Seized By Seduction

She noted the drooping of his shoulders when he said, “My mom passed away when I was fourteen.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Thanks. It’s been a long time, but I still miss her. She and I were close.” And then, as if he needed to switch topics, he said, “I shouldn’t be drinking this.”

She watched him add sugar to his coffee and stir it with a spoon. “Why?”

“I’ve consumed too many cups already, starting when I returned to my hotel room last night. I wanted to be awake in case you called. My only regret in not getting any sleep last night was that I missed having my dreams,” he said in a deep, throaty tone.

Randi lifted a curious brow. “Your dreams?”

“Yeah. My dreams of you. They’ve been coming pretty steadily since that night I first saw you.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say and honestly couldn’t believe he would admit such a thing. No way would she confess that he’d been invading her dreams pretty steadily, as well.

“To be honest, they should be classified as hot fantasies rather than dreams,” he added in a voice that had gotten even huskier.

Hot fantasies? Randi swallowed when she felt a swelling in her nipples and heat settling between her legs. All the dreams she’d had of him could have been considered hot fantasies, as well. Last night’s dreams had been hotter than ever after seeing him again at the Kennedy Center. But nothing could compare to seeing him today, this close-up while sharing space with him.

When she’d come up the sidewalk and seen the waitress flirting with him, admittedly she’d gotten jealous. But what woman wouldn’t be tempted to flirt when he was such a gorgeous specimen of a man? Even Haywood and Anna had commented about him last night. And now this handsome hunk just admitted to having fantasies about her? Hot fantasies?

“How’s your tea, Randi?”

It took her a second to realize she’d been caught staring. “Excuse me?”

“I asked how your tea is,” he said, not taking his eyes off her face.

“Delicious.” She picked up her cup to take another sip. Although she knew she shouldn’t ask, she couldn’t help doing so. “You want to tell me about those hot fantasies?”

She noticed his eyes suddenly shone with wicked pleasure. “I’d rather not. There are some things a woman shouldn’t know. Especially if it’s a woman a man desires.”

Whew. She needed more than hot tea right now. A cold glass of iced tea might have been better. But she took another sip anyway, enjoying the taste, and licked her lips afterward. When she saw his gaze lower to her mouth, her skin began tingling.

“Delicious?”

She felt that unmistakable connection whenever their eyes locked, and it resulted in a shiver oozing down her spine. “Yes. Very delicious.”

Her belly clenched, and she broke eye contact with him. She was grateful when the waitress appeared with their pancakes.

CHAPTER FIVE

“THANK YOU FOR BREAKFAST, Quasar. I enjoyed it.”

He pushed his plate aside. “So did I.” More than anything, he had enjoyed her company. The sexual attraction hadn’t lessened; if anything, it was stronger than ever. She was beautiful, and as a man, his entire body couldn’t help reacting. There was something about her eyes that seemed to smile at him whenever he talked. Then there were the times her brows creased when she was concentrating on what he was saying.

He’d dated woman who’d pretended to do both, feign interest just to score brownie points. Women who really hadn’t a clue what he was talking about. That was not the case with Randi.

Whenever their gazes locked, something akin to a sharp electrical current would zap him. And the thought that she wasn’t involved in a serious relationship, didn’t have a significant other in her life, a lover of any kind, gave him pause. Any man would want her in his bed. Not just sometimes but all the time. Every night, if possible.

She had to know that he wanted her, just like he could tell she wanted him. He had the hots for her, and every time he looked into her eyes, he could tell the desire was reciprocated. He would have given anything to seduce her.

It was hard as hell to push those thoughts from his mind. And when she’d asked about his hot fantasies, he’d gotten an erection just thinking about them. It had been difficult sitting across from her and not suggesting they go somewhere and take care of their desires. That might be all it took to get her out of his system.

They’d eaten their pancakes and had refills on coffee and tea. Now they were just sitting and talking, taking their time. Neither seemed in a hurry to leave, knowing when they did they would be going their separate ways. The breakfast crowd was moving out and the lunch seekers were arriving. Waiters and waitresses were hustling about, clearing off tables, passing menus, serving drinks and food. Randi was glancing around, watching all the activity. And he was watching her.

