A Family Reunion (9 page)

Following the instructions of the
FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT
sign, Alexia buckled up as she settled comfortably in the seat of the large jet bound for Atlanta. Once there she would get a rental car, preferring to drive into Macon instead of transferring flights to a smaller plane. She was about to close her eyes to relax when she happened to notice the last passenger boarding the plane. She blinked.

Quinn “Drop-Dead-Gorgeous” Masters!

Alexia watched as he glanced down at his ticket, then looked over in her direction. She knew the exact moment he saw her. He blinked, surprised. Then he stood starkly still as their gazes connected. His eyes tilted higher in a silent acknowledgment, and his lips parted in a smile that showed perfect white teeth. He began moving down the aisle, and she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps the empty seat next to her in the first-class section belonged to him.

It did.

“Ms. Bennett.” His low-pitched voice was smooth as silk, and the velvety soft sound of it made a strange warm feeling wash over her.

“Mr. Masters,” she responded with a smile that was appropriate, knowing she had to be careful, really careful, with this particular man. She thought about holding her hand out to him in a form of greeting, since this was the first time she’d seen him since they’d met three months ago. But then she remembered that day and the length of time it had taken him to release her hand and the feelings his touch had evoked, and thought better of it.

“Excuse me, sir, but you need to take your seat for takeoff,” a flight attendant came by and said.

“Certainly,” was his response, and Alexia watched as he placed his carry-on in the compartment overhead before settling in the seat next to her. He snapped his seat belt in place. His smile, the one Alexia thought had enough sensual power to make a nun question her vow of celibacy, was turned on her again. It caused a hot sensation to move through every lower part of her body before coming to rest dead center between her legs.

“So, where are you headed, Ms. Bennett?”

Straight toward an orgasm if you continue to look at me like that,
Alexia thought as she shifted in her seat and tightened her thighs together. She cleared her throat. “Please call me Alexia,” she said softly, noticing his mouth. He had very nice lips. “I’m on my way to Macon, Georgia, for a family reunion. I’m picking up a rental car in Atlanta and driving the rest of the way. And you?”

“Home to Savannah for my sister’s wedding.”

“You’re from Georgia?” she asked, looking at him with surprise. There wasn’t a hint of a southern accent in his voice. She’d assumed when she met him that he was from the West Coast.

“Yes. I was born and raised in Savannah. I still have a lot of family there, although I haven’t lived there since leaving home for college over eighteen years ago. I was seventeen at the time and had gotten a scholarship to attend UCLA. Once I got to California I quickly decided I liked the Pacific Ocean better than the Atlantic and made California my permanent home.”

Alexia did quick calculations in her head. If he left home at seventeen and that was eighteen years ago, it meant he was now thirty-five. “Any regrets on leaving?”

“None whatsoever. There were seven of us and we’re scattered all across the United States. It gives my mother a reason to travel when she comes to visit each of us.”

Alexia nodded. Then, careful in her approach, she asked casually, “And your father?”

Quinn Masters continued to smile as he met her gaze. “I never knew my father. He died a month before my twin sister and I were born.”

Alexia raised a brow. “You’re a twin?”

“Yes. My sister, the one getting married, is my twin. I’m the oldest by six minutes. She and I are the youngest of the Masters siblings.”

“Excuse me,” a flight attendant interrupted them. “Would either of you like something to drink?”

He looked up and flashed a smile to the attendant before ordering a beer. He then turned to Alexia. “What would you like?” he asked, leaning slightly closer to her.

Hmm…that’s a loaded question,
Alexia thought, meeting his gaze. Up close, in addition to his nice lips, she noticed that he had a nice set of eyes. They were slightly slanted, something she hadn’t really zeroed in on before. “I’ll take a Diet Pepsi. Since I’ll be driving for an hour after this plane lands, I want to stay away from alcoholic beverages.”

Quinn nodded and then gave the flight attendant Alexia’s order. When they were alone once again he settled back in his seat and began studying her.

“What?” she asked moments later when he’d said nothing but had continued to watch her.

His expression was that of a rueful grin. “I was just remembering an article I read in
People
magazine a few months back about you. The article named you as one of the fifty most beautiful people in the world, and I happen to think the magazine was right on target. You are beautiful, Alexia.”

The reaction of her body to his words was immediate, automatic. She felt the unwinding in her abdomen heat up and move down to settle in her lower extremities once again. This man was doing crazy things to her body parts. “I’m flattered that you would think so, Mr. Masters,” she said softly. She couldn’t remember the last time a man’s opinion of her, other than her father’s and grandfather’s, had meant anything to her.

