Love Takes Time (6 page)

Her eyes narrowed. “What kind of trick is this? Did you hit that tree branch on purpose, since you knew you were going to
lose?
”

Quentin laughed and winced from the pain. “You're giving me way too much credit. No one takes a blow like that on purpose.” He chuckled. “Unless he knew it would work.” Their gazes locked again. “Is it working?”

She laughed, and he found he loved its lyrical sound. Actually he was beginning to like everything about her. “One kiss,” he said, mentally willing her to say yes.

She hesitated, weighing her decision.

Was his heart racing?

“I don't know if that's such a good idea,” she finally said. “There's a chance you might regret it.”

“Not unless you tell me that you're my long-lost sister or something. Then that would be weird. We would probably have to move farther south.”

“No. It's nothing like that.”

“Then kiss me,” he said.

“All right.” She smiled. “But don't say I didn't warn you.”

Slowly she leaned down and Quentin couldn't remember ever anticipating anything this much in his entire life. As she drew nearer, their eyes closed and their lips finally touched. It was quite possibly the sweetest kiss he had ever tasted. When he dipped his tongue inside her mouth, he couldn't believe how much she tasted like pure honey and he moaned at its sweetness. He lifted his arm and hooked it around her neck to pull her closer. How easy it would be for someone to become addicted to her. If it wasn't for his lungs screaming for oxygen, he would have never let her go.

“God. Why in the hell would I ever regret that?” he asked, panting.

She simply smiled. “We better get you up to the house.” She stood and helped him up onto his feet.

He moaned and groaned the entire way.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“After that kiss, I believe I'll live.”

She blushed again, but he shook his head. “Surely, you can tell me your name now.”

“Why? Because I kissed you? Hardly sounds like a reason to me.”

Quentin's eyebrows spiked in amusement.

She grabbed hold of Charlie's reins and started to walk him back to the stable.

Quentin grabbed Midnight's reins and rushed after her. “So where have you been all my life?”

Her laughter danced back at him.

“C'mon. How much longer are you going to play this game? You know I'm going to find out.”

“Quentin!” Sterling shouted, coming toward them. “Have you seen Alfred around?”

“No. I haven't seen him.”

Sterling's gaze swung toward Q's new modelfriend and a smile bloomed across his face.

Out of possessiveness, Quentin moved closer and draped an arm around her shoulder.

“Well, I'll be doggone,” Sterling said. “Look who's all grown-up.”

Quentin frowned and then swung his gaze between Sterling and his mysterious woman.

“Hello, Sterling,” she said.

She knew Sterling's name, too?

“I've been looking all over the place for your father. Have you seen him?”

“Her father?” Q's gaze zoomed in on her. “Alfred's your father?”

She nodded.

“Then that would mean…” His eyes widened as recognition finally settled in. “Alice?”

“Alyssa,” Sterling corrected.

She shrugged sheepishly. “Surprise.”

A
lyssa waited with bated breath for Q's reaction. So far, he could do little more than bulge his eyes and sputter.

“I hear that congratulations are in order,” Sterling said, also taking his full measure of Alyssa. “I hear you're a famous model nowadays. I'm sorry but I haven't had a chance to see any of your work, but I must say that from where I stand you've blossomed into a beautiful flower. Isn't that right, Q?”

“Absolutely.”

Alyssa smiled graciously. “Thank you.” It wasn't any surprise to her that Sterling would know little about the world of modeling and high fashion.

Sterling Hinton rarely pulled his nose away from financial spreadsheets and corporate negotiations.

“Actually, I have had the pleasure of seeing some of your work,” Q admitted.

Alyssa blinked. Did that mean he knew who she was all along?

“You're on this month's cover of
Vogue,
am I right?”

“That's right.” Her smile broadened with pleasure.

“Of course I didn't match your beautiful face with the memory of my little Alice,” he added. “I feel like a fool now.”

His Alice?

