What a Woman Wants Read online

  After sipping her drink, she added, “So count me in for the summer. At least I’m getting a nice severance package that will tide me over. I don’t plan on looking for another job for a while. I need to chill before entering the job market again. Hell, it’s been so long, I don’t know what’s even out there. Companies aren’t hiring their own insurance adjusters anymore. They’re using independents. I might decide to go into business for myself or change careers altogether.”

  “So it’s decided,” Faith said. “We’ll spend this summer somewhere on Hilton Head Island.” She smiled. “And I know the perfect place. My parents finally got rid of their time-share and bought a house on the beach. They won’t be using it this summer since they plan to vacation in Europe instead. It’s big and roomy and will fit our needs perfectly.”

  Monique smiled back. “Wonderful. Then it’s final. This summer will be ours to do as we please.”

  “Yes, and we’ll have a wonderful time in Cely’s memory, just like she asked.” Shannon grinned like a woman who was looking forward to doing whatever rocked her boat.

  The three women raised their glasses in a grateful toast. They would make this a summer they wouldn’t forget.

  2

  Four months later,

  summertime

  “Will this complete your order, sir?”

  Shane Masters looked over at the young woman behind the register. It was hard to ignore her I’m interested if you are smile. The kid had to be no more than nineteen, and although it was good for his ego to catch the eye of someone so young, at forty he was old enough to be her father.

  “Yes, that will be all,” he said, handing her enough cash to pay for his groceries.

  Moments later he walked out of the supermarket feeling like a man on top of the world. Retirement was everything people said it would be, and he was glad that because of smart investment moves, he was able to do it now rather than later. The first thing he’d done was purchase a home on the beach in Hilton Head. His ultimate dream home.

  He unloaded his groceries in the truck of the rented SUV and was about to get into the vehicle when his cell phone rang. He smiled—it was his sister. He came from a rather large family and had six siblings, all of them born and raised not far away in Savannah, although now they were spread far and wide all over the country. Quinece was his youngest sister and twin to his brother Quinn. And she was the one determined to keep up with everyone.

  “What’s up, Que-Two?” That was the nickname they had given her when she was born. Quinn they called Que-One.

  “I’m calling to remind you about the party Grey is giving Brandy in a few weeks. I don’t want you to get so absorbed in your tennis games that you forget.”

  Shane chuckled as he opened the door and climbed up. “Don’t worry. I can still manage to keep a calendar pretty good. How’s the kids?”

  “They’re fine, and by the way I’m pregnant again.”

  He shook his head, grinning. “Congratulations. You were always the one who wanted a houseful, and it looks like you’re getting what you want.”

  “Yeah, and I’m thrilled that Kendall is more than happy to oblige. I talked to Quinn earlier today, and he and Alexia are trying.”

  Shane wasn’t surprised. “More power to them.” Inwardly he was happy for his brother Quinn, a highly successful entertainment attorney, and his gorgeous wife, Alexia Bennett Masters, a nationally known recording artist whose current record was number one on the R & B charts.

  “I’m sure Mom will be happy with all these additions to the Masters clan,” he added. His attention was drawn to his rearview mirror when he saw a woman getting out of her car. She had the most gorgeous pair of legs he’d ever seen.

  His gaze moved upward, and he thought she was definitely a looker, with medium brown skin, a nice set of eyes, and luscious lips. Her hair was fixed in twists, and she had a headful that came to her shoulders.

  Hell, forget about the rearview mirror. He turned his body to look out the back window. It was all he could do not to hang up on his sister and give the delectable female his total attention. She made one hell of a moving object as she crossed the parking lot wearing a denim skirt that was short and tight—but it fit her body perfectly. And he couldn’t overlook the small waist that—

  “Shane, are you listening?”

  Quinece reclaimed his attention, but not all of it. “Sorry, I was noticing something else at the moment.”

  “Probably some woman,” she guessed.

  “You’re too young to play the role of mama with me. Look, I won’t miss Brandy’s party. I’m driving up that Friday morning.”

  “Good. We’re depending on you.”

  He raised a brow, not liking the sound of that. “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why are you depending on me?”

  “Umm, I’d rather not say. You aren’t going to like it.”

  His attention was split between what his sister was saying and the woman he was still watching. She had some walk, and with every step she took, he could feel blood thicken in his veins as well as a number of other places. She was more his speed, since she looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties and wasn’t daughter material, like cute little Suzy at the checkout counter.

  He frowned, trying to remember the last time he’d shared a bed with a woman, and it suddenly hit him that it had been months ago, way before his retirement. Damn, he’d been so busy lately, he’d forgone any kind of a social life. He’d always been careful to keep his relationships restricted to women who only wanted a good time. Those with high hopes and expectations he left alone.

  He then realized what his sister had said. “What is it that I’m not going to like, Quinece?”

  She hesitated a minute, then said, “Grey mentioned Brandy’s mom is bringing someone, a cousin who’s visiting from Seattle.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  “She’s looking for a husband.”

