Heat Wave
By Donna Hill Niobia Bryant Zuri Day
DAFINA BOOKS
Copyright © 2011
Kensington Publishing Corp.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7582-6543-2
Contents
Summer Fever Donna Hill..........................1
One Hot Summer Niobia Bryant.....................125
Too Hot to Handle Zuri Day.......................255
Chapter One
The summer sun was setting over the crystal blue
water, casting a brilliant orange and golden glow
across the horizon. The sand glistened like iridescent
diamonds as far as the eye could see, dotted by
one- and two-story beachfront homes with Mercedes,
Lexuses, Corvettes, and BMWs parked in the
driveways.
Nina Forbes cruised along the narrow street,
checking the scattered addresses against the slip
of paper she'd taped to her dashboard. Her GPS—that
she'd named Gerty—said in its almost human
voice,
"Your destination is on the right." She slowed
her '97 Honda Accord, turned onto the driveway,
put the car in park, and stepped out. "Wow," she
said on a breath of awe; 8802 Sheepshead Bay Road
was a home straight out of the movies.
The two-story glass and chrome structure glistened
and sparkled against the waning light like a
hidden treasure in the sand. Yet, curiously enough,
with all that glass, she couldn't see inside. She walked
around to the trunk, took out her two suitcases,
and went to the front door.
Her best friend, Rita Lennox, had given her the
key along with a list of instructions for her four-week
stay. Rita's boyfriend, Drake, had arranged for
a surprise vacation to Hawaii, and Rita hadn't
wanted to give the plumb assignment of house-sitting
to anyone else. The house belonged to one
of Rita's wealthy real estate clients, who turned the
house over to Rita during the summer while he vacationed
elsewhere.
"You'll love it," she'd said. "The house is fabulous.
The beaches are gorgeous. Everything you
could want is right there, restaurants, shops ... All
you have to do is water the plants, keep an eye on
the place, and enjoy a free vacation."
"You sure it's okay with whatshisname—Carlos?"
Rita had waved her hand in dismissal and laughed.
"Carlos has so many different properties he only remembers
the Hampton beach home when I remind
him about it during vacation time."
"Well ... if you're sure." She'd held out her hand
and Rita had dropped the keys into her opened palm.
Nina drew in a breath and stuck the key in the
lock, turned the key, and pushed the door open.
"Jackpot!"
Sleek, low leather and rattan furnishing dotting
gleaming hardwood floors; chrome and glass tables,
standing lamps, and a funky chandelier were all
straight out of
Designed to Sell. The open floor layout
led from the entryway to the living room—with a
two-sided fireplace that faced the dining room on
the other side and the biggest built-in flat-screen
television she'd ever seen—then on to the massive
stainless steel and granite kitchen.
The layout allowed a clear view straight through
the entire first floor onto an indoor pool and yard
beyond, complete with a fire pit, industrial grill station,
hot tub, and an array of seating.
Nina dropped her bags and did a happy dance.
And to think she'd had second thoughts about staying
in a strange house for the summer. On her
teacher's salary and since helping her mom put her
younger sister through college, taking a summer
vacation had stopped being an option. This was
more than a dream come true, she thought as she
climbed the winding wooden staircase to the second
level, which boasted three bedrooms, three full
bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs, an exercise room,
and a small laundry at the end of the wraparound
hallway.
Nina chose the bedroom closest to the stairs. She
opened the door and stepped into heaven on earth.
The room was bathed in the soft afterglow of sunset.
One entire side of the room was glass, and she
walked over to close the floor-to-ceiling curtains
when she remembered that she could see out, but
no one could see in.
The other side had a sliding glass door that
opened onto a small balcony that faced the back of
another house a few hundred yards away. Lights
were on in the house.
Nina pushed open the door and stepped out.
The warm breeze off the ocean and the distinctive
scent of the beach and the soft sounds of music
wafted up to her.
She stepped closer to the railing and saw the
figure of a tall, slender, shirtless man walking across
the backyard deck in the house across from her. He
opened the top of his grill and was enveloped in
aromatic smoke. The mouthwatering aroma joined
the other tempting scents and Nina's stomach rumbled
in response. She hadn't eaten in hours and
she was starving.
She started to step back inside when the man
she'd seen waved and called out, "Hello."
"Hi." She waved back and wished she could
make out his features in the twilight and wondered
if he had a great face to go along with the chiseled
physique. He turned a corner and disappeared into
his house.
She wondered if that was Ian, the neighbor who
Rita said was edible if she didn't have a man of her
own. According to Rita, he only stayed at the house
occasionally, but he owned a lounge in town.
Nina stepped back inside and shut the door and,
just in case, she drew closed the cream-colored silk
drapes. She took a quick look around, then headed
downstairs in hopes of finding something to eat.
