Книга - A Chance with You

A Chance with You
Yahrah St. John


Charismatic caterer Raina Martin knows a lot of things: how to whip up a soufflé, how to throw a party, and how to be independent. One thing she doesn’t know is how to be a mother.So when a cruel twist of fate claims her sister’s life and leaves Raina with custody of her six-year-old niece, Zoe, Raina can think of only one place to turn. Zoe’s father has to be out there somewhere, and she intends to find him. When sexy sports agent Spencer Davis is confronted by the feisty beauty, he is torn. He does not believe he is the father of Raina’s niece. Yet he is reluctant to let the beguiling chef slip away. Soon he and Raina are engaged in a passionate liaison that is both unwise and inevitable. With Zoe’s parentage still in question, Spencer knows their relationship may be short-lived. But his longing for Raina is quickly outweighing his judgment, and he is willing to risk everything on the chance that they might be meant for each other …







Baby, I’m Yours

Charismatic caterer Raina Martin knows a lot of things: how to whip up a soufflé, how to throw a party and how to be independent. One thing she doesn’t know is how to be a mother. So when a cruel twist of fate claims her sister’s life and leaves Raina with custody of her six-year-old niece, Zoe, Raina can think of only one place to turn. Zoe’s father has to be out there somewhere, and she intends to find him.

When sexy sports agent Spencer Davis is confronted by the feisty beauty, he is torn. He does not believe he is the father of Raina’s niece. Yet he is reluctant to let the beguiling chef slip away. Soon he and Raina are engaged in a passionate liaison that is both unwise and inevitable. With Zoe’s parentage still in question, Spencer knows their relationship may be short-lived. But his longing for Raina is quickly outweighing his judgment, and he is willing to risk everything on the chance that they might be meant for each other….


When Spencer tugged her ever so slightly to face him, Raina saw the sexy gleam lurking in his dark brown eyes.

She knew she should resist what she knew was about to happen, but she didn’t.

Spencer’s head descended toward her and he brushed his lips briefly but firmly across hers. His lips were featherlight yet determined as they caressed hers, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. He threaded his fingers through her wavy curls and her lips parted of their own accord. His tongue slipped inside her warm and waiting mouth and explored the recesses of her mouth, filling, learning and savoring every inch of her. He devoured her with his seductive kiss in such a possessive and primitive way that it left Raina wanting more.

Raina had to force herself to push Spencer away even though her lips still tingled from his kiss. His heat and breath against her face overwhelmed her. “Oh, my God!”

What the hell was she doing? Spencer could have been with Alexa! She’d gotten caught up in the moment and allowed herself to let go, and look what had happened. He’d been seducing her all day with his charms and she’d fallen prey to them like an innocent schoolgirl. “That kiss should never have happened.”

“I disagree,” he whispered, so the other family couldn’t hear. “That kiss has been in the making since the moment I laid eyes on you. I’ve wanted to know if you would taste as sweet as you looked and you didn’t disappoint.”


YAHRAH ST. JOHN

is the author of ten books and numerous short stories. A graduate of Hyde Park Career Academy, she earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from Northwestern University. Her books have garnered four-star ratings from RT Book Reviews, Rawsistaz Reviewers, Romance in Color and numerous book clubs. In 2012, St. John was nominated for RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Series Romance. A member of Romance Writers of America, St. John is an avid reader of all genres. She enjoys the arts, cooking, traveling, basketball and adventure sports, but her true passion remains writing. St. John lives in sunny Orlando, the City Beautiful.


A Chance with You

Yahrah St. John




www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


Dear Reader,

I came up with Raina and Spencer’s story several years ago after I’d watched the movie No Reservations and saw current athletes in paternity pickles, but it was put on the back burner. When I finally sat down to write their story, the words flowed.

Raina losing her sister and gaining custody of her niece while falling for basketball great Spencer was the easy part. Crafting a story containing grief, family duty and custody while still being true to their spicy romance was a bigger challenge, but I rose to the occasion. Raina was a workaholic much like me; add in sexy reformed bad boy Spencer on the path to redemption and voilà, a sexy romance is born.

Be sure and visit my website at www.yahrahstjohn.com (http://www.yahrahstjohn.com) for the latest news or contact me via email at Yahrah@yahrahstjohn.com.

Kind regards,

Yahrah St. John


Thank you to my beau Freddie Blackman, friends Tiffany Griffin, Dimitra Astwood, Therolyn Rodgers, Tonya Mitchell, Denise Mose, Kiara Ashanti and Bhushan Sukhram and last, but not least, my dad, Austin Mitchell, and my family the Mitchells, Bishops, Smiths and Astwoods for believing that my creativity has the potential for greatness. Hugs to my loyal readers for all their support.


To my girlfriends and sisters: Dimi, Therolyn,

Tiffany and Tonya.


Contents

Prologue (#ua036da6b-0c37-5b76-a967-90c9e92235e6)

Chapter 1 (#u494d153f-6827-589b-b5c9-17b8a1bdae15)

Chapter 2 (#ucd77f811-19c6-53b7-828b-c0fc6812121d)

Chapter 3 (#uc1705c09-96c0-5006-9a2b-22e6f32d8fa7)

Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)


Prologue

“Are you sure you want to leave Zoe with me?” Raina Martin asked her twin, Alexa. She was stunned by her sister’s bequest that she be given sole guardianship of her six-year-old daughter, Zoe. She was single, after all, and her five-year-old catering business was finally taking off.

“Of course.” Alexa smiled weakly at her sister from her hospital bed at Jackson Memorial. She’d been fighting off a rare cervical cancer for over a year, and she was exhausted. Raina knew she was tired of the chemo and radiation and was ready for nature to take its course. “You’re the only person I trust to take care of my baby.”

“What about Mom and Dad?” Raina looked toward the door that their parents had just gone through to get a cup of coffee. Their parents, Crystal and Anthony Martin, were financially secure and lived in a huge four-bedroom house with a swimming pool. They could easily take care of Zoe. “You know they would be up to the task.”

“Would they love and care for her? Yes, but would they be the fun-loving parent that I know you will be?” Alexa inquired, shaking her head. “I doubt that.”

“I’m honored that you trust me enough to take care of her,” Raina replied, touching her chest. “But...” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t know how she would manage taking care of herself and Zoe and running her thriving business, but somehow she would. It was Alexa’s dying wish. Losing her was like losing a part of herself.

“Don’t doubt yourself like you always do,” Alexa stated. Her twin had never been bold; that trait had been her strength. “You have what it takes, Raina.”

“Oh, Alex...” Raina started to cry. Her sister’s optimism for life was what she would miss the most. Alexa always saw the glass as half-full and encouraged Raina to go after what she wanted, even if that meant leaving her cushy gig as an executive chef at a fine dining establishment in favor of starting up a catering business. How was she going to go on without her and be strong for Zoe? Zoe would be grieving and would need a mother. Raina barely knew how to take care of herself.

“Don’t worry. I know you’re up to the task,” Alexa said. “It’s because of you that I even had Zoe.”

Alexa had been a wild child from the start, always sneaking out to meet boys and going out to parties. When she’d gotten pregnant, she hadn’t been sure what to do, but Raina had told her what a blessing her child would be and had promised to support her—and she had. Their parents had been terribly disappointed, but as soon as they’d seen their granddaughter, they’d fallen in love.

“Yes, but what about Zoe’s father?” Raina inquired. Alexa had never spoken of him, and Raina had never pushed for his identity until now. She had to know. What about child support?

“He...he won’t be issue,” Alexa said, coughing uncontrollably.

At her vague response, Raina realized the reason Alexa had never mentioned him and what she’d always suspected. “He has no idea he has a child, does he?” She stared into her twin’s dark brown eyes. The man hadn’t even shown up when Zoe had been born. As far as she knew, he’d never met his daughter.

“Please, Raina.” Alexa’s coughing continued.

