Sisters in Bloom Read online

“I should hope so,” she said as she unlocked the door to her Explorer. “I’m pregnant, not dead. Besides, they were probably looking at you. I just needed a little ego boost.”

  Danica shook her head. “Yeah, right. When do you want to go out?”

  Kaylie climbed into the driver’s seat. “The sooner the better. I need to figure out my life before the baby comes.”

  Danica twisted her keys in her hands. “You don’t really worry about your looks, do you?”

  She saw the concern in Danica’s eyes, and Kaylie knew that if she told her the truth—Only every second of every day, and when I add the guilt about not seeing Mom and my careening career, well, sometimes I just want to pitch a fit—that she’d get one of Danica’s lectures about having pride in herself for more than just her looks. Better to keep her worry to herself. “Nah, I was just making small talk. Let me know what night works for everyone. Even tonight is fine.”

  Kaylie stopped in the Village on her way home to buy a few items for the baby’s room. By the time she headed home, she was already in better spirits.

  Chapter Three

  Chaz sat in his home office with his back to the picture window that overlooked the west side of their property. The telephone receiver was pressed to his ear.

  “We can’t lose her. She’s the biggest sponsor of the festival,” Chaz said to Max Armstrong, the sponsor coordinator for the film festival. She knew just how important sponsors were for the annual event, and that Chaz would bend over backward to make sure the festival—which his father had created from nothing more than an idea and a movie screen hanging on the back of City Hall, and which Chaz had grown to almost thirty thousand attendees—was a success. Chaz owned a third of the business. His father had had two partners who split the remaining two-thirds ownership, but they remained uninvolved with day-to-day operations, which suited Chaz just fine.

  The festival took place over a two-day period, claiming five theaters, several food venues, and too many vendors to count. In the early years, the festival had just scraped by, with every penny accounted for; but in recent years, they’d had enough returning sponsors to more than cover their expenses. Losing Lea Carmichael, their largest sponsor, just weeks before the event, would send them into the red, and Chaz wasn’t sure they had enough time to find other sponsors.

  When Max first told Chaz that Lea Carmichael had sponsored their festival again this year, his initial response had been to decline the sponsorship, no matter what it cost the festival. They’d shared a couple of days of hot and heavy sex during the festival two years ago, which she’d tried to turn into something more. Old flames and new fiancées don’t blend well. But in the past three weeks, they’d lost three major sponsors to the Little Rock Film Festival—The next big thing, or so everyone thought.

  He thought briefly about his trust fund, sitting idly by, untouched. He wouldn’t go there. He couldn’t go there. His mind flashed to Kaylie, and he reminded himself that as far as she was concerned, the trust fund didn’t exist. But then again, neither does Lea. Chaz was ashamed of his tryst with Lea. It was the only time he’d cast his traditional beliefs aside and allowed himself to spend more time in bed with a woman than he’d spent manning his responsibilities. He’d seen the way Max had looked at him that weekend, like her respect for him had come down a notch, and he’d seen it in his own eyes in the weeks afterward. He hadn’t told Kaylie about her so that she wouldn’t worry about him every year at the festival, but he’d also been sheltering his ego, and his guilt, over letting his father’s memory down. It didn’t matter if Kaylie had been promiscuous before meeting Chaz. He only evaluated himself against his higher than average standards, and the bar had been made clear by his father when Chaz was young. Telling Kaylie would mean accepting his own guilt about disappointing his father, and that was not something Chaz was eager to do.

  “Listen, Max, what does she want? We can’t afford to lose her funding.”

  “I don’t know, Chaz. You know her. She’s off-putting and bitchy, and she doesn’t give up what she really wants. She hints and…and teases.” Max sighed, frustrated.

