Red Carpet Romance (9 page)

“I’m single. Believe me.”

“If I find out differently, you’re
dead meat.” She shot him a warning look.

He chuckled. “That I believe.”

Susanna cleaned up Junior and put
him in the stroller. “Maybe we’d better go out for a walk without you. You
never know who’s going to pull up with a camera.”

“You’re right. Sorry.” He washed out
Junior’s bowl before returning to the living room.

“All part of the job, isn’t it?”

“Yep, unfortunately.” He plopped
down on the sofa and turned on the forty-eight inch, flat screen television.
“Don’t get into any trouble.”

“What trouble could we get into?”
She shrugged.

Quinn turned to face her. “A woman
who looks like you, with a mouth like yours…you could get into lots of
trouble.” A lopsided grin claimed his lips.

She made a noise and a dismissive
motion, before opening the front door. The air was comfortably cool as she
walked along. Junior cast his gaze across the wide sky and then at Susanna. She
chatted with him, and he gurgled back at her. After an hour, the baby was fast
asleep, so she headed back to Quinn’s place.
Heading home. Home? No. It’s Quinn’s place.

The beautiful apartment was spacious
and welcoming. She liked the sea air and cool, ceramic tile floors. Everything
about the apartment pleased her. Of course adding the tall, handsome, sexy man
in with the fine furnishings didn’t hurt one bit.
And what would I do if he were single…unattached. What do I do then?
What if he wanted me, and Junior too? What would the baby’s mother say?

But she had no answers to her own
questions. The thought of a battle with the infant’s mother sent a shiver of fear
up her spine.
He’s trouble. Stay away
from him. Yeah, right, while living in the same house.

* * * *

Susanna decided to get dressed
before the babysitter arrived. She took a long bath while Junior finished his
nap. Quinn was in his room. She had laid out everything, from the silvery
sandals to the small diamond choker on loan from Castle and Cohen jewelers.

Sitting naked on the bed, she
refreshed her nail polish on fingers and toes, humming to herself. It wasn’t
too long before Junior awoke. Blowing on her nails to dry them, she slipped on
her flimsy robe and visited the baby, babbling at him.

He grinned at her. Her nose told her
he needed changing. When that was done, she brought him out to the living room
and put him face down on the big blanket on the floor. Susanna poured juice in
a sippy cup and sat on her knees next to Junior. A click signaled the back
bedroom door had opened.

She looked up and gasped. The man
who looked sexy in jeans and a T-shirt was devastating in a tuxedo. The top two
buttons on his bright, white shirt were unbuttoned, and his black, silk tie
hung loose.

“Can you tie this thing?”

She nodded. “I did dad’s tie for
every awards dinner.”

“Right before we leave, okay? Less
time spent fastened into this monkey suit…”

“Can you watch him while I get
dressed?” She pushed to her feet.

“He’s not gonna spit up on me, is
he?”

She shrugged. “No idea. Stay back a
little and watch him like a hawk.” Susanna returned to her room and dressed
quickly.
Don’t leave him alone with
Junior for long. Baby could spit up on him. What a disaster.
Slipping her
feet into the sandals was easy, but tugging the long zipper up was not. She put
on the earrings that matched the choker and walked to the living room. “Quinn,
can you do up the zip for me?”

He looked up, and his eyes nearly
popped out of his head. “Wow! Are you going like that? Holding your dress up?”
He rose up out of his chair quickly.

“Don’t be silly! I can’t zip it all
the way. I need your help.” She turned her back to him.

* * * *

Quinn inhaled her gentle lilac scent
as his fingers found the zipper. One hand held the bottom in place while the
other grabbed the pull. By simply twisting a little, he rested his palm on her
rump. The temptation to run his hands along the bare skin facing him was too much.

Quinn let go of the zipper pull and
glided his hand down the center of her naked back, enjoying the feel of her
silky skin.
She’s warm and soft.
She
stood still while he touched her tenderly, his fingers fanned out, moving up
and down her back. A soft sigh escaped her throat, and the sound made him grin.

Again, he gripped the zipper pull
and slowly eased it up, sealing the strapless dress around her inviting flesh.
Bending down, he kissed her shoulder lightly, skimming his lips across her
skin, caressing her neck. She bent her head back, exposing more of the
sensitive column.

