Blindsided (Indigo Love Spectrum) (8 page)

Having endured all the foreplay she could take,
Dahlia longed for the main event. Sliding her hands
between them, she worked feverishly to unloosen his belt and find the button of his slacks. Just as she reached his
zipper, the phone rang.

Norris captured her lips in a kiss. “Don’t answer it,”
he mumbled against her mouth, attempting to lower her
pajama bottoms below her waist.

The ringing continued.

“It might be the salon.”

“Let it wait.” He ground against her, and as natural as breathing, her hips responded to his movements. His lips
trailed along her neck. “I’ll go crazy if I don’t have you.”

Dahlia nodded in agreement. The answering machine
would soon pick up, and if important, the caller would
phone again.

“Dahlia, are you there? I’m sorry to call so early, but . . .”

R
eese’s troubled tones broke the sound of heavy
breathing and the sexual tension in the room. Dahlia
grabbed the phone.

“I’m here,” she said, careful not to mention Reese’s
name.

“Why are you out of breath?” Reese asked.

“Why am I out of breath?” Dahlia glanced at Norris.
“I was halfway down the stairs when the phone rang,” she
lied. “I raced to the closest phone. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s my mom,” Reese explained.

“Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. Can I come over? I really need to talk
to you. I can be there in half an hour.”

“Yes, that’s fine, come on over.”

Norris touched her shoulder. “Come over?” he mouthed.

Dahlia shrugged. She was sorry to disappoint him,
and herself, but it was clear Reese needed to talk. And
after what Norris had told her last night, she was pretty
certain of what was troubling Reese. “I’ll see you in a
little bit. Bye.”

“You’ll see her in a little bit?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Norris, but it’s one of the girls I met
when I did my presentation at the high school last year.
She’s interested in attending Columbia and studying
business, so we got close. Something’s upsetting her and
I want to help.”

“I can’t fault you for that, although . . .” He looked
down to his lap. “I didn’t expect the morning would end
like this.”

She kissed his cheek. “Me, either.”

N
orris buttoned his shirt. “Can I see you tonight?”

“I insist on it. Your place?”

He nodded. “Six o’clock?”

“I’ll be there.”

Dahlia pulled on her top and walked him to the door.
“What are you going to do today?”

Norris opened the door and leaned against the jamb.
“I’m going to start the process of getting to know my
daughter. I don’t know how yet, but that’s my big plan for
today. Thank you for everything, Dahlia.” He pecked her
lips. “I mean that.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a smile, her heart fluttering from his sweet kiss. “I’ll see you later.”

Dahlia closed the door after Norris drove away in his
gray Porsche—his hot man-mobile. She had some
thinking to do. The very real and unexpected feelings she
had for Norris grew stronger with every second she spent
with him, and were beginning to eclipse everything in
her life. No strings? Huh! There were plenty of strings,
and they had her tied in more knots than she thought she
could ever see herself through.

* * *

Norris drove straight home and hopped into a cold shower. Though disappointed he couldn’t start his day
drowning in Dahlia’s delight, her selfless desire to help a
young friend in need gave him even more reason to love
her.
Love?
Norris laughed out loud. He still couldn’t
believe it. “I’m in love.”

W
hen the icy spray of the water jets accomplished the
desired effect, Norris dried off and padded to his bed
room. Spotting the number five flashing on his
answering machine, he sat on the bed and listened to the
messages. The first was from his mother, whom he hadn’t
heard from in months, stating she’d be coming to South
Carolina for a visit in the next couple of weeks. He
grunted. That should be fun.

Calls from lady friends wondering when they’d see
him again made up the next three messages, and the last was from Lara inviting him over for breakfast. Norris
laughed. The poor woman probably didn’t get a wink of
sleep last night from wondering what he had on his
mind. Norris decided not to keep her waiting. Changing into some designer warm-ups and sneakers, he made his
way to his friends’ house.

Justin, Ryan’s ten-year-old son, pulled up on his bike
as Norris parked. “Hey, Uncle Norris,” he greeted.

“What’s up, buddy?” Norris removed his sunglasses.
“Where are your folks?”

“In the kitchen with Angelica.” Justin looked down
the street and reversed the cap on his blonde head. “I see
my friends. See ya later.”

Norris walked into the house. The unmistakable
scent of blueberries filled the air. Muffins or pancakes?
He hoped pancakes.

“A beautiful, pregnant lady invited me over for break
fast,” he said, strolling into the kitchen. “Is this where I
sign up?”

“Uncle Norris!” Angelica leapt from her chair and
raced over to him with open arms.

N
orris swooped her up and kissed her cheek. Curls of
golden-streaked brown hair framed her pretty face. “Is
this my breakfast?” He kissed her neck, evoking giggles
from the three-year-old. “You’re so sweet and good, can I
eat you up?”

“No, Uncle Norris, you can’t eat me up. I’m going to
the park with Sue-Ma,” she said, her brown eyes shining
bright.