Much to her delight, the fridge was full and the
cabinets and pantry were stocked to near bursting.
She had her choice of anything from a basic salad
and deli sandwich to a full-course meal.
She found a package of grilled Italian chicken
and decided on a salad. Next to the fridge was a
smaller one that was stocked with chilled wine. She
took out a bottle of white, placed it on the tray with
a glass and her hearty bowl of salad, and went to
her room. Her room. She giggled at the thought.
This was going to be a blast.
Ian was up bright and early. Those exquisite moments
before and during sunrise were his favorite
parts of the day. It was the time when he was most
inspired to paint.
He set up his easel and paints and took a sip of
coffee. He looked at his half-completed abstract of
the lounge he owned in town. He hoped to make
some headway before it got too warm. He glanced
over at the house across from him. He'd been
back to the Hamptons for nearly three weeks in
preparation for the summer rush, and it was the
first time he'd seen signs of life from the house.
And if his eyes weren't deceiving him, a very sexy
sign of life.
He'd met Rita, who'd usually come in the summer,
and the woman on the balcony last night was not
Rita Lennox. As an artist, part of his job was to understand
fine lines, balance, and proportion. The
mystery lady on the balcony had all that in spades.
While he sipped his coffee and added new dimensions
to his painting, he realized that he'd begun
etching in the body of a woman captured among the
bold red and black squares and circles, golden trumpets,
and silver drums.
He stepped back, the image having taken him by
surprise as if the brush had a mind of its own and
had brought his dream to the canvas. He glanced
toward the balcony. When the hour was appropriate,
he'd stop by and welcome his new neighbor to
the Hamptons.
Chapter Two
Nina awoke energized and ready to take on a full
day of touring the town and walking the beach. She
couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so well
or so soundly.
Must be that pillow-topped mattress, she
mused as she stepped out onto the back deck.
She drew in a long breath of sea-washed air and
stretched. The day was magnificent. She glanced
across to her neighbor's backyard. No sign of the
handsome stranger. At the thought of him, she got
a fluttering feeling in the bottom of her stomach as
vague images began to play in her head. She'd
dreamt of him last night! Or at least someone she
imagined him to be. She frowned in concentration,
trying to recall what the dream was about. She
seemed to remember seeing and not seeing him, if
that made any sense. And she was trying to find
him in the many rooms of the house and out on
the beach. Each time she got close enough to touch
him, he would vanish.
Nina shook her head. Crazy. The front doorbell
rang. She certainly wasn't expecting anyone and no
one knew she was here except Rita. She went downstairs
to the front door.
"Yes," she called out as she approached. She
pushed aside the curtain that covered the front
window near the door. Her body jerked and heated
all at once. It was the man from her dream ... the
man from the house across the way. She was sure of
it. She stepped to the door and pulled it open.
No, this vision in front of him was definitely not
Rita Lennox. Her wild spiral hair framed a face of
dark brown sugar, with eyes as wide and luminous as
the future. The body-hugging pink T-shirt outlined
her toned body that he calculated was about ...
She tilted her head to the side. "Can I help you?"
"Yes ... I mean, hello. I'm Ian Harrison. I live
across the way." He shifted his weight from one leg
to the other. "I, uh, saw the lights on last night. I
thought Rita was about."
He had the coolest British accent and she had a
hard time concentrating on what the hell he was
saying and not on the curve of those lips or the way
his brows swept across dark, deep eyes. Rita was right.
His skin was the color of smooth Hershey chocolate.
Totally edible.
"Is she here?"
Nina blinked several times to clear her head and
vision. She ran her tongue across her bottom lip as
her eyes trailed down his carved torso. OMG.
"Is she here?" he repeated.
"Who?"
"Rita."
"Oh." She tossed her head and sputtered a nervous
laugh. "Sorry, no, she's not. Actually she's in
Hawaii."
"Hawaii. Nice."
They stared at each other.
"Didn't mean to intrude," he finally said, breaking
the trance they were both in. "I should be shoving
off."
"No! I mean, you weren't intruding. I was just
getting used to the place." She smiled and folded
her arms.
He smiled and her stomach did a little dance.
"If you need anything, I'm just across the way."
"Thanks."
He turned to leave.
"See ya," she called out.
He glanced over his shoulder. "See ya."
"Nice to meet you."
"You too."
She stood there for a moment, watching him
walk away until he turned the corner. Slowly she
closed the door. A tingling sensation began at the
bottom of her feet and inched its way up her legs,
her thighs, until it settled and stirred in her center.
Ian Harrison. Hmmm.
Ian couldn't keep his mind on what he was
doing for the rest of the day. His thoughts kept
jumping back to the woman next door. When he'd
come face-to-face with her, he'd been totally thrown
off his stride. She was a vision and he'd lost all sense
of intelligent conversation. He'd been so enthralled
by her that he'd forgotten to ask her name.
