The Bachelor and the Beauty Queen (12 page)

“When was the last time you visited?”

Stephen shared with her the story of how his brother and sister-in-law perished in a car accident, and the debate as to where the kids needed to live. Her heart ached at the sadness in his voice.

“Nate and I didn't want the kids to grow up entitled like our cousins. Besides, they don't speak a lick of Spanish and we did not want them judged.”

“Do you?”

“¡Claro!”

“Well—” she grinned “—my Spanish isn't up to par. My French is better.”

They stopped walking and leaned against the black rail above the river. The lamppost behind them illuminated his handsome face. The breeze blew her hair in front of her eyes, and when Stephen reached over to brush the strands back she inhaled deeply, struggling with the idea of kissing him. She needed to focus. Maybe his eyes? No, she'd get lost in the dark orbs. She settled on his mouth, surrounded by his beard, then solely on his lips.
No
, she told herself. She couldn't get involved with a parent—or a guardian—not when she needed to rebuild her reputation.

“French is a beautiful language, especially when being spoken by a beautiful woman,” he said quietly. “Tell me, what is going on with your hair?”

Absentmindedly her fingers reached the ends of her tresses. “Is it flying all over the place?”

“The color?” He grinned.

“Oh.” She rolled her eyes toward the sky. Clouds breezed over the bed of stars. “Long story short, I have a great-great-great-grandfather or so who was a Viking from Denmark. Every generation or so, one of us pops up with this coloring.”

“Wow.”

“Yes, imagine my father's shock when I was born. Because my mother's coloring is darker, she never thought she'd be the one to have a blond child. Remember, my family didn't do controversy. Can you picture their surprise when I came out?”

Stephen's fingers stroked her hair over her left ear; his thumb caressed her cheek. Lexi searched his eyes, praying for him to say something because if he didn't, she might reach up and kiss him. A fire truck screamed out somewhere in the distance. A party in a nearby club thumped a rhythmic beat into the air. Cars swooshing by, hitting the same pothole and clunking in the air. Through all the noise she wondered if he heard her heart beating. A twitch of wanton desire fought with the pulse of sanity at the curve of her neck. Her right eyebrow rose.

“Bésame.”

No need for a translator. Lexi craned her neck upward and Stephen cupped both sides of her face to draw her in for his kiss. He pulled her against him with his left hand, bringing her soft body roughly against his rigid one. His right hand snaked around her neck, coaxing her head into the right angle to match his lips. In the past, her height had made kissing awkward, but together she and Stephen were the perfect match, in size and in kissing.

As expected, she found his lips to be soft, tasty and juicy. Their lips brushed against each other for the initial introduction. Their mouths opened slightly and his tongue slipped in for a sample. Her moan vibrated against his mouth. She opened her lips wider, inviting him in for a deeper kiss. Her hands inched up his chest, toying with his tie and bringing him down to her.

A set of drunken sailors driving by whooped and hollered. A church bell rang in the distance and a passing tanker replied with a tug of its whistle. This kiss showed her the future. The church bells invoked the image of them standing in the afternoon with a set of pink flowers between them, kissing, sealing vows. At the call of the tanker, she imagined them kissing at a port with thousands of people cheering hello and goodbye. The scene frightened her. Marriage and the whole shebang did not fit in her plans. Fear told her to stop kissing him, but she couldn't. His lips, his tongue and his heart all probed forward, searching. Things were never going to be the same.

Lexi broke the kiss. She had to. “What are we doing?” She breathed heavily, resting her forehead against his chest. His rapid heartbeat thumped against her ears.

His soft yet large hands cupped the sides of her cheeks and turned her face up to his. “I think we're kissing,” he said in a husky voice with a smile.

“Why?”

“The moment called for a kiss,” he said simply.

“Yes, but—” she timidly bit her bottom lip “—I'm coaching Philly this summer.”

“
I
did not hire you to coach Philly. She won your services. This—” he brought his lips to her forehead “—this has nothing to do with Philly. This has something to do with the chemistry between us since I walked into your office. Am I wrong?”

“No.” The attraction between them knocked the breath out of her. She hadn't been kissed like that since—well, never, and she began to think it might not happen again. “Where do we go from here?”

A part of her feared his answer. What if he wanted a one-night stand? Maybe that was what they needed to break the sexual tension between them, but flings were not her thing. She wanted more. “I say we leave here and go back to my bed.”

The cool wind from the water interrupted the heated blush on her cheeks. Lexi turned her face into his hand, kissing his palm. “Not happening.”

