A Dose Of Passion

“I’m sure it does,” Derek said dryly, feeling a little overwhelmed with all that had happened since losing Noah. Overseeing the memorial service was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. There were moments in the days since then when he still couldn’t believe he was gone. Noah had always seemed bigger than life and Derek had no idea how his life would play out without having his friend and confidant in it.

Derek’s gaze dropped to the photo in his hands of the home that Noah had left him. Actually, it was more like a mini mansion. The two-story, five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom, colonial-style brick house with tall, mature trees and a manicured yard was breathtaking, even on paper.

“As I mentioned, within the next three weeks, you would be required to relocate to Atlanta and live in that house for a minimum of one year. And as for the company, you must agree to take the reins of CEO and maintain ownership of the firm for no less than a year.”

“I would never sell Price,” Derek said, not meaning to voice his thought aloud. He was honored that Noah trusted him enough to oversee the company. For years, he had tried to get Derek to move to Atlanta and be his right-hand man. Derek hated that it took Noah’s death to get him to play a role in the firm.

“Glad to hear that.” Drew broke into his thoughts. “I know I don’t have to tell you that Noah poured his heart and soul into the company. His staff is more like family, and I think you will find them quite helpful as you get settled in your new role. As a matter of fact, based on what I know of you through Noah, you’re the perfect person to take the firm to the next level.”

“Thank you.” Derek met Drew’s gray-eyed gaze before diverting his eyes back to the papers in front of him. He had heard of people becoming millionaires overnight, but never had he imagined it could happen to him. Not only had Noah provided for his future, he had also set up a trust fund for Jason.

Derek shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around everything Drew had shared with him for the past forty-five minutes.

“Attorney Ashton, you mentioned I would have to move into the home and join the team at Price within three weeks. I’m not sure if I can pick up and move my household in that short amount of time.”

“First, please call me Drew. Second, Derek, you are now a very wealthy man, assuming you adhere to all of the stipulations in the will. Noah has left you additional funds to assist you with any and all relocation costs. You’ll soon find out money solves a lot of problems and comes in handy when you have to do something quick.”

Drew slid a check across the table and Derek’s gaze immediately zoned in on all of the zeros behind the five. His mouth dropped open. He fingered the check but didn’t pick it up.

“This is just for relocating?”

Drew chuckled. “Actually, that check is yours free and clear, whether you agree to the stipulations in the will or not. Noah wanted you to have something whether or not you decided to relocate and build a life here in Atlanta. So if you decide not to move here and accept the CEO position, you won’t walk away empty-handed. Oh, and the trust fund for Jason is not contingent on anything. Noah often referred to him as his grandson.”

Derek nodded.

“I know this is a lot to take in, but there’s more.” Drew closed the folder and, as if on cue, the conference room door opened and his assistant stepped in.

“Drew, Macy is here. Should I show her in?”

“Yes, please do.”

Derek cocked his head and looked at the attorney, but before he could pose a question, Macy was standing in the doorway.

Her gaze met his, and it was clear she was just as surprised to see him as he was to see her. She recovered quickly and walked farther into the room and shook Drew’s extended hand.

Derek stood and he couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming over her sexy body. He hadn’t seen her since Noah’s memorial service.

Despite a hint of fatigue around her eyes, she was as beautiful as ever. Gone was the ponytail she usually sported, as well as the simple shirt and slacks she preferred for work. Instead, she wore a low-cut red blouse that highlighted her breasts and flat stomach. The short black skirt she wore stopped just above her knees and fit her curves perfectly without looking indecent. In all of the times he had seen her, he’d never realized she owned a pair of shapely, traffic-stopping legs that seemed to go on forever. She had worn a pantsuit to the memorial service, but a woman with legs like hers should show them off every chance she got.

“Derek?”

His gaze shot up when he realized Drew had called his name more than once and gestured for him to reclaim his seat at the round conference table.

Instead of greeting Macy with words, they nodded at each other.