He shook his head. No point in getting all
wrapped up in thinking about her. A woman like
her was sure to have a man somewhere about. Besides,
he was only there for a few weeks and then it
was back to Barbados, where he had a life and a
business to run. Anyway, he needed to get his head
out of the clouds and go over to the lounge and
check on things. Opening night for the season was
in two days and he wanted to make sure that everything
was in order. He got his car keys and the
folder that had the information on the vendors, inventory,
and contact numbers and headed out.
Nina heard the rumble of a car engine and hurried
to the window just in time to see a black BMW
pull out from the driveway next door. She felt like
jumping in her car to see where he was heading,
but that would seriously be stalking. Then again,
she did intend to head into town. She grinned, ran
and grabbed her purse, and darted out. There were
only so many places to go and one main road leading
in and out of town.
She hopped into her Honda and pulled off.
Maybe she would "casually" bump into him in town.
Moments later she was on the main road. She tried
to peer around the two cars ahead of her to see if
she spotted his Bimmer. This was crazy, she thought
as the cars eased down the narrow roadway and
she moved behind them. She didn't see his car.
What if he'd turned off to go visit friends? Or was
driving out of town totally? She pulled up to a stop
sign. Never in her wildest dreams would she have
thought she would have stooped to trailing some
guy like in a James Bond flick. She laughed at her
own silliness. Rita wouldn't believe it. She hardly
believed it herself. It was so out of character for
her. Must be the air. That was the only logical explanation.
Nina took the turn into town. The quaint streets
hosted myriad shops and restaurants, from the sole
proprietor to well-known cafes and designer outlets.
She pulled into a parking space and got out.
Everywhere that she looked oozed class and style,
from young mothers pushing state-of-the-art
strollers to the casual jogger sporting designer running
gear to the couples and groups of friends as
they strolled, window-shopped, and sipped white
wine under the canopies of the outdoor cafes. Suddenly
she felt totally out of place in her Old Navy
T-shirt, five-year-old white shorts, and Payless sandals.
She drew in a breath. The hell with it. She was
just as good as anyone, she determined as she
walked across the street, head high and shoulders
back. The outfit didn't make the woman. Besides,
the elite Hamptonites could use a little urban
flavor. She dug in her worn shoulder bag and
pulled out her shades, slid them on, and proceeded
to blend in.
More than two hours later Nina returned to
her car laden with shopping bags filled with two
new books—
Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden and
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson—a
bathing suit, sunscreen, juices, fresh flowers, toiletries,
and two T-shirts that she paid entirely too
much money for, and she had yet to spot Ian. He
could be anywhere, she concluded before getting
in the car. Probably went to meet his girlfriend and
they were somewhere planning their long, romantic
evening together, she thought, slamming the car
door harder than necessary.
She turned on the car. It sputtered and shut off.
Her heart jumped. She tried again with the same
result. "No. Do not do this to me." She drew in a
breath. "Okay, sweetie, start for mama. Don't embarrass
us today. Okay?" She squeezed her eyes
shut, said a quick little prayer, and gently turned
the key. The engine sputtered then hummed to
life. "Thank you," she said on a breath of relief, put
the car in gear, and eased out onto the road back to
the house.
She was taking her packages out of the car when
she saw Ian's BMW easing down the street. He
stopped the car in front of the house and got out.
"Hey." He strolled over. "Need some help?"
"Umm, sure." She handed him a bag.
"I see you found your way around town."
Nina laughed and took the other packages from
the backseat, tucking one under her arm and carrying
the other. She shut the door with a shove of
her hip and started for the house.
Ian hurried around her. "Let me get the door."
"The keys are in the front pocket of my purse,"
she said, angling her head toward her bag, which
hung on her shoulder.
He stepped closer and reached into the small
pocket. He was close enough that she could smell
the clean soap-and-water scent of him ... and
something else ... all man.
Ian pulled out the keys and opened the door. He
stepped aside to let her pass. She turned to him in
the doorway. "Thanks." She set her bags down and
reached for the one he had.
Ian handed her the bag. "No problem."
"So ... how well do you know Rita?" If she could
keep him talking, she thought, then maybe she
could figure out how to get him to ask her out or in
or something.
He shrugged slightly. "Enough to say hello, chat
from time to time." He paused a beat. "How well do
you know her?"
"She's my best friend since high school."
He grinned. "Guess that's pretty well. How long
will you be staying?"
"Most of the summer."
He nodded.
"And you?"
"I own a small lounge in town. I'll be here for the
summer business. It opens for the season day after
tomorrow. You should stop by."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Heat Wave
by Donna Hill Niobia Bryant Zuri Day
Copyright © 2011 by Kensington Publishing Corp..
Excerpted by permission of DAFINA BOOKS. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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