“Take a deep breath, okay?” Raina wiped Alexa’s brow with the damp cloth lying on the nightstand and sat down on the hospital bed to hold her sister’s hand.

“Can’t you just let this drop?”

Raina shook her head. “No, I can’t. What if, God forbid, something happens to Zoe and I need him for medical reasons? What if Zoe wants to get to know him one day? You have to tell me, Alexa.”

“Raina...” Alexa began wheezing.

Raina could feel her sister starting to drift, but she couldn’t let her die without an answer. “I need to know, please,” she begged.

“Purse.” Alexa pointed to the nightstand drawer that held her belongings. Raina went over, pulled out her handbag and rushed over to the bed. Alexa sat up as best she could. Summoning strength, she reached inside and pulled out a tattered photo, then handed it to Raina.

“Spencer. Spencer Davis will help you,” Alexa said, handing Raina the photo.

“Thank you.” Tears began to fall in earnest from Raina’s eyes as she watched her sister drop back onto the pillows and succumb to the cancer she’d been fighting for so long. “I promise you I will take excellent care of Zoe.”

“I know you will,” Alexa replied. “That’s why I can die knowing she has you by her side. Tell Mom and Dad that I love them.”

“I will.” Raina wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. “I love you, Alexa.”

“Tell...Zoe,” Raina whispered, “that I love her and that—” she took a long tortured breath “—she was the light of my life.”

Raina nodded and reached across the bed to close her sister’s eyes. “Goodbye, Alexa.” Raina lowered herself onto her sister’s lifeless body and wept.


Chapter 1

“Zoe, hurry up or we’ll be late for school,” Raina said, looking around the living room for her car keys.

They’d overslept because she’d come back late from a catering gig and fallen asleep on the couch, which meant she hadn’t heard her alarm going off.

Raina glanced at herself in the mirror as she quickly put her unruly wavy hair into an unflattering ponytail. She could thank her German mother and African-American father for her café-au-lait-colored skin, naturally thick mass of long curls and almond-shaped eyes. She attributed her slim physique to her mother, who was naturally thin and had been a model in her youth, and her father, a former military man who followed a rigid exercise plan. Both her parents were vegetarians, so it was funny when she turned out to be a meat-loving carnivore who ran her own catering business.

“C’mon, Zoe.” Raina snapped up the keys from the end table and rushed down the hall to Zoe’s room. Zoe was still packing her book bag on her bed and going at a snail’s pace.

Raina rushed over to help her, throwing books into a book bag. “I told you to pack your bag last night.”

“I know, but I forgot,” Zoe said, looking up at Raina with sad eyes. Her niece was her splitting image, possessing the same wavy hair and café au lait skin. The only difference was she had Alexa’s spitfire personality, which was evident by her outfit of a bright fuchsia print T-shirt, jeans and pink flats.

Raina sighed and took a deep breath. It wasn’t Zoe’s fault she was rattled this morning. She just had to be more prepared for their morning ritual; she had to act and think like a mother. Not that she exactly knew what that meant. Sure, she’d had Zoe overnight the odd night or two while Alexa was alive, but that was completely different than being responsible for her care 24/7.

So much had changed in the past three months since Alexa had died and left guardianship of Zoe to Raina. She’d moved Zoe into the home that she’d bought after her catering firm had acquired several large contracts to cater parties for an advertising agency. After those contracts were finalized, the business had flourished. She’d been so busy, she hadn’t found the time to follow up on the piece of information her sister had given her before she’d died, which was that Spencer Davis could help her. Raina was sure Alexa had meant he was Zoe’s father.

And it was time she finally did something about it. Just the other day, Zoe had mentioned she wished she had a dad like other kids. But what should Raina do about it? Show up at his doorstep with Zoe in hand and confront him? There was no easy way to tell a man he had an illegitimate daughter he knew nothing about. Her parents had advised her to consult an attorney. Raina was a nonconfrontational kind of woman, and she didn’t relish going down that avenue, but Spencer Davis had a responsibility to his daughter, her niece.

As she and Zoe drove the short distance to her elementary school, Raina resolved to take action and soon.

“So how’s Miss Zoe this morning?” Summer Newman, Raina’s business partner and childhood friend, asked when Raina came rushing through the kitchen door of their catering shop a half hour later.

“Forgetful as usual.” Raina sighed, grabbing her apron off a nearby hook and wrapping it around her middle. “Sorry I’m late, but Zoe hadn’t packed her book bag this morning and she’d forgotten her lunch on the counter and didn’t tell me until we got to the school, so I had to go back home to get it.”

Raina glanced apologetically at Summer. She wasn’t surprised her bohemian friend was dressed in a colorful coral-and-teal maxi-dress that reached her ankles. A scarf of the same pattern was secured over her shoulder-length dreads. She was also wearing one of her colorful assortment of aprons.

“It’s okay, Raina,” Summer responded. “No one expects you to get this motherhood thing right all at once.” She returned to chopping the trinity of onions, peppers and celery.

Raina’s gaze clouded with tears and she immediately sank onto a bar stool across from Summer. “Thanks...It’s just that I feel like I’m doing such a bad job. And Zoe needs me to have it together.”

“Give yourself time.” Summer stopped what she was doing and stared at Raina. “Alexa sprung this unexpectedly on you. You always thought your parents would raise Zoe.”

“But she chose me instead.” Raina touched her chest. “She trusted me. I just don’t want to screw this up.” She sighed. “How did Alexa do this all alone for six years?”

Summer shook her head. “I don’t know. Growing up, Alexa couldn’t have been further from mommy material.”

Summer had met the Martin twins during the third grade. Raina and Alexa couldn’t have been more different, and Summer had immediately clicked with Raina. Raina was warm and kind, while Alexa had been self-involved and arrogant until she’d gotten pregnant. Suddenly, the world had been turned on its axis and Alexa morphed into a dedicated mother and compassionate human being, volunteering for parent events at Zoe’s school and selling cookies for Girl Scouts.

Meanwhile, Raina began focusing more on herself rather than keeping Alexa out of trouble. Raina and Summer started their catering business, Diamonds and Gems Catering, five years ago, and after a few false starts had turned their once struggling business into a success, thanks to word of mouth in the right circles in Miami.

“I know—isn’t it crazy?” Raina asked. “But all of a sudden, once Alexa found out she was pregnant this mama bear came out of nowhere. It took me completely by surprise.”

“And yours is in there somewhere, too.” Summer gave Raina a confident smile. “But in the meantime, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find Zoe’s father. He should be helping you during this difficult transition. I mean Alexa didn’t get pregnant by herself.”

“This is true,” Raina acknowledged, nodding her head in agreement. “My parents have been telling me that I should hire an attorney and request this Spencer Davis submit to a paternity test.”

“Sounds like sage advice.”

“I just hate to put this man on the defensive from the start when I need his help,” Raina replied. “I know he has a responsibility to Zoe, but my sister wasn’t blameless, either. She never told him she was pregnant.”

“But how else can you get him to agree to a paternity test?” Summer asked. “Most men aren’t going to take one voluntarily.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Raina said. “I just thought I could reason with him, but I guess that’s unrealistic. I will go see the attorney in the morning.”

“Good girl. Now if you don’t mind, we need to make the hundreds of canapés for our event tomorrow. Otherwise, we’ll never be ready in time.”

“Let’s get to work.” Raina sighed.

* * *

“Lloyd, my friend,” Spencer Davis said into the phone as he propped his long legs on the cherrywood desk in front of him. “You know you’re going to have to come higher on your offer. Derrick Quinn is the star of the team, and, as you know, he’s a free agent at the end of this season....”

Spencer let his sentence trail off. As a successful sports agent, he was in a position of power. He’d found that a key talking point was implying the star player would look elsewhere, and soon owners came around to seeing things his way. He listened as Lloyd tried to backtrack, but it was a losing battle. Spencer was not settling for anything less than the best for his client.

