Lee was back in his personal hell. He was back in that horrible room where only scary shadows and darkness were his companions. The door opened again and a blinding light flooded the room. But this time instead of running, Lee called out for her.
Amara. He tossed fitfully in his bed. Amara, save me.
The bright light dimmed enough for him to see the shadow standing at the door. For some reason that shadow didn’t scare him, not like the shadows dancing on the walls or the monster he expected to come any time. If anything, seeing this new shadow eased his fear.
Amara. He knew it was her even before she started walking towards him.
The closer she edged towards him, the calmer he felt and the clearer her face became. He couldn’t exactly describe her features but she was a child like him, taller than him but just as slender, and she was black. When she knelt in front of him, he leapt into her arms.
Her embrace was like a warm cloud, enveloping him, protecting him. Her arms were reed thin yet they seemed strong enough to protect him from harm. He knew the monster was still out there beyond that door, bidding its time, yet it didn’t matter.
Amara was here.
Gradually, Lee’s tossing and writhing eased until he faded into calm slumber. When he woke up, daylight was already spilling through his drapes. As he showered, he couldn’t help wondering why his nightmare wasn’t as bad as it usually was. Was that a sign that the nightmares were winding down their torment?
Still, one word kept echoing in his thoughts. That name – Amara. No matter how hard he wracked his brain he couldn’t remember having met anyone called Amara. Where in the world had he picked that name from? A book he’d read? A movie he’d watched?
After showering and breakfast, Lee headed to the network’s headquarters. According to his agent, they wanted to discuss a new project they were working on. Lee’s schedule for the year was already booked solid, but who knew with TV. One moment you’d be happily running a show, and the next you could be canceled.
The meeting ended at around midday. The moment it did, Lee headed straight for A.J’s neighborhood. A smile lifted his lips at the thought of seeing her. He didn’t know what it was with that lady but being around her made him happier.
With his looks and personality, girls practically walked into his arms on their own. However, A.J was different. She was proving to be more of a challenge than he’d anticipated. It was already more than a month since he’d started courting her, and he still didn’t have her number.
Sure, he could’ve taken the number posted on her store’s door, but he wanted her personal number.
Before heading to her store, he stopped at his father’s store to drop off lunch for the old man. And wouldn’t you know it, A.J was in there, talking to Mason. They both turned when Lee walked into the store.
“Look what the dog dragged in.” Mason smiled at his son.
“Morning to you too,” Lee greeted, but his eyes were on A.J. It was funny how despite being dressed innocuously in a plaid shirt, skinny jeans and ankle boots, she was still the sexiest woman on the planet. “Hi, A.J.”
“Hi, Lee.” Though she didn’t smile, her eyes told him that she was pleased to see him.
In two long strides, he was standing next to her by the counter. “What are you doing here?”
“Just needed to talk to your dad.” She gestured towards Mason.
“Ah, about that,” Mason jumped in. His gaze on A.J, he said, “I’ll have to see your living room to decide what length of shelves would work best.”
“Is it okay if you check after we’ve painted the room?” she asked.
“Actually that would be best.” Mason prodded, “When are you painting?”
“Tomorrow and maybe part of Sunday,” A.J explained.
“You’re painting your house?” Lee asked.
“Yeah.” A.J nodded. “But just the living room for now. It needs an urgent reno.”
Mason cut in, “Okay. I have a few projects I need to catch up on, but I can drop by your apartment on Wednesday.”
“That would be cool. Wednesday is good because the friend I told you about will be there to show you exactly what she was talking about.” A.J’s eyebrows furrowed. “What about June’s old furniture? Her family said I could keep it, but it’s not really my style.”
“Anything made of wood I can take,” Mason offered. “Just set them outside your store tomorrow and I’ll send my boys to pick them up.”
“Does that mean you’ll give me a discount on the shelves?” A.J shot him a cheeky smile.
“Of course.” Mason grinned. “I may even end up doing them for free if they’re not too many.”
“Awesome.” A.J turned her wrist to look at her watch. “I guess I’ll head out to Ace to buy the paint and supplies then.”
“Why don’t you try Harley’s down the street instead?” Mason advised. “You’ll get more personalized attention there.”