“Shame on you for holding out on me,” he said, with a teasing smile. “It wasn't very nice of you to take advantage of me like that.”

His Alice?

“It wasn't quite like that,” she reminded him while trying to ignore the quivering of her belly and how her knees weakened beneath the power of his dimples. “I did tell you that you would regret it.”

“In that case…you were wrong.”

Their gazes met and held for a long moment. The afternoon's breeze cooled Alyssa's heated face as the memory of their kiss replayed in her head.

“Humph!” Sterling cleared his throat. Alyssa jumped. She'd forgotten that he was still standing there. She flashed him an embarrassed smile.

“Well, congratulations again,” Sterling said. “Maybe I'll see if Alfred is in the east wing.” He turned toward Quentin. “Maybe you should come with me?”

“Um, actually—”

“Great!” Sterling made it clear that he wouldn't take no for an answer. “Between the two of us, we will be able to find him in no time.”

Quentin drew a deep breath, but gave in to his brother's silent pressure. “Of course. Though I can't imagine what could be so urgent.”

Sterling ignored the comment and fluttered another smile at Alyssa. “Will we see you tonight at dinner?”

“Absolutely.” She glanced at Quentin. “Don't worry,” she said. “I can take Midnight to the stable for you.” She took hold of the reins. “I think he likes me better anyway.”

“That makes two of us.” He winked.

“All righty.” Sterling tossed his arm around Quentin's shoulders. “Come on, bro. No need to make a nuisance out of yourself.”

From the look on his face, Q was obviously annoyed, but he offered no resistance as Sterling pulled him away from Alyssa's side.

Alyssa watched the brothers stroll away, while a knowing smile remained plastered across her face.
His Alice.

Once she hated that he never seemed to remember her name—but now
Alice
held new meaning for her. It felt more like a lover's pet name—something intimate…and possessive.

Hadn't he always been her Quentin?

Her Q?

Alyssa turned toward the stables feeling both
giddy and mischievous. Was this actually happening? Was there a chance for her to win the heart of her childhood crush? An undeniable wave of hope blossomed, while an old fantasy of becoming Mrs. Quentin Dwayne Hinton started to feel more like a real possibility.

After returning both Charlie and Midnight to the stables, Alyssa practically floated back to the servants' quarters and to her old bedroom. She found Tangela sprawled across the floral and lace bedding with her head buried beneath the pillows.

“Don't tell me it's time to get up,” Tangela said, her voice muffled because she refused to remove the pillows. “My whole backside is killing me. Just let me lie here for a couple of years.”

Alyssa sighed as she closed the door and then floated her way over to the bed. “Don't worry. Take all the time you need.” She sighed again.

When Tangela didn't pick up on her mood, Alyssa gave a deeper—longer sigh.

Tangela grunted, and finally lifted the pillow from her head. “All right. All right. I'll bite. What happened?”

“Quentin is home.”

Tangela's head popped up, her face awash with curiosity. “And?”

“And…” Alyssa turned giggly. “He kissed me.”

“Shut up!” Tangela's jaw dropped open. Her eyes doubled in size.

“I know. Can you believe it?”

“Shut up!” Tangela sprang up onto her knees and
stared down at her best friend. “You're lying. You gotta be lying.”

“Nope.” Alyssa jumped off the bed and launched into a victory dance. “It was unbelievable! Magical!”

Tangela, now with a surge of energy, leaped from the bed and danced with Alyssa. As far back as elementary school, Alyssa had shared her dreams of marrying Q with her best friend. Tangela knew every embarrassing story of Alyssa following Quentin around like a puppy.

“But wait,” Tangela said, stopping in midgroove. “I thought you said that you were over Quentin?”

Alyssa shrugged, sheepishly. “I lied.”

 

“Did you see the curves on that girl?” Quentin asked his brother as they strolled into their father's library. “Little Alice Jansen.”

“Her name is Alyssa,” Sterling said, his face growing more sour by the second. “And
you
stay away from her.”