Since retiring from basketball four years ago after a successful fifteen-year run with the Miami Falcons, he’d opened his own sports agency and quickly signed two of his former teammates to his roster. He’d opened up a small office in downtown Miami that overlooked the bay. And soon his reputation for fair and honest dealing had helped catapult his starter agency into one of the premier agencies along the East Coast.

“Well, I appreciate that, Lloyd,” Spencer returned. “And I look forward to hearing from you with a better counter.” He hung up the phone and rose from his seat. From his doorway, he peeked out and looked at his assistant, Mona Dean.

She smiled when she saw him. Spencer knew the older woman had a soft spot for him. It was probably his six-foot-four height, although to most he was short for a basketball player. In his heyday, Spencer had been quite the ladies’ man. Women of all ages had flocked to him, eager to spend time with a three-time NBA champion. What he liked most about Mona was that she’d been a happily married woman for twenty-five years. And she knew how to give him hell when needed.

“Don’t I have lunch with Ty scheduled for noon today?” he inquired.

“Yes, but I made the reservation for half an hour later since Mr. Wilson is always notoriously late for your lunches.”

His best friend, Ty Wilson, was also a former NBA star who’d been drafted to play for Atlanta. Although they’d played on opposing teams for years, they’d developed a rapport when they’d been on the U.S. Olympics basketball team years back and won gold. They’d been friends ever since. Every time Ty was in town to visit his family, they got together to catch up on each other’s lives and reminisce about old times. Spencer looked forward to their gatherings.

He laughed heartily. And the woman was meticulous, too. “Thank you, Mona. Just send him in when he arrives.”

Spencer returned to his desk, but he stopped when the glare from the window shone a light on a framed photograph of Spencer, Ty and his younger brother, Cameron, who’d died nearly four years earlier. Seeing the photograph brought back a smile to Spencer’s lips but his heart broke for what could have been avoided.

The three of them had been inseparable during the off-season of the NBA. They’d traveled together, partied together, drank together and, worse, done drugs together. After a record number of incidents with the authorities, Spencer had realized they were on a downward spiral and stated they should clean up their act. Ty had agreed, and once he’d met Brielle and gotten whipped, he’d been totally on board. But Cameron, Cameron wouldn’t, couldn’t stop.

Spencer had unsuccessfully tried to get Cameron into AA, but he’d stubbornly refused. “I have control of this,” Cameron would say. “I’m a two-time NBA champion. I know discipline.” But he’d been wrong. Dead wrong.

When Cameron’s team had tanked the Eastern Conference, Cameron had been distraught. He’d viewed it as his last chance to get a “three-peat,” and he’d gone on a drinking binge. Spencer had accompanied him, appointing himself as the designated driver to ensure Cameron made it safely back home. But in a sad twist of fate, their car got involved in an accident that claimed Cameron’s life and left Spencer with survivor’s guilt.

“Mr. Davis, Ty is—” Before Mona could finish the sentence from the intercom, Ty came bursting into his office with an abundance of energy. Spencer rose immediately to greet him, instantly throwing off the sorrow he was beginning to surrender to before Ty’s visit.

“What up, my man?” Ty came forward and grasped Spencer in a bear hug, patting his back. “You’re looking well in your suit.”

“Working hard,” Spencer replied. “Trying to making a success of this agency.” He spread his arms and motioned around the room.

“Word on the street is you’ve got some of those owners’ noses wide-open.”

Spencer chuckled. “Who better to know some of their antics than a seasoned vet such as myself.”

Ty gave Spencer a warm smile. “No one better than you, Spencer. Let’s go get some grub.”

Thirty minutes later, he and Ty were seated at Area 31, the restaurant on top of the EPIC Hotel, and looking over the menu as they sipped on sparkling water. If it had been five years ago, they’d have ordered a bottle of champagne.

“You look good, Ty,” Spencer commented, eyeing his best friend’s jeans, white shirt and blazer. At six foot seven, all Ty’s clothes had to be custom-made, which was why he was always smartly dressed.

“Well, it’s all this clean living and good food,” Ty replied, patting his ever-increasing waistline. “You know, no drinking and no drugs and of course Brielle. Meeting her really made all the difference.”

Spencer nodded. Since meeting his second wife, Ty had kept his promise to refrain from all the drinking and drugs he’d abused during his basketball career and settled down to life as a sports anchor for a local TV station in Atlanta. The couple was also about to welcome their first child. “I’m really happy for you, Ty.”

“I wish the same for you,” Ty said, staring at him intently. “It’s time for you to let go of the past, Spencer.”

Spencer suspected Ty knew he still harbored a lot of guilt for what he thought he could have done to help his brother. “That’s easier said than done.”

“You did all you could for Cam. We both did,” Ty replied. “You have to move on. Matter of fact, I think it’s time you settle down.”

“With who?” Spencer asked. “With the basketball groupies hanging around the arenas, ready to land them a pro player or a former one? You know how it is in the business. It’s hard to meet anyone truly genuine and without any ulterior motive.”

Ty nodded. “I hear you.” Ty had got caught in that very same scenario with his first wife, who’d married him just for his money. It hadn’t taken him long to cut her loose, but not before she’d taken him for a mint because he’d married her during one of his drunken escapades and without a prenuptial agreement. “But you can’t give up, either. There has to be a good woman out there. I mean when was the last time you got laid?”

Spencer laughed at Ty’s blunt question. “That’s none of your business.” He pointed in his direction. “But if you must know I’ve been celibate for a while. I just need to meet someone with substance, who I can hold an intelligent conversation with. You know anybody like that?”

“I’ll ask Brielle if she has any friends,” Ty replied. “But all I’m saying is that man was not meant to live alone.”

“And as soon as a beautiful, smart woman walks into my life, I’ll snap her up.” Spencer snapped his fingers.

“You never know, she could be just around the corner,” Ty stated. “Like at Allyson Peters’s party tomorrow for Parkinson’s Research.”

“I’m not up for any rubbery chicken at a charity event.”

Ty eyed him suspiciously, “It’s for a good cause. And who knows? You might meet someone.”

“A socialite?” Spencer rolled his eyes. “That’s exactly who I don’t need to meet.”

“Just come. Brielle and I are going. And look at it this way. At least you won’t be working until all hours of the night. Mona told me you leave here well after the sun goes down.”

“And how would she know?”

“You do know Mona, right?” Ty raised an eyebrow. Spencer’s assistant was sharp and nothing escaped her.

“Oh, all right, I’ll go,” Spencer reluctantly conceded. “But if I have a bad time, I’m blaming it all on you.”

Ty smiled, happy that he’d gotten Spencer to see things his way. “Good. We’ll have fun tomorrow night.”

* * *

Raina drove Zoe to her parents’ the following evening so they could babysit while Raina and Summer had their catering event. Her mind went back to her meeting with the family attorney earlier that day.

“This picture certainly isn’t enough to establish paternity,” the attorney had said. “But it can certainly show that your sister Alexa knew Mr. Davis. Do you have any other evidence?”

Although Raina had been unable to supply him with any other evidence, he’d promised to hire an investigator to look into her sister’s past. He’d also indicated he would be sending a letter to Spencer requesting he either sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity or submit to a genetic test to establish paternity.

“What if he doesn’t want to take a genetic test?” Raina had inquired.

“Then we take this matter to the court,” the attorney had said. “Where he’ll then be forced to submit to a genetic test. Either way, we’ll get results. It’s just easier for all parties if he submits voluntarily.”

Raina had no idea how Spencer Davis was going to feel being served with paternity papers, but she had to know if Zoe’s father would step up to the plate. She wanted her niece to experience life with two parents. As soon as the thought came into her mind, Raina realized the finality of it. She was Zoe’s mother. She would be raising Zoe, potentially with Spencer, a man she knew nothing about other than what she’d read on the internet.