“Yeah,” Lee chimed in. “Plus Harley’s stuff is just as good as Ace’s but not as overpriced.”
Her gaze shifting between Lee and his father, A.J asked, “And he’ll have everything I need?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Mason gestured towards Lee. “Take this hooligan with you. He’ll make sure you get everything you need and can talk Ernest into giving you a discount.”
“But he just got here,” A.J protested as her gaze settled on Lee. “He probably came to see you.”
“I can see him anytime,” Lee said, already heading towards the door. He opened it for her. “Come on.”
“I’ll see you guys later.” Mason waved them off.
Soon, Lee and A.J were strolling down the street headed for Harley’s Hardware. He asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were decorating your apartment?”
“Um… I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It didn’t come up.”
“Are you doing it on your own?” he asked as he matched his steps to hers.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve got a few friends coming over to help out.”
He hesitated before asking, “Do you mind if I come over and help too?”
“You must like painting.” A.J leveled an amused look at him. “You’re the first person who’s offered to help. I had to beg the others.”
Lee resisted the urge to correct her; he liked her, not painting. Instead, he shrugged. “I like to be different.”
A.J watched him for quite a while then smiled. He wanted to ask her what that mysterious smile was about but they got to Harley’s before he could.
As luck would have it, they were the only clients at the store, which meant they had the full attention of Ernest, the proprietor.
“Do you think this green would work for the accent wall?” Ernest pointed to a jungle green section on the paint chip he was holding.
A.J peered at the color. “It’s a little too deep.”
“So you’re looking for something a little lighter.” Ernest pointed to another section. “What about this?”
“I don’t know.” A.J frowned. “There’s something off about it.”
Lee peered over her shoulder to see the color they were talking about. Trying to act like he wasn’t aware of her shoulders brushing against his chest or how her sweet womanly scent tickled his nostrils, he made a face. “I’ll tell you what’s off about it. It looks like sick.”
“You’re right.” A.J took a better look at the color. “It does look like sick.”
“Okay, let’s see if I can find something that doesn’t look quite as sick.” Ernest said with a laugh. He bent down but came up a moment later holding several more paint chips. “Why don’t you check these out? Tell me if there’s any color in particular that has your attention.”
Heads together, Lee and A.J scanned through the colored cards. Lee was aware of how close she was, of every breath she took, of how her low voice stroked his every nerve-ending, like velvet. It took everything in him to keep his eyes on the paint chips and not on her.
Moments later, he spotted a color he thought might be what she was looking for.
“Amara.” He bumped his arm against hers to draw her attention to him.
“Yeah?” Her eyes flew to him.
“What about this?” He pointed to a soft shade of green. If he had to define it, he would say it was baby-green. “Would it work?”
A.J edged closer to him so she could see the sample better. “That looks nice, doesn’t it? It won’t overpower the cream of the other three walls.”
Lee didn’t know much about interior design so he went with her. “Yeah, I think it could work.”
While Ernest went off to find the paint, Lee and A.J circled the store picking out the other supplies she needed. First was the painter’s plastic for the floor, then tape for the areas that wouldn’t be painted green. While Lee picked up the roller trays, A.J headed off to the shelf where the brushes were.
If Lee wasn’t watching her so closely, he likely wouldn’t have noticed her rising on her tiptoes to reach for the brushes on the uppermost shelf. Without conscious thought, he strode closer to her. The moment he came up behind her, she stiffened and turned her head to shoot him a startled look. Ignoring her, he took a step forward, pressing his chest into her back, to reach upwards for the brush.
Immediate heat ricocheted through him when his body brushed against hers and a strange tightness swept through him. He was aware of every inch of her that touched him; her shoulders against his chest, her ass brushing his groin. For a moment, he couldn’t even speak because his throat had gone dry and it was hard to drag in a breath.
When he finally found his voice, he asked, “How many do you need?”
“Umm.” As if it wasn’t bad enough that her ass was riding his groin, she licked her lips, drawing his attention to them. “Six.”
“Six.” Dragging his attention from her lush lips, he grabbed several brushes. He tossed the brushes into the basket on the floor.