“God that feels good,” she
whispered.

He chuckled and continued touching
her, wrapping one arm around her waist. His gaze traveled over her shoulder and
peered down her chest to the swell of her breasts peeking out from the top of
the dress.
Great rack.
The diamond
necklace dangled from the hand she raised to his face. “Now this, please,” she
muttered, her eyes closing.

He pushed her hair out of the way.
Again, he ran his fingertips over her as he draped the necklace around her
neck, taking extra time to fasten the clasp so he could keep his hands on her.
When he leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck, she sighed then took a few
steps forward. He feared his sharp intake of breath gave away his thoughts.
She’s beautiful, incredibly beautiful.

“You look fabulous. Gorgeous.” The
shimmering silver of the dress played off the gray of her eyes, making them
sparkle like sterling. Light makeup highlighted her peaches-and-cream
complexion and intriguing eyes. Her hair, almost black, was shiny, reflecting
the light as it swayed slightly around her shoulders. Her cleavage, inviting
his touch, captured his gaze before it headed all the way down to her pink
toenails. The cut of the gown emphasized her inviting curves. She looked like a
sexy movie star.

A blush-pink lipstick on her
luscious lips drew his attention.
So
kissable.
He licked his lips unconsciously while she chuckled. He said, “I
could spend the evening here with you…if…”

“I know. Come on. Let me tie that
tie.”

A sweet, gentle fragrance tantalized
his nose. Standing so close to her, he could smell the fresh scent of her hair
along with her perfume. He longed to run his fingers through the glossy locks
poised at eye level. Resting his hands on her bare shoulders did nothing to
calm him down. Unable to resist a caress of her satiny skin, his touch made her
shiver slightly.

“If you’re going to do that, I’ll
never get this tie straight.” She looked up into his eyes, tempting him to kiss
her.

“It isn’t easy.”

“What isn’t easy?” She took the ends
of the tie in her hands.

“Not touching…you’re standing so
close. And I…well…”

She laughed. “Turning you on, eh?”
Her fingers rested on his neck.

“Maybe,” he lied.
Definitely. Keep touching me.

“Pull yourself together, or we’ll be
here all night.” Her gaze left his and centered on his tie.

“What an idea!” He wiggled his
eyebrows, making her giggle and slap his shoulder. Quinn fought for
self-control, stilling his hands and willing his thoughts away from making love
to Susanna. He stood still while she pulled and twisted the cloth into a tight,
neat bowtie. He glanced in the hall mirror and nodded. “Like a professional,”
he muttered.

“Told ya!” She beamed at him.

The buzzer rang, and Quinn let in
the babysitter, a woman named Mrs. Evans. Susanna spent twenty minutes telling
her everything. Mrs. Evans changed Junior and prepared his dinner. The baby
switched his gaze back and forth from Susanna to Mrs. Evans and back again. His
chin quivered.

“We’d better get out of here before
Junior goes postal,” Quinn whispered. He took her elbow and escorted her toward
the door. She grabbed a borrowed, ermine stole that came with the dress, and
they were off. As they closed the door, they heard soft words from Mrs. Evans speaking
to Junior.

The limousine was waiting outside.
Quinn opened the door, and Susanna got in. “Do you want a drink?” He asked her.

“Nope. Thanks.”

“Expect a lot of flashing bulbs,
plenty of press.”

“Been there, remember? My dad had a
short press conference after almost every game.”

“And you were there?”

“In the beginning, it was exciting.
In my teens, I was too busy to bother. I’ve been to enough to know the drill.”

“Good. Then I don’t have to worry
about you freaking out.” He smiled warmly at her.

“I’ll slip through. They won’t
notice me, you’re the star.”

“Are you kidding? In that dress?” He
lifted his eyebrows.

“With all those movie stars there?”
She countered, cocking an eyebrow at him.

“None of them can compete with you.”
He took her hand and kissed it.
She’s
blushing. Do women still do that?
Quinn laced his fingers with hers and
moved a bit closer to her. She leaned back against the seat and closed her
eyes. “Rest. It’ll be forty-five minutes before we get there.”

