Evidence of Desire: Hero Series 3 (4 page)

“Not going there,” she chided herself. Memory lane was a destination she needed to remove from her mental GPS.

“Maybe I should go get my hair blown-out after dance.” Picking up the brush she began to attack the coils, evidence of her bi-racial ethnicity. She’d learned over the years how to tame her curls after her mother left. Thinking of her mother, she felt nothing. She no longer ached to have her in her life, and the crying for her had stopped by six months later. Dragging the brush first through the bottom and then to the top of her tangles until there was a wave of order.

The gnawing emptiness of her stomach, reminded her that she hadn’t eaten anything that morning. Knowing it would be foolish to go dance on an empty stomach she placed the brush back in the drawer. She headed out the room toward her kitchen.

Ding. Dong.

Stopping in her tracks, she frowned, looking through the dining room through the direction of the front door. Like her phone, she debated answering it.

A firm knock came next.

She went to answer it. At the door, she glanced through the peephole.

Parker. He stood on her porch looking too hot and sexy for a Saturday afternoon.

If I don’t answer the door, maybe he will go away.

He knocked again. “Sonya, I know your home. Your car is in the driveway.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m—” She smacked a hand over her mouth. Damn it. Parker always had a way of frustrating her.

His chuckle came through the door.

After she unlocked it, she pulled it open and squinted at him. “What are you doing here, Parker?”

“Seeing you.” When he faced her there was a sexy smile stretching his lips. His gaze took in her fresh face and damp hair. He continued lower along her robe and didn’t stop until he reached her toes. “Green polish. Cute.”

“I like green.” She curled her toes in. Why having him comment on her feet made her conscious of the fact she was naked below the covering. “Now, you’ve seen me. Good day.” She stepped back to close the door.

“Sonya Lacey Hayden, don’t you dare close that door in my face.” His voice was commanding.

Yanking it wide again, she eyed him. “It’s Watson.”

“Oh, I know, you requested to go back to your maiden name in the divorce decree.” When he glanced away there was a tick in his jaw.

Had he been hurt that she’d dropped his name? It was irrelevant now.

“Have you had breakfast yet?” His stared at her again.

“Don’t you mean lunch?” She folded her arms as she leaned against the doorjamb.

“Since it appears your just now getting dressed, I’m going to assume you’ve not to long gotten up.” He reached out and tugged at one of the tails of her robe sash.

She swatted his hand away. “You know what they say about when you assume.”

He winked at her. “Let me take you out. Catch up on the time we’ve been apart.”

“I don’t see why we need to do that. You’ve seen me. You know where I work.
And
where I live as well.” She arched a brow at him. “Did you follow me from the museum last night?”

“No. When I’m determined, I have my ways.”

Damn he was too gorgeous. Even as a brainiac in college, he looked like he should be on the football field instead of stuck in a lab for hours. He wasn’t as tall back then, but he had broad shoulders and a body shaped by taut muscles. She’d learned that when he enjoyed doing reps on weights when he stood. He’d told her it was something mindless he could do. Evidently it had paid off big time. Parker filled out his white t-shirt and jeans like they were made on him. The years had been very good to him.

Feeling a little insecure about her own body changes, she pulled the cord to her robe tighter. “Hm. Well, I already have plans today.”

“Change them.”

Pushing away from the wall, she rolled her eyes. “Look. You can’t just show up in my life after five years and start demanding things. We are divorced. That means I have my life and you have yours. Separate.”

“Does that mean we can’t be friends?” He crossed his arms.

Last night, she hadn’t gotten a clear view in the dim light of how his muscles bunched along his chest in that position. She wanted to reach out and press her hands to them and see if they looked as firm as they appeared. His body was over swollen with grotesque muscles, they were just well-defined.

“Last I checked, we weren’t enemies,” he added.

They weren’t but she needed to keep a secure distance from Parker. If she didn’t he’d get into her heart. She’d be fallen for him all over again.

“No, not enemies.” She sighed.

“I understand if you already have plans. You’re right. I don’t have a right to interrupt those. Will you be free for dinner instead? Maybe take a new resident out on the town?” He tilted his head and held her gaze with his intense, light brown eyes.

For some reason, being out on the town with him at night seemed too intimate. Too much like a date.

“I can shift my plans to later and go have lunch with you. Are you happy with that?”

“Completely.”

The smile on his sexy lips and flashed light into his eyes made her knees weak as she remembered their kiss the night before. Even in the kisses awkward position, it had been no less devastating.

Yup, the man was too sexy for his own good.
My own good.
“Come in for a moment while I dress.”

Stepping back and pulled the door with her, she allowed him to come in.

Entering, he stopped directly before her. His chest almost brushed the lapels of her robe. “I do appreciate having a private moment to spend with you. Away from work, Sonya.” His voice was low, seductive.

The warmth of his breath caressed the skin of her face. She wanted to feel him breathe all over her body. Her nipples tightened on their own accord and she desired to be as bold as her friend Karen was and close the gap between them and kiss him, the right way.

Oh, lord.

Releasing the door and leaving it for him to close. She slipped along the wall, bumping her large John Holyfield
Soul Mates
painting that hung in the entranceway of her home trying to get away from him. She needed to flee temptation, wasn’t that what her preacher was always going on about. Parker was temptation in all its forms. Even more, since she knew what it was like to be lost in passion in his arms.

“Um—”

“You all right?” He reached out to steady the painting and her.