He should’ve moved away then, but A.J was still looking up at him, with those wide eyes and lush lips. What was a man to do? He dipped his head and pressed a soft, short kiss to her lips. When he lifted his head, he found her staring at him with eyes that seemed even wider than before. Her lips were parted as if she was struggling to catch her breath too.
Her shock was almost as delightful as that brief taste of her lips.
Resisting the urge to grin, Lee offered, “I’ll go get the buckets.”
He sauntered away from her, leaving her staring at him like he’d grown two heads.
It was only later that night as he was settling in bed that the realization hit him. While they were at Harley’s, he’d called her Amara. And she’d answered. The A in her name stood for Amara. How did he know that?
Odd. He frowned.
* * *
WHEN A.J WOKE up the next day, her lips were still tingling with the memory of Lee’s kiss. The audacity of that man! She should’ve punched him, she thought even as she touched her fingers to her smiling lips.
Though the kiss had been short, it’d left an undeniable impression. What would it feel like to get a real kiss from him? His lips had been breathtakingly firm when they’d grazed hers. Even now she could still feel their imprint on hers almost as if he’d kissed her just a second ago. Would those lips be as firm when they moved over hers? And when she dipped her tongue into his mouth, would she get a better taste of that mint that had haunted his breath?
“What’s got you thinking so hard?” Sin asked from her position on the couch.
“Nothing,” A.J quickly said.
“Doesn’t look like nothing,” Kelly, who was helping A.J strip the wall of its flowery wallpaper, said. “You were so lost you didn’t even realize I was talking to you.”
“Sorry.” A.J winced. The last thing she needed was her friends digging into her love life so she quickly changed the topic. “What were you saying?”
“I was asking if you were getting rid of that cabinet too.” Kelly pointed to an oak cabinet at the corner.
“Yeah.” A.J nodded. “Did you want it?”
“Yes, please. Spencer’s place needs a little old to balance out all the icy-cold newness.”
“Help yourself.” A.J turned to face Sin. “And you. You’re supposed to be helping out. Not Instagraming or whatever it is you’re doing right now.”
“I am helping.” Sin said without looking up from the phone. “I’m getting us more hands.”
A.J frowned. “What does that mean?”
An hour later, it was clear what Sin meant. Four men who A.J didn’t know from Adam showed up at her doorstep saying Sin had called them. Another two turned up barely fifteen minutes later. A.J suspected that Sin had called the men because she didn’t want to do any work, but she wasn’t complaining. The six extra hands more than made up for Sin’s laziness. By the time Spencer, Kelly’s fiancée, and Lee showed up, Sin’s ‘guests’ were already done hauling the furniture out to the front of the store.
As soon as A.J saw Lee her heart gave a leap. Cargo shorts had never looked so good on a man. The gray t-shirt he’d worn to accompany the shorts stroked his broad shoulders and washboard abs like an appreciative lover.
She couldn’t help smiling at him in welcome. However, when he smiled back her breath caught in her throat. How could it not when that smile held so much wickedness, boldness and danger in it?
Goodness, the man was sexy.
Her eyes on Lee, Sin sidled up to A.J. “Who is that hunka-hunk?”
“He’s… he’s…” How did one describe a guy who drove her as crazy as Lee did? A.J hedged, “He’s the son of the owner of the furniture store across the street.”
“I see, I see.” Sin bit her lip seductively as her gaze remained firmly fixed on Lee. “Well, I’mma need to get a piece of that.”
An instant protest rose to A.J’s lips. She didn’t want Sin anywhere near Lee. Why? No idea. While A.J was still wondering what the odd hot ball building up in her chest was, Sin strolled away to stand beside Lee.
“You look like you need help with that.” Sin batted her long lashes at him as she pointed to the paint he was mixing.
On any other woman all that batting would’ve looked ridiculous. On Sin it was sexy. Almost as sexy as the short shorts she was wearing and her snug t-shirt. Normally, A.J had no problem with Sin being so beautiful and flirty, but today wasn’t one of those days. It was fortunate that there were so many people in the room because were they alone, A.J would surely have snatched those eyelashes right off Sin’s eyes.
“Nah! I’m good.” Lee shrugged away Sin’s help.
“Are you sure?” Sin stood up straighter, her new pose pushing out her breasts.