“Why aren’t you involved in a relationship, Randi?” he decided to ask. He had speculated long enough.

“Why aren’t you?”

He hadn’t expected her counter or the intensity in her gaze when she made it. He had no problem giving his answer first. He could say he just hadn’t met the right woman yet. The woman he’d want to settle down with, have his babies, share his life with, yada yada. Or he could tell her the truth. That at one time he thought he’d met such a woman and had been wrong. And it was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.

Quasar decided to be honest with her.

“I was involved in a long-term relationship at one time.” No need to tell her it was a relationship that had started in high school. The kind you’d think would last forever. “Less than a year after graduating from college, I was jailed for a crime. I spent three years in the slammer, and she decided not to wait. Since then, I’ve decided long-term doesn’t work for me.”

No need to elaborate that he much preferred casual relations, and one-night stands were even better. He didn’t need to get caught up in anything other than the moment. Which just went to show how mixed up his mind was when it came to her, because she definitely didn’t look like a casual dater or a one-night-stand sort of woman. “So what’s your reason?” he asked her.

Randi met his gaze and tried to ignore the sizzle she always felt whenever she did. “I guess you can say the reason is mostly my work. I’m not sure when I might get a call asking for my assistance, or where that call might take me and for how long. And then...”

He lifted a brow when she paused. “And then what?”

She lifted her cup of tea, took a sip and eyed him over the rim. “And then there are the guys who see me as a freak for having such a gift. Those who don’t see me as a freak consider me a threat.”

“Why?”

“They assume I can read their minds—would undermine their every male maneuver or be aware of their every planned move. Although I try assuring them that’s not how my gift works, they don’t believe me.”

His jaw tightened. “Any insecure, weak-minded man would think that way.”

She placed her cup down. “Should I assume you don’t fall in that category?”

He smiled warmly. “I don’t consider you a freak or a threat. I admire you and your gift and have seen firsthand how remarkable it is. You assist law enforcement in saving lives and getting hard criminals off the streets. I don’t want to think of the outcome had you not alerted the authorities about that assassin’s next move. Your psychic powers should be commended, not scrutinized.”

She smiled, please by his words. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said, pushing his cup of coffee aside. “But there is something I would like to ask of you.”

“What?”

“Would you spend the rest of the day with me?”

Randi’s stomach fluttered at the same time she felt her heart rate kick up a beat. “The rest of the day? ”

“Yes.”

“Why would you want to spend the rest of day with me, Quasar?”

He smiled, and the fluttering in her stomach increased. “Because I’m not ready for our time together to end. I have nothing else to do today and would love spending more time with you.”

She considered him for a moment, trying not to get giddy because of what he’d said. “What do you have in mind?”

“We could visit that new museum, for starters. And no matter how often I come to DC, I enjoy visiting the National Zoological Park. I understand two new pandas were added since I was here last.”

When she didn’t say anything, he leaned forward. “One day, Randi, is all I’m asking for,” he said softly.

Would that really be all? she wondered. What if he invited her to his hotel room at the end of the day? She would decline, of course. It would be as simple as that. But then, nothing about the strength of their attraction to each other was simple.

Randi met his gaze, felt the heat of his desire but refused to be overtaken by it. She had to keep a clear head. Drawing in a shaky breath, she said, “Okay, Quasar. I’ll spend the day with you.”

* * *

RANDI SURMISED QUASAR was a touchy-feely person since he liked touching her every chance he got. While at the museum, his hand had stayed at the center of her back as they viewed one painting after another. At the zoo, as if it was the most natural thing, he’d taken her hand in his. The contact caused all kinds of heated sensations to cascade through her body and made her even more aware of him.

More than once she found herself studying Quasar instead of the animals at the zoo. Whenever he looked back at her, she would quickly avert her gaze. She figured he knew she was checking him out, but she hadn’t been the only one. Other women, both young and old, were eyeing him, as well. Some inconspicuously and others openly.