  “I know. Lea Carmichael gets what Lea Carmichael wants, but only after ample torturing of her prey. What have you offered her?” Chaz knew from experience that bargaining with Lea was like jumping into a lion’s den. He wished he’d never gotten involved with her. But she’d been so damned aggressive—and worth every sinfully sexy second in bed. The way she teased him with her gorgeous chocolate eyes had lulled him right in—that, and the tequila. They’d been a fast-and-furious item during the event that year, but in the span of two short days, she’d tried to take over his life, determining how he do business with other sponsors and planning his move to LA, because she was too entrenched with the elite to give up her station in life. As if his career were indispensable. Even the thought of her made him sick—but they needed the sponsorship, and Chaz wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

  “Everything. She’s got fifty passes, mentions in the preevent ceremonies, mentions in the after-parties, and all the regular stuff—a booth, top billing on the print media. I don’t know what else to give her.”

  Chaz ran his hand through his hair. He had an idea of what she wanted, and it wasn’t something he was inclined to give. “I’ll go see her. I’m going to LA next week anyway for the meeting with the technical team. What’s another few hours?”

  “Chaz.”

  He heard the warning in her voice. “Look, are there other sponsors we can tap into?”

  “Not really. I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

  “Then I can deal with it, Max.”

  “It’s been getting worse each year. You need to tell her that you’re not going to fall back into the sack with her, and let her sponsorship go. And, by the way, while you ponder your very tenuous situation, remember Kaylie? That sweet, beautiful woman you’re engaged to? You know, the pregnant one? How will she feel about you traipsing off to woo Lea into submission, especially after your history?”

  Her words cut Chaz to the core. Lea was a strong woman, with manipulation skills that rivaled the most noteworthy criminals, not to mention those Carmichael legs that weakened even the strongest of men. After he’d ended their brief affair, she’d pleaded with him to come back to her with sexy emails and cell phone photos that even Chaz felt dirty looking at. He needed a shower just thinking of them. When her first attempt didn’t work, she’d spent the next few weeks lashing out with venom so spiteful he knew he’d dodged a bullet.

  He hadn’t been looking for a relationship then—and Lea was a man-eating snake of the most dangerous kind, one he had no intention of wrestling with for the rest of his life. And then he’d met Kaylie, and he knew the moment he’d met her that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was everything Lea was not. Kaylie was sexy in an adorable, wholesome way. She was smart, and kind, and the last thing she wanted was to control him. Kaylie had her own life—and she’d been quite the player when they’d met. Chaz could tell, even then, that Kaylie’s issues with commitment stemmed from her father’s leaving. It became clear early on how perfect he and Kaylie were for each other. His own father had pulled the same shit, and while Chaz had initially handled things very much like Kaylie had, he’d confronted his father early on and learned about his world of living with his cold-hearted mother. The very mother whom Chaz had been protecting. And now that his father had passed, he was glad he’d made amends.

  Kaylie was like a hard-boiled egg. She was tough on the outside, rolling away before she could fall off the table and crack, exposing her vulnerable heart. He wanted nothing more than to love her, and help her peel away that rough layer, so that he could nurture the sensitive, caring woman he had still only caught glimpses of.

  He was secure in his relationship with Kaylie. All he had to do was convince Lea to back off, while somehow keeping her sponsorship.

  “Make the arrangements. I’ll go.” Chaz hung up the phone and wondered
what the hell he’d gotten himself into.

  Chapter Four

  After lunch with Kaylie and her mother, Danica stopped by AcroSki to see Blake. The store was busy, and she found Alyssa Brown restocking the shelves of sunscreen. Alyssa had been a lifesaver for Blake after his friend and business partner, Dave, had died in a skiing accident. She’d worked for them part time for two years and, after the accident, she’d increased her hours to full time, taking over much of the administrative work that Dave had taken care of.

  Alyssa called to her as she lined up bottles on the shelf. “Hey, Danica. Blake’s in the office.” Alyssa set two bottles down and then said, “Michelle just stopped by. She’s in the back looking at shorts.”