“I’m sure.” Lee dismissed her without a second glance. It was enough to make A.J smile.
But Sin wasn’t one to give up easily. She insisted on taking the spot right next to Lee when they started painting the room. Unfortunately for her, she might as well have been invisible. Lee paid her zero attention and pretty soon, he crossed the room so he could paint next to A.J. A.J hid her smile.
Two hours later, they were done with the first coat of paint. Sin was the picture of frustration as she sidled up next to A.J. “What’s up with your friend?”
“My friend?” A.J asked.
“Lee,” Sin clarified. Frowning, she asked, “Is he gay?”
A.J laughed. “What would make you think that?”
“I put out my A game-” Sin shook her breasts to illustrate. “And the boy wasn’t moved.”
Right then Kelly appeared beside them. “Who’s not moved?”
“Lee,” A.J explained. “She thinks he’s gay because he didn’t fall for her flirting.”
“He didn’t fall for her flirting?” Kelly’s jaw dropped. “He’s gay.”
“See,” Sin chimed in. “Even Miss Broken Gaydar over here agrees with me.”
“He’s not gay,” A.J suggested, “Maybe he’s just not that into you?”
“Everybody’s into me,” Sin retorted.
“Wow!” Staring at her friend, A.J shook her head slowly. “Don’t you even feel embarrassed about bragging like that?”
“It’s not bragging.” Sin grinned. “It’s just the truth.”
“What she said,” Kelly agreed.
It really was the truth. Most men couldn’t resist Sin’ charms whenever she chose to unleash them. Heck, the lady had already been married three times and she was only twenty-seven.
“He’s not gay,” A.J insisted.
“You don’t know that,” Sin countered.
“I do,” A.J assured her friend.
Sin narrowed her eyes. “How?”
“How what?”
“How do you know that he’s not gay?”
“I just know.”
Kelly tilted her neck as she studied A.J “Is there something you’re not telling us?”
“Something like what?”
Kelly went straight to the point. “Do you and Mr. Tall, Dark and Sinful have a little something going on?”
“What… what?” A.J blustered. “Why would you ask something like that? That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” Kelly’s eyes glinted with amusement. “I noticed how he’s been glued to your side all morning, and when he’s not, he can’t keep his eyes off you. Even now, he’s looking at you.”
“No, he’s not,” A.J protested even as she snatched a glance at him. Sure enough Lee’s eyes were on her. He smiled when their eyes met, sending her heart leaping.
“Ah, now that makes sense.” Sin gave her a knowing look. “You’ve already taken that boy.”
“No, I haven’t,” A.J said, but her friends didn’t believe her.
Even after they went back to work, they kept sidling up to her to mercilessly tease her about Lee. A.J hated the teasing. Oh, she hated it. But what she hated even more was the mortified heat that flushed up her body whenever they brought up Lee. Fortunately, she was too dark for them to notice anything other than the cold glares she gave them.
They’d just finished applying the second coat of paint when Lee pulled her away from everyone. “Can I talk to you in private?”
“Sure?” A little nervous, she led the way to her bedroom.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Lee closed the distance between them. Immediate awareness shot through her. He was so close that their shoes were touching but it was the dark look in his eyes that held her transfixed. A.J’s heart suddenly began wildly somersaulting as she waited for him to… to… to do something.
“I’m sorry,” Lee murmured gruffly as he stared down at her.
A.J swallowed then licked her suddenly dry lips. “Sorry for what?”
“For what I’m about to do.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I have to know.”
Her breath faltered at the electric sensations that the touch of his hands left on her skin. She muttered, “Have to know what?”
“How you taste?” He lowered his head and let his warm lips cover hers.
It wasn’t a tentative kiss. It wasn’t a fleeting caress of her mouth. No, this was a real kiss. Hard, deep and very, very real. His mouth moved strongly and surely over hers, his lips parted hers and his tongue thrust in like a dagger piercing her. She gasped at the heat that immediately engulfed her.
Even if she wanted to stop him, there was no way she could. Not when he was kissing her like his life depended on it. Not when he was drinking her like the sweetest of wines. His kiss was like an open flame that rushed to engulf her and singe every thought of protest.
And she loved it.
She rose on her tiptoes, eager for more of his taste.