She darted by his outstretched hand. “Yes. Fine. I’ll get dressed.” Turning, she didn’t waste any time dashing away and going to her room.

Once in her room, she shut the door then pressed her back against it and gulped in five deep breaths. She needed to remind herself that caring about Parker only led to heartache. She recalled those days of loneliness when she’d waited for weeks and months for him to come to Washington for her. They’d split, both agreeing that for their careers they needed to be on two different ends of the country. Her at the Smithsonian in a paid intern position while he finished school in California.

Every step of the way as she packed and left, she expected him to stop her. Then in her one bedroom apartment in Maryland, where she commuted to DC, she expected him to appear and ask her to come home. She would have given it all up for him. After six months of missed calls and stilted conversation, she realized it was over and filed for divorce.

“You’ve appeared five years too late, Parker.” She moved from the door and started to get dress.

~ML~

“You look beautiful.” Sitting in her living room, in her turn of the century style decor was worth the wait. Everything about Sonya showcased her love for historical things and art.

“Thank you.” Sonya gave him a shy smile as she smoothed her hands along the long green and navy blue skirt. The soft white sweater she wore hugged her curves.

He could tell that she was nervous around him. That was the reason he reined in the comment he wanted to tell her, that he preferred her in the robe she’d had on when she opened the door to him. His mind had taunted him with images of her naked below the covering.

“Are you nervous?”

She licked her lips. “A little.”

“You know me, Sonya. I’m still the same Parker I’ve always been.” That wasn’t completely true. He was a lot wiser now. The man he was today wouldn’t have allowed Sonya to leave him.

“Okay.” She exhaled. That seemed to settle her some.

“You ready?”

“Yes.” She moved from the opening of the hallway to the end table beside the couch where he was standing and grabbed her cell phone and purse. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll drive.” He moved to the door first to pull it open for her. “I’m not sure of the best restaurants in the city so I’ll let you choose where we go.”

She locked her door once he came out. “I know just the place. Leroy Fox.”

He led the way to his car. There he pulled the door open for her.

“If this place isn’t good you know you’ll owe me a make-up meal,” he teased as he got in on the driver’s side.

“The brunch is great and you’ll love it. If your appetite is as big as it used to be, you’ll be sitting with a full belly soon and I will owe you nothing.” She laughed.

After he pushed the start button to his Volvo, he pulled away from the curb before her house. “We will see. You still into jazz?”

“Is there anything else nowadays worth listening to?” Her hazel eyes met his in the tight space.

“Definitely not.” He turned up the Jill Scott song playing low from his satellite radio station, previously set from his drive to her house.

The music put them in a comfortable atmosphere as he programmed the destination into his GPS and they sang and rocked along with the soulful artist.

“Ah, she’s my favorite.” Sonya tipped her head back and closed her eyes while an ethereal grin lit her features.

“Still?”

Opening her eyes she looked at him. “Yes, still.”

Her gaze was so warm and bright, he wanted to stop the car and pull her into his lap. He would enjoy finding himself lost in her eyes all day. Shifting his focus back to the radio, he asked, “Do you remember when we first saw her perform?”

She lowered her chin, then glanced out her side window. For a moment he thought she would ignore the question. But, he heard her take a soft shudder breath before she face him again.

“It was a club in DC, New Year’s Eve night of our senior year at Hudson University. Jill was one of the spoken word artists that night. She was amazing.”

“She sure was. And became just as a much a great singer and actress.”

The navigational system called out his exit off the interstate.

From the corner of his eye, she saw Sonya rubbing her fingers. He wasn’t sure if she was agitated about what else happened that night or just nervous to mention it.

“You proposed to me that night. Right at the stroke of midnight.” She twirled a finger around her ring finger, mimicking the ring that she used to wear.

It hadn’t been much of a ring, he recalled, barely a full carat diamond. He didn’t have much money back then, but his parents sent him an allowance every two weeks and he’d saved as much of it as possible to add to the money he earned taking a  job during the summer. He had a summer internship at a greenhouse that didn’t pay, but added to his resume. However, he knew he wanted to propose to Sonya their senior year so he took a night-time stocking job to pay for her ring.

“I was anxious all night.” He chuckled, wanting to keep the mood light.

“You were?” She shook her head. “You didn’t seem that way at all. Not one hint did you give away that something was up.”

“Trust me, under my sports coat, the back of my shirt was soaked.”

She laughed. “Did you think I’d say no?”

“I thought I’d pass out before the time got to midnight.” He patted at his forehead and neck pretending to wipe sweat as if the memories of that night still affect his body now. “But, I didn’t and you said yes.”

“And the rest is history.”

They’d made love for the first time that night as well. But, he kept that memory to himself, but wondered if she was remembering it as well. They had both been virgins. He wanted to reach over and take her hand, but kept his right on the top of the steering wheel just to make sure he didn’t.

Sonya wasn’t comfortable around him anymore. If he planned to win her heart back than he have to try and be her friend, before anything else. That’s how he’d won her over the first time. After that dance, they’d become friends and didn’t start officially dating until the following year.

“We were going to paint the world in bugs and history.”

“Oh, no critters for me.” She shivered. “I never could understand how you could do it.”

“I believe we are now at the restaurant so I will wait and tell you all about my fascination over brunch.” He pulled into the packed parking lot, happy to find someone leaving close to the front as they arrived.

“No, thank you. If you don’t ruin the meal for me, I will not ruin it for you.” She lifted an eye brown and gave him a pointed look.