  Danica had been Michelle Parce’s Big Sister through the Big Sister Program for much of the previous year while Michelle’s mother was in rehab and Michelle was living with her grandmother Nola. Now that Michelle was living with her mother again, they no longer had scheduled time together through the program, but Michelle worked part time at No Limitz, so they remained close. Recently, Alyssa had taken Michelle under her wing and for that Danica would always be grateful. Michelle needed someone to look up to who was closer to her own age.

  “I’ll go say hello.”

  Danica found Michelle fingering through a rack of shorts that were shorter than anything she ever would have had the confidence to wear when Danica first met her. She was glad to see the changes in Michelle’s sense of self.

  “Hey there, sweetie,” Danica said.

  “Danica!” Michelle hugged her. “Are you here to see Blake?”

  “Yeah. Shopping?”

  Michelle shrugged. “I really just came to hang out with Alyssa, but they’re so busy that I didn’t want to bug her.”

  Alyssa was a good influence on Michelle, and at twenty-two, she was past the teenage angst that Michelle was thoroughly entrenched in.

  “I’m sure it’ll slow down soon. Do you need a ride anywhere?” Danica asked.

  “No, I’m good. I’m just gonna hang out here for a while.”

  “Okay. I gotta catch up with Blake and then head back to the center.” She affectionately touched Michelle’s arm before heading back to find Blake.

  As Danica neared his office, memories of Blake’s quickies in the store bathroom came rushing back, giving her a moment’s hesitation. She and Blake had been dating for months, and she’d finally learned to leave her therapist thought process behind and allow herself to be happy without scrutinizing the motivation behind Blake’s every word. It had been a struggle, pushing away the whys and hows of it all, but she was proud of herself for making the transition. Blake had made it easy. He’d been honest with her about his history of sordid, player ways; and though she didn’t have the same trail of conquests as he did, everyone had a past. So they agreed to leave it all behind. She took a moment now to remind herself that she, too, had a past.

  As she reached for the knob, the door swung open, and Blake stepped out. “Hey, babe. I didn’t know you were here.”

  His two-day stubble and thick dark hair still had a knee-weakening effect on her. She flushed, feeling like a teenager in heat. He leaned in to kiss her, pushing her gently back against the door as his tongue taunted and teased in ways that made her head spin. When he withdrew his lips from hers, she swallowed hard, embarrassed by the way her body instantly responded to him.

  “It’s good to see you’re not sick of my kisses yet,” Blake joked.

  “I’m not sure I could ever get sick of your kisses.”

  “Good. Then move in with me.” The yellow in Blake’s eyes shimmered against the green. He’d been after Danica for the past two months to move in with him, but although she was crazy, sickeningly in love with him, something held her back. She wasn’t quite ready to give up all that she’d accomplished just yet—and owning her own condo offered a modicum of security.

  “Oh.” She pushed her lower lip out. “Don’t ruin a great kiss with that pressure, please?”

  He turned to walk away and she grabbed the back of his belt. “Oh no, you don’t. Come back here.”

  He smiled and moved in close. “You want more?” He planted gentle kisses on her cheeks.

  “I need to talk to you.” She was distracted by his kisses. Every nerve in her body called out for him. She spotted Alyssa heading over, and she pushed him gently away. “About Kaylie.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s okay. She’s just not herself. She’s…” Danica searched for the right word. “Unhappy.”

  “Chaz? What did he do? I really like Chaz, but if you want me to go have a talk with him, I will.” Blake stood up tall, and Danica loved how he’d come to her sister’s defense in a heartbeat.

  “No, it’s nothing like that. She just feels fat and unattractive. She’s not getting any singing gigs, and I think she just needs some attention. I’m hoping the baby shower will settle her nerves, but since that’s two weeks away, I was thinking of planning a girls’ night out, maybe have all the girls crash at my place.” I hope that’s all she needs. “Would you mind taking Chaz out that night? Maybe for some guy time? Just to make sure things are okay on his end?”

  Blake shrugged. “Sure. But you know how he’s crazy busy this time of year, getting ready for the festival. The guy’s never without a phone to his ear.”