“Macy, please have a seat here.” Drew pulled out the chair on the other side of his. “I wanted you both to be here so I could discuss the rest of Noah’s will.”

* * *

Macy restrained from fanning herself at the sight of Derek in a suit. Had she known he would be there, she would have mentally prepared herself. His presence still affected her down to the core of her being. Granted, she hadn’t been with someone in months, but how could she be attracted to a man of few words who was also aloof and seemed to want to be anywhere she wasn’t?

If only she could forget how good it had felt to be in his strong arms, hugged up against his hard body. She would never forget that day, for more reasons than one. It was a week ago. Derek had called her at work, informing her that she needed to get to the hospital. Noah had passed away before she arrived. Though she knew the day was coming, she hadn’t wanted to believe her father was gone. No amount of preparation had prepared her for the loss she felt deep down in her soul. And to be comforted by Derek had wreaked havoc on her emotional state. His long, muscular arms wrapped firmly around her and the woodsy scent of his cologne had her wanting to bury her nose in the crook of his neck for a deeper sniff. The man who she’d thought was unfeeling and distant comforted her with soothing words while he held her close until she was able to pull herself together.

She glanced at him across the table and their gazes collided. It was as if someone had wrapped their hands around her throat and squeezed. She could barely breathe staring into his dark, intense eyes. Diverting her gaze, she returned her attention to Drew, who was speaking and sifting through a file folder on the table in front of him.

“Macy, here’s a letter Noah left for you. I’ll let you read it now before we proceed.”

She hesitated before accepting the white envelope and fought the urge to hold it against her chest, over her heart. She had always thought of herself as a strong person, but the past week and a half had proven she wasn’t as strong as she thought.

She took a deep breath and released it, bracing herself for Noah’s last words to her. The last thing she wanted to do was fall apart in front of Drew and Derek.

She smiled at the sight of Noah’s scribble.

My dearest Macy,

If you’re reading this letter, it means I have gone on to a better place...hopefully. I hope you don’t think I forgot about our agreement regarding the medical complex. I didn’t. Drew will give you the details regarding the building and the renovations.

Baby girl, I hope you know how proud I am of the woman you’ve become. You were like a little girl to me when you first moved to Atlanta for college, and I watched you grow into an amazing woman. You’re the daughter I never had. It’s no wonder people gravitate to you. The love and compassion you show everyone you meet, as well as your work ethic, make me proud.

But I worry about you, the way you always put others first, stretching yourself thin, and you’re the first person people seek out when they have a problem. Promise me you’ll start taking care of yourself. I know we always got together for dinner on Thursday nights, but maybe you can keep that going, just with someone else. Perhaps with a man your own age?

Macy chuckled at the last sentence and blinked rapidly, fighting off the tears that were threatening to fall.

I want you to have the type of love and passion I shared with Lorraine while she was alive. There’s nothing like finding your soul mate and building a life together. It’s time for you to settle down and have the family you always wanted. I just hate I won’t be there to walk you down the aisle the way we used to talk about or hold your firstborn.

I love you, baby girl. I’ll be with you always.

Noah

Macy closed her eyes and held the letter to her chest, unable to hold her tears at bay. She would never hear his deep voice call her “baby girl” again and she felt the loss the same way she had when Derek had first informed her that Noah was gone. She felt so blessed to have had him in her life and he would forever hold a special spot in her heart.

Macy slowly opened her eyes when she felt a hand on her arm.

“Are you okay?” Drew asked. He handed her a box of tissues. “We can give you a moment if you need it.”

Derek stared at her openly and didn’t speak, but she didn’t miss the concern in his eyes. Maybe he wasn’t as distant as she had first thought.

“Sorry. I’m all right,” she said to Drew and dabbed at her eyes and cheeks. She breathed in deeply and slowly released her breath. Something she did often, especially right before she had to deliver bad news to the parents of her patients. “Thank you for giving me this.”