And then there was that bold, heavy-breasted woman in the tight jeans and too-revealing top who seemed to appear wherever they went. Randi thought she was stalking them, and that suspicion proved true when the woman finally got the nerve to approach and ask Quasar if he was some actor from one of the soaps. Even when he took off his aviator sunglasses and assured her he wasn’t, she tried flirting with him right in front of Randi.

Randi couldn’t help but admire how Quasar shut the brazen woman down by letting her know he was annoyed with her lack of respect for his girlfriend and she should take her bullshit elsewhere. Of course she wasn’t his girlfriend, and Randi knew the lie had been told mainly to get the woman out their faces. He had spoken to the woman in Spanish and afterward, apparently assuming Randi didn’t understand the language, had given her a cleaner version of what he’d said. She decided not to tell him she spoke fluent Spanish and had understood what he’d said. What mattered was that what he’d told the woman had worked, since they never ran into her again after that.

Randi looked at him as they walked from one habitat to another while holding hands. His hair fell to his shoulders, and more than once today she was tempted to reach out and run her fingers through the silky strands, wondering again about his ethnicity, especially since he’d spoken Spanish earlier.

Deciding to satisfy her curiosity, she asked, “Where is your family from originally?”

He glanced over at her and smiled. “Depends on what side. My mother’s parents are from Cuba. They were Afro-Cubans who fled the Castro regime years ago. They made it to the United States just in time. My grandmother gave birth to my mother a couple of days after their arrival in Miami.”

“So she was born an American.”

“Yes. My father is white and is proud to claim a little bit of Irish in his blood.”

Intrigued, she asked, “How did your parents meet?”

They stopped at the monkey pen and watched as the animals scampered about when other people tossed them peanuts. “Like many Cubans, my grandparents settled in Florida. Years later after finishing high school, my mother decided to attend college in Los Angeles. While at UCLA, she met a young woman by the name of Lucinda Coker, and they became the best of friends. My mother was introduced to Lucinda’s cousin Louis, and the rest is history.”

Randi nodded. She always enjoyed hearing a good love story. “Are your grandparents still living in Florida?”

He shook his head. “No, they both passed away years ago.”

Then, as if he wanted to change the subject, he asked, “Want to grab something to eat before we take the trolley back to our cars?”

Instead of driving either of their cars, they had taken one of the DC sightseeing tour trolleys. It was great since it allowed them to hop on and off at various sites. “Yes. That would be nice.”

It was getting close to five, and she had gotten hungry. Other than grabbing a few snacks from vending machines, they hadn’t eaten a meal since breakfast. When she left that morning, she’d told everyone she was meeting a friend for breakfast. After agreeing to extend her time with Quasar, she had texted Haywood that she wouldn’t be returning until around six or so that evening. Other than telling her to enjoy herself, no one asked the identity of the friend, and she hadn’t provided any information.

“How about you suggesting a place we can grab a bite to eat this time?” Quasar asked.

She smiled up at him. “What about Marlon’s Seafood? Their crab cakes are to die for.”

He chuckled. “So you’ve got a taste for seafood, huh?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to confess that what she really had a taste for was him, but she figured that would be too scandalous. Her body had felt like it was in heat most of the day. Just being with Quasar Patterson set off intense desire. This was a unique experience for her. One she intended to take full advantage of...within reason. She was a woman, and as far as she was concerned, there was nothing wrong with appreciating a good-looking man who could fill out a pair of jeans like he did.

“Yes,” she said, “I like seafood. Do you?”

“I happen to love seafood. I’d take a bucket of raw oysters over a steak any day,” Quasar said, grinning.

His smile spiked another kind of hunger inside her. Sexual hunger. Whenever she looked at Quasar she felt it. And it didn’t help matters when she recalled that raw oysters were considered an aphrodisiac.

“You won’t be disappointed. Their oysters are amazing,” she said.

“Then let’s head on over there.” He tightened his fingers around hers and began leading her toward the zoo’s exit.

“Auntie Rand! Auntie Rand!”

Randi stopped walking and turned upon recognizing the chorus of voices. Two little girls, namely her nieces, rushed over to her. “Brooklyn! Brynn!” Sliding her hand from Quasar’s, she bent down to give the girls hugs.

