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“She lied to me all these years. She never told me about you. She never told me you were still married.”
Terrance sat back in his high-backed leather chair and swiveled it to face the window.
“You shouldn’t be upset with your mother.” He pursed his lips, ran a finger along the thin line of his mustache.
“Why not?”
“Maybe she had her reasons.” He gazed out toward the ocean, almost able to see the young Ann Marie running across the beach, her skirts held high around her thighs.
Raquel sighed into the phone. “It doesn’t matter. It’s done. I just wanted to leave you a number where you could reach me.”
He shook the past away then took the number down.
“So, you’ll stay in touch won’t you?”
“Of course,” he said. “Do you need money? Is there anything that I can do?”
“No. Thanks. I’m fine. You’re still coming to New York aren’t you?” she asked sounding like a young girl instead of a grown woman.
Terrance smiled. “Yes, darling. I’m still coming.”
“Good. I’m really looking forward to meeting—seeing you.”
“So am I. I’m sure you are more beautiful than I could ever imagine.”
She laughed. “Mom says I look like you.”
Maybe that’s why it was so hard for her to love you, he thought, a constant reminder. “Well, we hope that you got the good genes.” He chuckled. A knock on his door drew his attention. “I must go.”
“Okay. Well, you have my number.”
“Yes, and I’ll be sure to call.”
“Bye.”
“Goodbye.” He hung up the phone.
“Yes, come in.”
Stacy opened the door and stepped inside. A slow smile moved across her thin mouth. She closed the door behind her and walked up to his desk. “I wanted to tell you what a nice time I had last night,” she said in husky voice.
The right corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“How nice?”
She came around to his side of the desk and sat on his lap. “Why don’t I show you?”
Sterling Chambers walked out of the court room. It had been a tough case, one that he wasn’t sure he would win, but he did.
His specialty was criminal defense cases al though he’d made his mark as a prosecutor. But years of putting people whom he knew to be innocent behind bars had finally taken its toll and so he’d jumped sides and opened his own practice.
It hadn’t been easy, those first few years, but he’d slowly built his business and considered himself moderately successful.
He jogged down the steps of the Supreme Court building in Manhattan and decided to take a stroll to release some of the adrenaline running through his veins. He passed by City Hall and caught a glimpse of the mayor getting into a black limo. If only he had his billions, he thought absently. The first thing he would do is revamp the school system in the inner cities. Sure it was great to have money and the power of political office, but you were always shackled by bureaucracy. And the best intentions often fell by the wayside of the political machine.
He walked along Chambers Street, sidestepping the rushing lunch-goers who were darting in and out of coffee shops and fast-food joints. He rolled his shoulders. A good massage would do wonders, he thought.
As a treat to himself he would drop by that new spa. He’d already paid for the membership, one of many, all of which he never found the time to use. But he had reason to check this one out if it would give him a chance to meet that lovely lady again. Ann Marie she said her name was. A tiny fireball. He smiled to himself.
He pulled out his cell phone from the breast pocket of his suit and turned it back on, having shut it off during the court proceedings. There were two messages from his office. None from Ann Marie.
He stuck the phone back in his pocket. He’d fix that later. Hopefully she’d be there. He was definitely looking forward to the end of the day.
When Sterling arrived at Pause it was almost six o’clock. He entered on the ground-floor level and was greeted by the scent of something absolutely delicious. His stomach growled, not having been fed since breakfast. He looked around. Several men, some in white terry robes, others in workout attire, sat around white circular wrought iron tableseating and drinking in what several nights earlier had been the reception hall.
“How may I help you?”
Sterling turned to look upon a smiling face. He recognized her from opening night also.
“I signed up during the open house and I could sure use a massage.”
Elizabeth grinned. “We can make that happen. My name is Elizabeth Lewis. One of the co-owners. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll get you checked in. I know that Barbara—that’s our masseuse—has a couple of clients ahead of you. But maybe you’d like to relax in the sauna until she’s ready.”
“Great.” He followed her to the front desk that less than forty-eight hours ago was the bar. “You said you were a co-owner. How many owners are there? I met one the other night.”