“If I’m to call you Alexia, then you’ll have to call me Quinn. Agreed?”

She smiled. “Agreed, Quinn.”

The delivery of their drinks saved either of them from having to make any further comments for a while. It definitely gave Alexia a few minutes to think. She couldn’t help wondering just what there was about Quinn Masters that somehow pushed all of her buttons. In her brief conversation with him she was able to pick up on his confidence as a black man, his humor, and his intelligence. She had picked up on his sexiness the first day she’d seen him. He was definitely cover model stuff, but then at the same time she sensed that he could be a very strong, domineering type male.

She sighed. And that was the problem. She didn’t need a strong, domineering type male in her life. So why was she attracted to Quinn Masters?

“So are you from Macon, Alexia?”

After taking a sip of her Pepsi, she tilted her head back and looked at him. “Yes. I left there twelve years ago at eighteen to attend Tuskegee University in Alabama. Body and Soul was actually formed on campus when the three of us, me, Chloe, and Mia, were in our junior year of college. We had worked different gigs on weekends to earn extra money. It wasn’t until the beginning of our senior year that we signed a contract for our first single.”

“And the rest is history.”

“Yes, I suppose. I’m bracing myself for when the announcement is made that I’ll be leaving the group. So far things have been hush-hush.” Alexia watched as he nodded. She was certain that as Abbott Bodie’s attorney he had been aware that she would be going solo. “You don’t think Raisa Forbes will try to cause problems when she finds out, do you?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about that. Let me and Abbott handle any problems Raisa Forbes may want to make.”

Alexia took another sip of her soda. “I’ll be glad to do that. The word is out in LA that you’re a pretty damn good attorney.”

Quinn’s initial response was a rueful chuckle. “There’s nothing like having a beautiful, sexy woman stroke a man’s ego,” he whispered in a voice filled with vibrant undercurrents.

She looked at his broad shoulders and thought that her head would fit perfectly in the hollow between his shoulder and neck. Probably just as perfectly as her body would fit between his firm, warm, pulsing thighs. She felt the peaks of her breasts grow to pebble hardness with those thoughts.

“Do you know what I think, Alexia Bennett?” he asked in that same voice she found to be extraordinarily sexy.

Hopefully not the same thing I was just thinking.
“No. What do you think, Quinn Masters?” she asked, pulling her thighs together even tighter when she felt a deep throb return there.

“I think this five-hour trip to Atlanta with you as my flight companion will be the best I’ve had in a long time.”

Alexia’s mind began reeling with all kinds of delicious illicit thoughts. She knew he would be the best of anything she’d ever had in a long time. She was intrigued as well as cautious.

“May I ask you something, Quinn?”

“You have my permission to ask me anything.”

“OK then.” She leaned closer. “What’s a nice brother like you doing still single?”

Grinning, he took a sip of his beer. “Waiting for a nice sistah like you to show interest.”

Alexia couldn’t help but throw her head back and laugh. The last thing this man had to wait on was some sistah showing interest. A woman would have to be half-dead not to notice him and want a piece of him.

She shook her head. She was doing it again…falling under Quinn’s spell when she knew the best thing was to keep her distance. But for some reason she enjoyed flirting with him.

“Will you be in a rush to get to Macon when we get to Atlanta, Alexia?” he asked with a voice that was simmering in sensuality and was doing all sorts of things to her mind and her good sense.

She met his gaze over her cup of Pepsi. “Why?”

“I’m going to have a three-hour layover before my plane leaves for Savannah. I thought you could join me for dinner somewhere.”

Say no, girl. Don’t let this man start messing with your mind or your good sense. He is not your type.
But then another part of her mind said,
Girl, go for it. He may be one strong brother, but you’re an even stronger sistah. You can handle him. You can handle any man who comes your way, because you’ve learned your lesson the hard way.

Smiling, she said, “Sure, Quinn. I’d love that.”

“Gee, Mom, you look beautiful.”

Taye turned away from the mirror and met her older daughter’s gaze and smiled. “Thanks, sweetie.” She looked down at the dress she was wearing to the family reunion welcome reception. It was an outfit she had purchased a few weeks ago while out shopping with Sharon. “You don’t think it’s too short?”

Sebrina cocked her head to look at her mother’s outfit. “Nope, it’s not too short. I think it looks absolutely cool on you. You have nice-looking legs, Mom; you need to show them off more.”