  That was probably another thing that was feeding into Kaylie’s insecurities. She wasn’t getting enough attention, and a princess like Kaylie was used to being the center of attention. Danica had another idea. “Maybe I should have her sing at the center’s teen night?” Her eyes lit up. “Hey, that might make all the difference in the world.” She stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips. “Thank you! You’ll set it up with Chaz?” Danica didn’t wait for Blake’s answer. She was already heading for the exit. She had a lot of rearranging to do if Kaylie was going to sing at the event. It would be the perfect setting—an informal teen dance, with no alcohol involved, and outside, giving everyone space to gather without feeling crammed. She’d have to think about it a little more, see if Kaylie was really up to it.

  Blake called out to her, “Love you, too.”

  She turned back and blew him a kiss.

  By the time Danica got home that evening, she was exhausted. She’d laid out the plans for the event, and in the end, decided to wait to invite Kaylie to sing. She wanted to be sure that it wouldn’t end up overwhelming her. Her sister’s moods were a bit tenuous with all those raging pregnancy hormones.

  She spent so many nights at Blake’s place that when she opened the door to her condo, she felt the lack of her lover’s presence like a missing limb. She dropped her purse by the front door and went to the refrigerator to see if she should throw away any food that had gone bad in the last few days. Besides a few pieces of fruit, a head of wilted lettuce, a few yogurts, and a number of condiments, there wasn’t much in there. Why did I even bother to come home tonight? She’d thought she should check on her place, for no other reason than it had been a while since she’d stayed there. Now it seemed almost silly.

  She dug her phone out of her purse to call Blake, then had an idea and put the phone away. She knew one surefire way to take her mind off both Kaylie and the No Limitz event. There’s nothing like a little spontaneity. Danica took the stairs two at a time to her bedroom. Her heart thundered in her chest at the thought of what she was about to do. As she dug through her drawers, looking for the laciest panties and cami she owned, she realized how Blake had brought out the deliciously naughty side of her—and she liked it.

  She took a warm shower, carefully shaved her legs and manicured her other private regions, and then took extra care drying her dark mop of unruly curls. She put on makeup, heavily layered on her eyes to create a seductive look, which she didn’t quite pull off. I look like I have raccoon eyes. She wiped off some of the eyeliner and when she was satisfied with her sultry look, she removed the towel that was wrapped around her. She put scented lotion
all over her body, from her fingers all the way down to her toes.

  She put on her panties and cami, found her fuck-me heels, and then carried them downstairs. She was glad she’d gone on the pill, because she was in the mood to seduce her man, and the last thing she wanted was to have to pause for him to put on a condom. If she had her way tonight, he wouldn’t be able to think straight.

  She pulled on her thigh-length black coat, tied the belt around her waist, and then slipped into her heels. She took one last look in the mirror and thought she looked pretty damned good.

  It didn’t occur to her that she didn’t really know how to seduce Blake until he couldn’t think straight until she was already at his condo.

  Guess I’m winging it.

  She hadn’t called to tell him she was coming. She let herself in and found him fast asleep in the bedroom wearing nothing but a pair of Levis. Poor thing. He’d been working so hard.

  Danica stood dumbfounded for a moment. She was wearing a jacket. It was part of the whole sexy getup. How could she climb on top and tease him if she was wearing a jacket? But if she took it off, he’d miss what she’d done for him. She was contemplating her next move when she felt Blake’s toes rubbing against her inner thigh.

  “You’re awake?” she said, as if she were telling a secret.

  He sat up and ran his hands up her thighs to her ass. “I have spidey senses when it comes to being around beautiful women,” he teased.

  “Darn it.” She frowned. “I was going to seduce you.”

  He ran his eyes up and down her outfit. “I like the sound of this. Look at you. Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?” He reached for the belt on her jacket.

  “I’m still gonna seduce you,” she promised.

  “Oh, I bet you are.” He opened her coat and stood in front of her. “Danica,” he whispered as he looked at her with so much heat she had to remind herself that she wanted to seduce him and she couldn’t just rip his clothes off.