“I know—” he chuckled “—but it was worth a shot. How about this? You coach Philly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the other days I have you?”

The words
have you
made her hot in her nether regions. She imagined herself naked on a white-clothed table while he feasted upon her. “Stephen, I—”

He silenced her with another thought-provoking kiss. “We'll go slowly,” he said, pulling their lips apart. “You coached Philly today, then tomorrow you and I will go on our first date.”

“Wasn't tonight a date?”

“More of an appetizer.” Stephen straightened his frame, at the same time turning back toward the hotel. He pulled Lexi's hand into his as they walked together.

If tonight was just an appetizer, she couldn't wait for the main course!

* * *

The girls still hadn't arrived back at the hotel by the time he and Lexi returned to the suite. Stephen mentally thanked the mothers for deciding to bring them downstairs to the conference room, which the hotel used for a movie night for children. Chuckling, Stephen loosened his tie and slipped his phone back into his pocket. The motor of the refrigerator kicked on in the kitchen, exposing Lexi's location.

“Are you tired yet?” he asked, entering the small area. Stephen guessed this was what she would consider a two-butt kitchen. He stood in the arched doorway to show some restraint.

With the door still open but the light off above them, Lexi straightened from her search. The light from inside haloed the left side of her frame—enough light to show off her wanton smile. “No.”

Stephen reminded himself of his promise. He would take things slow with Lexi, and he meant it. Jumping into the sack right now was not a wise move. “I think
Carmen Jones
is playing tonight. We ought to call up for some popcorn and watch.”

Lexi's face lit up. “Room service for popcorn, Stephen?”

“What?”

She crossed the small kitchen in two steps and stood in front of him. Her heels were gone, toes bare, but her height made it so easy to lean in for a kiss. Lexi, in anticipation, inhaled and yanked open the pantry door. Stephen bit the inside of his jaw and shook his head at the missed opportunity to taste her again.

“I believe I saw a blue box of popcorn up here.”

The height Stephen appreciated on Lexi came at a disadvantage for her. Her long legs strained in vain to reach the top shelf. He took a second opportunity to step in and reach for the box. Lexi backed herself against the opened door. Both pairs of hands were in the air. Stephen pushed the box near with the tip of his fingers and clasped her left hand in his. He enjoyed the rapid rise and fall of her breast.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I'm about to kiss you again.” Stephen gave all the warning she needed. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Her free arm wrapped around his broad shoulders, crushing her body against his.

Any thought of the movie was lost, along with Stephen's plan to take things slow. He drank from her sweet lips and intoxicated himself with her taste. Every inch of his body hardened. Lexi tightened her hand in his. Her fingertips splayed against the nape of his head, circling the spot that fueled his desire.
Take it slow
, he reminded himself.
Stay in control
. Stephen reached up and pulled her hand into his, dragging it down to their sides. The back of his hand brushed against the curve of her thigh to the apex, to the source of her heat. A groan bubbled in the back of his throat. He yanked her arm up and above her head, transferring her other hand into his.

One hand held both of hers. He traced the length of her body with his other one, starting with her neck. His thumb brushed against her bottom lip. Lexi broke their kiss and licked the tip of his thumb. Danger flashed in her dark eyes before she closed them again and continued sucking on his bottom lip. The exploration continued. Stephen's hand brushed her shoulders, his fingertips tracing her collarbone down to the swell of her breasts. Lexi inhaled as if giving him permission. Four fingers played with the material of her dress just beneath her breasts and yanked downward. One breast was exposed, and Stephen broke the kiss this time and dipped his head to introduce his mouth to her pink nipple. A sharp gasp escaped Lexi's throat.

His tongue became familiar with both of Lexi's nipples while his hands pulled up the hem of her dress. He sent up a silent prayer of thanks she'd taken off all her undergarments. His fingertips glided around the smooth skin of her belly and hips. Against him, Lexi quivered. He was seconds away from exploring the short curls between her legs when the front door of the suite slammed shut.

Lexi shoved Stephen away and crammed herself into the pantry. His senses swirled and began to make sense of the women bickering in the hallway. Myranda, one of the mothers, stood with an apologetic look on her face. “I'm sorry. Philly wasn't feeling well.”

“Because she ate three helpings of ice cream,” Kimber growled, annoyance pinching her face. “Not to mention she threw gummy bears and sprinkles on top of them.”

“Uncle Stephen,” Philly moaned, “my tummy hurts.”

“Where's Lexi?” asked Kimber at the same time Philly turned a unique shade of green.

Myranda backed out of the door. “Well, I'll let you guys have at it. Philly, feel better. Kimber, thank you for helping out with everyone.”