“I’m excited to see the movie,” she
mumbled before falling silent.

“Me, too.”
I hope the picture is good.
Nerves made sweat break out on his
forehead. The usual butterflies in his stomach and a slight tightness in his
chest appeared, as always, before a new movie of his was released. The same old
questions ran through his mind.
Will
people go see it? Will critics like it? Will it flop?
Then he’d go through
the same routine to calm himself down.
It’s
too late now. It’s done. If my career is over, Gavin will take me back and
finish my carpenter training.

He, too, lay back against the seat
and closed his eyes, his fingers tightening slightly around hers.
I have Susanna.
Knowing she was at his
side steadied him. Her warmth soothed him.
She
won’t let me down.
Sleep overtook him quickly.

* * * *

Susanna thought she was prepared,
but when she awoke to the sound of screaming fans muffled by the closed windows
and the stinging of her eyes by the flashes of what appeared to be a hundred
bulbs, she was stunned.

“We’re here,” Quinn said, lightly
touching her shoulder.

She rubbed her eyes, stifled a yawn,
and looked around.

“Don’t be scared. It’ll be fun.
Honest. Ready?” He kissed her palm.

She smiled at him as the chauffeur
came around and opened the door. Quinn got out first, donning a big grin, and
reached in to help her. She grabbed his hand, swung her legs out, and stood up.
Behind the barricades, a few people were chanting “Joe, Joe, Joe Martin” and
waving. Quinn calmly looked up and waved with one hand while the fingers of the
other were still laced with hers.

After smoothing down the bottom of
her dress, she squeezed his hand, and he turned to look at her. He noticed her
slight nod and moved forward, ambling up the red carpet.

It wasn’t long before he was stopped
by a man with a microphone. Susanna tuned out the words, her gaze scanning the
huge crowd. Getting past Quinn’s celebrity in New York had been easy. New York
can be a very anonymous city. She knew him as a man, an employer, a friend, an
occasional father, and would-be lover. Now his celebrity crashed down on her,
deafening her, in her face, and she was in awe of how many people idolized him.

The heat of curious stares brought
color to her cheeks.
Never been in the
spotlight before.
She had always stood on the sidelines while her father
fielded questions from the press or signed autographs. No one was looking at
her, talking to her. She was an invisible observer. But not now. Questioning
glances came her way.
They want to know
who I am. I’m nobody, people. Nobody.
But she sensed that wouldn’t satisfy
the throng or the interviewer who was checking her out while speaking with
Quinn.

“New girlfriend?” He asked Quinn,
shoving the mic closer to the actor’s mouth.

“A friend. Susanna?” Quinn pulled
her closer and slipped an arm around her shoulders.

With the camera following him, the
man stepped closer to her but directed his questions to Quinn. “Wish I had
friends who looked like her. Friend with benefits?”

The actor chuckled. “Just friends,
Tony.”

“Congratulations on your new movie
and on being with this lovely lady. Hey, who do I see down there? Looks like
his leading lady, Margo Fredericks.”

The guy with the mic moved on down
the red carpet. Quinn pulled on her hand and whispered, “Let’s get outta here.”
Susanna moved up next to him, and they strolled the rest of the red carpet,
waving to the crowd, before entering the theater. She let out a breath when
they turned the corner.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

She shook her head. “No problem. But
I’ve never been in the middle of this.”

“I thought your dad was in these
kinds of things all the time.”

“He was, but not me. I was always on
the sidelines.”

“Not anymore,” he chuckled.

“This is a one-time thing, right?”

“Maybe. Let’s go in and get good
seats. The real stress starts when the lights go down.” They sat in the sixth
row, on the aisle. An usher asked them if they wanted popcorn and soda, and
they declined. “I get too nervous to eat anything at a premiere.”

Susanna noticed a bit of sweat on
his forehead. Quinn whipped out a handkerchief and mopped his brow. They laced
fingers and sat quietly until the lights went down. He lifted her hand to his
lips. “For luck,” he whispered. She smiled at him and cupped his cheek before
squeezing his fingers. He rested their joined hands on his knee. She scooted
down in the seat to a comfortable position.