Red Carpet Romance
RED CARPET ROMANCE
Hollywood Hearts 2
Jean Joachim
Contemporary Romance
Secret Cravings Publishing
www.secretcravingspublishing.com
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A Secret Cravings Publishing Book
Contemporary Romance
Red Carpet Romance
Copyright © 2013 Jean Joachim
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61885-575-6
First E-book Publication: February 2013
Cover design by Dawné Dominique
Edited by Tabitha Bower
Proofread by Renee Waring
All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Secret Cravings Publishing
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
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Dedication
For Larry Joachim,
my husband and best friend for 27 years
Acknowledgment
Thank you for your support: Marilyn Lee, Kathleen Ball, Jack Drucker, Tonya V Rathan Merz, Lisa Ingham, Sandy Sullivan, Tabitha Bower, my editor, Beth Walker, my publisher.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and the following trademark owners mentioned in this work of fiction.
At Your Service
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Cheerios
Drambuie
Chivas Regal
Mon Ami
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RED CARPET ROMANCE
Hollywood Hearts 2
Jean Joachim
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
Raven-haired Susanna Barnes pushed open the unlatched door. Quinn Roberts, stuck up, rich boy movie star. With a kid. Great. “Hello?” She called out, stepping just inside the doorway.
“In here…twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty,” called a deep voice.
She moved toward the sound, stopping a few feet from the entrance to the living room. When she glanced up, she saw the almost-naked, suntanned body of a muscular man, hanging by his hands from a metal pull-up bar stretched high across the entryway. Her gaze wandered over the flexing, sweaty muscles of his shoulders then back and down to his hips. Boxers…cute butt. Farther down were strong thighs tapering to Bermuda-shorts-perfect calves and bare feet.
When she cleared her throat, he dropped off the exercise device and turned around.
“Do you always greet people in your boxers, Mr. Roberts?” She cocked an eyebrow as her stare roved over his damp chest covered with a smattering of brown curly hair, stopping at his waist. Shoulders as wide as a basketball court.
He grabbed a black, terry towel from a nearby chair and wrapped it around his middle. Color flooded his cheeks.
“Sorry about that. Is it ten already?” He stuck out his hand to shake hers. “And it’s Quinn.”
His lopsided grin, dark turquoise eyes, crinkling at the corners, and sexy brown hair falling over his forehead caught her off guard. His presence filled more than the small hallway, it filled the entire apartment.
“Susanna Barnes,” she said, swallowing before taking his hand. Her face flamed under the heat of his stare as it skimmed over her form, down to her toes and back to her eyes in a fraction of a second.
“Be right back.” Gracefully, he ran out of the room, returning not twenty seconds later while tying the sash of a fluff
y, navy blue terry robe. She noticed the color of the robe deepened the color of his eyes.
“Junior’s in here,” he said, motioning her to follow him through the living room. Susanna caught a glimpse of the brown suede, sectional sofa hugging two walls, the carved square, oak coffee table, and a couple of modern, white leather chairs. Masculine, like him. Down a hallway, they came to a large guest room with a double bed, flanked by a portable crib against one wall and a small desk against the other. The room was decorated in turquoise and cream with oak furniture.
As they entered, a tiny head peeked up over the bumper guard. A pair of big, brown eyes made contact with Susanna’s.
“This is Junior. Junior, Ms. Barnes.”
“Susanna, please,” she said, turning her attention to the baby. “He’s adorable.” She went to the crib and bent down to pick him up. Quinn quickly nabbed a cloth diaper and laid it across her shoulder.
“Seems he…uh…spits up sometimes.” He colored slightly.
“Of course. How old is he?”
“Five months. Do you have much experience? I know Dana at the agency checked you out and all, but…just curious…”
“I cared for my sister’s three kids on and off for four years.”
“Ah. Good. So you know babies?”
“I love babies,” she smiled at Junior, and he returned her grin. She held him up and rubbed her face in his belly, making him squeal in delight. “What a cutie.”
“When can you start?” Quinn lounged against the doorjamb.
“Thought I already had. Oh, wait. Paperwork.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a wad of folded paper. After handing it to him, she settled Junior onto her hip and picked up a small, stuffed bear.
Quinn unfolded the paper and glanced through it. “I see you’ve signed the confidentiality agreement.”
“The one where I’m not supposed to divulge anything said or done here? Yup. Sure did. Not a problem. No one to tell anything to anyway.”
“No friends here?”
“Didn’t get a chance to get started here yet.”
He nodded like he understood what she meant before changing the subject. “You’ll be bunking in with him. I hope that’s okay.”
“Makes it easier if he gets up during the night. Does he sleep through till morning yet?” She turned to look at him. His robe opened slightly, providing her with a view of his chest. Susanna had a hard time removing her gaze from his amazing pecs.
“Don’t really know. He only arrived two days ago, and so far he has, I guess. If he’s up, I haven’t heard him.”
“And your room is where?” She tried not to be embarrassed asking the question but didn’t succeed.
“Down at the end of the hall.”
“No baby monitor?”
“What?” He raised his eyebrows.
Susanna laughed. “You really are new at this, aren’t you? A baby monitor is like an intercom. It allows you to hear him from your room, like a walkie-talkie. If you’re not in the same room, you need to get one.”
“You’re my baby monitor, now.” He grinned at her.
“Are you going to get dressed or don’t big movie stars wear clothes?” She took Junior to the top of the dresser, grabbing a diaper on the way, and proceeded to change him. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Quinn bolt out the door and chuckled to herself. Score one for the nanny.