Taye chuckled as she raised a brow at her daughter’s comment. “Now why would I want to do something like that?”

A distinct twinkle shone in Sebrina’s eyes when she said, “To show what a beautiful woman you are.” She hesitated for a second before saying, “I think you need a boyfriend, Mom.”

Taye lifted an amused brow. “Why on earth do you think I need a boyfriend?”

Sebrina came farther into the room and sat on the bed. “Because you need to get with it, Mom. You never have fun. You don’t go anywhere and you don’t do anything. All you do is spend your time taking care of Monica and me. I don’t think you’ve been out on a date since Monica was born.”

The
kid
had that right. Taye leaned back against the dresser in the hotel room. Her daughter had just painted a very clear picture of her life. “Sebrina, I do go places. I go to work and school. My free time is limited since I usually have a lot of studying to do. And as far as my taking care of you and Monica goes, that’s what I’m supposed to do.” She walked over to where her daughter was sitting and sat next to her on the bed. “Why the concern all of a sudden?”

Sebrina shrugged before she began speaking. “Because the last time I talked to Daddy he told me he’s decided to get married.”

Taye took a deep, steadying breath and hoped the shock she felt didn’t quite reach her face. Gary had always sworn he would never marry. No woman, he’d said, would ever get him to the altar. He claimed he wasn’t the marrying kind. “Your father is getting married?”

“Yes, he’s getting married to Maureen.”

Taye looked down into her daughter’s downcast eyes. Gary had been seeing Maureen for at least two years, and whenever Sebrina returned home after spending time with her father she’d had nothing but nice things to say about the woman. “But you like Maureen, don’t you?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point, Mom.”

Taye nodded slowly. “All right then, how about if you tell me what
is
the point?”

Sebrina raised her head and met her mother’s gaze. “You are so much prettier than Maureen, Mom. And with your new haircut you can pass for Nia Long’s twin sister, and most men think she’s da bomb. I just don’t get it. I don’t understand why Dad can’t see how pretty you are and get interested in you again. He evidently liked you a lot before, since the two of you made me.”

Taye took a deep breath. How could she explain to her thirteen-year-old daughter that people who slept together didn’t always love each other? That wasn’t the way it should be, but that was the way it sometimes happened. For her it had been love; at least at the age of seventeen that’s what she’d thought at the time. For Gary, who’d been twenty-one and in his last year at college, getting her into his bed had been a game, an ego trip, and a chance to add another notch to his bedpost. What he hadn’t counted on was the condom he used being defective.

“Sebrina, whatever your father and I felt for each other back then ended a long time ago, sweetheart. The only thing we have in common now is you. We both love you very much. I’m happy that he’s finally found someone to share his life.”

“But you don’t have someone to share yours, Mom. It’s not fair that you center your life around Monica and me. What will you do when we leave home for college?”

Taye smiled. “By then I should have my college degree and will be pursuing a promising career.” She pulled her daughter to her in an affectionate embrace. “Don’t worry about me, hon; I’m fine.”

Taye sat for a long, quiet moment, hugging her daughter and convincing herself that everything she’d just told Sebrina was true and that she was fine.

Taye arrived downstairs where the festivities were to be held. She was thirty minutes early, since she had promised Cousin Agnes that she would help make sure everything was in order. Sometime later she glanced up from what she was doing and heard the sounds of people arriving, her parents among them.

“That dress is kind of short, don’t you think, Octavia? And it’s way too airish in here for those thin straps,” her mother said, frowning.

And I’m glad to see you, too, Mom,
Taye thought to herself. Her mother hadn’t bothered to say hello and already she was digging into her about what she was wearing. She always called her Octavia when she was not pleased with her about something. “This is the latest style, Mom.”

“Maybe for someone younger but not for you. You’ll be thirty-one in November.”

“Leave her alone, Otha Mae; Taye knows when her birthday is. Besides, I think she looks good in the dress.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Taye gave her father a smile of thanks for interceding in her behalf. Ever since he had joined her and the girls that night for pizza, he’d made an extra effort to speak up for her more and tried to keep her mother from riding her back about every little thing. “Where are Bryan and Darryl?” she asked.

“They’re around here somewhere,” her father answered. He glanced around the room. “Cousin Agnes has gone all-out, like she’s expecting a huge crowd. I hope she’s not disappointed.”

Taye followed his gaze. “Yeah, I hope she isn’t disappointed, too. She’s put a lot of time into all of this.”

“Where are the girls?” Otha Mae asked.