Quentin's thumb stabbed his chest. “Me? What did I do?”

Sterling finally pivoted around to level his younger brother with a sharp gaze. “That's the question I should be asking you. What were you two doing out there?”

“Nothing,” Q protested with mock innocence.

Sterling rolled his eyes. “Want to try that look with someone that doesn't know you like the back of their hand? You're the last person on earth to be trusted with a beautiful woman.”

“Aha! So at least you admit she's beautiful?”

“Of course I admit it. I'm not blind. But that's hardly the point.”

Q laughed and strolled over to the minibar in the corner of the library. “Then what's the point, bro?”

“And she's Alfred's daughter! She's not some plaything you can toy with and then cast aside the moment you get bored. Good God, the girl is practically part of the family.”

Q laughed. “No blood of mine runs through her veins, which makes her fair game.”

“Fair game?” Sterling thundered, storming up behind him. “Listen to you. You should be ashamed of yourself for even considering hitting on that girl. She spent most of her childhood ogling you.”

Quentin frowned. “How old do you think she is now?”

“It doesn't matter. Stay away from her.”

Q glanced at his brother, surprised at his level of anger. “Oh c'mon, Sterling. In case you haven't noticed, Alice is a grown woman now.”

“Alyssa.”

“And she is quite capable of making decisions for herself. We both are. We don't need you or anybody else to play chaperone.”

“We? What's this we stuff? And what about Alfred? How do you think he would feel about you pursuing his daughter?”

Quentin paused, his confident smile dimmed. “Alfred and I have always gotten along.”

“That's not what I asked you,” Sterling said. “Alfred, like anyone else in this house, knows your reputation. And he, like the rest of us, knows about Alyssa's crush on you. Do you
really
think he'll be happy if you pursued her?”

Quentin finished making his drink and took a deep gulp. “There's no need to make me feel like a child molester.”

“Then stop behaving like one.”

The brothers fell silent for a long moment, while Q looked as if he was truly thinking the situation over. The problem was that he'd already kissed Alyssa, and he was having a hard time trying to erase the taste of her lips from his mouth. The alcohol sure in hell wasn't doing the job. Hell, he could still smell the sweet scent of her perfume.

And those curves…

Heaven help him.

“Quentin,” Sterling said with an unmistakable, commanding tone. “For once in your life, do the right thing.”

Q took another long gulp from his drink before he finally settled on a response. “I'll think about it.”

T
he last thing Sterling wanted or had time to do was play babysitter to his younger brother. But given this latest development, or rather the way Alyssa Jansen had developed, he had no choice but to do just that. That raw unadulterated lust he just witnessed in his brother's eyes meant one thing: trouble.

Quentin had never been a man who listened to reason, especially when a beautiful woman was involved. Sterling drew in several deep breaths, trying to calm his anger and anxiety, but the exercise was futile at best. Entering the kitchen, Sterling hoped to grab something light to eat since it was still hours away from dinner.

“Oh, Alfred, there you are,” he said, noticing the
large man hunched over the counter and poring over some paperwork. “I was looking for you earlier.”

Alfred glanced up with a casual smile. “You know, I'm never too far from the kitchen.” He chuckled.

Sterling grabbed an apple from a crystal bowl in the center of one of the marble countertops. “Not for much longer, though, right?”

Alfred chuckled. “Right.”

“It'll be strange around here once you're gone. I'm surprised my father hasn't offered to double your salary to get you to stay.”

“Oh, he has.”

“And you turned him down?”

“Yep. And then he tripled it.”

Sterling whistled. “When Dad wants something, he doesn't usually take no for an answer.”

“There's a first time for everything,” Alfred said. “Just like there's a time for a man to move on—to start living out some of his own dreams.”

Sterling's eyebrows climbed at the melancholy tenor of Alfred's voice. He had known the large, lovable lion for a long time. He took great honor in calling him a friend. Frankly speaking, the man was hands down one of the best chefs he'd ever known. “Care to share some of those dreams you have in mind?”

