Do Me Baby (The Beaumont Series) Read online

  “Really? What’s up with that? What did the doctors say about your knee?”

  Inwardly, Rance groaned. He was so tired of people asking that same question. Hell if he knew.

  Their team had been up six points when Rance—also known as Dr. Dribble—stole the ball, dribbled, dunked, and came down hard on someone’s foot, tearing his ACL. He was out for the rest of the year. Since the start of the new season he’d been back, practicing and running drills when he wasn’t undergoing extensive physical therapy. He thought he was ready, both physically and mentally, but so far no one else agreed.

  “They haven’t released me yet to play,” he replied, and was sure Reese heard the frustration in his voice.

  “Damn, bro! Does that mean you’re gonna miss the rest of the Eastern Conference?”

  “Yep. It appears I’ll be watching from the bench.”

  After ten seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, this would be the first time he’d be unable to participate in the excitement. Nothing worse for a starting player than to be replaced by a younger, faster player, although he was certain Thaddeus Young would do an awesome job.

  “Damn, sorry to hear that.” His family knew how hard he had been working to rebuild his knee.

  “‘Preciate it.”

  While chatting with his brother about his therapy program, Rance’s eyes drifted over to a woman standing in front of the trunk of a silver Jetta. As he walked he took a moment to admire her perfectly round ass. She was wearing a striped sundress that stopped right above her ankles, but the form-fitting material left very little to the imagination. As she reached inside the trunk, he noticed the heavy swell of her breasts and succulent hips that were just perfect for a man to hold onto. Bending over, she was assuming the perfect position for her lover to come up from behind and latch on to her waist while pounding them both into sexual bliss.

  With a scowl, Rance forced his gaze away. The last thing he needed to be doing was fantasizing about making love to a woman. He had enough problems as it was. And another woman meant nothing but more trouble than he had the energy to handle. The sole purpose of the trip was to get some rest, away from the constant ringing of his phone, and get his head on right so he could focus on his future with the NBA.

  “Remember, it ain’t over yet. You still got time to make the playoffs. Although, man, I gotta say, Miami is out for another ring.”

  “Not if we can help it,” Rance growled. “Now that the Sixers have drafted a few new players we have more strength to the inside of the game and a better chance at winning the Eastern conference.”

  Rance was just passing the Jetta when he heard the woman groan. His head whipped to the right and he noticed her struggling to remove an oversized suitcase from her trunk.

  Women, he thought with a sigh, then headed toward her car. “Reese, I’ll holla at you on Sunday. Tell Dominique I said hello.”

  “Will do.”

  Rance ended the call and returned the phone to his waist. Without giving it a second thought, he strolled over to the shapely female. “Here, let me help you with that,” he offered.

  She jerked around and appeared almost startled by his offer. “No, I’m fine,” she insisted.

  “No you’re not.” Without hesitation, Rance reached inside and effortlessly removed the large red suitcase, lowering it onto its wheels in front of her.

  “Thank you.”

  For the first time Rance lowered his gaze, and the moment he stared down at her face he felt a surge of heat zap his chest. He couldn’t stop looking at her. Beautiful was an understatement. She had a light butterscotch complexion and the greenest eyes he had ever seen on any black woman other than Vanessa L. Williams. A round face was surrounded by long, wavy, honey-brown hair that had been swept up into a perfect ponytail, exposing the long column of her throat and the gold hoops dangling from her ears. Her lips were pouty and pink, perfect for a man’s kiss. Just thinking about leaning in and taking a sample had him stirring in his jeans.

  His eyes skimmed her shapely dress again. Love he wanted no part of, but lust was blazing hot and heavy at his loins.

  Don’t go there, he warned himself, but his imagination didn’t want to listen. Feeling frustrated, Rance forced his eyes away and stared down into her trunk, then back up at her again. “Where the hell are you going with all those bags?”

  * * *

  “Excuse me?” Drawing back, Debra blinked in surprised at the man towering over her. His outburst had caught her completely off guard. How dare he speak to her that way? Sure, he was fine as hell, but that gave him no right to talk to her like she was a child.

  “I asked why do you have so many bags for a two-day cruise?”

  Lifting her chin, she narrowed her eyes on his gaze. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I need all these things.” Ignoring him, she reached inside the trunk and removed two small totes and swung them on one shoulder, her purse on the other.

  “Need all these things for what?” he muttered with a snort. “Let me guess. That bag is make-up, this one is shoes, and the other is filled with things girls think they can’t leave home without.” His voice was teasing, but she didn’t think he was the least bit funny.

  Her body stiffened in response. “Listen, I appreciate your help, but the last thing I’m going to do is stand here and let you insult me.”

  “I’m not insulting you. C’mon, let’s go before we miss our ride.”

  Before she could protest he’d grabbed the handle of her large suitcase and headed toward the bus.

  “Wait a minute!” she cried. Debra shut her trunk, armed her alarm, and hurried after him. “I don’t need your help,” she insisted as she moved beside him and tried to retrieve her suitcase.

  “Yes, you do.”