After the funeral, Raina had decided to look him up online. Initially, she’d been stunned by the negative press about Spencer Davis. He was a reformed bad boy who’d been known to womanize, drink and carouse with all sorts of bad fellows, and he’d exhibited the worst behavior in public. The tide had changed, however, and recent press had Spencer Davis leading the straight-and-narrow life. He’d retired and opened his own sports agency. He’d garnered a few big clients as well as a few Olympic athletes. One thing was clear: Spencer could easily afford child support.

But what if Spencer wasn’t Zoe father? What if the photo was a bad lead? Was she prepared to take care of Zoe alone?

Her mind wasn’t able to answer because she’d arrived at her parents’ home. Before she could open the back door, Zoe had already unbuckled herself and jumped out of the car, reminding Raina that she needed to be more cognizant of the child safety locks.

Zoe raced up the steps and rang the doorbell. Raina sighed as she popped open the trunk and pulled out Zoe’s overnight bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she grabbed her purse and headed toward the now open front door.

In eager anticipation of her only grandchild, her mother had swung open the door and swept Zoe into her arms. Raina found them in the hallway and saw her mother smothering Zoe’s face with kisses.

“Hey, Mom,” Raina said, closing the door behind her.

“Hi, hon.” Her mother barely hazarded her a glance as she removed Zoe’s jacket and led her to the living room, where her father was no doubt watching the nightly world news.

“Hello to you, too,” Raina said, following behind her.

Her mother and Zoe joined her father on the sofa and snuggled together.

“Hey, baby girl,” her father spoke first. He gave her a quick smile before returning to his news program.

It was moments like this that reminded Raina of the indifference she’d always felt from her parents growing up. They’d thought they were having one little girl, Alexa, and had only been prepared for one child. Imagine their surprise when the doctor had told them he heard a second heartbeat during delivery and her mother had gone into labor again to give birth to Raina four minutes later.

And now that their favorite daughter had been taken from them so suddenly, her parents seemed to have gravitated to Zoe like bees to honey. They’d been surprised and deeply hurt when Alexa had indicated she felt Raina would be a better parent for Zoe. They, like Raina, had assumed Alexa was leaving custody to them. They were the logical choice, not a single, career-minded woman.

“Well,” Raina said and shifted uncomfortably from side to side at the doorway. “Here’s Zoe’s overnight bag.” She dropped the bag with an unapologetic thud onto the floor. “I’ll be by tomorrow to pick up Zoe for Caroline’s birthday party.”

Even though she would be dog-tired after an evening on her feet, cooking and serving, Zoe had a schoolmate’s birthday party to attend, and Raina was determined to make more of an effort to integrate herself into Zoe’s life. Sometimes it seemed as if the child had more social engagements than Raina.

Raina was so busy working on making her catering business a success, she had little or no time to go out, much less date someone seriously. Her last serious boyfriend had been two years ago. Eric Thomas had gotten so frustrated by Raina’s long hours and her lack of time for their relationship that he’d hightailed it after six months, leaving Raina alone and celibate the past two years. Now that she was a single mother, Raina’s prospects were going to be even less promising.

Her mother finally seemed to remember Raina was still in the room and glanced up. “Yes, Raina. Don’t worry about Zoe—we’ve got her tonight. And if you need me to take her to Caroline’s party, just let me know.”

Raina shook her head. “Oh no, I’ve got it.” She was determined to prove to her doubtful parents that Alexa hadn’t made the wrong decision when she’d chosen her as Zoe’s guardian.

Raina glanced down at her watch. “Well, I gotta go.” She looked across the room and gave her niece a pleading look. “Can your auntie have a kiss?” She bent down until she was nearly Zoe’s height.

Zoe paused for what seemed like an eternity before hopping off her grandfather’s knee and giving Raina a halfhearted hug.

Raina batted her eyes, refusing to let them tear up. Zoe considered her the disciplinarian. Her grandparents gave Zoe anything and everything she wanted, and she adored them. Raina rose. It just wasn’t fair. “See you tomorrow.” She gave her folks and Zoe a wave and made a quick exit. She was eager to go to a place where she knew she belonged, where she mattered. Her kitchen.

* * *

“What a great turnout for Parkinson’s Research,” Raina commented as she and Summer set up with their staff for one of the largest charity events of the Miami fall season.

They’d already arranged their stations earlier that day and brought all their preparations for the canapés they would serve throughout the evening. Diamonds and Gems Catering was collaborating on the event with Traci Todd, a thriving party planner. Traci had set up a classy affair complete with lighting, decorations and a band.

“I’ll say,” Summer said. She’d never been in the presence of such movers and shakers. She could tell from the way people were dressed in designer tuxedos and vintage gowns that these folks were ready to put down some serious cash for the cause. Their client Allyson Peters was one of the largest contributors, and her company was sponsoring a large team that would run in the Miami Marathon and Half Marathon in January. This event was a precursor to help raise awareness as well as funds. “How much do you think they’ll raise?”

Raina shrugged as she set out individual portions of her signature steak house sushi roll—shaved prime rib, asparagus, horseradish mayo and arugula—on platters. Their temporary staff had shucked hundreds of oysters for Summer’s raw bar of oysters on the half shell with a black pepper mignonette. Their client had requested small bites to be passed around by liveried waiters.

Summer and Raina worked in unison as they rolled out the first course of appetizers. They followed up the sushi and oysters with seared sea scallops, a blue crab cake and spicy lamb meatballs. The night was going smoothly. The fee on the event would cover Diamonds and Gems Catering expenses for the month.

Midway through the second course, Summer moved away from the table. “I’m going to the kitchen for more of the bacon cream sauce,” she told Raina. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll hold down the fort,” Raina said, pushing a wayward strand of hair out of her face as she arranged the food perfectly on a plate. She didn’t notice the two tall men and beautiful woman approaching her table.

“Good evening.” Raina looked up to give them a warm smile. The color drained from her face as she recognized the person staring back at her. It was none other than Spencer Davis.

“So what do you have here?” Spencer inquired as he looked down at the platters of food.

Her mouth moved as if to speak, but no words came out. Raina licked her lips in frustration. How in the world had she come face-to-face with Zoe’s father?


Chapter 2

Spencer stared at the beautiful creature with the almond-shaped brown eyes. She was really quite exquisite with high exotic cheekbones on a delicate face. A pile of wavy hair was curled into a neat bun on top of her head, which made her look slightly prudish but sexy nonetheless. Spencer watched her lick her lips in frustration and a jolt of awareness shot straight through him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt such an instant attraction to a woman.

She blinked at him several times before answering him in the sweetest voice he’d ever heard.

She motioned to one platter. “What I’ve prepared for you here is a drunken sea scallop with a beer-infused bacon cream sauce, a blue crab cake with sun-dried tomato aioli and a spicy lamb meatball with cucumber yogurt sauce.”

“Hmm...” Spencer moaned at the description, and he watched her eyes grow larger in response. “Sounds delicious.” He kept his gaze on hers and neither of them wavered until Ty coughed.

“My wife would like the scallop, and I would love to try the lamb meatball,” Ty said, eyeing Spencer curiously. He could tell when his boy had his eye on a woman. And this woman, whoever she was, had captured his attention.

Raina smiled. “Absolutely.” She handed him a meatball on a small plate, then passed Brielle a small plate with a large scallop on it, but not before sprinkling both with fresh parsley. “Enjoy.”

“I’ll have one of everything,” Spencer said. At her questioning look, he added, “I’m a growing boy.”

Without speaking, she handed him a plate of all her offerings.

“Thank you.” Spencer nodded and reluctantly followed his friends, who’d stepped away from the table to enjoy the first course.

When he joined them several yards away at a small bar-height table, Ty wasted no time calling him out on his instant infatuation. “That was some sexual tension back there,” Ty said, glancing back at the woman behind the table, who was talking to several other guests ready to taste her delicious creations.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Spencer lied.

Brielle laughed as she took a bite of scallop. “You’re a terrible liar, Spencer. We both saw it. No, make that felt the attraction between you two.”

Spencer shrugged. “She’s a beautiful woman. What can I say?” He wanted nothing better than to know what kind of figure was beneath the oversize chef coat she was wearing.