She glanced around and saw the group—Haywood, Trey and their sons, Quad and Dev; along with Zach and Anna and their sons, Zach Jr., who was seven, and Noah, who was five. From their expressions, the adults were as surprised to see her as she was to see them. And of course they were curious about the man she was with.

“Hi, guys,” she said, smiling at everyone when they reached her. “I didn’t know you all planned to come to the zoo today.”

“We hadn’t,” Trey said, looking from Randi to Quasar, more than a little bit curious. “It was the kids’ idea.”

“Oh.” Randi knew introductions were in order. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Quasar Patterson. Quasar, this is my family.” She then went around and introduced everyone.

Randi didn’t miss how both Trey and Zach kept staring at Quasar as if they knew him from somewhere. She wondered how long it would take before one of them figured it out. She could tell Haywood and Anna had already done so by the way they were smiling all over themselves.

Randi should have known it would be Trey who remembered. “Hey, man, didn’t we see you last night at the Kennedy Center?”

“Yes,” Quasar said. She could tell from the look passing between Trey and Zach that they were recalling their wives drooling over Quasar when she’d pretended nonchalance. And now, after telling them she would be spending the day with a friend, here she was with Quasar, and chances were they’d seen them holding hands. She decided it was time to split.

“Quasar and I need to leave or we’ll be late for dinner.”

“Dinner where?” Trey asked, giving her a look that clearly indicated he was about to flex his big brother muscles.

“Not that it’s any of your business, Ross Donovan Fuller III but Quasar and I are dining at Marlon’s.”

“How long have you lived in DC?” Trey asked Quasar.

“I don’t. I live in Charlottesville. I came into town Friday night for security detail.”

Randi knew Trey was about to get in his interrogation mode, so she said quickly, “I’ll see you guys later.” She then leaned down to give the kids kisses on their cheeks.

“At a reasonable time, we hope,” Zach threw out.

Leave it to Zach to be just as bad as Trey today. Figured. Grinning, she did likewise to Trey and Zach, kissing them on the cheeks and then saying, “Don’t wait up.”

She grabbed Quasar’s hand, and this time she was the one leading them toward the exit.

CHAPTER SIX

AFTER RIDING THE TROLLEY for a half hour, Quasar and Randi finally walked through the doors of Marlon’s Seafood. The place was packed, and Quasar immediately knew they would be in for a long wait.

“Do you want to go someplace else?” he leaned down to ask Randi. His lips came so close to her ear that he was tempted to lick it. Instead he quickly seized the opportunity to grab her by the waist and pull her closer when the man standing in front of them turned abruptly, almost colliding with them.

“Sorry,” the man said.

“No problem,” was Quasar’s response.

Randi looked up at Quasar. “Thanks.”

He smiled down at her. “Don’t mention it.”

“We don’t have to go anyplace else,” she said.

“Okay.” He didn’t mind the wait if she didn’t. Besides, he hadn’t removed his arms from around her yet. The way she fit against his body was sending all kinds of sensations rippling through him.

The door behind them opened and more people came in. He moved, edging her in front of him to accommodate the new arrivals. He inhaled sharply when her perfectly shaped backside pressed against his groin. Her intoxicating scent filled his nostrils and her beauty almost blinded him. Suddenly a big, tall, brawny older man came barreling through the crowd, a mass of blond hair flying around his shoulders. Quasar was about to pull Randi aside, out of the giant of a man’s path, when unexpectedly the huge hulk stopped in front of them. The smile on his face was so huge his blue eyes seemed to illuminate the entire area.

“Little Randolph! One of the waitresses sent word to me that you were here,” the brawny man said before grabbing Randi in a massive bear hug, lifting her feet off the floor in the process.

Little Randolph? Quasar watched the affectionate exchange between the two.

When Randi’s feet were planted firmly back on the floor, Quasar noted her smile was almost as big as the giant’s. “Uncle Marlon! How are you?”

Uncle Marlon? Quasar glanced from the man back to Randi, definitely not seeing any family resemblance.

“Quasar, I want you to meet my Uncle Marlon Farentino. Uncle Marlon, this is my friend Quasar Patterson.”

