BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) (54 page)

Constantine with her mouth hanging open was beyond comical.  Greta and Namir laughed before they could stop themselves.  Jason appeared in the kitchen doorway and stared at them quizzically. 

“What’s so funny?”

“I hope that was a joke, Taylor.” 

“I assure you it wasn’t.” 

Constantine turned her head slowly, pinning Jason with a lethal look.  “I hope you know this is all your fault.” 

He touched his chest, eyes wide.  “My fault?  I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”

“I’m quitting modeling, Jason.”  Taylor said, and took her bowl to the sink. 

Jason sat down in her empty chair like a man who had just been told he was dying.  “Why?”  He whined. 

“Because I want to do something else with my life.  I might want to do more acting, or singing.  I definitely want to go to college.”

Jason recovered slightly.  At least two of the things listed needed a manager. 

Constantine was still furious.  “Since you hired Namir, Jason, she’s been changing, and not for the better!” 

Namir kept his head down, and tried to silence the mental rant he wanted to unleash on her. 

“Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.” 

“Oh I would!”  She replied and tightly crossed her arms.  “Namir, since you are obviously feeling better, go to the car and retrieve my bags.” 

“He will not!”  Taylor exclaimed.  She came across the kitchen and stood behind Namir’s chair.  “Greta and Jason won’t do it either.  All three of them work for me.” 

“You’ve lost your mind.” 

Taylor was relishing the fit she was putting her mother in.  She wanted one final jab.  One final way to separate herself completely from her. 

“By the way, Mother, you should know that Namir and I are planning on getting married.” 

Namir choked on his stew, and grabbed his glass of water, swallowing a large mouthful.   He looked up at Taylor with his eyebrows near his hairline.  She simply smiled down at him and squeezed his shoulder. 

“But… but…he’s the help!”  Constantine sputtered. 

Taylor shrugged.  “So?  Were in love.” 

Jason jumped out of his chair and grabbed Constantine as she began to faint. 

Greta stared at all of them in turn, not knowing what to do. 

“Quick!  Someone get her some water!” 

“Oh she’s fine!”  Taylor said, and pulled Namir up from his chair.  “She’s just pretending.” 

Constantine moaned dramatically. 

“See?” 

Namir and Taylor didn’t speak as they climbed the stairs.  Once they were safely in his room with Lancelot on their heels, Taylor began to giggle.

“Wasn’t that great?” 

“Why did you do that?”  Namir asked sternly. 

Taylor’s laughter subsided.  “Oh don’t worry.  I’m not expecting you to marry me.  I just wanted to really get her going.” 

“That’s not something to joke around about.”  Namir felt like he had been the butt of her joke instead of Constantine. 

“Hey.”  Taylor ran her hand along the side of his head.  “I’m sorry.” 

Namir nodded his head.  He wanted to hold her to his chest.  He wanted to kiss her hard and feel her body mingle with his own.  He wanted.  It was as simple as that. 

“Why not?”

“Why not what?”  Taylor asked, as she played with Lancelot’s ears.

“Why not get married?”

“We haven’t known each other that long, Namir.”

“Yet, we’ve already decided that we love each other.” 

Taylor smiled coyly.  “Yes, we have.” 

“Then why not?”  Namir had been through confusing times in his life, but never once had he experienced the clarity that very moment offered. 

“It’s rash.”  She countered.  “And I’ll want a pre-nup.” 

Namir shook his head.  “I don’t want your money, Taylor.  Do whatever makes you comfortable.” 

Taylor pulled Lancelot onto the bed.  “I also won’t have sex until I’m married.” 

Namir felt his jaw go slack.  He moved his brown eyes over her face.  “You mean to tell me…”

“That’s right.”  Taylor’s gray eyes were serious and unapologetic.  “I’m a virgin.” 

A slow smile spread over Namir’s handsome face.  “That’s special.  I wish I still was.” 

“It’s a promise I made my Dad.  It’s a promise I intend to keep.” 

Namir put his hands in the air like he was surrendering.  “Not a problem. I can wait.”  He reached behind her neck and pulled her head to him.  His kiss was deep and held the promise of what was to come later for them. 

“I hope you will always blush like that after I kiss you.”  He said gruffly. 

“And I hope Lancelot will always look at us like that when you kiss me.”  They both looked at the dog to see his ears perked and his head tilted to the side just like the first time Namir had kissed her. 

A light knock sounded at the door. 

“Am I intruding?”  Greta asked. 

“Not at all.” 

She stood before them with her hands folded neatly in front of her.  “I wanted to know if we were really going to have a wedding, or if that was just your way of testing your mother’s heart.” 

Taylor and Namir laughed.  “It was her way of testing Constantine’s heart, but I…”  Namir stopped and took Taylor’s hand in his.  “We have decided marriage is exactly what we want.”

Greta pinched both of their cheeks.  “It’s very soon, but in a way not soon enough.  Do you understand?”

“I do.” 

“Tomorrow, we begin!”  Greta said with her finger spiraling above her head.  “By the way, your mother is in the kitchen drinking gin straight from the bottle.” 

Taylor sighed.  “I knew Jason would turn her into a lush eventually.” 

Greta rolled her eyes and turned for the door.  “Oh!”  She said, turning back around.  “Jason wanted me to tell you that you have a meeting on Friday with that director for the movie.” 

Taylor made a face. 

“I’ll be sure to tell him just that.”  She said before walking out the door.

Frank Shard was as bored and surly acting when Taylor met with him, as he was the first day they met. 

“I’m glad we could meet today.  It was short notice, but I’ll only be in New York for another day.”  He said and handed Taylor a thick script.  “I plan on being in Scotland by March 1st.” 