Shocked Kimber had been of service, Stephen raised his brows. “What? You helped?”

“Whatever,” said Kimber, pushing by her uncle and glancing around the room. “Did Lexi go to sleep? I need her.”

Join the club
, Stephen thought. “She's, ah—” How did he explain Lexi was in the pantry in the kitchen with the hem of her dress wrapped around her waist?

“I found some popcorn,” Lexi hollered, appearing in the doorway of the kitchen. Her long blond disheveled hair piled into a bun at the top of her head. The kiss-stained lips smiled, then parted at the sight of Philly.

Stephen turned in time to preview everything Philly ate this evening. He groaned inwardly. This certainly was a way to take things slow.

Chapter 10

“L
adies and gentlemen, I welcome you back to the thirty-fifth annual Glitzy Southern Pageant,” Waverly announced into the microphone. “On behalf of the Georgia Board of Pageantry, I want to remind everyone of our bylaws, which state no toleration for physical altercations. Let's set an example for our children and let the show continue!”

Stephen settled into his seat and watched the mothers, photographers and videographers crowd together in the aisles behind a set of judges who were roped off in the first ten rows. A set of security officers sat on the sides as a safety measure. Girls between thirteen and seventeen zoomed around the lobby and into the theater with rollers in their hair, tons of makeup and racy outfits Reading his mind, Lexi, seated immediately to his right, leaned over toward him to whisper behind the program. She smelled like chocolate. He hoped she liked the Dancing Lady orchids. He made sure this morning to have her room filled with them by the time she stepped out of her shower. The fact he entered her bedroom, knowing she was naked in the bathroom, should have earned him an award. Last night had been hard.
He'd
been hard.

“I don't offer the extra padding in my outfit of choice costumes,” she whispered. “I think a lot of these pageants are racy enough.”

Now he had to question whether or not to let Philly participate further.

Stephen peered over to his left; Philly sat on Kimber's lap, thoroughly enjoying the cheerleaders and dancers. Her large, expressive eyes were wide and she smiled so broadly her cheeks might ache by the end of the day. Kimber seemed to be enjoying herself, as well. Stephen understood why Nate found this a haven to meet women. Despite Lexi sitting next to him, seven different women had hit on him.

Lexi nodded. “You're allowed to bring as many guests as you want to an event, but everyone needs to be listed. The promoters will run a scan on everyone for safety reasons.” Lexi pointed a bare finger towards the red-lit exit signs.

On the sly, Stephen brushed his shoulders against hers. The dark denim jeans clung to her legs and the T-shirt she wore was knotted at the waist. She kept her blond hair in a loose ponytail at the top of her head.

“How long is the show today?”

Disco lights made circles and flashed against the red curtains onstage. Lexi's eyes widened and a smile spread across her face. “A few hours today. We got over the longest part with the younger girls yesterday. They're a tad bit slower and unsure of where to go.”

In total, he was looking at a ten-hour day. He groaned inwardly. At least he'd be near Lexi.

A woman's shrill voice echoed through their row.

“Lexington Pendergrass?”

Beside him, Lexi stiffened. Her fingers gripped the armrest. Her knuckles turned stark white. Sure she had paled at the sight of the woman, Stephen took her hand in his.

People began to stare while the woman pointed toward herself. “It's me! Rose Laing!”

Kimber's and Philly's heads bobbed back and forth between the woman and Lexi. Stephen thought he heard a groan coming from Lexi as she came to her feet, still holding on to his hand. Kimber turned her legs to the left for Lexi to exit.

In a matter of seconds, Lexi transformed into the kind of woman Stephen came across at the golf club. A high-pitched phony laugh coming from Lexi sounded more like a
“Kill me now.”

“Well, Rose Laing!” Lexi drawled, leaning over to air-kiss both of the woman's cheeks. They held their hands in midair as if they were about to play patty-cake, but never quite hugged or touched. “I don't believe this! What brings you to Savannah? Is Vera with you? She must be sixteen now.”

Amused, Stephen sat mesmerized by Lexi's ponytail bouncing over her shoulders as she craned her neck through the crowds for this person named Vera. Recalling Lexi had worked with Waverly when she was a toddler, it only seemed natural this was another former client. He deduced this must be the family she'd worked for ten years ago.

“She's competing today,” Rose said. A row of diamonds hung from her neck, her rings also sparkling, but nothing beat the icy stare she gave Lexi.

“I didn't see her name on the roster.”

“We did not want to intimidate the other girls,” said the woman.