Taye met her mother’s inquiring glance. Although she hadn’t been happy about Sebrina and Monica being born out of wedlock, it was evident to all those who knew Otha Mae that she simply adored all six of her grandchildren. “They’re upstairs and will be coming down with Fayrene later. You know how it is when they get with Victoria, Lauren, and Cody. They want to stick together, since they rarely see each other.” Lauren was Darryl’s ten-year-old daughter and Cody was Bryan’s fourteen-year-old daughter.

Otha Mae nodded. “That’s how it was with you, Rae’jean, and Alexia. Everyone is wondering if Alexia is going to show up or if she thinks she’s gotten too famous to spend time with her family.”

Taye couldn’t help but smile. “Alexia is coming. I doubt wild horses will keep her away.”

Alexia stepped out of the shower and began drying herself off with one of the thick velour towels. She figured it would take her at least an hour to get completely dressed.

Her original plan had been to arrive at the hotel before five o’clock, but because she had accepted Quinn Masters’s invitation to dinner she’d been thrown almost two hours behind. The welcome reception had officially started downstairs, and here she was just getting out of the shower. But knowing the Bennetts, she wouldn’t be the only person who would not be on time.

Luckily, when she had arrived at the hotel there had not been any familiar faces about. She had been able to register and catch the elevator up to her suite without being seen. Even after the hour’s drive to Macon from Atlanta, she’d still been too wrapped up in memories of her dinner date with Quinn to have small talk with anyone.

Walking out of the bathroom, she sat on the bed and momentarily closed her eyes as she relived the scene that still had parts of her body simmering. In a cab from the airport Quinn had taken her to a very nice restaurant in Atlanta. They had sat at a table where the lighting from the chandelier that hung overhead somehow made Quinn’s features that much more striking.

Over dinner, they had spent an hour and a half talking about various things. She could not remember the last time she had enjoyed holding a conversation with a man. Quinn shared with her stories about his childhood in Savannah and his other siblings, and she had provided him with entertaining tidbits about the Bennett family. However, even while they had been conversing she had felt his penetrating gaze on her face, especially each time his gaze had lingered on her lips. Whenever his gaze had met hers she’d been forced to remember that Quinn wasn’t her type, no matter how much she enjoyed his company and no matter how attractive she found him to be.

But still, that did not stop her from wondering how it would be to get seduced by him or, better yet, how it would be if she were to seduce him. The thought of either of those things happening had hastened her into thinking of their naked bodies, tossing about on silken bed sheets. No amount of common-sense logic could counteract the powerful physical attraction she felt for him. His warm, seductive smile had continuously thrown her senses into overload. His gaze had caressed her like an intimate touch, and her body had betrayed her time and time again by responding to it.

After dinner they had caught another cab back to the airport. He had remained with her until she had gotten the rental car, and then before she had gotten inside he had lowered his head and brushed a kiss across her cheek and said, “I hope you enjoy being with your family this weekend.”

“And I hope you enjoy being with your family as well,” she had responded in a breathless whisper. He had given her one last dazzling smile before walking back inside the airport terminal to catch his connecting flight.

Alexia reopened her eyes. There was no doubt about it: Quinn Masters was one smooth and suave brother. He was as polished as the family’s best-kept silver. “Well,” she said to herself when she stood up to begin getting dressed. “He definitely was the highlight of my day.”

As she walked to the closet to get the outfit she had planned to wear tonight, she couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever be the highlight of one of her nights as well.

She hadn’t been home in almost two years, Rae’jean thought as she stared at the door that led to the banquet room where the reception was being held. Sucking in a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. It would have been a lot easier if Grady could have been here with her tonight.
Then maybe not,
she thought. She definitely had to prepare the family for him, although she was sure that by now most of them had heard she was marrying a man outside of her race.

She continued to stare at the door that was less than ten feet away. Just beyond were probably more Bennetts than she’d been in the company of for years.

Rae’jean also knew that beyond that door were answers to questions she was determined to get regarding the man who had fathered her. Someone, she had decided, was going to loosen his or her lips and talk. She would not return to Boston without knowing the truth.

“Rae’jean?”

A deep masculine voice called her name just to the right of her. She half-turned and saw a very good-looking man standing beside a pretty teenage girl. Rae’jean blinked when recognition hit. “Michael!”

She crossed the room in quick strides and was engulfed in a huge bear hug, feeling the welcoming warmth of her cousin’s embrace.

Coming home, she thought, wasn’t so bad after all.