“Get her number,” Ty suggested.

“I can’t.” Spencer shook his head. “She’s working.”

“The night is still young,” Ty responded. “As the evening ends, I’m sure the opportunity will present itself.”

“What do you think, Brielle?” Spencer turned to Ty’s wife.

“She was definitely affected by meeting you,” Brielle said. “I think you have a shot.”

“All right.” Spencer pointed his finger at the two matchmaking culprits. “But if I’m turned down flat, I’ll have no one to blame but you.”

“You won’t,” Ty returned.

Spencer sure hoped not. For some reason, his gut told him that this woman was someone worth knowing.

* * *

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Summer said when she returned with more bacon cream sauce and platters of pork belly. Their second course consisted of pork belly with sweet potato pancake and black pepper shrimp with smoked gouda cheese grits.

Raina pulled Summer away from the tables so no one could hear them. “You will never believe who is here.”

She still couldn’t believe it herself. But she was staring at gorgeous Spencer Davis. The pictures she’d seen online did him little justice. And it wasn’t just his stature. It was everything about him: the big bushy eyebrows, the broad nose, the full succulent lips and the sexy smile. Add his bravado, appealing masculine smell and the way he wore that three-piece suit and she was smitten.

“Is it a celebrity?” Summer looked over her shoulder. Although she couldn’t ask for autographs, she could definitely write about it on their catering blog.

“No,” Raina whispered. “It’s Spencer Davis.”

“Shut the front door!”

Raina shook her head. “I can’t believe he’s here. Over there.” She inclined her head toward the trio standing nearby, munching on food and sipping champagne.

“Oh my Lord!” Summer touched her chest. “Does he know who you are?”

Raina shook her head. “No. I don’t think he’s been served yet by my attorney, but...I never expected this, to meet him in person. Do you see how fine he is?”

Summer leaned back and did a double take. “Mmm...I see your point. He is mighty fine, but what can you do? It’s not like you planned this. We had no idea he’d be here tonight.”

“Like he’s going to believe that when he finds out who I am.” Raina sighed. She couldn’t believe her luck. “He’ll think I was scoping him out.”

“And he’d be wrong,” Summer scolded. “The only reason you’re pursuing this is to find out the truth. Who’s to say he’s even Zoe’s father?”

“But why else would Alexa have a photo of her and Spencer together?”

Summer shrugged. “I don’t know, and we don’t have time to speculate. We have to finish this party. He probably won’t even come this way again. Come on—we have more tables to serve.”

Summer couldn’t have been more wrong, because as the next course was served, Spencer Davis kept coming back to Raina’s table for a taste. And each time Raina became more and more flustered by the attention Spencer was bestowing on her.

If she was serving another person, he would wait patiently until the line dissolved and he could speak with her for a few moments about each course. Any other time, it would have been harmless enough, a little flirtation between adults. But this time was different. This man could potentially be her niece’s father and her attorney was about to serve him with legal documents requesting he submit to a paternity test. Raina highly doubted Spencer Davis would be so enamored with her if he knew what a royal pain she was about to become in his life.

* * *

When Spencer saw a lull at the beautiful woman’s table he decided to make his move. “That pecan bread pudding with whiskey sauce was divine,” he said when he returned to the table.

“Thank you.” The woman smiled at him.

“You’re welcome.” Spencer extended his hand. “Spencer Davis.”

Raina shook Spencer’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Davis. Now, er, if you’ll excuse me, I have to start to clean up.”

Spencer blinked with bafflement. “Are you honestly not going to tell me your name?”

“I don’t mix with patrons,” Raina said. Her answer sounded logical.

Spencer looked around. “The party is wrapping up and after that I won’t be your patron.” He looked into her warm eyes. “I was hoping we could maybe grab a drink later, you know, get to know each other.”

Raina swallowed. “I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible.”

“Why not?”

“There’s lots to do, Mr. Davis. Some of us have to work hard for a living rather than throw a basketball around.”

A smile ruffled Spencer’s mouth. “So you know who I am?”

“I’m a native of Miami,” Raina replied, her smile mirroring his larger one. “Of course I would know the great Spencer Davis. You’re a legend in this town.”

“I was hoping I was incognito and you would...” His voice trailed off and he turned to walk away, but the woman called out to him.

“Hoped what?”

“Want to get to know me for me,” Spencer responded, turning back around to face her. “I guess that would be too much to ask.”

The woman seemed to be surprised by his honesty and cocked her head to one side. “Sincerity is not too much to ask. And any other time, I would—” Raina cut herself off. “I have too much going on in my life right now.”

Spencer stared at her, his eyes clinging to hers, analyzing her, inwardly pleading for friendship. Her eyes were wary and he wasn’t sure why. “I understand. Another time?” he said and reluctantly walked away. He’d decided not to push, but somehow he would find out who the woman was.

* * *

“I’m so glad this night is over,” Raina said as she and Summer packed up the company van with all their supplies.

“Yeah, that was a close call with you and Spencer Davis. He was really into you and kept coming back to our table all night.”

“You’re telling me,” Raina replied. “Worse yet, he asked me out on a date.”

“Really? When?” Summer stopped putting boxes in the van and turned to Raina.

“After you’d gone inside after dessert.”

“And what did you say?” Summer helped Raina put the last few boxes in the van before shutting the door. She fished the keys out of her jeans pocket, unlocked the doors and she and Raina jumped inside.

“I turned him down of course. Refused to give him my name,” Raina said, buckling herself into the passenger seat. “I can’t go out with him, Summer. It’s just a matter of time before he finds out who I am, and then all hell will break loose.”

“At least you could have had a little fun before it did.”

“No.” Raina shook her head fervently. “I just courted disaster tonight and narrowly avoided it. I need to stay clear of Spencer Davis until the dust settles. Let our attorneys duke it out.”

“Do you honestly think that’s possible? This isn’t about business. This is personal.”

“I know, and meeting Spencer Davis tonight just made it more so.”

* * *

Spencer woke up with a start. He was bathed in sweat. He dragged his hands over his short curly Afro. He’d had the same nightmare he’d been having on and off for the past four years. It was the same nightmare that, even after years of therapy, he just couldn’t shake.

It was the helplessness, the regret, the guilt, that always greeted him the morning after one of his episodes. He could see himself pinned in Cameron’s car while he stared at his brother, cut and bleeding on the hood. He’d been unable to help him because he’d been trapped by the steering wheel. By the time the ambulance had arrived, it was too late. Cameron had sustained massive internal injuries and hadn’t survived.

Why hadn’t he made Cameron wear his seat belt? Spencer should have insisted, but Cameron had been belligerent that night. Knowing Cameron could have survived if he’d been belted in had caused Spencer to retreat into himself the past few years.

Ty was right; he would have to let go of the past and start to live again. Up until yesterday, he hadn’t been sure he was ready. The woman he’d met last night had him seeing the possibilities.

She hadn’t just been beautiful, either. He’d seen her interacting with the guests and she’d been kind and patient. When an older woman had dropped her cane, she’d rushed over to help her from behind the table. It was that kind of simple action that told him she was someone special.

Which was why he’d made sure he’d found Allyson Peters to thank her for the invite and to ask for the name of the caterer who’d made the excellent food. Raina Martin of Diamonds and Gems Catering. Raina. It sounded lovely on his lips, and he hoped the lady herself would taste as good.

Throwing back the covers, Spencer rose naked from his bed to head into the shower. As the spray pelted his back, Spencer was determined to meet Raina again. This time she would not turn him down.

* * *

After sleeping in late the morning after the Parkinson’s event, Raina should have woken up feeling refreshed. Instead she felt a sense of dread, and it wasn’t because of the kid’s party she was now driving Zoe to.

