Red Carpet Romance (22 page)

“That must be Antonio. We got
married, by the way.” Annemarie flashed a diamond wedding band on the fourth
finger of her left hand. The doorbell rang, and Quinn answered it. A handsome
Latin man walked in, shook Quinn’s hand, bowed to Susanna, and then joined his
wife.

“Cara…so this is my son?” He looked
at the redhead then at the baby. She nodded.

Antonio picked up the child, who had
settled down in his mother’s arms but began to howl when transferred. The
father quickly returned the infant to his mother. She placed a kiss on
Antonio’s lips then swayed back and forth, rocking Tonio, cuddling him to her
chest.

“She was Tonio’s nanny?” Antonio
arched an eyebrow and leered at her. “Quinn, you’re a lucky man.”

Annemarie smacked him in the arm.
“You’re married now. Don’t forget it.”

“Cara, you are the love of my life,
but the eyes in my head still see.”

Susanna shifted uncomfortably in her
chair. Quinn piped up. “I was very lucky. I wouldn’t have found her without
Junior.”

“Junior? Who is this Junior?”
Antonio asked.

“Your kid. How can you call him
Tonio? He deserves a separate name, Annemarie.”

“You’ve been calling him Junior?”
Antonio raised his eyebrows. “We’ll have to fix that.”

Susanna turned to face Quinn. “Why
didn’t you tell me the truth?”

“Quinn agreed not to tell anyone. I
pleaded with him. He gave me time to convince Antonio this is his baby. Look at
them. Can’t you see the resemblance?” Annemarie held the baby up next to his
father. Antonio beamed with pride.

“Now that you mention it, I can,”
Susanna said.

“The press would have had a field
day, and Antonio and his family would have been publicly embarrassed. I needed
the privacy to get this straightened out.”

“This baby caused a lot of trouble
in the press for Susanna. I didn’t even think about that possibility when you
came here. Susanna’s had her name dragged through the mud.”

Annemarie put her hand on Susanna’s
shoulder. “Oh my God! I’m so terribly sorry. I had no idea. I wasn’t thinking.
I dropped him and ran. What can we do to fix it?”

“Funny you should ask,” Quinn
glanced at his watch, “because in twenty minutes the press is gathering
downstairs in the lobby, and you’re going to clear this up. You two are married
now. Make up anything you want, but tell them this is not my baby and not
Susanna’s either.”

Annemarie nodded. “Of course. Thank
you for taking such good care of Tonio, Susanna. He looks wonderful, round, and
healthy. Send me your expenses, and Antonio will make good.”

“I pay for my child. Please.”

Conversation turned to movies and
Antonio’s farm in Brazil. Susanna sat quietly, taking in everything, munching
on cheese. At the buzzer, they piled into the elevator, carrying Junior’s
belongings, to attend the press conference in the lobby.

Annemarie was stage center, telling
her story, cooing over her baby and her man. Susanna slipped quietly to the
sidelines. No one noticed, and she was relieved. The press peppered Annemarie
and Antonio with questions about where they would live and Annemarie’s next
movie. A few reporters had questions for Quinn, too.

When it was over, Annemarie stopped
to hug Susanna and let her say farewell to the infant. Her eyes clouded with
tears. She had become attached to Junior. She stroked his head and spoke softly
to him. His big eyes stared at her face, and he smiled at her. When they
finally left, Quinn took her hand and led her toward the elevator. Once the
doors closed, her tears burst through.

“Attached to the little slugger,
weren’t you?” She could only nod. “Me, too.” She looked up and saw him mist for
a moment. “This is why I wanted you here, why I distanced myself from him. I
hate goodbyes.”

“I’m so sorry I doubted you…thought
awful things about you when you were a hero. World’s greatest friend.” She
placed her hand on his arm.

“You understand why I couldn’t tell
you? It wasn’t my secret to share.”

“I get it. That was an amazing thing
you did.” They entered the apartment.

“Annemarie had time to make up with
Antonio. Now they’re married and a family. Who knows what would’ve happened if
she didn’t have those two months.”

She got on tiptoes and kissed him.
“She owes you big time.”

“Maybe. She’s done a lot for me over
the years.”

“Should I ask what?” She cocked an eyebrow
at him.