  Shane snapped his seat belt in place, wishing it were around his brother Grey’s neck. “Fine, she can keep looking, since a wife is no longer on my interest list. I almost had one, remember? It was unfortunate for her that a week before the wedding I found out she had gotten pregnant—but not from me.”

  “I remember that, and I do understand. But you know how pushy Brandy’s mom can be. We’re not asking you to marry the cousin, just be nice to her. Is that too much to ask?”

  “Yes, it is. Now good-bye.” He then clicked off the line. The conversation with Quinece was all but forgotten; however, the woman who’d distracted him earlier was still on his mind, even after she had disappeared into the grocery store.

  He was tempted to get out of his car and go back inside the store. There had to be some item he had failed to get. He would be the first to admit he’d been guilty of neglecting his libido for way too long, which was probably the main reason he was even considering sniffing behind a woman.

  Going without a female in his bed had never gotten to him before, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was there about Miss Short Skirt and Long Legs that had him hot all over, with an exhilarating rush pricking every inch of his skin.

  Although the men in the Masters family were well aware of their keen sensuality, not to mention the strength of their passion, he wasn’t a randy sixteen-year-old anymore but a man of forty. There were some things you just had to know how to control, and the power of lust was one of them. Sheesh. There wasn’t a male born to Annabel Masters who didn’t possess a certain degree of civilized behavior.

  He pulled out of the parking space. Still, it wouldn’t bother him one bit if he were to run into the woman again, and he hoped he did so before leaving the island the day after Labor Day.

  Faith bit the inside of her cheek as she studied the watermelons carefully. They were all huge, plump, and definitely looked ripe. She had been given the task of bringing back the sweetest one she could buy, and she intended to do just that.

  She smiled.
The first week at the beach house had gone great. She, Monique, and Shannon decided to just chill out for a while— rest, relax, take in days lounging on the beach—before getting down to discuss what they wanted to do this summer, a topic they’d been putting off for too long. Tonight at dinner they would finally talk about it and make their decisions. All day she had been toying with the question of just what a woman wanted, or more specifically, what she herself wanted.

  Surprisingly, the notion of being loved and truly wanted by a man was no longer at the top of her list. She had grown a lot since her divorce four years ago. She had refused to let what Virgil had done—and who he’d done it with—shatter her whole world. As far as she’d been concerned, he was the one with the issues, not her. And contrary to what her parents thought, she didn’t need a man in her life to make it complete. She liked the way things were going and wasn’t in need of a makeover. She dated whenever she wanted and didn’t have any hang-ups with the opposite sex. She was smart enough to know all men weren’t like her ex, who thought there was nothing wrong with having both a wife and a significant other. She enjoyed her independence, she had a job with a good income, and she had a nice savings account. The condo she’d purchased a year ago in downtown Minneapolis was perfect, just what she needed, and was an acceptable distance from her parents’ home in Green Bay. Yes, life was good, and she was looking forward to spending the summer with two of her closest friends.

  Her mind then drifted to Cely, and she dismissed the hurt she still felt in knowing her friend had chosen to bear her troubles alone—whatever they had been—and not share them.

  “I think that’s the best one.”

  Faith glanced up and looked at the man standing beside her. She inwardly smiled. He couldn’t be any older than twenty-one or twenty-two, a college student perhaps. She had to admit he was kind of cute if you went for young. “This one?” she asked, pointing to the watermelon she had been eyeing for the past ten minutes.

  “Yes, that’s the one,” he said, giving her another brilliant smile. If she’d been interested, that smile—not to mention his fine physique in the jogging suit he was wearing—would have made her a goner.

  “So, what are you?” she asked, returning his smile. “A melon expert?”

  He gave her his killer smile again before saying, “Not really. I just can recognize top quality when I see it.”

  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know he was trying to hit on her. A part of her felt somewhat flattered when his gaze moved to her boobs. “Is that so?” she asked, meeting his gaze when it finally returned to her face.

  She started to cross her arms over her chest but decided, Hey, what the heck, let the pup look. It wasn’t as if she were indecently exposed. She was thirty-four and proud that she had a nice set of breasts. She worked out periodically and tried to stay in shape—not for anyone in particular, but mainly for herself.

  “I think I’ll take your advice,” she said when his gaze moved from her face back to her breasts before moving downward past her short denim skirt to her legs.

  “On what?” he asked, meeting her gaze again.

  “The watermelon.”

  “Oh, yeah. Do you need help getting it to your car?”

  She couldn’t help but chuckle. He had a lot to learn. He was a total stranger, and she had no intentions of letting Junior help her take anything to her car. Did she look like she was born yesterday? Hadn’t he ever heard of Ted Bundy, the serial killer who snagged his victims by being helpful to them. “No thanks, I can manage.”

  And to prove her point, she effortlessly picked up the melon, placed it in her buggy, and shot him a smile before moving on. She resisted for a moment and then glanced over her shoulder. He was still standing there, beside the produce, staring at her. She couldn’t help wondering if he made it a habit to hit on older women. He would certainly fit the criteria of a boy toy, if she were interested in one.

  Unfortunately for him, she wasn’t. Oh well, regardless, she had to admit that his lustful interest had certainly made her day.