“My pleasure.” He squeezed her arm and returned his attention to the papers in front of him. “I’m sure you both have other things to do today, so why don’t I explain another part of Noah’s will.” He handed Derek a large manila envelope and then gave another one that wasn’t as thick to Macy. They both opened them and perused the contents.

Macy’s heart thumped faster against her chest as she sifted through documents that included a deed and title to a new commercial building that would one day serve as a medical complex. Her gaze fell to the set of keys in her hand. Noah had done it again. He had helped get another one of her dreams started. All she could do was stare at everything, finding it hard to believe what it all meant. He had already left her an obscene amount of money, but to give her a building, too, was unbelievable.

“Wow.” The one word slipped through her lips and didn’t begin to express the elation flowing through her body. He had told her he was going to help her with the medical complex, but to see his promise come to fruition was beyond exciting.

She glanced at Derek as he went through the contents of his envelope. He also had a set of keys that she wondered about, as well as some drawings and what looked to be a blueprint.

Derek shrugged. “Exactly what am I looking at here?” he asked but didn’t look up from the documents.

“That’s most of what you will need to get started working on the medical complex that Noah promised Macy.”

“What?” Macy and Derek said in unison, staring at Drew.

“What do you mean, he’ll be working on my medical complex?”

Macy sat dumbfounded as Drew explained how Derek would be in charge of overseeing the project from the beginning to the end, including the design, renovations, furnishings and everything else needed to get the doors open.

What had Noah been thinking? Sure, he had told her Derek was one of the most talented and sought-after architects in the country, but did he have to get him involved with her project? Why was he forcing her to work so closely with Derek? Surely he had sensed the tension between the two of them during their visits. How was she going to keep her wits about her if she had to see Derek and be subjected to the hypnotic scent of his cologne whenever they had to meet to discuss the specifics of her ideas?

By the scowl on Derek’s face, he wasn’t any happier about the news.

God help me. She was going to need to do a lot of praying and probably take some cold showers over the next few months just to get through this new adventure.

Chapter 3

Derek drove into the cul-de-sac and to his new place. The brick colonial, with four oversize pillars and beige trim, was one of the largest homes in the neighborhood, and it was his. He still couldn’t believe all that Noah had left him. Derek also couldn’t believe he’d packed up both himself and his son and relocated to Atlanta, all within a two-and-a-half-week period. As a single father, raising a child alone was hard enough. Take away his built-in babysitters, and it was like sailing upstream without a paddle.

Now that he had made the big move, the challenges it would bring, raising Jason and getting acclimated to a new city, were at the forefront of his mind. Not only that, but he had started his freelance architecture business a few years earlier and it had recently taken off. Leaving Cincinnati to oversee Price Architecture was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he hated that he had to subcontract out some of his own projects before coming to Atlanta.

Derek pulled into the extra-wide semicircular driveway and slowed before he reached the three-car garage. Noah had given the mansion that he’d lived in before passing away to his favorite charity. Derek couldn’t understand why he would purchase this home only to risk leaving it empty, considering he couldn’t have been sure Derek would agree to the relocation. Noah didn’t do anything without a reason, but this part of his will had Derek stumped.

His gaze fell back on the structure of his mini mansion. He couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across his lips. Noah definitely knew what Derek liked when it came to houses. Tudors were his favorite, but this colonial-like home was a little unique, with its wide Palladian window above the double burgundy front doors.

He drove farther up the driveway, stopping in front of one of the garage doors before cutting the engine. Part of him was excited about all of the changes to his life, but there was a twinge of anxiousness that spun inside his gut.

“Daddy, why did we stop?”

Derek turned to the backseat where his four-year-old son sat in his booster seat, playing a video game. Jason had been so quiet, Derek had momentarily forgotten he was there.

“This is our new home, son. Ready to check it out?” Derek stepped out and walked around the car to open Jason’s door, but his son didn’t budge. Neither of them was overly thrilled about leaving their home and family in Cincinnati, but together they were going to embrace this new chapter in their life. “Let’s go, kid.”

