

“Shut up, Chaz.”

“You have a nanny there? Living in
your apartment?”

“Yeah.” He propped one foot up on
the seat of another chair.

“Is she an old witch or Mary
Poppins?”

“She’s hot. Very hot.”

“Are you doing her?” Quinn chuckled,
sure he heard Chaz raise his eyebrows right over the phone. “Are you keeping
your hands off her, or are you not?”

“Have not laid a finger on her.
You’d be proud.”

“Yeah, right,” snickered his friend.

“Seriously. Gotta have someone take
care of the kid. Maggie came for the first couple of days, but she can’t come
back. So if Susanna takes a hike, I’m cooked.”

“What happens when the kid goes
home?”

“What do you mean?”

“With you and this hot chick?”

“I’m taking the kid and her to
Malibu with me,” Quinn said, changing the subject.

“Hmm, out in public? You, hot chick,
and baby? I can read the press now.”

“What can I do? Can’t leave her
here.” Quinn sat up straight, both feet on the floor.

“Why not?”

“What if something happens? I’m
responsible for Junior. I’ve got to keep them with me.”

“I get it now. Yup. Okay, Quinn,
take them wherever. I know you don’t want to be separated from this chick. When
can we meet her?”

“It’s not like that.” Quinn paced.

“It’s me…Dunc. No need to pretend.
When?”

“Maybe I’d like to go out with her…”

“Or stay in with her, eh?” Chaz
chuckled.

“When are you coming back?”

“Meg and I are having a little
private time, for a change. Most of the press left.”

“Call me when you do.”

“Stay cool. Don’t do anything
stupid, Quinn.”

He smiled. “I’ll try not to.”

He put down his phone and wandered
into the living room.
House seems empty
without Susanna and the baby. Her breasts were…
He was lost in thought and
didn’t hear the door close quietly.

* * * *

Junior was asleep in the stroller.
Susanna crept up behind Quinn, who jumped when she spoke. “Got an aversion to
clothes?” She blurted out.

He leapt into the air, grabbing the
towel at his waist. “Whoa! What are you doing here?”

“Shhhh. I live here now, remember?”
She whispered, gesturing toward the sleeping baby.

A devilish gleam shone from his eyes
as he approached her. Susanna backed away slowly, but Quinn kept coming.

“Now that you mention it…” He
advanced until she was backed against the wall. “We are living together, aren’t
we?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way…”

“But we are.” As his wide shoulders
moved closer, Susanna’s temperature rose.
He’s
so sexy. I’m the nanny, remember?
Her eyes widened as he approached, and
sweat broke out on her forehead. “Not really. Roommates…employer and employee?”

“How about man and woman…very
beautiful woman?” A sexy smile raised his lips.

“Very ordinary woman…nothing special
woman…” she babbled, shaking her head.
Discourage
him.

“Woman with the most beautiful
breasts in the world,” he whispered, stopping just short of touching her.

Instinctively she raised her hands
to prevent him coming up against her, but they simply rested against his chest.
She pushed her fingertips into his muscles a little as her hands slid up
through the light matting of his chest hair. The moment she touched him, a zing
of desire shot through her arms and down to her core. She arched her back
slightly, bringing her chest up to meet his.

Raising her chin to make eye contact
put her mouth in his path. His lips touched hers lightly, waiting. Frozen by
her unsuccessful attempt to deny her desire, she couldn’t move away. He took
her lack of resistance as a green light and bent down to press his lips to hers
with more feeling. Then he pulled back, his eyes laughing, but hers remained
closed for a few seconds.

“Man and woman. Chemistry. As old as
time.” The smile faded as his gaze swept her face, lingering on her mouth.

Her chest stopped heaving as her
breathing returned to normal. “Is that a line from one of your movies? Joe
Martin, trying to get the heroine into bed?” She asked, breaking the mood.

He laughed. “Not exactly. It’s from
a great book I read in lit class. Don’t remember the title, just the line.”
Quinn snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her closer as he kissed her
again, harder. This time she came to her senses sooner and pushed him away. As
soon as he sensed her resistance, he moved back.

“You shouldn’t do that. It’s hard
enough to…do…this, you know? Both live here and stay away, keep our distance.”
Susanna wheeled the stroller into the hallway.

“We’ve been living together, sort
of. Why do we have to keep our distance?”

“Because…because…” she fumbled for
words.
Why do we?

“You have no reason. How can you
expect me to go on living in this apartment with a beautiful woman like you and
stay away…don’t touch. When you’re so…so…touchable.”

“Am I?” Her gaze searched his.

He chuckled. “Fishing for a
compliment?”

“I’m not.”
Don’t want to feel like a family only to have it all disappear in a few
weeks.

“Don’t you know how attractive, how
sexy you are?”

She shook her head. “Always been a
bit of a jock.” She turned away from him to face the window.

“Oh, baby. You’re the hottest chick
I’ve seen in…forever.” He said, walking up behind her.

“Really? Hot? What makes me so hot?”

He moved closer, putting his hands
on her arms, then buried his face in her neck and whispered, “The way you look,
your sense of humor, cooking, way you take care of Junior…you’re the total
package.”

She relaxed in his grip, taut
muscles easing.
He’s a dad who doesn’t
want his kid.
She tensed. “Is sleeping with you part of the job
description?”

Quinn withdrew as if he had been
stung. His hands dropped to his sides. “Of course not. I’d never do that.
You’re more than free to refuse me.”

“Good,” she said, turning to face
him. “I don’t care for men who reject their children. I know it’s none of my
business, but I can’t help it.”

“What?” His brows knitted.

“You don’t want anything to do with
Junior. Yet you call him Junior and seem willing to support him financially.
But you never pick him up, kiss him, touch him in any way.”

“He’s…” Quinn hesitated.

“Can’t say, right?”

He nodded.

“Trusting my eyes here, and I don’t
see any connection between you and your son. As attractive as you are…that’s a
big turn-off for me.” Susanna scooped Junior up, careful not to wake him, and
ferried him to his crib, leaving Quinn standing, open-mouthed in the living
room.

* * * *

Susanna found herself meeting Max
every day in Riverside Park. Max would watch the baby while she played
basketball. Then she listened to him pour out his troubles about his son.

“He needs direction.” Max opened a
brown paper bag.

“He’s an artist, Max.”

“Artist, schmartist. What good is
that? He needs to make a living. He’s twenty-eight years old. It’s about time.”
Max handed her a paper cup of coffee.

“He was working. Now he wants to go
to art school.” Putting down the coffee, she poured some juice in a bottle and
held it to Junior’s lips.

“So he can do what? Paint? Better he
should learn to paint walls and make a living that way.” Max took a bite out of
a bagel smeared with cream cheese.

“Does he agree with you?”

“He’s not speaking to me.” Max
looked down at his hands.

“I rest my case, Max. Either accept
his choice or lose him.”

“I can’t lose Mike. He’s my only
boy.” His voice trembled for a moment.

“If you love him, you’ll have to
find a way to accept him.” She wiped juice from the baby’s chin.

“Easy for you to say.”

“What does Nancy say?”

“My wife? She’s staying out of it.
But I know secretly she agrees with him.” Max waved a finger at Susanna.

“Then join her. Talk to her.”

“I can’t talk to her. We always end
up fighting about Mike.”