  Monique’s lips twitched as she took a sip of her tea and glanced at Faith over the rim. “And this guy actually came on to you?” she asked.

  Faith chuckled before placing a slice of melon in her mouth. At least he’d been right. The watermelon she brought home was delicious. “Yes. Can you believe it?” she asked, feigning shock.

  “Of course she can believe it,” Shannon said, coming to join them at the table. “We’re still fairly young, we look good, and I bet in bed we could hold our own. If he had come on to me, I would have taken him somewhere and made his day.”

  Faith didn’t doubt it. Shannon had walked in a few minutes ago after spending most of her day on the beach, and the bikini she’d been wearing bordered on being downright scandalous. “I see you’re still taking casual sex to a whole new level.”

  A smile touched Shannon’s lips. “Don’t knock it until you tried it. Besides, I screw smart.”

  Monique took another sip of her tea and laughed. “Screw smart?”

  “Yes, I’m cautious, selective, and discreet. I take safe sex seriously. I’m particular about what man I take to my bed, and I don’t believe in letting the entire world know about it.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Faith said, shaking her head affectionately. Of the four of them, Shannon had been the first to lose her virginity and had come back and told them all the gory details. Faith had been sixteen then, and it was another five years before she had decided to try it for herself, when she’d met Virgil, “the perfect man.” Boy, had she been wrong.

  “So, I see you’re still not into serious affairs,” she decided to say, knowing that would be what Cely would have done had she been there. Cely had always been the one to give them food for thought, regardless of whether they were hungry for it or not.

  “Of course not,” Shannon replied quickly. “Remember I’m Lorenzo and Alma’s child. I know all about adultery and emotional abuse to last a lifetime. I lived them firsthand, with my parents. After witnessing their joke of a marriage, there was no way I was going to try it for myself. I would never be that stupid.”

  “All marriages aren’t bad,” Monique said quietly. She still felt that little flutter in her stomach whenever she thought of Paul, the man she had married right out of college—and whom she had lost much too soon in a car accident four years ago.

  Shannon reached out and touched Monique’s hand gently. “You were one of the lucky ones,” she whispered. “They don’t make men like Paul anymore.”

  Monique nodded. She had quickly found that out once she’d started dating again. “That’s the main reason why I plan to spend the rest of my life single. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still date and all, but it wouldn’t bother me any if I never married again. Right now all I’m interested in is companionship, someone to go out to dinner with occasionally, take in a movie, talk to—”

  “Sleep with,” Shannon said, hoping it was somewhere on the list. She couldn’t imagine it not.

  Monique shook her head. “Yes, that, too, on occasion, but not with the same frequency as you, Shannon. Lack of sex doesn’t bother me. I could go years without even thinking about it.”

  Shannon laughed. “I could, too, if I had my toys handy.”

  “Can we change the subject, please?” Faith asked. Being around Shannon was always an education, and it was the kind she’d rather do without tonight. “We’re supposed to decide on what we really want to accomplish this summer.”

  “I’ll go first,” Monique said eagerly. “I can’t wait to tell you guys what I’ve decided.”

  “Then please do,” Shannon said, sitting straighter in her chair and all ears.

  Monique smiled like a schoolgirl with a secret. “It’s something I thought of doing lately.”

  “What?” both Faith and Shannon asked.

  “You know that I began doing some recreational running for about six months now, as a way to stay healthy and in shape. Well, what I wo
uld really like to do is take my running seriously and compete, and I understand there will be a triathlon here on the island in August. That will give me a about a month to get in shape “

  Shannon waited on her to say something else. When Monique didn’t add anything, she just stared at her for a moment then asked, “That’s it?”

  “Yes,” Monique said, grinning. “Don’t you think that’s enough?”

  “No,” Shannon was quick to say. “You want to spend the rest of your summer here getting all hot and sweaty?”

  Monique laughed. “Basically, yes.”

  Shannon shook her head when she saw that Monique was serious. “But I don’t get it,” Shannon said. “Isn’t there something else you’d rather do this summer? Something that you really want to do?”

  “That’s what I really want to do, Shannon. I want to be ready to compete in that Beach Bum Triathlon. I know there’s no way I will win, but I think it will be worthwhile to get my body ready to compete.”

  “I agree, and I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Faith jumped in with her opinion before Shannon could deliver a thoughtless comeback. “And now it’s my turn to tell what I’ve decided to do.”

  “What?” Monique asked.

  Faith smiled brightly. “I want to learn how to play tennis.”

  Shannon stared blankly at her. “Tennis? But you took lessons a couple of years ago.”

  “No, I was supposed to take lessons but never got around to it. This summer I will.”

  Shannon leaned back in her chair, looking from Faith to Monique and back. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought we were supposed to do use this summer to take on new adventures and broaden our horizons. We’re to live each day to the fullest and do whatever we want and not worry about anyone’s expectations.”

  Monique and Faith nodded. “Yes, and that’s what we’ll be doing,” Monique said, smiling.

  Interesting, Shannon thought. “I find it strange that neither of your plans for the summer includes a man.”