at him. Really, really looked at him, soaking up that gorgeous face and slightly muscular body. She decided her initial assessment had been correct; it wasn’t just a trick of the light. He was beautiful.
His perfectly chiseled features defined every inch of his flawless olive skin. At first glance she’d thought he was maybe mulatto, but now she could clearly see he was of Hispanic decent. His soft brown, almond-shaped eyes were now shielded by long, thick lashes. As she visually outlined his full, pink lips, she subconsciously licked her own. Feeling bold, she stood and edged around in front of the couch to see if the muscles she remembered from earlier were real or imagined. She tiptoed closer and closer and stopped suddenly, seeing the small bundle that was cradled tightly against his chest.
All she could see above the blanket was a crop of dark curls, but there was no mistaking he was holding a baby. Her mouth fell open and she stood there in stunned silence for several minutes just…staring.
Not knowing what to think, she quietly returned to her bedroom and crawled back between the cool covers. She lay there for a long while before beginning to feel sleepy again. She had had enough surprises in this one night to last a lifetime.
Amber had always considered herself the more adventurous and daring member of her family, a title which up until now she’d worn proudly. She knew that after this night she would definitely have to reconsider her opinions on the matter.
Amber awoke to the wonderful smell of bacon the next morning. She turned over in the comfortable bed, surprised by how well she’d slept in it. Normally, she did not fare well in strange beds.
She lay staring at the white ceiling overhead, trying to get her bearing on her surroundings. Slowly, she sat up in the bed, holding the covers close to her chest.
Because she had torn out of Dashuan’s penthouse so quickly, she’d left her luggage in one of the guest bedrooms. All she had to sleep in was the negligee she bought during her shopping spree for their special night.
She huffed to herself, deciding that the three hundred dollars she’d spent on it had been a big, fat waste of money.
“Could’ve spent that on the cost of a ticket home,” she muttered, turning to put her feet on the floor.
She stretched and yawned as her feet sunk into the plush carpeting. She heard a low voice talking, and the image of Paul Gutierrez instantly came to mind. Luther’s friend, and now her personal hero.
She remembered what she’d seen last night, and the desire to solve that mystery brought her to her feet. She quickly slipped back into the slacks and blouse of the previous day. She pulled her hair back and finger-brushed it, finishing it up with a loose, french braid that fell midway down her back.
She started to leave the room and paused when she noticed a partially opened door on the other side of the room. Her head tilted in confusion, she crossed the room and pushed the door open.
“I’ll be damned.” She frowned, and then chuckled at her own foolishness. She’d stumbled around the large house looking for a bathroom, when there was one in the bedroom all along.
She shook her head, and started to turn away before catching her own image in the mirror. Although she was undoubtedly thrown together, she was still lovely. If Paul Gutierrez was like any other man, he would find no fault in her haphazard appearance. Well, any man except Dashuan Kennedy, she thought, and felt her confidence fading.
She headed toward the bedroom door and stopped again with a frown when she remembered that all of her personal hygiene items were in her suitcase in Dashuan’s suite. She briefly considered not going downstairs, until the wonderful smell of bacon once again filled the air.
When she reached the large kitchen, the image that greeted her was that of Paul’s broad shoulders as he leaned against the island counter in the middle of the room. He was on the phone, but speaking low. Amber paused in the doorway when she realized the conversation was about her.
“Yeah, Luther, she’s okay, just worn out, but given everything she’s been through that’s understandable.”
Amber’s mouth fell open and her heart accelerated as she imagined her worst fear. He’s telling Luther about Dashuan and Kelvin!
She came into the room, intentionally bumping into a chair at the round dining table, hoping to halt the conversation. As expected Paul turned at the sound, and their eyes locked.
Amber was surprised to see her memory had failed her. She’d remembered him as being good-looking, when he was in fact exquisite.
She smiled, but it felt strained and artificial on her face. She needed to get him off that phone, on the off chance that he had not said anything yet.
“Here’s the lady of the hour now.” Paul never took his eyes off her. “Hang on.” He extended the cordless phone receiver to her. “It’s Luther. Want to talk to him?”
Amber quickly crossed the room and took the cordless phone, covering the receiver with her hand. “Um, did you…tell him about, um…”
Paul shook his head slowly. “Just told him about what happened in the lobby, and that I brought you back here.”
Amber felt relief course through every vein in her body. She wanted to wrap her arms around Paul and thank him, but that would be pathetic.
Instead, she just nodded in acknowledgement, and took a deep breath before speaking into the phone. “Hi, Luther.”
“Amber! What the hell were you thinking running off with someone like Dashuan Kennedy? Your sisters went crazy wondering if you were okay.”
“I’m sorry. I never meant to worry anyone. Tell them I’m okay.”
Luther paused. “Are you okay?”
Amber smiled at the subdued tone. She and Luther usually went head to head, and she knew her easy surrender had caught him off guard.
“Yes.” She smiled at Paul standing nearby. “Thanks to your friend here.”
“Paul’s a good guy. I told your sisters that you were safe and sound with him. But of course, they want to hear from you themselves.”
“I know.” She turned her back to Paul just slightly, feeling tears forming in her eyes and not certain why. “I will, just…I’ll call them later.”
“When are you coming home?”
“I don’t know.”
“Amber…”
Amber felt a tear slide down her face, at the same time she felt a hand press against the small of her back as Paul lifted the receiver out of her hand. The small gesture seemed to be some kind of signal to her body, because as soon as Paul had the phone again, the tears began to run down her face in a steady stream.
“Luther, it’s still really early here, and Amber is just waking up. Let her get some breakfast and we’ll call you back.”
Amber pulled a couple of paper towels off a nearby roll and went to look out the window into the backyard. She quickly wiped her face and blew her nose. She only caught snippets of the conversation after that, but by the time she pulled herself together Paul had hung up the phone and returned