Though Rose appeared friendly, Stephen did not miss the catty tone—he didn't need to have sisters to understand these women did not like each other. They chattered idly. The Reyes clan all had their heads turned in their direction, as well, not missing a beat.

“Chatter in the dressing room is you've abandoned your idea of a pageant dress shop.” The woman babbled on, oblivious to Lexi's success. “Did that idea fail, as well? Are you daring to make a return to pageant coaching? I figured you would have been married by now with five kids.” Then she peered at the aisle and made an assumption. “Well, almost. No ring on your finger?” Caught off guard, Lexi stood, hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans. “Oh, Lexi,” she gushed, “get it together, girl! The only men you're going to find here are probably gay.”

At that point, the woman nodded her head in Stephen's direction. He glanced around, assuming she must be insinuating about someone else.

“I'm doing fine, Rose. Hopefully we'll bump into each other again.”

Why in the hell didn't Lexi hand this smug woman one of her business cards? It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her when she took her seat, but instead of sitting, Lexi made a beeline for the door. The woman's jaw dropped open and she seriously shook her head, thoroughly confused as to why Lexi took off. Stephen aimed to find out exactly why, as well.

It took a few turns around the corridors, but Stephen eventually found Lexi outside on a lounge chair, soaking in the afternoon sun Her tresses seemed even paler against her caramel skin. He wanted nothing more than to scoop her up in his arms and take her back to the hotel room.

“Hey,” he said, softly approaching. “Everything okay?”

The bright sun did not contribute to the red tint of her high cheekbones. The woman had embarrassed her. “Yes, everything is fine,” she visibly lied. “I needed to catch a breath of fresh air.”

“Who was the lady?”

“Rose Laing, wife of my former boss.” Lexi gave an exaggerated sigh as she came to her feet to face him, but held her head down.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Lexi's head sharply shook back and forth. Her eyes widened. “No.”

Disappointed, Stephen took her hand. Why should she trust him with her secrets? He pulled her in and held her in his arms, wondering what it would take. “You can trust me.”

“Maybe some other time, I promise.” Lexi gave him a weak smile. “This is not the place.”

“All right, I'm holding you to your word. Let's go back inside and act like she hasn't pushed your buttons.”

“If my mother was speaking to me, she would say the exact same thing.” The smile she gave did not reach her eyes. They stood close together, holding hands. Anyone passing by would easily assume they were lovers.

“Your mother sounds like a wise woman.”

Finally Lexi laughed. “Debatable.”

“Well, perhaps at times.” Stephen stroked the soft skin of Lexi's arm. “Want to tell me about things over dinner tonight?”

As she bit her bottom lip, Stephen feared she was having second thoughts about their arrangements. “We won't get in until late.”

“So we'll take a late dinner, drinks maybe.” Did he sound as if he was begging? He might have been. Stephen disliked her hoity-toity former employer even more now. “Dessert? The hotel makes a pretty good double-Dutch-chocolate brownie.” No woman could resist chocolate. The corners of her mouth turned upward. “One brownie.”

A wave of mothers ran by with their little girls in tow. Stephen pulled Lexi against him to save her from the stampede. “What the hell?”

“Crowning time. We better hurry.”

* * *

Thanks to her bit of a fit from running into Rose Laing, Lexi missed Vera being crowned most photogenic. “What?” Stephen leaned in. “Our girl should have won. Myranda, I don't know what they were thinking. Your daughter had the best salsa dance I've seen from a six-year-old. I can't believe she's not getting a princess crown. She was the best.”

“She pulled for a higher title,” explained Lexi. Kenya, Myranda's daughter, did an excellent job. Chantal should be proud of the hard work she'd put in with the girl. “If your name is called now in this round, you're done in the competition.”

“Yeah,” Philly chimed in, “Andrew said we never want our name called until the end.”

“She's right.” Lexi beamed, glad to see Philly was picking up on a lot. “We keep our fingers crossed, but I would score her pretty high, as well. She might be the only one who did not need her mother or coach dancing in the aisle behind the judges.”

“I'll learn my routine, Miss Lexi,” said Philly, “I promise.”

“Don't worry, sweetie.” Lexi bumped her forehead gently against Philly's. “I'm not going to let you on stage unless I'm sure you're ready.”

“You best believe you won't be dressed like a lot of these girls,” Stephen said.

Lexi turned and gave him a wink, unprepared for the sexy grin he gave her. Thanks to her past dateless nights, she had had plenty of time to sketch and come up with a one-of-a-kind dress for Philly, filled with tons of Swarovski diamonds. “Well, you do not have to worry about that. I'm friends with a fabulous dress-shop owner.