Meeting Spencer Davis had been a shock, one she hadn’t been prepared for. And to make matters worse, she’d been attracted to him. As she’d fallen to sleep last night, she’d tried to convince herself that it was nothing, but deep down she knew it wasn’t. She’d felt butterflies swarming in her belly each time he’d come near her table. And when he’d asked her out, she’d wanted to jump for joy, but she couldn’t. She was in a quandary of wanting Spencer for herself but knowing that Zoe needed him more.

The thing was men like Spencer Davis were never interested in her. They wanted fun girls, like Alexa had been back in the day. They didn’t want neurotic, workaholic girls like Raina. But Spencer had sparked a desire in her she’d never felt before. None of her past relationships had made her feel the way Spencer had with one look.

“Auntie Raina.” Zoe was poking her arm. “You missed the turn.”

“Sorry.” Raina snapped out of her reverie. She’d missed the right turn onto Caroline’s street. She had to snap out of this. She would never have a chance with Spencer. Once he found out her identity, he would keep her at arm’s length.

Several minutes later, she pulled into the car-lined street. She found a parking space several doors down. This time, Zoe couldn’t jump out because Raina had made sure to put on the child lock. Raina exited the vehicle, pulled the gift for Caroline out of the trunk and came around to open Zoe’s car door.

Zoe wasn’t too happy about being confined, but she didn’t mouth off.

“Here’s your gift for Caroline.” Raina handed her the gift bag with the greeting card. She hoped the little girl would like the video game she’d gotten; Caroline’s mother had noted it on the wish list. Raina had been shocked at how much parents spent on children’s toys. The gift had cost over fifty dollars.

A Caucasian woman opened the door. “Zoe, welcome,” she said. “Come on in. All the kids are in the back on the obstacle course. And you must be Raina.” She leaned over to give Raina a quick hug as she entered the foyer. “So glad to meet you. I’m Cynthia Williams.”

“Thanks for having us,” Raina replied.

“I’m just happy Zoe could attend, given the circumstances,” Cynthia whispered.

“Well, my parents and I are trying to keep things as normal as we can.”

“Is that even possible?” Cynthia blurted out.

It was an honest question that most people might be afraid to ask, but Raina didn’t mind. She appreciated that the woman wasn’t walking on eggshells around her like most of the other parents. When she’d come to school with Zoe a week after Alexa’s death, she’d seen the downcast looks, the pity stares. Lord knew what poor Zoe was going through. She knew kids could be cruel. “We’re doing the best we can,” Raina answered.

Cynthia touched her shoulder. “Well, if there’s anything that I can do, babysitting and the like, please let me know. Alexa was always such a help with Caroline.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the offer.”

Raina stayed in the kitchen with the other parents, sipping coffee and eating coffee cake, while the kids played outside in the inflatable obstacle course complete with pop-ups, a slide and a tunnel. She didn’t have much to share with most of the women in the room because they were married homemakers. There were only two single parents in the bunch. Most of them were sympathetic and offered words of wisdom here and there, but Raina quickly realized she had a long road ahead of her if she didn’t have Spencer Davis to help her. She just hoped he wouldn’t hate her too much, but she didn’t have any choice. She had to know the truth.

* * *

“Spencer, Chad Gray is on the phone,” Mona told him on Monday morning.

“Did he say what it was in regards to?” Spencer pressed the intercom button down.

“No, but if you’d like me to twenty-question him, I can,” she replied in her usual Mona-like manner.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll take it.” Spencer reached for the receiver. “Chad, what can I do for you?”

“Well, as your lawyer I was served with a request for you to submit to a paternity test.”

“What!” Spencer sat up in his ergonomic executive chair. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Why don’t you tell me?”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Spencer replied. He’d always been an advocate for safe sex. Even if a woman claimed she was on the pill, he didn’t care; he still put on a condom. Always. He wasn’t going to take the chance of becoming a father before he was ready.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes,” Spencer stated emphatically. “Matter of fact, I’ve been celibate of late.”

“Well this is going back seven years,” his attorney replied.

Spencer became silent. Seven years ago, he’d been knee-deep into partying and alcohol. Although he always stressed safe sex, was it possible that one time he could have slipped? “Who is she?”

“Does the name Alexa Martin ring a bell?”

Spencer’s mind wandered, trying to recall his heyday of partying in the clubs with Ty and Cameron. The memories were fuzzy, but the name sounded oddly familiar.

“What does she want?”

“It’s more like what her sister wants.”

“Why would her sister care about paternity?”

“Because Alexa Martin passed away and her sister, Raina, has guardianship of her daughter, Zoe Martin.”

Raina. It couldn’t be his Raina, could it? “What’s the sister’s name again?” But even as he asked the question, Spencer knew the answer. It was as if someone had just punched him in the gut.

“Raina Martin. She’s petitioning you to submit to a paternity test on behalf of her niece.”

Spencer’s heart sank. Raina. The first woman in years that he’d been attracted to, the first woman in a long, long time that he’d thought didn’t have an ulterior motive in meeting him. He’d been wrong.

Raina Martin had connived her way into catering a party that she knew he would attend. For what? What had she hoped to gain? Had she been looking to see if she could have the same chance with him her sister might have had? If so, she’d sure played it close to the vest, acting all sweet and innocent. She’d really duped him.

“Well, the name Alexa Martin doesn’t ring any bells. I don’t recall having sex with her.”

“That’s all fine and good, but you don’t want to push this, Spencer. It could get real ugly if she decides to take her story to the press. She could do a real smear campaign on you. I did some research and Alexa recently died of cancer. Beating up on her grieving sister whose only trying to take care of her niece would shine a negative light on you, especially when your agency is taking off.”

“So she’s a do-gooder?” Spencer asked bitterly, upset with himself for liking the fact that she was raising her sister’s kid.

“If you want to call it that. Quite frankly, you can put this whole matter to rest by taking the paternity test and ruling yourself out.”

“That sounds reasonable enough, Chad, but what if I am the girl’s father?” Spencer inquired. “What then?”

“Then you’d better be ready to pay up. Raina Martin is requesting child support and is open to visitation rights.”

“Visitation rights?” Spencer said. “If I’m the father, why would I leave my child to be raised by someone other than me?”

“You’re right. The courts do prefer to leave a child with the birth parents, but you didn’t even know she existed. And listen, at this point, this is all purely conjecture. You need to take the test.”

“I’ll give it some thought,” Spencer said and quickly hung up the phone. But he was going to do more than give it some thought. He was going to find Raina Martin and give her a piece of his mind for her deceptive ways. Allyson had given him Raina’s business card and he was about the pay the lady a visit.

She may not be a gold digger, but she wasn’t a saint, either. Why else would she have catered the very same party he was attending? There was more to the story and he intended to find out what.

* * *

“I think we have some really good ideas for the Hudsons’ dinner party in South Beach,” Raina told Summer as they sat down at the kitchen counter, writing out the menu for their next event later in the week.

“Yeah, yeah,” Summer said. “So when are we finally going to talk about what’s really on your mind?”

“What do you mean?” Raina’s brow furrowed.

“Spencer Davis ring a bell?”

Raina rolled her eyes upward. “Do we have to?” She was doing her best to avoid thinking about the sexy former basketball star. But he’d never been far from her thoughts. The other night, she’d had an erotic dream about making love to him. Raina knew a man like Spencer would know how to please a woman until her toes curled.

“Yes, we do,” Summer said, swinging her bar stool closer to Raina until she was inches away. “You can’t deny how affected you were. I haven’t seen you blush like that ever. You were a nervous wreck.”

“That’s the problem,” Raina replied. “It should have never happened. I should have kept my distance.”

“How would we know he’d be at a charity event for Parkinson’s Research?”

“I doubt he’ll see it like that. He’ll probably think I had an ulterior motive.”

“For what? To meet the man that might be your niece’s father. Oh, the horror!” Summer grasped her chest in mock terror. “You didn’t do anything wrong. And if I recall, he kept coming back for more of your decadent delights.”