  “No, I don’t,” she said stubbornly, then hurried around and stood in front of him with her arms crossed just beneath her breasts, forcing him to either stop or walk around her. He chose the latter. She called after him. “Did you hear what I said?”

  He stopped, dragged a hand down his face, then looked over his shoulder and said, “Woman, just come on before I lose my patience with you.”

  “I don’t need your help,” she repeated, her tone stubborn and challenging as she closed the distance between them and grabbed onto the handle. Their hands collided on contact, and an electric charge ricocheted up her arm.

  His grip tightened and he looked directly down at her. As soon as their eyes met Debra drew in a slow, shaky breath. She hadn’t realized just how tall he was until he was towering over her. Seven feet, maybe more, and he had the darkest sable brown eyes she had ever seen in her life.

  The handsome stranger gave her a final once-over before meeting her gaze again. He shrugged. “Clearly, you got it figured out.” He released the handle, pushed the suitcase to a halt in front of her, and headed toward the buses. Debra took a deep breath, shaking off the effects of his presence, then reached for the handle and rolled the suitcase alongside her. Unfortunately, with the other bags on her arms she had a hard time pulling the suitcase without bumping into the smaller ones she was already carrying on her shoulders. She made several clumsy attempts at maneuvering between two parked cars before she opted to take the long way by going down to the end of the row of cars and taking the path up to the front of the parking lot. But even that was hard to manage.

  “Are you ready to admit you need my help?”

  She startled. She had been so busy trying to maneuver her bags, she hadn’t seen Mr. Tall and Sexy standing a few feet away with his arms crossed and his large duffle bag slung across a wide, broad chest. As she stared up at him she suddenly noticed there was something familiar about him. She wasn’t sure where she’d seen him before, but he had that type of face a woman just didn’t forget.

  “Okay, I need help,” she admitted tightly.

  Chuckling, he walked over and retrieved the rolling suitcase and accidently brushed her shoulder. Again her entire body jittered with heat.

 
He whistled while he walked away and she hurried to catch up with his wide strides, growing increasingly frustrated with every step.

  “What do you do, stalk parking lots looking for damsels in distress?” she blurted.’

  He looked over at her, brow drawn. “Not at all. You just looked like you needed my help.”

  Debra blew out a long breath. The last thing she wanted was to need a man, especially after that fiasco with Sony. She’d never forgotten how he’d crammed all her belongings so tightly into the small ten-by-ten storage container, several of her items had been either scratched or damaged.

  But the biggest flaw had been the damage done to her heart. As a result, she hadn’t needed or wanted a man, even the sexy one standing beside her.

  As they walked she tried to ignore the smell of his cologne, a subtle smell that made her want to bury her nose right at the base of his neck and shoulder and inhale. She released a sigh of relief when they finally reached the bus where a porter was waiting to take their bags.

  “See you later,” he said, then rolled her suitcase over toward the porter so it could be loaded at the bottom of the bus. He walked over to the stairs to board.

  “Thanks again,” Debra mumbled under her breath. She was sure she’d see him all weekend long, but considering the way he made her feel, the best thing to do would be to stay as far away from him as possible.

  Debra waited until he had boarded before she walked to the porter and handed him one of her two bags. One held her toiletries and the other held her laptop and camera. She didn’t want to take a chance at either getting broken, so she had packed them separately. Debra got in line. While waiting to board she reached inside her purse for her phone and quickly checked her messages. Of course her best friend had texted her.

  Have a great trip!

  She couldn’t resist a smile. Bianca always knew how to make her feel good. The two-day cruise to nowhere was just what she needed to take her mind off work and her nonexistent love life.

  She had driven down to Norfolk the night before and had hung out with her cousin Jena, whom she hadn’t seen in over a year. Debra sighed. She had been so busy growing her business that she had barely taken time off for herself. But the cruise had been a birthday present from Bianca. Her friend knew she couldn’t afford to take off for a seven-day cruise like the one Bianca had recently taken with her husband for their fifth anniversary, but when Bianca told Debra she had booked her onto a weekend getaway, Debra had no excuse but to close the shop, pack her bags and go. Otherwise she would never have heard the end of it. Last night she and Jena had camped in the living room in pajamas on sleeping bags, and shared stories about their failed relationships. However, nothing Jena shared topped Debra’s encounter with Sony and his fiancée.

  Debra had to admit that losing him had probably been the best thing to happen to her. The only thing she missed was the oceanfront view the apartment had provided. With Bianca’s help, they had found her a nice condo within walking distance of the Beaumont Hotel.

  When it was finally her time to board the coach bus, Debra climbed the stairs, greeted the driver sitting behind the wheel, then moved down the aisle. The bus was practically full. She moved back and looked from one side to the next until she spotted the only available seat left.

  Right next to Mr. Tall and Sexy.

  “Have a seat,” he said and patted the leather seat beside him.

  Debra groaned. The last thing she wanted was to have small talk all the way to the port. But it was either sit down or wait for the next bus to board. She definitely did not want to go back outside. The sun was fierce and sweat was already settling between her breasts. Besides, if she got off the bus the handsome stranger would know he’d intimidated her, and that was the last thing she wanted.