“There are four of us.” She stopped at the desk and went behind it. “Which one did you meet?”
“She said her name was Ann Marie. I didn’t catch her last name.”
Elizabeth’s eyes rolled up to meet his. “Ann Marie.” She smiled. “Yep, she’s one of the quartet. Actually it was Ann Marie who got us this building.”
“Really?” His interest was piqued.
“She’s in real estate.” She opened the member file on the computer. “What’s your name, sir?”
“Sterling Chambers.”
She scrolled through the list of names. “Here you are.” She printed out a sheet of paper and handed it to him. “When you work with Barbara give her this. She will take all your vitals and we keep it on record.”
He took the paper from her hand and looked it over. “Very thorough.”
“We try.” She came from behind the desk. “Let me take you to a room where you can change.”
“I can do that.”
They both turned.
Ann Marie approached. She stuck out her hand to Sterling. “So we meet again.”
He looked her over. She was just as tempting in daylight. “I was hoping that we would.”
Elizabeth watched the volleyball of electricity bounce back and forth between them. Interesting. She hoped that Ann Marie didn’t chew him up and spit him out like she did with every other man who’d crossed her path—other than Terrance.
“Since I didn’t hear from you, I thought I’d force you to see me,” he said in a teasing manner.
Ann Marie looked up at him. “You don’t appear to be the type of man who would have to force a woman to do anything.”
He grinned. “Were you planning to call?”
“At some point.” She went up the stairs and he followed. “Right down this hallway is a dressing room. There are fresh robes and towels. When you’re ready I’ll show you to the sauna.” She started to turn away.
“At what point?”
Her brow rose in question.
“At what point were you planning to call?”
“Sooner rather than later.” A smile played around her mouth.
“What time do you get off?”
“Eight.”
“Good. I’ll be finished by then and maybe you’ll join me for a late dinner.”
She lifted her chin. “Are you asking me or telling me,” she challenged.
“Asking, of course.”
“In that case, I accept.” She turned and walked away.
Sterling smiled as he watched the sway of her hips. Yeah, a little fireball.
Ann Marie returned to the front desk.
“Wow, what’s going on with you two?” Elizabeth asked. “I almost got singed with the sparks.”
“I barely know the man,” she tossed off.
“It never stopped you before.”
“Very funny.”
“He seems to have a real interest in you.”
“Maybe.”
“Could be the one, you know.”
“The one what?”
“The one to take your mind off of Terrance.”
Ann Marie drew in a breath. If only, she thought. If only.
Chapter 6
Barbara and Elizabeth closed up shop while Stephanie took inventory.
“Did you work on a Sterling Chambers tonight?” Elizabeth asked innocently.
Barbara arched her aching back. “Probably, why? They’re all becoming a blur at this point.” She flexed her fingers. “Where’s Ann Marie? I barely saw her all night.”
“With that guy.”
Barbara huffed. She hated it when Elizabeth grew cryptic. “What guy?” she asked, summoning her last ounce of patience.
“Sterling Chambers, silly. Who did you think I was talking about?”
Barbara flashed her a look. “Ann Marie is out with one of the clients?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Not just any client. This one is gorgeous.”
“Still no excuse. We all agreed.”
“Sometimes things just happen and you have to make allowances.”
“I don’t want this place turning into a male brothel, Ellie.”
“It won’t. Anyway, from what I could gather, he came on to her. Said he’d met her briefly after the opening. He seems like a really nice guy.”
Barbara huffed. “She better not make a habit of that. I don’t want clients getting the wrong impression about the staff.”
“So do you remember him or not? Good looking, tall, athletic build, dark-skinned.”
Barbara frowned in thought. “Sort of. Pull his information up.” She came around the counter to stand in front of the computer.
Elizabeth typed in his name and all his information came up along with his picture that was taken when he signed up.
“Oh, yes. I remember him. Great buns and thighs.” She grinned. She looked at his information. “Ellie look, he’s an attorney.”
They both stared at each other as reality dawned.
“Just what Ann needs,” they said in unison.
“Did you have someplace in mind?” Ann Marie asked as they walked toward Sterling’s car.
“Do you have a taste for something special?”