Raina laughed at the innuendo. “Well, our food is the best!” She smiled at her best friend. “But right now he’s getting served by my attorney, so I doubt he’ll want to get to know me any further.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” a masculine voice said from behind Raina. “In fact I’d like to know exactly why you think I’m your niece’s father.”

Raina’s breath hitched and her skin colored to crimson. She looked to her best friend with pleading eyes, but Summer’s eyes were large with alarm and she just shrugged her shoulders.

Reluctantly, Raina spun around on her stool to face Spencer Davis.


Chapter 3

“Raina Martin,” Spencer said her name with a smile rather than the indignation Raina had expected.

“How did you find me?” Raina asked, her throat parched.

“You’re not the only one who can locate people,” Spencer replied. “You’ve made quite a reputation for yourself.”

Raina frowned.

“In a good way.” Spencer held up her business card. “Allyson gave me your card when I asked her for your info after such delicious canapés.”

“Y-you sought me out?”

His dark eyes watched hers from across the room as he walked farther into the kitchen, filling the small space that housed stainless steel refrigerators, commercial stoves and an abundance of pots, pans and cutlery. She knew she must have looked a wreck wearing a stained chef’s coat and jeans with her hair in a ponytail.

“Does that surprise you?” he asked, raising a brow. “I did ask you on a date and you turned me down. And I don’t take no for an answer. But then imagine my surprise when my attorney is served with paternity papers on the very same day I planned on contacting you.”

“Umm...I—I’m just going to go to the store for some supplies,” Summer said, pointing to the back door. Neither Raina nor Spencer turned to watch her grab her hobo purse and keys from a nearby hook and scurry out the door.

Raina swallowed the lump in her throat. “That must have come as quite a shock.”

“Yes, it was. It was very disappointing.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I thought you didn’t have an ulterior motive like most women who meet successful athletes...former athletes.”

“But you think I have one now?”

“Perhaps.”

“And what would it be?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“Well, you’d be wrong. I don’t have one,” Raina replied, standing up to face him. When she did, Spencer towered over her and she was slightly awestruck.

“Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

“It was hardly the appropriate time or moment to tell you that I thought you’d slept with my sister and had fathered her child. Might have been in poor taste, don’t you think?”

Spencer smirked. “Touché. But that begs the question—what do you want from me, Raina Martin?”

“It’s quite simple. DNA,” Raina replied honestly. “I need to know if you’re Zoe’s father. And if you are, then I’m looking for help raising your daughter. I never thought I’d be a single parent. Wasn’t my heart’s desire, you know? I...I never thought my twin would die.” Raina’s voice cracked. “B-But it was my sister’s last wish that I take care of Zoe, and I’m doing what I think is best for her. She needs a father.”

“And financial support?”

“Do you honestly think that all I’m after is your money?”

Spencer knew she wasn’t, but he said, “I don’t know. Most women are.”

“Well, I’m not most women.”

That’s what he’d known the other night. It was why he’d sought her out. It was why the paternity wrinkle had put him in such a pickle. “And what if I’m not Zoe’s father?”

“Then I’m back to the drawing board,” Raina answered.

“And why do you think I am?”

Raina didn’t answer. Instead, she went to her purse on the hook where Summer’s had been. Where had she gone? Raina glanced around. She hadn’t even seen her leave. Had she been so engrossed in Spencer Davis that she was that oblivious? Why was he having this kind of effect on her?

“Because of this.” She pulled out the picture of Alexa and Spencer and shoved it at him.

Spencer took the photo from Raina’s hand and their fingers touched for the briefest of seconds, sending an electric current running through Raina. She looked up at Spencer to see if he’d felt it, and it seemed as if he had; his eyes darkened ever so slightly. Raina stepped away quickly.

Spencer looked down at the photograph and saw himself with a beautiful woman who looked somewhat like Raina, with similar facial fixtures, but not exactly. “So you were fraternal twins?”

Raina nodded without speaking. Losing her twin had been like losing her other half and she still could hardly talk about Alexa without getting choked up.

“Where did you get this?” Spencer inquired, holding up the photo.

“Alexa handed the picture to me before she died at the hospital.”

“And this is all the proof you have?”

“Do I need more?” Raina asked, peering at Spencer. He was looking at the photograph so intently. She was picking up on a vibe. “Do you recognize Alexa?”

Spencer nodded, “I remember kicking it with her, but that’s all. And I definitely didn’t sleep with her.”

“How would you know?” Raina said, putting her hand on her hip, “According to the press, at the time you and your crew were quite the party animals. Do you even remember who you slept with?”

Spencer frowned. “Are you implying that I’m a slut puppy?”

Raina laughed at his description. “If the shoe fits.”

“Then you’re basically calling your sister one because she would have been nothing other than another groupie trying to entrap a basketball player. She wouldn’t be the first and she certainly won’t be last.”

“How dare you!” Raina was horrified that he would speak of her deceased twin in such a fashion, and she turned away from Spencer immediately. His comment wasn’t that far from the truth. During that time, she and Alexa had lost touch because Raina hadn’t approved of Alexa’s lifestyle.

“Listen, I’m sorry, Raina.” He touched her shoulder, but she jumped away from him. “All I’m saying is that this photograph isn’t proof enough that I slept with your sister and fathered a child. All it does is prove we went out once. But then again, I wasn’t celibate back then, so I’ll agree to your paternity test just so we can squash this and move on. I know I’m not Zoe’s father.”

Raina spun around on her heels. “How can you say that with such certainty? You clearly were no angel back then. And the internet said you were known to drink to excess. How do you know who you slept with?”

“Trust me when I say that I don’t casually go to bed with a woman without protection. It’s just not safe. And further, I would think your sister would have remembered sleeping with me and might have mentioned it.”

“Because you’re that unforgettable?” Raina asked, raising a brow. She was sure he was. Her female intuition told her that once Spencer Davis made love to a woman, she would never forget it.

Spencer walked toward her, grasped a few tendrils of Raina’s hair and spun them around his finger. “Don’t you think so?” he asked huskily, leaning over her.

Raina’s breath caught in her throat and she couldn’t find the words to speak. She could feel his breath against her skin like tiny puffs of air and it was like a sensuous caress, one that she wanted to go on. But she couldn’t do this. Spencer Davis could very well have been involved with her sister and any attraction that she might feel was wrong until they found out the results of the paternity test.

On the one hand, she wanted Zoe to have a father, but on the other, she was hoping the test would be wrong. She was hoping Spencer Davis wasn’t the type of man to knock up her sister and not even realize he had a child.

“Don’t try and put the moves on me, Spencer Davis,” Raina said, stepping away from him. “I told you before that I’m not interested.”

Spencer raised an eyebrow as if he didn’t believe her. “All right.” He held up his hands. “But this isn’t over between us. The test will show you you’re wrong and I’m not the father. But just in case I’m wrong—know this, Raina Martin. If Zoe is my daughter, I will be seeking full custody.”

Raina’s mouth dropped open in shock just as Zoe came flying through the kitchen door with Raina’s mother following right behind her.

* * *

Spencer backed away from Raina. He knew she was as attracted to him as he was to her. He’d felt it, sensed it, but now wasn’t the right time to make his move. There was too much unresolved conflict between them. But once the test results showed he wasn’t Zoe’s father, he would have a chance to find out exactly what it was about Raina Martin that intrigued him so.

As the young girl came through the kitchen doors, Spencer looked at her closely. Memories of the night he’d met Alexa Martin came flooding back. And he knew who Zoe’s father was: his brother.

Spencer bent low to the ground until he was the little girl’s size so he wouldn’t scare her with his height. He peered at her, memorizing all her features. She was Cameron’s spitting image; she had his same nose, chin and big brown eyes. She was his niece. “Hi, Zoe.”

Zoe looked at Spencer and then at Raina as if to ask, “Who is this?”

Spencer assumed the older woman was Raina’s mother. She looked at her daughter questioningly. He figured she wanted to know who this strange man was who was speaking to Zoe.