  Reluctantly, she lowered her bags to the floor under the seat in front of her and slid onto the cushion beside him. As she shifted, she accidently brushed his arm. A shiver skated across her skin.

  “Taking this trip alone?”

  “Why?” she asked defensively.

  He held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, I was just asking. My bad.”

  Debra took a long breath. She was being ridiculous and knew it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bite off your head. I just took this trip to be by myself.”

  “No problem.”

  He went back to looking out the window and she sat there feeling like a heel.

  “I’m sorry for being so rude. I’m Debra.”

  He turned his head and looked over at her with an irresistible grin. “I’m Rance.”

  “Nice to meet you, Rance.” She returned his smile and ignored the banging at her chest. She was grateful when she felt the bus moving away from the parking lot.

  “Have you ever cruised before?” he asked.

  She glanced over at him, not trusting herself to look at him dead on. “No, this will be my first trip. What about you?”

  “My first as well,” he said, tilted almost sideways on the bench so he could see her face while he spoke, which she found unnerving. “I thought it would be the perfect way to get away and relax for a weekend.”

  She looked down at her hands and replied, “Yes, that’s what my best friend was thinking when she booked this trip for my birthday. She gave me strict instructions to enjoy.”

  He nodded in agreement. “My cousin just got back from a cruise and said the same thing.”

  “Then I guess we better listen to them,” she teased.

  “I agree.”

  “Are you a workaholic?” she made the mistake of meeting his gaze and felt heat clear down to her toes.

  “Normally. I had an injury and I’ve been spending a lot of time rehabilitating. This trip is just a chance to relax my mind. What about you?”

  “Well, according to everyone else, I’m a workaholic.”

  “And what do you think?”

  “I think there’s nothing wrong with a little hard work if you want to be successful. I’m a small business owner,” she offered by way of an explanation.

  “Really? What kind?”

  “Gourmet cupcakes. I do a lot of special occasions.”

  “Good for you. How long have you been doing that?”

  “For about three years now. I love it.”

  “I can tell. I’ve never been much of a cook. Although I’m a pro at making Ramen Noodles with hot dogs.”

  She scrunched up her nose. “Eww.”

  He tossed his head back with laughter. “Don’t knock it before you try it.”

  She giggled along with him. “No, thank you. I’ll pass.”

  “Are you from Virginia?” he asked, shifting on the seat.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m from Delaware.”

  He arched one brow. “I have cousins who live in Delaware. I’m from Virginia, but I live in Philadelphia.”

  “I have family in Philadelphia. What made you decide to move there?”

  “Sports.”

  “Really? What kind? Oh no, don’t tell me. Basketball, right?”

  “How’d you guess?” he asked, eyes sparkling, and together they laughed.

  Something caught his eye and he pointed toward the front of the bus. “Look, there’s our ship.”

  She turned, and as soon as she saw the ship only a few feet away at the dock she gasped. “Oh, my God! It’s so big!” she exclaimed.

  “It has nine floors, so it’s like a hotel on water.”

  Debra couldn’t tear her eyes away. Sure, she had seen many ships as they’d passed through Sheraton Beach, but nothing this up close and personal. “Look how beautiful it is.”

  There was a soft chuckle as he said, “You remind me of my younger sister on Christmas morning.”

  She tore her eyes away from the ship and met the grin on his face. Her stomach did a nervous roll. That man was too damn sexy for his own good, and the sooner she got away from him the better. “Yeah, I guess I’m a lot more excited than I thought.”

  “Nothing wrong with it. Th
e whole reason for this trip is to have fun, and I plan to do just that.”

  It was something about the way he said it that had her suddenly shifting uneasily on the seat. “Absolutely.” The bus came to a complete stop. “Well, I guess this is where we get off.” She retrieved her bags, then rose and fell in line with several other eager passengers. “Take care,” she said as an afterthought.

  He nodded. “You do the same.” He leaned back leisurely on the seat and reached for his phone like he had all the time in the world.

  Debra forced her eyes to the front of the bus and fell into step with the others. As soon as she’d climbed off she searched through all her bags until she found her cell. She groaned. What was she thinking, packing so much for such a short trip? She hadn’t been able to decide what to wear, especially after Bianca had explained that she had changed clothes several times a day. Debra figured it was better to have too much than not enough. Now she wasn’t so sure.

  She was wheeling her bag away when she spotted Rance leaving the coach.

  * * *

  Rance watched Debra hurry away.

  That one was definitely something to watch, especially her beautifully round backside, he thought. She was truly beautiful, and had him thinking about a weekend of rolling around in his cabin. As he moved to retrieve his bag his brain threw out a handful of scenarios. On the floor. Out on the balcony. Bent over the couch.

  “Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head. He really needed to get a grip.

  Rance’s cell chirped at his waist and he was glad for the interruption. He removed the phone from his side clip and brought it to his ear.

  “Are you checking up on me?” he huffed into the phone. His greeting was met with a loud peal of laughter.

  “Nah, dude,” his cousin Jaden Beaumont replied into the receiver. “Just calling to make sure you packed the Speedo I bought you.”