“March?  I thought we were ready to start shooting in two months?”

Frank twisted his lips and looked at Taylor over his glasses.  “Yes, well….welcome to the Hollywood way of things.” 

Taylor was nonplussed.  She was actually glad to not have to start right away.  “When do you want the cast there?” 

“March 1st.  I will have all of us meet a couple weeks before, in Hollywood of course, so we can work on lines, look at the costumes, etc. etc.”  He said with a flourish of hand.  “So, I need to be there the second week of February?”  Taylor kept her pen poised over her newly purchased date book.  It was a monster of a book, with a two year calendar, a weights and measures page, a time zone page, address book, and notepad, with a matching pen.  She was proud as a peacock about it.  She bought one for Namir too, but his wasn’t dark pink, his was a nice manly black.

Jason paced behind their chairs looking over their shoulders to make sure neither of them was writing the wrong things. 

“Yes, yes, but I’ll email you…call you…”  He took his glasses off and stared at Taylor with the same head inclination as if he were still looking at her from over his glasses.  “Please tell me why you are handling all of this and not Jason?” 

Taylor straightened in her chair.  “I’ll be handling most of my own business from now on.”  She didn’t see Jason throw his hands in the air behind her and look at the ceiling.  He brought his arms down swiftly causing a small gust of air to move over her.  “Jason is still my manager, but I want a more active hand in my career.” 

Frank Shard laughed heartily.  “A more active hand?”  He shook his head, and slid the glasses back on.  “Interesting.  Make sure you study the script.”  He waved his hand towards Namir.  “Maybe Hulk over here can help you.” 

Taylor, Namir, and Jason returned home late in the afternoon, and found Constantine talking with Harrison Badon in the living room. 

Taylor stood in the doorway unable to comprehend what she was looking at.  They were smiling amicably and enjoying coffee from Constantine’s silver coffee server set with porcelain cups and saucers. 

“So, you’re serving Dad’s bastard child from a gift that Dad gave you?”

Harrison’s smile faded. 

“Taylor Antonia Randall!  You apologize at once!” 

“I’m a grown woman, Mother, I don’t have to follow orders.” 

“Don’t you want to hear what I have to say, Taylor?”  He asked quietly.

“No.”

“I just want you to understand.”  He sighed. 

“Let’s pretend for a moment that you are who you say you are.  Why come here now?”

“I told you…” 

“Yes, you’ve waited a long time.  It was just you and your mother.”  She said impatiently.  “Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“My mother forbade it.”

“You were an adult at eighteen.  Why didn’t you just do it?” 

Harrison rubbed his hands together.  “My mother went through an illness from the time I was seventeen until I was nineteen.  I didn’t think she would live.  I would have never upset her like that.”  

“What a lovely thoughtful child.”  Constantine said sweetly, while giving Taylor a hard stare, which Taylor promptly ignored. 

“I really just want to know my sister.  Honestly, I’d like to have someone tell me about my father.” 

Taylor’s weakest point was any mention of Tony Randall.  To her he was the epitome of all that was good and honest.  To think that he was dishonest enough to cheat, even on her difficult mother, was a sacrilege she wasn’t ready to allow entry into her mind.

Namir stared steadily at Harrison, but made no move to remove him.  That would be Taylor’s decision.  Regardless of what he knew him to be. 

Harrison stood and extended his hand to Constantine.  “Thank you for the coffee, but I think it’s time for me to go.” 

“So soon?  Don’t let Taylor’s bark bother you, this is my home as well.” 

Namir could feel Taylor bristle.  He followed Harrison to the door. 

“Let me walk you out.” 

Harrison eyed him suspiciously, but covered it with a half grin.  “Sure.” 

Namir walked with Harrison to his car.  He was surprised to see thirty day New York tags on it. 

“Planning on staying awhile?”

Harrison turned, his face expressionless.  “Why not?  I rather like New York’s climate.” 

“What are you trying to accomplish really?”

Harrison twisted his lips to one side and rub his jaw lightly.  “Accomplish?  Nothing.  I just wanted to get to know the family I was denied.” 

“You weren’t denied your mother.”

“No, but I was denied a father, and all the lavish extras that he offered.” 

“So that’s it, huh?” 

Harrison smiled.  “No, not entirely.” 

“You’re mother…she’s dark Fey?”

Harrison resumed his expressionless face.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Right.”  Namir casually backed up a few steps, his hands in his pockets.  “You should know that Taylor has had some problems with a stalker.  You may want to be careful.  You wouldn’t want to end up on the list of suspects.”  Namir turned completely away, and walked into the house.

Harrison drove for several miles before he whipped his car off the road and sat drumming his fingers on his thighs.  His gray eyes darted back and forth over the empty road.  Several birds took flight as he gripped the steering wheel and screamed into the windshield. 

Detective Roberts knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer.  He heard a dog bark, and he could make out the shadowy form of the dog standing with his front paws against the other side of the frosted and etched glass. 

Greta opened the door.  “Yes?”

“I’m Detective Roberts.  I would like to speak to Taylor.” 

“Ah, yes, please come in.”

Detective Roberts smiled and extended his hand for Lancelot to smell.  “He’s a cute puppy.  I was expecting to see a grown dog.” 

“No.”  Greta said and showed him into the living room.  “He’s going to be very large, I think.  He’s only five or six months now.” 

“He’s so odd looking.  What breed is he?” 

“Shepard mix.”  Greta said tactfully.  “I’ll get Taylor for you.” 

Detective Roberts happily talked to and petted Lancelot until Taylor appeared in the living room.  He was once again struck by how beautiful the young woman was. 

Taylor shook his hand and seated herself on the couch opposite from him.  He pulled out his notebook and flipped through several pages worth of notes.