“Waverly, you were beautiful!” Lexi said cheerfully after the final judging, wrapping her arms around her neck.

Waverly's Miss Magnolia crown wobbled. She lifted the tiara and set it on top of Philly's head. “Are you ready to win one of these crowns?”

Philly anxiously nodded her head. “Yes, ma'am!”

Waverly playfully cringed, her eyes begging Lexi for help. “Ma'am?”

“Think of this as a sign of respect,” Lexi whispered.

With a deep inhale, Waverly turned to the rest of the family. “Did the rest of you enjoy yourselves?”

Lexi noticed the way Kimber's eyes widened at Waverly, all made up with her crown and dress. “What did you think, kiddo?”

With as much nonchalance as possible, Kimber shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah, it was cool, I guess.”

Philly tugged Waverly's dress. “Will you be at mine?”

“You know I will!” Waverly beamed. “I can't wait to go back to Atlanta.”

“My uncle lives in Atlanta,” Philly decided to announce.

No one else noticed that, as Stephen stood beside Lexi, his long fingers drew circles on her lower back. Lexi tried to keep her mind straight, but his movement reminded her of the way he'd drawn circles at the nape of her neck while they kissed right outside her bedroom door.

“I do, too.” Stephen's deep voice sent a chill of desire down her spine.

“I can't wait to go,” Lexi told Waverly, and then, moving away from Stephen's embrace, she said to Philly, who was tapping her shoulders, “Are you ready to get back home and start practicing?”

Philly nodded eagerly.

“You
are
coaching again?”

A familiar sound of Rose's voice broke the camaraderie. The hairs on Lexi's neck rose. Stephen's hand clamped down on her shoulders and pulled her close. All three members of the Laing family strolled up behind Waverly. Vera's young face pinched. Her skin was a flawless mocha, eyes regal and dark. She wore the world's tightest pair of jeans. Lexi's eyes darted toward the man standing behind her. Close to Stephen's height, Ernest was dark skinned with a piercing glare. Dressed in a matching shirt like Rose's, he wore a pair of faded blue jeans and black boots.

Not here, not now
, her mind begged, her body quivering in fear and shame. While living in the Laing household with just Ernest and Vera, Lexi had fallen into a comfortable routine with the duo. She'd fallen for Ernest's lies, hook, line and sinker. Rose had left her family but the ink on their divorce papers was not dry. Without thinking, Lexi's face broke out into a smile. If Stephen's hand weren't still clamped on her shoulder, she would have met them halfway to hug the young girl.

“Vera!” It had been ten years since the last time Vera laid eyes on Lexi. Back then, she'd sat on the top step of her parent's home, witnessing the drama. The pink lipstick plastered on Vera's lips emphasized the way they curled as soon as she laid eyes on Lexi, who recoiled into Stephen's side. “Vera, did you forget about me already?”

Eyes encased in thick, false lashes glared at Lexi as Vera shook her head. “I'm not the one who forgets things.” Her icy voice set Lexi shivering. “You recall how you walked out of my life and forgot all about me?”

“Hey—” Kimber broke the silence, clearing her throat “—beautiful gown today.”

Impressed with Kimber's maturity, Lexi grinned proudly. Vera turned her nose up at Kimber. “You're the one she's coaching?” she snickered, and glanced over her shoulder for her mother's approval.

“Actually,” Waverly spoke out, “she coached me. We're in the same age bracket, right? Fourteen to seventeen for the Atlanta pageant?”

To Lexi's delight, Vera and Rose both blanched. “Well, good luck to you guys in Atlanta.”

Lexi had learned over the years to cut off awkward situations. She nudged Stephen in the chest with her shoulder to indicate it was their time to depart.

Ernest's dark eyes flashed between Stephen and Lexi. He extended his gold, Rolex-clad hand out for Stephen to shake. Like a gentleman, Stephen released his arm from around Lexi's shoulder to accept the handshake. “Ernest Laing, Laing Diamonds.”

Inwardly Lexi groaned. The man still used the same line from ten years ago. When she was young and naive, the line had worked on her. Ernest knew exactly how to smooth talk Lexi into almost anything. Prior to working for him, she'd became acquainted with him on the set of a local modeling shoot. Ernest's company loaned out jewelry. He'd helped cover her body in diamonds with her even more infamous dress. After she graduated from fashion school, Lexi ran into Ernest again and he'd made an offer she couldn't refuse. She'd believed everything he said about his life and his young daughter's desire to become a beauty queen, and even the claim his marriage was over.