The girl’s happiness at spending time with “Sue-Ma,”
Ryan’s former mother-in-law and Justin’s grandmother,
gave Norris a lot of hope in regard to his parents and
Reese. Sue’s initial unhappiness with Ryan and Lara’s
relationship could have inspired legends, but the realiza
tion that Lara being a part of Ryan and Justin’s life
wouldn’t rob her of her place in their lives transformed
Sue. Not only did she have Justin, but she loved Angelica
just as much. They were a wonderful extended family.
Complete blood ties had to make a difference for his family with Reese.

“You can eat up Daddy’s pancakes,” Angelica suggested.
Norris kissed her cheek again. “I guess that’s a pretty
good second choice.”

“Glad you could make it, Norris,” Lara said with a
smile.

“I’m sure you are,” he replied, joining her at the table and propping Angelica on his knee. “I’m sure this break
fast invitation was totally altruistic.”

“We love you, Norris. We want to be sure you have a
complete and healthy breakfast.”

“Uh-huh.”

R
yan brought over a stack of pancakes. “How can you
question our sincerity?” he said.

“I know you.” He looked down at the plate. “What,
no sausage and eggs?”

“Your wish is our command.” Ryan brought over a
platter of bacon, eggs, and sausage. “Have at it.”

Lara smiled as Norris poured maple syrup over the
pancakes. “Is there anything else we can get for you?” she
said.

“How about your firstborn daughter?” he quipped.
“You two seem to be falling all over yourselves this
morning to please me. How far are you willing to go?”

Ryan removed Angelica from Norris’s lap and hugged
her close. “Not that far.”

Norris laughed as he cut into the pancake stack. “Just
checking.”

Minutes later a horn blew outside.

“That’s Sue,” Ryan said. He carried Angelica over to
Lara. “Kiss Mommy goodbye.”

Angelica gave Lara a loud smack. “Bye-bye,
Mommy.”

“Bye, sweetie. You have fun with Sue-Ma.”

The girl nodded.

Sue knocked on the kitchen door and entered. “I’m
sorry I’m a little late,” she said. “I had to stop by the
ATM.” She waved at Norris. “Hello, Norris.”

“Good morning, Sue,” he replied, before turning his
attention to the delicious breakfast.

Sue gave Angelica a big grin as she approached with open arms. “How’s my sweet angel?” she said.

“
Good!” Angelica jumped into Sue’s arms. “Let’s go.”

“Yes, let’s. Carl and I want to take her to lunch, too.
Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Lara said. “I’m sure she’d have it no other way.”

“Great. We’ll be back around three-thirty.”

“See you then,” Ryan said, escorting them to the
door.

“Bye-bye, Daddy.” Angelica waved.

Ryan kissed her cheek. “Bye, sweetheart. Have fun.”
Ryan closed the door and turned his attention to Norris.
“Okay, now, what’s going on?”

“I can’t finish my breakfast?”

“You can talk and eat.” Ryan sat beside Lara. “I know
you better than anybody and I can’t figure it out. Your
behavior last night had us worried.”

“You had no reason to worry. I thought I explained
that.”

“You explained very little,” Lara said. “Now is yes
terday’s tomorrow, so talk. What is it?”

Norris finished his eggs and popped the last of his
third sausage link into his mouth. He wiped his mouth
with a napkin, getting a perverse pleasure in keeping
them waiting. “Can I have a little coffee?”

“No!” Ryan barked.

“Now, now, Ryan. That’s no way to treat me, if you’re
so worried about me.”

Lara stood. “I’ll get it,” she said.

“No, you stay down,” Ryan said, settling her into the
chair. “You do enough running around in class with your
k
indergarteners. I’ll wait on His Highness.” Ryan
retrieved the carafe and poured Norris a cup.

“I hope that’s real coffee and not the stuff Lara
drinks,” Norris said, detecting the scent of vanilla.

“I can’t drink it right now, so I at least like to smell
it,” Lara explained. “It is coffee.”

“Humph. I’ll be more specific next time,” Norris
grumbled, adding cream and sugar to the steaming cup.

“Norris, you’ve been beating around the bush since
last night. Spill already,” Ryan said.

“All right, all right.” Norris drank some of the flavored brew and gave his full attention to his friends.
“Yesterday, I found out I have a daughter.”

“You what?” Ryan and Lara shrieked.

“I have a daughter,” he said again, still getting used to
the idea. “How’s that for a life-changing event?”

* * *

Dahlia changed into jeans and a T-shirt and finished
a breakfast of dry toast and scrambled egg whites as she
waited for Reese to arrive, grateful this Saturday was one
of the two she took off every month. Between Norris and
the feelings she didn’t want to feel for him and Reese and
her troubled tone, she didn’t have anything left for her
clients and their problems.

The ringing doorbell announced Reese’s arrival.
Dahlia moved to the door and pulled it open. “Hi, Reese,
come in.”

“
I hope my coming over isn’t a problem,” Reese said,
making her way to the living room couch.

“Not at all. Do you want anything? Juice? Some
breakfast?”