“I plead the fifth,” he laughed,
closing his arms around her. “Now, life is just about us. What should we do
first?”

Susanna started to unbutton his
shirt. “I have an idea...”

“Hmm. Yes, an offer I can’t refuse,”
he said, lifting the back of her T-shirt.

* * * *

After making love, they showered
together in the huge stall built for two in Quinn’s bathroom. He reserved
Bobby’s services for the night. The lovers dressed in their finest clothes and
headed for the nightlife in the city. Susanna wore a shimmery, dark pink, short
dress with black patent leather, high-heeled sandals. Quinn wore beige linen
pants, and a black shirt open at the neck. The sparkle of the shiny dress
reflected off the cool gray of her eyes, making them glow. Some mascara, subtle
eyeliner, and purple shadow turned her into a star.

First stop was Harbor Inn, a posh
seafood restaurant. After a dinner of jumbo shrimp cocktail, steamed lobster
with drawn butter, Caesar salad, and crème caramel, Bobby drove them downtown.

Quinn took her to his favorite
clubs. First, they went to Moulin Rouge in the West Village. After a drink
there and some jazz, they had recovered enough from dinner to go to The Red
Tail Lounge. There the music was loud and the dance floor not big enough. More
margaritas and dancing worked them into a frenzy and wore them out at the same
time.

Light bulbs flashed at The Red Tail
as a few reporters and fans snapped pictures of Quinn and Susanna dancing. She
didn’t care. Scandal time was over, and she was back to her low profile life.
Though she missed Junior, she was happy to stop looking over her shoulder when
they walked down the street.

The music rocked on and Susanna and
Quinn danced fast and slow until two in the morning. Bobby whisked them home,
and they were still dancing as they came down the hall, at least Susanna was.
In the apartment, Quinn went into the spare room and opened the closet door. He
pulled out all her clothes and dragged them down the hall to his room.

“You belong here.”

She fell down backwards on the bed,
giggling and watching him hang up each garment next to his. Quinn had not had
quite as much to drink as she had.

“Com’ere,” she said, motioning at
the bed. “…sexy man. What you did for Annemarie is the sexiest thing. I want to
kiss you.”

He hung up the last dress then
crawled up the bed until he reached her. She fisted his shirt and pulled him
down on top of her. First, she kissed his lips then his neck. She unbuttoned
his shirt and ran her hands up his amazing chest. “I love your body,” she
whispered.

“Same here.” His hands covered her
breasts while he nuzzled her neck. “Let’s get that dress off.” Sliding his
hands behind her, he unzipped it all the way to the bottom. Susanna sloughed it
off as if it were an old snake skin and slithered it to the bottom of the bed
before she pushed it off.

A sharp intake of breath from Quinn
when he saw her black satin bra and panties made her giggle again. “Like ’em?”

“Love ’em. Now let’s take ’em off.”
He deftly unhooked her bra with one hand and eased it off with the other.
Susanna unzipped his pants and moved them down his body.

“Take ’em off,” she commanded,
mirroring his words. He leapt off the bed and quickly shed his pants and
boxers, leaving only the shirt on. “Ooohh, that’s sexy. Keep the shirt open and
on. Just like that. Let’s make love with you dressed like that.”

Quinn’s attention was distracted by
her bare breasts so close to his lips. He buried his face between them and sank
to his knees, supporting himself on his forearms. Susanna tipped her chin up
and closed her eyes. He kissed a trail down her belly until he came up against
her panties. Hooking his thumbs in each side, he slid them down and off. He
gripped her bottom with his hands and squeezed, groaning as he pulled her up
against his erection.

Susanna reached for him, but he was
too far away. He lifted her up easily then placed his mouth on her core. She
let out a moan and relaxed, letting him turn her on until she began to squirm.
“Quinn, please. I’m dying, please, I want you…soooo much.”

He let her down gently then rolled
her over. He gripped her hips and pulled them up until she was resting her
weight on her knees and shoulders. Separating her legs with his, he inserted
himself inside her and thrust up. She shrieked, not expecting to make love
doggy style.

“Are you okay?” He asked, stopping
his motion, his hand stroking her hair.