Alfred's gaze found his, as if weighing whether Sterling was truly interested or not. “Well,” he began. “I figured I'd strike out and make a name for myself as a celebrity chef. I'm waiting to hear back about a
possible television show. Estelle even thinks I could put a proposal together for my own cookbook.”

Impressed, Sterling beamed at him. “Then I'll know two famous Jansens.”

Alfred's chest puffed up. “You heard about Alyssa then?”

“Beatrice may have mentioned it a time or two. I'm sure you're proud.”

“Only because she's happy. That's all a parent really wants.” Alfred drew a deep breath. His gaze shifted onto nothing in particular. “I think Melissa would have been proud.”

The silence that trailed his proclamation made Sterling uneasy. Alfred had rarely talked about his deceased wife. Sterling couldn't remember if he had ever known the story about how Alfred became a widower. Jeez. How was it that he knew so little about a man he considered a good friend? Hadn't he just told Q that Alfred and his daughter were practically family?

“Anyway,” Alfred said, coming out of his daydream. “Alyssa is my pride and joy, and I would've been happy no matter what she decided to do. Now it's my turn. I just hope she and Estelle hit it off.”

“They haven't met?”

“Yes and no.” He sucked in a deep breath. “They'll meet tonight for the first time in a while. I'll be honest. I'm a little nervous.”

Sterling smiled. “It's going to be all right. I'm sure Alyssa also wants you to be happy.”

“Yeah,” Alfred said thoughtfully. “I just don't want her to think I'm trying to replace her mother. No one could ever do that…but sometimes a man gets tired of being lonely.” Their eyes locked. Alfred looked as if he was surprised he'd said the words out loud.

Sterling was a bit surprised himself, but his words also made an unmistakable connection.

“I don't know,” Alfred said, as he immediately backtracked. “Ever since Alyssa left and started traveling the world, it's just been me and my work here—not that I'm complaining,” he added. “But…it's just time. You know?”

Sterling nodded his head and turned his gaze away from his friend. He, unlike his brothers, was more married to his work than not. The few relationships he'd drifted into never lasted long because he was always willing to work the long hours and fly from one job site to another at the drop of a dime. He'd unintentionally stood up more women than he cared to count. But one day…

“Well, you found someone to share the next phase of your life with,” Sterling said. “That's a step in the right direction.” As if he would know, but it at least sounded good.

Alfred nodded. “Right.” He stood, but almost immediately doubled over.

Sterling dropped his apple and raced around the corner to grab Alfred by the shoulders. “Hey, hey. Are you all right?”

Alfred caught and steadied himself against the
counter. “Yeah. I guess I just got a little woozy there for a second.” He laughed awkwardly.

Sterling frowned, not sure what to make of what he had just witnessed. “Are you sure? Maybe you should sit back down.” He turned and reached for the stool that had clacked to the floor.

“No. No. I'm all right.” Alfred adjusted his tall frame.

Sterling dropped his arms and stepped back. It was clear he didn't want his help.

“I've been running around so much I hadn't bothered to check my blood sugar,” Alfred said with a chuckle. “I better grab a piece of fruit myself before Estelle gets on me.”

Sterling nodded along. The explanation sounded stilted and forced. Alfred moved toward the fruit bowl. “No need to upset her,” he added.

Sterling caught the hint. “Mum's the word.”

Alfred nodded and took a healthy bite out of the apple. In the next second, he made a hasty retreat from the kitchen, leaving Sterling to mull over what had just happened.

Sterling picked his apple up from the floor and tossed it into the garbage. “It's none of my business,” he mumbled under his breath. Just how many people did he want to add to his babysitting duties anyway?

He returned to the fruit bowl; this time, he grabbed a banana and then strolled out of the kitchen. By the time he hit the first step on the staircase, the front
door opened and he turned to see his older brother, Jonas, and his wife, Toni, enter the house.