“Is Uncle Keith here? He said he was coming to my new house,” Jason asked as he slowly climbed out of the Mercedes ML63 SUV. Derek’s new assistant at Price had surprised him with the vehicle when they departed the plane. He now understood why she had asked him a series of questions the day he met with her. One question had been about his ideal car. Who knew the car of his dreams would be waiting for him? Supposedly, it was part of his benefits package.

“Daddy, is he coming?” Jason pulled Derek back to the present.

Just then, Keith Logan pulled up in a rented SUV that he was using until his car, which he’d had shipped to Atlanta, arrived. Keith parked next to Derek and climbed out of his vehicle.

“Hey, Uncle Keith!” Jason ran to his uncle, who lifted him up in the air. “What took you so long?”

Derek chuckled at his son’s enthusiasm. It was as if he hadn’t just seen Keith at the airport. They had arrived to Atlanta in style, flying on the company’s private jet, a first for all of them, one that Jason would be talking about for weeks.

So far, the relocation was going great. Since his brother was in the midst of a divorce and ready for a new start, Derek had invited him to Atlanta. Keith jumped at the opportunity. It was a win-win for both of them. Derek would get some help with Jason, and Keith had a potential job opportunity with Price Architecture.

“Looks like a nice neighborhood,” Keith said. They stood on the front stoop with suitcases, waiting for Derek to open the door. “A little bougie. So you ought to fit in perfectly.”

“Ha, ha, ha. Whatever.” Derek pushed the front door open and deactivated the alarm system using the keypad just inside the wide foyer. His brothers had always called him “bougie,” claiming he was stuck up despite growing up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Columbus.

Keith released a long whistle as the three of them stood in the foyer of their new home. Derek had to admit—it was a beauty. The semicircular staircase with ornamental wrought-iron railings and a chandelier made of the same material gave the space a rich, unique feel. A large area rug with a design and colors that pulled from the taupe walls and iron accents partially covered the dark hardwood floors. Whoever Noah had used to renovate the home had nailed his personal style.

“Dang, man, you said this place was big. Heck, it’s like three times the size of my house in Cincinnati. What’s the square footage?”

“Daddy, where is my room?” Jason started roaming around the empty lower level while Derek and Keith remained where they were.

“Upstairs, lil’ man. It’s the second room on the left.” Jason ran up the stairs and Derek wondered if he understood which room was his. “Oh, and to answer your question,” Derek said to Keith, “we’re working with over 3,500 square feet.” He picked up the luggage he had left near the front door. “Four bedrooms are upstairs and there are two you can choose from. I’m thinking I’ll use the one down here as a guest room.”

“I assumed I’d be getting the master bedroom,” Keith said with a straight face as they clumped up the carpeted stairs. Out of Derek’s four brothers, Keith was the laid-back one that kept the rest of them laughing and on their toes.

“And why would you assume that?” When they reached the top landing, they found Jason in the master bedroom. “Guess you’re out of luck, Keith. Looks like someone beat us to it.”

“Daddy, my room is big!” Jason said, trying to climb up on the king-size bed Derek had ordered weeks earlier and had delivered. With his assistant Louise’s help, he had ordered furniture for his and Jason’s bedrooms, as well as for the family room. He had everything delivered a couple of days earlier. Now they were just waiting for the movers to bring some of his furniture from his and Keith’s old houses, as well as a ton of boxes. Normally, Derek wouldn’t be looking forward to unpacking, but the movers had not only packed up everything for him, but they would also unload everything as well.

“Wrong room, kid.” Derek set his luggage near the closet. “Come on. I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

“Yay! I have two beds,” Jason said as he ran into the bedroom and climbed the steps to the top bunk. Since his son was into spaceships, Derek already had some ideas on how they would transform the area. “Look at my room, Uncle Keith.”

“Yeah, man. It’s big. A lot more space for all of your junk, I mean, your toys.” Keith laughed. He left them in Jason’s room to go in search of his own bedroom.