“Zoe, this is...uh...my friend...Mr. Spencer,” Raina offered, tripping over her words. He was sure she didn’t know what to call him. She couldn’t very well tell Zoe he could potentially be her father.

“Mr. Spencer, I’d also like to introduce you to my mother, Mrs. Martin.” Raina’s mother raised an eyebrow. Clearly, she recognized his name and knew who he was, but she remained silent when Spencer nodded his head in greeting.

“Zoe, say hello,” Raina said in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

“You can just call me Spence,” Spencer said to Zoe. “Can you do that?”

Zoe nodded and smiled. “Hi, Spence. It’s nice to meet you.” She offered her tiny hand to him, which he shook gently. “How do you know my auntie Raina?”

Spencer looked up at Raina and smiled. “We go way back.” All of three days. “And it’s nice to meet you, too. Did you just get off from school?”

“Yes,” Zoe said and began rambling on about her day at school as if she’d known him for years. Clearly she had no fear of strangers and was quite friendly and sociable. He remembered Alexa was the same way.

Spencer humored Zoe and sat down with her after Raina had consented to milk and cookies for an after-school snack. They sat down at the small pedestal table in the back of the kitchen while Raina and her mother watched them from across the room.

“You’re awfully tall. How tall are you?” Zoe inquired, noticing how uncomfortable it was for him to sit in an average chair.

“I’m six foot four.”

“Are you a giant?” Zoe asked, dunking her cookie in the milk. “Like in the fairy tales?”

Spencer laughed heartily as he followed suit and dunked his cookie, too. “Sometimes it feels like that,” he answered honestly. Especially in the sixth grade, when he’d skyrocketed above all the other boys in his class. It had gotten better once he’d gone to high school. When he’d joined the basketball team, he’d finally found a place where he fit in.

“Did it make you sad to be different?” Zoe inquired.

Spencer was surprised by the thoughtful question from the six-year-old. What was the saying? Out of the mouths of babes...“It used to, but not anymore.”

“Zoe, stop questioning the man.” Raina came forward to break up the moment he was having with Zoe to stand directly behind him. Spencer got the vibe that it was time for him to leave and then Raina confirmed it. “Plus I think Mr. Spencer has to go, don’t you?”

Spencer turned around to look at Raina. Clearly she didn’t like the bond he was forging with Zoe. But why? She was the one who’d started down this road. He would have thought she would be encouraging it, especially since she thought he was Zoe’s father.

“Yes, I guess so.” He rose awkwardly from the small table to stand over the little girl and Raina. “Princess Zoe.” He reached for her hand, kissed it and bowed with a flourish. “I look forward to getting to know you better.”

Zoe chuckled at his grandness and said, “You’re funny, Spence.”

“Goodbye, Zoe.” Spencer turned on his heel to go. “A word, Raina?”

She must have heard the commanding tone in his voice because she followed him into the retail area of their catering shop.

“Yes?” Raina snapped, her arms folded across her chest.

Spencer was irritated by her hostile behavior. “You started this, Raina. Don’t be upset with me because I’m running with it,” he responded. “I’m trying to get to know the little girl you claim is my daughter, so a little less acrimony would be good here.”

His response knocked some of the wind out of her sails and Raina unfolded her arms and her shoulders relaxed. She blinked several times and said, “I’m sorry. It’s just that Zoe responded to you like she’d known you for years and with me...” Her voice trailed off.

“Of course she’s going to be harder on you,” Spencer said, softening his voice. “You’re in the trenches day in and day out. You’re the one she’s going to take out all her hurt and loss on.”

Raina looked up at him as if she was surprised that he could understand what she’d been going through. But isn’t that what she is looking for, someone to take the load off her with Zoe?

“It’s been hard on her, losing Alexa so young,” Raina supplied. “I’m doing my best, but it’s not easy.”

“Of course it’s difficult. Zoe may have lost her mother, but you lost your sister, your twin. That must be harder than any of the rest of us can imagine.”

Raina swallowed, and he could see her biting back her tears. He hadn’t wanted her to cry. He’d only wanted her to know that he understood and could be there. If she wanted.

“Thank you.” Raina nodded. “I think everyone seems to forget that I lost Alexa, too.”

Spencer reached across and caressed Raina’s cheek. “I understand loss.” He was still dealing with the ramifications of losing Cameron four years later. He could only imagine how much worse it would be if he’d had to contend with rearing a child after such a loss.

Raina looked up as if to ask him a question, but Spencer felt it was time to leave. He swiftly moved toward the door. “I’ll be in touch about the timing of the test. As both our attorneys stated, it’ll better if the test is done at an independent laboratory to avoid any conflict.”

Seconds later, Spencer was out the door and breathing a sigh of release. Raina Martin was quickly getting under his skin. He’d wanted to comfort her and take away the pain he knew she was feeling by spilling his guts about the loss of his brother. But he had no right to put that on Raina; it was his cross to bear and his alone.

* * *

Raina stared at the door Spencer had just departed out of. He’d been surprisingly comforting when he’d told her that she was suffering as much as Zoe. It was as if he’d looked deep inside her soul and read her mind. And it scared her.

When he’d said he knew loss, she knew it wasn’t a line. He wasn’t using it as way to get into her panties though she had no doubt that’s exactly what Spencer wanted to do. She’d known it from the moment she’d laid eyes on him at the fund-raising dinner. The fact that he’d personally come to see her today even after finding out that she’d served him with paternity papers confirmed it. Spencer Davis wanted her. The question was did she want him? And if she did, would she act on it?

“Raina.” Her mother called her name from the doorway of the kitchen. “Was that who I think it was?” she asked, coming into the retail store.

“Yes,” Raina replied, moving away from the door and walking behind the counter to find a rag to wipe off the counter. She needed to do something to try to avoid the conversation she knew her mother wanted to have. No such luck; her mother went in for the kill.

“What does he want?”

“I don’t know, Mom,” Raina replied, shrugging her shoulders as she wiped the counter.

“Don’t give me a pat answer, Raina Martin.” Crystal grabbed her by the shoulders and stopped her from working. “More importantly I want to know what was going on between you two.”

“What do you mean?” Raina asked innocently.

“Body language,” her mother offered. “That man was clearly interested in you. What kind of man would hit on the woman raising his daughter? It’s deplorable.”

“We don’t know Spencer is Zoe’s father,” Raina said, surprising herself by coming to Spencer’s defense and jerking her shoulders away.

“But Alexa said that Spencer was the one.”

“No, what she said was Spencer could help.” Raina remembered her sister’s last words very carefully because she’d replayed them in her head a million times. And since meeting Spencer, she was finding it hard to believe that in this day and age he would be so careless as to expose himself to diseases, much less pregnancy, by not practicing safe sex. Spencer struck her as a smart man.

“Yeah, well, I think it’s him. Why else would Alexa have carried that picture with her all these years?”

“Perhaps as a clue to find the real father.”

“Why are you grasping at straws here?” Her mother looked at her. “This was your idea. I thought you wanted to find Zoe’s father. If it had been up to your father and I, we would have let the matter rest and raised Zoe ourselves.”

“Well, it’s not up to you,” Raina snapped. She was aware that her parents thought her inept at the parenting thing, but Alexa had chosen her. “I’m Zoe’s guardian, and she confided in me how she wished she was like other kids with two parents. If you’d heard her and how upset she was, you would know that’s what I’m trying to give her.”

“I just hope your good intentions don’t come back and smack you in the face.” Crystal seemed unfazed by Raina’s harsh tone. “Because if he is Zoe’s father, he has rights, too, you know.”

Raina rolled her eyes. She already knew this. Spencer had made it painfully clear that should he be deemed the father, he would sue her for full custody. But Raina thought it was a bluff. What thirty-eight-year-old man wanted to be a single parent to a six-year-old little girl? Although he’d had a way with Zoe earlier, she highly doubted Spencer had been around children often, much less knew how to raise one. It’s not like you do, either, her inner voice mocked.





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