They shook hands, and Quasar felt the man’s strength in his handshake. “Nice meeting you.”

“Same here.” Marlon turned his attention back to Randi. “Come on, girl. I’ll take you to your special place.”

Marlon led, and they followed through the crowd of people who seemed to open up a pathway like the parting of the Red Sea. Although Quasar was wondering where the man was taking them, he decided not to ask. Not even when they went through the double doors that led to the kitchen. An older lady and younger women noticed the procession and happily waved at Randi, who waved back and threw kisses.

They exited the kitchen and entered a huge dining room set up for a private party. Quasar barely had time to take in the beautiful view of the Potomac through the private dining room’s large windows before Marlon led them up a set of stairs to another room with more tables set up. But they didn’t stop there. Marlon kept walking until they reached another room where only one table was set up. This room also had a gorgeous view of the Potomac.

“You want your usual?” Marlon asked, pulling the chair out for Randi.

“Yes,” she said, sitting down. “And Quasar has a taste for raw oysters.”

An even bigger smile crossed the man’s ruddy features. “We serve the best in the city. Did you tell him that?”

Randi chuckled. “Yes, I told him.”

“Good. Now, what would you two like to drink?”

“Beer is fine for me,” Randi said.

“Same here,” Quasar said, looking around. This was a nice room that provided privacy.

When Marlon had left them alone, Quasar glanced across the table at Randi and quirked a brow. “Little Randolph? Uncle Marlon?”

The cutest smile curved her lips. “Yes. Before I was born, when Uncle Marlon was in his twenties or so, my father defended him in a homicide case. Dad was able to prove it was self-defense. The Farentinos adopted Dad as one of their own, and when I was born, Uncle Marlon began calling me Little Randolph, after Dad. His daughter, Avona, is my age and is an attorney at my father’s law firm. His son, Damon, has his own seafood restaurant, and it’s a very popular place in South Miami Beach.”

Quasar nodded. “Marlon looks like he ought to be a ship captain.”

“He was a fisherman for years and still loves the sea. I’ve gone out with him and his family on his huge boat.”

“You must come here a lot for him to consider this your room.”

She smiled. “At one time I did, while attending college at Howard and Georgetown. Whenever I needed to escape, this room became my study room, my eating room and, on occasion, my nap room. Uncle Marlon put a cot in that corner for me to use whenever I needed it. And whenever I could, I helped out on the weekends, waiting tables.”

At that moment, a waiter appeared with their beers. Quasar watched as a slow, delightful smile touched the corners of Randi’s lips. “After all that walking we did today, I need this.”

She lifted the ice-cold mug to her lips and took a sip. Then her tongue licked the sudsy residue from around her mouth. Quasar’s breath hitched in his throat as he watched her. The lingering erection he’d gotten when her body had been pressed close to his earlier was now beginning to throb all over again.

Quasar knew he needed to think about anything but her mouth right now, so after taking a sip of his own beer, he said, “Earlier, when you introduced your family at the zoo, did I misunderstand or did you say Haywood was your sister and Trey was your brother?”

“No, you didn’t misunderstand. Both my parents were married previously, and Haywood and Trey were products of their first marriages. So I’m sister and brother to both. While Haywood and I were growing up, Trey didn’t live with us. He lived in California with his mother and her second husband.”

“They have a beautiful bunch of kids. All of them.”

Another smile touched Randi’s lips. “Yes, they do, and I love all of them to pieces. Aren’t the twins adorable? I got to name them,” she said proudly. She took another sip of her beer. “Are there any little ones in your family?”

“None that I know of.” If she found his response strange, she didn’t ask him to elaborate. He appreciated that, because the topic of his family was one he preferred not to discuss.

* * *

IT HAPPENED AGAIN.

Randi sensed a high degree of pain and sadness within Quasar whenever he spoke of his family. She couldn’t help wondering why. He’d gotten quiet since diving into his bucket of oysters. All the members of her family were seafood lovers, and she’d seen them eat live oysters many times. But there was something about watching Quasar that spread intense sexual heat through her. She’d never thought that shucking oysters could be erotic until now.