Derek stood at the single window looking out onto the front yard and street. He was slowly starting to warm up to the new life he was getting ready to dive into.

Change often comes with gifts, Noah had once said when he first found out about Derek’s ex-wife leaving him. At the time, the only gift Derek could see in the situation was Jason. Now that his life had recently been flipped upside down, albeit in a good way, Derek wondered if Noah had started making these plans even back then.

* * *

Hours later, Derek strolled outside and sat on one of the steps to his deck. Leaning back, his elbows propped up on the step behind him, he watched his son run around the yard, trying to get his kite to fly. To be young and carefree again. The boy had an endless amount of energy.

Derek closed his eyes and let the beaming sun warm his skin. Long morning. He could honestly say he was exhausted. The past few weeks had been unbelievably busy, and sleep every night hadn’t come easy. He couldn’t get his mind to slow down. He had so much to do, including finding a preschool program for his four-year-old son in less than a month. And then there was Macy.

Macy. The beautiful, sexy goddess with the long legs and bedroom eyes was sure to be the new bane of his existence. The little sleep he had gotten over the past few weeks included erotic dreams of her either in skimpy attire or nothing at all. He groaned just thinking about her full breasts and curvaceous body. Working on the medical complex with her was sure to prove to be the greatest challenge of the move. He hadn’t even started yet and already thoughts of her made a certain part of his anatomy jump to attention. Sitting next to her at the memorial service and then across from her in Drew’s office weeks ago left his body reeling.

“Lunch is here,” Keith yelled from somewhere behind Derek. “Get it while it’s hot.”

The three of them ate while Jason kept a steady flow of conversation going, giving Derek and Keith a chance to interject periodically. When it seemed Jason was all talked out, Derek knew his son would be asleep soon.

“I really appreciate you letting me stay here a while. I have a feeling this move is going to be good for all of us.” Keith stood and tossed his paper plate in the trash before pulling a beer out of the refrigerator. “Not only do you get someone to help with Jason, but you also get to live like the rich and famous.” He emphasized by lifting his arm and waving it around at the large space and twenty-foot ceilings. “And I’ll get a fresh new start.”

What started as an amicable divorce process between Keith and his wife had turned ugly a few weeks earlier when Keith’s father-in-law laid Keith off from work, saying they were taking the company in a different direction. At first, the news couldn’t have come at a worse time, but then, with the opportunity to start over in Atlanta, Keith had figured something good could come out of a bad situation.

He had an interview with the finance department at Price Architecture in three days. Though Derek told him he’d have to get the job on his own, he had no doubt that his brother would wow them. The guy was a whiz with numbers and had played an instrumental role in taking his father-in-law’s company to the next level.

“I think the lil’ man has finally worn himself out.” Keith nodded toward Jason, who was asleep in his chair. Derek caught him just in time, before he fell out of his seat.

“I was wondering when he’d clunk out.” Derek lifted him. “He’s been going nonstop since six o’clock this morning, with only a short nap on the plane.”

Derek carried him upstairs. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he ran his hand over his son’s soft curly head and stared down at his sleeping form. Jason was the most important person in Derek’s world. Sometimes, when he thought about the responsibility of raising a child on his own, it made him nervous. Other times, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He placed a kiss on the top of his son’s head and bounded back down the stairs.

“It looks like the movers are finally here,” Keith said from the living room window. “But they are a little distracted by the cutie-pie in the tiny shorts next door who’s cutting her grass.”

Derek stood next to his brother at the window and pulled down one of the slats of the blinds, stretching his neck to see the person. It wasn’t the short-shorts his brother alluded to that he was interested in, though. He hadn’t met any of his neighbors yet and hoped there were children nearby that were Jason’s age.

“Instead of staring out the window, maybe you can roll up your sleeves and help guide the movers.”

“I’d rather go next door and introduce myself to the cute neighbor. Apparently, she doesn’t—”

Derek released the slat and started to walk away, but quickly turned back when at the last second he caught sight of the woman behind the lawn mower.