“Uncle Sterling!” Little Kerry shot past her parents and launched toward him.

Before he had time to react, Kerry's small arms wrapped around his legs and threatened to tip him over all the stairs. “Whoa. Well, look who I have here,” Sterling boasted, leaning over to give his niece a hug. “Let me take a good look at you.”

Kerry released her death grip and stood back so she could perform a perfect pirouette to show off her beautiful orange dress. “Do you like it?” she asked eagerly. “Mommy helped me pick it out.”

“Is that right?” Sterling glanced up at a beaming Toni and then back down at his niece. “I think you look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she said, curtsying and lacing her fingers into his. “Do you know where Uncle Quentin is? Daddy said he was going to be here.”

“He's around here someplace. He's probably upstairs in his room.”

“Yea!” Kerry released Sterling's hand and then shot up the stairs.

“Ouch. That hurts.” Sterling laughed.

“Don't take it personal, bro,” Jonas said, lugging in more bags. “Q always had a way with the ladies—of all ages.”

Sterling moved toward the door to offer a helping hand, but was briefly delayed with a brotherly hug, followed by an awkward embrace with his sister-in-
law, who still held his sleeping nephew. “Looks like he is knocked out.”

She laughed. “I wish he would've slept during the flight, too. Instead he raised so much hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the airline banned us for life.”

“You could've taken the jet,” Sterling reminded them.

Toni rolled her eyes. “Wasteful spending,” she muttered. “I swear the money you boys waste on your frivolous toys.” She shook her head as she strolled toward the staircase.

“Why do you always go there with her?” Jonas asked, laughing. “You should have heard her when Antonio picked us up at the airport in the limo. Mark my words, she'll have Dad investing in hybrids by the time we leave here.”

Sterling laughed and grabbed a few bags.

“Then she'll definitely have her work cut out for her,” he said, climbing up the stairs behind his older brother.

“Don't underestimate her. She's on this whole environmental kick now. Our entire house is under major construction to be more eco-friendly. Solar panels, wind turbines—consider yourself warned,” Jonas said, entering their usual guest room.

“Consider himself warned about what?” Toni asked. She placed little Denzel in bed.

“Nothing,” Jonas lied, but he looked as though he had just got caught with his hand inside the cookie jar.

Toni's eyes narrowed, but a smile curved the
corners of her lips. “How many times have I told you you're a horrible liar?”

“Too many times to count.” Jonas rolled his eyes as he slipped a loving arm around Toni's waist.

“Uh-huh.” She peppered his cheek with kisses. “So what were you two talking about?”

“Nothing much. We were just talking about Sterling's…love life,” Jonas tried lying again.

This time Toni took the bait. “Really?”

Sterling frowned, wondering why his brother was so determined to hang him out to dry.

“Are you seeing someone?” Toni asked. Her eyes shone.

Sterling didn't like being put on the spot. “No—not exactly,” he said. “You know me—work, work, work.”

Disappointment pinched Toni's face. “We're going to have to do something about that. You're a great guy and…”

“I'm sure you will make some lucky woman a great husband,” said Sterling and Jonas, finishing her sentence for her.

“That really is a horrible thing to say to someone, honey,” Jonas said.

Toni crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze between the two brothers. “Fine. Just forget I said anything.”

Sterling was happy to do just that when she pointed a finger at him. “But you're not getting any younger, and all the money in the world can't replace the love of a good woman. It's not the end of the
world to settle down and start a family. Isn't that right, honey?” Toni slid into Jonas's arms.

“Right, baby.”

The smile that spread across Jonas's face stirred Sterling's jealousy. “I'm getting out of here. You two are nauseating.”

“Oh, Sterling, come back,” Toni called after him, but he was determined to make his escape while he still had the chance.

“Baby, let him go. He's a big boy. He'll know when it's time for him to settle down.” Jonas laughed. “It'll be right about the time he goes insane.”