“Oh, God, yes. It’s…wow…amazing!”
She turned her head sideways as he resumed pounding into her. Holding her hips
prevented her from moving at all. Her mind was liquefied into one giant
sensation of pure pleasure as he rocked in and out of her. When he picked up
the pace, the tension grew quickly inside her, coiling tighter and tighter,
until his fingers found her nipple. A gentle squeeze was all she needed to go
over the edge. Sounds flew from her throat as a glorious, heat-filled shock
shot through her body.

Suddenly he stopped and pulled out.
“Roll over,” he said. She obeyed. He planted one of her legs over his shoulder
and settled between her knees again. He plunged into her and thrust in and out
hard and fast, causing her to find release a second time, just as he got lost
in a powerful orgasm.

Sweat dripped from his face onto her
breasts before he collapsed against her, kissing her neck. “You are amazing,”
he breathed into her hair. She closed her arms around his torso and clung to
him.

“Always wanted to try doggy style.”
She muttered.

“Was that okay?” He brushed her
forehead with his lips.

“More than okay. Phenomenal!” She
planted tiny kisses on his neck.

“I want you any way and every way I
can get you.” He pulled her into his arms and switched out the light. Susanna
snuggled into him and snoozed like a baby.

Quinn and Susanna slept in the next
morning. It was eleven by the time they got up. When Susanna awoke, she was a
little freaked out to find Quinn on his side with the flat of his hand on her
belly, staring at her. She looked down, but her body appeared the same. Her
gaze met his with a quizzical glance. “What?”

His smile was enigmatic.

“You’re freaking me out here. What
are you looking at?”

“You.”

“And?” She rested her palm on his
shoulder.

“Imagining.”

“Imagining what?” His hand moved up
and then down a little bit. “What you’d look like…if.”

“If?” Her brows knitted.

“If you were pregnant.”

“Bite your tongue. I’m on the pill
now, so it…” He raised his hand to stop her speech. She quieted down.

“If you were pregnant, on purpose,
with my child. What would you look like?”

She melted under his stare.

“I think you’d look really
beautiful,” he said, softly. Again his hand glided back and forth, spreading
warmth on her belly. Emotion choked her and a prick at the back of her eyes warned
her tears threatened. She took his hand and raised it to her lips. He bent his
head and grazed her lips with his.

Love welled up in her heart. Her
gaze slid over his body, enjoying his manly beauty, his strong build. He was
her lover, her protector. Scooting up closer, she nuzzled his neck, and he
closed his arms around her.

“Do we have to get up yet?” She
asked.

“Tomorrow I have to train and prep
for the next movie. But today is ours.”

After slinging her leg over his hip,
she draped her arm around his waist and closed her eyes. “Can we stay like this
for a while?”

“Why not?”

A soft smile stayed on her lips as
her senses were bombarded by his masculine scent, the softness of the sheets
against her skin, and the peaceful beating of his heart. The tickle from the
hair on his chest, the scratch of his growing beard, and the warmth of his body
heightened her awareness of his presence. A sigh of contentment crossed her
lips.

“Bored?”

“Happy.” She snuggled closer. He
pulled the sheet up over them and tightened his grip. His fingers combed
through her tangled hair, soothing her.
I
could stay like this forever.

“Love you,” she murmured.

“Love you, too,” he replied.

Within five minutes, the only sound in the room was
the even breathing of the sleeping lovers.

Chapter Thirteen

Annemarie and Antonio were hot news
in the media. They stole the headlines and appeared in two-page spreads for
several days. Interviews with the happy couple and stories about them, with
smaller pictures of Quinn and Susanna, were headlines in newspapers and
magazines, including
Celebs R Us.

It wasn’t long before the story
faded, and Annemarie and Antonio became just another married, celebrity couple
with a child. But the hungry press didn’t have to go far for another story,
with Quinn and Susanna turning up at tony nightspots, providing photo ops of
the handsome couple. Rumors of marriage buzzed throughout the print media, on
Twitter
and
Facebook
as well.

Day after day, Quinn and Susanna
rose to find pictures of themselves from the night before splashed all over.
Eating dinner in a sidewalk café or out dancing until the wee hours of the
morning, there always seemed to be a photographer nearby. But they didn’t care.
There was nothing to hide now. So what if the media said they were dating or
living together?