“From what I’ve seen, you avoid her and she avoids you.”
Not anymore, Cortez thought, thinking of those days in Paris. There’d be no avoiding each other this time. He’d given her two weeks. Now it was time. “I’ll handle it.”
Then, to change the subject, he said, “I hear the Masters’s cousins are being called the future Venus and Serena Williams.”
Grey’s brothers, Shane and Lake, both had thirteen-year-old daughters — Shaniya and Lakelyn. The girls were making waves with their skill as tennis players thanks to Shane, who’d once been a noted tennis instructor.
There was another chuckle from Grey that let Cortez know his cousin was on to him. His deliberate shift in conversation to a subject Grey enjoyed discussing — his kids and his nieces and nephews — had worked. There was no doubt about it, Grey Masters was definitely a proud dad and doting uncle. “Shaniya and Lakelyn are finally getting the recognition they deserve. They’re damn good, and I think they might even have a shot at next year’s title.”
Cortez had seen them play a number of times and had been very impressed. “I believe they might.”
The conversation then shifted to Brandy and Grey’s three kids. His older cousins, Quinn, Grey, Shane, and Lake had all married the women they loved. Cortez intended to do likewise.
“Okay, Cortez, I’ll let it go. But remember what I said. You need to decide how things are going to be between you and Victoria. It’s driving the family batty. I’ll see you Friday.”
VICTORIA KNEW THE MOMENT Cortez arrived in the ballroom of the prestigious St. Laurent of Orlando, the hotel that Brandy and Grey owned. She hadn’t had to turn around, and hadn’t needed any of her cousins to mention his arrival. She had known.
She had seen his brothers earlier and they’d mentioned to Monica that Cortez would be arriving late. One of his court cases had lasted longer than he’d expected, forcing him to get a later flight from Los Angeles.
Unless her nose was playing tricks on her, she was certain she could even pick up his scent. The scent of her mate. Her mate? She swallowed, wondering why she would think such a thing, then immediately she knew. He was the only man her body recognized. The only man who had touched it in ways that still made her blush thinking about it.
Every part of her was alert. Passionate strokes of desire were swirling down her spine. She tried to ignore them, but she couldn’t. They were too intense. All she had to do was think back to any one of their intimate moments in Paris, and a moan would rise deep in her throat.
“You okay, Victoria?” Bree asked her when the two of them were alone.
Forcing her features to remain neutral, she said, “Yes.”
Bree smiled over the rim of her wineglass. “Liar.”
Victoria’s lips broke into a smile. Her cousin knew her so well. “Well, at least I get to see Cortez again,” she admitted, fighting hard not to turn around and look for him.
“Will seeing him be enough for you?”
Although she hadn’t given her cousins any details about what had happened in Paris, it hadn’t been too hard for them to figure out. It had been obvious to all of them that those two days had changed everything.
“I’m not sure,” she said, finally answering Bree’s question. Since returning home, there hadn’t been a single day that she hadn’t thought of him or remembered their time together. At first, she’d tried to convince herself that it had only been about sex, but deep down, she’d knew that wasn’t true. Granted, they had spent a lot of time making love, but they’d also spent several hours just enjoying each other’s company.
Was she honestly prepared to see him tonight? She thought she was, but now that the time had come, she wasn’t sure.
“Cortez is a nice guy,” Bree said.
“Yes, he is,” she agreed.
“Is there any reason the two of you can’t get together? Why does it have to be one and done? If you like each other as much as I think you do — and there’s more between you than just sex — why not try for more?”
Victoria’s eyebrows drew together in concentration as she gave her cousin’s question some thought. “But I don’t know if there is more than sex between us.”
Bree stared at her for a moment. “Of course, you don’t know how he feels, but you can certainly speak for yourself. Don’t you feel anything for him beyond the physical?”
Victoria was relieved she didn’t have to provide Bree with an answer, because at that moment, her other cousins returned. Monica was almost giddy and wouldn’t stop talking about the band. The drummer had winked at her and she couldn’t help telling everyone how cute she thought he was. Victoria excused herself to go to the ladies’ room and was on her way back when she saw Cortez. The ballroom was crowded with family and with Brandy and Grey’s friends. Yet Cortez seemed to stand out as he spoke to his cousin Quinece. Then, as if he’d felt her presence, he tilted his head and looked her way. Directly at her.
She stopped walking, afraid she’d trip if she continued. Standing there in dark trousers and a tan sports jacket, he took her breath away. She felt his gaze move over her and her skin sizzled. That was the effect he had on her. And she felt a tingling sensation sweep through her nether regions.
Victoria could keep walking, ignoring him in the process. That was how she’d handled situations like this in the past. But now, she felt they were beyond that type of behavior. And given the way he was staring at her, she had a feeling he agreed. His eyes were filled with desire that he wasn’t trying to hide. Desire she could feel all the way to her bones. She wasn’t sure if Quinece or anyone else could read it, but she certainly did.
Drawing in a deep breath, she forced her legs to move…toward him. The smile that formed on her lips wasn’t fake — she was honestly glad to see him — and her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. “Quinece,” she said, giving her a hug, which the woman returned.
Victoria then turned to Cortez. “Hello, Cortez.”
“Victoria, it’s good to see you again.”
She wished the deep timbre of his voice didn’t affect her so much. She recalled the way he would whisper in her ear each morning when he woke her up to make love, or how that same voice would tell her how much he desired her.
“If the two of you will excuse me, I need to see if Brandy needs help with anything,” Quinece said, smiling before walking off and leaving them alone.
“How have you been, Victoria?”
She met Cortez’s gaze again, and at that moment Bree’s question floated through her mind… “If there’s more between you than just sex — why not try for more?”
If there had been any doubt in Victoria’s mind before, there was none now. There had been a reason she had missed him so much over the last two weeks. There had been a reason why she’d gone to bed every night, only to wake up with him fully embedded in her thoughts. Yes, there was more between them than sex. She loved him. She had fallen in love with Cortez Masters.
“Victoria?”
She blinked, realizing she’d been standing there staring at him without saying anything. “I’ve been fine, Cortez. What about you?”