Susanna spent the next hour searching out Junior’s formula and baby cereal, his clothes and playthings. Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, Quinn paced the living room while he talked on the phone. She tried to ignore his chatter and focus on Junior, combing the baby’s hair and putting him in the stroller. Occasionally she stole glances at the actor’s gorgeous body. Snatches of his conversation told her he was getting ready to do a new movie.
Quinn hung up when he saw the two standing in front of him, ready to head outside.
“Keys?” She asked.
“I never lock the apartment. Either Crash or Stokes has the door, so it’s safe.”
“Crash? You have a doorman named Crash?” Her eyebrows rose.
“Yeah. Love that name, too. He’s my favorite, though Stokes is nice, too.”
“We’re going for a walk before lunch.”
“What about your luggage?”
“Oh.” Now it was Susanna’s turn to blush. “I don’t have much. One suitcase. It’s kind of a long story…”
“One suitcase?” He lifted his eyebrows.
“At my sister’s place.”
“Call her and tell her to get it ready. I’ll send Bobby over to pick it up.”
“Bobby?” She shifted her weight.
“My chauffeur. Not mine, exactly. I share him with Chaz. But Chaz and Meg are out of town, so he’s mine for now.”
“Chaz? As in Chaz Duncan?” She cocked an eyebrow.
“My best friend.”
“Birds of a feather. I see,” she commented, pulling out her phone. After speaking with her sister Annie, Susanna jotted down the address on a piece of paper for Quinn and maneuvered Junior in his stroller out the door.
The sun shone, warming up the May morning. She stopped to tuck the little baby blanket around Junior’s small body before turning right on Seventy-Fourth Street and heading for Riverside Park. The fresh air cleared her head. She smiled as she walked down the street. My life stinks, but it’s a beautiful day, Junior is adorable, and I have a nice place to live. At least for two months. Could be worse.
Susanna looked at the budding trees, and her fingers itched to sketch them. Interesting twisted tree trunks and branches stood out, begging her artistic eye to put them on paper. She had propped up Junior so he faced her. Might as well start a conversation with the little guy.
“So what do you think? Is this the best day or what?” The baby gurgled at her, his gaze riveted to her face. She giggled at his response and picked up the pace. No money to join a gym, so walking Junior will have to be my exercise.
It wasn’t long before the fresh air lulled Junior to sleep. Susanna finished her loop around Riverside Drive and returned to the big, wrought iron doors of The Wellington Arms. Crash opened the door for her.
“I hear you’re going to be staying here for a while, eh?”
She nodded.
“I’m Crash. If there’s anything I can do for you…”
“Thank you. I’m Susanna.” She extended her hand to him, and he took it.
“Stayin’ with Mr. Roberts, are ya? Nice man. He needs you since he got that baby. The guy’s out to lunch when it comes to a kid.”
“I see. This must be his first. Do you have kids, Crash?”
“Got two of me own. Yeah. Think it’s his first.”
Junior woke up and started crying. Crash closed the front door, and Susanna walked briskly to the elevator, which whisked them up to the twenty-first floor within seconds. Once inside, she brought him right to the kitchen. He was fussing while she put him in the high chair and fastened a bib around his neck. Quinn came in.
“What’s wrong? Is he hurt? Is he sick?” His brow knitted.
She glanced at him, noticing the concern in his eyes and smiling. “Nope. Just hungry.” She had to open cabinet after cabinet and drawer after drawer to find a bowl and a spoon. “Don’t you have a baby spoon for him?”
“I only have what his mother dropped off. Here,” he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He peeled off five twenty-dollar bills and handed them to her. “Buy whatever you need for him.”
She stuffed the money in her jeans before mixing some formula into the cereal and beginning to feed him. “What did you do before I got here?”
“My sister came.” Quinn plopped down in a chair and observed.
“Sister?”
“Older. She’s raised three kids.” He put his finger near Junior’s and watched the baby close his tiny digits around Quinn’s large ones.
“You don’t have a clue what to do, do you?” She stirred the formula and water.
He shook his head as Susanna spooned another portion into Junior’s mouth.
“This is the first time I’ve met him.”
She put the spoon down, and her jaw fell open. “He’s your son, and you haven’t seen him for five months?”
“It’s not exactly like that.”
“Divorce lawyer already in the picture?” She continued to feed the hungry baby, who eagerly opened his mouth in anticipation of the food.
“Please. No questions.”
“Sorry. I forgot you’re a public figure. Right. I get it. I grew up with that. All the ‘be good, smile for the camera, behave, people are watching’ stuff.”
“You did?” He leaned back in his chair.
“Have you heard of Coach Joe?” She wiped Junior’s chin.
“Coach Joe…Kensington State Kings…basketball coach?”
“My dad.”
“Wow! I had no idea.”
“Yeah. He’s…was…We lived in the spotlight all the time. Local papers were always watching, National, too. I hated it.”
“Was?”
“He died in a car accident…three months ago. Just as we were getting going.” She paused, resting the spoon on Junior’s’ bowl for a moment while her eyes watered. She pushed the heels of her palms into her eyes and wiped away the tears.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Quinn put his hand on her shoulder.
“He’d retired and was driving me and my stuff into the city. My first apartment…I was finally getting time with him.” She continued to feed the baby.
“So you were in the car when the accident happened?”
She nodded.
“Were you badly injured?”
“I’m here and in one piece.” She let out a shuddering sigh and put down the utensil.